Jeff Benjamin

Jeff has been with iDownloadBlog since 2010, acting as resident video specialist, and tutorial expert. He earned his degree in Computer Network Systems back in 2001, but decided Cisco routers and the like just weren’t for him. Since then, he’s been heavily involved with online writing. He’s written for numerous tech and video game sites since the late 1990′s, and has a knack for explaining things in a simple, clear, and concise manner. Jeff works primarily from the east coast on his Retina Macbook Pro, and shoots video with a Canon DSLR. During downtime he likes to travel the world, visiting the various Apple Stores across the globe. You can email him at jeff [at] idownloadblog.com and follow him on Twitter @JeffBenjam or on Google+.

StayOpened Keeps the App Store From Closing While You Shop

Don't you just hate it when you're in a store, and a clerk comes on the P.A. system, and blurts out, "This store will be closing in 15 minutes"?

That's how I feel every time I purchase an app from the App Store. It closes, and I'm not even finished shopping! Wouldn't it be nice, if we could keep the App Store opened  when downloading an app? That's the premise of StayOpened, a new tweak for jailbroken iPhones...

Get a Free iPhone 3GS at Best Buy Tomorrow (December 10th)

New to the iPhone arena? What better way to start out then by scoring a free iPhone 3GS from Best Buy on Friday, December 10th. That's right free, zero, nada, ziltch.

That's $99 dollars cheaper than the current going rate for the least expensive iPhone, and a pretty rare find for an Apple product. Check inside for the full scoop...

Is ASLR The Antid0te For a More Secure Jailbreak?

At this years annual Pwn2Own hacking contest, where contestants are challenged to exploit specific software and computing platforms, an iPhone 3GS was successfully hacked in about 20 seconds.

Fortunately, one hacker is making plans to release a jailbreak tool -- aptly entitled Antid0te -- that makes your iPhone more secure.  Just how is this accomplished? We divulge the details inside...

iOSFlashVideo is Another Addition to the Growing List of Flash Workarounds for iPhone

First there was Frash, then there was the much hyped SkyFire browser. It's obvious that there are plenty of folks out there that still want Flash capabilities on the iPhone.

Though much of the need has been quelled with the mass adoption of HTML 5 video tags, there are apparently still a few sites that haven't made the switch. Obviously this presents an issue for us iPhone users.

As a remedy, we've had jailbreak solutions and we've had official App Store app solutions. Now, we can officially say that we have a Safari bookmarklet solution -- iOSFlashVideo.

AskToSend Helps You Avoid Those Embarrassing Messaging Moments

How many times have you accidentally sent an email that wasn't finished? Or worse yet, how many times have you sent an email to the wrong recipient? Yeah, our mistakes can yield some pretty embarrassing results if we're not careful.

Wouldn't it be nice if your mail and SMS apps asked you if you wanted to send, before sending? AskToSend is a jailbreak app that teaches your iPhone some lessons in etiquette...

iPhone 4.2.1 Untethered Jailbreak Available Soon

Today, MuscleNerd unveiled the video of an iOS 4.2 untethered jailbreak that is currently in the works. This is wonderful news for everyone who wisely held off on upgrading their iPhones to 4.2.1.

If you noticed lately how Cydia mysteriously saves off your 4.2b3 SHSH files, well this exploit utilizes those. Patience is indeed a virtue! Check inside for full video displaying the untethered jailbreak running on an iPod Touch 4g.

CustomBadges Allows for Something a Bit More Interesting

Those red notification badges aren't the most exciting thing in the world are they? Sure, you might have a new e-mail, or there may be a new update to your favorite app, but they lack flair, they lack excitement!

What if you could change those badges into something more meaningful? Maybe a funny phrase, or your favorite proverb? CustomBadges, a tweak for jailbroken iPhones, allows you to do just that...

5 Steps To Reduce iPhone Related Stress

The iPhone is a wonderful device that has made all of our lives more productive, but could it also lead to undue stress? With the constant barrage of app icons, push notifications, and warning messages, I sure think so.

Take a look inside for our 5 secrets to iPhone bliss and contentment, and see if you agree...

This iPhone Peripheral is Perfectly Suited for Blustery Days

Alternative energy is all the rage these days. Whether it's solar power, water power, or wind power, if it's not plugged into the grid, it's a-ok.

The iPhone has already had its fair share of solar powered charging adapters, and even a few hand driven crank adapters thrown in for good measure; but a wind adapter? Thanks to inventor Tjeerd Veenhoven, the iPhone can lay claim to that as well...

Apple Feeling Generous With Free iTunes Movie Rentals

With the recent release of AirPlay, Apple is working on locking down your Apple TV inhabited living rooms, and what better way to show off the technology than by offering users a freebie?

According to a report from 9 to 5 Mac, Apple is randomly sending out iTunes rental codes good for any one of the 8,000 plus movies available on the iTunes store. Of course this totally coincides with the fact that the Apple TV 2 operates on a rentals based model, so this may just be Apple wanting more users to give their service a trial run...

ListLauncher Makes It Easier To Launch Your Apps From Spotlight

I've always been quite partial to Spotlight, I use it all the time to launch apps that I have tucked away in a folder somewhere, and I find that it is an extremely effective way to use my iPhone.

With that in mind, my ears always perk up whenever a tweak makes a claim that it can improve Spotlight, and ListLauncher is one such app. Just how does it work, and does it really make launching apps faster?