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+.

Review: Monowear third-party Apple Watch band

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

The folks over at Monowear sent me a couple of their third-party Apple Watch bands to try out. I've always been a little skeptical about third-party bands, because I worry about their quality, and whether or not they can truly match up to what Apple provided us with.

I've never tried a third-party band until now, but I can tell you that along with being inexpensive relative to what Apple's charging, these bands are high quality and have a great fit. If I was in the market for a third-party, and I just might be after trying these out for the last few days, I'd definitely give Monowear a look.

Velox 2 is now available on Cydia

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 3, 2015

March 6, 2015. That was when I previewed Velox 2 on video. Needless to say it's been a long journey for this tweak, but it's finally available for purchase on Cydia.

Velox is a tweak that lets you access custom folders for apps that contain notifications, or access various functions pertaining to the app. Some apps, like the Settings app, feature a folder full of special functions. Other apps, apps that haven't been given special attention, simply show any available notifications.

The original Velox was easily one of my most anticipated Cydia tweaks, but in the end, it never quite lived up to the hype. That said, it's still a very popular tweak with lots of innovating features, and totally worth a look. Watch our video of Velox 2 for a reminder of what to expect.

First dedicated Cydia tweaks appear for Cydia 1.1.19 users

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Last night, saurik surprised us by releasing Cydia 1.1.19. This latest version of Cydia no longer runs as root, but as mobile. While that may seem ambiguous, this means that Cydia can now come under the influence of Cydia Substrate tweaks. In other words, developers can now produce jailbreak tweaks that work on Cydia.

Well it didn't take long before dedicated Cydia tweaks begun appearing. In fact, there are now two dedicated Cydia tweaks available for download right now...

TaiG 2.3 released to include Cydia 1.1.19 and remove setreuid patch

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Hot on the heels of saurik's Cydia update, TaiG has updated its jailbreak tool to include the latest version of Cydia and to remove the setreuid patch. The update, which comes in at version 2.3, can be used by those of you who aren't currently jailbroken. If you are jailbroken, then you'll be able to update to the latest version of the TaiG untether via Cydia.

Saurik releases Cydia 1.1.19, now runs as mobile instead of root

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

A pretty huge change just happened to Cydia. In the version just released, version 1.1.19, the installer now runs as mobile instead of root. This means that Cydia Substrate tweaks can now modify Cydia.

This is really big news. It means that not only will existing tweak modifications remain working while Cydia is open, but it potentially means that a whole new class of tweaks become available for Cydia. Don't like Cydia's UI? There could be a tweak or a theme for that!

How to fix safe mode crashes in iOS 8.4 when Activator is installed

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

You may have noticed that your device will respring into safe mode whenever the public version of Activator is installed on iOS 8.4. The problem is, many tweaks rely on Activator as a prerequisite, and Activator hasn't been updated to work with iOS 8.4 as of yet.

Does that mean that any tweak that relies on Activator is simply unusable until Ryan Petrich pushes out a public update? Not at all. Just install the Activator beta...

What tweaks are compatible with iOS 8.4? Check out this handy spreadsheet

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Every day I receive at least a dozen requests for a tweak compatibility list for iOS 8.4. Instead of reinventing the wheel, someone has already performed all of the leg work creating a list.

As was done with the iOS 8.3 jailbreak, our buddies over at r/jailbreak have added a column for iOS 8.4 on their tweak compatibility spreadsheet. Instead of trying to guess which tweaks might be compatible with iOS 8.4 and which may not, you can simply look at this sheet to get a good indicator on what tweaks are currently supported, and which ones might need to be updated.

10 Apple Music jailbreak tweaks

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Apple Music is here, and I think that we can all agree that it's a fairly big deal in tech. Now that iOS 8.4 is officially jailbroken, it's time to look at some of the tweaks available for Apple Music. In the following post, I outline 10 jailbreak tweaks that you may want to try on Apple's revamped Music app.

TaiG 2.2.1 released with setreuid patch and stability improvements

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 2, 2015

After a false start earlier this morning with an update to its iOS 8.4 jailbreak tool, TaiG has officially released version 2.2.1.

This update is security oriented, as it contains the setreuid patch to prevent applications from obtaining to root privileges through setreuid. The update also contains stability improvements. If you've yet to jailbreak your iOS 8.4 device, it is recommended that you use this latest version of TaiG's tool, version 2.2.1.

TaiG releases, then pulls its 2.2.1 update for jailbreaking iOS 8.4

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 2, 2015

TaiG has updated its iOS 8.4 jailbreak tool to fix a security issue, but as of now, that update is no longer available on its website or via Cydia. TaiG 2.2.2, which includes a setreuid patch to prevent applications from obtaining to root privileges through setreuid, was deemed unsafe by saurik. With this in mind, please don't upgrade.

Amazon removed as a Cydia payment option

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

If you've tried to make a purchase on Cydia lately, you may have noticed one big difference with the available payment options. Amazon is no longer available as a means to make payment, leaving only PayPal as an option.

For me, this is really unfortunate, because Amazon allowed you to authorize a set number of dollars in advance, making it easy to make multiple Cydia purchases over a period of months without necessitating a reauth. I've never been a fan of PayPal and its business practices, but I also hate how cumbersome it can be to simply log in to PayPal.

As of today, we're down to a single option for Cydia purchases, but that could be changing soon.

‘Mirmir’ multitasking tweak for iOS 8.4 now available on Cydia

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Yesterday, we brought you a full review of a hot new jailbreak tweak called Mirmir (formerly Mimir). This is a new tweak that allows you to have true side-by-side windowed multitasking on jailbroken iPhones and iPads running iOS 8.3 or iOS 8.4.

If you'd like to try Mirmir, you can get it today for $3.99 on Cydia's BigBoss repo. Watch our video review in this post if you'd like more info before you buy.