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+.

Let’s Talk iOS 067: The hybrid unicorn

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 12, 2018

In episode 67 of Let's Talk iOS, Cody, Jeff, and Sebastien have a discussion about Apple's Q1 2015 earnings. The trio also shares their hopes for the device that they hope the iPad Pro will be, as well as their thoughts on the Apple Watch shipping in April. Finally, Jeff introduces us to his podcasting guide.

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Support Let's Talk iOS:

Thinkful, a service that will teach you how to code iOS apps. For 10% off, go to www.thinkful.com/ios. Make your loved one happy, and get her some freshly dipped strawberries from Shari's Berries. Go to Berries.com, click on the microphone icon in the top right corner and enter code "ios" for a special deal.
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How to install Kodi on a jailbroken iPhone or iPad

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Kodi is the media center application that is the successor to XBMC. Actually, it's pretty much the same exact app with a newly minted name. Over the years, I've grown to love XBMC, its versatility, flexibility, and overall usefulness as a media hub. It has the ability to turn an ordinary device into a media powerhouse. But before you get to any of that, you have to learn how to install Kodi. Yes, indeed, XBMC has a new name, and with it comes a slightly modified method of installation.

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Pasithea: a new jailbreak tweak that saves pasteboard history

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Pasithea is a jailbreak tweak that lets you manage pasteboard history on your iOS device. It works by replacing the Tibetan keyboard in iOS, and presents it as its own keyboard, which functions as a place to access previous items saved to the pasteboard. If you're someone who uses copy and paste on a regular basis, and desires a better way to manage pasteboard history, then Pasithea is a tweak worth checking out.

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‘Harbor’ brings an OS X-inspired dock to the iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Imagine having 30+ app icons in your iPhone dock, and being able to view them all at the same time and easily launch them all with no issues. This is what life is like while using Harbor—a new jailbreak tweak that brings one of the best OS X-inspired dock experiences that I've seen thus far on jailbroken iPhones.

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How to enable video autofocus on the iPhone 5s and older devices

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

The launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus brought autofocus ability to the stock Camera app while recording video. This was a feature that many iPhone users clamored for, and when it was finally unveiled with the iPhone 6, it was met with a positive response.

Unfortunately, video autofocus was to be exclusive to the newer devices, and wouldn't be retroactively added to older devices like the iPhone 5s via iOS 8. But that all changed today when a new jailbreak tweak called AFVideo was released. This tweak brings video autofocus to older jailbroken devices running iOS 8.

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Podcasting basics part I: finding the right topic and hosts

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Last week, we recorded episode 92 of Let's Talk Jailbreak and episode 66 of Let's Talk iOS. That's 158 episodes under our belts, or over three years of shows if each show was spread out on week-to-week basis. While I wouldn't dare claim to be the supreme podcast expert, I can say that I have learned a lot as both shows have grown from humble beginnings.

Podcasting isn't exactly rocket science, but it does take some effort to make a show sound decent. My goal has always been to simply create the best sounding show that I possibly can within reason. That reason includes, of course, money, equipment, environment, and the podcast participants.

At the end of the day, a podcast will only sound as good as your worst piece of equipment, software, mixing technique, or participant. The goal should be to make everything sound good enough to where you'll derive satisfaction from the end result.

In this first part of my podcasting basics series, I'll talk about what it takes to get your podcast off the ground. In subsequent entries, I'll discuss the equipment we use, the software we use, the techniques we employ, and other tidbits along the way.

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Legendary jailbreak hacker Comex is assisting iMods with a Cydia Substrate alternative

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

It's been a long time since we've heard Comex's name be associated with jailbreaking, but he's back, and in a fairly large and controversial way. The creator of JailbreakMe is working with the team behind iMods—a Cydia alternative—to develop a Mobile (Cydia) Substrate replacement called Substitute. On the surface, it may not sound like much, but this could have far-reaching consequences on jailbreaking as we currently know it.

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Anchor lets you place spaces between Home screen app icons

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

If you've been around jailbreaking for any decent amount of time, then you're no doubt familiar with Gridlock—a jailbreak tweak that allowed you to arrange Home screen icons with spaces in between them. Anchor, a new jailbreak tweak that just recently appeared on Cydia, takes this basic premise and brings it to iOS 8.

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