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+.

Apple, why can’t you select multiple photos in iOS by tapping and dragging anymore?

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

On today's episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak, Sebastien, Cody, and I were talking about the lack of a decent way to select multiple photos in the iOS 8 photos app. That conversation reminded me of how you could select multiple photos on earlier iOS versions back in the day by tapping and dragging.

I was able to find a video that I had filmed back in February of 2011 showcasing such a feature. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this was iOS 4, since it was filmed on February 9, 2011, and iOS 5 didn't release until October 12, 2011. But the point is, there was a great feature in iOS 4 that made selecting multiple photos so much easier than it is today. Apple, we need this feature back.

How to troubleshoot jailbreak tweak crashes with CrashReporter

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Yesterday, I installed a jailbreak tweak called SafariRefresh. I've covered that tweak before on the blog, but after using it last night, it caused my Safari app to crash repeatedly. In order to find out what was causing the crash, I used a handy jailbreak tool called CrashReporter to help pinpoint the problem. Here's how I did it.

Let’s Talk iOS 064: The overblown

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Episode 64: A discussion about Apple's recent software missteps and how they could fix the situation. A talk about the rumored 12" MacBook Air, and what it could mean for the software side of things.

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KeyCommands: execute Activator actions via physical keyboard shortcuts

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

KeyCommands is an innovative new jailbreak tweak that allows iOS users who use physical keyboards to mate custom keyboard shortcuts to Activator gestures. This means that you can make ⌘+⇥ invoke the App Switcher, or make ⌘+⇧+3 take a screenshot just like you can on the Mac.

Ryan Petrich releases a new cache cleaning tool

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

If you have Ryan Petrich's beta repo added to Cydia, then you likely saw the presence of a new jailbreak tweak called CacheClearer. The tool, which is available for free, allows users to clear app caches from the Usage section of the stock Settings app. The great thing about CacheClearer is that it feels like a native part of iOS, and not a bolt-on. If you're looking for a sleek way to manage individual app cache, then you should definitely give CacheClearer a look.

Dynamics theme brings awesome new dynamic wallpaper options to the iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

In the past I've wondered why Apple seems to neglect its dynamic theme options, yet every year there are new static themes available for iOS. Unfortunately, for those of us who like them, dynamic themes seem to have been placed permanently on the shelf.

An upcoming jailbreak package looks to change this by offering several new well-designed dynamic themes to jailbroken iOS users. It's aptly entitled Dynamics, and it will be released once the teaser version receives 500 downloads.

How to use the iPhone’s mute switch as a Do Not Disturb switch

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

SwitcherDND is a new jailbreak tweak that just arrived on Cydia. It allows you to replace the mute switch's functionality with that of a Do Not Disturb switch. If you use Do Not Disturb often like I do, then you may want to give this free jailbreak tweak a spin.

SubtleLock brings a minimal style to the iOS 8 Lock screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

SubtleLock has always been a good way to transform the iOS Lock screen with a minimal style, and the iOS 8 version of SubtleLock tries to live up to the legacy. This is a tweak that can customize the Lock screen font, color, size, and even simplify the look of the clock and date readout. If you're using an impressive wallpaper that you'd like to showcase rather than hide behind Lock screen elements, then SubtleLock for iOS 8 may provide the options you need after an update or two.

AlternateControls brings Android-inspired software buttons to iOS

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Although it might seem a little like blasphemy, a new jailbreak tweak is taking the risk and bringing Android trademarked software controls to iOS. That means that the famed back, home, and menu buttons are now available on your iPhone. Living up to its name, AlternateControls provides a new way to control your iOS device without using the Home button. But there's a bit more to the story than what appears on the surface. Watch our full walkthrough video to see what I mean.

Flick Scroll: a promising new jailbreak tweak that could change how we scroll

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

The concept of Flick Scroll is a great one: being able to use a simple flick gesture on a scrollable view to align the page exactly where you want it. If you've ever been reading a long article on Safari or any other app with a scrollable view, perhaps you've struggled trying to keep the text aligned in a manner that makes consuming the content less arduous. That, in theory, is what Flick Scroll aims to accomplish, but the jailbreak tweak, which just appeared on Cydia's BigBoss repo, isn't quite ready for primetime.

Photego: secure the stock Photos app with Touch ID

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

There are tweaks that exist on Cydia that allow you to secure an entire app, but to my knowledge, no tweak yet exists that allows you to secure specific aspects of the stock Photos app with Touch ID. That's where Photego comes in, a new jailbreak tweak that allows you to prevent users from deleting photos, accessing albums, and more via Touch ID.

WhitelistSwitcher cleans up your messy App Switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Looking for a way to tidy up the App Switcher on iOS? Then WhitelistSwitcher may be a jailbreak tweak that appeals to you. As its name alludes to, this tweak allows you to whitelist the specific apps that appear in the App Switcher. Apps that aren't on the whitelist do not appear in the App Switcher, even if they were recently launched.