Jim Gresham

Editor at iDownloadBlog.com since 2012, Jim Gresham curates the finest wallpapers and customizations for Apple devices, enhancing user experience through visual creativity. With a keen eye for design and a passion for personalization, Jim helps readers transform their screens into stunning displays. He spent his younger years tinkering with computers, reading about technology, and watching Star Wars, while being teased by his peers at school for nerdy tendencies. Since 2008, he has worked on improving his Apple arsenal and spends his free time researching the latest gadget trends, trying to find the next awesome iDevice accessory for review. A native of the Commonwealth of Virginia, he enjoys the stiff crease on a well-ironed dress shirt and dons a bow tie on a regular basis.

Wallpapers of the week: the water lily

A majority of our previous Wallpapers of the Week centered around iPhone and we hope to show some love in the iPad direction, especially as the iPad event goes live this Tuesday, October 22, at 10:00AM PST. If you have not taken a look at our recap for the event, there is an excellent summary post, which includes all of the rumors and expectations for the upcoming iPad 5 and iPad mini 2. Barring a last minute leak, which tend to be false anyway, I would wager a guess: there will be no surprises on Tuesday.

As excitement surrounding the Apple media invitation took to the internet last week, I featured several artists' invitation renditions, formatted for iPhone and iPad. If you missed out, check out the invitation inspired wallpapers from last week before heading into the current selection by Mario Britten... 

iPad event wallpapers: we still have a lot to cover

All Apple fans are now keenly aware, the October 22 event was announced earlier today. With the rumor mill in full spin, it is assumed the event will announce iPad 5 with an updated iPad mini-like form factor. In addition, there is a possibility of a retina iPad mini and both iPad versions are assumedly coming in silver, space grey, and lustful gold.

Other new items may include Mac Pro release information, OS X Mavericks, and even an upgrade to Apple TV is a possibility. Further possibilities are Touch ID for iPad, which would tag along with the A7 processor. Titled "we still have a lot to cover," there may be a couple new "covers," such as updated and streamlined cases or Smart Covers to match the new slick iPad 5 form factor.

No matter what the event brings next Tuesday, we are all excited by the possibilities. To help celebrate the upcoming event, there is a compilation of event inspired wallpapers just past the fold...

Wallpapers of the week: natural beach beauty

Last week, I called into question the continual wallpaper free fall that is currently popular on the internet. Image after image of swirling and blurry walls of color can be seen populating many iOS devices. Whether rainbow or simply one color with a gradient fade into another, the current wallpaper community is locked into a downward spiral of homogenous boredom.

That is not to say I do not like the long list of available blurry wallpapers with pretty pastel colors. In fact, I selected, almost singularly, all blurry wallpapers for the past couple months and they can be found throughout the Wallpapers of the Week section. It is simply time to move on, at least for a few weeks. With the iPhone 5s and 5c launch behind us and the ensuing iPad event coming on October 22, let's all take one step forward...

Wallpapers of the week: iPad iOS 7 extravaganza

This week during the US government shut down, we are still diligently covering the latest Apple news and happenings. The iDB team is always quick to bring you the newest information and we pride ourselves in doing so. Like our hardworking staff behind, the readers are busy creating wallpapers for submission. Over the past weeks, loads of readers submitted many wallpapers.

Each week, the Wallpapers of the Week section features creative renditions by our readership. Over previous weeks, many of you complained there was a lack of iPad wallpapers for iOS 7. As always, I submit the best versions of the images I receive and iPad versions are scattered. However, to fulfill the request of our readership, this week I post access to 49 iPad retina wallpapers. Okay, most of them are variations of each other, but there is certainly something for everyone...

Bluelounge releases Rolio and CableDrop Mini for cable management woes

It is no surprise, considering the number of Bluelounge reviews I cover, I am a big fan of this product line. Consequently, when my friend at their office asked if I wanted to check out their latest invention, I quickly responded to the request. Bluelounge makes great products that solve simple everyday problems. Many companies claim to do the same, but setting themselves apart, Bluelounge solves these mundane problems in elegant ways with products like Kii, MiniDock, Mika, and Saidoka.

Today, two new products are announced, Rolio and CableDrop Mini. Both newly released items take on the challenge of creative cord management. Everyone struggles to keep cords in-check on their work stations, but with these two options, at least there is some organization to the madness...

Wallpapers of the week: mixture flat and texture

Now that iOS 7 is released and we are all running our newest devices, the design is starting to settle with users, but, as always, one of the only ways to modify the look of iOS is changing the wallpaper. Many users jailbreak their devices simply to change the look and appeal. However, until there is an iOS 7 jailbreak, we will be stuck using wallpapers as our only source of personalization.

With help from the Wallpapers of the Week section, we hope to curate a place on iDB where users can find top tier designs with which to change their interface. Thanks to the layered design work, changing the wallpaper in iOS 7 does drastically change the color scheme, in comparison to iOS 6. The translucency allows the wallpaper to be visible through different app interfaces, thus creating a new experience...

Review: Apple’s iPhone 5c Case is tastefully tacky

Typically, I do not bother reviewing Apple items because I do not feel like adding my $.02 to the pile of other blogging around the web. Leave the big company reviews to the big boys, is best in my opinion. However, when I saw Apple release the "iPhone 5c Case," I immediately felt the need to pick one up and share my opinions. Feel free to call it a useless need to self aggrandize my product reviews by weighing in on the newest Apple offering. I couldn't look past the bold and somewhat tacky bright color schemes.

What drew me into the review was Apple's previous lack of actual cases. In most recent history, Apple released a Smart Cover for iPad and the mini. Additionally, Apple released bumpers for iPhone 4. Apple making the definitive decision to release a case for the already colorful iPhone 5c made me stop and take notice. What possessed the company to finally produce a full fledged case for iPhone and what would Apple do so differently from other case manufactures?

As Steve was a self proclaimed iPhone nudist, clearly there were some people behind the late Apple CEO that were itching to release a case...

Wallpapers of the week: parallax ready walls for iOS 7

We are all settled with our new devices after a grueling week of long lines and iOS 7 upgrades. It was a big week for Apple fans the world over and next week will continue to excite as customers who ordered iPhone 5s electronically begin receiving units on Monday and Tuesday.

To prep for my reviews, I purchased a green 5c and silver 5s, of which the 5c arrived Friday. Although I had access to iOS 7 since WWDC, I opted to remain with an iPhone 5 iOS 6 JB until my new device arrived in the mail. Consequently, I have only been running iOS 7 for the past 24 hours through my new device. I must say, it is quite the shocking experience, but I am getting used to the new interface.

As the self proclaimed wallpaper guy for iDB, one of the new features I am very excited about is the parallax effect. Utilizing the iPhone's accelerometer, gyroscope, and a little coding magic, the wallpaper appears to move behind the icons when tilting the device. To enhance the effect, applying a wallpaper slightly larger than the iPhone's screen resolution is important. Step inside to download our first featured post with parallax ready images...

Coda Forte bluetooth headphones offer wireless quality

When using a headphone, cable is not an option, switching to Bluetooth is obviously the best idea. There are many areas where cordless headphones are optimum, including late nights playing your favorite iOS game next to your wife, who is sleeping and doesn't know you broke the no-gadgets-in-the-bedroom agreement. Keeping yourself out of the dog house is made simple with a pair of headphones.

However, fumbling around with a cord is not always preferred. iFrogz, which was purchased by ZAGG, would agree that wireless is the way to take listening to the next level. The iFrogz Audio Coda Forte Bluetooth Headphones with Mic, which I will term "Coda" henceforth, is an answer to the corded headphones of the past. Having previously reviewed ZAGG headphones, I am not new to the ZAGG audio scene but the Bluetooth addition is new territory...

Wallpapers of the week: nature inspired Light Wind

We are creeping closer to the public iOS 7 release and the excitement is almost palpable. On Wednesday, we will all be able to get our greedy hands on Jony Ive's latest software creation and, with it, a whole new list of excellent wallpapers. Actually, for the astute readers, we have already posted the entire list of Apple wallpapers that will be available in iOS 7.

This week is another in the growing installment of Wallpapers of the Week. In this section, we are excited to continually feature the works of our talented readership. Recently, lots of readers submitted excellent wallpapers and the next installments should continue to please. Inside the post, this week's featured artist is Eddy Younan...

Never lose your iPhone in the dark with glowing Slickwraps cases

I find myself fumbling around in the dark looking for my iPhone, while trying not to wake my wife. Black iPhone, dark room, black side table are all my enemies when trying to get my late night Twitter fix. Not that Slickwraps designed a case to encourage bed time iPhone junkies, but I find the glowing aura of this case helpful in similar situations.

When I first offered to review the Slickwraps glow series case, I figured it was a novelty item that children might find in a $.25 grab machine at the local bowling alley. After using the case for more than a week, I am happily surprised to believe quite the opposite of my original impressions...

Wallpapers of the week: t-shirt images look amazing

On our tenth anniversary for Wallpapers of the Week, I took a simplistic design and a simplistic subject matter as the focus of this week's offering. Of course, there is nothing simple about the upcoming week for Apple news and fans the world round.

We are on the edge of iPhone history, when Tuesday, the newly planned models will be announced. Earlier this week, iDB highlighted excellent September 10 event wallpapers by Bas van der Ploeg and linked to another set designed by a community standard, Surenix.

In the meantime, we are happy to feature a new set of walls to hold everyone over until the excitement begins...