Mike Schnier

Stanford’s free iOS developer’s class returns to iTunes U

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated May 1, 2017

Want to get started coding apps for iOS? Stanford University is relaunching their class 'Coding Together: Developing Apps for iPhone and iPad', with new material for iOS 6. We previously reported on the class in 2011. Since enrollment in the class is free on iTunes U and on Piazza, all you really need to participate is enough familiarity programming in C to get you through a couple first-year computer science credits. Over the course of the program, the class will teach students to program in Objective C.

The class is short, running from January 22nd to March 28th. While the class has already started, you can still sign up for enrollment on iTunes U and on Piazza as late as February 1st. You can also peek at the free lectures on iTunes if you are curious...

‘PDF Printer for Safari’ adds support for Maps, soon for any app

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

PDF Printer for Safari was a jailbreak tweak originally designed to allow users to 'print' from safari to PDF documents in order to neatly archive websites, but it seems the tweak has grown beyond its name.

The latest version of PDF Printer for Safari adds PrintKit integration, which is the native printing library on iOS. This library means 'printed' documents will save faster, users can now delete pages from the PDF on the fly, and the PDF Printer now works with the stock Maps app in iOS 5...

Temporary messaging apps can’t keep pictures and video secure

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Want to send a picture or message but don't want it shared with friends, leaked all over the internet, and potentially traced back to you? Unless you're 100% certain that you can trust whoever you're sending a message to, then you shouldn't send it. The most popular temporary photo messaging apps can leak your data on devices that aren't even jailbroken, and with a few tweaks you can easily get past one of the most secure messaging apps available.

The current versions of Snapchat and Facebook Poke aren't secure apps. Evan Spiegal, Snapchat's founder, doesn't seem overly concerned about the possibility of users saving and sending their received pictures. In a comment to BuzzFeed Spiegal said: "The people who most enjoy using Snapchat are those who embrace the spirit and intent of the service. There will always be ways to reverse engineer technology products — but that spoils the fun!" That's not exactly what you want to hear if you're using the service to send pictures and video that you don't want publicly shared...

Use iFunBox’s ‘App Inspection’ tool to see which apps can access your data

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated September 26, 2016

We've seen services like Clueful catalog apps that can access our private information, and many of us are familiar with tweaks like Protect My Privacy and Firewall iP that attempt to keep our data secure. But what are our leaky apps actually doing, and what are the real risks?

Unfortunately we don't have all the answers for you, but you can do some snooping of your own. The most user-friendly tool for inspecting the APIs your actual installed apps can access is built into a popular iOS filebrowser called iFunBox...

Keep track of what you want to watch, listen, and read with ‘Done Not Done’

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated December 29, 2016

Ever make a mental note to watch a movie, listen to an album, or read a book, and realize months later that you forgot what you wanted to do in the first place? This happens to the best of us, but it doesn't have to.

Done Not Done is an automated 'watch/read/listen' list for iOS. You can select movies, books, and albums you've seen or want to see (or hear), and Done Not Done will keep track of them for you. If you connect Done Not Done to Twitter or Facebook, you can even get ideas and recommendations from friends who are using the app...

What would you say if you met Jay Freeman, the developer behind Cydia?

Mike Schnier ∙ January 23, 2013

For most people, Jay Freeman isn't exactly a household name. Neither is Saurik, his online alias. That said, if you've used a jailbroken iPhone since 2008 then you've definitely seen both names frequently. Saurik is the developer behind Cydia, the package manager we use to easily install tweaks, themes, and other software that Apple won't allow developer to distribute through iTunes.

You might know his name, but would you recognize Jay Freeman if he was walking down the street? If you did, would you approach him? Would you ask him questions? Would you pose for a picture with him and post it on Reddit? Well, that's what the first stranger who recognized him did...

More developers spotted in the iOS 6 jailbreak effort

Mike Schnier ∙ January 22, 2013

You're probably familiar with two developers by the name of David Wang and Cyril Cattiaux, also known as PlanetBeing and pod2g. If you're reading this, you're likely waiting for them to release an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5. The good news is they're not working on the jailbreak alone.

The iOS 6 jailbreaking effort seems to be picking up speed as other developers have begun contributing their own expertise to the movement. Here are the recent developments...

GrouPlay brings democracy to your iOS party playlist

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Settling on a good party playlist can be difficult. Say you've got friends with different tastes in music, and your music library doesn't have enough danceable tracks on its own that everyone can enjoy. If it's a big party, you don't want just anyone touching your iPod, and you also don't want someone with questionable taste to hijack the music for the party.

With the GrouPlay app, anyone with access to your Wi-Fi network can contribute songs from their own music library to your temporary party playlist, provided they have an iPhone 3GS, 3rd generation iPod touch, iPad, or later. Once the songs are uploaded, the real fun begins...

Carnitine allows you to activate Wi-Fi for select apps only

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

We've seen clever jailbreak utilities for enabling toggles in the past, but I really think the developer behind Carnitine are onto something special. Carnitine, in this case, is a jailbreak tweak that can enable Wi-Fi while select apps are open and not the biological compound.

Carnitine is brilliant because it enables Wi-Fi not from the command of a gesture, a timer, or a GPS location, but from right when you open any set app. The idea is Wi-Fi is there when you need it. Though the implementation in the initial version isn't perfect, for reasons I will soon explain, I would love to see Carnitine expanded into a larger tweak...

VSNotifications reads your incoming iOS notifications

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

VSNotifications is a jailbreak utility which has been available for a few months. The tweak allows a jailbroken device running iOS 5 or higher to read out incoming notifications through a Siri-like voice synthesizer. With VSNotifications you can receive messages without even having to see the screen.

It's not hard to see how the tweak could be useful. When you're driving, VSNotifications is a great way to stay connected to your messages without breaking laws or endangering others on the road. The tweak could also make a jailbroken iPhone more useful to the visually impaired, or people who just like having their notifications read to them...

‘Bolt’ hides the battery from the status bar, displays simple logo while charging

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

You might have noticed that it is uncharacteristically redundant of Apple to have the accurate battery percentage meter beside a graphical representation of the remaining battery life. The interface only needs one or the other, though it's still good to have an indicator on whether the power cord is connected. Personally, my preference is to stick with the percentage meter and ax the logo.

Bolt is an old jailbreak tweak that we neglected to feature when it debuted in 2011. The tweak is a relatively simple MobileSubstrate hack that removes the space-hogging battery icon from the Status Bar, but still displays a small lightning bolt icon while your device is charging...

Bump update allows for swapping Dropbox files

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Bump recently received an update to version 3.5.3, which adds support for sharing Dropbox files. Dropbox support is a long time coming, considering it's been a popular service for storing and sharing files in the cloud since 2008.

All you need to do is open Bump, swipe to the button for sharing Dropbox files, and link your Dropbox account to the app. Once you're done, you'll be able to send Dropbox file links to friends with a bump of your phone...