IDB Staff

iPhone 4S and iPad 2 Jailbreak One Step Closer to Completion

We know, we know, the wait is killing us, but all we have to relieve the tension is a few tweets from the "Dream Team" of iOS hackers working on the jailbreak for A5 devices, namely the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2.

The latest update is a tweet from planetbeing revealing that the A5 jailbreak is out of the sandbox, which means we should see the jailbreak released very soon...

We’re Giving Away 10 Copies of aTV Flash (black) for Your Jailbroken Apple TV [Winners Announced]

The fine folks at FireCore have partnered with iDB for an especially-awesome giveaway. If you've jailbroken your Apple TV before then you've probably heard of aTV Flash (black). This full-featured jailbreak apps brings some amazing features to Apple's little set-top box, including a web browser and wireless streaming support for many video formats.

In celebration of the recent untethered jailbreak for the Apple TV, FireCore has given us 10 licenses for aTV Flash (black) to give away to lucky iDB readers. We know, it sounds too good to be true.

Verizon Sees 4.2 Million iPhone Sales For Last Quarter

Verizon has reported a record-breaking number of iPhone sold during the fourth quarter of 2011:

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile carrier, sold 4.2 million iPhones in the fourth quarter, more than doubling from the third quarter, said Fran Shammo, finance chief of the company’s parent.

The iPhone sales will narrow gross margins at the wireless business by 500 to 600 basis points, Shammo, chief financial officer of Verizon Communications, said today at a Citigroup Inc. event in San Francisco. U.S. carriers sell smartphones such as the iPhone to subscribers at a loss to get them to sign up for contracts that typically run for two years.

Comparatively, carrier sold 2 million iPhones during the previous quarter.

Happy New Year From iDB!

It's 2012, and the iDB team would like to wish you, the reader, a wonderful and very happy New Year! It's been a great year, and we couldn't be more excited about what 2012 has in store. We couldn't do any of this without your support.

Apple introduced several new products in 2011, including the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, and covering everything has been very exciting for all of us. iDB underwent some major changes in 2011 as well, and things are only looking better in 2012...

iDB’s Favorite App Store and Jailbreak Apps of 2011

The year is almost over, so we thought that it would be a good idea to take a look back at our favorite apps of 2011. The iDB staff has chosen its favorite App Store and jailbreak apps from this year and compiled the picks into a little retrospective.

All of the apps in this list were either released this year or updated with significant changes. Here's our favorite apps and tweaks from 2011...

Merry Christmas From iDB!

We wanted to wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas and happy holidays. For our readers in the US and around the world that are celebrating Christmas, we hope you have a wonderful time with your family and friends.

It's times like these that the iDB team feels the need to express our sincere thankfulness for you, the reader. Without all of you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love every day: write about iOS, Apple, and jailbreaking.

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Like all sites that operate at our scale, it takes a team to make iDB happen on a daily basis. Writers from around the globe contribute to bring you news, reviews, tutorials, and more.

Siri Dictation Now Available For Free On the iPhone 4, iPod touch 4G, iPhone 3GS [Video]

Hackers have been trying to port Siri to older iDevices since the virtual assistant was announced alongside the iPhone 4S. Siri doesn't technically require the new handset's A5 processor and increased memory, so limiting the technology to the 4S is clearly a marketing maneuver.

We've already seen Siri running on an iPhone 4, so we know it's possible. But those instances required special circumstances, and we didn't know if we'll ever see a public release. Siri's dictation feature has now been made publicly available in Cydia for the iPhone 4, and it actually works.

Our Predictions for Tomorrow’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” Event

Apple's "Let's Talk iPhone" event is happening tomorrow. It's been 14 months since the iPhone 4 launch, and we've all been itching to hear what Apple has planned next for its incredible smartphone.

The iDB team has given last minute predictions and thoughts about tomorrow's event. Will there be an iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, or both? What about iOS 5's top secret "Assistant" feature? Will Steve Jobs grace the stage for "One more thing?"

Check inside for our individual thoughts and predictions on all of these topics and more...

New in iOS 5: Grid Lines in Camera App

And we continue our exploration of new features in iOS 5. Today we're looking at a new feature in the camera app that brings grid lines to the screen display. The grid lines are very helpful for getting the shot straight (horizon, edges of buildings, etc, can be used to ensure the camera is leveled).

The grid lines can also be very helpful to "frame" the shot as the center is clearly visible, so offsetting any subject from the center (or not) becomes easier...

New in iOS 5: ‘Find on Page’ Search from iPad Keyboard

The "Find on Page" feature in Safari isn't new, as it was introduced with iOS 4.2. Up until iOS 5, to use this feature, you had to tap the “Google” search bar at the top right and start typing. As Google gave you suggestions, you also had the “on this page” option appearing at the bottom.

iOS 5 is making this feature much smoother on the iPad, as it brings it directly to the keyboard...

New in iOS 5: Split Keyboard

If you own an iPad, you know how hard it can be to type on the keyboard with your thumbs like you do on the iPhone. iOS 5 is about to change that with the introduction of a split keyboard option.

To activate this, simply tap the keyboard icon at the bottom right of the keyboard and it will give you 2 options: undock, which lets you use the keyboard higher or lower on the screen, and split, which let's you undock and split the keyboard just like it is in the image above...