iPhone News

This week’s top stories: this is how to do it

Like every Sunday, we bring you the stories that were the most popular on iDB during this past week. Whether it is a news piece, an editorial, a tutorial, a new jailbreak tweak, or an accessory review, we sum it all up in one convenient place.

This past week saw an avalanche of new tweaks that let you enhance your iOS experience. Whether it is a tweak to bring Twitter and Facebook share widgets to Control Center or a tweak to quickly access your calendar, we show you how to make it happen.

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We're usually hanging out a lot on Twitter and Facebook, more rarely on Google+.

Winterboard updated for iOS 7 and 64-bit devices Apple seeds iOS 7.1 beta 3 to developers: here is what’s new Unofficial modified version of Evasi0n7 can jailbreak iOS 7.1 beta 3 BiteSMS 8.0 beta 7 is out with support for iPhone 5s How to use Activator to replicate Zephyr functionalities How to bring Twitter and Facebook share widgets back to Notification Center How to add Twitter and Facebook share widgets to Control Center How to always get a Dark Keyboard on your iPhone How to access your calendar app from Notification Center How to jailbreak iOS 5.3 on the Apple TV 2 untethered How to get your Mac to summarize text for you SkipLock lets you bypass the Lock screen altogether The best way to customize the look of iOS 7′s Messages app Space Blueberry is a beautiful new theme for iOS 7 Apple again reported to be working on iPhones with 4.7 and 5.7-inch displays Wallpapers of last week: warmth in the cold Apps of the week: Noted, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project, Rail Racing, and more…

Of course, don't forget to listen to the latest episode of our new podcast, Let's Talk iOS:

And of course, make sure to catch up with the new episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak:

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evasi0n7 1.0.4 brings security update and fix for Retina iPad mini

Hot on the heels of yesterday's release of evasi0n7 1.0.3, evad3rs today pushed another update to the iOS 7 jailbreak tool. evasi0n7 1.0.4 provides important untether security updates as well as a fix for the iPad mini with Retina display issues.

This is the second evasi0n7 update in two days. Yesterday's release was also supposed to provide a fix for the boot loop issue that some Retina iPad mini users were affected by, yet many still encountered the problem. As the evad3rs note, evasi0n7 1.0.4 will hopefully fix this problem once and for all...

Beats Music coming January 21, here’s nitty-gritty on their ‘trusted curator’ concept

Beats Music CEO Luke Wood told us last October to soon expect a brand new subscription music service, one not only making a difference to how we consume songs but also changing our perception of what streaming music services should be all about. Yesterday, Beats Music announced it will be definitely opening for business on January 21.

In an effort to drum up excitement ahead of the impending launch, the headphone manufacturer likened existing music service to "servers" that provide little more than access to a catalog.

But how the heck does Beats Music expect to stand out in the crowded space of streaming service? By curating music from trusted human sources like established industry magazines, that's how. They even hired professional DJs! "In our experience it’s always been a living, breathing human who has brought us that song we fell in love with," the company said.

What's in it for you? More than meets the eye. Read on...

Type up to 120WPM with this new Swype-style keyboard

Developer Yose Widjaja has created a new Swype-style keyboard, and is demoing it in his note-taking app Hipjot. The keyboard allows you to type and utilize swipe gestures with two hands, enabling you to complete words and sentences very quickly.

While the app looks far too busy for my taste, the keyboard is actually very interesting. It'll obviously take some getting used to, and some practice, but the app promises you'll hit 70-90 words per minute with ease. Widjaja himself is able to reach 120...

Apple airs new ‘Your Verse Anthem’ iPad Air ad

Apple began airing a new commercial for its iPad Air today, during this morning's NFL playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. The ad, entitled "Your Verse Anthem,' feels familiar in that it shows how people from different walks of life use the iPad.

But that's about where the familiarity stops. The spot itself is set to a voiceover from the film “Dead Poets Society," which carries a very serious tone, arguing that the need for poetry, beauty and love outweigh the need for more noble pursuits such as business, engineering, and the like...

Winterboard updated with support for 64-bit devices and iOS 7

Themers and all around jailbreakers will be happy to learn that Winterboard, a staple in the jailbreak community when it comes to theming, has been updated to bring complete iOS 7 support, and maybe more importantly, support for arm64 devices such as the iPhone 5s, the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.

Although Winterboard worked fine in many cases for older devices running iOS 7, there were still bugs and inconsistencies. These problems should soon be a thing of the past now that Winterboard has been updated...

Evasi0n7 1.0.3 is out with support for iOS 7.1 beta 3, Retina iPad mini boot loop fix

Evasi0n 7 1.0.3 has just been released for OS X and Windows with a fix for the boot loop issue that has been plaguing Retina iPad mini users. The release, which is the fourth of the jailbreak tool, also includes support for iOS 7.1 beta 3 and a new Cydia bundle.

Those already successfully running evasion7 1.0.2 on their devices do not have to update, but those having problems with their Retina iPad mini (I believe cellular models are the problem) or those wanting to update to iOS 7 beta 3 may want to check it out...

1Pal: a new jailbreak tweak for saving 1Password’s master password to the Keychain [updated]

I know, I know. It's very stupid to use any tweaks with something as crucial as 1Password. I know, I know, it's identity theft waiting to happen.

Not exactly. 1Pal is a new jailbreak tweak that works in tandem with existing Touch ID tweaks like BioLockdown. It allows you to save the Master Password to iOS' keychain for quick logins. Since the 1Password app itself is protected with Touch ID, the process is innately secure. The only real way this poses a security issue is if someone gains access to your fingerprint. Not impossible, but not exactly likely either.

At the end of the day, 1Pal is an awesome tweak for 1Password users. If you're like me and you use 1Password each and every day, you'll find 1Pal to be a real time saver.

Remember, you must have a Touch ID enabled device for this to work. Right now, only the iPhone 5s features Touch ID. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside as I showcase how it works.

CCLoader: rearrange and disable Control Center sections

An interesting new Control Center tweak by the name of CCLoader just hit Cydia. The tweak, which is targeted at users and developers, allows you to rearrange and disable the various sections found within Control Center.

CCLoader makes it possible to do the reordering and disabling on the fly without the need for any resprings. The tweak uses drag handles to let you easily and quickly rearrange sections in any manner you see fit.

RePower: add new features to iOS 7’s power down screen

Have you ever felt that the real estate available on iOS 7's power down screen goes to waste? If so, you definitely want to check out this new jailbreak tweak called RePower.

RePower is a simple tweak that adds several new features to the power down screen. It adds a button for respring, a button for rebooting, and an uptime readout for your device.

After installing RePower, you can respring, reboot, or power off from the convenience of the power down screen. Have a look inside to see how it works on video...

Preview: ClassicSwitcher

ClassicSwitcher is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that brings the old school app switcher to iOS 7. I firmly believe that a lot of jailbreakers out there are going to love this tweak.

Not only does it bring the old school switcher functionality to iOS 7, but it brings along with it several goodies as well. We've taken ClassicSwitcher for a spin on video, take a look inside for our exclusive hands-on sneak peak.

How to add live weather effects to the Weather app icon

One of my favorite jailbreak tweaks of all time was WeatherIcon. It was a simple tweak that placed the live current temperature on the stock Weather app, significantly improving the app's usefulness.

LiveWeatherIcon is like the next generation of that legendary tweak. Not only does it tell the current temperature, but it also features animated weather effects to further emphasize the status of the temperature in your area.