iPhone News

Activator receives major update with new icons, developer APIs and more

Popular jailbreak tweak Activator has been updated today, bringing the package to version 1.9. Developer Ryan Petrich says that this is the "largest release" for the tweak in over a year, as it brings about many new features and enhancements.

We've posted the lengthy change log down below, but just to give you an idea of what to expect, Activator 1.9 includes several new icons, new developer APIs and custom actions. It also offers a number of bug fixes and various other improvements...

‘Mikoto’ is like Springtomize for apps

Mikoto is a jailbreak tweak that allows you to customize various aspects of App Store apps and default iOS apps on the iPhone. It's similar to Springtomize in that you can alter loads of various features for a variety of different areas within supported apps.

You won't find Mikoto on the BigBoss repo or the ModMyi repo; it's only available by means of a third-party non-default repository. Have a look inside as we take Mikoto for a spin on video, and we'll show you how to score this free jailbreak tweak for yourself.

This is what new ‘EU Internet’ switch in iOS 8 Beta 4 does for you

The most recent beta of iOS 8 has introduced an easily overlooked new option under the Cellular section of the iOS Settings app. It's called 'EU Internet,' applies only to those traveling in the European Union and is a bit puzzling.

As a quick recap, exorbitant roaming charges for data downloads in the European Union have already been reduced in an effort to make prices more realistic for those using mobile devices outside their home country.

That's just the beginning as the European parliament recently passed a new regulation, currently needing an approval by the Council of the European Union, that promises to render all roaming charges in the EU illegal by December 2015.

As a result, European customers will always pay the same price for all phone calls, text messages and mobile data usage everywhere in the EU...

The best of iOS 8: from new features to developer tools

With the imminent introduction of the iPhone 6 will come the release of iOS 8, Apple's latest iteration in its mobile operating system. After spending the past several weeks with pre-release versions of the software, I can say that there are definitive grounds for anticipating its public availability. Whether you're planning on buying a new iPhone this fall or upgrading your current device to iOS 8, there are clear reasons to be excited about the features it has to offer.

Although it will be shipping with quite a few significant features – Apple claims this is their "biggest iOS release ever" – we've gone hands-on with the beta releases and picked our top ten favorite enhancements that will be available for qualifying devices this September. Here, in no sequential order, are the best of what makes iOS 8 great...

Upgrading to a 4K monitor: enjoy Retina quality graphics on an external display

As many of you know, I'm rocking a 13" Retina MacBook Pro, and I love it. The screen is killer, it's fairly fast, and it's portable.

But as I begin to take on more "intense" projects, I'm starting to realize that I simply don't have enough screen real estate to be the most productive I can be. I need an external monitor.

The problem is, and if you're a current Retina MacBook owner you've no doubt faced a similar conundrum, most of the popular external displays pale in comparison to the Retina display. Even Apple's mighty Thunderbolt Display, with its 27" screen and 2560x1440 native resolution, looks downright grainy when placed side-by-side with the Retina screen of a MacBook Pro.

So what to do? You could hold off until Apple finally decides it wants to get with the program and offer a Retina capable Thunderbolt Display, or...or...or! You could get a ultra-HD 4K capable monitor right now and enjoy a "Retina" experience.

That's exactly what I decided to do. Inside, I'll break down some of the pluses and minuses of my latest pickup, Dell's ($799 on Amazon) 24" ultra-HD display, the UP2414Q.

EqualizerEverywhere makes it possible to adjust audio in any app

EqualizerEverywhere is a recently released jailbreak tweak that makes it possible to create and activate custom equalizer presets on the fly. If you're someone who listens to a variety of different audio types on the iPhone, and you're looking for a way to customize sound based on the type of audio, this is a tweak that you should definitely investigate.

We've taken EqualizerEverywhere for a spin, and we were pretty impressed by what we found. Have a look at our video walkthrough after the jump.

BlackBerry, Dell not concerned about Apple-IBM deal

You would think hearing that Apple is teaming up with IBM to push further into the enterprise space would be worrisome for competitors. But both Dell and BlackBerry, who are each in the process of reshaping their businesses, say they're unfazed.

In an interview this week, Dell's John Swainson said that while he thought the announcement "made for a good press release," he fails to see how the pair can prosper. Likewise, BlackBerry CEO John Chen likened the deal to "two elephants dancing."

Apple acquires book recommendation startup BookLamp

During Apple's quarterly earnings conference call on Tuesday, Tim Cook said that the company has acquired 5 companies in the last 4 months, not including Beats electronics. We've known about two of the purchases, Spotsetter and LuxVue, and today we add a third.

TechCrunch is reporting that Apple recently acquired BookLamp, a startup based out of Boise, Idaho, that developed big data-style book analytics services. Described as "Pandora for books," the service recommends books through digital analysis of author writing styles...

Big increase in Apple spending suggests major new products incoming

For those of you still skeptical that Apple is gearing up for a blockbuster fall, check out this report from Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty. The analyst dug through its just-released 10-Q filing, and she says it reveals a lot about its upcoming plans.

Huberty explains that the company's significant increase in spending all-but-confirms that we'll see some major new products this year. In fact, its quarter-over-quarter increase is the largest we've seen since it introduced the first iPhone in 2007...

Verizon to soon begin throttling select unlimited LTE customers

Back in 2011, Verizon began throttling data output for the top 5% of its 3G customers on unlimited data plans. The carrier had just picked up the iPhone, and was in the process of rolling out its LTE network, so it needed a low-cost way to save bandwidth.

Fast forward to today, and Verizon issued a press release announcing a similar policy for LTE customers. Starting in October, the company plans to start "optimizing its network," which is a nice way of saying it's going to start throttling high-volume users...

How to get your frayed Lightning cable replaced for free

Why is this 6 month old cable already falling apart? That's the question my wife asked one day, referring to the Lightning cable she has plugged by her side of the bed to charge her iPhone at night.

As much as I tried to find a good reason, there was nothing I could say that would actually explain why this fairly new cable was already fraying. The only explanation I could give her was that these cables are crap.

It's not like we're rough on these cables either. We actually take good care of them. My wife's charger, for example, has never been anywhere but her bedside, just being used at night. This is not the kind of usage you'd think would be so detrimental to a cable supposed to last several years.

Since I believed this cable was still covered by my iPhone warranty, I decided to take it to Apple and see if they would replace it.

Congress passes bill making phone unlocking legal

Earlier this year, a DMCA exemption expired, which made unlocking your iPhone not only illegal, but also punishable by a $500,000 fine, five years in jail, or both.

Today, Congress passed a bill that makes unlocking your phone without permission from your carrier legal. The bill was first unanimously passed by the Senate a couple of weeks ago, and the policy was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives this afternoon. The last step is for President Obama to sign the bill, which will officially turn it into a law.