iPhone News

Baldur’s Gate yanked from the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 24, 2013

Developer Beamdog did a nice job updating Baldur's Gate, BioWare's classic role-playing game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, for the Apple platform. Last December, they released Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition on the App Store.

The RPG title contains the original Baldur’s Gate, the Tales From the Sword Coast expansion pack, an additional monk character, a new 'Black Pits' adventure and lost more content.

If you're a fan of the series which has a loyal following, there'll be lots of teeth-gnashing involved in finding that Baldur's Gate games have been pulled from the App Store due to unspecified contractual issues...

Accessory vendor bypasses iOS 7 Lightning check

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

One of the little-known features of iOS 7 that not many people will like is its background check of whether or not a third-party accessory is hooked up to the your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad using a non-certified Lightning cable.

We've know Apple has tightened its MFi program rules (MFi stands for 'Made for iDevice') and iOS 7 seems to be stepping up a cat and mouse game between Apple and non-MFi vendors....

Siri in iOS 7 getting better at pronouncing names

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 24, 2013

Not only is Siri getting a facelift and new features in iOS 7 as Apple continues to focus on improving her usability and the accuracy and reliability of the responses, she's also getting smarter thanks to backend changes which don't require a software update. For example, one of such server-side improvements is the ability to place phone calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to help save lives.

But there's one aspect of Siri that has seen little changes since her inception: inaccurate pronunciation of certain names. But no more. Although not specifically addressed during the WWDC 2013 keynote, it's been discovered that Siri can now initiate a learning process of sorts whenever it has trouble understanding your pronunciation of a person's name...

Facebook reportedly working on Flipboard-style reader for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ June 24, 2013

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Facebook has been quietly working on a new service for the past year that displays content from users and publishers in a format, tailored for mobile devices, similar to Flipboard.

We've seen a number of new products this year from Zuckerberg's team, as the company continues to try and evolve from being 'just a social networking service.' There was the search graph, then Facebook Home, and now there's Reader...

Interactive maps illustrate iOS, Android and BlackBerry usage around the world

Cody Lee ∙ June 23, 2013

This is kind of interesting. The folks over at Gnip and MapBox have teamed up with ex-Google data guru Eric Fischer to create a series of interactive heat maps that show the usage of iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices around the world.

The data consists of some three billion global, geotagged tweets that have been collected since September of 2011. And the team has converted all of this data into navigable maps in an attempt to illustrate patterns in language and device use...

Withings enters fitness tracking space with new Pulse wearable

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

If there's one market that's really exploded over the last year or two, I'd say it's wearable computers—more specifically fitness trackers. There's already a number of companies in the space, including Nike and Jawbone, and giants like Apple and Samsung are rumored to be joining soon.

And this weekend, veteran iOS accessory-maker Withings officially joined the fray by putting its wearable Pulse tracker up for pre-order. The device, which it showed off at CES earlier this year, can be pocketed, clipped or worn on your wrist and tracked and by a mobile app...

Semi-Restore now available for Mac and PC

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Over the past month or so, we've been bringing you coverage on Semi-Restore, a new utility that allows you to restore your iOS device back to nearly stock status without losing your jailbreak. It can remove everything from settings to jailbreak tweaks, and even App Store apps.

The last time we mentioned the software, it was still in beta, and the developers said that it was only about 85% complete. Well we have some good news for you today: it was finished this weekend, and is now available. You can now download Semi-Restore for the Mac or PC...

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week – Jun 23, 2013 edition

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 25, 2017

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.

If you like what you're reading, please make sure to spread the love by sharing our posts on your favorite social network.

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

A closer look at App Store in iOS 7 A closer look at smarter keyboard in iOS 7 How iOS 7 makes auto-correct better Hidden settings in iOS 7 beta show extra gesture, multitasking and folder options Why some features are missing in iOS 7 Interactive iOS 7 demo lets you play with the update without a dev account iOS 7 beta GUI PSD file now available for download New photos of alleged iPhone 5S with dual LED flash surface pod2g is considering switching to Android How to add iOS 7 Control Center inspired toggles to iOS 6 Instagram now does video Weekend apps: Foresee, Photoful, Vjay, and more

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

We’re social! Find iDB on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, App.net, YouTube, and in your RSS reader. Also make sure to subscribe to our new podcast!

AT&T promotion makes 16GB iPhone 5 just $99 with contract

Cody Lee ∙ June 22, 2013

It appears that retailers are in full-on inventory clearance mode with the iPhone 5, in anticipation of a new model. Best Buy is currently taking $50 off the handset, Walmart is offering the device at a $70 discount, and it looks like AT&T wants in on the fun too.

This morning, the country's second largest carrier started a promotion that takes 50% off its entire smartphone lineup. Yes, that even includes the iPhone 5, which means that you can score an entry-level model of the popular handset for just $99 with contract...

FAA rules set to change, may allow iPad and other tablet use pre-flight

Cody Lee ∙ June 22, 2013

Good news air travelers, you may soon have to quit pretending to turn your iPads and other electronics devices off before takeoff. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the FAA is expected to relax the ban on using some types of personal electronic devices at low altitudes.

Devices like iPads, e-readers and other tablets may see the rules relaxed to the point where they are usable throughout your entire flight—from takeoff to landing. However, cell phones, and more specifically cell phone calls, are expected to remain off limits due to the scope of the changes...

Walmart now selling 16GB iPhone 5 for $129

Cody Lee ∙ June 22, 2013

Not to be outdone by Best Buy, Walmart has today announced a promotion that could save you big bucks on Apple's latest handset. The retailer is now taking additional $60 off the iPhone 5, taking the price of the 16GB from $189 to $129 with contract.

It's also knocking $50 off of the iPhone 4S, taking its price from $89 to $39. Again, the deal requires that you sign a 2-year agreement with either AT&T, Sprint or Verizon (T-Mobile not included). And according to reports, the price changes are permanent...

Apple Board mods Tim Cook’s pay package to be more performance-based

Cody Lee ∙ June 21, 2013

According to a new filing with the SEC this afternoon, Apple's Board of Directors has elected to modify Tim Cook's payment package he was awarded in 2011 after being promoted to CEO. The change, which apparently came at Cook's request, takes the one million restricted stock units he was set to receive over the next 10 years and makes the compensation more performance-based...