iPhone News

Siri withholds information, can help you if you upgrade to iOS 6

Mike Schnier ∙ January 16, 2013

We haven't seen a publicly released untethered jailbreak since iOS 6 debuted in September, and Apple hasn't been making the wait easy for the jailbreak community. There are the little annoyances, like apps exclusive to iOS 6, over the air update alerts, and that pesky notification badge in settings that appears by default. Some of these are easy to deal with through tweaks, but what happens when Apple isn't being subtle?

A user on Reddit asked Siri when the superbowl was starting, only to find that his personal assistant refused to comply. Siri's response: "If you update to the latest version of iOS, I'll be able to help you with that." ...

The Daily Recap – Jan 15, 2013 edition

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 15, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAsltkGYds

Welcome to The Daily Recap for January 15th, 2013. Watch our video for a quick look at some of the top stories from the day in less than two minutes. If you missed out on any of today's big news, this is a great way for you to get caught up fast.

For your convenience, you'll also find links to all of the stories listed in today's recap inside...

Apple reportedly loses VP of Retail Jerry McDougal

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

A new report is out this afternoon claiming that Apple's vice president of retail Jerry McDougal has left the company to spend more time with his family. It's a significant blow, as he's considered to be a big part of Apple's retail success.

McDougal was Ron Johnson's right hand man before he left the company to head up JC Penney in late 2011, and was even said to have been considered for his replacement before Apple decided on the infamous John Browett...

‘Auxo Glasklart’ is one of the first Auxo themes available on Cydia

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Remember Auxo, the jailbreak tweak that reinvigorates iOS' app switcher? You're probably thinking to yourself, 'Jeff, how can I forget?' Well, the team behind Auxo promised that their tweak would be themeable, and while we didn't see any themes to coincide with its release, theme designers are begining to publish their work to Cydia.

One of the first Auxo themes available on Cydia is Auxo Glasklart. Like most themes, it uses WinterBoard as a framework. How do Auxo themes function and feel? Take a look inside as we take Auxo Glasklart for a ride...

Hacker for hire: pod2g offers his services in development and research security

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 29, 2016

Well-known member of the jailbreak community pod2g has been grabbing a lot of headlines lately, but not for his usual iOS exploiting efforts. The 30-something French hacker recently released his first iOS app: podDJ.

Now that the app's complete, pod2g is looking to tackle his next project. And if you happen to have something that you're working on that you think could benefit from his special skill sets, he's offering up his services...

Flex developer answers questions and explains how Flex patches work

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Yesterday iDownloadBlog reported on Flex, an upcoming jailbreak app that allows users to create their own tweaks on the fly. We had reason to be excited, as Flex can create custom patches for the Springboard or almost any app, all without requiring programming knowledge from users.

While we were optimistic about Flex, some of our readers were curious about how Flex works, and others raised concerns about the unreleased app. Because we felt these concerns deserved addressing, we got in touch with Flex's developer, John Coates, who was kind enough to answer our questions and provide more screenshots for our readers...

Poll: will impending jailbreak renew your interest in the iPhone?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2013

It's open season for Apple doomsayers: the swirling supply cuts rumor has given stock manipulators ammunition to punish AAPL ahead of the earnings calls. But regardless of whether this nonsensical talk stems from a new iPhone model entering production, IGZO display technology being adopted or crazypants analysts having a field day, if you turn to consumers and ask them about their spending plans, you get a different story. None of this brouhaha matters to jailbreak fans eager to explore a bunch of innovative tweaks to personalize their iThings with whatever their heart desires.

There's no way telling when an untethered jailbreak might arrive, but rest assured that the best iOS hackers are working on it. That's bad news for owners of newer devices like the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S who must be patient and endure Apple's static experience, until the jailbreak finally arrives. But let's pretend for a second that it's here.

Would that reinvigorate your interest in Apple's handset?

‘StatusTab’ lets you access the status bar from within full screen apps

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 4, 2018

If you play a lot of games on your iPhone, then you're probably used to the idea of full screen apps negating the presence of the status bar. If you find that to be annoying, then a new jailbreak tweak entitled StatusTab may interest you. It allows you to sneak a quick peek at the status bar by swiping on the area where the status bar normally resides.

Needless to say, StatusTab is a simple tweak, but the simple tweaks usually end up being some of the best tweaks. Take a look inside, and judge for yourselves.

Supply cuts a result of Apple’s adoption of IGZO screens for upcoming iDevices?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2013

The reduction in orders of iPhone 5 displays and other components isn't a sign of weak demand as sober analysts paint demand as robust. Nevertheless, the rumor has opened door for more speculation that the Cupertino, California company is winding down production of the iPhone 5 ahead of the iPhone 5S release in June or July.

Be that as it may, it would be very atypical of Apple to pull the current-generation model from shelves after just six months. Even as the company switches to a bi-annual refresh cycle, it will still want to continue offering the iPhone 5 at a reduced price after the next-gen model becomes available. According to a new report, these supply cuts are actually the result of Apple considering IGZO displays for upcoming iOS devices...

Facebook to take on Google with new search tool

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSji6Y66aKo

Facebook has just kicked off its highly anticipated "come and see what we’re building" event, and it's first big announcement of the day is its new search tool. It's not necessarily a web search per se, but a graph search, capable of crawling all of Facebook's data.

It will help you answer questions like: what are some things my friends like, what kind of music are they listening to, what about places my friends have been to or liked and much more more. We have more details on Facebook's new search tool after the fold...

Former Apple CEO says Apple must rethink its supply chain to build less-pricey iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2013

Former Pepsico and Apple CEO John Sculley has issued some advice to Apple's current boss Tim Cook on the matter of a so-called budget iPhone, Phil Schiller be damned. He told Bloomberg television today that Apple should take into account the realities of today's cut-throat smartphone business.

He's all for a more affordable Apple handset, but opines it won't happen unless Apple's boss Tim Cook, who under the Steve Jobs regime ran Apple's manufacturing and supply chain, is willing to "dramatically rethink the supply chain" and give up on some of Apple's industry-leading margins...

New Game Center concept looks sharp without the textures

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2013

During its big executive shuffle last fall, Apple put expert designer Jony Ive in charge of all HI (Human Interface). And since then, there has been non-stop speculation regarding what kind of changes might be made to the ever-aging iOS.

And a lot of folks are wondering what the operating system would look like without all of the skeuomorphism — the leather, etc. textures. Well designer Adrian Maciburko might be on the right track with his “Crystal Interface” concept...