iPhone News

FaceTime preview window now reflects aspect ratio of the caller’s device

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

In addition to the big ones in iOS 6 and a host of lesser-known but otherwise welcome enhancements, every now and then a small tweak surfaces, capturing our imagination and delighting us with simplicity. More often than not, these little nuggets clearly prove Apple remains as obsessed with agonizing over every little aspect of its products as it's ever been. For example, the FaceTime preview window where a live video stream of the person you're calling is displayed now indicates their device's aspect ratio...

Apps Apple personally tested now appear in App Store’s Categories menu

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 21, 2012

In its never-ending quest to improve app discovery, Apple with iOS 6 added to its App Store on the iPad, iPhone and Mac something called App Collections, a curated section which lists apps that the company personally tested. As of recently, App Collections are now prominently featured on iOS devices and Macs via a dedicated section nested within the Categories menu of the App Store and iTunes. All of the apps featured in App Collections are basically recommendations by Apple's editorial team...

Test finds that Sprint iPhone 5 has the best call quality

Cody Lee ∙ October 21, 2012

According to Apple, the iPhone 5 has much better call quality than its predecessor thanks to its new wideband audio technology. Unfortunately, no US carrier supports this feature yet.

This means that call quality on your iPhone 5 still greatly depends on your location and who your service provider is. And according to a new report, Sprint is the one to beat in this category...

Apple Stores now carrying iPhone 5 cases

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Accessories for Apple's latest smartphone are extremely hard to find right now. Not only does the iPhone 5 have a different dock connector, but it's also larger than its predecessor, making most cases and add-ons obsolete.

But we have some good news today, at least for the folks looking for a cover to protect their new handset. Reports are coming in this weekend that Apple has started stocking its retail stores with iPhone 5 cases...

The iDownloadBlog top 10 news stories of the week

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 24, 2017

A new week is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on what happened last week. If you think you may have missed a few of the top stories from last week, don't sweat it, we've got you covered.

We've gathered the top 10+ most popular stories from iDB last week for you to check out. As always, make sure that you're friends with us on Facebook, Google+, and that you are following us on Twitter...

How to hide multiple app icons, no jailbreak required

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

A while ago we told you about StifleStand — an app for Windows or Mac that allows you to hide Newsstand without the need for a jailbreak.

Now there's another option for hiding Newsstand, along with a host of other default iOS apps. Again, like StifleStand, no jailbreak is needed for this method either.

In the following video walkthrough, we'll provide you with a demonstration of Rag3Hack, a new website dedicated to hiding stock iOS apps on any device, regardless of whether or not the device is jailbroken.

Journalist tours Foxconn’s Shenzhen campus

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

If you were to ask someone what they thought of Foxconn today, chances are their response would be negative. And for good reason. Over the past few years, we've heard horror stories about the manufacturing giant regarding terrible working conditions and child labor, and we've seen the pictures of the windows with prison bars and the suicide nets.

And that's exactly the kind of scene James Fallows, a journalist for The Atlantic, prepared himself for, as he set out on a tour of Foxconn's famous Shenzhen campus. He was ready to see the dark, depressing work environment and the somber, joyless employees that he had read so much about in other reports. But it didn't go at all how he expected...

Study shows 85% of iOS users delete free games after one day

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

I don't consider myself a hardcore iOS gamer, but I'll try almost any recommended title once, as long as it's free. I'm sure there's more than 200 games in my App Store's Previous Purchases tab to back that up.

But looking at my iPhone 5's home screen, you'll only find a handful of them. That's because I tend to lose interest in games rather quickly. And according to a new report from Playnomics, I'm not alone...

Need for Speed: Most Wanted live action TV commercial is totally dope

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca-lV3LRxEY

You must watch this live action television commercial for Electronic Arts' Need for Speed: Most Wanted, an open-world racing game - it will totally make your day. The racing sessions have you fighting the cops and the trailer depicts that.

I instantly fell in love with the spaghetti western type soundtrack. And don't you just love how they pixelated the finger the driver gave to the cops? Thank actor/writer/director Jon Favreau for that, he's behind the ad.

Developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts, Need for Speed: Most Wanted files as the nineteenth title in the long-running series, picking up on the Most Wanted IP rather than the Hot Pursuit reboot that Criterion developed previously...

Microsoft films its own Surface RT drop test

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDD6DVc0Mb8

For today's WTF moment, I present you this publicity stunt depicting the Surface RT falling from about 30 inches high and onto a hardwood floor, courtesy of Microsoft's Surface Reliability Lab and straight via the Surface team's official channel on YouTube. Unlike your ordinary drop test, this one has a twist to it, just watch. Spoiler: it survives the drop. Fortunately, Microsoft didn't go as far to credit the gizmo's vapor-deposited magnesium chassis for that.

Of course the clip is geeky - this is Microsoft, after all. The company is many things, but you can't blame them from exploiting social media on a Friday to spread the word about their iPad contender. The Surface RT runs an ARM-based chip, it looks snappy, and its tile-based interface introduces a fresh new approach to tablet computing. I've also included another video that shows off some of the features, right past the fold...

Watch pod2g, MuscleNerd and others in HITB iOS panel discussion

Cody Lee ∙ October 19, 2012

Earlier this month, we told you about an interesting panel discussion that was going to take place at the Hack in the Box conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The panel consisted of MuscleNerd, pod2g, and other well known hackers. And they were going to be discussing iOS security.

But if you missed the live stream, never fear. The folks over at HITBSecConf have uploaded a video of the entire 30 minute long discussion and we've got it posted for you after the break. If you haven't seen it yet, it's really worth watching. There's a lot of interesting jailbreaking info...

Does your iPhone 5 have the time-shifting bug?

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

In what appears to be a repeat of the DST software bug - and we've been here plenty of times before - some owners of Apple's new iPhone 5 report that their handset is showing incorrect time and/or day. Several people on Apple's discussion forum decribe their device as displaying times and dates that are days, even weeks, ahead or behind actual ones. The issue appears to manifest itself on devices that have automatic date and time setting feature enabled. Specifically, owners of a Verizon iPhone 5 appear to be affected the most...