Gauze brings a grid-style App Switcher to iOS 10 devices

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Apple tweaks the App Switcher user interface with almost every major iteration of iOS. But despite all the changes Apple made over the years, the App Switcher still harbors one recognizable issue: it wastes a ton of screen real estate.

GridSwitcher was a well-accepted jailbreak tweak released in 2015 that attempted to resolve this concern by displaying more apps in the App Switcher at a glance, but it only supported iOS 7 and 8. Today, a new jailbreak tweak called Gauze by iOS developer Antique breathes new life into this idea for jailbroken iOS 10 handsets.

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Victrola gives the Lock screen’s Now Playing music interface a makeover

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 26, 2018

Whenever play music on your handset, the Lock screen becomes immersed with Now Playing music controls and information relevant to whatever might be playing. The controls work exactly how we’d expect them to, but they sport a standardized appearance and lack character.

For those who agree, it may be worth trying a new jailbreak tweak release dubbed Victrola by iOS developer Antique. If effectively provides a polarizing new look and feel for the Lock screen’s Now Playing music controls.

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iTranslate makes translating text in Safari an effortless task

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 26, 2018

I can’t even keep count of how many times I’ve landed on a non-English web page and needed to use Google Translate to understand what I was looking at. But it now seems that there’s a more straightforward way.

A new free jailbreak tweak called iTranslate by iOS developer Teun Strik builds a translation feature directly into the Safari web browser itself, allowing you to translate words, sentences, or entire web pages in what feels like an instant.  

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Apple now offers free trials for iCloud storage upgrades

Bryan M. Wolfe ∙ May 25, 2018
iCloud Storage Promotion

Apple has quietly introduced free one-month trials for its paid iCloud storage plans. The promotion is being offered if you are not currently paying for a subscription and have reached your 5GB limit. By taking advantage of the promotion, iCloud will backup all of your iOS devices without you worrying about hitting a storage limit.

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How to use IFTTT to track App Store apps

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated July 3, 2018
IFTTT Setup Screen

IFTTT is convenient app that lets you automate simple to complex tasks. For just some of the things you can do with it, check out our IFTTT section if you are new to the app.

But, if you already take advantage of IFTTT, why not let it help you find the apps or games you want on the App Store? Whether it’s a sale on a game you’ve been waiting for, an update to your favorite email app, or searches for apps in a particular category, you can take care of it automatically with IFTTT’s Applets and here’s how.

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Amazon Echo secretly recorded a family conversation and sent a copy without permission

Bryan M. Wolfe ∙ May 24, 2018
Amazon Echo

Forget the eerie laugh. For a family in Portland, Oregon, an Amazon Echo device has become no laughing matter. Not only did one of the best-selling smart speakers in their home record their conversations, but it also sent those recordings to someone without the family’s permission. The alleged episode makes you wonder whether companies like Amazon are serious about privacy when it comes to smart home devices. 

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Samsung owes Apple $539 million in iPhone infringement case

Bryan M. Wolfe ∙ May 24, 2018
Law

A jury has told Samsung it must pay Apple $539 million for infringing on three design patents with Android phones sold between 2010 and 2011. The unanimous decision was made in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California in San Jose, California. The number is significant because it's higher than what Apple was likely to get based on past court decisions, according to Bloomberg. 

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