Apply new cosmetics to Control Center with CCSmooth10

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 2, 2017

One of the benefits of having a jailbreak is being able to give your iPhone a new look and feel that's different from every other average Joe on the block. A new free jailbreak tweak dubbed CCSmooth10 by CydiaGeek takes aim at the Control Center interface with this concept in mind.

This tweak comes with a host of options that can make Control Center look totally different than it does out of the box. Its effects are purely cosmetic rather than functional, but to say you can get some awesome effects out of the tweak is an understatement.

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BetterPhotoCrop keeps the Notification Center grabber from appearing as you crop images

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 2, 2017

I use the image-cropping tools from my iPhone's Photos app on a daily basis, and I've noticed that I accidentally invoke the Notification Center grabber quite a lot while cropping when I attempt to drag down from the top of the image.

BetterPhotoCrop by iOS developer Andreas Henriksson is a new free jailbreak tweak that moves the cropping interface down enough to prevent the Notification Center grabber from being invoked when you drag down from the top of an image to crop it.

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AlternateControls 2 brings an Android-style bottom navigation bar to iOS

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 1, 2017

Available on a wide variety of Android handsets is the bottom navigation bar, and with a jailbreak tweak called AlternateControls 2 by iOS developer Ian Burns, you can bring this functionality to your iPhone as well.

Once installed, the button to the far left will act as a back button, letting you move backwards between interfaces you’ve visited previously, while the center button acts as a virtual Home button and the button to the far right acts as an App Switcher shortcut.

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QuietWhilePlaying prevents notifications from interrupting your music playback

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 1, 2017

If you have a pet peeve for incoming notifications interrupting your music when you’re trying to sit back and enjoy a song, then installing a new free jailbreak tweak called QuietWhilePlaying (iOS 10) by iOS developer ijapija00 should be next on your to-do list.

This tweak silences the alert sounds and vibrations associated with incoming notifications, no matter which app they're coming from, whenever you’re actively listening to media.

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Arty, Frame App, Redacted, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a new artsy-photo editor, a new app for making stop-motion and animated videos, and an app for redacting sensitive information in a photo. And as usual, we've selected two great new games for you to check out.

Arty

I know what you're thinking: come on Cody, not another photo editor. But hear me out. Unlike other editors Arty does more than just apply filters. You can use it to create accurate line drawings, zoom in to view and edit tiny details, and pick out colors. It even tracks how long you've been working on your project. Other features include Faber Castell Polychromos color-matching, custom color swatches, shadows, outline, overlay grid, and much more. Turn your device into a Lightbox and trace your image or print your photo to an AirPrint printer from within the app. Arty is available for free.

Frame App

If you're looking for something fun and new to do this weekend, try making a stop-motion or animated film using Frame App. Here's how it works: open Frame App and take a picture. A transparent overlay of the first image will appear on top of your live camera view in a ghost-like manner. Use this ghost image as your guide to easily align and frame your next shot. Take as many photos as you need, then select the ones you like, and staring them together to make your movie. You can edit playback speed, direction and image size, and then export your clip into a GIF or MP4 video. Of course there are other apps that perform similar functions, but I appreciate the simple design here, and the early reviews are glowing. Frame App is available for free.

Redacted

Want to share a hilarious screenshot of your Facebook feed, but afraid to expose your friends or family? Check out Redacted. Yes, I know iOS has built-in image annotation tools and there are countless apps that do this for free, but it's a bit of a chore and it never seems to look right. Redacted makes it quick and easy to redact parts of an image by simply clicking and dragging. You have three options, pixelate, blur and black bar, and once you're done you can share the image to your favorite social network and other apps in the iOS Share Sheet. The app doesn't support PDF files yet, but the developer says it's working on it. This obviously isn't going to be for everyone, but the folks I have shared this app with bought it instantly. Redacted is available for $0.99.

Filmoji

The title explains it all. Filmoji is a game that presents you with a movie title written in emoji, and you have to guess what it is. As you can see from the screenshots, this is definitely a low-budget, indie-style game, but I thought it looked fun and it's nice to highlight lesser-known developers every now and then. I'm sure there's a similar title out there from Zynga (and if not they are probably working on one), but if you want to put your cinema knowledge to the test without a slew of ridiculous IAPs, this game is worth checking out. Filmoji is available for free.

Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow

Chances are, you've already heard about this game releasing this week, but it was still worth mentioning here. Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow is the next epic adventure for the popular animated franchise. Play with all your favorite characters, build your own New New York, combat against alien specials and explore unfamiliar planets on a mission to save the universe. The game is based on an all-new story, written by the creators of the original Fox series, and it features actual dialogue from David Cohen and his team. Yes, you're going to have to deal with pesky in-app purchases, but this is about as good as it gets for Futurama fans. Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow is available for free.

More apps to check out Enhance your iPad productivity with the new Prokeyboard app [sponsored] Apple’s free app of the week: Day One Journal Instagram unveils offensive comment filter, anti-spam tool in 9 languages Frustrated with Reminders? Taskful could be the answer to your woes New demos show how easy it is to bring 3D models to life with ARKit Skype for iPhone gains chat bots, its version of Stories, message & in-call reactions and more You can now edit text files right from Dropbox app Take notes on the fly with Apple Watch and SnipNotes
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Ambiance lets your Phillips HUE bulbs take full advantage of your jailbroken iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 1, 2017

Every so often, a jailbreak tweak emerges that lets you do something out of the ordinary with your iPhone, and a new release called Ambiance by iOS developer Ziph0n is a testament to such tweaks.

Ambience links your jailbroken iPhone and Phillips HUE smart light bulbs together in new and exciting ways, immersing your entire room with color effects based on what you’re doing on your device at a given time.

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Apple confirms 3D Touch app switching was intentionally removed from iOS 11

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2017

The convenient 3D Touch power-user gesture for quickly opening iOS's app switcher has disappeared from iOS 11 beta. According to Apple Engineering's response to a Radar that developer Bryan Irace recently filed regarding its removal, the gesture was pulled intentionally from iOS 11 beta and might not be coming back in subsequent betas.

On iOS 10 and older, you can view your recently used apps by pressing the left side of the screen with 3D Touch. You can also use 3D Touch to quickly switch to a previous app by pressing the left edge of the screen hard, then swipe right.

Neither gesture works in iOS 11 beta.

When asked about the removal, Irace received the following reply from Apple Engineering:

Please know that this feature was intentionally removed.

The wording confirms it's not a bug—Apple did remove this power-user gesture on purpose.

Here's the screenshot of Apple's response to Irace's Radar.

I have a problem with the wording of the statement.

For starers, it doesn't make it 100 percent clear whether or not they intentionally removed the gesture from iOS 11 beta only for it to return in subsequent betas. We were, of course, hoping it was merely a bug. But the fact that it isn't listed as a known issue in the release notes accompanying the iOS 11 installer is rather telling.

This could be related to iPhone 8.

With major design changes coming to the next iPhone in the form of a nearly full-screen face with a seamless OLED display, the feature's removal might quite possibly indicate a brand new way of accessing iOS's app switcher on iPhone 8.

I wish Apple made it an optional setting rather than remove it completely. That way, people who still wanted it could keep it. On the other hand, Apple has stats on iOS features people use and perhaps numbers for the app switching 3D Touch thing were dismal, who knows?

The fact is, it doesn't make much sense if you use your Plus iPhone model right-handed. Besides, I know many people who accidentally activate it all the time and get annoyed.

Could it have been deprecated by iPhone 8, because it was too easy to trigger accidentally without a bezel around the display? Will iPhone 8's rumored function area at the bottom doubles as an app switcher of sorts? Last but not least, has Apple decided to remove the gesture because very few people were using it or were unaware it existed in the first place?

Tell us what you think in the comments section!

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Apple shares shot on iPhone short “Détour” by Oscar-winning director Michel Gondry

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Apple yesterday shared a short “Shot on iPhone” film, titled “Détour”, by French Oscar-winning director Michel Gondry who is known for such independent movies as “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “The Science of Sleep”.

The eleven-minute video was posted to the Cupertino company's YouTube channels in France and the United Kingdom as part of its focus on producing local video content that can be shared online rather than the more traditional broadcast ads.

The film runs eleven minutes long and features original soundtrack by indie composer Étienne Charry. It follows the adventures of a small tricycle as it sets off along the French roads in search of its young owner, a nice take on the lost-and-found theme.

And here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrN1ytnQ-Tg

Along with the short film, Apple also shared a series behind-the-sccenes videos, seen below.

The clips show Gondry at work, explaining his approach to shooting films on iPhone and detailing some of the equipment used for “Détour”, which includes a multi-iPhone rig, Lightning-compatible microphones, a BeastGrip professional gimbal system and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuDUqqFzELk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPdwbvJCqfY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYI10yT07c

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXgyX6cc5eE

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIW5qChZJPg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vInEUWuRq_Q

Gondry won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. The director is scheduled to discuss the film and his career while sharing some of the tips for achieving cinematographic results on Apple's devices in a “Today at Apple” session at Apple March Saint-Germain on June 30.

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Apple TV universal search adds support for kids app Holster in US

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2017

Apple TV's universal search function, which lets you use Siri to find content across supported video apps, has gained support for the kids app Holster in the United States.

Apple's support document was updated Friday to reflect the addition. Before, it was supported by the universal search feature for users in Australia and the United Kingdom only.

Aimed at kids aged five and under and billed as the app that lets kids learn through the shows they love, Holster is available on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV with 800+ kids TV episodes, 100+ songs and nursery rhymes, curriculum-based learning games and more.

The app requires a subscription fee of $5 per month.

https://vimeo.com/185792548

A 7-day free trial is available.

The following third-party content providers and apps are currently supported by tvOS's universal search on the fourth-generation Apple TV:

United States: Movies and TV shows in iTunes, A&E, ABC, AMC,  Animal Planet GO, Apple Music, BET, Bravo, CBS, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, Crunchyroll, CuriosityStream, CW Seed, Discover GO, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, DIY, E!, Food Network, FOXNOW, FXNOW, FYI, Hallmark Channel, HBO GO, HBO NOW, HGTV, History, Hopster, Hulu, Investigation Discovery GO, Lifetime, MTV, MUBI, Nat Geo TV, NBC, Netflix, Nick Jr, Nickelodeon, PBS, PBS Kids, Science Channel GO, SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME Anytime, Spike, Starz, Syfy, TBS, Telemundo, The CW, TLC GO, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, USA and VH1. Australia: Movies and TV Shows in iTunes, ABC iview, CuriosityStream, Hopster, MUBI, Netflix, Plus7 and Stan. Canada and United Kingdom: Movies and TV shows in iTunes, CuriosityStream, Hopster, MUBI and Netlix France: Movies and TV shows in iTunes, CANAL+, Netflix Germany: Movies and TV shows in iTunes, Galileo, Netflix Japan, Mexico, Netherlands and Spain: Movies in iTunes, Netflix Norway: Movies in iTunes, MUBI, Netflix, NRK TV, TV 2 Sumo Sweden: Movies in iTunes, MUBI, Netflix, SVT Play Other countries: Movies in iTunes

YouTube search is supported across all regions. To search for YouTube content, simply use Siri and include the word "YouTube" in your search (i.e. “Search UFO sightings on YouTube”).

The full list of providers for tvOS's universal search function is on Apple’s website.

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Apple celebrates America’s national parks with Apple Pay donations & Activity challenge

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2017

From July 1 through July 15, Apple is donating $1 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made with Apple Pay at any Apple Store, on apple.com or through the Apple Store app for iPhone and iPad in the United States.

Apple Pay is accepted at select locations in some of the most popular national parks, from Yellowstone and Yosemite to the Grand Canyon and Muir Woods National Monument.

Proceeds will support the National Park Foundation’s mission to help protect and preserve national parks through conservation projects and other initiatives, as well as inspire the next generation of park enthusiasts with enriching youth programming.

According to CEO Tim Cook:

America’s national parks are an inspiration to us at Apple, and we know they are as important to many of our customers as they are to us. Our goal is to leave the world better than we found it, so this July we’re making it easier for anyone to help preserve the beauty of our natural, cultural and historical treasures.

Apple Watch owners who complete a walk, run or wheelchair workout of 3.5 miles (about 5.6 kilometers) on July 15, which matches the length of a hike from Old Faithful to Mallard Lake in Yellowstone National Park, will earn a special badge in the Activity app and unique stickers in the Messages app for iPhone, inspired by national parks.

Apple adds that App Store will soon highlight a collection of “some of the best apps to help users easily navigate and explore the country’s most beautiful national parks.”

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Apple relaunches My Support site with new design and old features

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2017

Apple has relaunched the My Support website with an all-new design featuring bolder headings and adaptive layout to match the look of the rest of Apple.com. Available through the new address at mysupport.apple.com, the overhauled site has all the same features like the old one, which debuted back in 2011.

Upon logging in with your Apple ID, you can register your Apple product by typing in a serial number, which lets you access various support options and do things like track repairs, check on a device's warranty status and much more.

You can give products nicknames, reorder them, sort them by device category or coverage status and more. Other options include the ability to browse your repairs within the past 90 days, look up a repair by entering your Repair ID or a product's serial number and so forth.

Some of the features of the old site are nowhere to be found on its redesigned counterpart.

That's because some of them have been relocated elsewhere or integrated into the redesigned Apple ID or Apple Support webpages, like the ability to edit your contact information.

While the old site let you add an AppleCare protection plan to hardware, that features is absent on the new site because, as of recently, all of Apple's AppleCare plans for Macs, iPads and iPhones must be bought alongside a new device or within 60 days of purchase and they're automatically registered to your Apple ID.

The site provides a Contact Us link that leads to Apple's webpage where you can find various support options that are available to you, based on your country and products.

Like before, you can see a history of your support interactions and AppleCare coverage eligibility, access product manuals, guides, technical specifications and support pages for your products, view previous replacements of products and more.

Many people were unaware that this site existed in the first place because finding it without remembering the URL was impossible. I remember having to Google “where can I find all my registered Apple products” just to get to that page.

Even though the Apple ID site shows all your devices, older hardware with no iCloud support isn't displayed there. At the revamped My Support site, you can easily find all your Apple products, including all your iCloud-authorized devices and any manually registered products.

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