iOS 8.4 with Apple Music, Beats 1 and revamped Music app hits iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2015

As promised, Tuesday morning Apple released the free iOS 8.4 software update which introduces an all-new Music app with Apple Music and Beats 1 built-in. The over-the-air update is now available for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. As these things take some time to propagate, the software update may not show up in your region yet.

“This update introduces Apple Music—a revolutionary music service, 24/7 global radio, and a way for fans to connect with their favorite artists—all included in the redesigned Music app,” release notes accompanying the update explain. “iOS 8.4 also includes improvements for iBooks and bug fixes,” Apple states.

To apply the update over-the-air, open the Settings app on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and choose Software Update in the General section. Alternatively, connect your device via USB cable to a Mac or Windows PC running the latest version of iTunes and an update prompt should pop up automatically.

If you enjoy jailbreaking as much as we do, you're wholeheartedly advised to read this first in order to prepare for iOS 8.4 properly.

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Apple to reveal June quarter earnings on July 21

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

Apple is going to release earnings for its third fiscal 2015 quarter on Tuesday, July 21, according to an update published last evening on the company's Investor Relations webpage. A conference call to discuss third fiscal quarter earnings with Wall Street investors will be taking place on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern Time.

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Mimir: a tweak for running multiple apps at the same time on iOS 8.3 and 8.4

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Mirmir (formerly Mimir) is a new jailbreak tweak by Ethan Arbuckle and Liam Thynne, which will allow you to run multiple apps at the same time on your iPhone or iPad. I was able to run four apps side-by-side-by-side-by-side with minimal slowdown on my iPad Air 2. It was quite impressive.

Mirmir uses its own built in gesture system for invocation, but it works with Activator as well. If you're looking for a true-multitasking tweak for iOS 8, then look no further. Watch our full video walkthrough for all of the juicy details.

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You can now see recently Shazamed songs from artists you follow

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

With Apple Music launching in just a few hours, media identification service Shazam on Tuesday announced a new version of its mobile app focused on the ability to check out all the songs that artists you follow are discovering on Shazam.

This new feature is in addition to lists of most-often Shazamed songs by region, genre and overall that were available before.

The update is rolling out today on iOS and Android.

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VLC gains Apple Watch controller, mini-player, support for looping playlists and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2015

VLC, a cross-platform, open-source media player by VideoLAN that can render just about any file type thrown at it, has updated its iOS app in the App Store with a brand new WatchKit component in addition to a bunch of new features and other enhancements.

VLC 2.6 for iOS now lets you control your media library application from your wrist, with the Apple Watch app providing basic playback control, media information and the ability to browse your library.

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Formula Cartoon All-Stars review: cart race against Cartoon Network celebs

Lory Gil ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

If you love battle race games that let you speed your way across a variety of courses while taking down your opponents, there is a new game in your future.

Formula Cartoon All-Stars is a new racer from Turner Broadcasting that puts you behind the wheel of a crazy cart. We’ve got a full game review of Formula Cartoon All-Stars for you today.

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The Ninja Sports is an armband that will carry your iPhone 6 and much more

Lory Gil ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

When out for a jog, you may want to have your iPhone 6 close at hand (or arm), but also need a place to keep your keys and ID. A rattling set of keys in the pocket is an annoying distraction and if your workout clothes are too lose or too tight, you might risk losing important stuff, like your ID.

Avantree's Ninja Sports armband is big enough to house your iPhone 6 with enough room and a separate pouch for keys, cards, and other things you might want to take along on your jog.

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How to prepare for a possible iOS 8.3 downgrade

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

When Apple closes the firmware signing window for iOS 8.3, users wishing to downgrade (or upgrade) to iOS 8.3 won't be allowed to do so. Instead, you'll have to settle for whatever firmware Apple is signing, which is usually the latest and greatest out there.

When that happens, it's quite probable that it could spell the end of jailbreaking for a while—remember we just got out of a significant lull.

With this in mind, the ability to downgrade back to iOS 8.3 is very desirous for would-be jailbreakers. While there is no confirmed downgrade ability just yet, there are some things that you can do to ensure that you have the best chance to downgrade should that ability arrive.

This is accomplished by saving your iOS 8.3 SHSH blobs.

To save your SHSH blobs and prepare for a possible iOS 8.3 downgrade, you'll need to use TinyUmbrella to do so. I'll show you how in this post and video.

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How to halve your data usage on Chrome for Mac, iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 29, 2015

Google's Chrome browser includes a handy feature designed to decrease bandwidth usage by up to fifty percent for mobile users on very slow networks. Called Data Saver, it works by passing webpages you visit to Google servers that compress graphics and other web content.

You can even tell Data Saver to replace the originally requested image with a small placeholder graphic, if the original image is likely not a crucial element of the page.

Here's how you can reduce the amount of data that Chrome uses on your Mac, iPhone, iPod touch or iPad by enabling Data Saver mode to cut your bandwidth usage up to fifty percent, and even more.

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Google Hangouts for iOS gains refreshed interface, multi-image sending and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 29, 2015

Google on Monday issued a minor but notable refresh to its Hangouts client for the iPhone and iPad. If you're using Hangouts to exchange instant messages with your friends, engage in free audio and video calls, adorn your communications with stickers and more, the brand new Hangouts 4.0 for iOS is now available free in the App Store.

It brings out several user interface tweaks that Google claims elevate your experience while adding a much-needed ability to send multiple photos at once, and more.

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Apple Music to exclusively stream Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ album

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

Apple Music will exclusively stream 'The Chronic,' Dr. Dre's 1992 debut studio album, Rolling Stone reported Monday. As a matter of fact, the seminal album will actually make its streaming debut when Apple Music launches tomorrow morning.

This is newsworthy because 'The Chronic' has not yet been available on digital platforms like the iTunes Store, Beats Music, Spotify or Rhapsody due to legal disputes regarding distribution rights.

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