Apple makes another high-profile medical device talent hire

Apple has added another prominent expert in the medial devices field to its internal team thought to have been tasked with the creation of an Apple-branded wearable device that the press refers to as the iWatch.

Divya Nag, “a rising star in the medical device community,”, has joined Apple's in-house medical technology team, according to sources with knowledge of the hire who spoke to one Apple blog on the condition of anonymity because Apple is not fond of leaks...

Apple, Google offering game developers special incentives for exclusivity

Competition between Apple and Google not only covers smartphones and mobile operating systems, but the App Store and Google Play app marketplaces, as well. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday the two companies have been working to sway game developers over to their own platforms exclusively with special incentives.

Having an exclusive game title on an app marketplace could help smartphone users feel as if they're on the best platform, a task Apple and Google have been working hard at since 2008. Both companies have reportedly offered game developers premium placement on the App Store and Google Play, for exclusivity in return.

Square reportedly in talks to sell after growing losses, held ‘informal talks’ with Apple

Mobile payments startup Square is looking to sell its business, following growing losses and shrinking cash reserves, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Square, founded by Twitter's Jack Dorsey in 2009, makes software, hardware products, and services, including Square Register and Square Wallet, for customers to pay merchants in an easier way.

Square has discussed an acquisition with Google in 2014, according to the report, with prior talks dating back to 2012. Additionally, Apple is said to have held informal talks with Square about a deal, interesting given the mobile payment rumors that have been circulating the Cupertino-based company. 

How to add wallpaper to Control Center

CCBackground is a brand new jailbreak tweak that lets users customize the background of Control Center in iOS 7. The background can be customized with a photo from the Photos app library. Once you select a photo, a respring is required.

If the right background is chosen, CCBackground is a great way to customize the look of Control Center. Have a glance inside as we review CCBackground on video.

Facebook reportedly planning ad network for mobile devices

Facebook is finally following the likes of Google and Yahoo and will launch an advertising network with a focus on mobile platforms, according to Recode.

Facebook hasn't publicly acknowledged its plans, but the publication says Facebook will take the wraps off its mobile ad network at its F8 developer conference in San Francisco at the end of April.

An ad network from Facebook essentially means you'll see Facebook ads even when you're not on Facebook - think any app on the App Store. In a way, Facebook's solution could go after Apple's iAd network, which has failed to catch wind with the industry.

‘BetterPowerDown’ adds iOS 7.1 power-down slider to iOS 7.0

BetterPowerDown is a brand-new jailbreak tweak that allows you to add additional power-off options to iOS 7.0.x. The tweak, which is available for download on Cydia's BigBoss repo for $0.99, allows you to add the iOS 7.1 and iOS 6.x power-down sliders to your device.

We've taken BetterPowerDown for a spin on video. Check out our review after the break.

Wallpapers of the week: action shots

Last week, we posted Apple logo wallpapers to celebrate our visit to Apple HQ and the chance to eat at Caffè Macs, thanks to a Mystery Man that let us inside. Sebastien, Jeff, and I were in town for JailbreakCon and if you have not listened, we recorded the longest episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak. Make sure to check out the episode for interviews with @pod2g, @rpetrich, and @surenix.

On the wallpaper front, this week is another blended offering. The only connection between the two images is 'action.' However, they were two great images I stumbled upon this week...

Isolani is an awesome first-person shooter with an engaging story

What do you get when you combine an awesome science fiction storyline with a well-made first-person shooter (FPS) game? You get a bunch of diehard fans that will play till their eyeballs pop out of their heads.

Isolani is an FPS that just about has it all. It looks great, plays great, and has a storyline that should be turned into a sci-fi novel. To top it all off, the game features auto fire so you don’t have to waste time tapping the screen to shoot…

The best email apps for iPhone

It wasn’t that long ago that email was an untapped resource. Within the past decade or so, technology and the Internet have advanced so far that it is incredibly easy to stay in touch with people all over the world at any hour of the day. Emailing has become a behemoth that has gotten out of control.

If you are unsatisfied with the native Mail app and are looking for something to help you get to Inbox Zero, we’ve got a list of what we believe are some of the best email apps for iPhone, and our favorite apps for organizing and reducing the daily routine of checking email.

This week on iDB: the JailbreakCon aftermath

Like every Sunday, we bring you the stories that were the most popular on iDB during this past week. Whether it is a news piece, an editorial, a tutorial, a new jailbreak tweak, or an accessory review, we sum it all up in one convenient place.

If you like what you're reading, please make sure to spread the love by sharing our posts on your favorite social network.

We're usually hanging out a lot on Twitter and Facebook, more rarely on Google+.

JailbreakCon 2014: behind the scene iOS 7: the ultimate App Store guide Wallpapers of last week: Apple tribute Apps of last week: Hitman Go, Union, iOOTP Baseball, and more… How to set up an iTunes and App Store allowance Watchout for Unflod, a malware targeting jailbroken devices ShareLock lets you share photos directly from the Lock screen Auki: a new quick reply tweak designed by Surenix On Apple’s transition to larger-screened iPhones… FaceTime connectivity issues reaching many iOS users Nintendo DS emulator that runs on both non-jailbroken and jailbroken iOS devices arrives MiniPlayer iOS jailbreak tweak is now available for Mac Claimed photos of 4.7″ iPhone 6 front panel and batteries surface New iPhone 6 mockups based on leaked case dimensions and other intel Claimed photos of iPhone 6 molds, schematic and manufacturing equipment surface Bug-fix iOS 7.1.1 update now appearing in web logs All.Notes: the Notes app that Apple should have made Giveaway: enter to win a copy of Fantastical 2 for iPad

Don't forget to listen to the latest episode of our new podcast, Let's Talk iOS:

And of course, make sure to catch up with the new episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak:

We’re social! Find iDB on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, App.net, YouTube, and in your RSS reader. Also make sure to subscribe to our new podcast!

How to set up an iTunes and App Store allowance

I recently found out there is a feature in iTunes that allows you to set up an allowance for someone to have access to a pre-determined amount of money to spend each month in the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store.

A perfect illustration of this feature would be the case where parents would be able to set up an allowance for their kids. This way, kids have access to a credit they can spend each month, either on apps, movies, musics, books, etc.

In this post, I will show you how to set up an iTunes allowance so you can send a monthly iTunes Store credit to anyone...

iOS 7: the ultimate App Store guide

The App Store app is the hub used to download additional apps on an iOS device. Out of the box, the iPhone only comes bundled with a handful of stock apps. The App Store app allows you to choose from hundreds of thousands of apps to download on to your device.

Apps can be anything from productivity tools, to games, to periodicals. There is a wealth of apps available to download in the App Store, and while some may come at a price, many of them are free.

It's good to become familiar with the App Store's features, because this is the only place where you can download additional software on a stock iOS device. Check inside as we journey through a detailed explanation of the App Store.