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Amazon said to be launching its set-top box next week

Cody Lee ∙ March 27, 2014

Following reports from last week that Amazon is planning to launch its long-awaited Apple TV competitor in next month, Amazon has sent out invites for a media event scheduled for April 2nd. The invitations ask that reporters join the company for an 'update' on its video business.

And according to a new report from Recode, the e-commerce giant is going to use the event to unveil a new set-top box device. Citing sources familiar with Amazon's plans, the outlet says the device will be capable of streaming media to TV sets, competing directly with Apple and Roku...

Nikkei: Apple to launch 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone as early as September

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Japanese news outlet Nikkei threw its weight behind a popular rumor today, reporting that Apple's next-gen iPhone will come in both 4.7- and 5.5-inch models. The theory that the company is working on two new larger-sized handsets has been reiterated several times over the past 6 months.

Citing sources within Apple's supply chain, Nikkei says that manufacturers have already begun making components for the new smartphones, like fingerprint sensors and chips for liquid-crystal drivers, and Sharp, Japan Display and LG will begin mass-producing their panels as early as April...

How to add a rain effect to the iPhone’s Lock screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

Rain Lock is a jailbreak tweak that lets you add custom "rain" effects to the iPhone's Lock screen. The rain is really just text, which can be custom text or one of the two built-in text effects.

As you may have already figured out, Rain Lock isn't the type of tweak that adds enhanced functionality to your iPhone, neither does it help you work smarter—it's a tweak that's unapologetically centered on visual flair. And that's okay, because that's what Rain Lock does well, and it gets it right for the most part. Mosey on inside for a look into how Rain Lock works via our hands-on video walkthrough...

Microsoft launches Office for iPad, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

The rumors were true! Microsoft's new chief executive office Satya Nadella is hosting a press briefing in San Francisco this morning. After the CEO discussed Microsoft’s 'mobile first, cloud first' strategy, Julia White, Microsoft’s chief of Office Division Product Management, took the stage to formally reveal Office for iPad.

"This is definitely not the Windows app ported to the iPad," said White, adding that Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPad are all native iOS apps. Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint apps are now available for download in the App Store, joining Microsoft's existing OneNote for iPhone and iPad and the recently released OneNote for Mac.

Akin to Office 365 for iPhone which debuted last June, Office for iPad requires Microsoft's Office 365 subscription for editing features. The entry-level subscription tier will set you back $9.99-per-month (or $99.99 per year) for a Home Premium package, which buys you access to the Office applications for Windows, Mac and mobile on up to five devices.

A more affordable Office 365 Personal has been announced recently ($6.99 per month, $69.99 per year, limited to just one PC or Mac, plus one tablet), but it’s not available just yet. You can sign up for a free 30-day Office 365 trial and for those who don't want a subscription, Office for iPad will let you view and present Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations, but not edit the files...

High-quality photographs show construction at Apple’s gigantic iSpaceship site

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Two days ago, a nice little video popped up on YouTube depicting the initial demolition of Hewlett-Packard's former buildings at the site where Apple's gigantic ring-shaped Campus 2 structure should crop up by 2016. Apple's spectacular building has been appropriately dubbed by the press the iSpaceship due to its resemblance to a flying saucer.

High production values of the footage coupled with unprecedented access to the site prompted suspicion that the leaked footage was legit.

It was apparently circulated internally by Apple, a notion fueled further by the fact that the clip soon got taken down due to a copyright claim by Apple Inc. Thursday, a source familiar with Apple's plans sent in a series of high-quality photographs giving us another good look at the initial demolition and the sheer size of the site...

How to add a fake fingerprint sensor to iOS 7

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

No, that wasn't a typo. There's a new jailbreak tweak available on Cydia that allows you to fake the functionality of a fingerprint scanner on your iOS 7 device. Geared towards folks without a Touch ID enabled device like the iPhone 5s, this tweak does its best to fake the security benefits of a fingerprint scanner.

If only it were possible to actually fake the security of the Touch ID sensor. Spoiler: it's not. And as such, this tweak, ironically entitled Bio, falls squarely into the mix with other "joke" jailbreak tweaks used for comedic effect. Have a look at our video walkthrough after the jump to see Bio in action.

Customize Notification Center with BetterNC7

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

BetterNC7 is a jailbreak tweak geared towards the Notification Center in iOS 7. It's one of those tweaks that contains a ton of different toggles to disable or enable certain features.

I've never been a huge fan of tweaks like this, just because they seem to add features just for the sake of saying they have a lot of features. That said, there are some nice settings to be found within BetterNC7's preferences, so it's worth checking out. Have a look inside to see some of the details on video.

FireChat for iPhone lets you chat off-the-grid, without cellular or Wi-Fi signal

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

FireChat, a new instant messaging application for the iPhone, is kinda of a big deal. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and other messaging apps on the App Store if it weren't for its particularly unique feature.

FireChat supports off-the-grid communication, a codeword for the ability to exchange instant messages without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

What kind of dark magic is this?

FireChat, the brainchild of the crowdsourced firm Open Garden and available free in the App Store, uses the same principles as AirDrop, Apple's feature that takes advantage of a new iOS 7 technology called Multipeer Connectivity Framework (MCF).

Read on for the full reveal...

Here’s another way to speed up animations in iOS 7

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

Speed Intensifier is a tweak that's been around for some time, but was just recently updated to play nice with iOS 7 and arm64 devices like the iPhone 5s. The effect, especially when you take into consideration the drastic animation changes present within iOS 7, is nothing short of startling.

If you're looking to speed up, at least in perception, the speed of your device, then look no further. Speed Intensifier allows you to significantly increase the speed of animations found within iOS 7, and it does so while allowing you to keep iOS 7's trademarked style. Check out our full video walkthrough inside, which showcases Speed Intensifier in action.

BlurFolders: force your folders to take up the full screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

Looking to switch up the look of your folders in iOS 7? If so, then check out BlurFolders, a recently released jailbreak tweak that makes your folders display in full screen view.

BlurFolders essentially takes the normal view of folders within iOS 7, which are blurred to begin with based on the wallpaper, and expands it to take up the full screen. It doesn't provide you with any extra real estate for additional folders, but it's a neat look, if not a bit flawed in execution. Have a glance at our video inside to see for yourself.

TimeForAlarm 2: display the time remaining before an alarm clock sounds

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

Have you ever tried to calculate in your mind how many hours you have to sleep before you need to wake up? I think we all do that from time to time, and more than not, it ends up with us being anxious about the fact that we don't have much time to sleep. But that aside, there's a new jailbreak tweak available on Cydia that performs this countdown function for your automatically, and it's called TimeForAlarm 2.

TimeForAlarm 2 is a free jailbreak tweak that places a handy countdown timer right beside the alarm clock in your stock Clock app. It's a great way to instantly figure out how much time you have remaining before your alarm clock sounds. Want to see how it works in action? Take a gander at our video walkthrough after the break.

QuickPass: enable or disable the passcode with a handy toggle

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 27, 2014

QuickPass is a recently released jailbreak tweak that allows you to quickly disable the passcode lock on your iOS device using a handy toggle found in the stock Settings app. QuickPass is a great tool when you encounter situations where it would be easier to have no passcode on your device at all.

I find QuickPass useful when reviewing jailbreak tweaks, especially tweaks where I'm required to respring a lot. Have a look inside for a full video walkthrough showcasing how the tweak works.