iDownloadBlog.com

Four Apple execs dominate best-paid corporate jobs in America

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Although Apple compensated its CEO Tim Cook for the calendar year 2012 with a $1.36 million base salary and $2.8 million in compensation related to incentive plans, he didn't made the top five highest-rewarded corporate executives list in Standard & Poor’s top 500 companies. Instead, per Bloomberg's report filed Monday, four members of the Apple leadership dominate that list.

To be clear, these numbers count both base salaries and stock options companies usually give to their top dogs as sort of a retainer. Specifically, Bob Mansfield, Peter Oppenheimer, Bruce Sewell and Jeffrey Williams all made the top five highest-paid execs list, according to fiscal 2012 compensation figures for top earners filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission...

Chinese iPhone dealers scam Apple with fake parts

Ed Sutherland ∙ April 15, 2013

Five iPhone distributors in China are under arrest after Apple told local police it was the victim of an unusual scam. The plot involved sending fake iPhone 4S parts to Apple for replacement and receiving real components worth more than $64,000, according to Monday reports.

The alleged fraudsters went so far as to accompany the fake components with the serial numbers of more than a hundred real iPhone handsets, police said.

WSJ: Microsoft to respond to Apple, Google with smartwatch, smartphone, mini Surface

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

As Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn recently began hiring workers for assembly of a next-gen iPhone and possibly a rumored budget iPhone, our friends over at Redmond are thought to be busy developing own branded smartwatch, smartphone and seven-inch Surface tablet. Both gadgets are viewed as direct responses to Apple's rumored iWatch project, its wildly successful smartphone and the iPad mini tablet, respectively.

The smartwatch project is purportedly beyond the prototyping phase as Microsoft is said to have started aligning parts suppliers in Asia earlier this year, allegedly sourcing 1.5-inch screens. However, folks who apparently saw the prototypes warn it's "unclear whether Microsoft will opt to move ahead with the watch" at this stage...

Foxconn hiring assembly-line workers for next-gen iPhone production, WSJ and Bloomberg claim

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2013

Hon Hai Precision Industry aka Foxconn, which assembles iPhones and iPads for Apple, but also consumer electronics on behalf of other vendors, has started hiring assembly-line workers in the tens of thousands in preparation for Apple's next iPhone, both Bloomberg and the credulous Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

People familiar with the matter tell the publications that the world's largest contract manufacturer has been recruiting workers for the past month at its plant in Zhengzhou, eastern China.

The reports come following February indications pointing to Foxconn imposing a recruitment freeze across almost all of its factories in China after more workers returned from the Chinese New Year break than did last year, a move some attributed to the supposedly weakening iPhone demand...

Dish puts $25B on table towards snagging Sprint from Japan’s Softbank

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Dish Network has launched a $25.5 billion cash and stock bid to snag carrier Sprint from Japan's communications giant Softbank, according to reports Monday morning. Should Sprint accept the offer and regulators approve the deal, consumers will get a new service that could combine mobile, broadband and television.

Dish is the nation's second-largest direct-broadcast satellite service provider which serves just over fourteen million Americans. Sprint Nextel with its 47.5 million subscribers files as the third-largest wireless carrier in the United States. The proposed merger comes at an interesting time, just as Softbank's proposed acquisition of 70 percent of Sprint for $20.1 billion is nearing its completion in the second quarter of 2013...

Swipe between conversations with MessageSwiper

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 14, 2013

MessageSwiper is a jailbreak tweak that allows you to quickly switch between ongoing conversations in the Messages app using swipe gestures. You can cycle through conversations via left and right swipes to instantly go forward or backwards through your various message threads.

This is an extremely simple tweak that focuses on one particular area and does a commendable job of doing so. I do wish there was a swipe animation implemented when switching between message threads, but according to the developer, that's due in an upcoming update.

Check out this new “iPhone 6” concept video

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 14, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxNDY9veepE

It's the time of year where not only are people conceptualizing the new version of iOS, but they're also imagining what the new iPhone might look like. This new concept video shows off a new thinner and smaller iPhone design with a bigger screen, sans Home button.

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week – April 14, 2013 edition

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 24, 2017

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+.

Cydia introduces new TSS Center, Saurik explains what happened to iOS 6 TSS data Messages: a compromise between biteSMS and the stock Messages app Velox: an upcoming tweak that lets you interact with app icons to check notifications and more How to add a Velox style music widget to your iPhone right now Here’s how Velox will interface with the Mail app How to perfectly mesh your Auxo installation with ayecon Badger beta updated with support for all apps and more App Store app works with jailbreak theme to create custom Lock screens Should Apple rethink its naming conventions for the iPhone? Watch the evad3rs’ Q&A session from HITB 2013 Slides from the evad3rs’ Hack In The Box 2013 presentation now available for download The next iPhone’s killer feature? Fingerprint scanning Technical challenges delaying iPhone 5S, budget iPhone, iPad mini 2? T-Mobile iPhone carrier bundle is now available for download Turn ordinary photos into extraordinary iPhoneography with textures

Of course, don't forget to listen to the latest episode of our podcast, 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!

Grabby is a new customizable camera grabber tweak

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 14, 2013

When Ryan Petrich releases a new tweak, people take note. And that's the case with his latest creation, Grabby, which is currently available as a beta in his personal repo.

Based on a concept by UI designer Sentry, Grabby is a customizable camera grabber tweak, and it allows you to slide the Lock screen's camera grabber to launch more apps. Take a look inside for a further description and screenshots...

Live Battery Indicator merges battery percentage with a circular icon

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 14, 2013

I've received quite a few inquiries about my iPod touch's battery over the last few days. More specifically, people want to know exactly how I got new battery icon with the battery percentage in the middle.

This is the result of an upcoming jailbreak tweak called Live Battery Icon. It ditches the standard battery icon for a new-fangled circular indicator with the battery percentage neatly situated in the center.

Atom: a beautiful upcoming Lock screen launcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 14, 2013

Atom is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that brings a beautifully animated Lock screen launcher to your Home screen. Six apps can be configured to appear on your Lock screen as shortcuts, and you can launch directly into those apps by sliding and releasing a small little nub over the app you wish to launch. If you feel like unlocking your device to the Home screen, just slide the nub over the unlock icon located in the middle of the screen instead.

True, there have been Lock screen tweaks that have allowed you to launch directly into an app before, but none of them featured the beautifully animated style of Atom. Don't believe me? You don't have to take my written word for it, check out our exclusive hands-on video inside, and see for yourself.

Yet another iOS 7 concept video

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 13, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFM-LUxiAXo

You can tell we're getting closer and closer to WWDC 2013, because the concept videos for the next version of iOS seem to be popping up every day. This latest video shows off a new way to toggle settings, kill apps, open folders, and check notifications. It's a pretty impressive video, but the features don't seem to be very practical for real world usage if you ask me.