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Firefox is not coming to iOS until Apple changes its ways, company exec says

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated August 30, 2023

Fans of Mozilla's Firefox web browser may be hoping to use their browser of choice on iOS, but according to Mozilla, that may not be possible anytime soon.

Mozilla has lifted the lid on the reason that it has yet to port the popular Firefox to Apple's mobile platform and, unsurprisingly, it's all down to Apple's tight control over how things are done on its devices according to Jay Sullivan, the company’s Vice President.

Currently, all third-party web browsers that run on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch have to use Apple’s UIWebView component which is inherently slower than the Nitro used by the company's own Safari browser. Mozilla says that it will only bring Firefox to iOS when that limitation is removed, and Apple seems in no rush to do that...

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week

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+...

The best iPad jailbreak tweaks The best iPhone jailbreak tweaks How much control Saurik really has over Cydia Evasi0n 1.5.1 is out with updated Cydia package list Rumor: iPhone 5S in August, new iPads possibly as early as next month Customize your notification banner animations and more with Animer Mix up your iPhone’s Lock screen with ‘Vexil’ Gridlock updated for iOS 6 Fresh iPhone 6 mockups call for a 4.6-inch edge-to-edge display A beautiful verbal clock for your Lock screen How to stop Chrome from crashing after recent update How to fix Cydia error “wow, you exceeded the number of package names this APT is capable of” Make powerful iPhone photos by focusing on what’s important

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“In a Minute” lets you be very particular about when you’re reminded about things

Oliver Haslam ∙ March 9, 2013

If you're a heavy user of Apple's Reminders app, then you'll quite possibly have nudged up against one particular issue that some find irritating while others will likely have never even noticed.

The issue in question is Apple's assumption that people will only want to set reminders in five minute increments, meaning you can't set a reminder for 09:13, for example, unless you're creating the reminder with Siri's help. It might not sound like much, but if you want to manually set a few reminders to alert inside a five minute window, then you're out of luck.

That is, unless you install a new jailbreak tweak that popped up in Cydia today...

Make powerful iPhone photos by focusing on what’s important

Justin Balog ∙ Updated January 8, 2016

Welcome back to our lessons in iPhone Photography. In today's lesson I'm going to do my best to share a fairly abstract creative tool illustrated with a few concrete examples. Last week I was in Belize working on a new iPhone Photography book. The book will feature iPhone images following the world famous Hummingbird Highway from the eastern coast of Belize to the Guatemalan border in the west.

I shared the context of this project with you so you could see how I use the tool I'm going to present in this lesson. When you are working on a photography project with a finite time-frame and budget, you have to make images. There's no option for returning the following day, or complaining that the muse isn't with you.

In previous lessons I've shared ideas about changing perspective and compositional aids that can help in our creativity. However, this one single piece of photographic wisdom has served me better than anything else I've learned. One of my personal photographic heroes, Bruce Percy, says (this is a bit paraphrased) "whatever it is that initially draws you to a scene... that is what you should focus on."

It is a simple, yet very powerful creative tool. I use this advice all the time by making whatever it is that attracted me to a scene the subject of my photograph and trying my best to reduce the other elements within the scene. As I mentioned in the beginning of this lesson, I want to illustrate how I've used this wisdom by sharing a few concrete examples from my recent trip to Belize...

Judge green-lights Apple’s Siri case against Samsung

Cody Lee ∙ March 9, 2013

Apple and Samsung are still battling it out in post-trial hearings left over from last fall's high-profile infringement trial. And they have another one coming up this year that involves a whole new range of devices.

But there's alway room for another case in the world of patent lawsuits. And Judge Lucy Koh just gave Apple permission to move forward on a third lawsuit with Samsung here in the States involving its Siri patent...

Snable helps you cut through the cable clutter at home, work and on the go [sponsored]

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 26, 2017

I try to live a cordless life as much as I can. I play music over AirPlay at home, and Bluetooh while in my car. I use AirPrint to print documents directly from the comfort of my couch. But there are still these several cords and cables I can't get rid of quite yet, such as my iPhone 5 charger, my wife's iPad 3 charger, my MacBook Air charger, etc. The result is much more clutter on my desk than I can really stand.

Snable is a new product looking to get funded on Kickstarter that's trying to solve this problem. As we were watching the promo video below with my wife today, we looked at each other and we thought the Snable would be perfect for some areas of our home where we get overwhelmed by cables. If you're anything like me, chances are you might feel the same.

Today, we sit down with Adewale from Unique Design Solutions (UDS) and talk about the company's new project. If their name sounds familiar, it's probably because you've heard about them on iDB when we covered some of their previous projects such as the Vavo and the Foco...

The iKit NuCharge: an iPhone 5 battery case with interchangeable covers

Cody Lee ∙ March 9, 2013

When it comes to battery cases for the iPhone 5, there's no shortage of options. Mophie itself offers a few choices—the Juice Pack Air and the Helium Juice Pack—and there are countless offerings from other third party manufacturers.

But that doesn't mean the space couldn't use another contender. And the folks of Shark Design think they have what it takes to be a big one with their iKit NuCharge. They say it's the "most advanced iPhone battery case ever made..."

Marvel’s Unlimited comic subscription service lands on iOS

Cody Lee ∙ March 9, 2013

Good news this week for all of you die-hard comic fans. Marvel Comics has launched its subscription-based service called 'Marvel Unlimited' on iOS in the form of a new iPhone and iPad app.

As the name suggests, the service offers users uncapped access to Marvel's enormous library—including some 13,000 comic books— for a small monthly fee. Keep reading for more details...

The Notier stylus utilizes the industry’s finest tip

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated October 27, 2016

The stylus market is a crowded one. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and tips and are an integral part of personal computing history. Today, we take a look at Musemee's Notier stylus, which just received a product update. Boasting the "world's finest tip design," I was interested to give it a go.

As a disclaimer, I last used a stylus in 2004 on my Toshiba e-755 Pocket PC. Makes me sick thinking about it. Sure, I have dabbled here and there with a few styli when my friends have them around, but I have neither set off in quest for one, nor have I dreamed of wanting one. So, here I am reviewing the Notier with a fresh pair of preconceived notions and a nine year break from ever caring...

Sabine wants to enhance your iPad speaker

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

We all cup our hands behind the iPad when trying to hear our favorite music or videos. I often found the speaker on iPad to be lacking and I even backed a project on Kickstarter last year trying to remedy this problem. Unlike the product I backed last year, the Sabine is anodized aluminum to match Apple's design aesthetic. Additionally, aluminum is a more reflective surface and amplifies sound at a much higher rate. Today, I take a look at 7decibels' Sabine final production prototype...

Mix up your iPhone’s Lock screen with ‘Vexil’

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 8, 2013

Vexil is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that adds a ton of features to your iPhone's Lock screen. If you can see it on the Lock screen, you can probably change it by means of this tweak.

Virtually nothing is off limits here, from the Lock screen clock to the Slide to Unlock nub. It's not the prettiest, or even the most useful tweak in the world, but with a little effort you can come up with a certified original look for your device.

AT&T issues statement on unlocking policy

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 2, 2017

There's been a lot of commotion lately regarding the recent expiration of a DMCA exemption that makes the unlocking of smartphones illegal. The people are talking about it, the government is talking about it, and the word is, it could lead to new legislation.

Today, AT&T issued a statement on the topic, reassuring customers that the DMCA rule has no effect on its unlocking stance. The whole thing comes off as a bit garish, as no one was really worried about that in the first place. But it does offer clarity on their policy...