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How to unlock the full iOS 6 Maps app on older devices

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

iOS 6 Maps is stepped in controversy, but not everyone hates it, including yours truly. I've never personally experienced any navigation issues with the iOS 6 Maps app, and for me, it's a huge upgrade over the stock Google Maps app of yesteryear.

One problem that I do have with iOS 6's Maps, however, is how dumbed down the feature is on older devices. Devices like the iPhone 4 get left out when it comes to true turn-by-turn navigation and Flyover (3D) support.

As usual, the jailbreak community comes to the rescue with a new tweak that unlocks iOS 6 Maps on older devices. It's appropriately titled: Unlock iOS 6 Maps, and it's a free download on Cydia's Big Boss repo. Take a look inside for a video walkthrough...

Apple highlights Maps alternatives via a new App Store section

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 19, 2018

Apple's really determined to right the mapping wrongs. In addition to posting a public apology on its web site and offering instructions on accessing mapping web apps from Google and Nokia, the Cupertino, California-headquartered designer of gadgets just posted a curated recommendations section in the App Store, listing third-party Maps alternatives for the iPhone and iPad...

Google updates Gmail app for the iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Google's been on a roll these days. They brought as the official YouTube app and the awesome Chrome browser, have improved Google Contacts sync in iOS, are working on a standalone Maps app and Street View on the web and will soon launch an interesting traveling companion app called Field Trip. Plus, Google's nice Gmail app for the iPhone and iPad is getting better with each iteration.

And earlier this morning, a minor update went live bringing support for the iPhone 5's taller four-inch dispay, so you can see more of your messages in the list view and more content in the message view without needing to scroll quite as much. Another benefit of the taller display: typing gets easier as the virtual keyboard in landscape mode is a bit wider.

Also, this...

Sony/ATV reportedly nixed Apple’s music-streaming plan

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 8, 2016

It isn't news that Apple wanted to create a streaming-music service that would compete against Pandora. But now we are learning the back-story of why the idea was nixed - and it is a familiar refrain. According to a Friday morning news report, music publisher Sony/ATV wanted larger royalties for its songs...

Poll: how do you feel about Apple’s Maps apology?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 29, 2017

It's easy to get carried away with Tim Cook's "we're really sorry" apology to customers over sub-par mapping experience in iOS 6. After all, everyone is holding Apple in high regard as the company has literally become a yardstick of quality for smooth, pleasing software folks actually love to use.

"If the hardware is the brain and the sinew of our products, the software is their soul", Steve Jobs once said. And when that soul is left in darkness, Apple's brand gets tarnished. We've seen it happen with MobileMe and it sure looks like history is repeating itself as iPhone customer satisfaction drops due to the Maps fiasco.

Or is it a fiasco? Like every misstep of Apple's, this one feels like it's been blown way out of proportion by click-hungry, bloodsucking media vampires (Antennagate, anyone?). iDB is curious to hear your thoughts on the Apple Maps situation so I've put together an interesting little poll embedded right below...

As Apple drops the ball, Google brags about new high-res aerial and satellite imagery

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2012

If there’s one thing we all learned from Apple’s Maps mea culpa, it’s that mapping the globe is a tricky business. It took the search giant seven years and tremendous manpower to turn Google Maps into the world’s most popular mapping service. Quick to exploit rivals’ weaknesses, Google once more outlined its mapping advantage today just as Tim Cook’s apology was making rounds on the web…

Apple explains how to create home screen shortcuts to Google and Nokia maps on the web

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Apple's boss Tim Cook just issued a mea culpa on Apple's awesome Maps in the form of an open letter published on Apple's website. What's really interesting is that the issue which threatened to snowball into a PR catastrophe has forced Apple to advise customers to use rival services "while we’re improving Maps".

It takes a tremendous amount of public outcry to force Cupertino into such a defensive position. I imagine heads will roll as Cook gives Apple's mapping team a kind of dressing down Steve Jobs once gave to the MobileMe team ("you should hate each other for having let each other down"). No matter how you look at it, the Maps fiasco has tarnished Apple's reputation, at least in my view...

Sharp: we removed bottleneck in supplies of iPhone 5 displays

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2012

The struggling Japanese electronics giant Sharp confirmed Friday that it is making "adequate volumes" of displays used for Apple's iPhone 5, Reuters reports. Sharp's statement arrives just as Apple has rolled out the device to 22 more countries this morning. The ongoing supply constraints continue to affect availability of the iPhone 5, which still shows 2-3 week shipping times on Apple's international online stores. Furthermore, some international carriers stopped taking iPhone 5 pre-orders due to low supplies...

Apple CEO Tim Cook issues open letter apologizing for iOS Maps flaws

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Acknowledging what has become Mapgate, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook issued an apology for inaccuracies, faulty data and other issues plaguing Apple's new in-house mapping service that replaced the stock Google Maps app on iOS 6 devices.

And just as his predecessor did when Apple got entangled in disputes with the music industry over copy-protecting iTunes songs or Adobe over Flash, Cook issued an open letter on the company's web site to explain Apple's position on the matter...

Ask away! Send us your questions for JailbreakCon speakers

Sébastien Page ∙ September 28, 2012

JailbreakCon is less than 48 hours away, and as a sponsor, I will be representing the iDB team at the event. I'll be the first to admit that the workshops will be over my head but we plan to get some face to face time with some of the speakers to learn more about who they are and what they do.

Among the most acclaimed speakers, we expect to talk to Saurik, Ryan Petrich, P0sixninja, iH8Sn0w, pod2g, and more. We already have a few questions we'd like to ask them but we were thinking that you might have some questions to ask them too...

The iPhone 5 goes on sale in 22 more countries today

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Making good on its promise, Apple today is rolling out the iPhone 5 to 22 new countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The iPhone 5 originally launched on Friday, September 21, in nine major markets, including the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Apple's self-imposed goal is to have the new phone available in over a hundred countries across 240 carriers by year's end...

Taking the American Express Passbook pass for a spin

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 23, 2018

Want a quick and easy way to access recent purchases and account balances made with your American Express card? If you're running iOS 6, then you can now do so with Passbook.

First of all, just to clear up any misconceptions, you can't actually purchase goods via Amex using Passbook — that functionality doesn't yet exist. What you can do, though, is sync your Amex card with Passbook to access the convenient features mentioned above — balances, recent transactions, and the like.

As someone who uses Amex exclusively for almost every purchase, large and small, I've been anxious to try out Amex's Passbook offering ever since it was first announced that they were on board. Here's what I found...