Giveaway

Win iOS tweaks and themes with #25DayJBGiveaways Christmas countdown

To celebrate the countdown to Christmas TheJailbreakBusters are running 25 continuous days of giveaways, with prizes consisting of tweaks and themes offered up by various developers and designers within the community.

Currently on Day 7, the iOS advent calendar event has already given away hundreds of freebies, ranging from theme packs such as Splendore by rauseothemes, to the alarm-clock customisation tweak Sleeper by /u/CoBrA2168.

Today’s prize is the tweak QuickCenter from noted group iOSCreatix, and entering is as easy as pie.

We’re giving away an Apple TV

To celebrate new beginnings on our YouTube channel, Andrew and I have decided to give away a brand new 32GB Apple TV. The idea is pretty straightforward:

1) Follow @iDownloadBlog on Twitter.

2) Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

3) Comment on this video and leave your Twitter handle so we can get in touch with you. Note you must comment on the video on YouTube. You do not need to comment here.

This giveaway will run until Wednesday 24, 2016 at noon EST, at which point we will update the video description and announce the winner who will be contacted with further instructions. The giveaway is opened to anyone from anywhere, so whatever your age or location may be, you are eligible to enter.

Good luck!

Review: Skiva PowerFlow 7 Port StandCharger + Giveaway

Chances are that if you’re reading this review, you have more than one portable device that charges via USB. Maybe you have two—a tablet and a phone—or maybe you have multiple phones.
Admittedly, someone like me is a bit of anomaly, as I review phones and cover them on a daily basis. Hence, it’s not out of the ordinary for me to have multiple smartphones at any given time. This has especially become true as I get acquainted with more Android devices.
One of the main caveats of having this many portable devices is keeping them charged. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up a phone or a tablet that I haven’t touched in a while, only to find it dead—the dreaded “dead phone syndrome”.
The problem really is two-fold: a). I don’t have enough wall outlets and chargers in convenient places to keep the devices topped off, and b). my devices are usually scattered all over the place.
Skiva’s new PowerFlow StandCharger 7-Port USB Charging Station aims to eliminate both problems. It can charge all of your devices at the same time via the seven 2.4 Amp USB ports, and it also houses each device in a organized manner.
But does the Skiva do enough to warrant a serious look? Is this $59.99 device truly better than your current system of charging your device? Check out our video walkthrough and thoughts inside.

We’re giving away 10 copies of OneHandWizard

As an owner of a larger iPhone, OneHandWizard ($3.99) is one of my favorite jailbreak tweaks on Cydia. It allows you to quickly switch to a one-handed mode that’s far and away more practical than the built in Reachability feature on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Earlier this year, we reviewed OneHandWizard, and it was met with high praise. It may seem like a simple thing, but if you’re on a larger device like the 6 and 6 Plus, and you haven’t tried it, I think you’re missing out.

But don’t fret. Here’s your chance to see what you’ve been missing. We’re giving away 10 copies of OneHandWizard to our readers!

The Stratus XL controller takes iOS gaming to the next level [review + giveaway]

Since Apple announced MFi controller support for iOS games, fewer options appeared than originally anticipated. The reason for a slow response is a bit surprising. However, my point of view is slightly skewed as an iOS accessory hardware reviewer. Still, I cannot imagine why app developers would not want to build in the support. Even more shocking is the small list of hardware options.

At CES 2014, it seemed like controllers would be the new thing. Unfortunately, several companies I chatted with never released their controller. We have come a long way since January 2014 and a full year plus another six months since the MFi controller support protocol released at WWDC.

SteelSeries was one of the first companies to-market with their SteelSeries Stratus. The Stratus was an extremely small MFi controller, but perfect for on-the-go gamers. Recently, they released the Stratus XL, a full sized battle tested design, similar to a true console handheld. After settling down with the XL, it changed the way I look at iOS as a gaming platform.

Premium and Stylish Phiaton Bridge MS 500 Headphones [review + giveaway]

Headphones are one of those device categories where more money does not necessarily equate to a better quality product. Many branded, read “designer,” headphones cost extra simply because they have a celebrity backing them. There is a single branded headphone line that gets most of the attention and offer a high price tag for entry.

There are ways to more intelligently choose a pair of cans. Make sure the sound is superior quality. Of course, pay attention to build quality, but sound is paramount when purchasing headphones. Start with plastic. If the entire headphone is plastic, start second guessing your purchase. Pulling the Phiaton Bridge MS 500’s from the box was quite a rewarding experience, complete with machined aluminum, perforated leather, and red stitching.