iOS

Apple’s New Remote iDevice Diagnostic Tool Detailed, Arriving Soon

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 4, 2011

We've been hearing little tidbits here and there that point to a new way for Apple to diagnose issues with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. First, we reported on internal messages being sent to Apple dealers that mention a tool for remote retrieval of logs and error files from devices, and then a patent popped up that ran along very similar lines.

Now, more details have emerged, with 9to5Mac confirming that Apple is indeed planning to roll out a new diagnostic system, and that it will be coming online slowly over the coming months...

Play App Store Games on the Apple TV with Joypad

Alex Heath ∙ Updated November 13, 2019

So far, Apple has missed a huge opportunity for gaming on the Apple TV. Short of a jailbreak and third party firmware, it's nearly impossible to do anything but stream and play back media on the set-top box.

The App Store is home to thousands of awesome games, and a new iOS app lets you play games on your Apple TV by turning your iDevice into NES-like controller...

Help Make this Cool iOS Jailbreak Game

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

It's a rare occasion that we stumble across a good game in Cydia, so it caught our eye when iEnthusiast mentioned that developer "ntrfc0" is working on a Zelda-themed iOS game for jailbreakers.

He has good ideas for the game, but he needs help from the community...

Apple Details Smart iDevice Diagnostic Tool in Patent

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 1, 2011

It's Apple patent time again here at iDownloadbBlog, and the latest to be discovered by Patently Apple points to a fancy new iTunes based diagnostic tool for iOS devices.

The new tool will create and monitor in-depth change logs, as well as check things like the device's location and other physical conditions. The idea is that the logs show what a device was doing and where it was doing it at definable points in time. The patent mentions the logs could be generated at every restart, every day, or every time a particular action is performed...

iOS 5 Beta 7 Proves iTunes Match Really Isn’t a Streaming Service

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 1, 2011

Soon after the iTunes Match beta went live earlier this week, reports started flooding in that the service did indeed support the streaming of music, a feature that wasn't advertised by Apple during the iCloud announcement. Many were originally disappointed that streaming was not included in iTunes Match, so the news that it was actually there was met with glee and happiness all around.

What people had discovered was that if you tapped on a song stored in iCloud, it started playing. If you started a new one and then went back after turning on Airplane Mode, the original song hadn't cached, which led people to believe it was streaming. But after Apple denied that streaming was included in iCloud, more questions starting being asked...

Spotify Now Open to iOS Developers

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Online music streaming service Spotify has launched a new API that will allow independent iOS developers to bring the service to their own apps. The API, called Libspotify, means we could see Spotify built into all kinds of iPad, iPhone and iPod touch applictions moving forward.

While there is currently no word on whether the new Libspotify API will find itself to Android, it's perhaps interesting to note that the API is offered on a none-commercial basis, meaning paid-for apps will not be allowed to use it...

Fan Favorite Dolphin Browser on Android Arrives in the App Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

Arguably the best web browser available for the Android platform, Dolphin, is now also strutting its stuff on iOS. Dolphin's claim to fame is its deep gesture integration, which reduces the need for quite so many on-screen buttons. Perfect for smartphones with smaller screens, just like the iPhone.

Offering its wares for free, Dolphin joins a long list of web browsers in the App Store which aim to take a piece of the browsing pie from the stock Safari software, but it may need to offer something unique if it's going to make people switch...

30 Awesome Cydia Tweaks [Video Walkthrough]

Alex Heath ∙ August 30, 2011

At iDB we regularly review new Cydia tweaks for jailbroken iDevices. Jeff does a great job of putting together video reviews of cool tweaks, and we love finding the latest packages in Cydia to show you guys.

That being said, we stumbled across a nice video walkthrough of 30 awesome Cydia tweaks. It's worth checking out. Who knows, maybe you'll find something new...

Soon You’ll Be Able to Run Linux on Your iDevice

Alex Heath ∙ August 29, 2011

Good news for fans of Tux the penguin: soon you'll be able to run the Linux operating system on your iDevice. A team of jailbreak developers has managed to run the open source Linux OS on Apple's A4-powered devices.

Who needs Android when you have Linux, right?

OMG! Sega Bringing Sonic CD to iOS!

Oliver Haslam ∙ August 25, 2011

Those of us old enough to remember the Sega CD, or Mega CD (depending on where you happen to live), will readily admit that it holds a special place in our hearts. The Sega CD was arguably ahead of its time, and eventually died off with the arrival of competing products from Nintendo and Sony, not to mention Sega's own Saturn.

Before it was killed, the Sega CD did survive long enough to give us one of the better Sonic games to come to any platform since the original release.

With that in mind, I can perhaps be forgiven for squealing like a schoolgirl when I say that Sega is bringing Sonic CD to iOS...

Patent Suggests User Profiles Coming to iOS, Complete With Voice-Enabled Switching

Oliver Haslam ∙ August 25, 2011

A newly discovered patent filing by Apple points to a move away from single-user devices for the Cupertino outfit, with voice detection and recognition adding a little extra spice to proceedings.

The patent application, discovered by AppleInsider, details a new feature that would allow iDevices to select and change system preferences based on a user's voice, effectively making devices work with more than one person's account settings...

Firemint’s Spy Mouse iPhone Game Now in the App Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

Firemint, the team behind such hits as Real Racing and Flight Control, have today released their next big iOS game: Spy Mouse. We've told you about Spy Mouse before, and after a long wait, the game is finally available to download from the App Store.

The puzzle game follows the adventures of Spy Mouse, Squeek, and features the same line-drawing gameplay as the hugely popular Flight Control series of games...