Were too busy to keep up with all the Apple news this week? We've got you covered with this roundup summing up everything you should know about.
The top stories of the week on iDB
News
If you thought Parallax was nuts, then try TiltPaper
While I do love jailbreak tweaks that serve a functional purpose, I also enjoy the occasional fun and quirky add-on that makes my handset do something interesting. TiltPaper by iOS developer c1d3r just so happens to be one of those add-ons.
As you might have inferred from the tweak’s name, TiltPaper makes something interesting happen with your wallpaper when you tilt your device in your hand. More specifically, the wallpaper appears to ‘scroll’ from left to right, an effect much more noticeable than Apple’s native Parallax feature.
Review: Cavalier Maverick—a stylish Alexa speaker that goes everywhere with you
Voice-activated speakers with smarts have been mainstreamed thanks to Amazon, becoming more attractive with the arrival of HomePod. But HomePod leaves a lot to be desired. It's too pricey for the average consumer and only works with Apple Music. HomePod also doesn't act as a regular Bluetooth speaker nor is it portable. But I know something that is!
Safari on iOS 12.2 has a new feature for getting to targeted search results more quickly
New in iOS 12.2, your Smart Search Field queries can now be modified by tapping a new arrow icon next to your Google-powered search suggestions. This highly useful new feature allows you to get targeted search results more quickly when conducting a search in Safari.
Apple-owned Texture is shutting down May 28
The Texture magazine subscription service announced today it will be discontinuing service next month on May 28 following launch of the new Apple News+ subscription service, which offers access to 300+ magazines and a few select newspapers for $10 per month.
Despite improved build quality, AirPods 2 are just as impossible to repair as the originals
After two years of the original AirPods, you would think that the second-generation model would be a lot easier to service whereas in fact the new Apple earbuds are some of the most disposable products that the repair wizards over at iFixit have ever seen.
This tweak changes the Emoji keyboard’s scrubber animation
If you do a lot of texting from your iOS device(s), then chances are you send an Emoji every now and again. Apple’s Emoji keyboard is already nicely polished out of the box, but now you can make it even cooler with a custom animation by way of a new free jailbreak tweak called Organic Emoji Scrubber by iOS developer Orangebananaspy.
According to the developer, the new tweak adds an “organic” animation to the Emoji scrubber in the keyboard interface. Rather than attempting to explain what the amination looks like with words, we’ve embedded some animated GIF examples below so that you can see for yourself:
Twitter for iOS picks up a pure black theme and automatic Dark Mode
The mobile Twitter app has included a darkened interface as an optional feature for quite some time now despite people complaining that it was a bit on the gray side. Thursday, the company introduced pure black mode in Twitter for iOS along with automatic dark modes.
Apple may be prepping to comply with right to repair legislation
Apple may be softening its stance on repair laws after vehemently fighting for years, across nearly two dozen US states, against right to repair legislation.
Another privacy-related Apple ad focuses on Safari’s anti-tracking measures
Apple today shared a new privacy-focused video through its official YouTube channel that highlights the intelligent tracking prevention feature in the Safari browser.
The Apple Card activation process is like pairing your AirPods
The process of activating your Apple Card so it can be used immediately is remarkably similar to pairing your AirPods—you just need to bring the physical card near an unlocked iPhone.
Following numerous delays, Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls: Blades finally hits App Store
First announced at E3 in the summer of 2018, this promising title was then shown at Apple's "Gather Round" iPhone XS event in September 2018, and now it's available on App Store.