News

The top stories of the week on iDB

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Like every Sunday, we get to take a look at some of the most popular posts that were published on iDB during the week that just ended. Whether it is a news item, a new jailbreak tweak, a tutorial, or an app review, we sum it all up in one convenient place for you.

As always, if you like what you're reading, please feel free to spread the love by sharing our posts on your favorite social network.

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New iPad Pro ads highlight note-taking and other productivity features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 1, 2017

Apple just rolled out a pair of new iPad Pro commercials via its YouTube channel, running sixteen seconds each and titled “Need Less Stuff” and “Take Better Notes”. The former positions iPad Pro as a clutter-free alternative to clunky desktop PCs.

The latter makes the bold claim that iPad Pro and Apple Pencil “revolutionized the way people take notes,” adding that users can even record voice notes. Watch the new videos, then jump into the comment section to tell us how you liked them.

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How to jailbreak your Apple TV 4 with liberTV

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated April 2, 2019

As reported by iDB, a jailbreak for the Apple TV 4 and tvOS 9.1-10.1 was recently released by Jonathan Levin. If you're interested in the ins and outs of his new tool, check out our article on the subject for more information.

In this guide we will focus instead on how to install the liberTV application to your Apple TV, and how to use it to jailbreak.

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Apple Park glows to life in new 4-minute drone flyover footage

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2017

YouTubers Matthew Roberts and Duncan Sinfield usually publish their monthly drone flyovers of Apple's new headquarters around the same time. This time around, Sinfiled took the time to edit a longer birds-eye overview of Apple Park, which opens in April. Sinfield's video arrives a week following Roberts' aerial clip of Apple's massive new office building.

Running four minutes and six seconds long, filmed using DJI's Inspire 1 Pro drone and put together using dynamic editing techniques, the video shows off the stunning progress made on the main 280,000 sq ft ring-shaped building which is set to accommodate over 13,000 employees, as well as a new research and development building and many other impressive details.

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Google news: Pixel 2 phones coming, Pixel laptops are no more, Chrome OS beats Apple in K-12

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Speaking with journalists at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Google's Vice President of Hardware, Rick Osterloh, has confirmed that the successor of the company's Pixel smarthones will be launching later this year, Android Pit reported Friday. Osterloh shot down reports calling for a budget Pixel edition, saying Pixels remain premium smartphones.

While Google showed no intent to abandon its premium smartphone brand, the company's premium notebook bearing the Pixel brand has reached the “end of the line” status after shipping just two generations since 2013, according to Osterloh in a report by Frederic Lardinois for TechCrunch.

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DigiTimes: iPhone 8 with in-screen fingerprint sensor entering mass production in September

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2017

Rather than use one of the few readily available off-the-shelf fingerprint scanners that can be integrated into a smartphone display, Apple's iPhone 8 will sport biometric fingerprint recognition via a custom-designed sensor, also embedded into the display. In addition, according to DigiTimes' report Friday, the built-in fingerprint sensor inside iPhone 8 will replace Apple's capacitive-based Touch ID fingerprint reader, as previously rumored. The handset is expected to enter mass production in September, claimed industry sources cited in the report.

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Poll: do you own any HomeKit products?

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Do I have any HomeKit accessories in my home? No, not yet, but that's because I currently live in a rented apartment. I'll be getting smart home gadgets when I buy my own house, that's for sure. Until that day arrives, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for prices of HomeKit products to continue dropping.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of how HomeKit brings these appliances together in the Home app with support for scenes, Siri voice control, remote management via Apple TV and other perks. I also like it a lot how HomeKit products are required to use hardware encryption for security purposes. It's just that outfitting my home with these smart gadgets would represent too sizable an investment for my budget, that's all.

So, what about you? Do you own any HomeKit-certified accessories? Cast your vote and meet us in comments if you'd like to share your thoughts about the HomeKit platform or any HomeKit devices you already own, or may be planning on buying.

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Could Google be bringing its advanced AI-powered Assistant to iPhone and iPad?

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Assistant, Google's conversational helper, debuted last year exclusively on Pixel smartphones before quickly making its way into Google's voice-activated speaker, called Home, and the latest version of Android Wear. The power of the AI-driven feature is readily apparent in Allo, the search giant's cross-platform messaging app.

As Assistant began reaching more Android devices, including third-party smartphones running Android 6.0 and Android 7.0, a Google director hinted Thursday that the technology could be coming to Apple's iPhone and iPad in the future.

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Google to expand Chrome’s malware protections on Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Google's Chrome and other browsers rely on a feature called Safe Browsing to display a warning message before you visit a dangerous site or download a harmful app. Google is now expanding the scope of Safe Browsing in Chrome for macOS to strengthen protections against malware and other unwanted software such as extensions that silently modify Chrome's settings. The expanded Safe Browsing features in Chrome for macOS will go in effect on March 31, Google has said.

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Coming soon to Allo for iOS: animated emoji, revamped GIF picker, and one-tap Google Assistant

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2017

Allo, Google's cross-platform messaging app for iPhone, Android and the web which made its debut at Google I/O in March 2016, will soon receive three major enhancements. The first integrates Assistant, Google's conversational AI helper, deeper so you can access it with a single tap.

Aside from improved Assistant access, Allo will let you browse GIFs to add to your messages easier than before with a redesigned picker, plus use animated emojis in chats.

Keep in mind that these new features will be rolling out on Android starting today, and will come to iOS soon (don't worry, we'll keep you posted).

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