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‘Hold2Speak’ now allows you to initiate calls from the speaker phone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 4, 2014

Hold2Speak has been updated with a brand new feature that has been heavily requested since the tweak originally debuted on Cydia. It now comes with the ability to initiate calls directly from the speaker phone.

As you might have heard, Hold2Speak is a concept that I envisioned, which was brought to fruition by a couple of super-nice and super-smart developers. The original version allowed users to receive calls directly in speaker phone mode, but this latest version takes the tweak to the next level. Full video walkthrough inside.

AllDrop: upload any file to Dropbox

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

AllDrop is a brand new jailbreak tweak that just recently appeared on Cydia's BigBoss repo. It's a tweak that unlocks access to the native iOS filesystem for uploading to Dropbox.

By default, you can only upload photos or videos from the file picker in the Dropbox app, but with AllDrop installed, any file that you have on your device is uploadable. AllDrop is a powerful tweak, especially if you're a heavy Dropbox user. Take a look at our video walkthrough after the break.

Apogee MiC review: the mic for people serious about audio on the go

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Have you ever tried to record audio from your MacBook on your iPhone or iPad's built-in microphone? The result is audio that's serviceable—you can hear it—but the sound is pitiful. Built-in microphones on pretty much every hardware device, whether it be computers, tablets, or even cameras, are sorely lacking from a sound quality perspective. With a minimal investment, you can significantly upgrade the quality of your sound with a decent external microphone.

There are some awesome external microphones for a variety of applications out there, but if you're primarily concerned with recording on your Mac or iOS device while on the go, there is one mic that should be squarely at the top of your consideration list.

The Apogee MiC is an extremely minuscule external microphone that can make your recordings sound great while traveling. Have a look at our Apogee MiC review and video walkthrough + sound test.

How to unlock your iPhone using a slide-up gesture

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 3, 2014

Do you ever tire of the same old swipe-from-left-to-right gesture when unlocking your phone? Are you looking for a way to switch up the phone-unlocking experience? If so, then perhaps you should look into this brand new jailbreak tweak.

SlideUP2Unlock allows you to swipe up on the Lock screen to unlock your phone. It gets rid of the Lock screen camera shortcut in favor of a vertical unlocking gesture. As always, we have video of this tweak in action. Take a look inside to see it in full detail.

How to group your Notification Center items together using NCFold

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 3, 2014

NCFold is a brand new jailbreak tweak that allows users to group together sections of Notification Center into a folder-like structure. The purpose of the tweak, as stated in its Cydia description, is to make Notification Center more simple and efficient.

For the most part, the Cydia description rings true. NCFold does allow for a simplified Notification Center view, yet you can easily expand the folded sections that it creates with just a tap. Check out our walkthrough of NCFold after the break.

Auki 1.2 update adds new dark mode and additional features

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

The popular quick reply tweak Auki has been updated to version 1.2, and it brings some notable new features to the table. The big feature with version 1.2 is without a doubt the new dark mode, which is great when texting in low light conditions.

While it's possible to toggle directly between dark and light mode via Auki's settings, the tweak also features the ability to schedule when dark mode is enabled and disabled, which its designer, Surenix, subtly hinted to in this clever tweet.

But that's not all of the new features that you should expect from the new Auki. The update includes a variety of bug fixes and a few subtle additions as well. Check out our video as we walk through Auki 1.2's new features...

SmartTap: unlock your iPhone just by double-tapping its screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

SmartTap is a brand new jailbreak tweak by well-known developer Elias Limneos. It allows you to use a double-tap gesture on the iPhone's screen to awaken it, and put it to sleep. You can use other gestures—like a swipe-up or a swipe-down—to unlock the device or launch applications.

The tweak is a homage to the "KnockOn" feature popularized by the LG G2 Android phone, where a double-tap on a dark screen wakes the device. SmartTap is similar, in that you can awaken your device with a "knock" gesture, but SmartTap take it a step further. Check out our video walkthrough inside after the break.

Slices: quickly switch between multiple Instagram or Snapchat profiles and more

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Slices is a brand new tweak that was just released on Cydia's BigBoss repo, and as we stated in this week's episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak, it's a very big deal. A tweak that has sort of flown under the radar, Slices brings dual login ability and quick profile switching to many of the apps running on your iOS device today.

Slices is especially useful for apps like Instagram and Snapchat, which don't allow for multiple users on the same device. But it goes beyond mere login enhancements. Slices allows for multiple settings bundles, which means that you can have what is essentially multiple instances of the same game or app.

Think of Slices as a tweak that allows you to run multiple versions of all of your favorite applications. Indeed, it's a very big deal, as I highlight in our video walkthrough after the break.

Video of alleged iPhone 6 dummy unit gives a better look at various physical changes

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 29, 2016

Two days ago, French blog NowhereElse.fr passed along a batch of photos of an alleged iPhone 6 dummy unit that appear consistent with earlier mockups, photos of supposed cases, molds, front panel parts, schematic drawings and more.

"Evidence" - and I use the term loosely - seems to point to an ultra-thin device with a slim 6mm body with various physical changes such as a relocated sleep/wake button, redesigned volume buttons and so forth.

Give the video included after a break a watch and join us in the comment section...

AutoBlue: enable or disable Bluetooth connectivity based on Wi-Fi connection

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 30, 2014

AutoBlue is a smart idea wrapped into a somewhat unassuming package. It disables Bluetooth when connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and reenables Bluetooth when disconnected from the Wi-Fi network.

The goal of AutoBlue is to save battery life by keeping Bluetooth disabled when it's not needed. Of course, this is only useful if you don't use Bluetooth at home, and there's really no telling how much battery life you actually save by disabling a Bluetooth connection when it's not in use in the first place.

But it's still a good idea if you happen to meet the criteria necessary to not make this tweak a hinderance. Check out our video walkthrough of AutoBlue in action after the fold.

New Fantastical, Calculator, and iDB ProWidgets reviewed

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 30, 2014

Slowly but surely, the ProWidgets add-ons keep trickling out. Today's bounty—a release of three new widgets to the ProWidgets library—is the result of the efforts of a single developer. Tim Perin, the developer of Calculator ProWidget, Fantastical ProWidget, and an unofficial iDB ProWidget, is the one responsible for single-handedly turning the platform into something that's a bit more decently supported.

In my review of ProWidgets, I stated that only time would tell the true success of the tweak, with much of the success relying on the jailbreak community to lend its support developing new add-ons. I think it's safe to say that the support hasn't been as good as most would have hoped, but today's series of releases is a definite step in the right direction.

Check out our video walkthrough after the break, as I showcase all three widgets in action.