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Apple’s $1B can’t buy exclusive TSMC chip deal

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Nowadays, $1 billion doesn't get as much as it used to. That's what Apple reportedly discovered when it and Qualcomm each offered $1 billion for exclusive access to the production output of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest chip producer. TSMC turned both companies down flat, reports Bloomberg.

Maybe TSMC has been following the Apple-Samsung trial. Back in 2011, before the two rivals' frenemies relationship had turned downright rabid. The Cupertino, Calif. company plunked down $7.8 billion for Samsung parts, turning it into the South Korean firm's largest customer. TSMC's finance chief wanted nothing of that.

We’re giving away 5 copies of CleverPin

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Filippo Bigarella recently pushed out an update to CleverPin — the jailbreak tweak that automatically unlocks an iOS device when it detects that it's connected to a friendly WiFi network.

To celebrate, he's decided to give away a copy of the tweak to 5 of our readers. What can you can expect from CleverPin? How do you win your own free copy? Check inside for the details...

How I factory unlocked my iPhone 4S in 10 minutes

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Recently, I've been interested in factory unlocking my still on-contract iPhone 4S. I'd heard of various services over the past few months, but never really investigated them until recently.

After asking around on Twitter, I stumbled upon Cellular Medic — one of many services available online that claims to be able to factory unlock the iPhone for a fee.

I was pleasantly surprised that the entire unlock process took a mere 10 minutes. I went from an iPhone 4S locked to AT&T, to a permanently unlocked iPhone 4S that's usable on virtually any GSM carrier. Take a look inside for a video walkthrough documenting the experience...

Status Bar Switcher forces the status bar to stay in place

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Just a bit ago, I reviewed App Switcher Status Bar — a jailbreak tweak that places the iPhone's status bar inside of the app switcher.

The purpose of that tweak is to make the status bar available while the app switcher is open, since it normally disappears when doing so.

App Switcher Status Bar is an interesting take on the solution, but it stands to be asked: Why not just make the status bar stay in its normal place when opening the app switcher? And that's likely how Status Bar Switcher was born...

This jailbreak tweak places the status bar inside the app switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

When you open up the iPhone's app switcher, the status bar fades from view. This means that you can't view vital statistics like the time, signal strength, and battery life while the app switcher is open.

Now obviously, most people aren't going to keep their status bars open long enough for this to have a negative impact on the experience, but in some cases, it may be desirable to have access to the status bar while the app switcher is open.

That's where the clumsily named App Switcher Status Bar comes into play. It places the status bar directly in the app switcher, so that you can always see the iPhone's vital statistics, even when switching apps.

CamTime adds a simple timer to the Camera app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

I've always found it rather peculiar that there is no native timer built into iOS' stock Camera app, but leave it to the jailbreak community to come through with a solution.

CamTime is a simple jailbreak tweak that places a timer directly to the left of the shutter button. It's not the prettiest tweak in the world, but it can get the job done in a pinch.

Dash now available on Cydia

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quau-aIW34Q[/tube]

Dash — the app switcher enhancing jailbreak tweak from SBCoders — is now available for public download on Cydia.

As we previewed a little over a week ago, Dash allows you to replace iOS' stock app switcher for a full screen switcher reminiscent of WebOS.

The tweak works on both the iPhone and the iPad, and features a variety of interesting animations that can be easily switched using the Settings app. Dash can be purchased for $1.99 on Cydia's ModMyi repo. If you decide to take it for a spin, be sure to let us know what you think about it in the comment section.

Amazon expanding video streaming with NBC licensing deal

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Amazon Prime, the online bookseller's answer to Netflix, Friday expanded its licensing arrangement with NBCUniversal, allowing TV programming like "Parks and Recreation," "Heroes" and "Battlestar Galactica" to be available to subscribers. The news follows the $79 annual service adding past seasons of "Parenthood," "Friday Night Lights" and "The Starter Wife."

Amazon's video content acquisition head Brad Beale described the firm's investment in Prime as "heavy," reports the Wall Street Journal. The comment is borne out by the company's 96% drop second-quarter earnings weighed by increased spending. Along with providing free two-day shipping of items and free Kindle book loans, Prime has offered streaming video since early 2011...

The CruxSkunk promises to turn your iPad into a powerful laptop

Cody Lee ∙ August 24, 2012

Since Apple unveiled the iPad two years ago, accessory-makers have been trying to find a way to turn it into a laptop hybrid. We've covered several of these kinds of products on iDB over the years, including the NoteBookCase and the Brydge.

And this morning, we're adding another one to the list: the CruxSKUNK. The Crux team promises the case will turn your iPad into a powerful laptop. And, goofy name aside, it actually looks like it could give its competitors a run for their money...

New video comparison of several iPhone 5 and 4S parts

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Apple's suppliers must be speeding up production on next-gen iPhone parts, because the component leaks are becoming more and more frequent. Just a few days ago we were looking at the handset's dock assembly and rear casing, and now this.

A new video has surfaced tonight, which compares several parts from Apple's next-generation smartphone to their iPhone 4S counterparts. The clip gives a close-up look at the new iPhone's front panel, dock connector and other internal pieces...

Mod kit lets you convert your iPhone 4/4S into an iPhone 5

Cody Lee ∙ August 22, 2012

It's extremely likely that the two-tone back panels we've been seeing over the past few months are indicative of what we'll see on Apple's next smartphone. And some folks aren't very happy about that.

But for those of you who like the design, you don't have to wait until next month to enjoy it. A new 'iPhone 5' mod kit has surfaced that allows you to convert your iPhone 4/4S into Apple's next-gen handset...

ScrollThindicator places iOS scroll bars on a diet

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Even if this tweak turned out to be a dud, you have to give respect where respect is due when it comes to its clever name. ScrollThindicator, as its title ever-so slyly alludes to, is a new jailbreak tweak that trims the fat off of iOS' scroll bars.

True, there's no real functionality to be gained from using ScrollThindicator, but it is an aesthetic change that many might enjoy. Take a gander at our hands-on video inside for brief overview of how it looks.