2/24/2013

iDownloadBlog.com

iDownloadBlog.com


Apple airs new ‘Hollywood’ iPad ad

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 06:28 PM PST

Just in time for The Oscars, Apple on Sunday aired a new television commercial for the iPad during the Academy Awards broadcast. Conveniently titled “Hollywood”, the app via a "lights", "camera" and "action" sequence takes us through a series of programs for filmmakers, as well as various movie and video editing applications from the App Store. And in line with the previous two ads, called “Alive” and “Together”, this one also has some interesting subliminal messages…(...)
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Why I uninstalled Auxo

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST

Auxo

I don’t think I need to introduce Auxo, the jailbreak tweak that redefines the iOS app switcher, to anyone. We’ve been giving Auxo its fair share of love since we first exclusively previewed the tweak a few months ago. And for good reasons. Auxo is one of those beautifully designed tweaks that not only improves on the stock iOS experience, but does it in an incredibly elegant manner.

When evasi0n came out last month, Auxo was the third tweak I installed, right after biteSMS and Zephyr. The love affair with Auxo lasted all the way until yesterday when I came to realize that although delightfully crafted, the tweak just didn’t do it for me. Let me explain…(...)
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‘SafariSwipez’ brings swipe-to-close gestures to Safari tabs

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 02:32 PM PST

SafariSwipez

Gestures are all the rage these days, just look at popular tweaks like Auxo and Zephyr for the proof. What about adding swipe gestures to the tabs in the stock Safari browser? Wouldn’t that be a welcomed addition? After trying out SafariSwipez, I can indeed say that it is.

SafariSwipez is a jailbreak tweak that allows you to swipe up or down on a page in tabbed view to close out the tab in question. As you might expect, SafariSwipez is a really simple tweak with no options or settings to configure. Take a look inside for more details.(...)
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Why I loathe an iPhablet

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 02:12 PM PST

Making phone call on Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Talk of an Apple phablet dates back to March 2012 when a pretty credible Japanese blog mentioned an unreleased iOS device with a five-inch 1,600-by-960 Retina screen which may or may not be the 4.8-inch iPhone 6 some analysts see coming in 2014.

The phablet, I’m sure you know, was popularized against all odds by Samsung of South Korea, its jumbo-sized Galaxy Note devices selling millions of units (ten million as of August 2012).

Just yesterday, the company released its latest iPad mini contender, the eight-inch Galaxy Note. In addition to the S-Pen, an IR blaster and a quad core processor, Samsung’s baby outsmarts the iPad mini with its ability to make phone calls over cellular networks. The question is, would you dare use such a giant ‘cell phone’ – and I’m using the term loosely – in public?(...)
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TypeStatus now available on Cydia

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST

TypeStatus — a new jailbreak tweak that we previewed in the wee hours this morning, has gone live on Cydia. This tweak places a handy ellipsis notification in the status bar when someone is in the midsts of composing an iMessage reply to one of your ongoing conversations.

If you want to try TypeStatus out, then head over to Cydia’s BigBoss repo where it can be downloaded for free. If you’re currently on your iOS device, you can click this link to be taken directly to TypeStatus’ Cydia page. As always, we urge you to share your sentiments in the comments below.


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ActiveDock now available on Cydia

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 01:14 PM PST

ActiveDock — a tweak inspired by the dock featured in OS X — is now available on Cydia for download. Last week, we took an in-depth look at ActiveDock, and determined that it is hands-down better looking than the stock dock in iOS. There are also features for alerting you when an app is launched and when an app receives a notification.

Take a look at our video walkthrough for more information. In the meantime, if you’re browsing this post on your jailbroken iOS device, hit up this link to be taken directly to ActiveDock’s Cydia page. You can find it on the BigBoss repo for $1.99. Be sure to let us know what you think about it in the comments section.


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Apple looking to add USB 3.0 support to Lightning connector

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 01:02 PM PST

lightning_usb_cable1

Apple is probably looking to add compatibility with high-speed USB 3.0 interconnect to its new Lightning connector. The tiny Lightning I/O debuted on the iPhone 5 in September 2012 as a replacement for Apple’s decade-old 30-pin Dock connector. The controversial move has introduced incompatibilities with legacy accessories that now require an additional $29 or $39 adapter from Apple, even earning a funny Joy of Tech treatment…(...)
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HP tries the tablet thing again: cheap iPad mini rival, Slate 7, coming in April

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 10:27 AM PST

Steve Ballmer (holding HP Slate, CES 2010)

Remember the ill-fated Slate, a Hewlett-Packard tablet Steve Ballmer demoed at CES 2010 as a sign of things to come from the PC camp? It failed miserably, leaving HP to linger out there and admit defeat of its webOS/TouchPad strategy.

But as the world’s top computer vendor has witnessed shoppers increasingly picking up iPads and Android tablets, it felt compelled to reboot its mobile strategy by announcing today at Mobile World Congress in Spain, Barcelona a brand new seven-inch tablet for entertainment and media consumption.

It’s called the Slate 7, runs Android and is set to launch this April. And honoring the tradition (the $99 TouchPad fire sale), HP is pricing this thing really aggressively at just $169.99, or nearly half as much as Apple’s $329 iPad mini…(...)
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Apple’s camera supplier sees sharp production drop ahead of the next iPhone

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 09:31 AM PST

iPhone 4S camera lens

Here's another indication that Apple is on the verge of ramping up iPhone 5S manufacturing. According to a new report by a Korean newspaper, Apple's camera supplier LG Innotek is said to have put on hold as much as 80 percent of its camera module output.

The paper claims the change is a result of "weak iPhone 5 sales", but that’s an incorrect assumption because the iPhone 5′s back and front camera is made by Sony and Omnivision, respectively.

LG Innotek is still listed as the official Apple supplier as it makes the iPhone 4 camera, but its name doesn’t come up in teardown analysis of any of Apple’s latest mobile products…(...)
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Quick Key, a game-changing app for educators

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 07:45 AM PST

Walter Duncan is a classroom teacher with fourteen year experience who dared to think different when it comes to grading papers. Looking beyond the tedious manual process, he came up with an app which scans grade papers using the iPhone’s camera and then immediately turns pictures into numbers and logs that data with any major electronic grade system such as PowerSchool, for example.

This saves a hell of a lot time compared to manually entering the results and if the video above is an indication, the software does scan as quickly as he can move the papers. This game-changing app for educators isn’t ready for prime time yet as they’re looking for testers over at Power2Teach…(...)
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IDC: 2012 a race between Samsung ‘juggernaut’ and ‘resurgent’ Apple

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 06:45 AM PST

idc-2012-chart

Reports quite rightly label 2012 ‘The Year of Samsung.’ The South Korean smartphone and tablet maker is described as a ‘juggernaut’ with triple-digit growth last year, making it the top producer of smart devices, according to a Friday report. But if you thought Apple was ready to retire, you’d be wrong – thanks largely to monster holiday sales and that dynamic duo: the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

Samsung saw its market share for all of 2012 jump nearly 120 percent, to 20.8 percent from 12.3 percent in 2011, according to research firm IDC. Meanwhile, Apple used the traditionally busy fourth quarter to move within about 1 percent of its South Korean rival…(...)
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Samsung takes aim at iPad mini with new Galaxy Note 8.0

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 05:00 AM PST

galaxy note 8 press 1

It looks like the rumors were true. Samsung sent out a press release last night announcing the launch of its new Galaxy Note 8.0. The 8-inch tablet is clearly aimed right at the iPad mini, which has done very well thus far for Apple.

And it certainly came prepared to play. As expected, the slate features a 1280×800 (720p) display—just a hair better than the mini—a quad core processor, 2GB of RAM, and oh yeah, it makes phone calls. More details after the break…(...)
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The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:00 AM PST

Like every Sunday, we bring you the stories that were the most popular on iDB during this past week. Whether it is a news piece, an editorial, a tutorial, a new jailbreak tweak, or an accessory review, we sum it all up in one convenient place. If you like what you’re reading, please make sure to spread the love by sharing our posts on your favorite social network. We’re usually hanging out a lot on Twitter and Facebook, more rarely on Google+

We're social! Find iDB on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, App.net, YouTube, and in your RSS reader.


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Sn0wbreeze updated with support for iOS 6.1.2

Posted: 24 Feb 2013 03:00 AM PST

Sn0wBreeze-logo

It’s been a busy weekend for jailbreak tool updates. Last night, the evad3rs released a new version of the evasi0n untether package in Cydia, and shortly after that they posted evasi0n 1.5.

Windows users on older iOS devices might be happy to know that iH8sn0w has updated his Sn0wbreeze jailbreak tool as well. It now supports iOS 6.1.2, and features a handful of bug fixes…(...)
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TypeStatus adds an iMessage ‘now typing’ indicator to the status bar

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 10:28 PM PST

Type Status Screenshot

TypeStatus is a new jailbreak tweak that has a special place in my heart. Why? Well, it’s because for once I can claim some sort of credit for its creation. A couple of weeks ago, I suggested, just on a whim, that someone create a tweak that allows you to see the “now typing” indicator for iMessages in the status bar.

A few hours later, I was informed that the tweak was being worked on, and not long after that, I had a working copy in my inbox. Folks, this is what makes the jailbreak community so special. It’s filled with uber-talented developers who have a knack for creating great things, and bringing ideas to life.

Truth to be told, I never expected anyone to take my request and bring it to fruition, but I’m happy that someone did. @thekirbylover of Hashbang Productions is the one I have to thank for making it a reality. I’d like to say I can take credit for this tweak, but the majority of the credit goes out to the mind behind the code. Check out my hands-on video preview of TypeStatus inside.(...)
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