Top 10 iOS Jailbreak Hacks

If you've purchased an iOS device, you've also signed up for its many limitations. Jailbreaking can put you back in control. Here are ten great jailbreak hacks to help you customize and better utilize your iOS device.

We've shared our list of the best iPhone apps, but the iTunes App Store can only take you so far. For many looking to squeeze every last bit of functionality out of their iOS device, jailbreaking is a necessity

10. Customize the User Interface

iOS' user interface is one of the best, and that's partly what made it so popular. Nonetheless, it isn't perfect, and it's definitely not very customizable. If you jailbreak, you can download an app calledWinterBoard from Cydia (Cydia is the great jailbreak package manager for iOS—kind of like the jailbreak version of the App Store) and start applying new themes and modifications. Although iOS 4.0 and up provides a bit more room for customization, and you can change your icons without jailbreaking, you get a lot more control over the iOS interface with WinterBoard.

9. Play Classic Video Games

We've shown you how to play SNES on your iPad, but there are tons of emulation options on all iOS devices when jailbroken. All of the cartridge-based Nintendo systems are covered, from NES to N64, and many allow you to play with a Bluetooth Wiimote as a controller. MAME, Sega Genesis, and even the original Playstation all have emulators available that you can easily grab through Cydia. PureMac offers a short list of iOS-friendly game emulators, but you'll find more simply by searching Cydia. Emulators range from free to fairly pricey (for an app), but either way you should be able to find one that works for you.

8. Set Up a VNC Server

There are plenty of iTunes App Store apps that allow you to connect to VNC servers on your computers to control your computer from your iOS device, but what about the other way around? If you jailbreak, you have the option of installing a VNC server on your device and remoting in to control it with the mouse and keyboard on your computer.

7. Add Support for More Bluetooth Devices

Apple supports various Bluetooth devices, like keyboards and headsets, but if you want full Bluetooth support, you're going to need to jailbreak. There are several BTStack packages in Cydia you can download to add more functionality. For example, you'll be able to pair a mouse with your iOS device, transfer files over Bluetooth, and even add a third-party GPS device.

6. Access the Filesystem

Accessing your device's filesystem is possible after jailbreaking your iOS device thanks to SSH. With some jailbreaking solutions, you'll find SSH already installed and enabled, with 'alpine' as your default password (which you'll want to change). If not, the front page of Cydia provides you with instructions to install and enable it. Once you have SSH up and running, you can log into your device's filesystem through your favorite GUI (if you have a favorite FTP client that supports SFTP, that'll work) or command line software and traverse your device's file system as you please.

5. Change Settings Faster

SBSettings adds a small dropdown panel you can bring up at any time by swiping the top of your screen; it lets you quickly edit iOS settings without switching to the Settings app and digging through the menu. Even better, it's extensible so you can add all sorts of functionality to have even more options quickly at your fingertips. You can install it via Cydia, where you'll also find many plug-ins.

4. Get a Better Lock Screen

iOS' default lock screen is just a picture and the time, but it's really a useful place to keep various types of updates. If you want to get info quickly without having to unlock your device, there are many enhancements that'll give you a variety of lock screen options if your phone is jailbroken.

BiteSMS is a jailbreak app that replaces the default Messages app on the iPhone. It'll display multiple unread text messages on your lock screen as well as a status bar icon indicating the number of unread messages.

Element is a beautiful lock screen and home screen replacement. It'll give you updates on several types of incoming data, including weather, missed calls, calendar items, mail, and more. It does this all while still accommodating the dock. Note: Element requires Cydget which is not yet compatible with iOS 4.

3. Tether for Free

If you've got an iPhone or 3G-enabled iPad, you can get around AT&T's restrictions and use the data connection you're already paying for with other devices at no additional cost. MyWi is a Cydia app that'll let you create a Wi-Fi hotspot out of your device's 3G connection so you can share it with your other devices in need of internet access. The setup process is somewhat more complicated than calling AT&T and flipping a switch, but it's definitely a lot better than paying an extra $20 a month for the exact same connection that's costing you at least as much already.

2. Use Your 3G Connection However You Want

Tethering isn't the only way to free your data connection from the bonds of AT&T's restrictions. If there's anything in iOS that's only designed to work with Wi-Fi, you can readily expect someone to create a fix for the jailbreak community. My3G circumvents these restrictions, letting you, for example, make FaceTime calls with whatever connection you've got, or download larger files if you choose. It seems kind of silly for AT&T to enforce usage restrictions on users with capped connections, but the reality is that they do. If you want the freedom to use the connection you pay for however you like, My3G can help you out.

1. Sync Your Device Over Wi-Fi

It's becoming increasingly more ridiculous that you need to sync your iOS device with a sync cable when Wi-Fi can get the job done just fine. Fortunately for jailbreakers, there's a great Cydia app called Wi-Fi Sync that renders your cable unnecessary for anything other than charging. All you have to do is install a companion app on your computer and then pair your device. Once that's all set, launching iTunes and the Wi-Fi Sync app on your iOS device will begin the syncing process—no cables necessary.

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CANON POWERSHOT A3300 REVIEW

Canon's answer to the needs of those looking for a capable compact camera that fits a tighter budget, the PowerShot A3300 ISis a feature packed digicam with an appealing price tag of just $179.99 US. It boasts 16-megapixels of resolution for huge prints, a wide view 5x optical zoom lens, a 3.0-inch LCD screen, 720p HD video capture, Smart Auto, Creative Filters, and loads of other fun and useful exposure options stuffed into a petite frame.

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HANDS ON: ATOMOS NINJA

We checked out a lot of cool new stuff at NAB 2011; however, one of the coolest pieces of tech that I got up close with was the new Atomos Ninja HDMI-based recorder.  In short, the Atomos Ninja captures the uncompressed stream from your camera’s HDMI output.  The stream is captured as Apple ProRes HQ in a much higher quality than what goes through your camera’s compression onto the CF or SD card.

That said, you need a camera that sends an uncompressed full-res signal out of the HDMI port.  As you may know, most DSLRs don’t do this.  In fact, the Canon 5D Mark II, along with other Canon models, actually sends out a less-than-HD signal once you hit the record button.

The Panasonic GH2, however, sends out a clean HDMI signal.  The down side is that the GH2 wraps the 24p footage into a 60p frame rate as it goes out.  This means you have to strip the 3:2 pulldown off in post.  Fortunately, some industrious GH2 fans have figured out how to automate this process and get some really nice high quality footage out of an inexpensive camera.  For those GH2 users interested in learning more, a bit of Googling will lead to the available options.

Another great benefit of the Atomos Ninja is the fact that it sports a live view 4.3-inch monitor.  You can mount it on top of your camera’s hotshoe with an appropriate adapter and use it as an all-purpose storage device and external monitor.  The resolution of the display isn’t really good enough to use for reliably pulling focus (it’s a 480 x 270 resolution); however, it will work for a lot of run and gun users in a pinch.

Best of all is the price point. It’s $995 and it includes everything you need to start shooting except for the hard drive.  You can put SSD or spinning disk hard drives in it, which you can pick up from the likes of B&H Photo and Amazon for less than the price of a decent memory card.  You can find several configurations of the Atomos Ninja at B&H Photo.

For those using higher-end camcorders, Atomos makes the Samurai, which offers HD-SDI input and a 5-inch, 800 x 480 resolution display.  The Samurai is prices at $1495 and comes with everything you need to shoot (except for the 2.5″ drives).  The Samurai should launch this Summer.

The folks who are going to see the biggest immediate benefit to devices like the Atomos Ninja are those recording on a proper pro-level camcorder like the Pansonic AF100, Sony NEX-FS100 or other models with clean HDMI-out.  For those of use using HDSLRs, we really have to wait and see what Canon and the other players deliver in the next round of HDSLR releases to know whether we are going to be able to take advantage of something like the Ninja.  If Canon offers clean HDMI-output on the 5D Mark III, the Atomos Ninja could become a must-have storage solution.

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APPLE TV STILL SELLING WELL IN MARKET

I have the original Apple TV and I can say without a doubt it was a worthless device for me. I used it maybe three times and it sits crammed into a drawer unused today. The new Apple TV had some changes to make it smaller and work better and so far, it has proven to me considerably more popular than that original device.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from Concord Securities published the findings of a survey conducted of Apple suppliers this week that shows sales of the new Apple TV have merited consistent since the device launched last year. Sales of the Apple TV hit 250,000 units in the first six weeks and hit a million sold right before Christmas of 2010. The new device launched in October 2010.

Kuo believes that Apple has shipped 820,000 units of the Apple TV in Q2 fiscal 2011 running from January to March. This is all the more impressive since Apple considered the Apple TV a hobby and is nowhere near as aggressive with marketing and talking about the TV product as it is the iPhone and iPad.

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ios 4.0 records all your travels

If you didn't already think your smartphone knows too much about you, here's a handy reminder. A duo of UK researchers have uncovered a potentially worrying (and oddly enough, undocumented) feature iniOS 4: it asks your iPhone to record your location constantly, then timestamps that data and records it for posterity. The trouble with this unsolicited location tracking is that the hidden file that holds the data -- consolidated.db -- is relatively easy to uncover and read, making any desktops you've backed your phone up to and the phone itself even bigger privacy dangers than they would usually be. Some extra digging revealed this behavior has been known about for a good while (see Courbis link below), though mostly by people involved in computer forensics. Additionally, restoring a backup or migrating to a new device keeps the data logging going, which the researchers point to as evidence that what's happening isn't accidental. See a couple of visualizations of the extracted results on video after the break.

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Bionic might come with some important enhancements

Motorola’s Droid Bionic smartphone has been delayed long enough for Motorola to make some changes to the device according to the WSJ. The Bionic was originally set to hit the store shelves in Q2 of 2011 but that date has now been pushed. An exact launch date is unknown, but it is pegged for this summer.

Verizon Wireless will be the carrier of the smartphone. A Motorola spokeswoman said, “Based on compelling feedback since [Consumer Electronics Show in January], we are incorporating several enhancements to make this an even better consumer experience.” The smartphone is going to operate on the 4G network from Verizon Wireless.

Speculation was that the Bionic had been scrapped in favor of a different Motorola device. The device first surfaced at CES 2011. Exactly what changes are being made to the smartphone are unknown.

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Rumors related to Safari 6

Apple's Safari has been out since last summer, which is an eternity in browser terms, and while Safari 5 brought lots of useful new features to the party there's still room for improvement.

And with Google shipping new versions of Chrome every ten minutes and even Microsoft accelerating browser development, the browser wars are still ongoing. So what can we expect from Safari six?

Safari 6.0 will have full-screen mode and Webkit 2 for improved stability

Wikipedia reckons that the version of Safari in the forthcoming OS X Lion includes a full-screen mode and the WebKit2 layout engine. WebKit2 should deliver a more solid browsing experience with a Chrome-style split between application and web content - so if something goes wrong with a web site or app, you or Safari can kill it without bringing down the rest of the browser and open tabs. It works differently from Chrome's implementation, though, because WebKit2 is designed to be used by multiple applications, whereas Chrome only needs to work with Chrome.

Safari 6.0 will have iOS-style gestures

Expect to see iOS-style features such as tap-to-zoom, pinching and swiping in the OS X Lion version of Safari. Here's the official video.

Safari 6.0 will have better, free MobileMe sync

Being able to sync your Safari bookmarks is great if you've got a MobileMe account, but other browsers do more and don't expect you to pay for the privilege. Rumours of a new, improved and free version of MobileMe have been banging around the internet for months now. We sincerely hope that they're true and that the update includes Firefox 4-style sync. Firefox 4 synchronises not just your bookmarks but your history, passwords and even your currently open tabs. Being able to do that between OS X, iPad and iPhone for free would be wonderful.

The Safari 6.0 release date should be this summer

The release of OS X Lion is scheduled for this summer, so we'd expect Safari 6.0 to be released then too.

Safari 6.0 might include iTunes

No, we haven't been on the cooking lager again: according to Three Guys and a Podcast, Safari 6 and iTunes will merge. That's not as bizarre as it might sound, because the Store bits of iTunes are web apps anyway; if the rumoured, cloud-based iTunes service is real, which we think it is, then there's no reason why you shouldn't access it through your browser. The big question is whether merging a browser and a media player and manager makes sense on the desktop. Right now it sounds rather like the sort of thing Dr Frankenstein might have rejected for being too weird.

TO-DO LIST: As HTML5test.com shows, Safari's HTML5 support is a work in progress - not least because HTML5 itself is still evolving

Safari 6.0 should have Integrated search and address bars

We'll be surprised if this one doesn't happen: even Internet Explorer has merged its search box and address bar into a single unified field, and we've lost count of the number of times we've entered search terms where Safari expects to see a URL. Safari's address bar already searches your browser history. Why not search the Web too?

Safari 6.0 should have Reader mode settings

We like Reader mode, but we'd like it even more if we could change the font, colours and line spacing too. Can we have that in Safari 6, please?

Safari 6.0 will definitely have improved HTML5 support

This one's a no-brainer: Apple loves HTML5, not least because they can use it to do Flash-style things in order to annoy Adobe. Running Safari 5 through the independent HTML5test.com gives a score of 228 out of a possible 400, so there are plenty of HTML5 improvements that can be made. Who knows, Apple might even decide to support the WebM and Ogg Theora video formats.

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