Jeff Benjamin

Jeff has been with iDownloadBlog since 2010, acting as resident video specialist, and tutorial expert. He earned his degree in Computer Network Systems back in 2001, but decided Cisco routers and the like just weren’t for him. Since then, he’s been heavily involved with online writing. He’s written for numerous tech and video game sites since the late 1990′s, and has a knack for explaining things in a simple, clear, and concise manner. Jeff works primarily from the east coast on his Retina Macbook Pro, and shoots video with a Canon DSLR. During downtime he likes to travel the world, visiting the various Apple Stores across the globe. You can email him at jeff [at] idownloadblog.com and follow him on Twitter @JeffBenjam or on Google+.

Springtomize 3 has been updated for iOS 9 and is launching soon

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 19, 2015

The tweak that many of you have been waiting for is almost here. Springtomize 3, the legendary jailbreak tweak originally from Filippo Bigarella, is right around the corner for iOS 9. Earlier today, a copy of the tweak landed in my inbox, and I've been testing it out throughout the day and into this evening.

In case you're not familiar with Springtomize, it's a tweak that essentially allows you to customize a wide variety of SpringBoard attributes. You can change the size of app icons, change the look of the dock, hide icon labels, and adjust animation speeds. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Cydia Substrate updated to version 0.9.6110

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 13, 2015

Saurik has pushed an update to Cydia Substrate, bringing the package to version 0.9.6110. The update contains fixes for corrupt extensions, which some developers apparently use for obfuscation purposes.

Prior versions of Cydia Substrate made attempts to detect whether an extension's installation might cause the process to crash, yet by doing so, it ended up resulting in Cydia Substrate crashing itself. With version 0.9.6110, this should no longer be the case.

The iPad Pro Lightning connector is capable of supporting USB 3.0 speeds

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

According to CNET's iPad Pro review, Apple's just-released tablet is capable of supporting USB 3.0 transfer speeds via its Lightning connector. The report, which corroborates a finding by iFixit, and was later brought to our attention by MacRumors' Juli Clover, is notable for a few reasons.

First, it would make the iPad Pro the first and only device that Apple makes (that's not a Mac) to support USB 3.0 transfer speeds. Secondly, it means that copying large 4K video files to the device will be much more feasible.

PDF Expert 5, normally a $9.99 app, is Apple’s Free App of the Week

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

If you wish to read and annotate PDFs on the iPad, then there is perhaps no better app to do so with than PDF Expert 5. The latest in the long standing series of PDF annotation tools from developer Readdle, PDF Expert 5 is a well-respected app that normally commands a $9.99 purchase price.

If you've yet to purchase PDF Expert 5, then I have some good news for you: For the next week, the app is available as a free download from the App Store as a part of Apple's Free App of the Week promotion.

Firefox web browser is now available for iOS

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

After an apparent soft launch back in September, the team at Mozilla has fully taken the wraps off of its Firefox web browser for iOS. The popular browser is now available globally, and for all iOS devices as a universal app.

The 39.6 MB download is available free of charge on the App Store, and comes in at version 1.1. Learn more about what this highly anticipated release entails inside.

iPad Pro first impressions

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

After waking up in the wee hours of the morning to find the iPad Pro on sale and available for in-store pickup, I decided to place an order for a 128GB Space Grey Wi-Fi-only model. Unfortunately, I had to wait until tonight before I was finally able to get my new iPad home and unboxed. Tomorrow, I’ll be posting some deeper impressions and a few videos that showcase the new iPad Pro, but I wanted to leave you with some of my brief first impressions before I hit the hay.

The iPad Pro is now available for purchase

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 11, 2015

Apple's super-sized tablet aimed at professionals is now available for purchase from the online Apple Store. Early this morning, the iPad Pro went on sale, along with notable accessories, the Apple Pencil, and Smart Keyboard.

The iPad Pro is available for purchase starting at $799 via the Apple online store and brick and mortar Apple retails stores. In fact, you can order an iPad Pro right now, and schedule an in-store pickup when the Apple Store opens later today.

How to sideload f.lux on your iPhone or iPad with Xcode 7

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

The folks over at f.lux have released a sideloadable version of their popular utility for all iOS devices running iOS 9. The utility, which was once limited to jailbroken iPhones, can now be installed on any iOS 9 device, even the new iPad Pro, without a jailbreak.

f.lux is a utility that allows your iPhone to automatically adjust the screen temperature according to the time of day. It's a utility that I use every day on my Mac, and it makes working on my computer in a dark environment much easier on my eyes. The same premise applies to iOS devices as well.

Would you be interested in using f.lux on your iPhone? Check out the full tutorial inside.

T-Mobile will let you stream Netflix and other video services without using data, but there’s a catch

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 10, 2015

T-Mobile just took the cover off of its latest Uncarrier initiative, Binge On, which will allow customers who pay for at least 3GB of data to stream Netflix, ESPN, Hulu, HBO Now, Sling, and other popular video streaming services without it counting against monthly data usage.

If that sounds a bit crazy, then we're right there with you. T-Mobile has done similar things with music streaming already, but video is a whole different animal altogether.

But unsurprisingly, there is one small catch. T-Mobile will essentially cap the maximum quality of the video streams participating in its plan through what it calls "optimization". Basically, it's reducing the amount of bandwidth used for videos, which will result in at least some quality degradation for most modern smartphones.

Review: Apple TV Remote Loop

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

The Apple TV Remote Loop is a $12.99 accessory for the Apple TV Siri Remote, and it essentially functions as a lanyard to keep the remote securely within your grasp. This can be important when using the Siri Remote to play games, as some titles may require you to wave the remote around, sometimes aggressively, to control certain on screen elements.

But the Remote Loop is sold separately, and doesn't come bundled with the Apple TV. With this in mind, should you consider buying it? Is it a wise decision for gamers who'll be using the Siri Remote's sensors to play Wii-inspired games? Read our full review to find out the answer.

Apple seeds tvOS 9.1 beta 2 to developers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 10, 2015

Hot on the heels of its iOS 9.2 beta 3 release, Apple has seeded the second update to its tvOS 9.1 beta. If you're already running the current tvOS beta on your Apple TV, then you can go into the Settings app and perform an OTA update to upgrade.

If you're a developer that's not already running the tvOS 9.1 beta 1 release, then you can head over to Apple's Member Center and download the full tvOS 9.1 beta 2 release. The update, which comes in at 900MB and sports build number 13U5069b, features no significant user-facing features in its change log.

As we know, though, tvOS 9.1 beta 1 brought about Siri support for Apple Music on the Apple TV, and that wasn't mentioned anywhere in the change log for that release.

Apple seeds iOS 9.2 beta 3 to developers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 10, 2015

Apple has just seeded iOS 9.2 beta 3 to developers. The update is now available as an OTA update for developers running iOS 9.2 beta 2. If you're not running iOS 9.2 beta 2, you will be able to download the full iOS update via the Apple Developer Member Center once Apple adds it.

This update comes exactly a week after the last beta update, iOS 9.2 beta 2. That update, provided new additions for developers using Safari View Controller and AT&T Wi-Fi calling.