Timothy Reavis

When not in college, @TimothyReavis devotes most of his time to his iMac, writing and coding. Leftover hours are spent with his iPhone on Twitter or in Cydia. Mealtimes are integrated into one of the above. Timothy began writing for iDownloadBlog in 2014, where he avidly writes about his favorite conversation topic — all things Apple — whilst microblogging on Twitter about technology and jailbreak tweaks.

Quiver 3: a digital notebook built for developers

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Without fail, anytime I settle down to work on a programming project, a large chunk of my time is devoted to searching Google and StackOverflow for the best ways to tackle a given coding issue. Even if I haven't run into a problem per se, looking for the most efficient approach to a function or finding a snippet of code that carries out a specific purpose are just a couple reasons why I'm continuously researching whatever language with which I'm working. That's why Quiver is such a huge help to me.

Forget thinness – get rid of these bezels

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

It's no secret that for quite sometime now, Apple has been on a seemingly never-ending quest for thinness. Each new iPhone, iPad, and Mac is almost always thinner and lighter than its predecessor, as millimeters and grams are shaved off with most every hardware iteration.

Some users have voiced their willingness to deal with a slightly thicker, heavier device for the sake of better battery life, feeling that Apple's form-over-function attitude should be put on hold in favor of more screen-on time between charges.

Veexillum: a theme of simple uniformity

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

For quite a while, I didn't have much of an interest in iOS themes. Many of the icon packs available in Cydia seemed rather mediocre and did little to improve on iOS's stock design – at least, that's how it appeared to me. Those that did look nice often don't have a very large number of themed apps, while others had designs so different from the average iOS icon that unthemed apps stood out as ghastly reminders of a lack of design uniformity.

My ideal theme wouldn't stray too far from the current state of iOS, would have several hundred themed icons, and would be simple and uniform enough to compliment my Home screen without making every app look the same and particularly without removing easily discernible colors and glyphs that make an app easy to spot from the rest so I can remain efficient when using my device. Because of these requirements, my ideal theme is undoubtedly Veexillum.

CloudMagic email client comes to the Mac

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

On Wednesday, CloudMagic released an OS X version of their minimal email client, which is also available on iOS, Android, watchOS, and Android Wear. Like its mobile counterparts, CloudMagic for Mac supports email accounts from Google, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, and any IMAP-hosted account, making it a well-rounded client for managing several accounts in one place.

iDB Holiday Gift Guide: Timothy’s Picks

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

'Tis the season for warm fires, cold days, peppermint mochas, fruitcakes, shopping, and, of course, iDB's holiday gift guide! Another year has passed, more tech and accessories have been released, and I'm more excited than ever to show you what I've been collecting this year.

The best WinterBoard themes for iOS 9

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated June 13, 2018

Theming has long been a part of the jailbreak community, with designers exercising their creativity by redesigning various elements of iOS. From icons to system glyphs, WinterBoard has the power to transform the aesthetics of the user interface on an iPhone or iPad.

With the release of iOS 9, designers have been updating existing themes and releasing new ones, many of which we’ve looked through to bring you some of the best Winterboard themes for iOS 9 in Cydia. While everyone’s visual preferences are different, here are some of the best-looking themes available, per your author’s tastes.

Twelve South Forté review: a truly luxurious stand for Apple Watch

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Soon after the launch of Apple Watch, Twelve South released HiRise, its first charging stand for the digital timepiece. Our review of the $50 accessory detailed it as a solid product that did its job well, with its durable build and aluminum finish giving it a pleasantly subtle design.

Now, Twelve South is back with Forté, a bolder, more luxurious Apple Watch stand that is designed to be more versatile while remaining true to Twelve South’s Apple-like design paradigm. Supporting closed and open bands, portrait and landscape charging, and a docked Apple Watch and iPhone, Forté shines with the aura of a stand that could’ve easily been designed by Apple. And by selling it in their online and retail stores, Apple has, in a way, put their stamp of approval on Forté.

How to use 3D Touch to clear all notifications [jailbreak]

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Although there aren't any stock 3D Touch actions in iOS 9's Notification Center, many feel that more could be done with Apple's new deep press recognition in this area, and perhaps we'll see some additions in future iOS updates, but for now these features are only enabled via jailbreak tweaks.

3D Touch to Clear Notifications is a new tweak that, as its name implies, allows users to firmly press in Notification Center to remove all notifications, much like the current implementation in Apple Watch's notification shade.

Apex 2 updated with support for iOS 9

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Coming soon after the release of the Pangu jailbreak for iOS 9 on Wednesday, A3Tweaks has released an update for Apex 2 that introduces iOS 9 compatibility.

As one of several jailbreak tweaks created by the well-known jailbreak development group A3Tweaks, Apex allows users to hide Home screen icons by tucking them under other icons of a similar category, removing the need for excessive folders. A simple swipe will reveal the grouped apps, allowing them to be launched with a tap.

CheatSheet brings iOS 9’s keyboard shortcuts overlay to the Mac

Timothy Reavis ∙ October 8, 2015

iPad power users received a nod from Apple this year with iOS 9’s new feature set. Aside from Split View and Slide Over, anyone using a physical keyboard in conjunction with their iPad can now hold down the Command key to get a list of all the shortcut key presses available in the currently running app. This is an excellent way for users to discover non-obvious key combinations in order to help speed up their workflow.

In OS X, discovering hotkeys is a bit more difficult than iOS 9's new simplified method, as many are hidden in crowded drop down menus, while others can be even harder to find. CheatSheet is a Mac app that brings iOS 9’s Bluetooth keyboard feature to OS X, adding the same hotkey-sheet functionality when holding down the Command key.

3D Touch: how Peek and Quick Actions will change how you interact with your iPhone

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

As part of today's event, Apple announced the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with 3D Touch technology, a hardware and software combination that tracks how much pressure is being applied to the display and carries out different functions based on various levels of pressure. Also announced was the Taptic Engine in Apple's new 6s iPhones, which brings the addition of subtle taps, deepening the experience of 3D Touch with a haptic feedback element. Apple likens 3D Touch's new Peek and Pop actions to the legacy Tap, Swipe, and Pinch Multi-Touch gestures, but with a third dimension of functionality, bringing about the "3D Touch" moniker.

Infernal Innovations’ car mount magnetically suspends your phone

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

One of the many first-world problems people face everyday is having a convenient place to stow their smartphone whilst driving. Leaving it in one’s pocket seems to be the default move, but if talking while driving is legal in your area, pulling a phone from your pocket is arguably more dangerous than the phone call itself. Even for simple tasks like skipping a song, or following driving directions, there has to be a better solution.