iOS 7

Apple responds to Chinese media warning against iPhone location tracking

Last week, China's state-run China Central Television broadcasted a report that labeled the iPhone as a "national security concern." More specifically, the CCTV criticized the “frequent locations” function in iOS 7, which records time and location for the owner’s movements.

Yesterday, Apple issued an official response to the report on its Chinese website. The statement reaffirms the company's commitment to privacy, and states that the Location Services found in the iOS firmware are only used to help users for activities that require navigation...

Audi CarPlay rollout: 2015 models in Europe, North American vehicles in 2016

Yesterday, luxury car maker Audi announced it'll be integrating both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto automotive software platforms into the Multimedia Interface for its premium lineup of vehicles. Today, the German car maker shared additional details pertaining to both the feature and the roll-out timeframe.

Coming to 2015 models in Europe and to 2016 vehicles in North America, CarPlay will integrate with Audi’s built-in controls and allow drivers to access apps through the car’s native controls and switch between CarPlay and Audi's Multimedia Interface with a touch of a button...

iOS 7.1.2 released with improved iBeacon connectivity and bug fixes

Apple has seeded iOS 7.1.2 as an over-the-air update and through iTunes for compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models. The latest software version includes improved iBeacon connectivity and stability, fixes a bug with data transfer for certain third-party accessories and corrects a major Mail attachment privacy issue. The full changelog has been posted ahead.

If you are currently jailbroken on iOS 7.1.1 or below, you will be happy to hear that the Chinese jailbreak tool Pangu is compatible with iOS 7.1.2. You are safe to update to the latest software version, at which point you can follow Jeff's guide on how to jailbreak iOS 7.1.2 using Pangu. Just like on iOS 7.1.1 and below, it remains an untethered jailbreak.

Apple adds MLB At Bat to its list of CarPlay-enabled apps

Apple's in-car entertainment solution, CarPlay, features limited support for third-party applications, ranging from Stitcher and Apple's own Podcasts to Beats Music, iHeartRadio and Spotify. Previously demoed at WWDC earlier this month, you can now put MLB At Bat on the list of officially supported CarPlay apps, according to Apple's own CarPlay webpage...

iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak uses expired enterprise certificate loophole

You may remember MuscleNerd as being the head of the iPhone Dev Team, which has been on the sidelines in recent years in favor of the Chronic Dev Team and, later, the evad3rs. Nevertheless, the well-known iPhone hacker congratulated the Pangu Team for its impromptu iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak release, in addition to providing some interesting commentary on how the exploit works.

According to his tweets, MuscleNerd says that the most unique part of the Pangu jailbreak is that it uses an expired enterprise certificate as an injection vector. He adds that enterprise certificates are something that have been out of bounds for the iPhone Dev Team, due to legal reasons, but he is glad that this method was used rather than the Pangu team burning through something more native and powerful… 

Is the iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak safe, and should you update?

There are several questions that have been circulating since the iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak was released, so I have created this FAQ of sorts to answer some of the more pressing concerns. Read ahead as I talk about the safety of the iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak, which exploits were used, the compatibility of tweaks, how this affects an iOS 8 jailbreak and more. Everything you need to know about the iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak is just ahead… 

DockWare: access the iOS dock from anywhere

DockWare is a brand new jailbreak tweak that brings an interesting idea to the table: it lets you access your iOS dock from anywhere, even while within apps. DockWare uses Activator gestures to accomplish this feat, allowing you to both display and hide the iOS dock while on the Home screen or while within apps.

We've taken DockWare for a spin on video in order to show you how it works in action. It's an interesting tweak, but at $1.99 on Cydia's BigBoss repo, it probably won't be for everyone. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside to see what we mean.

MoreInfo provides media search for Activator

iOS 8 might be stealing a little bit of the thunder from the jailbreaking scene as of late, but the community is still going strong. MoreInfo is a new extension designed for use with Activator, the useful jailbreak tweak for assigning gestures to trigger common iOS actions. It allows for a quick in-browser search of the currently playing song or movie, with support for multiple search engines and several customization options. A full rundown of the extension follows… 

Cydia updated with iOS 7 icon and redesigned interface

Cydia has received a major update this morning with several improvements. First and foremost, the app has received a long-awaited iOS 7 icon thanks to graphic designer Surenix. The package manager for jailbroken devices also gains a redesigned and better organized user interface, making it easier to manage repositories, see which packages you have installed and more. Read ahead for a full look at the update… 

Genie unlocks your iPhone with simple gestures

On a recent article that I wrote, a reader was surprised after reading that I am generally disinterested by a lot of jailbreak tweaks. It might not make sense, given that I write for a blog that is consistently on top of covering the jailbreak scene. Allow me to explain: it's not that jailbreak tweaks do not pique my interest, but rather that some are simply too complex or cumbersome to provide a meaningful purpose.

That's not to discount the fantastic work that developers put into creating jailbreak tweaks. There are just as many good tweaks as there are less impressive ones. Genie is a new Lock screen extension that is a good example. Not only does it provide useful functionality for unlocking your iPhone, but it is a lightweight tweak that isn't dragged down by dozens of confusing settings or unnecessary features. Check it out… 

iOS 7 security flaw allows for Lock screen bypass in seconds

A new security flaw has been discovered that allows for the Lock screen on iOS 7.1.1 to be bypassed in just seconds. The vulnerability provides access to any app that was left open before the device was locked, such as Mail or Messages, but a prompt appears to re-enter your Lock screen passcode if you attempt to navigate to the Home screen or elsewhere. Read ahead for how it works… 

3 colorful iOS theme setups to check out

A few weeks ago, I shared three beautiful iOS theme setups for the iPhone. Judging by the amount of readers that left comments, including those that shared their own setups, I would say it was a resounding success. A few readers asked that we follow up with another similar post, so here we are with three more colorful iOS theme setups to go along with the summer season. The setups come from the /r/iOSthemes community on Reddit, and we've included the jailbreak tweaks and themes used where possible…