Opinion

My love-hate relationship with HomePod

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated May 10, 2018

When Apple announced HomePod, the news did not really move the needle for my excitement. I wasn't induced to a frenzy, which is the case for most other Apple announcements. Okay, Apple is going to try their hand at a speaker. It's not the first time, and will not be their last. But, as an imbedded Sonos customer, there just wasn't anything that piqued my interest with this forthcoming $350 device.

When HomePod finally came to market little more than a week ago, I read review after review that immediately gushed over the device's premium audio quality. No surprise, I had to go get one on launch weekend, but, I am not sure I intend to keep it.

Walkthrough and thoughts on nitoTV package manager for Apple TV

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated February 16, 2021

A few days ago we wrote about the release of nitoTV, Kevin Bradley's package manager for jailbroken Apple TVs. Today, we'll give you an in-depth look at the interface and functionality, as well as our comments on where it could go in the future.

It’s 2018, the year where HomePod will become a thing, like it or not

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated May 10, 2018

When Apple late last year sheepishly announced the delay of HomePod until further notice, my impression of the unfolding news coverage and social media feeds at the time was that the fallout had been remarkably tame considering that for presumably many, a brand new Apple product had just been removed from its sure place under the Christmas tree.

Here’s why I look forward to jailbreaking iOS 11

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 14, 2017

If you’ve been following the news lately, then you might’ve caught wind about a particular tfp0 iOS exploit released by security researcher Ian Beer that could potentially aid in the development of an iOS 11 jailbreak.

Many people think the jailbreak is dead, but that doesn't seem to be the case. While a jailbreak tool for iOS 11 hasn't surfaced yet, I wanted to take this opportunity to share why I’m excited about the possibility of an iOS 11 jailbreak.

Poll: Have you downgraded to iOS 11.1.2 yet?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 13, 2017

With a powerful tfp0 exploit for iOS 11.0-11.1.2 out in the wild, the future looks somewhat bright for an iOS 11 jailbreak. On the other hand, you don’t have long to get your devices on iOS 11.1.2 before Apple stops signing the supported firmware.

Not only has iOS 11.2 been out for some time, but Apple just released iOS 11.2.1 on Wednesday, which means the signing window could be closer than ever to closing.

Last chance to downgrade iOS and tvOS, and save blobs for a jailbreak!

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated February 23, 2021

Update: tvOS 11.1 and iOS 11.1.2 are now unsigned.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESTORE TO THEM!

New exploits for iOS 11.1.2 and below have made the possibility of upcoming jailbreaks very real. However, without the proper preparation, you could be left in the cold, without blobs to restore, or on the wrong firmware. Also, not everyone should update, so you need to be sure it's for you. Let's go through the options.

Will there be a jailbreak for iOS 11?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 13, 2017

We’ve been getting all sorts of questions from avid jailbreakers asking when a jailbreak for iOS 11 might drop. While there are no official details about an iOS 11 jailbreak as of now, we’d like to dispel some rumors and quell confusion by putting everything we know into a full post.

Is an iOS 11 jailbreak just over the horizon?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 7, 2017

The jailbreak community has been nothing but a crazy roller coaster ride lately, especially given the lack of any recent jailbreaks and the permanent archival of both the ModMyi and ZodTTD/MacCiti Cydia repositories. On the other hand, there may (or may not) be exciting news ahead.

While it’s too premature to make any conclusive assumptions at this point in time, there’s been some buzz recently about a couple of iOS exploits that could purportedly pave the way for a so-called “semi-jailbreak” for iOS 11.0-11.1.2.

Are USB Type-C advancements making the standard more feasible?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

It wasn’t long ago that I shared my thoughts about why the USB Type-C standard wasn’t perfect yet, but some vital, forward-thinking milestones have started trickling their way down the manufacturing lines, and it smells like progress.

While many USB Type-C cables continue to display limitations regarding data speed, power delivery, or both, some brands are making a difference by offering the best of both worlds. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t quite say the standard is perfect yet.

These are some of my favorite accessories for the iPhone X

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

I’ve only had the iPhone X for about a week, but I began a full-blown accessory scavenger hunt long before I had the new handset in my grasp.

In this piece, I’ll outline some of what I think are the best accessories to use with the iPhone X.

Is the Face ID discussion warranted or a secret case of Apple envy?

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Whenever a significant new technology is incorporated into mainstream mobile phones, such upgrade should naturally be fair game for scrutiny and critique. Conversely, if by objective standards the new arrival clears all bars, I can think of two reasons why it feels critical to acknowledge the innovative work done by its originators: because for one that credit has been hard earned and - looking at the bigger picture - sowing doubt about a feature that will inevitably saturate most phones in the market is only going to needlessly unsettle the consumer in the long run.

Face ID is not perfect, but it has room to grow

Samuel Rentz ∙ November 6, 2017

Leading up to my initial experience with the all new iPhone X, I was extremely excited for a number of the new device’s landmark features. Chief among these was the X’s gorgeous new OLED display, a first for Apple in their mobile devices. The display is absolutely stunning, but this excitement was quickly stolen by the phone’s new authentification feature: Face ID.