An iOS 8.4.1 Untethered Jailbreak Could Be Imminent

According to a new rumor, an iOS 8.4.1 untethered jailbreak could be released soon. Jailbreak tweaks developer, Luca Todesco, sent out a tweet telling users to downgrade to iOS 8.4.1 if they wanted a jailbreak.

Apple patched the TaiG iOS 8.4 jailbreak in iOS 8.4.1 and has followed with releases of iOS 9and iOS 9.0.1. Both the iOS 9 firmwares are not jailbreak friendly, which means, that if you still wanted a jailbreak, you’d have to downgrade from iOS 9 to iOS 8.4.1. Lucky for you, iOS 8.4.1 is still being signed by Apple.

We cannot guarantee the authenticity of this jailbreak rumor, but the developer seems pretty confident. He also stated on Twitter that he will release the jailbreak even if Apple stops signing iOS 8.4.1.

If you’re on iOS 8.4, do not upgrade to iOS 8.4.1, as there’s already a jailbreak for iOS 8.4. Only if you’re on iOS 9 and want a jailbreak, then you should downgrade to iOS 8.4.1. As per the developer, an iOS 9.1 jailbreak is highly unlikely at this point. There’s a whole Reddit threadregarding this iOS 8.4.1 jailbreak, where the developer talks about how he’s also working on finding vulnerabilities in iOS 9.

As of now, there have been no updates from TaiG or Pangu regarding an iOS 9 jailbreak. And we’re not sure if that $1 million bounty is going to yield any results.

iOS 9 has caused a lot of problems for users, so if you’re still unhappy with iOS 9/9.0.1, then you can go back to iOS 8.4.1 and hopefully even jailbreak. We’re not sure when the developer plans on releasing this iOS 8.4.1 jailbreak to the public, but we’ll let you know as soon as it’s available for download. Don’t forget to downgrade to iOS 8.4.1 if you want a jailbreak!

Jailbreak is not your thing? Liking all the new stuff in iOS 9? Well, then this news shouldn’t concern you in any way. Continue using iOS 9.0.1 and Apple will keep providing timely updates, starting with iOS 9.1.

Update #1: The signing window for iOS 8.4.1 has now be closed. This means you can no longer downgrade to iOS 8.4.1 on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Multiplexer, The Six-In-One Cydia Tweak For Multitasking

Most tweaks available on Cydia are only made to perform one action. Tweaks that perform or add multiple features aren’t plenty and here’s one such tweak. Multiplexer is a six-in-one multitasking tweak that is available on Cydia right now.

It’s basically a tweak that combines six already available tweaks into one great multitasking tweak. This way, you won’t have to download all the tweaks separately. You can enable/disable all the six tweaks included in Multiplexer simultaneously or you could enable/disable certain tweaks. The amount of customization and options this tweak provides is mind-blowing.

Here are the six tweaks included in Multiplexer:

• Aura – This tweak lets you choose what apps to run in the background, suspend once backgrounded, auto launch and more. Everything is easily managed using the preference panel for the tweak.

• Empoleon – Swipe from the bottom left of the screen while in an app to transform it in to a window. You can arrange up to four apps in Windows and experience powerful multitasking.

• Mission Control – Just like the on OS X, you can add and manage multiple desktops, move apps around and more. Goes hand-in-hand with Empoleon.

• Quick Access – Want to quickly be able to access an app from the Notification Center? Add any app you like to the Notification Center using this tweak. Limited to only one app!

• Reach App – One of the best tweaks that uses Apple’s Reachability feature. Using this tweak, you can add another app to the part that displays nothing when you enable Reachability by tapping on the Home button twice. Another multitasking tweak!

•  – Functions just like the iOS Slide Over feature, but with this tweak, you can now have an app running over another or simultaneously in split-screen mode. Simply swipe from the right side of the screen to activate.

That’s all the six tweaks that are included in the Multiplexer package. The tweak includes a separate preference panel for each of the tweak and they can be customized for your preference.

Multiplexer has to be one of the best, if not the best, tweaks that takes care of all multitasking needs. The tweak has been developed by Elijah Frederickson and Andrew Abosh. The tweak has a fully-featured API that will allow other developers to add extensions.

It is currently available in the BigBoss repo for $3.99. Works for all iPhones, iPods and iPads jailbroken on iOS 8 – 8.4. Try it out and let us know what you think in the comments section!

Amazon now rumored to jump into live TV streaming as well

When one company is said to be doing something, it’s usually not too long before another company, probably even a competitor, gets rumored to be doing the same thing.

While Apple has just recently announced a brand new set-top box with the Apple TV 4, the rumors regarding the company’s plans to launch an actual TV streaming service refuse to go away. In August, for instance, the latest rumor suggested that while Apple was still hard at work on finalizing the deals necessary to launch the service, it had been delayed until some time in 2016.

Now, enter Amazon. According to a report recently published by Bloomberg, and citing “people familiar with the matter,” the online retail giant that also specializes in streaming content, like TV shows, is considering jumping int the live TV streaming market. The report indicates that the talks, right now, are simply preliminary, and that Amazon could decide not to do it after all.

As far as who Amazon has spoken with up until now, that includes CBS Corp. and NBCUniversal from Comcast. If Amazon could nab those two gigantic networks, that would certainly be a feather in the company’s cap moving forward.

It looks like the online live TV streaming market could heat up soon, especially if Amazon is looking to launch around the same time that Apple’s own oft-rumored service is said to see the light of day.

If you had to pick, would you go with Amazon or Apple when it comes to live TV streaming packages?

Professional photographer says iPhone 6s shoots better video than a $3,000 DSLR

The iPhone 6s takes incredibly photos, but it still has a long way to go before it can compete with a professional camera for still images. When it comes to video, however, it has no problem beating a $3,000 DSLR, according to professional photographer Lee Morris.

“Obviously the iPhone is infinitely worse than any current DSLR for stills,” Morris writes on his blog, Fstoppers, “but surprisingly it appears to be a far better video camera than my $3000 DSLR when there is enough light present.”

The iPhone 6s doesn’t shoot better video than all DSLRs, of course; Morris notes it is outperformed by the $4,500 Sony AR7II. But the footage recorded by the iPhone “was still incredible” — and surprising:

I did some color/contrast tests and found that the footage out of both cameras looked about the same if I set the Nikon to “neutral.” I then walked around a park near our office and grabbed a few shots. It was impossible to tell which footage looked best in the field but once we got back to the office the comparison was pretty shocking. The iPhone’s 4k footage downscaled to 1080p was significantly better than the Nikon D750.

Morris does explain that image in bright light is just one of the many things to consider when comparing video cameras, and the iPhone 6s may not outperform the same Nikon camera in a different environment. But it’s still shoots “amazing video.”

Morris says he isn’t upset at the iPhone’s camera quality — he’s totally impressed by it, in fact — but he is mad that smartphones are delivering features that professional photographers have been asking for in DSLRs for some time.

For instance, the ability to shoot 4K video is something many DSLRs do not provide. Sony has been introducing it, but Canon only offers it in its more expensive options, and Nikon has ignored it altogether so far.

“I just want my camera to shoot footage that is at least comparable to the world’s most common smartphone,” Morris adds. “Is that too much to ask?”

Apple patent describes new inductive charging technology for iPhone

Apple has devised a new method of bringing inductive charging to the iPhone without installing additional hardware. The technology makes use of existing electrical coils already baked into components like speakers, microphones, and haptic engines.

Apple’s patent, entitled “Inductive power transfer using acoustic or haptic devices,” outlines a common two-coil conductive charging system in which a transmitter coil passes power to a receiver coil connected to the iPhone’s battery.

This is the same system used by rival smartphones like Samsung’s new Galaxy S6and Galaxy Note 5, except Apple’s method cleverly utilizes existing coils found inside the iPhone, rather than adding a new one dedicated to wireless charging.

Apple describes how it could transmit power to coils in speakers, microphones, and haptic engines like the Taptic Engine found in iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

“In some implementations, the device-side coil operates in two modes, one being the operation for which it’s designed and another for inductive power transfer,” explains AppleInsider. The charging coil may also have two modes.

Apple also describes how currents can be applied to coils in different frequencies to avoid inadvertent operations. In the case of a speaker, for example, different frequencies could be used to prevent the internal membrane from moving and producing sound.

Apple’s patent also describes a docking solution with multiple contact points, which would allow current to be passed to different internal components.

It should be noted that Apple wouldn’t be able to integrate this technology into future iPhones without making some changes. The size of the coils inside existing iPhone components would almost certainly make them unfit for charging an iPhone battery.

However, this patent proves that Apple is exploring ways to introduce inductive charging without making drastic changes to the iPhone’s design to squeeze in additional components — like dedicated charging coils.

The iPhone’s lack of wireless charging is still seen as a big weakness by some, especially as the feature is becoming so common in Android-powered rivals. And while it may seem somewhat trivial to those who have never used it, it is sorely missed by those who switch to iPhone from a device that had wireless charging capabilities.

For instance, I just finished reviewing a Galaxy Note 5 with wireless charging, and after switching back to iPhone 6s, I miss being able to drop it on a pad at night and not have to worry about fumbling around with cables in the dark.

Inductive charging seems like a logical step forward for future iPhones, then, but exactly how Apple will implement that remains to be seen. As always, patents like these are never a guarantee of things to come, so we’ll have to wait and see what Apple has up its sleeve.

Enhanced edition of all seven Harry Potter books now available exclusively on iBooks

Apple today announced that ‘enhanced editions’ of all the seven books in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are now available exclusively on the iBooks Store.

The enhanced edition books contain the full original text, artwork, and interactive animations to bring the story of Harry Potter to life. In addition, the books also contain annotations written by Rowling herself.

“I’m thrilled to see the Harry Potter books so beautifully realised on iBooks for the digital world; the artwork and animations in these enhanced editions bring the stories alive in a delightful new way,” said J.K. Rowling.

This will be the first time that digital Harry Potter books will be made available for purchase outside out of the Pottermore ship. The iBooks Store is available in more than 52 countries and the books purchased through it can be read on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iPod touch.

Each book of the Harry Potter Enhanced Editions are available in English for $9.99 in 32 countries. Apple is also taking pre-orders for the French, German, and Spanish versions of the book that will go on sale on November 9.

Apple Watch launching in the UAE and Saudi Arabia on October 22

Apple today updated its regional website for Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to reflect that the Apple Watch will be available in these countries from October 22.

Prices of the Apple Watch Sport start from 1,399 AED (~$380) in the UAE. The company did not update its Saudi Arabian website to reveal the prices of the smartwatch in the country.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are also scheduled to go up for sale in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia from October 10, as well.

Over the last one month, Apple has greatly expanded the availability of the Apple Watch. The smartwatch is already scheduled to go on sale in Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, and Poland from October 9, and in Brazil and Colombia from October 16.

The smartwatch’s retail availability also expanded in the United States over the last couple of months as it went on sale in Best Buy and carrier stores of T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T.