The jailbreak tweaks are arriving thick and fast, particularly those of the lock screen variety. We've already featured several tweaks offering iOS users different ways to modify the lock screen, and AppBox by developer Jacob Caraballo is easily the most powerful we've seen hitherto. Not only does it allow you to jump straight into any app without unlocking your device, but by enabling the App View feature and holding icons of certain apps, you can also activate their plugins.
If you're quite fussy about how your iPhone looks, you'll no doubt have spent much of the past few weeks taking advantage of the Evasi0n jailbreak and all of the tweaks available as a result. But for some, the process of changing things around is ongoing, and even something as simple as altering the wallpaper can often take time as you scan through your collection seeking something that looks just right. Thanks to a new tweak called shufflr, though, your iOS lock screen's wallpaper is switched to a new image every time you lock your device, lessening the likelihood of you getting bored with the same look.
If you're a bit of a numbers droid, and like to keep track of statistics, then the tweak from Cydia developer Callum Ryan may be of interest to you. It provides relatively detailed information on the activity of your Messages app, including how many SMS and iMessages you've sent or received. Not only is this useful information in terms of ensuring you don't go over your allowance, but you can also narrow things right down to specific contacts. Check it out after the break.
The lock screen is the first port of call on almost any mobile device, and since iOS users don't really get to change much other than the wallpaper at stock level, it's no wonder that the recent jailbreak has seen Cydia inundated with lock screen-based mods for eager iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users to enjoy. With the all-in-one Springtomize 3 for iOS 7 on its way for those looking to tweak their home screens, SubtleLock (iOS 7) offers something similar for the lock screen. Although it's not quite as extensive, it allows you to downscale and recolor certain aspects for a truly minimalistic approach, and if you prefer the understated look, this one's definitely for you.
Market research in the mobile industry offers some fascinating insight into how we use our beloved smartphones and tablets. Research firm JDSU has been analyzing the data usage habits of mobile device owners, and rather interestingly, has discovered that those wielding the latest and greatest Apple handset - the iPhone 5s - consume more data than those in ownership of any other smartphone or slab currently on the market.
The magic of the famed SwiftKey Keyboard could be about to make its way to Apple's iOS via a standalone note-taking app, if a leak via the Twitter handle Evleaks is to be believed. Renowned on Android for its speedy, intuitive nature and, in particular, its "Flow" feature, it's something that iOS users haven't been able to enjoy thanks to the Cupertino's stingy rules on accessing core features, but with a standalone app, at least those on iOS could get a taster of SwiftKey's advanced set of tools.
iOS may pack a decent amount of emoticons by default, but online, you might have caught wind of the latest craze in self-expression - unicode faces. Using all manner of strange characters, people have been coming up with some pretty humorous faces, and if this kind of thing floats your boat, then the fact that you can add them to your iOS keyboard (provided that you're jailbroken) should put a smile, or rather, a (◕ ◡ ◕) on your face. Check out the new UniFaces jailbreak tweak, which lets you do exactly this, after the leap!
Most users of digital devices containing some kind of storage will be aware that the quoted capacity doesn't usually tell the entire story. But once we've established that 16GB does not equate to the full 16GB, why do some devices only offer 8GB of available storage out of the box, while others offer 12GB+? Well this is due mainly to the firmware (and often, considerable bloatware) that some companies like to throw in, and as is portrayed in a rather nice infographic by tech market researcher Which, Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 is the worst culprit for adding extra software.
Some tweaks are practical, meant to enhance the functionality of iOS in part or as a whole. Others, meanwhile, are designed for aesthetic flair, but while some try and fail at being both at the same time, a new, free-of-charge tweak manages to hit that cross-section between usefulness and eye-candy. It's called SimplePasscodeButtons, and, as the name concedes simplifies your passcode's keypad by removing the numbers from the keys.
The path to a jailbroken and liberated iOS 7 device has proved to be full of hurdles and unforeseen obstacles. History has already shown us on more than one occasion that releasing a jailbreak can delight and infuriate users in equal measure, something that has once again been proven with the release of Evasi0n7.
