The year 2012 saw a number of quality releases for jailbroken devices over on the Cydia store for iOS. We would like to take a look back over what has actually been an extremely successful year for developers of jailbreak tweaks and apps in terms of innovation and the release of quality packages onto the Cydia platform.
Cydia tweaks like Zeppelin have allowed jailbroken users to show any custom logo or a string of unique text as carrier logo for years. But now thanks to the new CarrierEditor software, that has now been extended to all cellular based iOS devices and a simple carrier settings restore through iTunes. Follow the simple steps below to find out how.
If you have ever used a smartphone, a tablet, or a branded PC, you must be familiar with the term “bloatware”. Essentially, the term is used to denote those software and applications that the manufacturer of your hardware has deemed necessary to include with the native operating system, often packaged as free versions of various apps. Some people really find this helpful, as they get out-of-box solutions for a lot of scenarios, but most of the advanced users would advise you against that, because truth be told, these “free” apps are usually promotion-ware that the manufacturer has only included to market the work of its partners, thereby making money off of them. Why bloatware is specifically bad is that it slows your computer or phone down considerably, and in other instances, may take up valuable storage space (which is a real concern for most smartphones).
Instant messaging has been one of the most revolutionary developments when it comes to written communication. While SMS came into existence long before IM did, the concept caught on so well with users that today, even SMS conversations got arranged into “threads”, to give an experience closer to how you’d expect an instant messaging client to behave. Popular IM clients like Yahoo Messenger, MSN (now Windows Live) Messenger, ICQ etc, have seen their days of glory, and still have a pretty loyal user base. Then, there were mobile specific clients, like Nimbuzz, Jabber, IM+, even mig33, that became a true hit with the on-the-move community. The trend carries on even today.
Mobile devices ensure that catching up with the latest news and feeds is a doddle. Whether you're looking for a magazine, or just want an update from your favorite sources, there are more apps available than most people would care to count. Press, a Google Reader app for Android, is a prime example of such an app done properly, and not only it organizes your content in an easy-to-find interface, but is arguably the best looking application in its field.
Remember when you purchased your first iPhone, received your first telephone call on it and were entirely perplexed when the screen turned itself off every time you raised the device to your head during the call? I certainly remember getting the original iPhone in 2007 and believed the behavior based on the inclusion of the proximity sensor was nothing short of with craft. As I learned more about the device it became obvious that switching the display off in those circumstances was a pretty clever idea and now thanks to a new tweak users can invoke that functionality at will through a pre-defined gesture.
Whenever a new and improved mobile software is released nowadays, there's always that moment in which owners of certain devices discover theirs will be left out in the cold. In the case of Windows Phone 7.x, that was everybody, and although Microsoft has delivered Windows Phone 7.8 in something of a watered-down edition of Windows Phone 8, it's still lacking many of the key new features of Windows Phone 8. The advantage of using old software, however, is that, more often than not, it's a lot more mod-able, and thanks to a new app, those running Windows Phone 7.x can enjoy a slick Notification Center feature with the aptly-entitled Notifications app.
Opinions are clearly divided on the need to have applications like the new Facebook Poke offering hanging around the iOS App Store, but regardless of individual opinion on the topic it would seem that users seem to enjoy having the ability to send short messages with attached media to friends that then later self-destructs into oblivion. Although the core functionality of the app is to send these types of messages that do disappear a few seconds after being viewed, it is entirely possible to permanently save whatever the sender has sent to your devices.
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch and love the power and functionality which Google has brought back to iOS with the launch of their official Maps app, then it’s worth considering whether or not it would be worthwhile jailbreaking that device to get your hands on the latest tweak to come from Ryan Petrich. It would appear that one of the hardest working developers in the jailbreak community has discovered the hidden topography mode in the new Google Maps app for iPhone. Although Google has obviously chosen to have this feature lie dormant for now, Petrich has made it available through a tweak on his official repository.
Despite having been around for considerably less time than the App Store, Google Play has grown to house almost as many apps as its Cupertino rival. With 2012's conclusion nigh, the Big G has released a list pertaining its favorite apps and games released this year in two separate lists. "Games We Love" focuses on those addictive, exciting, and thought-provoking releases this year, while "App Focus" gives an insight into the rich, diverse quantity of apps available.
