Apple

genesis4iphone v2.0.0: Sega Genesis and Sega CD emulator for iPhone, iPod Touch

Karl B. — 2008-10-02T21:23:43-06:00

Homebrew developer ZodTTD has finally released version 2.0.0 of his long-awaited Sega Genesis and Sega CD emulator, genesis4iphone. This version works with iPhones and iPod Touches running on firmware 2.x.x.

This release comes with the same skin as ZodTTD's earlier release, mame4iphone,
but the good news here is that you can actually change the skin yourself by editing the controller_hs1.png/.txt files in the Application directory of the app. Here's a list of what else is new in v2.0.0:

A port of Notaz's continued support of PicoDrive.
New interface/GUI similar to mame4iphone.
Sound has been heavily improved! To enable sound, goto Now Playing and turn up the volume slider before entering a game.
Save state support is now working.
Supports zipped ROMs, and they happen to load much faster than unzipped ROMs...still!
Sega CD support is implemented though currently untested by me.

genesis4iphone can be downloaded for free at ZodTTD's public repository on Cydia.

iPhone Backgrounder: run multiple iPhone apps at once

Karl B. — 2008-10-02T19:52:40-06:00

Here's a useful new addition to the wealth of iPhone homebrew apps out there. iPhone Backgrounder is a code application that lets you run multiple iPhone apps at once. That means even if you exit, say, Pandora, you'll still be able to listen to it while you're running another application.

This is a code app, so there's no icon for it. To use iPhone Backgrounder, open up the app you want to use and hold down the Home button until you get a pop-up saying "Backgrounding Enabled (Continue holding to force quit). If you want to disable it, just hold down the Home button again.

One thing: Backgrounder will be disabled if you respring your SpringBoard. Also, there's a chance that an application would immediately quit after you hold down the Home button. According to developer gaizin, this may be caused by Intelliscreen's App Launch Boost feature, which can be disabled in Intelliscreen's Performance page.

The catch here is that running multiple apps, even in background mode, can drain your iPhone's battery faster than usual. It'll also make you device run slower. If that doesn't bother you one bit, check this app out. It's available on Cydia for free.

More homebrew applications for iPhone

iPhone homebrew: StatusNotifier 0.1

Karl B. — 2008-09-30T22:28:02-06:00

StatusNotifier is an app that lets users see status bar notifications to their iPhones. There's a similar feature included in IntelliScreen, but if you don't fancy using that app just for the notifications feature, then this is perfect for you.

When it's installed, StatusNotifier adds an icon to the iPhone's status bar. You can see an example in the second screenshot above, the one with the arrow pointing to the upper right. It lets you quickly see if you have a missed call, voicemail, text message, or email.

StatusNotifier can be downloaded on Cydia for free. The app is currently at version 0.1.

IntelliScreen v2.2: firmware 2.1 support, bug fixes, and more

iPhone homebrew: CallerID Fix Collection 1.1.1

Karl B. — 2008-09-30T21:25:32-06:00

Carlo Franchino a.k.a. Frank8 has released a quick update for CallerID Fix Collection. For those who haven't come across this homebrew app yet, CallerID Fix Collection fixes caller ID mismatch and phone number formatting problems usually encountered by iPhone users in countries where the iPhone isn't officially distributed.

This update adds a few more countries to the 2.1 number formatting and caller ID fixes:

added to 2.1 Number Formatting fix: Singapore , Indonesia , Thailand , Malaysia , Lebanon
added to Caller ID fix: Iraq , Moldova , Singapore

You can download the latest version of CallerID Fix Collection on the iSpazio repository through the Localization category found in both Installer 4 and Cydia.

mame4iphone v0.5.0: MAME emulator for iPhone, iPod Touch

Karl B. — 2008-09-30T19:20:44-06:00

iPhone and iPod Touch homebrew developer ZodTTD has released a MAME arcade emulator for iPhone and iPod Touch devices running on firmware 2.x.

Called mame4iPhone, this app seems to be a port of Franxis' mame4all which, in turn, is based on MAME v3.07 Beta 5. Right now, it supports a whopping 2,000-plus games ranging from the 70s to the present, although it's worth noting that not every rom may work with mame4iPhone.

This version of mame4iPhone supports sound, but ZodTTD says it's disabled by default. To enable it, go to Now Playing, slide the slider for volume up from the off position then start a game.

If you have any feedback, drop the developer a line at the Source link below. A list of supported games is also available there. You can download mame4iPhone from ZodTTD's repository on Cydia.

iPhone homebrew: dTunes v2.5 now with Torrent support

Karl B. — 2008-09-30T19:00:44-06:00

There's a new version of dTunes out, bringing the homebrew iTunes replacement up to version 2.5. The big news about this release is the introduction of Torrent support.

The app's Torrent support feature comes via iTorrentRelay, the only Torrent client for firmware 2.0 and higher iPhones so far. What's even cooler is that it also converts any media file to a format suitable for the iPhone and iPod Touch upon downloading.

The catch here is that although dTunes is free, iTorrentRelay isn't. It's a subscription service that costs US 9.99 a month. Of course, if you can't spare the cash, you can still use this version of dTunes without using the Torrent support feature.

As usual, you can download dTunes on Cydia.

iPhone homebrew: MobileCast 3.0 b1

Karl B. — 2008-09-29T22:24:29-06:00

Podcast lovers, here's some good news for you. MobileCast, a homebrew application for the iPhone that first came out during the firmware 1.1.4 days, has finally made it to firmware 2.x.

This new MobileCast still serves the same function - allowing users to search for and download podcasts - while sporting a slightly new look. You can check out a few screenshots of the app below.

MobileCast v3.0 b1 reportedly has some crash-causing glitches, but it seems that they don't really occur as long as you're patient and don't try to do too many things at one time, like say continually abusing the search function while downloading a podcast in the background, for instance. The app's available for free on Cydia.

More homebrew for the Apple iPhone

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords coming to Apple's App Store

Karl B. — 2008-09-29T21:59:13-06:00

TransGaming has announced that it will be bringing D3Publisher's hit puzzle-slash-RPG title Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, DS, Wii, PC, Mobile) to the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.

It's a pretty natural fit, considering the iPhone and iPod Touch's touchscreen features. The game's RPG elements are still there so it may turn out to be a rather, er, puzzling game for those who have no idea what "RPG" means, but the accessible puzzle aspect should balance that out.

The iPhone and iPod Touch version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords has yet to be priced, but the announcement mentioned that it's all set to become available on the iTunes App Store by this Fall.

Cydia installer update: bugfixes, graphics improvements, more

Karl B. — 2008-09-24T22:47:39-06:00

Cydia, a packaging and repository manager for iPhone and iPod Touch that serves as a replacement for the original Installer.app, has just been given an update.

This update gives the Cydia installer a couple of graphics improvements along with a fix for a recent app crash issue. The bugfixes also take care of the "Bad URL" error that shows up on certain sources as well as displaying custom html pages.

There's also a new Sections tab and several new icons and badges that identify apps that make changes to your device's system.

If you want to update, just fire up Cydia and check the Changes tab for the latest available version.

iPhone homebrew: SwirlyMMS 1.2.1

Karl B. — 2008-09-24T19:59:26-06:00

The SwirlyTeam has released a quick update for SwirlyMMS, a homebrew application that lets iPhone users send MMS messages. This bumps the application up to version 1.2.1.

The developers describe this update as minor, with the most notable change being that the text in an MMS now has a larger font and a white background. This update also includes a few bugfixes along with improved error handling and error messages.

SwirlyMMS version 1.2.1 is now available on Cydia.

iPhone homebrew: CallerID Fix Collection 1.1.0

Karl B. — 2008-09-23T22:07:06-06:00

If you're in a country that doesn't support the settings and regional format of your iPhone, Carlo Franchino's CallerID Fix Collection is the homebrew for you. It fixes the formatting of any number you receive through SMS or Caller ID, making the process of saving them in your address book a lot easier.

Anyway, there's a new version of Carlo Franchino's CallerID Fix Collection out. This new release bumps the homebrew solution up to version 1.1.0 and adds even more countries to the supported list. Here's the changelog:

Support for more Countries: Brunei, Belarus, Luxemburg, Libya, Monaco, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Syria, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan
2.1 Firmware Fixes for these Countries: Australia, Belgium, Philippines, UK

You can download and install CallerID Fix Collection from the iSpazio repository at http://repo.neolinus.org/ispazio.

CallerID Fix Collection 1.0.2: iPhone prefix number formatting solution

iPhone homebrew: Let's See clear Winterboard theme

Karl B. — 2008-09-23T19:54:47-06:00

WinterBoard has certainly opened up a lot of new avenues for customization on the Apple iPhone, but it's a bit of a hassle when you can't even see your cool new wallpaper since it's been covered by all your app icons.

That's where clear icon themes come in. They use clear icons so you can still see your iPhone's wallpaper even when your phone is packed with apps. One of these is Let's See, a free new WinterBoard theme that you can get on Cydia.

Let's See works like a charm, but since it uses a full icon cache, there's always the chance that one of your app icons doesn't have a corresponding clear icon included in the theme pack. If that happens, you'll see the default icon for the app.

Don't worry, though. Let's See's developer Tizocman has been kind enough to accept icon requests from users. You can drop him a line at the Via link below.

More iPhone homebrew articles

iPhone homebrew: Facts 1.0

Karl B. — 2008-09-23T16:49:28-06:00

Wanna be the kind of guy who knows all sorts of trivia? BigBoss' new iPhone homebrew app, Facts 1.0, can help.

Like the name suggests, this app contains various facts about seven different topics: Animals, Bad Predictions, Humans, Misc, Science, Superstition, and US States. You can set Facts to display the entries in these categories sequentially - both forwards and backwards - or randomly.

Facts 1.0 won't help you organize your iPhone or do anything of that sort, but it sure could come in useful at parties and the like. You can get it for free at the BigBoss source through Cydia.

AptBackup 1.1-3: backup your Cydia-installed iPhone apps

Karl B. — 2008-09-22T21:55:32-06:00

Backing up your iPhone before you install new apps or upgrade is always a good idea. AptBackup makes this process a lot easier.

While it doesn't actually make backups of all your Cydia-installed apps, AptBackup does make a list of everything you installed from Cydia and reinstalls them all when you restore. To use it, just run AptBackup's restore function after making and using a backup of your iPhone in iTunes.

The 43 KB download of AptBackup is available on the BigBoss source. AptBackup works with firmware 2.1.

iPhone Homebrew - Windows QuickPwn 2.1

Mabie A. — 2008-09-19T20:55:39-06:00

The iPhone Dev Team released a new version for their iPhone homebrew app collection, Windows QuickPwn 2.1. This new version supports the 2.1 firmware with the unlocking and jailbreaking of iPhone 3G (2G) device.

Apart from that, it also supports the jailbreaking of iPod Touch 1st generation device and iPhone 3G. You will need upgrade your device, though, to 2.1 through the use of iTunes 8 before you can successfully run this application.

Here's the changelog:

Support for firmware 2.1
Auto-detection of firmware version, insistence on correct firmware bundle to prevent user epic fail.
Use of iASign to activate to prevent bspatch epic fail.
Removed buggy and never really tested 2.0 support

However, it does have its limitations, which are the following:

It does NOT support the unlocking of iPhone 3G
It does NOT support the jailbreaking of second generation iPod Touch introduced last week

Download: Windows QuickPwn 2.1

iPhone homebrew: dTunes v2.3

Karl B. — 2008-09-19T18:32:59-06:00

Looks like dTunes developer Richard Shearman is really sinking quite a bit of time into his homebrew iTunes replacement for the iPhone. A new version has just been released, bringing dTunes up to version 2.3. Here's the changelog:

Keeps playing music after pressing home button
Ability to add Folders & Sub-Folders
Renaming of Files & Folders (double tap while in edit mode)
Drag & Drop Files & Folders to move items (while in edit)
Drag & Drop Files & Folders to delete (while in edit)
Artwork Support

To enable artwork support, you'll need to drop an image named cover.png in the appropriate directory. Images will be scaled to the 320 x 320 screen size. You can grab the latest version of dTunes from Cydia.

iPhone homebrew: BiteSMS v2.3 now with firmware 2.1 support

Karl B. — 2008-09-17T20:29:52-06:00

BigBoss' alternative text messaging app, BiteSMS, has finally been given firmware 2.1 support in its latest release. The app is now at version 2.3 and includes the following changes:

Now compatible with Apple firmware 2.1.
If biteSMS is configured as the default app, the Contacts Text Message button will now open biteSMS.
The auto-correct feature can now be toggled ON/OFF via the biteSMS settings page (defaults to ON).
Auto-correct now honoured when the Send button is pressed.

BiteSMS is a homebrew alternative that gives users an option to send their text messages via BiteSMS or their mobile carrier. Users can purchase credits for BiteSMS and use it to send SMS messages anywhere in the world at cheaper rates.

The latest BiteSMS version can be found on the BigBoss repository on Cydia.

iPhone homebrew: WbApp v0.68

Karl B. — 2008-09-16T22:43:40-06:00

A new version of WbApp has been rolled out, bumping up the Winterboard UI to version 0.68. This version now works on firmwares 2.0.x and 2.1. WbApp v0.68 also includes the following changes:

Refreshed the Default.png file.
Added more style sheets to the WbWeatherWidget theme, it now has a total of 30 to choose from.
Added a modified "Time of WbDay" theme that has the WbWeatherWidget built-in (Don't select both, just the Time of WbDay, it uses your WbWeather config).

Time for a quick refresher. Winterboard is a firmware 2.0 replacement for the popular Summerboard customization app. It lets you customize your iPhone or iPod Touch's Springboard wallpaper, icons and status bar, among other things. WbApp is a add-on that makes it easier for Winterboard users to change their settings.

You can look for WbApp v0.68 on Cydia.

iPhone hack: SummerBoard gives scrolling functionality via Installer.app Beta

MCleaner: call and SMS filtering app for iPhone

Karl B. — 2008-09-12T22:27:32-06:00

You can probably find a lot of reasons to block some people from calling you or sending you text messages. Similarly, there are a number of iPhone apps that let you do just that. One of these is MCleaner.

MCleaner gives users quite a few options. There's the Blacklist, which contains the numbers you'd like to block. Conversely, there's the Whitelist, which contains the numbers you want to allow through to you.

This app also gives users a choice of call blocks. You can choose from Send Busy Tone, Ignore the Call, Busy and Reply SMS and Mute Ringer. The first two will send the incoming call to voicemail. Busy and Reply SMS lets you set what you want the SMS reply to say. The last option works just like muting your phone.

For quick blocking, you can set Profiles such as Accept All, Block All, Accept Call Only, Accept SMS Only, and the like. These profiles can be auto-activated by way of the Scheduler feature. Just set the period of time and days when you want a specific profile to be activated.

MCleaner also includes a Log feature. Incoming text messages and calls go here instead of the iPhone's stock SMS app and call history.

One of MCleaner's cooler features is the Fake for Wrong Pass. option. See, you can set MCleaner to ask for a password every time you start the application. This option will trick others into thinking that they got through the password protection if they enter the wrong password.

You can download and find out more info about MCleaner at the iSpazio source, accessible by clicking on the Via link below. MCleaner comes with a free 15-day trial. If you want to keep using it after that, you'll have to fork over US 19.00 for the full version.

New on the iPhone App Store: A Mathematics Equation, Clockulous, Benchmark, more

Karl B. — 2008-09-10T20:18:18-06:00

There are a lot of new apps today on the iPhone App Store. Highlights include A Mathematics Equation, and app that provides users with over 200 mathematical equations, and a free little time waster called A.K.A.

Here's the top ten new apps for today:

24 Challenge - math game played with poker cards (US 1.99)
A Mathematics Equation - provides users with over 200 mathematical equations (US 0.99)
A.K.A. - generates your pirate, Jedi or stripper name (free)
ABCMobile - app for sharing contacts information between Mac users (free)
AftonbladetTV - gives access to Aftonbladet.se, Sweden's lagest online newspaper (free)
Benchmark - provides performance details of your iPhone or iPod Touch (US 0.99)
Book Library - lets you keep track of all your books (US 1.99)
Chandler Quick Entry - send notes to the Chandler open-source note-to-self organizer (free)
Chti Boite - authentic chti box (US 0.99)
Clockulous - large digital clock that shows time and date (free for first 5000 customers)