News

Hard to believe when the iPhone was first released there was no way to send a photo or video using MMS. Now besides the ability to send these types of files, iMessage has expanded the capabilities of iOS devices to communicate. One jailbreak tweak named Doodle Message seeks to expand the capabilities of several messaging apps even further.

With Doodle Message, an MMS or iMessage composition gets the option to draw directly on the screen. Not only can you create a doodle from scratch and send your masterpiece to friends and family, but the tweak makes it possible to draw on a new or existing photo. This can be a neat way to highlight part of the image or write something fun directly on the image.

App badges in iOS are informative but all those big red circles can become annoying. There are ways to quickly remove badges like Clear Badges, but this is a temporary solution. One thing you can do with a jailbroken device is customize the badge appearance to your liking.

The appropriately named tweak, Badge Customizer is a free way to do just that. After the package is added from Cydia, there will be a new area in Settings -> Badge Customizer where all the magic happens. The first thing to notice is a conveniently located Respring button right in the tweak’s settings to apply changes. Like many of these modifications, the effects of the tweak can be fully enabled or disabled with one toggle.

Ever since the first iPod was released, Apple has been working on improving the experience of listening to music on mobile devices. iOS provides a few different ways of controlling the music and seeing what track is currently playing. Developer Daniel Taub has added yet another convenient option.

The jailbreak tweak is named Music HUD, and it functions to provide not only a heads-up display of the current selection, but also gestures to pause songs or mute instantly. What’s cool about Music HUD is that all of this is customizable and accessed with one touch of the volume buttons.

Every iOS device has a lock screen, regardless of whether or not the passcode is set up for security. Sliding to unlock not only reveals the home screen, but Apple has designed the transition to be a smooth and fluid motion. Only thing is that everyone’s device has the exact same zoom and fade animation.

Now with a jailbroken device and the free tweak LiveWire, the unlock animation can be changed to something more interesting. The developer HASHBANG Productions describes the new animation as a sliding doors effect.

Wake Info is a jailbreak tweak that can speak customized status reports every time you dismiss or snooze an iOS alarm. There’s nothing like a robot voice telling you how many unread emails are waiting to get you out of bed in the morning. The tweak will read up to three informational messages including real data.

Once installed, under Settings -> Wake Info different messages can be set to play depending on whether the alarm is dismissed or snoozed. Besides text, variables are entered to form the complete message, such as the date or time.

According to a rumor started by PocketGamer, Apple plans to announce a dedicated iOS game controller during an unannounced April press event. Apple purportedly booked a room under a fake name at the annual Game Developers Conference to talk to developers about the unnamed "joypad". PocketGamer claims "multiple sources" have confirmed the report, but no one has actually seen or held a prototype.

Launching an Apple-branded game controller does seem to make a lot of sense since iOS games are becoming more advanced. However, iOS fans and analysts have been clamoring for a new Apple product since the iPad mini was launched, and rumors of Apple televisions and watches have been running rampant throughout the blogosphere ever since. An official Apple game controller could be a huge disappointment to fans if Apple doesn't announce something more groundbreaking to go along with it. PocketGamer also suggested this could be Apple's reaction to an increase of third-party controllers, or the recently announced Game Pad for Samsung devices.

Final Fantasy V is now available for the iPhone and iPad. The iOS version of the popular RPG game features all the original characters, plus the extra dungeon and job classes from the 2006 Game Boy Advance version. The game has also received a slight makeover featuring enhanced characters designs and graphics from Kazuko Shibuya. Other features include: The Tetsuya Nomura-designed optional boss Enuo, Game Center support, and achievements.

FFV was originally released in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom twenty years ago. Two slightly different versions of the game were ported to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance after its original release. The story follows four strangers who must band together to stop an evil sorcerer named Exdeath.

Some iPhone jailbreakers like to get as much information from their iOS devices as possible. There are statistics available under Settings, but the most interesting stuff requires tweaks that allow the user to look under the hood. One such tweak is iBatteryInfo.

iBatteryInfo does one thing, and does it well. Once installed, the tweak can be enabled from Settings -> iBatteryStatus. Every time you plug in or unplug your iOS device for charging, a list of details about the battery and connected cable will appear. The list explains the total capacity of your battery and what level of charge has been achieved.

Flipboard version 2.0 has been released for iOS devices (Android users will have to wait another month). The upgrade allows users to save their favorite articles, photos, audio and video in folders called "Magazines". Users can keep their magazines private or share them with family and friends via Twitter or email.

Creating a magazine is easy: Just tap the + button at the bottom of any article and write a title and description for your magazine. Your magazine and saved articles will then be stored under the "My Flipboard" panel in the Options Menu. To share a magazine, just tap its cover under the "My Magazines" section, and select share. This is a great tool for saving articles you don't have time to read or finish reading.

PopCap, a division of Electronic Arts Inc, has rolled out the first of many planned sequels to Plants vs. Zombies as a closed beta on Facebook. Plants vs. Zombies Adventures is a social media game where players can interact online while thwarting the zombie invasion. PopCap will officially roll out PvZ Adventures to the general public this spring, before releasing Zombie vs. Plants 2 this summer.

Curt Bererton, head of PopCap’s San Francisco studio, promises Plants vs. Zombies Adventures will feature plenty of new plants and zombies, along with old favorites.

“The [game] features all-new forms of zombie combat that will open PvZ to a whole new world, explained Bereton. "We like to think we’re creating a brand new twist on the classic Plants vs. Zombies that is the most social, shareable and expansive Plants vs. Zombies experience ever.”