Facebook Sets its Sights on Flipboard

After taking on Twitter by introducing 15-second video to Instagram, Facebook has set its sights on the popular mobile application Flipboard. According to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, the social media giant has been working on a new service called "Reader". Facebook Reader will display content from Facebook users and publishers in an aggregated format, much like the popular iOS app Flipboard already does. Evelyn M. Rusli of the WSJ said Facebook has been working on the mobile app for more than a year, and that they are focused on building it for Apple's operating system.

Facebook Reader

Flipboard is a social network reader that allows users to easily collect and flip through content from popular websites. The Flipboard iOS app already offers both Twitter and Facebook support, so it is hard to see why people will want to switch to a Facebook-branded news reader. Especially since Team Zuckerberg's track record with mobile services has not been very good this year. Facebook Home hasn't really taken off, and not to mention, how many Facebook apps does one person really need?

Get Native QR Code Support on the iPhone

Quick Response (QR) codes are supported by many iPhone apps, but iOS has no built-in ability to read or generate the codes. The jailbreak tweak NativeQR seeks to change all that, by adding native QR code support to iOS. After installation, the stock Camera app will include an option to Enable QR in the same menu as HDR and Panorama.

NativeQR tweak Cydia iOS

Turning this on makes it possible to scan and recognize a QR code directly with the camera, no third-party app required. As soon as a QR code enters the field of view and is recognized, the link appears and an option to copy the text is presented. If you're not interested in the QR code just tap Cancel. No special action besides focusing on the QR code with the camera is required.

Replace iPhone Passcodes with an Android Unlock Pattern

iPhone owners no longer have to be jealous of the fancy Android unlock. Adding a pattern unlock to the iOS lock screen is only a jailbreak tweak away. PatternUnlock brings this fully customizable experience to the iPhone, replacing the default boring passcode lock. For those who haven't seen the Android version, it allows users to access their devices by simply drawing a pattern to connect points in a grid.

PatternUnlock tweak Cydia iOS

Unlike Stride, which makes it possible to draw a free-form unlock pattern, PatternUnlock offers a grid of nine points to connect. Once installed, PatternUnlock provides a variety of settings just like the default passcode lock on the iPhone. The feature can be disabled completely, but when activated it will bypass the normal passcode.

The Quick Brown Fox Enhances iOS Keyboards

Keyboard enhancements are no stranger to the iPhone. Besides cosmetic changes to the iOS keyboard, many jailbreak tweaks are aimed at simplifying and speeding up touch screen text entry. AltKeyboard and SwipeSelection are two popular examples. Now The Quick Brown Fox has arrived on Cydia, promising to further improve typing.

The Quick Brown Fox tweak Cydia iOS

Once installed, there are three features of The Quick Brown Fox that can be configured on your iOS device. The first is Auto Twins, which automatically pairs certain characters. For example, typing a parentheses "(" will output "()" every time. While this can be useful, the cursor must be moved to the middle of the pair before adding text between the parentheses. With SwipeSelection installed this is easier to do.

Add Action Shortcuts to the iPhone Unlock Slider

There are many ways to perform actions from the lock screen on a jailbroken iPhone. These can save time and effort, making iOS even more convenient in different situations. Knober is a jailbreak tweak that takes a simple concept and executes it well, making the lock screen more functional. Normally, sliding the lock screen knob does one thing, unlock the device.

Knober tweak Cydia iOS

With Knober installed, there are several different actions that can be performed using a special trick. Sliding the unlock knob to the right then back to the left in one smooth gesture will activate the shortcut of your choice. All this happens immediately without unlocking your phone.

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