News

It may seem like a simple thing, but one great feature that Cydia has over the App Store is a queue. Several packages can be browsed and selected, then the whole list is installed at once. While this speeds up the process of installing apps, the App Store exits every time you download an individual app.

All of this is set to change in iOS 6. The revamped App Store will stay open and download apps in the background, so you can continue browsing. This avoids the whole process of having to reopen the App Store every time you install or update an app. Luckily if you have jailbroken your iPhone, you can add this functionality to the App Store right now.

FaceTime calling will get more convenient when iOS 6 is released this fall, but only for those with A5 devices. More details in the fine print have revealed that Apple plans to limit cellular data FaceTime calling to the iPhone 4S and new iPad. Older models including the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 are left out of the fun.

This means that older iPhone owners, already lacking Siri, must remain connected to a Wi-Fi network to make or receive a FaceTime video call. The news comes as no big surprise, as Apple typically limits some iOS updates to newer devices, especially when hardware limitations are an issue. Already news has surfaced that the new Maps application will limit turn-by-turn navigation to the iPhone 4S as well.

T-Mobile has a strange relationship with Apple. They're the only major U.S. carrier who doesn't officially carry the iPhone, but they're very proud that over one million T-Mobile subscribers are iPhone users. T-Mobile has even went as far as to offer free iPhone micro SIM cards, and are working on building a "iPhone compatible" network. Now they're offering free iPhone support to their subscribers.

T-Mobile recently launched an iPhone support webpage to teach users how to optimize their iPhones. An iDownloadblog reader received an email announcing the new service:

"FREE T-Mobile Msg: Help speed up your iPhone. Free up memory to keep it running at its best. Learn how: m.t-mobilescoop.com/memory/iphone”

Apple has announced the 2012 Design Award Winners. The award recognizes the best in iOS and Mac app design. This year's winners were announced one day after Apple's WWDC keynote on the Apple developer page. It reads:

"Every year, Apple Design Award winners set new standards that inspire us all.
See how this year's winners stood out from the rest."

iPhone winners: Jetpack Joyride by Halfbrick Studios, Where's My Water by Disney and National Parks by National Geographic Society.

iPad winners: Bobo Explores Light by Game Collage, DM1 - The Drum Machine by Fingerlab and Paper by FiftyThree.

Mac winners: Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Ultimate Edition by Feral Interactive Ltd, Limbo by Playdead ApS, and Sketch by Bohemian Coding.

Student design winners: daWindci by Reality Twist GmbH, Mimimi Productions and Little Star by BiBoBox Studio.

Amazon has officially announced the launch of its Amazon Cloud Player app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The dedicated app allows customers to stream or download music stored in their Cloud to their device. Users can also play music that is already located on their iPhone and manage or create playlists.

The app is free to download in the iTunes App Store, and comes with 5 GB of free storage. Unlimited storage will cost you, but those who upgrade will receive unlimited space for MP3 and AAC (.m4a) files. There is also an iPad version. The app requires iOS 4.3 or later.