limera1n + Cydia, get more from your iOS device.
It’s been quite some time since I mentioned or discussed iOS related jailbreaking. The relatively recent release of limera1n and availability of some truly useful applications on Cydia compelled me to say a few words.
Cydia, for those who don’t know, is essentially an unofficial App store that you get access to by jailbreaking your iOS device. Cydia has LOTS of applications, but several stand out as extremely useful in my opinion. The three that I find useful regularly are LockInfo ($5), SBSettings (free), and MyWi ($20).
LockInfo replaces the lock screen (or home screen, or both) with a configurable summary page, allowing you to display missed calls, calendar items, weather forecasts etc. in a quick+easy to view place. This is tremendously handy, particularly for calendar items. No more switching between several applications to get this information ? excellent.
SBSettings provides a special top-of-the-screen swipe gesture that pulls down a quick settings menu. You can enable/disable all the connectivity items, screen brightness, and so on. As a fast way to configure your device, this is the best there is currently. I’ve found it to be a bit buggy in a few cases, but overall it works well and it saves me time.
MyWi is a tethering application. Yes AT&T provides a tethering option that allows you to turn a 3G connected iOS device into a WiFi hotspot, but they charge a hefty monthly fee for that capability. What AT&T doesn’t provide though is tethering via USB. That’s right, MyWi will allow you to use the iOS device as a 3G tether when the device is hooked up via dock/usb cable to a computer, effectively turning the iOS device into a 3G modem dongle. For my needs, this is far superior to a WiFi hotspot. I travel occasionally for work, and rather than pay $20/day or so for hotel WiFi, MyWi required a 1-time $20 charge, and gives me the same capability, while offering a little piece of mind that I’m on my own dedicated network.
These are only 3 good examples, there are many many more. You’ll just have to explore Cydia to find some of the other gems.
On the jailbreaking side, limera1n is a relatively new application available for both Macs and Windows systems that very easily allows you to jailbreak any of the newer iOS devices, running the latest firmware. It steps you through what you need to do, and makes the whole process quicker and easier than anything that’s come before.
If you haven’t considered jailbreaking your device before, you really should, as it’s the only way to get the most out of an iOS device. Apple does a good job, but there are certain things they refuse to do for various reasons, and the jailbreaking + unofficial App community have filled in those gaps in most cases, very nicely. Granted, you do have to wait to adopt the newest firmware versions until they in turn have been cracked, but that community has kept up extremely well to date.
Get more from your iOS device, jailbreak it. It doesn’t get easier or quicker than limera1n + Cydia.