I, however, am not a person who enjoys simplicity, and that is why I jailbreak my iPhone. It allows me to take the Notification Center, even though it is not bad on its own, and make it so much better. iOS 5 has not been jailbroken long, and I must say, it is impressive how far the jailbreak community has come with the Notification Center. There are many tweaks out there, but these are three of my favorites.

Set Up

Each one of these tweaks is available in Cydia, so you will need to install each one separately in order for them to work. Once you install the tweak, you will need to go to Settings > Notifications and scroll to the name of the tweak and enable it. It works just like enabling an app to display notifications. Once you enable it, the tweak will automatically show in your Notification Center.

AppsCenter

As you might guess, AppsCenter allows you to launch apps from your Notification Center. By default, it will display all of your apps in a scrolling list. Obviously, this is not practical if you have lots of apps, so you will want to go to Settings and scroll down until you see AppsCenter to tweak this.

From here you can change many settings such as the number of apps it shows at one time, if it shows the apps in pages and whether or not it shows the labels for the apps. You can also set how the applications are sorted from this screen.

If you are like me, and have many apps on your phone, you will want to use the choose apps section to customize which apps are displayed in Notification Center. Personally, I just choose the four applications I use the most, and I am sure you will find a system that works for you.

RSSWidget

This is a cool way to take a quick look at your favorite website (which had better be MakeUseOf.com – or else!) right from your Notification Center. It only supports one feed at a time, which makes sense because otherwise Notification Center would be completely bogged down with information.

From the Settings screen on your iPhone, scroll down to RSSWidget and click it. On this screen is where you will enter the feed for the website you would like to see in the Notification Center.

After you enter the URL, open the Notification Center and you should see the most recent article from the website you added. You can swipe left or right over the article to see older or newer ones, and tapping on it directly will open the full article in Safari.

WeeSearch

WeeSearch is an awesome little widget that allows you to search YouTube, Google, Wikipedia and a dictionary right from the notifications center. Simply install the package from Cydia and enable WeeSearch in the Notification Center section of Settings, and the little search bar will appear.

To use WeeSearch, you simply type in what you are looking for, tap the service you wish to use and click “Search.” The widget will open Safari and search the proper site automatically. It makes it quick and easy to find whatever you are looking for on the web.

Conclusion

The Notification Center is awesome, and these widgets make it even better. It seems odd that Apple has a weather widget and nothing else, but it is great that the jailbreak community is stepping up and filling in the gaps. As time goes on, more and more cool tweaks will come out for Notification Center; this is just the tip of the iceberg.

What are some cool Notification Center tweaks you have tried? What would you like to see included in the future? Let us know in the comments!

This extension removes many of Siri’s limitations and allows you to do things you never imagined possible. As I said before, Siri is awesome, but like so many other things on the iPhone, it is arbitrarily limited. Thankfully, jailbreaks allow you to remove many of these limitations. It took almost no time after the iPhone 4S was jailbroken for the community to release an amazing Cydia tweak that extends Siri’s core functionality now, and opens a whole slew of options for the future.

Installation

Assistant Extensions is available in the BigBoss repository, which is one of the default Cydia repositories. Simply search Cydia for Assistant Extensions, click on it and click “Install” on the top right corner of the screen. You can also check out their official website. When finished, Cydia will prompt you to respring your phone.

Once it is finished respringing, you will be ready to take Siri to a new level.

What Can It Do?

Out of the box, the app can do many awesome things. Using this tweak, you will be able to compose a new tweet with Siri. Simply say “tweet” and the text of the tweet, and Siri will compose and send your tweet for you. If you want to see your tweet before it is sent, then you will need to say, “show tweet” and then the text of the tweet. This will open a box with the tweet, so you can make sure Siri got it right before sending.

I cannot really understand why Siri cannot tweet out of the box, but with Assistant Extensions, she can.

Using Assistant Extensions, Siri can launch applications. Both regular and jailbreak apps can be launched using Siri. Simply say “Launch” or “Open” and the name of the app, and Siri will quickly launch that app for you.

You can also use Siri in conjunction with SbSettings. You can toggle on and off various system options using this awesome app. You can say, “Turn on Bluetooth,” for example, which obviously turns Bluetooth on. For a complete list of available toggles say “List toggles” to Siri, and she will happily tell you everything she can turn on and off and their current status.

If you are feeling bored you can also say, “Should I…” and something you would like to do. Who knew Siri could also be a magic 8-ball? You can also just make Siri say stuff. Just tell her, “say…” and what you want her to say. It is somewhat useless, but fun nonetheless.

Are you lonely? Well, why not have a conversation with Siri? Simply say “let’s chat” and wait a few moments for Siri to load herself into chat mode. Once she says she is ready, you can chat about pretty much anything. Now, this is important, when you are done talking with Siri make sure to say “goodbye” because when she is in chat mode she will not do any of her normal functions. Saying “goodbye” gets her back to regular Siri mode.

The Future

What makes this application stand out above the rest is the fact that people can create their own extensions for Siri, as long as they know how to program (which I don’t). This opens up the application to endless possibilities of what people can make Siri do. As an example, the developer included a tweak that allows you to search YouTube from Siri. Simply say, “search……on YouTube” and Siri will pop up a list of matching results.

The developer of the app put a list of ideas for things that Siri could do, and I must say that any of these would be awesome, and I am sure creative-minded members of the jailbreak community will come up with some even better ones. Check out his list of ideas:

• Complete social network integration (what’s new on Facebook, post on Facebook….)
• Chat bots.
• Completing original Apple intentions like local search for countries where it is not yet available.
• Search for known sites like IMDB, eBay….
• Remote controllers – control your Mac/Apple TV with Siri.
• Translators (it was made already; check out Lingual on Cydia now).

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. It has already done some pretty amazing things, and as more and more developers start implementing their own take, this could become one of the best Cydia tweaks ever made.

The problem with the port is that it seems to be impossible to connect to Siri without a proxy server, and Apple has theirs locked down. There are ways to get the application to work fully, but they aren’t easy. The developer of Spire has an FAQ, which suggests some possible ways to find a proxy server. Some suggestions include asking a friend for their authentication tokens and if you already have a 4S, sharing your authentication tokens with another device.

He also suggests some ways the situation may change in the future. He thinks you may be able to rent space on someone’s Siri for a monthly fee. He also suggests the possibility of using Siri, but getting the results from Google’s “Speech” API.

Source: TechCrunch

Personally, I think there are pros and cons in each. One of iOS’s most infamous cons is its lack of flexibility. While on an Android device you can create widgets and shortcuts for settings you use often, in iOS there is no other choice but to bore down into the settings menu, find the setting you’re looking for and change it. True, you can always jailbreak and get the thing over with, but wouldn’t it be nice to have some settings shortcuts in iOS without the need to jailbreak?

Jeff Broderick’s Settings

Jeff Broderick is a UI/visual designer, who created this really nifty solution for non-jailbroken iOS users. Using his Settings web app, anyone can add shortcuts to various popular settings, and access them quickly without having to dig for them each and every time.

These are merely shortcuts to the settings menu, not real widgets, so the solution is by no means perfect, but considering the iOS constraints, this is a really handy shortcut which can save you lots of time in the long run. Plus, it looks really cool. So how does it work?

Setting Up Shortcuts

To start, point the browser on your device to http://brdrck.me/settings. Note that when I tried this in Dolphin, it didn’t work, but it worked well in Safari.

You will find an array of frequently-used settings shortcuts you can choose from. When you find one you want to install, simply tap on it.

Some shortcuts come with several icon options, and some come with only one. Once you’re satisfied with the icon, tap on the install button to install the shortcut.

This will redirect you to the settings menu where you can install the shortcut as a profile. Tap “Install” to proceed.

You will be prompted with a “Do you really want to install?” question, and will also have to enter your device’s passcode if you have one.

The installation will now complete, and you can head over to your homescreen to find the new shortcuts. Tapping one of the shortcuts will automatically lead you to the specific place in the device’s setting where you can change it. So if, for example, you need to change Safari’s settings a lot, installing the shortcut will bring you to that specific place in the settings with only one tap.

Uninstalling A Shortcut

If you’re not interested in having shortcuts anymore, you can easily remove them. To start, you can of course delete the shortcuts as you would delete any other app. Long-tap the shortcut icon and tap the X. This will delete the shortcut icon from your desktop.

But removing the settings shortcuts this way doesn’t entirely uninstall them. To do that, access the Settings, and in the General tab, scroll down to find Profiles. Next to it, you will see the number of shortcuts you have installed (unless you have other profiles installed, that is).

Tap on Profiles to find a list of the installed shortcuts. Choose the one you want to remove and tap it. Here you can remove the shortcut by tapping “Remove”.

Important Notes

As you can probably imagine, Apple doesn’t really like shortcuts like this. There is a rumor that such things will stop working on iOS 5.1, but I haven’t seen anything specifically regarding Jeff Broderick’s Settings. If you’ve already installed the beta version of iOS 5.1, you’re welcome to let us know if this still works on it.

What do you think of Apple’s decisions regarding iOS’s flexibility? Do you wish you could do more things, or is this whole flexibility thing overrated? Share in the comments.

Image credit: Jeff Broderick

The jailbreak is the result of months of work by an individual called pod2g, who is currently turning his efforts towards A5 devices. Pod2g’s work was passed on to both the Chronic and iPhone Dev Teams who then integrated the payload into their existing tools.

The jailbreak is available both as a Cydia package (search: “Corona”) for those already running a tethered jailbreak, or as a redsn0w and Pwnage Tool package which can be used to jailbreak a device from a Windows or Mac OS X computer. Users should update their devices to iOS 5.0.1 before attempting the jailbreak, and unlockers interested in preserving basebands should avoid stock, Apple-signed updates and use a custom IPSW.

The jailbreak has already been updated once since release to version 0.9.10b2 with bug fixes. Users looking for more information about the current jailbreak, preserving basebands and custom software updates should check out iClarified.

Download: redsn0w 0.9.10b2 (Windows & Mac) @ Chronic Dev Team

Sources: pod2g, Chronic Dev Team, iPhone Dev Team

It also needs to be noted that this a tethered jailbreak. This means that any time your phone restarts or powers off, you will need to plug it into a computer and run the jailbreak software to get it to boot up. Obviously, this isn’t the best case scenario if your phone dies while you are out and not near a computer, but for some people, it’s better than no jailbreaking at all. There is a mod that allows for a semi-tethered jailbreak, and that works with 5.0.1 in addition to 5.0.

If you haven’t upgraded to 5.0.1 yet, then I would suggest you stick with 5.0 as the jailbreak community is saying that is more likely to receive an untethered jailbreak. If you upgraded by mistake and are stuck on 5.0.1, then you can download the latest jailbreak from redsn0w and sn0wbreeze. If you need to install the jailbreak, check out redmondpie for step by step instructions. If you are familiar with jailbreaking, the steps are the standard affair.

Source: TechSpot

AppDialer is a Cydia tweak that allows you to literally dial an application or iPhone function and have it quickly open. You simply use Activator to store a gesture to launch AppDialer, enter in the numbers or pattern you stored for the application and the application will open up quickly and easily. I did not really think I needed a tweak such as this on my phone, but now that I have it I could not imagine going without.

Installation

AppDialer is available for free on Cydia. It is under the default repos so there is no need to go seeking out any funky repo for the app. Simply open up Cydia and search for “AppDialer” and click on the link for AppDialer in the search results. On the top of the screen you will see an install button, click that and let Cydia do its thing.

When the application finishes downloading, Cydia will force you to respring your device to allow the changes to take effect.

Set Up

Setting up AppDialer take a few steps. First, go to the settings option on your iPhone, scroll down to the section right below “Store” and click on AppDialer to adjust the settings for the app.

The next step is to click on “Activation Methods” to set what kind of gesture you would like to use to activate AppDialer. I chose to shake the device to get it going, but there are lots of available options to make it start whichever is the most comfortable for you.

Next you will have to choose whether you want to use numbers or a pattern to make each application open.

After you choose how you want to input your commands, you need to actually set up a command in the application. To do this click Dial Setting on the first setting page. Click the “Add Item” button to input a new command.

A keyboard or pattern input screen will pop up, and you need to enter whatever you want for this particular app and click call. Your newly entered command will appear below the “Add Item” button. Click on it to tell the application what program to open when you choose this command.

Next choose “Activator Event” at the bottom of the screen and scroll through the list to choose whatever you want this new command to do. You can make it open an application, or launch a basic iPhone function, whatever you prefer.

Now try it out. Shake your device or do whatever activator control you used, enter the code or make the pattern and your application should open the same as if you clicked the icon on the springboard.

Conclusion

This is one of those awesome Cydia tweaks that you just do not think you need until you try it. This is one that I will be keeping on my phone for the long haul, and I highly recommend that you check it out if you are a user with a lot of apps on your phone.

Have you tried AppDialer? How did you like it? Let us know in the comments.

You may be wondering why you would need your iPhone to know how fast you are going when your car has a speedometer built right in. Well, what if you are riding on a train and you want to know how fast it is moving? Or how about a bus? Maybe you are in the third row of a friends giant Lincoln Navigator and you want to yell at them for driving like an old lady, but you need to make sure it isn’t just your imagination, and that he or she is, in fact, actually driving slowly.

Whatever your reason for needing to know your speed, I’m going to show you two cool Cydia tweaks that allow you to quickly and easily add a speedometer to your iPhone.

Installing The Apps

Both of the apps I am going to recommend today are available in the base Cydia repositories, so installing them is nice and easy. The first app is called “Speed for Maps.” Simply search for that in Cydia, install the package and you’ll be ready to go. The second one is called “Speedometer,” search for that in Cydia, download, and be impressed.

Speed For Maps

Speed for Maps is a very basic Cydia tweak that does one thing and does it well. It overlays a little speedometer in the base iPhone maps app. It drops it on the bottom right corner of the screen, so it will not intrude with the view of where you are going.

It is a very cool little tweak that works exactly as advertised. Simply install it in Cydia, respring your iPhone and open up the maps app. There is virtually no setup involved and you will be ready to use the app immediately. This is a small, highly functional tweak that adds something to the iPhone that should be there by default.

The speed was very accurate as long as I was moving quickly. I had a hard time getting it to pick up my movement while walking, but in the car it had no problem.

Speedometer

Speedometer is a standalone app that does not integrate with Maps. It simply launches and tells you exactly how fast you are moving. It offers two different display themes in the free version, and offers two more premium themes if you would like to pay. The free version also features a small ad on the bottom of the app.

The cool thing about this app is that it features social network integration. You can simply click the Twitter or Facebook button and the app will post how fast you are moving at that time. It will also share your highest speed with your friends. It might be a great way to get busted if you have some police officers on your friends list.

While this iPhone speedometer app is designed as more of a “for fun” app, it is still cool if you just want to quickly find out how fast you are moving and share it with your friends.

The speed accuracy on this worked the same as the first one. It was almost dead on to the speed that my car showed.

Conclusion

Both of these apps are cool if you want to know how fast you are traveling and you do not have access to a car’s speedometer. Speed for Maps is more of a functional app that adds a function to an already existing iPhone service. Speedometer, while still functional, is more of a novelty in that it just shows you your speed, and allows you to share with your friends. Either way, they both get the job done, it just depends on exactly what kind of functionality you are looking for.

Have you tried these iPhone speedometer apps? Did you set a land speed record? Let us know in the comments.

Image Credit: Michiel2005

But each person has different tastes. Users love to add their personal touch to everything they own. While iOS can be customized, some elements of the UI come with minimal customization options, one example being the iOS lockscreen. The only official personalization you can do to it is change the background image. Fortunately, there’s a solution. If you have a jailbroken iOS device and you want to customize your lockscreen, there are countless ways to do it. This is one of them.

Let’s Go Shopping

There are many reasons why people jailbreak their iOS device, but I guess the most popular one is to be able to change the look and feel. You can do this by activating Winterboard and applying a theme or two. There are lots of themes that you can find on Cydia, and choosing one among many is not an easy task. So I started my quest with the good old search engine.

I found that one of the good looking popular themes is LockMS. You can get the theme via Cydia. Just tap the search tab and type in the name. Tap LockMS from the result and tap the “Install” button on the top right corner of the screen.

I took the screenshot after I installed LockMS, so the install button is replaced by “Modify“.

As mentioned above, you’ll need Winterboard to be able to run themes. You can download and install it independently, but the app should be installed automatically along with the first theme that you download. But the theme alone is not enough. To further customize your lockscreen, you need other applications from Cydia. The first one is “CleanStatus“. This app will let you customize which screen information you want to display or hide.

The next one on our shopping list is “Lockscreen Clock Hide“. As the name suggests, this app will hide the big clock on the lockscreen so that it won’t overlap with the clock from LockMS.

And the last one of the pack is MiniSlider. This app will reduce the size of the lock slider so that the slider will not block LockMS.

If you want to completely hide the lock slider, you can use one of these themes along LockMS: “Hide Slide to Unlock” or “No Slider“. I don’t use them because I feel more comfortable having the unlock slide on the lockscreen.

Let The Game Begin

With all the ingredients ready, we can start the customization process. Go to “Settings” and scroll down to the Winterboard.

Then tap “Select Themes” to view the theme list.

You can find all the installed themes here. Tap on the ones you want from the list. LockMS comes in several flavors. They are the basic version, the 24-hour version, the version with the “Tap To Unlock (TTU)” feature, and the one with invisible TTU. To enable our customization, choose one of the LockMS themes and MiniSlider.

After choosing the theme, go back to the WinterBoard main screen and tap “Respring” to activate the theme.

After that go to the CleanStatus screen from Settings and disable the icons you don’t want by sliding their status to “On“.

Don’t forget to enable Clock Hide to complete the process.

And here’s the result of our customization. You can further customize the theme (such as adding a background image) by going to the “Root – Library – Themes” of your iOS device with the help of an application like iPhoneExplorer. But a complete explanation on how to do this would take another article, and it would bring our discussion out from the “easy” realm.

Even though the process we’ve discussed here is simple, I hope it’s enough to introduce you to the world of iOS customization. Don’t forget to check out some of our other articles about jailbreaking and iOS devices such as Jailbreaking & iOS: The Pros And Cons Of Voiding Your Warranty, JailbreakMe 2.0: Easiest Way to Jailbreak Your iPhone, and How To Get Your Own iPhone Wallpapers and Themes.

Do you jailbreak your iOS device? Do you use themes? What’s your favorite theme? Please share your thoughts using the comments below.

Image credit: toastr blog