Daily Tip: How to get custom Notification Center widgets in iOS 5 [Jailbreak]

Jailbroken iOS 5 and curious how to get custom Notification Center widgets up and running? Right now, Apple has only included weather and stocks widgets and hasn’t shown any signs of extending an API to 3rd party developers for building their own. However, as soon as iOS 5 was jailbroken a few developers started tinkering around and found it was rather easy to build their own custom widgets, and we’re already starting to see some interesting things come out of developers. We’ll show you how to add them to your custom Notification Center… after the jump!

To get started, first check out our iOS 5 jailbreak how to and then fire up Cydia. Note: these widgets are fairly new athere are still some bugs that need to be worked out, but for the most part they’re interesting and useful.

The widgets we’ll go over are developed by @qwertyoruiop, so you’ll have to add his beta repo to get access. Just follow these quick steps to add the correct Cydia repository before getting started.

The first widget is one I’d definitely suggest getting…

UISettings is a great widget that offers most of your settings toggles right from within Notification Center. Much akin to SBSettings, UISettings lets you toggle WiFi or Bluetooth, respring, reboot, adjust brightness/volume and more. You swipe to reveal more toggles, and turning your WiFi or Bluetooth radios on/off is very fast.

The developer is actively working on improving UISettings and we’re betting he’ll keep up with Apple’s iOS 5 betas as they roll out. The only issue (if you can even call it an “issue”) is the icons used aren’t the best looking, but they’re currently a big step up from the initial release last week. We’re also looking into the possibility of manually changing the icons via SSH and we’ll have a guide up if we determine it’s possible.

MusicCenter offers now playing information in the Notification Center with playback options available by swiping to the left. It’s great if you need more track identifier data over what’s shown in the native app switcher when swiping left, and also comes with a Twitter option to tweet what’s playing from the official Twitter for iPhone app.

I found the playback controls to be quite buggy, but I think it was more due to the button design than anything else. The playback control buttons are too small, making it difficult for those with larger thumbs to get the button press exact. Additional bugs were noticed after my iPhone crashed into safe mode when I tried to disable the widget, and in one case I had to completely reboot my iPhone after disabling it.

This one needs a little more work, but the concept is great for quickly getting to track information on what’s currently playing without going into the Music app.

BetteryCenter is a very simple widget to display your current battery percentage. BatteryCenter shows a battery icon on the left and the percentage on the right. It will also tell you whether the device is charging or unplugged.

For most, this widget might seem useless since the information it displays is also included in the status bar. But for some, it serves a purpose if you don’t want the percentage displayed on the status bar, as some status bar icons tend to get “pushed” out of the way when too many icons are being displayed (including the percentage indicator). I personally use BatteryCenter for this very reason, and have since disabled the battery percentage in the status bar since it’s no longer needed. I also ran into zero bugs with this widget.

RSSWidget is a simple RSS reader for Notification Center that displays a single RSS feed, letting you swipe between recent articles with the post’s title and first few lines displayed. Tapping an article takes you straight into Mobile Safari to read the full post.

I noticed a few small bugs with this one as well, in that some RSS feeds with links in the first few lines get displayed as HTML code, making it difficult to read without going into Safari to view the full post. This is very noticeable on blog posts that start with a photo (see above image). I also had occasional crashes to safe mode when enabling or disabling the widget, similar to buggy behavior in MusicCenter.

This is a great widget for getting news at-a-glance or keeping up with your favorite RSS feed, but it also needs a little work. Follow these quick steps in order to change the RSS feed displayed.

It would be nice if there was a shortcut setting to change the RSS feed a little quicker, but for now you’ll have to do it through iFile or via SSH.

That’s it! These new Notification Center widgets are looking good, and there’s more to come from other great jailbreak developers. If we left anything out, or if you know of other cool Notification Center widgets for iOS 5 then let us know in the comments!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Vote for iPhone Alley’s New Logo

Editors Michael DeLisi (myself) and Nikhil Katti have been hard at work designing a new logo for iPhone Alley, but our readers get to make the final choice. To the left, banner versions of each logo are paired (by number) with the icon that would become iPhone Alley’s new avatar on Twitter. Not only does your vote decide which logo wins, but also the color scheme that the site’s upcoming redesign will follow.

Which design should become iPhone Alley's new logo?

View Results

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also make sure to check out bigger versions of the designs for a better view:

 

Michael’s “iOS Blog” design

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nkatti’s “News, reviews and more” design 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nkatti’s “News, reviews and more” design 2

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! – Dr. Seuss book for iPhone and iPad now available

Oceanhouse Media has released a new Dr. Seuss book for iPhone and iPad, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! This interactive book is unique in that it sets the stage for each scene, giving the child a chance to image it themselves. Then they tap the colorful questions to watch the story appear as Dr. Seuss imagined it.

If you pick this one up, let us know what you and your child think! Sreenshots after the break.

[$3.99 - iTunes link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

everythingiCafe App Update Version 1.6 Now Available in App Store

Version 1.6 of the everythingiCafe app is now available in the App Store. The application is the perfect companion app to our forums and it’s free.

The new update includes the following:

The everythingiCafe app remains free. The app is also completely ad-free for members who are signed into the forum.

You can download the everythingiCafe app from the App Store.

In stock: New TiPb t-shirts are here!

Have you gotten your TiPb t-shirt yet? The new TiPb t-shirts are here, and you can find them in the SPE Swag Store. They come in all shapes, sizes, weights and colors, for men and women, and feature our awesome TiPb icon front and center.

There are also some fabulous Lloyd t-shirts for those of you who like your feisty green Androids as well.

Get them. Wear them. Send us your pictures!

Shop TiPb t-shirts at the SPE Swag Store…

Verizon dropping unlimited data plans next month

According to All Things Digital, a Verizon spokesperson has said that they will be dropping its their Unlimited data plan option in July.

Verizon will be switching to a tiered data option for smart phone users on their network, and according to the source, the data caps and prices will be as follows,

10GB – $80/month

Tethering is a $20/month add-on and includes an additional 2GB of data.

Overages are assessed at $10/GB.

AT&T dropped their unlimited data plans last summer and switched to a tiered system, but allowed customers to stay “grandfathered” into their unlimited data plans (without the option to tether). Whether or not Verizon follows suit allow their existing users with unlimited plans to keep them, we don’t know yet.

If you’re on Verizon, what do you think of these new plans? If you’re not on Verizon, are you tempted to switch now before unlimited goes away?

[All Things Digital]

iPad 2 and AirPlay Make Nintendo’s Wii U an Unnecessary Console

When Nintendo introduced its follow-up to the incredibly successful Wii console, titled Wii U, it brought current-generation graphics and a controller that is only unique in the console industry. Nintendo is still betting that the controller, dominated by a 6.2″ resistive touch-screen surrounded by traditional buttons and motion sensors, will be seen as innovative once customers can get their hands on it despite a fairly lukewarmly-received demonstration at the E3 Expo. Though the system is certainly unique in how video can be wirelessly streamed from the console to the controller, enabling games to be played exclusively on the controller (which has little internal hardware) without the need for a television while also giving developers and users the option of having both the controller and a television working independently. Trouble is, a 2012 release date may be too little, too late for Nintendo.

With iOS 5, Apple introduces similar functionality into a multi-purpose device that millions already have: the iPad 2. The iOS 5 introduction of wireless AirPlay allows users to transmit video to a television cable-free. In this instance, the actual processing is being done on the controller, the iPad. Similar to the functionality of the Wii U controller, this not only allows for a mirroring of the iPad’s display but also something different to be displayed on a television and the iPad.

Quickly stepping in to test out the new AirPlay functionality, developer Firemint implemented the feature into a beta version of Real Racing 2. In the early build, the game itself is displayed on a TV while a map and motion controls make up the complementary iPad experience. Proving that a powerhouse app can use AirPlay to great effect, we are not too far-off from seeing the trend continue, especially as the Wii U is marketed.

If the current power of the iPad is not enough for a game, then cloud gaming can fill in the gaps. OnLive, which processes games on its own server farm while sending a synchronized video stream of the game to devices so that it is irrelevant how powerful the device actually is, had already been preparing similar dual-display functionality for its upcoming iPad player app. Once the app is released later this year, developers can make full-blown console/PC games playable on a tablet while also adding touch-specific controls and complementary displays on a television and tablet.

If developers are creating a Wii U version of the game anyway, it would not take much work to port it over to a service such as OnLive or optimize it for the App Store so that users can have a similar experience with devices that they already have.

Interestingly enough, there are unique multiplayer scenarios for a Wii U controller when used with multiple Wii remotes. However, even this can be extended to the iPad with the iPhone and iPod touch replacing Wii remotes, because after all, how many people do you know that don’t have an iOS device?

For all intent and purposes, iPad 2 can take the place of a Wii U. Though the Wii U does have a hardware advantage going for it, the iPad will likely take another performance leap in the next iteration before Nintendo’s new console is released. By the time it launches, parallel tablet and television apps/gaming will not be a new thing. Who knows how much of an effect such a version of Angry Birds could have on the living room gaming scene within the next few months?

FruityLoops Heads To iOS With FL Studio Mobile

If you’re one of those people who likes to lay down the phat beatz — or whatever the kids are calling it these days — you’ve probably heard of the fantastic digital workstation called FruityLoops. Well, these days it’s called FL Studio after Kellogs sued them. Anyway, they’ve just ported their studios to iOS in the guise of FL Studio Mobile, and you can grab them now and start laying down your own audio. The iPhone version will set you back $14.99 if you grab it now before they raise the price up to $19.99, and the iPad version is currently $19.99 heading up to $24.99 in the near future.

FL Studios is also holding a simultaneous competition, giving away three iPad 2s and two iPod Touches with the software. Check out their website for details.

If it’s good enough for Deadmau5, it’s good enough for you.

Verizon users waiting for iPhone 5 to ditch Android en masse?

Needham analyst Charlie Wolf thinks most Verizon Android users have been holding out for the iPhone 5, and once it’s released, a mass exodus from the Android platform will ensue.

Verizon’s Android users are waiting for the iPhone 5. And when it arrives this fall, they’ll make the switch en masse.

Wolf suspects some Verizon subscribers chose not to pick up the Verizon iPhone after it debuted last February, some 8 months later than the iPhone 4 on AT&T.

“It’s reasonable to assume that a material percentage of Verizon subscribers who plan to switch were content to wait until the iPhone 5 arrived later this year,” says Wolf. “One reason Apple delayed the launch of iPhone 5 until September is that it reportedly plans to coordinate the launch of the GSM and CDMA versions of the phone. To do so in June would likely have upset Verizon subscribers who purchased iPhone 4 in the preceding months. It’s our expectation, then, that the anticipated surge in iPhone sales on the Verizon network is likely to occur this fall after Apple launches iPhone 5.”

TiPb has heard that the Verizon deal was a factor in Apple not launching iPhone 5 in June. However, it’s just as likely that Verizon users are on contracts with a wide range of end dates, and would be penalized for switching outside their renewal window. If they want a full subsidy, especially for a device that’s been on the market since June 2010, they’d wait for it. That means, rather than a sudden rush last February or this fall, we could see a slow, steady transition over time as contracts come up for renewal, and those Verizon users who want an iPhone make the switch.

Of course, not everyone is going to want an iPhone either. By fall there will no doubt be new Verizon Android devices out as well, including those with LTE data speeds — something iPhone isn’t suspected to match until 2012. That could make the decision more difficult and more complicated.

What do you think? Will Verizon Android users be switching en masse come iPhone 5 this fall?

[AllThingsD]

The iPhone 4 Is Officially The Most Popular Camera On Flickr

Following up from a news story we ran in April stating that the iPhone 4 was set to become the most popular camera on Flickr, now two months later it has officially taken the top spot — the other entries are all SLRs. There’s the aging Nikon D90, the ever popular Canon 5D mk II, and two entry level SLRs from Canon.

The other cool graph looks at cameraphones, and four of the top five are Apple devices: iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch — the lone Android entrant the HTC EVO 4G, which barely scrapes along the bottom of the graph. There is at least some reason for this, as not all cellphone cameras put out the information that Flickr needs to make this graph:

The graphs are only accurate to the extent that we can automatically detect the camera used to take the photo or shoot the video (about 2/3rds of the time). That is not usually possible with cameraphones, therefore they are under-represented.

Still, I’d call that a pretty resounding victory for the iPhones, wouldn’t you?

[via TUAW]

Yamaha Introduces A Quintet Of iPad Apps

Yamaha has just released a mammoth pile of iPad apps, all of which are far too technical for my mind, but I’m sure extremely valuable to people who know about such things. The apps all sync with Yamaha’s best selling Motif XF series of synthesizers, allowing you to hook the applications into a WiFi network, and control the synth. Here’s Yamaha’s official description of how the set works:

A new OS update for the MOTIF XF offers wireless MIDI connectivity with Yamaha’s new iPad applications. After connecting a compatible Wi-Fi USB adapter, you can send and receive MIDI messages between the XF and the iPad. There are new Yamaha iPad applications which expand the features of MOTIF XF including Keyboard Arp & Drum Pad, Faders & XY Pad, Multi Editor Essential and Voice Editor Essential which make it easy to play, tweak, mix and edit your MOTIF XF wirelessly from an Apple iPad. Check out new possibilities of MOTIF on the following page.

The apps are: Keyboard Arp & Drum Pad ($3.99), Multi Editor Essential ($3.99), Faders & XY Pad ($3.99) and Voice Editor Essential ($3.99).

Released at the same time is the slightly less specific Set List Organizer ($3.99).

iPhone 5 Coming in August!

The iPhone 5 is coming in August! Our friends over at Boy Genius recently reported that the iPhone 5 may be in our hands sooner than we all thought. They were told by a reliable source that the rumors surrounding an iPhone 4s, an iPhone 4 with better guts, is false. The next iPhone for release, will be an iPhone 5 and we should be prepared for a new outside design. The introduction to the new iPhone will no doubt happen after the iOS 5 release. What is the point of having an iPhone 5 without the latest iOS? It was assumed that the iPhone 5 would not be announced at the annual September event, which is normally all about the iPod. However, a source has suggested to BGR that Apple may break tradition. They may hold the event the beginning or middle of August to announce the iPhone 5. Then the iPhone would be available for purchase by the end of August. No word yet on if they will also announce any iPod news at this time or if they will wait for a later date.

Thisismynext recently introduced a new tapered case design for the iPhone 5. Is this what we should expect?

 

TiPb Asks: How do you take pictures with your iPhone?

It’s often said iPhone is the best camera because it’s the one you have with you, so that makes me curious — TiPb nation, how exactly do you take pictures with your iPhone?

Do you use the built in Camera app or do you use something like Camera+ or Instagram that offer more or different features?

Do you spend a lot of time composing that perfect picture or do you snap away hoping to capture that special moment?

Do you prefer the look of a “normal” photo or do you like the cool filters that give it that something extra?

Do you crop or enhance your photos before sharing or using them, or do you just shoot and send?

Do you use apps that add cartoon bubbles or funny props?

And if you don’t use the built in Camara app, will the iOS 5 Camera app, with its volume key shutter, crop tools, auto enhance, and other features make you consider switching back to it?

Let me know what apps, effects, additions, you use to take pictures with your iPhone!

iPhone 5 Rumors Predict September and August Release Dates

The blogosphere is jumping with next generation iPhone rumors. According to unverified reports, the iPhone 5 will launch on Wednesday, September 7. The new iPhone is purportedly being shipped with iOS 5, which Apple senior vice president Scott Forstall unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Many tech blogs are skeptical of the release date due to inaccuracies of some reports, especially those of the International Business Times, who stated that iOS 5 is being launched in July. At the WWDC, Forstall said that OS X Lion will available to the general public in July, not the new operating system.

Another report by BGR claims that the next iPhone will feature a major redesign, and that the device known as the iPhone 4S will not be launching this fall. A BGR source said that Apple will hold a special event in the middle of August to announce the new iPhone.

Other tech blogs believe that Apple will wait for Google’s rumored Nexus G4 aka “the iPhone Killer” to be launched before making any announcements. The Nexus G4 is rumored to be getting a Thanksgiving release, but nothing has been officially confirmed.

All the conflicting rumors prompted ZDnet to start an “iPhone 5 launch day prediction pool”, picking September 15 for themselves.

What is your prediction?

Verizon To Institute Tiered Data Next Month?

Verizon users have been enjoying unlimited data on their smartphones for quite some time, but we’ve known that it ends this summer. Unfortunately, those of you using the Verizon iPhone may be faced with a tiered pricing structure similar to AT&Ts, if not with your current phone, then definitely when you upgrade.

According to Droid-Life, the rollover is meant to kick in on July 7th, and their data plans will look a little something like this:

Data plans:

If you would like to add tethering on to any of those packages, you can purchase 2GB of data at an additional cost of $20 per month.

Data plans w/ tethering:

AllThingsD contacted Verizon about the change, who said, “we will move to a more usage based model in July. We’ll share more later.”

That’s a corporate confirmation if ever I saw one.

iPhone 5 to be announced in August, major hardware update?

According to BGR Apple will be announcing a much improved and updated iPhone 5 as early as August.

Lots of recent rumors have pointed to Apple releasing a small upgrade form the current iPhone 4; even going so far as to call it the iPhone 4S. Both This is My Next‘s iPhone 5 rumors, and now BGR‘s dispute that. Unless Apple is planning two release (iPhone nano?, someone is going to have to make up their mind and soon.

BGR has also heard that it is possible Apple will hold the iPhone 5 announcement event at the beginning or middle of August with availability to follow as early as the end of August. TiPb has heard similar August rumblings from box box retail sources, but their information is usually hit and miss and hard to source. The major issue with an August timeframe is obviously Apple’s announcement of a fall release of iOS 5. There is no way Apple will release a new iPhone prior to the release of iOS 5 — at least every new iPhone to date has shipped with a new version of iOS.

Could Apple announce iPhone 5 in August and release it alongside iOS 5 in September? Would that make sense?

[BGR]

iPhone 5 To Be A Major Upgrade?

At present, the vast majority of speculators are pegging the next iteration of iPhone to be an iPhone 4S — a primarily under the hood upgrade, bringing more memory, a faster processor, and possibly some minor physical tweaks like a moved flash or slightly larger screen. The thinking is that this will be an incremental upgrade and then the next iPhone after that will be a 4G version with major changes.

However, BGR is reporting that the next iPhone will be significantly different:

BGR has independently confirmed that the next-generation iPhone will not merely be an upgraded iPhone 4 as had been previously rumored. We have been told by a reliable source to expect a radical new case design for the upcoming iPhone.

They’re source doesn’t have any specific details, and is also claiming an August announcement and release, rather than during Apple’s annual September even like many others are thinking.

BGR generally has a solid — but not perfect — record with rumors. This one’s far enough out there that I’m wanting further confirmation before I’ll believe it.

Gameloft announces BackStab for iPhone and iPad, coming this Thursday [video]

Gameloft has announced that BackStab will be arriving for the iPhone and iPad this Thursday. Previously only available on one particular Android device, it will now be available for iPhone and iPad users too. Gameloft announced via twitter that the game would be available on Thursday June 23^rd.

BackStab is set on an 18th century Caribbean island and weaves an epic tale of revenge. Hero Henry Blake has been falsely accused of treason and will go to all means to seek vengeance on his British jailers. With a game play mixing action and adventure, BackStab incorporates an open 3D environment for free roaming, dynamic combat and counter-attacks.

No information is available on pricing; we will let you know as soon as its announced. Take a look at the video after the break. Will you be picking this one up?  Let us know what you think in the comments!

[Gameloft]

Apple releases Final Cut Pro X, Motion, Compressor on Mac App Store

Not strictly iPhone or iPad news, but Apple today released a huge upgrade to their pro video editing tools with Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor, which will be available for $299, $49, and $49 respectively on the Mac App Store.

“Final Cut Pro X is the biggest advance in Pro video editing since the original Final Cut Pro,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We have shown it to many of the world’s best Pro editors, and their jaws have dropped.”

“I’m blown away by what Apple has done with Final Cut Pro,” said Angus Wall, Academy Award-winning film editor. “Final Cut Pro X is incredibly modern and fast, but most importantly it lets you focus on telling your story in the most creative way, while it actively manages all of the technical details.”

While they’ll no doubt be used to make a ton of content for our iOS devices, the interesting thing to me is how closely Final Cut Pro has come to resemble iMovie for both Mac and iOS, showing once again how Apple uses innovation on OS X to drive iOS, and iOS to drive OS X.

We saw this with the leaner, meaner QuickTime X on iOS that got ported back to the Mac, along with tons of interface and experience conventions for OS X Lion, and we’re seeing it with iMovie, GarageBand, and things like CoreImage being moved to iPhone and iPad.

We probably won’t see Final Cut Pro X touch for iOS any time soon, but we’ll absolutely see better versions of iMovie for iOS because of it. And vice versa.

Anyone picking up Final Cut Pro X?

[Apple PR, Final Cut Pro]

Phone Drive ( File Sharing) updated with iPad support

Phone Drive (+File Sharing) turns your iPhone, and now iPad, into a portal flash drive. Easily and quickly manage your files even better than ever.

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Check out the screenshots after the break.

[$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - iTunes link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Tuesday, June 20

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

Splashtop Remote Desktop (update and sale): Access your PC programs, games, multimedia content, and files over Wi-Fi and 3G/4G networks. Go everywhere with just your iPad without having to carry your computer! [$1.99 for iPhone - iTunes link] [$2.99 for iPad - iTunes link

Puzz for iPad: A puzzle simulator with more than 100 puzzles in different difficulty levels. [$2.99 for iPad - iTunes link]

Breitling Reno Air Races The Game: Take the plunge and join the Breitling Reno Air Races, flying the most famous racing planes on the planet in the fastest motor sport on earth! [Free for iPhone and iPad - iTunes link]

Snap! ♥: The easiest way to add notes to your photos! Just snap a photo, write as many notes as you want, move them around with your finger and it’ll be saved with the notes overlaid on it. Now with a redesigned UI and Instagram, Flickr, and and Evernote integration! [$0.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]

Melon Truck: Game Play consists of launching melons from a melon truck to baskets that vary in points. There are total of 60 Levels, 6 of which are bonus. Each level must be completed with a minimum score of 1600 in order to proceed to the next locked level. [$0.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.