BrokeYouriPhone

Apple’s AirPlay is one of the more prominent examples of Apple’s ‘it just works’ ecosystem and is arguably the best reason to own an Apple TV. Being able to take audio and video from an iOS device and throw it over to a big-screen TV or audio system is the thing of dreams, and the fact it works so well just adds to the mystique.

With the release of iOS 7.1 a couple of days ago, it seems that Apple made an important addition to the way AirPlay currently works. According to the release notes for the accompanying Apple TV 6.1 software update, iPhones, iPads and iPod touches running the latest version of their mobile operating system will now be able to discover an Apple TV using nothing more than Bluetooth. Prior to the update both the Apple TV and iOS device needed to be on the same network subnet, with that network also configured to allow Bonjour traffic. This isn’t always the case, especially in schools, offices and college campuses.

CarPlay, a term Apple uses to describe its all-new, in-car operating system, was showcased heavily last week at the Geneva Motor Show by the likes of Volvo and Ferrari. Since then, we’ve seen the Cupertino company drop iOS 7.1, bringing official CarPlay support to the iPhone, and with most of the pieces now seemingly in place, we’re just waiting on the manufacturers to come through with the release of compatible automobiles. But while it has seemed, hitherto, like users would probably have to buy a new car in order to take advantage of CarPlay, Pioneer may be poised to develop CarPlay integration for upcoming systems, as well as those already installed.

The scoop arrives courtesy of MacRumors, and states that Pioneer – maker of some pretty solid audio and navigation systems for cars – wants to offer widespread aftermarket CarPlay support.

So far, Apple has been on the campaign trail in showcasing its new voice-controlled in-car system, but the recurring theme has been that CarPlay will be installed in cars before the point of sale. Thus, we have been led to believe that in order to enjoy CarPlay, one would, for the most part, have to go out and pick up some new wheels. And picking up a Ferrari one fine evening is no easy feat.

The mere fact that CarPlay does work with BlackBerry’s widely-used QNX Car Platform indicates that Pioneer’s ambitions aren’t misplaced, though, and so those who may wish to reap the benefits of CarPlay without buying a brand-new car may turn to the likes of Pioneer.

Certainly, there hasn’t been much talk of widespread support for an abundance of pre-existing cars, and it is here that Pioneer could really flourish. With millions of iPhone users worldwide, only a few of them will be planning to purchase a new car from one of Apple’s many partners, including the likes of Honda, Jaguar, Hyundai, and General Motors, and hence why such an aftermarket solution would likely prove incredibly popular.

It’s worth pointing out that none of this is concrete, and Pioneer has made no official announcements either way. But if the company, and others within its industry, begin to pledge support for CarPlay, eventually, integrating Apple’s tech into your current system could be a fairly simple, painless process.

Back in December, we got word that FOX would be teaming up with TinyCo to develop the very first official mobile game for the long-running series Family Guy. Having been on our screens for so many years, it would seem strange that an animation of Family Guy’s stature hasn’t been handed its very own title before now, but for fans of Seth MacFarlane’s iconic comedy show, the teasing screen captures released on Thursday are sure to whet the appetite.

Scheduled to release next month, we already know that the title will be quite strongly based around the stories and themes explored throughout Family Guy’s historic tenure as one of FOX’s flagship programs, and with 212 episodes (and counting) having aired from the get-go, it’s not as though TinyCo is going to have problems filling up a whole game.

It will be free to download and play, although as is increasingly becoming the case, will almost certainly offer in-app purchases. Part and parcel of apps and games of today, the freemium model is strongly favored by developers looking to generate revenue after the point of sale, and if, as is likely to be the case, the Family Guy game has its own form of virtual currency, the popularity of the franchise alone could see FOX and TinyCo rake in a tidy sum.

The screen captures released today don’t tell us much, rather showcasing the various characters playing their traditional roles. Joe, the wheelchair-bound cop, is seen making a jump towards the endearingly-stupid Peter (who, of course, is wearing ladies clothes) in one scene, while another depicts Mort, Peter, Quagmire, and Chris outside outside The Drunken Clam, pulling poses that fans of the show will have seen a million times before.

There have been a lot of new Winterboard themes hitting Cydia lately so we decided to compile 10 of the best themes out there right now. Of course if you missed ourprevious top 10 video , make sure you check that out as well.

This is a very colorful theme that still has a flat look but still gives the icons some depth.  It’s pretty simplistic and in some areas still resembles the original iOS 7 icons.

Anode – Free

Anode is a free theme that has a color scheme for every color of the iPhone 5s. There’s a Space Grey, Silver, and Gold color and they do a great job of matching the colors to fit your specific device.

iRa – $2.00

iRa is a high contrast theme that has over 100+ icons. You’ll also notice the cellular and wifi indicators from the theme. If you’re into colorful themes you might just want to grab iRa. You need to add the following repo http://repo.ifans.com/ to purchase and install the theme.

UltraFlat for iOS 7 – Free

From the name, as well as the screenshots, you can see that this is a flat and colorful theme. It has more of a cartoony look with enlarged icon logos. The nice thing about this theme is even non-supported icons blend in because the theme uses the same colors as the original iOS 7 icons.

Radiance for iOS 7 – Free

This may be my favorite out of the 10 themes listed here. These icons have a nice look that aren’t too far from the original iOS 7 icons.  It is a little more colorful and unneeded details of some icons have been taken out to give the icons a more simplistic look.

Mojo for iOS 7 – Free

Mojo is another great theme that’s available for free on Cydia.  The color scheme is a little muted and somewhat dull, but have nice pops of color throughout that make is nice on the eyes.

3 4 All – Free

Here is a free theme that stands out from the rest.  This theme by far has the most detail and some users aren’t big fans of that in iOS 7.  I actually think this theme looks great on iOS 7 and it’s something a little different from what I would usually use on my device, but the dark color scheme is what really drew me in.

TOAST – $2.50

This is a really nice theme.  The colors are a bit faded, which it’s right on par with my style.  I like nice, soft colors, with minimalistic glyphs and this theme is exactly that.

Carla – $2.99

Carla is a popular theme that has been updated for iOS 7 and as you can see, has a lot of detail. The nice thing about this theme is that a lot of the icons, if seen individually, you would think were all part of a different theme. But, when you bring it all together, it just works.

Flawless HD – $2.99

Here is a predominantly white and red/orange theme. The icons have been scaled down a bit as well as being a little more rounded, but you can really see the attention to detail by the developer.

ayecon – $2.99

ayecon was a very highly anticipated theme that really changed the way people looked at iOS themes when it was released for iOS 6.  Now, it’s been updated for iOS 7 and you can see the amount of detail that went into every single icon. It was a staple in the theming world for iOS 6 and the iOS 7 version doesn’t disappoint. Check out this post for a more detailed video walkthrough of the theme.

Aura – Free

This is my favorite theme and one you will most likely see in most of my tweak videos. The size and shape of the icons are perfect and the 200+ supported icons makes it even that much better. If you can find an icon that’s not supported, the icon mask does a really good job of making it fit right in.  I’ve had this theme enabled on my device since it’s released and don’t plan on getting rid of it any time soon. It recently went free if you add the developers repo: http://cydia.myrepospace.com/iApexthemes.  Check out this post for a more detailed video walkthrough of the theme.

With the highly anticipated update to Mavericks 10.9.2, users gained the ability to block contacts in FaceTime and iMessage. This has been a long-awaited addition, since iOS 7 received this featurefive months ago. If you previously blocked people in iOS 7, the block list syncs over from your iOS devices to your Mac through iCloud. Make sure Documents and Data is turned on in order for that to occur.

Now with Mavericks, you are able to block certain phone numbers from iMessaging or FaceTiming you without needing to get up and grab your iOS device…

To get started, go into Messages or FaceTime and open the app’s Preferences. To get to preferences you can press command and comma at the same time, or click on Messages/FaceTime from the menu bar and then select Preferences.