Best smartphones to look forward to in 2014

With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, then there's anticipation of something else, the next big thing.

We've rounded up the best smartphones for 2014, those we consider to be the best across all platforms, and we've regularly updated that list as the smartphone world has evolved over the last year from 2013 in to 2014. You can find those in our Best smartphones 2014 feature.

Here we're looking at those phones that haven't yet launched, those we know are coming, or are anticipated. Some will be rumour, some will be fact, but here we'll cut through the speculation to highlight those phones we really want to see.

We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting, and devices just announced but yet to hit the shelves. With Mobile World Congress 2014 bringing us a number of phones, there's plenty to consider.

HTC M8/new HTC One

We've known since July 2013 that the next HTC flagship handset is referred to internally as the HTC M8, the successor to the M7, the device that became the HTC One. With HTC saying that the "One" name is here to stay, it's safe to predict that the final commercial name will be new HTC One or HTC One (2014) or something like that.

As for the specs, it looks like HTC will be bringing the M8 up to the mark with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display and Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0. There's little to surprise in there and we suspect most of the attention will be on the metal body construction as HTC looks to repeat the luscious looks of the 2013 HTC One.

One change appears to be the addition of an extra camera sensor on the rear of the handset, designed to improve focusing, low light shooting and depth of field.

We'll be keeping a close eye on HTC and bringing you any news we hear on the next HTC handset. The HTC One will be launched on 25 March at an event in London and New York, so more will be revealed soon.

Samsung Galaxy S5

So many of the rumours weren't true. There's no bump in resolution, no metal body, no radical change in the UI. Instead there's a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate sensor, with Samsung eyeing-up fitness.

But the Samsung Galaxy S5 is still going to be one of the hottest phones of the year. It has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and there's no lack of power with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset.

Speed is on the agenda with a 16-megapixel camera that will focus fast, as well as a Download Booster offering to pull in files over Wi-Fi and 4G simultaneously.

There's a whole collection of smart camera and software features, as well as a new focus on battery life, with the SGS5 offering a low power mode to make sure you stay connected for longer. The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available globally on 11 April.

Sony Xperia Z2

The talk of Mobile World Congress has been the Sony Xperia Z2. It takes the Xperia Z1 - launched only 6 months ago - and refines it. The screen expands to 5.2-inches and it gets itself a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM, so it could be one of the fastest phones around.

It's large though, as the previous model was, but it's definitely better. With added software refinement and Android 4.4 KitKat, it's more polished and offers more features than the previous device.

Most of the rumours were true: there are front-facing speakers to boost the sound quality, but also noise cancellation through the supplied headphones. There's 4K video, as well as stabilisation.

There's no confirmed launch date, but we suspect April, although the phone is on pre-order for £599.

LG G3

LG has seen a return to form in 2013, with the LG G2 doing a lot to restore faith in the company's smartphone ambitions. That, and the new Nexus 5, see growing anticipation for LG's next flagship device, the LG G3.

The LG G3 is said to land with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution display, with a slight increase in size. One of the strengths of the G2 is packing a larger 5.2-inch display into a handset that's smaller than some rivals (like the Xperia Z1), so we'd expect to see the same again: more display without the bulk.

There's talk of LG using it's octa-core Odin chipset to power the G3, as well as looking at a fingerprint scanner for security.

LG G Pro 2

LG has now officially launched the LG G Pro 2, although it's initially a Korean handset only, with no news on whether we'll see it in other territories.

The LG G Pro 2 has a 5.9-inch 1080 x 1920 resolution display, 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 3GB of RAM, and LTE connectivity. The G Pro 2 has a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation on the rear, capable of 4K video capture.

It looks like a strong competitor for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and should be a great phablet.

Nokia Lumia Icon

Nokia has been going from strength to strength in 2013, making Windows Phone a much more attractive proposition over the past 12 months. The best device so far has been the Lumia 1520, as it breaks new ground for Windows Phone, pushing the display resolution up and making better use of the space available.

The Nokia Lumia Icon brings those phablet skills down to a 5-inch device, but it's a Verizon exclusive. The Lumia Icon has a full HD display, along with a 20-megapixel PureView camera and a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. That's something that might grab the attention of those getting tired of Android.

The Nokia Lumia Icon is now on pre-order, hitting stores on 20 February for $199 on a 2-year Verizon contract.

Nokia X

One of the most leaked phones, the Nokia X is something of an oddity. It's an Android phone, but has been removed from Google, so that you can have mixture of apps you'll find familiar from Nokia's Windows Phone. Falling somewhere between the too, you'll get access to Nokia's services, but it will also run Android apps.

There's no Google Play, however, but there will be a Nokia Store to give you apps and you can sideload apps. The biggest thing about the Nokia X, however, is price. They're affordable devices and although they won't give you the best of the smartphone experience, they might connect those who otherwise couldn't afford a smartphone.

Starting at €99, the Nokia X devices are definitely quirky.

Nokia Lumia 930

There's a new Nokia kid on the rumour block called the Lumia 930, said to be a 4.5-inch update of the 920/925 level of device. It's been mentioned that it will bring the top specs of the Lumia Icon to the rest of the world. Previously there was the Lumia 1520V, said to be a smaller version of the 1520, so we suspect they are the same handset.

The Lumia 930 is said to have a 4.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset and a 20-megapixel PureView camera. With the Lumia 925 getting rather old, it sounds like a likely spec bump for this important flagship space for Nokia.

There's talk of a launch at Mobile World Congress 2014 at the end of February.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is undoubtedly a great device. It's king of the phablets and has been a huge success for the company, helping remind us why big devices are also beautiful.

But for some, it's just too much. It's too big, it's too expensive and it's overkill: enter the Neo, to bring the Galaxy Note experience to a wider audience. Samsung has formally announced the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, but it looks like Neo won't be coming to the UK or US. Those in Poland, however, you're in luck.

The Galaxy Note 3 Neo features faux leather back, neatly dressing the 5.5-inch 720p AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 8-megapixel camera. It sounds like the Note 2 in a new coat and that's pretty much what it is, with LTE thrown into the mix.

iOS 7 secrets, tips and hidden features - master your iPhone and iPad

iOS 7 was introduced with the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C  is now available to download for all iPhone's and iPads. It is the first major overhaul of the iOS since the original iPhone -  And, while plenty of the features are similar, how things work has changed significantly in some places, there are lots of new features to get used to as well.

Our iOS 7 tips and tricks guide walks you through some of the new features, how to perform common tasks and some of secret iOS 7 tips and tricks that are harder to find.

We'll keep updating this guide all the time with new tips and ideas, but please share your own iOS 7 tips and tricks in the comments.

How to make text larger and easier to read on iPhone and iPad

If your eyesight is on the wane you don't necessarily have to switch to a larger phone. That's because Apple has included a 'Dynamic Type' mode that makes text larger in supported apps.

To adjust the setting go to Settings > General > Text Size and adjust the slider as you see fit. Not all apps support it, but they should increase in number as apps are updated to support iOS 7.

How to use keyboard shortcuts for the iPad

There are some very good keyboards and keyboard cases for the iPad and you can even use an Apple Wireless Keyboard (or any wireless keyboard for that matter) with an iPad for writing longer documents. What's not so well advertised, however, is that there are a number of useful keyboard shortcuts you can use to get the most from your experience. Here are some of the most useful:

iPad keyboard shortcuts in Safari:

• Command L selects the address bar so you enter a web address or search
• Command W closes the tab you're looking at
• Command T opens a new tab
• Command R to refresh the current tab
• Command W to close the current tab

Basic text editing shortcuts

• Command C copies text
• Command X to cut text
• Command V to paste text
• Command Z to undo changes
• Command Shift Z to redo them
• Option Delete will delete the word before the cursor
• Ctrl K deletes the text to the end of the line
• Command Delete deletes the text to the beginning to the line
• Shift and any arrow key to select text

iPad navigation shortcuts
These aren't available by default, but can be enabling the Voice Over accessibility feature. To do so, go to Settings > General > Accessibility and then turn it on. Some dedicated iPad keyboards have these shortcuts as dedicated buttons, such as to go back home.

• Ctrl Option H is like pressing the home button
• Ctrl Option H H opens the multitasking window
• Esc acts as a back button
• Option and any arrow key lets you scroll
• Command Shift Tab switches you to the previous app
• Command Tab takes you back again
  

How to search your apps, emails, contacts, messages, music and more on iPhone and iPad

iOS has had universal search, known as Spotlight, for ages and it hasn't changed much for iOS 7. The only difference is how you access it. In previous versions it had its own 'screen' to the left of the main homescreen.



In iOS 7, Spotlight search is accessed by swiping down on the icon grid on any homescreen - see graphic above. This shows the search box and on-screen keyboard, and it works the same whether you're using an iPhone or iPad.

By default it searches for a huge range of things: pretty much anything that has a native app. It even searches for podcasts. You can customise what it searches for by going to Settings > General > Spotlight Search and selecting what you want.

How to correct Siri's pronunciation on iPhone and iPad

We don't want to pick on Siri, but it sometimes makes a right hash of pronouncing names. You can fix this just by saying "Siri that's not how you pronounce that". It will then ask you to say it again to learn the name better.

How to block messages and calls from people you don't like on iPhone

While we're sure you get on with everyone just fine, sometimes it might be necessary to block certain people from calling you. iOS 7 finally allows this. It's easy to activate. All you have to do is goto their entry in the Contacts app and scroll down to the 'Block this contact' option

How to turn-off parallax wallpapers and movement on iPhone and iPad

Getting motion sickness, or just don't like 'parallax' effect in iOS 7? No problem, it can be turned off. It's tucked away in the Accessibility section, so head to Settings > General > Accessibility and find the Reduce Motion option. Done and done.

How to use the LED flash for notifications on iPhone

The Accessibility section of the Settings app has long been a source of useful tweaks, and it's still the case in iOS 7. This is an oldie but a goodie. Prefer a light to vibrations? You can make the LED flash... erm... flash when you have notifications. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and scroll down to 'Hearing' where 'LED Flash for Alerts' resides.

How to save money by using FaceTime Audio calls

Those of you lucky enough to have unlimited data plans but limited minutes will like this one. iOS 7 adds the ability to have audio only calls using FaceTime. Just go to the desired contact and press on the phone symbol next to FaceTime. Alternatively, you can search for your contact in the FaceTime app itself.

How to get a quick view of your day on iPhone and iPad

Apple has revamped the Notification Center for iOS 7 to include what it calls Today View. Today View can show you a number of different things, but by default it shows you the date, a summary of the weather where you are, and the appointments you have on any given day.



Scroll further down and you can see your calendar for the day, up-to-date stocks and shares info and a short summary of your schedule for the next day.

As with Notification Center before, it's accessed by swiping down from the top edge of the screen and it's accessible from the lockscreen, homescreen and from within any app.

How to stop people seeing your messages and notifications in iOS 7

The new Notification Center is a nice addition iOS 7, but it does throw up one obvious problem: as it's accessible from the lock screen, anyone could view your appointments and excerpts of your messages without your pass code.

Luckily Apple has thought of this and it is possible to customise the Notification Center available from the lock screen, or even turn it off entirely.

To do so, go to Settings > Notification Center and under 'Access on Lock Screen' disable the features you want to limit or turn off both 'Today View' and 'Notifications View' to turn off the Notification Center from the lock screen entirely.

How to customise the Today View in iOS 7

You can also customise the Today View to a limited extent, something we hope Apple expands on to allow third-party apps to appear here.



Head to Settings > Notification Center again and scroll down to the Today View section highlighted above. The options are quite limited at present, but unless you really need it we recommend getting rid of the Stocks updates. Not only do few people genuinely need, it drains battery as it has to be kept up-to-date.

To change the order of what appears, select 'Edit' and drag the available items up and down.

How to create your own 'parallax' wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

There are a few ways to make your wallpaper's more interesting in iOS 7. One is a dynamic, animated background: a nice idea, albeit one that uses a little extra juice.

More straightforward are the so-called 'parallax' wallpapers where the background moves in conjunction with the way you tilt your phone/tablet using the motion sensors. This is the default for all 'still' backgrounds, but those not optimised for it can appear a little blurred due to scaling.

To avoid this you can create your own simply by adjusting the resolution of the wallpaper you use. You need to have 200 pixels on each side of the image to create the perfect parallax wallpaper. The correct resolutions are follows:

iPad 2 and iPad mini: 1,424 x 1,424
iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad Air: 2,448 x 2,448
iPhone 4S: 1,360 x 1,040
iPhone 5: 1,536 x 1,040

The iPhone 4 doesn't support parallax wallpapers.

How to switch and close apps on iPhone and iPad

One of the more noticeable, and very welcome, changes in iOS 7 is the new way to switch to and close apps running in the background.


Instead of a poky app tray of icons, double clicking the home button reveals scrollable previews of each app open in the background. Just tap to open, or swipe up to close the app. Simples.

If you own an iPad and have Multitasking Gestures enabled (head to the Settings > General) then you can bring this up by swiping up with four fingers.

How to check your shelves are level using the Compass app

The actual Compass app has always been oddity as it's more useful in actual apps than on its own. But Apple has added somethig a little extra for iOS 7: a spirit level. It's not the stuff of legend, but it's bound to come in useful some time, surely?

How to set the default direction type in Apple Maps on iOS 7

Setting aside the merits of Apple's Maps for the moment, one neat new addition is the ability to set the default directions type: driving or walking. To do so, head to Settings > Maps then scrolls down to the 'Preferred Directions' section.

How to enable 'Do Not Track' in Safari on iOS 7

The new version of Safari adds support for the, still voluntary, Do Not Track protocol. Websites that respect Do Not Track won't use cookies and so forth when this is enabled. To do so, go to Settings > Safari and toggle the option under 'Privacy & Security'

How to quickly toggle Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Brightness and more on iOS 7

This is arguably the most requested feature of iOS 7. It's taken Apple long enough to act on it, but Control Center in iOS 7 finally delivers. Moreover, all the above features (and more) are accessible from the lock screen.



Control Center is accessed by swiping up from the bottom edge of the phone, the opposite from the Notifications Center.

Along bottom edge are four icons: Flashlight, Timer, Calculator and Camera. All but the Flashlight one open the respective apps.

Above these are music controls, and above these is quick access to the screen brightness controls.

Finally there's the five icons at the top starting with Airplane Mode on the left, then Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb and Lock Oritentation.

How to toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and open apps using Siri on iOS 7

And if the above isn't convenient enough, it's now possible to toggle these settings using Siri. So, for example, "Turn on Wi-Fi"  will do exactly that. You can open first and third-party apps well using the obvious command, "Open Facebook app" or similar. "Take a photo" opens the camera app, too.

You can even go deeper into the Settings app, so saying "Open Mail settings" will take you to that section of the Settings app.

It's worth experiementing with what you can do, or you can tap the '?' symbol in the bottom left of the Siri screen.

We'll keep updating this guide all the time with new tips and ideas, but please share your own iOS 7 tips and tricks in the comments.

HideMe7 Tweak Lets You Hide iOS 7 UI Elements

HideMy7 is a tweak from CPDigitalDarkroom that lets you hide UI elements in iOS 7.

HideMe7 is a one-stop-shop for hiding UI elements without the need to have half a dozen different tweaks installed. HideMe7 comes with a new preference panel which makes it easy to quickly disable/re-enable many different UI elements which you may or may not find annoying. Requests to hide more UI elements are accepted and welcome.

Current included features include:
LockScreen
- Camera Grabber
- Control Center Grabber
- Date
- Notification Center
- Notification Center Grabber
- Percent Charged Text

SpringBoard
- Icon Badges
- Icon Labels
- Icon Labels Except Folders
- Dock Background
- Page Dots

Status Bar
- Airplane Mode
- Battery Icon
- Bluetooth Batter Icon
- Do Not Disturb
- Battery Percent
- Location Services
- Bluetooth
- Carrier
- No Service/Searching
- Data Networks
- Clock
- Double Height
- Signal Bars

Control Center
- Airplay Section
- Brightness Section
- Media Control Section
- Quick Launch Section
- Separator Lines
- Settings Section

Messages
- Bubble Tails
- Recipient Title In Convo
- Message Type
- More Messages To Load
- Progress Indicator
- Center Timestamp

You can purchase HideMy7 for $0.99 from the Cydia Store.

Springtomize 3 Customization Tweak Released for iOS 7

Springtomize, a popular customization tweak, has been released for iOS 7.

Springtomize 3 is the ultimate utility for your iDevice! It's the only customization tweak you'll ever need. It features plenty of options to customize even the smallest aspect of your device(s). Every single option includes a brief explanation of its effect, making it very easy to use. The whole application has been localized in 20 different languages, so everyone will be able to use it without an issue.

Author Filippo Biga notes, "There are plenty of options to customize your device, the way you want it. From personalizing elements of the user interface to expanding the features of iOS, Springtomize 3 has got you covered".

Pricing and Availability:
Since this is a completely new product, the price model applied is the currently:
● FREE if you bought Springtomize 2 in the last 2 months.
● $1.99 if you own Springtomize 2 but you purchased it earlier than 2 months ago.
● $2.99 for any new customer.

You can get Springtomize from Cydia Store.

Beyond the Dead review - Build a settlement of zombie killers on iOS

There’s no shortage of zombie games in the modern age, not even on mobile. And while zombies lend themselves especially well to action and shooter games, they also pop up in many other genres.  A couple of iOS examples: The Walking Dead is quite a popular adventure game, and cult favorite Zombies!!! mixes the undead with a dice-rolling board game.

Mobile publishing giant GREE has recently tossed its own hat into the world of zombie games with Beyond the Dead. Coming from GREE’s Vancouver-based studio, Beyond the Dead is more of a traditional mobile game than the two titles I just mentioned. But this one’s mixture of card collecting and town building with a zombie apocalypse still makes it worth a look for zombie-loving casual gamers.

Building a base

In Beyond the Dead, the world has been overrun by a plague of flesh-eating zombies. The player’s first order of business is to establish a base to defend against the undead. This begins with staking out a patch of land in the wilderness and setting up a tent to sleep in.

As time goes on, players can purchase new buildings and items for their settlement. These all fit the in-universe fiction of survival versus the zombie plague, such as a chicken coop producing food for your team. In actual gameplay terms, buildings mostly just produce silver (soft currency) over time. Checking in and collecting money to spend on further buildings and supplies becomes a core part of the gameplay routine.

Missions

From the homebase, you can browse and take on missions in the outside world. Again, bite-sized missions are a common component of mobile city building games. But Beyond the Dead outdoes many such games with the complexity and variety of missions it offers. You’ll have loads of them to choose from at any given time. Many are available for only a limited time, which creates a sense of urgency that you don’t usually get and also matches the desperate nature of the game’s setting.

Missions include such objectives as defeating certain enemies in an area, searching specific buildings, challenging other players, and more. The best part of these is that most involve visiting areas with actual complex maps and wandering zombies and then doing some exploration or combat. You can’t be killed while out in the wild, but looking around an area and hunting zombies is far more interesting than your average city builder’s gameplay.

The actual combat is still casual game simple, though. Just select the correct target enemy, tap Attack, and you’ll deal some damage. Each attack costs energy, as does searching buildings. Energy refills over time – remember, you’re supposed to return to Beyond the Dead throughout the day. But the energy costs and slow rate of refill do slow the game down and make it less exciting than it should be.

Completing missions gets you experience, silver, and battlefield lockers. These lockers contain random rewards of varying rareness. As for experience, you’ll level up when you gain enough of it. Level ups refill energy, unlock new items and buildings for purchase, and give you Skill Points with which to boost your team’s abilities.

Survivors

Building that team (only five survivors can fight together at a time) is the real draw in Beyond the Dead. Over 100 unique survivors wait to be found and join your team. Each survivor’s card displays beautiful artwork (much better drawn than the actual sprites, as usual with these games) and a backstory that fleshes out the game’s setting.

Survivors have their own attack and defense stats that determine how effectively the will perform in battle. They also come equipped with special abilities like the chance for the whole party to deliver extra damage during attacks. You can also boost their damage by finding or purchasing new weapons, each with its own range, rate of fire, and ammo capacity.

The ability to develop survivors adds depth as well. Each one can be not only leveled up, but also evolved into stronger forms. To level up a survivor, you must pay a silver fee and then combine him or her with other survivor cards or items. Fusing two similar survivors will evolve them into better ones. It takes a mixture of leveling and fusion to create a formidable team.

Dealing with other players

Another promising feature in Beyond the Dead is the ability to battle other players. You can challenge other teams at any time, as long as you have the adrenaline for it. Adrenaline is the PvP-specific energy currency and refills over time.

Fighting other players is not as exciting as it could be at this stage in the game. The screen displays each team’s lineup of character portraits and then simply tells you who won based on each team’s stats. No action scene, RPG-style combat, or anything. Hopefully GREE adds some visual pizazz to player challenges in a future update.

Still, player battles are worthwhile because the winner gets silver and Reputation Points. Consecutive wins provide better payouts, as does graduating to higher reputation tiers. You have to fight more PvP battles within a set time period if you want to stay within those better tiers.
The zombie apocalypse isn’t all just fighting other humans for supplies and fame, however. Likeminded players can also team up to form alliances. As an alliance member, you’ll receive team boosts and even free items on occasion. Of course, even the alliance feature has some competitive elements…

Beyond the Dead offers alliance-specific live events, not unlike an MMO. The first of these starts on January 31st - not far from now. During the event, alliances will be able to declare war on each other. Each war lasts an hour, and the victor gains Prestige Points. At the end of the event, alliances will receive rewards based on their Prestige ratings compared to the other alliances. Read more about the Bloodbath Alliance event here.

In-app Purchases

As a free to play game, Beyond the Dead relies on optional In-App Purchases (IAPs) in order to turn a profit. Some of these include Starter Packs that range in price from $1.99 on up and contain an assortment of items and survivors for the taking. If you want to build your team in a hurry, Starter Packs will get you on the right foot without breaking the bank.

The remaining IAPs consist of either silver or gold packs ranging from $4.99 up through crazy amounts. Gold, the hard currency, pays for a variety of functions. As you’d expect, energy and adrenaline refills cost gold, not silver. Paying for energy in games is like a bottomless well to throw money into, so you might be better off using gold for other purposes. The best of these is buying rare and powerful survivors.

Keeping ahead of the undead

Beyond the Dead is off to a great start. It’s simple enough that anybody can play it, but the dark zombie theme, diversity of mission activities, collectible survivor cards, and PVP elements all make for a compelling experience.

The one complaint that practically every player seems to share concerns the game’s stinginess with energy and the high energy costs of mid-mission activities. Of course GREE needs to make money from the game, but trying to drain players of their life savings on energy (something you’ll always need) is not the best way to do it. Far better to sell interesting items that will make missions easier or give alliances an edge in PvP, if you ask me.

The Beyond the Dead team plans to support and improve the game in the long term, which means the energy situation and other bugs might get better as time goes on. Those enhancements and the promise of more live events certainly bring some hope to this particular zombie apocalypse.

• Free – Download Now

iCleaner Pro 7.1 Released, Entirely Redesigned for iOS 7 Devices

iCleaner Pro, developed by Ivano Bilenchi and one of the most popular tools jailbreakers use to remove unnecessary files from their devices, has been updated to match the look and feel of iOS 7. In addition, there are many performance optimizations, improved text search, and more files you can cleanup.

With iCleaner Pro, you can remove tons of unused files and caches that sometimes can take up a few gigabytes! iCleaner Pro does all of the following and more:

● Message attachments (disabled by default): it deletes files sent and received via iMessage or MMS. The "smart" setting only deletes files that do not show up in any message, while "on" deletes all attachments (messages with attachments will show a blank icon).

● Safari: it deletes cookies, browsing history and cache files to free up memory and preserve your privacy.

● Applications: it deletes unnecessary AppStore apps caches, cookies, temporary files and snapshots.

Furthermore, it detects popular applications for a more in-depth cleanup:

Known Apps: Atomic, Badoo, Dolphin, Downloads, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Flipboard, Google, Google+, Google Maps, iCabMobile, iFile, Instagram, Mercury, Skyfire, Snapseed, SoundCloud, Soundhound, Sparrow, Spotify, Tweetbot, Twitter, Wikipedia.

● Cydia: it cleans up Cydia caches and temporary files, unnecessary Cydia applications files, partially downloaded packages and repo files.

● Cydia sources (disabled by default): it deletes Cydia sources files. As a result, Cydia will not list any package and the sources will have to be updated. This is disabled by default since it's only helpful if Cydia sources aren't updating correctly.

● Unused dependencies (disabled by default): issues the "apt-get autoremove" command in order to remove packages installed as dependencies that are not needed anymore.

● Log files: it deletes log files and crash reports from known locations. These files are
generally irrelevant to the user and can be safely deleted.

● Cache files: it scans and deletes system cache files and databases. Some of them are rebuilt upon respring. This helps removing obsolete cache data.

● Temporary files: it deletes temporary files from your device. These files are meant to be removed automatically, but they often happen not to. iCleaner takes care of that.

● Filetype cleanup: iCleaner features a custom cleanup pass based on file extensions. By default, it looks for log and temp files all over the directory tree.

● Custom files and folders cleanup (Pro version only & disabled by default): with this extremely powerful feature, you can add any file or folder to the cleanup process. Tap on "Add item" to add a new item to the cleanup, or an existing item to edit it.

The possibilities are now endless! Please use this function with caution, as accidentally deleting critical files can force you to restore your device.

Note that iCleaner is available free in the BigBoss repo. In order to get the Pro version (also free) you must add the developers Cydia repository: http://exile90software.com/cydia

Changes:

Added iOS 7 support; entirely redesigned to match the new iOS 7 look and feel; major performance optimizations; improved the text search function to highlight matches; added more files to the cleanup list; bugfixes and improvements.

iCleaner and iCleaner Pro are compatible with all iPhones, iPods and iPads from iOS 4 to iOS 7.

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How to customize the Today screen in iOS 7 Notification Center

The Today screen in Notification Center lets you see weather conditions, what's on your calendar, and a few other things at a quick glance with only a gesture and a tap. But what if you don't care about stocks and don't want them cluttering up your Today screen? The same goes for other sections. Here's how to customize it to your liking:

How to personalize the Today section of Notification Center on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Settings from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
2. Now tap on Notification Center.
3. Under Today View you can turn items Off that you don't want to appear at all.
4. If you want to rearrange items, just tap the Edit button in the upper right hand corner and then drag the moveable items around where you want them. 

That's all there is to it. I personally don't ever use the stock ticker so it's the first thing I usually disable after a clean restore. What parts of the Today screen do you disable, if any? Let us know!