iPhone Tweaks

Quick access to the dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia is now possible directly from the iOS Control Center. Developer ravirajm has updated the original Define widget, which can be installed from Cydia on jailbroken devices. Define for iOS 7 uses CCLoader to add slick, convenient reference access to the Control Center.

Once installed, Define must be moved to the Enabled Sections in CCLoader. This will add a Dictionary shortcut to Control Center, which can be placed anywhere on the panel. When tapped, a dialog box pops up with the enabled references listed under a text box. Enter the word or term and select Dictionary, Wikipedia or Thesaurus.

As any iPhone owner knows, there are no speed dial functions in iOS 7. Maybe Siri or the Favorites list of contacts counts as a shortcut, however these don't resemble traditional speed dial. PassDial is a new way to tackle the issue, by adding speed dial functionality directly to the passcode lock keypad.

The free version of PassDial makes it possible to associate three separate passcodes with three phone numbers. It's that simple, just enter the right passcode and the iPhone will immediately start dialing the associated phone number. PassDial Pro provides more slots to add even more speed dial codes to the passcode lock keypad, and can associate codes with email addresses to initiate FaceTime calls.

While the name might not sound pleasant, Weasel brings jailbroken iOS users a new way to seek information and search their devices. Frequent users of Spotlight will find that Weasel enhances the experience, adding more functionality. Weasel can also be invoked from anywhere after being assigned to an Activator gesture.

So what is Weasel capable of doing? When activated, the tweak brings up a text box and keyboard. When a search term or command is typed the magic happens. For example, if the search term that's entered matches a song in the Music app, shortcuts to play the track appear. Options to search for the term on Google, Amazon, Wikipedia and eBay also pop up.

Guest mode still hasn't arrived in stock versions of iOS. This means that iPhone users can be at the mercy of anyone who borrows their device. Luckily for those who have jailbroken, there's a solution that makes it possible to easily enter guest mode before handing over the hardware. Much like iPrivacy did for iOS 5 and 6, the tweak GuestMode brings this functionality to iOS 7.

Once installed, there are several ways to configure guest mode and its activation. Options include a special passcode that will enable guest mode, or the addition of a Guest button directly on the passcode lock keypad. Another alternative will enter guest mode when swiping left or right on the lock screen. Of course, users can also assign guest mode to an Activator gesture.

This tweak might not seem very useful or worthwhile to a lot of folks, but having the iPhone's lock screen dim within seconds is annoying to some and incredibly annoying to others (me). This is probably due to the fact that when I am sitting at my computer I am usually either reading things or writing things, and I am always checking/using things on my phone as well, like the notification center and calculator, both of which can be accessed from the lock screen. The problem (and yes, it certainly falls into the category of first world problems) is that I will hit the home button on my phone so it lights up, but then I continue reading what's on my computer screen for a few more seconds, at which point I have to hit the home button again because the lock screen has dimmed. Thus begins the vicious cycle. But no longer - a new tweak called LockScreen Extender has solved the issue.

LockScreen Extender does exactly what it sounds like - it keeps the lock screen up for a period of time of your choosing. Once you have it installed, head to Settings -> LockScreen Extender. Inside, you can enable the tweak, then you can pick your "Dim