Zephyr tweak for jailbroken iPhones brings new gestures
updated 09:00 pm EST, Thu December 29, 2011
Emulates functionality found on iPad
A hacker known as chpwn has released a tweak for owners of jailbroken iPhones that recreates two of the multi-tasking gestures that can be optionally turned on with non-jailbroken iPad 2 units running iOS 5.0.1. The tweak, known as Zephyr, allows iPhone users to do a single-finger swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the app tray, and also lets users swipe in from the sides to bring in the active screen of other open applications.
The program costs $3 and is available from the Cydia store, and the developer says in a demonstration YouTube video (seen below) that he plans to add more gestures in the future, for example the four-finger pinch to exit to the home screen that is present in iOS 5-updated iPad 2s. The tweak is disabled automatically when the iPhone is in landscape orientation, as the gestures are likely to interfere with many gaming apps.
It should be noted that Apple may well introduce similar enhancements through iOS 5 for iPhones in a future release. The gestures are similar to those introduced earlier on Meego smartphones such as the Nokia N9.
