If you're eagerly awaiting Microsoft's Windows 8 Metro interface, due in late October, then you might be interested in obtaining it a little earlier for an iPhone or iPod Touch. Metroon, a Dreamboard theme for jailbroken iOS devices, does just that — providing a near-perfect replica of Microsoft's Metro interface.

The theme includes a Windows Phone-like lock screen complete with notifications, volume controls, and a swipe up to unlock feature. Once Metroon is activated it works in a similar way to Microsoft's Windows 8 Start Screen, providing a launcher for apps with live tiles providing information on apps at a glance. All iOS apps can be pinned to the Metroon Start Screen and there's even a Charms bar that appears when you swipe from the right-hand side of an iPhone or iPod Touch. A desktop tile brings you to the familiar iOS home screen and the Charms bar is once again accessible to bring you back into the Metro interface, almost identical to Windows 8's desktop mode.

Overall, Metroon's attention to detail is impressive and it's a great companion to the Track 8 Metro style music player for iOS, but the combination of a mixed mode of Metro and the default iOS notifications makes it confusing at times. It's a fun way to experience Microsoft's Windows 8 interface on an iPhone, but I wouldn't recommend it for daily use. Metroon for iOS is available in the Cydia store for $1.50.

Aaron Souppouris contributed to this hands-on.