Cody Lee

Cody Lee, iDownloadBlog.com’s longest-serving Editor, joined the site in 2008. He specializes in uncovering the best deals on Apple products, apps, and accessories. With years of experience in technology journalism, Cody helps readers save money while staying informed about the latest trends and updates in the Apple ecosystem. Cody’s history with smartphones goes almost as far back as he does. As the son of a Nokia employee, he was exposed early on to handsets like the N91 and the Communicator. He has since been involved in nearly every aspect of the mobile phone industry. While going to college, he worked at a Nokia factory, building handsets, and later moved on to a sales position at a major wireless carrier.

Expand iPad’s Picture-in-Picture feature with PiPifier

Cody Lee ∙ June 1, 2017

The iPad's Picture-in-Picture feature can really come in handy—when it works. Unfortunately, some pages such as YouTube use custom video players that don't have a dedicated PiP button, rendering the feature useless. That's where the app PiPifier comes into play.

PiPifier lets you view every HTML5 (which is basically every web video on iOS) in Picture-in-Picture mode. It uses a Safari Action extension, so all you have to do is open Safari to your preferred web video, tap on the Share Menu, and select the Run PiPifier option.

As you can see in the screenshots, doing this puts your video into native PiP mode. This allows you to watch your clip in a resizable window that you can place virtually anywhere on your iPad's screen, all while performing other tasks, such as replying to emails and texts.

PiPifier is available for free.

Apple updating Swift Playgrounds with support for robots, drones, and instruments

Cody Lee ∙ June 1, 2017

Apple today announced a significant update for its iPad app Swift Playgrounds. The app, which is geared towards teaching beginners to code in a fun and interactive environment, will soon work with robots, drones and musical instruments.

Scheduled to be released next week, Swift Playgrounds version 1.5 will support programming a slew of new devices including the Sphero SPRK+ ball, UBTECH Jumu Robot MeeBot Kit, Wonder Workshop's Dash, Parrot drones and LEGO Mindstorms.

“More than 1 million kids and adults from around the world are already using Swift Playgrounds to learn the fundamentals of coding with Swift in a fun and interactive way,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Now they can instantly see the code they create and directly control their favorite robots, drones and instruments through Swift Playgrounds. It’s an incredibly exciting and powerful way to learn.”

“Today we’re combining efforts with Apple to provide even more students around the world with the opportunity to learn how to code,” said Esben Stærk Jørgensen, president, LEGO Education. “We’re pairing the familiar LEGO bricks and our hands-on approach to playful learning found in LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 with Swift Playgrounds' powerful learning platform so now anyone can program their LEGO MINDSTORMS creation with real Swift code.”

Swift Playgrounds 1.5 will be a free update for the app and will be released June 5.

Source: Apple

Skype is getting a major redesign with Snapchat-like features

Cody Lee ∙ June 1, 2017

Microsoft on Thursday unveiled a major redesign for its Skype video conferencing app. Rebuilt from the ground up, the company says the new app vastly improves the ways you can connect with your favorite people, putting chat front and center.

Early reactions to the new design have pointed out that the interface has kind of a Snapchat vibe. Group chats are more lively, expressive and personalized, and there's a new Stories-like Highlights section that allows you to share a photo or video.

Highlights can be decorated with emojis and text, and they remain available for a full week instead of the usual 24 hours. They can be viewed by anyone who follows you on Skype, or you can choose to send your Highlights to a specific group or user.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU9w41tPXyc

Other new features include Facebook-like reactions to Highlights and chats, in-video chat overlays for emojis, text, stickers and photos, and the addition of smart assistant Cortana. Skype is also adding bots from Bing, Expedia, YouTube and others.

The Skype update hits Android first, later today, iOS within the next few weeks, and Mac and Windows devices within the next few months.

Source: Skype

Apple expected to increase Intel LTE chip orders as fight with Qualcomm grows

Cody Lee ∙ June 1, 2017

Apple is expected to up its LTE chip orders from Intel as it looks to distance itself from Qualcomm, reports DigiTimes. Despite inferior performance, Intel has gone from supplying around 30% of iPhone 7 baseband chips in 2016 to 50% in 2017. And experts say it could be supplying over 70% of the baseband products for iPhones by 2018.

Earlier this year, Apple filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm in a California district court for charging unfair prices to license its tech. Qualcomm has since countersued Apple, and withheld around $1 billion in royalty rebates from the iPhone-maker as retaliation for its participation in a Korean Fair Trade Commission investigation.

Given the nature of this feud, don't be surprised to see Apple work to dramatically reduce its reliance on Qualcomm over the next several months. The company recently hired Esin Terzioglu, Qualcomm's VP of Engineering, to head up a new chip project. It's believed they are developing their own, in-house baseband modems.

Source: DigiTimes

Plex app gets live TV support and DVR enhancements

Cody Lee ∙ June 1, 2017

Plex on Thursday announced that they're rolling out support for live TV to their various Plex apps. They're starting with Android TV and iOS, and say updates for other platforms like tvOS will follow suit.

The live TV feature is built right into the Media Server, so you'll be able to stream everything from game shows to sporting events in real time, from pretty much anywhere in the world.

The app is also getting other improvements: in-app DVR management, meaning you can now browse the program guide and manage recordings directly from within the app, and expanded tuner support. Last September Plex announced support for the HDHomeRun tuner line, and now it's opening up to tuners from Hauppauge, AVerMedia and many more.

Plex Live TV and DVR are available immediately for Plex Pass users only. The service costs $5 per month, $40 per year, or $120 for life (20% off for a limited time). It's a bit pricey, but it's definitely worth looking into if you're thinking about cutting the cord.

Source: Plex

SpotAngels, Ditty, Gaia GPS, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup includes an app for preventing parking tickets, a musical meme-maker, and an off-road GPS app. And as usual, we have two great new games for you to check out this weekend.

SpotAngels

This isn't a new app, but it's worth checking out for those who aren't familiar with it. SpotAngels detects when you park and sends you alerts if and when you have to move your car. It does this by using your phone's motion sensors and Bluetooth (as it disconnects from your car) to know that you've parked, and then it checks your location against its data base of trouble spots. These include meters, to away zones, street cleaning, permit parking and other rules in dozens of major cities like New York, Dallas and Portland. The app also helps you find free parking around you, and since it's crowd-sourced, anyone can submit an update. SpotAngels is available for free.

Ditty

Here's another not-so-new app that you might find fun to play with this weekend. It's called Ditty, and it allows you to make goofy songs and music videos using a mix of GIFs, photos, videos and more. The app will actually sing anything you type, and there are tons of famous songs to choose from, with new content added weekly. Add your friends to follow their feeds, or post a Ditty yourself for a chance to be featured in the app. Ditty is available for free (with some IAPs).

Gaia GPS

Established GPS apps like Apple Maps and Waze do a nice job of getting you around the streets. But what about getting you around off road? That's where Gaia GPS comes in. This app features a beautiful and well-thought out interface that makes navigating the backcountry simple. Features include worldwide topo, road and satellite maps, syncing of photos, tracks and waypoints, a database with hiking trails, parks and other natural sights, and several customization options. This is a freemium app, and unfortunately most of the features are tucked behind an in-app purchase. But, Gaia has a great track record in this space and the app is getting rave reviews. If you need something like this, check it out. Gaia is available for free (with some IAPs).

Zombie Gunship Survival

The long-awaited sequel to Zombie Gunship is here! Zombie Gunship Survival has you as one of the few survivors in a devastating zombie apocalypse. To stay alive, you must take the gunner seat aboard a heavily-armed AC-130 ground attack aircraft and blow up the undead in this intense, high-definition shooter experience. You'll build up your remote airfield as a base for operations, defend that base, deploy your troops to annihilate the undead, and try to survive one of the most hostile environments ever. This is another freemium title, so there are a lot of in-app purchases, but the game itself has nearly a 5-star App Store rating on 1,200 reviews. Zombie Gunship Survival is available for free.

Goat Simulator PAYDAY

The goat is back! Goat Simulator: Payday is the most criminally realistic goat simulation ever! There are 3 new thugs, including a flying flamingo that can control people's brains, a wheelchairing dolphin that can climb almost any surface, a spitting camel, and of course the goat. You can meet up with your Pranknet crew, buy masks to disguise your identity, carry out "jobs" to collect cash to buy things, and you can even steal and drive cars. There's no real elaborate story line here, just a GTA-style open world adventure game that encourages you to inflict the maximum amount of destruction. Goat Simulator PAYDAY is available for $4.99.

More apps to check out Apple’s free app of the week: klocki You can now drag and drop files on iPad between Readdle’s productivity apps 1Password’s Travel Mode protects your private data from unwarranted searches Not to be outdone by Instagram, Snapchat unveils custom Stories of its own Duet Display brings even more desktop power to your iPad drawing experience YouTube TV app gains AirPlay support New Pokémon game is based on Magikarp, the weakest Pokémon ever At long last, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 hits App Store

Apple developing dedicated AI chip for future devices

Cody Lee ∙ May 26, 2017

Apple is working on a processor dedicated specifically to AI-related tasks, reports Bloomberg. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet says the chip is known internally as the Apple Neural Engine, and its goal is to improve the way devices handle facial recognition, speech recondition and other AI-related tasks.

Currently, Apple devices handle complex AI processes with two different chips—the main processor and the GPU. This new chip would let Apple offload those tasks onto a dedicated module designed specifically for complex artificial intelligence processing, resulting in better battery life and performance.

The Apple AI chip is designed to make significant improvements to Apple’s hardware over time, and the company plans to eventually integrate the chip into many of its devices, including the iPhone and iPad, according to the person with knowledge of the matter. Apple has tested prototypes of future iPhones with the chip, the person said, adding that it’s unclear if the component will be ready this year.

It's no surprise Apple looking to move quickly with this AI chip. Other manufacturers, such as Google and Qualcomm, are already using dedicated AI modules, and artificial intelligence sits at the heart of two major spaces the company is rumored to be interested in: self-driving vehicles and augmented reality.

Source: Bloomberg

The best 4K monitors

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 12, 2019

Good news for folks in the market for a 4K computer monitor. Prices are really starting to come down on Ultra HD displays, and 4K video games and content are becoming more and more common.

There are several to choose from, but as usual, we're here to help you sort through the noise. In our latest accessory roundup, we take a look at the best 4K monitors for your laptop or desktop computer.

New video compares alleged iPhone 8 case to iPhone 7

Cody Lee ∙ May 25, 2017

Mac Otakara on Thursday published a slew of photos and a video comparing the size of an alleged iPhone 8 case to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The noted Japanese outlet says it purchased the case from Alibaba, and its dimensions match up with previous information.

The case itself is pretty uninteresting, but seeing it next to both a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone gives us a good idea of how big the iPhone 8 could be, should the leaks prove authentic. Notice how the iPhone 8 case is only slightly taller and a hair wider than the iPhone 7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-vzLBN3K-Y

Rumor has it that the iPhone 8 will house an edge-to-edge display, with ultra slim or no bezels, allowing Apple to fit a much larger screen in a smaller body. The case in these photos seemingly corroborates that theory, as it sits significantly smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus. Other details worth noting in regards to the case include a cutout for the often-rumored vertically-stacked dual lens camera, and the usual openings for volume rocker and power switches.

The iPhone 8 isn't expected to be revealed until September, and Apple is known to test multiple prototypes, so it's impossible to tell if this case is truly based on the handset's final design. We should see more leaks as Apple ramps up production later this summer.

Source: Mac Otakara

Apple to live stream WWDC 2017 keynote

Cody Lee ∙ May 25, 2017

Apple is going to once again be providing a live stream of its WWDC keynote address this year. On Thursday the company updated its website with a new page noting that a stream of the keynote will go live on June 5th at 10am PDT.

You will be able to tune in on your Mac and iOS devices, using the Safari browser, and of course on Apple TV. Second and third gen models of the set-top box will feature an Events channel, and fourth-gen models will get a standalone app.

Apple is expected to use the keynote to introduce the next major versions of its four platforms: iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS. There's also been rumors speculating that the company will debut new Mac and iPad hardware during the event.

Even if you plan on watching the keynote, be sure to join us here at iDB that Monday. As usual we'll be covering the event live, as well as all subsequent announcements and releases, so you'll be able to keep up with the news throughout the day.

Source: Apple

Apple testing next-generation 5G technology

Cody Lee ∙ May 23, 2017

Apple is testing next-generation 5G wireless technologies, according to documents recently made public by the FCC. Business Insider points to the filing, in which the iPhone maker asks the Commission for an experimental license to use a new wireless technology called 'millimeter wave.'

Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum. These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers’ future 5G networks.

Apple intends to transmit from two fixed points located at Apple-controlled facilities in Cupertino and Milpitas, CA. These transmissions will be consistent with the parameters and equipment identified in Apple’s accompanying Form 442, and will include the use of a horn antenna with a half-power beamwidth of 20 degrees in the E-plane and H-plane and a downtilt between 20 - 25 degrees. Apple anticipates that it will conduct its experiments for a period not to exceed 12 months.

Interestingly enough, one of the bands Apple intends to test (28GHz) has been allocated for earth-to-space transmissions. It was reported last month that Apple is recruiting satellite experts for a secret hardware team. The company is also currently in a legal battle with wireless chip supplier Qualcomm.

Here in the US, major carriers like Verizon and AT&T have pledged to start rolling out their 5G networks to major markets later this year. T-Mobile and Sprint both hope to have 5G towers up and running by 2020.

Source: Business Insider

Not Hotdog, GiftHead, Stigma, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup includes a not-so-smart food identifying app, a personal shopper that is an expert at helping you pick out gifts, and a journaling app aimed at helping you improve your mood. And as usual, we have two great new games for you to check out this weekend.

Not Hotdog

If you're a fan of HBO's TV series Silicon Valley, you probably already know what this is. In last week's episode, budding entrepreneur Jian-Yang demonstrated an app called Seefood, which was supposed to be able to identify different foods using your phone's camera. Instead, all it was able to do was differentiate between hot dogs and non-hotdog items—thus, Not Hotdog was born. That's literally all the app does, but I got a little kick out of taking pictures of random things and sharing them with friends using the 'Not hotdog' caption. And you could too. Not Hotdog is available for free.

GiftHead

Here's a not-so-new app that you may not have known about. It's called GiftHead and it just received a huge update with a major redesign and support for 500 new stores. The app works like this: tell it who you're shopping for, what the occasion is and your preferred price range. Then pick a gift from the curated list of suggestions, and the app will point you to the right store. Rather shop online? The app can do that too. Other features include sale alerts, wish lists and gift reminders, so you'll never miss a birthday or anniversary again. GiftHead is available for free.

Stigma

Stigma is another not-so-new app that could be useful for folks that don't know about it. It's described as a "mental health" app, with a built-in journal, mood calendar, reminders and a word cloud that allows you to see the types of words you're using most in your journal entries. There's also a support network aspect, with PenPals (supportive peers), Support Groups, and a community you can share your journal entries with. Now the app itself is free, but there is a Pro service that starts at $2.99 per month with premium features like advanced analytics and longer journal entries. Stigma is available for free.

Old Man's Journey

Old Man’s Journey is a soul-searching puzzle adventure game about life’s precious moments, broken dreams, and changed plans. Immerse yourself in a visual narrative as you uncover stories of the old man’s life told through beautiful vignettes of his memories. Interact with the serene, whimsical environment as you solve playful puzzles and shape the landscape around you, growing the hills to create the old man’s path forward. Note that this game has won a ton of awards for its visuals and storytelling, but some of the iTunes reviews complain that the puzzles are too easy and the game is too short. We still think this is worth checking out. Old Man's Journey is available for $4.99.

Timber Tennis

From the makers of the hit Timberman comes Timber Tennis, essentially a unique take on the game Pong with a lumberjack twist. Take part in the annual Timber Tennis World Championship—beat all your old rivals by upgrading your skills, using super-shots and staying clear of other players' specials. Unlock a slew of characters and balls, and compete in local multiplayer against your friends. Note that this is a freemium title, with an in-app purchase to remove ads, and some of the early reviews complain that the ads are super intrusive. Even so, if this game is half as addictive as Timberman, it's worth checking out. Timber Tennis is available for free.

More apps to check out Microsoft refreshes OneNote apps with new design and accessibility features Apple’s free app of the week: Eggggg – The Platform Puker Things 3 is out with overhauled interface and multiple new features Hey Siri, make some room for Google Assistant on my iPhone Gmail for iOS now uses machine learning to provide smart replies Todoist gains 2-way Google Calendar integration, Dynamic Type support & more Instagram rolls out selfie filters, rewind option for videos, hashtag sticker & eraser brush