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.

Some great USB-C hubs for your new MacBook Pro

Cody Lee ∙ November 30, 2016

If you recently picked up one of Apple's new MacBook Pros, you're probably suffering from port shock. The laptop only includes 4 USB-C connections—the non-Touch Bar model only has 2—and chances are your current accessories and peripherals don't support them.

An easy way to remedy this is to buy a hub. This will connect to a single USB-C port on your MacBook Pro, and provide you with various useful connections like USB 3.0, HDMI, and even an SD card reader. Below we've listed some great hub options for your new Mac.

Apple is aware of calendar spam issue and is working to fix it

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Apple on Wednesday said that it is aware of the calendar spam issue and is working to fix it. In a statement to iMore's Rene Ritchie, a spokesperson for the company apologized for the spam calendar invites and said it's actively working to address the issue.

Apple Music student pricing now available in over 30 countries

Cody Lee ∙ November 29, 2016

Apple on Tuesday began offering student pricing for its streaming music service in 25 new countries, reports MacRumors. This brings the total number of regions where students can get a significant discount on Apple Music to 32.

The new countries include major markets like China and India, as well as Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

Noise, Write.as, BeCasso and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

If you're looking to relax this holiday weekend with leftover turkey and a new app or game, you've come to the right place. In the latest edition of our Apps of the Week roundup, we've selected some awesome titles including a music-making app, an anonymous blogging client, a paint-style photo editor, and some great new games for you to check out.

Early Black Friday B&H Photo deals: $170 off LG display, $1,000 off 70″ 4K TV, and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

We’re still a few days away from the holiday weekend, but in an effort to get a head start, several retailers have launched what they are calling “early” or “pre-” Black Friday sales. We’re going to be covering as many of these deals as possible, with a particular focus on quality products and notable discounts. Here are a few we’ve found from B&H Photo thus far.

Apple reaches Apple Music deal with Indian ride-hailing firm Ola

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2016

Apple is teaming up with Indian ride-hailing firm Ola to push Apple Music, reports the L.A. Times. The outlet says that the deal will result in the company's streaming music service being available as part of Ola's in-car experience.

The platform is called Ola Play, and it already has several high-profile partners including Sony, Qualcomm and Audio Compass. It gives passengers the ability to control their vehicle's climate and entertainment via an in-car tablet.

Early Black Friday Amazon deals: $50 Kindle, $16 battery pack, $397 4K drone and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

We're still a few days away from the holiday weekend, but in an effort to get a head start, several retailers have launched what they are calling "early" or "pre-" Black Friday sales. We're going to be covering as many of these deals as possible, with a particular focus on quality products and notable discounts. Here are a few we've found from Amazon thus far.

Apple to host one-day shopping event on Black Friday

Cody Lee ∙ Updated August 4, 2017

Apple late Monday updated its website with a new page teasing its upcoming Black Friday sale. The page shows the above graphic, along with links to gift ideas, gift cards, and a section for locating your nearest Apple Store. The company also notes that two-day shipping will be free on Friday for in-stock items ordered by 5:00 p.m.

Best Mac Bundle: save up to 90% on Parallels, 1Password, TextExpander + 5 more apps

Cody Lee ∙ November 21, 2016

If you or someone you know owns a Mac and could benefit from apps like 1Password or TextExpander, you're going to want to check out this promotion from the folks at Parallels. It's called the Black Friday Mac App Bundle, and it can save you up to 90% on 8 top-shelf Mac apps and services.

Included in this package is Parallels Desktop 12, which allows you to run Windows and other operating systems on your Mac, the popular password management app 1Password (the latest 'Families' edition), and key shortcut creator TextExpander. We have a full breakdown of the apps below.

Listen, Later, Firefox Focus, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 12, 2018

Looking for ways to pass the time before next week's holiday mayhem? You've come to the right place. We've put together a great list of apps for you to check out this weekend including a service for anonymous communication, a quick and easy reminders app, and a new private web browser. And as always, we've also picked out some awesome games for you to try.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar now available for in-store pickup

Cody Lee ∙ November 17, 2016

Apple on Thursday made its new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar available for in-store pickup in the U.S. So for those of you who have been wanting to snag one, you can now use Apple's app or online store to check local inventory and reserve your laptop.

Non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro models have been available since they were unveiled in October, but Touch Bar models have only recently started to turn up in stores. The good news is, you can now track yours down from the comfort of your own home.

Get up to $200 off the new MacBook Pro + no tax outside NY

Cody Lee ∙ November 17, 2016

Folks in the market for Apple's new MacBook Pro will want to check out this sale going on at BHPhoto right now. The popular online retailer is offering significant deals on 13.3-inch, non-Touch Bar models with free shipping and no taxes outside New York.

The discounts range between $100 and $200, but with no taxes that could more than double. For example, I can buy the entry-level MacBook Pro for $1,399 (normally $1,499) and also save $120 in sales tax (~8% for me). So my total savings would be $220.