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.

Apple officially responds to court, asks it to vacate order to help FBI

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple on Thursday filed a motion to vacate the court order demanding it help the FBI break into an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino attacks. The motion (via The Verge) is the company's first legal response to the order, which was handed down by a federal judge last week.

Rhetoric in the filing echoes what we've been hearing from CEO Tim Cook over the past week: Apple refuses to help the FBI break its own security because it sets a dangerous precedent that has major implications. It also offers some insight into the legal stance Apple plans to take.

Latest iOS 9.3 beta fixes 1970 bug that bricks devices

Cody Lee ∙ February 24, 2016

The iOS 9.3 beta released earlier this week includes a fix for the 'January 1, 1970' bug that has been bricking devices, reports MacRumors. The site points to its forums, where multiple users found that their devices stuck in boot loops were able to be restored to working order via an update to beta 4.

The fix is two-fold. Folks with the beta installed say that you can no longer move the time on December 31, 2000 past 7 p.m.—disabling the bug entirely, since this prevents you from scrolling back to 1970. And as mentioned above, the new firmware can also unbrick devices affected by the glitch.

Foxconn to acquire Sharp for $6.2 billion

Cody Lee ∙ February 24, 2016

Apple partner Foxconn is set to acquire Sharp for roughly 700 billion yen (or $6.2 billion USD), reports Nikkei Asian Review. The outlet says that Sharp's board voted on Thursday morning to accept the offer, and plans to restructure its operations under the Hon Hai umbrella.

The deal, which has not been officially announced yet, comes after years of failed negotiations between the two companies. Foxconn has made several attempts to acquire the struggling electronics giant, or large pieces of it, with the latest offer of $5.3 billion coming in January.

Session videos from Apple TV Tech Talks now available to developers

Cody Lee ∙ February 24, 2016

Apple on Wednesday announced that it has posted videos of several Apple TV Tech Talk sessions to its developer portal. Both paying and non-paying members of Apple's developer program can access the instructional clips for free through the website.

The videos are taken from the 11 Tech Talks Apple has hosted around the world over the past few months. They contain in-depth technical information on building and designing for tvOS, refined coding techniques, and other valuable development help.

Netflix app updated with support for 3D Touch, iPad Pro and more

Cody Lee ∙ February 24, 2016

Netflix on Wednesday pushed out an update for its iOS client, bringing the app to version 8.0. The release is significant in that it features a number of improvements, including a better Kids experience on iPad and new Post-Play experience on iPhone.

Version 8.0 also features native support for Apple's just released iPad Pro, meaning the layout has been optimized for the tablet's 12.9-inch screen to show more content per screen, as well as support for 3D Touch actions like Peek and Pop within the app.

Apple to live-stream ‘The 1975’ concert on Beats 1 this Thursday

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple on Monday announced that its Beats 1 radio station will be live-streaming a concert for the band The 1975 this week. The news comes via the official Twitter and Snapchat accounts for Apple Music, which had been teasing the event all day with posts of band lyrics and set photos.

The concert will take place on a rooftop in Los Angeles, on Thursday, February 25 at 9am (PST). The band is expected to play songs from their new album "I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, but it's unclear if the stream will be audio-only, or video.

Apple seeds beta 4 of tvOS 9.2, watchOS 2.2 and OS X 10.11.4 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

In addition to today's new iOS 9.3 beta, Apple on Monday also seeded beta 4 to developers for its tvOS, watchOS and OS X platforms. The betas can be installed from each respective device via an over-the-air update, for those already on the latest beta firmware, or as standalone downloads from Apple's developer center.

Apple seeds iOS 9.3 beta 4 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ February 22, 2016

Apple on Monday released iOS 9.3 beta 4 to developers. The update is available for members of Apple's develop program either via an over-the-air update, for those already on iOS 9.3, or as a standalone download from Apple's developer center.

Today’s release comes two weeks after the previous beta 3, which added a new Wi-Fi Calling option for Verizon customers and a cellular fix for T-Mobile customers, and more than a month after the original 9.3 beta was pushed to developers.

Apple vs the FBI: a recap of this week’s events

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

When a federal judge in California ordered Apple to aid the FBI in an investigation earlier this week, she sparked what many believe is the most important privacy debate in recent memory. The FBI wants access to the passcode-locked iPhone of one of the shooters involved in last year's San Bernardino massacre, and it wants Apple to help it break in.

At a high level, this seems pretty simple: the FBI has bad guy's phone; it wants to use it to try and stop other bad guys; it needs Apple's help to do that. But you don't have to zoom in very far to see that it's much more complex. Apple refused to help the FBI, saying that the request "undermines the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect."

That was on Wednesday. Here is everything that has happened since.

Rayman Classic, Sunshine and more apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

We've put together an awesome list of apps and games for you to checkout this weekend, including a new weather app that's beautifully designed and offers some interesting features, and not one but two classic games that have been brought back to life for the mobile era. So without further ado, here are the Apps of the Week.

Apple names ‘Warhammer 40K: Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion’ its free App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ February 18, 2016

Apple on Thursday added "Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion" to its App of the Week promotion. This means that for the next 7 days, you'll be able to download the popular turn-based strategy game for both iPhone and iPad for free, a solid savings of $2.

Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion is a popular entry in the Warhammer franchise, hailed for its beautiful graphics and strong gameplay. In it, players must make their way through 40 missions while building up an extensive roster of weapons, gear and band of marine soldiers.

Apple posts new iPhone 6s ads highlighting 3D Touch and Live Photos

Cody Lee ∙ February 17, 2016

Apple on Wednesday posted two new iPhone 6s ads to its YouTube channel entitled Less Time and Live Photos. As it says in the headline, each spot highlights one of two major features from the company's latest handset: 3D Touch and Live Photos.

The first video, Less Time, talks about what 3D Touch is and the many ways you can use it. Notably, actress Aubrey Plaza makes a cameo. The second clip, Live Photos, similarly shows the feature in action, and lists off some of its many benefits.