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.

Judge orders Apple to help FBI recover data from San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to help investigators access encrypted data on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, reports NBC News. The ruling says that the Cupertino firm must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the FBI in recovering data from the handset.

More specifically, the device is an iPhone 5c that belongs to Syed Farook, who with his wife Tashfeen Malik murdered 14 people in San Bernardino, California last year. The phone is locked with a passcode, and prosecutors say data found in Farook's iCloud account suggests it could contain evidence.

Kanye West says his new album will never be available on Apple Music

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2017

It appears that Kanye West's highly anticipated new album "The Life of Pablo," isn't going to be available on Apple Music anytime soon. Amidst a tweet storm Monday afternoon, the controversial artist stated that the album will "never never never be on Apple."

West added that he has no plans to offer TLOP for sale either, and that the only way fans will be able to listen to the record is through Tidal—the streaming music service backed by Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, and other high profile musicians across various genres.

Apple Music and Sonos promote partnership in new TV spot

Cody Lee ∙ February 15, 2016

Apple Music and Sonos teamed up to release a new television spot on Monday night, promoting their recently-announced partnership. The ad, which debuted during the Grammy Music Awards, features products from both brands, as well as a handful of music stars.

We've embedded the ad below, but for a little context, the stars you see are Killer Mike, a hip-hop artist and part of the popular duo Run the Jewels; Matt Berninger, frontman for indie rock band The National; and Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent.

Quartz, Anchor, Final Fantasy Ⅸ and more apps to checkout this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

It's been a long week of blurry Super Bowl photo talk and 4-inch iPhone rumors, but the wonderful weekend is here at last. And for those of you who find yourself looking for something to do on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, we've put together a great list of new apps and games to check out.

iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 expected to launch March 18

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple is planning to launch the iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 on Friday, March 18th, reports 9to5Mac. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet claims the launch of the long-rumored 4-inch iPhone and third-gen iPad Air will follow their unveiling at an event on Tuesday, March 15th.

If true, this would mark a departure from Apple's usual launch cycle, in which products are introduced one to two weeks before they are available for sale to the public. Unsurprisingly, 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman says that because of the quick turnaround, Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders.

AT&T unveils 5G roadmap, says it’ll be 10-100 times faster than 4G

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

AT&T on Friday issued a press release detailing its 5G network roadmap. The carrier says it is partnering with Ericsson and Intel to work on 5G solutions in its labs starting in Q2 of this year, and it hopes to be ready for outdoor tests and trials by early summer.

5G speeds are expected to be 10-100 times faster than current 4G LTE connections. AT&T says customers will see speeds measured in gigabits per second, not megabits. For reference, at one gigabit per second, you can download a TV show in less than 3 seconds.

Abstract puzzler The Mesh goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ February 11, 2016

Apple on Thursday updated its weekly App of the Week promotion with a game called The Mesh. This means that for the next 7 days, you'll be able to pick up the popular puzzler for free for both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $2.

In The Mesh, players are tasked with combining numbered tiles to match target values and clear the board without running out of space. The game features beautifully-designed graphics and animations, and an incredible soundtrack.

TSMC to be sole supplier of processors for iPhone 7, report says

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

A new report late Wednesday claims that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will be the exclusive supplier of mobile processors for Apple's next generation iPhone. The news comes from South Korea's Electronic Times, via Reuters, who cites unnamed sources within the industry.

ET says that TSMC beat out rival, and long-time Apple chip-maker, Samsung for the job thanks to its ability to scale its 10-nanometer process. Their report lines up with previous analyst predictions, who felt TSMC would take 100% of Apple's next-gen chip orders thanks to its InFO chip tech.

Apple seeds beta 3 of OS X 10.11.4 and iOS 9.3 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Two days after seeding iOS 9 beta 3 and OS X 10.11.4 beta 3 to developers, Apple has made the updates available to public testers. Folks who are registered in the company's Beta Software Program can now install the new firmware on their various devices.

As usual, the new iOS 9.3 beta is available over-the-air via the Settings app to those already running 9.3, and the new El Capitan 10.11.4 beta can be found in the Updates tab of the Mac App Store. You just need to make sure your Mac or device is enrolled.

New Apple TV app TechTube helps you discover great tech videos

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Folks in the market for a new Apple TV app that helps surface great content may want to check out TechTube TV. The app, which was released late last week, was designed to highlight videos that it believes folks will find interesting.

The video selections are geared towards techies, and feature everything from TED talks to device reviews. There is also a mix of science and 'how things work' videos—"the goal is entertaining, informative or intellectually stimulating."

Apple seeds OS X 10.11.4 beta 3 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ February 8, 2016

In addition to several other releases, Apple on Monday pushed out the third developer beta of OS X 10.11.4. The update is available either via the Updates tab of the Mac App Store for current 10.11.4 testers, or on Apple's developer website as a standalone download.

Today's beta 3 comes two weeks after beta 2 and nearly a month after the original version of 10.11.4 was released. The update is mostly under-the-hood improvements, but it does include a few new features such as support for Live Photos and password-protected Notes.

Apple seeds watchOS 2.2 beta 3 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple on Monday seeded the third beta for its incoming watchOS 2.2 update to developers. The release is available as an OTA upgrade via the Apple Watch app for those already on 2.2, or as a standalone download from Apple's developer website.

Beta 3 comes two weeks after beta 2, and a month after the original watchOS 2.2 beta was released. The update includes a handful of new features, such as the ability to pair more than one Apple Watch with an iPhone and Maps app improvements.