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 vying for streaming rights of Thursday night NFL games

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple is among a group of tech giants vying for the rights to stream Thursday night NFL games, reports Variety. The NFL said on Monday it has reached a two-year agreement with CBS and NBC for broadcast rights, and it's been in active discussions with potential partners for digital rights.

According to Variety's sources, Apple is among those potential partners, as are Amazon, Google and Verizon Communications. The League is said to be considering a variety of scenarios, including potentially selling the rights to more than one distributor, and mixing in games played overseas.

Design app Over goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2016

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with a new app called Over. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the popular typography and design app for free for both iPhone and iPad—saving you a solid $4.

For those who haven't used the app before, Over allows you to spruce up your photos with a wide variety of tools including text, with more than 300 fonts, 800+ illustrations and more. Plus, the interface is so well done that accessing all these features is a breeze.

Tim Cook holds Town Hall meeting to discuss iPhone sales, Apple TV and more

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2016

Following its record Q1 earnings report, Tim Cook and other top Apple executives held a Town Hall meeting, reports 9to5Mac. The meeting took place at the company's Infinite Loop headquarters, and served as an open discussion forum between employees and their leaders.

Citing multiple sources who attended the event, 9to5Mac says Cook and others talked about a wide range of topics. These included everything from information related to new employee benefits, iPad growth, Apple Watch sales, and they even offered teasers for future products.

Instagram rolls out support for multiple accounts to some iOS users

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2016

It appears Instagram has begun testing support for multiple accounts on iOS. As noted by the folks at Latergramme, a number of iPhone users began noticing the new option on Thursday, which allows you to add and sign out of more than one account.

To see if you have access to the feature, make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app, and click the Options icon in the top right-hand corner of your Profile page. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and you'll see the new 'Add Account' option.

Apple ordered to pay $625 million in VirnetX patent suit

Cody Lee ∙ February 3, 2016

Apple has been ordered by a federal jury in east Texas to pay $625 million for patent infringement, Reuters reported late Wednesday. The jury found the iPhone maker guilty of using VirnetX's security technology without its permission.

More specifically, Apple was found guilty of willfully infringing on technology found in VirnetX Holding Corp's patents related to virtual private networking protocols, which Apple uses in its FaceTime and iMessage apps on iPhone and iPad.

How to watch Super Bowl 50 on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and other devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

On Sunday evening, millions of people will gather around their TV sets to watch Super Bowl 50. The game features the Denver Broncos taking on the Carolina Panthers, and kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 (ET).

For those of you who aren't going to be around a television Sunday night, but still want to follow along with the action, we've put together a list of ways you'll be able to do so using an iPhone, iPad, Mac and other devices.

SwiftKey acquired by Microsoft for $250 million

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Microsoft is buying out software keyboard maker SwiftKey, according to a report from The Financial Times. The deal is said to be worth $250 million, and the two companies are expected to officially announce the acquisition later this week.

While Microsoft has shown interest in the mobile keyboard space, the report claims that the purchase is all about AI. SwiftKey uses artificial intelligence to predict the next word a user is going to type based on an analysis of their writing style.

Zagg acquires battery case maker Mophie for $100 million

Cody Lee ∙ February 2, 2016

Zagg has acquired popular battery case maker Mophie, the two companies announced on Tuesday. The Utah-based accessory giant has agreed to pay $100 million for Mophie, plus any EBITDA adjustments over that amount for the next year, in cash and debt.

In a press release sent out this afternoon, Zagg said that the transaction will leverage the unique strength of two "industry leaders" in the mobile accessories sector to create a business with greater product diversification and improved operational capabilities.

iPhone 7 to lose camera bump and rear antenna lines, report says

Cody Lee ∙ February 2, 2016

The iPhone 7 won't feature a camera bump or antenna lines on its rear casing, reports MacRumors. Citing a source who has "provided reliable information in the past," the outlet says the smartphone is going to appear similar in design to the iPhone 6s, except for these changes.

For the camera bump, it appears Apple will use a thinner camera module for the iPhone 7's iSight camera that will allow the lens to sit flush with the back-casing. The iPhone 7 Plus is rumored to feature a dual-lens camera, so it's unknown if it will retain the rear bump or not.

Apple has secret team working on virtual reality headset, report says

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

Apple has assembled a large team of virtual and augmented reality experts for a top secret project, reports the Financial Times. The team is said to be building prototypes of headsets that could one day compete against Oculus Rift or Microsoft's Hololens.

Sources say the secret research unit is made up of hundreds of staff Apple has picked up in a series of carefully targeted acquisitions, as well poached employees from companies working on VR tech such as Microsoft and the darling camera start-up Lytro.

Apple developing new long-range wireless charging tech for iPhone and iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple is exploring new wireless charging technology for future iOS devices, Bloomberg reported late Thursday. Citing sources familiar with the plans, the outlet says the company is working with partners in the US and Asia to develop wireless charging tech that works over longer distances than current solutions offer.

Bank of America and Wells Fargo adding Apple Pay support to ATMs

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Both Bank Of America and Wells Fargo are working on integrating Apple Pay into their ATMs, reports TechCrunch. The outlet says it has learned that ATM engineers from the two companies have been placed on assignments to build out support for Apple's digital wallet.

When questioned, Wells Fargo's head of ATMs Jonathan Velline implied that the report holds water, telling TechCrunch his team has been working on the technology that will allow the bank to hook into digital wallets to replace the need for cards during ATM transactions.