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 ‘frustrated’ by streaming TV challenges, says ESPN President

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple is frustrated with the many challenges it has faced in trying to build its streaming TV service, reports The Wall Street Journal. The outlet recently sat down with ESPN president John Skipper, who said the iPhone-maker is finding it tough to create something that works for both them and programmers.

"They are creating a significantly advantageous operating system and a great television experience and that television experience is fabulous for sports," Mr. Skipper told the Journal. "We are big proponents of believing it would be a fabulous place to sell some subscriptions. We have ongoing conversations."

New report claims we may not see Apple Watch 2 in March

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Don't get your hopes up for new Apple Watch hardware in March, reports TechCrunch. Citing several sources with knowledge of the company's plans, the outlet said on Friday that it believes the oft-rumored March unveiling is a bit too soon for Watch 2.0.

The scoop goes directly against a recent report that the second-gen Apple Watch is set to begin production later this month. It also contradicts a December report from the reliable 9to5Mac, which said that Apple had been planning a Watch event for March.

This weekend only: get a 1-year Amazon Prime membership for just $73

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2016

Amazon is currently offering a significant discount on its popular Prime service, cutting the one-year membership fee from $99 to $73. The promotion is in celebration of the company’s success at the Golden Globes earlier this week, and is good from now through 11:59 p.m. Sunday night.

For those of you who aren't particularly familiar with Amazon Prime, the service includes a number of benefits. There’s free 2-day shipping (and same-day in some areas) on millions of products, and free access to Prime Video, Prime Photos, Prime Music and the Kindle Lending Library.

Apple killing off ad-supported iTunes Radio stations this month

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2016

Apple on Friday began sending out emails to listeners of legacy iTunes Radio stations, informing them that it will be shuttering all ad-supported stations on Apple Music this month. The move will take place on January 29, leaving Beats 1 as the only free music stream available to non-subscribers.

Several House of Marley Bluetooth speakers and headphones are on sale right now

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2016

We are big fans of House of Marley gear here at iDB. I recently reviewed the Chant Mini Bluetooth speaker, praising it for its sound and portability, and we have highlighted several of their other products over the years. So naturally, when we found out that many of their Bluetooth speakers and headphones were on sale, we just had to share it with you.

In my Chant Mini review, I noted that House of Marley products are unique in that they are built using earth-friendly materials like Hemp, bamboo and recycled plastic, and thus look very different than other consumer electronics. But, if you can get past the unorthodox aesthetics, my experience with HoM gear is that it sounds great and is very well made.

Apple announces it’s shutting down its iAd app network

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple on Friday announced that it plans to shutdown its iAd app network in June. The company made the statement on its developer web portal, telling app-makers that it is no longer accepting applications for the network.

Apple working on magnetic Watch band that doubles as stand, protective case

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple is working on a new magnetic band for its Apple Watch that could transform into a stand, or protective case. The project, first spotted by AppleInsider, was brought to light in a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday.

Aptly-named the "Magnetic Wristband," the invention calls for a Milanese-style band consisting of two straps made from malleable material. These straps feature a series of magnets embedded in various polarity patterns that allow them to interact in unusual, but useful ways.

Apple seeds OS X 10.11.4 beta 1 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ January 14, 2016

In addition to iOS 9.3, Apple also seeded the first beta of OS X 10.11.4 to public beta testers on Thursday. If you are a member of Apple's public testing program, or would like more information, you can find the latest releases and details here.

Today's releases follow developer seeds of iOS 9.3 and OS X 10.11.4 on Monday. While 9.3 includes a number of major additions, the 10.11.4 features just a handful of changes, such as support for Live Photos in Messages and passwords in Notes.

Apple stepping back from iAd sales, wants publishers to do the heavy lifting

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple is moving to phase out its in-house iAd sales team, reports BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the well-connected journalist says the company plans to move to a more automated platform in which the publishers take care of the heavy lifting.

"It’s just not something we’re good at,” one source told Paczkowkski. "And so Apple is leaving the creation, selling, and management of iAds to the folks who do it best: the publishers." Apple is said to be updating its iAd tools and software to allow publishers to sell through it directly.

Apple seeds tvOS 9.2 beta 1 with support for Bluetooth keyboards and app folders

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 13, 2018

Apple released a slew of developer betas on Wednesday, including iOS 9.3 and tvOS 9.2. This is the first 9.2 beta for tvOS, the operating system for the just-released, fourth-generation Apple TV.

Developers can find the new tvOS beta, which is labeled build 13Y5179e, either over-the-air on an Apple TV set with the previous beta or as a standalone download via Apple's developer portal here.

House of Marley Chant Mini review: the little speaker that could

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

House of Marley has built up a solid reputation among consumers and reviewers for delivering products with unique, eco-friendly designs, great-sounding audio and affordable prices. So of course I jumped at the chance to check out their Chant Mini Bluetooth speaker.

I’ve been playing with the Chant Mini for a few weeks now, and I have to say that I've been impressed. The speaker sounds great for its size—at just 4.25"x5.5"x4.35" this thing is incredibly portable—and I have to admit that the unconventional design has kind of grown on me.

Apple in talks with NFL to live-stream next season’s London games

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple is in talks with the National Football League regarding streaming rights, reports Reuters. Citing two sources familiar with the situation, the outlet says the iPhone-maker is among a group of tech firms pursuing the opportunity to live-stream 3 NFL games next season.

More specifically, the companies are looking to buy the rights to conduct live streams for all three of the NFL games to be played in London next year. Yahoo hosted a live stream of a single London-based game this season, and by most accounts it was a success for both parties.