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.

Sprint launches LTE Plus network in 77 markets with speeds up to 100Mbps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 13, 2018

Sprint on Wednesday announced that it has flipped on the switch for its LTE Plus network in 77 major markets. The next-generation network is now available in several big cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Orlando and Boston.

In a press release, Sprint CTO Dr. John Saw explains the benefits of LTE Plus over standard LTE, such as stronger and more reliable service, and of course faster speeds. Saw says the new technology is capable of peak speeds in excess of 100Mbps on compatible devices.

Griffin WatchStand Charging Station: a solid two-in-one dock with some trade-offs

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Earlier this month I reviewed the Belkin Charge Dock, a stylish dock for your iPhone and Apple Watch. I praised it for its classy, minimalistic design and embedded chargers, but knew that its steep $130 price tag would be a turnoff for many potential buyers.

This time around I want to tell you about a more affordable option—the Griffin WatchStand Charging Station. It too offers space for your iPhone and Apple Watch to rest and recharge, at less than half the price, but that savings does come with a few tradeoffs.

First, there's design. I don't think the WatchStand looks bad—in fact, Sebastien called its identical smaller sibling "sleek"—but I also don't think it looks anywhere near as good as the Belkin. Second, there are no cables included, meaning you have to supply your own.

So does the WatchStand's price and functionality offset these shortcomings? Let's find out.

Apple seeds OS X 10.11.2 beta 4 to developers and public testers

Cody Lee ∙ November 17, 2015

Apple on Tuesday released the fourth beta of OS X El Capitan 10.11.2. The update is labeled build 15C47a, and is available to developers and public testers via the Updates section of the Mac App Store, or through Apple’s beta test site.

Today’s release comes just one week after Apple pushed out beta 3 of OS X 10.11.2, suggesting the firmware is nearing completion, and it has been nearly a month since the last public update to OS X (10.11.1), which added 150 new emoji.

Verizon gets FCC waiver to begin offering Wi-Fi Calling

Cody Lee ∙ November 13, 2015

The Federal Communications Commission on Friday gave Verizon permission to begin offering Wi-Fi Calling. As noted by MacRumors, the Commission granted the carrier a waiver today that will allow it to rollout the feature, which was introduced last year with iOS 8.

The news comes a month after AT&T was granted the same waiver, and it activated Wi-Fi Calling for compatible devices days later. In a statement, it also criticized the FCC for excusing the fact that Sprint and T-Mobile have long been offering the feature without a waiver.

App Store search results are now smarter and more relevant

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Apple has been working hard in recent weeks to make App Store search results smarter and more relevant, reports TechCrunch. The outlet points to comments from high profile app developers, who began noticing changes to the search results earlier this month and a major algorithm update on November 12.

"I just searched Twitter on the App Store and Instagram is gone," Contrast's David Barnard pointed out on Twitter. "Tweetbot is #4, Twitterrific #5, and more relevant results overall." Tapbots developer Paul Haddad also spotted the change, noting that the change has had a significant impact on his app searches.

Great deal: 50% off Shure SE215-K sound isolating in-ear headphones

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Folks in the market for a new set of in-ear headphones may want to check out the Shure SE215-Ks. For those who aren't familiar with them, these are popular earbuds with premium tech like sound isolation, detachable cables, and a single dynamic micro driver for crystal clear sound. And for a limited time, you can grab a pair for just $99—a 50% savings.

YouTube launches standalone YouTube Music app

Cody Lee ∙ November 12, 2015

YouTube on Thursday released a new mobile app called YouTube Music. The app lets you watch and listen to a nearly endless catalog of music, and you can use it for free, with ads of course. The ads go away and you get more features if you sign up for YouTube's recently-launched Red service for $10/month.

So what does it look like? Well searching any video, album or artist in YouTube Music starts a personalized radio station. From there you can check out recommended tracks, trending music, top 40 hits, and up-and-coming artists. There's also a lot of video content here, such as music videos, concert footage, etc.

Apple announces Tech Talks tour for Apple TV developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Following the posting of a new tvOS beta, Apple on Tuesday announced that it is taking to the road next month to help developers take full advantage of the new Apple TV. Beginning December 7, the company plans to hold TV Tech Talks in 10 cites around the globe.

During these events, developers will get in-depth technical information on building and designing for tvOS, learn refined coding techniques, and obtain valuable instruction from experts. Seating is limited, so those interested will have to register for a chance to attend.

Apple seeds OS X 10.11.2 beta 3 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ November 10, 2015

In addition to beta 3 of iOS 9.2, Apple also released the third beta of OS X 10.11.2 on Tuesday. The update is labeled build 15c40a, and is available to registered developers via the Updates section of the Mac App Store or through Apple’s Developer Center.

Today's release comes just one week after Apple pushed out beta 2 of OS X 10.11.2 to developers and public testers, suggesting the firmware is nearing completion. It has been 3 weeks since the last public update to OS X (10.11.1), which added 150 new emoji.

Great deal: 47% off JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth headphones

Cody Lee ∙ November 9, 2015

The JayBird BlueBuds X Sports are wireless, Bluetooth headphones that offer great sound and great features at an affordable price. They look sharp, utilize SignalPlus tech for skip-free playback, and can last for up to 8 hours on a single charge. And for a limited time, these headphones are 47% off, meaning you can score a pair for just $89.99.

1Password updated with Teams support, new All Vaults view and more

Cody Lee ∙ November 9, 2015

AgileBits on Monday issued an update for its 1Password app, bringing the mobile client to version 6.1. The team is calling this the "Unity Edition," and it brings about support for 1Password for Teams, a new All Vaults view, and various other smaller improvements.

With 1Password for Teams, everyone gets the simple, convenient security of 1Password, and you get the tools you need to control and manage access to your important info. This includes features like end-t0-end encrypted sharing, anti-phishing defense and more.

Twitter app update makes polls available to everyone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Twitter on Monday pushed out an update to its mobile apps, bringing the iPhone client to version 6.40.3. The update doesn't any major changes or improvements, but it does bring about full support for the social network's new polling feature.

Introduced last month, Twitter Polls allows users to quickly and easily create two-choice polls. The feature has been rolling out to some users over the past few weeks, but after today's update, everyone should be able to access it from within the app.