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.

Jony Ive and Marc Newson to open ‘Conde Nast Luxury Conference’ in April

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson are going to open the inaugural 'Conde Nast Luxury Conference,' Vogue announced today. The event will be held on April 22nd and 23rd, in Florence, Italy, and will focus on the future of luxury and technology.

"Apple is now a powerful part of the luxury industry," said International Vogue Editor and conference chief Suzy Menkes. "The iPhone, iPad, and the forthcoming Apple Watch are in direct competition with handbags, timepieces and high-end accessories."

Investors suggest Apple buy Tesla at annual shareholder meeting

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Would Apple consider acquiring electric car-maker Tesla? That was the question posed to Tim Cook by two Apple investors during the company's annual shareholder meeting today. And as you'd imagine, the chief executive gracefully deflected the question.

Recode attended the meeting, and noted Cook responded to the query by talking about CarPlay and its 40+ model rollout this year. "Was that a good way to avoid the question?" When pressed he joked, "let me think if there’s another way to give a non-answer."

Google releases new Calendar app for iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

As promised in November, Google today released a new Calendar app for iPhone. The app features the company's highly regarded Material Design UI, and a host of powerful features that should appease folks in the Google ecosystem.

Among those features is its close integration with Gmail, allowing it to cull data from your inbox. So say you receive a confirmation email after purchasing concert tickets, the app will automatically add that event to your calendar.

Hands-on with the Apple Watch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Following today's event, select attendees were given the opportunity to go hands-on with a working version of the Apple Watch. You may recall, Apple allowed journalists to try out demo versions of the wearable when it debuted last fall, but this is much different.

This time around, folks were actually allowed to launch apps, navigate menus and play with various features. We've collected a number of videos showing these initial impressions, in an effort to help paint a proper picture of what to expect when you get your Watch next month.

Apple event recap: everything about Apple Watch, new MacBook, ResearchKit and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

The sun is beginning to set in Cupertino, which signifies that Apple's media event day has come and gone. The keynote is over, all announcements have been made, and we now know what the fabled 12-inch MacBook looks like, and how much the golden Apple Watch will cost.

A lot has happened over the past 12 hours, and we understand that it can be tough to keep up with everything throughout the day. So tonight, as we like to do every post-event evening, we've put together a roundup telling you everything you need to know about Apple's big event.

Apple issues updates for OS X, iOS and Apple TV to address ‘FREAK’ attack

Cody Lee ∙ March 9, 2015

Apple on Monday issued a security update for OS X to address a handful of vulnerabilities, including the high profile SSL flaw known as "FREAK." Spotlighted last week, the bug allows would-be attackers to spy on communications made through Safari.

More specifically, FREAK stands for Factoring RSA Export Keys, and it affects certain embodiments of web encryption technologies SSL and TLS. If used maliciously, the flaw could leave systems open to what are known as man-in-the-middle attacks.

Hands-on with Apple’s new ultra thin 12-inch MacBook

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

So by now you’ve likely watched Apple’s keynote, and know Apple unveiled a new 12-inch MacBook today, but thus far you've probably only seen it on stage or in marketing materials. Obviously the new laptop is going to look good in photos, but what about in real life?

Following the event today, select journalists were given the chance to go hands on with the new ultra thin MacBook, and have posted videos of their initial reactions. So naturally, we’ve rounded up some of these clips that show folks trying out the notebook for the first time.

These are the most expensive Apple Watches you can buy

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple's online store has come back up, offering new details regarding the Apple Watch and its various pricing tiers. We found out during this morning's event that the 18K gold Edition model will begin at $10,000, but we thought it'd be interesting to see how expensive the line goes, so we've put together a roundup of all 8 Edition models.

Apple Watch will be available for pre-order April 10, ships on April 24

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Wrapping up the Apple Watch portion of today's event, Tim Cook answered a number of long-awaited questions regarding the upcoming wearable. We now know more about pricing, configurations, and when it's going to be available. Cook says the Apple Watch will become eligible for pre-order on April 10, and will start shipping on April 24.

iOS 8.2 will be available for download today

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

On stage at Apple's media event on Monday, Tim Cook announced that iOS 8.2 will launch to the public today. The software update, which has been in beta for several weeks now, will bring about the Apple Watch companion app that will allow your iPhone to talk to the upcoming wearable.

We saw a preview of the app back in January, when it was unearthed from a developer beta. It will allow users to customize a wide range of things on their Apple Watch including the Clock app with personalized monograms and alerts for notifications, people in your Contacts list, and more.

Apple makes first steps into medical research, introduces ResearchKit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple's Jeff Williams has just taken the stage at the Apple Watch event to talk about a new venture for the company: medical research. The SVP of Operations explains how working on HealthKit for iPhone led the Cupertino firm to release a new platform to aid in medical research, called ResearchKit.

"For all the amazing breakthroughs medical researchers have made, they still face big challenges," Williams said. "Sometimes, researchers see patients only once a quarter, making it difficult to get a complete picture of their health." And that's where ResearchKit comes in—now researchers can create apps.

Tim Cook kicks off Apple Watch event with retail numbers and other stats

Cody Lee ∙ March 9, 2015

Apple's 'Spring Forward' event in San Francisco has begun this morning, and as usual, Tim Cook has taken the stage first to talk about the company's performance over the last several months. As you may recall, Apple had a monster holiday quarter after launching new iPhones and Apple Pay in the fall, so the CEO has plenty to talk about.