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.

Popular golf arcade game ‘Golden Tee’ coming to iOS this summer

Cody Lee ∙ March 3, 2015

Golden Tee fans rejoice, Incredible Technologies is bringing the popular arcade golf game to iOS this year. As noted by TouchArcade, the team has been quietly showing off a demo version of the game at this year's Game Developers Conference (or GDC).

For those of you not familiar with Golden Tee, it's the golf game you've seen in the corner of virtually every bar ever. It's an in-depth golf game with beautiful graphics, easy-to-learn controls and the arcade version utilizes a track ball for swing/ball direction.

Apple highlighting indie game sales in featured App Store section

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Apple is currently highlighting several indie game sales in a new featured App Store section called 'Amazing Indie Games.' Users can find the section by visiting the 'Featured' section of the App Store and tapping on the banner image you see above.

All of the games listed in the section are made by independent developers (an individual or small team), and are being discounted by at least 50% for a limited time. Titles include Space Age: A Cosmic Adventure, Battleheart Legacy, Rules! and more.

iWork for iCloud now available to everyone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple today removed the beta tag from its iWork for iCloud productivity suite, which it opened up to non-Apple device owners earlier this month. Now, anyone with a modern browser and an Apple ID can utilize the web-based office apps which include Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

As seen in the above screenshot, users who don't have an Apple ID can create one by following the "Create one now" link, regardless of whether or not they own a Mac or iOS device. All that's required is that they give their name, email address, date of birth and pick security questions.

Apple to live stream March 9th Apple Watch event

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple updated its website this morning to announce that it will be providing a live video stream of its upcoming March 9th event. On a new Live page at Apple.com, the company has posted the 'Spring Forward' image it's been sending out to media outlets, inviting users to join it at 10 am PDT that day for a "special event."

We are expecting Apple to use the stage time to reveal further details about its Apple Watch, which is slated to start shipping April. Despite a huge unveiling last fall, the company has been relatively mum about upper tier pricing, battery life, and various other aspects of the device, indicating it has a lot more to talk about.

Apple sends out media invites for March 9th event

Cody Lee ∙ February 26, 2015

Apple this morning sent out press invitations for a special event, set to take place on Monday, March 9th. The Loop shared the invite (shown above), which invites attendees to 'Spring forward,' and says it will be held in San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

There's no official word on what Apple will talk about during the event, but the consensus is the company will reveal further details about the Apple Watch. It's also possible that Tim Cook and Co. could introduce rumored projects such as the 12-inch MacBook or iPad Pro.

Tim Cook to deliver commencement address at George Washington University

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple CEO Tim Cook will deliver George Washington University's commencement address at the school's graduation ceremony, the university announced on Wednesday. The ceremony takes place on May 17, at the prestigious 'National Mall' national park in downtown Washington, D.C.

“I am delighted that Tim Cook has accepted our invitation to give this year’s commencement address,” University President Steven Knapp said. "I know our graduating students will be inspired and enlightened by his reflections on the lessons he has garnered from his distinguished career."

Director explains how Modern Family episode was filmed using iPhones and iPads

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 22, 2018

The highly anticipated episode of ABC’s popular sitcom "Modern Family" that was shot entirely using iPhone and iPad cameras airs tonight, and to celebrate, BuzzFeed News got in touch with the episode's director Steven Levitan to find out how they pulled it off.

In a video conversation, which you can download here, Levitan explains that the iOS devices were placed in holsters operated by cameramen and held by the actors. This allowed the pros to control the shots, while still appearing as though the actors held the devices.

Jony Ive and Tesla’s Elon Musk reportedly ‘inseparable’ at Oscars afterparty

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 11, 2018

Apple's Jony Ive and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were acting pretty chummy at a party following the Academy Awards Sunday night, reports AppleInsider. The publication says that the pair were "basically inseparable" at Madonna's A-list afterparty, and exited together around 5am.

The conversation is interesting to us given the recent chatter that Apple is building an electric car. While we doubt they talked about automotive design all night, it seems unlikely that two of Silicon Valley's most influential people spent the entire night discussing the weather.

Apple ordered to pay $533 million in patent infringement trial

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

A federal jury in Tyler, Texas ruled on Tuesday that Apple must pay $532.9 million in damages to Smartflash LLC. Bloomberg reports that the jury found iTunes to infringe on its patents related to "managing access through payment systems."

The original complaint was filed in 2013, with Smartflash asking for $852 million. The company argued it was entitled to a percentage of sales of Apple’s devices, including the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers, that were used to access iTunes.

Chase says it’s activated over 1 million Apple Pay accounts

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Chase Bank has provisioned over one million wallets with Apple Pay since the service launched in October 2014. As noted by AppleInsider, the company made the announcement during an investors conference call on Tuesday.

"We continue to see good growth in the number of consumers that are provisioning Chase cards in their Apple Pay wallet," said Chase's Eileen Serra. "And as more merchants adopt, I would expect to see more traction here, as well."

Apple adds 10 new Flyover locations to Maps

Cody Lee ∙ February 23, 2015

Apple today added a handful of new locations to the 3D Flyover feature in its iOS and OS X Maps applications. The new locations include Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Boise, Idaho in the United Sates, Venice, Italy, and other cities around the globe.

First introduced in Apple Maps when it launched in 2012, the Flyover feature allows users to take close-up, 3-dimensional looks at buildings, landmarks and various other areas of interest.

Rovio’s new ‘Jolly Jam’ puzzler now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Finnish video game developer Rovio released a new game for iOS and Android devices today entitled 'Jolly Jam.' It's a puzzler that looks nothing like the games from the firm's popular bird-flinging 'Angry Birds' franchise, and more like Candy Crush.

Unsurprisingly, Jolly Jam is a freemium title, which tasks you with strategically matching your jelly in a box to battle monsters and advance to the next level. All of this is part of an effort to help Prince Jam save Princess Honey and the Jelly Kingdom.