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 eradicating ‘bonded servitude’ at supplier factories

Cody Lee ∙ February 11, 2015

Apple has informed its supply chain partners that it will no longer tolerate the charging of recruitment fees to new hires, the company said in its annual Supplier Responsibility report on Wednesday. The practice is common in countries like China, where labor is in short supply, and manufacturers use third-party brokers to help staff their factories.

“It is in essence bonded servitude,” Apple's Senior Vice President of Operations Jeff Williams tells Bloomberg, describing a scenario in which a factory new-hire is forced to take on a huge debt before they even begin work. "That fee needs to be paid by the supplier and Apple ultimately bears that fee when we pay the supplier and we’re OK doing that."

Unlocking your iPhone gets a little bit easier today

Cody Lee ∙ February 11, 2015

The process of unlocking your iPhone became a little bit easier today in the United States. Today marks the deadline for wireless carriers to adopt the unlocking standards of the late-2013 agreement set forth by the CTIA.

The agreement is industry-wide, and mandates that carriers adhere to 6 rules including clearly posting their unlocking policies online, and offering to unlock postpaid handsets once the customer's contract has expired.

Report: iPhone 6 Plus users consume twice the data of iPhone 6 users

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Owners of larger smartphones tend to use a lot more data than those with smaller screens, according to a new report from Citrix. The marketing research firm found that, on average, iPhone 6 Plus users consume twice the data of those with an iPhone 6.

While it makes sense that the 6 Plus would eat more data due to its larger display, Citrix thinks the difference has more to do with user behavior. People are treating the 6 Plus like they would a tablet, playing more games and streaming a lot more video.

IGN names EA’s ‘Mass Effect: Infiltrator’ its Free Game of the Month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Heads up gamers, IGN has just named EA's "Mass Effect: Infiltrator" its Free Game of the Month for February. The title has a rating of 4 out of 5 stores in the App Store, on thousands of reviews, and it typically retails for $4.99.

In Infiltrator, you play as veteran Cerberus agent Randall Ezno who works at a secret facility that conducts illicit experiments on alien beings. But when those experiments go too far, Randall vows to bring the whole project down.

Elon Musk says Apple is trying very hard to recruit from Tesla

Cody Lee ∙ February 5, 2015

Apple is trying very hard to hire engineers away from Tesla Motors, says Elon Musk. Speaking with Bloomberg, the CEO claims that the Cupertino company is gunning hard for his employees, offering them as much as $250K signing bonuses and 60% salary increases.

This is interesting for a few reasons, one being that Apple was recently spotted driving unmarked minivans around the Bay Area with complex rooftop cameras. It's believed the vehicles are either working on a new Street View-like Maps feature, or a driverless system.

‘Angry Birds Seasons’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ February 5, 2015

Apple has just named "Angry Birds Seasons" its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to download the popular game, which normally retails for $0.99, for free.

The Angry Birds franchise needs no introduction—Rovio's slingshotting fowls have been downloaded over 2 billion times—and this seasonal version has proven to be a fan favorite. The current episode is NBA All-Star.

Apple reportedly in talks with programmers over new web TV service

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple is in talks with TV programmers in search of a deal that would allow it to launch a new web-based TV service, reports Recode. Citing sources familiar with the project, the site says the Cupertino firm wants to put together standalone channel packages and offer them directly to customers—wrapped within its own interface and user experience.

Recode is hearing the talks are still in the very early stages, so things like pricing and launch dates aren't anywhere close to being settled, but Apple has shown a demo of the service to programmers. It's said to look similar to Dish Network's just-launched Sling service, which offers select channels instead of a broad lineup, and bypasses cable providers.

Apple’s name attached to mysterious camera-equipped vehicles in Bay Area

Cody Lee ∙ February 3, 2015

A handful of unmarked minivans have been spotted driving around California over the past several days with what appears to be roof-mounted camera equipment. No one seems to know what the vehicles are up to, but CBS' Bay Area affiliate was able to confirm with the DMV that at least one of the vans is leased to Apple.

More specifically, the minivans feature custom X-shaped frames atop their luggage racks, fitted with what appears to be 12 cameras. It also has a pair of cylindrical antennas, which the news outlet speculates could be LiDAR sensors—a laser-based technology used in self-driving vehicles, as well as high-resolution mapping.

Slow Shutter! available for free within the Apple Store app

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Those of you who enjoy app deals may be interested to know that Slow Shutter! has gone free for a limited time. Apple is currently offering promo codes for the popular camera app, which typically costs $1.99, within its Apple Store app.

Slow Shutter's flagship feature is its ability to capture long-exposure photographs. This means that you can create the kind of beautiful photos of moving objects (think moving cars at night) typically reserved for more expensive cameras.

How to watch Super Bowl XLIX on iPhone, iPad and other devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

We are now just a few days away from Super Bowl XLIX, one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year. At 6:30 (EST) on Sunday, more than 110 million people are expected to tune in to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in a battle for the NFL Championship.

For those of you who don’t plan to spend the day huddled around a television set, we’ve put together a list of ways to follow the action on other popular devices. Live streaming will be available this year on iPad and PC/Mac, courtesy of NBC, no cable subscription required, and on iPhone via NFL Mobile.

iTunes 12.1 update introduces a widget for Notification Center

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 11, 2018

Apple this evening posted the first notable update for iTunes 12 since the music management app was refreshed for OS X Yosemite back in October of last year. The release comes labeled as iTunes 12.1, and it includes a new media control widget for Notification Center.

The widget includes back, forward and pause buttons, much like the buttons on the Lock screen and in Control Center of iOS, as well as track information. And, when playing iTunes Radio, the widget allows you to favorite songs and purchase the currently playing song.

‘ProCam 2’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple has just named Samer Azzam's ‘‘ProCam 2" its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to download the popular photo and video editor for iPhone and iPad for free—a solid savings of $1.99.

The app offers features such as Night mode, Burst mode, anti-shake, and a self-timer. It also has face detection, intelligent HDR, dozens of photo filters to choose from, and a variety of other tools that make taking and editing great photos and videos a breeze.