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.

Full video of Apple VP Greg Joswiak’s Code Mobile interview now available

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

In October, Apple’s VP of iPhone marketing Greg Joswiak participated in an on-stage interview at Recode's inaugural Code/Mobile conference. During the 30-minute discussion, Joswiak talked about several topics including the iOS 8.0.1 debacle, Apple Pay and more.

Since Joswiak isn't on Apple's senior executive team, we don't get to see him talk very often, but he offers up some interesting information in this interview. We already covered some of the major highlights here, but now you can watch the whole thing on the video below.

Walmart discounting iPads, iPhones and more in Black Friday sale

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Following Target and Best Buy, Walmart today released its Black Friday circular, showing what deals it will be offering during the holiday shopping weekend at the end of the month. As usual, it plans to discount a number of items, including several Apple products.

Among the promotions is an original 16GB Wi-Fi iPad mini for $199 with a free $30 gift card, essentially knocking the tablet's price tag down $80. The retailer is also offering original 16GB Wi-Fi iPad Airs for $397 with a $100 gift card, pushing the price under $300.

Box updated with Touch ID support and Notification Center widget

Cody Lee ∙ November 12, 2014

Dropbox competitor Box updated its iOS client this morning, bringing the app to version 3.5. The update is a big one, bringing about a number of improvements and new features, including some that are specific to users with devices running iOS 8.

The Box app now features a widget in the Notification Center that allows you to quickly and easily create Box notes and view recent documents. The update also adds support for Touch ID, so you can use your fingerprint to lock and unlock the app.

Apple says iOS 8 adoption nearing 60%

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

The adoption rate for iOS 8 is slowly starting to pick up, according to Apple. As noted by MacRumors, the company tonight updated its developer portal with a new graph showing that the latest major revision of its mobile software is now on 56% of compatible devices.

This is good news for Apple, as the initial adoption rate for iOS 8 was embarrassingly low for a company that likes to tout the figure. In October, iOS 8 was believed to be installed on just 47% of compatible devices, compared to 70% for iOS 7 in the same time a year ago.

Overcast podcast app updated with iPad and CarPlay support

Cody Lee ∙ November 11, 2014

Overcast, the popular iOS podcast client by Instapaper creator Marco Arment, has been updated this evening, bringing the app to version 1.1. The update includes a handful of great features such as native iPad and rotation support.

The app looks just as good on the iPad as it does the iPhone, regardless of whether your device is in portrait or landscape mode. Speaking of, the iPhone version also now supports landscape mode, which looks great on the 6 and 6 Plus.

Ubisoft releases official companion app for Assassin’s Creed Unity

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Ubisoft has today posted the official companion app for its new hit console and PC video game, Assassin's Creed Unity. Set within Paris, during the French Revolution, this is the seventh major installment in the popular Assassin's Creed series.

Those who have purchased the game, or plan to, will definitely want to check out the app, which includes a 3D, interactive map and glyph puzzles that unlock new Brotherhood missions. It also offers useful content like tutorials and training tips.

Judge green-lights lawsuit against Apple over text message delivery issue

Cody Lee ∙ November 11, 2014

Federal judge Lucy Koh has green-lighted a lawsuit against Apple over its long-standing iMessage issue that causes some former iPhone users to not receive their text messages, reports Reuters. The lawsuit was filed in May by San Jose, California resident Adrienne Moore.

Moore says Apple didn't properly warn her that she'd quit receiving text messages after switching from an iPhone to a Galaxy S5. There's no word yet on what kind of damages Moore is asking for, but she is seeking class action status, which would allow others to join the suit.

Target, Best Buy Black Friday deals on Apple products revealed

Cody Lee ∙ November 11, 2014

Best Buy and Target have posted their annual Black Friday sales previews. The two retailers have published a number of deals they will be offering up to hordes of holiday shoppers on the popular after-Thanksgiving-day shopping weekend.

Target will be hosting quite a few deals on Apple products, providing gift cards of up to $100 for iPad purchases. Best Buy also plans to offer $100 discounts on select iPad models, and has a slew of other Apple product promos planned as well.

Groupon launches new ‘Getaways’ app for travel deals

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Daily deals site Groupon launched a new app yesterday, called Groupon Getaways, specifically for hotel and travel offers. The company says that travel is its fastest growing business category, and it hopes to capitalize on that popularity by introducing this dedicated standalone app.

Groupon Getaways VP Simon Goodall is quick to say that “travel will still remain an integral part of the main Groupon app,” but the firm is trying to push users to the new Getaway app. Through November 14, users who book a trip through it are eligible for an additional 20% discount.

Mailbox for iOS updated with new interactive notification options

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The popular email client Mailbox has been updated this morning, bringing the app to version 2.3.3. As the build number suggests, it's a minor release, but it does include a slew of bug fixes and performance improvements and a pair of new interactive notification options.

Among the many new features added in iOS 8 is interactive push notifications. These allow developers to add simple actions to their app's notifications, which is what the Mailbox team has done in 2.3.3. You can now choose to archive or snooze emails with just a single tap.

Apple planning aggressive enterprise push, hiring dedicated sales force

Cody Lee ∙ November 10, 2014

Apple is planning its "most aggressive expansion yet" in the enterprise sector, according to a new report from Reuters. Citing sources familiar with the plans, the outlet says Apple is hiring a dedicated sales force, and working with developers who make industry-specific apps.

Apple is hoping to leverage its IBM and new developer partnerships into challenging market leaders like Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Oracle, and SAP. And its sales team is being tasked with pitching this new enterprise strategy to decision-makers at high profile firms, like Citigroup.

The Wall Street Journal posts full video of Tim Cook interview

Cody Lee ∙ November 10, 2014

In October, Apple CEO Tim Cook participated in an interesting on-stage interview at The Wall Street Journal’s inaugural WSJ.D Live conference. During the 30-minute discussion, Cook talked about several topics including Apple Pay, Apple Watch and more.

Of course, Cook has done a handful of high profile interviews in recent months, but he does divulge some new details regarding Apple and its products during this talk. We covered some of the highlights here, but now you can watch the whole thing on video.