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.

Hands-on with iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and iMac with Retina 5K display

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

So you’ve watched Apple’s keynote, and you’ve been keeping up with the news today, but thus far you’ve only seen the new iPads and Retina iMac from either afar or in marketing materials. Obviously, the products are 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 two new iPads, and 5K iMac, and have posted videos of their initial reactions. So naturally, we’ve rounded up some of these clips that show folks trying out the devices for the first time.

You can now watch a replay of today’s Apple event

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Folks who missed Apple’s keynote this morning, or would just like to watch it in its entirety, will be happy to hear that Apple has just posted the full video online for your streaming pleasure. Obviously, you can read everything you need to know about today’s event right here on iDB, but if you have the time, the video is worth watching.

Apple unveils the iPad mini 3 with Touch ID

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

Alongside a new iPad Air, Apple has today unveiled a new version of its iPad mini. But unlike it's larger sibling, the mini does not receive a performance bump courtesy of the new A8X chip, the 8MP iSight camera or many of the other improvements.

As you can see in the image above, the tablet retains its 7.9-inch display and 5MP iSight camera. On the other hand, it does gain the faster 802.11n with MIMO and a Touch ID-enabled Home button. Apple didn't mention the name of its processor.

OS X Yosemite update now available in the Mac App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Earlier today, Apple announced that its highly anticipated OS X Yosemite update would be available today. And we are happy to announce that the update just landed in the Mac App Store, and is now available to all users for free, as long as you have a compatible Mac machine.

The release is a major one for the Mac platform, as it brings about a number of improvements. The software's UI design has been refreshed, bringing it more in line with iOS, and there are several new features including Notification Center widgets, and text message forwarding.

Apple updates iWork with Yosemite support, OS X apps get redesigned

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

Continuing with its marathon software rollout, Apple has posted updates for its iWork apps on both iOS and Mac. The suite of productivity software now properly supports the just-released OS X Yosemite, along with its major new features like iCloud Drive and Continuity.

Both versions received various improvements, such as customizable alignments and easier file sharing, but the three Mac apps got a lot more love then their iOS counterparts. Pages, Numbers and Keynote for OS X have been redesigned to better match the new Yosemite.

Apple releases iTunes 12.0.1 for OS X Yosemite

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Following the release of OS X Yosemite this afternoon, Apple quickly pushed out iTunes 12.0.1. As you know, Yosemite includes a refreshed edition of iTunes marked as version 12, and this is an update for the folks who are using the new software.

Not much is mentioned in the change log in terms of what's new in 12.0.1, but it does note that at least one of the changes has to do with security. And given its release time, and .1 build number, we imagine that it includes other bug fixes as well.

Watch the new iPad Air 2 and iMac with Retina 5K display videos

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

Apple just posted the introduction videos for the iPad Air 2 and iMac with Retina 5K display shown during this morning's event to its YouTube channel. So for folks who haven't seen the keynote yet, or simply want to watch the clips again, here is your chance.

The video for the iPad Air 2 is short, coming in at just over 30 seconds, and focuses on the tablet's thinner profile by hiding it behind a laser-cut pencil. As for the new Retina display iMac, there are 2 videos that—as you'd expect—highlight its beautiful screen.

New cellular iPads feature versatile Apple SIM for seamlessly switching from one carrier to another

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

Amongst the many new features included in the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, we've come across an interesting one specific to the cellular models. It's a new pre-installed, Apple-branded SIM that allows you to switch seamlessly between participating US and UK carriers.

We've seen a number of Apple-filed patents pertaining to such an invention over the years, with some even speculating that the company was looking to become a wireless provider. But it appears it just wanted to make it easier to use the iPad with short-term data plans.

Apple updates Mac mini, lowers price to $499

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

In addition to the new 5K iMac, Apple announced an update to its aging Mac mini line today. The new desktop computer has been outfitted with Intel's 4th-gen Core processor, and now supports PCIe-based flash storage and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and the faster Thunderbolt 2 ports.

But the Mac mini has never really been about performance; it's been about the price. As Apple's least expensive Mac machine offered, the mini gave more people access to the popular OS X ecosystem. And today, the computer gets even more accessible with a $100 price drop.

OS X Yosemite available today as free update

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

Mac and iOS software chief Craig Federighi just announced that OS X Yosemite will be available to the public today, as a free update in the Mac App Store. As long as you have a compatible Mac machine, you'll be able to grab the software at no cost.

Announced in June, Yosemite is a significant update for Apple's Mac operating system that brings about a fresh new design, and hundreds of new features including Notification Center Widgets, Handoff, Continuity, text message forwarding and more.

Apple Pay launching Monday, October 20th

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

During his on-stage introduction at Apple's iPad event today, Tim Cook announced a release date for Apple Pay. The company is set to launch the new mobile payment service on Monday, October 20th, alongside the release of the iOS 8.1 update.

Additionally, Cook said that Apple has signed on 500 new banks since announcing Apple Pay last month, and a number of new retailers. The service will work with iPhone 6, 6 Plus and Apple Watch in stores, and iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 online.

Tim Cook kicks off iPad event with usual barrage of stats

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2014

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. Apple's October 16 media event has officially begun, and CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage to talk about what the company has been up to and how it's been performing over the past few months.

If you've ever watched an Apple event before, you're probably familiar with how this goes. Cook talks sales figures, retail stats, and praises his team on recent accomplishments. As usual, we've rounded up some of the more interesting tidbits for you below.