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.

Samsung warns of lower Q3 profits due to rising smartphone competition

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics warned investors that earnings for its third quarter would be lower than market expectations. The company says it anticipates reporting an operating profit of $3.8 billion for the three-month period ending in September—a decline of nearly 60% year-over-year.

Samsung cites a few reasons for the drop off, including heightened competition in the smartphone market. While the tech giant is selling plenty of handsets, higher marketing costs, fewer shipments of high-end phones and lower average selling prices have negatively impacted operating margins.

AT&T says customer info accessed in insider data breach

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

AT&T confirmed on Monday that it suffered a data breach in August, carried out by one of its own employees. In a letter to Vermont's attorney general, officials for the carrier said a former staffer accessed customer account information, including Social Security and driver's license numbers.

Additionally, the company notes that the insider viewed Customer Proprietary Network Information (or CPNI), which includes metadata such as time, duration and destination of phone calls. It would not identify, however, how many of its customer accounts were affected by the breach.

Cycloramic for iPhone 6 utilizes power adapter to capture 360-degree hands-free video

Cody Lee ∙ October 7, 2014

First introduced in 2012, Cycloramic has received much acclaim for its ability to capture 360-degree hands-free video using custom vibration patterns in the iPhone 5/5s. The app was even featured on the popular TV show Shark Tank, where it garnered a $500K investment from billionaire Mark Cuban.

But when Apple introduced the iPhone 6, with its slimmer profile and rounded edges, a lot of folks wondered what was going to happen to Cycloramic. After all, without the squared base, how was it going to keep the handset standing upright while spinning? The answer: use its power adapter as a base.

iOS 8 adoption slows, now tied with iOS 7 at 47%

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

iOS 8 is now installed on 47% of all compatible devices, according to Apple. The company updated its App Store support page for developers tonight, showing that adoption for the latest major version of iOS is now tied with iOS 7, leaving just 6% of devices on older firmware.

This means that iOS 8 adoption has gone up just a single percentage point in the past two weeks, as Apple reported it installed on 46% of devices on September 21. It's believed that the still-sluggish iOS 8 adoption rate may be due to the number of bugs that have plagued the software.

New Bose-NFL deal bars players from wearing Beats headphones on camera

Cody Lee ∙ October 4, 2014

The NFL has signed a new marketing deal with Bose Corporation, which could spell trouble for Apple's Beats. According to Recode, the new partnership has the National Football League banning its players from wearing Beats headphones while on TV.

The ban encompasses all other non-Bose headphone brands, not just Beats, and includes TV interviews conducted during pre-season training camps, practice and on game day—starting before kickoff and not expiring until 90 minutes after the play ends.

Tim Cook asks employees to remember Steve Jobs on third anniversary of his passing

Cody Lee ∙ October 3, 2014

Tim Cook sent a memo to Apple employees this afternoon, asking them to keep Steve Jobs in their thoughts as they head into the weekend. Sunday will mark the third anniversary of the passing of the company's highly revered visionary, and Cook asks that staffers reflect on the "many ways Steve made our world better."

Modern Combat 5: Blackout on sale for first time ever

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Great news gamers! Gameloft has placed its hit FPS shooter Modern Combat 5: Blackout on sale for the first time ever this weekend. The game, which has garnered a rating of 4 out of 5 stars on nearly 5000 reviews in iTunes, can be had for $4 for a limited time.

MC5 is, as its name suggests, the fifth iteration in the popular Modern Combat series. This particular entry starts out in Italy, where players have been sent on a special operation to secure a transport of WMDs from a particularly well-armed terrorist group.

Apple to hold iPad event on Thursday, October 16

Cody Lee ∙ October 3, 2014

Apple is planning an iPad event for Thursday, October 16, according to a new report from Recode's John Paczkowski. Citing sources familiar with the plans, Paczkowski says the event will be held in the company's Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino, and will be used to talk about new iPads, new iMacs and of course, OS X Yosemite.

iPhone 6 Plus said to be accounting for 60% of iPhone 6 shipments

Cody Lee ∙ October 3, 2014

Sales of the iPhone 6 Plus are exceeding initial expectations, according to a new report from Digitimes. Citing sources with knowledge of part shipments to Apple manufacturers, the outlet says the 6 Plus is expected to account for 60% of total iPhone 6 shipments.

Apparently, Foxconn has been tasked with handling the bulk of production for the iPhone 6 Plus, and Pegatron has the iPhone 6. Digitimes says that part shipments to both suppliers were similar in early September, but have tipped in Foxconn's favor as of late.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus reservations in China reportedly top 4 million

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Reservations for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in China have already topped 4 million, reports Tencent. The Chinese media outlet says that demand for the two new handsets is strong in the country, with reservations hitting 2 million in just 6 hours, and 4 million in within the first day.

Note, this number does not include official iPhone 6 pre-orders, which haven't started yet. Apple announced on September 29 that it had picked up the necessary approval to sell its two new smartphones in China, and told customers that pre-orders would begin Tuesday, October 14.

Hulu Plus app updated with new design, in-app subscriptions and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Hulu has posted a major update for its Hulu Plus iOS client, bringing the app to version 4.0. The update features a number of enhancements, including an all new design, new navigation options, and in-app subscriptions, which allows you to subscribe to the Hulu Plus service.

In addition to these changes, the Hulu Plus app also received a new Search function, which now offers contextually grouped results to help you find what you're looking for. The app has also been updated to support iOS 8, and to "run beautifully" on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Apple in talks with record labels to lower Beats Music fees

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple is working to bring down the fees associated with Beats Music, reports Recode. The site says the company is speaking with major record labels about a new set of rights and features it would like to include in a revamped version of the streaming music service for less than $10 per month.

Discussions are in their early stages, as Apple isn't launching the overhauled Beats Music service until next year, but some critics wonder just how successful the firm will be in convincing folks in the music industry to agree to a price cut on a product they never wanted to exist in the first place.