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.

Amazon Instant Video app gets new search history and quick resume features

Cody Lee ∙ August 9, 2014

Amazon posted a nice little update for its Instant Video app this weekend, bringing the client to version 2.8. The update includes a couple of new features and bug fixes that make searching for and watching content in the application much more enjoyable.

One of the new features has to do with video playback, and it enables you to quickly resume videos you've recently started from the app's home screen. You can also now quickly find content you've previously searched for with the new search history feature...

iTunes offering big discounts on TMNT, Stanley Kubrick movie bundles

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

If you've ever listened to one of our weekly podcasts, Let's Talk iOS or Let's Talk Jailbreak, you know that I love a good deal, and this morning I've got a few of them to share with you involving iTunes movie bundles. For a limited time, you can pick up 3 TMNT movies and 7 Stanley Kubrick films at a deep discount.

The first bundle includes all 3 original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies—the live action ones from the early 90's—in HD for just $14.99. The second offers up 7 classic films from Stanley Kubrick, one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time, in HD for just $39.99. That's less than $6 per movie...

Apple begins adding Family Sharing support info to select App Store listings

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has been spotted adding support info for its upcoming Family Sharing feature to both iOS and Mac App Store listings. The data can be seen in the Information section of select apps (where it lists Seller, Category, etc.), under a new field called 'Family Sharing.'

For those unfamiliar with it, Family Sharing is a new feature built-in to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite that will allow families to share content like apps, music, movies, and more across all of their iOS devices, as long as their iTunes accounts are all using the same credit card...

Apple could announce its “wrist wearable thing” next month, says Gruber [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ August 8, 2014

Apple may unveil its so-called iWatch sooner than expected, according to Daring Fireball's John Gruber. In a new blog post this afternoon, the well-connected Apple pundit casually mentions that the Cupertino company plans to announce its "wrist wearable thing" next month.

Gruber's claim contradicts previous reports from various outlets, which have all suggested that the iWatch would land in October. But given his near perfect track record in predicting Apple plans, it's certainly possible that we could see more than bigger iPhones in September...

Judge rejects $324 million anti-poaching settlement from Apple and others

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

In 2011, tech employees levied a class action anti-poaching lawsuit against Apple, Google, and other companies. The suit covered more than 60,000 workers, who claimed the firms conspired to keep their salaries lower by entering in a non-poach agreement with one another.

It was reported in April that Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe had reached a settlement for $324 million, but apparently Judge Lucy Koh (yes, that Judge Koh) didn't like that number. Judge Koh officially rejected the proposed offer today, saying that it needed to be higher...

U.S. Patent Office rejects Apple patent Samsung was found to infringe

Cody Lee ∙ August 8, 2014

Apple and Samsung may have called a truce in patent litigation overseas, but here in the United States, they're still locked in a heated battle. The two firms are wrapping up post-trial hearings from their 2012 meeting, and they've just begun post-trial activities for this year's lawsuit.

This week a significant development has occurred, which could have a major impact in the ongoing fight. The US Patent Office has rejected several claims of one of the patents Apple asserted against Samsung in their most recent infringement trial, saying certain parts aren't valid...

Yelp app updated with new Bing Translator feature for foreign reviews

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Yelp announced a new feature for its mobile app this week called 'automated review translation.' The feature will allow users to translate foreign language reviews with the tap of a button, making it the perfect companion for folks traveling abroad.

Reviews are translated using Microsoft's 'Bing Translator' tech, and can be done one at a time, or as a group. Yelp says that the feature works for all 15 of its officially supported languages, which includes German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and French...

Several productivity apps on sale for a limited time

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Apple is highlighting a number of popular productivity apps in its App Store right now, which have recently seen significant discounts. The promo can be found in the iTunes Store, under a special new section entitled "Amazing Productivity Apps Limited-Time Prices."

Here you'll find several top tier apps like Fantastical 2,which has made our Top Calendar Apps list multiple times, for bottom tier prices. There's also Clear To Do List, Notablity, 1Password and many more. We've put together a list of the apps and their discounts below...

Apple releases iTunes 11.3.1 with podcast-related bug fixes

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has this afternoon pushed out a new version of its iTunes app, bringing the music management software to version 11.3.1. The update is more of a maintenance release, and doesn't include any major new features or changes.

It does however, offer up a fix for a persistent problem where subscribed podcasts may have stopped updating with new episodes, as well as an issue where iTunes would become unresponsive while browsing through podcast episodes...

Classic RPG ‘Dragon Quest IV’ lands in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ August 7, 2014

Fans of the classic RPG 'Dragon Quest IV' will be happy to hear that Square Enix has delivered on its promise to launch an English version of the game. After spending several months in Japan, the title is now available in the US App Store.

For those unfamiliar with it, Dragon Quest IV was a popular turn-based RPG in the early 90's. Square Enix promises that the port keeps the same core gameplay experience as the original, and a new control system optimized for mobile devices...

United Airlines app gains handy new passport scanning feature

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

United Airlines updated its iOS app this morning, bringing the client to version 2.0.16. The update includes support for a new feature the company is testing out that enables users to scan their passports to check-in for international flights using their device's camera.

United is calling the trial feature "Expanded International Check-In," and its purpose is to allow international passengers to complete their check-in process and print their boarding pass before arriving at the airport. All it takes is a quick photo scan of their passport...

Apple awarded new patent on wireless charging

Cody Lee ∙ August 7, 2014

We don't know if the upcoming iPhone 6 is going to feature wireless charging technology or not, but we do know that Apple is working on it. The Cupertino company has been awarded multiple patents on wire-free charging tech over the years, and today we're adding a new one to the stack.

The USPTO granted Apple the rights to a new invention this week based on NFMR (or near-field magnetic resonance) technology. NFMR is different from the inductive charging tech used by most manufacturers these days, as it's capable of wirelessly charging devices up to one meter away...