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.

AMC teases new mobile game ‘The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’

AMC and Finland-based Next Games have announced an upcoming mobile title called 'The Walking Dead: No Man's Land.'  The partners say the game will feature gameplay exclusively developed for smartphones and tablet devices.

This is the second mobile game we've seen for the popular zombie franchise, but unlike Telltale Games' Walking Dead series, which is based on the comic books, this game is based on the hit TV show. Check out the teaser trailer below...

Hearthstone ‘Curse of Naxxramas’ expansion now available

Just a heads up for all of you gamers out there, the highly anticipated 'Curse of Naxxramas' expansion for Blizzard's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is now available. It's available on both Mac and iPad, and the first quarter is free.

Blizzard intends to release the Naxxramas expansion in five quarters over the next five weeks, beginning with the Arachnid Quarter. Additional quarters will cost money, but Arachnid is free to anyone who participates in the launch event...

Apple outlines diagnostic capabilities in response to iOS ‘backdoor’ concerns

Forensic expert, and former jailbreak hacker, Jonathan Zdziarski caused quite a stir earlier this week when he published a report accusing Apple of building backdoors into iOS that could be used for government surveillance.

Apple of course came out and denied the claim, saying that these so-called 'backdoor services' are actually used for troubleshooting. But this wasn't a good enough explanation for a lot of users, so tonight it delved a little deeper...

Early reviews dump cold water on Amazon Fire Phone

At a media event on June 18, Amazon entered the smartphone fray with the Fire Phone. Sure the company is 7 years late to a market that is largely dominated by a handful of heavyweights, but it hoped the device's unique features would set it apart.

Tonight, the embargo lifted on early reviews of the handset, and they aren't pretty. The consensus is that the aforementioned features—tilt scrolling, etc.—are gimmicky at best, and the phone itself is a pain to use. Read on for other initial reactions...

iTunes software and services fastest growing part of Apple’s business this year

During Apple's Q3 earnings call this afternoon, Tim Cook praised the success of its iTunes software and services arm. The CEO said the division was the fastest-growing of the company's business in the first 9 months of its fiscal year 2014.

The segment generated $4.5 billion in revenue during the 3-month period, an increase of 12% YoY (or year over year). And Cook attributed the growth to a number of factors, including growing interest in China and strong App Store numbers...

Apple has acquired 5 companies since April, 29 in past nine months

One of the more interesting tidbits from today's earnings call was a revelation about Apple's recent acquisitions. Tim Cook said the company has purchased 5 companies since the end of the March quarter, and a total of 29 companies during the past 9 months.

Apparently these numbers do not include the Beats Electronics deal—Apple's largest acquisition to date—because it has not completely finalized yet, and isn't expected to until later this quarter. So who are the other companies? These are the ones we know about...

FXNOW channel with Simpsons World content coming to Apple TV

Earlier this year we talked about an upcoming mobile app called Simpsons World that will allow users to stream all 552 episodes of the popular cartoon series. We have since learned that the content will actually be integrated into FXNOW, FX's on-demand service, and should arrive this fall.

Today comes word that a standalone FXNOW channel could be headed to the Apple TV as well, along with the aforementioned Simpsons content. TV writer Jason Lynch tweeted out yesterday that the app will be landing on Apple's set-top box, the Roku and others within the next 12 months....

$165 billion cash pile and other interesting bits from today’s earnings call

Apple announced its financial results for Q3 2014 this afternoon, and for the most part it met the Street’s expectations. The company sold 35.2 million iPhones and pulled in $37.4 billion in revenue during the three month period, and iPad sales fell short at just 13.2 million.

We’re just finishing up the conference call, where Tim Cook, CFO Luca Maestri and other members of the executive team have discussed Apple’s performance, and offered some insight into its future. As usual, we’ve rounded up the to 15 most interesting points for you below…

Apple Q3 2014 earnings: 35.2M iPhones, 13.2M iPads, $37.4B revenue

As expected, Apple is out with its financial report for Q3 2014 this afternoon. In a press release issued just a few moments ago, the company announced that it sold 35.2 million iPhones, 13.2 million iPads, and pulled in $37.4 billion in revenue during the three month period.

Apple beat its own guidance, and met projections on just about everything but iPad numbers. It would seem that the problems continue with the popular tablet line, as sales came in more than 1 million units less than expected. We have a full breakdown of the numbers below...

Apple granted ‘iTime’ patent for smart wristband

With no physical evidence supporting the ongoing 'iWatch' rumors, we continue to search for other forms of proof that Apple is indeed working on a smartwatch. And today, we are adding a new piece to the puzzle with the 'iTime' patent.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the Cupertino company a patent today for a new device called the 'iTime.' It's described as a smart wristband that contains various sensors and wireless radios, so it can talk to other devices...

Apple airs new ‘Stickers’ MacBook Air ad

Apple tonight aired a new commercial for its MacBook Air line called "Stickers." Interestingly enough, it doesn't talk about features or specs, or even show the laptop in use. Instead, it shows an Air being customized with various decals.

Apple says the ad, which features music from Hudson Mohawke, is a "celebration of all the many ways people love the MacBook Air." And it ends with a side view of the thin computer and a powerful tagline: "The notebook people love."

WSJ: Apple gearing up for record production of 70 to 80 million iPhone 6 units

Apple is gearing up for its largest initial production run of iPhones ever, according to a new report this afternoon from The Wall Street Journal. The Cupertino company is betting big on its larger-screened handsets, which it believes will garner record sales.

Citing sources "familiar with the matter," the outlet says that Apple has asked suppliers to manufacture somewhere between 70 million and 80 million units combined of two larger display iPhones, one 4.7-inch model and one 5.5-inch, by the end of December...