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.

Former jailbreak hacker accuses Apple of building surveillance backdoors into iOS

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Former iPhone jailbreak hacker Jonathan Zdziarski recently gave a presentation at the HOPE/X conference regarding iOS device security. He said that the platform is reasonably secure from attacks by malicious hackers, but noted there are several backdoors built-in for surveillance.

In the presentation, called 'Identifying Backdoors, Attack Points, and Surveillance Mechanisms in iOS Devices,' Zdziarski detailed a number of undocumented high-value forensic services running on iOS devices, and suspicious design omissions in the OS, that appear to be for snooping...

Apple seeds OS X Yosemite Preview 4, redesigned iTunes 12 and Yosemite Recovery Update

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

In addition to seeding the fourth beta of iOS 8 this morning, Apple has also released the fourth Developer Preview of its new OS X Yosemite operating system. The update comes two weeks after Preview 3, and well over a month after Apple announced Yosemite at WWDC.

The update is labeled as build preview 4 1.0 and can be downloaded via an update in the Mac App Store, or as a full download from Apple’s online developer center. It does not, however, appear to be out in Apple’s recently-launched public Yosemite Beta Seed program yet…

Here is the redesigned iTunes 12

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Alongside Developer Preview 4 of OS X Yosemite, Apple launched a new beta version of iTunes 12 this morning. The most notable change in the software is its refreshed interface, which features flatter UI elements, greater space between buttons, and other iOS 7-esque design language.

iTunes 12 also brings about a new icon, as well as a host of new features. Included in the new functionality is support for Family Share, a new option Apple announced at WWDC last month for sharing iTunes purchases, improved playlists, a redesigned information window, and more...

Netflix updates Apple TV app with next episode auto-play feature

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Good news Apple TV owners. Netflix has updated its client for the set-top box with its auto-play-next-episode feature, bringing it in line with its other apps. The feature, which has long been available on the web and other platforms, has been a top request among users.

Now, when a TV episode is finished playing in the Netflix app, users will have the option to quickly move to the next one in sequential order. Previously, users would have to back out to the 'Play' screen, then out to the 'Season' screen and manually select the next episode...

Samsung posts new ‘Screen Envy’ ad in response to iPhone 6 rumors

Cody Lee ∙ July 21, 2014

Samsung has posted a new ad to its YouTube channel this afternoon entitled 'Screen Envy.' The spot addresses rumors that the iPhone 6 will come with a larger display, saying that Samsung's Galaxy smartphones have had 5-inch screens for years.

The commercial literally opens with an iPhone user telling his friend that Apple is working on a larger-screened smartphone. The friend, who is of course using a Galaxy S5, is clearly unimpressed by the speculation, saying "that hasn't happened yet?"

Facebook rolling out new ‘Save’ read-it-later feature

Cody Lee ∙ July 21, 2014

Facebook today announced a new feature that will allow users to save interesting items on the social network for later viewing. Users will have the ability to save things like links, places, recipes and media, and go back and view them at a later time.

Similar to apps like Pocket or Instapaper, Facebook's new Save feature allows users to consume content on their own time, making them less likely to skip over it. It also helps filter out annoying posts like quizzes, mobile game invites, and other fluff...

Starbucks preparing coffee ordering service for mobile app

Cody Lee ∙ July 21, 2014

Great news Starbucks-goers. You may soon be able to order your coffee using your iPhone. In a recent interview with Recode, the company's Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman said that it plans to start testing a pickup service later this year via its mobile app.

The move comes as Americans are increasingly turning to smartphone-friendly services like Uber and GrubHub. And with nearly 15% of Starbucks' US purchases now coming via its mobile app, adding the ability to order from it seems like a natural evolution...

Apple announces London iTunes Festival featuring Pharrell, Beck and others

Cody Lee ∙ July 20, 2014

Apple this morning announced its eighth annual iTunes Festival in London. The 30-day event will feature over 60 acts, and once again take place at the legendary Roundhouse throughout the month of September.

Headlining this year's Festival will be Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, Beck and David Guetta, and Apple says that it will once again be streaming all of their performances to iOS devices, iTunes and the Apple TV for free...

Security firm warns of new iMessage spam campaign

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 6, 2023

iPhones users—particularly those in larger US cities—may want to start keeping an eye out for odd iMessages. According to security firm Cloudmark, there has been a dramatic uptick in recent months of spam directed at Apple's iOS messaging system.

Cloudmark says that the new spam campaign, which appears to be peddling counterfeit goods, accounted for 34% of US-based SMS spam during the past two months. Activity seemed to be particularly high in New York City, L.A., San Diego and Miami...

Gameloft posts new Modern Combat 5 trailer ahead of launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

After more than a year of waiting, Gameloft is finally ready to release Modern Combat 5: Blackout. The studio announced earlier this month that the game will launch for iOS and Android on July 24th, which is next Thursday.

To hold you over until then, Gameloft has posted an official Launch trailer for MC5. While we've seen videos before, this new clip is over a minute long and offers an entertaining look at the game's graphics and gameplay...

Infographic offers overview of iPhone 6 rumors

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

With so many leaked parts, mockups and insider reports raining down each week, it can be hard to keep up with the iPhone 6 rumor mill. Luckily, our friends at Nowhereelse.fr have compiled an infographic that offers an overview of the latest chatter.

The following image lists some of the more popular iPhone 6 rumors we've heard thus far, and the likelihood that they'll materialize. The data used to create the graphic comes from various tech outlets including AppleInsider, BGR, and of course, iDB...

New scratch test video suggests iPhone 6 front panel may not be sapphire

Cody Lee ∙ July 19, 2014

The consensus thus far has been that the iPhone 6 will feature a sapphire-covered display. Apple recently opened a plant to produce large amounts of the material, and we've seen videos depicting purported iPhone 6 panels as virtually indestructible.

But a new scratch test video suggests that the leaked iPhone 6 front panels floating around may not actually be made of [pure] sapphire. In the clip, YouTube veteran Marques Brownlee puts the panel to the test using Mohs scale of mineral hardness...