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.

‘Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff’ now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ April 10, 2014

We've been looking forward to the new Family Guy game on iOS since it was first mentioned last December, and we're happy to say that it is now available for download. Head on over to the App Store, and you can grab 'Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff' for free.

For those who have missed our various posts on the title, the game is a joint venture between Fox and TinyCo studios, and it involves you helping Peter Griffin and the rest of the Quahog residents rebuild their city after it's destroyed. Read on for a full overview...

iWatch to come in two sizes, feature wireless charging and be ‘fashionable’

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

Since we first began seeing 'iWatch' rumors back in early 2013, I've been wondering what the smartwatch will look like. Will it look like a traditional watch, similar to those from Samsung and Motorola? Or will it look more like a fitness band, like Nike's FuelBand? What kind of features will it have?

Admittedly, there's been no shortage of reports on the so-called iWatch, but a new research note from KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo offers perhaps the most comprehensive look at the device we've seen. The analyst says the watch will come in two sizes, feature wireless charging, and will be "fashionable."

A timeline of all the products Apple is rumored to launch this year

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

Apple is preparing to release a bevy of new products this year, according to a new research note from KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo. The highly regarded analyst has laid out a timeline of all the products Apple is rumored to launch in 2014, beginning in Q2 and going all the way through December.

Kuo sees Apple starting with an iMac refresh in late Q2, followed by upgrades to the iPad Air and iPad mini. He then sees the company introducing a new 4.7-inch iPhone and the oft-rumored iWatch in Q3, and closing out the year with a refreshed Apple TV, 5.5-inch iPhone and a 12" MacBook...

Apple seeds OS X 10.9.3 build 13D38 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple has seeded another beta for OS X 10.9.3 to registered Mac developers this afternoon. The update comes one week after the fifth beta of 10.9.3 was released, which brought about few notable changes.

The new beta build is available to registered Mac developers through the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store, or as a complete download via the Mac section of Apple’s online developer portal…

Apple said to be considering ‘dramatic’ overhaul of iTunes music store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple is considering the most dramatic overhaul of its iTunes music store in more than a decade, according to a new report by Billboard. Citing sources familiar with the company's deliberations, the outlet claims Apple is actively looking for ways to combat declining music downloads.

We saw a similar report from Billboard last month, which claimed that the Cupertino firm was mulling over an Android version of its iTunes store, as well as an on-demand streaming service of sorts. It's clear that Apple is facing increasing competition from Spotify, Rdio and other services...

Upcoming jailbreak tweak ‘OS Experience’ promises to bring true multitasking to iPad

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

We noted on the most recent episode of our podcast Let's Talk Jailbreak that it's an exciting time for jailbreakers right now. It seems like every few weeks we have a major new tweak coming out—Auxo 2, ProWidgets, IntelliScreenX 7—and today we have a another one to add to the list.

It's called 'OS Experience,' and it's described as a "revolutionary iOS tweak that brings true multitasking to your iPad." Built by developer Evan Swick, the tweak reminds me a lot of the 'Spaces' feature in OS X, with a full-featured window manager, live application previews, and more...

Mailbox lands on Android, coming soon to OS X

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

Mailbox, the popular Dropbox-owned email client, announced this morning that it would be bringing its app to two new platforms: Android and OS X. The Android version will be available later today in the Google Play store, and the team says that the OS X version is "coming soon."

First launched on iPhone in February 2013, Mailbox is an email client that syncs up with Gmail, Yahoo Mail and iCloud. It's not feature-rich, but it stands out thanks to its gesture-based navigation and procrastination features, which let you delay various email actions to a later time...

Apple calls in expert to explain why it deserves $2 billion in damages from Samsung

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

The high-profile patent trial between Apple and Samsung wages on, with Apple on Tuesday calling in a damages expert Chris Vellturo to speak to the jury. The MIT-trained economist's job was to help the company explain why it deserved the damages it's asking for.

For those who missed it last week, Apple is asking the court to award it $2 billion ($2.19B to be exact) in damages from Samsung for infringing on 5 of its utility patents. And according to Vellturo, that amount is fair based on a mix of lost profits and owed royalty fees...

Apple seen testing push notifications for resolved Maps issues

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

Apple is apparently testing a new notification system for Maps, according to a report from MacRumors. The site has posted screenshots showing a new option that some users are seeing to receive a push notification when their reported issue with the app has been fixed.

It works like this: after choosing to 'Report a Problem' within the Maps app, users are given the option to be notified when engineers have fixed the issue. And once the problem has been resolved, Apple sends out a push notification to that user's device letting them know...

Downcast apps for iOS and Mac on sale for a limited time

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Folks looking to branch out in the world of podcast apps may want to check out Downcast for iOS and Mac. The two apps are considered by many to be best in their respective categories, and for a limited time, both of them are available at discounts of up to 50%.

The iPhone client, for those who haven't used it, is about as sharp as they come. It's packed with innovative features like gesture-based playback controls, and looks great thanks to its recent iOS 7 refresh. And the Mac version of the app is equally impressive...

Pocket updated with new languages, support for Medium and more

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

Last month, popular read-it-later service Pocket took its iOS client global, adding the support of French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish languages. Until then, the app could only display UI elements (not saved content) in English.

Today the service built on that achievement by adding support for 5 new languages, including both Chinese and Portuguese, via an app update. The release, marked as version 5.2.1, also features better support for Medium and other improvements....

New report says iWatch is set to launch in September

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

It sounds like Apple is aiming for a fall launch of its so-called iWatch project. According to a new report from DigiTimes, the Cupertino company has taken delivery of samples of flexible circuit boards for the smartwatch ahead of its September debut.

The news comes just 24 hours after Taiwan’s Economic Daily News claimed that Apple was aiming for a 3rd quarter iWatch launch. And while both outlets have somewhat sketchy track records, combined with previous intel the two reports hold weight...