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.

DOJ files first ever criminal charges against mobile app pirates

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

The US Department of Justice has long taken issue with large-scale copyright infringement. It's gone after pirates of various different kinds of content, including music and movies—who could forget the FBI raid on the home of Megaupload's Kim Dotcom.

But up until now, the DOJ has never gone after mobile app pirates. That changed this week, though, when it filed charges against 4 men behind Android app piracy websites Snappzmarket and Appbucket for conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement...

iTunes Radio reportedly working for some UK users

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Good news for all of you folks across the pond. There have been reports coming in for the past several hours that [some] iTunes users in the UK and other countries have been able to access and listen to iTunes Radio on their iPhones.

Since its launch last fall, iTunes Radio has been limited to users in the United States. But Apple has said that it is a top priority to get the streaming music service into other countries this year, and it looks like they're preparing a roll out...

WSJ: Apple looking to push deeper into mobile payments

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 24, 2017

The Wall Street Journal is reporting tonight that Apple is looking to develop a new mobile payment service. The outlet says that SVP of Internet and Services Eddy Cue has met with other companies regarding Apple's plans to use its iOS devices to handle payments.

With hundreds of millions of active iTunes accounts, Apple has one of the largest credit card banks in existence. And pundits have been saying for years that the company could leverage its mega user base by coming up with some sort of mobile payment system...

Password-management firm names Apple most secure out of top 100 sites

Cody Lee ∙ January 24, 2014

With high profile hacking incidents making headlines now on what seems like a weekly basis, people are starting to think more about their online security. And one of the first questions they tend to ask is: how safe is my password at [insert name] website?

Password-management company Dashlane just released a report that may help answer this question for many users. The firm has conducted a comprehensive study of the top 100 e-commerce websites, based on 24 criteria, and here's what they found out...

Tim Cook says NSA would have to “cart us out in a box” for server access

Cody Lee ∙ January 24, 2014

We're still a few hours away from ABC airing David Muir's interview with Tim Cook, but the network has been leaking tidbits of the discussion all day. Earlier we saw a clip of Cook talking about Apple's new sapphire plant in Arizona, and now this.

ABC has posted another preview of tonight's Cook interview. This time the CEO answers questions about Apple's position on the recent NSA surveillance scandal, saying the Agency would have to "cart us out in a box" to gain access to their servers...

Apple hangs commemorative Mac posters listing all past and current employees

Cody Lee ∙ January 24, 2014

As part of the ongoing celebration for the 30th anniversary of the Mac, Apple has hung commemorative posters allover its Cupertino, California campus. There's supposedly more than 10 of these giant posters marked with a big '30.'

What's really cool about the posters though, is what you don't see. Apparently the 30 insignia (shown in the photo above) is made up of the names of people who either work at Apple now, or have worked with the company in the past...

AT&T and Incipio introduce new ‘Cashwrap’ NFC iPhone case

Cody Lee ∙ January 24, 2014

Incipio announced today the launch of its new Cashwrap Mobile Wallet Case for the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and 5s. The case features NFC tech, and works with the Isis Mobile Wallet app that lets users pay with their smartphones at participating retailers.

The accessory-maker has teamed up with AT&T to bring the Cashwrap to the masses, and it will be available in the company's stores starting this month. The goal here is to get more iPhone owners using the carrier-backed Isis for mobile payments...

Hipjot developer creating jailbreak tweak for his Swype-style keyboard

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2014

Earlier this month, we told you about a note-taking app called Hipjot that featured a Swype-style keyboard. The app was ok, but the keyboard garnered considerable attention, with many commenting that they wished they could make it their default in iOS.

Well we have some good news this evening. The developer of Hipjot, Yose Widjaja, is working on turning his keyboard into a jailbreak tweak so that it can be used natively. Speaking in a Reddit thread, Widjaja says he's made getting into Cydia a top priority...

Good deal: name your own price on this Mac software bundle

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2014

Good news Mac owners, Stack Social is running another one of its popular "name your own price" software promotions. There are 11 apps in the bundle, worth some $400, and like the name suggests you can literally pay whatever you want.

Is there a catch? A small one. The deal site keeps a running average of what people are paying for the package, which is currently at $8.95. Pay below the average, and you'll only get 4 of the apps; you must pay $8.96 or higher to get all 11...

ABC interview with Tim Cook for Mac’s 30th anniversary to air tomorrow

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2014

Continuing with the festivities for the Macintosh's 30th anniversary, ABC News is set to air an interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook on its World News program with Diane Sawyer tomorrow evening.

Few details are known, except that the interview will be between ABC's David Muir and Cook, and will air tomorrow at 6:30PM EST. And a preview of the interview will air on Good Morning America...

Apple execs talk Mac’s 30th anniversary, future of OS X and iOS, and more

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2014

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the unveiling of the original Macintosh, which happens to be tomorrow, Macworld has published a lengthy interview with three Apple executives to discuss a wide range of topics regarding the popular computer.

In the discussion, Apple's SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller, SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, and VP of Software Technology Bud Tribble talk about where the Mac has been, and where it's going. And as usual, we've posted some highlights...

Best Buy hosting 2-day sale: $50 off iPad Air, $30 off original iPad Mini

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2014

Those in the market for a new iPad Air or a first generation iPad mini may want to check with their local Best Buy this weekend. The retailer is hosting a 2-day sale that will see all models of the two tablets discounted up to $50.

Running Friday and Saturday only, the sale covers all configurations of the iPad Air and original iPad mini. So for example, a 16GB Wi-Fi only Air would only cost you $450. The iPad mini, with its discount, will start at $279...