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.

Angry Birds Star Wars II goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Apple has named Rovio's popular Angry Birds Star Wars II game  its App of the Week for this week. This means that between now and next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the application for both your iPhone and iPad, for free.

For those unfamiliar with the game, it's Rovio's second entry in the Star Wars-themed series. And like the first one, it combines the addictive gameplay of Angry Birds with characters and settings from the successful sci-fi franchise...

Sony releases ‘Ratchet & Clank: BTN’ game for iOS

In a bit of a surprise move today, Sony has released a new game for the iPhone and iPad called 'Ratchet & Clank: BTN.' It's an Infinite runner, much like Temple Run, with familiar elements from Sony's popular franchise.

The game's full name is 'Ratchet and Clank: Before the Nexus' and it features characters from the all new Ratchet and Clank: Nexus PS3 game. And bonus, you can actually sync earned Raritanium (points) between the two...

Cut the Rope 2 now available in the App Store

Great news gamers, ZeptoLab's Cut the Rope 2 is now available in the App Store. The original game, which involved solving a series of puzzles to feed a cuddly little monster named Om Nom, made its debut on the iPhone back in 2010 and has been very popular.

And after some 3 years and half a billion downloads, Om Nom is back for this highly-anticipated sequel. This time he's more interactive, and is joined by 5 new characters—the Nommies—which will help him get through the more than 120 challenging new levels...

Apple’s new Mac Pro is now available for order

As promised yesterday, Apple's all-new Mac Pro desktop computer is now available for order via the company's website. Ready-made models are shipping right now by December 30 and upgraded versions are showing 'available to ship' dates in January.

The new Mac Pro comes in two flavors: a $2999 model equipped with a 3.7 GHz quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processor, 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash storage, and a $3999 model with a 3.5 GHz 6-core E5 chip, 16 GB of RAM, and a better graphics card...

San Francisco DA wants Apple to enable Activation Lock by default on all iPhones

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón released survey results yesterday that he says makes an argument for Apple to enable its Activation Lock security feature on all iPhones. The DA has been publicly leading the charge for a solution to rising cell phone thefts.

Gascón's survey indicated that 78% of respondents who owned an iPhone have enabled the security feature, and according to him, that's a clear sign that Apple should begin enabling this tech on all of its phones as a standard. He believes that it should be completely 'opt out.'

Google’s charity app ‘One Today’ comes to iOS

Those feeling like giving back a little extra this holiday season may want to check out Google's just-released One Today. The app, which has been on Android for some 5 months, makes it easy for users to donate small amounts of money to charity.

One Today highlights a different non-profit organization each day, and allows users to make donations for as little as just a $1. You can also share details about an organization from within the application, and opt to match a friend's recent donation...

Researchers have found a way to discreetly activate Mac iSight cameras

Hackers have long had the ability to infiltrate a person's personal computer, and enable their webcam without their knowledge. We've been hearing horror stories about this for years, where users were covertly spied on through their PC's camera.

But Mac owners have always been led to believe that this can't happen with the iSight camera, because it's designed to always illuminate the adjacent green light every time it's active. Researchers have found a way, though, to get around this behavior...

500px app updated with full iOS 7 support, new login screen and more

Good news for 500px users this afternoon. The popular photo sharing site has updated its iOS client with a handful of design and performance improvements, including some new iOS 7 UI tweaks and a new animated login screen.

The 500px app has been iOS 7-friendly since October, but today's update brings about full support for the new OS with things like beautiful blurred backgrounds, flattened icons, and more. The full 2.4 change log is up after the fold...

T-Mobile CEO teases ‘Uncarrier 4’ event, promises to eliminate a customer pain point

Get ready US carriers and subscribers, it looks like T-Mobile is about to introduce another game-changer. The company's outspoken CEO John Legere tweeted out this morning that it's time for them to 'eliminate another customer paint point.'

He followed the comment by teasing 'Uncarrier4,' which is believed to be an upcoming media event T-Mobile is planning to make some sort of announcement. In the past, the carrier has held 'Uncarrier' events to unveil things like its Jump plan...

Apple agrees to change Australian warranty policies after run-in with watchdog

Apple has come under fire again for its overseas warranty practices this week. The company is being forced to change its return and repair policies to fit under Australian consumer law after it was found to be lying to consumers about their entitled coverage.

Under ACL, warranties are expected to be kept in effect "for the amount of time that it is reasonable to expect, given the cost and quality of an item." So essentially, there's no set expiration date to them. But apparently, Apple has been telling folks differently...

1Password for Mac goes 30% off for a limited time

Following a lengthy sale on its 1Password app for iOS, AgileBits has begun offering a discount on the Mac version of its password manager. For a limited time, you can get the Mac application for 30% off its regular $50 price.

The deal comes just a week before Christmas, but the developers say that the reason for the promotion is in celebration of the fact that Apple has just named 1Password for Mac as one of the best Mac App Store apps of 2o13...

Samsung hires senior Apple Store designer in ongoing retail push

Samsung has picked up an ex-Apple store designer as part of an ongoing retail push, according to a new report. The Korean tech giant has reportedly picked up former senior Apple store designer Tim Gudgel as it mulls over a deeper investment in US retail.

Gudgel has worked at Apple since 2008, and is mentioned as one of the inventors in a patent application of the glass design of the Upper West Side Apple Store in New York City. He is said to specialize in in-store design and overall retail store planning...