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.

Scosche introduces new ‘BoltBox’ charging cables for Lightning devices

Folks looking to pick up a new Lightning charging cable might want to check out Scosche's latest iOS accessory. The California-based company introduced the 'boltBOX' today, a new colorful USB charging cable for all of your Lightning devices.

What makes the boltBOX better than your average Apple USB Lightning cable? Well, aside from the fact that it comes in a variety of different colors, it features an innovative retractable design that neatly stores its 3-foot cable when not in use...

Facebook Messenger for iPhone updated with Instagram support and more

Facebook updated its popular Messenger app for iPhone this afternoon, for the first time since May. The update brings the app to version 2.6, and brings about a handful of useful improvements and bug fixes.

Among the improvements is deeper integration with Instagram. Users can now pick photos from their Instagram albums, as well as any other album, on their iPhone and attache them in a Facebook message...

CocoaNuts: ‘Celeste 2’ Bluetooth sharing utility for iOS 6 nearly complete

Good news this afternoon for jailbroken users on iOS 6. CocoaNuts, the developers behind a number of popular tweaks like Safari Downloader and YourTube, have announced today that the sequel to their Celeste tweak is nearly done.

Aptly named 'Celeste 2,' the developers say that the new utility will include all of the best features from the original Bluetooth-sharing tweak, as well as a number of new ones. And, best of all, it will be compatible with all versions of iOS 6...

Patent troll VirnetX expands patent suit against Apple

If you're not familiar with the name VirnetX, you should be. The Internet security software and technology company (also known as a patent troll) has filed a patent infringement suit against every major tech company in the business, including Apple.

In fact, last fall Apple was ordered to pay VirnetX a staggering $368 million after a Texas jury found the iPad-maker guilty of infringing on its IP. And the battle is far from over, as the security firm just announced that it's been awarded two new patents...

Facebook updates News Feed with new story bumping feature

I don't consider myself a big Facebook user, but I do check it from time to time. I live across the country from a lot of friends and family, so it's nice to see how they're doing every now and then. And for the most part, I don't mind the social network, except for the stupid News Feed.

It seems like every time I login, it's serving up posts in a different way, when I'd really just like them to be in chronological order. And wouldn't you know it, it's about to change again. Facebook announced this morning that it's rolling out a new News Feed story bumping feature...

Twitter app updated with two-step verification, enhanced photo search and more

Folks using the official Twitter client on iOS will be happy to hear that it has received a significant update this morning, bringing the app to version 5.9. The update includes a handful of improvements, including 2 step authentication and enhanced photo searching.

Twitter first introduced two-step authentication back in May, following a number of widely widely publicized hacks involving celebrity and other high profile accounts. With today's update, Twitter is bringing the new security feature to iOS and Android devices...

Philips to expand its Hue line with LightStrips and Bloom bulbs

We're huge fans of Philips' line of Hue lightbulbs here at iDB. The iPhone-controlled LED bulbs are completely customizable, allowing you to dynamically change the colors and lighting of a room via the easy-to-use companion app.

Currently, Hue offerings are limited to the $199 starter pack—which includes 3 LED bulbs and a Wi-Fi bridge—and additional 50W LED bulbs. But it looks like Philips is looking to expand the line with LightStrips and Bloom bulbs...

Zynga shutting down OMGPOP’s gaming portal website next month

If you've ever played the game 'Draw Something,' then you're familiar with OMGPOP's work. The game studio struck it big last year when its pictionary app hit 20 million downloads in just 5 weeks, inspiring Zynga to buy the company for close to $200 million.

But unfortunately, that's about where OMGPOP's success story ends. Since the acquisition, the studio has been gravely affected by Zynga's financial struggles. Its home office in New York has been closed, and now its popular gaming portal site is shutting down...

Apple posts new ‘FaceTime Every Day’ ad

Apple has posted a new TV spot to its YouTube channel and website tonight called 'FaceTime Every Day.' It's the third in a series of advertisements, and like the others—Music Every Day and Photos Every Day—it focuses on a single feature.

More specifically, the ad focuses on Apple's FaceTime video calling feature. And inline with the previous commercials in the series, it shows how a variety of different people from around the globe use the feature in their every day lives. Watch...

Hot Watch: an iOS-compatible smartwatch with some innovative features

If you're still searching for proof that there's a market for smartwatches, look no further than Kickstarter. We've seen a number of projects surface on the crowdsourced funding site—most of which went on to be successful—and today we have another one for you.

Meet the HOT Watch, by Dallas-based think tank PHTL. Now, don't let the cheesy name fool you, this watch is packing a ton of features. It has all of the standard smartwatch stuff, like push notifications, as well as innovative stuff like 'Hands on Talk' technology...

Apple asking Internet radio stations for iTunes Radio cover art

As its iTunes Radio launch draws closer, Apple has begun sending out emails to owners of Internet radio stations asking that they provide cover art for future use on iTunes and mobile devices.The move suggests that the company is looking to feature independent streaming music stations, alongside its premium iTunes content, in the upcoming service...

Apple launches ‘Takeback Program’ for third-party USB power adapters

In light of recent events involving the safety of third-party chargers for iOS devices, Apple has launched a new trade-in program for all unauthorized USB power adapters. The company made the announcement on its support site this afternoon.

The 'Takeback Program' officially kicks off next week, and will allow users who have concerns about their USB power adapters to either drop them off at an Apple store for recycling, or trade them in towards the purchase of an official Apple power adapter...