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.

Apple to launch ‘Back to School’ promotion this week, include iPhone for first time

Multiple sites are reporting this morning that Apple is set to launch its annual 'Back to School' promotion in the United States, and several other countries this week. In fact, the popular sale could kick off as soon as tomorrow.

Apple runs the Back to School promotion at various times in different countries, depending on their respective educational calendars. But the program launching this week is said to include the United States, Canada, and Europe...

p0sixninja reveals plans for ‘openjailbreak’

A few days ago, Joshua Hill, better known as iOS hacker p0sixninja, sent out a cryptic message from his Twitter account saying that he has a lot of amazing things coming soon. He didn't say what it was, but he advised to 'think bigger than a jailbreak.'

Today, though, Hill elaborated on his project with the following message: "Ok, I hate redsn0w, I hate sn0wbreeze, and I hate 6.1.3. I'm ready to get this #openjailbreak off the ground." What is 'openjailbreak,' you ask? We'll tell you right after the fold...

Ryan Petrich posts screenshot of jailbroken iPod touch running iOS 7

Ryan Petrich tonight posted an interesting picture to his Twitter account that appears to answer the long-standing question of "can iOS 7 be jailbroken?" The image is of his popular tweak Activator running on what looks like an iPod touch with iOS 7 installed.

Of course, it's easy to speculate about something when there isn't much to go on. But looking at the stock app icons in the dock, the flat text in the alert box, and the Activator icon on the Home screen, it certainly looks like Petrich's iPod touch is jailbroken...

Google Reader shuts down tomorrow, here’s everything you need to know

In case it's somehow skipped your mind, Google is going to be turning off Google Reader, it's popular RSS aggregating service, on July 1st. That's tomorrow. And if you haven't taken the proper steps, such as backing up your feeds or syncing them with a suitable replacement, you're going to lose them.

But never fear, as usual, iDB has you covered. Here's everything you need to know about this week's Reader shutdown...

Activator gains scheduled actions in 1.8 RC release

Jailbreak developer Ryan Petrich has been extremely busy lately, adding new features to his Activator tweak. In this month alone, he's seeded beta updates that add flick icon gestures, custom email events and shutter actions, and collapsible menus.

And as you've probably guessed by now, Petrich posted another new version of Activator this weekend. This time the update, which brings the tweak to version 1.8 RC, includes the ability to schedule standard actions in iOS to occur at certain times...

The iDockAll can hold and charge any iOS device, even with the case on

Folks in the market for a new dock for their collection of iOS devices may want to check out the new iDockAll from Wiplabs. The accessory can charge either your 30-pin or Lightning device, or both, depending on which model you get—it even works with cases.

And not only is it universal, but it looks great and is extremely functional. Made out of a single block of solid aluminum, the iDockAll would fit right in on a desk with other Apple hardware, and its unique design allows you to keep using your device as it charges...

New FIPS 140-2 level 2 certification could spur government adoption of iOS

As BlackBerry continues on its downward spiral, more and more of its government clients are jumping ship. And it's no secret that pretty much every other handset manufacturer out there is looking to lure the RIM refugees into their respective mobile platforms.

At least it seems that Apple is working hard to earn their business. Just a few months after receiving Level 1 FIPS 140-2 certification—a security standard developed by the US government for use in its computers, comes word that it's gained Level 2 compliance...

iTunes license agreement says you can’t use it to make nuclear weapons

Folks in the illegal arms manufacturing industry may want to double check the iTunes End User License Agreement before using the software for business. Apparently there's a clause in the agreement that says you can't use the app to make nuclear weapons.

It's not a new addition by any means—I found references to the clause dating back to 2008. But given the fact that the gem has been rediscovered this week, and is causing quite a bit of commotion in the tech world, we figured it was worth sharing this morning...

Apple trademarks new green FaceTime logo

Here we are, nearly 3 weeks after Apple took the wraps off of iOS 7, and folks are still talking about the drastic redesign. The overall consensus seems to be that most people like it, but many are hoping that Apple will do some serious fine-tuning before its public release this fall.

In fact, rumor has it that the software isn't nearly as far along as previous versions have been in their initial betas. So even the folks that are unhappy with iOS 7's current state are optimistic that it will see big changes. But if this new trademark filing is any indication, it won't...

Photos of alleged budget iPhone shell surface [updated]

A pair of photos have surfaced this morning, allegedly showing the plastic shell of Apple's rumored budget iPhone. The Cupertino company has long been said to be working on a lower-cost handset to help it make inroads into emerging markets like China and India.

The two images come from Nowhereelse.fr, who has shared accurate photos of leaked Apple components in the past. And while the site acknowledges that it's possible the part could simply belong to a Chinese clone, it does match up with several previous reports...

New ‘Motion Tennis’ game teams up with your Apple TV for Wii-like action

I've long thought that between the motion sensors built into the iPhone and iPod touch, and the AirPlay-compatible Apple TV, Tim Cook and company had a Wii-like gaming console on their hands. They just obviously, for whatever reason, haven't realized the potential yet.

But the folks over at Rolocule seem to get it. The India-based app-maker just released a new game called Motion Tennis that utilizes the gyroscope and other sensors stashed inside the iPhone, as well as the Apple TV's AirPlay feature, to offer Wii-like motion gameplay...

The myType is a pocketable Bluetooth keyboard for your iPhone or iPad

When Apple introduced the first iPhone back in 2007, it sparked a revolution in the smartphone industry: no more physical keyboards. Think about it, outside of BlackBerry and a few scattered Android handsets, who is still making smartphones with physical keyboards? No one, really.

And I don't personally mind it. It took some getting used to, but I've gotten pretty quick at typing on the iPhone's touchscreen. But for those who haven't quite picked it up yet, there are plenty of accessories available to help you out— like this new myType Bluetooth keyboard...