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.

Mailbox app updated with landscape mode for iPhone, Gmail alias support

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

A little over a week ago, the Mailbox team pushed out an app update that added support for portrait orientation mode on the iPad. It was a welcomed addition, but it left a lot of users wondering when the iPhone version would receive support for landscape mode.

The team promised that the feature was in the works, and last night it delivered on that promise by posting a new version of Mailbox to the App Store. The update, which brings the app to 1.3.2, includes support for iPhone landscape mode and other enhancements...

Apple sending out iTunes Radio terms to indie record labels

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

In dramatic fashion, Apple's iTunes Radio negotiations with the top 3 record labels came down to the wire. After a number of setbacks, the company was determined to unveil its new streaming music service at WWDC. And it reportedly spent the days leading up to its keynote closing deals.

But now that the [beta] launch has come and gone, Apple is looking to expand its streaming library. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the company has been talking to various indie music labels, letting them know how the royalty pay scale work on the new service...

Contra: Evolution now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Gamers looking to drum up a bit of nostalgia this evening will be happy to hear that the official Contra game is now available in the App Store. The title actually first surfaced in the US App Store at the end of last month, but it was mysteriously and promptly pulled.

Apparently that May release was unintentional, as Konami and Punchbox Studios still had some finishing touches to put on the game. But it's back in the App Store today, for good this time, meaning you can now grab Contra: Evolution for both your iPhone and your iPad...

Plants vs. Zombies 2 to be delayed until ‘later in the summer’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Bad news this afternoon for Plants vs. Zombies fans. Electronic Arts has announced today that the highly anticipated sequel to PopCap's popular lane defense game will not launch next month as it had originally anticipated.

A few weeks ago, PopCap announced that the game, officially titled 'Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time,' would be released on July 18. But it appears EA—its parent company—thinks it needs more time to fine tune things...

Major Google Earth update brings revamped UI, Street View and more

Cody Lee ∙ June 26, 2013

Google has posted a significant update for the iOS version of its Google Earth app today, bringing it to version 7.1.1. The update features a number of enhancements, including a revamped UI, improved directions and Street View.

The overhauled UI brings the application in line with Google's other iOS offerings, with a new left hand menu panel that makes navigating the app easier than ever, and improved search that lets you browse through results faster...

Apple applauds Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage

Cody Lee ∙ June 26, 2013

Normally, the words 'Apple applauds' and 'Supreme Court' don't go together. The Cupertino company isn't on the greatest terms with the US government at the moment, what with the whole tax evasion thing and the ongoing e-book trial.

But today is a different story. In a pair of 5-4 decisions this morning, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex couples in two major cases, effectively allowing federal benefits for gay couples. And Apple says it applauds the ruling...

Guy who sold iPhone 4 prototype to Gizmodo tells all in Reddit AMA

Cody Lee ∙ June 26, 2013

Gizmodo's iPhone 4 scoop of 2010 will likely go down as one of the biggest product leaks in history. Anyone who's been following Apple, or tech news in general, in recent years remembers the story of the Apple employee that left his iPhone 4 prototype in a bar.

The name of the guy who found the handset is Brian Hogan. And wouldn't you know it, he turned up on Reddit last night to do an AMA about the whole ordeal. It's quite interesting, as he talks about the night he found it, how much money he made and more...

AT&T rolls out and expands LTE in several markets

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 12, 2018

In a recent study by PC Mag, AT&T's LTE network was found to be the fastest among the top 4 carriers. But Verizon was found to be the most reliable. That's because Big Red has 4G coverage in nearly 200 more markets than AT&T does.

But it's working hard to change that. This morning, the nation's second largest wireless provider posted a number of press releases announcing that it has rolled out LTE to new markets, and expanded coverage in several existing markets...

Apple launches online retail store in Russia

Cody Lee ∙ June 26, 2013

It's been nearly a year since we heard of Apple's plans to begin direct sales in Russia, and this week it's finally putting that plan into action. The company has opened a web store in the country, allowing consumers to order iPhones, iPads and more.

Believe it or not, this is actually the first time that folks in Russia will be able to order products directly from Apple. Previously, the company's devices were only available via third-party retailers, as it doesn't have any physical stores in the country...

Dropbox for iOS updated with new swipe actions and enhanced sharing

Cody Lee ∙ June 26, 2013

Since Dropbox gave its iOS app a huge makeover in December, the team has seeded a number of updates for the cloud-based client that enhances its abilities to manage and share user photos, videos and other content.

And today it builds on that with version 2.3. The update, which started rolling out last night, features several useful enhancements, including new swipe-based actions and the ability to select and share multiple photos...

iOS 7 allows developers to detect blinking and smiling in photos

Cody Lee ∙ June 25, 2013

As the tech community continues to dig through the iOS 7 betas, a new feature has been discovered. Apple's next-generation mobile operating system contains new APIs that allow developers to detect blinking and smiling in photos.

Now, iOS has had basic facial recognition for a couple of years now (since version 5). But according to a new report, Apple has added new image detectors in iOS 7 that are capable of identifying certain facial expressions in photographs...