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 reportedly reaches iRadio deal with Warner Music

Cody Lee ∙ June 3, 2013

Citing sources "familiar with the negotiations," a new report is out claiming that Apple has finally reached a deal with Warner Music over iRadio licensing terms. Warner was one of the three remaining label holdouts on Apple's upcoming Pandora-like music service.

Rumors about the service have been flying about for months. It was expected to launch earlier this year, but Tim Cook and company have been having trouble reaching deals with the top four record labels. And now they are reportedly aiming for a WWDC launch...

OpenOnSearch makes Spotlight a little more useful

Cody Lee ∙ June 3, 2013

I don't use Spotlight much. The page, which sits to the left of the main Home screen in iOS, lets you do some really useful things like search for stuff on your device and the web. But honestly, most of the time I forget it's there.

But jailbreak developers are looking to change that. We've seen a number of tweaks designed to enhance the Spotlight page, like SpotEnhancer and SLEnhancerSearch, and today we've got a new one to show you. Here's OpenOnSearch...

Apple looking to add new AirDrop file sharing feature in iOS 7

Cody Lee ∙ June 2, 2013

Everything we've heard regarding iOS 7 up to this point suggests that the update will be rather significant in terms of UI changes. Icons and several other elements have been reportedly redesigned to give the software a more modern look. But what about new features?

According to a new report, in addition to improved in-car behavior for Siri and Maps, and system-level integration of Vimeo and Flickr, Apple is also working on AirDrop for iOS. The feature, which is already available on OS X, will make it easier than ever to share files with other iOS devices...

LockToggle adds handy settings toggles to your Lock screen

Cody Lee ∙ June 2, 2013

Folks who have yet to find a Lock screen-settings-toggle tweak that suits their needs will be happy to know that another one has been added to the pile this weekend. LockToggle, by developer Haifisch, gives you quick, one-touch access to some of the most common iOS settings, without you having to unlock your device...

Tim Cook talks importance of collaboration at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business

Cody Lee ∙ June 2, 2013

It seems like Tim Cook's been everywhere lately. Two weeks ago the CEO was in Washington D.C. testifying in a Senate hearing on Apple's offshore tax practices, last week he gave a high-profile interview at the D11 conference, and now this.

Duke has uploaded a number of video clips from a talk Cook gave at its Fuqua School of Business back in April for his 25-year reunion. During the hour-long discussion, he talked about a wide range of topics including what he thinks it takes to foster collaboration in a large company...

Teardown of 16GB iPod touch reveals few internal changes

Cody Lee ∙ June 1, 2013

Earlier this week, Apple released a new version of its fifth generation iPod touch. It features 16GB of storage space, and no rear iSight camera or lanyard hook. But other than that, and a few minor cosmetic details, it looks fairly similar to its larger siblings.

And it turns out, the new touch looks familiar on the inside as well. The repair experts over at iFixit just finished up their usual new device teardown ritual, and found very few notable internal changes...

Chicago Sun-Times fires photo staff, now training reporters in iPhoneography

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

You've probably noticed that we have been talking a lot about iPhoneography here on iDB lately. It's a popular topic with a lot of folks. It seems like the better the iPhone's camera gets, the more people are willing to ditch their standalone shooters.

And perhaps there's no better example of that than what's going on right now over at the Chicago Sun-Times. Just a day after it fired its entire photo staff, the newspaper has reportedly begun training its reporters in the basics of iPhone photography...

Good deal: $10 off FireCore’s aTV Flash (black)

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Folks with a jailbroken 1st or 2nd generation Apple TV should check out this sweet little deal going on over Stack Social. The deal site has the popular ATV software suite aTV Flash (black) on sale right now for under $20.

For those unfamiliar with Flash (black), it's a popular software package that extends the capabilities of your Apple TV with tools like a web browser and a weather app, and it can play a wide range of media file types...

Pod2g: Apple could open up iOS by releasing alternate firmware for developers

Cody Lee ∙ May 31, 2013

Earlier this week, Tim Cook turned some heads when he told folks at the D11 conference that they could expect Apple to "open up more" in the future, in regards to 3rd party developers. The company, as you well know, currently rules iOS with an iron fist.

Unsurprisingly, Cook's comment has sparked some speculation in the jailbreak community, on what Apple's plans might be for opening up iOS more. And earlier today, Pod2g weighed in, and he thinks it could do it by releasing alternate firmware...

Change the way you ‘slide to unlock’ with FXOSLock

Cody Lee ∙ May 31, 2013

Are you getting tired of the old 'slide to unlock' bar on your iPhone's Lock screen? Tough. It's been like that since Apple unveiled the original handset back in 2007, and I doubt it's going to be changing it anytime soon.

But the good news is, if your iPhone is jailbroken, Cydia has hundreds of slider replacements to choose from. In fact, a new one just recently hit the store called FXOSLock that completely changes the way the slider looks...

Apple Web OS: a theme that mimics Apple’s online store

Cody Lee ∙ May 31, 2013

If pressed, I would say that I consider myself an Apple fan. I love my iPhone, and my iPad, and I'm typing right now on a MacBook Pro. But even I cringed a bit when I first laid eyes on this new DreamBoard theme called Apple Web OS.

As the title states, Apple Web OS essentially gives your iPhone a complete 'Apple web store' makeover. Instead of icons it has product photos, and instead of pages it has tabs. It's actually very authentic, which can either be a good thing or a bad thing...

Swipe to call, text or email in the Contacts app with QuickGestures

Cody Lee ∙ May 30, 2013

When a fan war breaks out over what the 'best mobile platform' is, I usually try to stay out of it. I like iOS better than Android, and believe it to be the superior of the two. But I know that's just my personal opinion, and not a fact.

Truth be told, I actually like quite a few things about Android. The way it handles contacts, for instance, is great. You can text, email or call someone with a quick swipe or tap. It's too bad I can't do that in iOS. Or can I?