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 stop approving apps that use UDIDs or don’t support iPhone 5

Cody Lee ∙ March 21, 2013

After more than a year of warnings, it looks like Apple's finally putting the kibosh on the use of Unique Device Identifiers. An announcement was posted to the iOS developer portal this afternoon that starting May 1, apps using UDIDs will not be approved.

But that's not all. In addition to the UDID deadline, Apple has also informed developers that after May 1, all new apps and app updates must be built for iOS devices with Retina displays and iPhone apps must support the 4-inch display on iPhone 5...

Jony Ive reportedly pushing ‘flat design’ in iOS as design teams get cozier

Cody Lee ∙ March 21, 2013

Those hoping that Jony Ive's new role as the head of Apple's Human Interface design team will have a sooner-than-later impact on the user interface of its mobile operating system will be happy to hear that this may indeed be the case.

A new report by The Wall Street Journal this afternoon claims that Ive is now sitting in on the human interface team's review sessions to assess new design ideas, and is reportedly pushing for a more "flat design" UI in future iOS releases...

Apple updates Podcasts app with new playback UI, custom stations and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 9, 2016

Apple has updated its largely unpopular Podcasts app this afternoon, bringing it to version 1.2. The update is a fairly significant one, bringing about a number of improvements including iCloud syncing, custom stations and more.

Proponents of a less-skeuomorphic design will be happy to hear that Apple has also dialed down the styling in the app a bit. The new playback window, for example, now features flat icons instead of the bulky tape-like buttons...

Apple bolsters account security with new two-step verification process

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 2, 2017

It feels like every day we hear a new story about a major internet company like Evernote, Twitter or Facebook getting hacked. And when it happens, user passwords, personal information and uploaded content are all compromised.

With this in mind, it's nice to hear that Apple has given its account security a boost today with a new two-step verification process. The safeguard requires users to verify their identity on a trusted device before making any changes.

Tutorial: How to enable Apple two-step verification

American Airlines’ new iPad electronic flight bag caught on video

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 24, 2018

As most of you have probably heard by now, flight bags are going digital. This means that pilots are getting approval to replace their 30-40lb bags of paper company and flight manuals with a 1.5lb tablet—typically an iPad.

American Airlines is on the forefront of the movement, and it has just begun installing iPads in the cockpits of its MD-80 fleet. And the folks over at AOL's Gadling travel blog were able to catch one of them in action...

iPhone 5S said to start shipping in Q3 this year with upgraded camera and processor

Cody Lee ∙ March 21, 2013

Now that Samsung has unveiled its flagship handset for 2013, all eyes are on Apple as the tech world waits to see what it has in store for its next-generation iPhone. The word is it's going to be an 'S' model, meaning it'll likely only feature internal changes.

And a new report out of China this morning reaffirms that theory, claiming that components for the iPhone 5S will start shipping in Q3 of this year. It's believed that the handset will offer an upgraded camera and processor, among other improvements...

Make calls instantly from the Messages app with RaiseToCall

Cody Lee ∙ March 21, 2013

I don't really make phone calls anymore these days. But when I do, they almost always originate from the Messages app. You know the drill—you tap the Status bar to scroll to the top of the conversation, and hit the 'Call' button.

While most folks, including myself, don't find this two-step process at all troublesome, the jailbreak community seems to always be asking the question "how can I do this quicker?" And the answer to that question today, is RaiseToCall...

Final Fantasy V reportedly landing on iOS later this month

Cody Lee ∙ March 20, 2013

Good news Final Fantasy fans, a new report is out this afternoon claiming that the highly anticipated iOS port of the popular RPG's fifth episode will be happening in the not-so-distant future.

Famitsu is reporting that Final Fantasy V is set to hit iOS and Android devices in Japan by the end of the month, with launches in the United States and elsewhere expected shortly after...

Saurik: 18M devices running iOS 6 visited Cydia during evasi0n’s 6 week run

Cody Lee ∙ March 20, 2013

Yesterday, we bid farewell to one of the most infamous jailbreaks of all time: evasi0n. Born on February 4, it lasted nearly 6 weeks before Apple finally disabled it by way of the iOS 6.1.3 software update it issued yesterday.

It certainly served its purpose though. According to Jay Freeman, aka Saurik, Cydia saw more than 18 million unique iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, running iOS 6 (or later), visit during the jailbreak's 6-week long run...

US Department of Defense said to be ordering 650,000 iOS devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 12, 2017

The United States Department of Defense has a pending purchase order for more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report. 'Well-placed sources' say the government plans to purchase in upwards of 650,000 iPhones, iPads and iPod touches as part of an ongoing effort to update and mobilize its technologies...

iOS 7 concept visualizes all-new UI for Lock screen, notifications and more

Cody Lee ∙ March 20, 2013

Apple's World Wide Developer Conference is coming up in a few months, and with new leadership in place, a lot of folks are hoping to see some major changes in iOS 7. Many critics feel like the platform is long overdue for a makeover.

And this prospect has led to the creation of several impressive mockups and renderings of what some hope to see from Apple in the future. Today's concept is no different, as it visualizes some beautiful, all-new UI components for iOS...