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.

Would you pay more for an iPad mini with Retina display?

Apple is widely expected to do some major updating to its tablet line this fall. The latest reports allege that the company is going to give its 9.7-inch iPad a complete makeover, and squeeze a high resolution Retina display into its smaller sibling.

The latter scenario is particularly interesting, because screen resolution has been the one complaint users have had with the current iPad mini. But according to new data from iSuppli, consumers may end up paying more for the extra pixels...

HTC to host huge media event tomorrow morning

HTC has sent out invitations for a huge media event tomorrow morning. How huge? Huge enough to spread across two continents. The handset-maker will be hosting simultaneous keynotes in both London and New York.

What's on the menu? Well, it's no secret that the company has a new flagship handset in the wings. And word has it that it's readying a new version of its 'Sense' Android shell. But the real question is: does anyone care?

Apple posts new ‘Alive’ and ‘Together’ iPad TV ads

Apple has posted two new TV ads for the iPad and iPad mini on its YouTube channel this evening. The two spots, entitled 'Alive' and 'Together,' showcase some of the 300,000+ apps made specifically for Apple's tablet.

The adverts themselves seem to be of a very different style than previous iPad (or iPhone, for that matter) commercials. Between app demos, several action and descriptive words are flashed across the screen. Here, watch...

New map graphic shows how massive Apple’s supply chain really is

When you think about Apple's supply chain, the first—and only, for some—place that comes to mind is China. Images start propagating in the mind of oft-reported impoverished plants with thousands of factory workers building iPhones and iPads. But there's much more to it.

The truth is, Apple's supply chain is far more expansive, reaching all the way around the globe. As this new interactive map shows, the company receives components from suppliers, and production support, from the United States, Australia, Brazil and several other places...

Authorized Service Provider 101 and other internal Apple videos leaked

Apple's penchant for secrecy extends far beyond the black cloaks and locked doors inside its R&D labs. Nearly every facet of its business is a mystery—from the way it chooses which new markets to enter, to its retail strategies. Unless of course, leaks happen.

And a big one happened this morning. Sonny Dickson, a self-proclaimed iOS consultant, has posted several Apple training videos and other internal materials including in-store repair guides for the iPhone 4 and a demo of its iPad diagnostic software...

The onE Puck coaster let’s you charge your iPhone with a cup of coffee

I've covered a lot of Kickstarter projects in my day, but I have to say that this is one of the most interesting I've ever come across. The Epiphany onE Puck, by Epiphany Labs, is a drink coaster that can actually charge up your iPhone (or other device) using 'heat disparities' from a hot or cold beverage.

That's right, there's no outlet or batteries involved. Just set your drink down on the coaster, plug in your smartphone, and watch the magic happen. The coaster uses a shrunken down stirling engine to harness the aforementioned disparities into charging power. And the creators say this is just the beginning...

Haze: a gorgeous gesture-controlled weather app for minimalists

Taking a look at some of the more popular titles in the App Store—Clear, Mailbox, Tempo—it's clear that minimalism and multitouch gestures are in right now. Developers are ditching heavy graphics in favor of much simpler interfaces.

For the most part, people seem to like the new trend. And if you fall into that category, you might want to check out Haze. It's a new iPhone weather app that exudes these two qualities. It's gesture-controlled, and has a very minimal UI...

Google to open standalone retail stores this year

Once a highly valued partner, Google has spent the last few years moving in on Apple's territory. It's done it in the computer space, with its Chromebook OS, and in the smartphone space with Android. And now it looks like it's preparing to do the same thing in retail.

A new report is out this afternoon claiming that the Mountain View company is in the process of building standalone retail stores in the United States, in an effort to get its products into more hands. And its flagship locations could be ready by the holidays...

Third party apps may finally land on the Apple TV this fall

I know, I know. There's so many different Apple rumors these days, going in so many different directions, it's hard to keep track. There's the 4.8-inch iPhone, and the budget iPhone, and let's not forget about the iWatch, which has become extremely popular as of late.

But try to block all of that out for a second, and focus on the Apple TV. A new report is out today from Tech Crunch's well-connected MG Siegler, who says that talk of Apple’s broader television plans is picking up, and we could see something happen as early as this fall...

Planetbeing talks favorite tweaks, food and more in Reddit thread

An interesting thread popped up on Reddit today in r/jailbreak. What started out as an AMA request (that's a request for a person or group to participate in an 'Ask me anything' thread) for the evad3rs, turned into a pretty candid Q&A session with planetbeing.

Typically when an AMA request is filled, the subject(s) comes back at a later time to answer user-submitted questions. But being the nice guy that he is, after noticing the thread, planetbeing hopped on and said he'd be happy to answer any questions. And boy did he...

Screenshots of Samsung’s iWatch competitor leaked

While there's been multiple Apple rumors bandied about over the past few weeks, by far, the one receiving the most attention is the iWatch. Three major news outlets have now reported of its existence and the word is, Apple's bringing it to market.

Well if that really is the case, then it might want to hurry, or risk getting beaten to the punch by its fiercest competitor. That's right, Samsung has a smartwatch of its own. And if the alleged screenshots above are the real deal, then it's not too far off...

Staples executives confirm US locations will soon carry Apple products

Last month, test page ads for an Apple TV and other Apple gear popped up on Staples' US website, leading many to believe that the office supply chain was finally going to start offering the Cupertino company's products in its Stateside locations.

Well it was confirmed last night. After Staples reportedly held a meeting with employees announcing the news, executives and other staffers took to Twitter to share their excitement that Apple products would soon be available in their US stores...