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.

Ashton Kutcher’s ‘jOBS’ will hit theaters in April

Great news movie buffs, it's just been officially announced that the jOBS film starring Ashton Kutcher will hit theaters in a few months. The movie, which has garnered a lot of attention from the media, takes a biographical look at Steve Jobs' life.

Last month, we heard that the flick was going to debut at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. And today we've learned that Five Star Feature Film and Open Road Films are teaming up to distribute the film, and it's coming in April...

No Apple/Waze deal happening after all

Yesterday, news broke that Apple was looking into buying Israeli start-up Waze Mobile, creators of the popular GPS app. Obviously, with all of the trouble Apple's had with its own mapping software, and the fact that the two companies are partners, the deal made sense.

But according to a new report today from the well-connected MG Siegler, there is no deal. The TechCrunch columnist wrote this morning that though there have likely been several meetings between Apple and Waze due to their partnership, there's nothing more going on...

Ubuntu to join crowded mobile OS market in 2014

Apple's iOS and Google's Android OS have dominated the mobile space for quite some time now, but the third place spot is still up for grabs. Both RIM and Microsoft are currently vying for the spot, and we've heard that Amazon and Mozilla will soon be joining the race.

Today, we're adding another name to the list: Ubuntu. On Wednesday Canonical offered up details regarding its new Ubuntu mobile OS, an Android-based operating system that it says is more immersive, less cluttered, and easier to navigate than its Google counterpart...

Apple files for patent on advanced ‘Active Stylus’ for iOS devices

Apple has always strongly opposed the stylus, even though other manufacturers have continued to push for them. Steve Jobs had a number of quotes on the matter, famously saying things like "nobody wants a stylus" and "if you see a stylus, they blew it."

But despite its public disdain for the touchscreen accessory, Apple obviously sees some value in it. The Cupertino company recently filed a patent for an advanced "active stylus" that works with the capacitive touch screens on its different iOS devices...

Apple: Samsung should drop U.S. complaints as it did in Europe

Back in December, Samsung withdrew all of its SEP (or Standard-Essential Patent) —related injunction requests in Europe "in the interest of protecting consumer choice." Well if that was truly the case, then why is it still pursuing identical claims here in the US?

In a response filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission yesterday, Apple accused Samsung of filing a motion to strike to avoid "inconvenient facts" regarding its reasons for withdrawing claims in Europe. In short, Apple just called Samsung out...

Microsoft beats out Apple and others to acquire R2 Studios

Last month, word got out that a number of high-profile companies were in possible acquisition talks with the mysterious home automation startup R2 Studios. This included the likes of Microsoft, Google, and yes, even Apple.

Well it looks like Microsoft won the day, as a new report this evening claims that the Redmond company will be the one purchasing the popular startup to help beef up its Xbox unit and increase its living room presence...

Apple to announce Q1 earnings for 2013 on January 23

With all of the talk of Apple losing its dominance, and its stock price taking a $200 bath towards the end of last year, the Cupertino company needed a big holiday quarter to quiet its critics. Outside figures look good, but we won't know for sure until Apple says something.

Fortunately, we won't have to wait much longer for it to break the silence. The iPad-maker has updated its Investor Relations page this afternoon to note that it will announce its earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2013 (4th calendar of 2012) on Wednesday, January 23...

Court dismisses Apple’s ‘App Store’ lawsuit against Amazon

Apple's been involved in some pretty silly legal tiffs, but this one has to be at the top of the list. In 2012, the Cupertino company filed a lawsuit against Amazon for using the term 'App Store' to describe its app portal, calling it "false advertising."

Well luckily, it looks like we can finally put this mess behind us. According to a new report, a California court has granted Amazon's request to dismiss Apple's false advertising suit on the grounds that it failed to provide sufficient evidence...

Apple reportedly moves A6X chip production from Samsung to TSMC

According to a new report, Apple has tapped Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (or TSMC) to start manufacturing its A6X chip, which  it introduced in its 4th gen iPad, with trials expected to begin as early as this quarter.

The move has been a hot topic in the media for several months now, as it will help Apple further reduce its reliance on Samsung. Tensions continue to grow between the two companies, who are involved in patent suits around the globe...

Over $1 million in goods stolen from Paris Apple Store in New Year’s Eve raid

While much of the world spent yesterday recovering from dehydration and hangovers, Apple was dealing with a different kind of headache. You know, the type of headache you get when someone steals over a million dollars in merchandise from you.

That's right, in what sounds like a rejected Ocean's 11 plot, the Apple Store in Paris's Opera district was robbed at gunpoint on New Year's Eve. And the masked thieves are believed to have made off with more than a million dollars in stolen products...

NPD: consumers find current ‘smart’ TVs a little too smart

The year is now 2013, and according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, Apple is going to release a new television product in the next 6 months. Of course, you can't always believe what analysts say. But you can't always ignore them either.

The 20+ year senior researcher believes that Apple's TV device will feature a completely rebuilt remote control and a UI that makes finding content a lot easier than current solutions. And judging by data from a new NPD survey, it would be a hit...

Happy New Year from iDB!

It’s now 2013 here in the U.S., and the iDB team would like to wish you, our readers, a very happy New Year! Thank you for continuing to allow us to do what we love every day, as none of this would be possible without your support.

2012 was a big year for us, as it was once again for Apple. It refreshed several products, introduced new ones and made some major internal changes. And while we're sad the year has come to an end, we're very excited for 2013...