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.

Facebook is Ready to Bring FaceTime-Like Video Calls to Messenger App on the iPhone

Earlier this year Facebook added Skype video calling to its social networking service. The new feature allows users to make free video calls to other Facebook friends from their computers.

We've been expecting Facebook to bring the service to the mobile space since it was introduced this summer, but we haven't heard anything about it... until now. We've just gotten word that Facebook is testing a new Messenger app with the ability to make video calls.

H1Siri: App Claiming Full Siri Functionality For the iPhone 4 Surfaces in Cydia

Ever since videos started popping up online of Siri working on non-iPhone 4S devices, everyone has wondered one thing: when will it be available to the masses? Apple has restricted Siri to its latest handset, so hackers have taken it upon themselves to set it free.

Up until this point, the digital assistant port has only been possible for knowledgeable folks with access to iPhone 4S files. But a jailbreak utility has just surfaced in Cydia that could change that. The app is H1Siri, and it claims to offer full Siri functionality on the iPhone 4...

iFaith SHSH Tool Receives Major Update

Infamous iOS hacker and Sn0wBreeze creator iH8sn0w just released a major update for his iFaith application. Like TinyUmbrella, iFaith allows you to save your device's SHSH blobs, which are needed to preserve your ability to downgrade firmware in the future.

The update supports iOS versions up to 5.0.1, but isn't yet compatible with A5 iDevices. There also doesn't seem to be a Mac version available. But if you own an A4 device and have access to a Windows computer, we highly recommend you download the new iFaith...

Everything You Need to Know About Apple and Samsung’s Patent War [Infographic]

A lot has happened in the patent war between Apple and Samsung since the iPad-makers filed the original patent infringement suit earlier this year. Apple's won a majority of the bouts, winning injunctions against Samsung's products on multiple continents.

But with battles taking place in dozens of courtrooms around the globe, it's hard to keep up with all of the action. Luckily, we've come across this handy infographic that helps explain some of the major events in the ongoing feud between the two companies...

Apple Gave Samsung the Opportunity to License Its Patents

Among its various patent lawsuits with Samsung and other Android partners, Apple has made one thing clear: it's in the business of making great products, not licensing patents. It's not in it for the money, it's in it to ensure that its unique products stay unique.

But that doesn't mean that Apple won't license low-level iOS patents. It's already done so with companies like Nokia and IBM. And as it turns out, Apple has even tried to offer Samsung the opportunity to license its patents. But for some reason, the Korean company declined...

Apple Looking to Build Another Huge Data Center

Apple's demand for computing power and remote server space is growing at a rapid rate thanks to new services like iCloud, iTunes Match, and Siri.

Demand is growing so fast, in fact, that it appears that its new $1 billion dollar data center in North Carolina and its recently-acquired 12 petabytes of server space aren't enough to support Apple's cloud division anymore...

TinyUmbrella Updated With Support For iOS 5.1 Beta

TinyUmbrella, the utility used to save your iOS device's SHSH blobs for future firmware downgrades, has just been updated to support the recently released iOS 5.1 beta.

Even though we've warned jailbreakers not to update past iOS 5.0, and there's currently no way to downgrade, it's always a good idea to have your iDevices' SHSH blobs on file...

Hacker Uses Siri to Turn on Fireplace and More

By now most of you have heard about SiriProxy. The server hack enables knowledgeable users to create custom Siri commands that can make the digital assistant do things well outside of what Apple programmed it to do.

We've already seen several uses for the Proxy. We've even spoken with the mastermind behind it. Now, we'll take a look at Mark Hodder's setup in which he uses Siri to control his fireplace, Christmas lights, and other appliances...

Apple Gives Samsung List of Workarounds for Design Patents

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 6 months, chances are you're aware of the ongoing feud between Samsung and Apple. It all started with Apple filing a patent infringement suit against the Korean company for copying its product designs.

The lawsuits have turned out to be a nightmare for Samsung, as the company has been banned from selling its Galaxy tablet in multiple countries, including Germany and Australia. Apparently, Samsung could have avoided all of this with a few, simple design changes...

iPhone 4S to Launch in Several More Countries December 16th

Last month, Apple rolled out its latest handset in 15 new countries, bringing the total number of eligible countries to 44. The company has said that it plans to have the iPhone 4S in more than 70 countries by the end of the year.

It certainly seems like Apple is on pace to hit that goal before the December 31st deadline. MacRumors is reporting that the company plans to release the iPhone 4S to several new countries on the 16th of this month...

German Leaders Question Apple Over Carrier IQ Use

The Carrier IQ fallout continues as more and more information surfaces about the smartphone spyware. The user-tracking software was exposed earlier this week when a 25 year old systems administrator posted a startling video of it in action.

The video has prompted investigations, both here in the States and abroad, as government officials seek out more information on the eery application. In fact, Apple is having to answer questions from German regulators regarding the Carrier IQ agent...

Samsung Continues Anti-Apple Campaign with “Old School” Facebook Ad

Last week, Samsung started airing its latest TV ad which not-so-subtly poked fun at iPhone users. The commercial showed a group of young adults, waiting in what appeared to be a line for the new iPhone, drooling over a Galaxy S II handset.

A lot of folks dismissed the advert as bad marketing, as you typically don't want to criticize the audience you are trying to attract. But judging by its Facebook page, it seems the commercial was only the beginning of Samsung's anti-Apple campaign...