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 Offering Refurbished First Gen iPads for $299 [Updated]

Are you in the market for a new tablet? Have you thought about an iPad before, but couldn't justify dropping $500? If you answered yes to either of those questions, we've got some good news for you.

MacRumors sounded the alarm this morning that Apple has lowered the price on its refurbished iPads. The tablet that started it all has been available through Apple.com at $399 for a while now, but the price dropped another $100 bucks over the weekend...

Stedicam Smoothee Helps Bring Out Your Inner Spielberg

I know it's not quite Full HD, but the iPhone 4 still captures decent video. In fact, as long as the lighting is decent and the subjects you're recording aren't frantically moving about, the device can churn out some pretty impressive footage.

However, without a tripod or a mount, there's a good chance that your videos will come out shaky. The iPhone doesn't come with an image stabilizer, so unless you have the steady hands of a trained sniper, you're out of luck. Enter the Stedicam Smoothee...

QuickMath: Solve Simple Math Problems in Your Spotlight Search Bar

If you happen to be a Mac user, you'll probably be able to guess where the inspiration for this next tweak came from. QuickMath enables you to calculate simple math equations in your Spotlight search bar.

If you've been looking for a good reason to use that screen that sits to the left of the default homescreen, you might want to check out QuickMath. It will add some value to your Spotlight screen, literally...

Why Apple Could Release a 4G iPhone This Fall

One of the most popular debates regarding the iPhone 5 is whether or not it will be 4G compatible. The next generation of 4G network standards are catching on quickly here in the states, as the new technology is substantially faster than its 3G predecessor.

While several Android devices with the new technology have already been introduced, it's widely believed that Apple's next handset won't have 4G capability. Multiple obstacles have folks believing that we won't see a 4G product from Apple until next year. Is it still possible that Apple will unveil a 4G iPhone this Fall?

Shining Some Light on Apple’s Copycat Claims With Samsung

Most of you are aware of the litigation between Apple and Samsung. The ongoing court battle between the two handset makers started with Apple accusing Samsung of copying its products.

The 4-month long debate of whether or not Samsung copied Apple in the production of its devices has spilled into the streets. And, for the folks who haven't picked a side yet, the following graphic may help you see who's really to blame...

Apple Looking to Score 15 Million Tablet Deal With Turkish Schools

Word on the street is that the Turkish government is looking to place an order for 15 million tablets over the next three years. The educational project, known as FATIH, aims to put slates in over 40,000 Turkish schools.

So, who is the lucky company that gets to fullfil the estimated $1.7 billion dollar order? The Next Web is reporting that both Microsoft and Apple have been approached regarding the deal...

FunnyCaller: Customize Caller ID for Incoming Calls

If you've had an iPhone (or any smartphone) over the last few years, chances are you've seen Caller ID spoofing. Basically, it's an app that will change your outbound Caller ID information when making a phone call.

But most of the apps for the iPhone are sketchy, and usually require money after the first few calls. Luckily, infamous jailbreak developer moeseth has created a similar tweak to help feed your inner prankster...

Alphacon Jailbreak Tweak Makes Your App Icon Labels Disappear

Have you ever wondered what your iDevice's springboard would look like if your icons didn't have any labels? Think of how much less cluttered your home screen would feel without all of that text.

There are already packages in Cydia that could help you go label-free, but there's a new kid on the block. Alphacon allows you to change the transparency level of your icon labels, or make them disappear all together...

LockLyrics: Display Song Lyrics on Your LockScreen

In continuing with the lockscreen tweak trend we've been seeing lately, here's LockLyrics. This jailbreak package enables users to view song lyrics on — you guessed it — the lockscreen.

Sure, you can view lyrics for your favorite tracks in the iPod app. There are even utilities that allow you to call up song lyrics with an Activator function. But LockLyrics does have its advantages...

Bell and Virgin Mobile Drop iPhone 4 to $99

As we've known for several months now, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5 this Fall. More recently, we've heard rumors of a late September pre-order opening, which places the announcement earlier in the month.

With a new iPhone set to be unveiled in a matter of weeks, expect its predecessor to receive some major discounting. Originally offered for $199, we've seen the 16GB iPhone 4 go for as low as $147.

Now we are hearing that multiple Canadian carriers are offering the device for just $99...

The Ultimate Charging Accessory for Your iPhone, iPad and Laptop

We've gone over some pretty nifty charging accessories on iDB before, but this one might take the cake. And if you happen to own multiple iDevices and a laptop, you might want to pay attention.

Gizmodo passes on the news of a new charging accessory from Energizer known as the iSurge. The travel charging station has a built-in 30-pin dock, a USB port, 3 surge-protected AC outlets, and a nightlight...

PowerLock: Access System Toggles From Your Lockscreen

We've seen a flurry of lockscreen tweaks over the past few weeks. There was StyleUnlock, which adds multitouch gestures to your lockscreen. And then there was FlashCam, which adds quick access to your camera.

Next up on the chopping block is a package called PowerLock. This jailbreak utility adds system toggles to your lockscreen, allowing you to do things like respring and restart your device without unlocking...