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.

Google Launched Music Beta Without Label’s Consent, All Eyes on Apple

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

When we reported yesterday that Google unveiled its cloud service, we mentioned why it was such a shocker. Earlier rumors suggested that Google's talks with major record labels had come to a halt, so it was certainly strange to see them launch so quickly.

Apparently, losing support of the music industry wasn't enough to stop Google from launching their new cloud-based music service. CNET is reporting that the search giant moved forward with Music Beta, without obtaining any licenses from record labels...

Apple no Longer Serving iAds to Kids, Seriously Impacts Some Developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 25, 2017

I'm sure everyone is familiar with iAds by now. The service that Apple launched last year promised to change the way customers interact with advertisements. As with a lot of new ventures, the mobile ad platform got off to a rocky start.

Advertisers didn't like the mandatory $1,000,000 buy-in on top of several other complaints. Finally, Apple compromised and made some serious adjustments to iAds, in favor of its partners. They cut the buy-in in half and even created an app showcasing iAds, but did the changes stop there?

Apple Testifies at Mobile Privacy Hearing

Cody Lee ∙ May 10, 2011

Ever since the location bug was revealed in iOS, mobile privacy has been garnering a lot of attention. So much attention in fact, that Apple has been called to participate in a U.S. Senate panel discussion on the topic, courtesy of Al Franken.

If you haven't heard by now, Apple vice president Bud Tribble was sent by the Cupertino company to the hearing to set the record straight about location tracking in iOS. Not only has Apple corrected the location bug, they are apparently taking further steps to protect their user's privacy...

Adobe Launches Photoshop Extension Apps for the iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

Adobe revealed their new Creative Suite 5.5 last week alongside their Photoshop Touch SDK. This was significant because with the new SDK, came a scripting engine that allows developers to make their own applications to interact with Photoshop. While the platform also supports Android and Blackberry Tablet OS, Adobe has chosen the iPad to debut their own Photoshop apps.

These 3 software titles are an extension of Adobe Photoshop, and not intended for stand alone use. The prices range from $2 to $5 and require Adobe PhotoShop CS5, version 12.0.4. Here is a brief breakdown of the 3 apps, courtesy of AppleInsider:

Adobe Eazel - This $4.99 app allows you to create your own masterpieces with Apple's tablet, and lets you quickly share your creation with Photoshop for further editing.

Adobe Color Lava - For $2.99, you can download this app that lets you use your fingertips to mix your own colors on the iPad, creating custom color swatches and themes for use in Photoshop.

Adobe Nav - At $1.99 this might actually be worth the price. This neat little app gives you intuitive controls of Photoshop tools on your iPad. Quickly switch between projects, zoom in, and adjust all kinds of Photoshop settings, right from your tablet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5cKOccvpY

I don't use Photoshop frequently enough to justify purchasing any of these applications, but for someone who uses it on a daily basis, they could be lifesavers. I really like the idea of being able to adjust Photoshop settings quickly from the iPad, maybe we'll see this in other software suites like MS Office.

What do you think? Have you downloaded any of the Photoshop apps?

Google Beats Apple’s Cloud Service to the Punch

Cody Lee ∙ May 10, 2011

Google just spent the last few hours unveiling new technology and services at their global developer conference, Google I/O. Perhaps the most interesting announcement was that their new cloud service, Music Beta, is ready to go.

The completely cloud-based music service will compete directly with Amazon's newly released Cloud Drive, as well as whatever Apple has up its sleeve. It's surprising that Google was able to unveil the service so quickly, as their talks with record labels had been rumored to have soured...

Apple to Announce Nuance Partnership at WWDC, Expect Big Things

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 25, 2017

Most of you have heard by now that Apple and Nuance have been meeting behind closed doors. They have reportedly been discussing the possibility of serious integration with Nuance's voice recognition technology in iOS 5.

Hot on the heels of their report that Apple was in serious negotiations with speech-recognition software giant, TechCrunch revealed more details surrounding the deal. Apparently, the tech blog has some reliable sources with knowledge of the relationship between the 2 tech companies...

Droplist is a Fantastic List Maker with DropBox Support

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

There are 2 reasons why I like using a list maker on my iPhone. The first is because I am notoriously forgetful. Sometimes I have so much going on that I forget to do things if I don't have them written down, or set in a reminder in my calendar.

The second reason is that I like to stay organized. While most list makers are kind of overkill for me, I was persistent on finding one that met my needs functionality wise, with a sharp user interface. After loads of searching, I finally came across Droplist...

Report Claims iPhone 3GS is Outselling Flagship Android Phones

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2011

While the iPhone continues to be widely popular, each new device launch seems to come with a large amount of criticism. The original iPhone didn't have a cut and paste feature, the 3G didn't have video recording, and the 3GS only had a 3.2 MP camera without a flash.

Although its specs aren't always cutting edge compared to its Android counterparts, the iPhone has been a handheld favorite since its inception. This fact is reiterated by a recent report that not only is the iPhone 4 the top selling smartphone for Verizon and AT&T, the 3GS is outselling top Android phones...

doubleTwist Invites Android Devices to AirPlay

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Typically, Apple's AirPlay function is exclusive to iDevices. Since the release of the inexpensive Apple TV2 last fall, Apple's AirPlay feature has really garnered some attention, both good and bad.

Good, because iDevice users can sling media content from their handheld devices, to their HDTV, without any kind of setup. Bad, because you must be using an iDevice with your Apple TV2, since the functionality is exclusive to the Cupertino company's products. Until now.

This is where doubleTwist comes in. The developers of the infamous "iTunes for Android" software just updated their already popular application in a big way. The new technology will allow users to wirelessly stream their media from their Android devices to Apple TVs and other DLNA-compatible products.

"doubleTwist now supports AirPlay for users who have upgraded to AirSync. When a supported device such as the Apple TV is recognized on the same WiFi network as your Android device, you can start streaming to it from the doubleTwist playback controls"

I would recommend grabbing this product while you can. I was surprised that Apple hadn't taken legal action against doubleTwist before, when they just allowed you to sync a non-Apple device with iTunes. Now that they have implemented AirPlay technology, I can't imagine Steve Jobs and company keeping silent.

Remember they're dispute with Palm? The original Palm Pre was able to sync natively with iTunes until Apple disabled the functionality via a software update. Maybe the folks at doubleTwist have all their bases covered. At any rate, the doubleTwist software is free in the Android market, but to get the new AirPlay compatibility you must purchase the AirSync feature for $5.

Has anyone tried this out yet?

[9to5Mac]

Even the Queen of England is Getting an iPad

Cody Lee ∙ May 9, 2011

The Queen of England is no stranger to technology. In fact, British publication The Sun quoted a royal insider as saying, "For a woman of her age she is very switched on. It was only a matter of time before she asked someone to go and get her one."

Apparently during the time Prince Will and brother Harry spent with their grandmother during the Royal Wedding festivals, they convinced Her Majesty to buy Apple's latest tablet. "She was particularly taken with how easy it was to use, the large screen and how light it was."

This wouldn't be the Queen's first iDevice. You might recall back in 2009, U.S. President and fellow Apple fan Barrack Obama presented the Queen with an iPod Touch. This is once again testament to Apple's ability to appeal to the masses.

The iPad 2 just launched a few weeks ago in the U.K., and has already sold roughly 20 million units. Apple's latest tablet seems to be on a tear around the globe, as it just recently rolled through China with overwhelming success.

What could they possibly do so differently next time around to draw out these kinds of crowds again?

What do you think?

iRemoco, the Remote Control Helicopter for Your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

Since Apple opened up the ability for developers to control attached accessories, I have been waiting for products like this to start pouring into the market. iRemoco is a mini helicopter that comes with an attachment for your iPhone or iPod.

An iOS application gives you full control of the iRemoco helicopter, using the dock connector attachment to transmit the signal. Andrew Ayres and Tom Sisterson have been working on this project for 18 months and it's finally ready for the masses...

How to Override In-App Audio and Listen to Your own Music

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

I've always wanted a way to listen to my music from the iPod app while I play games on my iPhone. Until multitasking came to iOS, that was just a pipe dream. Yet, even after Apple introduced multitasking, I still didn't really have the ability.

Many iOS games have their own soundtrack and completely turn off your iPod music. Luckily, the folks over at FSM have provided an easy tutorial for a work-around that will allow you to rock your own music while gaming on your iDevice...