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.

Mcleaner – show your calls and texts who’s the Boss

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 13, 2018

Now when I get the urge to try a new app that I see on the App Store, or maybe hear about in Cydia, I always go in with the same 3 questions. Is it easy to use? Is it something that I'll use? And is it stable? There are tons of other things I look at, but these are the 3 I focus on. So with that in mind lets take a look at Mcleaner, a new application available in Cydia, via the iSpazio's repo.

Now typically this is one of those ones I'd sub consciously pass over. The description said something about blocking SMS messages and phone calls, and I'm thinking, when would I ever use this? But this time it was almost like a little bird was whispering in my ear, "Go ahead Cody, try Mcleaner out, maybe even review it on idownloadblog.com." He sounded French. Anyways I listened and decided to give it a try.

Wow. That's not the word I'll be using at the end of this article, but that's what I first thought when I opened the App. This looked so well done, especially for a Cydia App. By default you start off in the 'Working Mode' profile, but you can create others. Maybe you have a 'work mode' and then a 'church mode'. Then you can setup your whitelist and blacklist. The white list is a list of contact names or phone numbers that you would like allowed on this particular profile. And of course the black list is a list of names and numbers that you wouldn't like to contact you. You may also schedule profiles to take affect at certain times, for example, 'work mode' can be scheduled 8-5 M-F, I though this was pretty cool.

Everything seems to be made so effortless for the user, as you are given several choices when asked to add a contact to a list, add from contacts, input number, add from recents, etc. You may also choose to block unknown and private numbers, perfect if you are constantly getting harassed by telemarketers and the like. The developer definitely gets an A+ in ease of use here. We can go ahead and throw in one for stability as well, I haven't had any issues, and a quick test block on my girlfriend's number proved successful.

So Cody, this thing sounds sweet, should I go ahead and download? Ah, ah, ah, this is why there are 3 questions. I have to say, Mcleaner is very well put together, but has a very small target audience. Unless you are wanting to avoid bill collectors, or that creepy guy at the office that always texts "Sup?", I don't see any other real use for this application. Now, I'm sure if your attending high stakes meetings on a daily basis, you might find this program very useful. But for the majority of us, well me at least, I'll stick to the good old mute switch on the side of my iPhone. I generally hit it on my way into the office, and it has served me well. Especially since at the end of the 15 day trial, your asked to pay 11.99. One love.

Cydia Store Applications vs. The App Store – The Download Showdown

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

[digg-me]UPDATE: The Cydia Store is now open! I invite you to read this post for more details.

If you didn't read the title to this article in the deep voice of the movie previews guy, please go back and do so at this time, just to give you an idea of how huge this is. Now, if you've navigated to our blog and are reading this article, hopefully you have some idea of what Cydia and the App Store are. For those of you who don't, I will provide a brief breakdown of each program before I list their stand out features.

Both programs offer a sizeable library of applications and games that can be downloaded directly onto the phone from virtually anywhere you can get a cell phone or wifi signal. Please no hate mail from Installer fans, as it's obvious it has not garnered near as much support as Cydia since the iPhone was updated in firmware over the summer. But now to the main event, the Download Showdown. Who will take home the title as the Champion of iPhone applications? Let's get it on.

You've seen the commercials, you've seen it in the world-reknowned iTunes software, heck you see the icon everytime you look at your iPhone, it's the App Store. Riding the coat tails of success of Apple's enormous online music store, is the online application store that has redefined software distribution for the mobile market. Never before has an online library of mobile software been so accessible, as it can be reached from any mac or pc, or from any iPhone or ipod touch with web connection.

Another reason it is so groundbreaking is the 70/30 deal it has made with iPhone platform developers. That means that Apple keeps 30% of the profit from the software sales, and gives the remaining 70% to the people that make them. On top of attracting big name software companies like EA and THQ, this 70/30 deal has made several independent companies like Tappulous and The Blimp Pilots (koi pond creators) extremely wealthy.

The App Store's main advantages have got to be it's stability and ease of use, two of the most important things you can find in any software. I can't tell you the last time my App Store crashed or froze, and its interface is about as simple as you can get. You'll also find that most applications fall in the $0.99 - $9.99 price range, keeping purchases from breaking your bank. For the froogle audience, there is also a large FREE section of applications and games that has yet to disappoint me.

Finally, the fact that Apple, is the company behind the App store has its ups and downs. For example, Apple pre screens all apps submitted to the App Store, minimizing malicious code and low quality software epedimics. This also prevents very good software from reaching the App Store due to opinions held by Apple (see R.I.P article). Downloading is also kept very quick and simple by Apple, as typing in your iTunes password, ok's any download, free or not. You also don't have to jailbreak or "hack" your iPhone to access the App Store, how charming. So bottom line here is that the App Store is easy to use, extremely reliable, has a huge library of free and non-free applications, and it's not against AT&T's TOS (terms of service) to access.

Now for the challenger. A product of James Freeman, or Saurik, Cydia has been around since the original jailbreaking days of Ziphone and iBrickr. Originally, Cydia stood in the shadow of the Installer application by the Dev Team, which did the exact same thing (offered 3rd party downloads). Now, thanks to its I-got-to-firmware-2.1-before-you-did attitude, Cydia is flourishing.

But these guys [devteam, Saurik, Spazio, etc.] really opened the eyes of the world to the possibilities of the iPhone, and let users unlock their iPhone's potential with 3rd party applications, a touchy subject in the beginning of the life of the iPhone due to Apple's lack of 3rd party support.

Enough history, how does it stack up today against the colussal App Store. Size? Nope. The size of Cydia's library of software doesn't hold a candle to Apple's App Store. Price? Nope. While a majority of Cydia downloads are free, some are only trial versions that demand paypal payments to continue using them. So then why in the world would you even want Cydia? Exclusivity. Boom. Cydia is the only place to download applications like Winterboard and Cycorder, software that goes against Apple's guidelines for App Store approval. I couldn't have a see-through dock with a customized icon set without Cydia. I couldn't have recorded a video of my dog doing cart wheels without Cycorder, and it's only available through Cydia. Is VIP access to cool customizeables enough to make this underdog a Champ? Let's review.

It seems on paper Apple's App Store should win by a landslide. Thousands of more software titles, the technical and customer support of a Fortune 500 company, and its overall ease of use should give Apple the belt hands down. But you can't forget about the little guy. If a firmware update prevented the downloading of Cydia or a similar program, how many users would be devastated? How many would avoid updating? If you're like me, chances are you have App Store, Cydia, and Installer (at least the first 2) icons sitting on your springboard right now, and aren't likely to delete any of them any time soon. I like having all 3 for the simple fact that if I read about an application and want to download, I know I am covered, and can find it in one of the 3 libraries.

It looks like a split decision here, but I am going to give the nod to Apple's App Store for a number of reasons I already listed. Once again in an ideal world we could have a united application that would offer the best of both worlds. For now, it seems the App Store will hold the download Showdown title. Thanks for reading, this article is a treasure, so digg it!

MewSeek and PwnPlayer bring P2P Power to your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

[digg-me]If you have been looking for a free alternative to the mobile iTune's store, or just wanted an easy to use free music downloading application, look no further. From that crazy world of Cydia comes one of Apple iTune's worst nightmares, MewSeek, a P2P client and Pwn Player, a playback software for your iPhone.

Say Who? It’s a little More Like Say What?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

So here we go, from the same people who brought you the application Say Where?, comes another decent attempt at voice recognition software. Or is it?

The idea is quite simple. It allow users to dial their contacts by speaking their name. Always interested in shortening lengthy tasks, I downloaded this application to see if I could eliminate the 4 step manual dialing process (press phone, go to contacts or recent calls, scroll to find number, and press call).

At first glance it seemed as though this application might find its way into an exclusive spot on my springboard. Clicking the icon opens up a single screen that has a large square button to press when you are ready to speak a contact's name. Well that's only 2 steps, so Say Who wins, right?

Wrong. It's 2 steps to get to your first attempt at dialing a contact. While the previous app I reviewed from Excuse Me Services shined in the voice recognition department, this one fell flat on it's face. Both voice dialing and speaking the contact's name returned horrible results. Sure, in exact silence, using perfect diction, I was able to get a few right answers.

But I don't live in solitary confinement, I live in the real world, and the real world has background noise in it. Especially when traveling in my car, which is where I would find this app most useful anyways.

Maybe if they were to combine this with their Say Where application with more accurate voice recognition, it'd be worthwhile to download. It would also be advantageous to continue to run in the background, or at least when the screen is locked (once again in my car dock). We continue to see innovative software from these guys, but unless you're accustomed to yelling obscenities at your iPhone driving down the turnpike, I suggest you stay away.

This one definitely falls in the "look-what-my-phone-can-do" category, but may throw you under the bus when trying to demonstrate to your friends. "Call Randy" , "Calling Mom." "No I swear it usually gets it on the first try, watch!"

I will get a 3G, I will get a 3G…

Cody Lee ∙ October 20, 2008

Finally, after weeks of ebaying and craigslisting, my 2G has moved on to a good home, and the 3G is all mine. For those of you who have a 3G, cheers, but for those of you who are still on the fence about the upgrade, let me break it down for you.

It's funny because I didn't even sell my original iPhone on the Internet, I sold it at a Mexican drive-thru window. But that's neither here nor there.

Unboxing the 3G was as exciting as it gets. What once was a difficult decision between the white and black models, instantly exploded into a sea of Cody-you-picked-the-right-one black.

The phone seems a bit wide, but overall has a better feel (my girlfriend complained that it was uncomfortable). I love the all plastic frame, feels less fragile than the metal backs of yester-year.

Looking through the rest of the packaging isn't much of a surprise. Well, no surprise to me because I had already heard the bad news, there was no dock included. Those who aren't aware, take warning.

Obviously, with this being months behind the other reviews, it would be a waste of time to relist all the features. One thing I am already enjoying is the GPS feature. This positioning system has been completely accurate for me thus far, and it works in satellite mode, so you can see yourself standing in your driveway (well, your just a purple dot, since the pictures are months, sometimes years old).

So if you've been thinking of upgrading to the 3G, it's totally worth it. Especially if you sell your original iPhone to cover the cost. I sold mine for a cool $300.00, and then bought my new 8gb 3g for $199.00 (with 2 year agreement of course), so I actually made a profit on the upgrade. To some people the feature difference may not impress, but 3G isn't even available in my area (hopefully December they said), and I'm still so happy I went for it. You just really have to speak it into existence, "I will get a 3G, I will get a 3G..."

iBeer creator Hottrix leaves Molson Coors Brewing Co. with Bitter Beer Face

Cody Lee ∙ October 16, 2008

So let's pretend you are a start-up iPhone software developing firm. Now, let's say that you have developed a hot application. So hot, that Apple actually uses it in an iPhone commercial for a nationwide marketing campaign. I mean, your foaming at the mouth trying to predict your first month sales numbers.

But, when the App store launches in July, there is another application that looks exactly like yours. What's worse is, yours cost users $2.99, and their app is a free download.

My guess is that you would be Hottrix, creators of iBeer, and you'd probably be pretty steamed.

And they are. They are suing the Molson Coors Brewing Co. for 12.5 million dollars in lost profits thanks to iPint. iPint was identical to Hottrix' iBeer, but with a Carling Beer advertisement banner.

What's funny is Steve Sheraton, inventor of iBeer, was actually approached by Beattie McGuinnes Bungay Ltd. ad agency for promission to use iBeer to market Coors products. Obviously Sheraton didn't say no loud enough, and after just a short life on the App store, iPint was removed due to a cease and desist order.

After months of trying to settle the matter outside of court, the Arizona based software company has decided to bring in the attorneys.

I believe that if there is a direct correlation between Hottix declining iBeer profits, and a copyright law broken by Molson Coors, this should be a no brainer.

One thing is clear, as Sebastien stated in his Tap Tap Tap divorce article, this iPhone software developing game is "serious business."(now accepting applications for my new start-up iPhone software company ;op)

Learn Something New Everyday

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 18, 2018

So maybe I'm an idiot, and if I am, then Sebastien will be sure to let me know. But I had no idea the iPhone headphones were so versatile. I knew that you could click and double click your way through songs, but I had no idea that 3 quick clicks would take you back a song. This is very handy for when you can't access your iPhone's GUI right away (jogging, squished in an an airplane seat).

The folks over at macosxhints.com said this was just added in 2.1, so I can't be that far out of it.

Also another interesting fact about the wonderful iPhone headphones, (these are always good ice breakers at awkward get togethers) , they are compatiple with the new macbook line Apple launched today. They will be able to control iTunes via the "clicker" and offer another input with its built in microphone.

It seems everyone wants a Piece of Apple’s Pie

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

With 10,000,000+ units sold, Apple has without a doubt one of the hottest products this year with the iPhone. That's a lot of merchandise to push through small Apple and AT&T retail stores. That's why this summer, Apple enlisted the help of Best Buy, a nation-wide retail electronics chain, to move the new iPhone 3g.

What you might not have known, was that self-proclaimed retail giant Radio Shack was also in discussions to be apart of this exclusive product distribution.But, after a few months it seems as if Radio Shack has fallen from the lime light and a new retail heavyweight has entered the picture.

According to Boy Genius, Walmart will begin selling the iPhone 3g starting November 15. (2 weeks before black Friday?) Obviously the more retailers you have selling your product, the more money you are going to make. But after reading through a few blogs it seems that some members of the iPhone community are offended by such a "sell out" move, and the 199$ price tag and Walmart availability may make the community a lot less exclusive.

Well as a member of that community, I say, GO Apple. They stand to gain a lot of ground in the mobile market by advertising in "The most visited daily store in America." AT&T stands to make a killing as well, as each iPhone sold carries a 2 year contract agreement to their wireless service.

Hopefully this will open up doors for other retail chains vying for a piece of Apple's pie. Hah, I guess with over 10,000,000 sold, it would seem there will be enough to go around.

Apple’s Dropping of the NDA Has Echoing Effects

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 13, 2019

For a long time, developing software for the iPhone seemed like a members-only activity. Even when Apple introduced the App Store and released the SDK for public download, the iPhone developing club still seemed pretty exclusive.

A majority of this secrecy was forced upon developers by way of Apple's Non Disclosure Agreement: a binding contract that said anything developers came across while programming iPhone software 'better not leave the room'. Apple claims this was to protect many inventions and innovations embedded into the iPhone software.

But as we all know, after hearing all the moans and groans from developers, and probably reading thousands of angry blog posts, Apple has removed the NDA. In fact, Apple is now planning to tour the world with seminars and workshops for iPhone developers of any skill level from independent game developers, to IT professionals.

But the benefits don't stop there. Now with the NDA lifted, several Authors are given the green light to publish books on iPhone developing. Alicia mentions one of the more popular ones here, set to be released the 15th of this month. Another one, Beginning iPhone Development, is due out the 27th. In fact, a quick search in Amazon for the topic 'iPhone development' brings up a long list of new iPhone-programming-related books due to release in the next month.

I can't imagine the improvements we'll see in the quality and complexity of future iPhone applications. Hopefully this will encourage Apple to drop another rediculous App Store practice ::cough:: App store rejection policy ::cough::

Is there anything the iPhone can’t do?

Cody Lee ∙ October 9, 2008

The device that set out to replace 3 devices, (phone, mp3/video player, Internet) might eventually replace everything in your pocket. Like an idiot I assumed I knew a majority of what the iPhone was capable of. But browsing the internet the other day, proved me more wrong than Bush's policy on foreign relations.

Control your car

Meet the Delphi car control concept web app (watch video here). Capable of doing everything your ordinary key fob does, and more. It'll start your car, roll your windows up and down, and even gather engine diagnostics for you in case you smell something burning. I haven't heard anymore about it since they debuted it last January, so hopefully the project didn't get shelved.

Control your home

iBowl: For those Can-your-Phone-do-this-ers, and that’s it

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

From the makers of iGolf comes iBowl, the game that promises that you can "take the lanes with you wherever you go." But before you hang up your real bowling shoes, there are a few things you should know. I myself got excited when doing my daily browse of the Top 25 Free applications in Apple's App Store. After reading through several raving reviews, and considering its #2 position on the Top 25, I decided to give it a go.

The first thing you see when the application is loaded is a set of very simple instructions. Select what side of the lane you wish to throw from, and hold down the "bowl" button strategically placed in the middle of the screen (so you can cradle your phone in your hand) and bowl. Let go (of the button, not your phone), and watch your ball soar rather randomly down the lane and knock over pins. Their description on the App Store claimed it detected spinning your iPhone to spin the ball but I have yet to experience it.

Now, some of you might be thinking, it's free what did you expect. Well, I didn't really expect anything, after all, I wasn't a fan of iGolf when it was released. I have to admit this game does have a few nice features such as the ability to play a full 10 frames, and a high score board to keep track of the 'king pin'. But don't let the "challenge a friend" option fool you, it just opens a new email with an inserted link to download iBowl.

A few suggestions from this lowly iPhone gamer would be to tighten up the acuracy on the ball movement down the lane, or even to explore other options like using touch instead of the accelorometer. Some realistic physics, or at least random pin action would help out.

Also, SGN could consider selling cases with adjustable wrist straps to lower the amount of iBowl related damaged iPhones. Changing the fake "challenge a friend" option into at least 2 player mode just goes without saying.

So although it is a descent presentation and a neat idea, this thing is about as useful as the apps iLighter and iBeer, mostly for those "hey can your phone do this"ers. I found that this application sat unused on the springboard unless I was showing it to people, and even then could only muster up a few frames before it got tiresome.

SGN seems to have some great ideas going with these iSports apps, and I'm excited to see what updates and future apps they bring us.

Backgrounder runs multiple apps at once

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 22, 2022

Backgrounder from Lance Fetters is a new Cydia app out that promises to turn your ordinary iPhone into a multitasking machine. And after a quick download I'd have to say it delivered it in style.

Upon install you'll get a hard respring. But don't get caught looking for an icon, because there is none. You activate the app by opening up any legally downloaded Apple App Store app, (I haven't gotten it to work with cydia apps), and holding down the home button until a prompt pops up and lets you know backgrounder is enabled.

Now, for those of you who use a music app like Pandora, and want to listen to your Pandora music while you browse your photos or do something else on your iPhone, be excited. I personally use it when I am playing a video game. I hit pause, run backgrounder and quit the game, send a text, and re open the game and voila! No loading time, and I didn't lose my progress in my game.

I haven't tested the battery usage, but I'm assuming it makes a noticeable difference if you leave it on. And it will stay on until you restart/respring or disable it manually the same way you enabled it.

Bottom line is, this application will help make light work of those once tedious app switching jobs. I am cody lee, and I approve this message