Cody Toombs
Senior Reviewer
Contributing since February, 2013
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1511articles
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1389News
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12Features
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1Lists
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7Guides
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37Reviews
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65Deals
About Cody Toombs
Cody has been writing with Android Police for ten years. While best known for the hundreds of APK Teardowns and breaking news on many of Google’s new products and services, he also covers deeper technical topics about the inner workings of Android, app development, and security. Cody is a software engineer and consultant with two decades of experience developing mobile and enterprise applications. In addition to writing, Cody is a regular podcaster and has made appearances on CNN, All About Android, and Tech News Today. Cody is also an active photographer and videographer, occasional gamer, and an all-around decent human.
What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?
Cameras and smartphones for photography. New technologies are bringing a lot of interesting things capabilities to the worlds of photography and video.
What was your first phone and what do you remember about it?
My true first phone was some old Motorola candybar phone from before the days of smartphones. I started on smartphones with the Cingular 2125 (a rebrand of the HTC Faraday, I think?)
Latest Articles
Wacom One 13 Touch review: Taking a stab at Android and Chrome OS
This may be the perfect interface for DeX fans
Digital artists have made their homes on plenty of platforms, starting originally with the classic desktop platforms, but making the jump to iPads as they transitioned to high-res displays and gained stylus support. However, a name synonymous with drawing tablets, Wacom, is courting Android and ChromeOS users with models from its One line.
The best new movies you can watch at home right now
There's plenty to watch at home these days, and we're rounding up the best (and worst) movies you can stream
Streaming services have taken over as one of the best ways to catch the latest movies. Whether they're making a stop in theaters before rolling out digital rentals or they launch as first-run originals from the likes of Netflix, Apple TV, or HBO; we're rounding up the best titles so you're not left in the dark — until it's time to start the film, that is. Check back each week (usually on Friday) to see the latest additions for movies that are now available to stream, the latest theatrical releases, and movies coming next week.
DJI Mini 4 Pro review: The best tiny drone gets even better
DJI continues pushing closer to perfection
Whether they’re used for shooting stunning flyover shots of nature or for inspecting a second story roof after a storm, tiny camera drones have found their place in society. The DJI Mini series has been an instant success and the ideal drone for beginners and enthusiasts alike. I was already a fan of the Mini 3 Pro, and now the Mini 4 Pro is a clear upgrade in virtually every way.
The JBL Live 3 earbuds expand popular touchscreen case with three earbud shapes
Updates planned for many of JBL’s headphones, earbuds, and portable speakers
JBL has a history of coming to CES fully loaded with announcements, and this year is no exception. Updates are scheduled for many of the earbuds in the Tune and Live families, the Soundgear Sense, and several of the speakers — there are even some new microphones. But the most exciting among these is a major redesign for the third generation Live earbuds, which will come with a smart touchscreen case and available in three different bud designs.
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones review: Studio sound meets consumer features
Support for audio via AUX, USB-C, or almost any Bluetooth codec
Shure is one of the true veterans in the audio industry, known for its legendary recording equipment. In recent years, those talents have spread toward building top-tier headphones. The second-generation Aonic 50 are the latest addition to the lineup, a refresh of the original that improves battery life and sound quality while adding ANC and more connectivity options than almost any headphones on the market.
TerraMaster F2-212 NAS review: A perfect little Plex server
Low cost and ideal for serving media and files, but don't ask for more
TerraMaster has become known for making budget-friendly NAS hardware that still retains a high level of quality. One of the company’s latest products, the F2-212, is unquestioning in its pursuit to be the ideal low-cost Plex server. It doesn’t have the highest specs or a lot of ports, which is how TerraMaster kept the price down to a mere $170, but it does have the obligatory GPU capable of 4K transcoding and everything else necessary for a good little home media server.
JBL Tour Pro 2 review: Smart earbuds, smart case
No gimmicks here, the case should be a template for premium buds going forward
It’s refreshing to see a company experimenting with something different in the sea of wireless earbud homogeneity. JBL’s Tour Pro 2 breaks new ground for premium earbuds by pairing them with a touchscreen-equipped charging case. While they’re not cheap and have some bugs and half-baked aspects, JBL did a great job on its first time out.
DJI announces Mini 4 Pro with an updated camera sensor and formerly exclusive Mavic features
Another big upgrade to a tiny drone
Hot on the heels of the new Air 3, DJI is back with a major revision to the smallest member of its camera drone lineup. The Mini 4 Pro is another significant upgrade to the previous generation, including a dual native ISO sensor with more capabilities, enhanced transmission system, and support for software features previously only available with the Mavic series.
DJI Air 3 review: Jack of all trades, master of one
This is the right way to do two cameras
DJI has a pattern of raising the bar with each new drone model, making them harder to resist for new buyers and potential upgraders alike. The new Air 3 is a subtly huge step up from the previous Air 2 and Air 2S, featuring a powerful new dual camera system, a huge boost to flight time, and full-coverage obstacle avoidance sensors.
Jackery’s latest solar power stations are more portable and powerful
The 1000 Plus holds 20% more power, and works through 4x more charging cycles
Portable power stations aren’t just great tools for upgrading a camping trip, they’re starting to feel increasingly helpful amidst a rising trend of seasonal power outages. Jackery is one of the leading names in the industry, and today the company is announcing two new models at IFA in Berlin. The Solar Generator 1000 Plus and 300 Plus are the latest in the lineup, featuring fast-charging folding solar panels, safe and reliable long-term batteries, and resistance to the elements.
Shure's new $349 headphones are huge — and include big upgrades to sound quality, ANC, and spatial audio
Qualcomm’s technology is responsible for spacial sound and stronger wireless audio quality
Shure is one of the most respected names in the audio industry, thanks in large part to a long history of excellent microphones like the legendary SM7B. The AONIC 50 headphones launched back in 2020 and gained praise for a rich set of features, comfort, and studio-quality sound. Last year, the AONIC 40 came out with a slightly more budget-friendly model sporting the same features, but saving some money on materials. Now Shure is returning to update the original, and the AONIC 50 Gen 2 is not falling short on improvements.
Moment announces T-Series accessory lenses designed for the future of smartphone cameras
20% larger mount designed to support the larger cameras on Android phones
It has been ten years since Moment launched its original Kickstarter campaign for a pair of accessory smartphone lenses. As phone cameras started to shift to a wider field of view, the original lens mount was replaced with the M-Mount, which became something of an unofficial standard for other lens producers. As it turns out, history was doomed to repeat itself and modern smartphones have outgrown even that design; and today Moment is back with a brand new mount and redesigned lenses aimed at supporting future generations of smartphone cameras.
Google promises faster AI results in Search, and maybe some photos and videos too
Outdated information will be a bit easier to spot
Google’s efforts in AI haven’t always gone smoothly, but it hasn’t taken long to see a little more maturity in these projects, and with it comes more functionality and polish. Google is highlighting some of the latest enhancements that have been made to its generative AI search results, including both new features and enhanced performance.
DJI's Osmo Action 4 features a brand new GPS remote, but you'll have to pay extra
Brings a larger camera sensor and enhanced waterproofing
Following hot on the heels of last week’s announcement for the new Air 3 photography drone, DJI is back with another late summer release. This time it’s an update to the action camera line with the new Osmo Action 4, featuring an upgraded camera sensor, improved water sealing, and even some interesting new accessories.
Insta360 Go 3 review: Small camera, big possibilities
The Action Pod is a genius upgrade to the previous generation
Insta360 has become a fast favorite among content creators, starting with early 360 cameras and quickly moving onto the Go cameras before recently adding a smartphone gimbal to the mix. Now Insta360 is returning to its tiniest camera line to release the brand new Go 3. Not only does it bring significant upgrades to the camera module, but a completely redesigned charging pod adds a whole new dimension to the way it can be used.
DJI announces Air 3 drone with dual 4K cameras that can shoot simultaneously
Adds full 360° obstacle avoidance and 46 minutes flight time
DJI has been leading the market in photography drones for over ten years, starting all the way back with the original Phantom in 2013. After multiple iterations and redesigns, the current lineup of photography drones have matured to be very feature-rich, reliable, and easy to use. Today, DJI is packing all of that technology into a new member in the lineup, the Air 3.
Insta360 Flow review: Instantly one of the best
The first smartphone gimbal from Insta360 is doing almost everything right
Just as smartphones have become increasingly capable pocket cameras, smartphone gimbals have evolved quite a bit over the years, moving beyond merely stabilizing your videos to becoming smart robots that do the shooting for you. Even so, recent models have been a bit stagnant, leaving many asking if they’re just repackaged versions of the previous generation.
TerraMaster F4-423 NAS review: Streamlined network storage on a budget
Fewer frills and lower cost
Owning a NAS has become significantly more common over the last few years, largely due to a rise in remote work and the popularity of maintaining a local digital content library. TerraMaster has made a name for itself in this market with a lineup of NAS boxes with specs that match or exceed many of the best NAS solutions while keeping prices low.
HP Poly Voyager Free 60+ review: Great — if somebody else is paying
They're pricy, but it's justified by great sound and features
It’s easy to find great true wireless earbuds, but most of them feel very similar, lacking anything interesting to stand out from the crowd. However, Poly’s new Voyager Free 60 series is taking a stab at enlightening the experience with a case featuring touchscreen controls and a mind-blowing set of features. While these buds are marketed toward corporate buyers, and even feature certifications for the top video chat services, they’re pretty great for just about everybody, as long as you can stomach the price — or get your employer to cover it.
Prepare for randomly fluctuating in-app pricing on the Play Store
The Play Store is launching A/B testing for IAP pricing
When it comes to pricing a product, developers often have to make a best guess and hope it works out. If they try to charge too much, it may scare off many potential paying customers. Asking too little may result in thin profits that may become unsustainable. The Google Play team has taken note of this challenge and built a new tool to make it possible for developers to perform A/B testing on prices for in-app purchases. Of course, for users these experiments may lead to unexpected changes in pricing, or even being asked to pay different amounts than their friends.