David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
Duck and Goose are good friends who know it's OK for friends to be different. Photo: Apple TV+
Rejoice, parents. A wholesome new animated series is on the way, and you can feel OK about parking your preschoolers in front of it. Or at least it looks that way from the new Apple TV+ trailer for Duck & Goose, out Tuesday.
The new show for preschool-age kids premieres Friday, July 8.
A judge ruled Apple infringed on AliveCor's ECG-related patents. Photo: Apple
Personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology maker AliveCor sued Apple last year, claiming the tech giant infringed on patents when developing the heart-health functionality for Apple Watch. AliveCor called for a ban on U.S. imports of the wearable, as well.
Now a judge from the International Trade Commission has supported the claims in an initial ruling.
The Elago MS4 charging stand, shown in silver, is compatible with MagSafe and helps unclutter your cables. Photo: Elago
Elago’s sleek, MagSafe-compatible iPhone charging stands make it easy to keep using your favorite gadget while it rapidly charges, sitting upright on the aluminum stand, easily at hand. Or easily hands-free, as the case may be.
You just quickly install a MagSafe charging puck into the Elago stand. Then it’s perfect for charging your phone while on FaceTime calls or while you’re using it in other ways.
Apple Watch has helped save plenty of lives. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
After strong currents swept an Australian kayaker more than two miles out to sea, he summoned help with the Emergency SOS feature of Apple Watch. That triggered his rescue by helicopter.
The Keen Ranger PT blends in with the environment. Photo: Keen
Security gear provider Reolink launched a new brand, Keen, and a new product Tuesday — the Keen Ranger PT trail camera. With a 360-degree view, 4MP super HD image quality and other features like night vision, hunters, campers, farmers and wildlife enthusiasts are likely to recognize what game they “capture” with it out in the bush.
And for launch you can get 15% off the device’s regular price, plus a chance to win $1,000.
★★★☆☆
The Ugreen T3 HiTune earbuds will get the job done for many folks on a budget. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
In a world awash in earbuds, it’s not easy for lower-end products to keep their heads above water. But some manage to do it through solid overall quality and a good feature spread, like the new Ugreen T3 HiTune ANC Wireless Earbuds.
They’re not going to compete with many products at mid-to-high price points, like AirPods Pro and competitors. But the T3s offer bass to burn, an OK fit and a range of solid features at $40.
What you don’t get is top-notch sound across all frequencies, stellar ANC or a sense of tremendous build quality.
Rainbow nylon Apple Watch bands are great for Pride and for workouts. Shown: BluShark AlphaPremier. Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac
LGBTQI Pride Month may be drawing to a close on Thursday, but you can wear your pride on your sleeve or elsewhere all year long if you want — thanks to rainbow-themed Apple accessories in the Cult of Mac Store’s Pride collection.
In addition to several colorful watch bands discussed below, you can find a rainbow lanyard with a shock-proof iPhone case and a rainbow polka-dot MacBook Pro case.
A MacBook Pro and a 4K LG display anchor Smelker's setup. Photo: Terry Smelker
Graphic designer and illustrator Terry Smelker’s workstation includes many interesting elements, like a specialized drawing tablet and a multimedia controller he uses along with his tricked-out MacBook Pro. But even if you’re not curious about his setup proper, get a load of that Apple gear collection! Fortunately, he provided plenty of photographs.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Apple’s design aesthetic,” he told Cult of Mac. And that started him on his collection of vintage Apple products, which complements the rest of his gear.
Click on your Apple ID in Settings to get to your Subscriptions. Photo: Apple
Apple streamlined the subscription-management interfaces on iPhone and iPad Friday.
The new look adds spacing between separate subscriptions. And it makes telling which subscriptions are active and inactive a little more clear at a glance.
Mounts can make the most of a computer setup. They can mobilize so much of your gear — computers, displays, microphones — so you can use them when you need them and push them out of the way when you don’t, opening up desk space. And you can minutely adjust their positioning, too.
Today’s featured MacBook Pro and Mac Studio computer setup takes advantage of mounts for the computers, display, video camera and microphone.
You can get big discounts on Apple Watch 7 and SE at Amazon. Photo: Apple
In the market for an Apple Watch 7, or maybe the more-affordable Apple Watch SE? Amazon discounted both on Friday, so now could be the time to make that purchase.
Looks like the "Defending Jacob" star is switching to an iPhone 13. Photo: chrisevans@Instagram
Chris Evans, star of Marvel Studios’ Captain America movie series, gave the internet a bit of a thrill when he finally said goodbye to his trusty iPhone 6s with a lovely little eulogy Thursday.
The iPhone 6s came out in 2015 and ceased new sales in 2018. Now it’s 2022, and it looks like Cap has, at long last, woken up to the iPhone 13.
It's a selfie stick, but it's also much more. Photo: SwitchEasy
If you’d like to take your selfie game up a notch, you can’t do much better than SwitchEasy’s EasySelfie Selfie Stick. The highly portable devices doubles as a tripod and works with your iPhone or a variety of cameras.
And right now you can get a good deal on EasySelfie in the Cult of Mac Store.
Vera Farmiga stars in "Five Days at Memorial" on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
The new Apple TV+ trailer for the drama series Five Days at Memorial is just a one-minute preview. But it’s a powerful 60 seconds.
It depicts the desperate struggle in a New Orleans hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest storms to ever hit the United States.
Leviton's updated switch gives you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes. Photo: Leviton
Following related May releases, Leviton said Wednesday orders will open soon on a new version of a popular accessory in its No-Neutral HomeKit Switch and Dimmer stable of products.
The Decora Smart Wi-Fi 2nd Gen Scene Controller Switch features four buttons that give you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes as well as smart devices.
Elago's AirPods Pro covers, made of protective silicone, have precise cutouts. Photo: Elago
Even little earbuds can get scratched up, so a product like Elago’s covers for AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 can come in handy. And the covers’ thin but protective layer of silicone can also help with fit, helping ensure your earbuds don’t fall out too easily.
You can find Elago’s AirPods covers for the Pro and 3 series in the Cult of Mac Store at great prices. See more information and direct links below.
That YouTube guy is showing me how to make Pad Thai. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Thanks to a new app called WatchTube, you can now play YouTube videos directly on your Apple Watch. A 2-inch OLED screen may not be your idea of a night at the cinema, but it’s not impossible to imagine the app being useful.
Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be. Photo: Master & Dynamic
The new Master & Dynamic MW75 over-ear headphones will undoubtedly compete with top cans from Apple, Sony, Sennheiser and others. They boast up to 28 hours of battery life and adaptive, environmentally aware active noise cancellation.
But the premium Master & Dynamic headphones actually make AirPods Max look somewhat affordable. They cost an eye-popping $599.
SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once. Photo: SwitchEasy
The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.
The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch, AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.
And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.
★★★★☆
It's not difficult to get used to those rotating ear hooks. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Ever have an earbud fall out of your sweaty ear at the gym? I lost a somewhat pricey product that way once. And if you lose one of them, you’re probably not going to use the other one, even if it’s designed for occasional solo use.
The new Soundcore Sport X10 True-Wireless Earbuds, released Tuesday, aim to put an end to wayward earbuds.
Anker sent me a pair of the earbuds to try, along with instructions for using the Soundcore app for them in beta. Below, I’ll get into why I found the new product to be an excellent value at $79.99.
The new track-lighting system opens up many customization options. Photo: Philips Hue
Signify said Tuesday it plans to expand its Philips Hue smart lighting range with the addition of track lighting, a new dimmer and scene-selection switch, and its first portable indoor-outdoor rechargeable lamp, among other items.
Philips Hue products support HomeKit via the Hue Bridge. The new options will launch during the summer, the company said.