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.
The collaboration with artist Futura features his signature atomic symbol. Photo: Beats
Just about a week after collaborating with Twitch streamer Nickmercs, Apple subsidiary Beats is out with another special-edition release of Beats Studio Buds, this time with design firm Futura Laboratories.
This is the second Beats collaboration for the design firm’s founder, the graffiti artist Futura.
Apple's new hire worked on this model, a Lamborghini Huracan. Photo: Lamborghini
A former Lamborghini executive recently joined Apple to lead design of the company’s long-rumored self-driving car, according to a new report Wednesday.
As Apple works toward releasing an electric vehicle before the end of this decade, the addition of Luigi Taraborrelli, who worked for the fabled Italian automaker for 20 years, could accelerate the project.
Ostrich leather is a whole new animal. Photo: BluShark
Everyone knows leather Apple Watch bands are a timeless class-act, long-popular for a variety of reasons. But which kind of leather matters, too. One type might be quite durable but stiff, needing breaking in. Another type might be incredibly soft and supple from the get-go.
One option for the latter type would be ostrich leather. And while it’s always a premium choice, the Cult of Mac Store has a beautiful band for a surprisingly affordable price.
The AC500 delivers power however you need it, thanks to 16 versatile output ports. Image: Bluetti
This post is brought to you by Bluetti.
Do you dream of achieving power independence? Whether that means living off the grid or just keeping your home lit when the power goes out, Bluetti’s got a new, top-of-the-line solar power station for you.
Just last year the company put out its modular AC300 solar station and B300 battery module combo. Now it’s back with a worthy successor — the even more powerful AC500 and B300S combo.
2021 MacBook Pro models should see a performance boost with the newest Firefox browser update. Photo: Mozilla
The newest update of the Firefox browser includes a performance boost for computers with displays running at a 120Hz refresh rate or higher. That’s good news for anyone with a 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro model from 2021, which have ProMotion displays.
Those MacBook models feature Liquid Retina XDR displays with ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates ranging from 24Hz to 120Hz.
Who is this person, a movie star? A TV reporter? Nope, he's in sales. Photo: [email protected]
Today’s featured setup looks, at a glance, like it sports dual mounted laptops. But one’s an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and one’s a MacBook Pro, floating on either side of a 32-inch external Samsung display. Universal Control lets the user work across the screens.
His only problem seems to be that silver Magic Trackpad sticking out like a sore thumb in darker surroundings. Naturally, social media came to the rescue with possible fixes.
A major regulator points at Apple Pay Later to express concern over Big Tech entering the short-term loan business. Photo: Apple
When Apple said in July at WWDC22 it would launch Apple Pay Later with iOS 16, it effectively said it would enter the short-term loan business, known for “buy now, pay later” plans.
So it’s no big surprise that the Cupertino tech giant — accustomed to regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and abroad — is now facing it from financial industry regulators.
But what’s somewhat surprising is that regulators are making noise about a host of concerns even before Apple Pay Later comes out.
It's a full MagSafe charger with 15W of power for your iPhone. Photo: OtterBox
OtterBox rolled out its new iPhone and Apple Watch charger Tuesday — the 2-in-1 Charging Station with MagSafe. Not just “MagSafe-compatible,” it offers your iPhone a full 15W charge and your Apple Watch a 5W charge.
And if you want to charge your AirPods case instead of your iPhone, you can.
The sleek wireless charging stand, featuring a white-and-silver combo colorway called “Future,” is sold by both OtterBox and Apple.
The app helps you weed out iOS apps that may be transmitting data to Russia or Belarus. Photo: MacPaw
The new SpyBuster iOS app scans your iPhone for other apps that may be surreptitiously sending your data to Russia or Belarus.
The privacy-oriented app comes from Ukraine-based developer MacPaw, which released a version of SpyBuster for macOS in the spring of 2021, not long after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Apple Brompton Road, Apple’s newest store in London, opens Thursday, July 28, in the city’s bustling Knightsbridge neighborhood. Photo: Apple
Apple previewed its newest retail outlet in the U.K. Tuesday, Apple Brompton Road in London’s Knightsbridge neighborhood. The store, set to open Thursday afternoon local time, claims a few “firsts.”
They include the first mirrored ceiling in an Apple Store, the first dedicated pick-up area in a U.K. Apple Store and the first time Apple has used a certain type of sustainable flooring.
Located a stone’s throw from Hyde Park and featuring design inspired by local flora, the store also boasts a brand-new augmented reality (AR) experience about William Blake.
This free, easy-to-use graphic design software lets you quickly create eye-catching images for social media and more. Image: VistaCreate
This post is brought to you by VistaCreate.
Graphic design software VistaCreate offers an array of tools that can help anyone create effective images for their business or project — design skills optional.
To do that, the easy-to-use graphic design software offers a huge array of templates, free access to a massive library of images and videos, and handy tools, like a new background remover that helps open up your image options.
Even better, the free version of VistaCreate is feature-rich on its own. But if you want even more, you can try the Pro version for a few dollars a month.
Some analysts think Apple will beat earnings expectations, but others are doubtful. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple’s next quarterly earnings report and call with analysts take place on Thursday. (It’s Q3 for Apple’s fiscal year despite being Q2 on your calendar.) And the company has already warned it may take an up to $8 billion revenue hit for several reasons.
As usual, after the fiscal results come out and the stock market closes for the day, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will talk with financial analysts on a public call about the results and future expectations.
Rob McElhenney and Charlotte Nicdao in “Mythic Quest” season three, premiering fall 2022 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
Fans of the office comedy Mythic Quest on Apple TV+ will be relieved to hear the show’s coming back for season 3. That news was confirmed and a teaser trailer was unveiled Saturday at a special panel about the show at Comic-Con International in San Diego.
The show’s cast and creators confirmed that the series will return this fall. And they rolled a first-look teaser for the third season that suggests it’ll be just as funny as the first two seasons. Have a look and a laugh at it, below.
This is Ian Zelda's render of a purple iPhone 14. The Pro and Pro Max models may also sport faster memory. Image: Ian Zelbo
While all iPhone 14 series handsets are expected to sport 6GB or RAM, an increase over the current standard, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will also come with a newer and faster type of memory, according to a new report.
Brighten up your wrist with a pastel Apple Watch band. Photo: Laut
Delicate pastel hues aren’t just for Easter eggs and watercolor paintings. When applied to your Apple Watch as a band, a pastel color can seriously brighten up your wrist and freshen up your whole look.
If you’ve had enough of the basic blacks and browns, you can get the Laut Huex Pastels Apple Watch Band for just $30 in the Cult of Mac Store.
Sure, time travel exists. But in this case, you can only go to four places. Photo: Michael Steeber
If you missed some of the biggest Apple Store openings ever, don’t worry. Now there’s an app for that. The Apple Store Time Machine app transports you to opening day at four iconic locations with a surprising amount of detail.
Michael Steeber created the interactive app to take you back to opening day in four places (and times): Tysons Corner (McLean, Va.), Stanford Shopping Center (Palo Alto, Calif.), Fifth Avenue (New York, NY) and Infinite Loop (Cupertino).
Anker launched a new range of advanced GaN chargers Monday. Photo: Anker
Anker Innovations said Monday at a special event that new partnerships have birthed a new lineup of Gallium Nitride (GaN) fast chargers for use at home and on-the-go.
The six new compact, efficient GaNPrime chargers range in power output from 150W down to 65W and cover a lot of possible uses. The range includes wall chargers, a power bank and a power strip.
“GaNPrime represents a new era in charging,” said Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “In addition
to delivering a faster and safer charging experience, our new GaNPrime chargers offer significant savings in energy consumption, reinforcing Anker’s commitment to a more sustainable future.”
Apple is working with affordable housing organizations to build new homes and provide housing stability for individuals and families in communities across California. Photo: Apple
Apple spent $1.3 billion recently to help remedy the California housing crisis, the company said Monday, following up on its pledge three years ago to spend $2.5 billion on an array of projects.
The Cupertino tech giant highlighted its new Veterans Square unit in Pittsburg, California, among other developments.
The M1 MacBook Pro and Samsung ultra-wide display form the setup's core, but the canine unit at right is a crucial feature, too. Photo: [email protected]
People love posting impressive photographs and descriptions of their computer setups online. And other people love either drooling over them or mercilessly criticizing them.
But no matter what technology appears — lets say a new-ish M1 MacBook Pro, a 4K wide-screen display, an excellent 4K webcam, rock-solid input devices and a reliable standing desk, as in today’s featured setup — it’s all forgotten if there’s a pet in the picture.
Some lawmakers urge votes take place before the upcoming recess. Photo: Jens June/Pixabay
A letter from progressive members of the U.S. House of Representatives this week urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to call for votes soon on a pair of antitrust bills that would rein in the power of tech giants like Apple and Google in an attempt to open up competition from more companies.
Without votes “in the next few weeks,” lawmakers’ upcoming months-long recess could delay action considerably.
Basic Apple Guy's new wallpaper is based on Jony Ive's work. Photo: Basic Apple Guy
Designer and Apple maven Basic Apple Guy offered a delightful surprise Friday with his new “Apple Stage” wallpaper for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
The stunning rainbow wallpaper sports a design inspired by the real-life, six-color stage structure created by Cupertino design legend Jony Ive at Apple Park.
This computer setup's centerpiece is a 24-inch iMac. Photo: [email protected]
We like Friday Setups posts to be on the fun side. We look for entertaining gear, wacky decor and exotic locations. Today we found a Dutch guy who works in IT management via his M1 iMac.
That doesn’t sound especially fun, but he also wields a pretty badass electric guitar.
He runs the axe into a Focusrite audio interface and listens to his musical creations on a killer set of cans, too.