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.
Ecobee introduced two new smart thermostats on Tuesday. Photo: Ecobee
Smart home accessory specialist Ecobee unveiled two new smart thermostats Tuesday. Smart Thermostat Premium and Smart Thermostat Enhanced offer larger displays than before, a redesigned interface, HomeKit integration and more.
The new Sonos Sub Mini subwoofer will pair with the new Ray and other soundbars. Photo: Render@TheVerge
A new report said Sonos will soon release an affordable subwoofer called “Sub Mini” to pair wirelessly with its soundbar lineup. That will include the new, nicely priced Sonos Ray.
Advertisers pay to know your online behavior and location. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Google leads the way among ad tech companies sharing your online behavior and location with advertisers. It happens an average of 747 times a day in the United States and 376 times a day in Europe. That’s according to a new report from a civil liberties group.
Google and others use a process known as real-time bidding to help advertisers target you by behavior and location.
The group behind the report called such sharing “the biggest data breach” in the world.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max mock-up is at left, with a slightly bigger camera assembly. Photo: Unbox Therapy
As excitement builds for the iPhone 14 launch expected in about four months, many of the usual suspects are finding ways to stoke it. Case in point, the YouTuber behind Unbox Therapy posted a video Monday in which he “unboxed” what he implied is a CAD design mock-up of an iPhone 14 Pro Max created by iPhone case makers in Japan with access to Apple schematics.
The replica device looks just like an iPhone 13 Pro Max in the video. But a closer look and some measurements revealed numerous subtle differences, many of which track with analysts’ predictions for the new handset.
The webcam pops up and keeps you centered in the frame, a la Center Stage. Photo: HP
A new report said HP plans to release a 1440p USB-C monitor with a built-in webcam that pops up and features tracking much like Apple’s Center Stage used in iPad models.
The display should serve professionals who want decent pixel density but don’t need the top-shelf visuals a graphics professional might.
Creators and listeners both can benefit from Apple Podcasts' new features. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple offered several new features for its Podcasts app Monday. They include downloaded episode controls, annual subscription plans, partnerships with third-party hosting platforms and more.
There’s something for both podcast creators as well as listeners in the updates, with some changes available in imminent OS updates and others slated to become available in the fall, Cupertino said.
This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours? Photo: [email protected]
You look at enough computer setups online and you realize people are never really done with them. There’s always something to add. It could be some gear got held up by shipping delays, or the setup’s owner got a sudden urge to try another type of input device or some other gadget. And people often take ages to tame the cable clutter.
So you rarely see people claiming a setup’s done for good. Or it’s the best it can be. Or it’s the proverbial “dream setup.”
But sometimes they say that. Today’s setup got called a “dream setup” by its proud owner. Would you agree?
Apple TV+ laid out a summer lineup of kids and family series. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ listed its new lineup of shows and specials for kids and families set to air this summer, including new series like Duck & Goose and Best Foot Forward plus Peanuts specials and new episodes of fan-favorite shows.
The new summer lineup of kids shows will kick off in July with the first series, Duck & Goose.
You can watch a trailer all about the summer’s content and how to watch it below with Jack McBrayer from Hello Jack! The Kindness Show.
Apple is testing a USB-C iPhone, finally. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple is testing an iPhone with a USB-C ports and planning to launch a USB-C adapter that can be used with devices with Lightning connectors, according to a new report.
The news comes on the heels of an analyst’s prediction on Wednesday that the switch to USB-C in Apple’s handsets will come with iPhone 15 in 2023.
Gear4's braided Apple Watch bands cost half as much as Apple's Solo Loop. Photo: Gear4
Gear4, an accessories brand owned by Zagg, just added two nylon Apple Watch bands to its lineup. One is a braided nylon band priced at half the cost of Apple’s popular Solo Loop. The other is a two-tone sport band with Velcro. Both are made with recycled materials.
Hard to say if the quality meets Apple’s, but the prices certainly beat Apple’s.
The clear Limited77 MagSafe-compatible iPhone 13 case features solid drop protection. Photo: Limited77
“Drop it, we dare you,” says Limited77 of its Clear Magnetic iPhone Case Series 13. Now that’s confidence. The slim, clear case can protect and showcase your iPhone 13 at the same time.
Not only does the case feature solid drop protection, its coating eliminates bacteria. We all know how dirty handsets can be because we touch them constantly. And in addition to those features, the case is MagSafe compatible, so it won’t interfere with charging your iPhone 13 wirelessly.
But even counting all those features, the best thing about the case might be its price right now. You can get 20% off the regular price in the Cult of Mac Store, a savings of $7.
With the dock it sits on, that Mac Studio is even more formidable. Photo: [email protected]
A cool aspect of both Mac minis and the newer Mac Studio are the platform-like USB-C hubs festooned with ports and added storage capacity that third parties have designed for them to sit on. Satechi was quick out of the gate with one for the mini, but there are other such cleverly designed, space-saving hubs on the market. And many of them also fit the Studio.
Today’s featured setup boasts a powerful new Mac Studio perched on a Qwiizlab hub as it drives an LG UltraWide display, among other gear.
The unconventional romance premieres June 17 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
Cha Cha Real Smooth looks to be a romance, a drama and a comedy all rolled into one. What do you call that? A rom-dramedy?
At any rate, Apple TV+ just put out the first trailer for the unconventional love story starring Dakota Johnson and Cooper Raiff. It premieres on June 17.
The new Sony flagship cans improve on their predecessors and cost about $50 more. Photo: Sony
Few would dispute that Sony’s flagship wireless WH-1000XM4 active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones have been among the best on the market since they came out in August 2020. But Sony has improved upon them, offering its fifth-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones on Thursday.
The redesigned cans flaunt several impressive improvements over the previous model, making the XM5s an even worthier competitor to AirPods Max and other premium headphones.
This is the BluShark AlphaPremier nylon Apple Watch band in "Bond" (that's as in James Bond, a classic black and gray stripe combo). Photo: BluShark
Just like your watch face says something about your personality, so does your watch strap. The color, texture and pattern all mean something to you and those who catch a glance of your wrist. That’s where BluShark’s top nylon watch straps, the AlphaPremier collection, comes in.
And they’re not just for classic analog watches. BluShark has a whole lineup of smooth, comfortable AlphaPremier Apple Watch bands in stock in the Cult of Mac Store.
Fetch Rewards is your golden ticket to free Apple Gift Cards. Image: Fetch Rewards
This post on earning cash back and gift cards is brought to you by Fetch Rewards.
Who doesn’t love getting great deals? If you’re into shopping, you probably look for every advantage in your favor. You want low prices, or course, but how about also getting rewards points that give you cash back or let you earn a variety of gift cards for shopping and dining?
If you want your in-person and online shopping to be truly enriching, Fetch Rewards might be the best app for you. After all, it’s not “America’s No. 1 rewards app with over 13 million users” for nothing.
Even better, it’s free. We tell you how it works and how you can benefit from it below.
Plus, there’s an exclusive for Cult of Mac readers: Earn big and get 2,000 points for free! Before we get down to the app, let’s take a moment to share the Cult of Mac referral code, so we can both receive an excellent bonus for your loyalty: CULTOFMAC.
After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release. Photo: Google
After ongoing rumors and leaks, Google finally confirmed Wednesday at its I/O 2022 developer conference that the Pixel Watch exists. And the round-cased smart watch will be released in fall 2022 alongside the Pixel 7 smartphone.
The Pixel Watch will duke it out with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, which it resembles. But it will also look to knock market leader Apple Watch off its pedestal.
Google's top new earbuds will come in several colors. Photo: Google
Google brought out a range of new Pixel devices to compete with Apple products at its I/O developer conference Wednesday. They include Pixel Buds Pro, premium earbuds with a number of AirPods Pro features.
But Google’s new buds, available July 21, will cost about $50 less than Apple’s top wireless earbuds.
A screen shot from Google's video shows language transcription on the screen. Photo: Google
Years ago Google failed to find a broad audience for Google Glass, its internet-connected glasses. But now the tech giant’s trying something new. It previewed augmented reality (AR) glasses Wednesday that translate language, Bloomberg reported.
The company conducted a brief demonstration at its annual I/O developer conference and released a video on Twitter, below.
Rose Byrne plays fitness entrepreneur Sheila Rubin in "Physical." Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ offered up a new trailer Wednesday for season two of the darkish comedy Physical, starring Rose Byrne as a pioneering entrepreneur in the 1980s fitness boom in Los Angeles.
But Byrne’s character, Sheila Rubin, faces daunting competition as her husband continues to struggle with his political career.
The magnetized cable blocks click together. Photo: Function101
Pretty much anyone with gear powered by electricity — like a computer setup — can tell you how pervasive a problem cable clutter can be. Dealing with cable management is nobody’s favorite task, though, so it often goes unaddressed. And yet certain products, like cable blocks, go a long way toward solving the thorny problem.
Function 101 Cable Blocks are perfect for keeping your cables neatly arranged and within reach, rather than splayed all over the place. And you can get them for 30% off today in the Cult of Mac Store. It’s the last day of the sale.
Aura Strap 2 lets you track your fat, muscle and water levels with an app and a fitness-oriented subscription service. Photo: Aura Devices
Aura Devices updated its health-metrics-focused smart band for Apple Watch Wednesday by slimming it down and adding a fitness-oriented subscription service.
The second-generation Aura Strap 2 records metrics like body fat percentage, muscle density and water levels.