Massachusetts-based 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.
Apple Fitness+ gears up for International Dance Day. Photo: Apple
Gotta dance? You do if Apple Fitness+ has anything to say about it. Leading up to International Dance Day on April 29, the app is highlighting a new Dance Collection of workouts, a limited-edition award and Artist Spotlight sessions with hit songs and dance moves from artist videos.
Tidal finally added Siri support, but not for your HomePod or HomePod mini. Photo: Tidal
Music streaming service Tidal rolled out its long-awaited Siri integration Wednesday. Subscribers can ask Apple’s voice assistant to play songs, playlists, albums and more on the platform.
That’s great if you play music on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. But the Siri integration with Tidal doesn’t extend to HomePod or HomePod mini, unfortunately.
Telegram's update lets you customize alert sounds, mute chats and do things with bots. Photo: Telegram
The Telegram Messenger app released a new update this week for iPhone and iPad that lets you set customize sounds for notifications, mute chats and enjoy a few other enhancements.
Cupertino makes moves to better prevent fraud. Photo: Apple
Apple is in the process of upgrading Apple Pay fraud prevention features for cards stored in the Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch, starting with Visa cards.
Some users have already started noticing a new “Enhanced Fraud Prevention” alert badge.
Bucking the usual trend with discontinued gear, the original HomePod is appreciating in value. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Citing lackluster sales, Apple discontinued the original HomePod — the big one — in March 2021. Cupertino chose to focus on the HomePod mini. But now the original version is appreciating in value in online marketplaces, showing surprising resilience.
Most of the time, discontinued gadgets end up in the bargain bin — if they’re sold at all.
Side by side images show the computer setup's front and back sides. Can you spot the speakers? Squint if you must. Photo: [email protected]
We love serious audio here at Setups Central. But is it possible for the audio gear in your computer setup to be too serious? For example, can your desktop speakers be too comically oversized, as if you’re making some sort of visual joke about your life being all about the music?
In today’s featured setup, a magnificent 32-inch Pro Display XDR actually manages to look puny in between two monstrously huge Yamaha powered studio monitors. And yet, believe it or not, they may not actually be too big.
An iPhone without any sort of notch or pill could be coming in 2024. Photo: ConceptsiPhone
As rumors fly about the upcoming iPhone 14 series, a top analyst is doubling down on his recent assertion that high-end iPhones in 2024 — likely iPhone 16 Pro models — will feature an under-display camera along with under-display Face ID.
If Apple analyst Min-Chi Kuo’s tweet Wednesday turns out to be accurate, the new under-display tech would most likely finally nullify any need for a notch and possibly the pinhole-and-pill design expected in iPhone 14.
Sweet deal: Take 20% off everything Bucardo, like sport bands for Apple Watch. Photo: Bucardo
If you’re on the hunt for interesting Apple Watch accessories, there is no better time or place than now in the Cult of Mac Store to snag great deals on Bucardo gear.
Bucardo brand Apple Watch accessories, like a variety of sport bands as well as charm necklaces and pocket watch cases for Apple Watch, are all on sale now at 20% off until 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 19.
Laut's iPad folio is one of many Apple accessories offered at 20% off for Easter. Photo: Laut
Sellers in the Cult of Mac Store have been as happy as kids on as Easter egg hunt, offering wonderful deals on Apple accessories around the holiday. Few of the sales are as big as the German brand Laut’s, however.
In the Laut Easter Sale, which ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 19, you will find nearly 80 products covering your needs for Apple accessories. They range from iPad folios to iPhone 13 cases to AirTag mounts to AirPods cases — and beyond. We cover some highlights below.
Get Rilee & Lo metal Apple Watch bands and stacking bracelets at 25% off. Photo: Cult of Mac Store
When it comes to Apple Watch bands, some folks love their leather. Others go for braided nylon loops. Still others prefer silicone or carbon fiber. But for many, it’s always going to be metal. Stainless steel. It’s durable, cool to the touch, non-corrosive, comfortable and more affordable than gold, platinum or silver. In a word, it’s classic.
And right now you can get 25% off all Rilee & Lo metal Apple Watch bands and stacking bracelets in the Cult of Mac Store. The deal last through 11: 59 p.m. PDT on April 19.
Apple placed third behind Disney and Tesla. The top 10 included three tech companies. Photo: MBLM
Apple stood as the third-highest rated brand among consumers in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2022 Study results released Tuesday. The Cupertino tech giant placed just behind Disney and Tesla in the rankings, which seek to show how consumers bond with the brands they use and love.
And this year, MBLM counted three technology brands among the top 10, up from two last year.
The new Nomad 65W Power Adapter is compact, potent and sports two USB-C ports. Photo: Nomad
Apple made news recently with its apparent plans for a 35W charger with an amazing two USB-C ports (not a new thing, mind you, just new for Cupertino). Now that unfolding scenario seems even later to the party when you consider Nomad’s release Tuesday of its most powerful gallium nitride (GaN) charger to date, at 65W. And of course the potent little thing features dual USB-C ports.
Notably, the new Nomad 65W Power Adapter is also a real product you can buy now, not something on the drawing board. And it’s only about the size of an AirPods case.
Bilingual thriller "Now and Then" premieres on Apple TV+ May 20. Photo: Apple TV+
There are youthful indiscretions, and then there are youthful indiscretions. When a celebration among college besties ends up with someone dead, and everyone figures they can escape blame, well, that’s something that might come back 20 years later to haunt … everyone.
Along those lines, Apple TV+ shared a roughly 2-minute peek Tuesday at its new bilingual thriller Now & Then. The eight-episode series is scheduled to debut on the streaming service May 20.
You can stick this all-in-one charging station on a nightstand. Photo: Native Union
Does charging up all your gadgets in one place sound good? Native Union rolled out a new MagSafe-compatible 3-in-1 wireless charging station Tuesday that should do the trick, topping up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all in one go.
The compact Native Union Snap 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger joins the previously released Snap 2-in-1 in the company’s charging lineup.
Nice stems on those. But $400 nice? Photo: Bang & Olufsen
Danish audio legend Bang & Olufsen has struck out in a new yet familiar direction with its latest true wireless earbuds, the Beoplay EX. It’s the company’s first set of earbuds with stems, which makes them look a lot like AirPods Pro.
As a premium offering, Beoplay EX boasts all of the expected features, like active noise cancellation (ANC). The buds also claim top-notch sound and demand a high price for it — $399, considerably more than AirPods Pro and other major contenders.
Hang ten with some of the top surfers in the world. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ released the first trailer Monday for Make or Break, a new seven-part documentary series that delivers behind-the-scenes access to the world’s best surfers. The series follows them as they battle for the world title at the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
In the trailer, you get to briefly meet a bunch of the world’s best surfers and get a taste of the huge challenges they face.
And dude, you can’t unsee the surfboard with the big shark-bite taken out of it.
GoPro's new version of the Hero10 Black strips away weight and bulk for use with drones. Photo: GoPro
GoPro rolled out a new first-person view (FPV) drone camera last week, though only in the U.S. It’s a stripped-down version of the company’s popular Hero10 Black action camera called the GoPro Hero10 Black Bones.
As the name implies, it’s bare-bones, brought down to a very light weight. So you can attach it to your drone and fly it around.
Cook during a previous commencement address. Photo: George Washington University
Gallaudet University confirmed Saturday that Apple CEO Tim Cook agreed to deliver its commencement address next month. Cook responded to a student’s invitation via Twitter to speak at the school’s 152nd Commencement on May 13.
Gallaudet, located in Washington, D.C., calls itself the only university in the world where Deaf, deaf-blind and hard-of-hearing students live and learn bilingually in American Sign Language and English.
Apple and the university have close ties, with Gallaudet serving as an Apple Campus. Incoming students are equipped with a MacBook Pro or an iPad Pro. And the school praised Apple TV+ Oscar-winning film CODA for its realistic portrayal of a deaf family.
Oh, you didn't know the new Studio Display levitates? Well, sort of. Photo: [email protected]
After Apple rolled out its new Studio Display on March 18, the reviews poured in. Many praised the 27-inch 5K display. But some found faults. Ultimately, after the dust settled, a primary question lingered. It’s good, for the most part, but is it worth the $1,600 price?
Today’s featured setup seems to answer the question in the affirmative. See how the Studio Display in the photo floats in the air? When you think about it, it’s really just a matter of factoring in the value of levitation.
Eufy's new smart lock is also a wide-angle security camera and a motion-detecting doorbell. Photo: Eufy
Eufy has a new Kickstarter campaign for what it calls “the see-everything smart lock.” It’s the Eufy Video Smart Lock, a 3-in-1 device that works as a fingerprint-detecting lock, a 2K, wide-angle camera and a dual motion-detection doorbell, the company said.
Now that’s a capable gadget. And it has a substantial price to match. See below.
Yes, you're AirPods Pro case can look like an adorable little Mac. Photo: Elago
Elago makes so many fun and interesting accessories for Apple products, it’s hard to know where to begin. But begin you should, because Saturday and Sunday you can get 20% off everything Elago in the Cult of Mac Store.
Don’t worry. There are a mind-numbing 148 products to choose from, but we’ll help you pick some choice items below. And you can browse everything in Elago’s Easter weekend sale, of course. But don’t dawdle. It’s only for the weekend, and it ends Sunday!
BluShark's Apple Watch bands come in a great variety of materials and colors. Photo: BluShark
If you’re thinking about freshening up your Apple Watch band — or giving one as a gift to a family member or friend — you’re in luck. This weekend only, April 16 – 17, BluShark is offering all of its bands at 20% off in the Cult of Mac Store.
With a choice of 41 different straps in a variety of materials and colors, you’re bound to find something great. And there’s a handsome Canvas Strap Roll to carry your watches, straps and tools, as well.
Core is a game-development tool previously limited to PCs. Photo: Manticore Games
Core is a free tool for creating games that runs on Unreal Engine, which is only available on PC. But as part of its one-year anniversary, developer Manticore Games said Friday that Core is coming to macOS and iOS in summer 2022.
When Mac, iPhone and iPad get Core, gamers will be able to cross-play between versions with Windows gamers, Manticore said. And developers can start playing with Core for iOS on Friday.
A new wave of lockdowns in China could put Apple millions of units behind on iPhone production. Illustration: Cult of Mac
Analysts note that new COVID-19 lockdowns in China are hitting Apple’s supply chain hard. And the pain will likely worsen, with production falling behind by up to 10 million iPhones.
And this is not just about iPhones. Authorities have halted production at three key suppliers for iPhone, iPad and Mac assembly. Meanwhile, Apple is negotiating to reopen production lines, though success could be hard to come by, according to one analyst Friday.
This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears. Photo: [email protected]
At a glance, today’s featured computer setup appears simpler than it really is. It showcases a Mac mini, a pair of mounted monitors and some typical-looking input devices. A row of water bottles stands to the right because the owner, who lives in India, is big on hydration as summer hits the subcontinent.
But there’s more to the setup than meets the eye. And some of it escapes the camera’s lens.