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 new Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 gaming headset features an open-back design. The ATH-GL3 gaming headset features a closed-back design (not pictured). Photo: Audio-Technica
A pair of new featherweight gaming headsets from Audio-Technica feature high-fidelity audio, detachable boom microphones and other features designed to give gamers goosebumps.
The ATH-GL3 comes with a closed-back design to reduce ambient noise. The ATH-GDL3 features an open-back design, offering a wider soundstage.
Does this look like a designer's setup, or does this look like a designer's setup. Photo: [email protected]
Leave it to a digital product designer to work their magic in a tastefully pristine workstation with an absolute minimum of cable clutter. “Cable management gets a 10 out of 10,” one person said of today’s featured computer setup. And all that walnut wood doesn’t hurt, either.
But how did they manage to tame the cable monster?
Who doesn't love Peanuts? Now you can show it with your iPhone case and more. Photo: Casetify
Toward the end of January, Casetify plans to launch an expansive Peanuts-themed iPhone accessories collection. That’ll give fans of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Linus and the rest of the gang the chance to snap up special iPhone cases, MagSafe wallets and more.
Those little platforms for Apple Watch and AirPods pop in and out. Photo: Intelli
In a world awash with multi-device charging stations that juice your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time, it’s refreshing to see an unfamiliar design once in a while. Intelli provided one recently when it launched its new StepUp Magnetic Wireless Charging Station.
With its tidy little pop-out charging platforms, the MagSafe-compatible StepUp can be a sleek charger just for your iPhone or transform into a 3-in-1 for your trio of devices. But even fully deployed, the design is compact.
In terms of proper ergonomics, the "before" photo set off some alarm bells. Photo: [email protected]
If your computer setup had three screens, including a MacBook Pro, an iPad and a 32-inch external monitor, would you make the iPad the center screen? Would you put your screened devices on stands, or leave them at or near table level? Today’s setup saw a transition that might actually save its owner from years of physical therapy.
“This is what neck pain would look like if it were a setup,” someone said about the “before” photo, above.
The JBL PartyBox Encore is a 100W speaker with a Lightshow and two microphones. Photo: JBL
Every year Samsung subsidiary JBL rolls out a tempting raft of updated or new audio products at CES, but you can’t get them right away. CES 2022, held in Las Vegas earlier this month, was no different. The company showed its new JBL PartyBox Encore and a slew of other Bluetooth speakers, earbuds and headphones. We’ll round them up below. Some are coming in spring and others in summer.
Mophie's new 3-in-1 MagSafe travel charger is ready to go. Photo: Mophie
As the number of officially certified third-party MagSafe accessories grows, Mophie adds to the product pile with a new multi-device travel charger. It folds, stores away in a handsome felt case — and you can only get it through the Apple Store.
Foundation led the pack for Apple TV+ for visual effects awards nominations. Photo: Apple TV+
The Visual Effects Society nominated Apple TV+ titles Tuesday for seven honors in its 20th Annual VES Awards, including the Tom Hanks film Finch and the epic sci-fi series Foundation.
The new Canon EOS R5 C keeps the R5's still-photo chops but adds unlimited video recording. Photo: Canon
On Tuesday Canon rolled out its new EOS R5 C camera. It called the device a “true hybrid” full-frame mirrorless camera for still photography as well as unlimited video recording. The camera combines the company’s stills-focused EOS technology with Cinema EOS into one thick, actively-cooled camera body.
The audio engineer who uses this setup calls their 16-inch M1 Max MacBook "an absolute beast" on the music production front. Photo: [email protected]
Here at Cult of MacSetups Central, we’ve looked fairly closely at quite a few audio-centric workstations used by the likes of sound designers, video mavens and plain ol’ music fans. Today’s featured setup, with a souped-up 16-inch M1 Max MacBook at its core, belongs to an out-and-out audio engineer from Canada named James.
Belkin bets you'll pay more for the pop-up stand and the longer cable. Photo: Belkin
Belkin rolled out an official, Apple-certified MagSafe iPhone charger this week — the Belkin Boost Charge Pro Portable Wireless Charger Pad with MagSafe. And it bets you’ll pay more for it than you would for Apple’s own MagSafe charging puck.
Why would you pay more? For two reasons. And no, the extra-long product name is not one of them.
With an Amazon coupon, rock space's new Wi-Fi 6 router is just $56. Photo: rock space
Connectivity specialist rock space launched a new version of its dual-band AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 Router at a 30% discount on Amazon on Tuesday, bringing the $79.99 price down to $56.
The Wireless Go II Single has one receiver and one transmitter. Photo: Rode
Earlier this month, Røde launched a new, single-set version of its popular Wireless Go II microphone with one transmitter rather than two, suiting it nicely to solo content creators.
Aimed at mobile journalists, vloggers and videographers, the Røde Wireless Go II Single is an ultra-compact, single-transmitter wireless microphone system offered at a lower price point than the original, two-transmitter set released last year.
Gamer and 3D animator Jazinity said she’d been a Windows user for most of her life before M1 Macs caught her eye and she made a nearly wholesale switch, going from a tri-display PC gaming station to a “cozy but productive” M1 MacBook Air situation.
The refurbished Furby in the center of the photo may or may not have been in the previous computer setup, but not much else. She has another Furby at her desk at the office, though she’s working at home for the time being, like many people these days.
Enter your iPhone or iPad pics now to compete in the 15th annual iPhone Photography Awards. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
You have from now until the end of March to enter your most amazing iPhone or iPad photographs to compete in the 15th annual edition of the iPhone Photography Awards. As in past years, for the 2022 contest you submit your pics through the group’s website.
Basic Apple Guy's setup, the "kitchen edition," needs to be easy to clean and move. Photo: BasicAppleGuy.com
Blogger Basic Apple Guy, whom we’ll call BAG, has been an Apple fan since high school shop class, when he convinced the teacher that making an iMovie on the teacher’s iMac G3 should fit into the curriculum. Now, decades later, BAG’s passion lives on. It showed when he recently shared one of his computer setups, the “kitchen edition.”
This one's reinforced and waterproof, its maker said. Photo: Gernot Jöbstl
First a robotics engineering student made a splash late last year by modding an iPhone X with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port — and sold the device for big money. Now someone else is touting a similar modification, but this time the handset boasts a reinforced port that includes waterproofing. And yes, the tinkerer’s going to sell it soon — probably for more money than most people make in a year.
The new SVS Prime Wireless Pro speakers with AirPlay 2 support will come in black or white. Photo: SVS
Audio company SVS rolled out new wares at CES 2022 — Prime Wireless Pro Speakers and an accompanying SoundBase multi-room amplifier. Both have added support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 streaming over previous Prime Wireless models’ capabilities, among other new features.
The new Keychron Q2 is a tad smaller than the Q1, but just as customizable. Photo: Keychron
Keychron, already known for affordable mechanical keyboards that work easily with both Mac and Windows, turned some heads when it came out with the high-quality, heavily customizable Q1 mechanical keyboard a few months back. Now, in case that didn’t get you to try going mechanical, the Hong Kong-based company is out with the sleek new Keychron Q2.
The Pozio Cradle is a wireless charger that jams your smartphone's ability to hear you until you tell it to stop. Photo: Pozio
A device shown at CES 2022 that made some publications’ “weirdest stuff from the show” lists is the Pozio Cradle. It’s a “listening blocker” that wirelessly charges smartphones. It ensures your gadget and its voice assistant can’t hear or record what you say, according to the company.
You don't have to spend a lot to have a highly functional and attractive computer setup. Photo: [email protected]
With all due respect to some of the whiz-bang, over-the top computer setups we’ve looked at here at Cult of Mac, you don’t have to spend a zillion bucks and a year of your life putting together a highly effective workstation.
Today’s featured setup is not without flair and it gets the job done — all for the price of an M1 MacBook Air plus a few hundred bones, more or less.
A new Wyze pay-what-you-want plan lets you pay nothing. Photo: Wyze
Wyze Labs launched a new pay-what-you-want subscription tier Tuesday for its Cam Plus Lite lineup of home security cameras. And the company touts the fact that you can pay nothing if you like.
Wyze said it also plans to remove its cameras’ 32GB microSD card size limit and add new rewind and skip buttons to make it easier to scrub through footage saved locally.
The Samsung Freestyle projects images, video or ambient lighting and works as a smart speaker. Photo: Samsung
At CES 2022, Samsung Electronics showed a new portable screen and entertainment device it’s calling “The Freestyle.” The company also called the device the first of its kind. It’s a small projector and smart speaker that works with iOS and Android devices to stream video or sync audio to ambient lighting.
Apple TV+ renewed the show for a third season. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ renewed the hit series The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, for a third season, the company said Monday. The streaming service also signed a multiyear deal with WGA Award winner Charlotte Stoudt to be the third season’s showrunner and executive producer, and to produce other scripted series.
In addition to Stoudt (whose credits include Fosse/Verdon, Homeland and House of Cards), Aniston and Witherspoon serve as executive producers on The Morning Show, which has won Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice awards. It is directed by Mimi Leder and produced by the studio Media Res, Hello Sunshine and Echo Films.