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.
New cast member Glenn Close appears in the first look at Tehran's season 2 on Apple TV+ Photo: Apple TV+
In a first look at season 2 of the political thriller Tehran, Apple TV+ put out a photograph showing the series’ new cast member, Emmy Award-winner Glenn Close. And the streaming service said the first episode will premiere on May 6.
This is the desktop in unprotected mode. Down, Fluffy! Photo: [email protected]
Anyone with a curious cat knows the desktop can be one of their favorite spots. Sometimes it’s like they’re trying to ensure you can’t work, as they sit or stretch out right on top of the keyboard or in front of the screen. And that’s just when you’re sitting there. Who knows what they do when you’re away. Other than dreaming up other ways to hasten your unemployment.
Lucky for you, today’s featured computer setup shows a simple method for protecting peripherals like input devices — keyboard, mouse, perhaps a trackpad — from pushy pets. And if you’ve got canines, take heart. It also works for dog slobber.
The documentary airs February 18 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
A new Apple TV+ trailer for the Apple Original documentary series Lincoln’s Dilemma shows Honest Abe in a new light, as historians reflect upon what he was really about and how the changing country challenged the president who never asked to be “The Great Emancipator.”
The four-part series hits Apple TV+ all at once, not one episode at a time, on February 18.
The new Targus active stylus for iPad is part of the company's antimicrobial line. Photo: Targus
Bacteria is everywhere. Health experts say a lot of it is actually beneficial rather than harmful, but it can still give you the “icks.” If you’re a person who wipes down gadgets a lot because you know your hands and fingers are basically Petri dishes gone wild, Targus rolled out a new active stylus for iPad on Thursday that might suit you.
It’s the new Targus Antimicrobial Active Stylus for iPad, designed to remain 99.9% free of bacterial growth for the life of the product.
Now you've got 12 new color schemes to play with in your HomeKit lighting. Photo: Signify
Philips Hue unleashed a dozen new lighting scenes in the Hue app on Monday. So now you can dress up your HomeKit-connected lighting with delightful colorations like Amber Bloom, Painted Sky, Orange Fields and Blue Planet — among many others.
This Apple Car concept is unrelated to the patent, but at least it shows a sunroof. Photo: Vanarama
The rumored Apple Car may not be on the verge of rolling off the assembly line, but someday a version of it may have sunroof glass that you can darken or lighten with the touch of a button or with a Siri command.
That’s according to a patent the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Apple this week for a sunroof with variable-opacity glass. That means a driver could adjust its transparency.
Goldenerre's set could be just the thing for you and your significant other this Valentine's Day. Photo: Goldenerre
It’s that time of year again. No, not the dead of winter. Well, yes, actually — for many it’s the dead of winter. But it’s not only that. Valentine’s Day comes along on February 14, as it does every year, obliging many to buy gifts for their significant others.
But, lucky for you, this year the Cult of Mac Store has a nice discount on what could be just the thing: the Goldenerre Red Heart Healthy Set for the Apple Watch. And 10% of sales goes to charity! See below for more information.
That display is not wall mounted. And it's not levitating, either. It just looks like it is. Photo: [email protected]
Who doesn’t love good optical illusions? And they’re especially cool when they result from an unexpected action that works as well as the expected action. Today’s featured computer setup surprised us with a floating display.
Thing is, though, the screen is not mounted on the wall. And it’s not levitating, either.
In the first image released from season two, we see the characters Demerzel, Hari Seldon and the emperor together. Could it be a flashback? Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ released a tantalizing first look in photographic form at the highly anticipated second season of Foundation. The epic series is based on Isaac Asimov’s award-winning stories. And the streaming service revealed 10 new cast members set to join Emmy Award nominees Jared Harris and Lee Pace in the new season.
The much-lauded and often-pirated adaptation chronicles the stories of four individuals transcending space and time. They overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.
Carrot Weather can give you global view. You don't want to miss anything. Photo: CARROT Weather
The award-winning app Carrot Weather, known for a touch of the snark in its forecasts, rolled out a series of major updates in version 5.5 Wednesday. Set to launch at 7 a.m. PT, they include rebuilt weather maps and some firsts for a general-purpose weather app, creator Brian Mueller told Cult of Mac.
“The maps have been completely rebuilt from the ground up to make them more readable and faster to load,” he said. “I also added a ton of major new features, some of which have never appeared in a general-purpose weather app like Carrot before.”
Joby's new Wave Pro microphone offers "broadcast-caliber audio." Photo: Joby
Known for its flexible tripods and mobile lighting, Joby is now covering the content creator market for audio recording like a blanket. It rolled out five new microphones in its Wavo lineup to take on rivals like Rode, Shure and Sennheiser at several different price points.
The new mics mean more options for vloggers and audio streamers of all stripes. Four of the mics are available now and one, the Wavo Pro DS, comes out in March.
Joby’s deeper embrace of the microphone market doesn’t come as a complete surprise. After all, its parent company, Vitic, recently bought two microphone brands — Rycote in 2018 and Audix in January.
If you're an audiophile, the Chord Mojo 2 may provide the boost you need for your wired headphones or speakers. Photo: Chord
Following up on its popular and pricey Mojo portable digital-to-analog (DAC) converter and headphone amp, Chord Electronics now claims a world-first “lossless DSP” (digital signal processor) with zero sound-quality degradation in its new Mojo 2.
If you really want your wired headphones or speakers to sound amazing when paired with a digital audio source like an iPhone or MacBook, you might even pay the new gadget’s hefty $725 price.
The movie is a super-hero satire about a guy who can levitate apples (the fruit). Photo: Apple-Man-Vasyl Moskalenko
Apple is no stranger to aggressive legal actions meant to protect the company’s image. In its latest move, the company filed a lawsuit against Ukrainian indie film director Vasyl Moskalenko, who wrote a comedy film titled Apple-Man.
And no, the film, currently in production, does not talk about the Cupertino tech giant or its products. It’s a superhero satire about a guy who can levitate apples. You see, in a bit of classic superhero movie plotting, his DNA got blended with DNA from the fruit.
A new 27-inch iMac Pro could look something like this. Concept: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The new iMac Pro with a mini-LED display rumored to launch this-coming spring might not come along so soon. It now looks more likely to show up sometime during the summer, display analyst Ross Young said Monday.
Apple celebrates Heart Month across an array of products and services. Photo: Apple
In recognition of Heart Month, aka February, Apple is rolling out a series of new activity challenge and heart-health resources to support users’ efforts to stay healthy.
Also toward that end, the company hopes you’ll learn a thing or two from preliminary trends shown in the Apple Heart and Movement Study.
In the after photo, a new LG 4K monitor replaces the Cinema Display, among other key changes. Photo: [email protected]
When you spend a third or more of your waking hours all but chained to a computer setup, you might as well make it a pleasant place to spend time. That’s what most of Cult of Mac‘s Setups coverage is all about, really — glorifying both the high-tech performance and the stylish comfort that ease your enslavement to whatever it is you do with tech.
Today’s 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro-based featured setup shows a “before and after” transition. Musician and Salesforce consultant Jon Young said a revamp of his wife’s “nicer and more spacious” work area inspired his changes. “Mine just has more gadgets lol,” he said.
Speidel's Square Tip Oiled Leather Band comes in different colors with matching buckles. Photo: Speidel
If you own an Apple Watch, you know how easy it is to switch bands. It takes about five seconds. Having a band for every occasion is part of the fun of owning the wearable. Silicone, nylon, leather, metal mesh — you can change things up on a dime.
Ted Lasso's Coach Beard gets weird in DGA-nominated episode "Beard After Hours." Photo: Apple TV+
This week the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America recognized Apple TV+ content with a pile of award nominations — five in the DGA Awards and four in the PGA Awards, both set to take place in March.
Will you take the bait and watch the first episode for free? Photo: Apple TV+
For the first time ever, Apple TV+ has offered the first episode of an Apple Original series — the crime comedy The Afterparty — on YouTube, where you can watch it in full for free.
That’s a promotional angle we haven’t seen before from the Cupertino tech giant. But will it work?
That's not just any webcam perched above the monitor. Photo: [email protected]
On Fridays it’s fun to focus on computer setups with entertaining features whenever possible. Sometimes it’s seriously vintage gear. Or it could be wacky decor. Once in a while, an exotic location pops up. Today we found one where a brand new M1 Pro MacBook meets a kooky crew of bobbleheads and other figures under a really over-the-top camera rig used as a webcam.
Connect two 4K displays to one port on your Mac with Sonnet's new adapters. Photo: Sonnet Technologies
If you want to run more than one display with your M1 MacBook Air or M1 MacBook Pro, Sonnet Technologies just made things easier. The company rolled out new dual-display adapters that let you hook up two 4K displays to your laptop using just one of its precious few ports.
Sony's new soundbar and subwoofer combo add surround sound to your TV for $300. Photo: Sony
Hot on the heels of Denon’s launch of a soundbar-and-subwoofer combo with Dolby Atmos for just $449, Sony said Thursday it will offer its own affordable surround-sound rig for only $300. It’s the HT-S400 2.1ch Soundbar, set for launch in April.
At that price, Sony’s new soundbar looks like a solid budget-friendly option for stellar TV audio. Pumping out 330W of sound, it comes with a wireless subwoofer, easy connectivity to the company’s newest TVs and an OLED heads-up display.
Judging by the Denon and Sony launches, it appears an era of high-quality, affordable TV audio solutions is upon us. After all, just months ago, companies raced to put out similar gear that cost many hundreds of dollars more, in many cases.
The new Elgato Stream Deck Pedal gives you hands-free control over your shortcuts. Photo: Elgato
Anyone who uses a stream deck to streamline hardware and software workflows with shortcuts now has the option to go hands-free with the new Elgato Stream Deck Pedal, unveiled Wednesday.
And in addition to launching the pedal, the company said its new Discord communications software plugin for Stream Deck is now available.
The new Logitech G413 SE comes in full size, above, or a tenkeyless version. Photo: Logitech G
Serious gamers like to use specialized gaming gear in their computer setups. And that includes input devices like souped-up mice and sleek mechanical keyboards. The good news is, the latter keep getting better and cheaper. On Wednesday, Logitech’s gaming arm, Logitech G, rolled out the G413 SE Mechanical Gaming Keyboard in two sizes.
And better yet, the two new keebs’ prices won’t break the bank.