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.
This is an iPhone repair in progress. Photo: Apple
Customers and independent repair services can include used Apple parts in repairs for the first time beginning in fall 2024 with select iPhones, the company said Thursday.
This-coming fall is when a new parts calibration process will launch. And it includes an Activation Lock to prevent use of parts from lost or stolen devices.
With these you can keep track of your heart rate and temperature while exercising (or anytime). Photo: Sennheiser
Sennheiser Momentum Sport wireless earbuds that track heart rate and body temperature finally started shipping this week after their big reveal in January at CES 2024.
Heart rate and body temperature sensors were expected in AirPods Pro (2nd generation), launched in September 2022, but didn’t end up in the product (yet).
This screenshot shows the new Quartiles word game in iOS 17.5 beta. Photo: Gadget Hacks/Apple
iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5 and macOS 14.5 Sonoma, all currently in beta testing, feature a new word game called Quartiles, according to a new report. The game joins Apple News’ pair of daily crossword puzzles.
It's a great deal, but you only have one option when it comes to size and color. Photo: Apple
The good news is Apple Watch Series 9 just hit what we think is its lowest-ever price on Amazon. The bad news, depending on your preference, is you can only get it at the sale price in one size and one color: 41mm, (Product) Red with matching M/L band. But if you like that one option, this limited-time Apple Watch 9 lowest price deal can be yours for the remarkably low price of $399.00 $295.20.
With an M2 MacBook Air and an M3 Max MacBook Pro from work, this setup is highly productive. Photo: [email protected]
Who doesn’t love a good MacBook? Or maybe two MacBooks, like in today’s setup. The guy has his own M2 MacBook Air, a formidable machine. But he’s lucky enough to add to it an absolutely screaming M3 Max MacBook Pro courtesy of his employer. Nice perk, that.
He can also thank work for his second 4K display. But it doesn’t top his own.
Motion and light sensing are independent of each other with the P2 sensor. Photo: Aqara
The new Thread- and Matter-enabled Aqara Motion and Light Sensor P2 came out Tuesday for use with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms, the company said.
“In the rapidly expanding global market for Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors, Aqara has achieved remarkable success, distributing over 100,000 units last year,” noted Cathy You, Aqara’s senior VP of Global Business and Strategy.
“The launch of the Motion and Light Sensor P2, which combines our renowned sensor technology with the latest in connectivity protocols and standards, encapsulates our forward-thinking approach and our commitment to delivering smart home solutions that are ready for tomorrow’s advancement,” she added.
An internals-only scan gives you a sense of how much Apple artfully packs into Vision Pro. Photo: Lumafield
Want to see exactly what advanced engineering lies inside a Vision Pro AR/VR headset compared to Meta Vision Quest headsets? Lumafield dropped a fascinating video and a series of CT-scan images Tuesday to show you.
Lumafield pointed out it’s aim is not to present a head-to-head comparison or product review, but to reveal the companies’ “divergent design philosophies” through the headsets’ hardware engineering.
Ferret-UI might help AI systems like Siri understand and work with mobile-device screens. Photo: Pexels-Tracy Le Blanc
Apple’s new Ferret-UI multimodal large language model could help artificial intelligence systems better understand mobile screens like the one on your iPhone, according to a research paper released Tuesday.
Among those potentially benefitting from this? Perhaps the much-maligned Siri voice assistant will do more for you on mobile devices. And maybe visually impaired users and developers who need to do user interface testing will benefit, too.
Multitasking is easy between Microsoft 365 productivity apps using life-size windows. Photo: Apple
Vision Pro and spatial computing can help businesses find new ways to customize workspaces, collaborate on 3D designs, deliver specialized employee training and guide remote fieldwork, Apple said Tuesday, citing visionOS apps.
“There’s tremendous opportunity for businesses to reimagine what’s possible using Apple Vision Pro at work,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations and enterprise marketing, in a statement.
This photographer said the 42-inch LG C2 smart TV is better than other displays he's tried. Photo: [email protected]
Today’s Mac Pro and smart TV setup is a rare find for two reasons. First, Mac Pro costs so much that we rarely see it in the wild. Second, while big smart TVs used as computer displays continue to gain popularity, we don’t often hear users saying they’re one of the best they’ve ever had. But that’s the case with this LG C2 smart TV setup, used by a photographer and musician.
In it, a powerful cheese-grater Mac Pro drives a gargantuan 42-inch smart TV as an external display.
If you want audiophile sound quality, wired earbuds that cost about a grand are a decent option. Photo: Campfire Audio
Campfire Audio’s new Fathom earbuds cost an eye-watering $1,049. What’s perhaps even more surprising is that they’re wired earbuds.
Well, there must be some special technology in those, right? Right. And even though they have a cable, of course you can use them with your Mac or another device with an audio jack.
Elago's W6 Apple Watch charging stand looks like a classic iPod. Photo: Elago
Elago makes a staggering array of accessories for Apple products, from Apple Watch bands and device chargers to iPad stands and whimsical cases that look like classic gear from yesteryear.
The Cult of Mac Store offers 173 Elago products for sale. Check them out, and see some highlights below.
Music and photography appear to big big jobs for this powerful Mac Pro setup. Note the iMac G4 as well as Wall-E and Eve above the cheese grater. Photo: [email protected]
It’s somewhat rare that we come across a Mac Pro setup on social media for the obvious reason that Apple’s top desktop computer costs a fortune. And the ones we see are often older than 2019’s cheese grater design. But today’s Mac Pro and smart TV setup is a welcome exception to that rule.
It sports a powerful cheese-grater Mac Pro driving a gargantuan smart TV as an external display.
And what’s more, a classic iMac G4 that still works and Wall-E and Eve toys from the Pixar movie look on from a shelf!
Logitech's MX Master 3S wireless mouse is a major Magic Mouse rival. Photo: Logitech
Amazon bargain site Woot goes big on Logi Friday in its Logitech Peripherals and Accessories Sale. Keyboards, mice, iPad keyboard cases, webcams, gaming devices, headsets — you name it, it’s there. Some items are priced at half off.
As of Friday morning, 55 discounted new and refurbished items await you. The sale ends April 20 at 10 p.m. PT (but when items sell out, they’re gone).
Now's the time to upgrade to a laptop from 2022. Photo: Apple
Sure, it’s nice to get the latest MacBook model when you can, but not everyone needs a mega-powerful M3 chip. And that’s especially true when you can save hundreds on laptops with a merely super-powerful M2 chip. Best Buy is offering M2 MacBook Air models for up to $400 off as well as other deals.
But if you want to spend even less — or if you really want an M3 MacBook — we’ve included a selection of deals below. There are sweet deals on refurbished M1 and M2 MacBook Air models as well as $200 off a selection of M3 MacBook Pro models.
★★★★☆
My Silybon ergonomic office chair is solid after 6 months of use. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Looking for a better office chair? You don’t have to spend several hundred dollars or more. I’ve found the Silybon Ergonomic Office Chair does a good job for about $110 after a discount.
With a history of back trouble, I was a little nervous about the purchase. But it’s a good, comfortable chair paired with a standing desk, so my back is fine.
An Apple robot probably won't look much like this Classicbot toy. Photo: Classicbot
Teams in Cupertino are working on Apple personal home robotic devices, including a mobile robot and a table-top device with a moving display, according to a new report.
These early efforts toward Apple robots could constitute future revenue sources now that the Project Titan car sits on the scrap heap.
Season 2 of The Big Door Prize premieres with three episodes on Wednesday, April 24. Photo: Apple TV+
The citizens of a small town called Deerfield continue to see their lives upended by a fortune-telling machine known as Morpho, according to the season 2 trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for philosophical comedy series The Big Door Prize.
Starring Emmy Award winner Chris O’Dowd, the well-liked comedy’s 10-episode second season debuts Wednesday, April 24, with three episodes.
Woot includes a choice of Apple Watch 8 models. Photo: Apple
Amazon bargain site Woot! keeps the Apple savings coming. On Wednesday it surfaced an Apple Watches and More! sale with a handful of great deals on different models of the wearable, plus an accessories bundle. And the sale page doesn’t even include all the discounted Apple Watches on the site. We added a few below.
“Look like a Silicon Valley tech mogul,” Woot wrote. “And if smart watches aren’t your thing, we’ve also got a wide array of ‘More!'”
You can see one of the Razer Nommo Chroma gaming speakers to the left behind the display. Photo: [email protected]
A systems engineer who works for a software developer showed off today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro setup, which features unusual audio. Razer Nommo Chroma gaming speakers rarely come up in setups despite their high coolness factor. They look a bit like highway patrol speed guns. And the noise-canceling wireless earbuds are a favorite — Soundcore Space A40.
This Beats Solo 4 image appeared in the iOS 17.4 beta release. Photo: Apple
Recent clues in iOS beta software plus a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing by Apple suggest new Beats Solo 4 headphones may ship as soon as early May, according to reports.
Given that Beats Solo 3 launched in 2016, well, it’s about time. Eight years usually represents several generations in tech products, not just one.
We didn't know Apple offered this product, but thanks to Woot!, now we do. Photo: Apple
Amazon bargain site Woot! is known for its bargain-basement sales on tech items, but Tuesday’s Best of Tech sale digs up some oddities, including an offbeat selection of Apple products. An international travel-adapter kit, for example. The much-maligned FineWoven iPhone cases (also silicone). And an AirTag keychain with a carabiner clip.
Not to mention gear from Belkin, Victrola and others — everything from chargers to solar panels.
The Best of Tech sale runs through April 9. See below for some of the most interesting items on sale.
The work of ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall inspired "Jane." Photo: Apple TV+
Clever kids and adorable animals rush headlong into new adventures in the season 2 trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for Jane. The work of famed ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall inspired the TV series.
The mission-driven family show’s second season debuts April 19 on Apple TV+.
Spatial Personas put you and others right in the shared workspace. Photo: Apple
Apple will make Spatial Personas, a more lifelike enhancement of the Persona feature for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, available in the visionOS 1.1 update coming Tuesday.
In beta test versions of the software, Spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to create and interact with customizable, free-floating 3D digital avatars in virtual spaces. They enhance collaboration via SharePlay while going beyond the limits of a little box on a FaceTime call.
Getting rid of unnecessary files will speed up your Mac. And this software makes it easy. Photo: Intego
It’s almost time for spring cleaning — and that can and should include tidying up your Mac’s files. If you want to do the job right, try professional software like Mac Washing Machine X9 from Intego’s robust software suite.
SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by Intego.
Read more about the software — and how to get a great deal on it — below. It’ll get rid of unneeded files and have your Mac running like a champ in no time.