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.
Here's a pair of Airversa's new button controllers. Photo: Airversa
Airversa’a new QliQ Smart Button, a Thread-enabled controller designed specifically for the Apple Home ecosystem, lets you launch up to nine automations or scenes through its three buttons, according to the company.
iPhone 18 models and beyond could feature much more than emergency SOS satellite features. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple’s satellite connectivity journey began as a lifesaving emergency feature with the iPhone 14 in 2022. But the company’s ambitions go far beyond distress signals to more advanced iPhone satellite features. Experts see a dramatic expansion of satellite capabilities coming to transform how we think about smartphone connectivity. iPhone 18 in 2026 and later handsets could see satellite features evolve from emergency backup to everyday uses.
Apple offers plenty of ways to hear, and learn about, the Puerto Rican superstar. Photo: Apple
Apple Music rolled out the red carpet Monday for Bad Bunny as the Puerto Rican superstar prepares to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. So here’s your chance to get to know Bad Bunny before the Super Bowl with a variety of special programming.
Tehran may be the most gripping thriller on Apple TV. Photo: Apple
In the crowded landscape of spy shows and movies, Apple TV’s Tehran cuts through the noise with a visceral intensity few titles can match. This Israeli thriller, which started airing season three on January 9, doesn’t just tell a spy story. It grabs you by the throat from the first frame and doesn’t let go until the credits roll.
For anyone who’s ever found themselves disappointed by the too-fast or too-slow pacing or predictable plotting of typical spy dramas, Tehran, now streaming season three (with a fourth on the way), offers a masterclass in sustained tension and genuine surprise. That makes it easy to forgive the subtitles, which most people will need for the Farsi (Persian) and Hebrew spoken on the show.
Privacy is a requirement for Apple Intelligence. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
When Apple entered the artificial intelligence race, the company faced a fundamental challenge: how to deliver powerful AI capabilities while maintaining its long-standing commitment to user privacy. The result is Apple Intelligence, a system designed around a simple but revolutionary premise — your personal data should work for you without leaving your control. Basically, that’s how privacy shapes Apple Intelligence features on “the edge,” meaning the furthest reaches of a computer network, where user devices dwell.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 is one of the models featuring Hypertension Notifications. Photo: Apple
For millions of Apple Watch owners, the Hypertension Notifications Feature available on recent models is a big leap in wearable health monitoring. It promises to alert users to potential high blood pressure before it leads to serious health problems. But how reliable are the alerts, and what should Apple users realistically expect?
I’ve had measurably high blood pressure for years. I wear Apple Watch 10, one of the models with hypertension alerts. And yet I’ve never seen one up close and personal. Apparently my meds are working!
The promotion ties to the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show with Bad Bunny. Photo: Apple
Apple just gave new subscribers an extended opportunity to try its music streaming service, offering three months of Apple Music completely free. The promotion to get three months of Apple Music free — which runs through February 24 — greatly expands the standard one-month trial period.
The new offer coincides with Apple’s sponsorship of the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show with musical act Bad Bunny.
If you want the latest updates to the iWork apps, you may need a fresh download and install. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
With the launch of Apple Creator Studio Wednesday, Apple also updated its suite of productivity apps otherwise known as iWork. That’s Keynote, Pages and Numbers, which were always free and are now “freemium.” Some features will only work for Creator Studio subscribers, but others work for anyone using free versions of the productivity apps.
Director and choreographer Kyle Hanagami uses new AI tools in Final Cut Pro in his productions. Photo: Apple
Apple released significant updates to Final Cut Pro alongside the debut of Apple Creator Studio software bundle for creatives Wednesday. And in a new feature story, it showed how video director, dance choreographer and Blackpink collaborator Kyle Hanagami uses new AI-powered tools for video editing.
Sonos Amp Multi could be the beating heart of a large home's customizable sound system. Photo: Sonos
The first new Sonos hardware product in over a year is the Sonos Amp Multi, a professional-grade multi-channel streaming amplifier designed specifically for large-scale residential audio installations, the company said Tuesday.
“Sonos Amp is the most widely used two-channel streaming amplifier in residential installation because it’s powerful, dependable, and intuitive,” said Tom Conrad, CEO of Sonos. “Amp Multi takes that same philosophy and applies it to larger systems. It makes ambitious designs more efficient to build and install, and easier to live with.”
The announcement marks a significant expansion of Sonos’ product lineup into the custom integration market, targeting professional installers rather than typical consumers. And it’s the first hardware to come out in a while following shakeups at the company.
You might want to reconsider handing your health data to an AI bot. Photo: OpenAI
When Washington Post tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler gave ChatGPT access to a decade of his Apple Watch data, he expected useful insights. Instead, the AI delivered wildly inconsistent health assessments that left him questioning the readiness of AI-powered health tools.
Apple released its latest item in the Black Unity collection. Photo: Apple
The new Apple Watch Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop honors Black History Month, coming up in February, while celebrating themes of human connection and community bonds, Apple said Monday.
Only a couple days out, this forecast for up to 17 inches of snow might actually come true. But 10 days out, or even five? Not so much. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
As a major winter storm barrels across the United States this weekend, iPhone users have once again noticed something peculiar. Well ahead of the actual precipitation, Apple’s Weather app seems to predict wildly different snowfall totals from day to day. It might forecast 18 inches of snow one day, then drop that to 8 inches the next. What’s up with how weather apps mislead users? A new report sheds some light.
It has magnetic wireless charging, USB-C and USB-A charging and AC outlet charging via good ol' plugs. Photo: Pisen
The new Pisen Qi2 8-in-1 140W Mega Charging Hub — just launched on Amazon — offers Apple users a comprehensive desktop charging solution that combines wireless charging for iPhone and Apple Watch with high-power wired charging for MacBooks and iPads, the company said Thursday.
It features not only a Qi2 MagSafe charging platform for recent iPhones, but a magnetic Apple Watch charger, USB ports and even power outlets for plugs. And you can get it not only in basic black, but in a surprising yellow!
As a condo owner, I don't need more than Anker Solix C800 Plus (now called X) to keep the place going in a power outage. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Whether you’re working remotely from a coffee shop, camping with your MacBook or preparing for the next power outage, the Anker Solix C800 X Portable Power Station delivers reliable backup power for all your Apple devices. And it’s currently available as a killer deal with savings of $250.
Brad Pitt and Damson Idris star in F1, Apple TV's Oscar-nominated racing movie. Photo: Warner Bros.
In a bit of a shocker, Apple Original Film F1: The Movie earned a Best Picture nomination plus three other nods when the 98th Academy Awards nominations came out Thursday. Four out of Apple TV’s six nominations went to the racing drama, while the documentary film Come See Me in the Good Light and the wildfire drama The Lost Bus drew two others.
“With F1, Joe, Jerry, Brad, Lewis and the entire creative team delivered something only they could — the most authentic, visceral and entertaining racing film ever made,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “They pushed technical boundaries at every turn, and it’s been a privilege to partner on a project of this ambition. Seeing F1 nominated for Best Picture is a testament to their remarkable artistry, vision and unwavering passion.”
The alleged breach culled huge amounts of secret date, attackers claim. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
A major ransomware attack on Luxshare, one of Apple’s most critical manufacturing partners, allegedly exposed over 1TB of confidential data from the iPhone giant and other tech behemoths. Stolen information in the Luxshare data breach includes product designs, engineering documents and employee information spanning from 2019 to 2025, according to a new report.
Does it seem like iOS apps keep getting bigger and heavier? It's not your imagination. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
If you’ve noticed your iPhone storage filling up faster than it used to, you’re not imagining things. Modern iOS apps now routinely consume hundreds of megabytes, with some reaching multiple gigabytes in size. What’s behind this relentless growth? Why do iOS apps take so much space? And what can you do about it? Read on.
Now you can find out if your new AI apps leak your personal data all over the place. AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
New security research repository Firehound uncovered widespread data leaks affecting millions of iPhone users who downloaded AI-powered apps from the App Store.
If you’ve downloaded AI apps lately, as millions of others have, you might want to check to see if they made Firehound’s list.
The Apple homepage takeover honors civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Photo: Apple
Apple dedicated its website homepage to Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, as it has done on his national holiday each year since 2015. This year a free book of the slain Civil Rights movement icon’s essential works and a Time to Walk podcast with King’s daughter, Bernice A. King, are included.
“We honor Dr. King and reflect upon his life and legacy,” Apple said in print alongside a pixellated, constellation-like image of a smiling MLK against a black background filled with stars.
Three types of RGB lighting set the mood in this retro setup. Photo: [email protected]
Desk lighting plays a surprisingly transformative role in creating memorable workspaces. Here are seven Mac setups where lighting — whether RGB gaming effects, professional video illumination or ambient mood enhancement — elevates the entire experience.
Setapp Mobile's demise in the EU could be a cautionary tale for other developers. AI image: Grok/Setapp/Cult of Mac
Setapp Mobile, MacPaw’s ambitious alternative iOS app store for European Union users, will close its doors in February after just over a year of operation, the service said Thursday.
On a support page, MacPaw cited Apple’s “still-evolving and complex business terms that don’t fit Setapp’s current business model” as the reason.
One charger is a great desktop station while the other is more portable. Photo: Ugreen/Cult of Mac
When it comes to keeping your devices powered up, the right charger makes all the difference. Right now, Amazon offers compelling deals on two exceptional Ugreen Nexode 100-watt chargers that serve different but complementary purposes in your charging arsenal. So get both while they’re cheap!
★★★☆☆
This tiny recorder can transcribe and summarize meetings. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Update: Anker renamed the Soundcore Work AI Voice Recorder reviewed below as Soundcore Work AI Note Taker to more directly reflect the main use of the product, the company said Tuesday. Its listings tend to put it down now as “note taker/voice recorder.” Soundcore also noted the problem I had with Find My functionality should be fixed now on production units.
Original review: In an ecosystem where seamless integration matters most, the new Soundcore voice recorder and note taker arrives with a compelling proposition for Apple users. As this Soundcore Work AI Note Taker review finds, the coin-sized device promises to transform how iPhone and Mac users capture, transcribe and organize voice recordings.
After examining its features through an Apple-centric lens, here’s what you need to know about whether this $159.99 recorder deserves a spot in your productivity arsenal.
The Apple Creator Studio suite of apps gives professionals, emerging creatives, entrepreneurs, students and educators the features they need to realize their artistic vision, Apple said. Photo: Apple
A new Apple Creator Studio subscription bundles six major professional creative apps into a single monthly or yearly plan. The new bundle, announced Tuesday by Apple, includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage, plus premium artificial intelligence features in other Apple apps.
“There’s never been a more flexible and accessible way to get started with such a powerful collection of creative apps for professionals, emerging artists, entrepreneurs, students and educators to do their best work and explore their creative interests from start to finish,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, in a press release.