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.
With this case, you might not need a new charger or cable for a long time. Photo: Elago
If you’re on the road a lot for work, you know your computer accessories — like chargers and cables — can take a beating. That’s why Elago now offers its MacBook Charger Cable Management Case.
Coming to Apple Arcade in August: Samba de Amigo: Party-to-Go plus three puzzle games. Photo: Apple
Apple said Tuesday it will add four new games and more than 30 updates and events to Apple Arcade in August.
New games include a revival of Sega’s classic rhythm game Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go, puzzle games Nekograms+ and Kingdoms: Merge & Build, and indie puzzle-remix game finity.
“Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go is coming soon to Apple Arcade with exciting new songs and a series first Story Mode only found on the service,” said Ian Curran, president and chief operating officer of Sega of America.
Just twist the top to switch from one hand to the other. Here it's in left-handed mode (thumb rest on the right side of base). Photo: Targus
Known for laptop cases and such, Targus unveiled its new ErgoFlip EcoSmart Mouse last week. You can switch it from right- to left-hand use (or vice versa) with a simple twist of the top.
“This is the first mouse that provides true ergonomics for right- or left-hand use, solving the age old problem of finding a mouse that truly everyone can use,” said Mike Sexton, Targus’ senior director of Global Product Management & Development.
“This, along with its gaming-level performance and precision, and sustainable benefits, including its long battery life, makes it the mouse that does it all,” he added.
Can you spot the chip/crack in one of the displays? Photo: [email protected]
The owner of today’s MacBook Pro setup chose two Studio Displays over one Pro Display XDR to suit his workflow and because he realized he could bag one of the monitors at half price. Lucky him.
Several folks on social media noticed the damage, and some said they’d grab that deal, too, if they could.
Computer-setup gawkers on social media love their symmetry. It’s really just human nature to prefer those clean lines and even spacing — you know, stopping short of full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder and blowing a gasket if one little cable appears out of place.
Today’s M1 Ultra Mac Studio workstation brings not only powerhouse computing, but a few tricks of the trade when it comes to creating that pleasing symmetry. And it packs an interesting device we don’t see very often.
The new case adds a splash of color and could help you hold onto your earbuds. Photo: Nomad
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) have a sleek and protective case of their own, but it’s not the grippiest accessory. So Nomad decided to curtail chances your earbuds will slip out of your hand by rolling out its new Sport Case this week.
Want your AirPods Max headphones always within reach? Get this stand. Photo: Elago
Sometimes the best accessory isn’t flashy, it just gets the job done and looks good doing it. That’s the case with the Elago H Stand for AirPods Max. The stand gives your exceptional headphones a handy perch.
Check out the tasteful stand in the Cult of Mac Store. It’s only $49.
Things look pretty desperate for the TV talking heads in season 3. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ unveiled a teaser for season 3 of Emmy Award-winning drama series The Morning Show Thursday, and things are starting to look pretty desperate for the show within a show. Billy Crudup’s executive producer character says “it’s time to smash and shatter” and “let’s burn it all down.”
But he’s a pretty shifty character. He might just be playing along with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s characters’ threat to expose the network’s horrible secrets.
Tim Cook has plenty of money, so that couldn't be the reason. Image: Canva
Not just anyone qualifies for a new Apple Card — including Apple CEO Tim Cook, according to a new report. The Goldman Sachs underwriting system apparently rejected his application a while back.
Amid reports lately that Goldman is losing money on its deal with Apple, and the two might part ways, it almost sounded like payback. But that’s not it.
What will the Italians think of next? They’ve produced a leather with such a mirrorlike sheen that it actually looks metallic. And Laut is using it to create quite the statement-making Laut Metallic Leather Apple Watch Band.
Check out the flashy band in three cool colors in the Cult of Mac Store and read more below.
The show airs on Wednesdays starting August 23. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ dropped a trailer Wednesday for season 2 of its sci-fi thriller series Invasion, and it looks like full-scale global war will erupt after season 1’s slow burn led up to frightening first contact.
Season 2 debuts August 23, with new episodes coming out on Wednesdays.
The monitors are 1080p rather than 4K or above, but it's quite a good-looking Mac mini setup. Photo: [email protected]
We know from social media that folks love checking out others’ computer setups. But is it really the headlining hardware they’re after, like the flashiest MacBook Pro or brilliant display? Not always. Sometimes it’s the small stuff they want.
With today’s Mac mini setup with a pair of 1080p displays, people were most curious about a standing desk, a cable-management raceway and a desk organizer. You can find everything in the gear list below.
Get ready for eight games in August, plus a whole lot of supporting content on deck. Photo: Apple
This week Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) unveiled the August Friday Night Baseball schedule for Apple TV+ subscribers, so you know when your team is up at bat. And there’s quite a lot of other baseball content streaming. Check it out below.
You can really get a "Mission Control" feeling with four screens. Photo: Alogic
Alogic’s new Quad Display Universal Docking Station delivers up to dual 4K and dual 1080p output for creatives and other professionals who need ample screen real estate in their computer setups.
To be precise, that’s four screens for Windows, while Mac users can connect up to three screens. In any case, the DUCDV4, introduced Wednesday by Alogic, connects your other peripherals and powers your laptop, too.
John le Carré, aka David Cornwell, is the subject of Errol Morris' documentary The Pigeon Tunnel. It premieres October 20 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ made a hit with the fictional remedial British spies of the series Slow Horses, and now it’s adding a documentary about the real former British spy-turned-author who essentially defined the spy thriller genre: John le Carré.
That famous name is not his real one, of course. It’s David Cornwell. And now his two sons are teaming up with legendary documentary filmmaker Errol Morris on the story of the author’s life, The Pigeon Tunnel, a title shared with his memoir. The film debuts October 20.
That Apple keyboard looks mechanical but it's not. Photo: [email protected]
Mechanical keyboards are all the rage for those who love the old-school typing feel and don’t mind the clackety-clacking noise. Today’s featured MacBook Pro and Studio Display setup features an old Apple A1048, which certainly looks the part of a mechanical keeb (but it’s not).
Read on the learn more about Apple’s past keyboards that are mechanical — and some that only look like it.
Want to watch Lionel Messi? Check out the Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass. Image: Apple
Soccer legend Lionel Messi recently joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF, and Apple TV+ hopes to score off the Argentine star’s high-profile arrival. The streaming service is offering a range of MLS Season Pass content complementing the games it will air, starting July 21 with Leagues Cup coverage.
“Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami marks a historic moment for the sport in the U.S. and reflects the incredible momentum behind Major League Soccer,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, in a press release Friday. “We couldn’t be more excited to give fans around the world the opportunity to watch the greatest footballer of all time on MLS Season Pass.”
Stick it on your keychain and you'll always have it with you. Photo: Nomad
Nomad introduced ChargeKey in 2013, and at long last the popular little keychain charging cable got an update. Now it sports a fresh design and USB-C and Lightning versions to help you power up today’s devices on the go.
A lot of people hate Magic Mouse. But commenters on this setup sang its praises. Photo: [email protected]
Our travels online among computer setups show that a great many Apple users don’t choose Magic Mouse — and many even detest it. So they select popular products from Logitech and other makers. But some people, like graphic designers, passionately defend Apple’s sleek and slippery mouse, and today’s featured MacBook Pro-and-custom-PC setup is a testament to that. Long live Magic Mouse!
When you're a writer, you want to focus on words, not complicated formatting.
Image: Typora
Almost any writer or content creator can benefit from using a minimal Markdown editor like Typora. It’s a simple app that you can configure in many different ways to suit the formatting you need for your document, whether you’re writing a book, building a website, crafting a business report or simply blogging or penning an essay for school.
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Typora excels at Markdown, which helps a writer format text using simple markup language. Typora keeps everything minimal and seamless, so you can focus on the content, not the code behind it.
Beats Studio Pro improve greatly upon Beats Studio3, released in 2017. Photo: Apple
Apple subsidiary Beats dropped its long-awaited flagship Beats Studio Pro headphones Wednesday to mostly positive reviews, including favorable comparisons to the pricier AirPods Max ($550).
Beats Studio Pro still look a lot like the 2017 Beats Studio3 cans they replace, but they’re chock full of improvements that should justify their $350 price for many despite some shortcomings.
The MacBook Air could serve as a third screen, but it sounds like the user will stick it in a vertical stand instead. Photo: [email protected]
Who doesn’t love a clean, uncluttered computer setup? It doesn’t have to be “minimalist,” like it’s trying to impersonate a Zen rock garden, it just has to be simple and productive.
Today’s featured 15-inch M2 Pro MacBook Air and 11-inch M2 iPad Pro setup gets by quite nicely with one external monitor and the use of Sidecar.
A ring-tailed lemur is just one of the creatures you'll meet. Photo: patrice schoefolt
Do you love animals, and the more exotic they are the better? Apple TV+ said Tuesday its two new documentary series “featuring the never-before-seen lives of the rarest animals on Earth” will come out soon.
The two series — Born to be Wild and Endangered Planet — consist of six parts apiece. But we’ll have to wait and see when they’ll air. We can probably expect trailers before too long.