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.
LimeWire rebranded as an AI-powered content-sharing platform and community. Check out the merch store. Photo: LimeWire
LimeWire, the popular file-sharing software that launched in 2000, recently rebranded itself as an AI-powered content-publishing and community platform.
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With the launch of LimeWire AI Studio, the company aims to give content creators ownership through the power of artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies.
★★★☆☆
Ugreen's 10000mAh power bank is a wireless charger and stand for iPhone and can also charge other devices by wire. Photo: Ugreen
When your iPhone dies while you’re out an about it can be a real drag. That’s why it pays to make a power bank part of your everyday carry — like the recently released Ugreen 10000mAh Magnetic Wireless Power Bank.
You can use it as a wireless magnetic charger for iPhone or AirPods and power up two other devices via USB-C and USB-A ports at the same time.
Stick this thing in your computer setup and you probably won't need another device charger or power strip. Photo: Baseus
The new Baseus PowerCombo Tower Series Power Strip 35W, featuring an LED display and festooned with AC outlets and USB ports, is a great charging station for the desktop, the company said Wednesday.
Baseus called it “the world-first charging station with LED display.”
In addition to the black or white options to match other Sonos speakers, you can get Move 2 in a new olive color. Photo: Sonos
The revamped Sonos Move 2 portable speaker sports stereo sound, up to 24 hours of battery life — twice that of its predecessor — and a slew of design changes since the water-resistant speaker’s initial release four years ago, the company said Wednesday.
Sonos Move 2 becomes available September 20 for $449.
Adam Scott stars in "Severance." While you wait (and wait) for season 2, treat yourself to 8 hours of the show's theme music.
Fans who miss the psychological dark dramedy Severance on Apple TV+ can now drone out to a full day of the show’s ghostly piano-based theme song with the “8 Hour Work Day Innie Mix,” which Apple released Tuesday on YouTube.
Get it, innies? You can play the eerie mix for your whole 8-hour workday. It’s like having the show’s credits roll all day in your head as you start to question your choices in life.
This Mac Studio and Studio Display setup is a gamer's paradise, with six gaming systems. Photo: [email protected]
If you’re an avid gamer or you’re shopping for one, you could do worse than to check out today’s featured Mac Studio and Studio Display setup.
The user gets seriously greedy with a peripherals lineup that others might want to emulate, including six gaming systems, four keyboards, four mice and a stellar sound system.
The solid glass-and-metal charger lies flat to power up iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Photo: Nomad
Nomad’s premium metal-and-glass Base One Max 2-in-1 charger got an upgrade this week to 3-in-1. It can charge iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch simultaneously, the company said.
The charger boasts official MagSafe tech, so it will goose your handset with a full 15 watts.
From left, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington became icons of fashion and culture in the 1980s. Photo: Apple
The four women who sparked the term “supermodel” in the 1980s — Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington — were a close-knit sisterhood and “the original influencers,” according to the new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for the upcoming documentary series The Super Models.
The four-part series, which promises never-before-seen commentary from fashion and pop culture luminaries, walks the runway September 20.
No matter which iPad you have, Elago's magnetic stand can handle it. Photo: Elago
Labor Day weekend is always a great time to find deals on tech gear, including Apple computers, gear and accessories. And shockingly, some of those great Labor Day deals are still available from the Cult of Mac Store, Amazon.com and Woot!
Still, we don’t know how long all of these will last, so have at it!
Note: Many of the Amazon and Woot! sales highlighted in this post are still going strong. However, now that the Cult of Mac Store’s Labor Day Sale has ended, only the SwitchEasy deals are still available from our marketplace. (The SwitchEasy sale ends later this month.)
The new C1000 comes in handy for outdoor and indoor (power outage) adventures. Photo: Anker
Two new Anker Solix portable power stations give you power for camping, home-backup and other off-the-grid power needs, the company said last week at IFA 2023 in Berlin, Germany.
Anker unveiled Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station and Anker Solix F3800 Portable Power Station at the show.
Aqara's new smart-home products roll out in the coming months. Photo: Aqara
Aqara showcased its new Smart Lock U200, Camera E1, Dual Relay Module T2 and Ceiling Light T1M at IFA 2023 in Berlin, Germany, last week, the company said.
The products support the Matter home automation standard and should go on sale in the coming months, Aqara said.
★★★★☆
It's a bit big for portability, but Ugreen's new 300W GaN charger easily juices up your devices at home or at work. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
As the world increasingly turns to USB-C connectivity — looking at you, imminent iPhone 15 — Ugreen is there. Its powerful new Nexode 300-watt GaN fast-charger, launched Tuesday, powers up five devices at once — four via USB-C and one via USB-A.
Ugreen calls it “the world’s first 5-Port 300W GaN desktop charger,” and the company sent me the beast to check out. You’ll want to keep this hefty brick in one place, not carry it around with you.
The best way to stay safe in a hurricane is to be prepared. Bluetti and its power stations can help. Photo: Bluetti
Hurricane Idalia struck Florida hard on August 30, downing trees, ripping roofs off buildings and flooding roads enough to submerge cars. In some parts of the state, residents face rebuilding their homes and lives.
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How can you prepare for the next major storm and its aftermath? Energy-storage leader Bluetti‘s safety guidelines can help you safeguard life and property. Plus, the company is offering some help for Floridians in need.
Oh, if we could just play this version. Photo: Basic Apple Guy
Designer Basic Apple Guy has appeared on Cult of Mac a lot lately, but with new wallpaper coming out that makes it looks like Apple CEO Tim Cook and other execs are in a new version of classic game Grand Theft Auto, how can we slam on the brakes now?
Released Friday, “Grand Theft Auto Cupertino” wallpapers are available for free download!
Anker MagGo Qi2 power bank features a display on the side, plus a kickstand. Photo: Anker
Just ahead of iPhone 15’s release, a squad of Anker charging accessories featuring Qi2 wireless charging — like MagSafe, but for everyone — rolled out at IFA Berlin, the company said Thursday.
New and updated products include MagGo magnetic chargers, power stations and banks with Qi2, plus updated USB-C Nano chargers and more.
The new Qi2 spec is said to work with upcoming iPhone 15 series handsets at 15W of fast-charging power without MagSafe certification.
A lot of people want to know what that delightful wallpaper is. See below. Photo: [email protected]
A well-lit and well-equipped computer setup can evoke peace and productivity at the same time. Today’s Mac Studio rig exudes a zen-like calm despite being a total powerhouse.
It features a well-mounted Studio Display, a slick mechanical keyboard with wrist rest, a sleek external drive as well as tidy pegboard storage for AirPods Max.
Soon you'll be able to stream via AirPlay 2 from your iPhone or iPad to your active speakers, amplifier or soundbar. Photo: Eve Systems
Eve Play, an audio streaming interface that lets you stream via AirPlay 2 from an iPhone or iPad to an amplifier, active speaker or soundbar, will come out soon, Eve Systems said Thursday.
The little black box — Eve’s first audio device — also integrates with other AirPlay 2 devices like HomePods. But the new device doesn’t ship until November 14, so you’ll have to wait a bit.
If that screen doesn't intimidate you, this might be the program for you. Photo: Apple
Security researchers can boost their iPhone research, work with security teams and help protect users — all while earning bug bounties for finding credible threats — if they apply to the 2024 iPhone Security Research Device Program, Apple said Wednesday.
File an application by October 31 to get your special iPhone for security research.
Stainless steel Apple Watches are the test case for a new manufacturing process using 3D printers. Photo: Apple
Apple is testing a 3D-printer-based manufacturing process for some of its upcoming Apple Watches that could radically change how it manufactures products generally, a new report said Wednesday.
In testing, the company is using 3D printers for the stainless steel chassis of some wearables. It may prove more eco-friendly and economical, cutting down on materials needed.
Lights, camera, action! This Mac Studio rig is ready for videoconferencing and more. Photo: [email protected]
Version: Some computer setups are bare-bones but functional, others are swanky as all-get-out. Leaning toward the latter, today’s setup rocks a powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio desktop computer driving a new, 49-inch Samsung G9 super-ultra-wide display. If you’re looking for a mac mini monitor, check out this impressive Samsung ultra-wide monitor setup.
But that’s not all the finery the solid standing desk supports. Festooned with key lights, it’s also a great videoconferencing station, with a premium webcam, a mounted USB microphone and killer speakers.
Meet the members of Apple's third Impact Accelerator class (more details below). Photo: Apple
Apple set up its third Impact Accelerator class to help 12 minority-owned green-technology and clean-energy companies develop their businesses, the company said Wednesday.
The training program, in this case for a dozen Black-, Hispanic/Latinx- and Indigenous-owned companies, is part of Cupertino’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.
Commemorate Apple's all-important September event with Wonderlust wallpaper on all your devices. Photo: Basic Apple Guy
Designer and Apple fan Basic Apple Guy is nothing if not lightning quick with his new wallpapers. His Wonderlust Apple Event Wallpapers came out almost immediately Tuesday after Apple issued its September event invite.
The woven-material cases in question first appeared on Chinese site Weibo. Photo: @UnclePan - Weibo
Following up on recent rumors saying Apple won’t make leather cases for the iPhone 15 lineup, newer rumors suggest Apple will replace them with a new woven material, according to leakers.
When you break it down to per-unit cost, it's about $3 per cookie. But they're buttery! Photo: Mackenzie Limited
If you miss Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ badly enough, perhaps you’ll pay $30 for 10 of the shortbread biscuits, aka cookies.
That’s the hope of gourmet food purveyor Mackenzie Limited, anyway. It now offers its exclusive, officially endorsed “Biscuits with the Boss” shortbread cookies much like the ones coach Lasso often brought to AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton on the show.