Massachusetts-based 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.
It's a selfie stick, but it's also much more. Photo: SwitchEasy
If you’d like to take your selfie game up a notch, you can’t do much better than SwitchEasy’s EasySelfie Selfie Stick. The highly portable devices doubles as a tripod and works with your iPhone or a variety of cameras.
And right now you can get a good deal on EasySelfie in the Cult of Mac Store.
Vera Farmiga stars in "Five Days at Memorial" on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
The new Apple TV+ trailer for the drama series Five Days at Memorial is just a one-minute preview. But it’s a powerful 60 seconds.
It depicts the desperate struggle in a New Orleans hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest storms to ever hit the United States.
Leviton's updated switch gives you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes. Photo: Leviton
Following related May releases, Leviton said Wednesday orders will open soon on a new version of a popular accessory in its No-Neutral HomeKit Switch and Dimmer stable of products.
The Decora Smart Wi-Fi 2nd Gen Scene Controller Switch features four buttons that give you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes as well as smart devices.
Elago's AirPods Pro covers, made of protective silicone, have precise cutouts. Photo: Elago
Even little earbuds can get scratched up, so a product like Elago’s covers for AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 can come in handy. And the covers’ thin but protective layer of silicone can also help with fit, helping ensure your earbuds don’t fall out too easily.
You can find Elago’s AirPods covers for the Pro and 3 series in the Cult of Mac Store at great prices. See more information and direct links below.
That YouTube guy is showing me how to make Pad Thai. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Thanks to a new app called WatchTube, you can now play YouTube videos directly on your Apple Watch. A 2-inch OLED screen may not be your idea of a night at the cinema, but it’s not impossible to imagine the app being useful.
Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be. Photo: Master & Dynamic
The new Master & Dynamic MW75 over-ear headphones will undoubtedly compete with top cans from Apple, Sony, Sennheiser and others. They boast up to 28 hours of battery life and adaptive, environmentally aware active noise cancellation.
But the premium Master & Dynamic headphones actually make AirPods Max look somewhat affordable. They cost an eye-popping $599.
SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once. Photo: SwitchEasy
The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.
The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch, AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.
And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.
★★★★☆
It's not difficult to get used to those rotating ear hooks. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Ever have an earbud fall out of your sweaty ear at the gym? I lost a somewhat pricey product that way once. And if you lose one of them, you’re probably not going to use the other one, even if it’s designed for occasional solo use.
The new Soundcore Sport X10 True-Wireless Earbuds, released Tuesday, aim to put an end to wayward earbuds.
Anker sent me a pair of the earbuds to try, along with instructions for using the Soundcore app for them in beta. Below, I’ll get into why I found the new product to be an excellent value at $79.99.
The new track-lighting system opens up many customization options. Photo: Philips Hue
Signify said Tuesday it plans to expand its Philips Hue smart lighting range with the addition of track lighting, a new dimmer and scene-selection switch, and its first portable indoor-outdoor rechargeable lamp, among other items.
Philips Hue products support HomeKit via the Hue Bridge. The new options will launch during the summer, the company said.
Laut's iPad Pro folio is a handsome case and stand. Photo: Laut
Father’s Day sales are drawing to a close, but one of the Cult of Mac Store’s promotions extends to the end of Monday. There’s still time to enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free offer from Laut on all of its Apple accessories. They have many kinds of cases, stands for iPads and MacBooks, Apple Watch bands and more, including plenty of fun stuff.
So Laut’s buy-one-get-one-free promotion on 79 Apple accessories in the Cult of Mac Store runs through the end of Monday. There’s just several hours to go, so shop away!
Setapp has great productivity apps for macOS and iOS. Photo: [email protected]
A subscription service might not sound like a great way to get your apps, but don’t sell it short. Many folks find subscribing to Setapp is an easy and worthwhile way to get more than 200 apps that help with a variety of tasks — and that someone else has already curated.
After all, the main alternative is diving into the vast app ocean of the App Store. Good luck finding just what you need in there before you drown.
In honor of World Productivity Day — that’s right, at least try to look busy on June 20 — we take a look at some of Setapp’s great tools.
Would you have gone with a darker-colored keyboard? Which one? Photo: [email protected]
Will you rue the day you choose the wrong color peripherals? Will you ask strangers on social media to help you fix the problem? The owner of today’s striking M1 MacBook Air-based computer setup did just that.
But if you ask us, they could just take solace in the setup’s strengths. Those include an epic OLED smart TV and some top-shelf, professional-level audio gear, plus a cool Edison desk lamp.
But we’ll share some good advice we saw about the keyboard issue. Read more below.
Many apps can make using your MacBook or iMac even easier, as well as more productive. Photo: Apple
Want more out of your Mac? These six suggestions for solid software are presented by our friends at SaaSGenius.
Though many of us associate the wide world of apps with our iPhones and iPads, they’re crucial for making the most of your MacBook or iMac, too. The best Mac apps can help you expand on your Mac’s capabilities in fun and interesting ways.
Macs are famously easy to use, but great apps make them even easier. And the right apps can jack up your productivity, too. Sometimes the only trouble is finding the best ones.
The list below covers some of our favorite apps to install on a new Mac. Some are free in the App Store (available in your Mac’s Dock or under the Apple menu at top left of your screen). Others you can download from developers’ websites.
Wireless charging is easier than plugging in a bunch of cables every day. Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac
Father’s Day is the time to show your appreciation for dear old dad — or hip young dad, as the case may be. Maybe he’d appreciate accessories for his beloved Apple products. The Father’s Day Sale in the Cult of Mac Store features a great selection of deals!
For starters, Laut is offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on its wide array of accessories, including iPhone and AirTag cases, Apple Watch bands, laptop stands and much more.
See below for many more discounts on great gifts. You can get 20% off a huge number of items.
To celebrate Juneteenth, artist Ajuan Mance is revisiting “The Ancestors’ Juneteenth,” a series that depicts historical Black figures in present-day settings. Photo: Apple
In the run-up to Juneteenth, which takes place on Sunday, Apple showcased an artist Friday who created a series of digital drawings with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
The series, by Juan Mance, celebrates and chronicles Black figures throughout U.S. history, putting them in modern contexts.
The new Anker 535 puts five ports on the front of your iMac. Photo: Anker
Anker targeted a pet peeve of some iMac users Friday when it introduced a USB-C hub that puts useful ports on the front of the machine. The desktop’s own hubs are on the back, which not everybody likes.
The company designed the new 535 model, a 5-in-1 USB-C hub made of metal, specifically for the 24-inch M1 iMac, though it also works with other iMacs.
And you can get it at a launch discount. See below.
Great record-player sound over Bluetooth? Yes, according to Cambridge Audio. Photo: Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio just released a new turntable that can play vinyl records the old-fashioned way or over Bluetooth, streaming audio wirelessly to speakers, headphones or amplifiers.
The new Alva ST follows the company’s Alva TT, which the world’s first aptX HD Bluetooth turntable.
And the Alva ST uses the same codec technology for high-quality sound — the kind that until recently could only be had through wires.
That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle. Photo: [email protected]
In a world of ever-increasing monitor sizes (and weights), you need a pretty tough, supportive desk — especially if it’s a motorized one for sitting or standing. Otherwise, the whole thing might wobble all over the place under the combined, imbalanced weight of your fabulous gear.
Today’s featured Mac mini computer setup copes with an electric desk that struggles under the weight of a behemoth of a curved ultra-wide monitor.
This folio case shown has the clasp. Another version does not. Photo: Elago
You’d probably no sooner carry around your iPad mini in public without a case than you would your MacBook Pro. But you can keep the slim form factor and terrific portability of your tablet while keeping it safe by slipping it into an Elago Smart Folio Case.
And what’s more, Elago just put out a new product that goes with iPads and the Apple Pencils that work so well with them. The Elago Apple Pencil Holder is a super-secure and protective sleeve for a stylus that fixes strongly to a tablet or its case.
And best of all, two versions of the folio are a great deal in the Cult of Mac Store, as is the Pencil holder — all detailed below.
Aergiatech calls it the "world's first four-port 140W wall charger with PD3.1 and GaN." Image: Aergiatech
This GaN charger post is brought to you by Aergiatech.
Are you tired of carrying two or more chargers for work or when you travel? Does it take too long to charge your 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro? Consider the Aergiatech P1114 140W Wall Charger. If you have this gallium nitride charger, you may not need another one.
As Aergiatech put it, it’s the “world’s first four-port 140W wall charger with PD3.1 and GaN.” That means it’s compact, fast and can charge four devices simultaneously. It’s not only smaller and more capable than Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter, it’s much less expensive.
And during the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign going on now, you can get a super-early-bird price on it. See below.
The flashy RBG microphone sits to the left of the Studio Display. Photo: [email protected]
If you’re tired of being just another drab presence on conference calls or online gaming tournaments, maybe it’s time to bring the party. No, we’re not saying you should send everyone jello shots beforehand. But you might try a sassy RGB microphone like the one in today’s featured MacBook Pro and Studio Display setup.
And it’s not just for fun. The product designer who uses it said it’s perfectly loud and clear on Zoom and Discord calls.
★★★☆☆
The display isn't life-changing, but it can be useful and it's kind of cool. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
After trending toward fewer and fewer ports for a while, Macs have added some back lately, offering better connectivity for the latest laptops and desktops. But it never hurts to have a dock to connect additional devices, share files and distribute power — and now you can get one with an informative display.
DockCase has shaken up the fairly boring world of USB-C docks with its new series. The company sent me its 7-in-1 USB-C Smart HD Display Dock Pro to take for a spin. DockCase said it’s the first to offer such a dock with an HD display.
All you need to learn for free with Apple this summer is an iPad. Photo: Apple
Apple trotted out a new list of free iPad-based virtual conferences this summer in its Professional Learning series. Topics cover subjects like photo storytelling, making music and learning the Swift programming language.
And best of all, they’re free. All you need to participate, once you register, is an iPad.