Dave Schafer-Journalist

Dave Schafer

Journalist

November, 2025
Over a dozen years of hands-on experience covering tech
Online Privacy, Android, macOS
  • 62
    articles
  • 62
    News

About Dave Schafer

Dave Schafer is a passionate storyteller and tech enthusiast. He’s been writing professionally since 2014 and has covered a wide range of topics, from cable and internet providers to VPNs to web hosting. Dave’s work has been featured on publications like All About Cookies, SatelliteInternet.com, and HighSpeedInternet.com, among others. 

 

As a writer, Dave enjoys taking complex topics and making them understandable and relatable to everyday readers — whether that’s exploring the intricacies of a VPN or helping someone choose a better piece of software. 

 

When not writing, Dave enjoys spending time with his family, running, playing the guitar, camping, and serving in his community. His favorite place is the Blue Ridge Mountains, and one day he hopes to retire there (hopefully his fear of heights will have retired by then, too!).

Latest

A look at Android Auto on a car.
Planning a trip in your EV just got a lot easier with this Android Auto update

Google continues to add useful AI features to Maps

Opera AI within the Opera Air browser.
Opera just made it a lot easier to use your favorite AI in the browser

The MCP Connector makes it simple to connect your browser to AI agents

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S26 camera module
Google is fixing a major Android camera problem — as long as manufacturers get on board

This has been a long time coming

A PlayStation 5 resting below a smart TV on a glass entertainment center
If you're planning to buy a PS5, get one before April — otherwise, it'll cost you

Prices are going up, up, up

Conversations in Google Messages on a Galaxy Z Fold 5.
RCS 4.0 finally fixes the one thing that made me consider buying an iPhone

Native video calling could finally mean an end to juggling multiple apps

Samsung Browser running on a laptop, showing the home page.
Samsung Browser finally came to Windows, and it's everything Chrome isn't

The popular browser exits beta and brings a ton of useful features with it

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Ella AI running on the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra, with OpenClaw showing on a monitor in the background
Tecno's new AI agent does what ChatGPT can't — it actually uses your phone

OS-level integration means greater functionality

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An old N300 series router
Buying a router in the US is about to get complicated

The FCC has banned the sale of routers made outside the US — here's what that means for you

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HP OmniBook X Flip 14-inch 2-in-1 Laptop Next Gen AI PC sitting on a table.
HP just closed one of the biggest holes in Windows BitLocker encryption

HP's first-of-its-kind security tech is impressive

Using a VPN on a MacBook
Android 16 is silently dropping VPN connections and Google is taking forever to fix it
VPN

VPN providers are asking for user help in getting Google's attention

Claude app icon on smartphone next to laptop keyboard.
Hackers are disguising malware as Claude Code, and it's easy to fall for the scam

Be careful what links you follow

A hand holding an unfolded Galaxy Z TriFold
The Galaxy Z TriFold is dead, and that’s bad news for your next foldable

Innovation feels increasingly hard to come by these days

Google Maps icon on phone screen.
You’re less likely to miss a turn with this major Google Maps update

Google Maps navigation gets a huge makeover and a bunch of useful new features

Lenovo laptop showing file explorer in Windows 11.
Microsoft is finally fixing the "white flash" issue plaguing Windows users

Will the fixes finally stick?

OpenClaw onboarding script in Windows Powershell
Google apps just got a lot easier to use with OpenClaw

Google's Workspace CLI tool greatly simplifies interaction with AI agents — and may be a sign of things to come

All four colors of MacBook Neo arrayed in a fan shape
I really want to say hello to Neo — Apple's budget laptop looks like a game-changer

The MacBook Neo outclasses the competition at $599

apple iphone 17e
Apple's latest budget phone is actually an excellent value — here's how it compares

The iPhone 17e looks surprisingly good

The Microsoft Copilot logo on an iPad
Microsoft just announced its answer to OpenClaw, and it actually looks pretty great

OpenClaw may be more powerful, but that power comes with major security tradeoffs

QR code to connect the Amazon Echo Spot to the Amazon Alexa app
Your smart home just got a big dose of personality thanks to this Alexa+ update

You can finally tell Alexa to take it down a notch

The Galaxy S26 lineup
Samsung's Galaxy S26 launch had one clear winner (and it wasn't the phone)

The Galaxy S26 series is disappointing, but the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro look really nice

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