Sam Costello

Experience

Sam Costello has been writing about technology since 2000. Prior to coming to Lifewire in 2007, he covered digital copyright, the rise and fall of Napster and other early digital music services, and computer and network security for CNN.com, PC World, InfoWorld, and Computerworld, among others. More recently for Lifewire, he has focused on mobile devices (with an emphasis on iOS and Android), smart assistants like the Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod, and related technologies.

He has written about apps, streaming media, and eBooks for the Que Publishing website, as well as other topics—including film, television, and graphic novels—for a number of websites and magazines.

Sam has been quoted or referenced in many major online and print publications, including: CIO, Computerworld, InformIT, Laptop Magazine, Cult of Mac, 9to5Mac, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lifehack, Small Business Trends, TechRepublic, the Daily Wire, Digital Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, and ZDNet.

Because of Sam’s expertise in technology, his articles also appear in hundreds of technology forum responses on sites such as MakeUseOf, Slashdot, Ask Ubuntu, iFixIt, and Straight Dope; as a reference for dozens of Wikipedia articles; and as a knowledge base resource, both internally and externally, for companies like Hubspot, Avaya, and Apple Support.

As a writer

• U.S. Correspondent, IDG News Service
• Numerous articles for Que Publishing on topics including the iPhone, iPad, apps, and streaming entertainment
• Wrote about Artificial Intelligence for the Huffington Post
• On-air guest:
  CNNfn TV: discussing computer security
• BBC TV: discussing Microsoft.
• Numerous local and national radio shows: discussing the iPhone and iOS.

As a technologist

• Worked with Fortune 25 and Fortune 200 clients
• Projects included multiple enterprise-scale CMS builds with dozens of custom API integrations, rapid prototyping engagements, iPhone and Android app development, Amazon Alexa skill creation, livestream events, and more.

Sam is also the author of two books:

• My Apple TV (2016), Que Publishing
• My iPad for Kids (2012), Que Publishing.

My Gear

My daily-use computer is a 2020 16" MacBook Pro (finally upgraded after years of using a much older, slower machine!) with two external monitors. I’ve also got an iPhone 11 Pro, an 11” iPad Pro with Apple Pencil and Brydge keyboard, AirPods Pro, a HomePod, a couple of Amazon Echos that I keep unplugged at all times for security, a three-room, 5-piece Sonos speaker system, a series 4 Apple Watch, and a pair of Apple TVs. Elsewhere in the house are a Nintendo Switch, a PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 with PS VR, a set of Philips Hue lights, and a turntable attached to a classic, quad-channel stereo receiver from the 70s that still sounds amazing.

Education

Sam holds a BA in Media Studies from Ithaca College. He is a Certified Scrum Master and a Certified Product Owner.

Projects that he worked on as a technologist have won awards from:

• The Financial Communications Society
• The IAB Mixx Awards
• The Effie Awards

A Message from Sam Costello

I love technology and I love teaching. Writing for Lifewire gives me a chance to nourish my curiosity by learning deeply about technologies both new and long-established, and then share what I’ve learned by teaching people who need the information to solve their problems. Lifewire’s people-first approach to technology exactly matches my interest in how technology can make our lives better.

Lifewire and Dotdash Meredith

Lifewire, a Dotdash Meredith brand, is a Top 10 technology information website, as rated by Comscore, a leading internet measurement company. We provide trusted, clear, and actionable answers to your most pressing technology questions vetted by certified experts, as well as trustworthy product recommendations so you can make the most informed purchasing decisions. Learn more about us and our editorial process.