Bitten by the black box of iCloud

iCloud is, when you think about it, kind of a thankless service. At its best you don’t notice it—everything, in the unofficial mantra of Apple dating back decades, just works.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 523: It Stops Too Much Madness

How much we rely on iCloud, new muscle memory on Apple Watch, how we’ve enhanced our browser experience, and CarPlay tips & tricks.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 464: Did You Try Unplugging Your iCloud?

Dan’s tech problems, more iPhone 15 Pro reactions and how to wire your coffin for sound.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 479: The Three Oranges

As a very busy September turns over into October, we’ve got an episode packed with follow-up: Tim Cook takes another European vacation, the Vision Pro product roadmap recedes, Apple considers its search-engine strategy, and we review macOS Sonoma.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Sponsor) Stupid Companies Make AI Promises. Smart Companies Have AI Policies.

It seems like every company is scrambling to stake their claim in the AI goldrush–check out the CEO of Kroger promising to bring LLMs into the dairy aisle. And front line workers are following suit… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

This Week in Apple: The foreSEeable future (Member Post)

A new iPhone SE will probably arrive some day, unlike some other potential Apple products I could mention (cough, car and low-cost Vision Pro). Meanwhile Jony Ive is keeping busy hastening the robot apocalypse.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get ac … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

The Back Page: Everything is fine until it isn’t (Member Post)

And thus was Tim Cook finally brought low—not by Apple’s anti-union practices, nor by his continued willingness to do business with a charming individual like Elon Musk, nor even by Apple’s questionable relationships with the Chinese government.… This story is for Six Colors memb … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Sponsor) Kolide

My thanks to Kolide for sponsoring Six Colors this week. Getting OS updates installed on end user devices should be easy, but of course it isn’t. Forcing restarts without user approval will l… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

Craig Hockenberry on the watchOS 10 Timer ↦

Apple updated almost every system app in watchOS 10. Unfortunately, the redesign of the Timer app is a serious regression, according to Iconfactory developer Craig Hockenberry: The new visual appearance and functionality of watchOS 10 is a welcome change.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 522: Take That, Jason Snell!

Our favorite (or least-favorite) features in macOS Sonoma, our harrowing AppleCare stories, the cases we do or don’t have on our phones, and whether we upgraded to an iPhone 15.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 463: Mmm, Persona Grata

Welcome. To. The. Rebound.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

macOS Sonoma Review: Small moves

macOS Sonoma is an update that feels small—but in all the best ways. Upgrading it won’t change how you look at your Mac, at least not at first.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 11 months ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 478: Hi, We’re the Weirdos

Live from Memphis in the aftermath of the Relay FM Podcastathon, Myke and Jason take delivery of new iPhones and Apple Watches. Also, General Motors continues its drive for Apple-like services revenue.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

(Sponsor) The Dirty Secret of OS Updates

Getting OS updates installed on end user devices should be easy. After all, it’s one of the simplest yet most impactful ways that every employee can practice good security.  On top of that, e… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

This Week in Apple: Money talks, FineWoven walks (Member Post)

Apple won’t let you gamble on the iPhone, but it seriously considered letting you do the next worst thing. The iPhone 15 Pro Max seems to be selling well but that FineWoven case… eesh.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get access to exclusive stories, … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

Relay FM Podcastathon ↦

As I write this I’m sitting at St. Jude, about three hours into our 12-hour podcast telethon in support of St. Jude’s goal of stopping childhood cancer. I’m one of four hosts alon… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

(Sponsor) Unite 5

My thanks to BZG Apps, maker of Unite 5, for sponsoring Six Colors this week. Unite 5 for macOS takes your web experience to the next level, transforming websites into feature-rich Mac apps. Powere… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

iPhone delivery anxiety (Member Post)

Apple works very hard to try and manage the massive preorder demand for day-one iPhone deliveries every year.1 Apple originally allowed members of the iPhone Upgrade Program customers to set their orders up in advance, but eventually allowed everyone to pre-configure their phones … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

(Podcast) Downstream 53: I’m Living With a Criminal

We break down the arrival of Mark Thompson as CNN’s new boss. Also, there’s a mega letters segment! [This episode was recorded September 7. See you in two weeks!]… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 12 months ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 521: You’re Right, It’s Yarn

Our one, must-have streaming service; our favorite not-at-home, not-at-the-office place to work; our webcam setups; and our favorite or most-used iPhone accessories.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 462: The Token Rings

Has anyone seen Dan’s iPad keyboard?… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

Designing the Snoopy watchOS 10 face ↦

GQ’s Robert Leedham talks to the teams at Apple and Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates about bringing Snoopy to life on watchOS 10. Most interesting to me was how the watch decides what animations to show: That first meeting at the Charles M Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, Calif … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Sponsor) Unite 5 – Turn Web Apps into Supercharged macOS apps

Unite 5 for macOS takes your web experience to the next level, transforming websites into feature-rich Mac apps. Powered by a completely redesigned WebKit browser, Unite 5 offers a more immersive and customizable browsing experience.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 477: Tails O’Clock

This week we’re wading into follow-up from last week’s Apple event. Then we say goodbye to beta season and list our favorite features of the newly shipped iOS 17, iPadOS 17, tvOS 17, and watchOS 10.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

iOS 17 Review: We’ve got a live one

Sometimes I see that number following the latest release of iOS and do a double-take: really? It’s been around that long? Seventeen iterations into the iPhone’s software and you wouldn’t think there’d be much left to do, but with this latest annual update to its flagship platform … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

iPadOS 17 Review: A fitting stage, at last

These days, many new iPadOS features have spent a year incubating on the iPhone. (Or, to put it less charitably, Apple builds for the iPhone first and makes iPads wait to get the good stuff.) This … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

Review: Apple’s 2023 multi-platform features

In recent years, Apple has taken to making more of its new features available across all of its major operating systems. As a result, it’s made less sense for us to cover the same feature in multiple preview articles.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

This Week in Apple: Always leave them wanting more (Member Post)

Happy new iPhones to all who celebrate! The rumor mill had some hits and misses as usual, but did anyone have “Tim Cook acting” on their bingo card?… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get access to exclusive stories, podcasts, and community.. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Sponsor) Magic Lasso Adblock: YouTube ad blocker for Safari

My thanks to Magic Lasso Adblock for sponsoring Six Colors this week. Magic Lasso Adblock is simply the best Safari ad blocker for your iPhone, iPad and Mac. As a native content blocking extension,… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

My easter basket of reactions to Apple’s iPhone event

It’s a shame they don’t show movies in the Steve Jobs Theater, or at least not ones that I’ve ever been invited to. It’s a fantastic venue with a staggeringly bright digital projection system, but the star of the show might be the sound system.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 520: Grime and Nonsense

What surprised us at Apple’s “Wonderlust” keynote, our thoughts on the new iPhone Action Button, what we wanted Apple to announce at its September event, and the retro Apple design elements we’d like to see again.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

Dr. Drang does the math on Apple’s titanium phones ↦

The Internet’s very own Dr. Drang tries to figure out how it is that Apple’s titanium phones feel significantly lighter than the steel ones, despite a small difference. And he uses actu… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 476: Friends in the Couch Cushions

Jason’s back from Cupertino and it’s time to break down everything he saw at the September 2023 Apple media event: The new titanium-framed iPhone 15 Pro, the pastel iPhone 15, the DoubleTap-enabled Apple Watch, and… green leaves for some but not others?… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 461: The Thickness Is Not What I Care About

New Apple Watches and iPhones and Tim Cook’s Oscar-worthy performance.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

A few things not mentioned in Apple’s iPhone keynote

It was an odd fall keynote for Apple. As expected, revisions of the iPhone and Apple Watch took the spotlight, but there were relatively few surprises overall, many of the details having leaked ahead of time, and a large amount of time spent on the company’s environmental initiat … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

Intel announces Thunderbolt 5: fast new speeds, same great port ↦

Just a few hours ahead of Apple’s impending iPhone event, Intel has taken the wraps off the latest version of the Thunderbolt spec: Thunderbolt 5 will deliver 80 gigabits per second (Gbps) of bi-directional bandwidth, and with Bandwidth Boost it will provide up to 120 Gbps for t … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

Apple re-signs with Qualcomm for three more years ↦

Ian King and Mark Gurman of Bloomberg report that Apple is extending its deal with Qualcomm for cellular chips for three more years: Though the new contract extends until 2026, Apple could still start using its own modem before then.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Sponsor) Magic Lasso Adblock: YouTube ad blocker for Safari

  Do you want to block all YouTube ads in Safari on your iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then download Magic Lasso Adblock – the ad blocker designed for you. It’s easy to setup, doubles the speed at whi… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

This Week in Apple: Highly dubious! (Member Post)

Who wants cheap MacBooks and USB-C iPhones?! Everyone. Apple sets things on the spin cycle and the UK government seems stuck on a roundabout. Wish fulfillment This week saw a rumor about a low-cost MacBook make the rounds.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a memb … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

Review: 27-inch Samsung ViewFinity S9

I’ve been planning to set up a second workspace in my house, and the biggest stumbling block has been figuring out what display to place on the desk. I’ve got an Apple Studio Display on… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Sponsor) Kolide

My thanks to Kolide for sponsoring Six Colors again this week. AI is a hot topic in lots of businesses, but most companies still haven’t come up with policies to manage AI usage—and employees are potentially handing over all sorts of sensitive data to tools that may or may not be … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) Downstream 52: Defying Gravity

Does the battle between Disney and Charter augur the end of the cable business model as we know it? Is the entertainment industry going bankrupt slowly, then all at once? It’s time for an all… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 519: Chaotic and Retro

Google’s legacy as it turns 25, the websites we still visit manually, our preferred text editors, and what we’d miss most switching our smartphone platforms.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 460: Wrong Faster

A big disagreement over the Apple Watch 9! Will the podcast go on?! Oh, it goes on.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

About that low-cost MacBook rumor… ↦

On Tuesday Aaron Lee and Eifeh Strom of Digitimes reported that Apple is “reportedly developing a low-cost MacBook series to compete with Chromebook models in the education sector that could be released as early as the second half of 2024, according to industry sources.”… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 475: The 2023 September Event Draft

Jason and Myke preview what will happen at next week’s Apple event. What new features will the new iPhones have? How will the Apple Watch transform? And which one of us will harness the heart… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

(Sponsor) Stupid Companies Make AI Promises. Smart Companies Have AI Policies.

It seems like every company is scrambling to stake their claim in the AI goldrush–check out the CEO of Kroger promising to bring LLMs into the dairy aisle. And front line workers are following suit… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago

This Week in Apple: A soupçon of color (Member Post)

The iPhone 15 Pro colors challenge the definition of a spectrum. Just as well, as you probably won’t be able to get one. And Apple pulls the plug on a storied app.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get access to exclusive stories, podcasts, and commun … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 1 year ago