(Podcast) Upgrade 386: The Tube Man Ecosystem

In this Upgrade Holiday Special, Jason and Myke answer the holiday-themed questions of Upgradians everywhere. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide: Device management for teams that value honest security

At Kolide, we believe the supposedly Average Person is the key to unlocking a new class of security detection, compliance, and threat remediation. So do the hundreds of organizations that send impo… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

2021 Favorites: Hardware

As we reach the end of the year, it’s time for us to share some of the stuff that we liked this year. Here are our picks for our favorite hardware of the year. Some are obvious… some less so.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Apple adds device bezels to resource page ↦

If you’ve ever struggled to put a screenshot into a photo of Apple hardware to make it fit in an appropriate context, you’ll appreciate this: Apple has just added a Product Bezels secti… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

What’s in my office, 2021 edition (Member Post)

This week my friend Stephen Hackett posted a video tour of his new home studio and along with it, updated the page detailing all the gear he uses. Last month, we passed the seventh anniversary of t… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide: Slack-powered device security

My thanks to Kolide for sponsoring Six Colors this week. Kolide connects device security and Slack together in a clever way–by sending people important, timely, and relevant recommendations a… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Some people want to fill the world with silly notch apps ↦

So back in October I tweeted about how it was easy to lose the pointer under the notch on the 24-inch MacBook Pro, and that someone should do something about that: once again I am asking for someon… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Apple’s challenges to improve Shortcuts ↦

Shortcuts maven Matthew Cassinelli has a story up at iMore about eight ways for Apple to improve Shortcuts: Combined with architecture changes, a lack of integration across Apple’s other team… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Swift Playgrounds 4 arrives, including App Store submission ↦

Promised at WWDC, a new version of Swift Playgrounds arrived this week, with its most notable feature addition being support for submitting projects to the App Store. John Voorhees of MacStories pr… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

6C Podcast: December 16, 2021

Why we’re not using Obsidian, favorite iOS apps, photos, and thoughts of spring. [We’ve been told to take next week off. The podcast will be back in two weeks.] | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Pixelmator Photo comes to iPhone ↦

Smart retouching in action. The Pixelmator team has released Pixelmator Photo 2.0, which brings Pixelmator Photo to the iPhone for the first time. Pixelmator Photo has been my go-to photo editing a… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

2021 Favorites: iOS Apps

Here are six iOS apps that stood out for us this year, but weren’t part of the old standbys list. They’re not all new, but they’re ones we used a lot more this year. Noir I use Da… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Moving from 1Password to iCloud Keychain ↦

This is a nice post from developer Simon B. Støvring about getting data out of 1Password and into iCloud Keychain: Ensuring all items in 1Password have a valid website address is necessary in order… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 371: This is My Show

Never has a show been taken over by a guest quite so quickly. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Downstream 6: All Four Quadrants

We dig into why CNN+ has to exist, even though it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Also, the strange divisions between what’s on HBO and what’s on HBO Max, we talk a surprising amount… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 429: The Intersection of Work and Our Firewall

Will we use SharePlay? What are our feelings about Bluetooth earbuds? How do we protect ourselves when we’re browsing online? And what are our picks for favorite TV, movies, and books of the … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 385: Millie Metre

Myke is back from vacation with a lot of follow-up for Jason about last week’s show. Also: the official Upgrade Draft championship trophy is unveiled, and we discuss Apple’s forthcoming… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide–Slack Powered Device Security for MacAdmins

Kolide is a SaaS app that sends employees important, timely, and relevant security recommendations concerning their Mac, Windows, and Linux devices, right inside Slack. At Kolide, we think end-user… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Apple delays Universal Control to spring 2022 ↦

Apple released iOS 15.2, macOS 12.1, and watchOS 8.3 today, with a bunch of new features including SharePlay for macOS, the new Apple Music Voice plan, App Privacy Report, Legacy Contacts, and a wh… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

MacBook Pro: Live reboxing video ↦

Friday afternoon I tried something new and did a live stream. The subject: a “re-boxing” of my MacBook Pro review unit, which is going back to Apple. (In fact, since the video was compl… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

2021 Favorites: Mac Apps

As we reach the end of the year, it’s time for us to share some of the stuff that we liked this year. We’ll start with a category that is surprisingly robust: Mac apps. Some of these ar… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

6C Podcast: December 10, 2021

Boop, said the smart appliance to the home automation. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Project: Google Calendar to Slack ↦

A couple of things I wanted to do over at The Incomparable’s website involved knowing the status of a shared Google Calendar. For months I tried to build up the courage to figure out how to i… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Matter standard will include TV control and a casting feature ↦

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, writing at The Verge, details an interesting component of the upcoming Matter connectivity standard: Matter TV, as we’ll call it for wont of an official name, will allow co… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 428: I’m More of a Rudolph, Personally

Describing an experience with augmented reality, last-minute tech gifts, using tech with holiday decor, and how we prepare for tech support when gathering with family. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

All along the WashTower (Member Post)

Around my house, 2021 has been a year of durable goods upheaval. The 10-year-old refrigerator gave us a scare, the 14-year-old Prius put us on notice that its battery was soon to need replacing, an… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Typora: ‘Distraction-free Markdown’ ↦

At Fast Company, Jared Newman writes in praise of the $15 Markdown editor app Typora, which just exited a seven-year(!) beta: [Typora developer] Abner says he started working on Typora to satisfy h… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

The lackluster state of Retina quality external monitors ↦

Podcast host, developer, and single-ping aficionado Casey Liss decries the state of high-quality external displays for the Mac: The above is the entire lineup. That’s it. Four options. Three of whi… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 384: Don’t Fear the Laser

With Myke on assignment, Dan Moren joins Jason to discuss the features Apple hasn’t yet delivered in 2021 and its product lineup for 2022. Then Jason breaks down the new e-readers you could u… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

6C Podcast: December 3, 2021

Home automation, speakers, Shortcuts, and bagels. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Quick Tip: Cat-proof those HomePods

YouTuber and podcaster Quinn Nelson has a cat problem: Strange question: is there a way to disable the touch sensitive surface on HomePods? Our cat has learned that if he touches them music plays a… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Car thieves are using AirTags too ↦

We’ve seen stories of people triumphantly locating their lost belongings thanks to AirTags, but, as always, technology is a double-edged sword. It seems that some car thieves in Canada are us… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

How Kobo beats Kindle on library books

When I reviewed three recently-released e-readers last month, I received several complaints about this line in the story: Kobos are much better citizens [than Kindles] when it comes to borrowing e-… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Batch converting shortcuts for use throughout Monterey ↦

John Voorhees at MacStories has come up with a clever way to generate a bunch of AppleScript files that just run Shortcuts as a way to open up Shortcuts to apps that support running scripts, but no… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 369: Straight-Up Toilet Paper Scam

It’s the season of American consumerism, so here’s the technology we bought. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Downstream 5: The Netflix Connected Universe

Diving into Netflix’s brand new global and regional top 10 lists, and all the things they tell us about the global streaming giant. Also, ViacomCBS corrects its Star Trek mistake, and why Net… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 427: Old Man Yells at Fail Whale

The older tech that we can’t justify replacing, what we’d change about Twitter in the wake of Jack Dorsey’s exit, the health tech we’d like to see next, and which retro vide… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Run shortcuts from the Mac command line

I was reminded by Simon Støvring, maker of the excellent Mac and iOS utility Data Jar (which is a persistent data store that’s accessible via Shortcuts), that people may not be aware of just … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Now Playing in hardware form ↦

Jason Tate: A few weeks ago I started working on a new weekend project. I wanted to build a mini-computer that could sit on my desk and display what I was currently listening to. A simple idea. Aft… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

The Back Page: Tim Cook’s Wishlist (Member Post)

The holiday season is upon us, and what do you get for the man who has literally everything?1 Tim Cook has got to be a hard man to shop for. From outward appearances, all he seems to do is work and… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 383: Dongletown Hotel

This week Myke and Jason are both in Pacific Time, and Myke has some tech travel observations. Meanwhile, Jason’s been exploring Shortcuts on the Mac. Plus: Mac AirPlay quirks and an Apple la… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 426: Little Bobby Tables

How we charge our devices, the travel tech we’re taking with us this year, our thoughts on Apple’s plans for digital IDs, and an examination of Apple’s newly announced Self Repair… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Display network quality in your menu bar

Last week Dan wrote about macOS Monterey’s new Network Quality Tool, which lets you quickly get a sense of your local network speed from the command line. If you’re a user of ambient Ma… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

A Thanksgiving spread (Member Post)

An Apple Pencil, a Kobo Libra 2, and some creamed corn. This time of year leads to a few inevitable kinds of stories. Giving thanks, and… deals? Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, a… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Apple sues spyware maker NSO Group ↦

Apple Newsroom: Apple today filed a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company to hold it accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users. The complaint provides new information… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Qualcomm has an exclusivity deal with Microsoft for Windows on ARM ↦

Rich Woods reports about Windows on ARM and where it may be headed in the future: Qualcomm actually has an exclusivity deal with Microsoft for Windows on ARM, and speaking with people familiar with… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Shortcuts makes my Mac user automations portable

This week I’m traveling for Thanksgiving, and I’m using this MacBook Pro review unit before I have to send it back to Apple1. One of the things I had forgotten in the years where I larg… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 382: Hey Car, Stop

Apple’s car project is back in the news, but is the company’s ambition in this area unrealistic? Also: Qualcomm spoils it for Apple, Apple employees get a new date to return to work, an… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago