The iPad cursor is here, no wait required

Support for mice and trackpads on iPadOS is real. In a world that’s gotten awfully used to disappointment lately, it’s far better than I imagined. And we don’t even have to wait until the fall to use it, because it’s going to arr... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #281: Remember Restaurants?

This week, on the irreverent tech show that’s always a little bit behind the curve, we have some ideas on how to amuse yourself while under quarantine and then we get to some Apple news later. (Note: This show was recorded before Apple’s annou... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Apple updates MacBook Air with new processors, keyboard, and boosts Mac mini storage

The iPad Pro isn’t the only Apple device to see a notable keyboard-based update today. The MacBook Air, which Apple dubs “the world’s most loved notebook” 1 has received a notable boost today, with not only the new Magic K... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Apple's brand new iPad Pro has LiDAR and a trackpad

New iPad Pro models have arrived and, as predicted, they’re shaking things up with the addition of a better processor, new camera technology, and, yes, trackpad support. It’s the last one that much time and attention has been spent on in... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #289: Not So Fast, Uma Thurman

This week we discuss how the global pandemic has affected Apple, from retail to TV shows to Apple Park workers, and potentially even product launches. Your hosts, experts at working at home, offer some advice to new homebound workers. And to lend a little... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: The pace of macOS updates

My friend and former Macworld colleague Rob Griffiths keeps a record of macOS releases, which is exactly the kind of thing I’d expect from the guy who created Mac OS X Hints. Prodded by Stephen Hackett, who is apparently now the official Six Colors ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Quick Tip: Customize Apple Watch workouts

How long have I been doing workouts with the Apple Watch? A long time. And yet until today when I was walking my dog, I had never really considered that some of the information that appears on the face of my watch when I’m walking or hiking is c... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #280: I Am the Networking Wizard

This week, on the irreverent tech podcast that isn’t yet canceled, we talk the effects of the coronavirus on Apple, potential iOS 14 feature leaks galore, Apple’s foldable display patent, and the return of the great NetNewsWire. Plus Lex tries... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #337: Blue Bubble Betterment

This week, on the tech podcast that only springs half an hour ahead, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Rosemary Orchard and Lex Friedman to discuss the rumored iOS 14 features we’re most anticipating, what we’d like to see on the next... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Quick Tip: Make Safari tabs open at the end

Change! It’s the worst, isn’t it? Case in point: When Apple adjusted the behavior of Safari tabs on the Mac to always open after the current tab, I—a die-hard always-put-new-tabs-at-the-end lifer—was bereft. For a while, I subsiste... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #288: Are We Being Punked?

The COVID-19 virus continues to upend tech industry conference plans, product roll-outs, and supply chains, but we’ve still got new about new displays on future Apple hardware and a series of major stories from 9to5 Mac about the future of iOS, iPad... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: Vanishing ports

This week’s chart once again originates from a request from Stephen Hackett, who asked me to measure the number of ports on the 15-inch Apple laptop through the years. This chart covers the era of 15-inch laptops, from the original Titanium PowerBoo... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Wish List: More transparent iMessage contacts

That little ‘Recent’ tag is the only way to see which contact method you’re messaging with.It was somewhere between the video of Elizabeth Warren’s dog stealing a burrito and a tweet about cheese that my wife broke it to me: | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #279: The Luke Skywalker

Dan, Lex and John discuss the coronavirus, WWDC, sketchy rumors, hoarding and Apple not making the things we want.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #336: The Best Kind of Answer: Yes & No

This week, on the 30-minute show that’s always got time for you, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Daniel Bader and Philip Michaels to discuss our feelings on electric scooters, how podcast listening has affected our music listening, the po... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Adios, MacSurfer

The venerable Apple news aggregation site MacSurfer has ceased operation: Dear MHN Readers:Not seeing a viable future with subscriptions, MacSurfer and TechNN will cease operations effective immediately. Please allow a few weeks to process forthcom... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #287: Constant Applause

So is Apple really releasing a Smart Keyboard with a built-in trackpad? That’s the latest report, and Jason and Myke have a lot of questions about it. Is iPadOS 13 good enough to support a trackpad? Would a trackpad only for text editing and gesture... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Project xCloud Preview impressions: More than playable, less than perfect

I’d probably shock twelve-year-old me if I went back in time and told him that for the last thirteen years I’d been an avid user of a game console built by none other than Microsoft. 1 But here I am, on my second Xbox, and I remain pretty... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: For immediate release

Some charts are dumber than others. Stephen Hackett asked me to ponder the volume of Apple press releases over time, and the Apple Newsroom has helpfully archived every Apple press release from 2000 onward. (Sample 2000 Apple press release: “Apple U... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

9 questions about the rumored iPad Smart Keyboard with trackpad

Brydge’s iPad keyboard with trackpad.Wayne Ma of The Information is reporting that a Smart Keyboard for iPad is coming that will include a built-in pointing device: Apple is planning to release an iPad keyboard accessory later this year that w... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #278: Does That Performa Spark Joy?

Eeros now support HomeKit.Does the over-the-air recovery feature in the iOS beta mean a portless iPhone might be coming?Ming-Chi Kuo says ARM Macs are coming in 2021.John Gruber has thoughts on that.The Mac Pro’s wheels have no brakes. That&... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Review: Audio-Technica ATR-2100x microphone

The new ATR-2100x microphone (right) replaces a Mini-USB connector with USB-C.For a while now my go-to podcast microphone recommendation has been the Audio-Technica ATR-2100. At around $100 it’s relatively cheap, sounds great, and thanks to its ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #335: Some Sort of Dongleage

This week, on the 30-minute tech show that takes up just 1/48th of your day, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Jeff Carlson and Shelly Brisbin to discuss the debate over standardizing smartphone charging ports, how we feel about HomeKit Secure Vi... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Rian Johnson: Bad guys can't have iPhones onscreen

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out was perhaps my favorite film of last year, so when I saw that Vanity Fair had invited him to break down a scene from the movie, I eagerly went to watch the video. Little did I know that he snuck in an Apple tidbit as a bonu... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

More on app defaults in Files on iPadOS

Last week I wrote my Macworld column about some of the ways the iPad’s approach to files is inadequate. I was focusing mostly on AirDrop, whose behavior doesn’t really make sense in a world where there’s a filesystem exposed on every i... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Wish List: Album Play Mode for Music

Okay, bear with me, because this is a weird one. As long time followers may know, I listen to a lot of movie scores. Like, a lot. And though I occasionally dip in and out of albums, listening to a track here or there, more often than not I’m using... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #286: You Can't Make Me Change My Pocket

This week begins with us clearing up controversies about pockets and malware. The spread of the coronavirus is affecting Apple’s business, and making us wonder if WWDC in June could be affected. Ming-Chi Kuo drops a bombshell about ARM Macs, and Mar... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Safari will reject long-lived HTTPS certificates starting September 1

Your life is up! Well, the life of the security certificate on your website, anyway. News out of last week’s meeting of the CA/Browser Forum is that Apple has announced Safari will no longer accept HTTPS certificates older than about 13 months, as o... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: Mobile prices and performance

This week’s chart is about the relationship between processor power and price on Apple’s mobile devices. It’s unfair in a lot of ways, because every dollar you spend on a device does not go to the processor. Buying an iPad or iPhone won&... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #277: Obligatory Cyberdog Reference

Apple may let users change their default apps on iOS.Jason Snell has some thoughts on iOS file handling.Apple updated its guidance for the quarter based on the effect of the Coronavirus.Apple’s platforms are increasingly being targeted by adwa... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #334: I Like That We Live in the Future

This week, on the 30-minute tech show that’s only 1800 seconds, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Aleen Simms and Ant Pruitt to discuss apps and services we use to communicate, complaints about Google’s mobile productivity suite, our ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #285: Mac Pros for Mac Pros

Myke met the people for whom the Mac Pro was made, and reports back with details. Jason tries to combat confusion about whether the Mac is really being attacked by malware and explains what Apple is doing to stop it. And we address some five-year-old foll... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Drying out a moldy bedroom - a HomeKit adventure

My house gets damp in the winter. Like, really damp. So damp that stuff starts growing on the ceiling. Since getting a new house isn’t really an option, I’m left with mitigating it as best I can.So I tried to use smart-home tech to make it b... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Sleazy adware targets Mac users--and Apple steps up its game

Image from Malwarebytes report.Malwarebytes, a company that sells anti-malware software, came out with its annual report on the state of malware this week. It has fed a bunch of overhyped headlines around the web about malware on the Mac growing rapidly... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) Previs Pro

My thanks to Previs Pro for sponsoring Six Colors this week. Previs Pro is a brand-new iOS app for storyboarding film and video created by a team that has won multiple Apple Design Awards. If you make films or create videos, you already know the importa... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: When Apple was in the red

So I was researching my chart about Apple in the 2000s when I came across a remarkable historical document on Apple’s website: CUPERTINO, California—January 15, 2003—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2003 first ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Video: Editing Podcasts with Ferrite and Apple Pencil

Since last June I’ve edited just about every episode of The Incomparable on my iPad Pro using Ferrite Recording Studio and an Apple Pencil.Since people are often curious about just how using the Apple Pencil to edit a podcast works, I thought I | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #333: Throwing the Spaghetti at the Consumer

This week on the 30 minute tech show that’s like a wizard, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Brianna Wu and Shahid Kamal Ahmad to discuss Samsung’s latest flip phone, security tips for elections and ordinary people, high refresh rate ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #276: The Definition of Mixed Reviews

ToothFairy didn’t exactly fix Moltz’s AirPod problem but it kind of did.Taika Waititi has some thoughts on the butterfly keyboard.Reviews of Apple TV+’s new show Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet have been mixed. We explain what th... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #284: We're In the Ear Business

Why did Apple surprise developers with beta releases with intriguing new features this month? What does it mean for the future of Mac app development? Is a new keyboard going to be a major feature of new iPad Pro models? Would Apple really build Macs with... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Oscar-winner Taika Waititi tells Apple to fix its keyboards

Taika Waititi, director of Thor: Ragnarok, the upcoming Thor: Love & Thunder, What We Do in the Shadows, as well as this year’s Academy Award winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, really thinks Apple should fix those MacBook keyboards: Taika Wai... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: A plague of Performas

Macworld Expo 2000: It’s so simple!When I mentioned that I was trying to do a weekly chart on Six Colors, Stephen Hackett suggested a few charts that he’d like to see—some silly, some serious. I’m not sure where this one falls.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Bad AppleScript: Template Gun meets the Internet

Back in 2018 I wrote about Template Gun, my AppleScript app that lets me quickly generate new project folders for the podcasts I’m working on. (I picture the “Template Gun” as more of a hot-dog or t-shirt cannon.) The premise is th... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) Sponsor: Previs Pro

Previs Pro is a brand-new iOS app for storyboarding film and video created by a multiple Apple Design Award winning team. If you make films or create videos, you already know the importance of using storyboards to design that perfect shot. But, unless y... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #332: One Hip Lies

This week on the 30 minute tech podcast that’s Roman all over, Dan and guest host Jason Snell are joined by special guests Carolina Milanesi and Matthew Cassinelli to discuss the best and worst of Apple in the year gone by, Google’s divisive S... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #275: Bezos, I'm Home

Matt Birchler has some great thoughts on where watchOS should go.Six Colors gives its annual Apple report card.YouTube-dl is a command line tool for downloading YouTube videos.Ring doorbells had a bad 2019.Google admits it sent private videos to s... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #283: The Anger of the Panel

It’s time for our annual dive into the Six Colors Apple Report Card, as Jason and Myke interpret the scores and comments of 65 Apple-watchers and add their own views on where the company succeeding—and where it’s not. ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Apple in 2019: The Six Colors report card

It’s time for our annual look back on Apple’s performance during the past year, as seen through the eyes of writers, editors, developers, podcasters, and other people who spend an awful lot of time thinking about Apple.This is the fifth y... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago