(Podcast) Clockwise 485: Comfortable in My Overkill

Our overpowered tech devices, the return of personal blogging, the last time we took our tech in, and the Apple services we subscribe to.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Tapbots shares road map for Mastodon client Ivory’s development ↦

If you’ve spent any time at all over on Mastodon, you’ve probably heard about Ivory, a new client for the social network from Tweetbot developer Tapbots—probably in the context of “Man, they opened like two thousand new testing slots for the Ivory beta and they were all gone with … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 426: Receipt for Funyuns

It’s all headsets now.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Downstream 35: Streaming Scrooge

It’s a new year, so it’s time to consider the lessons of 2022 and make some predictions for streaming trends in 2023. Plus: was “Glass Onion” a success for Netflix? Is your … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Eddy Cue celebrates 2022 in services ↦

Apple SVP Eddy Cue, in a post on Apple’s Newsroom site: 2022 was a groundbreaking year for entertainment. At some point over the past year, you probably discovered a new app, a new song, a new TV show or movie, or game.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 441: Qi2: Qi Harder

As the new year begins, reports about Apple’s forthcoming headset product arrive to confuse and perplex us. We also discuss a potentially quiet year for the rest of Apple’s product line, the fundamental dignity of a circular pizza, and a handful of things we cared about at CES 20 … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

This Week in Apple: Physical challenge (Member Post)

This week Apple would like you to get physical (HARD PASS) while we take pity on the lost souls at CES and look aghast at Apple AR headset rumors.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get access to exclusive stories, podcasts, and community.. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide

My thanks to Kolide for once again sponsoring Six Colors. Kolide takes a different approach to endpoint security and fleet management. It’s all about helping customers meet compliance goals by enlisting the support of their end users with a structured, message-based approach.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

When two calendars are not better than one

Speaking of Shortcuts, last weekend my pal Lex Friedman (who just started his own consulting business!) asked me to see if I could help him solve an automation program. Lex wanted to use this short… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Create visual feedback for running Shortcuts

Earlier today, I was complaining to Shortcuts expert Matthew Cassinelli about how there’s no really good way to view progress of a running Shortcut on macOS. Yes, the Shortcuts menu item in t… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Apple launches AI narrators for some audiobooks ↦

Your next audiobook from Apple may not be narrated by a human. Leyland Cecco, writing at The Guardian: Apple has quietly launched a catalogue of books narrated by artificial intelligence in a move that may mark the beginning of the end for human narrators.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Scott McNulty’s replacement for Dark Sky ↦

‘Tis the season for people to replace the Dark Sky weather app, as Dan did with Carrot Weather. Our pal Scott McNulty downloaded a dozen weather apps in order to find the one that was right for him: It is important to know what I’m looking for in a weather app, so you can figure … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Tuning in to the Channels app

The Channels AppleTV app is excellent. Though I had heard a lot about Channels from various people–mostly Casey Liss–I never really thought it would be relevant to me. Channels is a ser… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 484: Help, I Can’t Dock!

The frustrating tech we own, our tech-related goal or theme for the new year, the tech we’d buy if money were no object, and our thoughts on and usage of Apple’s MagSafe technology and the upcoming Qi2 standard.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 425: 2400 Baud

Chi 2, the Apple headset rumors and editing a note live on the air.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Miss Dark Sky? CARROT Weather has you (cloud) covered

January 1st, 2023 has come and gone, and with it the demise of my weather app of choice, Dark Sky. Goodbye, old friend, you will be missed! But when Apple closes a door, it opens a space on your ho...(sixcolors.com) | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Upcoming Qi2 standard to be based on MagSafe ↦

The Wireless Power Consortium: WPC member, Apple®, provided the basis for the new Qi2 standard building on its MagSafe® technology. Apple® and other WPC members developed the new Magnetic Power Profile, which is at the core of Qi2.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Miss Dark Sky? CARROT Weather has you (cloud) covered

January 1st, 2023 has come and gone, and with it the demise of my weather app of choice, Dark Sky. Goodbye, old friend, you will be missed! But when Apple closes a door, it opens a space on your ho… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 440: Apple Bricked My House!

It’s a new year, and Jason has made his fearless predictions about what will happen in 2023! (Myke has questions.) We also consider the fate of the iPhone Plus, discuss Apple pausing its HomeKit architecture roll-out, and pour one out for Dark Sky.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Kindle Scribe review: Big, beautiful, and… buttonless?

I like big books, and I cannot lie. Trade paperbacks and hardcovers are my preferred format when it comes to physical books. Admittedly, they do not offer the best reading experience anywhere other than in a nice comfy chair.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide–Endpoint Security For People, Not Paper Clips

You know the old thought experiment about the AI designed to make paper clips, that quickly decides that in order to maximize paper clips, it will have to get rid of all the humans? A lot of securi… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide

My thanks to Kolide for once again sponsoring Six Colors. Kolide knows how challenging it can be to prove compliance to a third-party auditor–they just went through it themselves. They learne… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

The Back Page: Apple was doomed before it was cool (Member Post)

If there’s a theme for the past year in the technology industry, it is this: DOOM. Yess, 2022 was the year that doom came for tech companies in earnest.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get access to exclusive stories, podcasts, and community.. | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Dan’s favorites of 2022

See ya later, 2022—2023 is where it’s at! Jason has already detailed his favorites from the year that was, but I suppose I owe it to you—to myself really—to see if I can remember the stuff that I loved over the past twelve months.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Jason’s favorites of 2022

It’s the end of the year, but before we turn the page (or mount a new calendar) and move on to 2023, I thought I’d make a quick list of some of my favorite fun things from the year almost entirely gone by… Games I am not great at games.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 483: The Schadenfreude Side of the Table

The legacy of 2022 in tech, the tech gifts we’re buying ourselves, the best third-party app replacements, and Apple products we’d like to see but they’ll never make.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

You’re going to have to pungle up

I left an easter egg in this week’s Macworld column: People who want the most cutting-edge iPhones will need to pungle up for the privilege. And guess what? A whole lot of people will. The fi… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 424: Five Stars

The reviews are in: five stars.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Downstream 34: Rating The Pluses

In a very special (and silly) end-of-year episode, Julia and Jason create tier lists for everything with a plus. Happy new year!… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

In praise of the Apple Watch’s Camera control

As technology enthusiasts, we’re all too often accustomed to looking forward to the next thing, to the feature that’s just over the horizon. And sometimes that means forgetting the amazing things we’ve already got—until they pop up, perfect for the job at hand.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 439: The 2022 Upgradies

As the year comes to an end, it’s time for the Ninth Annual Upgradies! Myke and Jason discuss their favorites of 2022, take the input of many Upgradians, and hand out awards in numerous categories!… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Preparing for an Audit? We’ve Been There.

In 2021, our company went through the SOC 2 Type 1 audit, and we found out just how challenging it can be to prove compliance to a third party auditor. We also learned firsthand something our custo… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

App anniversaries and HomeKit challenges (6C Podcast)

The 30th birthday of PCalc makes us consider how long-lived tech products must constantly change and adapt, Dan is forced to power cycle a Caseta hub, and we celebrate some holiday traditions.… This story is for Six Colors members only. Become a member to get access to exclusive … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Magic Lasso Adblock: 2x faster web browsing in Safari

My thanks to Magic Lasso Adblock for sponsoring Six Colors last week. As a native Safari extension, Magic Lasso blocks all intrusive ads, trackers and annoyances – letting you experience a faster, cleaner and more secure experience across all your devices.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Connected 42-9: Lucy’s Football Factory

Speaking of James Thomson, he and John Voorhees and I celebrate the holidays with our annual gift exchange, and then it’s time to make predictions for what will happen in 2023—but first, it’s time to score our picks from the past year and crown a new champion.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

PCalc turns 30 ↦

My friend James Thomson is celebrating the 30th anniversary of PCalc, his calculator app: The built-in Mac OS calculator of the day was a very simple affair, and so I decided I would write a calculator that could do binary and hex, to help me with my programming.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

You don’t have to go home, but… (Member Post)

Someone bought the bar we were all hanging out in, and they started interrupting the music with edicts about bar rules, fired most of the staff, aren’t paying their bills, installed a velvet rope where VIPs can spit on the other bar patrons, had bouncers start to randomly remove … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Home architecture update seemingly pulled from iOS 16.2 and macOS 13.1 ↦

Eric Slivka at MacRumors: Upgrading the Home architecture requires that all devices accessing the home be updated to the latest operating system version, so many users have yet to take the leap, but users who have upgraded have reported some issues.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 482: Channeling Their Miffedness

Whether TikTok’s algorithm explanations will ruin the magic. How we collect and share our holiday gift ideas. The weather app(s) we’re using in light of the end of Dark Sky. The coolest… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 423: Squirt Your Key

AirTags for thee and not for me.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Apple’s self-repair program adds Mac desktops ↦

Apple’s self-repair program, which was announced last year, arrived in April, and came to the Mac in August with support for the M1 MacBook Air and all three M1 MacBook Pro models, has now been extended to support Mac desktops and the new Apple Studio Display.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Belkin’s MagSafe adapter brings Continuity Camera home to the desktop

Earlier this year, Belkin released the Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Mac Notebooks, a $30 adapter that lets you attach an iPhone to the top of a MacBook screen and use it as a webcam via macOS Ventura’s Continuity Camera feature.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade 438: Holiday Antitrust Special

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but the news doesn’t stop! We discuss next year’s Mac lineup, the end of Apple’s NFL Sunday Ticket negotiations, and reports that Apple is planning to open up the iOS app ecosystem in response to new rules from the European Union.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Magic Lasso Adblock: 2.0x faster web browsing in Safari

Want to experience twice as fast load times in Safari on your iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then download Magic Lasso Adblock – the ad blocker designed for you. It’s easy to setup, blocks all YouTube ads, … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Sponsor) Kolide

My thanks to Kolide for once again sponsoring Six Colors. Kolide takes a different approach to endpoint security and fleet management. They help companies meet compliance goals by enlisting the support of their users with a structured, message-based approach.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise 481: A Series of Shortcuts

Whether we’d install a third-party app store on our phones, our most anticipated Matter devices, the tasks we’d pawn off onto an AI chatbot, and our non-holiday holiday traditions.… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

Answering the burning questions about Apple’s reported App Store plans

(Shutterstock)Lawsuits, new laws, and proposed regulations have been swirling around Apple and some of its core business practices for years now. But on Tuesday came the first report—from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, perhaps the most reliable breaker of secret Apple news—that Apple’s … | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago

(Podcast) The Rebound 422: A Really Bad Game Show

But can Apple encrypt recordings of my singing?… | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 2 years ago