13-inch MacBook Pro (2020) review: Two laptops, one keyboard

The most important feature of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is the keyboard.With the addition of the new Magic Keyboard design originally introduced in late 2019 with the 16” MacBook Pro to this model, all of Apple’s current laptop line is u... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #345: Bluetooth Kiss

This week, on the 30-minute tech show that’s always at home, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Jeff Carlson and Aleen Simms to discuss pandemic tech changes we’d like, privacy concerns over contract tracing, the best (and worst) phish... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #288: e-Picks

This week on Taskmaster, we have been commanded to switch chat software in mid-podcast.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Homebridge 1.0: A pleasant face on a smart-home helper

Installing, updated, and configuring Homebridge plug-ins via the web interface is easy.For a couple of years now, I’ve been running Homebridge on my Mac mini server in order to add my non-HomeKit devices, including my Nest thermostat, to my HomeKi... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) Magic Lasso Adblock

Magic Lasso Adblock is an efficient and high performance ad blocker for the iPhone, iPad and Mac.It allows you to experience a cleaner, faster web - without ads. As a native Safari content blocking extension, Magic Lasso blocks intrusive ads, pop ups an... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #296: You Wouldn't Believe The Stuff I Know

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman joins Myke and Jason to discuss how Apple’s responding to the pandemic, the current state of iPhone development, and how he handles breaking major Apple news. Then Myke and Jason discuss the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, and... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Apple updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with new processors, Magic Keyboard

If the 16-inch MacBook Pro was too heavy for your liking, but the new MacBook Air too light on power, you’re now in luck: Apple has revamped its 13-inch MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard design, as well as a host of improved processor opti... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) SoundSource

My thanks once again to Rogue Amoeba and SoundSource for sponsoring Six Colors this week. SoundSource is a utility that gives you so much control over all the audio on your Mac, right from your menu bar. As Dan wrote about SoundSource about a year ago, ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

From cover to cover: Adventures in self-publishing

Back in the mid-’90s, my friend Jason 1 and I started up an online magazine devoted to fantasy and science-fiction. We originally set out distributing it on local bulletin boards as a self-contained app generated by a program called DOCMake... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

This is Tim: Transcript of Apple's Q2 2020 financial call

Every quarter, Apple releases its financial results and then executives spent about an hour on a conference call with analysts, making scripted statements and then answering a few handpicked questions. This is the transcript of that call.This transcript... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Apple to release Q2 2020 financial results amid global crisis

It’s Apple earnings day again, but this will be unlike all the other financial results reveals we’ve seen in recent years. Apple will be disclosing how it fared between January and March of this year, which will partially include the period wh... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #295: Leave the Podcast at the Beep

I forgot to post this earlier this week, but this was an especially good episode. Myke Hurley and I are the target audience for Apple’s new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, and we provided our full reviews. (And Myke trolls the Internet with five space ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #287: A Maritime Podcast

In this week’s episode, Lex makes a startling admission, Moltz finally has a new phone and Dan conducts some risky business.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #344: Surrounded by Chocolate and Distractions

This week, on the 30-minute tech podcast that’s working overtime from home, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Megan Morrone and James Thomson to discuss the last video or piece of media that impacted us, what if everyone unmuted their mics ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Wish List: Messages in-app translation

I don’t understand how we’ve gone all this time, including through a period where Apple was heavily pushing a Messages App Store, without being able to easily translate texts in Messages.iTranslate’s keyboard will do the trick—i... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Service Station brings control to Finder menus

Today I spent a few hours using Service Station, a new Mac utility by Peter Kamb. Not only is it great to see a brand-new Mac utility, but this one hits the sweet spot for me—it’s all about creating more useful contextual menus in the Find... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) SoundSource

SoundSource gives you powerful control over all the audio on your Mac, right from your menu bar:Per-Application Volume ControlChange the volume of any app relative to others, and play individual apps to different audio devices. Mute your browser, or s... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) Float

My thanks to Float for sponsoring Six Colors this week. Float is the world’s leading resource management software for agencies, studios, and firms. More than 3,000 teams globally, including Deloitte, M&C Saatchi, Ogilvy, and BuzzFeed use Float t... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Logitech Combo Touch review: Not so magic keyboard

It’s all keyboards and trackpads all the time these days, but if you don’t have one of the fancy new iPad Pro models released since 2018, such as that earlier 10.5-inch iPad Pro, then Apple’s fancy new Magic Keyboard is simply a non-st... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro review: Living the dream

My iPad use has grown over the years. In 2014 I was frustrated by its limitations, but had started experimenting with writing on an iPad with Bluetooth keyboard. The arrival of the iPad Pro in 2015 crossed a threshold, and the iPad rapidly replaced al... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #286: He's a Real Fixer-Upper

Dan has a new keyboard, Moltz’s long wait will soon be over and Lex had the media streaming power inside him all along.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #343: Allow Me to Interpret Gibberish

This week, on the 30-minute tech podcast that taunts the Earth, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Christopher Phin and Lisa Schmeiser to discuss the tech our current world situation has made us appreciate (or realize we don’t need), what ag... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #294: The Phone Was Full of Sawdust

Apple tweaks the Mac’s battery settings, a new iPhone SE arrives, the first reviews of the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro are in, and Apple’s over-ear AirPods seem to be creeping closer.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) Float

Float is the world’s leading resource management software for agencies, studios, and firms. More than 3,000 teams globally, including Deloitte, M&C Saatchi, Ogilvy, and BuzzFeed use Float to plan their projects and schedule their team’s ti... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) PowerPhotos

My thanks to Fat Cat Software’s PowerPhotos for once again sponsoring Six Colors this week.PowerPhotos is the ultimate toolbox for working with Apple’s Photos app for Mac. If you have photos scattered across multiple libraries that you want ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: Today's iPhone price spread

With the new iPhone SE being announced this week, I thought I’d chart out the current range of iPhones Apple is selling, organized by price and by the single spec that differentiates the different price levels within a single model—storage spa... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

The way MacBook batteries charge is about to change. Apple has released a new developer preview of macOS Catalina 10.15.5, and as these releases often do, it contains a new feature: Battery Health Management.The new feature, which will only be availa... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Quick Tip: Convert high-efficiency iPhone images to JPEG

I shared this tip in the Six Colors member Slack 1 not long ago, but it occurred to me as I used it again this morning that others might find it helpful.Prior to iOS 11, all Apple devices with cameras shot images as a bog-standard JPG. But after, m... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #342: I, Too, Am Concerned About My Isolation Beard

This week, on the 30-minute tech show that’s staying indoors, Dan and Mikah are joined by Jeremy Burge and Kathy Campbell to discuss how we organize our smartphone home screens, ways companies are pivoting in the wake of COVID-19, how our tech purch... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #285: I Become the Rotary Dial

Moltz makes a purchase but not the one you think. Dan is surrounded by speakers and Lex actually knows our advertiser!... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

iPhone SE gets redesigned with an A13 Bionic, adds Portrait Mode

The much rumored iPhone SE successor is rumor no longer. Apple took the wraps off the new low-cost smartphone on Wednesday, touting its A13 Bionic chip—the same that’s found in the top-of-the-line iPhone 11 series. The iPhone SE features... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) PowerPhotos

From the creator of iPhoto Library Manager, PowerPhotos is the ultimate toolbox for working with the new Photos app on your Mac. If you have photos scattered across multiple libraries that you want to merge together, have a library that you want to split ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #293: Opt In Your Face

Apple and Google join up to start tracing COVID-19 contacts, Apple makes a bunch of TV shows available to watch for free, Disney faces strong headwinds, and Bloomberg adds a bit of normalcy with a report about the next generation of iPhones. Then Myke at ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Fun With Charts: From iTunes to Apple TV+

In 2003 Apple launched the iTunes Music Store, transforming Apple from just a seller of hardware and software into a company that sells digital good son the Internet. At the time it seemed like an incremental step to make the iPod experience better—... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Use the digital services of your local library

[This piece is reprinted from the latest issue of our members-only newsletter. You should consider becoming a Six Colors member!]A lot of us are locked in our homes these days. You may be looking for something to read. And your local library is probably... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Use the digital services of your local library

A lot of us are locked in our homes these days. You may be looking for something to read. And your local library is probably closed—I know mine is.But I’ve got potentially good news! You may never have thought about it, but today’s lib... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

QuickTip: Screen share with anybody via Apple ID

Remote troubleshooting in this day and age is all the more important, but it can definitely be tricky at times. The other day I learned a handy tip that might save you some grief: you can request to share the screen of anybody whose Apple ID you know.M... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Review: Brydge Pro+ iPad keyboard with trackpad

Back in January, Brydge—the maker of my favorite iPad keyboard—announced that it was going to make a version with an included trackpad. I’ve finally gotten a shipping version of the Brydge Pro+, and have been able to use it with a 20... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #341: The Fiddliest of Fiddly Fiddlers

This week, on the 30-minute show that steals your time, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests Allison Sheridan and Devindra Hardawar to discuss remote troubleshooting tips, the most and least fiddly tech, how the open web benefited our learning, and ... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #284: Google Meat

Dan can’t draw, Moltz still doesn’t have a new phone and Lex doesn’t care about web camera quality.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #292: Don't Look Over There!

How will COVID-19 change the future of consumer technology? Why is Zoom the videoconferencing tool of the moment, and why has it had so many security and privacy issues? We ask the big questions this week, and also discuss Amazon’s ability to sell a... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) SoundSource

My thanks to Rogue Amoeba’s SoundSource for sponsoring Six Colors this week. SoundSource is a utility that gives you powerful control over all the audio on your Mac, right from your menu bar. Dan wrote about SoundSource about a year ago here on Si... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Clockwise #340: How Often Do I Have to Wash My Hair?

This week, on the 30-minute tech show that is trying to keep it down, Dan and Mikah are joined by special guests newly-independent Rene Ritchie and up-and-coming podcaster Leo Laporte to discuss whether Fitbit’s new wearable can take on the Apple Wa... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Rebound #283: I'm Just a Regular Steve Martin

This week, on the irreverent tech show that’s always social distancing, Moltz is still waiting for a new phone, Dan is drinking and Lex is getting sassy. These and other ways to pass the time at home.... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Zoom's misleading encryption claims are just the latest problem for the popular service

Damning report from Micah Lee and Yael Grauer at The Intercept on Zoom’s misleading encryption claims: Zoom, the video conferencing service whose use has spiked amid the Covid-19 pandemic, claims to implement end-to-end encryption, widely under... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Podcast) Upgrade #291: The Ugly Potatoes Are Used for Fries

Myke has taken possession of a “new” iPad Pro, so he and Jason compare notes and enter the Conspiracy Room to ponder why it exists. While they’re there, they also revisit the possibilities of ARM Macs and iPad versions of Apple’s p... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

(Sponsor) SoundSource

SoundSource gives you powerful control over all the audio on your Mac, right from your menu bar. Get control of audio on a per-application basis. Now you can change the volume of any app relative to others, and play individual apps to different audio de... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago

Beyond Compare is the file-comparison tool you need

Throughout my isolation-induced technology shenanigans, I’ve come across one tool that has proved absolutely critical in scanning through old hard drives: Scooter Software’s Beyond Compare. If you’ve got a need to compare folders, text... | Continue reading


@sixcolors.com | 4 years ago