We Bleed Six Colours

In business since 1984, opening our first Apple Centre in 1986 and with "KRCS, your local Apple experts" featuring in our advertising, we have and continue to work closely with Apple on all aspects of our business. That close working relationship helps ensure we know the products, from sales to support and repairs but, what about the wider Apple and tech landscape? How do our staff keep on top of what's going-on at events like the upcoming WWDC? How do our retail teams know about the great 3rd party accessories coming out for Macs and iPhones? And who doesn't love a bit of new product speculation and Apple-related scuttlebutt? We like to think we "bleed six colors".

Like everyone these days, we're reading websites, following people on social media and listening to podcasts to stay up to date on all the latest goings on in the world and specifically in tech and Apple news. In this post, we'll share what sites, which accounts and the shows that are going to give you the best insight in to the Apple-sphere. You might be aware of some, maybe even all but, for anyone wanting to keep up with the scene, these are the sources we love and want to share with you.

The grandaddy of the scene, MacWorld is a great starting point. From their origins as the Mac magazine of reference to their current home online at macworld.com, they have been sharing knowledge, guides, hints, tips and advice since their first issue back in 1984. There won't be much you'll miss by keeping an eye on their site now the magazine is no longer in print.

Another great aggregator of all things Apple are the team at macrumors.com. With their fingers on the pulse, they are a go-to for anyone who loves speculating on anything Apple-related. The latest news on anything Apple or Apple adjacent is there and their weekly news round-up email is a great way to stay in touch, without being overwhelmed.

In a similar vein but with a broader tech focus, the coverage at The Verge, both on their website and in their weekly podcast, is excellent and covers the wider world of tech as well as in-depth coverage of Apple and Apple events. MKBHD is also great for some edu-tainment with his YouTube product reviews and great tech coverage in the weekly Waveform podcast.

For those who want to go a little deeper down the rabbit-hole, or consider themselves old-hands in the world of Apple, hold on tight, cos here we go!

If you want the closest thing to a crystal ball or, you were one of those kids who found your Christmas presents at the back of your parents' wardrobes in November, then let us introduce you to Mark Gurman and Ming Chi Kuo. Gone are the days when Steve Jobs could get away with a surprise "One more thing.." reveal and it's mostly these two who can break the big stories before Tim Cook can even step on stage.

Now a lot of us are getting back in to the routine of commuting, podcasts can be a great way to fill the hours with some expert company (and for those with less time, check out the excellent Overcast and save hours with Smart Speed and high-speed playback!). We've already mentioned The Vergecast and Waveform by MKBHD but to get the deep dive, check out The Talkshow from John Gruber of the Daring Fireball blog fame. Long-form (regularly hitting 2-3 hours per show), covering Apple in real depth, the Talk Show with guests like Rene Ritchie (co-founder of imore.com) is up there with ATP (short for the Accidental Tech Podcast) for great tech-focussed chatter each week. The three ATP hosts, Marco Arment (creator of Overcast), John Siracusa and Casey Liss have a long history in Apple punditry and are great follows on social media as well as their blogs.

The excellent Relay.fm podcast network hosts a lot of tech and tech-adjacent podcasts with Connected (with hosts Federico Viticci of MacStories, Stephen Hackett and Myke Hurley the co-founders of Relay.fm) and Upgrade (hosted by Myke Hurley with Jason Snell of Six Colours and MacWorld) being weekly highlights. The two shows cover the latest in Apple and tech news with plenty of fun and the banter of old friends.

For more focus on the world of automation check out Automators (also at Relay). Coverage of anything from using Shortcuts to Keyboard Maestro as well as related gadgets from the likes of Aqara to Synology, it's a great way in to how your Apple devices can make you more productive and ensure you do less of the boring, repetitive stuff. The Mac Power Users, also hosted by Stephen Hacket (the guy behind 512pixels.net) and David Sparks (who you may recognise from Automators, with Rosemary Orchard), as the name suggests, is an insight in to some well-known Mac specialists. It zeros in on the software, hacks and hardware they use to get the most from their Apple devices in various professional settings.

Hopefully, you've found something or someone new to help keep you informed or entertained but, if you have any regular sites, podcasts or social media accounts that you think we've left out, give us a shout on Twitter or leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

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