Staying Ahead in the Info Game

ByMike Moffit

Here at Small Dog Manchester, we are especially nerdy when it comes to Apple products. We always want to know what is coming next, and sometimes what the competition is up to (I can not tell you how many times I have read the term “iOS Device-killer” on a blog). Recently, I thought our customers might want to know some of the blogs we read to stay ahead in the info game. For some of you, these may seem familiar, but if they’re new to you, its definitely worth checking them out.

Before we get to the sites though, I should offer a bit of a disclaimer. Most, if not all of these sites will report rumors about all types of products—especially Apple ones. At Small Dog, we maintain that “Unless Apple says something is happening, it is not happening.” Please read the posts about possible upcoming Apple products bearing that in mind. Secondly, several of these blogs cover jail breaking iOS devices. Small Dog in no way recommends or endorses doing this. If done improperly, you can be left with what we begrudgingly refer to as an iBrick.

Engadget

Engadget is an excellent website for all things tech. Apple is very well represented, and there are frequent posts about what is going on in Cupertino. Engadget provided liveblogs of Apple events long before Apple started streaming them. The site has hit or miss accuracy when it comes to reporting rumors. For instance, they nailed the price of the 2nd gen. Apple TV at $99, but missed by predicting 1080p streaming and an iPod form factor.

Gizmodo

This site acquired and released the very first pictures of the iPhone 4, and is another excellent website for all things tech. They connect to other sties like Lifehacker and Gawker which are also great sites for the technologically inclined. Gizmodo frequently posts tech deals on products such as TV’s and apps, and covers a broad range of tech related topics.

MacRumors and AppleInsider

Both of these sites offer news in addition to rumors. However, the basis of both sites is what Apple is going to do next. They also do a lot of reporting on competitors and their products. What sets MacRumors apart, is its forum section. People post about their products, rumors they have heard, and will often offer advice when people post about problems with their devices or computers. I used this area of the site a lot when working through issues with my iMac.

Cult of Mac

If Apple were a political party, this site would be James Carville. I really enjoy reading COM because they love Apple products and want everyone to know it. The site offers commentary on events and issues happening in and outside of Apple. They also offer some how-to’s and recommendations for apps, and deals related to Apple products.

If you want to see all of these websites, but without traveling to different pages and you own an iOS device, I’d suggest a news feed app. I am currently using Pulse (Free), but I have also used FLUD to some success. Pulse just looks better to me and the input of the news feeds is a lot simpler.

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