I was a listener of Hypercritical, it’s a show that I consider to be my favourite podcast of all time. John Siracusa is completely responsible for this, due to his meticulous planning and research. It was wonderful.

As pointed out on the most recent episode of Reconcilable Differences, it was on Hypercritical that John created the concept of Follow Up, as a means of continuing a previously discussed topic, or correcting things from a previous episode.

This term – and the idea behind it – has become a pillar of the format in which many podcasts (especially those that are technology focussed) rely on. Not just the name, but the idea of starting a show this way.

However over time – because of its prolific use – I had forgotten that John had first discussed it. I did not recall Hypercritical’s beginnings, nor did I recall the episode of Hypercritical in which he discussed this.

So I would like to take this moment to thank John for creating something that I rely on, apologise for not adequately crediting him, and also to note that from now on, whenever I conduct Follow Up on any of my shows, that I will think of him.

Mr. Siracusa, thank you for your service to podcasting

On the last day or two of WWDC, there are lots of blog posts written. Some people talk about the more technical things that they have seen during the week, and some post about how their WWDC experience has made them feel.

This post is the latter.

I attended my first WWDC in 2013. So 2016 marks my fourth trip to San Francisco. In 2013, I had just joined Dan Benjamin’s 5by5 network, and was beginning to move my existing shows there. Stephen Hackett and Matt Alexander were pretty much responsible for me in that first year. They had both attended events like Macworld in the past, so they knew a little about the area, and had helped plan out some events and activities during the week.

One of the things that I will never forget on this trip was a party/podcast recording that iMore was hosting on the Monday evening of the week. This event was hosted at 111 Minna Gallery, and as well as trying Google Glass for the first time, I met a lot of people that would later become friends and colleagues.

I have vivid memories of being at Minna and seeing Marco Arment, John Siracusa, Dan Benjamin, John Gruber, Jason Snell, Merlin Mann, and others walk in to the event and spend time talking to people. I introduced myself to everyone, and even had some pictures taken, which Google Photos reminded me to take a look at a couple of days ago. (I had met Casey Liss the night before at the Chieftan, but he doesn’t remember this.)

That night at Minna was the realisation of a dream that began in 2005. After I got my first Mac, I was totally sucked in to the world of Apple blogging and podcasting. Like so many people I voraciously consumed Apple news and articles, hoping that the things that I was writing at the time could some day live up to this. Up until 2010, I had tried and failed many times to make writing a habit, but it never stuck. But starting my journey to become a podcaster was one that really felt right.

From 2010 to 2013, I worked to try and establish myself as a podcaster in the Apple space, and I had luckily started to make connections with the people I admired; the same people that I ended up meeting for the first time at 111 Minna that night.

Fast forward to 2016. This week we held the first ever RelayCon WWDC. This is an idea that we’ve been working on to try and host live shows and meetups wherever we can, with the first being in Atlanta. WWDC week is the perfect time to have an event like this as so many of our hosts, friends, and listeners are in town.

Stephen did a fantastic job of arranging the event. The logistics of a thing like this are way more than you would expect, but he managed it perfectly. When I walked in to the room I was totally blown away. The stage was set up at the far end of the room, with rows of seats stretching out from there. There were strings of lights spanning the ceiling, and a stocked bar at the side. The space was perfect.

It wasn’t until I stood on the stage and looked at all of this, that it dawned on me that the room I remember so fondly at 111 Minna Gallery was next door to the space we were in. I knew that we were in the same venue of course, but I hadn’t yet put the significance of the two things together in my mind.

Our event was pretty close to perfect for me. It was so much fun to be able to take to the stage with my co-hosts and friends, and also to drop some surprises too. Considering this was our first event of this size and scale, I think we did a pretty good job.

This whole week has felt very different to me than any other year. By now, I’m really happy with how Relay FM has grown to become an important part of the tapestry of the industry that I have loved for so long. It’s been so much fun to meet those who enjoy the work that we do. People from all over the world, from all walks of life. This is one of the reasons I’ll always keep coming back to San Francisco in June.

On this trip I have had the pleasure of being the guide for some of my friends, in the same way that Stephen and Matt were for me. This was the first time that Federico Viticci and CGP Grey had made the trip to WWDC. And being able to plan out events and activities for us all, has made for some truly special moments that I’ll never forget. As time has gone on, I have found myself in a situation that the majority of my closest friends are spread out across the world. Events like this allow for me to spend time with the people I care about most, on top of being able to make new connections, and meet the people who enjoy what I do.

It’s been a really strange road for me over the last few years, but strange in the best possible way. I consider myself to be a very fortunate person. I have worked hard to get myself here, but I know that there must be a combination of these things.

Turns out™, that 111 Minna Gallery is always going to be a special place for me.

(My thanks to Marco Arment for the amazing photos of RelayCon linked in this post)

Like John, I think I first came across MacStories after All Things Digital referred to the site as an enthusiast blog. There was a lot of hullabaloo about correct attribution of links because of this, but the real benefit for all of us that day was the increased spotlight on Macstories.

Federico’s site then found its way in to my RSS reader, and I was a fan from then on. Over the next few years I petitioned Federico to start a podcast with me, and I was so happy when he finally agreed. I am very lucky that I get to host two fantastic shows with Federico now, on Relay FM.

Federico Viticci is one of the very best people I know. He works so hard to do his best every time he touches his fingers on the glass of an iPad. His reviews are incredible endurance tests, and has an incredible willingness to share such personal things in the pursuit of a great article.

Today, Federico has done it again. Instead of just writing his iOS 10 wish list, he went ahead and commissioned a video to be made. I have seen the progression of this project, and I am floored at the execution. Federico and Sam have done something amazing, and I wish that I could use ticciOS today.

In the seven years that Federico has been running MacStories, he has transformed it from a side-project, to become one of the most influential Apple sites on the web today. I could not be prouder of a man I am lucky to call one of my best friends.

Complimenti Federico. Ti voglio bene, amico mio

By this point, my love of the Apple Pencil has been well documented, and it is now an essential part of the iPad experience for me.

I use my Apple Pencil for taking notes, sketching out ideas, and for navigating the iOS user interface. The latter use of my Apple Pencil is the one that’s most important to me. After having used a Wacom tablet on a Mac for the last 6-8 months, I have come to truly appreciate the benefits of pen input. The fact that the Apple Pencil lets me do this, is easily my favourite use of the device.

As with most devices that I love, I have taken it upon myself to make some customisations to it, and the iPad Pro it is connected to.

1) Fisher Space Pen Clip

From the moment I first saw the Apple Pencil, I knew that rolling would be an issue. This thing is a perfect cylinder, and even though it’s weighted nicely, it can still roll a little further than intended when placed down on a surface.

The Fisher Space Pen clip fits perfectly around the body of the Apple Pencil, and will stop the pencil from rolling when placed. It is also possible to use this to clip the pencil on to something, but I don’t recommend doing this. This clip can slip off the pencil, so I would recommend only using it as a device to prevent unintentional movement.

2) Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop

Where do you store your Apple Pencil? It’s not possible to store it inside the iPad Pro. None of Apple’s cases or covers provide you with a place to store it. So where does it go?

Wherever my iPad Pro goes, I want the Pencil to be with it. So to make sure I didn’t have yet another thing to remember, I decided that I had to find a way to attach the Pencil to the iPad. And that’s when I came across the Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop.

It is well known that I love to put stickers on my devices, so I had no issue using putting this pen loop on the back of my iPad(s) Pro. I love it because I always know where my Pencil is when it’s not in my hand, and this is a great gateway drug in to joining the Sticker Club 😝.

3) dbrand Apple Pencil Skin

Whilst we are talking about stickers, when I was sent a link to this dbrand Apple Pencil skin my brain nearly exploded. I purchased one pretty much immediately, and now my Apple Pencil looks like an old-school HB pencil.

Aside from making my pencil look way cooler, this skin does add a little more grip to it. I wished that Apple offered the Pencil in more colours to match the looks of the iPads that they sell, but until then this will do nicely.

This is my list as it stands currently. I am interested in maybe checking out some bags or sleeves for the iPad Pro that incorporate the pencil in some way, but right now this set works great for me.

I just want to say one more time that I love my Apple Pencil. Because I do.

💟✏️