- Affärsnyheter
- Alternativ hälsa
- Amerikansk fotboll
- Andlighet
- Animering och manga
- Astronomi
- Barn och familj
- Basket
- Berättelser för barn
- Böcker
- Buddhism
- Dagliga nyheter
- Dans och teater
- Design
- Djur
- Dokumentär
- Drama
- Efterprogram
- Entreprenörskap
- Fantasysporter
- Filmhistoria
- Filmintervjuer
- Filmrecensioner
- Filosofi
- Flyg
- Föräldraskap
- Fordon
- Fotboll
- Fritid
- Fysik
- Geovetenskap
- Golf
- Hälsa och motion
- Hantverk
- Hinduism
- Historia
- Hobbies
- Hockey
- Hus och trädgård
- Ideell
- Improvisering
- Investering
- Islam
- Judendom
- Karriär
- Kemi
- Komedi
- Komedifiktion
- Komediintervjuer
- Konst
- Kristendom
- Kurser
- Ledarskap
- Life Science
- Löpning
- Marknadsföring
- Mat
- Matematik
- Medicin
- Mental hälsa
- Mode och skönhet
- Motion
- Musik
- Musikhistoria
- Musikintervjuer
- Musikkommentarer
- Näringslära
- Näringsliv
- Natur
- Naturvetenskap
- Nyheter
- Nyhetskommentarer
- Personliga dagböcker
- Platser och resor
- Poddar
- Politik
- Relationer
- Religion
- Religion och spiritualitet
- Så gör man
- Sällskapsspel
- Samhälle och kultur
- Samhällsvetenskap
- Science fiction
- Sexualitet
- Simning
- Självhjälp
- Skönlitteratur
- Spel
- Sport
- Sportnyheter
- Språkkurs
- Stat och kommun
- Ståupp
- Tekniknyheter
- Teknologi
- Tennis
- TV och film
- TV-recensioner
- Underhållningsnyheter
- Utbildning
- Utbildning för barn
- Verkliga brott
- Vetenskap
- Vildmarken
- Visuell konst
Om podden
AppStories is a weekly exploration of the world of apps by MacStories’ Federico Viticci and John Voorhees. Each week, they discuss the best new apps, the impact of apps on our culture, and cover the stories behind popular apps. Hosted by Federico Viticci and John Voorhees.
The podcast AppStories is created by Federico Viticci, John Voorhees. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Avsnitt
iOS 18 App Updates We Love
This week, Federico and John share their favorite app updates that take advantage of what’s new in iOS 18.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Karo – The first of its kind task manager focused on delegating tasks via messaging apps. The first 50 listeners can get 50% off a 1-year subscription here.
- Celtreos – The shoot-em-up game with tiny ships, big weapons, waves of foes, power-ups and obstacles.
Links and Show Notes
AppStories+ Subscriber Pre-Show
Visit AppStories.com to learn more about the extended, high bitrate audio version of AppStories that is delivered early each week and subscribe.
- First Look: Logitech’s MX Creative Console Is Poised to Compete with Elgato’s Stream Deck Lineup
- First Look: Logitech’s MX Creative Console
- Related:
- Also mentioned
- The Meta Orion AR Glasses
iOS 18 App Updates We Love
- Paku
- GoodLinks
- Also mentioned:
- Play
- Shareshot
- SwitchBuddy - Control Mark
- Remind Me Faster
- Ticci Tabs
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macOS Sequoia: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John cover the highlights of macOS Sequoia, a good update that feels unfinished.
Links and Show Notes
macOS Sequoia: The MacStories Review
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iOS and iPadOS 18: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John tackle Apple’s updates to iOS and iPadOS 18 and Federico’s review of both.
In a special AppStories+ segment available as a special review season perk to all listeners, Federico explains what led him to take a different approach to this year’s annual review.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Try it for free.
Links and Show Notes
AppStories+ Pre-Show
iOS and iPadOS 18: The MacStories Review
- iOS and iPadOS 18: The MacStories Review
- iPadOS 18’s Smart Script: A Promising Start But Don’t Toss Out Your Keyboard Yet
- Coming Tuesday:
- watchOS 11: The MacStories Review
- macOS 15 Sequoia: The MacStories Review
- Coming Wednesday:
- visionOS 2: The MacStories Review
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Productivity Powerhouses (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John finish their tour of the apps they use for work and play to be productive.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Help Your Clients Monetize Their Passion
Links and Show Notes
Productivity Powerhouses (Part 2)
- Follow-Up
- Read Later, Automation, Media, and More
- Federico
- Readwise Reader
- Clip from AltStore on iOS
- Shortcuts
- Sofa
- Unwatched and Play for video
- John
- Federico
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Productivity Powerhouses (Part 1)
This week, in part 1 of a two part series, Federico and John explore the note-taking, task management, and RSS readers that make them more productive.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sentry – Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Try it for free.
Links and Show Notes
Productivity Powerhouses: Note-Taking, Task Management, and RSS Readers
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The Future of Apps
This week, Federico and John celebrate episode 400 by considering what the future will hold for apps 400 more episodes from now.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Balance – A thoughtfully designed personal finance and budgeting app from one of our own Club MacStories members.
Links and Show Notes
Follow Up
The Future of Apps
- The Atomization of Apps
- Glasses and Audio Widgets
- Related:
- Web Apps
- More Alternative App Stores
- Related:
- Apple Announces New Changes to the Browser Choice Screen and Default Apps on iOS and iPadOS in the EU
- European Commission Preliminarily Finds That Apple Has Violated the Digital Markets Act
- Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 17.4 with Major Safari and App Store Changes in the EU, Transcripts for Podcasts, New Emoji, and More
- Understanding Apple’s Response to the DMA
- Related:
- App Customization
- Will the Digital Hub Change?
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Hardware Ideas Apple Should Steal
This week, Federico and John look at the gadget landscape to find inspiration for expanding Apple’s hardware lineup.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Help Your Clients Monetize Their Passion
Links and Show Notes
App Store Fees and What’s Going on with Patreon
- Apple adds nearly endless 20 percent fee for developers in latest EU update
- Apple relents and approves Spotify app with EU pricing
- Patreon Lays Out How It Will Deal with Apple’s Insistence That It Use App Store In-App Purchases - MacStories
Hardware Ideas for Apple
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
- Review: Microsoft Surface Pro (11th Edition, 2024)
- Apple’s Mac Mini With M4 Chip Will Be Its Smallest Computer Ever
- Intel Introduces Thunderbolt 5 Connectivity Standard
- The first Thunderbolt 5 cables are here, but there’s barely anything to plug in
- The ZenScreen Fold OLED MQ17QH portable display brings unbounded on-the-go versatility
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Rethinking Podcast Apps
This week, Federico and John rethink podcast apps, exploring why it’s such a tricking category to get right for the greatest number of users.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – the place to get apps. Use the code appstories20 at checkout for 20% off.
Links and Show Notes
Rethinking Podcast Players
- Apps Discussed
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watchOS 11 Preview
This week, John is joined by Jonathan to preview watchOS 11, which is one of the most feature packed OSes being updated this fall.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – the place to get apps. Use the code appstories20 at checkout for 20% off.
- MusicHarbor – New Music From Your Favorite Artists and Record Labels.
Links and Show Notes
watchOS 11 Preview
- watchOS 11: The MacStories Public Beta Preview
- Topics Covered:
- Smart Stack and Live Activities
- Interactive widgets
- Topics Covered:
- Health and Fitness
- Training Load
- Other apps mentioned
- Vitals
- Pausing Goals
- Fitness app customization on iOS
- Training Load
- Watch Faces
- Suggested photos for watch face
- Translation
- Similar to iOS app in functionality
- Cycle Tracking
- Maps adds hikes in US national parks
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macOS Sequoia Preview
This week, John tours the highlights of the macOS Sequoia public beta.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – the place to get apps. Use the code appstories20 at checkout for 20% off.
Links and Show Notes
macOS Sequoia
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iOS and iPadOS 18 Preview
This week, Federico and John run down the highlights of the iOS and iPadOS 18 public betas that were released today.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 15% off today with code APPSTORIES15
- Setapp – the place to get apps. Use the code appstories20 at checkout for 20% off.
Links and Show Notes
The iOS and iPadOS 18 Public Betas
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A Feature-Packed Fall
This week, Federico and John cover the developer features they’re excited to see come to third-party apps later this year?
This episode is sponsored by:
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- Notion: Start turning ideas into action. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Features for the Fall
- Related Developer Sessions
- App Intents
- Core ML
- Translation API
- SwiftUI
- AccessorySetupKit
- Journal API
- Embedded Swift
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The Tip Jar
This week, Federico and John share tips on iPadOS, macOS, RSS, cross-platform file transfers, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sofa – Be More Intentional with Your Downtime.
Links and Show Notes
Tip Jar
- The easiest way to manage multiple windows for the same app using iPadOS
- Managing your Mac’s Downloads folder with DropOver
- Managing headphone volume alerts on iOS
- Simpler laptop backups
- Using hyperlinks in Mail
- Moving files cross-platform with Tailscale
- Easier pasting on iOS
- Managing RSS feeds by creating a Feedbin starred feed to use with Readwise Reader, Matter, or DEVONthink
- Quick capture with Quick Note
- Managing social media posts with EchoFeed and creating an RSS feed from bookmarked Mastodon posts
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Rethinking Email
This week, Federico and John attempt to clear up confusion about MacStories’ position on AI web crawlers before rethinking email apps in light of the update to Apple’s Mail app coming this fall.
This episode is sponsored by:
- ScreenCastsONLINE: Get The Most Out of Your Apple Devices. Save 20% on your plan.
Links and Show Notes
AI Follow-Up
- [How We’re Trying to Protect MacStories from AI Bots and Web Crawlers – And How You Can, Too](https://www.macstories.net/stories/ways-you-can-protect-your-website-from-ai-web-crawlers/)
- [Wired Confirms Perplexity Is Bypassing Efforts by Websites to Block Its Web Crawler](https://www.macstories.net/stories/wired-confirms-perplexity-is-bypassing-efforts-by-websites-to-block-its-web-crawler/)
Rethinking Email
- Apps Discussed
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The Pizza Is the Model
This week, Federico and John recap WWDC week with more on their early testing of the iOS and iPadOS 18 betas and an in-depth conversation about why they are disappointed with Apple’s decision to train its large language models on the Open Web.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion: Start turning ideas into action. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
WWDC Recap
- Related:
Apple’s Large Language Models
- Opting Out of AI Model Training
- Apple Details Its AI Foundation Models and Applebot Web Scraping
- Apple Intelligence: The MacStories Overview
- Also:
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WWDC 2024: The AppStories Interviews with ADA and Swift Student Challenge Distinguished Winners
Today, for a special episode of AppStories recorded at Apple Park, Federico and John interview ADA winners Devin Davies, the maker of Crouton, Katarina Lotrič and Jasna Krmelj from Gentler Streak, and James Cuda and Michael Shaw of Procreate, plus Adelaide Humez and Dezmond Blair, Distinguished Winners of Apple’s Swift Student Challenge.
This episode is sponsored by:
- 1Password Extended Access Management – Secure Every Sign-In for Every App on Every Device
Links and Show Notes
Today’s episode is available on the MacStories YouTube Channel too
2024 Apple Design Award Winner Winner Interviews
- Devin Davies (Crouton)
- Katarina Lotrič and Jasna Krmelj (Gentler Streak)
- James Cuda and Michael Shaw (Procreate Dreams)
- Related:
2024 Swift Student Challenge Distinguished Winners
- Dezmond Blair
- Dezmond is a student at the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit. His app marries his passion for biking and the outdoors with technology, which creates an immersive experience.
- Adelaide Humez
- Adelaide is a high school student from Lille, France. Her winning app allows users to create a journal of their dreams, based on emotions.
- Adelaide’s app: Egretta
- Related:
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WWDC 2024: Intelligence Briefings
For the latest WWDC episode of AppStories, Federico is joined by Myke Hurley to talk about the Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence before John pops up with some AI tidbits and a WWDC vibe check from in and around Apple Park.
This episode is sponsored by:
- 1Password Extended Access Management – Secure Every Sign-In for Every App on Every Device
Links and Show Notes
visionOS 2 and Apple Intelligence
Related Coverage:
The Latest WWDC Coverage on MacStories
- A Look at Code Completion and Swift Assist Coming in Xcode 16
- Apple Announces New Features Coming to Its Services This Fall
- tvOS 18: The MacStories Overview
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WWDC 2024: Keynote First Impressions
For this special episode of AppStories, Federico is joined by Jonathan and Niléane live in the Club MacStories+ Discord community to share their first impressions of the WWDC 2024 Keynote.
This episode is sponsored by:
- 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device.
Links and Show Notes
MacStories’ Coverage So Far
- iOS and iPadOS 18: The MacStories Overview
- watchOS 11: The MacStories Overview
- macOS Sequoia: The MacStories Overview
- visionOS 2: The MacStories Overview
- Audio and Home: The MacStories Overview
- Apple Announces Vision Pro Launching in More Countries Later This Month
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Final WWDC 2024 Preparations and Predictions
Recorded live in the Club MacStories Discord, Federico share their final preparations and plans for WWDC 2024 along with some last-minute predictions.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 15% off today with code APPSTORIES15.
- 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device.
Links and Show Notes
Preparations for WWDC
- What’s in my WWDC 2024 Bag?
- Review Preparation
- Context for our Predictions
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Our 2024 watchOS and tvOS WWDC Wishes, Plus Two New Podcasts
This week, Federico and John introduce Comfort Zone and NPC: Next Portable Console, two new MacStories podcasts and share their wishes for watchOS and tvOS updates.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Raycast – A collection of powerful productivity tools all within an extendable launcher. Fast, ergonomic and reliable.
Links and Show Notes
Two New MacStories Podcasts
- Comfort Zone
- Hosts:
- Christopher Lawley
- Niléane Dorffer
- Matt Birchler
- Art: Scout Wilkinson
- Music: Will LaPorte
- Subscribe: [subscribe_to_cz]
- Hosts:
- NPC: Next Portable Console
- Hosts:
- Brendon Bigley
- Federico Viticci
- John Voorhees
- Art: Brendon Bigley
- Music: Will LaPorte
- Subscribe: [subscribe_to_npc]
- Hosts:
watchOS Wishes
- Related coverage:
tvOS Wishes
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Our 2024 macOS and visionOS WWDC Wishes
This week, Federico and John continue their annual wishlists with a look at macOS and visionOS.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Raycast – A collection of powerful productivity tools all within an extendable launcher. Fast, ergonomic and reliable.
- Notion – Start turning ideas into action. Try it free today.
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 15% off today with code APPSTORIES15
Links and Show Notes
Our 2024 macOS and visionOS WWDC Wishes
- Our macOS Wishes
- Notifications
- Alerts
- Finder
- Stage Manager
- System Settings
- Music
- TestFlight
- Shortcuts
- Our visionOS Wishes
- The Developer Strap
- Multitasking
- Better Voice Control
- iPad Virtualization
- Environments
- Apple Pencil Pro
- More Native Apps
- Software OPtimizations
- Home Screen Changes
- Wi-Fi Performance
- Support for Mice
- Multiple Desktops
- Related:
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Our 2024 iOS and iPadOS WWDC Wishes
This week, Federico and John kick off their annual WWDC wishes episodes with a conversation about the changes they’d like to see made to iOS and iPadOS 18.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Things: a beautiful native app for Apple Vision Pro.
Links and Show Notes
Our iOS and iPadOS 18 Wishes for WWDC
- Context:
- Also mentioned:
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The Trouble with iPadOS
This week, Federico and John examine iPadOS and the ways it has failed to get the basics right.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Celtreos – The shoot-em-up game with tiny ships, big weapons, waves of foes, power-ups and obstacles.
Links and Show Notes
The Trouble with iPadOS
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A Roomful of Suits: AltStore and Delta with Riley Testut
This week, Federico and John are joined by Riley Testut for a conversation about the history of AltStore from side-loaded app to official alternative app marketplace in the EU and Delta’s dominance of the Top Free App chart in the US and elsewhere.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Tailscale: Secure remote access to shared resources. Sign up today.
- Notion: Start turning ideas into action. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
An Interview with Riley Testut
- AltStore
- Follow Riley and Shane’s work:
- Riley and Shane’s Patreon
- Riley Testut on Mastodon and Threads
- Shane Gill on Mastodon and Threads
- MacStories coverage:
- Other coverage:
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Apple's Swift Student Challenge
This week, Federico and John are joined by Susan Prescott, vice president of developer relations, education, and enterprise at Apple, along with 2024 Swift Student Challenge winners Harshitha Rajesh and Roscoe Rubin-Rottenberg to talk about the challenge and the students’ projects. Then, John is joined by Finn Voorhees and Ellie O’Sullivan, past winners of the Swift Student Challenge who share their advice about participating in the program and getting started with Swift.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DetailsPro – Design with SwiftUI, no coding required.
Links and Show Notes
Student Interviews with Susan Prescott, Harshitha Rajesh, and Roscoe Rubin-Rottenberg
- Swift Student Challenge
- Coding Resources
- Swift Playgrounds
- Swift.org Getting Started
- 100 Days of Swift
- Introducing SwiftUI
- Harvard CS50 course
- Other Apple Coding Resources
Interviews with Past Swift Student Challenge Winners
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Obsidian Setup Check-In
This week, Federico and John revisit their Obsidian systems, themes, and favorite plugins.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Genius Scan – A scanner in your pocket.
- Jam: Developer-friendly bug reports in 1 click.
Links and Show Notes
An Obsidian Check-In
- Our Systems
- John
- A shallow system of numbered folders organized by areas, projects, and related notes
- Johnny Decimal system
- A separate vault for the MacStories GitHub repos
- A shallow system of numbered folders organized by areas, projects, and related notes
- Federico
- Working files stored in the root folder with a series of Archive folders for older material, reference folders, and Templates
- Obsidian Sync across platforms
- Properties for organization and integration with Things
- My Obsidian Template Setup Powered by Shortcuts, Things, and the Actions App
- John
- Our Themes
- Federico
- John
- Minimal and testing Border
- Plugins
- Federico
- MacStories Plugins
- Club MacStories Plugins
- Footnote Shortcut
- Settings Search
- Home Tab
- Templater
- Actions for Obsidian
- Commander
- John
- Federico
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A Classic Mac Pick 2
This week on AppStories, Federico and John return with a classic Pick 2 episode focused on the Mac.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Jam: Developer-friendly bug reports in 1 click.
- Notion: Start turning ideas into action. Try it free today.
- Tailscale: Secure remote access to shared resources. Sign up today.
Links and Show Notes
A Classic Mac Pick 2
- rcmd
- via Link Dump #3
- Keep It
- MacWhisper
- Fork
- Lightning Round of Safari Extensions
- John
- Federico
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Are We Entering a Post-App World?
This week, Federico and John explore whether we’re experiencing the beginning of the end of apps and consider what might replace them.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Genius Scan – A scanner in your pocket.
- Jam – Developer friendly bug reports in 1 click.
Links and Show Notes
Are We Entering a Post-App World?
- Trends that may point to a post-app world:
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Why the DOJ Claims Apple Is a Monopoly
This week, Federico and John explain what’s going on with the US Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Apple that claims the iPhone-maker is monopolizing the smartphone market.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Copilot Money – The best money tracker, with native iOS and Mac apps. Try it free.
- Jam – Developer friendly bug reports in 1 click.
- Tailscale – Secure remote access to shared resources. Sign up today.
Links and Show Notes
The US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Complaint Against Apple
- Understanding the DOJ’s Antitrust Complaint Against Apple
- Additional Reading:
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Shortcuts Wishlist (2024 Edition)
This week, Federico and John take a hard look at Shortcuts to discuss what needs fixing and the new features they hope to see Apple announce at WWDC this year.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
- Jam: Developer friendly bug reports in 1 click.
- Notion: Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Ruminate
Shortcuts Wishlist
- iOS and iPadOS 17: The MacStories Review
- macOS Sonoma: The MacStories Review
- AppleScript: Shortcuts Bridge or Crutch?
- MacStories Starter Pack: Introducing Obsidian Shortcut Launcher, A Free Plugin to Trigger Shortcuts from Obsidian
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Why'd You Download That?
This week, Federico and John take a look at their latest app downloads on a variety of Apple devices.
This episode is sponsored by:
- TelemetryDeck – privacy-first app analytics and usage data that’s not evil. Get 3 month free for any paid plan with checkout code APPSTORIES (new customers only)
- Jam – Developer friendly bug reports in 1 click.
Links and Show Notes
Why’d You Download That?
- Empty Fasting
- Chronicling
- Also Mentioned: Tempo
- Speechify
- Also Mentioned: NaturalReader
- Shonen Jump
- Table of Contents
- Windora
- PastePal
- Tower and Kaleidoscope
- Also Mentioned: Working Copy
- Text Workflow
- Prologue
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Examining Apple App and OS Design Trends
This week, Federico and John examine Apple’s Sports and Journal apps and visionOS for clues to what their designs may mean for the next major revisions of Apple’s OSes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Help Your Clients Monetize Their Passion
Links and Show Notes
Examining Apple App and OS Design Trends
- Sports
- Journal
- visionOS
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Introducing the MacPad
This week, Federico introduces the world to the MacPad, a hybrid Mac/iPad that he built from an M2 MacBook Air and 11" iPad Pro, and John quizzes him on the build process, software involved, and what it’s like to use.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts: Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Nom Nom: Healthy, fresh food for dogs formulated by top Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists. Prepped in our kitchens with free delivery to your door. Get 50% off.
- Notion: Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
The MacPad
- MacPad - How I Created the Hybrid Mac-iPad Laptop and Tablet That Apple Won’t Make
- The Hardware and Accessories
- M2 MacBook Air (13", 1 TB model)
- 11" iPad Pro (4th gen.)
- Rolling Square Edge Pro Core magnetic clips
- iFixit toolkit
- PopSocket (PopGrip)
- ESR cover for iPad Pro
- JETech sleeve for 13" laptops
- GL-iNet Beryl AX3000 portable router
- CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt dock
- 90-degree angled USB-C connector
- GameSir G8 Galileo game controller
- Apps Mentioned:
- Luke Miani’s headless MacBook Air video
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Apple Vision Pro Entertainment Apps
This week, Federico and John share some of their favorite visionOS entertainment apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Help Your Clients Monetize Their Passion
- Porkbun – Get $1 off your next domain name with the code APPDEVFOO1.
Links and Show Notes
Vision Pro Entertainment Apps
- Federico’s Apps
- John’s Apps
- NowPlaying
- OneCast
- Blackbox for Vision
- Stak!
- Compatibility Mode Games
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Exploring visionOS
This week, Federico and John move on from hardware to explore visionOS, where it hits, where it misses, and what they’d like to see in the future from the OS.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Paste – Endless clipboard for Mac and iOS devices
- Crouton – A home for your favorite recipes from wherever you find them
Links and Show Notes
Exploring visionOS
- Discover visionOS
- Learn about visionOS
- Designing for visionOS
- Blackbox: Rebooting an inventive puzzle game for visionOS
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Apple Vision Pro: Hardware First Impressions
This week, Federico and John tell the story of how Federico got his Apple Vision Pro before sharing their first impressions of the Vision Pro hardware.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
- Bills to Budget – Get your Bills paid on time and your Budgets under control, with Bills to Budget!
- 1Blocker – Enjoy websites without distractions
Links and Show Notes
All Roads Lead to Rome Via Cincinnati
- The story of how Federico’s Apple Vision Pro made it from North Carolina to Rome
Apple Vision Pro Hardware First Impressions
- Apple Vision Pro Travel Case
- Syntech Hard Carrying Case in medium
- 30.5-inch Wood Curved Lap Desk Table Tray with Handles
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Digging into the DMA
This week, Federico and John consider how Apple’s response to the Digital Markets Act will change the world of apps for developers and users in the EU.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion: Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Digging into the DMA
- Understanding Apple’s Response to the DMA
- Apple Shares List of Alternate Browsers That Will Be Available to EU Users in iOS 17.4
- Apple Details How It Plans to Comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act
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Workflow Experiments
This week, Federico and John Federico and John explore workflows they’ve been trying in a variety of apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful - Help your clients monetize their passion. Get started for free today!
Links and Show Notes
Workflow Experiments
- John’s Obsidian Note Organization System
Federico Experiments with: - Omnivore - Apple Podcasts at 1.2x speed - Journal - MacStories review
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Apple Vision Pro Preparations, Questions, and Apps
This week, Federico and John kick Apple Vision Pro preparations into high gear, sharing the questions they still have about the device and discussing the apps developers are working on.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
- Nom Nom – Healthy, fresh food for dogs formulated by top Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists. Prepped in our kitchens with free delivery to your door. Get 50% off.
Links and Show Notes
Magic Rays of Light Joins MacStories
- Magic Rays of Light Joins MacStories
- We Are Bringing Magic Rays of Light, Our Podcast about Apple TV, to MacStories
Vision Pro
- Our Apple Vision Pro coverage last week:
- Apple Details Vision Pro’s Launch Day Entertainment Options
- New Apple Vision Pro Hands-On Accounts From Engadget and The Verge
- A Survey of Popular Apps Currently Compatible With Apple Vision Pro
- Every Apple Vision Pro Accessory Option
- Apple Releases a Guided Tour of Vision Pro and Shares a Making Of Video
- Apps We’re Looking Forward to Trying:
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Magic Rays of Light Joins MacStories, Plus Our Favorite Media Tracking Apps
This week, Federico and John are joined by Sigmund Judge and Devon Dundee, the hosts of Magic Rays of Light, a weekly show that explores the world of Apple TV and Apple Arcade, which has joined MacStories, to discuss the show’s move to MacStories as well as tvOS and the apps we use to track media.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
Links and Show Notes
Magic Rays of Light Joins MacStories
- Visit macstories.net on Monday, January 15th for more about Magic Rays of Light joining MacStories.
Media Tracking Apps
- Apps Covered
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The Return of the Classic Pick 2
This week, Federico and John pick two apps they’ve been enjoying recently.
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- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
A Classic Pick 2
-
John’s Picks
- Natural Reader
- Also mentioned: Every Word
- MirrorPlay
- Natural Reader
-
Federico’s Picks
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[[include: appstories_subscri
Fixing the Share Sheet
This week, Federico and John rethink the share sheet and other ways Apple’s platforms share data.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc – Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
MacStories is on Threads
Fixing the Share Sheet
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The 2023 MacStories Selects Awards
This week, Federico and John introduce the annual MacStories Selects award winners.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes
The 2023 MacStories Selects Awards
- MacStories Selects 2023: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Pixelmator
- Best New App: Orion
- Runners Up: Chronicling
- TotK Travel Guide
- Best App Update: Sequel 2.0
- Runner Up: Longplay 2.0
- Best New Feature: Things’ Shortcuts support
- Runner Up: Mercury Weather Trip Forecasts
- Best Design: Mercury Weather
- Runner Up: Matter
- Best Watch App: Broadcasts
- Runner Up: Flighty
- Best Mac App: Mimestream
- Runner Up: Bartender 5
- Readers’ Choice: Ivory
- App of the Year: Widgetsmith
- Runner Up: Ivory
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What If?: Exploring Alternative Apple Timelines
This week Federico and John explore alternative Apple timelines by asking the question: What if?
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- Dropzone 4 – The essential drag and drop productivity enhancer.
Links and Show Notes
What If?: Exploring Alternative Apple Timelines
- What if the iPod had never been released?
- What if the iPad had never been released?
- The iPad at 10: A New Product Category Defined by Apps
- A brief history of the iPad, Apple’s once and future tablet
- What if the Pippin had been a hit?
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Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude their tour of their geeky holiday projects.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes
Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 2)
- Federico’s iPad Keyboard Project
- John’s Backup Project
- easystore 14TB drive
- Note: 18TB model is sold out
- easystore 14TB drive
- Federico’s Search for the Things of Read Later Apps
- John’s Continued Exploration of the Boox Tab Ultra
- Boox Tab Ultra
- Aya Neo
- Obsidian on the Tab Ultra
- Federico’s Apps, TV, and Videogames
- John’s Movies, TV, and Videogames
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Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John share their geeky holiday season tech projects.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes
Nerding Out for the Holidays
- John’s 5th Generation iPod Video Restoration Project
- Apps mentioned:
- Parts and Tutorials
- iFixit
- iFlash.xyz
- Elite Obsolete Electronics
- KOKKIA i10s Bluetooth Transmitter
- Federico’s Battery Situation
- The Multi-Battery Lifestyle
- Federico’s Battery Situation and the Switch
- John Obsidian Plugin Exploration and Related Organization System
- Federico’s Wi-Fi Experiments
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Getting Your Digital Life in Order
This week, Federico and John tackle the struggle with staying organized in the face of the never-ending stream of files and other information.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Getting Your Digital Life in Order
- Apps Discussed
- Systems
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The Trouble with Task Management
This week, Federico and John explore why there are so many good task managers, but none is a perfect fit with the way they work.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc – Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes
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Apple's Scary Fast Event with Stephen Hackett
This week, John is joined by Relay FM’s Stephen Hackett for a recap and thoughts on Apple’s Scary Fast event, which was recorded live in the Club MacStories+ Discord.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Apple’s Scary Fast Event
- Apple Introduces the New MacBook Pro in Three M3 Chip Configurations
- Apple Reveals New M3 iMac
- Apple’s October 2023 Scary Fast Event: All The Small Things
- Apple’s October 2023 Scary Fast Event: By the Numbers
- Apple Announces Pricing and Availability Dates for New MacBook Pros and iMac with M3 Chips
- Apple’s October 2023 Scary Fast Event: Replay Today’s Keynote
- Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ Event Brings the M3 to Life
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Web Apps and Services
This week, Federico and John cover the web apps they use and why they’re sometimes preferable to native apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- Electric – Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes
Web Apps and Services
- The cult of Obsidian: Why people are obsessed with the note-taking app
- Obsidian
- Mailchimp
- Building Calliope: A Technical Journey Through MacStories’ Big Software Project
- Grammarly
- Twist
- Matter
- Raindrop.io
- Home Assistant
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Building a Link Gathering Machine
This week, John surprises Federico with a link gathering machine he designed for processing and reading the web.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
Links and Show Notes
John’s Link Gathering Machine
Hardware
Core Apps
- Kiwi Browser
- Matter (web only)
-
Other Apps Discussed
-
Chrome Extensions
-
Bookmarklet
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Apple Vision Pro and Apps
This week, Federico and John spend time with the visionOS simulator and consider the design of the Apple Vision Pro system apps and what to expect from third-party developers.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc – Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion AI. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Announcements
- Expanding the MacStories Team
- Paid AppStories+ Apple Podcasts subscriptions have been discontinued
- You can subscribe to AppStories+ directly or as part of a Club MacStories Premier membership instead.
Apple Vision Pro Apps
- A selection of stories from MacStories past Apple Vision Pro coverage:
- Apple Vision Pro: A Watershed Moment for Personal Computing
- AppStories, Episode 335 – Federico’s Experience with Apple Vision Pro
- Apple Announces visionOS App Evaluation Process, Labs, and Developer Kits
- Unity Launches PolySpatial Beta Program for visionOS Developers
- David Smith on Adapting Widgetsmith’s Weather Features to visionOS
- Developers’ Early Experiments with visionOS
- Apple Releases visionOS SDK and Developer Tools
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tvOS 17: The MacStories Review with Sigmund Judge
This week, Federico and John are joined by tvOS expert Sigmund Judge, who just finished writing his tvOS 17 review for MacStories, to understand what has changed in tvOS and where it might be heading.
This episode is sponsored by:
TV Forecast – Track, Explore and Discover Your Favorite Shows and Movies
Links and Show Notes
tvOS 17 with Sigmund Judge
- tvOS 17: The MacStories Review
- Sigmund Judge
- Magic Rays of Light podcast
- Threads
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Widgets Everywhere
This week, Federico and John take a look at some of their favorite apps with interactive widgets for iOS 17, iOS 17, and macOS Sonoma.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
Links and Show Notes
Widgets Everywhere
- Widgetsmith
- Home Widget
- Hue Widgets
- TV Remote
- Marvis Pro and WidgetPod
- LivePod
- Timery
- Pocket Casts
- Widgle
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iOS and iPadOS 17: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John dig into Federico’s review of iOS and iPadOS 17.
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- Setapp – Power up your efficiency.
- Things 3 – Ready for iOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14
- Daylite CRM – Spend less time managing your business and spend more time doing what you love. Regain control now!
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Links and Show Notes
iOS and iPadOS 17: The MacStories Review
- iOS and iPadOS 17: The MacStories Review
- Also mentioned:
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Apple's 2023 Watch and iPhone Event
This week, Federico and John are joined by Alex live in the Club MacStories+ Discord community for a special episode covering their initial impressions of Apple’s Wonderlust media event, which introduced new iPhones, Apple Watches, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off
Links and Show Notes
Apple’s Wonderlust Media Event
- Apple’s Fall Media Event Keynote
- Apple’s iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Models: The MacStories Overview
- Apple’s September 2023 Wonderlust Event: Replay Today’s Keynote and Product Videos
- Apple Announces Availability Dates for New iPhones and Apple Watches
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Bookmarking Apps Revisited
This week, Federico and John look at the history of bookmarking apps, their relationship to read-later apps, how their use of bookmarking apps has changed, and their favorite modern bookmarking apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- AudiOn: Record, edit, share: Tell your story with AudiOn. Try it free now.
- Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
Links and Show Notes
Bookmarking Apps
- Historical Context
- The Relationship of Bookmarking Tools and Read-Later Apps
- Everything Apps for Bookmarking
- Modern Bookmarking Apps
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Gadget Show & Tell
This week, Federico and John look back at the gadgets they’ve accumulated over the summer and share what’s worked and what hasn’t.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- HelloFresh – Use code 50appstories for 50% off plus free shipping.
Links and Show Notes
Summertime Gadget Show and Tell
- John
- GL-iNet Beryl AX3000 WiFi 6 travel router
- Home Assistant Yellow
- Eve Room
- Audio-Technica ATH-M70X Closed-Back Dynamic Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
- Chargers and Batteries
- In the Kitchen
- Coming Soon…
- Federico:
- OtterBox MagSafe battery
- Anker Lightning battery
- Beats Studio Buds+
- CableConn USB-C cablehttps://www.amazon.it/gp/aw/d/B09LY9GWS5)
- SUCIKORIO Neon Strisica LED light strips for outside and inside
- Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini (EU version)
- Meross Smart Wi-Fi Indoor/Outdoor Plug (EU version)
- Gardena smart irrigation system
- Aqara camera G3
- Zyxel network switch
- Aqara Water Leak Sensor
- Aqara Smart Hub M2
- Anker PowerPort III 65 W
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A Classic Pick 2
This week, Federico and John each share two app recommendations in a classic Pick 2 episode.
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Links and Show Notes
A Classic Pick 2
- Peak
- Matter
- MarkEdit
- Also mentioned:
- Home Assistant
- Also mentioned:
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Why The Way Apps Are Made Has Changed
This week, Federico and John look at how making apps has changed along with the evolution of Apple’s hardware lineup and what that means for the future of apps on those platforms.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes
Why The Way Apps Are Made Has Changed
- Read-it-later app Pocket to shut down its Mac app on August 15th
- John’s Mastodon post about Pocket discontinuing its Mac app
- Modern Life is Rubbish by Blur
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Where Is The App Economy Heading?
This week, Federico and John look at the latest app trends and where Apple’s system apps are heading to try to answer the question of where the world of apps is heading.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Vitally – A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes
Where Is The App Economy Heading?
-
Apps Discussed
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macOS Sonoma and iOS and iPadOS 17 Public Betas
This week, Federico and John to talk about Safari, videoconferencing, Messages, and gaming on macOS Sonoma, plus stickers and widgets on iOS and iPadOS 17.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion Projects. Try it free today.
- HelloFresh – Use code appstories50 for 50% off plus free shipping.
Links and Show Notes
macOS Sonoma Public Beta Preview Continued
iOS and iPadOS 17 Public Beta Preview
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watchOS and macOS Sonoma Public Beta Previews
This week, John is joined by Alex Guyot to talk about the watchOS 10 and macOS Sonoma public betas.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
Links and Show Notes
watchOS 10 and macOS Sonoma Public Beta Previews
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The Web Apps We Use
This week, Federico and John explore the web apps and services they use and how they use them.
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Links and Show Notes
The Web Apps We Use
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Do Wishes Come True? (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude a look back at their pre-WWDC OS wishes for iOS 17, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 and look at which came true.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Notion – Do your most efficient work with Notion Projects. Try it free today.
Links and Show Notes
Grading our OS Wishes, Part 2
- Related Stories
- Related Wishes Episodes
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Do Wishes Come True? (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John revisit their pre-WWDC OS wishes, including visionOS, macOS, and iPadOS, and look at which came true.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- DetailsPro – Design with SwiftUI, no coding required. 50% off throughout June.
- Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.
Links and Show Notes
Grading our OS Wishes
- Related Stories
- Related Wishes Episodes
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The Impact of OS Updates on Third-Party Apps
This week, Federico and John consider the impact that this year’s OS releases will have on third-party apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- DetailsPro – Design with SwiftUI, no coding required. 50% off throughout June.
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Links and Show Notes
The Impact of OS Updates on Third-Party Apps
- Apps Discussed
- More
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What's Next for Notes, Reminders, and Macs
This week, John is joined by Alex Guyot to talk about the new features coming to Apple Notes and Reminders, as well as new Mac hardware announced at WWDC.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DetailsPro – Design with SwiftUI, no coding required. 50% off throughout June.
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- Daylite – Regain Control of Your Business With Daylite
Links and Show Notes
Apple Notes, Reminders, and New Macs
- WWDC 2023: Notes and Reminders to Gain Significant Productivity Features This Fall
- WWDC 2023: Mac Hardware Roundup
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WWDC 2023: Swift Student Challenge Winners, The MacStories Interviews
Federico and John also had the opportunity to sit down with three winners of the Swift Student Challenge in the Apple Podcasts Studio at Apple Park. It was fun and inspiring to chat with Damian Perez, Henri Bredt, and Maria Eduarda Cabral de Lucena.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – An efficient way to get and distribute apps on macOS, iOS, and web.
Links and Show Notes
2023 Swift Student Challenge Winner Interviews
- Damian Perez, an East Bay student who developed an app for his girlfriend who is a medical student
- Henri Bredt, a UX design student from Germany who built an interactive e-Piano in a retro-style-design that teaches users’ how to read sheet music, with a focus on an interactive beginners course
- Maria Eduarda Cabral de Lucena, a student from Brazil and participant in Apple’s Developer Academy who developed an app that introduces the benefits of Yoga in hopes of bringing users’ a sense of relief and well-being that can be life-changing
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WWDC 2023: Apple Design Awards: The AppStories Interviews
Today, Federico and John interview the creators of five apps that were finalists or winners of the 2023 Apple Design Awards: Zach Gage, the creator of Knotwords, Swupnil Sahai, the developer of SwingVision, Philipp Nägelsbach, the publisher of Endling, Leon Sasson of Rise: Energy and Sleep, and Jakob Lykkegaard of Lykke Studios the maker of stitch.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – An efficient way to get and distribute apps on macOS, iOS, and web.
Links and Show Notes
2023 Apple Design Awards Interviews
- Zach Gage (Knotwords)
- Swupnil Sahai (SwingVision)
- Philipp Nägelsbach (Endling)
- Leon Sasson (Rise: Energy and Sleep)
- Jakob Lykkegaard (stitch)
- Related:
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WWDC 2023: Federico's Experience with Apple Vision Pro
In today’s WWDC episode of AppStories, Federico shares his experience with Apple Vision Pro answering questions from John, Alex, and Club MacStories members.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – An efficient way to get and distribute apps on macOS, iOS, and web.
Links and Show Notes
Apple Vision Pro
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WWDC 2023: A Stage Manager in iPadOS 17 Deep Dive, Plus Notes, Reminders, StandBy, and More
In the latest WWDC episode of AppStories, Federico, John, and Alex are joined by MacPaw developer Serhii Popov for a developer’s perspective on WWDC before covering iPadOS 17’s Stage Manager changes in depth, along with Notes, Reminders, and StandBy.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – An efficient way to get and distribute apps on macOS, iOS, and web.
Links and Show Notes
WWDC 2023: Deeper Into The Week’s Announcements
- With iPadOS 17, Stage Manager Is (Finally) Moving in the Right Direction
- Notes
- Reminders
- StandBy
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WWDC 2023: Keynote First Impressions
For this special episode of AppStories, John and Federico were joined by Alex live in the Club MacStories+ Discord community to share their first impressions of the WWDC 2023 Keynote.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – An efficient way to get and distribute apps on macOS, iOS, and web.
Links and Show Notes
WWDC 2023 Keynote First Impressions
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WWDC 2023: Final Thoughts and Predictions
This week Federico and John recorded their last-minute thoughts and predictions for WWDC before a live audience in the Club MacStories+ Discord community.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Setapp – An efficient way to get and distribute apps on macOS, iOS, and web.
- DetailsPro – Design with SwiftUI, no coding required. 50% off throughout June.
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- Zocdoc – Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes
Our Final Pre-WWDC Thoughts and Predictions
- MacStories at WWDC
- The Format of WWDC
- New Macs
- Pack Your Sunscreen, It’s Going to Be a Long Keynote
- What We’re Excited About
- watchOS
- High-End Headset Display Rumors
- Thoughts on iOS
- Gaming
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Our xrOS Wishes
This week, Federico and John talk about Logic Pro for iPad and their wishes for Apple’s rumored mixed reality OS, xrOS.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Nom Nom – Healthy, fresh food for dogs formulated by top Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists. Prepped in our kitchens with free delivery to your door. Get 50% off.
Links and Show Notes
Logic Pro for iPad
- MacStories Hands-On: Podcast Editing with Logic Pro for iPad
- Hands on with Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad
Our xrOS Wishes
- System Features
- Communications
- Stage Manager
- A Virtual Desktop
- Federico’s Hover Theory
- Fitness
- Mindfulness
- Live Sports and Music
- TV and Movies
- Videogames
- Pick 3: Our Top Overall Wishes
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Our macOS Wishes
This week, Federico and John share their wishes for macOS 14.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Factor – Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.
Links and Show Notes
Our macOS Wishes
- Safari
- Stage Manager
- More multitasking wishes
- Spotlight
- Calendar
- Notes
- Reminders
- Syncing app settings
- Music
- Shortcuts
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Our watchOS 10 and tvOS 17 Wishes
This week, Federico and John explain the changes to watchOS and tvOS that they’d like to see made in 2023.
Links and Show Notes
watchOS 10 and tvOS 17 Wishes
- watchOS 10 Wishes
- Charge Notifications on the Mac
- Widgets
- Shortcuts
- The Apple Watch Ultra’s Action Button
- The Workout App
- More Information and Guidance About Fitness Statistics
- tvOS 17
- A Floating Song Lyrics Panel
- Quadbox
- An Improved Apple Music Channel
- Live Music Event Programming
- Stage Manager on tvOS
- Siri and HomeKit Integration
- Better Home Screen Organization
- A Manual Queing System
- Add More Sources to Up Next
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Our iPadOS 17 Wishes
This week, Federico and John continue their wish list series with their wishes for iPadOS 17.
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Links and Show Notes
Our iPadOS Wishes
- Clamshell mode
- Separate Stage Manager from Multi-windowing
- Controlling Stage Manager
- Controlling Audio and Video inputs and outputs
- Universal Control
- System wishes
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Our iOS 17 Wishes
This week, Federico and John kick off their annual OS wishes series with a long list of rapid-fire wishes for iOS 17.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Hit The Island – Funn Media’s innovative, fun, and deceptively simple game for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Links and Show Notes
Follow-Up
- MacStories Unwind Expands to Club MacStories with Unwind+
- Federico’s Mac Setup
Our iOS 17 Wishes
- Control Center
- Lock screen widgets
- Home screen widgets
- System features
- Shortcuts
- Music
- Safari
- Phone
- Apple Podcasts
- App Store
- Reminders
- Home
- A Passwords App
- Notes
- Files
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Return to macOS
This week, Federico explains his return to the Mac, including his hardware setup and the apps he’s using, and John recommends some apps he should try.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Dropshare – The most flexible file sharing solution for macOS and iOS that just works with your trusted file storage provider. 15% off for AppStories listeners with the code
appstoriesat checkout. - Hit The Island – Funn Media’s innovative, fun, and deceptively simple game for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
- Factor – Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door. Get 50% off your first box.
Links and Show Notes
Federico’s Return to the Mac
- Hardware
- Software
- John’s App Emporium Recommendations
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Automation April: Third-Party Apps with Great Shortcuts Support
This week, Federico and John dig into third-party apps with excellent shortcuts support.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Viso – Beautiful minimal image viewer for macOS.
Links and Show Notes
Automation April Update
- S-GPT 1.0.2 Brings Date and Time Awareness, Integration with macOS Services Menu, Passthrough Mode, Better HomePod Support, and More
- Automation April: The Loupedeck Live S Is a More Portable and Affordable Automation Control Panel for the Mac
- S-GPT 1.0.1
Apps with Excellent Shortcuts Support
- Bike Outliner
- FoodNoms
- Actions for Obsidian
- Things 3
- Actions
- Albums
- Fantastical
- Book Tracker
- Anybox
- MusicBox
- Crouton and Pestle
- Calory and WaterMinder
- Surfed
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Automation April: A Link Management Workflow and S-GPT
This week, John explains his new link management workflow, combining a series of apps and shortcuts, and Federico shares more about his S-GPT shortcut that integrates ChatGPT with Apple’s OSes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc – Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes
Link Management and Integrating ChatGPT with Apple’s OSes
- Automation April: Thinking About Linking
- Linking Apps:
- Introducing S-GPT, A Shortcut to Connect OpenAI’s ChatGPT with Native Features of Apple’s Operating Systems
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Automation April: Shortcuts Check-In
This week, Federico and John check in on the shortcuts they use the most and the types of tasks they get the most bang for the buck from by automating.
Links and Show Notes
Automation April
- Remembering Alex Hay, the Maker of Toolbox Pro, During Automation April
- Coming Soon: The Second Annual Automation April Community Event Featuring Shortcuts, Interviews, Discord Workshops, and a Shortcut Contest
Shortcuts Check-In
- Apple Frames 3.0: Completely Rewritten, Support for iPhone 14 Pro and Dynamic Island, New Devices, Multiple Display Resolutions, and More
- ShareMenu 2.0, Now with Better macOS Integration and Support for More Input Types
- Things 3.17 Overhauls the App’s Shortcuts Actions
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 5: Appending Text and Webpage Links to Specific Sections of My ‘Dashboard’ Note
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A Classic Pick 2
This week, Federico and John each pick two apps they’ve been enjoying recently and explain why.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Squarespace – Make your next move. Enter offer code APPSTORIES at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
- Setapp – More than 230 powerful apps. Try it free for 7 days.
Links and Show Notes
Pick 2
- John
- Federico
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Revisiting RSS
This week, Federico and John revisit RSS to talk about how syncing services and apps have changed and share how their use of RSS has evolved.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Kolide ensures only secure devices can access your cloud apps. It’s Zero Trust tailor-made for Okta. Book a demo today.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Setapp: More than 230 powerful apps. Try it free for 7 days.
Links and Show Notes
RSS Revisited
- Early Days
- An Email Tangent
- RSS Sync Services
- RSS Apps Discussed
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Listener Q&A
This week, Federico and John answer listener questions about apps, automation, podcasting, tattoos, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Kolide ensures only secure devices can access your cloud apps. It’s Zero Trust tailor-made for Okta. Book a demo today.
- Squarespace – Make your next move. Enter offer code APPSTORIES at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes
Listener Q&A
- Editorial
- Instapaper
- Obsidian
- Adobe Podcast
- Earthworks Ethos
- Neumann KMS 104 Plus
- Nuova German LED light strip
- Delonghi La Specialista EC9335M
- Ditre Italia sofa
- Fully sit/stand desk
- Dyson V12 Detect Slim
- Red Rising series
- 20th Century Boys manga
- 8BitDo Ultimate Wireless Bluetooth Controller with Charging Dock for Nintendo Switch
- NYXI Wizard controller
- NYXI Transparent Style Wireless Joy-pad with 8 Colors LED For Switch/Switch OLED
- Hori Switch Split Pad Pro
- Play Asia
- Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency by Andy Greenberg
- Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by Oasis
- Octopath Traveler II
- Blanc
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The Future of Web Browsers
This week, Federico and John cover the increasing competition among web browsers and the emerging features they find most useful.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Kolide ensures only secure devices can access your cloud apps. It’s Zero Trust tailor-made for Okta. Book a demo today.
- Fitbod – Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
Links and Show Notes
The Future of Web Browsers
- Browsers covered:
- Federico’s story about Command-K bars
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Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Apps We Use
This week, Federico and John compare notes on the Apple Watch Ultra, including what makes it special and what frustrates them, and share the apps they’re using regularly.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Kolide ensures only secure devices can access your cloud apps. It’s Zero Trust tailor-made for Okta. Book a demo today.
- Squarespace – Make your next move. Enter offer code APPSTORIES at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes
- Italian shutters
- Lutron HomeKit-enabled blinds
- Upscaling the Nintendo Switch
Apple Watch Ultra and Apps
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apps
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Artificial Intelligence and Apps (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude their mini-series on artificial intelligence with a conversation about the apps they’ve used that include AI features.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Things – Now with Deep Shortcuts Integration
- Issuu – Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off
Links and Show Notes
Apps and AI
- Notion AI
- Readwide Reader’s Ghostreader
- Ice Cubes
- Using ChatGPT to Help Write SwiftUI Code in Streaks
- Playlist AI
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Artificial Intelligence and Apps (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John begin a new series on the impact of artificial intelligence on apps and the world around us. This week’s episode sets the stage with a look at chatbots, image generation tools, and issues and opportunities they raise.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sofa – Be more intentional with your downtime.
- Daylite – Not just another CRM, the small business app that grow your business and Mac users love!
- Squarespace – Make your next move. Enter offer code APPSTORIES at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes
Artificial Intelligence
- ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web | The New Yorker
- 7 problems facing Bing, Bard, and the future of AI search
- This is how Microsoft will compensate websites Bing and ChatGPT steals information from
- CNET pauses publishing AI-written stories after disclosure controversy
- ChatGPT jailbreak forces it to break its own rules
- Getty Images is suing the creators of AI art tool Stable Diffusion for scraping its content
- Replace Grammarly Premium with OpenAI ChatGPT
- CNET’s AI Journalist Appears to Have Committed Extensive Plagiarism
- Elon’s Crumbling Empire + Generative A.I. Goes to Court
- How ChatGPT Will Destabilize White-Collar Work
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Mastodon Web, Mac, and Utility Apps
This week, Federico and John conclude their look at Mastodon apps with web and Mac clients, plus Mastodon utilities.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc – Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Fitbod – Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Mastodon Web, Mac, and Utility Apps
- iPad Mastodon app follow-up
- Mastodon instances mentioned:
- Web Apps
- Mac
- Wooly (beta)
- Mammoth (beta)
- Official Mastodon client
- Utilities
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Mastodon Clients for iOS and iPadOS
This week, Federico and John cover the iPhone and iPad Mastodon apps they’ve been testing and share what they like and don’t about each.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Issuu – Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Mastodon Clients for iPhone and iPad
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Imagining Apps for an Apple VR Headset
This week, Federico and John imagine the kinds of apps that may emerge for an Apple VR headset.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Imagining Apple VR Apps
- Inside the Tech Powering Apple’s Envelope-Pushing, Risky Mixed Reality Headset
- Apple Delays AR Glasses, Plans Cheaper Mixed-Reality Headset
- Apple Vision? Apple Reality? What Apple Could Name Its AR/VR Headset
- Meta Quest Pro review: get me out of here
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Read-Later Apps
This week, Federico and John look at the history of read-later apps and the many similarities and differences between them and today’s read-later apps, like Matter and Reader, as well as link organizers, such as GoodLinks and Anybox.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Fitbod – Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
- Squarespace – Make your next move. Enter offer code APPSTORIES at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase…
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Read Later Apps
- The History of Read-Later Apps
- Why Are Read-It-Later Apps Suddenly Hot?
- Matter: A Fresh Take on Read-Later Apps
- Federico on Readwise Reader
- Readability Directs Shared Articles to Own Servers, Cuts Out Original Publishers
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Gone but Not Forgotten: The Third-Party Apps (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude their ‘Gone but Not Forgotten’ series with more third-party apps, including productivity, communications, and entertainment apps, plus games.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off
- Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code APPSTORIES at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes
Gone but Not Forgotten: Third-Party Apps (Part 2)
- Bento
- Growl
- Editorial
- Adium
- Bowtie
- CandyBar
- Fontcase
- iPhone 4 Case Program
- Instacast
- Mr. Reader
- ProTube
- Rdio
- Articles, CoverSutra, and Groceries
- MacHeist
- Rolando
- Jelly Car
- Flappy Bird
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The 2022 MacStories Selects Awards
This week, Federico, John, and Alex introduce the fifth annual MacStories Selects award winners and interview the MacStories Selects Lifetime Achievement award winner, Greg Pierce, the creator of Drafts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out our manifesto: Honest Security.
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- MasterClass: This holiday, give one annual membership and get one free! Click this link now.
Links and Show Notes
2022 MacStories Selects Awards
-
Best New App: MusicBox
- Runner-Up: Runestone
-
Best App Update: Audio Hijack 4
- Runner-Up: Spring 4
-
Best New Feature: Marvis Pro’s customizable sections
- Runner-up: Timery’s Live Activities
-
Best Watch App: Timery
-
Best Mac App: Raycast
- Runner-up: Bike
-
Best Design: Pixelmator Photo
- Runner-up: CARROT Weather
-
Readers’ Choice Award: CARROT Weather
-
App of the Year: Marvis Pro
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Gone but Not Forgotten: The Third-Party Apps (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John extend last week’s ‘Gone but Not Forgotten’ theme to third-party apps, including Dropbox text editors, Twitter apps, email clients, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
TOPIC
Gone but Not Forgotten: The Third-Party Apps (Part 1)
- I Am Rich
- Dropbox Text Editors
- Twitter apps
- Pinbook
- Email Clients
- https://www.macstories.net/news/loren-brichter-talks-about-pull-to-refresh-patent-and-design-process/
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Gone but Not Forgotten
This week, Federico and John explore the Apple apps and features that have disappeared from its platforms in recent years.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Kolide – Maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out their manifesto: Honest Security.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
Links and Show Notes
Gone but Not Forgotten
- Warren Buffet Paper Wizard
- Texas Hold’em
- Cards
- iPhoto
- iPhoto for iOS Review
- iWeb
- Aperture
- Music Memo
- Apple Podcasts’ Reel-to-reel UI
- Apple Watch’s Friends Circle
- Dashboard
- Target Display Mode
- 3D Touch
- File and Folder Pinning in the Files App
- Coverflow
- Slofies
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Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude their two-part series on their nerdy holiday projects with home automation, RSS, WiFi, and other plans.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Nerdy Holiday Projects (Part 2)
- Federico’s TV Lighting Project
- John Revisits RSS
- Federico Considers a New WiFi Setup
- Mastodon
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Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John share the nerdy holiday season projects they’ve lined up in part 1 of a two-part series.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Kolide – Maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out their manifesto: Honest Security.
Links and Show Notes
Nerdy Holiday Projects (Part 1)
- Level Lock+ (John)
- Windows 11 (Federico)
- Live TV Setup (John)
- Channel Master SMARTenna+ (discontinued)
- HomeRun HD Extend (discontinued)
- Plex
- Channels
- Read-later app bakeoff (Federico)
- Catching up on gaming (John)
- Federico’s Home Screen makeover
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A Close-Up Look at Anybox and Spring
This week, Federico and John dig into two excellent apps they’ve been enjoying recently: Anybox, a bookmark and file organizer, and Spring, a third-party Twitter client.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
Links and Show Notes
Anybox and Spring
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Calendars, Communications, and More Revisited
This week, Federico and John pick up where they left off in episode 300 by revisiting episode 200 about calendar apps, communications, home assistants, and Federico’s first surprise of 2021.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MasterClass – Get unlimited access to EVERY Class and get 15% off an annual membership.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
- Kolide – We believe that maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out our manifesto: Honest Security.
Links and Show Notes
Calendars, Communications, and More Revisited
- AppStories, Episode 300: App Trends Revisited and Reconsidered
- Calendar apps
- Team Commuications
- Time Zones
- Music
- Marvis Pro
- Soor
- MusicBox
- MusicHarbor
- AppStories, Episode 293: Let’s Fix the Music App
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macOS Ventura: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John cover Apple’s controversial App Store advertising moves before going in-depth on John’s macOS Ventura review to discuss Stage Manager, System Settings, and Shortcuts.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
macOS Ventura
- macOS Ventura: The MacStories Review
- EPUB version for Club MacStories members
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Stage Manager in iPadOS 16
For today’s second episode of AppStories, Federico and John explore Federico’s story about Stage Manager in iPadOS 16, including its bugs, missing features, and design flaws.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Kolide – Kolide believes that maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out our manifesto: Honest Security.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Stage Manager in iPadOS 16
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The New iPad and iPad Pro Review: Mixed Signals
This morning, Federico and John get into the details of Federico’s review of the latest iPad Pro and the new 10th generation iPad.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Infinite, Flexible Sketching.
Links and Show Notes
Federico’s New iPad and iPad Pro Review
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App Trends Revisited and Reconsidered
This week, Federico and John mark episode 300 of the show by revisiting the app trends they covered in episode 100 and discussing the new trends that will shape the apps we use in the next several years.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Things – The award-winning to-do app.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Kolide – Kolide believes that maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out our manifesto: Honest Security.
- Kosmik – For All Mindkind
Links and Show Notes
App Trends Revisited and Reconsidered
- Revisiting App Trends from Episode 100
- The evolution of rich notifications
- Subscription apps
- Apple services on third-party hardware
- iPads and keyboard control
- Mac and iPad app convergence
- Considering What’s Next for Apps
- Text-based app command systems
- Stage Manager’s role in app convergence
- A Stage Manager API
- Adaptable UIs for the home
- Augmented and mixed reality
- Automation and Shortcuts
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Return to the App Grab Bag
This week, Federico and John return to the app grab bag to cover more of their favorite releases and updates from the past several weeks.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Kolide believes that maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out our manifesto: Honest Security.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Return to the App Grab Bag
- Marvis Pro
- Obsidian
- Runestone
- Apple Watch Ultra Action Button Apps
- Halide
- Just Press Record
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Widgets, iPhone Photography, and the Apple Watch Ultra with David Smith
This week, Federico and John are joined by Widgetsmith developer David Smith to talk about the history of his app, Widgetsmith, iOS 16 Lock Screen Widgets, and his recent hike through the Scottish Highlands, where he tested the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera and the Apple Watch
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- MasterClass – Get unlimited access to EVERY Class and get 15% off an annual membership.
- Trade – Save big, support small roasters. Get $30 off your first order.
Links and Show Notes
An Interview with David Smith
- Widgetsmith
- MacStories Coverage:
- From David’s website:
- Some of David’s other apps
- Follow David Smith
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Lock Screen Widgets, Focus Filters, and Shared with You Apps
This week, Federico and John tour third-party apps with new iOS 16 features, including more apps with Lock Screen widgets and apps with support for Focus Filters and Shared with You.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Rogue Amoeba: Save 20% in celebration of the 20th anniversary.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Lock Screen Widgets, Focus Filters, Shared with You Apps
-
More Lock Screen widget apps
-
Focus Filter apps
-
Shared with You apps
We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
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iOS 16 Apps with Great Lock Screen Widgets
This week, Federico and John cover some of their favorite new apps and updates that feature iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Kolide – Kolide can help you nail third party audits and internal compliance goals with endpoint security for your entire fleet. Learn more here.
Links and Show Notes
iOS 16 Apps with Great Lock Screen Widgets
- LockFlow
- Launcher
- LockLauncher
- Contact Widgets
- Link HUB
- Apollo
- Overcast
- Marvis Pro
- Widgetsmith
- MusicBox
- Things
- Todoist
We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
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iOS 16: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John dig into Federico’s iOS 16 review, discussing the all-new Lock Screen, wallpaper creation, Focus modes and filters, App Shortcuts, and some of the smaller changes you might have missed.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
iOS 16: The MacStories Review
We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
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macOS Ventura with Jason Snell
This week, John is joined by special guest Jason Snell to talk about macOS Ventura, including iCloud Shared Photo Library, Stage Manager, Shortcuts, and System Settings.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Kolide – Kolide can help you nail third party audits and internal compliance goals with endpoint security for your entire fleet. Learn more here.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
macOS Ventura
-
Special guest, Jason Snell
-
Ventura Previews
- Jason
- John
- macOS Ventura: The MacStories Preview
- [# iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura Public Beta Previews](https://appstories.net/episodes/286)
-
iCloud Shared Photos Library
- Jason’s Photos book
-
Stage Manager on the Mac
-
Shortcuts for Mac
-
What Happened to System Settings?
- Jason
- One of macOS Ventura’s key new features already needs a massive overhaul
- [Ways to make macOS Ventura System Settings better](https://sixcolors.com/post/2022/08/ways-to-make-macos-ventura-system-settings-better/
- Jason
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Let's Fix the Music App
This week, Federico and John roll up their sleeves to talk about the Music app and how it could be improved.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Trade – Save Big, Support Small Roasters. Get $30 off your first order.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
Let’s Fix the Music App
- Federico on Music in his iOS and iPadOS 14 review
- John on Music in his macOS Big Sur review
- Third-party apps mentioned
- Shazam turns 20
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What Makes a Great Modern Shortcuts Action?
This week, Federico and John consider what it takes to create a great set of modern Shortcuts actions using examples of what Apple is doing in its own apps and what some of our favorite third-party apps are already doing to make Shortcuts accessible to a wider audience and more useful to power users.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Setapp – More than 240 powerful apps. Try it free for a month.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Kolide – It helps you nail third party audits and internal compliance goals with endpoint security for your entire fleet. Learn more here.
Links and Show Notes
What Makes a Great Modern Shortcuts Action?
- Gallery of third-party app examples
- Alex Hay’s Twitter thread on predicate filters in Shortcuts
- Other apps discussed:
- Automation April: myTunes, a Personalized Music Video Channel
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2022 OS Preview: watchOS 9
This week, John is joined by Alex Guyot to talk about Alex’s MacStories origin story and walk through all of the changes coming to watchOS this fall as part of the MacStories Summer OS Preview series.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Infinite, Flexible Sketching.
- Trade – Save Big, Support Small Roasters. Get $30 off your first order.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
watchOS 9 Preview
- What’s the Deal with Alex Guyot?
- [[Alex Guyot Chains 5 Apps with Drafts](https://www.macstories.net/links/alex-guyot-chains-5-apps-with-drafts/
- Drafts 4 Review
- Automating iOS: A Comprehensive and Updated Guide to Launch Center Pro
- Alex’s watchOS 9 preview story:
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How iOS and iPadOS 16 Are Affecting Our Lives
This week, Federico and John consider how iOS and iPadOS 16 are affecting their work and personal lives.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Nail third party audits and internal compliance goals with endpoint security for your entire fleet. Learn more here.
- Setapp – More than 240 powerful apps. Try it free for a month.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
How iOS and iPadOS 16 Are Affecting Our Lives
- MacStories Unplugged: Fried Pickles and Buttermilk: A Tour of Southern Cooking
- A Month with iOS and iPadOS 16: A New iPad Era
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Our 'Recently Added' Apps
This week, Federico and John dig into the Recently Added folders on their iPhones and the stories they tell about what they’ve been up to lately.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Trade – Save Big, Support Small Roasters. Get $30 off your first order.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
Links and Show Notes
Our Recently Added Apps
- Cubox
- Upnext
- Ephemera
- Poinpy
- Slice
- Into the Breach
- CubeSmart
- LG ThinQ
- Arlo Secure
- Widgetsmith
- Enjoy
- My Verisure
- Lock Launcher (currently in beta only)
- Footpath
- NEA Smart 2.0
- Tweetbot and Duolingo
- Momentum
- On the Way: Road Trip Planner
- Watch Calendar
- Wanderlog
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2022 OS Preview: The System Apps (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude their in-depth look at changes coming to Apple’s system apps on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, including Home, Notes, Reminders, and Shortcuts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Infinite, Flexible Sketching.
- Kolide – Kolide can help you nail third party audits and internal compliance goals with endpoint security for your entire fleet. Learn more here.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura System Apps, Part 2
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2022 OS Preview: The System Apps (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John continue the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series with part one of their in-depth look at changes coming to Apple’s system apps on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, including Weather, Clock, Safari, Mail, Messages, and Photos.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Infinite, Flexible Sketching.
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura System Apps, Part 1
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iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura Public Beta Previews
To kick off our Summer OS Preview Series, Federico and John cover the top new features of iOS and iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, that are now available as part of Apple’s public beta program.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Kolide – Kolide can help you nail third party audits and internal compliance goals with endpoint security for your entire fleet. Learn more here.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
Links and Show Notes
iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura Public Beta Previews
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Exploring Reading and Research Apps
This week, Federico and John survey some of their favorite reading and research apps across all of Apple’s platforms.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
Reading and Research Apps
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Mac App Spotlight
This week, Federico and John share some of their favorite Mac apps, including new discoveries and old favorites.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps
- LinkedIn – Rethink your B2B marketing with a $100 credit on your next campaign
Links and Show Notes
Mac App Spotlight
- Federico’s Picks
- John’s Apps
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App Grab Bag
This week, Federico and John reach into the App Grab Bag and pull out five recommendations for listeners to try.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
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App Grab Bag
- Our App Grab Bag Recommendations
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What WWDC 2022 Means for Apple's Platforms
This week, Federico and John take a step back to consider the future of WWDC and what this year’s announcements mean for each of Apple’s platforms.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
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WWDC and the Future of Apple’s OSes
- Related Coverage:
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WWDC 2022: App Shortcuts, New Actions, and What We Didn't Get
In the latest installment of AppStories’ special WWDC series, Federico and John talk about how they use the Developer app before diving into Shortcuts with a closer look at App Shortcuts and some of the new actions Shortcuts has to offer and considering some of the wishes that didn’t come true in 2022.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
Links and Show Notes
Shortcuts
- iOS and iPadOS 16: The MacStories Overview
- Other Recent WWDC Coverage on MacStories
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WWDC 2022: The M2 MacBook Air and macOS Ventura
In the latest installment of AppStories’ special WWDC series, Federico and John are joined by Myke Hurley to talk about the M2 MacBook Air, as well as Stage Manager and gaming on macOS Ventura.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
Links and Show Notes
The M2 MacBook Air and macOS Ventura
- M2 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro: The MacStories Overview
- macOS Ventura: The MacStories Overview
- Other Recent MacStories WWDC Coverage:
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WWDC 2022: iPadOS' Desktop-Class Features and Updates to Reminders
In the latest installment of AppStories’ special WWDC series, Federico and John dig in deeper on the desktop-class features being added to iPadOS and the new functionality in Reminders on all platforms.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
Links and Show Notes
iPadOS Desktop-Class Features and Reminders
- iOS and iPadOS 16: The MacStories Overview
- iOS and iPadOS 16: The Tidbits
- Other Recent WWDC Coverage on MacStories
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2022 Apple Design Award Winners: The AppStories Interviews
For today’s special bonus episode of AppStories, Federico and John interview the creators of three 2022 Apple Design Award winning apps and games: Claire d’Este of Savage Interactive, the maker of Procreate, Curtis Herbert of Breakpoint Studios, the creator of Slopes, and Joe Lee of Netmarble, the developer of MARVEL Future Revolution.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
Links and Show Notes
Apple Design Winner Interviews
- The ADA Winners
- The Interviewees’ Apps
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WWDC 2022: Keynote Overview and Reactions
In today’s first special WWDC 2022 episode that was recorded live in the Club MacStories+ Discord community, Federico, John, and Alex cover the highlights of Apple’s keynote, including iOS and iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and watchOS 9.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
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Our macOS 13 Wishes
This week, Federico and John conclude their annual OS wishes series with a look at what they want to see in macOS this year at WWDC.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
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Our macOS 13 Wishes
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Our iPadOS 16 Wishes
This week, Federico and John tackle iPadOS and the changes they’d like to see come to iPad this year, and they revisit some of their Shortcuts wishes for 2022.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
Our iPadOS Wishes
- Context: iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review
- Apps Mentioned:
- The Curious Case of Apple’s Missing App Integrations for Shortcuts
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Our watchOS and tvOS Wishes
This week, John and Alex tackle their watchOS 9 wishes, and then Federico and John are joined by Myke Hurley to consider what they’d like to see added to tvOS 16.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Instabug: Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
Links and Show Notes
watchOS
- Alex Guyot’s most recent watchOS reviews:
tvOS
- A sampling of Myke Hurley’s tvOS coverage on Relay FM’s Connected:
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Our iOS 16 Wishes
This week, Federico and John kick off their annual ‘OS wishes’ series with a look at their wishes for iOS 16, including everything from system-level features to the iPhone’s built-in apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Instabug: Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
Links and Show Notes
Our iOS 16 Wishes
- Context:
- Wishes
- Interactive Widgets
- More Widget Sizes
- The Lock Screen
- Notifications Redesign
- More Home Screen Wishes
- Multitasking
- Files
- Keychain and Reading List
- Music
- Notes
- Share Sheet
- Reminders
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Gaming on Apple Platforms
This week, Federico and John revisit the state of gaming on Apple’s platforms considering hardware, OS support, services, and the games themselves.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
Links and Show Notes
Gaming on Apple Platforms
- MacStories Controller Coverage
- Apple Controller Rumors
- Controllers
- Streaming Games on Apple Platforms
- App and Game Preservation
- App and Game Preservation Coverage on MacStories
- Games John Is Currently Playing on iOS
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Apps with Great Shortcuts Support
This week, Federico and John share their favorite third-party apps with deep Shortcuts integration.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Crowdstrike – Start your free 15-day trial of CrowdStrike Falcon Pro today.
Links and Show Notes
Apps With Great Shortcuts Integration
- Round 1 – Text
- Round 2 – Everything Apps
- Round 3 – Utilities
- Round 4 – Media and Social
- Round 5 – Alone in a Crowd
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Our Latest Automation April Shortcuts
This week, Federico and John dig into the collection of shortcuts that they’ve released during Automation April so far, including Federico’s Split View Presets and Cleanup Twitter Link and John’s Timestamped Notes and myTunes shortcuts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
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Links and Show Notes
Our Latest Automation April Shortcuts
-
Federico
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John
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Automation April: Interviews with the Developers Behind Pushcut and Working Copy
This week, Federico and John interview Rodrigo and Victor Araújo, about the many-layered ways that Pushcut extends the utility of Shortcuts and Anders Borum, the creator of the iOS and iPadOS Git client Working Copy, about the app’s use of Shortcuts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple
- Drafts – Where Text Starts. Try it free now.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
Developer Interviews
- An interview with Rodrigo Araújo and Victor Araújo
- An interview with Anders Borum creator of
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Automation April: Our Shortcuts Setups
This week, Federico and John introduce Automation April, a month-long community celebration of automation on Apple’s platforms and share their Shortcuts library setups.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Kolide – Endpoint security powered by people. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.
- Things – The award-winning to-do app
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
Links and Show Notes
Automation April: Our Shortcuts Setups
- Introducing Automation April
- Introducing Automation April: A Month-Long Community Event About Automation, Featuring Shortcuts, Interviews, Discord Workshops, and a Shortcut Contest
- Follow @AutomationApril on Twitter for updates, tips, and more.
- Our Shortcuts Setups
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State of the Platforms, with Apple’s Vivek Bhardwaj
This week, Federico and John had the pleasure to interview Apple’s Vivek Bhardwaj about Universal Control, Shortcuts, Live Text, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Runway – Take Your Releases to the Next Level with Runway.
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
Links and Show Notes
An Interview with Apple’s Vivek Bhardwaj
- MacStories’ recent coverage of Universal Control
- MacStories’ recent coverage of Shortcuts
- Automation Academy: Diving Deeper into Reminders Actions
- Creating, Modifying, and Signing Shortcuts on macOS
- AppStories, Episode 260 – Shortcuts Wish List, 2022 Edition
- The Curious Case of Apple’s Missing App Integrations for Shortcuts
- MacStories Starter Pack: Introducing Obsidian Shortcut Launcher, A Free Plugin to Trigger Shortcuts from Obsidian
- Federico Shares a Starter Pack of Shortcuts on Apple’s App Store
- The Curious Case of Apple’s Missing App Integrations for Shortcuts
- Getting Started with Shortcuts for Mac and the Stream Deck
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iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Updates In-Depth
This week, Federico and John dig into the details of the iOS and iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3 updates that were released by Apple last week.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Sourcegraph – Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.
Links and Show Notes
iOS and iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3
- iOS and iPadOS 15.4: Hands-On with Universal Control, Face ID with a Mask, and More
- macOS 12.3: The Magic of Universal Control and More
- iPad Air 2022 Review: Refined Balance
- The Curious Case of Apple’s Missing App Integrations for Shortcuts
- HoverBar Duo: The MacStories Review
- Scheduling and Remotely Triggering Shortcuts on the Mac with Calendar and Mail
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iPad Air 2022 Review: Refined Balance
In this special bonus episode of AppStories, Federico and John dive into Federico’s review of Apple’s 5th generation iPad Air, which will be available Friday, March 18th.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw.
Links and Show Notes
iPad Air 2022 Review: Refined Balance
Federico’s Review: iPad Air 2022 Review: Refined Balance
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Apple Event Impressions: The New iPad Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display
This week, Federico and John cover their first impressions of the iPad Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display, including Federico’s thoughts on where the Air fits into the iPad lineup and John’s take on what to keep in mind when customizing a Mac Studio.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple
- Microsoft Lists – A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work.
- New Relic – Monitor, debug, and improve your entire stack. Sign up now and get 100GB of data free, forever - no credit card required.
Links and Show Notes
Apple Event Impressions: The New iPad Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display
- MacStories’ Apple Event Coverage
- Mac Studio, M1 Ultra, and Apple Studio Display: The MacStories Overview
- Apple’s ‘Peek Performance’ Event: All The Small Things
- Apple’s New iPad Air Adds the M1 Chip, Center Stage Support, and 5G Connectivity
- Apple’s ‘Peek Performance’ Event: By the Numbers
- Apple Unveils the Latest Iteration of iPhone SE with an A15 Bionic Chip and 5G
- Replay Apple’s Peek Performance Keynote and Other Videos
- Apple’s ‘Peek Performance’ Event – Apple Announces Availability of Green iPhones, iPhone SE, iPad Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display
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Beyond Doom Scrolling: Getting More Out of Twitter
This week, Federico and John talk about how to get more out of Twitter while avoiding doom scrolling, through a combination of advanced Twitter features, third-party apps, and Shortcuts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps
- Wealthfront – Invest for the long term on your terms. Get your first $5,000 managed for free
Links and Show Notes
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2022 Apple Hardware Predictions
This week, Federico and John survey the many Apple hardware rumors circulating and take a stab at predicting the new hardware we’ll see in 2022.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps
- Instabug – Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps
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Shortcuts Code Injection and 10 Innovations Apple Should Adopt from Third-Party Apps
This week, Federico explains his experiments with injecting code into shortcuts before he and John cover ten innovations from third-party apps that they would like to see Apple adopt in its system apps and OSes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights
Links and Show Notes
Shortcuts Code Injection
- Behind the Scenes of the MacStories Shortcuts Archive
- Parsing Shortcuts as XML or JSON and Extracting Comments From Them
- Creating, Modifying, and Signing Shortcuts on macOS
- Also mentioned:
10 Innovations Apple Should Adopt from Third-Party Apps
- Stories Mentioned:
- Apps Mentioned:
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Shortcuts Wish List, 2022 Edition
This week, Federico and John revisit their 2021 Shortcuts wishes to see what came true and share a long list of additional ways they’d like to see the app evolve in 2022.
This episode is sponsored by:
- New Relic – Monitor, debug, and improve your entire stack. Sign up now and get 100GB of data free, forever - no credit card required.
- Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights
Links and Show Notes
Shortcuts Wish List, 2022 Edition
- Our 2022 Shortcuts Wish List
- Better Safari support on the Mac
- Share sheet integration on the Mac
- Personal automations on the Mac
- More types of triggers
- Improved layout for Shortcuts for Mac’s right sidebar
- Keep Apple app features up to date with shortcuts actions
- Debugging tools
- Copy and paste blocks of actions
- Disable notification alerts when a shortcut is run from the Home Screen
- Global hotkeys
- Shortcuts widgets
- Multiwindow awareness
- The ability to run shortcuts in the background on iPhone and iPad
- Better cross-platform integration
- Also Mentioned:
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New Apps We Are Trying or Revisiting (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John conclude their tour of new apps they are trying for the first time or revisiting.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Wealthfront – Invest for the long term on your terms. Get your first $5,000 managed for free.
- Instabug – Ship quality apps with real-time contextual insights
Links and Show Notes
New Apps We’re Trying or Revisiting
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Starting the New Year with New Shortcuts, Workflows, Apps, and More
This week, Federico and John look back at their MacStories Starter Pack coverage last week, digging into the themes and details of each of the stories they wrote and the ways you can incorporate everything into your own workflows.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Wix – Create a website you’re proud of.
- Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights
Links and Show Notes
The MacStories Starter Pack
- MacStories Starter Pack: Taking Apple Music Discovery into Your Own Hands
- MacStories Starter Pack: The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1300 Is Perfect for Anyone Whose Paperless Workflow Still Starts with Paper
- MacStories Starter Pack: Reverse-Engineering the Matter API and My ‘Save to Matter’ Shortcut
- MacStories Starter Pack: Customizing Your Workflows with Deep Links
- MacStories Starter Pack: Introducing Obsidian Shortcut Launcher, A Free Plugin to Trigger Shortcuts from Obsidian
- MacStories Starter Pack: Getting a Handle on Links By Treating Them Like Email
- MacStories Starter Pack: Frame Nintendo Switch Screenshots with SwitchFrame
- MacStories Starter Pack: Why I Abandoned the Search for the Perfect Email App and Am Making Do With a Hybrid Approach
- MacStories Starter Pack: Clean Up URLs and Remove Tracking Parameters with URL Cleaner
Also mentioned:
- Tracker Zapper by Robb Knight
- Ruminate podcast
- Robb Knight’s website
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New Apps We Are Trying or Revisiting
This week, Federico and John share a collection of apps they are trying for the first time or revisiting, including email apps, a new Mac launcher, an Apple Music utility, a podcast player, and a read-it-later app.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
- Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights
- Wix – Create a website you’re proud of.
Links and Show Notes
Apps We’re Trying and Revisiting
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Obsidian In-Depth: More Third-Party Plugins (Part 4)
Federico and John continue their coverage of third-party Obsidian plugins and how they use them to customize the app’s functionality.
More Third-Party Obsidian Plugins
- Discovering and Installing Obsidian Plugins
- Obsidian Roundup
- Obsidian’s Discord community and forums
- Obsidian42 - BRAT beta plugin installer
- [Plugin Changelogs plugin](https://github.com/phibr0/obsidian-plugin-changelogs
- Requires Hotkey Helper plugin
- Obsidian support documentation on community plugins
- More Third Party Plugins (all available as community plugins and on GitHub using the links below)
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Obsidian In-Depth: Third-Party Plugins (Part 3)
This week, Federico and John embark on a tour of the third-party plugins they use to customize Obsidian.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MindNode – MindNode: What’s on Your Mind?
- Wealthfront – Invest for the long term on your terms.
- Wix – Create a website you’re proud of.
Links and Show Notes
Third-Party Plugins
- Plugins Discussed:
- Admonition
- Advanced Mobile Toolbar
- Advanced URI
- Obsidian42 - BRAT
- Buttons
- Calendar
- Customizable Page Header
- Cycle through Panes
- Dictionary
- Export Markdown with Embeds
- Hotkeys for Specific Files, Hotkeys for Templates, Hotkeys++
- Markdown Insert
- Matter
- MetaEdit
- Minimal Theme Settings
- Natural Language Dates
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App Trends for 2022
This week, Federico and John look at the trends they expect to see in 2022, including trends that will continue from 2021 and new trends they think will emerge in the new year.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
Related AppStories Episodes
- Episode 216, Substack, Email, and Data Portability
- Episode 231, The App Customization Trend
- Episode 239, Reminders, Notes, and App Customization
- Episode 251, Obsidian In Depth: The Basics (Part 1)
- Episode 252, Obsidian In Depth: Core Plugins (Part 2)
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The 2021 MacStories Selects Awards
This week, Federico and John introduce the fourth annual MacStories Selects award winners and interview the first MacStories Selects Lifetime Achievement award winner, James Thomson, the creator of PCalc.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MacStadium – The developer cloud for Mac.
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership
Links and Show Notes
The 2021 MacStories Selects Awards
- Other MacStories Selects Awards Coverage
- MacStories Selects 2021: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year
- The MacStories Selects 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award
- Club MacStories+ Live Town Hall, coming to the Club MacStories Discord community on Tuesday, December 14 at 12:30 PM Eastern Time
- The MacStories Selects Award Winners
- Best New App: Noir
- Best New App Runner-Up: Mela
- Mela website
- Mela on the App Store: (iPhone/iPad and Mac)
- The MacStories Review
- Best App Update: Tweetbot 6
- Best App Update Runner-Up: Sofa 3
- Best New Feature: BetterTouchTool’s Shortcuts for Mac Integration
- Best New Feature Runner-Up: Yoink
- Best Watch App: Streaks
- Best Watch App Runner-Up: Drafts
- Best Mac App: Bartender 4
- Best Mac App Runner-Up: Doppler
- Best Design: Mela
- Mela website
- Mela on the App Store: (iPhone/iPad and Mac)
- The MacStories Review
- Best Design Runner-Up: Craft
- Readers’ Choice Award: Craft
- App of The Year: Obsidian
- Obsidian website
- Obsidian mobile on the App Store
- Club MacStories coverage:
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 1: Sync, Core Plugins, Workspaces, and Other Settings
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 2: Themes, Mobile Quick Action and Toolbar, and Third-Party Plugins
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 3: My ‘Dashboard’ Note for Quick Links, Todoist Tasks, Saving Ideas, and Keeping Track of Current Projects
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 4: Templates for Weekly Posts and Custom Mobile Toolbar
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 5: Appending Text and Webpage Links to Specific Sections of My ‘Dashboard’ Note
- AppStories Series:
- App of the Year Runner-Up: Craft
- Lifetime Achievement Award: PCalc
- PCalc website
- PCalc on the App Store (iPhone/iPad and Mac)
- A Selection of MacStories and AppStories Coverage
- PCalc 3.9 Adds Dark Mode and the Latest Shortcuts Features, Expanding the App’s Automation Capabilities
- PCalc 3.8 Adds Support for iOS 12’s Siri Shortcuts, Including Powerful Clipboard Commands
- PCalc’s Delightfully Insane About Screen
- Apple Asks PCalc Developer to Remove iOS 8 Widget
- PCalc for Apple Watch
- AppStories, Episode 38 – An Interview with James Thomson, Creator of PCalc and DragThing
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Obsidian In Depth: Core Plugins (Part 2)
This week, Federico and John continue their series on Obsidian with a look at the app’s core plugins, which enable many of the app’s most advanced features.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership
- Linode – Simplify your cloud infrastructure
Links and Show Notes
Obsidian’s Core Plugins
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Obsidian In Depth: The Basics (Part 1)
This week, Federico and John introduce part one of a new series on Obsidian, explaining what the app is and does, why it’s important, the compromises that come along with using a non-native app, and how they are using it.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
Getting Started with Obsidian
- Obsidian
- Obsidian Discord and Forum
- Federico’s Obsidian Setup Series for Club MacStories
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 1: Sync, Core Plugins, Workspaces, and Other Settings
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 2: Themes, Mobile Quick Action and Toolbar, and Third-Party Plugins
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 3: My ‘Dashboard’ Note for Quick Links, Todoist Tasks, Saving Ideas, and Keeping Track of Current Projects
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 4: Templates for Weekly Posts and Custom Mobile Toolbar
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 5: Appending Text and Webpage Links to Specific Sections of My ‘Dashboard’ Note
- Other Club MacStories Obsidian Coverage
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Shortcuts for Mac Deep Dive
This week, Federico and John explain how Shortcuts for Mac differs from other automation tools, cover some of the roadblocks they’ve hit, and discuss how they’re adapting existing shortcuts to the Mac and building all-new ones.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- DEVONthink by DEVONtechnologies – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks
- Ulysses – The Ultimate Writing App for Mac, iPad and iPhone Special Offer)
Links and Show Notes
Shortcuts for Mac Deep Dive
- Related Coverage on MacStories and Club MacStories
- Getting Started with Shortcuts for Mac and the Stream Deck
- Shortcuts for Mac: 27 of Our Favorite Third-Party Integrations
- macOS Monterey: The MacStories Review, Shortcuts section
- The Many Ways To Run Shortcuts in macOS Monterey
- My Obsidian Setup, Part 5: Appending Text and Webpage Links to Specific Sections of My ‘Dashboard’ Note
- A Downloads Folder Cleanup Shortcut
- Controlling HomeKit Devices with HomeControl’s URL Scheme and Shortcuts for Mac
- Other Links
- The Template Gun meets Shortcuts on Six Colors
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More iPhone, iPad, and Mac Tips
This week, Federico and John dive back into their favorite iOS and iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey tips.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps
Links and Show Notes
More iPhone, iPad, and Mac Tips
- Drawn in part from the following stories:
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Our iPad mini Home Screen Setups
This week, Federico and John go into detail on their iPad mini Home Screen setups, including how they differ from other devices and their use of widgets, Focus modes, and Shortcuts to manage the setups.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
Links and Show Notes
Our iPad mini Home Screen Setups
- iPad mini Review: Small Wonder
- The Mighty mini: Adapting Apple’s Diminutive Tablet to Work and Play
- Also mentioned during the show
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Everything New in iOS and iPadOS 15.1
This week, Federico and John dig into SharePlay and the other changes released last week with iOS and iPadOS 15.1.
This episode is sponsored by:
- CleanMyMac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
Links and Show Notes
iOS and iPadOS 15.1
- Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 15.1 with SharePlay, Safari for iPad Fixes, Shortcuts Improvements, and More
- SharePlay Guessing Game by Greg Gardner
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macOS Monterey: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John dive into John’s review of macOS Monterey and what it means for users and the future of the platform.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DetailsPro - A Design Tool Made for SwiftUI
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint – Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365.
Links and Show Notes
macOS Monterey: The MacStories Review
- The review:
- Related coverage:
- FaceTime’s Audio and Video Take a Leap Forward With Apple’s Upcoming iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS Updates
- Fast Capture with Quick Note for iPad and Mac: The MacStories Overview
- Reminders’ Smart Lists Put Unprecedented Control in the Hands of Users
- Apple Maps for iOS and iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey: The MacStories Overview
- FaceTime’s Audio and Video Take a Leap Forward With Apple’s Upcoming iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS Updates
- Shortcuts for Mac: The Future Is Now
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Apple's October Music and MacBook Pro Event
This week, Federico and John are joined by Alex Guyot live in the Club MacStories+ Discord community for a special episode recapping and breaking down everything announced by Apple at its latest online event, including the Apple Music, HomePod, and AirPods 3 announcements and the all-new MacBook Pros.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- HPE Tech Talk – HPE news, tech insights and world-class innovations. Listen now.
Links and Show Notes
Apple’s October 2021 Event
- Apple Introduces New Apple Music Plan, Siri Features, and HomePod Mini Colors
- Apple Announces New Third-Generation AirPods
- Apple Unveils the New 14 and 16-Inch MacBook Pros Powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max Systems-on-a-Chip
- Replay Apple’s October 18, 2021 Keynote and Other Videos
- Apple Announces Availability of New HomePod mini Colors, AirPods, New MacBook Pros, and macOS Monterey
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- AppStories
- Federico Viticci
- John Voorhees
- Alex Guyot](https://www.instagram.com/ajguyot)
iOS and iPadOS 15 Top Tips
This week, Federico and John share a long list of iOS and iPadOS 15 tips, highlighting lesser-known features that they are using to get the most out of the latest versions of the OSes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple
Links and Show Notes
iOS and iPadOS 15 Tips
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Safari Extensions for iPhone and iPad
This week, Federico and John look at the the best of the first Safari extensions released for the iPhone and iPad.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Clean My Mac X – Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
- FitnessView – Track your Health data in a different way with insights, widgets and Apple Watch
- iMazing – Manage your iPhone. Your way. Get 30% off iMazing this month only.
Links and Show Notes
Safari Extensions
- Webpage customizaton
- Developer Tools and Fixing Website Annoyances
- Video
- Utilities
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The iPad mini: Small Wonder
This week, Federico and John go beyond the specs to figure out what it is about the new iPad mini that makes it so special.
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- 1Blocker - The fastest and most powerful blocker for Safari
- MacStadium – Leading provider of cloud solutions built on Apple Mac hardware.
Links and Show Notes
The iPad mini: Small Wonder
- iPad mini Review: Small Wonder
- Previous MacStories iPad mini coverage:
- eReaders mentioned
- Kindle
- Kobo
- Yomu iOS and iPadOS eBook reader app
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iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review
This week, John interviews Federico about his iOS and iPadOS 15 review live in the Club MacStories+ Discord community, covering the challenges of writing this year’s review, Focus mode, Safari changes, Shortcuts, Live Text, the Shelf, listener questions, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MacStadium – Leading provider of cloud solutions built on Apple Mac hardware.
- Daylite – The only CRM made for your Mac.
Links and Show Notes
Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 15 Review
- iOS and iPadOS 15: the MacStories Review
- iOS and iPadOS 15 Review Extras: eBooks, Shortcuts, Making Of, Obsidian Plugins, Safari Extension Beta, and AppStories Live
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A Look at the HomeKit and tvOS Updates Coming Soon
This week, Federico and John look at Apple’s evolving approach to the way HomeKit devices and entertainment features are incorporated into the company’s OSes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- A Best-in-Class iOS App – A four book series on how to develop and design premier iOS apps, in early access now.
- MacStadium – Leading provider of cloud solutions built on Apple Mac hardware.
- CleanMyMac X – Make sure you can trust your Mac.
Links and Show Notes
Apple’s Upcoming HomeKit and tvOS Updates
- Apple Event Day at MacStories
- Apple’s Fall OS Updates Promise Deeper HomeKit and Entertainment Integration
- Apple’s iOS and ipadOS fall preview page with details on HomeKit updates
- Apple’s macOS Monterey preview page with details on HomeKit updates
- Apple’s tvOS fall preview
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Reminders, Notes, and App Customization
This week, Federico and John examine the growing trend of app customization in the context of Apple’s system apps focusing on Reminders’ Tag Browser and Smart Lists and Notes’ Tag Browser and Smart Folders.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
Reminders, Notes, and App Customization
- Reminders’ Smart Lists Put Unprecedented Control in the Hands of Users
- Three Weeks with iOS and iPadOS 15: Foundational Updates
- iOS 15 Preview
- iPadOS 15 Preview
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The Complexity of Defining Great Modern Mac Apps
This week, Federico and John explore the many ways Mac apps can be made today and how the frameworks, along with design choices and other factors are redefining the landscape of apps on the Mac and what constitutes a great Mac app.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Student App Centre – The home of awesome student discounts on premium apps and software.
Links and Show Notes
The Complexity of Defining Great Modern Mac Apps
- The Loupedeck Live, which John reviewed for Club MacStories, includes a configuration app built with Xamarin
- Users lobby 1Password to abandon new Electron version
- Apps Discussed
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Introducing the All-New Club MacStories
This week, Federico and John introduce two new tiers of Club MacStories, run down all the new features of each tier, explain the web app that powers it all, and officially release a back catalog of three months worth of bonus AppStories+ content.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Quill – Messaging to Make Your Team Better
- Technology Untangled – Join Michael Bird as he untangles innovation through a series of interviews, stories, and analyses with some of the industry’s brightest brains.
Links and Show Notes
Introducing Club MacStories
- Introducing the All-New Club MacStories: New Tiers for More Original Content, Discord Community, Search and Custom RSS, and Our New ‘Calliope’ Web App
- Two new Club tiers
- Club plans page
- Club MacStories runs on a new web app called Calliope at club.macstories.net
- AppStories+ Announcement
- Federico is the Professor Oak of Club MacStories
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Sideloading Apps and Games on the iPhone and iPad
This week, Federico and John explore the world of sideloaded apps and games on the iPhone and iPad, including AltStore and the kinds of apps and game emulators it makes possible.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership.
- Technology Untangled – Join Michael Bird as he untangles innovation through a series of interviews, stories, and analyses with some of the industry’s brightest brains.
Links and Show Notes
Sideloading with AltStore
- The backstory of what led Federico to re-explore AltStore was told on Connected, Episode 356: Poke a Hole in the Toolbar
- Cydia
- Delta emulator
- Provenance
- Dolphin
- PPSSPP
- Microsoft and backwards compatibility on Remaster, Episode 95
- Auarte PS5 controller clip
- Otterbox Mobile Gaming Clip for MagSafe
- UTM app for running PC virtual machines on iOS devices
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An Interview with Malin Sundberg
This week, Federico and John continue the Summer OS Preview Series with special guest Malin Sundberg, the creator of time tracking app Orbit, for a chat about the development of Orbit, SwiftUI, Shortcuts for Mac, SharePlay, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw
- Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights
- Technology Untangled – Join Michael Bird as he untangles innovation through a series of interviews, stories, and analyses with some of the industry’s brightest brains
Links and Show Notes
Malin Sundberg
– Website
– Twitter
– Orbit, a time tracking and invoicing app for Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch
– Cup of Tech podcast
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Beta OS Impressions Continued
This week, Federico and John dig into the latest public beta and share their thoughts on changes to Safari on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Books on the Mac, Quick Note, Focus, and Live Text.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
- MacStories Unwind
- Previously Published OS Impressions
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Building an Apple-Only Research and Writing Setup
This week, Federico and John consider whether changes coming to Apple’s OSes make a system app-only research and writing workflow possible and discuss where there’s room for improvement.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
The Viability of an Apple-Only Research and Writing Workflow
- Three Weeks with iOS and iPadOS 15: Foundational Updates
- macOS Monterey First Impressions: The Start of a New Era
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An Interview with Guilherme Rambo
This week, Federico and John continue the Summer OS Preview Series with special guest Gui Rambo for a chat about SharePlay, Shortcuts for Mac, Gui’s app AirBuddy, SwiftUI, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
An Interview with Guilherme Rambo
-
Gui’s Apps
-
SharePlay
-
Framework Wishes
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The App Customization Trend
This week, Federico and John discuss the emerging trend of app customization, which along with app modularity, lets users control how apps work and look.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights.
- DEVONthink by DEVONtechnologies – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Modularity and its Relationship to Customization
- Apps Discussed
- Functional Customization
- Visual Customization
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An Interview with Marcos Tanaka
This week, Federico and John continue the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series by interviewing Marcos Tanaka, the creator of MusicHarbor and MusicSmart about the latest changes to Apple’s music-related frameworks, his apps, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
An Inteview with Marcos Tanaka
-
Marcos Tanaka
-
Apps
-
MacStories Coverage
-
APIs
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Shortcuts Preview
This week, Federico and John walk through all the changes coming to Shortcuts this fall, including changes to the Shortcuts editor and the new actions you’ll find in Shortcuts on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
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Links and Show Notes
Previous MacStories Coverage of Shortcuts Changes Coming in iOS and iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey
- Shortcuts for Mac: The Future Is Now
- iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Overview
- macOS Monterey: The MacStories Overview
- AppStories, Episode 223 – WWDC 2021: Shortcuts for the Mac, iPad Keyboard Navigation, and Developer Tools
- AppStories, Episode 224 – WWDC 2021: Shortcuts’ Folder and File Actions, Quick Note, and Safari
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Federico's Research and Note-Taking Setup
This week, Federico and John dig into the latest iteration of the research and note-taking setup that Federico is using to prepare his annual iOS and iPadOS review, which features Obsidian.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.
- Genius Scan – A scanner in your pocket.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Federico’s Research and Note-Taking System for His Annual iOS and iPadOS Review
- Obsidian
- Federico’s iOS Review Dashboard:
- Federico’s Collection of WWDC Session Notes with Vertical Splits
- Using Backlinks to Tie Multiple Notes Together
- Buttons Plugin
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2021 Apple Design Award Winners: The AppStories Interviews
For today’s special bonus episode of AppStories, Federico and John interview the creators of four 2021 Apple Design Award winning apps and games: Winston Chen, creator of Voice Dream Reader; Esther Huybreghts, Mathijs Demaeght, and Melissa Cash from Pok Pok, creators of Pok Pok Playroom; Brian Mueller, creator of CARROT Weather; and Maria Sayans and David Fernandez Huerta from ustwo games, creators of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts: Sketch, Note, Draw
Links and Show Notes
Apple Design Award Winners Interviewed
- Winston Chen, the developer of Voice Dream Reader, which won an ADA in the Inclusivity category
- Esther Huybreghts, Mathijs Demaeght, and Melissa Cash from Pok Pok, the developers of Pok Pok Playroom, which won an ADA in the Delight and Fun category, and we covered when it launched
- Brian Mueller, the developer of CARROT Weather, which won an ADA in the Interaction category and has been covered often on MacStories
- Maria Sayans and David Fernandez Huerta from ustwo games, the creators of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, which won an ADA in the Social Impact category
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Three Features That Set iOS 15 Apart
This week, Federico and John cover the three features that will sell iOS 15 to most users: Focus Mode, SharePlay, and Live Text and share some of their recent audio gear purchases for lossless streaming and AirPlay. They also take questions from listeners who watched on Instagram Live.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks.
- 1Blocker – Remove ads, trackers, and browse faster.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
Streamed on Instagram Live
- Rewatch the video of episode 226, which was streamed live on June 11th and is available on Federico’s Instagram profile.
iOS 15
- iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Overview
- Guilherme Rambo has released a beta of WWDC for macOS that uses SharePlay.
Lossless Streaming and AirPlay Show and Tell
- Federico’s xDuoo XD05 Bal USB DAC
- John’s Belkin Soundform Connect AirPlay 2 Audio Adapter
- John’s Mini XMOS XU208 USB Digital Interface by Douk Audio
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WWDC 2021: Safari Web Extensions and Live Text
In today’s special WWDC 2021 episode, Federico and John discuss the sorts of tools that could be built with Safari Web Extensions and Federico explains how Live Text works and can be used in practice.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Raycast – Goodbye Spotlight. Hello Raycast.
- Check out Raycast’s new WWDC21 extension for finding and playing session videos via the WWDC for macOS app.
Links and Show Notes
MacStories’ Latest WWDC Coverage:
- 2021 Apple Design Awards Given to Twelve Developers
- Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s Record Label Pages
- Shortcuts for Mac: The Future Is Now
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WWDC 2021: Shortcuts' Folder and File Actions, Quick Note, and Safari
In today’s special WWDC 2021 episode, Federico and John take a closer look at the new folder and file actions coming to Shortcuts, discuss the intriguing potential of Quick Note, and are skeptical about some of the Safari design changes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Raycast – Goodbye Spotlight. Hello Raycast.
- Check out Raycast’s new WWDC21 extension for finding and playing session videos via the WWDC for macOS app.
Links and Show Notes
MacStories’ Latest WWDC Coverage:
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WWDC 2021: Shortcuts for the Mac, iPad Keyboard Navigation, and Developer Tools
In today’s special WWDC 2021 episode, Federico and John cover Shortcuts for Mac, new ways to navigate the iPad using the keyboard, and developer tools, including TestFlight for Mac, Swift Playgrounds, and RealityKit 2’s Object Capture.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Raycast – Goodbye Spotlight. Hello Raycast.
- Check out Raycast’s new WWDC21 extension for finding and playing session videos via the WWDC for macOS app.
Links and Show Notes
MacStories’ Latest WWDC Coverage:
- Eddy Cue On Why Spatial Audio Is a Game-Changer
- watchOS 8: The MacStories Overview
- Craig Federighi Provides Deeper Insight Into iCloud Private Relay
- An Overview of the New Privacy Controls Coming to Apple’s OSes
- Apple Begins Streaming Spatial Audio and Lossless Tracks on Apple Music
- Adobe Brings More Creative Cloud Apps to the M1 Macs and Announces New Features Across Its Apps
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WWDC 2021: Keynote Overview and Reactions
In today’s first special WWDC 2021 episode, Federico and John cover the highlights of Apple’s keynote, including iOS and iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Raycast – Goodbye Spotlight. Hello Raycast.
- Backblaze – Get peace of mind knowing your files are backed up securely in the cloud. Start a free 15-day trial with Backblaze today
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Links and Show Notes
MacStories’ WWDC Coverage
- Announcement: MacStories’ WWDC 2021 Coverage
- Apple Publishes Video from WWDC 2021 Keynote
- macOS Monterey: The MacStories Overview
- iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Overview
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Our watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 Wishes
This week, Federico and John are joined by MacStories editor and senior developer Alex Guyot to conclude their WWDC wish list series with a look at tvOS and watchOS.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Inoreader – Take Back Control of Your News Feed. Use the code MACSTRY2 for 20% off your first year of Inoreader Pro.
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.
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Links and Show Notes
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Our iPadOS 15 Wishes
This week, Federico and John jump back into their pre-WWDC wishlist series with a look at iPadOS and the sorts of OS improvements that are needed for apps to take advantage of the iPad Pro’s new M1 chip.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Appfigures – Analytics, Intelligence, and App Store Optimization Tools. Use the code ‘AppStories3030’ at checkout for a 30% discount for the next 3 months.
- Inoreader – Take Back Control of Your News Feed. Use the code ‘MACSTRY2’ for 20% off your first year of Inoreader Pro.
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code ‘APPSTORIES’ to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
- iOS and iPadOS 14: The MacStories Review
- Modular Computer: iPad Pro as a Tablet, Laptop, and Desktop Workstation
- AppStories, Episode 218 – Our iOS 15 Wishes
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Federico's 2021 iPad Pro Review: Step into the Capture Zone
For this special bonus episode, Federico and John dig into Federico’s review of the 2021 iPad Pro to talk about its Liquid Retina XDR display, Thunderbolt, the gap between the iPad Pro’s hardware and its software, the M1 chip, Center Stage, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch Note Draw
Links and Show Notes
- iPad Pro 2021 Review: Future on Standby
- Exclusive iPad Pro wallpapers available to members of Club MacStories
- Other hardware mentioned:
- Apps mentioned:
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Our iOS 15 Wishes
This week, Federico and John continue their WWDC wish list series with a deep dive into the iOS 15 features they’d like to see announced at Apple’s annual developer conference.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
- Appfigures – Analytics, Intelligence, and App Store Optimization Tools.
- DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks.
Links and Show Notes
- iOS and iPadOS 14: The MacStories Review
- Apps mentioned:
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Our 2021 macOS WWDC Wishes
This week, Federico and John begin their annual pre-WWDC wish list episodes with their 2021 wishes for macOS.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Appfigures – Analytics, intelligence, and App Store optimization tools. Sign up for free, and then use the code AppStories3030 at checkout for 30% off for the next three months.
- Things – The award-winning to-do app.
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
- Lossless vs. hi-res audio
- Obsidian
- Amazon Kindle Oasis
- Kindle Highlights plugin for Obsidian
- Readwise
- Readwise plugin for Obsidian
- Dataview plugin for Obsidian
Our 2021 macOS WWDC Wishes
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Substack, Email, and Data Portability
This week, Federico and John explore the popularity of Substack among writers leaving big media companies, rethink their email workflows after leaving Hey, and consider data portability and the tradeoffs of proprietary app systems.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.
- Backblaze – Get peace of mind knowing your files are backed up securely in the cloud. Start a free 15-day trial with Backblaze today
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
- Substack
- Email
- Hey
- What Really Happened at Basecamp
- Connected, Episode 343 – The Jeremies
- Spark
- SaneBox
- The Value of Apps That Don’t Silo Data
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iOS and iPadOS 14.5 In Depth
This week, Federico and John take an in-depth look at everything coming later this week with iOS and iPadOS 14.5, which will be the subject of a comprehensive review by Federico on MacStories.
This episode is sponsored by:
- AirBuddy – Experience AirPods on your Mac like never before.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
- Later this week on MacStories, Federico will publish his comprehensive review of iOS and iPadOS 14.5.
- Related Stories:
- Apple Releases Betas with Face ID Plus Apple Watch iPhone Unlocking, App Tracking Transparency, and Other New Features
- Apple Clarifies Ability to ‘Set Default’ Audio Apps in iOS 14.5
- iOS and iPadOS 14.5 Betas Let Users Pick The Default Streaming Music Service Used by Siri
- Emojipedia Previews the Emoji Included in the Second Beta of iOS and iPadOS 14.5
- Maps Adds Accident, Hazard, and Speed Check Reporting Using the iPhone, CarPlay, and Siri to the iOS 14.5 Beta
- About recalibration of battery health reporting in iOS 14.5
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Music Part 3: Alternative and Companion Streaming Services
This week, Federico and John conclude their music miniseries with an episode dedicated to alternative and companion streaming services after checking in on Federico’s early experiments with an extensible text editor.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
- Federico may have found the highly-customizable, extensible text editor he’s always wanted, providing a preview of what may be a significant change to his 2021 iOS review workflow.
Alternative and Companion Music Streaming Services
- Bandsintown PLUS
- Amazon Music HD
- Primephonic
- Nugs.net
- Qobuz
- TIDAL
- Roon
- Triode
- Broadcasts
- Also mentioned
- Federico’s Fiio Q5S portable amplifier and DAC
- Sony SRS-RA5000 360 Reality Audio speaker
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Music Part 2: Music Discovery, Playback, and Utility Apps
This week, Federico and John introduce part two of their Music miniseries, with a focus on third-party music discovery, playback, and utility apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
Music
- Discovery and Utility Apps
- Playback
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Music Part 1: How We Listen
This week, Federico and John talk about Apple Arcade’s big expansion and the iOS component of John’s retro gaming project before beginning a new mini-series focused on music. For the first installment, Federico and John focus on hardware and services, covering their current setups, how they listen to music, and the services they use.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Backblaze – Get peace of mind knowing your files are backed up securely in the cloud. Start a free 15-day trial with Backblaze today
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
- Federico on Apple Arcade’s Big Update
- Apple Arcade Expands More Originals and iOS Classics
- Fantasian
- Wonderbox
- Timeless Classics and App Store Greats
- Tenth anniversary of the App Store series on MacStories
Music
- Current Setups
- John
- Harmon Kardon Soundsticks 4 speakers for the Mac
- HomePods and HomePods Mini
- AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
- Powerbeats Pro
- Libratone Zipp
- Federico
- Amazon Echo
- Amazon Spot
- Keeping an eye on the Sonos Roam
- AirPods Max
- Sony WF1000-XM3
- Federico’s Offline Listening
- John
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Apple at Home
This week, Federico and John scrutinize Apple’s home strategy from its discontinued Airport routers and HomePod to the Apple TV, HomePod mini, HomeKit routers, the Home app, and more, plus ongoing browser and calendar experiments, and the hunt for an elusive keyboard continues.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.
- Technology Untangled: – Join Michael Bird as he untangles innovation through a series of interviews, stories, and analyses with some of the industry’s brightest brains.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
- Federico switches his default browser
- John switches calendar apps
Keyboard Follow-Up
- Satechi Slim X1
- Logitech K380
- Keychron K2
- Myke Hurley’s Friday Keyboard Club
Apple at Home
- Linksys Velop HomeKit Router
- Managing the Internet Access of HomeKit Devices with the Linksys Velop Mesh WiFi Router System
- The Talk Show – Episode 310, Russian Nesting Doll Code
- Home+ 5
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Imagining the Perfect Read-It-Later App
This week, Federico and John, who are always on the lookout for new ways to read and process the stories they find, discuss the features and approaches they’d like to see in the ideal read-it-later app.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks.
- RevenueCat – In-app subscriptions made easy. Get started now for free.
- Pinstachio – A modern Pinboard app for your iPhone and iPad.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
- Federico’s Craft Dashboard
- See chapter art to view Federico’s Dashboard or tap here
- John’s Keyboard and Trackpad Wishes
Imagining the Perfect Read-It-Later App
- AppStories Episode 165: Imagining the Perfect Research App
- Read Later versus Bookmarking Apps
- Federico’s Read-It-Later Setup
- Kindle Oasis
- Push to Kindle bookmarklet
- Read-It-Later and Other Apps Mentioned
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Can Apps Still Surprise Us?
This week, Federico and John consider why surprising apps seem increasingly rare and share some of the apps that have surprised them the most over the past year.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Crypto Pro – Cryptocurrency portfolio tracker app. Get month of Premium with code AS2021.
- DeleteMe – Remove your personal info from data brokers. Get 20% off with code APPSTORIES.
- RevenueCat – In-app subscriptions made easy. Get started now for free.
Links and Show Notes
What’s New
- Federico digs into Taio, the recently-launched text editor and clipboard manager, and shares three automations with Club MacStories members
- John explains what it’s like to review a feature-rich app like Adobe Fresco
Can Apps Still Surprise Us?
- Connected, Episode 334 – A Wave of Nostalgia Hit Me in the Face on Relay FM
- Apps discussed
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Reading Newsletters
This week, Federico and John dig into email newsletters and how they manage and read them.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Microsoft Lists – A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work.
- Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.
Links and Show Notes
-
What’s New
- Federico revisits his Home Screen setup
- John dives back into Craft shortcuts and begins rethinking his use of Mac automation including Hazel
-
Newsletter Management and Reading
- The Booming Email Newsletter Business
- RSS
- Email Clients
- Using The Feed in Hey
- Email folders and rules
- Mailbrew
- Substack Reader
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Shortcuts Wish List, 2021 Edition
This week, Federico and John take a hard look at Shortcuts, an app they rely on every day, and consider how they would like to see Apple evolve the app this year and beyond.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Fitbod – The fitness app for personalized exercise plans. Get 25% off your membership.
- Impending – The team behind Head’s Up. Now hiring.
Links and Show Notes
-
What’s New
- Federico rethinks his RSS and ‘read later’ workflow as well as his Home Screen setup
- John signs up for a Hey personal account and figures out how to sleep his Mac and eject external drives with the press of a button
-
Shortcuts Wish List, 2021 Edition
- Shortcuts Wishes: The App
- Block folding
- Color-coded actions
- Sub-folders
- More colors and icons
- An action browser
- Debugging tools
- Shortcut locking
- Shortcuts Wishes: Actions
- Multitasking actions
- Better Files integration
- Complex UI building tools
- Safari actions
- The ability to run Swift and JavaScript
- Apple Music service actions
- Simplified Web API integration
- Shortcuts Wishes: Automations
- Deeper HomeKit support
- Apple TV integration with home automations
- Personal automations that can run at set intervals
- App-based triggers
- Proximity and presence triggers
- Shortcuts Wishes: Everything Else
- Widgets
- Trigger shortcuts with inputs via Siri
- Run Apple Watch shortcut complications on the Watch face
- Global hotkeys
- Shortcuts Wishes: The App
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What Should the iPad Steal from the Mac?
This week, Federico and John flip last week’s topic around and consider the hardware and software features that the iPad should steal from the Mac.
This episode is sponsored by:
- DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks
Links and Show Notes
-
What’s New
- Federico on finding the right mix of apps, widgets, and shortcuts on his Home Screens and testing Taio
- John on pushing the boundaries of Shortcuts’ personal and home automations
-
Features We’d Like the iPad to Steal from the Mac
- Time Machine-style backups
- System-level enhancements
- Improved external display support
- Deeper System-Level Shortcuts actions
- Expanded Files support
- Expanded automation triggers
- Control Center
- Improved image file handling
- Gatekeeper and app side-loading
- File sorting options and Music uploading
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What Should the Mac Steal from the iPad?
This week, Federico and John consider the hardware and software features that the Mac should steal from the iPad.
This episode is sponsored by:
- HelloFresh – Click this link and use code appstories10 for 10 free meals, including free shipping!
Links and Show Notes
- What’s New
- Features We’d Like the Mac to Steal from the iPad
- Closed lid music playback and other Music features
- Mobile data
- iCloud Time Machine
- Hot-swapping external drives
- Automation
- TestFlight
- MagSafe
- Touch input
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iPhone and iPad Accessory Extravaganza
This week, Federico and John discuss the iPhone and iPad accessories they use most and explain a couple of recent failed accessory experiments.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Microsoft Lists – A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work.
- iMazing – Back Up and Transfer iPhone Photos Like a Pro!
Links and Show Notes
- What’s New
- Accessories
- MagSafe
- Federico
- John
- Apple Silicon Case in Kumquat
- iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe in California poppy
- Belkin BOOST-CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe in black
- Keyboards, Headphones, and Music
- Battery Packs and Hubs
- Failed Accessory Experiments
- Federico: HomePod mini
- John: Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder
- MagSafe
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Everything but the Text Editor
This week, Federico and John cover everything about their writing workflows except the text editor, including research apps, their scratchpad setups, PDF annotation, mind mapping, dictionaries, and shortcuts, along with a segment on text-based podcast editing and transcripts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Fitbod – The fitness app for personalized exercise plans. Get 25% off your membership.
Links and Show Notes
- What’s New
- Everything but the Text Editor
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App Modularity
This week, Federico and John discuss the many aspects of app modularity, including where it started, how it’s supported by Apple, what developers are doing to push modularity forward, and trends to watch for in 2021.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
- What’s New
- John is automating his Craft workflows
- Federico is moving notes from Apple Notes to Craft
- Federico is working on Spotify shortcuts using Shortcutify
- App Modularity
- Related topic: Do-everything versus single-purpose apps, which we’ve discussed on AppStories before:
- Looking to the past of app modularity to understand where it’s going
- x-callback-url launched
- Instapaper was one of the first apps to adopt x-callback-urls
- Mr. Reader
- Other apps discussed
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Automating Your Home
This week, Federico and John share their HomeKit device setups, how they control them, the automations they use, and provide advice on approaching home automation projects.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
- Two Months with the HomePod mini: More Than Meets the Eye
- It’s Time for a Complete Home App Makeover
- John’s Setup
- Outdoors
- Indoors
- Various Hue lightbulbs
- Nanoleaf Essentials A19 lightbulb
- Eve Door & Window sensors
- Eve Cam
- Eve Energy smartplug
- Eve Motion Sensor
- Netatmo Weather Station
- Ecobee 3 thermostat
- Federico’s Setup
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Workflows Revisited: Calendars, Communications, and a Surprise
This week, Federico and John conclude their miniseries on workflows with a look at what they’re using to manage calendar events and team communications. Plus, Federico springs a big app surprise on John and listeners.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Fitbod – The fitness app for personalized exercise plans. Get 25% off your membership.
- HelloFresh – Click this link and use code appstories10 for 10 free meals, including free shipping!
Links and Show Notes
- What’s New
- Follow Up
- Calendar Apps
- Team Communications
- Federico’s Surprise
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Workflows Revisited: Task Management
This week Federico takes listeners along on his recent tour of modern task managers, and he and John discuss the app they have settled on to keep track of their projects and to-dos.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
- Task management apps discussed
- OmniFocus
- Reminders
- Todoist
- TickTick
- Any.do
- Things
- Sorted
- GoodTask
- Federico’s GoodTask themes
- New Wave app theme for iOS and iPadOS
- New Wave widget theme for iOS and iPadOS
- Federico’s GoodTask themes
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The 2020 MacStories Selects Awards
This week, Federico and John reveal and discuss the 2020 MacStories Selects Award winners and runners-up.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Woven – The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
- Best New App: Craft
- Best New App Runner-Up: Widgetsmith
- Best New App Runner-Up: Halide Mark II
- Best App Update: Soor
- Best New Feature: Pixelmator Photo’s ML Super Resolution
- Best New Feature Runner-Up: GoodTask’s Widgets
- Best New Feature Runner-Up: Craft’s Wiki Links and Backlinks
- Best Watch App: CARROT Weather
- Best Watch App Runner-Up: Watchsmith
- Best Mac App: Nova
- Best Mac App Runner-Up: AirBuddy 2
- Best Design: Reeder 5
- Best Design Runner-Up: Nova
- Readers’ Choice Award: Reeder 5
- Readers’ Choice Award Runner-Up: Scriptable
- Readers’ Choice Award Runner-Up: Things
- App of the Year: MusicHarbor
- App of the Year Runner-Up: Tot
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Workflows Revisited: Note-Taking
This week, Federico and John continue their mini-series focused on breaking down and rethinking the core workflows behind MacStories by tackling note-taking and their adoption of Craft for personal and collaborative notes.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Woven – The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
Links and Show Notes
- Craft
- Other Note-Taking Apps Discussed:
- Zettelkasten
- How to Take Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens
- Andy’s working notes by Andy Matuschak
- Atomic Notes, Cortex, Episode 105 on Relay FM
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Workflows Revisited: Email
This week Federico and John kick off a new mini-series focused on breaking down and rethinking the core workflows behind MacStories. In this first installment, we revisit how the MacStories team uses email, a long-standing workflow that has changed very little since the site was founded, and why we chose to move to HEY by Basecamp.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
Links and Show Notes
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App Store Changes and Apple's Evolving Relationship with Developers
This week Federico and John break down the App Store Small Business Program, other App Store and developer changes announced in 2020, and consider what else Apple could do to make the App Store a better place for developers.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
- Apple Reduces App Store Commissions to 15% for Small Businesses Starting Next Year
- Apple announces App Store Small Business Program
- One Week After Launch, Users Already Have Several Options for Alternative Browsers and Email Clients on iOS and iPadOS 14
- Switching Your Default HomePod Music Service to Pandora
- After outcry, Apple will let developers challenge App Store guidelines
- iOS 14.3 will suggest third-party apps to users during the iPhone or iPad setup process
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macOS Big Sur: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John dive into John’s macOS Big Sur review to talk about Control Center, Notification Center and widgets, Mac Catalyst apps, Safari extensions, design, and even the upcoming M1 Macs.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Woven: The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
Links and Show Notes
- macOS Big Sur: The MacStories Review
- An eBook version is available for Club MacStories members
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iOS Apps We Want on the Mac
This week, Federico and John consider the rumor that TestFlight is coming for the Mac and share the iOS apps they hope will find their way to the Mac.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Woven – The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
TestFlight on the Mac Rumored
iOS Apps We’d Like to See on the Mac
- Federico’s Picks
- Shortcuts
- Scriptable
- Working Copy
- Kodex
- John’s Picks
- Apollo
- Timery
- MusicHarbor
- Anybuffer
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How Widgets Have Changed the Way We Use Our Devices
This week, Federico and John consider how widgets have changed how they use their iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Woven – The calendar with the most powerful scheduling tools. Try it free for 21 days.
Links and Show Notes
Apps Discussed
- FoodNoms
- Soor
- Guitar Throwback Apple Music playlist
- Albums GoodTask
- Timery
- Craft
- Calendar 366
- Ermine
- Book Track
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New Apps Enabled by Apple Hardware and OS Advances
This week, Federico and John explore the third-party apps enabled by Apple’s latest hardware and developer frameworks.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple.
- Linode – Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $100 in free credit.
Links and Show Notes
- Camera and Photo Editing Apps
- ARKit 4
- The U1 Chip and the Nearby Interaction Framework
- iPad Air Review: Forward-Looking
- HomePod mini
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The New iPad Air: Apple's Most Forward-Looking iPad
In this special episode of AppStories, John interviews Federico about the all-new iPad Air, which Federico has been testing and reviewed on MacStories. Federico explains why the new iPad Air is Apple’s most forward-looking iPad that stands at the intersection of the iPad Pro and the rest of the company’s line-up, and covers every aspect of the hardware, design, and differences compared to other iPad models, along with practical advice on who should consider buying the new iPad Air.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw
Links and Show Notes
- iPad Air Review: Forward-Looking
- Join Club MacStories for brand new, widget-friendly iPad wallpapers, our email newsletters, and many other exclusive perks.
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Apps and the iPhone Event: Apple's Latest Innovations in the Home and Mobile Photography
This week, Federico and John dig into the latest Apple event to uncover new features and innovations coming to the Home app, Siri, and mobile photography.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Previs Pro – Storyboarding App for iOS. Sign up for a chance to win Masterclass for a year.
- Instabug – Application Performance Monitoring Built for Mobile.
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
Links and Show Notes
Show Notes
- Apple’s October 13, 2020 Event
- Apple’s HomePod mini: The MacStories Overview
- Apple’s iPhone 12 Lineup: The MacStories Overview
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iOS and iPadOS 14: The MacStories Review
This week, Federico and John dive into Federico’s annual iOS and iPadOS review to look at big picture trends like Compact UI along with the changes to iPadOS, the Apple Pencil’s new Scribble feature, and Shortcuts.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Fantastical – The calendar app you won’t be able to live without.
- MacStadium – Private clouds and dedicated Macs for developers and teams doing iOS and Mac app development. Start a Mac mini subscription and get two months for the price of one.
- Things – The award-winning to-do app.
Links and Show Notes
- iOS and iPadOS 14: The MacStories Review
- iOS and iPadOS 14 Review Extras: eBooks, Wallpapers, Shortcuts, Podcasts, and Newsletter
- Join Club MacStories today to enjoy all the extras and perks released with Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 14 review and throughout the year
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Must-Have Music Widgets for Your iPhone
This week, Federico and John tour music widgets, one of their favorite categories, exploring the many widgets they’re using to listen to music and follow their favorite artists.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MacStadium – Private clouds and dedicated Macs for developers and teams doing iOS and Mac app development. Start a Mac mini subscription and get two months for the price of one.
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Readdle – Essential productivity apps. iOS 14 ready.
Links and Show Notes
- Music widgets from this week’s episode of AppStories:
- Introducing MusicBot: The All-in-One Apple Music Assistant, Powered by Shortcuts
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Our Newly Customized iOS 14 Home Screens
This week, Federico and John revisit their approaches to their iPhone Home Screens, including the third-party widgets they’re using, and how they are optimizing their mix of apps and widgets since the iOS 14 update. Federico also shares a trick for integrating certain widgets and folders of icons into his wallpaper.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MacStadium - Private clouds and dedicated Macs for developers and teams doing iOS and Mac app development. Start a Mac mini subscription and get two months for the price of one.
- Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Mint Mobile: Cut your unlimited wireless bill to $30 a month.
Links and Show Notes
MacStories Updates
- Club MacStories’ 5th Anniversary Celebration
- MacStories’ ongoing iOS and iPadOS 14 coverage
- MacStories’ ongoing widget coverage
Federico and John’s Home Screens
- Shortcuts Mentioned, which are available in the MacStories Shortcuts Archive:
- Apps Mentioned:
- Soor
- Timery
- The widgets discussed are in beta and are coming soon
- Todoist
- GoodLinks
- The widgets discussed are in beta and are coming soon
- LookUp
- Wikipedia
- Apollo
- Widget Wizard
- MusicHarbor
- Widgeridoo
- lire
- Fantastical
- Ascend
- FoodNoms
- Tempo
- The widgets discussed are in beta and are coming soon
- CardioBot
- Launcher
- IMDb
- World Clock
- Anybuffer
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An Interview with Michael Flarup
This week Federico and John conclude the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series by interviewing designer Michael Flarup about Mac iconography, the design of Mac Catalyst apps, content-focused design on the iPad, augmented reality, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
- Michael Flarup
- Website
- The Comeback of Fun in Visual Design
- Previously on AppStories
- Episode 68: Interviews with Michael Flarup and Marc Edwards
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Apple's New App Review Guidelines
This week, Federico and John dig into the details of Apple’s new App Review Guidelines, which address game streaming services, advertising, ‘reader apps,’ and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MacStadium – Private clouds and dedicated Macs for developers and teams doing iOS and Mac app development. Start a Mac mini subscription and get two months for the price of one.
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Tower – The most powerful Git client for Mac and Windows. Get 30% off with code APPSTORIES.
Links and Show Notes
- Apple Updates Multiple App Review Guidelines Addressing Game Streaming Services, In-App Purchases, Advertising, and More
- Fortnite Developer Epic Games Sues Apple Alleging Anti-Competitive App Store and Payment Processing Behavior
- Game On: A Decade of iOS Gaming
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The Many Ways to Use Widgets
This week Federico and John explain their emerging strategies for using widgets in the Today view, mixed with apps on their Home screens, and on dedicated widget-only Home screens.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Muse – Turn your iPad into a tool for thought.
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
- Widgets and the App Library: A First Look at Bringing Personality and Customization to Your Home Screens
- AppStories Episode 170 – WWDC 2020: Widgets Come to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- iOS and iPadOS 14: The MacStories Overview
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Exploring Apple’s 2020 Gaming Updates
This week Federico and John explore Apple’s 2020 gaming updates, including deeper controller support and a refreshed Game Center, which are coming this fall.
This episode is sponsored by:
- MacStadium - Private clouds and dedicated Macs for developers and teams doing iOS and Mac app development. Start a Mac mini subscription and get two months for the price of one.
- Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
Links and Show Notes
- Please consider supporting our friends at Relay FM who are raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
- Donate
- MacStories Gaming Coverage:
- Deeper Controller Support and a Revitalized Game Center: Exploring Apple’s 2020 Gaming Updates
- Apple Hits Restart on Game Controller Support
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An Interview with Vidit Bhargava
This week Federico and John continue the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series by interviewing Vidit Bhargava, the creator of LookUp, a dictionary app available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, about design, Mac Catalyst apps, and a whole lot more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw
- Mint Mobile – Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month
Links and Show Notes
- Vidit Bhargava on Twitter
- LookUp
- On iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS
- On the Mac
- MacStories’ Latest Review
- Vidit Bhargava on Medium
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Mac Catalyst Revisited: Apple’s Mac App Strategy Emerges
This week Federico and John revisit Mac Catalyst, the technology used to bring iPad apps to the Mac, to discuss what’s changed since WWDC 2019, debate where Mac Catalyst fits in Apple’s overall app strategy, and share some of their favorite Mac Catalyst apps.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Hover – Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
- Mac Catalyst 2.0: Doubling Down on the Alignment of the Mac and iPad
- Catalyst Can Rescue the Mac and Grow the iPad
- AppStories 134: Mac Catalyst and the First Wave of Apps Built with It
- AppStories 117: Catalyst to the Rescue
- Mac Power Users #513: Catalyst Apps on the Mac with John Voorhees
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An Interview with David Smith
This week Federico and John interview developer David Smith about watchOS, widgets, what the announcements at WWDC this year mean for developers and users, and David’s apps, including a new one he’s working on for the fall.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw.
- Sit Down, Startup – Here’s how to startup. Even when the world goes topsy-turvy. Subscribe to the podcast now.
Links and Show Notes
- David Smith
- Apps
- Website
- Podcast
- Co-Host of Under the Radar with Marco Arment on Relay FM
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An Interview with Guilherme Rambo
This week Federico and John are joined by Guilherme Rambo for the first interview of the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series to talk about Mac Catalyst, SwiftUI, Apple Silicon, the App Store and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Concepts - Sketch, Note, Draw
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
- Mac Catalyst 2.0: Doubling Down on the Alignment of the Mac and iPad
- Guilherme Rambo
- Apps
- Podcast
- Co-Host of Stacktrace podcast with John Sundell
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What is Great App Design?
This week Federico and John consider what makes an app’s design great, the balance between form and function, and some of our favorite app designs.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code APPSTORIES to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021, and can be used only once.
Links and Show Notes
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Pick Two: Castro and Grammarly
This week Federico and John bring back an AppStories classic: Pick 2, an in-depth look at two apps. In this installment, Federico explains why he has been revisiting Castro for listening to podcasts, and John covers the evolution of Grammarly into a terrific grammar and spell-checking app for writers.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Mint Mobile – Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month.
Links and Show Notes
- Follow-Up
- Pick 2