Posts in news

Podcast Rewind: Holiday Break Projects, CES Gaming Announcements, MagSafe Accessories, and Clawdbot

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John are back from their holiday break, which included so many hardware and automation projects that this is part one of a two-part episode regarding Federico’s networked music automation setup and John’s new research tool.

On AppStories+, Federico shares his foldable phone experiments.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, a whirlwind tour of the handheld news from CES 2026, Switch 2 grips, AR glasses, new chips from AMD, the OneXSugar Wallet, and more.

On NPC XL, John got his MCON controller, Federico’s still waiting for his, and Brendon checks in after more than a month with his.

Comfort Zone

Niléane battles the modern era of smart mice, Chris has a new way of keeping up with everything everywhere all at once, and the whole gang battles it out with the best dang MagSafe accessories you’ve ever seen.

On this week’s Cozy Zone, we roast listeners’ home screens again! This one has, bar none, the weirdest home screen we’ve ever seen, and we might be cursed now.

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico unpacks Clawdbot, a Claude-based personal assistant, and recommends an Apple TV movie, while John revisits an old favorite on the Nintendo Switch.

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Apple Unveils Apple Creator Studio App Suite

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Today, Apple announced Apple Creator Studio, a suite of creativity apps for the Mac and iPad combined with premium content and features for productivity apps across the company’s platforms. This collection of apps, which includes the debut of Pixelmator Pro for iPad, offers tools for creative professionals, aspiring artists, students, and others working across a wide variety of fields, including music, video, and graphic design.

The bundle includes a number of apps:

  • Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad (video editing)
  • Logic Pro for Mac and iPad (music creation)
  • Pixelmator Pro for Mac and iPad (photo editing and graphic design)
  • Motion for Mac (video effects)
  • Compressor for Mac (video encoding)
  • MainStage for Mac (music performance)

It also features a new Content Hub with premium graphics and photos for Apple’s iWork suite – Pages for word processing, Keynote for presentations, and Numbers for spreadsheets – as well as exclusive templates, themes, and AI features. The company says these features will also come to its Freeform canvas app soon.

Apple Creator Studio will be available on Wednesday, January 28, for $12.99/month or $129/year with a one-month free trial. Students and teachers can subscribe at a discounted rate of $2.99/month or $29.99/year, and three months of Apple Creator Studio will come free with the purchase of a new Mac or iPad. The subscription also includes Family Sharing, allowing users to share the apps and features with up to five family members.

With this offering, Apple is combining several disparate offerings for creatives into a single package that looks quite compelling. Because many of these apps are also available individually – some of them for free – there are a lot of details to get into regarding what’s new, what’s included, and what’s available elsewhere. Let’s get into it.

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Immersive Lakers Game Now Widely Available on Apple Vision Pro

Last Friday, basketball fans in the Los Angeles Lakers market got their first glimpse of an immersive live game when the Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks on Spectrum Front Row on Apple Vision Pro. While that experience was limited geographically and only available to Spectrum customers via the Spectrum SportsNet app, the game replay is now available widely and for free in the NBA app. Vision Pro users in eligible regions outside Lakers territory can download the app, sign up for an NBA ID, and stream the game replay and highlights today. The full schedule and availability of immersive Lakers games were announced last week.

Being from Arkansas and not California, I missed out on the live premiere, but I was able to check out the game replay on my Vision Pro yesterday, and the experience was fantastic. Most of the game was shown from a front-row courtside perspective, which meant I was literally turning my head from side to side as the teams moved up and down the court. It was very different from the bird‘s-eye view I’m used to watching televised sports from, and it really gave me the impression of being in the arena. At one point, when a member of the Lakers scored a point, I felt the urge to start clapping as if they could hear me, even though I was sitting in my bedroom, not at the Lakers game.

There were several other camera angles that the broadcast cut to from time to time. The behind-the-basket view was a fun way to take in the action when someone was about to score, and there was a roaming camera that brought you onto the court itself before the game and during halftime as well. The cuts were sparing, which made the whole experience feel less jarring than some of the immersive sports highlights we’ve seen on Vision Pro before, but the combination of immersive video and multiple angles offered the best of both worlds. It felt like I was actually there taking in the game, and no matter what was happening, I always got to see it from the best angle.

Even if you’re not a big fan of basketball or the Lakers, it’s worth checking out the replay to see what the experience is like. Right now, broadcasting a game in this way is a big undertaking, but I have a feeling it will only become more and more common with time. If this concept eventually expands to other sports and live experiences like concerts, theatrical performances, and more, it would make a really compelling case for the Vision Pro and the sorts of capabilities only visionOS can offer.

Apple Confirms AI Partnership with Google

Apple has confirmed to CNBC that it has entered into a multi-year partnership with Google to use the search giant’s models and cloud technology for its own AI efforts. According to an unnamed Apple spokesperson:

After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.

The report still leaves many questions unanswered, including how Gemini fits in with Apple’s own Foundation Models and whether and to what extent Apple will rely on Google hardware. However, after months of speculation and reports from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg that Apple and Google were negotiating, it looks like we’re on the cusp of Apple’s AI strategy coming into better focus.

UPDATE:

Subsequent to the statement made by Apple to CNBC, Apple and Google released a slightly more detailed joint statement that Google published on X:

Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.

After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.

So, while the Apple Foundation Models that power Apple Intelligence will be based on Gemini and unspecified cloud technology, Apple Intelligence features themselves, including more personalized Siri, will continue to run locally on Apple devices and on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute to maintain user privacy.

Podcast Rewind: Tech Predictions, A New Game Show, and Weird CES Returns

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Last week was the annual predictions episode! The gang reflected on their predictions from 2025 and then made their Guaranteed To Be Correct Predictions for 2026. No boring predictions here; we started at Pro predictions and went all the way to Pro Max.

Last week’s Cozy Zone had everyone discussing the tricky business of streaming music and how we actually get artists paid.

And this week, Matt needs some help figuring out what browser to use, Niléane has a new game show, and Chris challenges the gang to clean up their desk area.

On this week’s Cozy Zone, the gang discusses their tech white whales. If they had unlimited funds, what would they buy? A nice camera? A beefy computer? A whole company?!

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico and John share how they unwound during their holiday break, John has a report on CES 2026, Federico recommends Avatar: Fire and Ash, and John does a Parks and Rec rewatch and has a superhero movie deal for listeners.

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Coming Soon: What’s Next on Apple TV and Apple Arcade in January 2026

To ring in the new year, Apple has a great lineup of returning Apple TV shows and brand-new Apple Arcade games on the way, with everything kicking off later this week. Here are the highlights.

Apple Arcade Games (January 8)

On January 8th, Apple will release four new games:

  • True Skate+: a skateboarding simulator with realistic physics that’s set in more than 20 real-world locations. The game has been available on the App Store for years, but now Arcade subscribers can play on their iPhone and iPad, or even stream a game via AirPlay to an Apple TV without the In-App Purchases.

  • Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden: a family game that lets preschool-aged kids explore gardens, cook, and harvest ingredients in three distinct 3D areas.

  • Cozy Caravan: another family-friendly game where kids can create and play as an animal character, make meals, and enjoy activities like fishing and games, all while preparing for the Whizz Bang Fair.

  • Potion Punch 2+: a restaurant management simulator where you manage a variety of shops like the Potion Café or Enchantment Shop. The app features a fantasy theme filled with magic and monsters with an amusing storyline.

Then starting this Friday, a host of new Apple TV shows will begin to appear:

Tehran, Season 3 (January 9)

The International Emmy Award-winning Israeli spy thriller returns for its third season with Hugh Laurie, who joins the cast as a South African nuclear inspector. Created by Moshe Zonder, Dana Eden, and Maor Kohn, the series follows Mossad agent Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan) as she takes on dangerous missions deep inside Iran. After going rogue at the end of season two, Tamar fights to win back the Mossad’s support and survive, with the eight-episode season directed by Daniel Syrkin.

Add to your Calendar:

Hijack, Season 2 (January 14)

I loved season one of this series starring Idris Elba, who returns as corporate negotiator Sam Nelson in this real-time thriller. After saving a hijacked flight last season, Sam finds himself at the center of a new crisis on a Berlin underground train. The eight-episode season includes new cast members Toby Jones, Lisa Vicari, and Clare-Hope Ashitey, with returning stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, and Archie Panjabi.

Add to your Calendar:

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Immersive Basketball Games Come to Apple Vision Pro on January 9

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Last year, Apple announced a partnership with cable company Spectrum and the Los Angeles Lakers to stream select games in Apple Immersive Video on Vision Pro. Today, the company announced the schedule and availability of the games, which will be offered via Spectrum Front Row starting this Friday.

These are the dates the games will be streamed live in Immersive Video:

  • Friday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m PT
  • Thursday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. PT
  • Friday, February 20, at 7:00 p.m. PT
  • Thursday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m. PT
  • Tuesday, March 10, at 8:00 p.m. PT
  • Monday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. PT

In the press release, Apple revealed details of what viewers can expect from the broadcasts:

Spectrum Front Row in Apple Immersive is directed and produced for Vision Pro with a feed of up to 150 Mbps and seven unique viewing angles: the scorer’s table, the area beneath each basket, a high-and-wide view of the arena, the player tunnel, the broadcast booth, and a roaming courtside perspective for interviews and commentary. The broadcast team features Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mark Rogondino and three-time NBA champion and former Lakers forward Danny Green as an analyst.

Spectrum SportsNet subscribers in the Lakers regional broadcast territory (Southern California, Hawaii, and parts of southern Nevada) can watch immersive games live via the Spectrum SportsNet app or the NBA app. Viewers in other U.S. markets will have access to highlights and full-game replays later, beginning this Sunday, for free via the NBA app or in the SportsNet app with a subscription.

The games will be available in some international markets as well. Users in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea will have access to live immersive games in the NBA app, while users in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE, and the UK will be able to watch replays up to 24 hours after each game has ended.

The Vision Pro’s potential for offering viewers the thrill of attending sports events has been a part of the product’s story from the very beginning, with the company including sports footage in the first demos shown to attendees at WWDC 2023. And while we’ve seen highlight videos of various sporting events released publicly since then, this collaboration marks the first time Vision Pro users will be able to experience a full game in Immersive Video. This is also the first time the format will be used for live video rather than on-demand. It’s only a handful of games from one team, but this is a step forward for Immersive Video and the Vision Pro itself that I’m looking forward to experiencing myself this weekend.

Podcast Rewind: Apps in 2026 and The Best Handhelds of the Year

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John look ahead to 2026 and what it will mean for apps, smarter Siri, and more.

On AppStories+, Federico and John update listeners on their latest app experiments and holiday hardware projects.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, Brendon, Federico, and John pick their top handheld consoles of 2025.

On NPC XL, Federico, John, and Brendon share their HOTY Honorable Mentions and trends they expect for 2026.

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Podcast Rewind: The 2025 MacStories Selects Awards, John’s Journey into Bazzite, Techy Clothes Shopping, and The Best Music of the Year

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John reveal the winners of the 2025 MacStories Selects Awards, which celebrate the exceptional design, innovation, and creativity of apps across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

On AppStories+, John has some Apple Music discovery tips for Federico, and they reveal the iPhone features they don’t use.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, handhelds are shipping for the holidays, AYANEO makes a bold bet on a phone, a new Strix Halo tablet one-ups the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, and John dips a toe in the Bazzite waters.

On NPC XL, Federico jumps into the Bazzite mini PC world, while Brendon is revisiting the iPod on handheld consoles.

Comfort Zone

Chris reflects on a big year of changes, Matt has turned his garage into a mini-factory, and the gang buys clothes, but in a techy way.

On Cozy Zone, we draft fonts…for real this time!

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico and John close out the year by sharing their favorite music of 2025.

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