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About MacStories

MacStories is a daily publication from MacStories, Inc. about all things apps, automation, the latest in tech, and more.

Founded in Viterbo, Italy by Federico Viticci in April 2009, MacStories attracts readers thanks to in-depth, personal, and informed coverage that offers a balanced mix of technology news, app reviews, automation how-tos, and opinion. Today, MacStories is run by Federico and John Voorhees who joined MacStories in 2015 and has been running MacStories alongside Federico as his business partner since 2020.

Well into its second decade, MacStories, which is now based in the United States, has become one of the leading publications covering the world of apps and Apple, with editors, writers, developers, and designers based in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, working together to deliver quality content to a growing global readership.

Today, in addition to the website, MacStories is comprised of Club MacStories, which offers exclusive access to extra MacStories content every week, and a family of podcasts, including AppStories, a weekly podcast that explores the world of apps, Comfort Zone, a weekly podcast that pushes its hosts outside of their, well, comfort zone, MacStories Unwind, a weekly podcast covering movies, TV, videogames, music, and more, Magic Rays of Light, a weekly show focused on the world of Apple TV and Apple originals, NPC: Next Portable Console, a bi-weekly show about the games we take with us, and Ruminate, a bi-weekly podcast about the web, games, and terrible food.

MacStories’ global audience includes creative, professional, and tech-savvy readers who care about quality apps designed for Apple products and appreciate detailed, insightful reviews, editorials, and tutorials.

The MacStories Team

You can contact the MacStories team via the email addresses listed below.

Federico Viticci - Editor-in-Chief

Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about portable gaming and the handheld revolution.

@[email protected]
@viticci.macstories.net
[email protected]

John Voorhees - Managing Editor

John is MacStories’ Managing Editor, has been writing about Apple and apps since joining the team in 2015, and today, runs the site alongside Federico.

John also co-hosts four MacStories podcasts: AppStories, which covers the world of apps, MacStories Unwind, which explores the fun differences between American and Italian culture and recommends media to listeners, Ruminate, a show about the weird web and unusual snacks, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about the games we take with us.

@[email protected]
@johnvoorhees.macstories.net
[email protected]

Alex Guyot - Editor and Senior Software Engineer

Alex has been writing for MacStories since 2013. As a MacStories contributor he covers Apple and related technology on the site and for Club MacStories. Alex also keeps the site running smoothly and works on new technology as MacStories’ senior software engineer.

Mastodon: @[email protected]

[email protected]

Brendon Bigley - Contributor

Brendon is a podcaster and writer based out of New York City. He’s the co-host of Into the Aether, a self-proclaimed “low key video game podcast,” and writes about gaming and technology at Wavelengths. He wants you to have a good day.

@[email protected]
[email protected]

Matt Birchler - Contributor

I’m a product designer who has worked in the payments industry for a decade, and I’ve been writing and making videos about tech since 2010.

@[email protected]
@https://bsky.app/profile/birchtree.me
[email protected]

Niléane Dorffer - Contributor

Niléane is a French-Réunionnese podcaster and activist, working and advocating for the advancement of trans rights. She is passionate about technology and always likes to experiment with Apple products and software to improve her workflows and everyday life.

@[email protected]
@nileane.fr
[email protected]

Devon Dundee - Contributor

Devon Dundee is the co-host of Magic Rays of Light, a podcast exploring the world of Apple TV, where he’s covered Apple TV, tvOS, and Apple Originals since 2021. He’s also written about apps, TV, and film on his personal website for over ten years. Devon lives in Arkansas with his wife, their son, and their dog Winter.

@[email protected]
@devondundee.com
[email protected]

Sigmund Judge - Contributor

Sigmund began his Apple TV coverage in 2015, and has gone on to cover Apple, tvOS, and Apple Originals across video, written articles, and podcasts. Inspired by storytellers and innovators, Sigmund is also the co-host of Magic Rays of Light, a weekly podcast exploring the diverse world of Apple TV.

@[email protected]
@sigjudge.bsky.social
[email protected]

Robb Knight - Developer

Robb is a full-time developer, part-time podcaster, and occasional blogger. When he’s not doing those things, he’s tinkering with his website, building Lego, or playing video games. Robb is the co-host of Ruminate, a podcast about the web and weird snacks.

@[email protected]
@rknight.me
[email protected]

Christopher Lawley - Contributor

Christopher is a YouTuber and Photographer. In 2016 Christopher started his YouTube Channel focusing on apps, productivity, automation, and the iPad. Christopher is the co-host of the weekly podcast Comfort Zone, a podcast all about trying new technology.

@[email protected]
@chrislawley.bsky.social
[email protected]

Jonathan Reed - Contributor

Jonathan is a freelance graphic designer. As well as being a long-time Apple user he is a huge film and television aficionado and is very interested in the intersection between the two mediums and technology. He lives in London with his wife and daughter and is writing his bio in the third person.

@[email protected]
[email protected]

Silvia Gatta - Lead Designer

Silvia has been MacStories’ Lead Designer since 2013 and is responsible for the site’s current design, as well as the design of Club MacStories, AppStories, and our other podcasts. Silvia is also the creative force behind MacStories Pixel, our design brand that offers a variety of icon packs for sale.

Mastodon: @[email protected]

[email protected]

Subscribe

MacStories offers a full-text (non-truncated) RSS feed to read every story in a standard RSS client. The site’s main content feed is also available in JSON Feed format.

Every MacStories article is shared on our Mastodon account @macstories and Threads.

MacStories’ homepage features a mix of regular and linked posts. If you only want to subscribe to regular MacStories posts and skip the linked posts, an articles-only feed is available.

Furthermore, any category, author, or tag page on MacStories can be turned into a dedicated RSS feed by appending /feed/ to its URL. Here are a few examples of special news hubs and categories that are available as standalone RSS feeds:

Key Topics

Here is a collection of recurring topics regularly covered by the MacStories team:

Podcasts

MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017. That show, AppStories, is a weekly podcast hosted by Federico Viticci and John Voorhees that explores the world of apps and the social and cultural impact of the App Store. In addition to in-depth app coverage, AppStories has been the home of interviews with Apple executives, including Craig Federighi, leading developers, and winners of the Apple Design Awards and the WWDC Swift Student Challenge.

We also offer an extended, ad-free version of AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio to subscribers of AppStories+ and Club Premier members.

Since AppStories’ launch, it has been joined by MacStories Unwind, a fun weekly exploration of media and more. Each Friday, Federico and John explore the differences between American and Italian culture and recommend media they enjoy, whether it’s a book, movie, TV show, music, video game, or other media. We also release MacStories Unwind+ every week to all Club MacStories subscribers, which is an early, ad-free version of Unwind.

MacStories is the home of Magic Rays of Light, a weekly show that explores the world of Apple TV hosted by Sigmund Judge and Devon Dundee, too. Named one of the 50 best podcasts of 2021 by The Atlantic, Magic Rays of Light offers an insightful look at Apple’s TV+ streaming service, tvOS, Apple Arcade, and more that is published every Wednesday.

You can subscribe to our podcasts using the buttons below:

AppStories:

MacStories Unwind:

Magic Rays of Light:

All Club members can find details on how to listen to MacStories Unwind+ by logging into their Club account and visiting the Club podcast page. AppStories+ subscribers and Club Premier members access the show’s podcast feed by logging into the AppStories homepage.

Club MacStories

Since September 2015, the MacStories team has also been producing Club MacStories, a members-only subscription service to get access to exclusive perks such as weekly and monthly newsletters that are available by email and on the web, MacStories Unwind+, free downloads, and app giveaways.

Club MacStories’ weekly newsletter, MacStories Weekly, combines in-depth app coverage with advanced iOS workflows, tips and tricks, and longform interviews – and it’s read by thousands of members every week. Over the past eight years, Club MacStories has delivered nearly 500 newsletters to its members, all of which are available on the web for every Club member at club.macstories.net. Past downloadable perks are also available no matter when you joined the Club.

In 2021, the Club was expanded to add two new tiers, Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ includes everything offered by Club MacStories, as well as two exclusive columns, search and filtering functionality, user-customizable RSS feeds, a Discord community, and a rotating list of discounted apps and services. Club Premier includes everything in a Club MacStories and Club MacStories+ subscription, along with AppStories+, the extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories, that is delivered early and with enhanced audio.

Visit the Club MacStories website here for more details.

You can read more about Club MacStories and sign up at $5/month here. Issue 285 of MacStories Weekly is available as a free sample on club.macstories.net.

You can read more about Club MacStories+ and sign up at $10/month here. You can learn more and sign up for Club Premier for $12/month here.

What Guides Us

Every day, we try to follow these guidelines at MacStories. These are the principles that guide us and that shape our relationship with MacStories readers and podcast listeners.

  • We report news in a timely fashion but without rushing to get stories out.
  • Whenever possible, we try to add context and analysis to news reports.
  • We don’t publish leaks or rumors.
  • We focus on in-depth app reviews; we always use our own screenshots (unless we can’t for privacy-related reasons) and only write about apps if we have personally tested them. We do not rehash App Store release notes. We share our opinions fairly and by explaining the things we don’t like about an app too.
  • We have never done and never will do paid reviews.
  • We don’t write sensationalistic headlines “for clicks”, nor do we publish posts exclusively designed to criticize or attack others. Our readers are interested in useful products that can make their lives better, not industry gossip.
  • If Apple provides us with review units of new products, we’re still going to write the things we don’t like about them because honesty is more important than access. This is true for all review units of products we are sent.
  • We take as much time as necessary to work on our editorials.
  • MacStories is made by people for people. We don’t use generative artificial intelligence to write our articles or synthesize facsimiles of our voices for podcasts.
  • We always credit sources for news, tutorials, and other articles; we link to other websites profusely because the Open Web is a beautiful thing and because it’s the right thing to do.
  • We make MacStories the fastest website it can possibly be. We only use one analytics service and serve no ads or other media with creepy tracking codes attached.
  • Finally, we write the Apple blog we would like to read ourselves. If readers do not find MacStories useful or inspiring, it means we’ve failed. Therefore, we should do whatever we can to make sure we deserve our readers’ time and attention every day.