Notes on Mercury Weather’s New Radar Maps Feature

By John Voorhees

Since covering Mercury Weather 2.0 and its launch on the Vision Pro here on MacStories, I’ve been keeping up with the weather app on Club MacStories. It’s one of my favorite Mac menu bar apps, it has held a spot on my default Apple Watch face since its launch, and last fall, it added severe weather notifications.

I love the app’s design and focus as much today as I did when I wrote about its debut in 2023. Today, though, Mercury Weather is a more well-rounded app than ever before. Through regular updates, the app has filled in a lot of the holes in its feature set that may have turned off some users two years ago.

Today, Mercury Weather adds weather radar maps, which was one of the features I missed most from other weather apps, along with the severe weather notifications that were added late last year. It’s a welcome addition that means the next time a storm is bearing down on my neighborhood, I won’t have to switch to a different app to see what’s coming my way.

Zooming out to navigate the globe.

Radar maps are available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac versions of Mercury Weather; they offer a couple of different map styles and a legend that explains what each color on the map means. If you zoom out, you can get a global view of Earth with your favorite locations noted on the map. Tap one, and you’ll get the current conditions for that spot. Mercury Weather already had an extensive set of widgets for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but this update adds small, medium, and large widgets for the radar map, too.

A Mercury Weather radar map on the Mac.

With a long list of updates since launch, Mercury Weather is worth another look if you passed on it before because it was missing features you wanted. The app is available on the App Store as a free download. Certain features require a subscription or lifetime purchase via an in-app purchase.

Microsoft Eyes Xbox Web Store after Epic Court Decision →

Linked By John Voorhees

In the wake of U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ decision in Epic Games’ litigation against Apple, I commented on NPC: Next Portable Console that I expected Microsoft to enter the fray with its own web store soon. As reported by Tom Warren at The Verge, it looks like that’s exactly what Microsoft intends to do. Commenting on Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ contempt order in the context of Epic’s recent motion to return Fortnite to the App Store, Warren notes:

It’s a key ruling that has already allowed Fortnite to return to the App Store in the US, complete with the ability for Epic Games to link out to its own payment system inside the game. Microsoft has wanted to offer a similar experience for its Xbox mobile store prior to the ruling, but it says its solution “has been stymied by Apple.”

Ultimately, Microsoft wants its customers to be able to purchase and play its games from inside the Xbox app:

Microsoft started rolling out the ability to purchase games and DLC inside the Xbox mobile app last month, but it had to remove the remote play option to adhere to Apple’s App Store policies. You can’t currently buy an Xbox game in the Xbox mobile app on iOS and then stream it inside that same app. You have to manually navigate to the Xbox Cloud Gaming mobile website on a browser to get access to cloud gaming.

Developers continue to add options to link out to the web to purchase content, but as Microsoft’s court filing shows, the biggest players on the App Store are weighing the cost of setting up their own storefronts against the risk that Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ decision will be reversed on appeal.

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OpenAI to Buy Jony Ive’s Stealth Startup for $6.5 Billion →

Linked By John Voorhees

Jony Ive’s stealth AI company known as io is being acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion in a deal that is expected to close this summer subject to regulatory approvals. According to reporting by Mark Gurman and Shirin Ghaffary of Bloomberg:

The purchase — the largest in OpenAI’s history — will provide the company with a dedicated unit for developing AI-powered devices. Acquiring the secretive startup, named io, also will secure the services of Ive and other former Apple designers who were behind iconic products such as the iPhone.

The partnership builds on a 23% stake in io that OpenAI purchased at the end of last year and comes with what Bloomberg describes as 55 hardware engineers, software developers, and manufacturing experts, plus a cast of accomplished designers.

Ive had this to say about the purportedly novel products he and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are planning:

“People have an appetite for something new, which is a reflection on a sort of an unease with where we currently are,” Ive said, referring to products available today. Ive and Altman’s first devices are slated to debut in 2026.

Bloomberg also notes that Ive and his team of designers will be taking over all design at OpenAI, including software design like ChatGPT.

For now, the products OpenAI is working on remain a mystery, but given the purchase price and io’s willingness to take its first steps into the spotlight, I expect we’ll be hearing more about this historic collaboration in the months to come.

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Is Apple’s AI Predicament Fixable?→

Linked By John Voorhees

On Sunday, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman published a comprehensive recap of Apple’s AI troubles. There wasn’t much new in Gurman’s story, except quotes from unnamed sources that added to the sense of conflict playing out inside the company. That said, it’s perfect if you haven’t been paying close attention since Apple Intelligence was first announced last June.

What’s troubling about Apple’s predicament isn’t that Apple’s super mom and other AI illustrations looks like they were generated in 2022, a lifetime ago in the world of AI. The trouble is what the company’s struggles mean for next-generation interactions with devices and productivity apps. The promise of natural language requests made to Siri that combine personal context with App Intents is exciting, but it’s mired in multiple layers of technical issues that need to be solved starting, as Gurman reported, with Siri.

The mess is so profound that it raises the question of whether Apple has the institutional capabilities to fix it. As M.G. Siegler wrote yesterday on Spyglass:

Apple, as an organization, simply doesn’t seem built correctly to operate in the age of AI. This technology, even more so than the web, moves insanely fast and is all about iteration. Apple likes to move slowly, measuring a million times and cutting once. Shipping polished jewels. That’s just not going to cut it with AI.

Having studied the fierce competition among AI companies for months, I agree with Siegler. This isn’t like hardware where Apple has successfully entered a category late and dominated it. Hardware plays to Apple’s design and supply chain strengths. In contrast, the rapid iteration of AI models and apps is the antithesis of Apple’s annual OS cycle. It’s a fundamentally different approach driven by intense competition and fueled by billions of dollars of cash.

I tend to agree with Siegler that given where things stand, Apple should replace a lot of Siri’s capabilities with a third-party chatbot and in the longer-term make an acquisition to shake up how it approaches AI. However, I also think the chances of either of those things happening are unlikely given Apple’s historical focus on internally developed solutions.

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Google Brings Its NotebookLM Research Tool to iPhone and iPad

By John Voorhees

Google’s AI research tool NotebookLM dropped on the App Store for iOS and iPadOS a day earlier than expected. If you haven’t used NotebookLM before, it’s Google’s AI research tool. You feed it source materials like PDFs, text files, MP3s, and more. Once your sources are uploaded, you can use Google’s AI to query the sources, asking questions and creating materials that draw on your sources.

Of all the AI tools I’ve tried, NotebookLM’s web app is one of the best I’ve used, which is why I was excited to try it on the iPhone and iPad. I’ve only played with it for a short time, but so far, I like it a lot.

Just like the web app, you can create, edit and delete notebooks, add new sources using the native file picker, view existing sources, chat with your sources, create summaries, timelines, and use the Studio tab to generate a faux podcast of the materials you’ve added to the app. Notebooks can also be filtered and sorted by Recent, Shared, Title, and Downloaded. Unlike the web app, you won’t see predefined prompts for things like a study guide, a briefing document, or FAQs, but you can still generate those materials by asking for them from the Chat tab.

NotebookLM’s native iOS and iPadOS app is primarily focused on audio. The app lets you generate audio overviews from the Chats tab and ‘deep dive’ podcast-style conversations that draw from your sources. Also, the audio generated can be downloaded locally, allowing you to listen later whether or not you have an Internet connection. Playback controls are basic and include buttons to play and pause, skip forward and back by 10 seconds at a time, control playback speed, and share the audio with others.

Generating an audio overview of sources.

What you won’t find is any integration with features tied to App Intents. That means notebooks don’t show up in Spotlight Search, and there are no widgets, Control Center controls, or Shortcuts actions. Still, for a 1.0, NotebookLM is an excellent addition to Google’s AI tools for the iPhone and iPad.

NotebookLM is available to download from the App Store for free. Some NotebookLM features are free, while others require a subscription that can be purchased as an In-App Purchase in the App Store or from Google directly. You can learn more about the differences between the free and paid versions of NotebookLM on Google’s blog.

Inside Airbnb’s App Redesign: An AppStories Interview with Marketing and Design Leads →

Linked By John Voorhees

Last week, I was in LA for Airbnb’s 2025 Summer Release. As part of the day’s events, Federico and I interviewed Jud Coplan, Airbnb’s Vice President of Product Marketing, and Teo Connor, Airbnb’s Vice President of Design, for AppStories to talk about the new features and app the company launched. It was a great conversation that you can watch on YouTube:

or listen to the episode here:

Last week’s launch was a big one for Airbnb. The company debuted Services and reimagined and expanded Experiences. Services are the sort of things hotels and resorts offer that you used to give up when booking an Airbnb stay. Now, however, you can book a chef, personal trainer, hair stylist, manicurist, photographer, and more. Better yet, you don’t have to book a stay with an Airbnb host to take advantage of services. You can schedule services in your hometown or wherever you happen to be.

Experiences aren’t entirely new to Airbnb, but have been expanded and integrated into the Airbnb app in a way that’s similar to Services. Services allow you to get the most out of a trip from locals who know their cities best, whether that’s a cultural tour, dining experience, outdoor adventure, or something else.

Chef Grace explaining how to serve sadza.

While I was in LA, I prepared a meal alongside several other media folks from around the world. Our instructor was Chef Kuda Grace from Zimbabwe at Flavors from Afar. We made sadza with peanut butter and mustard greens and then sat down together to compare notes from the day’s events, tell stories about our dining experiences, and get to know each other better.

The evening was a lot of fun, but what struck me most about it was something we touched upon in this week’s episode of AppStories. The goal of Airbnb’s redesigned app is to get you to leave it and go out into the world to try new things. It reduces the friction and anxiety of taking the plunge into something new and emphasizes social interactions in the real world instead of on a screen. In 2025, that’s unusual for an app from a big company, and it was fascinating to talk to Teo and Jud about how they and their teams set out to accomplish that goal.

I like Airbnb’s redesigned app a lot. It’s playful, welcoming and easy to use. What remains to be seen is whether Airbnb can pull off what it’s set out to accomplish. It isn’t the first company to try to pair customers with local services and experiences. Nor is it Airbnb’s first attempt at experiences. However, the app is a solid foundation, and if my experience at dinner in LA was any indication, I suspect Airbnb may be onto something with Services and Experiences.

Disclosure: The trip to LA to conduct my half of this interview was paid for by Airbnb.

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Podcast Rewind: Folding Phones, Window Management, Unwind Goes Hollywood, Murderbot, and Movie Tariffs

By John Voorhees

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Matt’s phone is folding more than usual, Niléane has blown up her window management system again, and the whole gang learns about themselves in the challenge.

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico quizzes John about Airbnb’s media event and how it compares to an Apple event, and John shares a superhero TV show and TV deal.

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon highlight the premiere of sci-fi series Murderbot, discuss the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on international film productions, and catch up on tons of Apple Original trailers.

After Years in the Lab, CarPlay Ultra Emerges

By John Voorhees

Image: Apple.

Almost three years ago, Apple offered a sneak peek at an elaborate new version of CarPlay that spread beyond the rectangle of most car infotainment systems to occupy the instrument cluster space in front of front seat passengers. As I said at the time:

It will be interesting to see how widespread the adoption of the features Apple demoed will be. The company listed 14 automakers like Land Rover, Mercedes, Porsche, Nissan, Volvo, Honda, and Ford that they are working with, but it remains to be seen which models will adopt the new CarPlay and how quickly.

Originally set to launch in 2024, Apple announced today that what is now called CarPlay Ultra is available for new Aston Martin orders in the U.S. and Canada and soon as a software update to Aston Martins with the carmaker’s “next-generation infotainment system.” Apple says Aston Martin support in other countries will follow over the next 12 months.

Image: Apple.

The difference between standard CarPlay and the Ultra flavor is that the new version takes over a driver’s entire dashboard and extends beyond traditional CarPlay features to vehicle-specific data and controls. As Apple describes it:

CarPlay Ultra provides content for all the driver’s screens, including the instrument cluster, with dynamic and beautiful options for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and more, bringing a consistent look and feel to the entire driving experience. Drivers can choose to show information from their iPhone, like maps and media, along with information that comes from the car, such as advanced driver assistance systems and tire pressure, right in the instrument cluster.

Drivers can also use onscreen controls, physical buttons, or Siri to manage both standard vehicle functions like the car’s radio and climate, as well as advanced, vehicle-specific features and controls like audio system configurations or performance settings, right from CarPlay, giving them a more fluid and seamless experience. CarPlay Ultra also introduces widgets powered by iPhone that perfectly fit the car’s screen or gauge cluster to provide information at a glance.

Although CarPlay Ultra looks great, one car maker is a far cry from the 14 automakers listed on a slide at WWDC in 2022. That’s not surprising given pushback from automakers like GM, which announced in 2023 that it was ending CarPlay and Android Auto support for its EVs, and resistance from the likes of Tesla and Rivian to add CarPlay in the first place. However, Apple clearly oversold what would become CarPlay Ultra in 2022 in a way that in hindsight now feels a lot like Apple Intelligence’s enhanced Siri demo at last summer’s WWDC.

Still, I’m glad to see CarPlay Ultra emerge from the labs, even if it’s in a car that few people can afford. Auto tech inevitably trickles down to ordinary cars, and I’m sure CarPlay Ultra will, too, although I expect it will be quite a while until then.

Apple Maps Adds Dining and Hotel Picks, Plus F1 Features

By John Voorhees

Image: Apple.

Yesterday, Apple announced a couple of new features that are now available in the Maps app.

The first is a new label that’s been added to restaurants and hotels in the U.S., which have been awarded MICHELIN distinctions. According to Apple’s press release:

Users can now view and search for MICHELIN-starred, Green Star, and Bib Gourmand restaurants — along with MICHELIN Key hotels — starting in the U.S., with support for additional regions coming in the future.

The new MICHELIN integration also allows users to filter based on MICHELIN ratings and make restaurant reservations and book hotels through the MICHELIN Guide app. Apple says additional rankings and guides will be available soon from The Infatuation and Golf Digest, with more sources coming later. You’ll also be able to book tee times on golf courses using Supreme Golf.

Monaco.

For F1 fans, Apple has given Monaco the a special Detailed City Experience that’s designed for people attending Formula 1 TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco 2025 as well as fans following along from home.

On its UK press site, Apple announced that:

The new Detailed City Experience features custom-designed 3D Monégasque landmarks of iconic locations, including Casino de Monte-Carlo, Fairmont Monte Carlo, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Yacht Club de Monaco, and the F1 Paddock Club. Dark mode gives users an evening view of Monaco in a moonlit glow that activates at dusk.

The Detailed City Experience also features amazing details for road markings, land cover, trees, and public transit routes, as well as helpful navigation details like turn lanes, medians, bus and bike lanes, and pedestrian crossings. It also features a windshield view for drivers, which shows a road-level view as a user approaches complex interchanges, making it easier to see upcoming traffic conditions or the best lane for an approaching exit.

Apple has also added a lot of race-specific details, highlighting the course, landmark turns, as well as 3D representations of stands, cars, and more. Famous F1 courses have been added as a Maps Guide to promote Apple’s upcoming F1 movie starring Brad Pitt, too.

I appreciate the growing catalog of original curated content accessible through Maps. Travel planning on the web is a messy process, but with guides and well-regarded editorial content embedded directly in Maps, it’s often much easier to find a restaurant, hotel, or activity that sifting through an endless list of Google Search links.