Federico
This week, Federico and John each pick two apps they’ve been enjoying recently and explain why.
Interesting Links
OpenAI added early alpha ChatGPT plugins this week that allow users to incorporate it into their own apps simply by describing to the AI what they want the plugin to do as opposed to writing actual code. (Link) Belkin’s withdrawal from developing smart home devices based on Matter this week is a threat to...
Automation April and Bear 2
Here are the highlights from the Club MacStories Discord this week:
Federico kicked off a discussion of Automation April and the upcoming Shortcuts Contest. The Bear 2 beta was a hot topic among David Blue and several other members Want to join the Club MacStories+ Discord?Upgrade toClub MacStories+ or Club Premier, then visit theAccount...
Mac Utility Grab Bag, Vol. 3
It’s been nearly three years since I highlighted some of my favorite Mac utilities, so it’s high time I correct that with some of the apps I’ve been using the most in recent months: Dropover There are a lot of apps that act as temporary parking spots for files that you want to use elsewhere....
App Debuts
Crouton Crouton is a meal planning and recipe organizer for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that recently got a big update. The cornerstone of the update is Crouton Discover, an add-on subscription that adds several new features. Like Mela, you can now follow RSS feeds from recipe websites inside Crouton. Recipes from feeds are preconfigured...
MacStories Unwind: Octopath Traveler II and Bono & The Edge, A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman
This week on MacStories Unwind, Federico is a fan of what Square Enix has done with Octopath Traveler II and I enjoy a tour of Dublin and one of my favorite bands in Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman.
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Topic
Federico’s Pick:
- Octopath Traveler II
- Octopath Traveler
- Podcasts mentioned:
John’s Pick:
- Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman
- Also Mentioned
- U2’s latest album revisiting their back catalog
- Frank Turner Interview on Dialog
Coming Soon: The Second Annual Automation April Community Event Featuring Shortcuts, Interviews, Discord Workshops, and a Shortcut Contest
We are back with another edition of Automation April. Last year’s kickoff event was a big success. We published a wide variety of automation stories, released special podcast episodes, held online automation events, and capped off the month with a Shortcuts contest. But best of all, we saw tremendous excitement and participation throughout the automation community. It was amazing to see the community come together to share their love of automation and learn from each other all month long.
Great automation is about more than efficiency. It’s also about making your devices your own, so they suit your needs better than off-the-shelf apps can by themselves. The spirit of tinkering, customization, and building something better is what Automation April is all about, which is why we’re pleased to be spending April showcasing automation on Apple platforms alongside developers and MacStories readers again this year.
If you joined us for Automation April last year, you’ve got a head start on what to expect this year. For everyone else, you can expect special Automation April stories on MacStories.net, special episodes of AppStories, themed issues of our Club MacStories newsletters, and events in the Club MacStories+ Discord community. Along the way, MacStories will turn 14 on April 20th, which makes this month all the more special for us. We’ve got a lot planned, so let’s dig into things in a little more detail:
AppStories, Episode 321 – Revisiting RSS→
This week on AppStories, we revisit RSS to talk about how syncing services and apps have changed and share how our use of RSS has evolved.
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- 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.
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On AppStories+, I am dipping my toe into co-working but wonders if I’m more into the idea of it than it is useful.
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Last Week, on Club MacStories: A Markdown Editor, Why Safari for iOS is So Good, and Apple TV+’s Slow Horses
Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings:
MacStories Weekly: Issue 360
- MarkEdit, an open-source, extensible Markdown editor from the maker of Taio
- Federico’s newfound appreciation for Safari for iOS
- Plus:
- App Debuts
- Highlights from the Club MacStories+ Discord
- Interesting links from around the web
- A sneak peek at what’s next on MacStories’ podcasts
- and more
Up Next: AV Club, Featuring Slow Horses
AV Club is a monthly event held in the Club MacStories+ Discord community. Club members vote on a movie, TV show, videogame, book, or music to enjoy as a group. It’s like a book club but for all kinds of media.
Join us Thursday at 11 am Eastern US time in the Club MacStories+ Discord community for a live AV Club discussion of the Apple TV+ British spy drama Slow Horses. Federico, Jonathan, and I will record the conversation and release it in the Town Hall podcast feed.