John Voorhees

5427 posts on MacStories since November 2015

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.



MacStories Unwind: A Tech Gripe, An Power-Pop Album, and Thoughts on Better Call Saul

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps
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AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps


This week on MacStories Unwind, I unleash a tech gripe about an otherwise excellent product and recommend The Beth’s latest album, Expert in a Dying Field. Plus, Federico has finished Better Call Saul, so he revisits the show which he originally covered last month.

John’s Gripe:

John’s Pick:

Federico’s Pick:


AppStories, Episode 298 – Widgets, iPhone Photography, and the Apple Watch Ultra with David Smith

This week on AppStories, we 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.

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On AppStories+, it’s my turn to surprise Federico.

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Gamevice Begins Taking Pre-Orders for the Flex, Its New iPhone Game Controller

Source: Gamevice.

Source: Gamevice.

Today, Gamevice announced pre-orders for the Flex, a new MFi-certified, case-compatible game controller for the iPhone. Like the Backbone One and Razer Kishi V2, the Flex separates an Xbox-style controller into two halves that connect to the ends of your iPhone for playing controller-compatible iOS games. I haven’t had a chance to try the Gamevice Flex, but based on the company’s announcement video, there are a handful of features that set it apart from the Backbone One and Razer Kishi V2 that are worth considering if you’re shopping for an iPhone game controller.

Like the Razer Kishi V2, the Gamevice Flex uses spacers to accommodate a long list of Apple and third-party cases, an advantage over the Backbone One, which requires you to remove your case before using it. The downside, of course, is keeping track of the collection of spacers to allow for moving to a different case in the future.

Gamevice says that the Flex uses Hall effect triggers, a technology that uses magnetic field sensors instead of mechanical parts to cut down on the wear and tear on components. The company hasn’t said if the Flex’s thumbsticks use the same technology or not.

Like the Backbone One, the Flex includes passthrough charging via a Lightning port on the end of one of the controller’s grips and a headphone jack on the other grip. The Razer Kishi V2 includes a Lightning port for charging but not a headphone jack. Although you can never be sure about how a controller will feel to use until you have it in your hands, I like the look of Flex’s grips too.

Originally announced in August with the video above, 9to5Mac has a hands-on with a prototype of the Flex with more details on what the device is like to use.

Set to start shipping later this month, the Gamevice Flex costs $109.95 for the iPhone model, which is about $10 more than the Backbone One or Razer Kishi V2, and $99.95 for the Android version. Customers who order before October 14th can get one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate free with their purchase.


Last Week, on Club MacStories: Advanced Notes Shortcuts, Focused Work, Stage Manager, and a New MacStories Unplugged Episode

Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings along with a look at what’s coming up next:

Monthly Log: September 2022

Stage Manager running in an early macOS Ventura beta.

Stage Manager running in an early macOS Ventura beta.

MacStories Weekly: Issue 338


Widgets, iPhone Photography, and the Apple Watch Ultra with David Smith

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

AppStories Episode 298 - Widgets, iPhone Photography, and the Apple Watch Ultra with David Smith

0:00
50:20

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

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

Read more