I try new gadgets and gear all the time, some of which I never get around to writing about. So today, I thought I’d share five things I’ve been using that I haven’t written or talked about much yet. I may end up covering some of these things in greater depth on MacStories at some...
macOS Tahoe: The MacStories Public Beta Preview
Author’s Note: Apple released the public beta of macOS 26 Tahoe last Thursday, two days after developer beta 4. Instead of rushing a preview of Tahoe to publication at the risk of missing important aspects of the release, I chose to spend the time necessary to thoroughly test Tahoe first.
A year ago, the macOS Sequoia public beta debuted with a long list of caveats. Many of the features that had been shown off at WWDC 2024 weren’t in that initial public beta release or even the initial macOS 15.0 release, and some features, like a smarter Siri, still haven’t shipped. That made Sequoia feel incomplete.
The release of macOS Tahoe 26 promises to be different. The features highlighted during WWDC 2025 are all in the public beta. Some are more polished than others, but everything is there to try today. With its surprisingly long list of new system apps, changes big and small at the macOS system level, and, of course, Liquid Glass, Tahoe’s public beta release is a fun one for users who like to explore Apple’s latest macOS innovations as early as possible.
I’m not sold on every feature, but it’s still early, and this is a beta, so I’ll reserve my final judgment for the fall. However, there’s a lot coming in macOS Tahoe, which makes it worth taking a closer look at today, so let’s dig in.
Folio: A Promising Read-Later App with a Strong Foundation
I’ve been using read-it-later apps since before I had an iPhone. For those of us who were Wi-Fi-only iPod touch users before owning iPhones, apps like Instapaper were great for reading on the go.
Like in those early days, the read-later universe is once again hyper-competitive, with a lot of relatively new entrants such as Matter and Readwise Reader. That’s led to other apps shutting down. ElevenLabs bought and closed Omnivore, and most recently, Pocket, which debuted ages ago as Read It Later and was eventually acquired by Mozilla, shuttered.
In the wake of Pocket’s demise, Nick Chapman, who used to work on Pocket, and the team at Less is Better debuted Folio, a new read-later app for the iPhone, the iPad, Android, and the web that they say is designed to capture the essence of Pocket. I used Pocket on and off over the years but always considered it a step behind alternatives, so my expectations for Folio weren’t high.
Still, I was curious to see what Folio had to offer, especially because it must have been put together very quickly in order to be launched as Pocket shut down. Despite my initial reservations and some gaps in the app’s functionality, the Folio team has laid a great foundation with an excellent reading experience that’s worth keeping an eye on.
Apple’s Manufacturing Academy Is Set to Open in Detroit on August 19th
First announced in February, Apple said today that its Detroit Manufacturing Academy will open on August 19th. The academy is a collaboration with Michigan State University and according to Apple’s press release will:
host small and medium-sized businesses from across the country in Detroit for various workshops with Apple experts. The courses are designed to help American companies transition to advanced manufacturing by implementing artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing techniques.
Apple says the academy will also offer virtual programming led by its engineers later this year.
Apple is under a lot of political pressure to move its hardware manufacturing to the US. That’s not the kind of thing that can happen overnight but programs like this are a good first step to developing the sort of local expertise necessary to build components for Apple’s gadgets.
Gaming Sidekicks: Videogame Companion Apps with Brendon Bigley
FedericoThis week, John is joined by Brendon Bigley to explore the wide world of videogame companion apps from media trackers to game specific companion apps.
On AppStories+, John and Brendon dig into 16 years of App Store history to compile a list of games that have defined gaming on the iPhone.
Also available on YouTube here.
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AppStories Episode 447 - Gaming Sidekicks: Videogame Companion Apps with Brendon Bigley
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Interesting Links
John Mills, one of the people behind Watch Duty whom Federico and I interviewed for AppStories during WWDC, was profiled in Wired by Boone Ashworth. With wildfires and extreme weather affecting more people every year, an app like Watch Duty becomes a crucial lifeline for people in the path of natural disasters. Mills even...
App Debuts
Feedbin I’ve been using Feedbin to sync my RSS feeds for a couple of years now, and I love it. The service is reliable, handles email newsletters, and has a few unique features like its dedicated starred RSS feed that I’ve used for a bunch of automations. I don’t use Feedbin’s RSS reader, but...
Revisiting Camera Apps
When I worked in downtown Chicago and was figuring out what my next thing would be, I spent a lot of time wandering around the West Loop taking photos. The iPhone’s camera wasn’t nearly as good in those days, but the constraints forced me to experiment. I tried a lot of different camera and editing...
AppleCare One Unifies Device Coverage Into a Single Monthly Plan
Apple announced today that it is consolidating its AppleCare+ plans into one program dubbed AppleCare One that will be available starting tomorrow. The new program is $19.99/month which covers three products. Additional products can be added for $5.99/month for each device added.
Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, had this to say of the new plan:
At Apple, we’re focused on creating and delivering exceptional experiences. Built on the trusted foundation of AppleCare+, AppleCare One extends that same reliability and makes it easier than ever to protect the products you love and depend on like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, combining simplicity and exceptional value.
Apple says that AppleCare One includes all of the features of AppleCare+ and expands the theft and loss protection from the iPhone to the iPad and Apple Watch. The company says that enrolling an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch under the new program will save users up to $11/month compared to buying AppleCare+ for each device separately. Customers can also add existing devices to the new program that are up to four years old (or one year for headphones) if they are in good condition. That’s a big change from the usual 60 days from the date of purchase that customers have had to purchase AppleCare in the past.
If you’re someone juggling multiple AppleCare accounts for a variety of devices, AppleCare one certainly sounds like a simpler, more flexible approach, as well as an opportunity to cover older devices.