Google Releases YouTube App for Apple Vision Pro Dot: The Menu Bar Calendar That’s Become My Main Calendar Submissions Open for the 2026 Swift Student Challenge...
Three Ways I’d Like to See Creator Studio Expanded
I recently wrote about Creator Studio, Apple’s reboot of its “pro” and “productivity” apps. I focused a lot on what’s included in the bundle, the pricing, and how the features are split among the various versions of each app. That’s because even though there are some standout features, such as Pixelmator Pro coming to the...
Interesting Links
I’m not really a car person, but it is intriguing to think that elements of this Ferrari interior that Jony Ive and LoveFrom designed might have been part of an Apple EV in a parallel universe. (Link) How big was the Bad Bunny halftime show at the Super Bowl? Big. Very, very big, and...
Dot: The Menu Bar Calendar That’s Become My Main Calendar
Over time, I’ve gravitated towards a two-calendar system on my Mac because I’ve never found an app where both the desktop app and the menu bar version meet all my needs. That’s probably because my calendar use is a little backwards. I don’t have a lot of meetings each week; instead, my calendar is a mix of reminders, package deliveries, and a handful of work and family events. With just two or three entries each day, I’ve found myself managing events more and more often from a simple menu bar app, reserving my full calendar app for more involved event entry and planning.
On the desktop side, I’ve used Apple Calendar the most, but I’ve also used Fantastical and BusyCal for extended periods, ultimately landing on Notion Calendar. It isn’t perfect, but its Notion integration can be handy at times. On the menu bar side of the equation, I used Dato for many years. It’s an excellent app, but even it is a little more than I need, which is why I was excited to recently discover Dot.
Access Extra Content and Perks
Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade.
What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed for every MacStories fan.
Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;
Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.
One Notion: Two Approaches
FedericoThis week on AppStories, John and Federico share the very different ways they use Notion.
On AppStories+, we follow up on OpenClaw security concerns and explore the ways Federico is using it.
We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
AppStories Episode 471 - One Notion: Two Approaches
0:00
30:55
30:55
Submissions Open for the 2026 Swift Student Challenge
Today, Apple opened up applications for the Swift Student Challenge. Students have until the end of February to submit an app playground built with Xcode or Swift Playground. According to Apple’s developer website:
- No prior experience is needed. The Challenge is open to students of all levels who meet the eligibility requirements.
- The Challenge is free to enter — all you need is access to a Mac or iPad with Xcode or Swift Playground.
- Your app playground can be on any topic of your choice. The best app ideas come from subjects or experiences that you’re passionate about.
- Your app playground should be experienced within 3 minutes or less.
- The Swift Student Challenge is a great opportunity for students to build their skills and create something great.
Apple also released a video explaining the Challenge, and additional resources are available for both students and educators.
After the submission period closes, Apple will pick 350 winners, who will receive a one-year membership in the Apple Developer Program and a gift. Of those winners, 50 will be selected as Distinguished Winners who will be invited to visit Apple Park in Cupertino for a three-day visit, which in past years was held during WWDC.
for me, the kickoff of the Swift Student Challenge is the beginning of the build-up to WWDC, which is likely just four months away. It’s a great program that I know has inspired a lot of students to become the developers whose apps we cover at MacStories. Federico and I have also had the pleasure of interviewing many of the winners in the past and have always come away impressed and inspired what they create as part of the Challenge. I’m sure this year will be no different.
Access Extra Content and Perks
Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade.
What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed for every MacStories fan.
Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;
Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.
App Debuts
Peak Peak, available on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, is an excellent way to visualize health and fitness metrics using widgets. The widget designs are among the best I’ve seen anywhere, and this week, version 5.1 was released with new ways of visualizing your data and new icons. The two big...
This Week on MacStories Podcasts
This week on MacStories podcasts: AppStories This week, Federico and John update listeners on the ClawdBot-MoltBot-OpenClaw saga before digging into how AI will affect apps and app developers. On AppStories+, John covers why Creator Studio is such a fundamental shift in Apple’s approach to “Pro” apps. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Castro Spotify...
Interesting Links
In a test of the effectiveness of Apple’s Lockdown Mode, the FBI was unable to get into the seized iPhone of a Washington Post reporter. (Link) Anthropic released its new Opus 4.6 model this week, which in my initial testing is a noticeable improvement over 4.5 for coding tasks. (Link) Not to be outdone,...