John Voorhees

5391 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.
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@johnvoorhees.macstories.net
voorhees@macstories.net

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The Latest from Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and MacStories Unwind

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Sigmund and Devon highlight the triumphant return of Slow Horses and rate tvOS streaming apps based on how well they take advantage of system features.

Niléane and Chris have upgraded their desk setups, but Matt didn’t get the memo and brought a hard drive or something. Then we see who can bend the rules the most to survive the challenge.

This week, a surprise apology for rain, an update on our annual OS reviews and what we plan to do with our free time once they’re finished, and a TV pick.

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Balatro+ Is Coming to Apple Arcade on September 26th

Balatro+. Source: Apple.

Balatro+. Source: Apple.

Earlier today, Apple announced several new and updated games are coming to Arcade, including one of my favorites of 2024: Balatro. Balatro is a roguelike deck-builder that mixes the familiarity of poker with special joker and other cards for combos that result in an incredibly fun roller coaster ride that’s hard to put down.

The game was originally released earlier this year on consoles and PC, but the potential for a mobile version was immediately obvious. My and many others’ wish for an iOS version of Balatro will come true on September 26th as part of the Apple Arcade service with Balatro+, which will also be available on the iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.

Other notable Arcade announcements today include NFL Retro Bowl ‘25 and Monster Train+, which are out today along with Puzzle Sculpt, a spatial puzzle game for the Apple Vision Pro. NBA 2K is returning with NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition on October 6th, too.

Of all these games, though, I’m mostly excited about Balatro+. We’ve discussed this on NPC and elsewhere many times, but this is exactly the sort of game that Apple Arcade needs. There’s plenty of room for variety on Apple Arcade, but for a while, it’s felt like the artistic, indie corner of the catalog has been in decline. Balatro+ is just one game, but it’s an important one that many consider a contender for ‘Game of the Year,’ so I’m very happy to see it on Arcade.

Apple Music Vibes with Five New Mood Stations

Today, Apple Music introduced five new mood stations:

The music featured by the stations is automatically updated from Apple Music’s catalog of over 100 million tracks and tuned to your listening tastes.

This isn’t the first time Apple has introduced mood stations. You may recall that it released Love and Heartbreak stations on Valentines Day. All seven mood stations are in a new ‘Find Your Mood’ section in Apple Music’s Home tab.

I haven’t spent a lot of time with Apple Music’s new mood stations yet, but as I sampled each, I was met with a familiar song or band, with every track matching the mood I picked. I’ll be digging into each of these station more as I edit my macOS Sequoia review.

Ivory 2.2 Adds New Navigation Design and More→

Ivory, the Mastodon app by Tapbots, was updated on iOS and iPadOS yesterday with a new navigation design.

The app’s new tab bar can accommodate up to six of its many views and adds a ‘More’ button on the far right for ones that don’t fit. From the ‘More’ button, there’s also a shortcut to configure the order in which Ivory’s tabs appear. I’ve been using the new design in beta for a while and love having the added level of control over my Mastodon experience.

Tapbots has also added the ability to translate hashtags by long-pressing on them and now displays media, cards, and quotes when a post is truncated with a ‘Read More’ button. Posts that quote an account you’ve blocked are no longer visible either. Finally, there’s an all-new Blueprint app icon.

The Ivory update is available on the App Store.

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The Latest from AppStories and Ruminate

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On AppStories+, John explains how Apple is working to make the Apple Pencil more useful to a wider audience with Smart Script.

This episode is sponsored by:

  • Sentry – Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Try it for free.

John hits some limitations of Sequoia, Robb isn’t playing anything but John is, and they both bring some chili snacks

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Bitmo Lab Opens Pre-Orders for a Delta Emulator-Friendly iPhone Case→

Source: Bitmo Lab.

Source: Bitmo Lab.

Bitmo Lab, an affiliate of JSAUX, a videogame accessory maker, has announced pre-orders for an intriguing new iPhone case. The GAMEBABY case, which I came across on Overkill.wtf, is a two-part iPhone case that allows users to remove the bottom half, moving it from the rear of an iPhone to the front. The switch transforms your iPhone into a Game Boy lookalike with A and B buttons, a D-pad, Start and Select buttons, and more.

According to Bitmo Lab, the GAMEBABY’s buttons are capacitive, meaning they don’t require power, a Bluetooth connection, or other technology to work. It’s a simple solution that, when paired with the Delta iOS game emulator, should be able to play classic emulated games on the go with the added benefit of physical buttons.

How well the GAMEBABY works remains a mystery. Bitmo Lab’s website says the case is still under development, but you can pre-order one for the iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 Pro Max with expected shipping in October for $19.99, which is 50% off the launch price.

I’ve pre-ordered a GAMEBABY and will report back after I’ve had a chance to use it for a while.

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AppStories - Ep. 401 - 35 minutes

Productivity Powerhouses (Part 1)

FedericoJohn
AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

AppStories Episode 401 - Productivity Powerhouses (Part 1)

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34:49

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AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

This week, in part 1 of a two part series, Federico and John explore the note-taking, task management, and RSS readers that make them more productive.

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Deliberately Distracted

The productivity world is obsessed with “Focus.” There are apps, systems, and services of all shapes and sizes that are designed to help you create a sort of tunnel vision to shut out everything except what you’re working on. Now, everyone has deadlines, and many people finish every day with a long list of incomplete...

The Latest from Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and MacStories Unwind

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Sigmund and Devon compete to predict what Apple will announce at the upcoming It’s Glowtime event. Then, they go on a quick trip through the ages with the Time Bandits and land in 1960s Baltimore to recap Lady in the Lake

Matt is trying to find the right temperature, Chris is floating on Air(table), and Niléane finds out if she’s feeling lucky about getting 10 blue links.

This week, I research a local dive bar, as you do, before Federico and I both recommend gadgets that aren’t computers or videogame consoles and chat about Loot, Season 2.

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