Jonathan Reed

316 posts on MacStories since February 2024

Jonathan is a freelance graphic designer. As well as being a long-time Apple user he is a huge film and television aficionado and is very interested in the intersection between the two mediums and technology. He lives in London with his wife and daughter and is writing his bio in the third person.

I Lived with Another (Not Boring) App Family for a Week

There’s something to be said for apps that follow the same, consistent iOS UI design that many do. It makes them far easier to use and, I would think, means they are slightly easier to build. Sometimes, however, I like to see something wild. I recently wanted to find a new app that pushed the...


watchOS 11: The MacStories Public Beta Preview

Last year, Apple declared watchOS 10 the biggest update to the Apple Watch’s software since its introduction. I don’t think that was actually the case, but there were undoubtedly some notable changes to how we interact with our watches every day, with the introduction of the Smart Stack being key among them.

While Apple hasn’t forgotten about UI enhancements like the Smart Stack, this year sees the company turning its focus back to health and fitness tracking with some significant new features in those areas. I’ll be saving a deeper dive into the software update – including all the tiny changes and fun additions – until the fall, but with the watchOS 11 public beta going live today via the Apple Beta Software Program, now is the perfect time to go over the key features Apple has in store for Apple Watch users.

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Finance Apps, Vision Pro Starter Tips, and Menu Bar Spacing

Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: Rod found a handy new UI feature in the iOS 18 Calendar app. haphazard’s search for a good personal finance app led to some suggestions from members. Niléane linked to a fantastic little utility that allows you to quickly adjust the spacing of items in your menu...


Everyone Should Try a Slice of Pie Menu

The search for interesting Mac utilities is an endless quest. Lots of apps are innovative or cleverly made, but only occasionally do I come across one that jumps out at me. I’ve made a list of some of my previous picks, but the latest app to impress me is Pie Menu. Pie Menu has...


Ticci Tabs, iOS 18 Icons, and visionOS 2 Thoughts

Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: Mark C went to the National Videogame Museum, and boy, am I jealous. Sometimes, you ask for an app that doesn’t exist, and sometimes, a member like Jonathan makes it for you. You can join the beta for Ticci Tabs! dills applied Apple’s new Dark Mode icon...


My Go-To CarPlay Tips and Customizations

I’ve discussed Apple’s CarPlay feature before in MacStories Weekly, and it is becoming a bit of an obsession of mine. It’s a piece of software with some excellent qualities, but while it is leagues ahead of car manufacturers’ built-in software, it still feels like it could be much better. I addressed my thoughts on these...