Jonathan Reed

324 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.

Tim Cook’s Legacy Might Not Be What He Wanted

There’s a psychological heuristic called the “peak-end rule” that I often think of when watching movies. The rule, as it goes, is that your memory of an experience is heavily influenced by how you felt at its peak and its end, largely obscuring the other parts of the experience from your overall impression. A prime...


Nate Parrott - Developer, Designer

This time I’m joined by Nate Parrott. Nate is a designer and coder known for his work as a founding designer at The Browser Company, working on Arc. He also creates playful software and apps that blend utility with whimsy.


Nate Parrott - Developer, Designer

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Simon Pittman, aka Better Creating - Creator, Notion Ambassador

This time I’m joined by Simon Pittman. Simon is a tech and productivity creator behind ‘Better Creating’, known for teaching practical systems, thoughtful workflows, and how best to use tools like Notion and AI.


Simon Pittman, aka Better Creating - Creator, Notion Ambassador

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Evan Ratliff - Journalist, Podcaster

Evan is an award-winning investigative journalist, bestselling author, and podcast host, known for his reporting on technology, crime, and online identity. Evan is more recently known for the excellent Shell Game, a podcast about AI personas and so much more.


Evan Ratliff - Journalist, Podcaster

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David Sparks - Podcaster, Educator

David is a productivity writer, podcaster, and creator behind MacSparky, best known for the Mac Power Users podcast and his Field Guides on getting the most from Apple devices and apps.


David Sparks - Podcaster, Educator

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Riley Testut - AltStore Creator

Riley is an iOS developer best known for building the Delta game emulator and AltStore, expanding how apps can be distributed and enjoyed outside Apple’s App Store.


Riley Testut - AltStore Creator

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Stepping Outside of the Apple Enthusiast Gaze

This week saw the release of Apple’s latest tranche of products, which were unveiled last week during a three-day flurry of announcements. The Studio Displays and MacBook Pros look fantastic. The iPad Airs and MacBook Airs are as good as ever. But it was the MacBook Neo that took most of the spotlight. This announcement...


An AI-Built Task Manager and Getting Weird with OpenClaw

Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: Member t3chn3ric showed off a task manager they built specifically for their needs using an AI chatbot. (Link) T.G. Cid is getting weird with OpenClaw… (Link) Want to join the Club MacStories+ Discord? Upgrade to Club MacStories+ or Club Premier, then visit the Account page....


First, Last, Everything Season Two Launches Today

In September of last year, MacStories launched a brand new podcast, ‘First, Last, Everything,’ in which I interviewed guests about their relationship with technology through their first loves, latest obsessions, and the piece of tech that meant everything to them.

In its eight-episode first season, I had some great conversations with people like celebrated icon designer Michael Flarup, Pok Pok founder Esther Huybreghts, YouTube creator Tom Hitchins, and Futurama co-creator David X. Cohen, to name a few.

We covered a huge range of topics from Waymo cars to the Amiga 2000, electric guitars to the Macintosh Plus, and beyond. I also enjoyed taking listeners on a weekly journey with the ‘Something’ segment, during which I talked about a piece of tech that flopped, was ahead of its time, or has simply been forgotten.

I’m looking forward to doing it all again with a whole new bunch of guests. Kicking off the new season is Emmy and Webby award-winning YouTube creator Becca Farsace. You may recognize Becca from her time at The Verge, but since 2024, she’s been striking out on her own. Becca is such fun to talk to and a true inspiration. You can listen to that episode right now.

New episodes will continue to be released every Wednesday through April 29, featuring guests such as AltStore creator Riley Testut, Mac Power Users host David Sparks, our own Niléane, and more. And, for the first time, you’ll can listen to First, Last, Everything, access the show notes, and subscribe right from the show’s brand-new dedicated page on MacStories.

Let’s go.