MacStories Team

3376 posts on MacStories since July 2011

Articles by the MacStories team. Founded by Federico Viticci in April 2009, MacStories attracts millions of readers every month thanks to in-depth, personal, and informed coverage that offers a balanced mix of Apple news, app reviews, and opinion.

In This Issue

This month, John shares his first impressions of the new iPad Air, Stephen considers what the Air could mean for Apple’s iPad Pro lineup, and Ryan examines Apple’s fall event strategy....


pCloud: How Does 2TB Lifetime Cloud Storage Sound? [Sponsor]

Most cloud storage solutions require you to pay every month but pCloud doesn’t, and for a limited time you can enjoy 75% off with Black Friday savings. Say goodbye to paying over and over for the same storage with pCloud, which offers secure cloud storage plans for a one-time payment – no monthly or annual bills.

Buying cloud storage shouldn’t be any different from buying a new external drive for your Mac. However, most cloud storage providers charge monthly and annual subscription fees. The cost of cloud storage subscriptions piles up quickly, eclipsing the cost of comparable external storage. Instead of paying for the same storage many times over, check out pCloud, the simple, paid-up-front cloud storage solution that offers premium features at a remarkable price.

pCloud’s industry-first lifetime plan provides effective, premium cloud storage for your photos, videos, music, documents, and more. Request files from others with a link, or share your files with a link that can be password protected, eliminating large file attachments to email messages. pCloud supports file versioning, and you can automatically upload the photos you take on your iPhone for safekeeping too. It’s a comprehensive, user-focused solution that sets itself apart from competitors with its simple pricing structure and rich feature set.

pCloud offers apps on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, so your files are always available no matter what device you have with you. Check out why users at some of the biggest companies around the world are using pCloud to share files and collaborate securely by visiting their website today, and sign up for a lifetime of storage. Plus, for a limited time (48h), you can enjoy 75% OFF Black Friday savings.

Our thanks to pCloud for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Interesting Links

Geoff Hackworth, the developer of Adaptivity, has detailed the changes to SF Symbols in iOS 14.2. (Link) The folks at NoteApps have set out to create an “encyclopedia of note-taking apps” that lets you easily compare screenshots, features, and pricing details for popular note-taking apps available on Apple platforms and the web. (Link) Juice is...



Up Next on MacStories’ Podcasts

Next week on AppStories, Federico and John discuss rethinking the core workflows and apps they use to produce MacStories. This week on MacStories Unwind, Federico and John look back at the year in musicsharing their 2020 Apple Music playlists, picking their albums of the year, second-guessing the Grammy nominations, and each choosing five...


In This Issue

A collection oftech-relatedgift suggestions for the holidays,Federico explains how he’s converting DRM’d eBooks into annotatable EPUBs and the app he’s using to save quotes and notes, Alex provides advice on handling family tech support over the holidays, John shares tips on using dictation on the Mac and unsticking a stuck Big Sur beta,plus the usual...


MacStories Unplugged

[[unplugged_artwork]] The Year in Music, 2020 Edition In this episode, Federico and John share their Apple Music playlists, collecting their favorite songs of 2020, pick their albums of the year, second-guess the Grammy nominations, and each choose five bands that define their tastes in music. Show Notes Federico’s Best of 2020 playlist John’s 2020 Mix...


Permute: Quick Image, Audio, and Video Conversion [Sponsor]

When you want to convert a photo, video, or audio file from one format to another, it’s far too easy to get bogged down in settings, unable to make heads or tails of technical jargon. Permute saves you from that trouble by taking care of the details and converting files incredibly fast.

To start a file conversion, drag a file into Permute’s main window or onto its dock icon, click Start, and you’re all set. Permute is faster than ever too. The app supports an incredibly long list of file formats and has hardware acceleration for MP4 and HEVC files. The app also has presets for a long list of Apple hardware so you can match your results to the devices you use. You can even modify images and videos, adjusting their size and rotating and flipping them.

But that’s not all. Permute 3 can also:

  • Convert individual files or groups of files
  • Stitch multiple images, videos, or audio files together 
  • Create DVDs
  • Convert uncommon file formats like WebP and SVG
  • Schedule conversions for later
  • Add converted files to iTunes

Permute has a special limited-time deal just for MacStories readers. If you use this link, you can purchase Permute for 20% off. There’s a free trial available too if you want to try the app first.

Visit Permute’s website today to learn more and take advantage of the special 20%-off deal before it expires.

Our thanks to Permute for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Interesting Links

Everyday Experiments is a ‘Shot on iPhone’ YouTube video from Apple that combines fun at-home science projects with iPhone photography. (Link) Ars Technica has an in-depth review of the new M1 Mac mini, a powerhouse computer in a tiny form factor that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention from other reviewers. (Link) MacRumors reports on...