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Six 8BitDo Controllers Add Support for Apple Hardware

Source: 8BitDo

Source: 8BitDo

8BitDo, a popular maker of game controllers, announced today that six of its products now officially support Apple hardware:

  • 8BitDo Ultimate Controller 2.4g
  • 8BitDo Pro 2
  • 8BitDo SN30 Pro +
  • 8BitDo Pro
  • 8BitDo SN30 Pro for Android
  • 8Bitdo Lite SE

The controller firmware update, which can be applied using the company’s Upgrade Tool, will allow gamers to use 8BitDo’s supported controllers wirelessly with any iOS, iPadOS, macOS, or tvOS game that has adopted Apple’s game controller APIs. Playing wired is also supported on iPads and Macs with USB-C ports.

According to 8BitDo, up to four controllers can be connected at once for games with multiplayer support, but rumble and motion control are not supported “for the moment,” suggesting that a future update may support those features. Links to detailed directions and illustrations of how to connect 8BitDo’s controllers are available by hovering over the images of the controllers on the company’s dedicated Apple device webpage.

I have a bunch of the controllers for which Apple device support was announced, and I can’t wait to try them. A couple of the controllers I have already have some basic support for Apple devices, thanks to compatibility with Sony and Microsoft controllers. However, the firmware update should extend the functionality of the controllers to the full set of features that Apple now supports.

AppStories, Episode 320 – Listener Q&A→

This week on AppStories, we answer listener questions about apps, automation, podcasting, tattoos, and more.

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On AppStories+, we cover Untitled Goose Game’s rejection from the Mac App Store, and the curious case of Apple Music Classical.

We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.

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Last Week, on Club MacStories: Federico’s RSS Experiments, Picking and Choosing Features from Complex Apps, and an Office Setup

Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings:

MacStories Weekly: Issue 359

Arc by The Browser Company.

Arc by The Browser Company.

The Macintosh Desktop Experience: My 2023 Mac-Centric Office Setup

In the latest installment of my Club MacStories+ and Club Premier column, I share my new office setup

Apple TV+’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse Wins Oscar

Last night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced at the 95th Annual Academy Awards ceremony that it had picked The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse for Best Animated Short Film.

The Apple TV+ film, which also recently won a BAFTA Film Award and four Annie Awards, is based on a book by Charlie Mackesy. According to Apple’s press release:

The poignant journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse traveling together in the boy’s search for home. The film, featuring Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations brought to life in full color with beautiful hand-drawn animation, stars Tom Hollander as The Mole, Idris Elba as The Fox, Gabriel Byrne as The Horse, and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as The Boy.

Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video, commented on the Oscar win:

We are so proud of Charlie and the brilliant team who brought The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse to the screen and we sincerely thank the Academy for tonight’s recognition. This powerful story has deeply affected audiences around the world and has shown that no matter what age you are or where you live, it’s never too late to spread more compassion, empathy, and kindness in our daily lives. Congratulations to everyone involved, including our teams across the globe. We are all celebrating with you tonight.

Last year, Apple TV+ was the first streaming service to ever win the Best Picture Oscar for CODA.

MacStories Unwind: Everything Is a Remix, Part 4 and Blanc

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This week on MacStories Unwind, Federico recommends Kirby Ferguson’s final video, Everything is a Remix, Part 4 and I have been relaxing to Blanc on the Nintendo Switch.

Federico’s Pick:

John’s Pick:

Apple Music Classical to Launch on March 28th

Source: App Store.

Source: App Store.

On March 28th, Apple will launch Apple Music Classical, a free app that’s already available for pre-order that will offer a catalog of over 5 million classical recordings to Apple Music subscribers at no additional cost.

The app, which will be iPhone-only at launch, has been anticipated for months. Apple acquired Primephonic, a classical music streaming service in August 2021, and said at the time that it would release an Apple-branded classical music streaming service the following year. 2022 came and went without a new app, but references to the new service began appearing in iOS beta releases, leading observers to believe that a release was imminent.

Apple says that Classical’s 5 million tracks, which include thousands of exclusives, is the largest in the world and has “complete and accurate” metadata. The company also says in the app’s release notes:

Apple Music Classical also makes it easy for beginners to get acquainted with the genre thanks to hundreds of Essentials playlists, insightful composer biographies, deep-dive guides for many key works, and intuitive browsing features.

Classical’s search will also be optimized for the genre, include editorial content, and be streamed at up to 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Lossless, with thousands of tracks supporting spatial audio with Dolby Atmos.

Users can pre-order the free app today from the App Store, which will be downloaded to their iPhones on March 28th when the app goes live.

AppStories, Episode 319 – The Future of Web Browsers→

This week on AppStories, we cover the increasing competition among web browsers and the emerging features we find most useful.

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On AppStories+, I struggle with security cameras, Federico’s desk setup continues to evolve, and we share our theories on the popularity of web-first apps.

We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.

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Apple Announces Yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus Along with New Case Colors

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

A new spring iPhone color has become an annual tradition for Apple. Today, the company announced that a pale yellow model is joining the midnight, starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, blue, and purple versions of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Apple also said that its Emergency SOS service is coming to six new countries later this month:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Italy
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal

The new yellow iPhone will be available for pre-order beginning at 5 am Pacific time in the US on Friday, March 10th, with availability beginning Tuesday, March 14th.

Apple also released four new Apple Silicone Cases for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Source: Apple.

Apple also released four new Apple Silicone Cases for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Source: Apple.

In a footnote to today’s iPhone announcement, Apple said that new canary yellow, olive, sky, and iris Silicone cases will be available for the iPhone and iPhone 14 Plus too.