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Podcast Rewind: Swapping Apps, Multiple Steam Controllers, Matt’s New Cult, and John’s High-Tech Shoes

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, John and Federico kick off the app swap challenge, with each of them giving the other three apps to use. We’ll be checking in on how it’s going each week with a final roundup of the results of the experiment after WWDC.

On AppStories+, we each pick aspirational apps and OS features that we wish we used more but don’t.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, mysterious Valve shipments are heading to the U.S., GameHub hits 6.0, one of us got multiple Steam Controllers, and plastic versus aluminum.

On NPC XL, Brendon, John, and Federico share apps and tips for Android gaming.

Comfort Zone

It’s just the boys today, as Chris has a slew of updates, while Matt has joined a new cult. They also try their darnedest to understand the appeal of mouse gestures in browsers.

On Cozy Zone, the gang roasts your (yes, your!) old Home Screens.

MacStories Unwind

This week, an Italian movie dubbing controversy, the role of tech in the first-ever sub-two hour marathon, John’s high-tech running shoes, and a jangle-pop EP for your listening pleasure.

AppStories, Episode 484, ‘An App Swap Challenge’ Show Notes

This episode is sponsored by:

  • Steamclock: We make great apps. Design and development, from demos to details.

An App Swap Challenge: Pick Three Apps for Each Other to Try for a Month and Report Back

AppStories+ Post-Show: Aspirational Apps and Features We’d Like to Use More

  • John
  • Federico
    • Apple Journal
    • Home Screen widgets
    • iPhone’s StandBy mode

Subscribe to AppStories+

Visit AppStories.net to learn more about the extended, high bitrate audio version of AppStories that is delivered early each week and subscribe.

NPC, Episode 80, ‘Is the Steam Machine Just Around the Corner?’ Show Notes

Steam Controller Pre-Orders

Valve Hardware Speculation

Anbernic RG Rotate

Lenovo Legion Tab

Game Native and Android PC Emulation

Subscribe to NPC XL

NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the “regular” NPC episodes. You can subscribe here.

Comfort Zone, Episode 100, ‘Don’t Let Tech Companies Electrocute You’ Show Notes

Things Discussed

Cozy Zone

For even more from the Comfort Zone crew, you can subscribe to Cozy Zone. Cozy Zone is a weekly bonus episode of Comfort Zone where Matt, Niléane, and Chris invite listeners to join them in the Cozy Zone where they’ll cover extra topics, invent wilder challenges and games, and share all their great (and not so great) takes on tech. You can subscribe to Cozy Zone for $5 per month here or $50 per year here.

MacStories Unwind, ‘Is It the Shoes?’ Show Notes

Picks

Unwind Deal

MacStories Unwind+

We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free with high bitrate audio every week. To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page.

MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, NPC: Next Portable Console, and First, Last, Everything that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media.

If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees.

iOS 26.5 Adds RCS Encryption in Beta Starting Today

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Apple announced that beginning today, users on iOS 26.5 will be able to send encrypted RCS messages to Google Messages users who are on the latest version of that app. Apple says that means a message that is intercepted in transit is unreadable. You’ll be able to tell if your messages are encrypted by a lock icon at the top of the screen.

RCS encryption is turned on by default and supported by carriers around the world. I spent some time scrolling through the list of carriers that support RCS encryption, and it’s extensive. You can check if your carrier is on the list at the link above.

Podcast Rewind: Codex, GameHub, a Mouse Lament, a Peacock Invasion, and an Interview with Niléane Dorffer

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week on AppStories, John shares a tip for moving files with Taildrop before he and Federico dig into Codex and its unique capabilities.

On AppStories+, Federico and John have both returned to Apple Reminders and discuss why and how they’re using it.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week on Next Portable Console, we finally have RG Rotate specs and prices, get excited for the Steam Controller, update listeners on the latest grips available for the Switch 2, and cover the GameHub for Mac beta.

On NPC XL, we revisit GameNative, and Federico turns his Legion Go 2 into a SteamOS device.

First, Last, Everything

Jonathan is joined by Niléane Dorffer, a French-Réunionnese podcaster, writer, and activist, known for being the co-host of Comfort Zone, her writing at MacStories, and her advocacy for trans rights.

Comfort Zone

With Chris out getting a puppy, Matt and Niléane hold down the fort, celebrating an app and lamenting a mouse. Then, everyone pretends to be someone else for fun.

On Cozy Zone, the gang compares their Mac Docks, and you won’t believe it, monsters were revealed!

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico wins the wild kingdom award, John is defending against vultures and has a creepy new show to recommend, and Federico closes with a TV check-in.

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A Look at Apple’s 2026 Swift Student Challenge Winners

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Earlier today, Apple profiled the accomplishments of Swift Student Challenge winners. The 350 students who built the winning app playgrounds come from 37 countries and were chosen from the largest pool of participants ever. Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations said of the competition’s entries:

The breadth of creativity we see in the Swift Student Challenge never ceases to amaze us. This year’s winners found remarkable ways to harness the power of Apple platforms, Swift, and AI tools to build app playgrounds that are as technically impressive as they are meaningful. We’re incredibly proud to support their journey and can’t wait to see what they create next.

Of the 350 winners, 50 have been invited to attend WWDC, which kicks off next month.

Apple’s press release spotlights four winners who built app playgrounds. Among those profiled is Gayatri Goundadkar, who built an app called Steady Hands that uses the Apple Pencil’s stabilization technology so people with hand tremors can draw more easily. As Goundadkar says:

When a person draws, my app uses Apple’s PencilKit and Accelerate frameworks to analyze stroke data and recognize tremors. It detects what is intentional and what is not, and removes the tremor component. Every drawing is then displayed in a personal 3D museum, because I wanted them to feel like artists, not patients. When users saw the stabilization working, they felt more confident.

Another winner, Karen-Happuch Peprah Henneh, was inspired by floods in her home country of Ghana to build a real-time pathfinding app called Asuo to help people in flood-prone areas to stay out of harm’s way.

Sign & Say by Courey Jimenez (left) and NodeLab by Aayush Mehrotra (right).

Sign & Say by Courey Jimenez (left) and NodeLab by Aayush Mehrotra (right).

Earlier today, I had a chance to talk to Susan Prescott and two student winners: Courey Jimenez and Aayush Mehrotra. Jimenez drew on her experience working with nonverbal children as a behavioral technician to create an app that combines American Sign Language and Picture Exchange Communication Systems. As Jimenez explained to me:

When you can’t speak your needs, it’s a frustrating thing. So I knew I wanted to build something that was very user friendly and appealing to help mitigate that stress.

Mehrotra, who is just 14, built an app that allows students to explore the complexities of neural networks in a visual and interactive way. He was driven to build something friendly and approachable for students like himself who are interested in machine learning, too.

Every year I’m struck by the creativity of the students who participate in the Swift Student Challenge. Their inspiration is drawn from personal, family, and community experiences and their own passions. And, while their projects vary widely, they all have one thing in common: the excitement of building something and sharing it with others. It’s the same infectious enthusiasm we see over and over in the developers whose apps we cover, which propels the app world forward. Like the students I spoke to today, I can’t wait for WWDC.

Apple Releases Watch Band, Watch Face, and Wallpapers to Celebrate Pride Month

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Apple has released its annual Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop band, watch face, and iPhone and iPad wallpapers celebrating LGBTQ+ communities.

The commemorative Sport Loop uses 11 colors of nylon thread that blend the colors together in a unique way. As Apple’s press release puts it:

The intricate weaving blends one color into the next, creating depth and movement across the band. The resulting design is joyful and vibrant, showcasing a full spectrum of colors that reflect the unique identities that shape LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

The watch face and wallpapers share a similar style of gradient strips of bright colors radiating out from the watch face’s analog clock design and in vertical strips on the wallpapers.

As usual, Apple’s designers have done great work with the band, watch face, and wallpapers. There’s a vibrancy and energy to them that brings them to life.

The Apple Sport Loop is available to order today online and in the Apple Store app for $49 and will be in retail stores later this week. The watch face and wallpapers will be available as soon as the 26.5 releases of watchOS, iOS, and iPadOS are released to the public.

Coming Soon: What’s Next on Apple TV and Apple Arcade in May 2026

It’s a new month and it’s F1 season, which means it’s time for a roundup of everything coming to Apple TV and Apple Arcade in May 2026.

This month we’re adding F1 and other sports airing on Apple TV this month, starting with tomorrow’s Miami Grand Prix, and continuing below with the Canadian Grand Prix and Friday Night Baseball at the end of the month.

Let’s dive in.

F1: The Miami Grand Prix (Tomorrow, May 3)

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Sunday will see the very first U.S.-based race of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Miami, Florida. In addition to Sunday’s race, Apple TV subscribers can watch qualifying round coverage beginning today at 3:25 PM Eastern U.S. time, with qualifying beginning at 4 PM and the race itself beginning at 4 PM Eastern Sunday.

Apple has also created a 3D view of the race track in Apple Maps, a Maps Guide of local hot spots for race attendees, an Apple Music playlist that Apple says captures the energy and excitement of F1, and many other race weekend tie-ins you can check out in this Apple press release.

Add to Your Calendar:

Apple Arcade

Apple Arcade is debuting four games this month on Thursday, May 7:

Perchang World (Release Date: May 7)

The game I’m most excited about this month is Perchang World, an update to a classic indie game first released about a decade ago. The version debuting on Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV is an evolution of the original physics puzzler that requires you to use a variety of switches and platforms to guide balls through the game’s brightly-colored, playful environments. The game is narrated by British comedian James Acaster, who judging from the game’s trailer, adds a great sense of humor and fun.

Add to Your Calendar:

Ultimate 8 Ball Pool+ (Release Date: May 7)

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

If you’re a fan of pool, Ultimate 8 Ball Pool+, an Arcade adaptation of the HypGames’ App Store version will be available for Arcade subscribers on May 7 too. The game features photorealistic graphics and 3D perspectives as well as one-on-one multiplayer, tournaments, trickshot challenges, and more.

Add to Your Calendar:

Nick Jr. Replay! and Good Pizza, Great Pizza+

Next Thursday, Apple Arcade will also release Nick Jr. Replay!, a family-friendly game starring characters from Nick Jr. shows like Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues & You! and over 50 minigames designed to help kids with math, reading, art, and other learning skills. Finally, Good Pizza, Great Pizza+ is an adaptation of an App Store game, but without In-App Purchases. The game is a cooking simulator where your goal is to take orders, bake pizzas and get them to customers.

Apple TV Shows and Movies

Unconditional (May 8, 2026)

Unconditional promises to start May off with a bang. The brand new thriller follows Orna, whose daughter Gali is arrested for drug smuggling in Russia. The eight-episode show follows Orna as she fights for her daughter’s freedom, which pulls her into the dangerous criminal underground of Moscow.

Add to Your Calendar:

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (May 20, 2026)

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a dark comedy/thriller starring Tatiana Maslany as a newly divorced mom who believes she witnesses a murder. Deciding to investigate what happened, Maslany’s character, Paula, is drawn into what appears to be a dangerous larger conspiracy, while also dealing with a battle over custody of her child.

Add to Your Calendar:

Star City (May 29, 2026)

Star City is Apple’s For All Mankind spinoff. Based on the same alternative history events where the Russians land on the moon before America, the show follows the story from the perspective of the Russians. The eight-episode show follows Russia’s cosmonauts, scientists, engineers, and government officials as they race to the moon.

Add to Your Calendar:

Propeller One-Way Night Coach (May 29, 2026)

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Propeller One-Way Night Coach is an Apple Original movie based on a 1997 children’s book of the same name. The film, which is John Travolta’s first directorial credit, follows Jeff, who loves airplanes, and his mother as they travel to Hollywood. Their one-way journey transforms everyday travel into an adventure filled with an unusual cast of characters.

Add to Your Calendar:

Live Sports Events

Canadian Grand Prix (May 22-24, 2026)

Source: [F1](https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2026/canada).

Source: F1.

Round 5 of the 2026 Formula 1 season will take place against the skyline of Montreal, Canada from May 22-24. The semi-permanent 4.36 km track is on Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River. F1 racing on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve began in the late 70s and has a reputation of unpredictable weather that can cause chaos on the track.

Add to Your Calendar:

Friday Night Baseball

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

It’s hard to believe that Apple is in the midst of its fifth Friday Night Baseball season. In May, viewers will be treated with the following two game lineup every Friday:

  • May 8
    • Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians (7:00 PM Eastern)
    • St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres (9:30 PM Eastern)
  • May 15
    • Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers (6:30 PM Eastern)
    • New York Yankees at New York Mets (7:00 PM Eastern)
  • May 22
    • Houston Astros at Chicago Cubs (2:00 PM Eastern)
    • Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles (7:00 PM Eastern)
  • May 29
    • Minnesota Twins at Pittsburgh Pirates (6:30 PM Eastern)
    • Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:00 PM Eastern)

That’s it for May. I’m personally looking forward to Perchang World and Star City the most. If you’re a Club MacStories Plus or Premier member, drop by the TV and Movies channel in Discord to chat about what you’re looking forward to from Apple TV this month, and be sure to listen to MacStories Unwind, where I’m sure Federico and I will cover some of these shows and games, along with our other media recommendations every week.

Podcast Rewind: App Gaps Filled, GameCubes Emulated, Quick Reads Released, Holidays Bridged, and Craig Hockenberry Interviewed

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, John and Federico cover Apple’s executive transition, follow up on OpenAI’s super app, share the apps they’re looking for, and give each other suggestions on how to fill their app gaps.

On AppStories+, we round up the tools we’ve built for ourselves that fill gaps we haven’t found apps for.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, OnePlus makes a phone controller with only triggers, Tico 0.7.0 brings GameCube and Wii emulation to the Switch, Ayn raises prices, and Steam comes to Android via ROCKNIX.

On NPC XL, Brendon shares his experience installing ROCKNIX and Steam on the Ayn Odin 2 M

First, Last, Everything

Jonathan is joined by Craig Hockenberry, a longtime software designer and developer at The Iconfactory, known for building influential Mac and iOS apps like Twitterific, Tapestry, and Tot.

Comfort Zone

Matt has released Quick Reads, Niléane has entered her M5 (and Jonny Ive) era, and the whole gang throws their monitors away in favor of that laptop life.

On Cozy Zone, the gang tier lists the Olympic logos from 2000 through 2036. (Yes, 2036!)

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico and John get ready for the summer with a conversation about vacation bridging, bringing your dog to the beach, and cooling off in the mountains. Then, John shares a blockbuster movie recommendation and a movie bundle deal.

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Apple Reports Q2 2026 Revenue of $111.2 Billion

Today, Apple reported its 2026 Q2 earnings, posting quarterly revenue of $111.2 billion.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had this to say of the results:

Today Apple is proud to report our best March quarter ever, with revenue of $111.2 billion and double-digit growth across every geographic segment. iPhone achieved a March quarter revenue record, fueled by such extraordinary demand for the iPhone 17 lineup. During the quarter, Services achieved yet another all-time record, and we were excited to introduce remarkable new products to our strongest lineup ever. That included the addition of the iPhone 17e and the M4-powered iPad Air, along with the launch of MacBook Neo, which is captivating customers all around the world.”

As CFO Kevan Parekh noted in Apple’s press release, today’s results include the generation of over $28 billion in operating cash flow.

Going into today’s earnings call CNBC reported that analysts expected strong iPhone growth:

Analysts expect 15% year-over-year revenue growth at Apple from $95.4 billion a year earlier. The main driver is the iPhone, with Wall Street looking for a 20% jump in annual sales, thanks largely to the popularity of the iPhone 17, which went on sale last year.

Podcast Rewind: Steam Controllers on a Boat, Life with the MacBook Neo, North Carolina BBQ, and an Interview with Nate Parrott

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, we draw from Federico’s experience creating the Apple Frames 4 shortcut and CLI to discuss the multiplier effect that AI agents can have in the hands of someone with deep domain expertise.

On AppStories+, we share our AI agent mishaps and horror stories along with additional details on a John’s ongoing HomeKit makeover project.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, TrimUI’s slow drip of details on the Brick Pro continues, shipping manifests suggest the Steam Controller may beat the Steam Machine to market, and OnePlus makes a strong bid for weirdest handheld announcement of 2026.

Then on NPC XL, Federico reports on his trip to Romics and the trading card takeover of Italian comic-cons, plus how not to sell a “pristine” Nintendo DS.

First, Last, Everything

Jonathan is joined by Nate Parrott, 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.

Comfort Zone

Chris and Matt are on their own this week and do a deeper dive into the MacBook Neo after a month using it. Do they still love it? Hate it? Probably somewhere in the middle, huh?

On Cozy Zone, the gang tier lists macOS default wallpapers, and you just know someone’s going to have some very wrong opinions.

MacStories Unwind

This week, John schools Federico on the differences between Eastern and Western North Carolina BBQ before they both share several TV show and album picks for the weekend.

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