Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John explain how they use their secondary systems, which for John is the iPad and for Federico, the Mac.

On AppStories+, Federico asks whether technologies like web-based MCP render Apple’s native App Intents irrelevant.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, John kicks off NPC with a return to 1998 before the crew digs into 8BitDo’s new Pro 3 controller, Thunderbolt 5 eGPU enclosures and docks, TrimUI’s ponderous Smart Pro Mini, and Federico and John’s first impressions of the MagicX Zero 40.

Then, Brendon, John, and Federico each bring a handheld they haven’t used in a while back to the show, and as you might expect, Federico’s choice is a bit of a surprise.

On NPC XL, Federico shows off the Lenovo G9 Gamepad.

AppStories, Episode 466, ‘A Secondary Device Check-In’ Show Notes

Switching Sides: A Secondary Device Check-In

• John
  • 11” iPad Pro
• Federico
  • M3 Ultra Mac Studio and M4 Pro MacBook Pro
  • Relacon Handheld Trackball, Wireless USB

AppStories+ Post-Show

• Longplay
• Longplay for Mac Launches with Powerful AI and Shortcuts Integration

NPC, Episode 42, ‘Hello from 1998: Revisiting Past Handhelds’ Show Notes

John’s Game Boy Streaming Setup

• Game Boy Camera cartridge
• Epilogue GB Operator
• OBS Studio using window capture, cropped
• Zoom set to the OBS virtual camera

Follow-Up

• JSAUX 12-in-One Dock

The Latest Portable Gaming News

• 8BitDo Pro 3
  • Pro 3 Bluetooth Gamepad
  • The Pro 3 is 8BitDo’s first controller with swappable buttons
  • Amazon pre-orders
• Thunderbolt 5 news
  • Razer Introduces Next-Generation Connectivity and Performance with New Thunderbolt™ 5 Dock and Core X V2 - Razer Newsroom
  • Razer Core X V2 - Thunderbolt™ 5 eGPU Razer United States
  • Razer Thunderbolt™ 5 Dock Chroma Razer United States
• The TrimUI Smart Pro Mini Patent Leaks
  • TrimUI Smart Pro Mini Patent Leaks: Could This Be the Next Big Thing - Retro Handhelds  

Revisiting Past Handhelds

• John - New Nintendo 3DS XL
  • 3DS LCD Screens TN vs IPS
  • IPS vs TN, should you hunt one or not (Very long post, possibly very boring too) r3DS
• Brendon - Anbernic RG28XX
  • Anbernic RG28XX
  • Tip: Currently about $28 if you buy direct whereas Amazon charges close to $55.
• Federico - Game Boy Macro
  • Game Boy Macro
  • Examples on Etsy
    • Four-button model with light bar
    • Aluminum, two-button model

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.

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, and NPC: Next Portable Console 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.