However, thanks to the efforts of the Clickwheel Games Preservation Project led by GitHub user Olsro, every iPod game has been preserved. As Orland explains:
[Olsro] lucked into contact with three people who had large iPod game libraries in the first month or so after the project’s launch last October.
Getting working access to the final unpreserved game, Real Soccer 2009, was “especially cursed,” Olsro tells Ars. “Multiple [people] came to me during this summer and all attempts failed until a new one from yesterday,” he said. “I even had a situation when someone had an iPod Nano 5G with a playable copy of Real Soccer, but the drive was appearing empty in the Windows Explorer. He tried recovery tools & the iPod NAND just corrupted itself, asking for recovery…”
Not only has the project preserved the entire library of games, but now, they’re available to anyone who still has a working iPod that supports them. Sonic on iPod will never be considered the definitive version of Sega’s classic, but if you ask me, it’s still worth preserving the memories of people like Reddit user Mahboishk for whom, “The iPod version of Sonic the Hedgehog was my introduction to the franchise as a kid, and it got me into speedrunning.” That 2000s version of Sonic is an important link in the story that has helped Sonic endure as a franchise from its ’90s origins to today. Now you too can try your hand at navigating the Green Hill Zone with a click wheel.
First, Last, Everything is a brand new MacStories podcast that explores people’s relationships with the technology that has shaped their lives. Each week, Jonathan Reed – who is a regular contributor to MacStories Weekly, our Club community manager on Discord, and the author of our annual watchOS reviews and other stories – gets to know a guest through three pieces of tech:
the one that first inspired them,
their latest obsession, and
the thing that’s meant everything to them.
From apps and computers to weird gadgets and more, Jonathan and listeners get to know someone from the unique perspective of the technology they love. Plus, in each episode, Jonathan shares an aside about a bit of technology you may have never heard of during the ‘Something’ segment.
Jonathan is a great interviewer and has a fantastic slate of guests lined up for season one of First, Last, Everything. You’ll hear new perspectives from familiar voices as well as brand new ones. Gadgets are fun, but it’s the people who use them that bring them to life through their stories. If you’re curious about technology, how others use it, and how new perspectives could inform your tech use, First, Last, Everything is your kind of show.
First, Last, Everything is a seasonal podcast, with new episodes releasing every Tuesday throughout the season. Season one includes eight episodes that will take the show well into the fall. Then, after a brief break, the podcast will be back with a new slate of interviews.
As someone who cares a lot about the human side of technology, I’m absolutely in love with this show. Federico and I dabbled with a similar concept years ago, so I’m really happy to see Jonathan putting his own spin on the idea and bringing together such a great lineup of guests that I’d love to spoil for everyone but will keep as a surprise.
You can listen to the first episode with YouTuber Tom Hitchins, whom, coincidentally, Federico and I hung out with a lot at WWDC this year, today. You can find Tom on his YouTube channel, Byte Review, or his website, Kiroku.co.uk, where he’s making calm, aesthetic videos about Apple products, creating wallpapers and Lightroom presets, and selling stickers and other great products. I think you’ll love the interview.
As we’re fond of saying, you can get First, Last, Everything wherever you get your podcasts. The show is still rolling out across the Internet, so it may show up in some places before others, but you can always visit macstories.net/podcasts/first-last-everything for links to the show on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and good, old-fashioned RSS. Plus, you can follow the show on Mastodon and Bluesky.
We’re equally excited to bring you Cozy Zone, a members-only extension of Comfort Zone hosted by Matt Birchler, Niléane, and Chris Lawley. It was a no-brainer to add Comfort Zone to MacStories, and the reaction from listeners has been beyond our expectations. It’s the perfect blend of information and entertainment sprinkled with the hosts’ weird obsessions.
In each weekly bonus episode of Comfort Zone, 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. The show is an excellent way to get to know the hosts better and participate in the fun you already enjoy on Comfort Zone. Here’s the trailer.
The first episode of Cozy Zone is being released publicly so everyone can get a taste of it right now. You’ll find it today in the Comfort Zone feed and on YouTube. Going forward, Cozy Zone will be audio-only for now, but if we hear from enough listeners who want it, we’ll work on making video versions a regular option, too. The first episode is available to watch here:
Episode 1 of Cozy Zone is available in the Comfort Zone audio-only podcast feeds too.
You can get cozy with the Comfort Zone crew for just $5/month or $50/year, which not only makes the bonus episodes possible, but supports Comfort Zone, too. The gang has already recorded the first few episodes, and they’re great. We think you’ll love them as well. To keep up with Cozy Zone, be sure to follow the existing Comfort Zone accounts on Mastodon and Bluesky.
Finally, thanks to everyone who reads MacStories and listens to our shows. It means a lot to us. We have no shortage of ideas of ways we can make MacStories even better than it was yesterday or is today, but without you all reading, listening, and spreading the word about what we do to your friends and family, it wouldn’t be possible. The MacStories community is strong and the kind of foundation that has allowed us to weather fundamental shifts in the online media world. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do for MacStories.
Quip is a supercharged clipboard manager and text expander for Mac, iPhone, and iPad—built to feel perfectly native, fast, and private.
Most clipboard apps turn into junk drawers. Quip is different. You choose how items get saved: capture everything, or enable Only Copy on Shortcut so your archive stays intentional. Then Quip Intelligence (secure, on-device AI) cleans things up—fixing broken links, removing tracking parameters, normalizing messy text, keeping code formatting intact, avoiding duplicates, and more. It even learns from your behavior to automatically avoid items you likely wish to ignore. Quip OCR lets you copy text from anywhere on your Mac’s screen - even if it is not normally copyable.
Your history is beautiful and searchable, with filters for app, type, and date. Organize with Collections (including Smart Collections that auto-sort by rules). When you need to act, Super Shortcuts paste anything—signatures, links, snippets—just by typing a trigger, anywhere on your Mac.
Quip works across your devices with iCloud sync and includes Quip Keyboard on iOS so your items are always a tap away. It’s privacy-first, with granular content rules (ignore apps or keywords, or strip sensitive terms) and full control over retention.
If you live in copy/paste all day, Quip makes it fast, thoughtful, and actually enjoyable.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Matt really thinks he’s cracked note taking, Niléane fixes every tech paper cut in her life she can find, and the whole gang pitches their new Apple product lines.
MacStories Unwind
This week, the weather has begun to change, coyotes are on the loose, and John shares his running tech. Plus, Federico has a TV comedy for listeners, and John has a superhero movie pick.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon attempt to predict what Apple will announce at next week’s Awe Dropping event.
Yes, you read that right. Instagram has finally released an iPad version, and you know what, it looks good, too.
Announced on Instagram’s blog today, the new iPad app supports iPadOS 15.1 and later and includes the features you’d expect like Reels and Stories, plus a new “Following” tab that includes sections for posts and Reels from Friends who follow you back, a “Latest” section that’s sorted chronologically, and an “All” section. Instagram’s messaging is supported and the extra screen real estate allows you to view your inbox and threads simultaneously. It even supports keyboards, trackpads, and the Apple Pencil.
I gave up any expectation that Instagram would ever be released on the iPad years ago. I never really understood the notion that it wouldn’t work on a bigger screen, especially since what Instagram does has expanded a lot in recent years. I’m not a big Instagram user, but I’m glad to see it on the iPad finally. Not only does it work full screen, but with windowing coming in iPadOS 26, you’ll be able to enjoy the more iPhone-like look if you prefer too.
I’m not seeing the app on the App Store yet, but it’s rolling out now and should be available to everyone shortly as a free download here.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
AppStories
This week, AppStories returns with details on the projects Federico and John worked on during their breaks.
On AppStories+, the importance of breaks and finding ways to unwind.
This episode is sponsored by:
Steamclock – We make great apps. Design and development, from demos to details.
Xsolla – 🚀 Launch a high-performing branded Web Shop in minutes—or build a fully custom storefront without the hassle. Xsolla’s modular solution reduces platform fees, supports 1,000+ global payment methods, and ships with built-in LiveOps and customization tools—so every purchase puts more revenue back in your studio’s pocket.
NPC: Next Portable Console
Returning from summer break, the NPC crew discusses Microsoft and ASUS’s Xbox handheld announcement at Gamescom. They also cover the upcoming release of Silk Song, Nintendo Direct rumors, and growing concerns about Switch 2’s strategy, particularly the lack of third-party dev kits and exclusive titles. The episode closes with an exploration of wild new handhelds from Abxylute.
This week on NPC XL, the gang digs into the Ayn Thor and speculates about what’s coming with the Odin 3. Then, Federico wraps things up with a mini surprise.
It would have been weird back in Oasis’ heyday to talk about a big stadium-rock show being uniquely “human” — what the hell else could it be? But after decades of music chosen by algorithm, of the spirit of listen-together radio fracturing into a million personalized streams, of social media and the politics that fuel it ordering acts into groups of the allowed and prohibited, of autotuning and overdubbing washing out raw instruments, of our current cultural era’s spell of phone-zombification, of the communal spaces of record stores disbanded as a mainstream notion of gathering, well, it’s not such a given anymore. Thousands of people convening under the sky to hear a few talented fellow humans break their backs with a bunch of instruments, that oldest of entertainment constructs, now also feels like a radical one.
And:
The Gallaghers seemed to be coming just in time, to remind us of what it was like before — to issue a gentle caveat, by the power of positive suggestion, that we should think twice before plunging further into the abyss. To warn that human-made art is fragile and too easily undone — in fact in their case for 16 years it was undone — by its embodiments acting too much like petty, well, humans. And the true feat, the band was saying triumphantly Sunday, is that there is a way to hold it together.
I make no secret of the fact that Oasis are my favorite band of all time which, very simply, defined my teenage years. They’re responsible for some of my most cherished memories with my friends, enjoying music together.
I was lucky enough to be able to see Oasis in London this summer. To be honest with you, we didn’t have great seats. But what I’ll remember from that night won’t necessarily be the view (eh) or the audio quality at Wembley (surprisingly great). I’ll remember the sheer joy of shouting Live Forever with Silvia next to me. I’ll remember doing the Poznan with Jeremy and two guys next to us who just went for it because Liam asked to hug the stranger next to you. I’ll remember the thrill of witnessing Oasis walk back on stage after 16 years with 80,000 other people feeling the same thing as me, right there and then.
This story by Zeitchik hit me not only because it’s Oasis, but because I’ve always believed in the power of music recommendations that come from other humans – not algorithms – who would like you to also enjoy something. And to do so together.
If only for two hours one summer night in a stadium, there’s beauty to losing your voice to music not delivered by an algorithm.
If you run a business, a side hustle, a podcast, or just want to stay in touch with a community, you know how important great email marketing can be. That’s where Direct Mail comes in — a native macOS app that makes it incredibly easy to design, send, and track email campaigns that get results. Unlike web-based alternatives, Direct Mail is designed specifically for macOS, with the speed, polish, and Mac-first integration you expect.
The brand-new Version 7 is a huge leap forward. This update brings a host of new features, including a reimagined user interface, smarter list management, powerful email signup forms, upgraded reporting, and all-new tools to help your emails stand out. Whether you’re sending to 10 people or 10,000, Direct Mail gives you the tools to do it professionally and painlessly.
If you’ve ever been frustrated with clunky, web-based email marketing tools, or just want something that feels right at home on your Mac, check out Direct Mail. It’s free to download and try, with flexible pricing plans to match every budget — including pay-as-you-go options. You can be up and running with your first campaign in just minutes. Our friendly customer support reps are available via live chat to help with any questions, ensuring you’re never stuck. Get started today and expand your reach with powerful, Mac-first email marketing tools.
Our thanks to Direct Mail for sponsoring MacStories this week.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Chris has moved on from Ball and now loves Bean, Matt thinks he’s finally happy with email, and Niléane creates one of the most controversial home screen swaps in show history.
MacStories Unwind
This week, John and Federico return from break to chat about how they spent their time off, the new MacStories Deals social accounts, two sports-related comedies, and a great deal on a favorite TV series.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon highlight the return of Apple Original sci-fi series Invasion, break down the details of the PVOD release of F1 The Movie, and discuss the Apple TV+ price increase.
