CANAL+ Releases Immersive Documentary MotoGP: Tour De Force

Today, French entertainment company CANAL+ is releasing immersive documentary MotoGP: Tour De Force for Apple Vision Pro users. The 30-minute film follows French championship rider Johann Zarco during the French Grand Prix weekend this May, where he became the first French rider to win the race in over 70 years.

One of the first third-party partners to receive access to the technology behind Apple Immersive Video, CANAL+ captured the race and the behind-the-scenes action using four Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive cameras on pedestals and Steadicams in combination with ambisonic microphones. The end result will be very familiar to fans of Apple Immersive Video, with its 8K resolution, 180-degree field of view, 3D, and Spatial Audio.

I got a chance to check out the film ahead of its release and found it to be thrilling and impactful. The subject is a perfect fit for Apple Immersive Video; I could hardly keep up with the motorbikes zooming by from the trackside view. But just as enjoyable was the story, where the film follows Johann Zarco through the emotional ups and downs of the weekend, culminating in the joy of victory in front of 300,000 fans.

If MotoGP: Tour De Force is an indication of what we can expect from future third-party Apple Immersive Videos (and I think it is), I’m excited. The immersive videos we’ve seen from Apple so far have taken us to far-off places to witness stories, sports, and experiences many of us would otherwise never have access to, and with the tools to make this kind of content now in the hands of many more creators, I think of the future of immersive video on Apple Vision Pro is bright.

MotoGP: Tour De Force is available to stream now on Apple Vision Pro. Users in France can stream the film in the CANAL+ app with an active subscription, while users in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.A.E, the U.K., and the U.S. can stream the film for free in the Apple TV app. Alongside the announcement of MotoGP: Tour De Force, Apple also announced its upcoming slate of immersive videos, including new episodes of ongoing series and new entries from partners like Red Bull and CNN.

Austin Mann Tests the iPhone 17 Pro Cameras in the Dolomite Mountains→

Professional photographer Austin Mann published his annual tests of the new iPhone’s cameras. This year, Mann traveled to the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy to bike and photograph the mountain landscapes.

It’s probably not surprising that the 17 Pro’s telephoto cameras were a perfect match with the Dolomites:

After extensively testing the iPhone 17 Pro camera system, I can confidently say the biggest improvement for photographers this year is the new 48MP 4x lens and the 8x telephoto. These focal lengths feel right and open up opportunities to capture fresh perspectives.

Mann’s photos are stunning. What stood out to me the most is the level of detail that can be captured with the 4x and 8x cameras. I spent some time testing this over the weekend myself and it’s seriously impressive.

Mann is also a fan of the new selfie camera, using it to take selfies as he biked through the mountains:

This is one of those features that just works without any effort and will make everyone’s selfies better, and many users won’t even be aware of what it’s doing. Just as I hoped, I can hold the iPhone in horizontal or vertical orientation and the camera automatically adjusts based on whether I’m alone or surrounded by others.

As always, it’s worth scrolling through the entire post because the Dolomites are a beautiful mountain range that offered a lot of opportunities for Mann to show off the new iPhone 17 Pro’s cameras.

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Podcast Rewind: PopSockets, Review Recovery, and Foundation’s Surprise Finale

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Matt brings a new phone (but it’s not what you thiiiink), Chris finally got the iPadOS update of his dreams, and Niléane oversees the PopSockets challenge, which ends up being an all-time Comfort Zone disaster.

On Cozy Zone, the gang shares their top five video games.

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico and John reflect on the toll of the review process and the annual recovery process before Federico follows up on a TV series and John recommends a pair of albums. Plus, we have a great Marvel movie bundle deal for listeners.

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon highlight The Morning Show’s return, share their thoughts on tvOS 26 and visionOS 26, and look back on the third season of Foundation.

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CarPlay in iOS 26: The MacStories Review

When CarPlay Ultra was announced… checks notes… three years ago, it was a bold vision for the future of in-car displays. There was as much drooling over the new designs as there was skepticism over whether any car manufacturer would agree to such an extensive display overhaul.

Underneath all that, there were also some concerns about where this left regular, vanilla CarPlay. The kind that many people had fallen in love with, and which was often a prerequisite when buying a new car. Was this going away, or would it just be left to wither on the vine?

Thankfully, with iOS 26, the answer seems to be a firm “no” as Apple brings much more customization to our in-car displays, mainly by letting the much heralded features of CarPlay Ultra trickle down to regular CarPlay. There’s more than you’d think, so let’s take a look.

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Podcast Rewind: OS Reviews Are Here, Emulating Windows on Android, and an Interview with Michael Flarup

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John discuss their annual OS reviews. Federico digs into the details of iOS and iPadOS 26, while John considers what macOS 26 Tahoe means for users.

On AppStories+, John updates listeners on what he bought after last week’s Apple event and why.

This episode is sponsored by:

  • Widgetsmith: Make your phone your own with custom widgets and wallpapers. Ready for Liquid Glass in iOS 26. Use our link for a free month of Widgetsmith Premium.
  • Steamclock: We make great apps. Design and development, from demos to details.

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, Brendon emerges from a Silksong fog, Genki settles a lawsuit and sends Federico accessories for the Switch, and Federico and John try emulating Windows on Android handhelds.

This week on NPC XL, Federico rebrands with a new bleeding edge project: emulating Windows on Android.

First, Last, Everything

This time, we’re talking with Michael Flarup. Michael is many things: the head of a game studio, a speaker at Adobe Max, an author, and more. But most of all, Michael is a designer. He’s most well-known for his decades of work as an icon designer on some of the most beloved apps on iOS and macOS under his Pixel Resort banner. He’s released two books on the history of the art form: first around iOS, then focusing on macOS. Now, he runs a game studio, Northplay, where they’re hard at work on their next game, Dinolords!

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Mystery Solved: Why Third-Party Apps Vanished From the Mac’s Control Center

Just look at all those great third-party controls.

Just look at all those great third-party controls.

As I explained in my macOS Tahoe review, one of the biggest disappointments was how few third-party Control Center controls I had access to at launch. That was surprising to me given how many developers support Control Center on the iPhone and iPad.

So, I spent a lot of time investigating the issue without reaching a satisfactory answer until yesterday. The short story is it’s a bug, and there’s a workaround until it can be fixed by Apple, but here’s the rest of the back-story that didn’t make it into my macOS Tahoe review and how to sidestep it.

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visionOS 26: The MacStories Review

Special Thanks

This is the second time I’ve had the privilege of writing a visionOS review for MacStories, and it still feels unreal. I am tremendously thankful to share this story with such an enthusiastic, generous audience. I’d like to thank a few people who had a hand in making this project happen:

  • My wife Katherine, for her endless support of my passions, even when they involve wearing a headset around the house.
  • My son Noah, who inspires me each and every day.
  • Federico Viticci, for building something incredible in MacStories and letting me be a part of it.
  • John Voorhees, for so many things, but especially his patience and guidance.
  • Sigmund Judge, a true friend and someone I’d chat with about tech for hours a week even if we didn’t make a podcast together.
  • The entire MacStories team, whom I consider it an honor to work alongside.
  • The Vision Pro user community at large, for their passion and creativity that’s taking the platform to new heights.
  • The Vision Pro team at Apple, who are doing groundbreaking work that’s benefitting many people, and will continue to for years to come.
  • Magic Rays of Light listeners.
  • Club MacStories members.

And thank you for reading. The MacStories community is an amazing group of people, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. You are what makes covering these stories so enjoyable.

    watchOS 26: The MacStories Review

    Special Thanks

    It’s been a less intense year for watchOS, but I couldn’t have written this review without these awesome humans (and two felines):

    • L&L, my girls. You’re the best people ever. Thanks for the love, support, and cuddles.
    • Nina and Ella, thanks for the most needy cuddles two cats could give.
    • My family, and in particular my parents, for always supporting and encouraging me. I said it last year, but thanks, Dad, for introducing me to a Macintosh 30 years ago.
    • Federico and John, for your patience and support in not just my writing, but also my podcast (second shameless plug!).
    • Devon, you’re the nicest person I know online and the best editor a guy could want. Cheers!
    • Niléane, my MacStories teammate!
    • All the app developers for doing awesome work, and in particular those who sent me betas to test.
    • Everyone on the Apple Watch team at Apple. You’re some smart people!
    • Every Club MacStories member for supporting everything we do here.
    • Our amazing Discord members; the friendliest bunch of people on the Internet.

    And of course, you, dear reader. As we all know, the credits are the best part. Since you’ve made it this far, here’s an Apple gift card.