This Week's Sponsor:

Drafts, Tally, Terminology, Simple Scan

Quality Productivity & Utility Apps, Ready for OS 26, from Agile Tortoise

Turbulence Forecast: Know Before You Go with 5-Day Flight Turbulence Predictions [Sponsor]

For nearly two decades, anxious flyers have turned to an essential tool before boarding: Turbulence Forecast. This isn’t just another weather app. It’s a specialized service created by experts who have been helping passengers understand and prepare for flight conditions since 2005. Whether you’re a nervous flyer seeking peace of mind or simply want to know what to expect on your upcoming trip, Turbulence Forecast delivers the most detailed turbulence predictions available anywhere.

Turbulence Forecast’s comprehensive approach sets it apart from basic weather apps, with detailed, expert forecasts. These custom reports include an analysis of your specific route, weather patterns, storm systems, and jet stream effects.

The app also features multiple specialized maps: Pilot Reports showing turbulence encounters, Maximum Turbulence Potential maps for route planning, and much more. Turbulence Forecast can generate route forecasts for individual flights and uses a feature called “Drift” to show how forecasts are expected to evolve over time, too. Plus, with an advanced Navigator subscription, you can extend turbulence forecasts up to five days before your trip.

Built for iOS, with full iPad and Android support, the app integrates seamlessly with your travel workflow.

Download Turbulence Forecast on the App Store to start planning smoother flights with confidence. The app is free to download with premium forecasting services and Navigator subscriptions available for those who want the most comprehensive analysis possible. You can learn more about all of Turbulence Forecast’s features on the app’s website.

Our thanks to Turbulence Forecast for sponsoring MacStories this week.

Podcast Rewind: Everyone’s Going Bananas (and Some Tech Talk, Too)

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Someone has lost their bananas, Matt brings Perplexity back from the dead, Niléane has a fun way to use Mastodon, and Chris challenges everyone to up their widget game.

MacStories Unwind

This week, John struggles to update an old Apple TV and two HomePod minis, Federico sets up OTA TV, and they both go bananas over Donkey Kong Bananza.

This episode is sponsored by:

  • Hello Weather: The Exceptionally Useful Weather App for iOS, Totally Redesigned for 2025

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon begin one last journey to Acapulco and share their early impressions of the Games app.

Read more

AppleCare One Unifies Device Coverage Into a Single Monthly Plan

Apple announced today that it is consolidating its AppleCare+ plans into one program dubbed AppleCare One that will be available starting tomorrow. The new program is $19.99/month which covers three products. Additional products can be added for $5.99/month for each device added.

Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, had this to say of the new plan:

At Apple, we’re focused on creating and delivering exceptional experiences. Built on the trusted foundation of AppleCare+, AppleCare One extends that same reliability and makes it easier than ever to protect the products you love and depend on like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, combining simplicity and exceptional value.

Apple says that AppleCare One includes all of the features of AppleCare+ and expands the theft and loss protection from the iPhone to the iPad and Apple Watch. The company says that enrolling an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch under the new program will save users up to $11/month compared to buying AppleCare+ for each device separately. Customers can also add existing devices to the new program that are up to four years old (or one year for headphones) if they are in good condition. That’s a big change from the usual 60 days from the date of purchase that customers have had to purchase AppleCare in the past.

If you’re someone juggling multiple AppleCare accounts for a variety of devices, AppleCare one certainly sounds like a simpler, more flexible approach, as well as an opportunity to cover older devices.

Podcast Rewind: Secondary Devices and a Streaming Game Boy Camera

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.

Read more

Reuters Reports that Apple’s New EU Developer Terms May Avoid Further Penalties→

Reuters reports that Apple is on the brink of satisfying EU regulators with the changes the company has made to its developer program in the EU:

Apple’s changes to its App Store rules and fees will likely secure the green light from EU antitrust regulators, people with direct knowledge of the matter said, a move that would stave off potentially hefty daily fines for the iPhone maker.

Reuters estimates that those fines, which would be on top of the 500 million euro fine already levied against Apple, could be as much as 50 million euros per day.

No deal is finished until it’s formally announced, but if Reuters’ sources are correct, we should see an announcement from the European Commission in the coming weeks.

Permalink

Hello Weather: The Exceptionally Useful Weather App for iOS, Totally Redesigned for 2025 [Sponsor]

One of the most beloved indie weather apps just got a massive overhaul, and it’s worth checking out as your new daily driver. The whole app has been modernized and rebuilt from the ground up, and it feels great.

Hello Weather has always been known for its simple, friendly, super readable design, but the new update pairs that simplicity with more depth, sophistication, and powerful new features.

There are beautiful new summaries and visualizations for over a dozen data points like Wind, Air Quality, UV Index, and Moon phases. That’s along with extended hourly forecasts, excellent forecasts for the week ahead, and tons of little options to tune the app’s icons, themes, and layouts however you like them.

The new update addresses some longstanding feature gaps, too: Hello Weather now has push notifications, a revamped radar, and an excellent refreshed Apple Watch app and complications.

It also supports a dozen different data providers. You can switch from Apple Weather’s forecasts to ultra-detailed info from AccuWeather, Foreca, The Weather Company, and lots more. Stick with the source that’s best for your area, or swap between them to compare forecasts.

Hello Weather respects your privacy, with one of the best data collection policies in the category. The app doesn’t track any user-identifiable data, sell ads, or anything like that. It’s a customer-focused app, thoughtfully designed, and made with care.

Download Hello Weather and start a 7-day free trial.

Podcast Rewind: Shark Tank for Tech Accessories, the Best Shows and Films of 2025 So Far, and an Anti-Pick

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Chris has some cool new apps, Matt made some cool new apps, and Niléane challenges the dads to do their best Shark Tank impression.

MacStories Unwind

This week, Federico’s return to Apple system apps has ended, and new workflow experiments have begun. Plus, John shares a dark comedy, and Federico has an anti-pick.

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon return to the world of Foundation for its third season and share their favorite films and shows from the first half of 2025. Then, they recap the first season on Apple Original sci-fi comedy series Murderbot.

Read more

New Emoji Announced for World Emoji Day→

Source: Unicode Consortium.

Source: Unicode Consortium.

Every year, the Unicode Consortium announces new emoji that will be added in the fall and incorporated in iOS and other OSes in the months that follow. The latest batch that were announced today to coincide with World Emoji Day will be part of Unicode 17 and include:

  • Trombone
  • Treasure Chest
  • Distorted Face
  • Apple Core
  • Fight Cloud
  • Ballet Dancers 
  • Hairy Creature 
  • Orca

As usual, it’s an eclectic mix that rounds out certain categories and includes other emoji that are just plain fun. I look forward to Federico trying to guess these on Connected. There’s an almost one-to-one overlap between the ones I know I’ll use the most and those that I think Federico will never guess.

Permalink