Monthly Log: September 2024
Becca Farsace on Why the iPod Nano’s Camera Is Her Favorite Camcorder→
Becca Farsace’s latest video is all about her favorite camcorder: the iPod Nano:
It’s a terrific video about a different time when simple devices like the Flip Video were everywhere, taking low-quality video. What made the Flip and, later, the Nano’s video camera great wasn’t the quality of what you could shoot with them. Instead, it was the convenience. With the tap of a button, you were up and recording instantly. As Farsace explains, there are a lot of limitations to the iPod Nano’s video camera, but in hindsight, it also holds a certain charm.
The video reminds me of the days before I had an iPhone and used a first-gen iPod Touch to take photos. The camera was lousy by today’s standards, but despite its limitations, I was able to take pictures that I enjoy to this day. I appreciate how easy it is to get a usable photo with my iPhone 16 Pro Max today, but I also sort of miss the effort required with the iPod Touch. I don’t miss the inefficiency of the Touch, but the constraints made me a better photographer by forcing me to pay more attention to lighting, framing, and other things. That’s why I’m not surprised at all that Halide’s Process Zero was an immediate hit.
Bitmo Lab Updates BANG!CASE to Accommodate the Camera Control and Releases GAMEBABY to Turn Your iPhone into a Retro Console [Sponsor]
MacStories readers love to automate their iPhones, which is what makes the BANG!CASE the perfect choice whether you’re using an iPhone 14, 15, or 16 Pro or Pro Max. The BANG!CASE’s retro-futuristic design combines cool aesthetics with its integrated motherboard and independent power supply, which deliver unrivaled power via the BANG!Button and support for the iPhone 16’s Camera Control.
The customizable BANG!Button lets you program thousands of actions with a single press, double-press, or press-and-hold. It’s like having three buttons in one for everything from taking photos to recording voice memos to launching apps, all while protecting your iPhone in a stylish case that includes support for MagSafe wireless charging.
Meanwhile, the GAMEBABY case delivers fun retro vibes reminiscent of 90s game consoles. The case includes a detachable lower half with touch capacitive buttons. By flipping the removable bottom half of the case and covering the front of your iPhone, your phone is transformed into a retro gaming handheld compatible with apps like Delta.
The BANG!CASE is available to order now from Bitmo Lab for $49.99, and, while supplies last, a limited supply of the GAMEBABY case is available for an introductory price of just $24.99. Learn more on Bitmo Lab’s YouTube channel and order the two most innovative iPhone cases available today.
Our thanks to Bitmo Lab for sponsoring MacStories this week.
Using Apple Journal to Track Home Screen Setups→
I love this idea by Lee Peterson: using Apple’s Journal app (which got some terrific updates in iOS 18) to track your Home Screen updates over time.
Every so often, I see screenshots from people on Threads or Mastodon showing their Home Screens from over a decade ago. I routinely delete screenshots from my Photos library, and it bums me out that I never kept a consistent, personal archive of my ever-changing Home Screens over the years. Lee’s technique, which combines Journal with the excellent Shareshot app, is a great idea that I’m going to steal. Here’s my current Home Screen on iOS 18:
As you can see, I’m trying large icons in dark mode and there are some new entries in my list of must-have apps. The Home Screen is similar, but a bit more complex, on iPadOS, where I’m still fine-tuning everything to my needs.
I plan to write about my Home Screens and Control Center setup in next week’s issue of MacStories Weekly. In the meantime, I’m going to follow Lee’s approach and begin archiving screenshots in Journal.
MacStories Weekly: Issue 435
The Latest from Comfort Zone, Magic Rays of Light, and MacStories Unwind
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
With Niléane out on assignment, Matt and Chris are joined by MacStories’ own John Voorhees! Chris and John bring brand new, embargoed products, while Matt brings…checking my notes here…a Thunderbolt dock from years ago (but he swears it’s cool).
Magic Rays of Light
Devon and Jonathan highlight new Apple Original Spanish-language medical drama Midnight Family, share their iPhone 16 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 first impressions, and check in on Slow Horses midway through its fourth season.
This week, an unexpected return to the wild kingdom, my iPhone 16 Pro Max first impressions, and movie and videogame picks.
Clockwise 573, ‘Five Legs and Way Too Many Fingers’→
Earlier this week, I joined Lex Friedman on Clockwise, the Relay show hosted by Dan Moren and Mikah Sargent. On episode 573, ‘Five Legs and Way Too Many Fingers,’ we covered a bunch of topics including:
- the Apple Watch faces we use and why;
- our feelings about Apple marketing its new iPhones by highlighting Apple Intelligence features that won’t be available for months;
- where we get iPhone wallpapers and how we use them; and
- the iPhone’s Action Button.
Thanks to Mikah and Dan for having me on, which was also a chance to chat with Lex for the first time, which I enjoyed too.
A Single Apple EarPod Has Become My Favorite Wired Earbud for Gaming
 controllers, Steam Deck OLED, and Ayn Odin 2. Also, [you should play UFO 50](https://wavelengths.online/posts/ufo-50-a-review).](https://cdn.macstories.net/img_0097-1727201828231.jpeg)
Nintendo Switch with Hori’s Split Pad Compact controllers, Steam Deck OLED, and Ayn Odin 2. Also, you should play UFO 50.
Picture this problem:
Because of my podcast about portable gaming NPC with John and Brendon, I test a lot of gaming handhelds. And when I say a lot, I mean I currently have a Steam Deck, modded Legion Go, PlayStation Portal, Switch, and Ayn Odin 2 in my nightstand’s drawer. I love checking out different form factors (especially since I’m currently trying to find the most ergonomic one while dealing with some pesky RSI issues), but you know what I don’t love? Having to deal with multi-point Bluetooth earbuds that can only connect to a couple of devices at the same time, which often leads to unpairing and re-pairing those earbuds over and over and over.
The Latest from NPC: Next Portable Console and AppStories
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
This week, Federico and John cover the highlights of macOS Sequoia, a good update that feels unfinished.
In the latest episode, we share our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 rumors, Sony’s PS5 nostalgia-fest, and more handheld news. Plus, Federico explains how Astro Bot makes sense of the PS Portal, I share a look at the Anbernic RG40XXV retro handled, and we reach peak Joy-Con with Mobapad’s M6 HD.