Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John consider whether Apple made the case for running local LLMs and gaming on the M5 iPad Pro and discusss who should consider buying it.

On AppStories+, we explain how Claude Skills work and why they are one of Anthropic’s most exciting features in a while.

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NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, a Retroid tease, the Miyoo Mini Flip goes on sale, and John is the first of the gang to get the Ayn Thor.

This week on NPC XL, the crew shares their experiences using GameHub.

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First, Last, Everything

This episode’s guest, Brendon Bigley, is, in his words, extremely online. He helped build the podcasting platform Anchor, which was acquired by Spotify in 2019, and he worked for Marvel, overseeing its presence on YouTube and other platforms. But what most people know him for is his opinions and passion for gaming and tech in general. He co-hosts the gaming podcasts Into the Aether and NPC, and he blogs and publishes videos under the Wavelengths banner.

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Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John discuss what might be next for Apple Intelligence and how it fits into the broader AI market.

On AppStories+, Federico and John cover the fallout from the Sora app and why AI can’t replace human creativity.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Claude: Get 50% off Claude Pro, including access to Claude Code.

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NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, Steam Deck, Switch 2, and Vision Pro accessory follow-up, Thunderbolt 5 eGPUs, Android handhelds break into the budget category, and the ROG Xbox Ally X is a bust.

On NPC XL, Apple’s M5 chip promise gaming advances on the iPad, but can it deliver?

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First, Last, Everything

On this episode, we’re joined by Joe Rosensteel. Joe is a VFX artist who’s worked on big-name Hollywood productions as well as smaller commercial projects. He’s a writer on his own blog and for the Six Colors website, and he also has a podcast with Dan Sturm called Defocused.

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Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, with rumors of more products in the pipeline, Federico and John share what they want most from Apple before the end of the year.

On AppStories+, Federico experiments with lightning fast inference and iteration using Cerebras for scripting.

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NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, we wonder who the Lenovo Legion Go 2 is for, get excited about the AYN Thor reviews, discuss Digital Foundry’s iPhone 17 Pro gaming discoveries, and check in on mini PCs, then Brendon bails on Bazzite.

On NPC XL, John experiments with the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s thermals, and Federico revisits Sunshine and Moonlight.

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First, Last, Everything

Robin Kanatzar is this episode’s guest. Robin is a former industrial engineer who has been developing apps for iOS and Android since 2016, focusing on accessibility. She also gives talks on the subject, educating developers on how to make their apps more accessible, as well as publishing a weekly newsletter on the subject, titled ‘Appt News’.

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Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John demystify Model Context Protocol (MCP), covering how it works, where it’s heading, and practical examples of what it can do.

On AppStories+, Federico and John experiment with whether AI can make sense of the information firehose.

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NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, John and Brendon get excited about the rumors of an Anbernic DS clone, dig into weird and interesting news from Xiaomi, debate the merits of computer coasters, and update listeners on more pricey Windows handhelds and Lego’s Game Boy set.

On NPC XL, John shares his first impressions of GeForce Now’s NVIDIA 5080 performance, and he and Brendon wonder what Microsoft is thinking with recent changes to Game Pass.

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First, Last, Everything

Andrew Fyfe is a musician originating from Scotland. After starting out gigging in bands and crossing paths with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Lewis Capaldi, Andrew started learning about artificial intelligence. Now living in Japan, Andrew is the CTO and co-founder of Neutone, a company introducing AI to the music-making process, aiming to do so in a way that respects artists and doesn’t replace creativity.

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Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John shared their first impressions of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3.

On AppStories+, Federico asks John about his plans to unwind now that his macOS review is out.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Things – A fresh new look for OS 26

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NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, gamers bring Xbox mode to the MSI Claw and other Windows handhelds, the DualSense controller gets multi-pairing, AYN shows off the Thor in action, and Nintendo gets even weirder with a Virtual Boy comeback, plus John reviews the Steam Deck Folio cover and the crew discusses the gaming updates to Apple’s Vision Pro.

This week on NPC XL, John gives Federico and Brendon a choice between three, and eventually four, gaming setups as a way of exploring where their handheld gaming priorities lie.

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First, Last, Everything

This time, it’s the Emmy-award-winning writer David X. Cohen. David started writing on Beavis and Butthead in the early ‘90s before joining The Simpsons, where he was responsible for many well-known episodes like Lisa the Vegetarian, The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show, and Homer3. Then, in 1999, with Simpsons creator Matt Groening, David co-developed Futurama, which recently dropped its 13th season on Hulu and Disney+.

But David’s history is not just in television. He worked in the robotics lab while attending Harvard, studied theoretical computer science, and has a deep history with technology all the way back to the early days of home computers. As you can expect, there was a lot for us to talk about.

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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.

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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.

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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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