Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Niléane insists she’s not bringing another task manager, Chris has a new e-ink toy he loves, and the whole crew finds interesting ways to add some more text expansion to their lives.
MacStories Unwind
This week, Federico and I each share a couple of drink discoveries and I have an update on my video recording and gaming setups, before we share a TV show, documentary, and movie deal.
Fello AI – All-In-One AI Chat Client for macOS. Download it on the App Store today.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon highlight the premiere of Seth Rogan-led Apple Original comedy The Studio and recap the captivating second season of Severance.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
AppStories
In this special interview episode, Federico and I welcome Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman to discuss his 16-year journey covering Apple. Mark shares how he started as a teenage app developer before joining 9to5Mac and eventually Bloomberg. The conversation explores Mark’s most memorable scoops, the evolution of Apple news coverage, his relationship with Apple, and advice for aspiring tech journalists.
Drafts – Where text starts. New and expired subscribers can use the link to get your first year of Drafts for $9.99.
Tripsy – Your Travel Toolkit. Use the link for 25% off a lifetime purchase or 30% off a 1-Year subscription.
NPC: Next Portable Console
This week, Brendon shares his surprising early impressions of the Ayn Odin Portal. Then Federico, Brendon and I dive into Nintendo Switch 2 pricing rumors, explore the performance issues of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on M4 Macs despite being Steam Deck verified, and break down Qualcomm’s confusing new G-series chips powering upcoming handhelds. Then, the trio reacts to OneXPlayer’s chaotic ONEXSUGAR handheld and AYANEO’s new devices. Plus, Federico has exciting news about a DLSS plugin for Steam Deck that improves performance on games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, turning blurry gameplay into a sharp, high-settings experience.
NPC XL
This week on NPC XL, Federico, Brandon and I share their most unusual handheld gaming devices. From my nostalgic Tamagotchi Connection to Brandon’s beast of a modded PSP Go and Federico’s Ashida Wii, the conversation reveals their weird obsessions with handheld gaming.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Darth Chris makes an appearance, Niléane has an exclusive first look at…checks notes… the iPhone 16 Pro, Matt insists on talking about MacWhisper even more, and the crew actually all followed the rules in this week’s challenge (a miracle!).
MacStories Unwind
This week, Federico wonders whether John would have been a vibe coder if he started building an app today, and they share music picks along with a movie trilogy deal.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon share their experiences rocking out to Metallica in Apple Immersive Video and recap heart-touching Spanish-language comedy/drama Love You to Death.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
AppStories
This week, Federico and I explore a collection of Shortcuts helper utilities that extend functionality beyond the built-in system actions, sharing how these apps address gaps in Apple’s Shortcuts implementation across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
This episode is sponsored by:
Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code APPSTORIES with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.
NPC: Next Portable Console
This week, Brendon, Federico, and I dive into the ongoing Retroid Pocket Mini controversy, discussing the scaling issues, community reactions, and what it means for consumers in the retro handheld space. After addressing Retroid’s troubles, they explore the Retroid Pocket Classic and pricing information for the Flip 2. To wrap up the week’s news, they cover SteamOS news, AYANEO’s confusing new teaser for the “Pocket Ace,” examine important new reports of Microsoft’s collaboration with ASUS on an Xbox-branded Windows handheld.
NPC XL
This week, Brendon prepares for a two-month trip to Japan and needs advice on assembling the perfect portable gaming setup. Federico and I lend a hand, suggesting which handhelds to take along and how to maintain a podcast recording workflow away from home.
Ruminate
I bring the snacks, Robb brings the Lego news, and we both get excited for new Pebbles for the second time in ten years.
Brendon, Federico, and I are back for another week of handheld news, including a tiny bit of Switch 2 news, an up and down week for Retroid, DS handhelds inch forward, Samsung wonders if thumbholes are the perfect complement to thumbsticks, and AYANEO decides thumbsticks aren’t worth the trouble. Plus, Brendon shares NextUI and the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Controller.
NPC XL
This week, Federico, Brendon, and I take listeners on a tour of our handheld and console gaming histories.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Niléane has entered her keyboard era, Chris has a consumer warning as well as a really good macropad, and then we find the best games on the Mac.
MacStories Unwind
This week, a little Cajun cooking, behind-the-scenes of the launch of NPC XL, another great British spy drama, and a classic sci-fi deal.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon grade their predictions for the 97th Academy Awards, discuss the process and benefits of converting films and shows to 3D, and recap the latest Apple Immersive Video release: Deep Water Solo.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
AppStories
This week, Federico and I examine the widening gap between consumer and enterprise apps, asking what happened to prosumer and small business app market.
This episode is sponsored by:
Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code APPSTORIES with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.
NPC: Next Portable Console
This week, Retroid Pocket Flip 2 specs are out, the Legion Go S disappoints, and we try to decipher what AYANEO is doing before reminiscing over a PictoChat clone on the iPhone and discussing the benefits of having a personal videogame shopper in Japan, and Brendon’s experience with the black Miyoo Flip.
NPC XL
Then on NPC XL for Patreon backers, Federico, Brendon, and I share our love of the Sony PSP, from Federico’s long-time obsession to Brendon’s more recent journey down the rabbit hole, to my very first PSP, the gang covers the PSP’s history, their experiences, and the PSP’s impact on handheld gaming.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Chris has a first look at a new iPad stand, Matt is ready to drop out and have some fun, and a our Coldplay challenges pushes some of the gang to their limits.
MacStories Unwind
This week, Federico questions my character before discovering the joy of audiobooks, while I have been listening to more podcasts and have a question for listeners about which TV show he should watch next.
Magic Rays of Light
Devon and Jonathan highlight the premiere of German-language medical drama Berlin ER and go immersive arctic surfing on Apple Vision Pro.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
AppStories
This week, Federico and I make five app predictions for the next five years covering everything from App Intents and automation to the fate of the App Store.
On the latest NPC, ASUS gaming phones, Retroid’s big surprise, and more Nintendo emulation drama, plus 8BitDo tries to solve the iPhone vertical controller problem, Federico weighs in on the Any Odin2 Portal, and the whole gang has nothing but love for the TrimUI Brick.
