MacStories Setups Update: An Apple Gear Refresh, Dual-Screen Gaming, and HomeKit

Our desk setups. Federico (left) and John (right).

As we head into the final weeks of 2025, Federico and I figured it would be a good time to update the MacStories Setups page. There’s an ebb and flow to the gear and apps we test each year, and as the fall OS update season fades into the past, it’s not unusual for one or both of us to take stock of our setup and make changes. That’s been very true for both of us this year, but in different ways.

Federico has been focused on simplifying his hardware setup and testing a long list of apps and services. In contrast, I’ve made fewer gear cuts, focusing more on strategic changes to the gadgets I use and settling on a core set of work apps.

The result is that Federico’s hardware setup changes have primarily been updates to his Apple and portable gaming gear. He made the transition from the iPhone 16 Pro Max to the iPhone Air, and couldn’t be happier with the result. He also replaced the M4 iPad Pro with the latest M5 model and moved from the AirPods 4 to the AirPods Pro 3.

Both of us ditched our previous Apple Vision Pro head strap solutions for the Apple Dual Knit Band, which has been a big upgrade. It’s comfortable, and having one dial to adjust both bands is both clever and far simpler than other solutions I’ve tried.

Ayn Thor.

Federico also added the Ayn Thor to his handheld gaming lineup. The Thor, which I also bought this fall, is a dual-screen OLED gaming handheld that runs Android. It’s perfect for emulating dual-screen systems like the Nintendo DS and 3DS, but it has also been excellent for game streaming and testing the emerging world of emulating SteamOS on Android. If game tinkering is your thing and this sounds intriguing, we have two episodes of NPC: Next Portable Console that go in-depth on the Ayn Thor.

Among the many apps and services that Federico has settled on and that we’ve been covering this fall on AppStories are:

Claude

TypingMind

Hello Weather

Firecrawl

Orchard for Mac

Yes, there’s a lot going on at my desk.

The story of my setup changes is a little different. I’ve also updated my iPhone, although I’ve stuck with the Pro Max, getting the Deep Blue iPhone 17 Pro Max with 512GB of storage. Plus, I updated from the original Apple Watch Ultra to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and from the AirPods Pro 2 to the AirPods Pro 3. It’s been excellent to have two-day battery life with the Apple Watch Ultra again, and I love the better fit and sound I get from the AirPods Pro 3.

I’m also a huge fan of the Ayn Thor dual-screen Android handheld. I’ve tried so many handhelds since we started NPC: Next Portable Console, but nothing can beat the compact size and clamshell form factor of the Thor, which tops it all off with two gorgeous OLED screens. It’s the closest thing to a perfect gaming handheld I’ve tried.

Over the summer, I also started revisiting my smart home setup. This is a long-term project that I’ll write about more in the new year, but I’ve added several gadgets to my setup since our last update. The biggest addition is the Narwal Freo X10 Pro, which the company sent me for testing and I will write about soon. It’s a combo robot vacuum and mop that is light years ahead of the Roomba I bought several years ago in terms of its capabilities. I also wanted to highlight SwitchBot’s Smart Desk Fan, which I got at the end of the summer to help cool my office. The thing I appreciate most about it is that I can control it from the buttons on the fan itself, with a remote control, or with an automation that I created to turn the fan on when the indoor temperature crosses a certain threshold.

A closer look at the MOTU M4.

The other highlights of my setup update all revolve around audio. First, I got a MOTU M4 audio interface for recording podcasts and videos for a very specific reason: it’s the only USB-C-connected audio interface I could find that has an on/off switch. That way, I don’t need to stare at its LED lights all day, and unlike the Elgato Wave XLR interface it replaces, the M4 doesn’t needlessly generate heat.

For personal audio, I also recently picked up the Beats Studio Pro headphones when they were on sale. I love my AirPods Pro 3, but I’m not a fan of having them jammed in my ears for long stretches. With the Beats Studio Pro, I now have the option to work at my desk or do other things around the house without the AirPods Pro in my ears, and they have great battery life, too.

That’s it for our latest setups for now. Be sure to visit the Setups page for the full list of additions and to browse what hasn’t changed, too. It’s a battle-tested collection of recommended gear that has been years in the making, and it comes with a changelog, so you can also see what has changed in the years since we began Setups. Happy browsing!