It’s always a good sign when the hardest part of writing a game review is putting the game down. That has absolutely been the case with Kitty Letter, the new word game from Matthew Inman, the artist behind The Oatmeal webcomic. The core mechanic is familiar: make as many words as … | Continue reading
Apple TV+ is launching its first podcast that will serve as a companion to the show ‘For All Mankind,’ the Apple Original series that imagines a world where the Soviet Union was first to land on the Moon. Trailers for the podcast, which is hosted by cast member Krys Marshall, are … | Continue reading
UpNote is an elegant and powerful note-taking app that works across multiple platforms. Designed to make it easy to take notes and stay focused, UpNote combines a beautiful interface with a fluid workflow for a refined note-taking experience. The app works on iOS, the Mac, and Wi … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/20ac3417-4bf1-4c17-b7a4-b283378cf9d9/audio/fac8d142-7863-401a-aa25-5c962ffc1832/default_tc.mp3” total_duration=”00:23:46” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Sponsored by: BetterTouchT … | Continue reading
With the release of Home+ 5 by Matthias Hochgatterer, there are more reasons for HomeKit power-users to try the app than ever before. One of the app’s strengths has always been creating automations based on device attributes that aren’t available in Apple’s Home app. That’s why I … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we discuss the iPhone and iPad accessories we use the most and explain a couple of recent failed accessory experiments. Sponsored by: Microsoft Lists: A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work. iMazing – Back Up and Transfer i … | Continue reading
Starting today, Insta360 is offering an exclusive bundle of the Insta360 ONE X2 camera and an assortment of accessories through Apple’s online store for $479.99. I’ve been intrigued by Insta360’s action cameras since coming across them during CES in 2020. I bought a DJI Osmo Pock … | Continue reading
Apple has rolled out another new feature to iOS 14.5 beta testers in the US: accident, hazard, and speed check reporting in Maps. The new feature, which appeared today, is available once you begin navigating to a destination using Maps on your iPhone or via CarPlay. After you tap … | Continue reading
Austin Carr and Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, today published a lengthy investigation of Tim Cook’s tenure at Apple. From his earlier years building out Apple’s supply chain under Steve Jobs, to more recent times navigating the Trump presidency and the building antitrust pr … | Continue reading
As MacRumors’ Tim Hardwick reported earlier today, the iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas permit users to change the default music streaming service used for playback by Siri. The new feature, which originally surfaced on Reddit, appears the first time you ask Siri to play music. Siri dis … | Continue reading
BetterTouchTool is an indispensable Mac app that has stood the test of time. The app was one of the first covered by MacStories back in November 2009. In those early days, BetterTouchTool was a simple app for adding customizable gestures to MacBook trackpads and the Magic Mouse. … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/fc62a125-d3d3-410c-9370-a28731bf1b78/audio/0701d131-042a-4546-8684-17864e693b4e/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:29:49” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
It’s been just over two months since the first M1 Macs were delivered to customers. I purchased an M1 MacBook Air to replace my aging 2016 MacBook Pro, and not long after, Apple sent me an M1 Mac mini to try. In the ten weeks or so since then, I’ve used both almost exclusively fo … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we cover everything about our writing workflows except the text editor, including research apps, our scratchpad setups, PDF annotation, mind mapping, dictionaries, and shortcuts, along with a segment on text-based podcast editing and transcripts. [subscri … | Continue reading
Apple has released the first beta for macOS 11.3 Big Sur, which includes new Safari features, changes that parallel yesterday’s updates to iOS and iPadOS, and more. Some of the most interesting features of the latest Big Sur beta are in Safari. As I wrote in my Big Sur review, I … | Continue reading
In our Workflows Revisited: Task Management episode of AppStories from December, I explained my decision to keep using GoodTask – the powerful third-party Reminders client – as my primary task manager. We’ve mentioned GoodTask several times on both MacStories and AppStories befor … | Continue reading
Betas of iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS are out today with some interesting features. Last week on World Privacy Day, Apple announced that App Tracking Transparency is coming in the spring, so it’s no surprise that iOS and iPadOS 14.5 include the feature. However, there are sever … | Continue reading
Text Case is a text transformation app that includes 37 text transformations. The app can capitalize titles according to multiple style manuals, trim whitespace, URL encode and decode text, change text to all uppercase or lowercase lettering, generate Markdown, and more. You can … | Continue reading
SaneBox is your personal email assistant that automatically organizes your inbox, saving you valuable time. SaneBox works on top of your existing email service, making sure that only the most important messages reach your inbox. The rest of your messages are carefully tucked away … | Continue reading
Most MacStories readers are undoubtedly familiar with the story of David Smith’s app Widgetsmith, which took off last fall after going viral on TikTok. Yesterday, Jason Aten of Inc. published an interview with Smith about his career as an independent developer and how his 12 year … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/a77d51aa-43a0-48d3-b63d-acd9ae5dd41a/audio/8317fdb6-6d8f-4a6d-afc5-29ca0bf51c12/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:29:10” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
CARROT Weather has been a MacStories favorite for years now. Just last month we named it the Best Watch App of 2020 in our annual MacStories Selects awards. One of the impressive features in CARROT’s Apple Watch app is the ability to customize the interface to display exactly the … | Continue reading
Today is Data Privacy Day, and to mark the occasion, Apple has published a case study titled ‘A Day in the Life of Your Data.’ In the accompanying press release, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering explains the company’s approach to privacy: Pri … | Continue reading
Great overview by Matt Birchler on how he’s using Hey for email, almost one year into switching to the service exclusively. When I was using Gmail and Outlook as the back end for all of my email, I had my pick of the litter when it came to email apps. Apple Mail, Spark, Outlook, … | Continue reading
Apple has just published its financial results for Q1 2021, with the company posting revenue of $$111.4 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook had this to say about the company’s record-setting quarter: This quarter for Apple wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless and innovative w … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we discuss the many aspects of app modularity, including where it started, how it’s supported by Apple, what developers are doing to push modularity forward, and trends to watch for in 2021. [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
Today, Apple released iOS and iPadOS 14.4, HomePod 14.4, watchOS 7.3, which introduce a limited collection of new features along with the usual bug fixes. On the iPhone and iPad, the Camera app can now scan smaller QR codes, which is handy for those tiny codes that are often used … | Continue reading
Tapbots, the maker of Tweetbot, has released version 6 of the app, introducing a new subscription pricing model along with a handful of timeline and design updates. The subscription costs $0.99 per month or $5.99 annually. Many of the features previously available as part of the … | Continue reading
February is Black History Month, and Apple has announced a long list of ways it is celebrating across its products and services. In a press release the company said: Apple is bringing customers a variety of new and updated collections and exclusive content that highlight and ampl … | Continue reading
Apple has announced its senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, Dan Riccio, is leaving that role to work on unspecified projects. Stepping into the gap left by Riccio is John Ternus, who has appeared as a presenter at recent Apple events covering the M1 Macs, for example. … | Continue reading
As rumors suggested earlier this month, Apple has launched a new Fitness+ feature called ‘Time to Walk,’ which the company’s press release describes as “an inspiring new audio walking experience on Apple Watch for Fitness+ subscribers.” Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of Fit … | Continue reading
Re:Schedule is an iPad and Mac app that eliminates the frustration of organizing meetings. The trouble with meetings is that the information you need is spread across several apps: Meeting logistics are in your calendar Your agenda is probably in your email or a folder somewhere … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/246d6aeb-539d-409e-aaa0-36f0fd632e1c/audio/9b551269-47cd-4b4c-b07c-a7cd7963b860/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:23:41” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Thi … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we share our HomeKit device setups, how we control them, the automations we use, and provide advice on approaching home automation projects. [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
When I think about my writing, I think in outlines, which is a remnant of my days as a law student. A big part of every law school’s first-year curriculum is teaching students how to synthesize vast quantities of research materials into carefully-organized outlines. Outlines are … | Continue reading
As I wrote in a recent issue of MacStories Weekly, the original Doodle Jump is one of my all-time favorite iOS games. This classic features an adorable doodle (officially dubbed “The Doodler”) bouncing its way up what appears to be a sheet of notebook paper. The beautifully simpl … | Continue reading
iOS 14 introduced Guides into Apple Maps earlier this year. As we covered in our summer preview series, the feature surfaces local city guides from third-party sources. These are integrated directly into Apple Maps so that you can see the exact locations of the activities that th … | Continue reading
Today, Apple unveiled a new monthly editorial feature for Podcasts called Spotlight, which showcases up-and-coming podcast creators. The first podcaster featured is Chelsea Devantez, whose show Celebrity Book Club debuted late last year and discusses the memoirs of celebrity wome … | Continue reading
For the past several years, Apple has shown off some of the best photos taken with the current-generation iPhone. In a press release today, the company highlights 17 beautiful images taken around the globe, as a showcase of what the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max can … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/113b69fa-7753-4d5e-9997-4a5515dea6d3/audio/e7066f14-82eb-4e2b-b5da-1fd4a8892fc7/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:25:36” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
My coverage of CES has always been virtual. This year the show itself is virtual too, which left me wondering whether there would be much to cover. Although there are fewer vendors participating than in the past, the event continues to provide a steady stream of news about new pr … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we conclude our miniseries on workflows with a look at what they’re using to manage calendar events and team communications. Plus, Federico springs a big app surprise on John and listeners. [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
Today, Apple announced a significant expansion of its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), the $100 million project to help eliminate barriers to opportunities and address injustices confronted by communities of color. The new projects, which build on the company’s existi … | Continue reading
I came across Puppr during its recent feature as Apple’s App of the Day and decided to give it a try. The app is a simple and fun instructional tool for teaching your dog new behaviors and tricks. Since I’ve been staying with my parents for the last couple of months, I decided to … | Continue reading
Saturday, Apple suspended social media app Parler from the App Store. The move followed Google’s removal of the Android version of the app from the Play Store on Friday and happened at roughly the same time that Amazon announced that it was ending Parler’s access to its cloud ser … | Continue reading
Unite 4 for macOS can turn any website into an app for your Mac. The app uses a lightweight, WebKit-powered browser as a backend, allowing you to easily create isolated, customizable apps from any site. It’s a terrific way to get those sites you visit every day out of a tab and i … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/6a3c1bef-7df7-4016-84df-3b56ee27eb38/audio/bf18cdc5-a02a-4a96-918d-c9369626d838/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:13:49” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
As a smaller, affordable smart speaker tightly integrated with Apple services, the HomePod mini is a compelling product for many people. The mini is little enough to work just about anywhere in most homes. At $99, the device’s price tag also fits more budgets and makes multiple H … | Continue reading