Best MacStories Podcasts (2025)

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Workflows and TV: Weekend Excursions, Dictation Apps, and Pluribus 21:38

Play Pause

2h ago21:38

21:38

This week, John shares how he plans weekend activities with Instagram and Apple Maps, Federico tests dictation apps, and both share their first impressions of the new Apple TV show Pluribus. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes John's Weekend Excursion Workflow Instagram + Apple Maps Guides and the beta Places You've Been feature Fe…

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Our Latest App and Automation Experiments 38:52

3d ago38:52

38:52

This week, Federico and John kick off their holiday app and automation experimentation season a little earlier than usual with a mix of apps, automations, and services. On AppStories+, Federico and John look ahead, considering the future of Shortcuts and automation. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, …

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SteamOS Goes Wide: From a Cube to the Frame 38:31

2h ago38:31

38:31

This week in a special early release of NPC, the guys dig into Valve's announcement of the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Stream Controller, a trio of SteamOS devices poised to make a big splash in 2026. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Valve's Announcements Valve's Announcement of the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Cont…

1
Can RedMagic Shake Up Mobile Gaming with a Liquid-Cooled Phone? 39:32

2h ago39:32

39:32

This week on NPC, Brendon, Federico, and John explore where mobile phone gaming is heading and reflect on what Nintendo's latest earnings report means for the Switch 2, before Brendon shares his first impressions of the Miyoo Mini Flip Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News OneXFly Apex and AYANEO Pocke…

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The Great Digital Declutter 31:12

10d ago31:12

31:12

This week, Federico and John clean house, deleting old apps, screenshots, half-built shortcuts, huge downloads, and more. A look at the workflows and apps we use to stay organized and clean up our digital messes. On AppStories+, Federico’s Typing Mind experiments continue, while John shares his experience of Claude Code to build tools to run MacSto…

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Reality Obsessions, Rom-Com Returns, and Seafood Comas 13:33

1h ago13:33

13:33

This week, Ticci Ticci jump scare videos, a seafood feast and Federico's latest fixation: X Factor Italy 2025. Plus, the return of a favorite Netflix rom-com series and an Apple TV comedy, and, of course, a special show-notes-only Unwind deal. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment X-Factor Italy Piercesare Fagioli |…

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Retroid Design Controversy and More on Thor 43:10

2d ago43:10

43:10

This week on NPC: Next Portable Console, the big story is Retroid's dual announcement of the Pocket 6 alongside the Pocket G2 and the ensuing drama. Then guys return to the Ayn Thor for Brendon and Federico's first impressions. Also available on YouTube here. --- Sponsored By: JSAUX – Your destination for Switch 2 and other handheld gaming accessor…

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Exploring AI Browsers 38:23

4d ago38:23

38:23

This week, Federico and John look at the hype surrounding AI browsers to see if there’s any there there. Then, on AppStories+, Federico explains his experiments with lightning fast alternative AI models in Typing Mind. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn…

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From the Wilds of Alaska to Lumiose City 16:48

8d ago16:48

16:48

This week, John explains why Notion is finally working for him, after which he and Federico share new Apple TV series and videogame picks. Plus, two Unwind deal picks. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Picks Federico's Pick: Pokémon Legends: Z-A Available from: Nintendo Amazon John's Pick: The Last Frontier on A…

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Hands-On with the Ayn Thor 30:53

15d ago30:53

30:53

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. On NPC XL, the crew shares their experiences using GameHub Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News Retroid Teases New Handheld Reveal for October 27 Miyoo Mini Flip first impressions Anber…

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The Potential and Limits of the M5 iPad Pro 33:32

11d ago33:32

33:32

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. Also available on YouTube here. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStor…

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Notion Daily Notes and AI Browsers 22:06

14d ago22:06

22:06

Links and Show Notes Notion Daily Notes Notion AI Browsers OpenAI Atlas Perplexity Comet Dia Deta Surf Microsoft Edge Strawberry Also mentioned Helium Vivaldi Picks No picks this week. We'll have a couple for everyone next week. Unwind Deal Blair Witch Project is $4.99 in the TV app 20 Days Later is $7.99 in the TV app Leave Feedback for John and F…

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Budget Android Handhelds Rise as the Xbox Ally X Stumbles 35:18

18d ago35:18

35:18

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? NPC is also available on YouTube here. Subscribe to NPC XL on Patreon here. Links and Show …

1
Apple's Intelligence Quest: Beyond Smart Siri 36:30

18d ago36:30

36:30

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. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early eve…

1
Dishwasher Dreams and Gritty Crime Scenes 16:39

25d ago16:39

16:39

This week, weekend outings and the chores we wish robots could do for us, plus Federico shares an anti-pick, and John is hooked on a gritty crime drama. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Greenville, South Carolina Fall Festival Narwhal Freo X10 Pro robot mop and vaccuum Picks Federico's Anti-Pick: The Residence …

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Does the AYN Thor Have Handheld of the Year Potential? 45:15

25d ago45:15

45:15

The Latest Portable Gaming News Federico weighs in on the Xiaomi Pad Mini GameHub Lenovo Legion Go 2 Retro Game Corps review AYN Thor reviews and first impressions Joey's Retro Handhelds review Retro Game Corps impressions video Using the Epilogue GB Operator with the Steam Deck Digital Foundry tests iPhone 17 Pro gaming Mini PCs leap forward GMKte…

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What Else Do We Want from Apple in 2025? 31:07

25d ago31:07

31:07

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. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bi…

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Unwinding Delayed But Not Denied 14:06

29d ago14:06

14:06

This week, John stumbles upon a restaurant with a thing for the Italian navy, Federico explores the Final Fantasy Tactics remake, and John has a movie pick. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment John visits Florence, which is decorated with the Picks Federico's Pick: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Joh…

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Anbernic DS and Nose-Bleed Windows Handheld Prices 45:24

30d ago45:24

45:24

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 Bre…

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Making Sense of MCP: The Standard Connecting AI to Apps 38:12

1M ago38:12

38:12

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. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a…

1
Nights, Weekends, and Holidays 21:11

1M ago21:11

21:11

This week, Federico tries to recover from a rough week, John brings some Southern cooking to the show, Federico has a long backlog of videogames to attend to, and John has an Apple TV+ show and an album to share. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Southern Cooking Pecan Pie Pimento Cheese Dip Fried Okra Picks Federico's …

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Budget or Power Play: AYANEO and GPD Move in Opposite Directions 36:54

1M ago36:54

36:54

This week, AYANEO introduces it's most affordable handheld yet, but it's not part of its budget line of devices. Plus, Qualcomm's new chips pack a punch and the GDP Win 5 pack a punch, while Sony expands its Pulse line with desktop speakers. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News AYANEO Pocket Air Mini …

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AirPods Pro 3, iPhone Air, and a Cable Quest 37:12

2M ago37:12

37:12

This week, Federico and John follow up after a week with new Apple hardware and dig into watchOS and visionOS 26. On AppStories+, John is mixing up his link and data organization systems - again. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn more about an AppStori…

1
Big Mike and the Extended Shower Lifestyle 15:32

2M ago15:32

15:32

This week, John visits Mike the shipping guy, Federico's philosophy on hardware takes a turn, John declares Apple Watch charging in the shower a myth, and we share videogame and TV picks, plus a deal. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Big Mike's Shipping Shoppe Charging the Apple Watch While Showering Picks Federico's P…

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Virtual Boy's Cardboard Comeback 52:23

2M ago52:23

52:23

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. Also available on YouT…

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Fall Hardware: First Impressions 30:47

2M ago30:47

30:47

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. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every …

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The Aftermath of Review Season: Recovery and Reflection 20:18

2M ago20:18

20:18

This week Federico and John reflect on the toll of the review process and the annual recovery process before Federico follows up on a TV series and John recommends a pair of albums. Plus, we have a great Marvel movie bundle deal for listeners. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Aftermath of Review Season iOS and iPadOS 26: The…

1
Steam Emulation on Android Gets Real 41:38

2M ago41:38

41:38

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. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes The Latest Portable Gaming News Nintendo Switch 2 Genki Lawsuit Settlement Genki Attack Vector Genki Energy Pack…

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iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26: The MacStories Reviews 52:54

2M ago52:54

52:54

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. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free…

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Two Beady Eyes Staring At Me 20:00

2M ago20:00

20:00

This week, John explains the art of the Southern storytelling with an example, reminding Federico to touch grass before sharing a classic movie deal and previewing some of the perks coming next week with his iOS and iPadOS 26 review. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Two Beady Eyes Staring At Me Skunks Unwind Deal The Prestige fo…