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John Voorhees

Managing Editor

Mastodon: @johnvoorhees@macstories.netEmail: voorhees@macstories.net

John, MacStories’ Managing Editor, has been writing about Apple and apps since joining the team in 2015. He also co-hosts MacStories’ podcasts, including AppStories, which explores of the world of apps, MacStories Unwind, a weekly recap of everything MacStories and more, and MacStories Unplugged, a behind-the-scenes, anything-goes show exclusively for Club MacStories members.

418 — May 18, 2024

App Debuts

APP DEBUTS

Noteworthy new app releases and updates, handpicked by the MacStories team.

Braid, Anniversary Edition

I haven’t had a chance to try Braid, Anniversary Edition yet, but the original is a classic, and by all accounts, the anniversary edition is a great update. Better yet, if you’re a Netflix subscriber, it’s available on the iPhone and iPad as part of your subscription. The Braid remaster includes spruced-up graphics and music, which should breathe new life into the classic puzzle game where you explore a variety of worlds, manipulating time and trying to save a princess. The Anniversary Edition also includes extensive commentary from the team behind Braid for anyone interested in the craftsmanship that goes into a game like this.

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418 — May 18, 2024

Interesting Links

INTERESTING LINKS

Great reads and links from around the web.

At its I/O developer conference, Google announced that it was adding a button to limit web search results to – wait for it – the web search results. (Link)

Cat Zakrzewski explains at The Washington Post what some publishers fear Google’s AI answers to web searches will mean to online media companies, and it’s not pretty. (Link)

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417 — May 11, 2024

Interesting Links

INTERESTING LINKS

Great reads and links from around the web.

Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is launching a web-based store in July offering in-game consumables for games on iOS and other platforms. (Link)

Also from Bloomberg this week, Mark Gurman says Apple will power upcoming AI features on its devices using servers based on its own M2 Ultra chip. (Link)

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417 — May 11, 2024

App Debuts

APP DEBUTS

Noteworthy new app releases and updates, handpicked by the MacStories team.

Photon Studio

Photon Studio is a new companion for iPhone camera app Photon Camera that lets you view images taken with Photon Camera on an iPad or Apple silicon Mac. Studio connects over your local network, Bluetooth, or an ad hoc Wi-Fi connection to deliver shots to your iPad or Mac, allowing you to quickly evaluate images, mark the keepers at favorites, delete others, and review image metadata.

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417 — May 11, 2024

What the New iPad Pros Mean For Future Apple Devices

MACSTORIES EXTRAS

More stories for Club members.

What the New iPad Pros Mean For Future Apple Devices

Source: Apple.

Earlier this week, I linked to a video by Quinn Nelson, who broke down the technologies at the core of Apple’s Let Loose event. If you haven’t watched the video, check it out before reading on because Quinn goes into detail about the technical details underlying tandem OLED and Apple’s new M4 chip. What I like is that although Quinn gets deep into the technical weeds, he also explains what it all means in an understandable way that makes it clear why he’s excited.

At a high level, the design of Apple’s battery-powered devices is driven by three primary variables: a battery, a screen, and the chips that drive the OS and apps we use. Scientists have been working for decades to improve battery efficiency and have made advances, but the progress has been slow compared to power-hungry advances in the chips that run our devices. The result is that, absent other updates, we’d be left with portable devices with bigger and bigger batteries or shorter and shorter runtimes.

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416 — May 4, 2024

The Challenge of Selling Slabs of Glass

THE EXTENSION

Exploring topics beyond our day-to-day coverage.

The Challenge of Selling Slabs of Glass

Source: Apple.

Next week, Apple is expected to release long-anticipated updates to its iPad lineup. At first, I wasn’t that excited. I have a 5th-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro that still works well, and ever since Apple silicon Macs were released, I’ve used it less. That even led me to wonder whether there was still a place in my computing life for an iPad besides my trusty mini that I use mostly for reading and watching videos. The rumored OLED display sounds nice, but I doubted that it would be enough to get me to order a new iPad.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of iPad Pro users feel the same way, which highlights one of the challenges Apple has in selling the device. It’s just a slab of glass, and giving it a marginally better screen isn’t the sort of thing that will get people excited. However, I’m sure Apple knows this, which is why I think we’re in for a bigger surprise next week than many people anticipate.

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416 — May 4, 2024

Interesting Links

INTERESTING LINKS

Great reads and links from around the web.

I’ve been a big fan of NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW videogame streaming service for a long time, so it’s great to see the company making it easier for Steam Deck users to set it up using a script that takes care of the technical bits for them. (Link)

Nate Hermanson wrote a great introduction to Playdate Pulp, the web-based game editor that doesn’t require creators to know how to code. (Link)

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416 — May 4, 2024

App Debuts

APP DEBUTS

Noteworthy new app releases and updates, handpicked by the MacStories team.

HabitView

HabitView is a brand new habit-tracking app from Funn Media, the makers of WaterMinder and many other excellent apps. This new entry in their catalog borrows from the company’s other apps with excellent design and colorful, easy-to-read charts and statistics. The app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch and can be used to track the sorts of things you’d expect from a habit tracker, like exercise goals, hydration, reading time, sleep statistics, and much more. There are summary and detail views to get an overview or detailed look at your habits. Plus, the app syncs across devices via iCloud, supports Home Screen widgets for easier tracking, and integrates with HealthKit.

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