Find Federico on MastodonFind John on MastodonFind Alex on MastodonFind Club MacStories on Mastodon

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.

475 — July 18, 2025

App Debuts

APP DEBUTS

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

NameQuick

NameQuick is a new app for the Mac that leverages AI to rename files. It’s a simple concept but something that AI is very good at. Hook up your own API key or use the model offered by NameQuick, and the app will suggest new file names based on the contents of the file. The only limitation is the range of file types that the AI model you choose can work with. You can use natural language to instruct the app on how to rename your files and set up templates for recurring renaming schemes, too. You can even set the app up to monitor a folder and rename files for you automatically. NameQuick is $19.99 if you provide your own model or $5.00/month for 500 credits if you use the model used by the app. There are also other monthly plans available if you need more credits.

READ MORE

475 — July 18, 2025

The Browser Wars Are Back, and They're Going to Fundamentally Change the Web

THE EXTENSION

Exploring topics beyond our day-to-day coverage.

The Browser Wars Are Back, and They're Going to Fundamentally Change the Web

Source: Wired.

It’s been a long time since the early browser wars of the late '90s and early 2000s. That all felt very settled a long time ago. But the web is undergoing a fundamental shift in 2025 that has reignited the browser wars. The web’s transformation into an applications platform isn’t new. It’s been building for years. What’s new is AI, which has dramatically accelerated the changes and thrown open the doors of competition.

The canary in the coal mine for me was the slowing of innovation on the App Store, which coincided with the rise of interesting, pro-quality, web-first apps like Figma and Notion. There are countless other examples now, but it’s been clear for a long while that the economics and policies of the App Store, combined with the expediency of addressing multiple platforms via the web, have shifted the center of gravity of the app universe in favor of the web.

READ MORE

475 — July 18, 2025

Interesting Links

INTERESTING LINKS

Great reads and links from around the web.

There’s been a flurry of Qi2.2 announcements this week. For starters, the Wireless Power Consortium has certified eight Qi2.2 products from different manufacturers, teasing the arrival of 25W wireless charging accessories including power banks, car mounts, and 3-in-1 stands from companies like Ugreen, Belkin, Anker, and AUKEY. Ugreen announced what it claims to be the first Qi2.2-certified power bank, capable of wirelessly charging devices at up to 25W – matching Apple’s latest MagSafe speeds – though it won’t arrive until Q3 2025. AUKEY has also announced a pre-order for their new Qi2.2 MagFusion 2X charger, which promises 25W ultra-fast wireless charging, too, and can power two devices simultaneously. It’s going to be an expensive second half of the year with of all these accessories on the way. (Link)

Andrew Yaros built a browser-based recreation of the Apple Lisa’s 1983 GUI, complete with a custom typesetting system and interface elements rendered from scratch in vanilla JavaScript. I love this. (Link)

READ MORE

Only Premier members can view this post on Club MacStories.

Already a Club Premier member? Sign in

474 — July 11, 2025

A New Approach to Computing

THE EXTENSION

Exploring topics beyond our day-to-day coverage.

A New Approach to Computing

As I’ve played around more with AI tools, I’ve begun to realize that computing is going to increasingly become a lean-back experience, which I expect will change the input devices we use. Here’s where I think we’re heading.

I learned touch typing in high school. I’m comfortable with a keyboard under my hands and can type as quickly as I can think, but typing as much as I do is hard on your hands. I’ve been fortunate not to wind up with serious RSI issues, but I feel the wear and tear on my hands during busy times of the year and especially when I use a laptop or an iPad in a Magic Keyboard case a lot. In the past, I tried dictation apps to give my hands some relief, but none were very good. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to feel like Apple’s built-in dictation could replace some of my typing, but even then, I resisted.

READ MORE

474 — July 11, 2025

App Debuts

APP DEBUTS

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

Cascable Studio

Cascable Studio 7.1 recently introduced powerful automation features for streamlining photographers’ iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac workflows. The app, which lets you remotely control, tether, automate, and transfer photos and video from more than 200 supported cameras over USB, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet, now supports Elgato’s Stream Deck on the iPad and Mac. The update also adds Shortcuts actions that enable complex automated workflows such as automatically connecting to cameras, filtering photos by rating and date, applying watermarks, and emailing processed images to clients. On top of that, the Mac version now supports AppleScript for sophisticated scripting, making Cascable Studio a powerful photography automation tool.

READ MORE

Only Premier members can view this post on Club MacStories.

Already a Club Premier member? Sign in

473 — July 4, 2025

MacStories' ChatGPT Proofreading Prompt

MACSTORIES EXTRAS

More stories for Club members.

MacStories' ChatGPT Proofreading Prompt

The MacStories ChatGPT Proofreading Project.

Earlier this week in the Club MacStories+ Discord, members were discussing Grammarly’s acquisition of Superhuman and what it means for both services. I chimed in to say that I suspect Grammarly is looking to expand its AI services because its core spelling and grammar checking functionality is under pressure from AI chatbots. Even small, on-device models like Apple’s do a relatively good job at catching spelling and grammar mistakes.

Plus, if you subscribe to an AI service like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, it’s possible to tailor your spelling and grammar checking workflow to meet your particular needs. That’s what we’ve done at MacStories with ChatGPT. Our proofreading setup is particular to what we write about, so readers probably wouldn’t want to copy it as-is. However, it’s a good starting point and an example of how spending a little time on prompting and customization can go a long way with any chatbot, so I thought I’d share it today.

READ MORE

473 — July 4, 2025

Interesting Links

INTERESTING LINKS

Great reads and links from around the web.

Writing for Wired, Boone Ashworth profiles the company behind TranscribeGlass, AI-enabled glasses that bring subtitles to everyday life to assist those who are Deaf and hard of hearing. (Link)

In the same week that Google brought its Calendar app to the Apple Watch, it killed Keep for the Watch, as reported by Jess Weatherbed at The Verge. (Link)

READ MORE

NEXT PAGE