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.
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I’m not sure, exactly, how putting a phone inside a MagSafe-enabled “case” with more comfortable grips makes it “like an e-reader” when it doesn’t have, you know, an e-Ink screen, but you can bet I preordered the latest accessory by the Astropad folks, called the Bookcase. If anything, I’m interested in the idea of this case having an NFC chip built-in that I could use to trigger shortcuts to enable specific Focus modes or Home Screens for reading. (Link)
As reported by UploadVR, the Carina D1 charging dock for Vision Pro is a nice-looking docking station for Apple’s headset that supports fast charging up to 65W. However, it’s currently sold out. (Link)
As Club MacStories members, you'll occasionally have access to to giveaways, discounts, and free downloads.
We have a bunch of giveaways today and even more that we’ll announce in next week’s issue of Weekly. To give anyone who joins the Club during the Membership Drive a chance to enter, we’ll leave entries open until November 6. Then, we’ll choose winners at random and notify them by email. Be on the lookout for that email because app promo codes do expire.
This is an interesting take on a “tracker” app by indie developer Oscar Bazaldua. Long Ago wants to help you remember the last time you did something – whether that’s doing your laundry, going for a long walk, or calling a friend to check in with them. The app supports all modern integrations on Apple platforms such as iCloud sync, interactive widgets, Shortcuts actions, and even Focus Filters to see a specific subset of tasks you’re tracking depending on what Focus mode is currently active. This is one of those apps that I’m not sure what I could use it for, but I want to use it somehow.
I have a controller problem. There’s something about the built-in constraints of what a controller is designed to do, the ergonomics of something designed to be held with both hands, and the highly subjective, personal nature of what makes a controller good that draws me to try so many.
When it comes to controllers that work with Apple devices, I don’t have just one favorite. Some work better with certain Apple hardware, and others excel in specific contexts. However, one of the absolute best controllers of all for iPhone and iPad mini users is the GameSir G8+, a close cousin of the GameSir G8 Galileo that I’ve written about before and still love.
Editor’s Note: The Macintosh Desktop Experience column, exclusively for Club MacStories+ and Premier members, is now Mac Hacks. Why? Well, the old name was too long and amorphous. Mac Hacks feels more “MacStories.“
The simplest way to explain Tailscale is that it’s a modern mesh VPN that allows you to create a secure, peer-to-peer network of Internet-connected devices that you can access effortlessly from anywhere for free. That boils Tailscale down pretty well, but it’s still a lot to unpack and doesn’t answer the question, “Yeah, but what does it do?”
I’m a big fan of Tailscale, but it has two big problems that can make it confusing. The first issue is also one of Tailscale’s greatest strengths: its flexibility. The service has several built-in features that are useful as standalone tools, which is a good place to start. However, the ability to connect a disparate collection of devices without regard for their operating systems opens up a vastly larger universe of possibilities that’s only limited by your imagination. That makes it incredibly powerful – but a lot to wrap your head around, too.
Club MacStories Town Halls are part of the monthly and other special live audio events we hold in the Club MacStories+ Discord community. The show is a recorded and lightly edited version of the Town Halls that we produce, so Club MacStories+ and Club Premier members who can’t attend the event live can listen later. To learn more about Club MacStories+ and Club Premier, visit our Club plans page.
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I recently wrote on MacStories about Kino, a great app for shooting video with your iPhone that doesn’t require a lot of know-how to create good-looking video. One of its marquee features is a set of Grade presets made by well-known photographers. With its first big update this week, Kino has added three new Grades: one from Tyler Stalman and two from Sebastiaan de With, the app’s designer. I love playing with Kino’s Grades, so I was pleased to see I now have new ones to try.
Kino 1.1 also adds tap-to-focus and the option to choose between white balance presets or dial it in manually. In addition, the app adds setup tips and a Quick Start video narrated by de With.
With the 11" iPad Pro, I’ve finally found the screen size that works best for me. Whether I’m writing, sending email, or doing some other work-related task, the bright OLED screen of the 11" iPad Pro is perfect. It’s also great for reading, catching up on a TV show, and other downtime activities.
Sure, sometimes I wish I had more or less screen. A display can never be too big for tasks like editing video in Final Cut Pro or audio in Logic Pro, and a smaller screen like the iPad mini is better for reading while lying in bed. However, more times than not, the 11" iPad Pro is just right, which has led me to use it more and more, both by itself and with my Macs.