AppStories
Federico Viticci, John Voorhees
AppStories is a weekly exploration of the world of apps by MacStories' Federico Viticci and John Voorhees. Each week, they discuss the best new apps, the impact of apps on our culture, and cover the stories behind popular apps. Hosted by Federico Viticci and John Voorhees.
- 30 minutes 37 secondsReturn of the Utility Grab Bag
This week, Federico and John share some of their favorite utility apps, including Amphetamine, Text Lens, Gifski, Folder Peek, Mic Drop, Keka, and Marked.
Then, on AppStories+, Federico and John extend their conversation about utilities with six more favorites.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Rogue Amoeba: makers of incredibly useful audio tools for your Mac. Use the code MS2504 through the end of April to get 20% off Rogue Amoeba’s apps. [[more]]
Links and Show Notes
Follow Up
- BarCuts issues fixed
- Zen Browser
Our Favorite Utilities
- John
- Amphetamine
- Gifski
- Mic Drop
- Also mentioned: Week Number
- Federico
- Text Lens
- Also mentioned: Text Sniper and CleanShot X
- Folder Peek
- Keka
- Text Lens
- Joint Pick
Menu Bar Tangent
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6 April 2025, 3:25 pm - 39 minutes 42 secondsPick 3: Automations
This week, Federico and John take listeners on a tour of the wide variety of automations they’ve been working on so far this year, including shortcuts, Claude projects, and Zapier zaps.
On AppStories+, Federico and John dig a little deeper into some of the more complex automations that they’ve been working on in 2025.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- BetterTouchTool – Get ready for BTT Mobile. Visit the BetterTouchTool community to learn more.
- Notion – Try the powerful, easy-to-use Notion AI today.
Links and Show Notes
Pick 3: Our Latest Automations
- Federico’s Audio Transcription Automation
- John’s Fetch Podcast Details Shortcut
- Federico on Using AI Actions with Newer AI Models
- Unread’s Shortcuts Integration
- Federico’s Use of a Simple API for Transcribing of YouTube Videos
- John’s Podcast Clips Claude Project
- Also mentioned
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30 March 2025, 3:55 pm - 46 minutes 54 secondsFrom Dashboard Widgets to Breaking News: Mark Gurman's Path to Bloomberg
In this special interview episode, Federico and John welcome Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman to discuss his 16-year journey covering Apple. Mark shares how he started as a teenage app developer before joining 9to5Mac and eventually Bloomberg. The conversation explores Mark’s most memorable scoops, the evolution of Apple news coverage, his relationship with Apple, and advice for aspiring tech journalists.
On AppStories+, Federico and John get into the weeds to explore the hardware and apps Mark Gurman uses and discuss Apple’s acquisition of Pixelmator.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
- Drafts – Where text starts. New and expired subscribers can use the link to get your first year of Drafts for $9.99.
- Tripsy – Your Travel Toolkit. Use the link for 25% off a lifetime purchase or 30% off a 1-Year subscription.
Links and Show Notes
An Interview with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman
- Dashcode
- Mark Gurman’s writing at Bloomberg
- Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter
- Stories and topics covered:
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23 March 2025, 3:01 pm - 32 minutes 26 secondsShortcuts Utility Apps Revisited
This week, Federico and John explore a collection of Shortcuts helper utilities that extend functionality beyond the built-in system actions, sharing how these apps address gaps in Apple’s Shortcuts implementation across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
On AppStories+, John interviews Federico about his recent story that concludes web applications often provide superior experiences to native apps on iPad, examining how this trend reflects broader challenges in the iPad ecosystem.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code APPSTORIES with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.
Links and Show Notes
Shortcuts Utility Apps
- AppStories, Episode 145: Shortcuts Utility Apps
- Shortcuts Helper Apps
- Actions
- MenuBot
- AI Actions
- Shortery
- Actions for Obsidian
- Browser Actions
- Alex Hay’s Apps, now developed by Snailed It
- BarCuts
- Text Workflow
- Also mentioned
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16 March 2025, 3:45 pm - 35 minutes 24 secondsOur Self-Imposed Tech Deadlines
This week, Federico and John share their self-imposed tech deadlines for the hardware and software they use.
On AppStories+, Federico and John follow up their tech deadlines with the hardware they expect to add to their setups in 2025.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
Links and Show Notes
Our Tech Deadlines
- Federico
- Absent significant improvements in iPadOS 19, Federico will add a Mac to his setup.
- Unless ChatGPT starts integrating more tightly with apps, Federico will cancel his subscription.
- Absent new exclusives, Federico will sell his PS5.
- John
- Barring substantial iPadOS improvements, John plans to experiment with Android tablets.
- If Apple’s cellular modems extend the battery life of the iPhone 17 Pro phones, John may drop out of Plus Club.
- If Apple supports third-party plugins for Final Cut Pro for iPad, John will consider moving more of his video editing to the iPad.
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9 March 2025, 3:28 pm - 32 minutes 14 secondsThe Missing Middle
This week, Federico and John examine the widening gap between consumer and enterprise apps, asking what happened to prosumer and small business app market.
On AppStories+, John doesn’t buy Apple’s explanation of why the iPhone 16e doesn’t have MagSafe and has an email-adjacent theory about task managers.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code APPSTORIES with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.
Links and Show Notes
Why Aren’t Developers Making Prosumer and Small Business Apps Anymore?
- Todoist
- Fantastical
- PDFpen
- Beeper
- Adium
- GroupMe
- Slack
- Discord
- Microsoft Teams
- Notion
- Shortwave
- Claude
- Memberful
- GitHub
- 1Password
- Google Workspace
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2 March 2025, 4:43 pm - 29 minutes 35 seconds5 for 5: Five Predictions, Five Years
This week, Federico and John make five app predictions for the next five years covering everything from App Intents and automation to the fate of the App Store.
On AppStories+, John talks through a very specific use case for Apple’s new iPhone 16e.
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
This episode is sponsored by:
- P – The water reminder and hydration app.
Links and Show Notes
5 for 5: Five App Predictions for the Next Five Years
- Additional Reading:
- Apple Intelligence: The MacStories Overview
- iOS and iPadOS 18: The MacStories Review
- macOS Sequoia: The MacStories Review
- Gemini 2.0 and LLMs Integrated with Apps
- Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.2: A Deep Dive into Working with Siri and ChatGPT, Together
- Apple Reveals A Partial Timeline for the Rollout of More Apple Intelligence Features
- Apple’s Commitment to AI Is Clear, But Its Execution Is Uneven
- Widgets and What Apple’s Recent Expansion of App Intents Might Mean for the Shortcuts App
- An App Store First: Delta Adds Patreon Link for Purchase and Perks
- The Delta Videogame Emulator Launches on the App Store
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23 February 2025, 4:17 pm - 31 minutes 7 secondsA Classic Pick 2: Hidden Gems
This week, Federico and John each pick two apps you may or may not have heard of or considered using and explain why you should give them a try.
On AppStories+, we extend our picks with several more apps we’ve been testing recently. Learn more at appstories.plus.
This episode is sponsored by:
- Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
- Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code APPSTORIES with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.
Links and Show Notes
Classic Pick 2: Hidden Gems Edition
- Federico’s Picks
- John’s Picks
- ScreenFloat
- MassReplaceIt
- Also Mentioned:
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16 February 2025, 4:56 pm - 35 minutes 55 secondsThoughts on Covering AI Our Way
This week, Federico and John say goodbye to the AppStories+ pre-show and hello to the new post-show. Then, for the main event, they update listeners on how MacStories plans to cover AI news and tools.
Links and Show Notes
Thoughts on Covering AI
- AI Companies Need to Be Regulated An Open Letter to the U.S. Congress and European Parliament
- Apps and Services Mentioned:
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
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9 February 2025, 4:11 pm - 34 minutes 4 secondsLife Tracking, Journaling, and the Vision Pro with Devon Dundee
This week, Federico and John are joined by Devon Dundee of the Magic Rays of Light podcast to talk about his approaches to life tracking and journaling and how the Apple Vision Pro has become his primary computer.
Links and Show Notes
Life Tracking, Journaling, and the Vision Pro
- Awesome Habits
- Chronicling
- Collections
- Everlog
- Apple Vision Pro
- More Apps
- Follow Devon Online:
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We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.
To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.
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2 February 2025, 4:48 pm - 35 minutes 22 secondsThree Browsers Are Better Than One with Matt Birchler
This week, for episode 420 Federico and John are joined by Matt Birchler, co-host of Comfort Zone and many other projects to talk about web apps, email, AI, and more.
This episode is sponsored by:
Links and Show Notes
Web Apps, AI, and the Future of App Stores
- Browsers
- How Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Made a Model that Rivals OpenAI
- Matt’s Recent App Favorites
- Quick Reviews
- Where to Find Matt Birchler
Check out our Desk Setups: https://www.macstories.net/setups/
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26 January 2025, 3:58 pm - More Episodes? Get the App