Podcast Rewind: Handheld Gaming Truths, Just a Little Formula 1, and a Hulu Hack

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, a quick tour of Nintendo’s latest Direct, more details emerge about the Virtual Boy Switch 2 accessory, the Steam Machine and other hardware is delayed, Anbernic goes out on a limb, AYANEO steps on a rake, and the Odin 2 rides off into the sunset.

On NPC XL, Federico is choosing between Switch 2 controllers, and Brendon receives an unexpected gift.

Comfort Zone

Matt wants to do an AI check-in, Chris serves a master class on getting started with 3D printing, and Niléane is away, so the dads talk a little Formula 1… just a little.

On Cozy Zone, Chris gets a brand glow up!

MacStories Unwind

This week, Super Bowl traditions, Federico’s very hungry plumber, some High Potential follow-up, and the latest season of Shrinking.

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MacStories Weekly: Issue 500

This week, in addition to the usual links, app debuts, and recap of MacStories' articles and podcasts:

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Google Releases YouTube App for Apple Vision Pro

Today, Google released the official YouTube app for visionOS. The app allows users to sign in to view their subscriptions, watch later queues, and playlists, and it supports native playback of regular videos, shorts, and spatial formats including 3D, 180-degree, and 360-degree. On the M5 Vision Pro, the app supports playback of 8K videos as well.

The Vision Pro launched two years ago without an official way to watch YouTube. Third-party options like Tubular Pro and the now-defunct Juno filled the gap well, and users have always been able to watch YouTube in a browser on visionOS. (Apple even made improvements to web video playback in visionOS 2 to make using sites like YouTube and Netflix more seamless.) But the lack of a native app from Google has been seen as a mark against visionOS up to this point.

Whether you’re a Vision Pro user who spends a lot of time watching YouTube or just someone who wants to see the platform thrive, having an official solution is a win. One of the device’s most compelling use cases is watching video, and now, there’s a great way to do so directly from Google. It’s always seemed inevitable to me that YouTube would come to the platform at some point, and as visionOS continues its slow burn toward maturity while awaiting hardware that can run it with more mass market appeal, it’s good to have YouTube onboard.

Now, it’s Netflix’s turn.

Dot: The Menu Bar Calendar That’s Become My Main Calendar

Over time, I’ve gravitated towards a two-calendar system on my Mac because I’ve never found an app where both the desktop app and the menu bar version meet all my needs. That’s probably because my calendar use is a little backwards. I don’t have a lot of meetings each week; instead, my calendar is a mix of reminders, package deliveries, and a handful of work and family events. With just two or three entries each day, I’ve found myself managing events more and more often from a simple menu bar app, reserving my full calendar app for more involved event entry and planning.

On the desktop side, I’ve used Apple Calendar the most, but I’ve also used Fantastical and BusyCal for extended periods, ultimately landing on Notion Calendar. It isn’t perfect, but its Notion integration can be handy at times. On the menu bar side of the equation, I used Dato for many years. It’s an excellent app, but even it is a little more than I need, which is why I was excited to recently discover Dot.

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AppStories, Ep. 471 - 31 minutes

One Notion: Two Approaches

JohnFederico

This week on AppStories, John and Federico share the very different ways they use Notion.

On AppStories+, we follow up on OpenClaw security concerns and explore the ways Federico is using it.

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AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

AppStories Episode 471 - One Notion: Two Approaches

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AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

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Submissions Open for the 2026 Swift Student Challenge

Today, Apple opened up applications for the Swift Student Challenge. Students have until the end of February to submit an app playground built with Xcode or Swift Playground. According to Apple’s developer website:

  • No prior experience is needed. The Challenge is open to students of all levels who meet the eligibility requirements.
  • The Challenge is free to enter — all you need is access to a Mac or iPad with Xcode or Swift Playground.
  • Your app playground can be on any topic of your choice. The best app ideas come from subjects or experiences that you’re passionate about. 
  • Your app playground should be experienced within 3 minutes or less.
  • The Swift Student Challenge is a great opportunity for students to build their skills and create something great.

Apple also released a video explaining the Challenge, and additional resources are available for both students and educators.

After the submission period closes, Apple will pick 350 winners, who will receive a one-year membership in the Apple Developer Program and a gift. Of those winners, 50 will be selected as Distinguished Winners who will be invited to visit Apple Park in Cupertino for a three-day visit, which in past years was held during WWDC.

for me, the kickoff of the Swift Student Challenge is the beginning of the build-up to WWDC, which is likely just four months away. It’s a great program that I know has inspired a lot of students to become the developers whose apps we cover at MacStories. Federico and I have also had the pleasure of interviewing many of the winners in the past and have always come away impressed and inspired what they create as part of the Challenge. I’m sure this year will be no different.

Podcast Rewind: Weird Nintendo Nostalgia, Reviving Old Tech, and Parking in Rome

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

NPC: Next Portable Console

This week, Federico, Brendon, and John tackle a load of weird news from playing Game Boy games on e-readers and ordering pizza from a Wii in 2026 to the upcoming Virtual Boy Switch 2 accessory.

On NPC XL, the guys chat about whether we’re approaching the endgame for handheld consoles and wonder why no one has made much of a move to adapt their handhelds for the living room.

Comfort Zone

Matt wants to talk about his (quick) notes, Niléane brings 3(!) topics, and everyone brings old(?) tech back from the dead.

On Cozy Zone, we tier listed Star Wars. All of it. Yes, even that one. If there was ever a time to give Cozy Zone a shot, it’s now.

MacStories Unwind

This week, John survived a bomb cyclone, Federico explains the fine art of parking in Rome, and John rounds out the episode with a reality TV show from Korea along with an Unwind deal you’ll find in the show notes.

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MacStories One Week Later: An Update and a Look Ahead

It's good to have everything in one place. Finally.

It’s good to have everything in one place. Finally.

A week ago, we merged Club MacStories and AppStories into MacStories.net. It was the culmination of months of work, which, along with a new tech stack we implemented last summer, allows us to iterate on MacStories faster.

As with any large project, there were a few bumps along the way. However, we’ve been able to address them quickly thanks to the site’s new architecture. In fact, since last week, we’ve:

  • significantly improved the load times of the Club MacStories landing page;
  • restored Discord access for Club members who have joined since the launch;
  • added a MacStories-only feed for Club members who want to separate free content from Club content;
  • reimplemented JSON feed support;
  • enhanced the AppStories+ RSS feed to better differentiate it from the free, ad-supported version of the show;
  • updated the Club RSS feeds to work with Readwise Reader;
  • added new category pages for Club members where they can access Federico’s Automation Academy column and my Mac Hacks column;
  • removed ads from Club-only content;
  • updated FAQs, author pages, and other pages across MacStories;
  • eliminated visual glitches, restored missing content, and fixed broken links across the site;
  • improved the layout of Club newsletters published on MacStories;
  • resolved caching and URL redirect issues; and
  • fixed various other smaller bugs and issues.
Club members' special RSS feeds.

Club members’ special RSS feeds.

A big thanks from all of us here at MacStories to everyone who has visited the site to check out the changes and share your feedback and bug reports. Your feedback and support have been terrific. As always, if you see something or have an idea you’d like to share with us, the best place to submit it is this Notion form, which goes directly to Federico, our developer, and me. Also, for any Club members who have not yet logged in on MacStories, resubscribed to AppStories+, and browsed where all your perks now live, Federico’s announcement post and my follow-up article have all the details to guide you.

One week later, the dust has finally settled, and we’re beginning to take the next steps towards redesigning MacStories. So far, most of the work we’ve done has been behind the scenes, but it sets the stage for ideas we’ve tossed around for years. Soon, we’ll settle on a path forward that’s designed to accomplish two things:

  • Create an experience for readers and listeners that will make MacStories their favorite place to visit on the web; and
  • Do it in a way that is sustainable and reflects the values that guide us.

Our ambitions are big, but our love for MacStories and the community surrounding it is even bigger, so while we can move faster than ever, we’ll also be taking the care needed to preserve what makes MacStories special even as it changes. We can’t wait to share more with you soon.