iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 4h

The pairing code for your smart plug shouldn’t require moving the couch. Haven saves your HomeKit and Matter codes so you can retrieve them with Siri when it’s time to pair a device again. One of five indie apps I covered in our latest roundup: www.macstories.net/reviews/our...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 4h

A look at the many pieces Airmail assembles for a completed episode. x.com/johnvoorhee...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 22h

On Sunday's AppStories+ pro show for subscribers, I'll talk about the evolution of my biggest app project yet... Airframe an end-to-end podcast production app for Mac. www.macstories.net/podcasts/ap... AppStories+ is the early, extended, and ad-free version of MacStories' flagship podcast.

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 09/10/2026

The XTEINK is a tiny reader, but boy is it fun to hack on. With a custom layer on top of CrossPoint Reader, I’ve added: ✓ Tasks that sync with Apple Reminders through a local server ✓ A mini calendar view ✓ Articles saved in Readwise Reader

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 09/10/2026

Five indie apps that make everyday tasks a little easier with the latest Apple technologies: 🏠 Retrieve smart-home pairing codes with Siri 📅 See how much actually fits into your day 🗂️ Collect your digital odds and ends 📥 Capture now, send to another app later

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 06/10/2026

This app is incredibly cool and so clever it seems impossible. From @viticci's story (www.macstories.net/ios/deflector-tu…):

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 06/10/2026

Then for Patreon members on NPC XL, we dive into the fast paced world of getting SteamOS on Android and other Valve news. www.patreon.com/c/NextPorta... x.com/johnvoorhee...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 06/10/2026

It's time for the latest episode of NPC: Next Portable Console. This week, Abxylute takes on MCON, AYANEO's beautiful budget handheld, and more. www.macstories.net/podcasts/ne...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 05/10/2026

Edit the audio once. Airframe handles the rest, including the video. Airframe is my new personal podcast production suite. 🛠️ The app is the result of nine months of experiments with Claude and Codex.

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 05/10/2026

It's Monday and AppStories is out. This week, I'm back from OpenAI DevDay, so naturally, @viticci and I cover agents from OpenClaw to the just-announced Dots from @OpenAI. www.macstories.net/podcasts/ap...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 02/10/2026

This week on MacStories Unwind, my behind the scenes look at OpenAI's DevDay, which was very different from what you might expect. www.macstories.net/podcasts/unwind/…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 02/10/2026

Today for Club members, I wrote about how agents using the Spark Mail CLI have changed the way I manage email. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 02/10/2026

Since my return home from DevDay, I've been working with my Dot all day long. Here's what I like and what needs work on @macstories.net: www.macstories.net/stories/open...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 30/09/2026

I attended my first OpenAI DevDay yesterday and share the experience in this month’s Monthly Log for Club MacStories members. www.macstories.net/club/monthly...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 29/09/2026

Beatiful morning in San Francisco.

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 25/09/2026

I’m on the road today, so I figured it was a good time to update Club members on my favorite travel accessories. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 22/09/2026

Our roundups of our favorite apps that take advantage of Apple's latest OS updates continues with five more apps today on MacStories! www.macstories.net/reviews/our-...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 21/09/2026

And to cap things off, we have a special episode of AppStories out today. Today's episode has even more detail on @viticci's testing of local AI on the M5 Ultra. www.macstories.net/podcasts/app...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 18/09/2026

It's time for an all-new episode of MacStories Unwind. Today... ⚙️ 🤖 Will Shortcuts survive the agentic world? 🎮 📺 Plus, videogame and TV recommendations for the weekend. Watch and listen via MacStories: www.macstories.net/podcasts/unw...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 18/09/2026

Today for MacStories Weekly for Club members, I have a feature on Dropover and a story on Apple's rumored game controller. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-… www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 15/09/2026

Indie developers have outdone themselves this year. We're looking at hundreds of apps on all Apple platforms and will be bringing you the best on MacStories. Installment #1: www.macstories.net/roundups/our...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 14/09/2026

Of course we also have extras for Club MacStories members: Read about the perks here: www.macstories.net/news/our-os-...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 14/09/2026

It's time for the MacStories reviews. First up, @viticci.macstories.net's iOS and iPadOS 27 review. As usual he's outdone himself with an in-depth, hands-on look at both OSes. You can find it here on MacStories: www.macstories.net/stories/ios-...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 11/09/2026

For Club MacStories members today, I wrote about five features that sold me on the iPhone Duo. 📱 Plus we cover new apps, interesting links, Ticci has a lot of questions about the Duo himself, and more. www.macstories.net/club/macstor...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 10/09/2026

👀 Someone's been busy. @viticci.macstories.net's Apple Frames CLI already has an experimental iPhone Duo mode. github.com/viticci/fram...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 08/09/2026

It started as a Shortcut and now it's also a CLI. @viticci.macstories.net's Apple Frames is faster than ever thanks to an Astra optimization pass. It's great for developers need to make a lot of screenshots for an app release. Best of all, it's free: github.com/viticci/fram... In action:

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 08/09/2026

Logitech released the MX Keypad focused on automating AI tasks. The hardware is the same as 1/2 of the MX Creative Console, but with the many ways it can be automated and it's lower price tag, it's worth a look. Story: www.macstories.net/news/logitec... Hardware: amzn.to/4yosLdc (affiliate link)

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 04/09/2026

Models are important but in the end, I'm using Codex for my day-to-day work because ChatGPT is the better app. My thoughts on why it wins in this week's Club MacStories Weekly newsletter. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 31/08/2026

In today's Monthly Log for Club MacStories members, I share my research system for my macOS 27 review. It combines keyword indexing, text embeddings with a local model, Claude, and Codex tied together with Python to make finding needles in a haystack a breeze. www.macstories.net/club/monthly...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 28/08/2026

Today for Club MacStories Weekly, I shared some hard lessons learned from a failed app project and tips on getting the most out of your Mac dictation setup. That and more in Issue 526: www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 27/08/2026

Federico's latest software project is a power user command line tool for Apple Notes called NotesCTL and it's available as a preview beta for Club MacStories+ and Premier members. It's wild what you can do with this tool.

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 27/08/2026

Hot on the heels of yesterday's ChatGPT Work browser news, Anthropic released an in-app Claude Cowork browser. Work and Cowork may be aimed at similar audiences, but there are noteworthy differences between their browsers.

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 27/08/2026

OpenAI released an update to its iOS app with new ChatGPT Work and Codex Remote widgets and Federico has the details on MacStories:

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 26/08/2026

My hands-on look at ChatGPT's new logged in browser control feature: www.macstories.net/stories/hands-on…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 25/08/2026

The new Mac minis and Mac Studios look like terrific updates that include impressive chip upgrades with the M6 and M5 Ultra, among other configurations. More on MacStories: www.macstories.net/news/apple-annou…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 15/08/2026

Cool story on the App Store today about how Jungle used Apple Creator Studio to film 11 music videos in 4 days for their new album, Sunshine. More in MacStories. www.macstories.net/news/jungle-shot…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 14/08/2026

Today for Club MacStories members, I explain how I bridge Pastebot 3 with Paste for iOS and iPadOS to use them all together. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-… Subscribe to Club MacStories: www.macstories.net/plans

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 10/08/2026

Friday Night Baseball is going immersive with the Vision Pro, starting with the Yankees v. Red Sox. Details from Devon Dundee on MacStories: www.macstories.net/news/friday-nigh…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 31/07/2026

In Club MacStories' weekly newsletter today: How my approach to automation has totally changed in 2026. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 31/07/2026

You didn't think I'd let a Message sticker pack story in 2026 pass me by did you? www.macstories.net/news/shazam-rele…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 30/07/2026

Design and development on iOS comes full circle with the advent of coding agents in my July Monthly Log story for Club MacStories members: www.macstories.net/club/monthly-log…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 27/07/2026

I've been using Pastebot 3 for two months and it's excellent. My review on MacStories: www.macstories.net/reviews/pastebot…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 27/07/2026

I love a good "App developer does something that doesn't seem possible" story like this one from Federico about Lock Launcher. www.macstories.net/ios/lock-lau...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 24/07/2026

Today for Club members in MacStories Weekly I share how I use pinning in Apple Music to track the release of singles for upcoming albums and Obsidian as a form of writer's Kanban board. www.macstories.net/club/macstories-…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 22/07/2026

Claude Code for Mac's integration with Apple's simulators is really cool. I took the feature for a spin and wrote about it on MacStories: www.macstories.net/linked/running-s…

screenshot of Claude Code running an iOS simulator

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 21/07/2026

Apple updated TestFlight to add search, a feature I’ve wanted forever, but the update also took a major step backwards with how the beta list is handled. More on @macstories.net: www.macstories.net/stories/test...

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 14/07/2026

The Siri app in Golden Gate has potential for tasks like quickly converting text from one format to another - here Markdown to rich text - but currently the copy button which you get on hover doesn't work and the share button shares the document as a PDF.

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 13/07/2026

visionOS is a developer beta only but we had to give it equal time because there is cool stuff coming later this year. Story by Devon: www.macstories.net/stories/visionos…

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John Voorhees @johnvoorhees.macstories.net · 13/07/2026

Next up...watchOS 27 - we have a great overview from Jonathan Reed. There's a lot more to watchOS this year than meets the eye and Jonathan has a great look at what's working well and not so well. www.macstories.net/stories/watchos-…

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