John is MacStories' Managing Editor, has been writing about Apple and apps since joining the team in 2015, and today, runs the site alongside Federico.
John also co-hosts four MacStories podcasts: AppStories, which covers the world of apps, MacStories Unwind, which explores the fun differences between American and Italian culture and recommends media to listeners, Ruminate, a show about the weird web and unusual snacks, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about the games we take with us.
This week, Federico and John survey their favorite calendar apps, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each.
On AppStories+, Federico shares Shortcuts tips for working with Google’s Gemini API and the highly structured data it returns. Plus he and John share their concern and cautious optimism for the future of Shortcuts.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Chris has an external drive faster than you’ve ever seen, Matt has a new email app he swears isn’t his new favorite cult, and the whole gang does their best to redesign iOS and iPadOS.
This episode is sponsored by:
Rogue Amoeba - Makers of incredibly useful audio tools for your Mac.
MacStories Unwind
This week, we consider whether the dire wolf has actually been “de-extincted” and recommend a show on Apple TV+ and an excellent four-movie bundle.
This episode is sponsored by:
Rogue Amoeba - Makers of incredibly useful audio tools for your Mac.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon highlight Your Friends & Neighbors starring Jon Hamm, share early highlights from Blackmagic Design at NAB 2025, and recap their immersive VIP tours of Yankee Stadium.
This episode is sponsored by:
Rogue Amoeba - Makers of incredibly useful audio tools for your Mac.
It’s not often that I come across something that slides so effortlessly into my everyday workflow as the MOFT Invisible Stand has. It doesn’t use batteries, it takes up negligible space, and it’s so light that I never question throwing it in my bag when I leave the house. The stand is barely there until I need it, which is when it really shines.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
AppStories
This week, Federico and I share some of our favorite utility apps, including Amphetamine, Text Lens, Gifski, Folder Peek, Mic Drop, Keka, and Marked.
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.
NPC: Next Portable Console
This week, Federico, Brendon and I dive into Nintendo’s reveal of the Switch 2, analyzing the technical specifications, Mouse Control, the camera accessory, the new Pro Controller, Game Share, Nintendo’s strategy shift, and more.
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.
NPC XL
On a special early-release epiaode of NPC XL, Brendon, Federico, and I go beyond the hardware to dig into the tech behind the games Nintendo announced alongside the Switch 2 and consider game compatibility, the debut of GameCube games as part of Nintendo Online, and more.
Apple has released a new companion app called Apple Immersive Video Utility for Vision Pro owners that allows them to organize and manage immersive content with the help of a Mac. The utility, which is available for the Mac and Vision Pro, allows users to view, stream, and organize Apple Immersive Video into playlists. The app supports more than one Vision Pro, too, synchronizing playback of content streamed from a Mac to multiple Vision Pros. Videos can also be transferred from the Mac app to a Vision Pro for watching them there.
Apple Immersive Video Utility.
The App Store description only touches on it, but Apple Immersive Video Utility, the company’s first new Mac app in a long time that wasn’t released as part of an OS update, appears to be designed for post-production work by video professionals. The app could also be used in group educational and training settings based on its feature set.
The Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Camera. Source: Blackmagic.
However, the fact that NAB, the National Association of Broadcasters, conference is going on this week suggests that the app is primarily designed for post-production video work. In fact, the app seems to go hand-in-hand with Blackmagic’s URSA Cine Immersive, an Apple Immersive Video camera that was also shown off at NAB this week, and DaVinci Resolve Studio 20, which supports editing of Apple Immersive Video.
To expand the library of available Apple Immersive Video, there need to be tools to create and manage the huge video files that are part of the process. It’s good to see Apple doing that along with companies like Blackmagic. I expect we’ll see more hardware and software solutions for the format as the months go by.
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.
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. Read more
Federico](https://cdn.macstories.net/banneras-1629219199428.png)
