NPC has been a lot of fun to produce this year. If you haven’t tried the show yet, this week’s episode is a good place to start because it brings together so much of what we’ve covered since launching the show in June.
To close out 2024, Federico, Brendon and I present the first-ever HOTYs: the 2024 Handhelds of the Year awards, celebrating the best handheld gaming devices, custom firmware, and, of course, the Handheld of the Year.
Two Shortcuts for Saving Links in Unread Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
This week, Federico and I round up the tech and productivity projects we have planned for our annual holiday break.
On AppStories+, I explain the refinements he’s made to my reading setup.
Chris has his own Mount Rushmore of iPad apps, Matt is trying to get to terms with Discord, and the gang figures out if they’re moving the group chat to WhatsApp.
Yesterday, the team at Lux announced that they are working on the next major release of their pro camera app, Halide, which will be dubbed Halide Mark III. The next iteration of Halide, which Lux hopes to release in 2025 will focus on three areas:
In addition to upcoming features, Lux announced a new community Discord for Halide and Kino, to collect feedback from customers and to allow them to share their interest in photography. The Discord and social media will also be where users can participate in the Halide and Kino 52-Week Challenge:
Every week you’ll get a photography challenge on our Discord. We’ll also include resources to help with the challenge — like app-specific tips. The challenge will be shared there and on our social media. Once you’ve got your shot, you can share your shots and see what the rest of the community came up with.
I love both Halide and Kino, and I’m intrigued by Lux’s new approach to development. Running a community can be challenging, but I expect the feedback Lux gets from users will be invaluable, as they work on the next big update to one of the App Store’s best camera apps.
In 2024, I came to grips with the fact that I’ll never be an E Ink-first reader. Most of my reading is web-based, and I like having all of my reading-adjacent apps available too much to use a Kindle, Boox Palma, or other reading-first device regularly.
That’s why I was immediately intrigued by the Astropad Bookcase, an iPhone accessory that makes reading on an iPhone more comfortable by approximating the ergonomics of a Kindle. The combination is heavier than a Kindle, but it’s a far superior way to read on an iPhone than any other I’ve tried. In just the two short weeks I’ve had the Bookcase, I’ve found myself using it throughout the day, from when I’m catching up on RSS over breakfast, to relaxing in the evening on the couch or in bed with stories I’ve saved in Readwise Reader.
Last weekend, I did an in-depth review and video walkthrough of the Bookcase for Club MacStories Weekly, which covers the hardware as well as the sorts of automations its embedded NFC chip makes possible. Here’s the video component of that story:
For early access to future hardware walkthroughs, the accompanying written reviews, and many other perks, you can join Club MacStories.
Our Holiday Nerd Projects About six months ago, Josh King posted on the SBCGaming subreddit about a 3D printed iPhone game controller he’d created called the M-Con. The post was accompanied by a YouTube video walkthrough that lent credibility to the Sony PSP Go-like design, that connected to an iPhone using MagSafe-compatible magnets. Then a couple of months ago, the M-Con showed up again on the Retro Game Corps YouTube channel where Russ Crandall put the device through its paces and was impressed with the results
Now, King is back with an even more refined design and an established corporate backer to build and sell the M-Con. As Sean Hollister explains on The Verge, the backer is OhSnap, the maker of PopSocket alternatives. As Hollister explains, the M-Con:
[is] no taller or wider than an iPhone, so it should slide into a pocket. It’s got a MagSafe pattern of magnets to attach it to your magnetic ring device. You don’t have to remove it to use your phone like a phone, because the whole gamepad retracts underneath, a little like the slide-out keyboard phones (or PlayStation Phones) of old — and now, it’s mounted on a spring-loaded arm that pops out at the push of a button and also slightly angles your device towards your face.
Notably, the M-Con has gained Hall-effect thumbsticks and a pair of fold-out grips, too.
I’ve been keeping a close eye on this project for months. I’m surprised I’ve never seen another iPhone game controller like it, which is why I’ve been a little skeptical of its viability from the start. But with OhSnap onboard, the M-Con is looking more real than ever. According to Sean Hollister, the M-Con will be at CES in January. You can bet it will be one of the first booths I visit.
Bookcase: Astropad’s Surprisingly Cozy Reading Accessory for the iPhone
App Debuts 
Federico