AppStories

This week on AppStories, Federico shares his first impressions of the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display with John.
On AppStories+, we dig into more use cases for the new MacBook Pro, the 512GB Mac Studio, and our ideal Mac setups.
Also available on YouTube here.
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Links and Show Notes
MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display
Apple Brings Touch to the Mac with New OLED MacBook Pros
Apple Kicks Off Touch on Mac Developer Resources with Videos and Labs
MacBook Pro with Touch: A Mac for the iPad Generation
AppStories+ Post-Show:
More on MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display use cases and our ideal Mac setups.
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On this week's episode of AppStories, John returns from New York, Federico returns from London, and they compare notes on the iPhone Duo and the app demos they saw.
Then on AppStories+, Federico and John discuss the durability of the iPhone Duo and the sorts of apps that developers are creating for it.
Also available on YouTube here.
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Links and Show Notes
The iPhone Duo App Rush and First Impressions
A Day with the iPhone Duo: First Impressions
Building for iPhone Duo, in App Developers’ Own Words
Apps Mentioned:Deck-Man
Fold Accordion
Toastie
Craft
Detail
Edits
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
NYT Cooking
Notewise
Fantastical
MLB
Asphalt Legends
UnGodly — currently a preorder, expected November 11.

Also mentioned:Apple iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand
Logitech Keys-To-Go 2

AppStories+ Post-Show: 
Reviews and Durability TestingiPhone Duo Review
iPhone Duo 32,000-Fold Test
iPhone Duo Review: 10,000 Folds Later…

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This week on AppStories, John and Federico talk about Apple's new HomeView, the HomePod mini 2, and Apple TV 4K (4th gen). 

Then for AppStories+ subscribers, Federico and John dive into the world decomped video games, with a warning for what's to come for developers on Apple's platforms.

Also available on YouTube here.

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Links and Show Notes

Apple HomeView

Meet Apple HomeView: A New Way to Enjoy Entertainment and Manage the Home
Apple Unveils HomeView: A Smart Home Display Powered by Siri AI

HomePod mini 2

Apple Announces the Next Generation of HomePod Mini
Apple Reveals HomePod mini 2 with New Colors, Richer Sound, and Siri AI

Apple TV 4K

Apple unveils the new Apple TV 4K, supercharged by Siri AI
The Apple TV 4K Gets Siri AI, an A19 Chip, and a $299 Price Tag

Apple Home Collection

Introducing Apple Home Collection, a new lineup of smart home accessories

Siri AI, iOS 27, and the AI Landscape

Apple Is Slow-Rolling iOS 27 Adoption, So Far
Meta's New Muse AI Agent App Overtakes ChatGPT as Top iPhone App
John Ternus on the cover of Time

Streaming and Media Alternatives

NVIDIA Shield TV
Moonlight
fx-upscale

Apps Mentioned for HomeView Widgets and CarPlay

Overcast
Pocket Casts
Castro
Mercury Weather

AppStories+ Show Notes

Decompilation and Personal Software

AI is mass decompiling games. That's both awesome and scary
Xbox Encourages Recomp AI Craze With New Experimental Labs Division
Hopper Disassembler
New on Google Play: More ways to create, discover, and play

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This week on AppStories, Federico and John start realizing the benefits of their attempt to automate all administrative tasks and explain why Apple's vague developer blog post about Full Disk Access and AI agents should concern all Mac users whether or not they use AI.

On AppStories+, as John nears the finish line on his podcast production suite for the Mac, he explains how the project started and what it's done to improve his podcasting workflow.

Also available on YouTube here.

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Links and Show Notes

Apple's Full Disk Access Announcement

Apple Announces Plan to Impose New Full Disk Access Controls on Mac Developers
Apple Developer Blog post
Meta’s New Muse AI Agent Read My Private Messages. I Never Asked It To
Meta denies its Muse AI agent read a journalist's private messages

Some Mac Utilities That Rely on Full Disk Access

Raycast
Alfred
Bloom
Setapp
CleanMyMac
DaisyDisk
Pixelmator Pro

AppStories+ Post-Show

Tools and services mentioned:
Riverside
Transistor
Libsyn
Logic Pro
Final Cut Pro
Hush
iZotope RX
Whisper

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Meet Dot: OpenAI's Always On Agent
This week on AppStories, John is back from OpenAI DevDay, so he and Federico cover the history of AI agents, the current landscape, and what OpenAI is doing with Dots. 
On AppStories+, Federico provides a sneak peek at what's in store for his Reminders, Notes, and upcoming CLIs.
Also available on YouTube here.
Links and Show Notes
AI Agents
OpenAI Dots and DevDay 2026OpenAI launches Dots, its bubbly agentic avatar (TechCrunch)
OpenAI’s Dots: A First Look

Self Hosted AgentsOpenClaw
OpenClaw on GitHub
Hermes Agent
OpenAI hires OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger

Hosted Agent CompetitorsMeta's Muse becomes App Store's hottest download
Grok Bot
Grok Bot Brings Always-On AI Agents to macOS and iOS

AppStories+ Post-Show:
RemCTL: GitHub
MacStories: Introducing RemCTL, the Power-User Reminders CLI for macOS and AI Agents

NotesCTL: Club MacStories download
MacStories: NotesCTL, a Club MacStories Preview of Federico’s Advanced Apple Notes CLI Tool

Leave Feedback for John and Federico
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Federico is @viticci everywhere
John is @johnvoorhees`everywhere
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