This week on MacStories Unwind, John shrugs off a once-in-a-decade winter storm and watches a great movie, while Federico has a returning comedy series to share. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Snowmageddon Ice threat continues to grow as weekend winter storm nears Carolinas When was the last time Charlotte had a significant ice storm? Picks Federico's Pick: A Man on the Inside on Netflix A Man on the Inside Season 2 Cast. Plot, Release Date: Meet the Stars Joining Ted Dans...
Jan 23, 2026•18 min
This week on MacStories Unwind, Federico unpacks Clawdbot, a Claude-based personal assistant and recommends an Apple TV move, while John revisits an old favorite on the Nintendo Switch. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Clawdbot ClawdHub Peter Steinberger on Bluesky Picks Federico's Pick: Family Plan 2 on Apple TV John's Pick: Animal Crossing New Horizons Unwind Deal Licorice Pizza : Paul Thomas Anderson's critically acclaimed coming-of-age tale follows Alan...
Jan 16, 2026•21 min
This week, Federico and John share how they unwound during their holiday break, John has a report on CES 2026, Federico recommends Avatar Fire and Ash, and John does a Parks and Rec rewatch and has a superhero movie deal for listeners. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes CES Weirdness My Favorite Gear From CES 2026 – and Some Weird and Wonderful Gadgets, Too Picks Federico's Pick: Avatar: Fire and Ash Add to your Apple TV Watch List John's Pick: Parks and Recreation: The Comple...
Jan 09, 2026•21 min
This week, Federico and John close out the year by sharing their favorite music of 2025. The Best Albums of 2025 Federico's Picks Forgiving Spree by Slowly Slowly Idols by Youngblud NSFW by The Paradox Better Days by Yellowcard Qualifying Miles by We Are Scientists Album of the Year: Pruning of the Limbs by Moving Mountains John's Picks (my world is an) oyster by Chloe Moriando Modern Romance by Chloe Qisha Ego Death at the Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 by Lord Hur...
Dec 19, 2025•23 min
This week, Federico and John share their favorite videogames of 2025. Also available on YouTube here . This episode is sponsored by: Sequel – Track Now. Enjoy Later. Links and Show Notes 2025's Best Videogames Federico's Backlog: Ghost of Yōtei Hades II Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Hollow Knight: Silksong Despelote Shinobi: Art of Vengeance FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles John's Backlog: Metroid Prime 4 Hades II Dispatch Ghost of Yōtei Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Unbeatable Federico...
Dec 12, 2025•25 min
This week, Federico and John share their favorite TV shows and movies of 2025. Also available on YouTube here . This episode is sponsored by: Sequel – Track Now. Enjoy Later. Links and Show Notes 2025's Best Movies and TV Shows John's Movie Pick: Fantastic Four: First Steps Thunderbolts Alien Romulus Federico's Picks: Pre–2025 Shows: Friends The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 2025 Releases: Running Point Nobody Wants This Severance on Apple TV Hacks John's TV Picks: Task Slow Horses on Apple TV Say Nothi...
Dec 05, 2025•22 min
This week, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Federico is curious about American TV and has a TV pick, while John follows up on a couple of TV shows and other media he's looking forward to in the coming weeks. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes U.S. TV Affiliate System Wikipedia Picks Federico's Pick: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel John's Follow Up Picks and Upcoming Media Plans: The Last Frontier and Loot - both on Apple TV Stranger Things Brooklyn Nine-Nine rewatch Metroid Prime 4 U...
Nov 28, 2025•16 min
This week, Federico and John explore tech nostalgia and the importance of tech history before picking a new TV series and music artist. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Tech Nostalgia Versus Tech History NPC: Next Portable Console, GameCube To Go Picks John's Pick: Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV Federico's Pick: American Motor Sports (420 CC Edition) by Bilmuri Unwind Deal John's Favorite Christmas Movies (It's early, I know, but there are some great deals right now.) Classi...
Nov 21, 2025•17 min
This week, John shares how he plans weekend activities with Instagram and Apple Maps, Federico tests dictation apps, and both share their first impressions of the new Apple TV show Pluribus. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes John's Weekend Excursion Workflow Instagram + Apple Maps Guides and the beta Places You've Been feature Federico's Dictation App Experiments Drafts Wispr Flow Raycast for iOS Joint Pick Pluribus on Apple TV Unwind Deal Dunkirk is just $7.99 in the TV app ...
Nov 14, 2025•22 min
This week, Ticci Ticci jump scare videos, a seafood feast and Federico's latest fixation: X Factor Italy 2025. Plus, the return of a favorite Netflix rom-com series and an Apple TV comedy, and, of course, a special show-notes-only Unwind deal. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment X-Factor Italy Piercesare Fagioli | 'Die with a smile' | Esibizione Bootcamp | X Factor 2025 Piercesare Fagioli canta "Chandelier" di SIA | X Factor 2025 Audizioni 1 https://www.youtub...
Nov 07, 2025•14 min
This week, John explains why Notion is finally working for him, after which he and Federico share new Apple TV series and videogame picks. Plus, two Unwind deal picks. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Picks Federico's Pick: Pokémon Legends: Z-A Available from: Nintendo Amazon John's Pick: The Last Frontier on Apple TV Unwind Deal The Big Lebowski is just $4.99. 🎳🥛🕶️ A laid-back slacker gets dragged into a chaotic kidnapping caper after a case of mistaken...
Oct 31, 2025•17 min
Links and Show Notes Notion Daily Notes Notion AI Browsers OpenAI Atlas Perplexity Comet Dia Deta Surf Microsoft Edge Strawberry Also mentioned Helium Vivaldi Picks No picks this week. We'll have a couple for everyone next week. Unwind Deal Blair Witch Project is $4.99 in the TV app 20 Days Later is $7.99 in the TV app Leave Feedback for John and Federico MacStories Unwind Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Follow us on Bluesky MacStories Unwind MacStor...
Oct 24, 2025•22 min
This week, weekend outings and the chores we wish robots could do for us, plus Federico shares an anti-pick, and John is hooked on a gritty crime drama. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Greenville, South Carolina Fall Festival Narwhal Freo X10 Pro robot mop and vaccuum Picks Federico's Anti-Pick: The Residence on Netflix John's Pick: Task on HBO Max Unwind Deal Looper , a time-jumping mob movie, is just $4.99 in the TV app Leave Feedback for John and Federi...
Oct 17, 2025•17 min
This week, John stumbles upon a restaurant with a thing for the Italian navy, Federico explores the Final Fantasy Tactics remake, and John has a movie pick. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment John visits Florence , which is decorated with the Picks Federico's Pick: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles John's Pick: The Lost Bus on Apple TV+ Unwind Deal In honor of the release of Tron Ares … Tron Tron Legacy …both just $4.99 in the TV app Leave Feedbac...
Oct 10, 2025•14 min
This week, Federico tries to recover from a rough week, John brings some Southern cooking to the show, Federico has a long backlog of videogames to attend to, and John has an Apple TV+ show and an album to share. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Southern Cooking Pecan Pie Pimento Cheese Dip Fried Okra Picks Federico's Pick: Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Triple Click Tactics episode Hades II Donkey Kong Ban...
Oct 03, 2025•21 min
This week, John visits Mike the shipping guy, Federico's philosophy on hardware takes a turn, John declares Apple Watch charging in the shower a myth, and we share videogame and TV picks, plus a deal. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Big Mike's Shipping Shoppe Charging the Apple Watch While Showering Picks Federico's Pick: Portal RTX Portal with RTX Update Adds NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 With Ray Reconstruction, RTX IO & New Content RTX Remix John's Pick: Alien Earth on H...
Sep 26, 2025•16 min
This week Federico and John reflect on the toll of the review process and the annual recovery process before Federico follows up on a TV series and John recommends a pair of albums. Plus, we have a great Marvel movie bundle deal for listeners. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes The Aftermath of Review Season iOS and iPadOS 26: The MacStories Review macOS 26 Tahoe: The MacStories Review CarPlay in iOS 26: The MacStories Review visionOS 26: The MacStories Review watchOS 26: The ...
Sep 19, 2025•20 min
This week, John explains the art of the Southern storytelling with an example, reminding Federico to touch grass before sharing a classic movie deal and previewing some of the perks coming next week with his iOS and iPadOS 26 review. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Two Beady Eyes Staring At Me Skunks Unwind Deal The Prestige for $4.99 in Apple's TV app. Leave Feedback for John and Federico MacStories Unwind Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon MacStories Federico Viticci Joh...
Sep 12, 2025•20 min
This week, the weather has begun to change, coyotes are on the loose, and John shares his running tech. Plus Federico has a TV comedy for listeners, and John has a superhero movie pick. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes John's Running Kit Apple Watch Ultra 1 Beats Fit Pro Picks Federico's Pick: Hacks Stream on HBO Max Buy John's Pick: Thunderbolts Stream on Disney+ Buy Leave Feedback for John and Federico MacStories Unwind Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon MacStories Federi...
Sep 05, 2025•19 min
This week, John and Federico return from break to chat about how they spent their time off, the new MacStories Deals social accounts, two sports-related comedies, and a great deal on a favorite TV series. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Summer Break and MacStories Deals MacStories Deals returns after seven years Follow it on Mastodon or Bluesky: Mastodon: https://mastodon.macstories.net/@MacStoriesDeals# . Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/macstoriesdeals.macstories.net Pic...
Aug 29, 2025•14 min
This week, John is joined by Jonathan Reed to recap the watchOS 26 public beta, and share a trio of comedies old an new, along with Brendon Bigley's new project and a classic monster movie deal. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes A watchOS 26 Preview watchOS 26 The MacStories Public Beta Preview Picks Jonathan's Picks: The Naked Gun (original movie) and the new version starring Liam Neeson King of the Hill on Hulu/Disney+ Platonic on Apple TV+ John's Pick: Wavelengths Announce...
Aug 08, 2025•22 min
This week, Federico recounts his trip to London to see Oasis play Wembley Stadium, and John recommends the new Fantastic Four movie plus a great deal on a classic comedy. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Picks Federico's Pick: Oasis Live at Wembley Stadium John's Pick: Fantastic Four: First Steps Unwind Deal Warm up for Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix with the original: Happy Gilmore , released in 1996, is available in the TV app for just $7.99 Leave Feedback fo...
Aug 01, 2025•22 min
This week, John struggles to update an old Apple TV and two HomePod minis, Federico sets up OTA TV, and they both go bananas over Donkey Kong Bananza. Also available on YouTube here . This episode is sponsored by: Hello Weather : The Exceptionally Useful Weather App for iOS, Totally Redesigned for 2025 Links and Show Notes Unplugged Topics John struggles to update an Apple TV and HomePod minis Federico installs an HDHomeRun for OTA TV Picks John and Federico's Joint Pick: Donkey Kong Bananza Lea...
Jul 25, 2025•23 min
This week, Federico's return to Apple system apps has ended and new workflow experiments have begun. Plus, John shares a dark comedy, and Federico has an anti-pick. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Federico's Evolving Workflow: MCP and More Mentioned: HyperContext Longplay Longplay for Mac Launches with Powerful AI and Shortcuts Integration Longplay comes to the Mac Picks John's Pick: Friendship Federico's Anti-Pick: The Bear, Season 4 Unwind Deal Note: Sadly since recording...
Jul 18, 2025•22 min
This week, Federico and John discuss the updates to their work and play tech gear setups. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Our Gear Setups Federico's Pick: ASUS ROG PG27UCDM monitor with built-in KVM Nintendo Switch 2 Mac Studio Coiled USB-C to USB-C Cable Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Controller Viture Pro XR glasses Viture Mobile dock John's Pick: Arylic LP10 AirPlay 2 Wireless Music Streamer GL.iNet GL-BE3600 (Slate 7) Portable Travel Router tomtoc Sling Bag Crossbody Backpack M...
Jul 11, 2025•19 min
This week, automation crimes, HomeKit Gardens, tattoo crime shows, and videogames. It's a packed episode, just in time for the long holiday weekend in the U.S. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Automation and HomeKit Crimes HomeKit-Compatible Kasa Smart Plugs HDHomeRun Love Island ( USA and Italy ) 'Montoya, por favor!' the viral Spanish clip that could change reality TV for ever Television The Guardian 'Montoya Por Favor!' Picks John's Pick: Blindspot on Netflix Federico's P...
Jul 04, 2025•21 min
This week, Federico and John dig into MacStories' big infrastructure update, John tours Wilmington, NC TV locations, and they both have TV, movie, and music picks, plus two movie deals. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment MacStories gets an under-the-hood makeover Wilmington, NC TV Dawson's Creek One Tree Hill The Waterfront on Netflix Picks Federico's Pick: Idols by Yungblud And Just Like That , Season 3 on HBO John's Pick: Mountainhead on HBO Unwind Deal Ind...
Jun 27, 2025•17 min
This week, John installs macOS Tahoe, he and Federico each recommend a recent crime drama, and we have a Daredevil Unwind deal. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment macOS Tahoe macOS Tahoe Press Release macOS Tahoe: The MacStories Overview Apple's upcoming transcription API Hands-On How Apple's New Speech APIs Outpace Whisper for Lightning-Fast Transcription - MacStories Yap Picks Federico's Pick: Your Friends and Neighbors on Apple TV+ John's Pick: Department ...
Jun 20, 2025•18 min
This week, John quits Dropbox, Federico wraps up Friends, and John recommends a pair of movies and a Quentin Tarantino movie deal. Also available on YouTube here . Links and Show Notes John Quits Dropbox for Google Drive Picks Federico's Picks: Friends Streaming on Max Box Set on Apple TV Friends: The Reunion John's Double Feature Pick: The Order Fountain of Youth on Apple TV Unwind Deal Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Leave Feedback for John and Federico MacStories Unwind Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon ...
May 30, 2025•21 min
This week Federico and John, share the news that they'll be at WWDC together for the first time since 2023. Then, Federico recommends Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an RPG that has taken a lot of gamers by surprise, and John is into Duster, a new JJ Abrams TV show set in the 70s. All that, plus a Raiders of the Lost Ark deal. Also available Fridays on YouTube here . This episode is sponsored by: Inoreader – Boost Productivity and Gain Insights with AI-Powered Intelligence Tools Links and Show Note...
May 23, 2025•18 min
