This week on Unwind, Federico and John offer a peek behind what it’s like to wait for an Apple press release to drop, Federico critiques an Italian’s recommendations of what to buy at Costco and shares a videogame pick, and John has a new movie for listeners.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged

• Apple Reveals New iPhone 16e with Face ID and 48MP Camera
• Costco recommendations from an Italian 👍👎?
• The Italian Products You Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy at Costco, According to an Italian

Picks

• John’s Pick:
• The Gorge on Apple TV+
• Federico’s Pick:
• Avowed
• Amazon
• Steam

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This week, John takes listeners back to the animal kingdom, before he and Federico share a couple of TV recommendations. Plus, John shows off a recent dream device acquisition.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged

• Armadillos in the North Carolina mountains
• Armadillos are expanding in North Carolina. What to know
• How Armadillos Can Spread Leprosy

Picks

• Federico’s Pick:
• Severance, Season 2
• John’s Pick:
• Mythic Quest, Season 4
• John’s Surprise
• Transparent Sony PSP

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This week on Unwind, John makes a Kuzu discovery that may amuse Italian listeners, we explore bars and aperitivo, and we share a music and TV show pick, along with a great deal.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

• Follow-Up:
• Kuzu vs. Kudzu
• Bars, Coffee Shops, and Bottle Shops
• Understanding Italian Coffee Culture
• Aperitivo A Beginner’s Guide to a Italian Tradition Tuscany Now & More
• Classic Aperol Spritz Recipe
• A decent definition of a bottle shop

Picks

• Federico’s Pick:
• Forgiving Spree by Slowly Slowly
• John’s Pick:
• Prime Target on Apple TV+
• Prime Target review – this stylish thriller is like Good Will Hunting meets The Bourne Identity

Unwind Deal

• Jack Ryan

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This week, Federico and John do some regional grocery shopping, Federico pursues pasta perfection, plus a documentary and podcast recommendation.

Show Notes

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged

• Shop the Pig: Grocery Store Names
• Regional Grocery Stores
• Piggly Wiggly
• Food Lion
• Harris Teeter
• Publix
• Perfect Handmade High Hydration Pizza e Mortazza Recipe
• NaturaSi
• Cacio e Pepe e Corn Starch – Pixel Envy
• The Perfect Cacio e Pepe Recipe, According to Science
• Kuzu
• Kuzu Root Starch

Picks

• John’s Pick:
• An Update on Our Family on Max
• Federico’s Pick:
• Into the Aether
• The ITA Patreon

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This week, a neighborhood explosion, oats, root vegetables, and coffee, plus a classic sitcom, a unique videogame, and an action-packed movie.

Links and Show Notes

MacStories Uncooked

• Coffee Overnight Oats
• Easy Overnight Oats

Picks

• Federico’s Picks:
• Friends
• Stream
• Buy
• 1000xRESIST
• John’s Pick:
• Alien Romulus on Hulu

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This week, John judges Southerners’ handling of snow, Federico is a game streaming convert, and John has a new favorite series about the Troubles in Ireland. Plus, we found a great deal on a favorite sitcom.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

• The South and snow
• This video captures it well

Picks

• Federico’s Pick:
• GeForce NOW
• John’s Pick: 
• Say Nothing
  • Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
• Trailer
• The book
• MacStories Unwind Deal of the Week
• How I Met Your Mother TV series bundle

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This week, John fills in Federico about pod people, creepy robots, light masks, AI BBQ, and other weird and wonderful sights from CES 2025.

Links and Show Notes

Weird CES

• Cute and Creepy Robots
• Mirumi
• Ropet
• Mirokaï
• Pod People
• Infrared saunas
• Full-body massage chairs
• Light Mask and Facial Recognition Mask
• Light Mask
• Facial Recognition Mask
• AI BBQ
• Holograms
• Example

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• Plus, Federico is a co-host on Connected on Relay FM, John a co-host on MacStories’ Ruminate, and you can find us on social media as ‘viticci’ and ‘johnvoorhees’

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This week, Federico and John share their favorite videogames of 2024.

Links and Show Notes

• The NPC: Next Portable Console Videogame News list on Bluesky
• NPC on Bluesky

Picks

• Federico’s Picks:
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Learn More
• Buy
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Learn More
• Buy
• Dragon’s Dogma II
• Learn More
• Buy
• Astro Bot
• Learn More
• Buy
• Game of the Other Years:GOTOYs:
• Dragon Quest XI
• Also mentioned
• GameCube To Go episode of NPC
• Into the Aether
• John’s Picks:
• Balatro
• Learn More
• Buy
• Animal Well
• Learn More
• Buy
• Peglin
• Learn More
• Buy
• Dragon’s Dogma II
• Learn More
• Buy
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• Learn More
• Buy
• Astro Bot
• Learn More
• Buy
• GOTOY:
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

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This week, John shares a trio of his favorite movies of 2024 and he and Federico share several favorite TV shows from 2024.

Links and Show Notes

The Best Movies and TV Shows of 2024

• John’s Pick:
• Movies
• Furiosa
• Civil War
• Godzilla Minus One Minus Color
• TV Shows
• Loot, Apple TV+
• Fallout, Amazon Prime
• Slow Horses, Apple TV+
• Dan Da Dan, Netflix
• The Gentlemen, Netflix
• Lessons in Chemistry, Apple TV+
• Federico’s Pick:
• TV Shows
• Loot, Apple TV+
• For All Mankind, season 4
• Shrinking, season 2
• The Neighborhood on CBS
• That 90s Show on Netflix

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This week on MacStories Unwind, kick off the first of our annual ‘best of’ Unwind recaps with the best music releases of 2024.

Links and Show Notes

Songs from our picks and more:

• The MacStories Unwind 2024 Apple Music Playlist

Picks

• Federico’s Pick 2024 Music Picks:
• Album of the Year: All Hell by Los Campesinos 
• Top 5:
• All Hell by Los Campesinos
• Forever by Charly Bliss
• POST HUMAN: NeX GEn by Bring Me The Horizon
• From Zero by Linkin Park
• Moon Music by Coldplay
• Honorable Mentions:
• Songs of a Lost World by The Cure
• BRAT by Charli XCX
• F–1 Trillion by Post Malone
• No Name by Jack White
• John’s Pick:
• Album of the Year: The Sweater Club by Jelani Aryeh 
• Top 5:
• The Sweater Club by Jelani Aryeh
• Songs of a Lost World by The Cure
• BRAT by Charli XCX
• Forever by Charly Bliss
• No Shame No Fame by Kindsight
• Honorable Mentions:
• Neon Pill by Cage the Elephant
• Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations by The Vaccines
• F–1 Trillion by Post Malone

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