This week, John and Federico return to the animal kingdom and share their E-ink device hot takes, along with a movie pick.

Snakes, Alligators, and Bears, Oh My!

• Alligator found on dark road north of Charlotte, far from its known range, NC cops say

E-Ink Readers

• Boox Tab Ultra
• Boox Palma
• Boox Go Color 7

Picks

• John's Pick:
• Civil War

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This week, John is joined by Devon Dundee to talk about media tracking strategies and share three TV series picks.

Links and Show Notes

Media Tracking Strategies

• Sequel
• Sofa
• GameTrack
• MusicHarbor
• TV Forecast
• Devon's Shortcut:Watch History Journal 2
• Also mentioned: Collections

Picks

• Devon's Picks:
• Lessons in Chemistry
• Trailer
• Mr. Robot
• Trailer
• John's Pick:
• Sunny
• Trailer

Follow Devon Dundee's Work

• Website: devondundee.com
• Podcast: Magic Rays of Light
• Mastodon: @devondundee
• Threads: @devondundee

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This week, John decides to take the iPad-only travel plunge, and Federico advises on which gaming handhelds to bring on a trip.

Links and Show Notes

Summer Travel and Tech

• John's Tavel Setup
• 11" iPad Pro
• Magic Keyboad Case
• EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter with GaN 75W Charger
• Airalo eSIMs (Use JOHN64205 for $3 off)
• Nintendo Switch OLED
• Miyoo Mini A30
• Federico's Travel Setup
• Waterfield City Slicker for the Steam Deck
• Plugable 5-in–1 Thunderbolt 4 Hub
• XREAL Air AR Glasses
• The latest update to the MacStories Setups page

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This week, John is joined by Jonathan Reed for some travel picks for John's upcoming trip to London, plus a movie, TV show, and Irish band.

Links and Show Notes

Jonathan's London Travel Picks

• Walk down the Southbank, from Greenwich to Westminster
• Introducing London: a walk along the South Bank
• Thames Clipper, from Greenwich to Westminster
• Official website
• The view from Primrose Hill
• Apple Maps location
• The Royal Parks: Primrose Hill
• Abbey Road
• Apple Maps location
• Wikipedia
• Tate Modern
• Apple Maps location
• Official website
• Four Quarters
• Official website
• The Barbican
• Apple Maps location
• Official Website
• Slough House - Spy Write
• Columbia Flower Market
• Apple Maps location
• Official website
• London Fields
• Apple Maps location
• Wikipedia
• Pophams Bakery – around the corner from the Hackney Empire
• Apple Maps location
• Official website
• John's Pick:
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
• Trailer
• Stream on Max
• Rent or buy on Apple TV
• Jonathan's Picks:
• We Are Lady Parts
• Trailer
• Fontaines D.C.
• On Apple Music

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This week, the Umarell return and a bay leaf mystery must be solved with technology. Plus, we have summertime movie and TV picks.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

• The Umarell
• Eufy Cameras
• Home Base 3
• Eufy Cam 2C
• Eufy Cam 2C Pro
• Eufy Cam 2 Pro

Picks

• John's Pick:
• Trigger Warning on Netflix
• Trailer
• Federico's Pick:
• The Bear, Season 3 on Hulu
• Trailer

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This week, Federico and John look back at the first half of 2024 and pick their favorite TV shows, movies, videogames, music, and gadgets.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Sofa – Be More Intentional with Your Downtime

Best Mid-Year Picks

Our Mid-Year 2024 Top Media Picks

• TV
• John
• Fallout Season 1 on Amazon Prime
• Dark Matter on Apple TV+ - The Gentlemen
• Criminal Record
• Federico
• Young Sheldon, final season
• Games
• Federico
• Dragon's Dogma II
• Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• John
• Animal Well
• Hades II
• Balatro
• Pepper Grinder
• Movies
• John
• Godzilla Minus One
• Music
• Federico
• Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Revisited) by Shout Out Louds
• POST HUMAN: NeX GEn by Bring Me the Horizon
• I Made You a Mixtape
• John
• The Sweater Club by Jelani Aryeh
• No Shame No Fame by Kindsight
• Gadget
• Federico
• Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
• John
• 11" iPad Pro

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This week, John and Federico explain how they unwind after WWDC and how they think about MacStories' family of podcasts before recommending a comedy series, action movie, and album.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

• Unwinding after WWDC
• Raleigh Retro Gamers Summer Expo 2024
• Limited Run Games
• Limited Run Games is opening an '80s-themed physical game store
• A Feature Not a Product
• MacStories' family of podcasts
• Sigmund Judge's Apple TV Go story
• Related episode of Magic Rays of Light

Picks

• Federico's Pick:
• The Neighborhood, Season 1 - 6
• Streaming on Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and CBS
• John's Pick:
• Fast X
• The Sweater Club by Jelani Aryeh

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This week, John is joined by Jonathan Reed and Sigmund Judge for an explanation of how John missed his first episode of AppStories in seven years this week, an update from Sigmund on what's coming to tvOS and Apple TV+, plus a bunch of picks from everyone.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

• You can enter Apple Park, but you may never leave
• WWDC 2024: Keynote First Impressions
• WWDC 2024: Intelligence Briefings
• tvOS and TV+ with Sigmund Judge
• tvOS 18: The MacStories Overview

Picks

• Jonathan's Picks:
• Eels Time! by The Eels
• Hot Rod
• Sigmund's Pick
• House of the Dragon, Season 1
• John's Pick:
• Anbernic RG35XXSP
• Related:
• Next week's episode of NPC: Next Portable Console

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This week, John's off to WWDC, our MacStories Unwind playlist gets updated, two new podcasts join the MacStories podcast family, and a sad story about the USPS and Anbernic's RG35XXSP. Plus an immersive video pick for the Vision Pro and a music pick.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Listen Later – Listen to the Articles as Podcasts

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged

• Updates to the MacStories Unwind 2024 playlist on Apple Music
• Two New MacStories Podcasts
• [https://www.macstories.net/npc/](NPC: Next Portable Console)
• Comfort Zone
• A sad delivery story about the Anbernic RG35XXSP

Picks

• John's Pick:
• Parkour on Apple TV
• Federico's Pick:
• Post Human NeX Gen by Bring Me the Horizon
• Federico's New Automated Music Discovery System:
• Automation Academy: How I Reimagined Apple Music Discovery and Recommendations with Marvis Pro's Custom Sections
• Marvis Pro

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This week, Federico and John take the wraps off the official MacStories Unwind 2024 Apple Music Playlist, tease upcoming projects, and recommend a recent Apple TV+ show and a cozy videogame.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Kolide – It ensures that if a device isn't secure it can't access your apps. It's Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo now.

Links and Show Notes

Unplugged Segment

• John and Federico tease new projects coming to MacStories soon
  • If you feel safe in the area you're working in, you're not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you're capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting. – David Bowie
• The Official MacStories Unwind 2024 Apple Music Playlist

Picks

• John's Pick:
• Dark Matter on Apple TV+
• Federico's Pick:
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

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