Federico Viticci
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viticci.macstories.net
Federico Viticci
@viticci.macstories.net
11K followers 220 following 790 posts
Founder and Editor-in-Chief @macstories.net. I write about iPad, iOS, indie apps, and making computers more fun.

I also co-host @appstories.macstories.net, a podcast about Apple and the world of apps, and @npc.macstories.net, a show about handhelds.
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viticci.macstories.net
Federico Viticci @viticci.macstories.net · Dec 16
Here we go 🚀

Today, we're introducing the 2025 edition of MacStories Selects, our celebration of our favorite apps for Apple platforms.

I'm especially happy with our selections this year and proud to put the spotlight on the excellent work of indie devs.

Enjoy 🏆 www.macstories.net/stories/macs...
MacStories Selects 2025: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year
John: 2025 was a different sort of year for apps, which is reflected in this year’s MacStories Selects Awards winners. App innovation comes from many places. Sometimes it’s new Apple APIs or hardware,...
www.macstories.net
Reposted by Federico Viticci
viticci.macstories.net
I built Claude Code Remote, an advanced companion shortcut for Claude Code that lets you type or dictate requests from your iPhone.

Except…I didn't build it. My upcoming generative AI system did. And it showed me the future of Shortcuts automation.

My story: www.macstories.net/club/claude-...
Claude Code Remote: A Companion Shortcut for Claude Code…Which Was Generated by AI
The Shortcuts Corner section of MacStories Weekly has been a staple of the newsletter for almost a decade at this point. With today’s 500th (!) issue of MacStories Weekly, I thought I’d share a glimps...
www.macstories.net
February 13, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
johnvoorhees.macstories.net
Ideas for the kind of things you can automate with AI:

- Clean up an Obsidian Vault
- Batch print crossword puzzles
- Filter unread RSS stories
- Make quick work of Apple press releases

www.macstories.net/club/four-id...
February 13, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
johnvoorhees.macstories.net
This week for a big MacStories Weekly 500, I have two stories:

- Three Ways I'd Like to See Creator Studio Expanded
www.macstories.net/club/three-w...

and...
Three Ways I’d Like to See Creator Studio Expanded
I recently wrote about Creator Studio, Apple's reboot of its "pro" and "productivity" apps. I focused a lot on what's included in the bundle, the pricing, and how the features are split among the vari...
www.macstories.net
February 13, 2026 at 7:21 PM
viticci.macstories.net
I built Claude Code Remote, an advanced companion shortcut for Claude Code that lets you type or dictate requests from your iPhone.

Except…I didn't build it. My upcoming generative AI system did. And it showed me the future of Shortcuts automation.

My story: www.macstories.net/club/claude-...
Claude Code Remote: A Companion Shortcut for Claude Code…Which Was Generated by AI
The Shortcuts Corner section of MacStories Weekly has been a staple of the newsletter for almost a decade at this point. With today’s 500th (!) issue of MacStories Weekly, I thought I’d share a glimps...
www.macstories.net
February 13, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
npc.macstories.net
Then on XL for Patreon subscribers, Federico is choosing between Switch 2 controllers and Brendon received an unexpected gift.

🎧 www.patreon.com/posts/gamecu...

📺 www.patreon.com/posts/gamecu...
GameCube Psychos and Basement Treasure | Next Portable Console
Get more from Next Portable Console on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
npc.macstories.net
The latest NPC is out! This week a tour of Nintendo's latest Direct, more on the Virtual Boy Switch 2 accessory, the Steam Machine and other hardware are delayed, Anbernic goes out on a limb, AYANEO steps on a rake, and the Odin 2 rides off into the sunset.

🎧 apple.co/3O8KdAH
📺 youtu.be/OFrD99SkBDI
The RG Vita Is a PSP (and Other Handheld Truths)
Podcast Episode · NPC: Next Portable Console · 02/10/2026 · 31m
apple.co
February 10, 2026 at 4:03 PM
viticci.macstories.net
Never thought I'd see this:

An official YouTube app for the Vision Pro! www.macstories.net/news/google-...
Google Releases YouTube App for Apple Vision Pro
Today, Google released the official YouTube app for visionOS. The app allows users to sign in to view their subscriptions, watch later queues, and playlists, and it supports native playback of regular...
www.macstories.net
February 12, 2026 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
johnvoorhees.macstories.net
This is a great gem of an app that I stumbled across recently.

Dot is a menu bar calendar app that combines a modern design with a great core set of features.

www.macstories.net/reviews/dot-...
Dot: The Menu Bar Calendar That’s Become My Main Calendar
Over time, I've gravitated towards a two-calendar system on my Mac because I've never found an app where both the desktop app and the menu bar version meet all my needs. That's probably because my cal...
www.macstories.net
February 10, 2026 at 9:03 PM
viticci.macstories.net
Took the new Claude Code "fast mode" for a spin with my Shortcuts Playground.

A shortcut that typically generates in 10 minutes was done in 4; spent €11 in extra usage for it.

It's very expensive, and very fast for an Opus model.

platform.claude.com/docs/en/buil...
February 7, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
viticci.macstories.net
I wrote an in-depth guide with some advanced OpenClaw tips I've picked up over the past few weeks:

- Secure credentials with 1Password CLI
- Managing memories
- Automate tasks with cron and Heartbeats
- Make OpenClaw do proactive work for you

Have fun: www.macstories.net/club/advance...
Advanced Tips for OpenClaw: Credentials, Proactive Work, Automating Tasks, Memories, and More
Since I first wrote about ClawdBot MoltBot OpenClaw three weeks ago, I’ve only come to rely on this personal assistant more and more each day. My OpenClaw still runs on its own dedicated Mac mini (alt...
www.macstories.net
February 6, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
jonathan.macstories.net
In this week's Club @macstories.net Weekly column, I wrote about my experience with Apple's Icon Composer. Emphasis on 'Composer'.

www.macstories.net/club/exper...

Read this and more with a Club MacStories subscription: www.macstories.net/club/
Experiences with Apple’s Icon Composer
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about my experiences with Claude Code and how it enabled me to create my first iOS app. I was (and still am) unsure how I feel about AI being able to generate code from scratch, but I’m leaning towards it being a net gain. This week, I launched
www.macstories.net
February 6, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
johnvoorhees.macstories.net
🎧 📙 Today for MacStories Weekly 499, I shared a Claude Skill that I created for generating text-to-speech optimized article summaries.

www.macstories.net/club/macstor...

Also this week:

- 🦞 advanced OpenClaw tips from @viticci.macstories.net
- 📱 @jonathan.macstories.net on Apple's Icon Composer
MacStories Weekly: Issue 499
www.macstories.net
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 PM
viticci.macstories.net
I wrote an in-depth guide with some advanced OpenClaw tips I've picked up over the past few weeks:

- Secure credentials with 1Password CLI
- Managing memories
- Automate tasks with cron and Heartbeats
- Make OpenClaw do proactive work for you

Have fun: www.macstories.net/club/advance...
Advanced Tips for OpenClaw: Credentials, Proactive Work, Automating Tasks, Memories, and More
Since I first wrote about ClawdBot MoltBot OpenClaw three weeks ago, I’ve only come to rely on this personal assistant more and more each day. My OpenClaw still runs on its own dedicated Mac mini (alt...
www.macstories.net
February 6, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
npc.macstories.net
Then on NPC XL for Patreon members, Federico, Brendon, and John chat about whether we're approaching the endgame for handheld consoles and wonder why no one has made much of a move to adapt their handhelds for the living room.

🎧 www.patreon.com/posts/handhe...
📺 www.patreon.com/posts/handhe...
The Handheld Endgame | Next Portable Console
Get more from Next Portable Console on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
npc.macstories.net
It's time for another episode of NPC: Next Portable Console. This week, the guys tackle a load of weird news from playing Game Boy games on e-readers and ordering pizza from a Wii in 2026, the upcoming Virtual Boy Switch 2 accessory.

🎧 apple.co/4kpQbt1
📺 youtu.be/gJ2zNmCFGtc
Living in the Past: Wii Pizza and the Return of the Virtual Boy
Podcast Episode · NPC: Next Portable Console · 02/03/2026 · 24m
apple.co
February 3, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
macstories.net
MacStories One Week Later: An Update and a Look Ahead https://www.macstories.net/news/macstories-one-week-later-an-update-and-a-look-ahead/
MacStories One Week Later: An Update and a Look Ahead
A week ago, we merged Club MacStories and AppStories into MacStories.net. It was the culmination of months of work, which, along with a new tech stack we implemented last summer, allows us to iterate on MacStories faster. As with any large project, there were a few bumps along the way. However, we've been able to
www.macstories.net
February 4, 2026 at 7:51 PM
viticci.macstories.net
"There are many good places for advertising. A conversation with Claude is not one of them."

Good for @anthropic.com: www.anthropic.com/news/claude-...
Claude is a space to think | Anthropic
Anthropic explains why Claude will remain ad-free—how advertising incentives conflict with building a genuinely helpful AI assistant users can trust.
www.anthropic.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:59 PM
viticci.macstories.net
Apple is adding agentic coding features to Xcode 26.3 today. We saw a demo of Claude Code and Codex agents in action.

Details here: www.macstories.net/news/apples-...
Apple’s Xcode 26.3 Release Candidate Adds Agentic Coding Tools for Developers
The Release Candidate of Xcode 26.3 is rolling out as we publish this with brand new agentic coding capabilities. With the update, developers can connect to either OpenAI's Codex or Anthropic's Claude...
www.macstories.net
February 3, 2026 at 6:01 PM
viticci.macstories.net
A genuine "whoa" moment with OpenClaw + my upcoming Shortcuts Playground today.

Overnight, OpenClaw built me a brand new CLI to track its own usage and cost (it does these things proactively).

I asked to make a shortcut for it. 5 minutes later, I had it in my Shortcuts app.

😳 @steipete.me
February 3, 2026 at 9:06 AM
viticci.macstories.net
Very happy to see a native Mac app for Codex – especially because it seems like it was built for parallel agents and lots of customization, plus a new collection of skills.

Excited to dig in. Our hands-on by @johnvoorhees.macstories.net: www.macstories.net/news/openai-...
OpenAI Launches Codex, a Mac App for Agentic Coding
Today, OpenAI released Codex, a Mac app for building software. Here's how OpenAI describes the app in its announcement: The Codex app changes how software gets built and who can build it—from pairing ...
www.macstories.net
February 2, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
comfortzone.macstories.net
Today in the Cozy Zone, we tier listed *all* of the Star Wars movies and TV shows. Surely none of that will be controversial right?

// Cozy Zone is a bonus episode of Comfort Zone every week for $5/month macstories.memberful.com/checkout?pla... or $50/year macstories.memberful.com/checkout?pla... 🫶
A censored screenshot of the Cozy Zone Star Wars Tier List
February 2, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
johnvoorhees.macstories.net
It's great to have our first new episode of AppStories+ appear on MacStories here: www.macstories.net/podcasts/app....

Today, @viticci.macstories.net and I conclude our series on recent projects and what we learned.

Then on the post-show for subscribers, we talk about Apple Creator Studio.
The Future of Apps in an AI-Coded World
This week, Federico and John update listeners on the ClawdBot-MoltBot-OpenClaw saga before digging into how AI will affect apps and app developers. On AppStories+, John covers why Creator Studio is su...
www.macstories.net
February 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM
viticci.macstories.net
🤖 This week on @appstories.macstories.net: AI and the future of apps (plus some OpenClaw updates)

✨ In the post-show: how Creator Studio redefines 'Pro'

Episode out tomorrow, or available today (and ad-free) for AppStories+ subscribers.

🎧 Listen: www.macstories.net/podcasts/app...
The Future of Apps in an AI-Coded World
This week, Federico and John update listeners on the ClawdBot-MoltBot-OpenClaw saga before digging into how AI will affect apps and app developers. On AppStories+, John covers why Creator Studio is su...
www.macstories.net
February 1, 2026 at 4:29 PM
viticci.macstories.net
Prompt ⇾ shortcut gets built for you ⇾ resume session ⇾ improve shortcut.

Added full support for session resume to my generative shortcut, which I'm calling Shortcuts Playground.

Going to be free, open source, and out soon for everyone on @macstories.net.
January 31, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Reposted by Federico Viticci
viticci.macstories.net
I've been using Claude Code a lot, but I didn't want to be stuck on a Mac.

So I wrote a tutorial and shared my setup for using Claude Code running on a Mac/PC from an iPhone or iPad with session persistence.

Enjoy: www.macstories.net/club/how-i-u...
How I Use Claude Code Running on My Mac mini From the iPhone and iPad
Given what we've discussed on AppStories lately, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that I’ve been using Claude Code on my Mac mini home server a lot. And if you know me, you shouldn't be surprised ...
www.macstories.net
January 30, 2026 at 7:44 PM