Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Someone has lost their bananas, Matt brings Perplexity back from the dead, Niléane has a fun way to use Mastodon, and Chris challenges everyone to up their widget game.
MacStories Unwind
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.
This episode is sponsored by:
Hello Weather: The Exceptionally Useful Weather App for iOS, Totally Redesigned for 2025
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon begin one last journey to Acapulco and share their early impressions of the Games app.
Comfort Zone, Episode 59, ‘I am Full-on Bananza’ Show Notes
How would you have done our challenges? How would you answer the question at the end of the show? Let us know!
🔴 Donate to support Palestinian families and workers in Gaza:
Keep Hope Alive: a Gaza Giving Circle
Help Build a Lifeline for Students and Remote Workers in Gaza
Main Topics
Perplexity
Comet browser
Phanpy
Other stuff
The fan that actually cools an iPhone
uBlock Origin Lite
Donkey Kong Bananza
TangerineUI
FediFetcher
Widgets for Obsidian
Chris’s widget
French weather alerts
Follow the Hosts
Chris on YouTube
Matt on Birchtree
Niléane on Mastodon
Comfort Zone on Mastodon
Comfort Zone on Bluesky”
MacStories Unwind, ‘Banana!’ 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
MacStories Unwind+
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Magic Rays of Light, Episode 177, ‘Acapulco and the Games App’ Show Notes
Pre-Roll
Jason Blum Opens Up About the ‘M3GAN 2.0’ Flop, the Blumhouse Slump, and Bouncing Back | The Town
Highlight
The Games App
Introducing the Apple Games app: A personalized home for games | Apple
Trailer Talk
Apple Original News
Loot — Season 3 Date Announcement
Ted Lasso — Season 4 Now in Production
Grand modèle de langage | Upgrade
Extras
Acapulco — Season 2 Recap
Foundation Season 3 Art Blast | ArtStation Magazine
Foundation – Mind Meld with The Cast of Season 3
Murderbot — The Cast Plays Bitter/Sweet
The Buccaneers — Set Tour with Josie Totah and Aubri Ibrag
TV App Highlights
Dangerous Animals
Materialists
South Park
Code Of Silence
Death of a Unicorn
Happy Gilmore 2
The Phoenician Scheme
Up Next
Union
The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+
Contact
We want to hear from you! Contact us via our feedback form.
Send us a voice message all week via iMessage or email to magic@macstories.net.
Subscribe to Magic Rays of Light on YouTube and follow us on Mastodon and Bluesky.
Sigmund Judge | Follow Sigmund on Mastodon or Bluesky
Devon Dundee | Follow Devon on Mastodon or Bluesky
MacStories launched its first podcast in 2017 with AppStories. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a family of weekly shows that also includes MacStories Unwind, Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and NPC: Next Portable Console that collectively, cover a broad range of the modern media world from Apple’s streaming service and videogame hardware to apps for a growing audience that appreciates our thoughtful, in-depth approach to media.
If you’re interested in advertising on our shows, you can learn more here or by contacting our Managing Editor, John Voorhees.
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Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade.
What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed every MacStories fan.
Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;
Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.