Meet Dot: OpenAI's Always On Agent

This week on AppStories, Federico and John kick off a miniseries highlighting their favorite iPhone Duo apps.Then on AppStories+ for subscribers, John explains the technical details of Apple's announcement of tools and skills for Siri AI.Also available on YouTube here.---Sponsored By:Astropad Workbench – Remote desktop and terminal for AI agents. Free to use for 20 minutes/day.Base44 – Build the real thing with Base44. Describe the software you need in your own words and get a working build. Get 30% off the Builder plan for your first year.---Links and Show NotesMacStories iPhone Duo App CoverageApple: More Than 100,000 iPhone Duo Apps Are Now on the App StoreMy Favorite iPhone Duo Productivity Apps, Vol. 1Our Favorite iPhone Duo Apps: Weird and Wonderful, Vol. 1Apps MentionedDuoBoxDuometryHinge CaliperSafe CrackerPopfoldFold & SquishSnapshotsDuopaperFlipcorderAjarFinelinerTypeDrawT3 CodeCalendariaSuper Easy TimerFlitSillAppStories+ Post-Show: Notes from Apple’s Siri AI Labs: Schemas, Tools, and SkillsSiri AI’s Evolution Is Both Surprising and Obvious---Chapters(00:00) - AppStories' iPhone Duo App Miniseries (05:50) - DuoBox (07:53) - Hinge Caliper (08:58) - Duometry (10:17) - Safe Cracker (11:26) - Sponsor: Astropad Workbench (13:21) - T3 Code (17:00) - Ajar (18:33) - Fineliner (20:18) - TypeDraw (21:49) - Flit (23:49) - Popfold (25:12) - Calendaria (27:40) - Sponsor: Base44 (30:09) - Fold & Squish (31:47) - Flipcorder (32:59) - Snapshots (34:14) - Super Easy Timer (36:34) - Duopaper (37:49) - Sill Leave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

This week on AppStories, Federico shares his first impressions of the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display with John.On AppStories+, we dig into more use cases for the new MacBook Pro, the 512GB Mac Studio, and our ideal Mac setups.Also available on YouTube here.---Sponsored By:Astropad Workbench – Remote desktop and terminal for AI agents. Free to use for 20 minutes/day.---Links and Show NotesMacBook Pro with PROLED XDR DisplayApple Brings Touch to the Mac with New OLED MacBook ProsApple Kicks Off Touch on Mac Developer Resources with Videos and LabsMacBook Pro with Touch: A Mac for the iPad GenerationAppStories+ Post-Show:More on MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display use cases and our ideal Mac setups.---Leave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

On this week's episode of AppStories, John returns from New York, Federico returns from London, and they compare notes on the iPhone Duo and the app demos they saw.Then on AppStories+, Federico and John discuss the durability of the iPhone Duo and the sorts of apps that developers are creating for it.Also available on YouTube here.---Sponsored By:Insert Affiliate: Track and reward affiliates for every in-app purchase. Get started today.---Links and Show NotesThe iPhone Duo App Rush and First ImpressionsA Day with the iPhone Duo: First ImpressionsBuilding for iPhone Duo, in App Developers’ Own WordsApps Mentioned:Deck-ManFold AccordionToastieCraftDetailEditsNetflixAmazon Prime VideoNYT CookingNotewiseFantasticalMLBAsphalt LegendsUnGodly — currently a preorder, expected November 11.Also mentioned:Apple iPhone Duo Folio with KickstandLogitech Keys-To-Go 2AppStories+ Post-Show: Reviews and Durability TestingiPhone Duo ReviewiPhone Duo 32,000-Fold TestiPhone Duo Review: 10,000 Folds Later…---Leave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

This week on AppStories, John and Federico talk about Apple's new HomeView, the HomePod mini 2, and Apple TV 4K (4th gen). Then for AppStories+ subscribers, Federico and John dive into the world decomped video games, with a warning for what's to come for developers on Apple's platforms.Also available on YouTube here.---Sponsored By:Claude – Discover what's possible. Try Claude today.---Links and Show NotesApple HomeViewMeet Apple HomeView: A New Way to Enjoy Entertainment and Manage the HomeApple Unveils HomeView: A Smart Home Display Powered by Siri AIHomePod mini 2Apple Announces the Next Generation of HomePod MiniApple Reveals HomePod mini 2 with New Colors, Richer Sound, and Siri AIApple TV 4KApple unveils the new Apple TV 4K, supercharged by Siri AIThe Apple TV 4K Gets Siri AI, an A19 Chip, and a $299 Price TagApple Home CollectionIntroducing Apple Home Collection, a new lineup of smart home accessoriesSiri AI, iOS 27, and the AI LandscapeApple Is Slow-Rolling iOS 27 Adoption, So FarMeta's New Muse AI Agent App Overtakes ChatGPT as Top iPhone AppJohn Ternus on the cover of TimeStreaming and Media AlternativesNVIDIA Shield TVMoonlightfx-upscaleApps Mentioned for HomeView Widgets and CarPlayOvercastPocket CastsCastroMercury WeatherAppStories+ Show NotesDecompilation and Personal SoftwareAI is mass decompiling games. That's both awesome and scaryXbox Encourages Recomp AI Craze With New Experimental Labs DivisionHopper DisassemblerNew on Google Play: More ways to create, discover, and play---Leave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy 

This week on AppStories, Federico and John start realizing the benefits of their attempt to automate all administrative tasks and explain why Apple's vague developer blog post about Full Disk Access and AI agents should concern all Mac users whether or not they use AI.On AppStories+, as John nears the finish line on his podcast production suite for the Mac, he explains how the project started and what it's done to improve his podcasting workflow.Also available on YouTube here.---Sponsored By:Crickets: The First Alarm Clock for Families. For a limited time, get 50% off for 6 months with code MACSTORIES2026 by selecting Redeem on the app’s paywall.---Links and Show NotesApple's Full Disk Access AnnouncementApple Announces Plan to Impose New Full Disk Access Controls on Mac DevelopersApple Developer Blog postMeta’s New Muse AI Agent Read My Private Messages. I Never Asked It ToMeta denies its Muse AI agent read a journalist's private messagesSome Mac Utilities That Rely on Full Disk AccessRaycastAlfredBloomSetappCleanMyMacDaisyDiskPixelmator ProAppStories+ Post-ShowTools and services mentioned:RiversideTransistorLibsynLogic ProFinal Cut ProHushiZotope RXWhisper---Leave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy 

Meet Dot: OpenAI's Always On AgentThis week on AppStories, John is back from OpenAI DevDay, so he and Federico cover the history of AI agents, the current landscape, and what OpenAI is doing with Dots. On AppStories+, Federico provides a sneak peek at what's in store for his Reminders, Notes, and upcoming CLIs.Also available on YouTube here.Links and Show NotesAI AgentsOpenAI Dots and DevDay 2026OpenAI launches Dots, its bubbly agentic avatar (TechCrunch)OpenAI’s Dots: A First LookSelf Hosted AgentsOpenClawOpenClaw on GitHubHermes AgentOpenAI hires OpenClaw creator Peter SteinbergerHosted Agent CompetitorsMeta's Muse becomes App Store's hottest downloadGrok BotGrok Bot Brings Always-On AI Agents to macOS and iOSAppStories+ Post-Show:RemCTL: GitHubMacStories: Introducing RemCTL, the Power-User Reminders CLI for macOS and AI AgentsNotesCTL: Club MacStories downloadMacStories: NotesCTL, a Club MacStories Preview of Federico’s Advanced Apple Notes CLI ToolLeave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

This week on AppStories, John shares his favorite parts of macOS and watchOS 27 from his reviews of both.On AppStories+, Federico and John begin revisiting new their long lists of automation projects.Also available on YouTube here.Sponsored By:Scribe – AI-powered workflow documentation. Get your first month free.Links and Show NotesJohn's macOS and watchOS 27 ReviewsmacOS 27: The MacStories ReviewwatchOS 27: The MacStories ReviewAppStories+ Show NotesAI Agents and Cloud DevelopmentClaude Code ProjectsCursor Cloud AgentsMuse (Meta AI agent)Grok BotLocal AI on Mac StudioQwen3.8 Flash NextXiaomi MiMo-V2.6MLXLM StudioDraw ThingsoMLXmlx-serveDwarfStarOpen MinisTailscaleLeave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

This week on AppStories, John interviews Federico about his review of the M5 Ultra Mac Studio and it local AI capabilities.On AppStories+, Federico takes listeners behind the scenes on how he tested the M5 Ultra Mac Studio.Also available on YouTube here.Sponsored By:Workbench: Remote desktop for AI agents and headless Mac minis. Free to use for 20 minutes/day.Claude – For problems worth solving — get started with Claude today.Links and Show NotesRunning Local AI Models on Apple's Latest MacsM5 Ultra Mac Studio Review: The Dream Mac for Local AI AgentsApple HardwareMac StudioMac miniStudio Display XDRLocal ModelsQwen3.8-Flash-NextQwen3.8-27BDeepSeek-V4-FlashGLM-5.3-FlashCohere TranscribeQwen3-TTSQwen-Image-2.1Local Inference and ClusteringoMLXexoAgent Apps and ToolsHermes AgentHermes Agent on GitHubOpen MinisCaduOpenAI Brings Computer Use to Codex App on WindowsFrontier Models and WorkflowGPT-6 AstraClaude Fable 5.1Claude ProjectsArtificial Analysis Intelligence IndexElyxNVIDIA PC ComparisonGeForce RTX 5090Lian Li A3-mATXNVIDIA DGX SparkAppStories+ Post-Show:A preview of how Federico used local AI models to support his iOS and iPadOS 27 review.Leave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

This week Federico shares thoughts from his review of iOS and iPadOS 27. Then in the AppStories+ post-show, he explains how he used agents to support the production of the review and Club MacStories extras.Also available on YouTube here.Sponsored By:Granola – The AI notepad for back-to-back days. Try for 3 months, for free, with code MACSTORIES.Links and Show NotesiOS and iPadOS 27: The MacStories ReviewFederico's iOS and iPadOS 27 ReviewOur OS 27 Review Extras: eBooks, Shortcuts, and the Making of the iOS and iPadOS 27 ReviewOn AppStories Next Week:macOS 27: The MacStories ReviewwatchOS 27: The MacStories ReviewAppStories+ Post-Show:The Role Agents Played in Review ProductionLeave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy

This week on AppStories, we celebrate the 500th episode of the show with a look at the App Store's past, present, and future.On AppStories+, Federico and John pick some of their all-time favorite apps.Also available on YouTube here.Sponsored By:Claude: For problems worth solving — get started with Claude today.Gentler Streak – Move consistently, not constantly. AppStories listeners get an extended two-week free trial with the link above.Shipaton, from RevenueCat: The world's biggest mobile hackathon for people who actually ship.Links and Show NotesApp Store HistoryThe App Store at 10, MacStories' 2018 coverage of the App Store's 10th anniversaryApps Discussed From The Early App Store EraInstapaperTwitterrificSpotifyWhatsAppAI and the Modern App StoreInside OpenAI's Codex with Andrew Ambrosino (MacStories)AppStories+ Post-Show:All-Time Favorite AppsOvercastEditorialPythonista 3DraftsUnread: An RSS ReaderWorking CopyOpen MinisLaunch Center ProScreens 5: VNC Remote DesktopMercury WeatherCARROT WeatherAlyx Caffeine TrackerSequel Media TrackerLookUpChroniclingJaysonLeave Feedback for John and FedericoAppStories Feedback FormFollow us on Social MediaFederico is @viticci everywhereJohn is @johnvoorhees`everywhereAffiliate Linking Policy