2026-02-03 02:53:03
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 with a single coding agent on targeted edits to supervising coordinated teams of agents across the full lifecycle of designing, building, shipping, and maintaining software.
On first launch, Codex requests permission to access the file system. I granted it access to a subfolder where I stored all my projects, along with the folder that houses an app I’ve been building in my spare time. Those folders and projects live in the left sidebar, where each can be expanded to reveal chat sessions for that project.
Access to your other development tools.
In the toolbar is an Open button for accessing other development tools installed on your Mac, a Commit button for managing version control, a button that reveals a terminal view that expands up from the bottom of the window, and a diff panel for reviewing code changes. In settings, you’ll find additional customization options, along with tools to hook up MCP servers and integrate skills.
Some of Codex’s customization options.
Codex is not your traditional IDE. Agents are front and center, which in an app that is far more natural to use if you’re new to agentic coding, but the model is similar. While I write this article, Codex has been grinding away in the background performing a code review of my app. After spending time reviewing all the files, Codex asked permission to run commands to do things that it can’t accomplish inside its sandboxed environment.
Automations.
The capabilities of Codex are enhanced by skills. OpenAI is kicking off the launch of Codex with a bunch of skills that you can access via its open-source GitHub repo. The app includes a selection of pre-built Automations for repetitive tasks, too.
All in all, Codex looks excellent, but it will take me some time to get a sense of its full capabilities. If you’re interested in trying Codex, you can download it from OpenAI here. For a limited time, the company is making the tool available to Free and Go subscribers, for whom rate limits have been temporarily doubled, as well as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu users.
2026-01-31 03:28:27
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
This week, Federico and John go it alone without Brendon to cover Game Pass on ARM, an avalanche of AYANEO announcements, and why the TrimUI Brick Pro has shot up their most-anticipated handheld list for 2026.
On NPC XL, Federico shows off the Ayn Odin 3 and reports the results of his efforts to brute force his way to what he’s using like a Steam Deck mini.
Chris has a Creator Studio, Matt has a less official Creator Studio, and the whole gang shows off their Minecraft houses.
On Cozy Zone, we tier list iPads. Chris has never been more in his element than in this one!
This week, John escapes the big freeze and the Club comes home to MacStories – plus, TV picks and Brendon Bigley drops in to say “hi” and share a pick.
NPC XL is a weekly members-only version of NPC with extra content, available exclusively through our new Patreon for $5/month. Each week on NPC XL, Federico, Brendon, and John record a special segment or deep dive about a particular topic that is released alongside the “regular” NPC episodes. You can subscribe here.
For even more from the Comfort Zone crew, you can subscribe to Cozy Zone. Cozy Zone is a weekly bonus episode of Comfort Zone where Matt, Niléane, and Chris invite listeners to join them in the Cozy Zone where they’ll cover extra topics, invent wilder challenges and games, and share all their great (and not so great) takes on tech. You can subscribe to Cozy Zone for $5 per month here or $50 per year here.
🌊 The Lighthouse is just $4.99 in the TV app.
Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe star in this acclaimed psychological horror from the director of The Witch.
Affiliate link: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-lighthouse/umc.cmc.2gh13feg8tcy7lr2fzv2q09b7?at=1001l3bhP&ct=unwind_deal
We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free with high bitrate audio every week. To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page.
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, NPC: Next Portable Console, and First, Last, Everything 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.
2026-01-30 10:01:46
Pet lovers, rejoice! After debuting immersive series and specials on subjects ranging from nature and travel to music and sports on the Vision Pro over the past couple of years, Apple is now inviting viewers into the world of competitive dog showing with Top Dogs. Available now, the two-part docuseries offers a one-of-a-kind perspective on Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show, following competitors and their owners as they give their all in hopes of winning the coveted Best in Show trophy.
Let me tell you: having had a chance to see the docuseries, these are some very good dogs. Throughout the roughly 30 minutes of video, I got the chance to see tons of adorable and prim canines, some from breeds I’d never heard of before. Crufts attracts nearly 20,000 competitors each year, so there were plenty of great dogs to meet. It’s worth watching the show just for the shots of the cute pups alone.
But Top Dogs is about more than just making new canine friends. The series offers a great overview of the dog show itself, including some behind-the-scenes footage of the lower-level competitions I wasn’t familiar with from my casual viewings of dog shows in the past. The series also employs the best use of graphics I’ve seen so far in Apple Immersive Video, explaining the dog show’s various rounds with expansive 3D charts. It includes an excellent opening title sequence, too, something I didn’t realize I was missing in these immersive series up until now.
The show tracks the journeys of several dog-owner pairs throughout the event, highlighting the magnificent bonds between people and their pets as well as the thrill they experience moving through the competition. Of course, viewers also get to see the moment the Best in Show winner is crowned, which is very touching. And the series breaks up the various rounds of the dog show with clips from the other competitions at Crufts – one focused on speed and the other on agility – showcasing the dogs’ athletic abilities in addition to their looks.
The series does sometimes rely on non-immersive footage for moments and angles that weren’t captured in Apple Immersive Video. I didn’t find the transition back and forth between formats to be jarring, but the traditional footage did make me appreciate even more the added depth and dynamism of immersive video. As good as the 2D footage looked, it didn’t have nearly as much of an impact as the immersive segments did. If mixing immersive and non-immersive formats leads to more events being captured in this way, I think that’s a worthwhile compromise. The only change I’d like to see is making the non-immersive video slightly bigger in the frame; looking straight ahead, I could see top and bottom borders of the video in my line of sight, which further broke the immersion for me.
I had a lot of fun watching Top Dogs, and I recommend anyone with a Vision Pro check it out, too. It’s a nice change of pace for immersive video and, like Apple’s other immersive offerings before it, gives every Vision Pro user a chance to have an experience usually available to only a few people. You may never make it to Birmingham to attend Crufts in person, but you can see the best of it in high-quality 3D from the comfort of your home – no travel kennel required.
Top Dogs is available now in the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro.
2026-01-30 06:05:16
Today, Apple reported its 2026 Q1 earnings, posting quarterly revenue of $143.8 billion a 16% increase from a year ago.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had this to say of the results:
Today, Apple is proud to report a remarkable, record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent from a year ago and well above our expectations. iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment, and Services also achieved an all-time revenue record, up 14 percent from a year ago. We are also excited to announce that our installed base now has more than 2.5 billion active devices, which is a testament to incredible customer satisfaction for the very best products and services in the world.
As CFO Kevan Parekh noted in Apple’s press release, today’s results set an all-time earnings-per-share record, with an 19% increase and $54 billion of operating cash flow.
So yes, Apple continues to make a lot of money. Global trade politics, currency exchange rates, component prices like RAM, and other factors are all risks that could put a damper on the company’s earnings in the future, but so far, the company is doing fine. For all the details and an earnings call that is just getting started, visit Apple’s investor page.
