The hosts introduce the annual MacStories Selects award winners, including the Lifetime Achievement Award winner Pixelmator and Best New App winner Orion. They discuss the features of Long Play 2.0 and highlight the winners of the Best Design category. They also explore the success and features of Widgetsmith as app of the year.
Ivory by Tapbots won the Reader's Choice Award for its customizable and well-designed interface, making Mastodon on Apple devices seamless and enjoyable.
Widgetsmith, developed by David Smith, was named the App of the Year for its innovative approach to designing and customizing widgets, introducing interactive widgets for mini-app experiences on iOS and iPadOS home screens and lock screens.
MindStream, an email app for Gmail, was awarded Best Mac App for bringing all Gmail features into a well-designed native interface with powerful filtering and categorization capabilities.
Mercury Weather, developed by Jacob Eichholtz, won the Best Design category for its outstanding use of gradients, colors, and iconography, offering a customizable layout for a delightful weather tracking experience.
Broadcasts, developed by Steve Troughton-Smith, was named Best Watch App for its elegant design, integration with Shazam, and support for streaming various broadcast types from the Apple Watch.
Deep dives
Ivory by Tapbots: Winner of the Reader's Choice Award
Ivory, the Mastodon client by Tapbots, has been selected as the winner of the Reader's Choice Award. With its customizable and well-designed interface, Ivory has made using Mastodon on Apple devices a seamless and enjoyable experience.
Widgetsmith by David Smith: Winner of App of the Year
Widgetsmith, developed by David Smith, has been announced as the App of the Year. With its innovative approach to designing and customizing widgets, Widgetsmith has become a must-have app for iOS and iPadOS users. The latest update introduced interactive widgets, allowing users to have mini-app experiences on their home screens and lock screens. The app's versatility, combined with its outstanding design and performance, sets it apart from other widget apps.
MindStream: Best Mac App
MindStream, an email app for Gmail developed by the MindStream team, has been awarded Best Mac App. The app brings all the features of Gmail into a native and well-designed user interface. With its powerful filtering, labeling, and categorization capabilities, MindStream enhances the Gmail experience on Mac, providing users with a breath of fresh air.
Mercury Weather: Best Design
Mercury Weather, a weather app developed by designer Jacob Eichholtz, has been recognized for its outstanding design and user experience, winning the Best Design category. The app employs gradients, colors, and iconography to visually convey weather conditions, all while offering a customizable layout for an intuitive and delightful weather tracking experience.
Broadcasts by Steve Troughton-Smith: Best Watch App
Broadcasts, an internet radio app developed by Steve Troughton-Smith, has been named Best Watch App. The app, designed specifically for Apple Watch, allows users to listen to their favorite radio stations directly from their wrist. With its elegant design, integration with Shazam, and support for streaming various broadcast types, Broadcasts sets the standard for watch apps in its category.
Ivory by Tapbots: Runner-Up for App of the Year
Ivory, the Mastodon client developed by Tapbots, has been selected as the runner-up for App of the Year. With its rich functionality, customizable features, and flawless execution, Ivory has truly redefined the Mastodon experience on Apple devices.
Widgetsmith by David Smith: Runner-Up for Best Design
Widgetsmith, developed by David Smith, has been named the runner-up for Best Design. With its interactive and customizable widgets, Widgetsmith offers a unique and visually stunning home screen experience for iOS and iPadOS users.
MindStream: Runner-Up for Best Mac App
MindStream, the Gmail-focused email app developed by the MindStream team, has been recognized as the runner-up for Best Mac App. With its seamless integration of Gmail's features and a native user interface, MindStream provides an enhanced and efficient email experience on the Mac.
Broadcasts by Steve Troughton-Smith: Runner-Up for Best Watch App
Broadcasts, the internet radio app developed by Steve Troughton-Smith, has been selected as the runner-up for Best Watch App. With its intuitive design and the ability to stream a wide variety of content directly from the Apple Watch, Broadcasts delivers a seamless and enjoyable radio listening experience on the wrist.
