Weeknote: 18 January 2025 – Switch 2, Mac mini, Apple apps, Faraway and more

The Nintendo Switch 2 had a reveal so quiet it was barely a whisper. The response has been… divisive. I provide my thoughts for Stuff in Nintendo Switch 2 shows not all video game sequels are a bad thing, during which current Craig gives previous Craig A LOOK for something he wrote last year.
The Mac mini turned 20 last week, and that got the Stuff magazine ‘Random Access Memories’ back-page treatment. And just about made it online on the 11th. I may have used the column to also gripe about how much the new Mac mini’s upgrades cost. Never miss an opportunity, etc.
What happens to great apps Apple buys? I looked at a bunch of them for TapSmart, in order to figure out what might be the end game for Pixelmator, which got eaten by Apple in November.
Beyond Ynth is the latest addition to my iPhone classics series. It’s such a smart game, mixing puzzling and platforming as you guide a bug through horizontally scrolling levels by way of tumbling boxes.
Mastodon will transfer key ecosystem elements to a non-profit. Given the rapid descent of everything Meta, Mastodon’s decision feels like a good thing, ensuring the network can never be controlled by a single individual.
Steph Thirion has returned, in a manner that even John Gruber would allow a “finally”. Thirion’s Faraway is now on Steam, with a planned release in 2025. It was originally announced something like 15 years ago, as a follow-up to the amazing and much-missed Eliss. (If ever there’s a game Apple should resurrect for Apple Arcade, it’s Eliss. Perhaps by 2040.)