The Enthusiast Weekly — September 12, 2025

What a week! It really was as busy as I thought it would be. From getting the iOS 26 versions of Widgetsmith and Pedometer++ ready for launch next week, to reporting on the iPhone event, to making sure I have everything wrapped up before leaving for Memphis this weekend — it was a big one. And honestly, the next two weeks are shaping up to be just as busy. Everything I’ve been lining up this week is really just a precursor to what’s coming next. Oh dear… I don’t think I’d realised that until I wrote it out.

Anyway! I’ve enjoyed the work a lot this week. It’s an exciting time. It’s easy to fall into the trap of stress, tiredness, and cynicism, but I refuse to let myself do that. I’m lucky to be able to do the things I want to do in my working life, and I try to remember that when the workload gets heavy.

I think we’re in for a very interesting Fall. From reactions to iOS 26, to reviews of the new iPhones – there’s going to be plenty of good content, and I’m excited to see it all. I’m also looking forward to putting more energy into marketing the Cross Forward suite of apps as we head toward the holiday season. So far I’ve had more trouble than expected in getting advertising and social agencies engaged, but I’ve adjusted my plans and I’m hopeful I can start rolling out some work before the end of the year. I love new projects, and this one is occupying most of my thoughts right now. It’s a good time.

I got my iPhone pre-order in today. It was a little more hectic than in recent years, but I’ll be picking mine up on Saturday. I’m looking forward to digging into it for my shows next week.

Here are a couple of things I’ve enjoyed this week:

• There was a Nintendo Direct today — a long one — and I was very excited to see what Nintendo had planned for this year and beyond. I came away feeling great about the next 12 months. From the Mario celebrations, to Bananza DLC, to the fascinating new Pokémon game Pokopia, to finally getting release dates for Hades II and Metroid Prime 4. Good times ahead!
• We’ve been rewatching Hacks before diving into season 4, and that show is fantastically funny. There was a scheduling drama here as it moved between different streaming services, so season 3 got mega delayed. We tried to jump in, but had completely forgotten what had happened. So rewatching turned out to be not only helpful but thoroughly enjoyable. The show just gets better and better — which feels like a hard thing to pull off.

This time next week I’ll be setting up for our 12-hour Podcastathon for the kids of St. Jude, broadcasting live from the hospital campus. Because of that, I don’t expect to post here next week — but you’ll definitely be hearing from me. Please tune in to the livestream; it’s going to be a really great time.