podcast
A Year With HomePod (podcast #152)
I’ve had the HomePod for almost a year and wanted to take a few minutes and talk about how it fits into both my life and the larger speaker ecosystem.
If you haven’t heard, I launched a new Youtube channel devoted to video games over the weekend! It’s called BirchTree Gaming and
podcast
It’s Been a While, so Let’s Talk iTunes
I’m back on the podcast to talk about everyone’s favorite software: iTunes.
Game
Documenting DLC’s 2019 Gaming Predictions
This post is intended to be most helpful to Jeff Cannata and Christian Spicer, but hopefully someone else will enjoy seeing all of their bold and “Cool Ranch” predictions from their latest episode of DLC (which also happens to be my favorite gaming podcast out there).
Bold Predictions
1:18:29: Christian says new console
Why God of War is the Best Game of 2018
https://youtu.be/SJIfW3FTaRM
2018 is coming to an end and there are no shortage of “Top X Video Games of the Year” lists out there, but that hasn’t deterred me from making my own list. Since I’m not a professional game reviewer and this isn’t even a video game site, I
Android
Android OS Updates Install 6x Faster than iOS Updates
https://youtu.be/jNtUXH41XVU
As someone who spends time in the iOS and Android worlds, I install a lot of updates. And while these are a pain on iOS, they’re nearly transparent on Android, and I made this video to try and show just how drastic the difference is.
podcast
The BirchTree Smartphone Awards (Podcast #148)
I didn’t get to try out all the smartphones that came out in 2018, but I used the heavy hitters: iPhone XS/XR, Pixel 3, OnePlus 6, Galaxy S9…
These are all good phones in their own ways, but for the first time in years, my picks are not the most expensive phones money
podcast
My Favorite Albums of 2018 (podcast #147)
Listen to this episode at 1x speed!
This week I take a look at some of my favorite albums of 2018. Links to all albums are in the chapter titles so that you can easlity check these out on Apple Music if you hear something you like.
* Blue Madona by BORNS
* DAYTONA by Pusha T
iphone
Why I Personally Prefer the iPhone’s Camera
https://youtu.be/yZfEnYSYj2k
The iPhone has long been a leader in smartphone photography, and last year the Pixel asserted itself in a big way, immediately becoming many people’s new favorite. While I’ve used every iPhone since the 5 and the Pixel 2 and 3, I personally prefer the iPhone for still photography
Android
Round 3: Night Sight vs iPhone XS
I did one more shoot with Night Sight on a Pixel 3 and an iPhone Xs which lead to this message from my wife:
She knows me well…
As with the other comparisons, the first photo will always be the iPhone and the second will be the Pixel.
https://youtu.be/ronqsBnJ-OM
This first
podcast
The Magic of Keyboard Maestro (podcast #146)
Keyboard Maestro is a wonderful app that I app for the Mac that I took way too long to embrace.
https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/
podcast
Why We Can’t Shut Up About the iPad (podcast #145)
Some of us can’t seem to stop talking about the iPad, and I wanted to add a smidge of clarity as to why that’s the case.
Android
On Camera Comparisons
I’ve done quite a few camera comparisons over the past couple years, and they continue to be one of the more popular things on the site. I find them really interesting because they can lead to really surprising results…in certain situations. Let me explain.
So whenever I share a photo comparison and don’
iphone
Pixel 3 Night Sight vs iPhone Xs in Really, Really Low Light Comparison
I did a very similar test a few weeks ago, but I got my hands on a Pixel 3 for a few days and finally (finally!) have a chance to play around with the real deal Night Sight feature that’s getting a ton of hype. You know the deal, so here are some shots
homepod
A Minor HomePod Annoyance (timers with multiple HomePods)
https://youtu.be/TPEc1R6BbdU
The biggest current annoyance I have with the HomePod is how the interact with each other. Basically, if you have multiple HomerPods, none of them know what timers the others are running. So if I set a timer in the kitchen, I can’t make it stop from my HomePod in
podcast
A Major Pain When Editing Video on iOS (Podcast #143)
iOS really wants you to add all of your video files to the Photos app, which is opften convenient, but can be a pain for people like me who handle video files that we don’t really want to be included in our permentant photo and video libraries. This might be a niche episode, but