podcast
The BirchTree Podcast #56: Opportunity Cost
When I was 21 I didn't have to grapple with opportunity cost. If anyone wanted me to do anything, I'd do it. 10 years later I have found myself in a different place and I have to weigh the pros and cons of everything I choose to do, because doing one
A Quick BirchTree Update
You may have noticed output as been a little slower than usual around here and I just wanted to assure everyone that all is well on the BirchTree front. My professional responsibilities have grown significantly in the past few weeks and I simply haven’t had the time to commit to the site that I
Android
Designing for the Notch on Notch-less Phones
The Android P developer preview is here, and as any good tech blogger with a Google phone would, I installed it on my Pixel 2. One of the notable features of Android P is native support for the new “notched” world we live in. In the post iPhone X world, manufacturers have a green light
goodie
Android P Wallpapers (in ridiculous 16K)
Google released the first developer preview for their upcoming Android P yesterday, and as is my responsibility at this point, I’ve made some wallpapers based on the new logo.
There’s a lot going on in some of these, so I don’t expect everyone to love them, but if this is your style
ios
iOS 12 Concept: Notifications
iOS has quite powerful notifications, so much so that some people were saying we wouldn’t even go into apps much anymore, we’d just do everything from notifications when this style was introduced in iOS 10. That hasn’t played out, and I don’t think we should expect it to anytime soon, but
homepod
HomePod Issue? Just Turn it Off!
A HomePod Intervention - Stephen Hackett
Our smart speakers have always been under a counter in the kitchen, and we brush the top of them a lot more than we realized after the HomePod would start blaring music after any accidental touch. Apple should have an option to disable it.
Having trouble with Siri on the
The Apple and Google News Cycles
It hit me recently how Apple and Google have vastly different strategies for how they address the news cycle throughout an average year. Here’s how they work in my mind:
Apple really focuses their efforts around a few events every year: something small-ish in March, WWDC in June, and iPhones in September. Besides
Apple is Losing the “Siri works in more languages” Advantage
Ask any Siri apologist why Siri is better than Google Assistant and I guarantee one of, if not the first thing they bring up will be that Siri works in more languages. “Doesn’t matter how good Google Assistant is if it doesn’t work in your language!”
This is true, but that lead is
How Much Would You Pay for Apple's AirPower Charging Mat?
Apple’s AirPower said to be released next month, pricing info still unclear | 9to5Mac
A Polish retailer listing back in November suggested that the wireless charging mat could be priced at $199.
I’ve been thinking about this since September, and I have been trying to pin down a price that could entice me. I
AirPods are Too Awesome for their own Good
Opinion: Giving AirPods the praise they deserve and why I won’t upgrade to version 2 | 9to5Mac
AirPods work so well that it’s easy to take for granted just how far ahead of the competition they are.
AirPods will be 2 years old this fall and I think there are a lot of people
goodie
5K Alto’s Odyssey Wallpapers
Alto’s Odyssey is easily the best game I’ve played on iOS for a long time, and come on, you didn’t think I’d let this game go by without any wallpapers, did you?
A few quick notes on these wallpapers firth, though. Alto’s Odyssey has a screenshot feature, but these wallpapers
Hey Siri, Do This Then
“Hey Siri, turn on the bedroom lights at 5:30AM”
“Hey Google, close the shades at sunset”
“Alexa, turn off the TV at 9PM”
“Hey Siri, turn on the A.C. if the temperature gets above 73”
“Hey Google, turn on the house lights when there’s movement in the entry area”
“Alexa, open the
How to set your iPhone or Android Phone to Black and White (and Why It’s a Fun Experiement)
Nellie Bowles got me thinking with this piece in the New York Times about setting your phone into grayscale in order to use it less. She tried this simple solution to try and use her phone less, and I thought “what the hell, let’s try it.” Here’s how you do it on iOS
Links
HomePod as an Accessibility Device
First Impressions of HomePod — Steven's Blog
Accessibility. Like everything else Apple makes, HomePod is an accessible product. Apple officially lists two: VoiceOver and Touch Accommodations. If use VoiceOver on your iOS device, it is automatically turned on when you set up HomePod.
I love that Apple has included accessibility features in the HomePod.
One Really Good Reason to Get an iPhone 8 Over the X
8 & X | Riccardo Mori
In choosing the iPhone 8, what I’d miss most of the X are probably the OLED display and Face ID, but those aren’t must-have features for me, either; certainly not worth spending €350 more to have them (I think those €350 would be better spent on an
podcast
The BirchTree Podcast #55: They Annoy the Hell Out of Me, but I'm Keeping Them
I reviewed the Google Pixel Buds for BirchTree and took to the microphone to rant a little about them. There's a lot of progress to be made here and I hope Google is listening to the feedback from not only me, but most other critics.
Subscribe to The BirchTree Podcast here.
review
An AirPods Lover’s Review of the Google Pixel Buds
Be warned before proceeding, this is a review written by someone who has AirPods, loves them, and will be viewing the Google Pixel Buds intentionally through that lens. I will not talk about them in a vacuum and I will not give Google a pass because this is their first foray into earbuds. I like
watch
I was Wrong
Less than 24 hours after getting the latest Apple Watch, I wrote this post:
Personally, I think the sport loop watch band makes the Apple Watch look cheap. This is a $400+ watch, which is far and away the most expensive watch I’ve ever owned, but the band it comes with feels like something