Why both customers and merchants should adopt Apple Pay ASAP
I've been a big proponent of Apple Pay for as long as it has been around. It was launched in late 2014 just after the iPhone 6/6 Plus release, and it would be fair to say adoption was slow at first. Apple announced a modest list of partners they were working with
podcast
BirchTree Podcast #12: Calendars as task managers
I have recently started using calendars to manage my tasks and it's working out surprisingly well so far! Today I walk through why it works better with my brain and his currently helping manage both my busy and non-busy time better.
* WWDC17 wallpapers
* Fantastical
* OmniFocus
* Due
* BusyCal
goodie
Brand new bonus Zelda Breath of the Wild wallpaper
Nintendo updated their Japanese website for Breath of the Wild with some high res character art, and I had to make one quick wallpaper for the totally rad Guardian character. Oh my, I love the look of this game!
video
Login Magic with 1Password for iOS
iOS allows password managers like 1Password and LastPass to easily log you into certain apps and websites. This works in all websites, and quite a few apps (although app developers need to build in support for these apps). Instapaper has a nice implementation of this, and I wanted to show off how quick and easy
goodie
WWDC 2017 Wallpapers
Apple unveiled their WWDC 2017 schedule early this year, and it's going to be in San Jose for the first time in over a decade. The conference will run from June 5-9, which is right over me and my wife's anniversary, so I will not be going this year, but
podcast
BirchTree Podcast Episode 11: Apple Pay is the best Apple service you're probably not using
I know a thing or two about payments, and Apple Pay is very impressive tech. Much like AirPods, Apple Pay is a simple idea executed incredibly well. I did my best to sum up why you should se this up on your iPhone today.
review
The best WordPress app for Mac: Ulysses
Like most people, I have a love/hate relationship with WordPress. I currently run BirchTree on it, but I'd be happy to switch to something else if it were better, but I haven't found it. As Winston Churchill once said:
Indeed, it has been said that WordPress is the worst form
podcast
BirchtTree Podcast Ep 10: The demise of premium hardware?
I discuss this argument that some people make about Apple being in a lot of trouble because their high-end hardware will cease to be an important differentiator in the near future as low-cost smartphones start to take off. If hardware is commoditized, then what is Apple to do? It's an argument
Android
The biggest upgrade to Android Wear 2 (and The Verge's weird review)
Here's the opening to The Verge's review of the LG Watch Sport and Style:
Are you wearing a smartwatch? Not likely. Despite the fact that modern wrist computers have been available for over three years, most people have not found them to be as desirable or necessary as the ubiquitous smartphone.
podcast
BirchTree Podcast 009: There is no magic trick for inspiration
Brief discussion on how I make the time to create all the content for BirchTree, and why there is no magic bullet for creating great content online.
Subscribe to The BirchTree Podcast with this link.
review
AirPods review: The best earbuds I've ever owned
I've been wearing my AirPods quite a bit since I got them 3 weeks ago. They are without a doubt the best earbuds I have ever owned. These aren't just a small step forward, they are a giant leap in many ways and they are right up there with the Amazon
ios
My Mac workflows that will never, ever work on iOS
It's high time I acknowledge my web development workflow will never work on the iPad. Likewise my video editing workflow will never work on iOS at all, nor will my podcasting process. Unless Apple forsakes some of the major pillars of what makes iOS so great in the first place, these workflows of
video
Annotable for iOS: mark up your images with style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivkY9xlQL3M
Quick overview of what makes Annotable my go to app for marking up images on iOS.
Game
Sony's Q3 2016 results: Record hardware sales drive another successful quarter
Sony announced their earnings this week and it was another good quarter for their Game & Network Services division. It was their 6th straight quarter of revenue growth, as well as their 11th in a row of operating at a profit.
The revenue growth was credited largely due to software sales, both digital and physical,
Apple needs to make us at least think they're paying attention to the iPad
Apple had their quarterly earnings call today and they announced numbers that almost all deemed pretty darn good. iPhones were up! Apple Watch was up! Macs were up! Services and Other were both up! But amidst all that good news was the iPad: down again. It was the 12th straight month of decline for the
Android
An Android Review for iOS Users: Conclusion (Day 5)
This is part 5 of a 5 part series on Android from the perspective on an iOS user.
* Part 1: Third Party Apps
* Part 2: Home Screens
* Part 3: Notifications
* Part 4: All the Little Things
* Part 5: Conclusion
After a month of using Android as my daily driver, where do I stand? As I&