podcast
What’s the Motivation for USB-C on iOS? (podcast #112)
There have been people asking Apple to switch the iPhone and iPad to USB-C for years now, and Apple seems as uninterested as ever in actually doing this. Today I pondered why that is and if we can expect to see them change their tune in the near future. I’m skeptical, to say
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Remembering We Don't Have All the Information (Podcast #105)
Apple announced they are doing a major overhaul of their map data and it reminded me that there is a ton going on in the world that we have no visibility to, even at companies we follow intensely. Smart to give yourself a little wiggle room and stay away from definitive statements when it comes
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Nest Thermostat First Impressions (podcast #104)
I got a Nest Thermostat over the weekend. It's my first foray into smart thermostats and my initial impressions are really positive.
Subscribe to The BirchTree Podcast here.
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When Passion Projects Pay Off (podcast #103)
Sometimes a passion project you do on the side pays off in your regular day-to-day life. I have had this happen a few times in the past couple years and I find it to be incredibly rewarding every time. I was reminded of this phenomenon this week as I had to step slightly
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Talking Walkies: Podcast Episode 101
The Walkie Talkie app on coming in watchOS 5 is one of my more anticipated features coming this fall to the Apple Watch. I think I’m going to get a lot of use out of it.
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Sticking With It (podcast episode 100!)
It's hard to create one of something, but it's a whole other level of challenge to make something over and over and over again, all the while keeping yourself and your audience engaged.
BirchTree is my 3rd blog, and this podcast is my 4th podcast. None of my older projects got
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Podcast #99: Auditing Your Digital Workflow
People have a tendency to always be looking for the latest and greatest software to do their work with. They want something new, something shiny. And while tools are important and when possible you should try to use the best tool for the job, this quest to always find something better will not magically make
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Podcast #97: Demystifying Shortcuts in iOS 12 and watchOS 5
Shortcuts might be the coolest new addition to iOS and watchOS coming this fall, and today I do my best to demystify the many layers of this feature.
Understanding Shortcuts in iOS 12 - BirchTree
Subscribe to The BirchTree Podcast here.
podcast
10 Awesome Features Coming in watchOS 5 (podcast episode #96)
Apple unveiled watchOS 5 yesterday and here are my 10 most exciting features I've seen and used in the first beta so far.
1. Automatic workout detection
2. Advanced running features (steps-per-minute, rolling pace)
3. Walkie talkie
4. Podcasts
5. Audio apps in the background
6. Grouped notifications
7. Third party
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WWDC18 Reaction Podcast
Is "hugely smarter" grammatically correct? I hope it is because I said it with confidence in today's second episode of the podcast. These were my immediate impressions following the keynote.
I had no notes and the Apple site hadn't been updated in time for this recording so I blanked
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Podcast #93: Castro 3 Review
Castro 3 came out on Monday of this week and it's a very opinionated podcast player. Listen in to hear why I think this app works so well for me, even if it's not an app for everybody.
Get Castro 3 on the App Store.
Subscribe to The BirchTree Podcast here.
podcast
Podcast #92: Why I've Already Switched Back to the iPhone
Castro 3, Spark 2, OmniFocus 3, Apollo, and Pocket-Run Pool all came out for iOS since I switched to Android 16 days ago. In that same time there have been zero updates or new apps for Android that have me really exacted.
* Castro 3
* Spark 2
* OmniFocus
* Apollo
* Pocket-Run Pool
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Podcast #91: Dumb to Clever to Smart, My History with Watches
I have been wearing watches for my whole life. Long before the Apple Watch became my obsession, I lived for having the time on my wrist.
This episode takes you through my history of being a kid with a cheap Timex, to the wonder introduced by the Pebble, all the way to the wonderful Apple
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Podcast #90: Android P Isn't That Miserable After All
I've been using Android P for 2 weeks and it might just be the least painful time with Android I've ever had. I'm not switching any time soon, but if I were an Android fan I think I'd be happy with this update.
Also, it was basically
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Podcast #89: Google Pixel Buds Update
The Google Pixel Buds got a few new gestures for controls this week and it got me thinking again about how these stack up to AirPods, their clear competitor.
Subscribe to The BirchTree Podcast here.
podcast
Podcast #88: Google News First Impressions
Google News is now available for iOS and Android (if you know where to look) and I have been spending some serious time with the app. Here are my first impressions.
Android APK: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-news/google-news-5-0-0-release/google-news-5-0-0-android-apk-
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Podcast #87: Wear OS is Treading Water
Google only showed off Wear OS at one developer session this year, which was realtively disappointing from a smart watch fan’s perspective. They didn’t show off anything that got me jealous of their wearable platform, and that was a huge disappointment for me.
* Wear OS at I/O
* My watchOS 5 proposal
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Links
I Have One of Those Floaty APKs: My Return to the BYOD Podcast
I love talking to Greg and Nathan on the BYOD Podcast and they were gracious enough to ask me to come on this week to talk about what else: Android.
Matt Birchler joins us to talk about "Micro Podcasts", and dive into Google I/O talking about: How good has Google Assistant became,