Matt Birchler
@birchtree.me
📤 1879
📥 261
📝 1555
🔗 It’s cancel Kimmel time again
https://birchtree.me/blog/its-cancel-kimmel-time-again/
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It’s cancel Kimmel time again
Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday last week in a skit on his show: And of course, our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at-- so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow. You know, Melania's birthday is on Sunday. That's right. She's planning to celebrate at home
https://birchtree.me/blog/its-cancel-kimmel-time-again/
about 7 hours ago
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đź”— 600% is the new 2 + 2 = 5
https://birchtree.me/blog/600-is-the-new-2-2-5/
1 day ago
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Oh no, Vampire Crawlers is very, very good. Those mad lads have done it again!
poncle.games/vampire-cra...
1 day ago
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đź”— + Trump's appeal to influencers
https://birchtree.me/blog/trumps-appeal-to-influencers/
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+ Trump's appeal to influencers
Tech, Apple, and the vast grey area that is AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/trumps-appeal-to-influencers/
2 days ago
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đź”— Quick Reads is the future that passkey enthusiasts dream of
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-reads-is-the-future-that-passkey-enthusiasts-dream-of/
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Quick Reads is the future that passkey enthusiasts dream of
I neglected to mention it in the announcement post, but another thing I'm really excited about with Quick Reads is that it's the first app I've made so far that requires users to sign in. I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-reads-is-the-future-that-passkey-enthusiasts-dream-of/
4 days ago
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đź”— Quick Reads: I built the read later app I'd always wanted
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-reads-i-built-the-read-later-app-id-always-wanted/
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Quick Reads: I built the read later app I'd always wanted
I'm happy to finally announce Quick Reads is available to everyone in a sort of early access today. This has been my only read later service since February, and it's genuinely the best product for the job for me. I think the product largely speaks for itself, so I'm not
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-reads-i-built-the-read-later-app-id-always-wanted/
5 days ago
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đź”— I got the MX Master 4 and I could not be more disappointed
https://birchtree.me/blog/i-got-the-mx-master-4-and-i-could-not-be-more-disappointed/
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I got the MX Master 4 and I could not be more disappointed
I got an email this morning informing me that my Best Buy credit was about to expire if I didn't use it. So I pulled the trigger on the updated Logitech MX Master 4, the latest and greatest in the quintessential productivity mouse line of the past decade. I owned
https://birchtree.me/blog/i-got-the-mx-master-4-and-i-could-not-be-more-disappointed/
5 days ago
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One of my pet peeves is software that leaks your email if you are screen sharing, so my next app will never do that to you.
6 days ago
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đź”— John Ternus will be Apple's next CEO (starting September 1, 2026)
https://birchtree.me/blog/john-ternus-will-be-apples-next-ceo-starting-september-1-2026/
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John Ternus will be Apple's next CEO (starting September 1, 2026)
Apple: Tim Cook to become Apple Executive ChairmanJohn Ternus to become Apple CEO Under Cook’s leadership Apple has grown from a market capitalization of approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion, representing a more than 1,000% increase, and yearly revenue has nearly quadrupled, from $108 billion in fiscal year
https://birchtree.me/blog/john-ternus-will-be-apples-next-ceo-starting-september-1-2026/
7 days ago
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đź”— + Argue more effectively
https://birchtree.me/blog/argue-more-effectively/
8 days ago
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đź”— Our computers are just too good
https://birchtree.me/blog/our-computers-are-just-too-good/
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Our computers are just too good
Andy Nicolaides: I’m not a Pro, and that’s okay. I started to realise recently, but was fully reconciled in my mind after using the MacBook Neo for a few days. The realisation is that, when it comes to my personal devices at least, I’m not a pro
https://birchtree.me/blog/our-computers-are-just-too-good/
8 days ago
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🔗 Quick 🤫 update
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-update-on-that-one-app/
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Quick 🤫 update
An update on my biggest project yet. I swear it's almost ready!
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-update-on-that-one-app/
11 days ago
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đź”— What if games could be "pretty successful" and not out the developer out of business?
https://birchtree.me/blog/what-if-games-could-be-pretty-successful-and-not-out-the-developer-out-of-business/
12 days ago
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đź”— Will iPadOS 27 bring back split view?
https://birchtree.me/blog/will-ipados-27-bring-back-split-view/
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Will iPadOS 27 bring back split view?
Zac Kew-Denniss: iPadOS 26 multitasking is so bad that I’ve replaced my iPad with an Android tablet The biggest mistake Apple made in iPadOS 26 was making all of these changes in the iPad’s default mode. I’m the go-to tech support for a large group of older
https://birchtree.me/blog/will-ipados-27-bring-back-split-view/
12 days ago
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đź”— No vibe coded visionOS bump
https://birchtree.me/blog/no-vibe-coded-visionos-bump/
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No vibe coded visionOS bump
This post on Reddit caught my attention: Been curious about the state of the visionOS ecosystem so I pulled the numbers from Appfigures on every app released specifically for visionOS since the platform was announced. This excludes the thousands of 2D iPad/iPhone apps that are just compatible with the
https://birchtree.me/blog/no-vibe-coded-visionos-bump/
12 days ago
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đź”— Where did the MP3s come from?
https://birchtree.me/blog/where-did-the-mp3s-come-from/
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Where did the MP3s come from?
Nick Vukotic (random person, I don’t vouch for them) on Threads I love the decade where every major electronics manufacturer was selling mp3 players but no one was asking where the mp3s were coming from I would love to know what percentage of the music on MP3 players back
https://birchtree.me/blog/where-did-the-mp3s-come-from/
12 days ago
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đź”— Chrome, Safari, and battery myths
https://birchtree.me/blog/chrome-safari-and-battery-myths/
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Chrome, Safari, and battery myths
On this week's Waveform podcast, Marques Brownlee and crew were talking about browsers and a common topic came up: Safari is only good for one thing, which is battery life. And: Commonly accepted facts. Accepted by who? Lunatics? I would say ask any browser enthusiast. And: I'm on an Apple
https://birchtree.me/blog/chrome-safari-and-battery-myths/
13 days ago
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Me: MAGA is a cult MAGA: no we're not! Trump:
truthsocial.com/@realDonald...
15 days ago
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đź”— The "heads I win, tails you lose" mentality
https://birchtree.me/blog/the-heads-i-win-tails-you-lose-mentality/
15 days ago
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đź”— + Bad at watching TV
https://birchtree.me/blog/bad-at-watching-tv/
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+ Bad at watching TV
Tech, Apple, and the vast grey area that is AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/bad-at-watching-tv/
16 days ago
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đź”— + Absolute awe
https://birchtree.me/blog/absolute-awe/
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+ Absolute awe
Tech, Apple, and the vast grey area that is AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/absolute-awe/
17 days ago
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đź”— Micro app 14: Podcast Transcript Fixer
https://birchtree.me/blog/micro-app-14-podcast-transcript-fixer/
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Micro app 14: Podcast Transcript Fixer
Today I'm sharing a pretty simple micro-app: a Claude skill that you can use in the desktop app or in Claude Code. It lets you pass in a podcast transcript and helps clean it up for you. The local models we have today for creating transcriptions are really great, but
https://birchtree.me/blog/micro-app-14-podcast-transcript-fixer/
19 days ago
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đź”— Chrome gets side tabs
https://birchtree.me/blog/chrome-gets-side-tabs/
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Chrome gets side tabs
David Pierce: Vertical browser tabs are better and you should use them The good news here is, you don’t have to take my word for it. Switching browsers is hard, and maybe you don’t want to do it just for vertical tabs. But update Chrome, right-click the tab
https://birchtree.me/blog/chrome-gets-side-tabs/
20 days ago
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🔗 Samsung is discontinuing it's messaging app…helping iPhone users get encrypted RCS
https://birchtree.me/blog/samsung-is-discontinuing-its-messaging-app-helping-iphone-users-get-encrypted-rcs/
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Samsung is discontinuing it's messaging app…helping iPhone users get encrypted RCS
Last month, I wrote about how Apple is working on adding support for encrypted RCS messages between Apple Messages on iOS and Google Messages on Android. At the time, I said I hoped Apple would make this work with Samsung's messaging app as well so that basically all Americans could
https://birchtree.me/blog/samsung-is-discontinuing-its-messaging-app-helping-iphone-users-get-encrypted-rcs/
21 days ago
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đź”— Video gaming prices continue to explode
https://birchtree.me/blog/video-gaming-prices-continue-to-explode/
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Video gaming prices continue to explode
Just 6 months ago, Lenovo launched their Legion Go 2 handheld PC game console. It came in 2 versions, each with a different chip (AMD Ryzen Z2 or Z2 Extreme) powering the device. They came in at the profoundly premium price points of $1,099 and $1,349. Now, those
https://birchtree.me/blog/video-gaming-prices-continue-to-explode/
24 days ago
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đź”— Nintendo's digital games will be cheaper than physical
https://birchtree.me/blog/nintendos-digital-games-will-be-cheaper-than-physical/
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Nintendo's digital games will be cheaper than physical
Nintendo: About Nintendo Switch 2 Game Pricing Beginning in May 2026, and starting with preorders for Yoshi™ and the Mysterious Book, new Nintendo published digital titles exclusive to Nintendo Switch™ 2 will have an MSRP that is different from physical versions. Considering Nintendo caught up with Sony and Microsoft and
https://birchtree.me/blog/nintendos-digital-games-will-be-cheaper-than-physical/
25 days ago
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It’s amazing to me how many people still get confused by this. Also, Apple emails you a detailed receipt for each charge so you know exactly what you paid for.
9to5mac.com/2026/04/02/...
25 days ago
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🔗 That’s jus how media discussions go
https://birchtree.me/blog/thats-jus-how-media-discussions-go/
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That’s jus how media discussions go
jess77x in a Reddit post about Pluribus: The discourse around this show is so weird. It's either a masterpiece or a total slog. And everyone is just talking past each other and calling people illiterate/TikTok brained for disliking it or pretentious shills for liking it. And it's a shame
https://birchtree.me/blog/thats-jus-how-media-discussions-go/
26 days ago
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đź”— OpenAI against the world
https://birchtree.me/blog/openai-against-the-world/
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OpenAI against the world
Ben Thompson: Apple’s 50 Years of Integration It’s also worth noting that OpenAI has, in its relatively short life, managed to frame itself as a competitor to basically everyone in tech, from Google to Meta to Microsoft, only to find itself forced to pivot in the face of
https://birchtree.me/blog/openai-against-the-world/
26 days ago
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đź”— + Have I burned out on YouTube?
https://birchtree.me/blog/have-i-burned-out-on-youtube/
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+ Have I burned out on YouTube?
Tech, Apple, and the vast grey area that is AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/have-i-burned-out-on-youtube/
26 days ago
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đź”— Apple at 50: my most memorable product announcements
https://birchtree.me/blog/apple-at-50-my-most-memorable-product-announcements/
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Apple at 50: my most memorable product announcements
Apple turns 50 today, so I thought I'd take some time to think back on some of the most memorable Apple product announcements. I'm relying entirely on my own memory, so forgive me if I get some small details wrong. Original iPhone We have to start with the original iPhone
https://birchtree.me/blog/apple-at-50-my-most-memorable-product-announcements/
26 days ago
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đź”— Buy today's budget or yesterday's premium?
https://birchtree.me/blog/buy-todays-budget-or-yesterdays-premium/
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Buy today's budget or yesterday's premium?
One of the things that raised a bit of a stink in my MacBook Neo review was the idea that it might be prudent for people looking to buy a $600-700 MacBook to also consider older devices off mainstream storefronts like Amazon, eBay, and Best Buy. To me, it made
https://birchtree.me/blog/buy-todays-budget-or-yesterdays-premium/
28 days ago
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đź”— Micro app 13: The Comfort Zone Database
https://birchtree.me/blog/micro-app-13-the-comfort-zone-database/
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Micro app 13: The Comfort Zone Database
Something I find myself doing from time to time is wondering if I've mentioned a piece of tech before, run a specific challenge before, or just trying to remember what episode to reference when directing people to an old episode. This data exists and could be acquired if I needed
https://birchtree.me/blog/micro-app-13-the-comfort-zone-database/
29 days ago
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🔗 iOS…iPadOS…are you getting it? These are not two different operating systems…
https://birchtree.me/blog/ios-ipados-are-you-getting-it-these-are-not-two-different-operating-systems/
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iOS…iPadOS…are you getting it? These are not two different operating systems…
The above screenshot is from the iPad, and it's where you get to choose how you would like apps to display in the OS. Given my recent assertions that iOS and iPadOS are already the same thing, but with different exposed features on some devices, I'd suggest that the iPhone
https://birchtree.me/blog/ios-ipados-are-you-getting-it-these-are-not-two-different-operating-systems/
29 days ago
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đź”— Quick Tier List gets Quick Look
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-tier-list-gets-quick-look/
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Quick Tier List gets Quick Look
This morning, I pushed a small, but important update the Quick Tier List, what I think is the best tier list web app out there. Quick Look You can now select an item from the unranked section and press the spacebar to quick look that image, just like in the
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-tier-list-gets-quick-look/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Quick Subtitles 2.2 - UX and UI improvements galore
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-subtitles-2-2-ux-and-ui-improvements-galore/
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Quick Subtitles 2.2 - UX and UI improvements galore
The latest version of Quick Subtitles is here, and it's packed with some significant UI and UX improvements. Let's dive into the UX enhancements first. Better loading indicators A few versions ago, I added support for third-party transcription models like Parakeet and Whisper. Unlike Apple's built-in model, these models aren't
https://birchtree.me/blog/quick-subtitles-2-2-ux-and-ui-improvements-galore/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Removing macOS's icon-sized movie player
https://birchtree.me/blog/removing-macoss-icon-sized-movie-player/
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Removing macOS's icon-sized movie player
Back in 2007 Apple released Mac OS X Leopard, which introduced a bunch of cool features including Quick Look. This allowed users to select a file and hit the space bar to preview it in the finder, which is awesome but it also made it so that audio and video
https://birchtree.me/blog/removing-macoss-icon-sized-movie-player/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Console prices are insane now
https://birchtree.me/blog/console-prices-are-insane-now/
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Console prices are insane now
All prices in this post are adjusted for inflation. In 2000, Sony launched the PS2 for $561. By 2006, they had a $209 model that was thinner, but had all the power and features of the original model. This was how the world went: consoles launch, and then get cheaper
https://birchtree.me/blog/console-prices-are-insane-now/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— About those "Chrome on Android is faster than Safari on the iPhone" claims
https://birchtree.me/blog/about-those-chrome-on-android-is-faster-than-safari-on-the-iphone-claims/
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About those "Chrome on Android is faster than Safari on the iPhone" claims
This week, Google posted that Chrome on Android was now notably faster at browsing the web than Safari on iOS. This led to the bold line in the post: Android is now the fastest mobile platform for web browsing. Likely due to corporate lameness, they didn't put specific labels on
https://birchtree.me/blog/about-those-chrome-on-android-is-faster-than-safari-on-the-iphone-claims/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— MacBook Neo, the benchmarks
https://birchtree.me/blog/macbook-neo-the-benchmarks/
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MacBook Neo, the benchmarks
I wrote in my review that I didn't think benchmarks told the real story of using a Neo, and I specifically called out the Geekbench CPU single-core test as particularly misleading. That said, I do think the benchmarks are interesting academically, and in terms of what they say about the
https://birchtree.me/blog/macbook-neo-the-benchmarks/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Yearly Run Goals gets a rustic redesign
https://birchtree.me/blog/yearly-run-goals-gets-a-rustic-redesign/
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Yearly Run Goals gets a rustic redesign
I'm starting to think my apps have a trend. I think of a very specific problem that I want to solve. I figure out a nice way to solve it using stock SwiftUI. And then once everything is working, I give it a bit of style. This happened with Quick
https://birchtree.me/blog/yearly-run-goals-gets-a-rustic-redesign/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— + Why ChapterPod became Chapterize
https://birchtree.me/blog/why-chapterpod-became-chapterize/
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+ Why ChapterPod became Chapterize
Tech, Apple, and the vast grey area that is AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/why-chapterpod-became-chapterize/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— ChapterPod is now Chapterize
https://birchtree.me/blog/chapterpod-is-now-chapterize/
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ChapterPod is now Chapterize
I'm excited to announce a new era for ChapterPod! Due to a bit of a trademark issue (one I am morally in the right on but will address anyway), the app is now called Chapterize. In addition to the new name, I've added a video feature. This allows you to
https://birchtree.me/blog/chapterpod-is-now-chapterize/
about 1 month ago
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Not me absolutely howling on my walk as I spot this bumper sticker. I just spent $50 to fill up a Chevy Cruze đź«
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Sora is dead
https://birchtree.me/blog/sora-is-dead/
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Sora is dead
OpenAI announced the end of the Sora app on Twitter today. We’re saying goodbye to the Sora app. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing. We’ll share
https://birchtree.me/blog/sora-is-dead/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Switch 2 sales estimates drop, and why I think console gaming is currently in decline
https://birchtree.me/blog/switch-2-sales-estimates-drop-and-why-i-think-console-gaming-is-currently-in-decline/
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Switch 2 sales estimates drop, and why I think console gaming is currently in decline
Jess Weatherbed: Nintendo cuts Switch 2 production amid weakening console sales Nintendo will produce fewer Switch 2 units than it previously projected in response to weakening demand for the console in the US, Bloomberg reports. Four million units of Nintendo’s flagship device are expected to be made this quarter
https://birchtree.me/blog/switch-2-sales-estimates-drop-and-why-i-think-console-gaming-is-currently-in-decline/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— + We need to create an open web worth saving (because what we have now deserves to be destroyed)
https://birchtree.me/blog/we-need-to-create-an-open-web-worth-saving-because-what-we-have-now-deserves-to-be-destroyed/
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+ We need to create an open web worth saving (because what we have now deserves to be destroyed)
Tech, Apple, and the vast grey area that is AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/we-need-to-create-an-open-web-worth-saving-because-what-we-have-now-deserves-to-be-destroyed/
about 1 month ago
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Jason Snell is a great sparring partner to have in the blogging space, and he got me thinking about what I am actually trying to accomplish with my reviews. To me, it's about wearing a totally different hat than I do when analyzing the company day-to-day.
birchtree.me/blog/analys...
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Analyst hat comes off, reviewer hat goes on
Jason Snell thought my MacBook Neo review missed the point of the product: But this entire conversation misses the most important thing about the MacBook Neo: It is sold in every Apple Store, on Apple’s website, and in every Apple sales channel. Most people won’t think to cruise
https://birchtree.me/blog/analyst-hat-comes-off-reviewer-hat-goes-on/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Analyst hat comes off, reviewer hat goes on
https://birchtree.me/blog/analyst-hat-comes-off-reviewer-hat-goes-on/
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Analyst hat comes off, reviewer hat goes on
Jason Snell thought my MacBook Neo review missed the point of the product: But this entire conversation misses the most important thing about the MacBook Neo: It is sold in every Apple Store, on Apple’s website, and in every Apple sales channel. Most people won’t think to cruise
https://birchtree.me/blog/analyst-hat-comes-off-reviewer-hat-goes-on/
about 1 month ago
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đź”— Why Americans hate* AI
https://birchtree.me/blog/why-americans-hate-ai/
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Why Americans hate* AI
This week's topics include: * Why Americans are more negative on AI than any other country in the world * Why DLSS 5 had one of the all-time worst reveals ever * Why people are drawn to technically inferior products like the MacBook Neo and iPhone Air
https://birchtree.me/blog/why-americans-hate-ai/
about 1 month ago
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