About Matt Birchler

Product designer at NMI, YouTuber, and podcaster

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I’ve been using iOS 18 all summer. This is what has made a difference to me

2024-09-16 04:35:11

There are a billion things in iOS 18 this year, and I highly suggest checking out Federico Viticci’s review over on MacStories, but here are a few things that have actually been impactful for me since installing the beta back in June. This is addressing things in iOS

I appreciate box office data is just out there for everyone

2024-09-16 03:17:39

Nicole Sperling for the New York Times: Apple Rethinks Its Movie Strategy After a String of Misses

Apple executives in Cupertino were already questioning the entertainment units over the amount of money being spent on movies, and the people said there was a thought within the company to not risk

Everyone says Chrome devastates Mac battery life, but does it? I tested for 36 hours to find out.

2024-09-15 01:59:32

Long time Birchtree readers know I love data, and love data even more when I can throw it into a graph. I’m also a fan of testing things that everyone generally agrees are true, but no one seems to have any data to back up.

That brings us

The iPad wasn’t supposed to have this until it did

2024-09-12 20:00:32

I was researching for my last article when I stumbled upon this post from John Gruber in 2011 where he responds to a bad article on Time.com about Windows 8. What was interesting to me was this bit about how Excel on an iPad with the ability to open

Apple adds a new way for merchants to do business

2024-09-12 09:28:21

Apple on their developer site today: Set Up Win-Back Offers

If your app offers auto-renewable subscriptions, you have the option to set up win-back offers to encourage lapsed subscribers to re-subscribe on the App Store. You can configure offers in App Store Connect to be displayed to eligible customers on

Empathy, the buttons on timers and alarms are reversed, and my 3 year old fix I still dig

2024-09-12 08:33:19

There’s a trope online where someone will post pictures of the iOS screen when alarms and timers are going off and they’ll lament, “why are the actions reversed, it’s confusing!” This post will get lots of engagement with people agreeing, but there

I believe in buttons

2024-09-11 21:00:00

I have an evolving theory that buttons are amazing and people love them.

There were rumors Apple was going to remove all physical buttons from the iPhone. As recently as April of this year, there was reporting that the iPhone 16 lineup would have no physical buttons! But in 2

"Childless cat lady" makes her endorsement

2024-09-11 18:29:12

Immediately following the presidential debate last night, Taylor Swift announced her endorsement of Kamala Harris on Instagram:

Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and

The hierarchy of freedom (members post)

2024-09-11 06:18:32

It’s been said Apple cares about themselves first, then their users, then their developers in that order. In this post, I explore whether I think corporate or individual freedoms should be prioritized.

Gut reactions to Apple’s “Glowtime” iPhone 16 event

2024-09-10 07:30:00

I’ve been off the internet all day and wanted to share some gut reactions to the updates Apple just announced before being influenced by others. So, in the general order they talked about things, let’s go!

Apple Watch Series 10

This looks like a nice update

I hope I don’t buy any Apple products this week

2024-09-09 01:00:00

We're 24 hours away from Apple announcing new iPhones and Watches, and I'd love it if I can resist the unending urge to always keep up with the latest and greatest.

Astro Bot is an inspiration

2024-09-07 20:00:00

Zack Zwiezen: It's Really Nice That Astro Bot Just Has One Release Date

Astro Bot is a really good video game and a great reason to own a PS5. Its colorful visuals, myriad gaming references, and excellent platforming have already made it one of 2024's best

Imagine if you learned 90% of your revenue came from Russian state media 😬

2024-09-06 21:00:00

Press release from the US Justice Department: Two RT Employees Indicted for Covertly Funding and Directing U.S. Company That Published Thousands of Videos in Furtherance of Russian Interests

“As alleged in today’s indictment, Russian state broadcaster RT and its employees, including the charged defendants, co-opted online

The more optimistic clean energy story

2024-09-06 20:15:20

David Wallace-Wells in an op-ed for the New York Times: What Will We Do With Our Free Power?

In 2023, the world installed 444 gigawatts of new solar photovoltaic capacity, according to Bloomberg. While that figure can be hard for normie brains to process, it represents a staggering step forward:

PayPal brings their debit card to Apple Wallet

2024-09-06 08:32:19

PayPal Newsroom: Introducing PayPal Everywhere

customers can now add their PayPal Debit Card to Apple Wallet in just a few steps and use it with Apple Pay, enabling even more ways to pay.

PayPal is a pioneer in digital wallets, they’re one of the biggest wallets in the