2026-08-04 06:45:22
On Friday, I had an automatic update install for Dia, and it brought keyboard shortcut and trackpad gestures for switching between spaces. As someone who uses Dia on a daily basis, this was great news to me. One of the many magical features of Arc four years ago was its ability to set up different spaces that were logged into completely separate accounts and bounce between them with ease.
PS in the featured image above, Arc is on the left, Dia is on the right. They really have spent the last couple years turning Dia into Arc in basically every way.
2026-08-03 19:22:22
At the end of last year, I bought the ROG Xbox Ally X because I wanted a high-performance portable gaming PC, and that seemed like the best option of the bunch. We also happened to be on the verge of 2026, which looked like it was going to bring increased costs across the board for tech. And while I didn't strictly need it yet, it did seem like if I was going to upgrade, it was only going to be more expensive if I waited. Outside of the software, I think the device is quite good for my needs. It's meaningfully more powerful than a Steam Deck, and that was my main criteria.
However, it must be said that I have given Microsoft exactly zero dollars since that purchase. I don't subscribe to Game Pass, and I don't buy games from the Xbox store. In fact, I found the software experience so insanely bad that I flashed Linux onto it and am far happier now. I was kind of curious if I was alone here, and thankfully, Jez Corden of Windows Central: has some date to report here:
Around 75% of Xbox Ally owners also own Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass
And:
Of non-subscribing users: If an Xbox Ally user was also an Xbox console owner, around a quarter of those users also made purchases on the Xbox PC ecosystem. However, if the Xbox Ally owner was not an Xbox console owner, that figure dropped to a measly 2%. Suggesting that almost 100% of non-Xbox owning, new Xbox Ally owners simply went straight to Steam.
It does seem I am in the minority here, as I'm in the one quarter of owners who don't use Game Pass, and it would have been nice to break down the other 25% to see how many were Xbox console owners as well. It does speak to Microsoft's utter failure at being the gaming hub on their own Windows platform. When you see numbers like this, if you're not an Xbox console owner, there is basically a 0% chance you are buying games from the Xbox store on PC.
2026-08-01 21:20:55
It turns out that I have a lot of software ideas in my head. Given my penchant over the years to have more side projects than most people can imagine keeping up with, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise.
I've got 8 apps on the App Store, several web apps, and over 20 micro-apps. It turns out that giving me the tools to create fast means I will create a lot. I'm really proud of what I've built this year, but I also want to take a moment to pause. I don't want to chase new ideas for a bit, I want to level up and sand off the rough edges of what I've already built. I've got a few major updates planned for Quick Reads, Quick Reviews, and Quick Subtitles that I want to get out the door, and there are some tweaks I think the other apps deserve.
Basically, I have more than enough on my plate, and I want to slow down, because left to its own devices, my brain will keep coming up with new things to build.
All that said, I will be making a new thing available to More Birchtree subscribers shortly, but that's truly it…until September, that is.
2026-07-31 06:43:03
Good lord, play with this thing.
2026-07-29 06:33:51
We probably all know Catppuccin at this point, but have you heard the good news about Rosé Pine? neither better nor worse, but a very fun change of pace if you're looking for one.