I've had the Apple Watch Series 4 for 11 days and this is my initial review. It's very good, but is it $130 better than the just-discounted Series 3 that it replaces? You can read the full review on BirchTree: https://birchtree.me/blog/apple-watch-series-4-review/ Support The BirchTree Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/birchtree

Shortcuts is a major step forward in automation for iOS. But there are still quite a few people who either don't "get" Shortcuts' appeal or still prefer their Mac for productivity. If Apple is serious about iOS replacing macOS for most people, and I think they are, then they need to keep chipping away at the things that make people pick the Mac today. The list is getting shorter, but they're clearly not there yet.

I upgraded my iPhone 8 Plus to an iPhone XS yesterday and my goodness, do I like this phone! Today’s impromptu episode hits on 5 things that have stood out to me so far.

It was over 3 months in the marking, so yeah, I’m taking an episode to walk through the tools and process I used to get it all done ;)

My complete review of watchOS 5. Check out the full written review here: https://birchtree.me/blog/watchOS-5-review

I recorded today's episode on about 4 hours of sleep, but I was indeed able to order myself a new iPhone and Apple Watch. If the fates are kind, they'll both be here in a week. Here's what I got and why I got it.

An iPhone lives and dies on its quality, not its name.

The "post-PC era" sure is taking a long time to get here.

In a turn of events I'm rocking a completely different Surface computer since the last time we talked. I not have a Surface Pro which I'm hoping will be a better fit for me than the underpowered Surface Go.

The Windows-centric tech press is talking about the Surface Go's perfjoamcne in terms of "what more could you expect from a $400 tablet?" The answer is incredibly obvious, the $329 iPad, and I think makes the Go look worse than it would in a Windows-only vacuum. Like the show? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/birchtree