OrchardNest

Losing Steve affected me more than it probably should have, given that I never met him or had any correspondence with him. But losing him was devastating — not just to my world, but the world. He was a sort of virtual father figure: I...

After the dust settles from the developer class-action settlement, the South Korean law, the JFTC announcement, and the Apple v. Epic decision, I think the most likely long-term outcome isn’t very different from the status quo — and...

Apple’s leaders continue to deny developers of two obvious truths: That our apps provide substantial value to iOS beyond the purchase commissions collected by Apple. That any portion of our customers came to our apps from our own...

A summary of today’s changes to 3.1.3 Other Purchase Methods: Your app must use Apple’s in-app-purchase (IAP) system for all purchases made in the app. Unless they’re purchases for goods or services that are consumed outside the app, in...

The latest update to Overcast includes a feature that I’m especially proud of that took over a year to build. Voice Boost 2 is an all-new audio engine that includes professional-grade, mastering-quality loudness normalization. When...

In light of today’s rumor that a Pro Mode may be coming that seems to offer benefits in the opposite direction,1 I wanted to re-make the case for a Low Power Mode on macOS — and explain why now is the time. Modern hardware...

After my first day with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, I’m very optimistic about it. 🎧  Hear more on today’s Accidental Tech Podcast! Two years ago, I wrote a wishlist to fix the MacBook Pro, and the 16-inch...

Today’s Overcast update (2019.6) brings some great new features. But first, I need to set low expectations for iOS 13, watchOS 6, and macOS Catalina updates this fall. Halfway through the summer, I’ve made much less progress...

Something big changed at Apple around the beginning of 2017. They had encountered significant turbulence in the product line over the preceding years, especially Macs. It was a rough time to be a pro Mac user. The “trash can” 2013 Mac...

Sharing podcasts has never been easy, but I’ve always tried to lead the way with Overcast, with publicly shareable episode links and optional recommendations from your Twitter friends since version 1.0 in 2014. Podcast sharing has...

▶️ The first thing someone does in a podcast app is add some podcasts, and most active Overcast users add at least two new podcasts each month. Over 80% of podcasts are added to Overcast by searching, with the vast majority as...

Watch my video review of the new iPad Pro in both sizes. Rather than try to be comprehensive, I focused on what matters most to me: size choice between the 11” and 12.9”, the Smart Keyboard Folio from my...

Watch the video review I hardly ever think about my Mac Mini, but it serves a vital role for my family as our home-theater mixer, Plex server, ScanSnap server, Apple Photos backup, and Backblaze host for our NAS.1 Almost...

Quick, what time is it? If that took you a bit longer than usual to tell the time on the Apple Watch’s new default Infograph face, you’re not alone: John Gruber finds it “far too busy” Jason Snell finds it...

I apologize for the low battery level. Busy day. It all started with the watchOS volume widget. You see, Overcast’s previous Apple Watch app really sucked. I did my best with the capabilities of watchOS 1–4, but I...

Laptop battery life is decreasingly relevant to me as more airplanes offer power outlets. But sometimes you lose that lottery, as I did on my latest 8-hour daytime flight. Apple’s “Up to 10 hours” claim doesn’t...

Overcast 4.2 is out now. It enhances privacy in two major areas: Anonymous sync by default Overcast has offered anonymous sync accounts since 2014. They’re fully functional, but they lack email addresses or passwords, so they...

Overcast 4.1 is now in the App Store with some small but nice new features. Smart Resume is actually two features: It jumps back by up to a few seconds after having been paused to help remind you of the conversation. It slightly adjusts...

In the original 2007 iPhone introduction, Steve Jobs famously derided other smartphones at the time for running “baby” software and the “baby” internet. He was right. Developers weren’t given access to make...

App developers sometimes ask me what they should do when their features, designs, or entire apps are copied by competitors. Legally, there’s not a lot you can do about it: Copyright protects your icon, images, other creative...

Chris Adamson notes a significant contraction in iOS and related conferences recently (via Michael Tsai). Having attended (and sometimes spoken at) many of these conferences over the years, I can’t deny the feeling I’ve had in...

Despite my love for the previous Retina MacBook Pro, I won’t be able to use it forever. The best laptop to ever exist should be in the future, not the past. There’s a lot to like about the new MacBook Pros, but they need some...

Apple has made many great laptops, but the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (2012–2015) is the epitome of usefulness, elegance, practicality, and power for an overall package that still hasn’t been (and may never be)...

I love the idea of USB-C: one port and one cable that can replace all other ports and cables. It sounds so simple, straightforward, and unified. In practice, it’s not even close. USB-C normally transfers data by the USB protocol, but it...