Indholdsfortegnelse for No. 181 i iCreate

An exciting new Apple year is upon us and if you were lucky enough to receive the gift of an Apple product over the holiday period then you are in the right place to learn how to get the most out of your new device. In fact, you may be heartened to learn that you can use your iPhone to help you get fighting fit for the year ahead and this month we reveal all of the best built-in features and third-party apps to help you do just that. We also showcase Apple Music, the brilliant subscription service that lets you stream over 40 million songs, dip into expertly-curated playlists and share music more easily than ever with your family and friends. And, as the coming months are likely to…

Editing can be a time-consuming business, but Final Cut Pro X is packed full of ways to speed up your workflow. This month we’re going to explore ways to manage complex projects more effectively, using tools such as colour-coded roles and Smart Collections. We’ll demonstrate how to take the tedium out of repetitive tasks such as grading a series of similar shots, and we’ll throw in some useful keyboard shortcuts to help you manage large projects. This tutorial will also help you avoid the common pitfalls that video editors may encounter – such as seeing a ‘missing media’ thumbnail in your project instead of a clip or photo. Step-by-step How to improve your workflow 1 Under one roof When importing assets, click ‘Copy to library’ in the Media Import window.…

Drum Designer plugin The Drum Designer is actually a plugin found within the inspector of the Smart Controls panel for any actual kit-playing Drummer. Extra plug-ins listed in the box below will add controls such as compression or effects. Drum Kit Designer Also often labelled as ‘MIX’ this set of six dials and toggle buttons sets the level of each piece of featured kit, enabling elements to be switched off entirely or raised and lowered in volume. Compression controls Compression is an extra track plugin often applied to Drummer by default and is useful for making drums tighter and punchier. These extra controls turn it on or off while also adjusting the amount applied. Effects selectors These effects controls often vary Drummer to Drummer, reflecting any extra plug-ins applied in…

Toolbar trick You can set an AQA on/off button to appear in the toolbar by choosing ‘Customize Toolbar’ from the View menu and checking the AQA checkbox. Touch mode/Read mode Use Touch mode to make changes to the automation data, and Read mode to play the changes back. Learn Message Click the ‘Learn Message’ button to assign a new, different controller to use with Automation Quick Access. Edit Assignment Click ‘Edit’ to access Logic’s Controller Assignments window, in which you can assign a new controller manually. Knowledge base Faders vs knobs Faders usually work best for AQA, as they transmit MIDI messages with a defined range of values, perfect for writing automation data. The type of endless encoder knob found on many MIDI keyboard controllers is less up to the…

There are also plenty of apps available to help defrag and declutter your Mac and speed up the performance and one of our favourites is Dr Cleaner: Disk, Mem Clean. A free version of this app is available from the App Store and, when launched, it will operate as a neat little menu bar item that you can click on to get a performance overview of your Mac. This app is also very good at identifying useless files on your Mac and deleting them to free up space. 1 Start optimising With Dr Cleaner installed, click on the menu bar item and then click on ‘System Optimizer’. In the window that appears, ensure you are in the ‘Junk Files’ section and then click on ‘Scan’. The app will now search…

You may come across problems when you initially try to connect with your iPhone, but don’t worry about this too much because there are some very simple steps you can take to get the connection going and they will almost always work. Apple has worked hard to ensure that the wireless side is reliable now and you really should not see many problems at all, even with the first connection. Here we highlight some easy steps you can take to fix any potential problems… 1 The failed connection An alert will display if your Mac cannot connect to the iPhone or if the hotspot is not active on the iPhone. Try turning the iPhone off and on fully and if that does not help, you can reset network settings. 2…

Arguably the most useful function of Trint is its editing function since it cleverly allows you to jump to any point in the text, listen to what is being said and make any necessary amendments. Even if the automatic transcription is a tad gobbledegook, we found this was still faster than transcribing from scratch. To make life even easier, though, Trint also has a list of editor preferences which you can toggle on and off. 1 Click on Preferences Open a transcription within Trint and click the Preferences button at the bottom of the screen. You will then see a window containing eight key preferences. Each one has a toggle button next to it which allows you to turn the functions on or off. 2 Make a choice Go through…

The Mail app responds to trackpad gestures and you’ll find that these can make dealing with your emails much faster. A two-finger swipe up or down the trackpad is a standard gesture for scrolling up and down. However, you may not have realised that you can also swipe left and right with two fingers. This gesture, borrowed from the iPhone, performs actions that can be customised by going to Mail>Preferences> Viewing>Discard messages into. The options are either Trash or Archive. 1 Move messages Use one finger on the trackpad to move the mouse pointer and position it over an email preview. Then hold two fingers down and swipe left to reveal a Trash icon. (You can switch this to Archive in Preferences.) 2 Read/unread messages Position the mouse over an…

Another useful aspect of the Family calendar is that you can monitor the activity of family members through the calendar and all connected family members can edit events created in the Family calendar. For example, if an event has been created and shared (as it automatically is) then other family members are able to change details of the event and even delete it if it is no longer applicable. Family members will also receive notifications of the changes, as we will demonstrate here… 1 Deleting events If a family member receives notification of a new event and then checks the details of the event on their device, they will have the option to edit the details or delete it if it is no longer applicable. Tap on the ‘Edit’ or…

Siri on the Mac can be a hugely advantageous feature if you use your Mac a lot. It enables you to quickly check for answers to questions and to effectively have access to all of the information the internet has to offer. You can add reminders, create calendar entries and message others using just your voice, but there are many other features within Siri that you may not be aware of. It is only when you look below the surface that you realise just what Siri can do and we hope to give you some pointers on where to start. You can take these examples as just the tip of the iceberg because the deeper you look into Siri’s features, the more useful things you will find. For more serious…

Creative computing has for a long time been the domain of the desktop with the requirement for powerful processors and large screens being paramount in the minds of many creative people. Computing has grown in power and shrunk in size over the past decade, however, and the iPhone X is the culmination of Apple’s ambitions which have reached the level where you can create a variety of things in the palm of your hand without the hardware ever getting in the way. The results are entirely professional and look like they have come from a powerful desk computer, but most of all app developers have given you all of the tools and ease of use you need to build anything from scratch in a variety of imaginative ways. You may…

Many of us are on mobile phone contracts that only permit a finite amount of roaming data usage a month, and if you use up this allocation then you will either have to purchase more or do without roaming data altogether for the rest of the month. Thankfully there are may ways in which you can make adjustments to your iPhone settings to help preserve your data allowance and make it stretch further, such as disabling push notifications and background app refresh. Rather annoyingly, many of the options and settings that eat into your mobile data are enabled by default and lay tucked away deep within the Settings app so that they are easily missed. Step-by-step Save your roaming data allowance 1 Disable Wi-Fi Assist Go to Settings>Mobile Data and…

“You can have group chats, send media and more, but even hardcore users may not know the full extent of what you can do” WhatsApp is a brilliant free app that makes it quick, easy and free to communicate with other people, regardless of what smartphone platform they are using. In WhatsApp you can conduct group chats, send media and much more besides, but even hardcore WhatsApp users probably don’t know the full extent of what you can do with it – so we figured it was high time we delved a little deeper to unearth some meaty secrets. Here we show you how to change your chat background, how to save dates, how to bookmark messages and even how to disable those infernal blue ticks… so read on to…

“Apple has placed a 200MB limit on the apps you download, meaning data beyond that is stored in iCloud” Apple has taken a couple of steps to maximise the amount of storage space you have on your Apple TV. Firstly, it only stores apps on your device: video and music are always streamed. It has also placed a 200MB limit on the apps you download, meaning data beyond that is stored in iCloud to be retrieved when needed and removed locally when finished with. This is a great move but it can present you with a problem. If you don’t have enough space on your device, then that extra data can’t be downloaded in the first place. Ensuring there is plenty of room is therefore rather useful but how do…

3D Touch Touchscreen technology first introduced with the iPhone 6 and 6s Plus that lets you access new features depending on how hard you press down on the screen. 4K This is a new type of TV and monitor standard that is replacing HD and is so-called because it will have around 4,000 horizontal pixels. Although actual resolutions vary, the most common is 3840x2160. Apple Script Easy-to-learn macOS programming language created by Apple to help automate programs. Bluetooth 4.0 This incorporates a low-power standard which means that it can be activated and left on without causing a significant drain on your iPhone’s battery. Also applies to AirDrop.…

• Intel Pentium M CPU • 256MB memory • 40 or 160GB storage • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HDMI, Optical audio • OS: Apple TV Software 3.0.2 (based on macOS 10.4 Tiger) Original price £199/$299 Price now £30/$30 Originally unveiled as iTV in September 2006 (the ‘i’ being synonymous with other Apple products such as the iMac and iPod), the threat of legal action from the terrestrial broadcast network with the same name prompted Apple to re-christen its digital media player for its roll-out the following January. Initially requiring a Mac or PC running iTunes to sync and stream content from, a major software update in January 2008 set the device free to operate as a standalone console that users could download and install apps on, dip into the dense…

Roland Waddilove This month Roland has had Mail on his mind as he showcases the best new features to land in Apple’s premier email suite courtesy of macOS High Sierra. Shaun McGill This month, Shaun has been burning off seasonal timber with his iPhone and he shares all of the built-in features and third-party apps for best helping you get in shape. George Cairns Our creative expert provides a round-up of useful tips for Final Cut Pro X to help speed up your workflow and he also shows you how to travel through time in iMovie.…

Apple reveals most popular downloads in 2017 Apple Apple has unveiled its end-of-year charts, revealing the most popular apps, music, movies, TV shows, books and podcasts across the App Store, Apple Music, iTunes, iBooks and Apple Podcasts. On Apple Music, More Life by Drake was awarded Album of the Year, while Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You won Best Track honours. Mindfulness app Calm was the 2017 iPhone App of the Year, while image editor Affinity Photo landed the iPad prize. Moana was top iTunes movie, and Game of Thrones walked away with the TV honours. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was the most read book. Apple and (RED) announce record fundraising Apple Celebrating a record year of fundraising, Apple and (RED) announced on World Aids Day that they have raised…

The Apple M-series coprocessors that are built into the later iPhones are designed to work in a similar way to fitness trackers when it comes to monitoring your movements. When paired with Apple Health, you actually have a basic fitness tracker for free that can track the important health data you need. 1. Your Medical ID Tap the ‘Medical ID’ icon at the bottom of Health and enter as much information as you can. When someone finds your phone in an emergency, they can view it. 2. Four main areas Under ‘Health Data’ you will see four areas that are tracked. Tap each icon to see what is beneath and what you need to do to track your health and fitness. 3. Track your steps Once you have allowed Health…

By default our digital devices record video in real time but iMovie enables us to take control of time in a variety of creative ways thanks to its Speed tools. We can slow down time to experience action in a new way (such as seeing someone create a splash as they jump into the pool). iMovie enables us to highlight key moments with camera-flash style freeze frames, adding texture to a wedding video as a bridesmaid catches ilable the bouquet, for example. Sports fans can use menu presets to quickly replay a goal – complete with TV sport show-style action replay captions. We’ll also show you how to experience nature in a fresh way by creating a time-lapse sequence. Step-by-step Retime your footage for creative results 1 Import clips In…

Get Smart Smart Collections automatically gathers clips together according to certain properties. If you tell Final Cut to analyse clips as they are imported it will attempt to create extra Smart Collections based on shot size and people. Timeline Index The Timeline Index helps you manage complex timelines that are cluttered full of assets. You can focus on specific colour-coded audio roles while collapsing other roles into narrower colour bars for a less cluttered timeline. Here we’re focusing on sound effects. Copy and paste After changing a clip’s audio, colour and even composition you can copy the adjustments and paste them onto another clip. By using the ‘Paste Attributes’ command you can select which attributes will be adjusted on the target clip. Extend the Inspector If you have a lot…

Most commonly, the kit parts or the drums being played are defined within the Drummer Editor (E) panel. Here you’ll find a visualisation that doubles as drum kit controls for toggling on or off elements of the kit itself, before the sliders and knobs dictate the number of fills. Obviously this will determine what the Drum Designer within Smart Controls can do, so in the following steps we’ll take a look between the two panels at how one dictates to the other and observe the impact. 1 Helping hands First we’ll show the Drummer Editor on our selected Drummer track in our project. Here we will click on the ‘hand’ percussion icon to add handclaps to the pattern. To add enough audible fills, we have the slider set to two.…

Over time the efficiency of our Macs tends to dip and they become sluggish. There are numerous reasons for this; perhaps you have recently updated your Mac operating system and the efficiency of some of your apps is suffering as a result; or maybe you have too many apps open that you just don’t need? It may just be that your hard drive is congested with junk files that you don’t know you can simply delete. Whatever the reason for the downturn in overall performance, there are quick and easy fixes that you can carry out that won’t cost you a bean. Here we guide you through some and recommend a good, free app for decluttering your Mac’s hard drive. Step-by-step How to speed up your Mac 1 Update your…

There are many advantages to using your own mobile connection with your Mac. Firstly, you will be able to connect anywhere there is a mobile signal. 4G is fast enough to power through the most demanding of tasks and you are less likely to suffer from contention where others are using the same Wi-Fi connection. Also, you can be assured of better security than when using a public connection. Using random Wi-Fi hotspots is never a good idea and particularly so because in all other areas macOS is very secure so it makes no sense to put that at risk. We will now demonstrate how easy it is to run a speedy connection on your Mac no matter where you are. Step-by-step Connect your Mac anywhere 1 Connect to Wi-Fi…

If you’ve ever needed to transcribe audio, then you’ll know what a hassle it can be. It can consume hours of your time as you try and decipher what someone is saying. So when we saw a service that claims to speed up the process using artificial intelligence, we jumped at the chance to try it. Trint allows you to upload MP3, MP4, M4A, AAC and WAV audio along with MP4, WMA, MOV and AVI video and it speedily transcribes them all. In truth, the result isn’t anywhere near 100 per cent accurate so you’ll still have a fair bit of editing to do but the good news is the editing facilities are very good. There’s also a 30-minute trial so you can try it out for yourself without penalty.…

When macOS High Sierra was released, Apple made a few tweaks to the Mail app. It was a great email client already, so there aren’t any major changes. However, there are several improvements to existing features that make dealing with email messages easier. The use of trackpad gestures is handy for example and we show you how to use this and configure it. There have been some useful changes to the search facility, which now makes it easier to find messages you are looking for – a bit of AI (artificial intelligence) puts the most likely results first for example. The content of email messages can also be more brightly coloured now that the background of text can be set. Step-by-step Try Mail’s new features 1 Top hits Finding emails…

Now that a new year is upon us, we’ll all want to start making plans for the months ahead – such as birthday parties and gatherings to bring scattered family members together. It can be tiresome planning such events and making sure everyone gets notified… but not with Apple’s iCloud Family Sharing feature. Once you set this up and add family members, you will automatically create a family calendar that all connected family members have access to on their Macs and iOS devices, and when you create new events they will be instantly notified. What’s more, they can edit events, add in additional details and even delete them – the flexibility is flawless. Step-by-step How to set up your calendar 1 Set up Family Sharing Go to System Preferences>iCloud, click…

Storage remains as fundamental as ever in computing and in an era of photos, videos, music and apps we all crave more. Despite pocketing devices boasting the sort of GB capacity that would have made Deep Blue blush, this fervent file retention now sprawls online – a move with useful implications for desktops too. With macOS High Sierra, Apple has recognised this increasing storage flexibility by including custom management tools for decluttering your system drive. Useful for improving performance, not least clearing room for more stuff, the features embrace iCloud and iTunes and can be tweaked to the max. So in this guide we take a closer look… Step-by-step Using macOS High Sierra’s management tools 1 About This Mac From the macOS desktop navigate to and select Apple>About This Mac…

Seeing it all Simple questions concerning the amount of free storage you have and the processor speed of your Mac can be answered by Siri in an instant. It knows your entire system inside and out. In the system Siri is able to work with your Mac and let you do many things such as open apps and change settings that would otherwise require entering various screens to accomplish. It’s a big time saver. Beyond the conventions Siri now goes beyond the original conventions that we expect of the service and you really can ask almost anything you like. The answers you need will almost certainly come your way.…

Now that you have created the ringtone, you will need to get it onto your iPhone. First of all, right-click on your newly trimmed track and choose ‘Show in Finder’. You should now be able to see the track in a Finder window (it will be in the same album folder as the other tracks from the same album, probably with a ‘1’ after its name). Click on the name of the new track and then edit the last three letters of the file from .m4a to .m4r. Confirm the prompt and connect your iPhone. 1 Go to ‘Tones’ Once your iPhone is connected, click on the iPhone logo in the iTunes app (next to the content menu in the top-left corner of the interface) and then, in the sidebar,…

Moving instrumentation You can use these tabs to move parts of the song and to change instruments as required. The multiple layers come together well to help you build complex and beautiful music on your iPhone. The background Using this simple icon you can change the tempo of your track, the key, scale and much more. Create the track first and then make these adjustments later for a more rounded effect. Tap to place Simply tap on the grid to place a new note. You can then move it, elongate it and continue to add notes using just your hearing to understand what should go where. It really works.…

Many of you will have taken out a subscription to a service only to find you don’t use it that often. You really should cancel any you’re not taking full advantage of – here we’ll show you how to amend your Apple Music, Spotify or Apple News subscriptions, for instance, while putting a stop to little read newspaper subs and ongoing payments to apps. Don’t hesitate. Some subscriptions renew if you don’t cancel within 24 hours of the renewal date, forcing you to pay for that extra period. Step-by-step View and cancel your subscriptions 1 Open Settings app In order to view your subscriptions and make amends to them, you first need to go to the Settings app and click your name which you’ll find at the top of the…

Your Apple Watch is meant to keep you informed. That means you are told when any phone calls, emails or texts are arriving on your iPhone and it is why you are alerted to notifications from the various apps you have installed. But that’s not to say the alerts can’t become a nuisance. Every app on your Watch lets you turn off the notifications, but what if you want to tailor the alerts to better suit your needs? Here things get trickier since the built-in apps have customisation options but the third-party apps do not. For these you need to decide if you can do without their alerts. Step-by-step Customise your notification settings 1 Launch Watch app If you want to manage your Apple Watch notifications, you need to do…

I seem to remember hearing that iOS 11 would automatically decrease the size of photos and videos that you capture on your iPhone to free up more storage space. However, so far I haven’t really noticed much difference. Why is this? The new HEIF/HEVC format isn’t actually applied to your images by default. Instead you have to go to Settings> Camera>Formats and then tick the ‘High Efficiency’ option. Staying with the ‘Most Compatible’ format option will continue to use JPEG/H.264 formats. Since updating my iPhone to iOS 11 it is having trouble connecting to my Bluetooth headphones. What can I do to rectify this problem? Try going to Settings> Bluetooth and tapping on the blue circle icon next to your previously paired headphones. Now tap ‘Forget This Device’ and then…

This month we thought we’d celebrate the Dock – that strip of icons at the bottom of your Mac or iOS screen that provides quick and easy access to all of your essential apps. On iOS your Dock remains an ever-present regardless of which home screen you are on and on Mac you can customise it to appear when you want, where you want on the screen and apply additional special effects when you minimise windows or open apps. All hail the Dock! 1 Move apps to your Dock The Dock is an ever-present on all of your iPhone home screens, so it makes sense to have your most-used apps in pride of place there. Here we show you how to add and remove apps from your iPhone Dock. 1…

Your camera has to work hard to capture accurate colours in different lighting scenarios. Daylight has a cold colour temperature which can result in blue colour casts. Artificial indoor lighting has a warmer colour temperature that can tint the subject orange and create unflattering skin tones. Your camera will attempt to perform an Auto White Balance operation to produce true colours. However this may not ilable always be successful (especially if you’re shooting in mixed lighting conditions). If colour casts or tints are still present in your picture then you can manually warm up or cool down a shot using the Photos app’s powerful White Balance tools. Step-by-step How to overcome colour casts 1 Import start file Go to File>Import and browse to our supplied Cast_start01.CR2 image. Click ‘Review for…

Modify The Modify menu provides alternative ways to freeze or retime your footage. You can also summon a cool Instant Replay option or reverse time with the Rewind command. Hare and tortoise Sections of a clip that have been speeded up are indicated by a hare icon. Sequences that have been retimed to slow down the action feature a tortoise icon. Freeze frames feature a hand icon. Frame boundary In this clip we’ve slowed down the footage and then frozen a specific frame for a second. By dragging the frame boundary icon left you can make the action freeze on an earlier frame. Need for speed Click here to access retiming tools that enable you to speed up or slow down selected timeline footage by a range of preset increments.…

When you start a new GarageBand project finding a rhythmic groove can take time. Thankfully the growing roster of Drummer players is a huge help for instantly adding intelligent percussion patterns that organically follow other tracks or performances. These virtual players span a myriad of genres and use their different drum kit types in various ways, all of which can be customised. In this guide we’ll look at a control element that lies behind the usual Drummer Editor – the Drum Designer. This useful Smart Controls panel defines more acutely the volume or attack levels for each element of a Drummer’s kit, toggling them on or off and also applying any additional plugin effects. Step-by-step Get to grips with Drum Designer 1 Acoustic Drummer To start, have at least one…

Logic’s track automation system is very powerful, allowing you to record and play back dynamic changes to almost any soft synth or audio effect parameter within the app, whether it’s opening a synth’s filter during a build, say, or increasing the amount of effect on the vocal. Versatile and easy to use as it may be, Apple’s engineers have come up with a simple, yet little-known trick called Automation Quick Access (AQA) ilable to further simplify the process. With AQA enabled, you can designate any single hardware control on your MIDI controller – a knob, fader or even the modulation wheel – to write automation for whatever parameter you have selected. Step-by-step Using Automation Quick Access 1 Express a preference Begin by selecting Preferences>Automation from the Logic Pro X menu.…

Check for updates Apps performing sluggishly may be an indication that they are simply out of date with your new operating system. Go to the App Store and click on the ‘Updates’ tab to see if any newer, more stable versions of the app are available. Simple Dock Processing power is used every time you call up your Dock if it isn’t an ever-present on your screen. You should also disable things like ‘Animate opening applications’ and ‘Minimize windows into application icon’. Use Activity Monitor Activity Monitor is a very useful app for helping you monitor various aspects of app usage. For example, you can see which apps use the most memory, present the biggest drain of your MacBook battery, etc. Disable the flashiness Visual effects are common in Mac…

“A password will be set within the hotspot to ensure that your connection remains secure” Stay secure A password will be set within the hotspot to ensure that your connection remains secure and that no one else can connect to it if their computer detects it. Make it truly secure. Bluetooth connections Your Mac can connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth as well meaning that you have multiple options to ensure a safe and reliable connection at all times. It should work every single time. Wired connections If you run into problems, you can connect your iPhone to your Mac using USB for troubleshooting purposes or for the fastest possible mobile connection. It will be even more secure. True mobile Wi-Fi When you click on the Wi-Fi icon at the…

Insert speaker names If more than one person is talking, it’s a good idea to identify them. Click any one of these arrows to add the name of the speaker of each chunk of text. Highlight text It is possible to highlight sections of the text. Doing so shows you the timestamps for the selection. You can also choose to play only the highlights. Play back audio Click anywhere on your transcription and select the Play button to listen to your recorded audio from that spot. You can also press the rewind button to go back five seconds: click it twice to go back ten. Control the speed At the bottom of the screen is an option to speed up or slow down the playback. Double-speed allows for the quick…

Top Hits When a search is performed, a small number of items appear in a Top Hits section here. They are what Mail thinks are the messages you are most likely looking for based on your previous interaction. Swipe away You can clean your inbox by swiping left over an email and it can either be deleted or archived in one gesture. Choose which action you want to perform in Mail Preferences. Colour your messages There is a new option to set the background colour of text when writing emails. Select some text, then click this colour chip in the toolbar to show the palette and click a colour. Remove text colour There does not appear to be an option to remove colour from text, but there is actually a…

Your Family calendar When you set up Family Sharing, all family members that you add will be automatically connected to a shared ‘Family’ calendar. When new events are created they are then relayed to all family members. Creating events After adding all of the required information into a new Family calendar event (such as times, location, etc) it will instantly be shared to all connected family members and they will receive notifications on their devices. Other iCloud perks Through Family Sharing you can also share purchases from the App Stores and you can also get an Apple Music family membership that provides access to over 40 million tracks for up to six family members. Sharing storage You can also share iCloud space through Family Sharing. It seems that everyone soon…

Recommendations and file types The first item shows the Recommendations pane by default, containing the main four button-based controls. Below this are listed the various stored file types, iCloud and programs you can view to make more direct changes. Store in iCloud This option automates the shifting of all file and photo storage onto iCloud instead of local system drives. Only recently accessed documents and those optimised photos, etc are kept on your Mac to maximise space. Optimize Storage Click this button to take actions such as removing any locally downloaded iTunes videos once watched, such as TV episodes and feature films. Things like only your most recent email attachments will be retained. Trash & Clutter Turn on this to toggle the automatic erasure of trashed items after a 30-day…

As you are probably aware, there is a whole wing of the iTunes Store dedicated to ringtones for your iPhone. However, if the tone you want isn’t available or you simply want to save money and create your own version then you can do this relatively easily in your Mac’s iTunes app. All you have to do is right-click on the song you want to use, choose the ‘Get Song Info’ option and then set the start and end points of the track to essentially ‘trim’ it down to a tone-friendly size that can be looped as your phone rings. We will guide you through the process in more detail now, but it is a handy way to create quick and easy ringtones that you can even gift to friends…

Apple developed Clips to take special effects in social videos to a whole new level and there is no doubt that the app achieved that instantly. However, this has now been taken even further with the launch of the iPhone X and some dedicated special effects that are truly spectacular when time is taken to create them, and which take full advantage of the camera capabilities in Apple’s flagship phone. Here we’re going to take a closer look at what’s now possible in Clips… Step-by-step Share your virtual world 1 Use the classics When you open and mess around with the features within Clips, you should take some time to experiment with the filters on offer. There are many options to play with. 2 Add some extras You can also…

YouTube has a streaming service that, among other things, lets you play the audio of any video in the background of a mobile device. The downside is you have to pay for the service and, while it is available in the US, it hasn’t yet reached the shores of the UK. The good news, however, is that there is another way to stream music in the background on your iPad and iPhone. What’s more, this method is free. To get it to work, you must download the Dolphin Browser. That’s because the technique used to work with Safari but Apple patched it away. It means there’s every chance pressure will be placed upon Dolphin to do the same. Until that day, though, you can stream away and do other stuff,…

Your Watch is capable of many things: making and receiving phone calls, checking messages, playing music and keeping an eye on your health. But did you know it was also capable of time travel and that all you need to do is twist the Digital Crown back and forth to achieve it? We’re not pulling your leg either. Now, there are limitations of course: you’re not about to turn Marty McFly and physically go back to the future. What you can do, however, is move the time and date forward and back on your Watch. Anything that would have been displayed at those times will then be shown. This is great for seeing what’s in store in terms of your calendar events, reminders and weather. You can also look at…

I have heard that there are secret menus and options hidden away in Safari. How can I access these? Sean O’Grady 1 Go to Preferences Click on the ‘Safari’ menu and then choose ‘Preferences’. Click on the ‘Advanced’ tab and then tick the option marked ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar’. 2 Fix websites In the new Develop menu you will discover a wealth of new options, including one to ‘Empty Caches’, which is handy for when you’re having problems with a site. 3 Disable images You will also find other options, such as one to ‘Disable Images’. If you regularly visit image-heavy sites then enabling this option is a good way to speed them up. I have heard that it is possible to save iPhone websites as PDFs, which…

Key features Qualcomm aptX and AAC codecs • Bluetooth 4.1 Learn more eu.audio-technica.com Available from amazon.co.uk When producing a pair of wireless Bluetooth earphones, it is the norm that a long battery life should be of paramount importance. Unfortunately, the ATH-CKR75BT headphones by Audio-Technica do not offer this. One full charge, which takes five hours, only provides the user with seven hours of uninterrupted listening; barely sufficient for a day out. In addition to this, the pair of earphones are not the most attractive wireless options out there by any means. A bulky unit with a clip attached sits directly in the middle of the cable that joins the two earphones together, rendering the set extremely difficult to keep subtle and discreet when out and about. The joining…

Saga Backpack £59.95/$59.95 stmgoods.com This attractive backpack is designed to hold a 15” laptop and has a suspended tech cell to keep your computer away from the impact zones. It also has plenty of compartments to carry the rest of your daily essentials and a reverse bucket opening provides quick and easy access to your gear. The Saga is available in four colours (including the regal-looking Royal Purple, pictured here) and the spongy straps and carry handle make it a comfortable travelling companion. Adonit Pro 3 Stylus £25.99/$23.99 adonit.net Wallet-friendly styluses don’t come much more responsive than Adonit’s Pro 3. Available in four colours (Black, Silver, Rose Gold and Midnight Blue), this lightweight piece of digital stationery is fashioned out of aluminium, has etchings on the shaft for improved grip,…