Indholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2023 i Essential Apple User Magazine

If you’re addicted to all things Apple and use an Apple Watch and AirPods alongside your iPhone, this is a comprehensive charging solution. It can charge all three of your devices at once, from a single power outlet. It comes supplied with a USB-C cable, but not the 20W USB-C power adapter you need for fast charging. Your MagSafe iPhone fits magnetically to the front of the HiRise, while your Apple Watch sits atop the device facing the ceiling. This means you can’t see the charging watch’s face if you’re lying in bed and have the HiRise your the bedside table; forget Nightstand Mode. The AirPods (wireless charging cases only) rest on the base. If your iPhone supports wireless-charging but not MagSafe you can charge it on the base instead,…

AVM’s updated flagship router has all the features you’d expect from a top-of-the-range FRITZ!Box, and it’s now WiFi 6 compatible too. The FRITZ!Box 7590 AX is a powerful ADSL modem router that can be used with any DSL- and IP-based Internet connection. It’s extremely fast. Even on conventional phone lines, it can achieve speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s. Obviously, what speed you actually get is dependant on your phone line, its distance from the exchange and the service you pay for with your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but whatever your situation and contract, you can bet the 7590 AX can get the most from it. The FRITZ!Box 7590 AX’s main advantage over its predecessor is that it’s Wi-Fi 6 compatible. As regular readers know, Wi-Fi 6 is the latest…

This home karaoke machine is surprisingly comprehensive for such an affordable device. It’s bundled with two mics so it’s ideal for duets, there’s flashing coloured LED lights for that on-stage feel and it connects to your iPhone or iPad through Bluetooth so you can sing along to your favourite songs. Top tip; there are plenty of songs on YouTube with vocals removed and lyrics on display. It supports the CD+G format, so a karaoke CD can output lyrics to your television for you to follow as you sing, and you can play CD-R/RW disks on it too. Talking of CDs, there’s a ten-track karaoke disc bundled, offering tracks such as Dancing Queen, Living on a Prayer and Valerie. You wouldn’t expect audiophile quality playback and studio-quality mics from a karaoke…

The Melomania Touch is Cambridge Audio’s second true wireless earbuds release, following the respected, well received Melomania 1. The new buds have been redesigned from the ground up, and have little in common with their predecessor. Featuring 7mm Graphene drivers for enhanced bass, the Melomania Touch offers a nine-hour continual play, with a 50-hour battery life when you throw in the case. It has a Unique High Performance Audio Mode for hi-fi quality sound and a Transparency Mode to let in ambient sounds, but no noise-cancelling feature to keep them out. It comes with six sets of silicon earbud in small, medium and large sizes, and three pairs of fins to keep them in your ear, again in small, medium and large. A USB-A to C cable is included for…

How’s that for an arty drive case? This portable SSD has a real cubist vibe to it, and it’s made using a high-end IML (in mould labelling) process so the colours won’t fade over time. It’s the 1TB version we’re looking at here, but it’s also available at all the usual sizes from 256GB to 2TB. As you’d expect for a modern storage drive, it features an on-board USB-C port. It includes both USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables so you can plug it into either. In use, it’s very fast. The SSD itself offers speeds of up to 20Gbps, and data transfer is based around the USB3.2 GEN2X2 chip, giving it reading speed up to 2060MB/s in perfect conditions. In our tests, using a USB-A port in…

Serif’s Affinity series of apps has really shaken up the design world, and their second versions look set to continue the trend. And it’s no wonder. They’re approaching their industry-leading Adobe rivals in power and versatility, and are available for a much lower price. They’re a once-only purchase with no subscription fees, and if you buy a Universal Licence, you can get all three Affinity v2 apps for Macs, Windows and iPads for a bargain once-only payment. Unfortunately, there’s no upgrade discount for existing users. Affinity Designer 2 is Serif’s answer to the much more expensive Adobe Illustrator, with a little Photoshop thrown in. It’s raster and vector drawing we’re dealing with here. This second release, a very considerable update, offers significant upgrades to the well received original. A feature…

As regular readers know, French company DxO’s PhotoLab is a powerful alternative to Adobe’s Photoshop, with the emphasis firmly and unapologetically on photo editing. This new edition is the sixth major release in five years, and offers discounts for those upgrading from a previous version. We’re covering the ELITE app here, but there’s also a cheaper ESSENTIAL version for those who don’t need the high-end options offered by this premium suite. A new feature in the ELITE edition lets you simulate papers and inks when soft proofing, further expanding the performance of DxO Wide Gamut. The app’s noise reduction and detail recovery capabilities take a step forward with DeepPrime XD, which is now available for Fujifilm X-Trans cameras along with the rest of the roster. Other ELITE-only features include the…

If you expect this game to be about snotty misfits chasing locomotives down station platforms while photographing the engine numbers, you’re on the wrong track (ouch!) It’s a business sim set in the golden age of railways. It’s also the latest game in the Railroad Tycoon franchise, which has been going since 1990. Sid Meier’s Railroads! itself dates back to 2006 on Windows and 2012 on the Mac, so can this new release for iPad and iPhone measure up to todays standards? As Railroads! is the first game in the series since the original that strategy gaming legend Sid Meier worked on directly, you expect a solid, cerebral game, and you won’t be disappointed. Those familiar with the desktop-computer original will appreciate the tweaks and refinements made by Feral in…

Franchise fatigue is a very real issue, not only for audiences but also the creator/producer and retailer; the entire food chain. Worst still, it’s mostly a self-inflicted injury, usually caused by the over-recycling of old themes into into realm of the trope and cliché. It’s something to which those of you who’ve suffered through some the later editions of once-classic gaming series will no doubt testify. While the over-reliance of the familiar over invention is never a recommendation, let alone commended in any form of entertainment, it remains a driving force across mediums. To maintain focus, engagement and fan loyalty, invention is a core requirement for any ongoing franchise/series; gaming in particular. Alas, invention in gaming has a powerful Kryptonite; a big green rock from space called ‘franchise expectation’. An…

Setting Up and Using Freeform 1 First of all, make sure Freeform in iCloud is switched on. Open System Settings and go to [Your Name] > iCloud, and if the Freeform option at the bottom isn’t switched on, click on the switch to the right of its name. 2 Click on the pen-and-paper icon to open a new Freeform board. To share this board so you can collaborate on it, with all edits and additions appearing for everyone using the shared board, first tap the Share icon atop the board. 3 Tap ‘Only invited people can edit’ for pull-down menus that let you choose who can make edits, who can access the board and whether people you invite can also invite others. Set up the board’s permissions on these menus. 4 When you’re set…

Setting Up and Using Freeform 1 First of all, make sure Freeform in iCloud is switched on. Open Settings and go to [Your Name] > iCloud and in the Apps Using iCloud section, tap Show All option underneath. If the Freeform option isn’t switched on, tap the switch to the right of its name. 2 Tap the pen-and-paper icon to open a new Freeform board, then tap the Share icon. Tap ‘Only invited people can edit’ for a pop-up window and choose who can make edits, who can access the board and whether people you invite can also invite others. 3 After setting up the board’s permissions, invite people to collaborate on your Freeform board by sending invites or a link from the Share sheet in the usual way. To rename the board,…

Photos: Opens a window showing pictures and videos from your Photos app, which you can add to your messages. Store: Tap this to open the App Store’s section on goodies for your Messages app. Audio: Record an audio clip and send it as a message. Fitness: Stickers and graphics relating to your Fitness app. Music: Share something you’ve listened to using Apple Music. If the recipient also subscribes, they can play it from your message. Digital Touch: Draw and sketch, then send your creation as a picture or video in a message. Memoji: Opens your Memojis and Animojis, so you can record as an animated character or drag one into your message as a sticker. Stickers: Drag a sticker into your message to send it as a picture. Images: Choose from a range…

It had a good run. Launched as System 1 with 1984’s original Apple Macintosh, the so-called ‘classic’ Mac operating system was last updated in 2001. It had lasted 17 years. The final version of Classic Mac OS was OS 9, which was introduced in 1999 and discontinued after OS 9.2.2. All operating system development was then moved to the emerging OS X. Today, almost 40 years after the Mac’s Classic OS was first released and over two decades since it was discontinued, we can revisit the halcyon days of OS 9 on the web. Infinite Mac (https://infinitemac.org) has reproduced all major versions of Classic OS and most minor updates. You can run and enjoy them directly from your web browser, along with many of the apps and games of the…

Apple’s AR/VR Headset You could write a book with all the rumours about this one, but here we’ll limit ourselves to the most likely theories. Apple has invested heavily in mixed and augmented reality, especially for the iPhone, so it makes sense that its efforts would reach fruition with a headset. Apple’s expected product is likely to combine Augmented Reality (computer-generated graphics imposed onto the real world) and Virtual Reality (fully immerses the user in a virtual world). The latest reports suggest it will be announced in the 5th June WWDC keynote, but this is isn’t confirmed. There’s already a rumour of a second generation product with high-end and cheaper versions, to be released in 2025. Another rumoured AR product is Apple Glass, which is basically a set of smart…

This inexpensive gadget designed for iPhone and iPad selfies is clearly aimed at teenaged social media content creators. Available in a range of colours, Pivo Pod is a palm-sized, drum-shaped device with a vice-style clamp on the top to hold your smartphone in portrait and landscape orientation. When in place, the Pivo Pod can rotate the iPhone through 360 degrees, but there’s no native way of tilting it backward or forward. Pivo Pod connects to your Apple device using Bluetooth, and is controlled with free apps. There’s a standard tripod screw hole on the base, so you can fit it to a regular photography tripod if you wish. As well as making it easy to raise or lower the camera perspective, a decent tripod lets you tilt it too, giving…

This is awesome. While a fixed-position notebook raiser holds your MacBook at a set height, the Curve Flex goes a step further and lets you adjust it. It can lift the top of your screen up to 22 inches, and set your keyboard angle to between zero and 45 degrees. Available in matte black or white, it also folds flat so you can take it with you when on the move. It even comes with a neoprene sleeve for transportation, which has a little pocket to hold the supplied Allen key used to tighten it up if things get loose over time. It’s easy to set up. Put it on your desk, place your hand on the base and pull it up to the height you want. It’s a little…

512 Audio’s latest microphone is a decent price. It’s certainly not cheap and nasty, but nor is it a pro-level beast with a price tag to match. Instead, it’s a decent mid-range device that’s perfect for broadcasters, vidcasters and podcasters who want a quality mic but don’t need something the BBC might use while interviewing a politician near a busy motorway. Tempest is a true large-diaphragm studio microphone with the convenience of modern USB-C connectivity. It has a 34mm gold-plated condenser capsule and 24-bit/48kHz resolution. It has a single cardioid recording pattern, and doesn’t process the signal itself. This, of course, gives you the flexibility of doing your own processing at a software level. Not as straightforward as a mic with Digital Signal Processing (DSP), but you can get some…

How cheap can a Bluetooth speaker set be, without sounding horrible? This one is less than 30 quid, and it certainly doesn’t sound horrible. Not stellar either, but definitely not horrible. groov-e’s Soundbar 20 has two 5W drivers. It plays your tunes through Bluetooth 5.0 or a 3.5mm AUX cable, and it’s powered through USB or a ten-hour battery that takes a couple of hours to recharge. For that disco feeling, there are coloured LEDs around the speakers that flash when music is playing. You can turn them off if you’re using the soundbar under your TV or computer. Inevitably for the price, Soundbar 20 lacks the high-end audio you’d prefer for music. Its bass is solid, but the high ends sound a little tinny and the sound stage is…

Would you use something like this? Or would it end up in a drawer after a month or so, untouched and unloved? It’s a decent enough product. In the box, you get a vegan leather scratch-resistant hardcover, a pack of 20 reusable pages, a Pilot FriXion pen and a microfibre cloth. Use the pen to write on the waterproof, tear-resistant paper and you can wipe it clean with the cloth afterwards. The paper can be used again and again, and you can buy extra packs offering templates for to-dos, planners, meetings and more from the Rocketbook website too. Cloud connection When you’ve made your notes, you can scan them with an iPhone app, and store them on the cloud. There are seven icons at the foot of the page; you…

It’s interesting what you find bundled with tech products these days. This two-camera wireless security system comes with a USB mouse and a HDMI cable. Why? Because you must connect the supplied NVR (Network Video Recorder) unit to a TV or monitor to set it up. This isn’t as scary as it sounds. It’s a simple job, and after a few easy steps, your security hub is soon up and running. This particular pack offers two wireless cameras, replete with brackets that let you screw them to a wall or a flat surface. Naturally, there’s a useful iOS app you can use to monitor your cameras in real-time, and receive alerts when they detects heat or motion if you wish. Candid cameras The cameras, being wireless, are powered by removable…

Of the three feature-rich and competitively-priced design packages in the Affinity range, it’s Affinity Photo that impressed us most. A powerful image editor, it rivals Adobe Photoshop for versatility but costs a single, affordable fee with no monthly subscriptions. Affinity Photo 2 is a major overhaul, with a new user interface, non-destructive RAW editing, live masks and more. There’s no upgrade discount for existing users, but a free 30-day trial is available so you can try before you buy. Custom settings can be imported from the original Affinity Photo, so if you’ve set up custom brushes, adjustments and more, you won’t have to do it all again when you upgrade. Like the other Affinity apps released as Version 2, Photos 2 benefits from a greatly revised user interface. The workspaces,…

This very focussed photo editing application does one job, and does it well. Available as a stand-alone app or as a plug-in for Photoshop, PS Elements or Lightroom Classic, DxO Labs’ ViewPoint 4 is designed to correct issues with a photograph’s perspective. However good your lens, imperfections due to distortion might creep into your pictures. With ViewPoint 4, you can fix barrel, pincushion and fish-eye distortion with a single click. For stronger changes, the app’s powerful perspective tools can give you exactly the effect you want. A matter of perspective… It’s an in-depth, capable app, but also fairly easy to use. A toolbar across the top is mainly for guides, resizing, flipping and rotating. The clever stuff is in a right-hand sidebar. It’s there you use the dedicated tools for…

Remember the Tamagotchi craze of the Nineties? Now you can revisit those halcyon days with Nomi, a new virtual pet that lives on your Apple Watch and integrates with the Health app to reward exercise. To interact with your Nomi (which you can call anything you like), tap them or scroll the Digital Crown to make them smile. Keep an eye on their heart rings too. When they have three full hearts, they’re content and well fed. Over time, each heart ring in turn empties. It’s time to feed them. You get a heart to throw to your Nomi for walking 500 steps. An alert tells you there’s a heart ready. Serve it up to Nomi, you don’t have to wait until one of their heart rings is completely empty.…

My initial reaction toward Angry Birds Journey was far from favourable. It felt too familiar, too predictable and ultimately nothing different to what we’ve been playing for over decade. Yet as I kept playing the game’s genuine appeal started to shine, much to my confusion! Why did I keep playing? This is nothing new? Same birds, same abilities, same level design and the same gameplay, but I kept coming back? This is Angry Birds as we all knew and loved it, but in all honesty Angry Birds across its many spin-offs and sequels has changed to such a degree the franchise shamefully lost focus on the core play. Instead it diluted itself with unneeded gameplay modes, pay-to-win gameplay, power-ups and filler challenges. As the series progressed and evolved, the less…

1 This is the front page of the Stocks app, that is, what you see when you open it for the first time. If you’ve already saved some stocks using the iPhone or iPad version of the Stocks app, they’re synced in iCloud and shown in the sidebar. 2 To find a company and see its current share price, type either its name or its ‘ticker’ – a four-letter abbreviation of the company’s name used by the stock market – in the Search bar. Click the company in the search results. 3 As well as seeing the company’s current share price (top right), you also get a graph showing the fluctuating stock value over time. Drag your mouse over the graph to find the price at a certain time on a certain date.…

MESSAGES in Focus 1 Tap here to take you back to the list of message conversations. Tap one of them to open, and if you wish, continue that conversation; such as the chat you see here. 2 This is the person you’re chatting to. The picture is drawn from your Contacts app and is replaced by an initial if it’s not available. Tap this pic for more options, including sharing your location, making a call or video call, send an email and more. 3 Tap the video camera icon here for a pop-up menu, offering FaceTime Audio and FaceTime Video calls. Tap one to make that call. 4 Your outgoing messages are on the right, incoming ones on the left. Received messages are grey. Sent messages are blue if sent to another Apple device…

1 To delete messages, open the conversation and long-tap on a message, and tap More in the options window that pops up. Tick bubbles are shown next to the messages. Tick the messages you want to delete, then tap the dustbin icon (bottom left). 2 To recover deleted messages, go to Settings > Messages and turn on Filter Unknown Senders. On the conversation list, tap Filters in the top-left. Open Recently Deleted, tick anything you want to recover then tap the Recover All option. 3 To recover a conversation individually, long-tap and tap Recover. If you open a message that might be spam, tap the Report Junk link that appears under it, then tap Delete and Report Junk to alert Apple and your network provider. Unsend and Edit Sent Messages 1 You can recall…

Mail in Focus 1 Use this icon to collapse and open the sidebar. In this sidebar, you see the locations you’ve saved in the Weather app. Click one to see the weather in that particular town or city. 2 Tap the three-dots icon for options such as Edit List, Notifications, switching between Celsius and Fahrenheit and reporting issues. 3 The Search field. Use this to find other towns, cities and locations, which you can add to your sidebar. 4 Here you see the current temperature, weather and high and low forecast for the location you’ve highlighted in the sidebar. 5 This is a weather alert, which appears when harsh conditions seem likely. In this case, we’re facing high winds. 6 Another weather widget lets you know when it will stop raining. Tap on any of these…

Watch Tech: The Taptic Engine At the heart of the Apple Watch is Apple’s innovative Taptic Engine. In a nutshell it’s a linear actuator that produces haptic feedback. This is what gives you that little vibration buzz on your wrist when a notification comes in. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to My Watch > Sounds & Haptics and you can configure it to suit your needs too. You can also switch it off altogether if you really don’t like it but you’ll probably find it a very useful feature on your Apple Watch.…

What will Apple do next? And what should they do next? June’s Worldwide Developers Conference will bring all sorts of announcements, but we have a decent idea of what we’ll get already. That’s what this issue’s cover story is all about. We take a look at what hardware Apple is likely to announce over the next year or two, and what this year’s operating systems will bring. Some of it might surprise you. With so much forthcoming Apple gear in this issue, we couldn’t resist asking the team what the company should do next, bringing its undoubted expertise to technologies they’ve yet to address. Check out the answers over the page. In our reviews section, we take a look at some great new software, peripherals and games. Serif’s Affinity series…

Apple hasn’t announced the forthcoming iPhone 15 series yet, but regular Apple watchers know exactly when they’ll arrive. We get major new iPhone releases in September, and that won’t change for the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max; and maybe the iPhone 15 Ultra? Let’s take a look at what Apple has in store for us. The iPhone 15 Ultra It’s rumoured the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be renamed the iPhone 15 Ultra, bringing it into line with the Watch family, but other sources claim the Ultra is to be a completely new iPhone model, a top-of-the-range phone that’s positioned above the Pro models. The Ultra might feature a titanium frame instead of stainless steel. This high-strength, low-weight (but more expensive) metal would suit a…

In a nutshell, the difference between a Wi-Fi extender and a Wi-Fi repeater is that an extender connects directly to your router, maybe through homeplugs, and offers a separate wireless access point. A repeater, on the other hand, latches on to the outer reaches of your existing Wi-Fi network, and rebroadcasts it, giving you extra range. These two devolo products are repeaters. The devices offer two form factors. The 5400 looks like a router, with a separate mains outlet plug and two Ethernet ports for cabled connections. The 3000 model plugs directly into the mains socket and a single Ethernet port. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer a through-port for you to plug in another electrical device. They’re extremely easy to set up; using WPS, just press a button on your router…

Keyboards and controllers can be a significant investment, especially if you’re a small business owner who needs to buy in bulk. Logitech’s Signature MK650 Combo for Business offers a (relatively) low cost option instead. Available in black or white, the combination pack contains an K650 keyboard and an M650 mouse. Designed for maximum compatibility, the keyboard is printed with both Mac and Windows key layouts. It has a full set of function keys along the top, and a built-in keypad too. It feels comfortable to type on, and as it has a palm rest, it’s easy on the wrists. The mouse is equally comfortable to use. It has a tracking DPI of 400-4000, which is ideal for general use. There’s a scroll wheel with a middle button, and two side…

Philips’ 27B1U7903 4K satisfies on pretty-much every level. It’s wonderful for design. Colours are clear and bright. There’s 1.07 billion of them on offer, and they’re brilliantly reproduced. Viewing angles are excellent, with almost no colour shifting at narrow angles. The screen is backlit by Mini LEDs. There’s 2,304 individual local dimming zones, compared to 576 on most 27-inch monitors. This really helps with the contrast, making blacks darker, whites brighter and the entire spectrum more vivid. For professional and prosumer users, it’s perfect. It does a decent job with movies and games too. These should be regarded as secondary uses, of course. If you’re looking for a monitor specifically for movies and games, there are more appropriate options. But its 4K, 3840x2160 resolution, 163 pixel-per-inch density and 60Hz refresh…

The GorillaPod range of tripods has an enviable reputation for versatility and strength, and this new model, the PodZilla, is no exception. As well as using it as a tripod, you can hold its legs together to turn it into a selfie stick, wrap them around a branch or railing to hold your iPhone steady in unusual places, bend one leg a little more than the others to accommodate uneven surfaces and more. There’s a standard head mount screw, so you can use it with a regular camera, and a housing to hold a mobile phone. This housing can also support LEDs, microphones and other JOBY products alongside your phone, but these are not supplied. The PodZilla comes in four exciting colours. Or maybe three exciting colours and grey. The…

The ChargeTree, STM’s multi-device charger for Apple fans, reaches perfection with the ChargeTree Go. Like previous versions, it can charge an Apple Watch, an iPhone with Qi charging (iPhone 8 or later) and earbuds that offer wireless charging such as Apple’s own second-generation or later AirPods, all at once. But unlike previous versions, this ChargeTree folds down flat for travel use. You get a drawstring bag to carry it in too, which is large enough to also hold the 20W plug (not supplied) and the USB-C to USB-C cable (supplied). It has charge status lights to show you that your devices have been positioned correctly and are charging, but these go out after a brief while, so you can use it on your bedside table without having LEDs keeping you…

The Marshall Emberton II Bluetooth portable speaker makes several improvements over the previous model. It can now run for 30 hours on a single charge, is dust and water resistant and it’s now made of 50% recycled plastic from used electronics, water bottles and automotive light covers. It’s 100% PVC-free too. The speaker charges from flat to full in three hours, and it uses Bluetooth 5.1 technology for easy set-up and great connectivity. One thing that hasn’t changed is its awesome rock-star aesthetics. It looks every inch a Marshall, and will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s been to a gig and seen the band’s amps stacked high on the stage. You can now stack your the portable speakers too for an even bigger sound. Get those fists in the…

These Affinity Version 2 apps are really knocking it out of the park. Publisher 2 is no exception. For the first time, it’s available on the iPad as well as the Mac, bringing it into line with Affinity’s Photo and Designer apps. The original Affinity Publisher was highly respected, and the new release makes significant advances on it with some great new features. Like all the Affinity apps, Publisher 2 is very affordable. On both the iPad and Mac you pay a single fee and buy the apps outright – there’s no monthly subscription. Best of all, there’s a universal licence that gets you all three Affinity apps on the Mac, Windows and iPad. It’s amazing value for money. Interesting interactive interface The interface is as instinctive and intuitive as…

Point-and-click adventure fans rejoice! Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack is an indie tribute to the much-loved LucasArts games from yesteryear. If you have fond memories of The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Loom, a couple of Indiana Jones offerings and more, you’ll feel right at home here. According to developer Warm Kitten, it’s a ‘cozy 2D point-and-click adventure featuring three acts, multiple playable characters and plenty of silliness. Oh, and there’s time travel and relationship stuff going down too. And robots – lots of robots.’ So let’s get started… Justin Wack is not a happy guy. If splitting up with his girlfriend Julia isn’t enough bad luck, an incident with a microwave sends him back in time, swapping places with a prehistoric guy called Kloot. Can he…

Shiver me timbers, me hearties! Those scurvy dogs at Netflix are sailing the seven seas of video gaming, producing a treasure chest of titles for their subscribing crew-mates at a charge of zero pieces of eight! One of those treasures is Rival Pirates, a multiplayer death-match featuring a motley collection of cartoon buccaneers. Produced by games industry legend Nick Roberts, Rival Pirates sees you commanding a weak and flimsy pirate ship crewed by two comedy pirates, each of whom has their own abilities. Put these abilities to your advantage and you can bring down your online foes in a 16-ship arena battle, earning money to invest in building up your ship into a force to be reckoned with. The action is crazily cartoony, and a delight to watch as you…

Doom. What the hell can anyone say about this game that hasn’t already been said many times before? The granddaddy of the FPS genre and one of the greatest games in the history of its industry, the only thing I can add is if you’ve never played the original, get yourself a copy and imagine how games like Call of Duty could exist without it. As a big fan of the first three games in the series, the franchise lost me with its recent incarnations. Its old-school exploration-based demon-shredding shifted to a less involving arena style of gameplay. Fortunately, it’s a style of play that suits this roguelite mobile reimagining. The smaller play area with the core gameplay focusing on sending a set number of hell spawn, err back to…

Having to log into websites and apps can be annoying, but with Passkeys, the procedure is greatly simplified. A feature arriving with macOS 13: Ventura, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Passkeys is a new authentication method that uses Touch ID or Face ID to sign in. Passkeys are synced through iCloud, and you can even use them on non-Apple devices using a QR code. Passkeys can only be used on websites that have made them available. On Passkeys-compatible websites, you can log on using your Face ID, Touch ID or mobile device’s passcode, without having to enter your username and password. This has a number of advantages. As your Passkey never leaves your device, phishing attacks – whereby a user is conned into giving away his or her login details…

The Messages app is very efficient and user-friendly when it comes to dealing with photo attachments. To send a photo, tap the Photos App icon at the bottom of a Messages conversation and you see a grid of photographs from your Photos App. Tap as many as you like to select them. You can now choose which order their placed in your message. Just tap them in your chosen order, and they’re numbered instead of ticked. To unselect a photograph, simply tap it a second time and the number disappears. When you’re ready, tap Add in the top-right corner and the photos are added to your outgoing message. Here, you can scroll the pictures left and right to review them. Each has a cross in the top-right corner – tap…

Setting Up and Using Freeform 1 First of all, make sure Freeform in iCloud is switched on. Open Settings and go to [Your Name] > iCloud > Apps Using iCloud > Show All, and if the Freeform option isn’t switched on, tap the switch to the right of its name. 2 Tap the pen-and-paper icon to open a new Freeform board. To share this board so you can collaborate on it, with all edits and additions appearing for everyone using the shared board, first tap the Share icon atop the board. 3 Tap ‘Only invited people can edit’ for a pop-up window that lets you choose who can make edits, who can access the board and whether people you invite can also invite others. Set up the board’s permissions on this menu. 4 When…

Setting Up Stage Manager 1 Only recent iPads can use Stage Manager. To do so, your tablet must be running iPadOS 16.1, and it must be an iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen or later), any iPad Pro 11-inch or an iPad Air (5th gen or later). 2 If you’re not sure which iPad you have, go to https://apple.co/3EIcoyc to find out. Go to Settings > Home Screen & Multitasking > Stage Manager. Tap the green switch at the top of the screen to turn the feature on. 3 By default, Stage Manager shows the Dock at the foot of your iPad’s screen, and recently used apps in a strip on the left-hand side of the screen. You can turn either or both of these off using the checkboxes. 4 You can turn Stage Manager…

On Your Watch If your Apple Watch is already running watchOS 6 or higher, you can update directly from your watch. If it isn’t, you might be very out of date. Follow the guide to updating on your iPhone instead. 1 If you get a notification like this, there’s a new version of watchOS you can install on to your Apple Watch. To install overnight, scroll up and tap Install Tonight, then leave your watch on a charger overnight. 2 To install immediately from your Apple Watch, place the watch on your charger, and make sure it’s connected to your Wi-Fi network. On your watch, go to Settings > General > Software Update. 3 On this Software Update screen, scroll up and tap the button marked Install. The install only starts when your…

Changing Your Watch Face Changing and customising your watch face is easy. There are currently eleven unique faces to choose from, all of which can be customised, and two options to use your own photographs as a face for your Apple Watch. 1 To cycle between available faces on your Apple Watch, swipe inwards from the right or left edge of the screen. Your watch face is replaced by the next one in line. Keep going until you find the face you want. 2 Press and hold on the glass to get to the editing screen. Hold and drag a watch face to reorder, drag one upwards and tap Remove to delete it. To add a new face, swipe all the way right and tap the plus icon. 3 Scroll up and down…