Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i MacLife

IT’S COMMON TO see execs from other Silicon Valley companies take the stage to unveil their wares during Apple’s public events. Much rarer is seeing Apple participate in other companies’ shows, let alone use their stages to make announcements. But that’s what happened at the payment industry’s Transact conference in May, a month before WWDC. Jennifer Bailey, the VP responsible for Apple Pay, revealed support for NFC tags that would enable contactless payments in new scenarios such as car parking and “micro-mobility” (otherwise known as scooter rental). Depending on where you live, this may not sound new. Many of us are already so used to tapping our iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for items that we can get caught out if a vendor doesn’t accept it. In Chicago, the…

PLENTY OF PEOPLE overlook it, but your router is crucial to the quality of your home network. The router provided by your ISP (internet service provider) is often relatively basic, so it’s often a good idea to get a better alternative. But what exactly should you be looking for when buying a router? One of the first things to consider is the size of your home. How much coverage do you need? Not every router is powerful enough to cover a large home. For any router, check its spec sheet for “Wi–Fi range” or a phrase like it, or the home size it’s intended for, to gauge capability. You’ll also have to consider the type of home you have — old buildings with thick walls are likely to present more…

YOU’VE UPGRADED YOUR internet connection to meet your demands, and you’ve optimized some parts of your network too. But there’s still room for improvement. Here, we’ll examine ways you can maximize your Wi–Fi connection at distance, plus spread the demands on it more evenly to boost performance. You’ll also discover how to ensure a single device or app can’t monopolize your internet connection to the detriment of everyone else. 1 Wireless at a distance The TP–Link TL–WPA4220 is a powerline adapter with built–in 2.4GHz Wi–Fi extender. Perfect for hard–to–reach rooms, as the signal is relayed through electrical wires rather than over the air. 2 Reduce congestion Lessen the load on your 2.4GHz band by connecting devices that are closest to the router — where the signal is strongest — to…

Connect to Windows PCs TO SHARE FILES to and from PCs, go to Apple > System Preferences > Sharing, and check File Sharing, then click Options. Make sure “Share files and folders using SMB” is selected. Check your own username below only if you’re going to access your Mac’s storage from a PC. Click Done. If your PCs aren’t using the standard WORKGROUP name, go to your Mac’s Network prefs, click the Locations pop–up menu, and pick Edit Locations. Select Automatic, click the gear button, and choose Duplicate Location. Rename this and click Done. Now click Advanced > WINS tab. Click + under WINS Servers and enter your router’s IP address. Next, click the Workgroup pop–up menu and type your workgroup name. Click OK, then Apply, then restart your Mac.…

IF YOU’RE CONVINCED that the only way to fix your network problem is to restore your router to its default settings, there are two ways to do so. Before you begin, make sure your Mac is connected to the router using Ethernet. Go to Apple > System Preferences > Network > Ethernet; also ensure the IPv4 connection is set to “Using DHCP” so it’ll immediately have access post–factory reset. If you can still log in to your router via your browser, either make a note of all the key settings you’ll need to restore (Wi–Fi name and password, DHCP server settings, etc), or look for an option to export them to a file on your Mac. Then look for a Factory Reset or Restore button and click it. Can’t log…

YOU MAY FIND yourself just using your Watch to check the time and get the odd notification. If you do, that’s fine, but you’re missing out on a whole world of extras. Even seasoned Apple veterans like us still find new features when we dig through the Watch’s menus. For example, the Apple ecosystem can help if you’ve mislaid your iPhone. Swipe up from the bottom of your Watch’s screen to bring up Control Centre, then tap the icon showing a vibrating iPhone. This “pings” your phone so it will emit a brief ringing sound, helping you locate it. If you hold the vibrating iPhone button, your phone’s flash will blink — useful in the dark or if your phone’s speaker is covered. That’s why it’s always worth exploring the…

$34 From HoudahSpot Software, houdah.com Needs macOS 10.13 or later If you regularly use the Finder’s Smart Folders to create custom searches, you’ll be only too aware of its limitations. HoudahSpot overcomes those and allows you to easily perform speedy and complex search queries. Version 5 brings a host of new features, including one that not only previews a document when you search for a passage of text, but highlights the passage, making it much easier to find. Version 5 also brings the Recent Attributes and Recent Values functions, which remember attributes and values you’ve used in recent searches, and suggest them for your next search. You can now arrange results by date, size, kind, or application, and search for files by date in a given month or year. Mojave…

$119.95 — $129.95 From Logitech, logitech.com Made for iPad Pro 11–inch and 12.9–inch (3rd generation) Logitech’s Slim Folio Pro cases for the third gen iPad Pro 11–inch and 12.9–inch are functionally identical. Well built, they offer excellent protection for your iPad, but add some heft. There’s no Smart Connector, so you pair over Bluetooth low energy, with the keyboard waking and sleeping depending on whether your iPad’s positioned for typing. The internal battery lasts three months on a single charge based on two hours’ use per day, and charges over USB–C. Since these iPad models are the first that can output power themselves, this means you can charge the keyboard from the iPad itself. There are three positions: typing, viewing, and read/sketch modes — all of which feel natural. The…

$129.99, upgrades from $29.99 From Micromat, micromat.com Needs Any Mac with macOS 10.10 or later The only comprehensive toolkit for diagnosing hardware problems over the last 30 years, TechTool Pro 11 keeps pace with recent features like T2 chips, Apple’s new file system, and Mojave’s privacy protection. It’s even notarized for compatibility with macOS 10.15. When you first open it, you’ll be prompted to give it Full Disk Access in your Security & Privacy pane. This adds the four necessary items, provided you follow its instructions. Before running any tests, even its Check Computer, study its 35,000–word manual and set a configuration which you won’t regret later. By default it will test volume structures on an internal boot SSD, which makes your Mac unresponsive: after 20 minutes with the clock…

1 Siri Free apple.com Siri has been part of macOS since Sierra. Just click its menu bar icon, or hold Cmd+[spacebar]. On the latest MacBook Air/Pro and iMac Pro, you can also activate it by saying “Hey Siri”. 2 Reverb Free reverb.ai Reverb hooks into Amazon’s online Alexa API (application programming interface) to bring the assistant’s “lite” version to your desktop. It’s a little awkward to use, but it works well. 3 MacAssistant Free github.com/vanshg/MacAssistant You’ll need a Google developer account to be able to build the code, but it’s a really neat menu bar shortcut to Google Assistant.…

Although PDF is an open standard, it has a long and complex history. It encompasses several standards, including PDF/A for archival use, PDF/X for pre–press, and PDF/UA for accessibility. The Quartz 2D PDF engine in macOS can read each variant, but doesn’t cater for their special features, which are left up to apps to handle. Problems become most apparent when a document complies with the PDF/X–4 standard, which is widely used in pre–press, because it caters for process and spot color, for example. Preview and apps that rely on the Quartz 2D engine are not able to render those files correctly, shown as “X” marks by the engine’s test suite, which disrupts color graphics. Adobe Acrobat, even the free Reader DC version, makes use of Adobe’s own PDF engine internally.…

HOW CAN I INSTALL MISS ING FONTS ON MY IPAD? Additional fonts have to be installed using a configuration profile, designed for managed iOS systems. Several apps, including AnyFont ($1.99) and iFont (free) handle this, and can import fonts from the internet, your iCloud Drive, or Dropbox; or even attached to emails, so long as they’re in TrueType or OpenType format. WHY CAN’T I SEND SMS MESS AGES WHEN ON WI–FI? To send SMSes, your iPhone needs a mobile network connection, unless Wi–Fi Calling is turned on in Settings > Phone. You may also see an option there to turn this on for your other iCloud devices, to use when your iPhone isn’t nearby. WHICH ADAPTERS CAN CHARGE MY NEW MACBOOK AIR? You can use any 30W or greater Apple…

You can, although an external disk may be relatively slow. Ensure you use storage with a Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 connection, not an old USB 2.0 hard drive. Don’t use a thumb drive, even if it has USB 3.0, as speeds are often too slow. Ensure the drive doesn’t contain anything you need. With your external drive connected to your Mac, run macOS Recovery over the internet — refer to “If you can’t start up from macOS Recovery” at bit.ly/mfrcvry. Be prepared for the system to take a while to download. When the Recovery system finally appears, follow bit.ly/mfreinst to install macOS on the external drive. On that page, follow the link that explains when and how to erase a disk. Just make sure that you pay close attention to…

Some people who have upgraded to Mojave have found that its new version of Mail does this because it changes the column width, which gives the flags column the space to reveal color names. To make the names vanish, at the top of the column drag the right–hand divider leftwards to narrow the column’s width until only the colored flags show. There’s no control to turn off the written descriptions. If that doesn’t help or won’t stick, open Mail with the Up–arrow key held down, then quit it, and start your Mac in safe mode (bit.ly/mfsafemd), leave it for a couple of minutes, then restart and enter macOS as normal. A few people have also reported that some previously flagged messages lose their flags in Mojave; there doesn’t seem much…

REQUIRES Affinity Photo YOU WILL LEARN How to lighten or darken tones, ensure maximum contrast, and add a subtle wash of color IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes BY MAKING A black and white conversion of a color image, you can help the viewer focus on contrasting shapes in a pic. This works particularly well with the lines and patterns produced by architectural subjects such as our Scottish viaduct here. A monochrome image harks back to the days of analog film photography, adding a touch of retro class to your shot. They also stand out from the color crowd, which helps them get noticed on social media. While it’s simple to desaturate a color shot using Affinity Photo, this can result in a muddy wash of greyscale tones. An effective black…

WHEN THE QUESTION of whether Apple is still as innovative as it’s been in the past comes up, I’m happy to point to the Watch as a positive answer. It’s no surprise there are diminishing returns for notebooks and phones after a certain amount of time, but features such as fall detection — along with the ECG function and a few other things that could help it save your life — show there’s tons of clever new ideas powered by technology. You just have to think of innovation in terms outside of traditional computing. Apple’s also found its rhythm for the Watch as a fashionable physical item, despite largely dropping the fashion focus. The high–end yellow gold original raised more eyebrows than a space anomaly encountered by a starship crewed…

1 Bowers & Wilkins Formation bowers-wilkins.com From $699 This suite of wireless speakers from B&W is like Sonos taken to a whole new level. They’re all equipped with Wi–Fi and work with AirPlay 2, so they’re ideal for Apple devices. Cleverly, they all have mesh networking built–in to talk to each other, so when you’re playing music on multiple speakers, they stream it directly between themselves rather than over your network, ensuring high quality. There’s a soundbar, a pair of active stereo speakers, a mid–sized tabletop speaker, a sub, and an adapter for plugging in any audio source to stream among them all. 2 De’Longhi Maestosa delonghi.com $TBC De’Longhi’s new super–luxe coffee machine is all about personalization. Using the touchscreen, you can get the exact coffee you’re in the mood…

REPOSITION YOUR ROUTER Think about where your router is placed — aim to position it as centrally as possible (if you’re in a two–storey home, that means high up on the ground floor to improve its signal range upstairs). Also place it on a wooden shelf rather than brick or glass, as the latter materials are harder for Wi–Fi signals to pass through. ADJUST ANTENNAS If your router has two or more external antennas, align one vertically and the other horizontally to see if that boosts the range further. Also consult your router’s support website to see if you can upgrade its supplied antennas with more powerful “high–gain directional” replacements to boost the signal. CHANGE WI–FI CHANNELS If you determine your 2.4GHz network needs moving to a less–crowded channel, use…

GETTING A STABLE signal is one thing, but are your devices performing to their best? Network speeds vary for all kinds of reasons, so how do you test each device in your home to confirm things are working as well as they can be? Devices connected to your router’s Gigabit Ethernet ports shouldn’t have any issues — the 1Gbps speed is as good as it gets and more than capable of utilizing the full bandwidth of your internet connection. Wi–Fi is a different matter entirely, though. The quoted maximum speeds (300Mbps for 2.4GHz connections, more for 5GHz networks) fall off rapidly the moment you move even a relatively small distance from your router. So how do you determine what speeds you’re getting? The answer is to benchmark transfer rates between…

NOW IS THE time to turn to the thorny issue of network security. You don’t want to be giving neighbors free Wi–Fi, or letting any Tom, Dick or Harry gain easy access to your network for whatever nefarious purposes. (Remember, anything done on your network becomes your responsibility.) GET THE BASICS SORTED Step one is to lock down your network from actual intruders — those who are within physical range of your Wi–Fi network. The guide opposite reveals six steps you can follow to tighten security at this level. When it comes to password–protecting your Wi–Fi, make sure you choose WPA2–PSK encryption. WPA2 is ageing and its reputation took a battering with the recent KRACKS vulnerability (speaking of which, check your router’s firmware is up to date) but it’s still…

THERE ARE MORE than a few of us who grew up wishing we had a James Bond–style spy watch. While we’re not quite at that stage yet, using Siri on your Apple Watch can get you pretty close. You won’t be saving the world with Siri, but you’ll be the most organized you’ve ever been. And much like a 1960s spy thriller, the Apple Watch (Series 3 or later and watchOS 5 required) lets you raise your Watch and bark orders to Siri, without first having to say “Hey Siri”. To adjust this, open the Settings app on your Watch, then go to General > Siri and switch on Raise to Speak. If you’re using an older Watch, raise your wrist in the same way, then say “Hey Siri” and…

THE WATCH TRACKS your fitness data and sends you notifications; it has access to a lot of your detailed information, the kind of stuff that you’re going to want to keep private. Luckily, Apple is in charge here, and it has a great track record for keeping your data under lock and key. The Watch is no different. For example, to stop unwanted people gaining access to your Watch, you can have it automatically lock when you’re not wearing it. On the Watch’s iPhone companion app, Go to My Watch > Passcode, and turn on Wrist Detection. That way, even if you end up misplacing your Watch, it won’t be open to anyone and everyone who finds it. Disabling Wrist Detection means your Watch can’t track your background heart rate…

Apple has greatly improved the battery life of the Watch. Still, we can all benefit from cutting down on processes that hog the battery to get even more help from the wrist–worn assistant. Follow the three tips below and you should notice a real difference in how long your Watch lasts each day. 1 Background drain Background app refresh lets apps periodically check for updated data. This can drain the battery. To turn it off, or choose which apps can use it, go to My Watch > General > Background App Refresh. 2 Brightness As with your iPhone, your Watch’s battery can benefit from lowering the brightness. On your iPhone, go to My Watch > Brightness & Text Size, and adjust the brightness slider as desired. 3 Workouts Go to…

$5.99 From deadbeef, deadbeef.me Needs macOS 10.13 or later Some parts of macOS still look a little… well, traditional, despite others embracing iOS aesthetics. Juice changes that when it comes to Bluetooth devices. From its menu bar icon you can open the app’s Control Center. However, it’s a shame a simple click doesn’t do that, and that the feedback/update options aren’t tucked elsewhere in the app. The Control Center looks like Apple’s Home app. Clicking a device’s tile initiates connection, which is confirmed by a notification. (If your Mac has a Touch Bar, you can add a button that reveals a list of devices, also used to connect.) Status info is accessed with a secondary click. Weirdly, we could use our trackpad’s two–finger gesture but not by Ctrl–clicking, so the…

$7.99 From Eternal Storms Software, eternalstorms.at Needs macOS 10.10 or later; 64–bit processor When we reviewed Yoink for iOS (Mac|Life, issue 149), we explained how it made moving multiple files between apps on an iPhone easier. The updated Mac version extends that to add more features to ease the copying of files from iOS to Mac Sadly, that’s yet to include the syncing of files in Yoink between macOS and iOS via iCloud (although it does work between iOS devices), a feature that’s been in development for several months. But it does mean you can now use Continuity Camera on a Mojave Mac to take photos or scan documents on an iPhone, and add them to Yoink on your Mac. Other new features include making it easier to change the…

$9.99 From Secret Base, streetsofred.com Needs macOS 10.6.8, 1.6GHz dual–core processor, discrete GPU with 512MB video memory Streets Of Red is the latest in a long line of retro arcade games that have been released in recent months. It’s a straightforward, sideways-scrolling fighting game, in which you have to fight off hordes of zombies and end–of–level Boss monsters. However, the game spices things up with six different characters to choose from. They include Kingston: a “tank” with heavy weapons, and special moves such as a headbutt–charge that ploughs through bad guys; and Queenie, who uses “tech magic” to hurl fire and ice attacks. As well as playing on your own, you can play with up to three friends as well. Learning to play — and fight — as a team…

Free (IAPs) From Moleskine Srl, moleskinestudio.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 12.0 or later Flow is new to iOS, but the people behind it know a thing or two about sketching: Moleskine makes beautiful notebooks that are coveted by writers and artists alike. Flow promises to bring that Moleskine experience to your iPhone or iPad. It doesn’t, but it’s probably as close as digital drawing gets to the combination of a Moleskine notebook and a nice pen. The Flow of the title refers to two things: the flow of creative ideas when you’re in the zone, and the flow of the app itself. Unlike most sketching apps, which limit you to a specific drawing area, this app’s canvas is effectively limitless horizontally. It’s fixed height vertically, though,…

$14.99; $9.99 upgrade from v4; free upgrade from v5 From IdeasOnCanvas GmbH, mindnode.com Made for iPad, iPhone or iPod touch Needs iOS 11 or later Mind maps are great when you need to get down ideas quickly. You start with a central thought (a “node” in mind–map terminology), and branch related ones from there, expanding on your original concept. On paper, though, iteration is messy; and even mind-mapping software can be clunky and inflexible. Not MindNode 6, which is superb. You kick things off with a blank canvas, or Quick Entry mode. The latter has you create a hierarchical bullet–point list, which is then converted to a mind–map with a single tap. Either way, you then get a flexible touchscreen interface for further developing ideas. You can go free–form, or…

There are plenty of apps that help you keep in touch with friends online, but organizing events that bring everyone together can be hard. Fortunately, there’s a number of apps that can help you organize things like parties, sports events, or a simple night out at the movies. Many of these are variations on the traditional “to-do” apps, allowing you to prioritize tasks such as booking a restaurant or venue, or organizing the catering. Others focus on specific tasks, like seating plans. Check out these top apps to help your parties and events run smoothly. As the name suggests, ToDoist is essentially a “to–do list” app, but it goes further than most of its rivals by allowing you to combine tasks and reminders into larger projects, such as “party planning”…

Although this is counter–intuitive, these are symptoms of a single underlying problem, and not its cause. When your Mac’s processor is heavily loaded with an intensive task, it generates more heat, which is managed by the Mac’s cooling system. That includes both raising fan speeds, and reducing the work being done by the processor. The way that it achieves the latter, when it can’t reduce the processor’s clock speed, is to lock your intensive task out using the kernel, which shows up in Activity Monitor as kernel_task. So kernel_task is actually your friend, as it’s trying to reduce the amount of heat your Mac’s processor is generating to let the computer cool down. There are three things to do: ensure your Mac mini is in the coolest place possible and…

She would probably be wise to have some, but the most important initial step is performing a risk assessment, however informal. What will her Mac be used for? What will she browse? Is she likely to fall prey to phishing attacks? Will she only use apps from the Mac App Store, or elsewhere? macOS Mojave includes basic protection against malware, but it may be insufficient for someone who’ll use apps from outside the store, or inadvertently open a malicious link on a website or in an email. Reputable third–party protection such as Malwarebytes (malwarebytes.com/mac), Sqwarq’s DetectX (sqwarq.com/detectx), and Sophos products (sophos.com) add a valuable additional layer, provided they and their data files are kept up to date, which often requires you to take out a support subscription. Anti–malware products from…

AS PROMISED IN Apple’s March special event, the all–new Apple TV app is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and even AirPlay 2 enabled Samsung smart TVs. It brings together all the ways you can watch TV and video content into one app, which is installed as part of the free iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 updates. As well as sections for TV shows and movies, there’s a new Kids section, while the Sports section makes it easy to find games and receive notifications. Movies and shows you’ve bought from iTunes are in a redesigned Library tab, and in the Up Next section you can find favorites or resume watching on a synced device. With the new Channels feature, you can now subscribe to paid services within the Apple TV…

1 NeXT After trying for years to write its own next–generation operating system, Apple, headed by suit–loving chip expert Gil Amelio, gave up in 1996 and bought Steve Jobs’ for $400m. It turned out pretty well. 2 Siri Developed by a San Jose startup that combined Nuance speech recognition with AI from SRI, a research institute founded by Stanford University, Siri was acquired by Apple for north of $200m in 2010. 3 PA Semi Paying a mere $278m from its $18bn cash mountain for this chip design firm in 2008 enabled Apple to create its own A–series processors. This gave iOS devices the jump on performance and power efficiency. 4 AuthenTec The iPhone 5s’ fingerprint reader not only made unlocking the screen faster, but provided the biometric security necessary for…

Network problems can be the most maddening of Mac maladies. Not only can they affect everyone in your home, but they can often be very difficult to identify and remedy. Thankfully, that’s where this handy guide comes in. Over the following pages, we’ll take you through every step needed to get your network up and running, and connection issues banished for good. For example, we’ll show you how to pinpoint exactly what’s causing your problems, whether that’s a dead spot in your home or a crowded Wi–Fi channel. Once you know what’s at the root of the issue, fixing it becomes that much easier. Most of the changes only require simple tweaks, so there’s no need to worry about complex adjustments and convoluted upgrades. Improving your home network needn’t be…

WHEN ISSUES WON’T go away, or have disrupted your network completely, you’ll need to take a different approach to solve the problem. The first step is the classic “turn it off and on again” method — either with the one troublesome device, or your router if the problem is network–wide. In the router’s case, switch it off for 30 seconds to ensure its memory is properly cleared, then turn it back on again. If the problem remains, follow this simple walkthrough. 1 Mac troubleshooting Check for Wi–Fi problems by using Spotlight to run Wireless Diagnostics. Open Network Utility to see if your Mac is the issue. Enter the router’s IP address in the Ping tab to check it’s reachable. 2 Reset IP address If there’s timeout issues with Ping, go…

ONCE YOU’VE IMPROVED your network’s stability, it’s time to focus on performance. Step one is to look at your current internet connection. Is it fast enough for your needs? The explosion in streaming and online gaming means that regular broadband connections can’t cope with the growing demands of the modern home. If you’re looking to add HD or even Ultra 4K streaming into this mix, then investigate upgrading to fibre optic or cable. Most regular cable connections offer up to 1000Mbps, but you’re unlikely to get near those theoretical maximums based on several factors: your distance from the exchange, number of users sharing the line, and the wiring quality to your home. Many internet providers can provide you with a more accurate speed estimate based on your phone number and…

CHANGE YOUR WI–FI PASSWORD If you’ve never changed your Wi–Fi password, now is the time to do so. Make sure it’s based on WPA2 encryption, and choose a lengthy password that can’t be guessed — maybe use your password manager to generate one randomly. Note it down, you’ll need it to reconnect your wireless devices to the network. SHARE PASSWORDS SECURELY If you don’t want to share your guest network’s password by email in case it falls into the wrong hands, you could type it on your guest’s device on their behalf. Alternatively, use AirDrop’s direct, encrypted connection between Apple devices. Sharing passwords is even easier with iOS 11 or later — see the next tip! DISABLE WPS WPS is a feature designed to make it easy to connect new…

WHILE YOU WON’T get anywhere near the maximum speeds advertised, powerline/HomePlug network adapters should be able to outperform Wi–Fi at range. If you think you’re not getting the speeds you should be, there are several factors to consider. First, make sure all the plugs are rated the same — if one is slower than the others, they’ll all run at the slower speed. Second, while distance from the router does play some part in affecting performance, it’s the quality of your electrical circuits that’s crucial in determining maximum transfer speeds. But most modern circuits should perform adequately — just make sure your powerline adapters are plugged directly into a socket and not via an extension cable. A big factor in reducing speed is electrical noise, particularly at the “receiving” end…

THE MORE WE use our devices, the more we seem to be bombarded by notifications. No matter if you’re on a family outing or at the cinema, we’ve all had an annoying, unwelcome buzz interrupt our day. You might think the Apple Watch will make this interference even worse; you’ll now have two devices vibrating and lighting up instead of just one. Here at Mac|Life, we know people who’ve given up on the Watch entirely because they couldn’t stand how many notifications they were receiving on their wrist. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The notifications settings on the Watch are eminently customizable, allowing you to choose who can send through notifications, and from which app they originate. You can silence them, switch off the display, and even…

THE WATCH IS known for its features that help track exercise effort. For example, if you’re halfway through a run and get interrupted, it can automatically pause the workout. Go to My Watch, then tap Workout, and turn on Running Auto Pause. If you’d rather manually pause your workout, you can just press the Digital Crown and side button at the same time. The Workouts app will alert you when you achieve certain goals and milestones. For example, open the app and tap the “…” next to Outdoor Run. Tap Pace Alert, set your goal, then choose Average or Rolling. Your Watch will now let you know when you’re ahead or behind your target. The Watch also lets you string multiple workouts together. Once you’ve started a workout, open the…

$9.99 From Apparent Software, apparentsoft.com Needs macOS 10.8, 64–bit Intel processor When Apple introduced Spotlight back in 2005, it was one of those rare features that actually changes the way you work with your Mac, making it much quicker and easier to find the files you need simply by hitting that Cmd-Spacebar shortcut. Spotlight isn’t perfect, though, and there are still times when keeping track of everything on your Mac can become a bit tricky — which might be why this handy little app is called Trickster. The app doesn’t directly compete with Spotlight, as it doesn’t provide the same “global” search tools that cover every file on your Mac. Instead, it just focuses on the most recent files, folders and applications you’ve created, used, or downloaded. You can either…

While some of us are now used to conversing with Siri, is it the only choice for Apple users or, for that matter, the best? Using some interesting data from Loup Ventures’ Annual Smart Speaker IQ Test (loupventures.com) and hours upon hours with each assistant, we can tell you this: the answers are no, and maybe. The choice is a subjective one, and will depend on the devices you already own and the way you like to use them. There’s nothing to stop you taking advantage of the assistants we feature here — you can even use them on the Mac desktop — and while we can make some suggestions, you’ll have to make your own decision in the end. HEY SIRI! Let’s start with the obvious: as Apple users,…

Alexa and Google Assistant can be taught to recognize your distinct voice signature. On your iPhone and iPad, Siri should ignore other people when they say “Hey Siri”, but HomePod will respond. Also, HomePod’s connection to personal data (like reminders) is limited to one person’s Apple ID. A patent revealed in mid–2018 shows Apple is working on multi–user personalization. Alexa can distinguish between up to six voices per account, giving access to personalized messages and music playback if you subscribe to the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan. Google’s experience is probably the smartest of all, giving each of its voice–matched users access to their streaming services of choice. But it’s worth noting, that all of these services collect recordings of your voice to improve their recognition features: if this makes…

The most obvious and remediable cause is that you have the wrong display profile selected. In System Prefs’ Displays pane, click the Color tab, and check the “Show profiles for this display only” option. If you can’t see an appropriate profile, you can always click the Calibrate button and follow the instructions to create a new one. Next, go to System Prefs’ Accessibility pane, and select Display on the left. The items here should not be checked — “Use grayscale” would be an obvious culprit here — and the two sliders should be set to Normal. If both panes look correct, try resetting the SMC (bit.ly/mfrstsmc) and NVRAM (bit.ly/mfrstnv), then look at the panes again. If none of those software settings have changed the color on your display, then you…

The most common problem with trying to use old versions of apps from the final few releases of Creative Suite is that they require Apple’s Java 6 legacy runtime to be installed first. That’s still available from bit.ly/mflgcjava, and officially supports High Sierra, but unfortunately not Mojave. The snag is that these compatibility issues grow with every major update to macOS, and at some time this year those versions are likely to become unusable when macOS 10.15 is released. There are two workarounds that can be used for any legacy software, though. Older Macs can be set up to boot into different versions of macOS, but this isn’t easy and requires discipline to ensure the two versions of the system never come into contact. More practical would be to run…

1 WHAT IS THIS APPLE DEVICE? 2 BONUS QUESTION: WHEN WAS THIS DEVICE LAUNCHED? 3 True or false: Siri was originally launched in 2010 as a third–party app, before Apple acquired it. 4 BONUS QUESTION: WHICH WAS THE FIRST DEVICE TO FEATURE IT BUILT–IN AS STANDARD? 5 On Apple’s 1976 logo, who is sat under the Apple tree? 6 The “Get a Mac” ad campaign (“Hello, I’m a Mac” and “I’m a PC”) featured which two actors? 7 WHERE WAS THE FIRST APPLE STORE LOCATED? 8 The personal computer was named “Machine Of The Year” by Time magazine in its January 1983 issue. Which two Apple devices did it make mention to? 1 iSight 2 2003 3 True 4 iPhone 4S 5 Isaac Newton 6 Justin Long and John Hodgman 7…