Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i MacLife

This month’s cover star is macOS Big Sur, and boy does it live up to its name. macOS 11 — note the significant jump in its primary number from 10.15 for macOS Catalina — is surely the biggest update to the operating system in the 20 years since this number last changed. This isn’t just a light sprinkling of fairy dust, Big Sur is a pretty seismic shift to a newer and better kind of macOS. It might not come as a massive surprise, but Apple is better aligning macOS and iOS/iPadOS (in version 14 — check out our hands–on over on page 24 for more on that) and we’re starting to see the features now look and work very similarly. Control Center, for example, is the most obvious of…

How to get it: By the time you read this, public betas of all OSes should be out (register at beta.apple.com), with full releases in the fall, depending on hardware launches. iOS 14 works with: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPod touch (7th generation) iPadOS 14 works with: iPad Pro 12.9–inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 11–inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9–inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 11–inch (1st generation), iPad Pro 12.9–inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9–inch (1st generation), iPad Pro 10.5–inch, iPad Pro 9.7–inch, iPad (7th generation), iPad (6th generation), iPad (5th generation), iPad…

Getting the perfect home office setup is not just about hardware — software is just as important. For one thing, now that you and your colleagues are all working in different places, you’re going to need some apps to help you work together. Staying in touch is key. Video conferencing apps like Zoom work across platforms and are easy to use. If you prefer text to video, Slack is a great work–focused instant messenger that integrates with other apps like Dropbox and Google Drive. Speaking of these apps, both Dropbox and Google Drive are great for sharing files with your colleagues. Just upload your files and your workmates can download them, wherever they are. We also have a lot of time for apps like Trello and Asana. They let you…

Keyboard: $99.99; Mouse: $99.99 From Logitech, logitech.com Features Bluetooth, USB adaptor, USB–C charging Needs macOS 10.13, iPadOS 13.1 Apple is famous for its industrial design skills but, strangely, those skills often seem to desert it when it comes to the company’s keyboards and mice — the short–lived MacBook “butterfly” keyboard being just the most recent example. And, of course, Apple’s keyboards and mice tend to be pretty expensive, which has given companies like Logitech an opportunity to offer its own alternatives. Logitech’s MX keyboards and mice have always been Mac–compatible, but it has now launched a special MX For Mac version of both devices. The MX For Mac keyboard and mouse are sold separately for $99.99 each. They can be used as conventional Bluetooth devices, but also include a USB…

$199.99 From Razer, razer.com Features THX certified, ANC, quick attention mode, auto–pause/auto–play, up to 25 hours battery life Razer doesn’t just make gaming products — at least not anymore. The Opus is a pair of noise–cancelling headphones meant more for your daily commute than your daily deathmatch. For $199, you get a stylish pair of headphones that will cancel out external noise, with quality features that will appeal to fans of the brand and newcomers alike. Aesthetically, they’re subdued, with a pleasing monochromatic design that sports a pair of tasteful Razer logos on either side of the headband. You get a hard case and all the cables you need, with USB–C for charging. The button layout is simple, with power and ANC toggle on the left side and volume controls…

Free (IAPs) From Yi Lun Zhao, noto.ink Made for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch Needs iOS 13 or later While Apple’s Notes app has gained functionality in recent versions of iOS, it’s still fairly basic as a way of organizing information, and Pages is better suited to long-form writing. Noto is a dedicated note-taking app for iOS (and also for the Mac) that lets you add all kinds of rich media content, while keeping its focus on usability. It’s free to download but some important features like adding attachments and exporting require a Pro subscription ($0.99/month, $9.99/year, or $24.99/lifetime). Noto is straightforward, with a library view where you can create, open, and rearrange your various notes. Then to the right, or fullscreen if you prefer, is the note canvas. There are…

Free (IAPs) From Rafael Kellermann Streit, tripsy.app Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 13.0 and watchOS 5.0 or later Although the worldwide COVID–19 pandemic sidelined travel plans for many this year, the downtime affords a rare opportunity to plan ahead. And one of the best ways to chart your next journey is with a trip planner app. Tripsy creates travel itineraries you can share with family and friends, even storing important documents inside each trip. If you have existing reservations for flights, hotels, or car rentals, simply forward those emails from your iCloud account to my@tripsy.app and they’ll be automatically imported. (Other forwarding addresses can also be configured.) To create a new trip, enter start and end dates, timezone, and even a background image, which is optional. Next,…

$4.99 From LateNiteSoft, camera.plus Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 12.0 or later, watchOS 6.0 or later Camera+ was among the first iOS apps to bring manual controls to your phone’s camera, and a decade later it continues to take advantage of the latest hardware. The modest cost is a one-off, with no IAPs. It supports RAW shooting and editing, uses a Lightbox to store pictures but also integrates with your Camera Roll. There are full manual controls available as well as automatic mode, image stabilization, and a clever Smile mode that shoots when your subjects are smiling. This computational approach to shooting has been further enhanced with the new Magic ML (Machine Learning) mode in version 4.0. This works when shooting or on existing images and quickly…

REQUIRES Mac OS X 10.7 or later, Macs Fan Control YOU WILL LEARN Take full control of your Mac’s fans to cool down your computer IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes IT DOESN’T MATTER whether you’re running the latest Mac mini or an ageing MacBook, they all suffer from one unavoidable affliction: heat. The harder you push your Mac’s hardware, the hotter it gets — so every time you do anything taxing, from playing games to editing video, its insides heat up. The cumulative effect is to stress your Mac’s components and reduce their lifespan, a problem compounded by the fact your fan isn’t necessarily doing all it can to mitigate the rise in temperature. Macs prioritize keeping themselves quiet over cooling your components, relying on their built–in ability to “throttle”…

REQUIRES A subscription to Adobe Photoshop YOU WILL LEARN How to select a subject; copy, paste, and transform; add effects IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes WHILE BROWSING THROUGH your iPad’s Camera Roll, you’ll get lots of ideas for creative Photoshop projects, such as designing personal wallpapers for your Mac. We’ll show you how to set up a new Photoshop document on your iPad that’s a suitable size to act as wallpaper on a 27–inch iMac, though you can choose other document sizes to suit a range of devices such as HD TV screens. The iOS/iPadOS version of Photoshop lacks many of the tools found in the desktop version, but it’s a springboard to getting a project started on your iPad. We’ll demonstrate how to use iOS/iPadOS Photoshop to select a…

ONE OF THE advantages of the Macintosh, from its launch in 1984, was the Motorola 68000 processor, which was inherently more powerful than the IBM PC’s Intel 8088. But by the late 1980s the 68000 series was falling behind CEO John Sculley’s ambitions for the high–end market, and a Cray supercomputer was wheeled in to enable the in–house development of a brand new CPU. The effort, codenamed Aquarius, fizzled out when it emerged that designing silicon was a very different enterprise to building computers. Its successor, Jaguar, focused on the upcoming Motorola 88110 — a new chip based on RISC technology, departing from the CISC architecture of the 68000 and 8088. The catch was that switching the Mac to RISC would mean rewriting its operating system from scratch. The prototype…

AH, THE WONDERFUL possibility space of the unknown. When you know something is coming, but you don’t know anything about it, the number of ways it could surprise and delight you is infinite. Of course, so is the number of ways it could disappoint you, but I don’t tend to focus on that because it’s boring at best and depressing at worst — Schrödinger’s lab would be a real bummer if it’s just people sitting around resigned to having to deal with a cat corpse. Waiting for the inevitable Apple–made processors, I imagined 12–core MacBook Pros or a 12–inch MacBook successor as fast as an iMac, and other fun options. I didn’t really expect to see those things right now of course, but that doesn’t matter — I was always…

PODCASTS A new “Listen Now” feature will be added to the Big Sur Podcasts app that makes it even easier to find what to play next, and your episodes will be much easier to manage. AIRPODS Your AirPods will automatically switch between all of your active Apple devices that are paired to the same iCloud account. Pick up a different device and your AirPods will switch. MUSIC A new alteration to your macOS Music app sees Apple Music replaced in the sidebar by “Listen Now,” which keeps feature new releases, artist interviews, and personalized playlists in one place. MAPS Thanks to more detailed maps, you will now be able to browse interior layouts of major airports and shopping malls before you even set foot out of your house. HOMEKIT Cameras…

FOR MANY OF us, the last few months have involved far more working from home than we have ever done before. Going from an office–based job to spending the vast majority of your time at home can mean you’re thrown into a world that you’re unprepared for, with little in the way of tools to help you work efficiently and effectively. That’s the problem this guide aims to solve. We have rounded up the best gear for your home office, whether you use a MacBook, desktop iMac or Mac mini, or even an iPad. Take the products on the following pages for a spin and you’ll hit the ground running in your new environment. But this article isn’t just for home–working novices. There’s plenty here for seasoned veterans, with products…

The problem with working from home is it can blur the lines between work and leisure. Without being able to step out of the office and leave your job behind, you may find yourself working too many hours and burning out. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps that can help you switch off and relax. Apps like Breathe on Apple Watch or Calm and Pause on iOS encourage you to take a break in different ways. Calm, for instance, contains meditation exercises and music to help you relax, while Pause helps you slow down and recharge by combining digital painting with music. Well–chosen audio can not only help you relax, but help you concentrate, too. The Soundscapes app contains numerous playlists for different situations (such as Relax, Wake Up, and…

Free (IAPs) From Adobe, adobe.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 12.0 or later Photoshop Camera (PsC) stands out from the crowd due to its focus on creating eye–catching content for your social media feed. Many of the iPhone images that we produce end up on Instagram or Twitter, and thanks to PsC’s expanding collection of lenses (or filters) you can produce striking results. For example, if you want to show off a holiday location and the weather isn’t up to scratch, then a quick tap on the Blue Sky lens enables you to replace an overcast sky with a summery blue one, complete with fluffy clouds. And you can swipe through a selection of different skies before you snap the shot. Once an effect has been added…

$4.99 From Christoph Matzka, moodistory.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11.0 and watchOS 4.3 or later Anyone born before 1970 will remember the mood ring, a decorative thermometer worn on your finger that changed color based on your temperature. An instant fad, the liquid crystal capsule was one of the first “smart” wearables. Of course, mental health is more complicated than a simple gimmick. Our moods can change hour to hour based on many factors. For those who want to track such emotional fluctuations, there’s an iPhone app that does just that. Combining a mood tracker with daily journaling, Moodistory has been designed to create new entries quickly, with minimal effort. Although you can elaborate with notes, a few simple taps on the screen is all that’s…

I’m reading the June issue right now, and noticed the question from the reader about why you don’t have a landscape–mode app. Frankly, I’d never really thought about it. Portrait just seems the most natural way to do it, and I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to read the mag in landscape. However, since I’m reading this in the RBDigital app (which is the library version of Zinio), I decided to try this landscape madness! And lo, the scales fell from my eyes, as I saw something I hadn’t considered: double–page spreads. Of course, they were too small for my 60–plus–year–old eyes to read, but I get why you might want that on a larger device. So I get it now, but please put a word out to your…

When macOS Big Sur is rolled out, Apple’s Safari web browser will enjoy its biggest update since it was first introduced back in 2003 with MacOS X Panther. Building on its amazing performance, elegant design and pioneering privacy protection, Safari will be taken to a new level of excellence, becoming even more efficient and providing an even greater degree of privacy. In terms of efficiency, Apple says that when visiting frequently loaded websites, Big Sur’s Safari will load them up to 50% faster than Google Chrome — all while continuing to deliver industry–leading battery life on its MacBooks. Safari was the first browser to introduce private browsing, cookie–blocking and intelligent tracking prevention, and with the Big Sur update Apple wants to provide its users with even more visibility into how…

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Working from home can be difficult, especially with so many distractions close at hand. It can be all too easy to take a TV break for a few minutes, then find yourself still sat on the sofa hours later! That’s why apps that help you focus can be vital. You don’t even need to download any third–party apps, as Apple’s Screen Time (on Mac, iOS, and iPadOS) has plenty of built–in tools to help you stay on track. If you want to look elsewhere, one of our favorites apps is Forest. It’s beautifully simple — you open it on your iPhone and plant a tree, but if you close it and use a different app your tree dies. Stay focused and you can grow a lush, thriving forest. There are…

HERE AT MAC|LIFE we believe you should only buy the things that you really need, which is why our Reviews section is so important to us, and you. We don’t want you to waste time and money on inferior products, and while we aim to include only the best hardware and apps, occasionally we like to include products that look promising, even if they don’t always deliver. We only use carefully selected experts, with specialist knowledge in their respective field, so no matter which review you’re reading, you can be confident the person who’s tested it knows their stuff, allowing you to make an informed purchase. Each review is rated using a five–star system, with half stars, which is easy to understand because we give an explanation next to each…

$99.99 From Hyper, hypershop.com Features Seven ports, magnetic grip Apple’s recent laptops use USB–C ports for power and data transfer, but many peripherals still use other formats. As such, a dock or hub is essential for anyone needing to hook up thumb drives, digital cameras, and more. The HyperDrive Duo adds seven ports and is small and lightweight, with a separate cable for use with the iPad Pro or other USB–C devices that don’t match the dual–prong fitting used on MacBooks. There’s also a removable magnetic grip that holds the hub to the laptop. There are two USB–C ports, either of which can be used to charge the laptop. One is more powerful at 40Gbps and 100W, and the other 5Gbps and 60W. There are two USB–A 5Gbps ports for…

$109 From Ekster, ekster.com Features Protective padding, magnetic closure Ekster’s slim sleeve can hold MacBooks up to 13 inches, and you can also use it to carry your 12.9–inch iPad Pro or any other tablet up to that size. The exterior is mostly canvas, with a premium leather flap and top area. The leather flap has a magnetic closure with space either side for a charging cable. As the MacBook’s ports are exposed, you can charge while it’s secure inside. A soft microfiber lines the interior. There isn’t a thick layer of cushioning, but your MacBook will feel protected thanks to the sturdy form of the sleeve. There is also extra space built into the corners for extra protection. There are lots of pockets and slots to help organize accessories,…

$179 From ecobee, ecobee.com Features 1080p video, night vision, two–way audio, person detection, cloud storage only The ecobee SmartCamera features a clean design, with a sleek metal stand that allows for vertical adjustments. It can also be mounted to a wall. The camera is for indoor use and doesn’t have an internal battery, so you can’t access it if the power goes out. Image–wise you get 1080p resolution with a 180° field of view, recording at 30 frames per second, night vision, and two–way audio with an integrated microphone. It connects directly to a Wi-Fi network without needing a separate hub and has the Alexa voice assistant built-in, which enables voice commands. The SmartCamera also supports HomeKit for streaming live footage on demand through the Home app. In–app features include…

Free (IAPs) From Daniel Gauthier, ohbother.app Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 13.0 or later Oh Bother is a modern solution to an old problem: how do you stop people you live with from bothering you when you don’t want to be bothered? This free app is for anyone who needs to keep family or flatmates at bay, and with the IAPs you can unlock different icons and color schemes. An app such as this needs to be fast and simple or it won’t be used, and Oh Bother is both. Once everybody in your home has it, they can set their status to “botherable” or “unbotherable”, which appear in green or red respectively to show others your availability at a glance. You can give your status a…

Free (IAPs) From Stei App, ltda, filmrapp.com Made for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch Needs iOS 11.0 or later Filmr for iOS is titled as a video editor but it’s really more of a tool for creating short–form, social media–focused content. It’s free to download and there’s a seven–day trial of the Pro features (a Pro subscription costs a hefty $11.49/month, $39.99/year, or $169.99/lifetime). The design is straightforward, and you create and manage projects from the main screen. For each one you can set its format, with a decent selection of aspect ratios and orientations available as well as colors and frames. Video and picture content can be added from your Camera Roll or from the “Toys” camera, where you can film with special effects like looping and reversing. Once in…

Connectivity divides us, drawing a line between those things which can talk to each other and those things which simply don’t know — or don’t want to know — what everything else is trying to say. It sums up the most frustrating part of the smart home landscape: you just can’t link everything together. But why? A networking protocol is, after all, technically independent of hardware. It’s simply the set of rules and procedures used to exchange data between devices. If both ends of the connection are equipped with the same set of rules, they speak the same language. Simple. In some areas we have settled on particular protocols which make sense: computer networking, for example, tends to lean on the Open Systems Interconnection, which comprises TCP/IP, HTTPS, DNS et…

HOW IT WORKS YOU WILL LEARN What content caching is and how to use it across your devices YOUR MAC CACHES DATA LIKE A SQUIRREL STORES ITS NUTS! Software updates can be very big. The direct download of the macOS Catalina 10.15.4 update was 3GB, while the same month’s iOS download was 4.17GB. That’s a lot when you just have one device to update, let alone multiple Macs or iOS devices. Wouldn’t it be great if you could download something once and then share it with all the other devices that need it? And wouldn’t it be great if you could do the same for app updates, iCloud data, and Apple Books? Say hello to content caching. WHAT IS CONTENT CACHING? Content caching speeds up software updates and iCloud downloads…