Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i MacLife

RECENT COMMENTS FROM Mark Zuckerberg in a Meta Q&A were made public, and they tell us a lot about what to expect in the next wave of computing. The question was about technical standards when developing the (sigh) metaverse, and how Apple is absent from the Metaverse Open Standards Group that includes Meta, Microsoft and Epic Games. If Apple goes its own way technologically, will that be a problem for Meta? At first, Zuckerberg’s answer, quoted by The Verge, is a perfectly milquetoast look at the state of the technology world today. “We’re approaching this in an open way,” he says. Apple is the “closed provider of computing,” he continues. PCs dominated computing, but the iPhone is the cultural lead in phones in western counties, and so on. THE METAVERSE…

THERE’S NEVER BEEN a better time to be an Apple user. Whether it’s your iPhone or iPad, Mac or Apple TV, Apple hardware and software is smarter, more useful and easier to use than ever — and it’s all about making you the center of your Apple universe. From tiny tweaks to enormous improvements, the latest versions of macOS, iOS and iPadOS are packed with features to make life simpler. And the good news is that the good stuff keeps on coming; we’re on the brink of brand new operating systems for Mac, iPhone and iPad that will include even more awe–inspiring improvements. In this feature you’ll discover the features, tips and tweaks that’ll save you lots of time and endless amounts of effort across all your Apple kit: from…

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macOS IS BLESSED with awesome built–in apps that won’t cost you a cent, but what about all the other things you might want to do? If you are strapped for cash, the good news is there are plenty of free or low–cost alternatives to just about every expensive product out there — a godsend in these times where an increasing number of programs are switching to a subscription model (meaning you’re constantly paying for the privilege of using them). All our alternative apps (below and opposite) are free or cost a lot less than the apps they replace. And even with the ones that cost money, you’ll often find this one–off price works out less than the annual cost of subscribing to the original product. If you’re looking for a…

ANOTHER WAY TO cut the cost of your purchase is to be realistic about what you need (rather than want) from your Mac. At the same time, don’t strip back the specification so much your Mac feels obsolete within months and you get buyer’s remorse. Think about what you need (such as high–end video editing, or more everyday tasks) and spec accordingly. The key is to focus on those components you can’t upgrade: the processor, memory and, obviously, the type of Mac itself. Later, you can add a second external drive (and even make it your boot device as we show on p34), switch to a different display and plug in a Thunderbolt or USB hub to gain additional ports.…

With Apple still apparently determined to shoehorn 720p webcams into many of its laptop and desktop Macs, external models are going to continue to be needed for anyone who wants a better quality solution — and, of course, Mac mini owners don’t have a choice. The VideoBar lives up to its name, being a broad all–in–one unit that combines speaker, camera and microphone. It’s even wider than the Anker C300, and though it lacks that unit’s Center Stage–like capabilities, it out–does the Anker by having a built–in privacy shutter instead of a stick–on afterthought stuffed in the box. Bright orange and rolled over with a thumbwheel, it’s easy to tell whether the shutter is closed or not. Powered by a captive 5ft USB–A cable, and with a folding mount that…

$79.99 per year, $139.99 lifetime (Mac only) From pdfexpert.com Needs macOS 10.13 or later; iOS 14 or later PDF Expert aims to serve as both a viewer and an editor, dividing its toolset into four basic categories: Annotate, Edit, Scan & OCR, and Export. The annotation tools are par for the course and include highlighting, underlining, or striking through existing text, or marking the document with everything from freehand pen scribbles and pop-up comment boxes to stamps and text boxes. PDF Expert’s best tools by far are its editing ones. If the PDF was created in a tool that outputs its text and images as editable layers, then PDF Expert enables you to easily manipulate existing content as well as add new text and images if required. Images can be…

WHILE DOWNLOADING BOOKS from the Book Store is likely to be the main way you add them to Books, it’s not the only way to add content. You’ve already seen that you can import PDFs to Books and read them in the app. The other way to get documents into Books is to publish them in the EPUB format — an open standard Books uses for electronic books. Sound complicated? It’s not at all. In fact, you can export Pages documents as EPUB documents and use Books to read them. You can even publish your own books on Apple’s store this way. Books also enables you to rate and review books, ask Apple to suggest similar books, or share them with others. When you listen to audiobooks, you can change…

HOW TO TRANSFER A TRACK FROM iPHONE TO HOMEPOD? When you’re playing an audio track on the iPhone, open Settings, and in General tap AirPlay & Handoff. In that screen enable “Transfer to HomePod” and bring the iPhone close to the top of your HomePod. That should transfer the track across. WHY DOES AN APP USE BATTERY IN THE BACKGROUND? When you’re not using some apps, they can sit in the background refreshing their data so they’re ready when you switch to them. To stop that behavior, open Settings, tap General then Background App Refresh. Locate the app and disable it there. The penalty is that when you next open that app it takes time to bring itself up to date. HOW TO DOWNGRADE THE FIRMWARE IN MY MAC? If…

REQUIRES LastPass account (Free, lastpass.com) YOU WILL LEARN How to sign up for and use LastPass on your Mac IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE a password manager — it ensures that all your accounts (online and off) are protected with strong, randomly generated passwords that are impossible to guess. And — if long enough (12 characters minimum) — impossible to expose using brute–force techniques. A dedicated password manager is better than your web browser’s built-in manager for several reasons — not least the fact it works across your entire Mac, not just the browser itself. It also offers tighter security. We also strongly recommend that you enable 2FA (two–factor authentication) when offered it. In issue #188, we tested six of the best password managers for the Mac,…

REQUIRES An iPad, the latest iMovie app, some footage YOU WILL LEARN How to use storyboards, how to use Magic Movie IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes iMOVIE IS FREE for every iOS user to download, although the screens of larger iPads make it a better platform for movie–making. The app offers a quick and easy way for you to put together footage and music, without the advanced features of Final Cut Pro, and it’s also much more accessible for beginners. It’s able to capture video directly from your iPhone or iPad’s camera in the highest quality, and it can also import footage via the Files app or Camera Roll, which is a convenient way to bring in clips from different devices. iMovie 3.0 has some cool new tools to help…

REQUIRES iPhone or iPad, GIF Maker by Momento, iOS 13 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to create GIFs using GIF Maker by Momento IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes WHEN THE LATE Stephen Wilhite created the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) in 1987, he could have had no idea of the impact his invention would have 30 years later. The term has become synonymous with short animated clips used to convey a message or emotion, usually one that captures the cultural zeitgeist, on social media platforms and messenger apps. Most of these apps enable you to tap a button and search for GIFs created by others, but there’s nothing to stop you creating your own. You can do so within the Photos app on iPhone or iPad, but the options are…

THE NEXT GENERATION of iPhone is here. iPhone 14 has a 6.1–inch screen and starts at $799, the same as the launch price of iPhone 13 (which remains available, now starting at $699), while iPhone 14 Plus has a new 6.7–inch screen (the same size as iPhone 13 Pro Max) and starts at $899. Both models have impressive camera enhancements and new safety capabilities, although they are less of an upgrade than the new Pro models (see page 8). Both iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have an A15 Bionic chip with a 5–core GPU (the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro). Both have “aerospace–grade” aluminum cases available in five colors, and a revised internal design for better thermal performance. Both sizes of screen are Super Retina XDR displays…

APPLE HAS INTRODUCED Apple Watch Series 8 and a redesigned Apple Watch SE. In essentially the same design as its precursor, Series 8 builds on health and safety features such as the ECG app and fall detection by introducing Crash Detection and new temperature–sensing capabilities, which in turn power an enhanced menstrual cycle tracking feature with ovulation estimates. Apple is promoting Apple Watch as a health device, and new temperature sensors add to its armory. There is one sensor on the back of the watch, nearest the skin, and another just under the display, reducing bias from the outside environment. These sensors sample the wearer’s wrist temperature during sleep every five seconds and measure changes as small as 0.1°C. In the Health app, users can see nightly shifts in baseline…

1 Tile your display Press and hold on the green button at the top left of an app, and you can choose to tile it to the right or left of the screen or to move it to an external display or nearby iPad. If you choose one of the tile options it’ll then show available windows to tile in the other half of the screen. Windows will automatically resize if they’re moved to other displays. 2 Swap apps in Split View When you have two apps open in Split View, click the green button on one to swap it for a different app. The selected app will pop into the same place. If you’re in Split View and make one app full screen, the other one will go full…

1 Find your Focus Focus in iOS makes it easy to draw lines between work and play at specific times or in specific places. You can automate Focus modes in Settings > Focus. 2 Get a summary iOS 15’s summaries bundle notifications together and deliver them to your Lock Screen at the times you specify in Settings > Notifications > Schedule Summary. 3 Use Smart Stacks Smart Stacks widgets provide context–aware content and links that change throughout the day. To add a Smart Stacks widget, press and hold your Home Screen; then tap the “+” icon top left. 4 Search with just your voice iOS 15 added a microphone icon to the search field; tap it and you’ll be able to dictate your search term instead of having to type…

WE’RE ALL FEELING the squeeze right now, and it may be that your best–laid plans for upgrading your Mac have bitten the dust or require a complete rethink due to changes in your circumstances. Well, that’s where we come in. Over the next six pages, we’ll reveal tips, tricks and savings to extend the life of your current setup for months (or even years). We’ll also share how you can cut the cost of your next upgrade by a significant amount, enabling you to step up to a better model or save hundreds of dollars on your planned purchase. We’ll start by explaining how to extend the life of your current Mac with a simple upgrade — a super–fast external solid–state drive (SSD) you can use as your main boot…

IF YOU DECIDE to rent or lease your next Mac or take advantage of a hire purchase or “Buy Now Pay Later” deal, make sure you do your research before signing on the dotted line. How much interest is being charged, and how long does the agreement run for? How confident are you that you will be able to continue to afford the monthly payments for the duration of the term — if not, are there any insurance add–ons to protect you? If you plan to rent for years rather than months, check to see if you’re able to upgrade during your rental or must wait until the end to rent the latest model. Personal agreements tend to tie you into one model during the rental term, while a flexi–lease…

Got several Apple devices you need to charge overnight (or at a desk)? Then you need a 3-in-1 charging stand. Twelve South’s take on the theme is the somewhat monolithic–looking HiRise 3. Every section of the charger has a smooth, blocky aesthetic — a single angular slab houses both Apple Watch and iPhone, while the flat base acts as a home for your AirPods (or other wireless charging capable device). As well as the stand, you get a USB–C charging cable (but no wall plug). The iPhone charger is magnetic, so just place your iPhone (12/13/14) on the angled face and it snaps into place — there’s no need for a separate MagSafe charger, though you’ll need a MagSafe case if you wear one. One of the neat things about…

JBL’s Quantum Stream is the company’s first desktop USB microphone and is designed for voice recording tasks such as podcasting, live streaming or gaming. It’s well–built and comes with a poseable, detachable desk stand with the option to mount it on a boom or taller stand. Powering over USB, it comes with a USB–C to USB–A cable so you will likely need to use your own USB–C to USB–C cable. No drivers are required on the Mac but the Windows driver software also enables an EQ function which Mac users don’t get. It has two polar patterns which are switchable using on–body buttons. Cardioid is suitable for single–voice recording and omnidirectional is better for picking up two or more voices at once. It supports up to 96kHz recording though most…

EVERY MODEL OF Mac has a different set of ports depending on its age and form factor. Desktop Macs tend to have more and laptops fewer due to their more compact size but many of us find ourselves in need of extra ports, often ones that our Mac does not already have. Docks have evolved into remarkably powerful devices that not only expand your USB options but also your display output choices, frequently adding Ethernet, memory card readers and more. Thanks to the Thunderbolt standard, these docks are able not just to power and charge connected USB devices but also fully power your laptop at the same time. This means a single Thunderbolt cable can handle all data and power needs between dock and laptop. While there are some things…

$25.00 From ohanaware.com/sleepaid Needs macOS 10.13.6 or later; Intel or Apple silicon Mac You’re shocked the first time you get up, open your Mac notebook, and discover it hasn’t slept a wink and now needs recharging before you can start a busy day. Apple’s notebooks may have a well–earned reputation for battery endurance, but discovering why yours suffered such severe insomnia has been almost impossible. That’s what Sleep Aid does: even for the best–resting MacBook Air, it reveals everything it got up to overnight when you thought it was sound asleep, and helps you fix what’s going wrong. Sleep Aid is a plain app, taking just 200MB of memory, that you leave running in the background to analyze your Mac’s sleep history each time it wakes up. It then completes…

Free (IAPs) From playknotwords.com Made for iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 13.6 or later Trickier than a quick crossword, less obscure than the cryptic option, and with considerably fewer numbers than Sudoku or its more similar cousin KenKen, Knotwords challenges you to make complete words from jumbled fragments that are as likely to go around corners as they are in a straight line. Complete each puzzle against the clock, and your reward is a one–word ranking of how you did, and another puzzle. Some compare it to Wordle, the New York Times’ canny purchase that took over Twitter at the beginning of the year, but the way you use packets of information to build the words is, if anything, more satisfying in Knotwords. There’s a hint system if you get stuck,…

APPLE’S BOOKS APP started out as a way to encourage people to use its then fledgling iPad to read books. By then, Amazon’s Kindle had started to dominate the market for ebook readers and Apple wanted its share. The problem was that the iPad, while a brilliant device, wasn’t nearly as good for reading on as e–ink based readers. It was big, bulky and its glossy screen made it hard to read outdoors. However, while the Kindle became the go–to ereader for anyone who wanted to read a novel in their yard or on the beach, the combination of the iPad and the Books app is a brilliant one for recipe books, gardening books, atlases and anything else that makes use of colorful images. The Books app isn’t just available…

> Save web pages for posterity What’s the best way to save Safari web pages complete with their images and any other embedded content? There are two basic formats to choose from in Safari: you can use the File > Save As command and select Webarchive, or File > Export As PDF. If you prefer your PDF paginated ready to print, then use File > Print and select “Save as PDF” in the Print dialog. Each of these also works in Safari Reader mode, but recently that has tended to create PDFs from some pages with all embedded images removed. Reader tidies up the layout to strip most extraneous content such as adverts, but in the course of doing so might omit items important to you. Webarchive isn’t peculiar to…

REQUIRES Shortery (Free, offers IAPs), macOS 12 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to run your Mac shortcuts automatically with Shortery IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes SHORTERY OFFERS PLENTY OF WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SHORTCUTS EVEN MORE USEFUL MACS PUT A lot of power at your fingertips with shortcuts. But unlike on iPhone or iPad, the Shortcuts app on Mac can’t automatically launch your shortcuts based on triggers. Instead, you must do it manually, which can be a hassle. After all, isn’t the idea of shortcuts that you don’t have to do all the work? There’s a way around this problem thanks to an app called Shortery. It enables you to automate any shortcut you’ve created, with various conditions that can be used to kick the process off. For example,…

ON TOP OF the enhancements and new features in iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus — including Emergency SOS via satellite, and Crash Detection powered by a high–G accelerometer — the Pro versions offer even more advances. iPhone 14 Pro also comes in two screen sizes: 6.1–inch, starting at $999, and 6.7–inch, starting at $1,099. Both models have a new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, depending on what is being displayed) and an Always–On display for the first time on iPhone, enabled by a new 1Hz refresh rate and multiple power–efficient technologies. This makes the new iOS 16 Lock Screen even more useful, allowing you to check the time, widgets, and Live Activities (when they become available) at a glance. Doing this outdoors…

AS ANTICIPATED, APPLE has introduced an all–new rugged watch, “built for endurance, exploration, and adventure.” Apple Watch Ultra, $799, is a new design with a big 49mm case made of aerospace–grade titanium, which rises to a protective lip around the flat sapphire crystal face. The Retina display has a brightness of up to 2,000 nits, twice the brightness of any previous Apple Watch display, making it more readable outdoors. A new, customizable Action button offers instant access to a wide range of features. It’s high–contrast orange and large, making it easy to use even with gloved fingers. The Digital Crown is also redesigned for the same reason. Apple Watch Ultra also brings three new bands — the lightweight woven Trail Loop, seamless high–strength Alpine Loop, and flexible molded Ocean Band…

1 C SEED N1 €180,000 (about $183,390) From cseed.tv >>> This TV is the statement piece to end all statement pieces. Not only does the C SEED N1 incorporate a giant display that ranges up to 165 inches across, but it folds down into what the company describes as a “stunning piece of kinetic art” that resembles a steel girder from a futuristic skyscraper. It’s not just eye–catching physically — it also boasts high–tech specs for a great viewing experience. The 16–bit micro–LED panel runs at 4K resolution and offers HDR10+, and there’s even a special surface coating that boosts colors and reduces glare. At €180,000, the N1 doesn’t come cheap, but we doubt anyone buying one cares. More important is the undoubted impression the N1 will leave, whether in…

1 Get tagging Tags are a brilliant way to organize and access files. To create tags for flagging files and folders in Finder, go to Finder > Preferences > Tags. You can use multiple tags, so for example you might apply Work and a project name. 2 Sort your Sidebar Finder’s Sidebar is one of our most–used Mac features, and if you go to Finder > Preferences > Sidebar you can choose what it should and shouldn’t display. You can also drag folders from the Finder into the sidebar for faster access to them. 3 Change the toolbar You can change the Finder toolbar to include the commands that you use the most: just Ctrl–click on it and choose Customize Toolbar. You can now reorder, and add and remove toolbar…

1 BE DESCRIPTIVE Give files and folders names that make it clear what they are, for easier finding and identification later on. For example, Untitled2.txt or IMG20212.JPG could be anything, but “CV for Apple Genius Job” or “Brad Falling Into The Ocean.JPG” need no explanation. 2 FIX NAMES FAST If you have a bunch of badly named files, turn them into something more sensible in Finder by using the Batch Rename feature. This enables you to add a prefix or suffix, to add numbering and to replace file names altogether. It works instantly even on lots of selected files. 3 OFFLOAD TO THE CLOUD If you have iCloud Drive, use it to free up space on your Mac. In addition to mirroring your Desktop and Documents folders (via System Preferences),…

iPADOS 15 INTRODUCED some very important changes to the iPad, and there are even bigger ones coming in iPadOS 16. The Home Screen widgets of iPadOS 15 will be joined by a much more customizable Lock Screen, M1 iPads will get Stage Manager to supplement multitasking and Split View, and the Mail app will be improved with much better search, Undo Send, scheduled sending and more. The better search is quite a biggie; it’s been pretty hopeless on iPads in recent years so a faster search is a massive time saver. One of the best new features is the ability to isolate the subject of a photo in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look or Safari and drag it into another app; we’re also looking forward to Live Text for video, which…

ONCE UPON A time, upgrading your Mac’s memory or hard drive was a relatively easy way to extend its usable lifespan. However, newer models have become increasingly more difficult to upgrade, to the point where memory and internal drives are no longer user–replaceable. But don’t worry — if your Mac runs on a painfully slow hard drive or Fusion Drive, you can enjoy the benefits of a much–improved performance by switching to an external solid–state drive (SSD). Yes, thanks to the fast (5Gbps or better) transfer speeds found on USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports, your new SSD will noticeably outpace your sluggish internal drive. Below is a list of five recommended SSDs to suit every budget. Go to > About This Mac > System Report and select “Thunderbolt/USB 4” and…

AS MUCH AS we love Apple’s latest Macs, iPhones and iPads, you don’t need to pay top-dollar prices to upgrade your existing model. With know–how, you can effortlessly save hundreds of dollars without too much compromise involved. PREVIOUS–GEN MODELS If you’d rather buy new but aren’t desperate to own the very latest model, then, with the right timing, you can save yourself some serious money. The perfect time to buy is when the newest models have just started to hit the stores and retailers are left with the previous generation models to sell. Stores such as Amazon (amazon.com), Best Buy (bestbuy.com) and B&H Photo Video (bhphotovideo.com) often have discount offers, depending on make and model, but also check out smaller chains too. If the idea of hunting for the best…

Baseus’ device is a simple concept: a brick–shaped power strip with multiple USB–C, USB–A, and AC ports. The USB–C ports can charge at a speed of 65W, which is great for power–hungry MacBooks. Since it has a 1.5–meter power cord, it works as an extension cord that you can thread onto your desk without taking up too much room. This keeps cables off the floor and eliminates the mess and fuss associated with cables extending in every direction. A velcro strip built into the cable enables you to easily tidy the cable for taking on your travels. As it’s equipped with GaN3 technology, the Baseus Power Strip is not only very compact, but offers a super fast charge of up to 65W, but it will stay cool to the touch…

Apple was slow to introduce “lossless” and “hi-res” audio formats to Apple Music, and then it was forced to admit that its own AirPods – even the AirPods Max – weren’t capable of playing music in those formats. If you’re an audiophile who likes to hear music in the best possible sound quality then you need to consider non–Apple alternatives, such as Bowers & Wilkins’ new Px7 S2. Available in black, blue or gray, the Px7 S2 headphones are comfortable, thanks to an adjustable headband and large earpieces that are padded with memory foam. If you want the convenience of a wireless connection then the Px7 S2 supports Bluetooth 5.2 along with AAC. They also have very effective active noise–cancellation (ANC), and impressive 30–hour battery life when using Bluetooth and…

APPLE’S BOOK STORE doesn’t get the attention of either of its App or Music stores, but it has plenty of bestsellers and new titles on offer, and at reasonable prices. And there are lots of free books, too. It also doubles as an audiobooks store. When you buy a book, it’s downloaded to the device on which you buy it and becomes available on all the devices signed into your iCloud account. When you start reading, your progress is then synced with your other devices, so you can pick up on one where you left off on another. You can also set Reading Goals to incentivize yourself to read more, and monitor your reading progress in the app. As well as downloading books and audiobooks from the store, you can…

REQUIRES Mac, iPhone, PhotoCatch app (Free, offers IAPs, macOS 12 or later; iOS 15 or later) YOU WILL LEARN How to create a 3D model of a real–world object IT WILL TAKE 1 hour OBJECT CAPTURE IS a developer tool built into macOS Monterey for creating 3D models from photos. It uses a technique called photogrammetry, which takes the information from the photos and uses that to map an object’s geometry and surface textures and reproduce them as a model that can then be used for augmented reality (AR) or in 3D modeling applications. One of the first apps to use Object Capture is PhotoCatch, and we’ll use it here to show you how to make your own 3D models. Although it’s simple to use, to get good results there…

REQUIRES A web browser, macOS 10.12 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to set up a secure and private email account IT WILL TAKE 60 minutes PROTON MAIL HAS long been a popular end–to–end encrypted email service, and the Swiss company behind it has offered other services too, including a Virtual Private Network (VPN). However, it has recently revamped and consolidated its product line, neatly bringing together its Mail, Calendar, Drive (for storage) and VPN tools. Privacy remains the focus throughout, however, as consumers show ever greater interest in what their data is used for. Proton offers free email accounts, but there are paid upgrades available too. These include an Unlimited package that offers all the services for $9.99 per month or $119.88 for a year. HOW TO Get started…