Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i MacLife

APPLE’S NEW APP for collaborative working is here. Available free on iPad, iPhone, and Mac, Freeform provides a completely flexible canvas, expandable in every direction with no fixed page size, on which users can sketch, jot, and brainstorm together in real time, with FaceTime built in. It supports all kinds of files, from photos, video, and audio to PDFs, web and map location links, sticky notes, shapes, diagrams, and more. An iPhone or iPad camera can even be used to insert an image or scanned doc directly into the board.…

As a lifelong Apple fan, I own everything from an iPod touch to a Mac mini M1 and M1 MacBook Air, and enjoy keeping up to date with the latest software and, when I can afford it, hardware. But, for the first time ever, I’ve decided not to buy an Apple product. The product in question is the AirPods. When they first came out I immediately bought a pair and they were everything I could have wished for, great sound and really user friendly. But recently the battery life has decreased to about 30 minutes listening time in one go. Thinking I could easily get the batteries replaced, I visited an Apple Store and spoke with a couple of assistants. To cut a long story short, I was advised to…

Apache OpenOffice FROM openoffice.org NEEDS OS X 10.7 or later If you’re having compatibility problems when passing on files or need a feature that no other free option offers, it’s worth taking a look at OpenOffice. It offers a range of apps, namely Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentation app), Draw (vector graphics), Math (equation editor) and Base (database management). Cross–platform and inter–app operability is strong, making it a good option for sharing files or if you use different computers and software. Admittedly, if you’re looking more for free productivity tools, Apache OpenOffice isn’t the best of the bunch. It’s not as accessible as Bean for word processing, nor as friendly as Apple’s own Pages, Numbers and Keynote. But for multi–doc type collaboration it could be for you. Cyberduck FROM cyberduck.io…

Are your disks working optimally? Can they cope with high–resolution video? If you’re an editor and you need to check your equipment — or if you want to assess your drive speed’s read and write performance for any reason whatsoever — the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is for you. Available for free from the Mac App Store, you just click the Start button and Disk Speed Test runs read and write tests on your disk using large blocks of data, then displays the results. You can test your local drive or connected disks, and screenshot the data for future reference. It helpfully cleans up after itself too, so there’s no junk left behind after the tests. OnyX FROM titanium-software.fr NEEDS macOS 13 or later It’s amazing to think this all–purpose maintenance…

Rival Pirates FROM App Store NEEDS iPadOS 15 or later Swab the decks, me hearties! This is a multiplayer death match on the high seas. Mobile games are often ruined by in–app purchases that mar their competitiveness, but Rival Pirates is different. It’s completely free (and advert–free), although only if you subscribe to Netflix. You sail an initially weak vessel crewed by a trio of comical corsairs, all with their own abilities. You’re thrown into the watery arena with up to 16 other ships, and must sink them before they sink you. Treasure won in battle can be spent on upgrades. It’s awesome fun. CNN: Breaking US & World News FROM edition.cnn.com/specials/mobile-apps NEEDS iPadOS 14.1 or later If you like to use your iPhone (or iPad) to keep abreast of what’s going…

There’s an old saying in the computer industry: “the great thing about standards is that there’s so many of them”. That’s certainly true when it comes to home automation and smart devices such as lights, security cameras and other time–saving gadgets. There are several technologies now available that attempt to provide a control system for all the smart devices in your home, including Samsung’s SmartThings, the oddly named Zigbee, and the do–it–yourself programming approach of IFTTT. But, of course, the big three in the home automation field are Apple’s HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. HomeKit does work well on Apple devices, allowing you to control all your HomeKit–compatible devices using either the Home app or Siri voice commands. Unfortunately, Apple’s failure to promote HomeKit in its early days allowed…

So far we’ve followed the process of adding individual devices to the Home app, and assigning them to specific rooms within your home. But, of course, you also need to be able to control how all your devices work. Different types of devices will provide their own specific controls — such as brightness or color controls for your lights, or temperature and timer controls for a thermostat. The Home app does provide these controls for all your HomeKit devices and it’s a great time–saver, as it means that you don’t have to use several separate apps from a range of different manufacturers in order to control all of your devices. You can change the brightness — and even the color — of your office lights, adjust the volume on your…

Apple’s Shortcuts app is a pretty daunting prospect for non–programmers, but there are other options for people who want to delve deeper into HomeKit. Controller For HomeKit is a popular app for Mac, iPhone and iPad, and the free version provides a more straightforward interface for creating automations and scenes. There’s also a Pro version with advanced features, such as the ability to respond to notifications from the Home app, which costs $29.99 per year (with one week free trial) or $64.99 for a lifetime license. Another user–friendly option for going beyond the Home app is Home+, which costs $14.99 from Matthias Hochgatterer. This again provides a more streamlined interface that helps you to create automations, along with a wider range of predefined automation controls than the Home app. However,…

As we’ve mentioned, Philips has dozens of different lights in its Hue range. But, if you want to use your Hue lights with HomeKit and the Home app, then it’s best to start with one of the Hue Starter Kits. There are several Starter Kit options, costing as little as $69.99 for a basic kit with two plain white bulbs, going up to $199.99 with four color–changing bulbs. However, all the Starter Kits also include the Hue Bridge, a small box that connects to your home Wi–Fi router with an Ethernet cable. The Hue lights will work on their own, but it’s the Hue Bridge that provides HomeKit compatibility, so you need the Bridge in order to use your Hue lights with HomeKit and the Home App (and make sure…

THE BOTTOM LINE A well–designed mechanical keyboard for Mac users. + Great design and build quality + Quiet, tactile key action - No wired mode - Pricier than similar rivals GREAT $149.99 From logitech.com  Features Low–profile mechanical keys, backlighting, Tactile Quiet switches, Bluetooth LE Needs USB–C, Bluetooth, macOS 10.15 or later LOGITECH HAS ADDED this compact mechanical keyboard to its MX lineup for users who prefer a more tactile typing experience, be it for long–form writing, gaming, coding or similar pursuits. It’s lightweight at just 21.58oz and a little thicker than non–mechanical keyboards at 1.02in, a result of using keycaps with much greater travel. The base is made of aluminum and plastic but feels sturdy. The Mac version does of course have a Mac keyboard layout, and the keycaps aren’t…

ON TEST… > CalDigit Tuff nano Plus > Crucial X8 > OWC Envoy Pro SX > Samsung T7 Shield > SanDisk Extreme > Seagate One Touch AN EXTERNAL SSD isn’t just faster than a hard disk, it also works better with the Apple File System (APFS). Storing your Time Machine backups and large Photos or Music libraries on an SSD ensures access stays fast, instead of slowly grinding to a halt as happens on a hard disk. Going solid–state also changes the drive’s life expectancy: few hard disks last five years, and many die earlier. Invest in an SSD and it should last as long as ten years. Picking the right SSD isn’t a matter of getting the fastest you can afford. There’s a balance to be struck between speed, capacity…

From wondershare.com Needs OS X 10.11 or later. THE BOTTOM LINE Convert any video or audio format with ease. + Work with any video or audio format + Mostly fairly quick encodes + Extra features are a bonus - Some AI features cost extra EXCELLENT WONDERSHARE MAKES A range of video and graphics apps for the Mac, and UniConverter incorporates core technologies from across its products into one do–everything media converter. In truth it’s more than just a converter, offering recording, basic editing and DVD burning among many other things. It’s also adept at audio–only conversion, for those ripping or working with music collections. Where some converter apps can mire you in technical detail, UniConverter presents a friendly face, with simple one–click options for converting between almost every conceivable video or…

$18.99 From flateye-game.com Needs macOS 10.14 or later FLAT EYE IS a narrative management game, which means its management aspects get equal billing with the story, rather than being the main focal point. As a remote manager controlling a gas station clerk from afar, you have to outfit and upgrade your store, decide what the clerk does and says, and generally keep your customers happy. Every now and then, a “premium customer” will enter your station, keen to talk. The conversations you have — and how you conduct them — influence the story. Flat Eye might be set in Iceland in the year 2022, but it’s a decidedly alternate universe… or is it? The toilets produce “biomatter” that’s used for food and drinks. You can install medical machines that are guaranteed…

WHETHER YOU SHARE your location permanently with family members so you all know where each other are, or temporarily with groups of friends with whom you’re on holiday, the Find My app is indispensable. By combining data from Wi–Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks and GPS, the app is able to identify the location of friends who have agreed to share it with you, displaying that location on a map. Rather cleverly, and with privacy in mind, devices that are sharing their location don’t continually report that location to Apple’s servers. Instead, they wait until a request is made from a device with which the device owner has agreed to share, and then report the location. The device will then record that location, and if another request is made from the same device…

> AIRDROP TIME LIMIT AirDrop in iOS 16.2 and up imposes a ten–minute limit on receiving content from Everyone — after this time, it will automatically reset to receive from Contacts Only. The time limit was first applied in China, reportedly to help the government impede the sharing of dissenting materials, but is now global and will combat the “AirDrop bombing” by strangers of offensive, indecent, or other unwanted content. > CSAM PLAN DROPPED Apple has dropped plans to scan uploads and users’ albums for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Bowing to pressure from privacy advocates, Apple said: “We have decided to not move forward with our previously proposed CSAM detection tool for iCloud Photos. Children can be protected without companies combing through personal data, and we will continue working…

Pimax Portal $399 From pimax.com >>> There are companies that make handheld games consoles, and there are companies that make virtual reality (VR) headsets. Pimax, though, is combining both into a single device: the Pimax Portal. It’s the definition of all–in–one. In its standard mode, you get a handheld games console much like the Steam Deck, only with a 144Hz 4K display. The sides can be detached and used as standalone controllers for living room gaming, just as you’d do with the Nintendo Switch. And you can combine it with Pimax’s Mini Station to stream PC games right to the Portal. Plus, added to that is the Portal’s VR mode — load it into a headset, attach the side controllers to Pimax’s hand–tracking attachments, and you get a full–fledged virtual…

To help keep your Mac safe, it won’t open apps unless they’re downloaded from either the Mac App Store or from an identified Apple developer. This is to stop malicious apps installing viruses and other malware. But if you get a message saying an app you downloaded can’t be opened (but you’re sure you can trust the developer), you can open it using the following procedure. Go to apple > System Settings (Ventura) or System Preferences (Monterey or earlier), then head to Privacy & Security, and find the Security section. Here, make sure your Mac is set to open apps from “App Store and identified developers”. There’s a message here about the last app you tried to open that was blocked. If — and only if — you’re sure the…

FROM social media to social gaming, from multi–format messaging to mighty reference tomes, you name it, there’s probably a free iPhone app for it. Open the App Store on your iPhone and search for an app. If there’s a “Get” button instead of a price, then the app is free to download and use (although, be aware that there might still be in–app purchases needed for certain features). Facebook FROM Facebook.com NEEDS iOS/iPadOS 13.4 or later What could we write about Facebook that you haven’t read already? Not much we’ll wager, but as it’s one of the major social–media platforms and has a great free application for the iPhone and iPad, we won’t exclude it from our list. Using the free Facebook app is far more convenient than accessing the website.…

There have been numerous occasions in Apple’s history where it has developed products or technologies that were technically superior to those of its rivals, but which failed to achieve real mainstream success. And, for the last few years, Apple’s HomeKit — the software that it developed to control smart devices, such as lights and security came11ras — has sat on the sidelines as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home have made all the running in the smart home market. However, all three companies have been frustrated at the slow adoption of smart–home technologies, so in 2019 they got together to develop a new technology called Matter. HomeKit is actually part of Matter, so any device that supports Matter will also work with HomeKit, and you will still be able to control…

Matter is a communications protocol enabling a variety of smart home devices to talk to each other. At the moment, Apple uses HomeKit as its communication standard for smart devices, while Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home use their own technologies. Having to support three different technologies makes life very difficult for the manufacturers of smart devices — which is one reason why so few manufacturers support HomeKit. So, in the future, Matter will provide one single communications technology that allows all sorts of smart devices to work with Siri and the Home app on Apple devices, but also with billions of other devices that use Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Matter commands can be transmitted from one device to another using conventional Wi–Fi networks, Ethernet, or Bluetooth. There’s a problem…

THE BOTTOM LINE A quick and affordable option for connecting Bluetooth headphones to wired audio systems. + Wired connection for Bluetooth headphones + Affordable + Easy to use - No support for AAC EXCELLENT $34.99 From twelvesouth.com  Features Bluetooth transmitter with 3.5mm audio connector, AptX and SBC codecs, 20 hours battery life, 2.2 x 1.0 x 0.4in, 0.54oz BLUETOOTH WIRELESS HEADPHONES are really convenient when you’re on the move, but there are still times when you may need a wired connection too. The entertainment systems in many gyms or on airplanes often require wired headphones, and Twelve South’s AirFly adaptors provide a quick and easy way of connecting Bluetooth headphones to these systems. The latest addition to the range is the updated 2nd Gen version of the AirFly, which at just…

THE BOTTOM LINE Inexpensive and responsive stylus for iPad with great charging options. + Easy to hold + Very responsive + Works with all iPads - No pressure sensitivity GREAT $69 From novaplus-tech.com  Features Magnetic/USB–C charging, replacement tip, battery indicator, tilt sensitivity CAN'T AFFORD AN Apple Pencil 2? Take a look at the NovaPlus Pencil A8 Duo. It’s the same shape and size, and same flat side, making the stylus easier to grip than the original Apple Pencil’s completely round design. The responsiveness of the A8 Duo is on point with no lag. Additionally, the stroke moves exactly as you move and never jumps to another place on the working document. In that way, it’s very reliable and can be counted on for basic stylus functions. The tip is designed to…

EACH OF THE SSDs we tested could prove ideal depending on your need and deals available, and all deliver good performance. We generally prefer Thunderbolt for its compatibility and superior performance, and OWC’s superb Envoy Pro SX stands out in speed, build quality and ruggedness. Sadly it’s also by far the most expensive, and would be wasted if used just to plod through making Time Machine backups. But if your needs include working with large media files, we recommend it without reservation. For backing up and more general use, more modest USB 3.1 Gen 2 drives still deliver ten times the speed of a hard disk, with a lifetime of up to ten years. There the choice is wider but determined more by cost per terabyte. We’re torn between SanDisk’s…

LOCATING FRIENDS, FAMILY members, and your Apple devices using the Find My app is very useful, but it has evolved to be able to do much more than that. The latest innovation is that owners of the second generation of AirPods Pro can now locate the case. Even more useful is support for third–party devices through Apple’s Find My network accessory program. Whether it’s earbuds from Belkin, an ebike from VanMoof, or tags from Chipolo, you can add them to Find My. So far, the number of accessories that support Find My is limited, but it’s sure to increase in time. You can mark an iPhone, iPad or Mac as lost and display a message on its screen with a contact number in case it’s found. And you can choose…

REQUIRES macOS 13 YOU WILL LEARN How to use background sounds IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes GENIUS TIP You can listen to background sounds on and offline. But the first time you choose one, you will have to be online so it can be downloaded. SOME OF US like to work in complete silence. Many of us don’t, but then we also find music, podcasts, or other background noises in our workplace distracting. And sometimes, when meditating or just trying to find some stillness during a stressful day, neither absolute silence, nor the stimulus that comes from listening to something like music, will do. On these occasions, white noise is often the solution. Soothing background sounds that fill the ears and block out what’s going on around us without creating…

REQUIRES Lightroom, iOS 14 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to make tonal adjustments to enhance parts of a landscape IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes THANKS TO YOUR iPhone’s Deep Fusion processing powers, the Camera app can capture a series of different exposures for brighter and darker parts of the scene and then combine them in a single, correctly exposed shot. This should result in a photo that features detail and color in the shadows, midtones and highlights. However, sometimes you might need to make some manual tweaks to reveal more detail and color in underexposed shadows or overexposed highlights. Take the shot in step 1 here for example. This was snapped on an iPhone 12 and while the sky looks fine, the building’s details are lost in shadow. We’ll show…

THE LATEST M2 MacBook Air is an incredible machine, but it has one fundamental problem: the M1 MacBook Air. Despite being someone who is so shamelessly easy to sucker into getting the latest version of a perfectly good product that I already own, I haven’t felt any pull to get one. The other day I was in an Apple Store and thought I’d have another play with one, but I actually prefer the design of the previous model — the tapered edge is easy to pick up. Now, that’s the kind of thing that could be easily overcome if I was excited by it elsewhere, but… I’m not. Its biggest selling point is the M2 chip at its core, but I don’t even push the M1 to its limit. The…

There are some great free apps available for all your Apple gear. They’re not just handy utilities or simple games either. There are some surprisingly powerful software suites available at no cost, with a quality that rivals — or even surpasses — their professional equivalents. These apps are often produced by programmers in their spare time, people who put in many hours of work. They’re a labor of love, intended for everyone to get more out of their Apple kit for zero outlay. Whether you’re looking for an office suite, a picture editor, a video converter, a game or just about anything else, there’ll be a free app for you to try out. Let’s take a look at some of the best free software available on the Mac, iPhone and…

HomeKit may have fallen behind Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant in the home–automation market, but there are still enough HomeKit–compatible devices available to create a pretty impressive smart home setup. The three top product categories in the smart home market are speakers, lights and security cameras. Apple does have a list of HomeKit–compatible devices on its website (apple.co/3WeNNrX) and this includes lots of other devices such as thermostats, controls for fans and air–conditioning systems, smart locks for your front door, and even remote controls for garage doors. However, many of these more complex devices require professional installation — and the last thing you want to do in the middle of the winter is to screw up your heating by trying to wire up a HomeKit thermostat by yourself! AIRPLAY…

$99.99 From razer.com  Features Lightning passthrough port, 2x multi–function buttons, 3.6 x 7.1 x 1.3in, 4.3oz MOBILE GAMING IS serious business, and a dedicated controller can give you an edge — which is where Razer says its Kishi v2 iPhone controller comes in. Loading in an iPhone is simple, with the Kishi’s springs feeling soft and pliable. There’s a Lightning port that draws power from your device, and a passthrough charging port to keep the iPhone powered up. The Kishi v2 feels fantastically premium. Each button is satisfyingly clicky and responsive thanks to the addition of switches under the buttons in place of the membranes used on the old Kishi. Elsewhere, there’s a subtle hatched pattern on the rear side that aids grip without feeling sticky. Razer has added a few…

$79.99 From zagg.com Features Seven buttons, Qi–compatible wireless charging (charging pad included), 800–1,600 DPI, pairs with up to three devices at once, battery indicator light, 0.5lb weight APPLE’S MAGIC MOUSE has fallen behind its rivals and has begun to feel more and more dated. Sure, its gesture support is welcome, but its uncomfortable shape and awkward charging dull the appeal. Zagg’s Pro Mouse thinks it can do better, especially when it comes to the charging aspect. That’s because it features built–in Qi wireless charging, and comes with a charging pad in the box. However, Zagg missed a trick by not making the charging connection magnetic like Apple’s MagSafe, so instead you have to fumble a little to get the mouse onto the right charging spot. We liked the Pro Mouse’s ability…

$99.99 From adobe.com Needs macOS 11, macOS 12 (12.4 or later) PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2023 is designed to help photographers create eye–catching images with the minimum of time and effort. It focuses on overcoming common photo problems such as revealing missing tonal detail or removing unwanted objects. Thanks to the Adobe Sensei AI machine learning technology, you can give your images a creative makeover without requiring years of experience using the full version of Photoshop (Photoshop CC). In times when budgets are tight, Photoshop Elements 2023’s one–off purchase price should make it an attractive alternative to Photoshop CC’s rolling monthly subscription costs. Unlike the black and dark–gray panels of most current photo–fixing apps (including Photoshop CC), Photoshop Elements 2023 still sports the light–gray workspace that it has worn for many years, giving…

$149 (Player), $199 (Pro) From vmware.com Needs macOS 12 or later THE BOTTOM LINE A smooth and friendly app to run multiple virtual machines on your Mac. + Very easy setup of VMs + Runs quickly and efficiently + M1 and M2 Macs now supported + Seamless integration of host and guest EXCELLENT APPLE DOESN’T SUPPORT Boot Camp on Macs running Apple silicon, and even for those with Intel Macs it’s almost always more convenient to run Windows under emulation than booting natively into the Microsoft OS. Fusion 13 brings support for running Windows 11 virtual machines on either architecture, and though M1 or M2 Mac users will need an ARM–compatible version of Windows, they will be able to run Win32 or X86 versions of apps, as emulation is available. Fusion…

WHEN APPLE LAUNCHED Find My iPhone 12 years ago it was a revolutionary idea, if fairly limited in terms of features. The idea was that using an app on an iOS device, or by logging into iCloud on a computer, you could identify the exact location of an iPhone, iPod, or iPad that was connected to your account. You could then have the device play a sound, lock it with a passcode, or erase all contents and settings on the device if it had been lost or stolen. A year later, Find My iPhone was joined by Find My Friends, which enabled you to share your location with friends or family members, either temporarily or permanently. Skip forward a decade and the Find My app is now on Mac, iOS and…

REQUIRES macOS 13 YOU WILL LEARN How to open and navigate System Settings to configure your Mac IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes APPLE’S ONGOING PLAN to bring its operating systems closer together and form a single all–purpose ecosystem took another step forward with macOS Ventura, as System Preferences got an iOS–inspired makeover. Now called System Settings, it functions in much the same way as the old System Preferences, but instead of being arranged in a grid of preference panes, it’s now far more like the Settings app in iOS and iPadOS, with a long list of individual settings options. In macOS this list is set into a sidebar, with the settings options themselves in the main window. Unlike Apple’s mobile devices, it doesn’t offer settings for individual apps that came bundled…

REQUIRES iOS/iPadOS 16 YOU WILL LEARN How to use the new dictation features on iPhone and iPad IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes GENIUS TIP As well as tapping the microphone in the text box in Messages, you can tap the microphone next to the keyboard to start dictating. WE’VE LONG BEEN able to dictate text in iOS, whether it’s in Messages, Mail, or any other app where we would normally type. However, in iOS 16, dictation has been significantly improved. It now punctuates automatically, using the context of what you’re typing and the pauses in your speech to determine whether to add a comma, full stop or other punctuation mark. You can still manually punctuate by dictating the name of the punctuation you want to add. Swapping between dictation and typing…

HOW IT WORKS YOU WILL LEARN What passkeys are, how they work and how to use them “WE’VE HELPED TO CREATE A NEXT–GEN CREDENTIAL THAT’S MORE SECURE AND EASIER TO USE”Darin Adler, Apple’s Vice President of Internet Technologies KEY FACT According to Microsoft’s Vasu Jakkal, there are over 921 password attacks every second. WHAT A TURNAROUND. It was only with macOS 12 (Monterey), iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 that Apple added a dedicated Passwords pane to the Mac’s System Preferences and the mobile device’s Settings… But with macOS Ventura, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, the company is trying to make passwords redundant. Passkeys uses powerful cryptographic techniques and the biometrics built into your device to allow you to log in to a website, make an online purchase, and anything else that…