Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i MacLife

You could, of course, look out of the window to see if the sun is shining, or if it’s pouring with rain, but that won’t tell you the temperature, wind speed, humidity levels, pressure, or air pollution levels. For that level of detail, you can simply glance at your Mac, thanks to Apple’s wonderful Weather app, which is now making it even easier to get the information you need. With macOS 15.2 or later, you can check the weather in gradual steps. Activate the new menu bar item, for instance, and you’ll see a short snapshot of the weather. Click that, and you can go a bit deeper. Click again, and you’ll go deeper still, enjoying the kind of detailed datasets that wouldn’t be out of place on a professional…

ALTHOUGH THERE’S NOW An astonishing 3,790 Unicode emoji available, you may still occasionally struggle to find the ideal one. Thanks to Genmoji, introduced with iOS 18.2, such a problem becomes a thing of the past. Thanks to the wizardry of Apple Intelligence, you are now able to create any emoji you wish by simply entering a description. You can also base Genmoji on the people featured in your Photos app, helping to lend them a more personal touch. As you’ll see, the results are impressive and any Genmoji you create are saved so you can use them later (tap the “…” icon when viewing a Genmoji, select Add a Caption and you can add words that will help you find them). Just be aware that since Genmoji aren’t Unicode characters,…

STILL USING THE default apps that came with your Mac? It’s time you gave these awesome alternatives a try instead. While the bundled apps in macOS cover quite a few bases, and are fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem, there’s a whole range of third–party apps that go way beyond what they can do. With one exception, the apps included here do cost money, but we still think they’re well worth considering for their advanced feature sets, especially for professionals and committed hobbyists. First, we take a look at video– and photo–editing apps to replace iMovie and Photos respectively. If you’re serious about your film–making or photography, you’ll definitely want to check the apps chosen here for their advanced editing tools, which enable extra precision and control. Next, we visit…

$1,499 From www.benq.com Features 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840x2160), 2600 ANSI lumens, Google TV OS, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi–Fi 6, AirPlay, Google Cast, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB–C, 2x USB–A BENQ’S LATEST PROJECTOR is designed to offer comprehensive and versatile viewing options while making it easier to use. Its HDMI 2.1 ports can connect your DVD or Blu–ray player, Mac, or any video player offering HDMI output. You can play from a USB–C or USB–A flash drive, or stream from your iPhone. The GP520 has Google TV built in, so you can install apps for services such as Disney+, Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime, as well as YouTube, Kodi, VLC, and more. If you fancy something more interactive, connect your games console. When the projector detects gaming activity, it turns…

$79.99 From www.jlab.com Needs Bluetooth, USB-C DESPITE COSTING JUST $80, the JBuds Lux ANC are pretty much at the top end of JLab’s product range. While the Lux label isn’t entirely warranted, they are still an awful lot of headphone for the price. Available in four colors, they have a decent build quality in all–plastic and fold for easy storage. The ear cushions and general fit are comfortable, though someone with a larger head might find them a little tight for long sessions. The headphones boast a staggering 70 hours of performance, or 40 with noise canceling on. A 10–minute quick charge will give you four hours of playback and a full charge takes two and a half hours. Bluetooth 5.3 connection is simple and though only the SBC codec…

$99.99 From https://creative.com Features 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 (AAC), 70–hour battery life (40 hours with ANC) NOISE–CANCELATION TECHNOLOGY is now common in many headphones, but the technology is still fairly expensive — for instance, it adds $50 to the cost of the latest AirPods from Apple. However, Creative’s Zen Hybrid SXFI noise–canceling headphones are among the most affordable we’ve seen so far, setting you back just $99.99. Admittedly, the plastic earpieces — available in black or light gray — do feel lightweight, but they’re sturdy enough to cope with a few bumps in a backpack when traveling. Creative hasn’t cut too many corners to keep the price down either. The headphones use Bluetooth for wireless audio, but there’s also a 3.5mm audio connector if wired audio is your jam. The…

ONE OF THE most common criticisms of the Mac is that it’s not upgradeable. This is not true. While modern Macs have integrated memory and storage chips soldered to the logic board, there are a lot of other things you can do to upgrade and enhance your Apple computer. You don’t have to open the casing and swap out internal parts to turn your Mac from wheezy to whizzy. In this feature, we explore the many ways you can power up your Mac, from teaming it with a high quality external display to make using it easier and more fun, to increasing the amount of available storage by connecting an external drive. You can even easily connect more peripherals by doubling the number of available ports — and we’ve lined…

ONE OF THE Things we love about Apple is that its best ideas travel — so the best iOS features soon move to the Mac and vice–versa. AirPlay is one of those ideas. It wirelessly streams audio and video to HomePods, Apple TV 4K, and devices like Bluetooth speakers and smart TVs. And it’s as simple to use on Mac as it is on iPhone and iPad. To AirPlay, you’ll need your Mac and the destination device to be connected to the same Wi–Fi network, to be running a recent version of Apple’s operating system (iOS/iPadOS 14 or later for iPhone and iPad) and, for some content — such as Apple TV+ shows — to have them both signed into the same Apple Account, as you can’t share things like…

APPLE WANTS AS many people as possible to use macOS, which is why it’s packed out with ultra–useful accessibility features aimed at anyone who would otherwise struggle to interact with its operating system. Over the years, there have been many helpful additions from Voice Control to advanced Zoom, and now, with the release of macOS Sequoia, there are more features than ever before. Aside from allowing users to benefit from Apple Intelligence’s ability to help you to write and more easily navigate your Mac, the latest OS has added Vocal Shortcuts that link unique spoken phrases to an accessibility setting. Sequoia also lets you use Hover Typing so you can see whatever you’re typing as large text, and it enables you to choose custom font sizes for even more of…

$169.99 From www.edifier.online Features Bluetooth, USB–C, 3.5mm audio port, cable options EDIFIER’S NEW M60 multimedia speakers are compact — just 6.6lbs in weight, and designed to fit even on smaller desks or shelves. The main speaker contains all the electronics, while the other is connected by a special 1.8m cable. Available in white, black, or oak finishes, they are reassuringly well built. When unboxing, as well as power cables, you’ll find USB–C to C, 3.5mm to 3.5mm, and 3.5mm to RCA cables for connecting digital and analog sources. You also get a pair of speaker stands that angle them upward. Plug them into any USB–C device, and the speakers become available as a destination. There’s also Bluetooth, with version 5.3 and LDAC, as well as the standard SBC codec with…

$19.99 From https://feralinteractive.com Needs iOS/iPadOS 17 or later FERAL INTERACTIVE HAS been porting Creative Assembly’s historical strategy titles to iOS for some time now, and has finally arrived at 2009’s Empire, the most up–to–date of the games in terms of its setting. The empire in question is an 18th century European or Asian one, rather than Galactic, Cylon or Idiran, and it’s a game of massed musket barrages, naval battles, and the possibility of cavalry charging with war elephants. By now, we should be used to Feral’s Total War ports. On Mac they were great games, and they lose nothing during their transition to touchscreen devices. In fact, they gain a great deal, with Empire getting a brand new interface that’s very easy to work with, even when you’re managing…

Nobody outside of Apple can say with certainty that the Cupertino giant is going to unveil a folding device. But with more and more rivals bringing foldable tech to market — from Samsung and Google to Motorola and OnePlus — there is a growing expectation, amid mounting evidence, that it will follow the same path. “I think it’s extremely likely that Apple will create a foldable iPhone and iPad at some point,” Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman tells Mac|Life, and there are multiple reasons it would want to do so. Although the foldable device market is still rather small, accounting for just 1.5% of smartphone sales, demand increased by 5% in 2024. We’ve also seen a trend towards larger screens. To ensure they’ll still fit in your pocket or bag, foldable…

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) Is all the rage at the moment, and Apple is getting in on the act with Apple Intelligence. This AI is woven throughout macOS 15 (Sequoia) and helps power up Siri, rewrite text, organize your emails, and more. A key element of Apple Intelligence is the Image Playground app, which is all about creating AI–generated images. It’s easy to use but offers a lot of power and flexibility, and whether you want to whip up a personalized image for a friend or create your own custom emoji, it’s a good place to start. You can also use it to generate images in apps like Messages and Freeform. To create a custom emoji, known as Genmoji, for example, open Messages, click “+” and choose Image Playground, then enter…

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA feeds are packed full of eye–catching images but, thanks to Photoshop Elements 2025, we can compete for “likes” and attention by making our own creative images — all without having to be a Photoshop expert. For the novice image editor, Photoshop Elements provides Guided Edits that show you step-by-step how to produce fun effects — such as making a person appear to step out of a picture frame! Photoshop Elements also enables you to combine a collection of images into a creative collage with just a few clicks, and we’ll show you how to download different collage templates to suit your subject matter, whatever it may be. To finish up, we’ll then look at a more advanced technique where you paint black brushstrokes on a layer mask…

MACS AND MUSIC Go together like rock and roll, drum and bass, or Lennon and McCartney. But sometimes you’ll get a musical idea that doesn’t require all the gear of GarageBand, let alone the limitless power of Logic Pro. And sometimes that musical lightning may strike when you’re on the bus or on your bike, far from your Mac and any audio interfaces. That’s where the newly updated Voice Memos app on your iPhone 16 Pro comes in. From iOS 18.2 onwards it enables you to record not just one track of audio on your Pro, but two. The reason this new feature is only for the iPhone 16 Pro is because the Pro has more mics than other iPhones, and more power too. That’s important because the feature isn’t…

$39.95 (one Mac for one year), $62.99 (one Mac, one–time purchase) From www.macpaw.com Needs macOS 11 or later CLEANMYMAC HAS LONG been the Mac’s favorite — if not the cheapest — suite of maintenance and upkeep tools. This new release is focused on tightening up the app, with improved speed and performance and greater efficiency, all wrapped up in a great new interface. It’s easy to use: boot the app, and the first thing you see is the Smart Care pane. This integrates the functionality of the app as a whole into a single process, scanning your Mac for junk files, checking for malware, hunting down large and unused apps, and more. It can even scan your iCloud Drive. Smart Care makes the process of looking after your Mac so…

$69.99 From https://gamesir.com Features TMR thumbsticks, Hall effect triggers, nine remappable buttons, changeable ABXY layout, customizable lighting, wireless charging stand, connects to iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch and Android THE INITIAL SIGNS with GameSir’s Tarantula Pro controller are good thanks to a sturdy construction. It’s got just enough heft to feel substantial without being heavy and the grippy handles ensure it’s easy to hold. Subtle RGB highlights are sprinkled in, alongside an understated camo pattern on the front. The Tarantula Pro is highly customizable, with nine remappable buttons and changeable lighting. There are switches on the back to change each individual trigger’s range of motion from full length to short, which makes them activate with only a slight press, and the rear buttons can also be individually locked so you don’t…