Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i MacLife

LIKE THE PERFECT butler, Alfred is far more than Spotlight search done right. Add its Powerpack, and you can use its temporary file buffer to gather multiple files and perform actions on them, browse PDFs using a ready–made workflow, and build yourself a collection of snippets to paste. Once you’ve installed Alfred and licensed its Powerpack, visit Privacy & Security in System Settings and add Alfred to its Full Disk Access and Accessibility lists. As you proceed, you’ll be invited to give Alfred any additional access that it requires. You should also visit Login Items & Extensions settings and check that Alfred is set to “Open at Login” so it will be loaded into the menu bar at startup. Each of these examples begins in Alfred’s Preferences, opened using the…

IN PREVIOUS VERSIONS of the Camera app, you could simultaneously see a wider spread of mode labels (such as Video, Portrait, Spatial, and Pano) spreading out below the Shutter button. iOS 26 streamlines the Camera interface by only displaying the two most useful modes — Photo and Video — by default. To access more hidden shooting modes, such as Spatial or Pano, simply swipe left to reveal them on the lozenge–shaped Liquid Glass button. Swipe right to access the Cinematic, Timelapse, and Slo–Mo shooting modes. By tapping on a mode’s button (or swiping up), you can summon a collection of large icons to adjust various properties specific to that mode, such as Aperture or Exposure. THERE’S MORE ON OFFER The Camera app’s main button redesign targets those who simply want…

STAYING MOTIVATED DURING a workout isn’t always easy. When fatigue sets in or your mind wanders, you can feel tempted to quit. Apple has long been thinking of ways to keep you moving. Millions of people seek to close their Activity rings, earn badges and streaks, engage in monthly challenges, sign up to Fitness+ ($9.99/month or $79.99/year), monitor health, and set daily Move goals. If that wasn’t enough, Apple has now launched Workout Buddy. Baked into watchOS 26, Workout Buddy uses Apple Intelligence to analyze your fitness history and current workout data to issue verbal encouragement through Bluetooth headphones. Close to closing an Activity ring? It’ll aim to get you to completion. Making good progress? It’ll tell you so. Workout Buddy also dishes out praise and works across many different…

SORRY TO BREAK it to you, but technology does not last forever. You might have spent eleventy bajillion dollars on your Apple–branded pride and joy, but what once scythed through anything you threw at it will, at some point, end up becoming the Mac equivalent of a wheezing snail. The thing is, we’re in the middle of a cost–of–living crisis. Even if your Mac is creaking, you probably don’t want to splash out on shiny new kit. And even if you are willing to buy a new Mac, you’d likely want a bargain — and also to make the most of your existing gear. That’s what this feature is all about. As Apple puts Intel Macs on notice (macOS 26, aka Tahoe) is the last major update any Intel Mac…

$119.99 From www.logitech.com Features Eight buttons, 200–8000dpi in increments of 50), scroll wheel and horizontal scroll, customization app, 650mAh battery (70 days’ use), 33 foot range, low–energy Bluetooth, 5.05x3.48x2 inches, 5.29 ounces A BUTTON ON THE THUMB REST ITSELF OPENS THE ACTIONS RING THE LATEST RELEASE in Logitech’s range of productivity mice is expensive, but by no means poor value for money. Every aspect of it screams quality — take the build. Available in pale gray, graphite, or black, the MX Master 4 is solid, sturdy, and sure to last. It’s not short of features, either. It has two scroll wheels: one between the right and left buttons for vertical scrolling, and one above where your thumb sits for scrolling horizontally. On the web, you can use the wheel to…

$199.99 From https://wokyis.com Features 5in HD display, M.2 NVMe SSD caddy, 1x HDMI port, 3x USB–C ports (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5V/3A, 1x host), 4x USB–A ports (10Gbps), SD/microSD card slots, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack; 14.5x13.1x15.43cm, 750g THE LATEST MAC mini is crying out for a docking station. Its small size makes it an ideal fit for all sorts of imaginative enclosures. This cool Retro Docking Station from Wokyis is available in 10Gbps and 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 versions, the former of which is reviewed here. The inspiration for its design is clear. This is built to resemble an early Apple Macintosh. Your Mac mini sits underneath the unit, leaving the modern Mac’s ports accessible, and giving you a range of new ports by connecting the mini to the docking station. At…

$449 From https://remarkable.com Features 7.3-inch Canvas Color display (1696x954 @ 264 PPI), 1.7GHz dual-core Cortex A55 processor, 2GB memory, 64GB storage, up to 2 weeks of battery life between recharges, 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, 1x USB-C port, 7.7x4.24x0.26 inches, 0.51 lbs FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR with reMarkable tablets, they’re digital note–taking devices that do one job — maybe two if you count side–loading ebooks and PDFs, and using it as an e–reader, but this function is a bonus rather than the heart of the devices’ capabilities. reMarkable is for making and organizing hand–written notes; no social media, no incoming notifications, and no downloadable apps. It’s a digital notepad with excellent syncing and organizing features. The Paper Pro Move is a smaller version of the reMarkable Paper Pro we reviewed in #ML228. It has…

$98.99 From www.philips-hue.com Features HomeKit–compatible, dual–band Wi–Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz), 1x Ethernet, 26x92.3x92.3mm APPLE’S HOMEKIT TECHNOLOGY — now absorbed into the Apple Home app — has always been something of an under–achiever in the smart home market. However, Philips has supported HomeKit and the Home app with its Hue range of smart lights for many years, and has just released a major Pro update for its Hue Bridge control hub. The Bridge Pro comes with a quad–core processor that enables it to control up to 150 lights and 50 other accessories. And while the previous Bridge needed an Ethernet cable, the Bridge Pro can use either Ethernet or Wi–Fi, making it easier to place it in your home. IN MOTION The Bridge Pro also introduces a new feature called MotionAware. You need…

Your Apple gear can do more than you think. Sure, you know about copying and pasting text and images, but did you know that you can do it between your Apple devices? You probably already know about using Spotlight as an app launcher, but are you familiar with the enhancements to Spotlight in macOS Tahoe that make it even easier? And you might already use your iPhone as a torch in the dark, but did you know that you can raise and lower the brightness and change the breadth of the beam? Over these 10 pages, we bring you a wealth of handy hints, cheeky cheats, and terrific tips, all designed to help you get more from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. They won’t revolutionize the way you…

APPLE GAMES ISN’T playing around. The new app, available by default in macOS 26 (Tahoe), looks set to become the go–to hub for anyone who wants to get their gaming kicks, and it has the potential to help revitalize gaming on the Mac. Not only does it bring together the games you’ve installed (whether directly, from the App Store, Steam, GOG.com, or elsewhere), it also shows you the games you’ve played on iPhone and iPad, and allows you to quickly enjoy them. What’s more, it will give direct access to emulators including OpenEmu. Here, we explore the features in more depth, enabling you to get up to speed and enjoy playing games with friends, engage in challenges, and unlock achievements. Just be sure to sign into Game Center and the…

THE 2025 RELEASE of the iPhone 17 and Air sees significant improvements to the camera system. And all models in Apple’s latest line–up benefit, from the entry–level 17, super–thin Air, and powerful 17 Pro, to the flagship 17 Pro Max. We’re referencing the iPhone 17 Pro here, but the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max both offer the most advanced set of hardware and software improvements. Compared to the iPhone 16 Pro’s single Fusion Main camera, the iPhone 17 Pro has three — Fusion Main, Fusion Ultra Wide, and Fusion Telephoto. The Fusion camera system uses the 17 Pro’s Photonic Engine to combine a 48MP frame with a 12MP frame optimized for light capture. This results in a 24MP photo with incredible detail, amazing low–light performance, and an optimal file…

WHEN I PURCHASED my most recent iPad Air, I always envisioned that it would be used in various ways. It’s why I also bought a Smart Keyboard Folio — a device that has since been replaced by the superior Magic Keyboard Folio with its extra line of function keys and a trackpad — along with an Apple Pencil. This was going to be an iPad used for work, creativity, and entertainment. Yet, I admit that I haven’t really got stuck into the work side of things using an iPad. I tend to use a MacBook on my travels and a Mac mini in the office, so ditching both for a full week did fill me with some trepidation. Would it slow me down? Would I become frustrated if key features…

$119.99 From https://satechi.net Features 1x USB4 port (supports Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4 at up to 40Gbps), backwards compatible with USB 3 Gen 2 and USB 3.0 (up to 5/10Gbps) and USB 2.0 (up to 480Mbps), supports up to 16TB SSD modules APPLE STOPPED ALLOWING you to manually upgrade the storage and indeed the memory inside new Macs years ago. Initially, this was in service of making the bodies smaller and, now, because Apple solders these components to the logic board. The problem is that you’re forced to choose an SSD capacity when ordering your Mac, and Apple charges a hefty premium for larger drives. While external drives have existed for years, they can be cumbersome, and are often much slower than internal ones. Satechi’s USB4 Slim NVMe Pro SSD Enclosure…

Free From www.apple.com Needs iOS 18.6 or later (iOS 26 recommended) YOUR iPHONE’S Camera app does an excellent job of capturing high–quality video clips that feature accurate colors, detail–packed tones, and a sharply focused subject. It does all of these things automatically, meeting the needs of everyday “point, shoot, and share” videographers. Final Cut Camera was released by Apple in June 2024 to fulfil the requirements of videographers who want more manual control of exposure, color, and sound in shoots, such as dialing in a faster shutter speed to capture sharper details in fast–moving subjects, or manually adjusting White Balance to remove cold or warm color casts. A key feature of Final Cut Camera is its ability to preview, sync, and record video footage from up to four iPhones with…

$1,299.99 From www.samsung.com Features 32–inch QD–OLED display; 4K resolution (3840x2160); adjustable stand; video input – 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort WE WERE BIG fans of Samsung’s M8 monitor, which provides a very affordable alternative to Apple’s expensive Studio Display. The M8 does make a few compromises, though, in order to keep its price below the $500 mark. If you’re looking for a more high–end display then the company’s Odyssey range fits the bill, while still offering competitive prices. Samsung’s model numbering system is a bit of a mess, though, and there are several monitors in the Odyssey range that have similar features and model numbers, but also have widely varying prices. The model here is the 32–inch Odyssey OLED G81SF with 4K resolution, which currently costs $1299.99. However, Samsung does have…

THE VISION PRO headset was upgraded in October with the new M5 chip, visionOS 26 operating system, and a new, more comfortable Dual Knit Band. By upgrading the Vision Pro to the latest Apple silicon chip, Apple is clearly sending a message that it isn’t done with its spatial computing headset yet, but I’m left wondering, why not? Do you know anybody who owns one? If I look at my friends, they’ve all got at least one Apple device, and usually two: a MacBook and an iPhone. A lot of them also have iPads. In fact, I have a friend who couldn’t resist upgrading his iPad Pro to the latest M5 iPad Pro with 1TB of memory because he uses it for illustration. In contrast, I don’t know a single…

There was a time when Apple was dismissive of OLED displays. In 2010, Apple debuted its Retina display on iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, which relied on LED–backlit IPS LCD technology, and Steve Jobs told Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference: “You can’t make an OLED display with this resolution.” Three years later, Apple doubled down, saying the Retina display was twice as bright and didn’t suffer from “awful” color saturation. “If you ever buy anything online, and really want to know what the color is, as many people do, you should really think twice before you depend on the color from an OLED display,” Tim Cook proclaimed to a Goldman Sachs investor conference. But then, a year later, Apple used an OLED display for the first time on the Apple Watch.…

PART 1 of 3 THESE DAYS, your iPhone is capable of capturing stunning high–quality video footage that’s on a par with the professionally shot shows on TV. However, many of us are wasting hours of valuable video clips by simply trimming a single clip in Photos on our iPhone and sending it to a few friends via Messages. macOS iMovie is a powerful non–linear editor (NLE) that enables you to turn a collection of long, rambling clips into slickly edited videos that showcase your activities, such as vacation highlights or a city visit, in a more entertaining way. In part one of our macOS iMovie series, we’ll show you how to get up and running with basic skills, such as importing iPhone–sourced clips, trimming them to share the best bits,…

THE macOS MENU bar is familiar, functional, and mostly stays out of your way. While macOS 26 (Tahoe) hasn’t revolutionized it, the update has certainly spruced things up with tweaks and new features that bring an extra level of control to your Mac. That includes a new selection of controls and widgets, the ability to change the menu bar’s appearance in granular detail, easier editing of the menu bar in conjunction with the Control Center, and more. As well as that, you can now use secondary menu bars that work like submenus — add one and click it to access a pop–out window of apps, widgets, and controls. This is helpful if you find that cluttered menu bar items get lost under your Mac’s notch. Now, you can conceal lesser–used…

APPLE HAS ALWAYS had the backs of anyone who needs a little help with accessibility by making such features standard and free for everyone. Many of the features in Settings > Accessibility can be used by anyone, regardless of need. If you want to make a phone simpler to use for someone suffering from dementia, perhaps, or set Vehicle Motion Cues if you suffer from motion sickness, you’ll be able to adjust things accordingly. Settings > Accessibility is full of things you might not know your phone can do, and they work for so many different scenarios. If you find its options a little overwhelming, there’s a search field that can save you time and take you right where you need to go. These features can make life easier for…

From $999 From www.apple.com Features Ultra Retina XDR display, Apple M5 chip, 12GB of memory (256GB and 512GB models)/16GB of memory (1TB and 2TB models), 256GB of storage (up to 2TB available), Wi–Fi 7, Bluetooth, 1x Thunderbolt 4 port THE iPAD PRO ALSO BENEFITS FROM 2X FASTER STORAGE AND A 30% INCREASE IN MEMORY BANDWIDTH THERE’S A LOT TO love about Apple’s brand new iPad Pro. Now equipped with an Apple silicon M5 chip, it’s not only the most powerful iPad Apple has ever made; it retains all the standout features of its M4 predecessor’s 2024 redesign, while also giving them a boost. Example? Where last year’s iPad Pro featured Wi–Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, this new model gets faster Wi–Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 4.…

$14.99 From www.feralinteractive.com Needs iOS 18/iPadOS 18 or later, A12 Bionic chip or later; 11GB of free storage FERAL INTERACTIVE HAS reached the PlayStation 3 era in its effort to bring all of Agent 47’s adventures to iPhone and iPad, and Absolution stands out as the last game to feature the shiny domed assassin before the series had a reboot with 2016’s Hitman. It’s a great–looking game, clearly pushing the graphical abilities of A– and M–series chips and with an advanced options page that enables you to push the GPU even harder at the cost of frame rate. It starts off well as you infiltrate a house via the garden and tennis court on the trail of Diana Burnwood, formerly your handler at the assassination agency, turned traitor and on…

$119 From www.cambridgeaudio.com Features 10mm recycled neodymium drivers, class A/B amplifiers, LDAC and hi–res Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint, active noise canceling, six mics (three per earbud), waterproof to IPX5, up to 11 hours’ battery (39 hours with case) USB–C or wireless charging CAMBRIDGE AUDIO IS using its decades of experience in the hi–fi world to produce more personalized listening devices, the latest of which are the Melomania A100 wireless earbuds. In a crowded marketplace they stand out for being very reasonably priced at just $119 — but does that mean compromises? Available in black or white, the earbuds come in a case that charges over USB–C or wirelessly. The earbuds themselves hold 11 hours of charge with noise canceling off or 6.5 with it on, with a total of up to…

Free (offers in–app purchases) From https://playdigious.com Needs iOS 15 or later and a device with A12 Bionic chip or later LOVE LEARNING LANGUAGES? If so, you’ll feel right at home with Chants of Sennaar. This puzzle game comes with a twist: the test is not so much finding objects and solving riddles, but unlocking the languages spoken by the game’s inhabitants. Inspired by the Tower of Babel myth, Chants of Sennaar is set in a vast tower whose inhabitants are separated into castes, each living on a different level and unable to understand their neighbors. As you progress, you work your way up, seeking to unite the people in shared understanding. You go in completely blind, surrounded by symbols whose meanings are totally unknown to you. But the more you…