Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Macworld UK

Given the choice, Apple would have rolled out its first custom-designed Mac chips on its own terms, probably at a high-profile event in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. But given that it was November 2020, the company was forced to release a 45-minute video (fave.co/3LyblYF) instead. No amount of in-person theatrics would have upstaged the star of that show, the M1 processor (fave.co/3bH1g6o). Five years later, it’s clear that the arrival of Apple silicon has utterly changed the trajectory of the Mac. A CAREFUL START In that first event (which you can relive in this YouTube video, fave.co/3LyblYF), Apple announced its first wave of M1 Macs: the MacBook Air (fave.co/3h67n8s), 13-inch MacBook Pro (fave.co/2PXzhbw), and Mac mini (fave.co/33ho0Wq). The Macs themselves all used the same design as their…

Terminal in macOS is the most utilitarian app on the Mac. It’s a command-line interface app that most people don’t use, but the 24-year-old Terminal (fave.co/3Uf8N1N) is a vital tool for those who do use it regularly. And its look hasn’t changed in…ever? But even Terminal is included in Apple’s UI redesign (fave.co/3TV56ih). Apple announced in its State of the Platforms (fave.co/4p0BU7a) presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 that Terminal is getting a colorful boost in macOS 26 (fave.co/3IPv3h2), with support for 24-bit color and the ability to use Powerline fonts. And, of course, it’s getting a bit of the Liquid Glass treatment with a set of themes based on the new design. Terminal already provides different color profiles, and it doesn’t appear that the enhancements in macOS 26…

Stacked dual displays are becoming more popular as people realize their ergonomic benefits compared to two side-by-side monitors, especially where space is at a premium—say, in a tight home-working space or WeWork. Finding a portable stacked monitor (fave.co/3JsszG5) that is large enough when in use but discreet when folded up has been a dream of mine since I left an office space and moved to a more domestic setting. I’ve used a stacked screen for a few years (after many years with two 27-inch displays side by side), starting with the solidly built and somewhat colossal Mobile Pixels Geminos (fave.co/42eTDya), moving on to the smaller but more portable UPerfect Delta Max Touch (fave.co/47B8lmS), and now have been using the Max’s bigger sibling—the superlatively named Delta Mega, which is nearly as…

The iPhone 17 arrived last fall, and as always, it has a slew of upgrades over prior models, especially when it comes to the front camera. Many people enjoy taking selfies and filming vlogs with their iPhone (myself included), and all the new iPhone 17 models—including the ultra-thin Air—have some really cool new tricks up their sleeves. But is it a reason to rush out and upgrade your iPhone 16? Here’s a detailed comparison of the iPhone 17’s front camera versus the 16’s front camera. A LOOK AT THE TECH SPECS If you look at the iPhone 17 page on Apple’s website, you’ll quickly see that the front camera now has a new square-shaped sensor rather than a rectangular one. You’ll also learn that the new sensor is higher quality:…

In their early days, the iPad and MacBook were distinct devices that served completely different purposes. Recently, Apple began blurring the lines between the two, with the tablet gaining power-user features once exclusive to laptops. The latest iPad Pro with the M5 chip (fave.co/47YXxxU) marks another milestone in this transition, featuring upgraded technology that allows more users to actually use it as a practical MacBook substitute. At this point, the iPad Pro is thinner, lighter, and more portable than a MacBook Air (fave.co/4p1F2Re)—and even surpasses it in performance and so many other aspects. PERFORMANCE: M5 POWER, WITH MORE AI When buying a new computer, you typically look into its processing power first. You wouldn’t want the operating system to lag or apps to crash while you get everyday work done.…

It wasn’t so long ago that 15W MagSafe was the fastest any magnetic wireless charger could output power to an iPhone? Since the launch of the latest Qi 2.2 technology, charger manufacturers have been racing to bring out wireless gadgets at the new top 25W speed. While Apple was first to 25W, that speed was limited to just its one-trick pony MagSafe Charger (fave.co/448ztaw), a solid but solitary pad on the end of a variable length cable. Since then, multi-device chargers have appeared matching the 25W Apple charger at its claimed 50% iPhone charge in “around 30 minutes.” Qi 2.2 (aka Qi2 25W, fave.co/3PyXYqp) is a new tech that takes 15W Qi2 and revs up the power output to a possible 25W for the iPhone 16 and 17 models—excluding the…

Apple has officially released iOS 26 (fave.co/44uVU9u) to everyone, and while changes like Liquid Glass make the update impossible to miss, there are plenty of useful new features that aren’t as obvious. Some of them are buried in menus, and others only appear when you know where to look. Here are some of the best hidden features of iOS 26 that are worth trying, and exactly where to find them. USE AIRPODS AS A VIDEO-RECORDING MIC One of the most practical additions in iOS 26 is the ability to use your AirPods as an external microphone when recording videos with the iPhone camera. This means you can capture clearer audio, even if you’re standing a bit away from the iPhone. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Put your AirPods…

As the name suggests, VirtualBox (in version 7.2 at the time of this review, fave.co/3JyAdyZ) is a virtualization tool—similar to Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion—that allows you to create a virtual machine (VM) that can run Windows and Windows apps from within the macOS itself. It’s fallen behind its rivals in recent years as it lacked support for Macs with Apple Silicon, but it made something of a comeback with the 7.1 update in September 2024 that finally added support for Apple Silicon alongside older Intel Macs. A number of maintenance updates have followed since then, bringing VirtualBox to version 7.2.4 at the end of October 2025. VirtualBox is owned by database giant Oracle, but it’s available as an open-source program and it’s free for personal and educational use. There’s…

Beats recently launched the new Powerbeats Fit—a revamped version of the popular Beats Fit Pro. The earbuds are an alternative to Apple’s AirPods, and it’s hard not to compare them to the brand-new AirPods Pro 3 (fave.co/4hWwnMA), which were also recently released. While both are designed to work seamlessly with the iPhone, they do have some key differences. If you’re unsure which one is right for you, read on as we compare Powerbeats Fit and AirPods Pro 3 in design, sound quality, and more. DESIGN AND COMFORT The first thing you’ll notice is that the two pairs of earbuds were designed for very different lifestyles. Powerbeats Fit are clearly built with sports and workouts in mind. Beats redesigned the wingtip to be more flexible, which gives them a more secure…

There are few more frustrating iPhone experiences than receiving a spam call. Whether it’s interrupting your work or play, it doesn’t take much for a junk call to take you out of the moment. The problem is that they’re seemingly extremely difficult to stop, and no matter what you try, a few still seem to make it through the net. At least, that was the case before iOS 26’s Call Screening feature came along. Since I installed iOS 26, it’s stopped unwanted calls in their tracks, leaving me in spam-free bliss all day long. The way Call Screening works is extremely simple. When you get a call from an unknown number, the caller will first be put through to an automated voice that asks them to identify themselves and describe…

In my review of the M5 MacBook Pro (see page 80), the laptop’s graphics performance stood out. It offers a 35 percent boost in Metal performance over the M4, which is significant. It’s also good for Apple’s Mac marketing, which nowadays includes a bigger effort to promote game performance on the Mac. The M5’s boost will certainly help. However, when it comes to gaming, the story isn’t about how the new Mac performs compared to old ones, but about how the Mac performs compared to Windows PCs. So how does the M5 MacBook Pro compare to gaming laptops (fave.co/4oAwuQn)? During my testing of the M5 MacBook Pro, among the tests I ran was the Geekbench 6 OpenCL Compute benchmark. The Compute benchmark is designed to test a computer’s GPU. OpenCL…

The Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W with Retractable USB-C Cable tells you nearly everything you need to know about it in just its name. It’s a compact 20K laptop battery pack that can deliver a total of 165W of power, including 100W from its extremely convenient built-in USB-C cable. You can buy higher-capacity portable laptop power banks and even units with two integrated USB-C cables, but the Ugreen Nexode 20K USB-C Cable power bank is a solid performer that might be everything you need on the road with your laptop and other devices. TECH SPECS Battery capacity: 20000mAh (72Wh) Fastest power output: 100W Total power output: 165W Power input: 100W USB ports: 1× USB-C cable (100W PD 3.0); 1× USB-C port (100W PD 3.0); 1× USB-A (33W) Dimensions: 5.7×2.1×2…

In today’s world of cloud storage and painless wireless transfers plus inexpensive SD and microSD card readers, it’s easy to forget how useful the old-school flash thumb drives can be—especially as most still persevere with the old legacy rectangular USB-A connector that hasn’t been seen on a Mac since 2017’s MacBook Air. Flash drives were once the kings of portable storage, prized for their portability, ease of use, and offline data transfer capabilities. If you wanted to quickly and securely move files between devices without an internet connection, they were the perfect tool. Cloud storage is now the norm, but it is slower and less data secure, and it usually requires a monthly subscription. SD CARDS VERSUS FLASH DRIVES Modern MacBook Pros (and the Mac Studio) boast an SDXC card…

It’s no secret that the iPhone has matured, with dramatic innovations now arriving only every several years. The regular iPhone 17 (fave.co/49YHXVo) adopting past Pro exclusives is a clear admission that we’re approaching the iPhone’s final form. As such, Pro users on an annual upgrade cycle often find little to be impressed by—and this year appears to be no different. While one could easily distinguish the iPhone 16 Pro Max from the 17 Pro Max visually, the actual upgrades this year are relatively limited. Beyond the overhauled chassis, casual users will likely notice the sharper telephoto and selfie cameras—and a few other obvious changes. Despite this, I decided to upgrade from last year’s flagship to the iPhone 17 Pro Max (fave.co/4qmIciP), and I don’t regret it one bit. A WHOLE…

I was there on that early October day 14 years ago when Apple–led on stage by Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and Scott Forstall–rolled out iOS 5 (fave.co/43yH8Po), the iPhone 4S (fave.co/448y6Zq), and one of the most important iOS features ever, Siri (fave.co/4oLtmkU). (Steve Jobs wasn’t there, an empty seat left for him in the front row. He died the next day, fave.co/3K4LJSJ.) Siri was the first true “voice assistant,” a voice-driven interface that Jobs clearly thought would be a huge part of the future of how we use our devices. He legendarily called Siri’s co-founder 24 straight days (fave.co/48dJLIS) to express his desire to buy the app and add it to iOS. While Apple got there first, competitors followed. In some ways, it’s the contrary example to what Apple normally…

Car chargers can be a messy affair. It’s not uncommon to have USB cables dangling around the cabin if you have teenagers who quickly had to top up their phones before heading out of the car. The amount of power offered can also be unimpressive on many chargers, with a limited number of ports available. These aren’t problems you’ll find with the Baseus PrimeTrip VR2 Max, as its retractable built-in cables and additional charger ports make it purpose-built for families and people that want to power up multiple devices while on the go. DESIGN The design is relatively simple. You plug the connector into the auxiliary power socket in the car, then pull out a cable from the top of the squarish section that houses the coiled leads. There are…

Apple Mail is a decent alternative to Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, Spark, and all the other email clients available for the Mac. But even though Apple has been delivering its in-house mail client for years and regularly updates it, it doesn’t come without criticisms—it could be a much better email client if it weren’t for these annoyances. HALF-HEARTED AI IMPLEMENTATION Since macOS 15.4 and iOS 18.4, Apple Intelligence has been an integral part of the operating system and also of Apple Mail, but it can still only tinker with email texts—summaries, smart replies, writing tools, and a bit more. There is enormous potential for AI features, especially in email management and spam detection. Instead of relying on real artificial intelligence, Apple Mail continues to rely on so-called “intelligent” folders for…

Thunderbolt 5 is backward compatible with earlier versions of Thunderbolt and all the way back to USB-C. Investing in it now is the best way to future-proof your desktop technology and be ready for super-fast connectivity even if you don’t have a Thunderbolt 5–ready Mac at the moment. A docking station puts a lot of connections within arm’s reach, and the Plugable Thunderbolt 5 dock hosts a bunch of fast ports from 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 itself to 2.5Gb Ethernet. DESIGN The silvery Plugable Thunderbolt 5 dock can be placed in either a horizontal position or vertically through the included stand (see image below). The aluminum chassis feels solid, and we appreciate the on-off button at the front. While your laptop’s power management should regulate how much power is input, we…

Fender Studio is a cross-platform (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS) combination 16-track audio recorder and guitar amplifier simulation app. Plug your guitar into your interface or device, fire up Studio, start a’pluckin, and record the results. It’s very cool and rock-solid, and it’s useful for practice and capturing ideas. However, it’s missing quite a few features whose absence might have you looking to the company’s far more capable (and far more complex) Studio One (fave.co/4cGYADl). What, an upsell app from a major vendor? Tell me it ain’t so. All joking aside, as a free amp sim that records, Fender Studio is fantastic. Fender Studio supports recording and playing back up to 16 tracks of audio and includes a bunch of the company’s effects (FXs) to make it all sound good. Most…

The modern macOS makes it simple to add encryption to any mounted volume (fave.co/4oE8mfX). The password you set when you encrypt a volume has to be entered each time it’s mounted, including after restarting your Mac. You can opt to store the password when you enter it by checking Remember in Keychain. What if you change your mind? You can remove the password, but you have to dig for it. Here’s how to find and remove it: 1. Launch Keychain Access. This app is stored in /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/, which you can reach in the Finder by choosing Go → Go To Folder and pasting that path in. 2. After launching, Keychain Access prompts you about whether you intended to launch the Passwords app. Click Open Keychain Access. 3. Authenticate with Touch…

One of the most consequential developments in the history of computing happened 50 years ago. It set Apple on course to becoming one of the most valuable companies on the planet and changed the face of computing in unfathomable ways. Yet you’ve probably never even heard of what went down. It’s an often-overlooked moment that had incredible consequences for years to come. Typing on a computer is something we all take for granted today. One of Apple’s key philosophies has long been to get the technology out of your way—Steve Jobs and Jony Ive have waxed lyrical on that idea—so day to day, we never really think much about how writing on a computer actually works. We can debate the pros and cons of various displays and even build our…

The gaming brand Razer introduced the Razer Joro at the beginning of May 2025, a compact gaming keyboard designed for mobile use. For Mac users, there is an interesting novelty: The Joro is the first keyboard from Razer with Mac keys (or, strictly speaking, with double print). The Razer Joro is almost a perfect replacement for the Magic Keyboard (fave.co/47Xroa5). DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP Typical Razer: The Joro has a simple, completely black design. The body consists of a plastic base and an aluminum cover—where you touch the keyboard most often. This ensures a high-quality typing experience, but also reduces production costs and weight. Weighing only 13.2oz (374g) and with compact dimensions of 11.7×4.4×0.65 inches (29.8×11.2×1.65cm), the Joro can be easily stowed away in a MacBook backpack or bag (fave.co/43miXE9). The…

HARRY POTTER GOCHESS WIZARD LITE particula-tech.com This chess set is a replica from the first Happy Potter movie. It comes with a companion app on the iPhone and is integrated with Chess.com and Lichess.org. It offers real-time coaching for beginners, and has an online play mode, as well as the ability for a single person to play against the board’s built-in opponent. KENSINGTON EXPERT MOUSE TB800 EQ MULTI-CONNECTION TRACKBALL kensington.com If mice and trackpads don’t do it for you, perhaps a trackball will. This device has a 55mm ball with a 1Hz polling rate that you can move with minimal effort. It also offers two customizable side-scrolling wheels and Bluetooth connectivity. DNSYS Z1 EXOSKELETON PRO: DEATH STRANDING 2 ON THE BEACH LIMITED EDITION dnsys.ai Inspired by the Death Stranding video…

While the rest of the world was waiting for the M5 iPad Pro (fave.co/4kQRgIT) earlier this month, I decided to buy an M4 iPad Pro (fave.co/4dGakGZ), just days before Apple dropped its big M5 announcement, in fact. Yes, I knew the M5 iPad Pro was imminent. But the deal I got on the previous generation model was compelling enough that I didn’t hesitate. When the M5 model arrived, I was still within my return window. However, after digging into what’s new on the new iPad Pro, I’ve concluded that going for the M5 isn’t the no-brainer it appears to be. In fact, I’m here to argue that buying the M4 version now could be the smarter move if you want to save some money. And if you already have an…

The MagFlow Qi2 2-in-1 Charger is MagSafe and Qi2 certified and so enables wireless charging of an iPhone at a power output of up to 15 watts. It is compatible with all MagSafe iPhones (models 12 to 16) as well as AirPods 2, 3, and 4, and enables simultaneous charging of iPhone and AirPods. We tested the MagFlow with an iPhone 15 and measured an impressive 37% of additional charge after just 30 minutes. Thanks to its foldable design, the charging station is not only particularly compact to transport—the angle of the Qi2 charging pad can also be flexibly adjusted, up to 70 degrees. This allows the iPhone to be used either vertically or horizontally, which is ideal for watching videos, reading emails, or having FaceTime calls with friends. When…

Going into this review for the M5 MacBook Pro (fave.co/46gdnVu), I wasn’t expecting much. The laptop it replaced, the M4 MacBook Pro (fave.co/3Rt3mMe), is excellent. But more importantly, that M4 laptop addressed many issues with the M3 (fave.co/49hUoM0), M2 (fave.co/3POoGJc), and M1 (fave.co/2PXzhbw) MacBook Pros, including the webcam quality and starting memory. The experience with the M4 MacBook Pro was so satisfying that I was a bit blasé about the M5 MacBook Pro—the only thing that’s really new in the laptop is the M5. That’s it. After spending time with the new M5 MacBook Pro, that indifference quickly evolved into being impressed. In all, the M5 MacBook Pro is an incremental update, but it does make some big performance leaps in graphics and SSD throughput that made me say, “Wow!”…

In December 2024, I reviewed the BenQ MA270U (fave.co/3Exw3EW), an excellent 27-inch, 4K display that’s designed for use with the Mac. The MA270U, however, has a matte display—it’s a great-looking matte display, but some people, especially Mac people, prefer a glossy screen. Fortunately, BenQ has a new display, the MA270UP, and it’s the same as the MA270U, except that it features a glossy front. Now you have a choice, glossy or matte, and best of all, you get a great display (with the same on-screen controls, specifications, software, and so on) and an attractive price. SPECIFICATIONS Size: 27 inches Glass front: Nano Gloss Panel Aspect ratio: 16:9 Native resolution: 3840×2160 Panel type/backlight: IPS/LED backlight Response time: 5 ms Contrast ratio: 1200:1 Frequency: 24Hz to 60Hz Color depth: 10-bit Brightness: 400…

If you use AirPods (fave.co/4hWwnMA) or other Bluetooth headphones, it can happen that other Bluetooth speakers in the vicinity simply take over the audio. These then hijack the iPhone’s audio stream, so to speak. In the worst-case scenario, others can now hear what was only intended for you—loudly playing in the speakers that have stolen the connection from your AirPods. HEADPHONES IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING? Some people are particularly annoyed that their car speakers pick up the music from their AirPods without being asked. You can’t wear headphones while driving, but others in your car can, and if their phones connect to your car’s Bluetooth, you might hear their music or podcast blasted out at everyone. HOW TO ELIMINATE THE ANNOYANCE The problem, which may have annoyed everyone in…

Life simulators are among the longest-lived and most-played game genres, and hardly any other title has dominated the field like The Sims (fave.co/4nRrANJ). Game developer Krafton wants to set new sim standards with Inzoi with a realistic, open world, smart AI, in-depth design options, and lots of customization. Particularly noteworthy is that Inzoi surprises with a Mac release that’s almost an equal to the PC version. In this review, I’ll examine whether Inzoi is the creative new beginning many Sims fans are hoping for, and how the ambitious project performs on macOS in everyday life. GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES: FREEDOM, SIMULATION, DRAMA The heart of Inzoi lies in an open, detailed city in which digital life follows its own rules. Compared to established representatives of the genre, Inzoi feels much more…