Innehållsförteckning för No. 180 från iCreate

Apple’s iCloud is undoubtedly a brilliant thing – an invisible floating mesh that binds all of our Apple devices together, keeps them in sync and provides the easy transferral of files, documents and images. However, it still isn’t as straightforward as it could be. For example, not everyone will need to enable many of its features, such as iCloud Photo Library, and, bafflingly, we seem to unwittingly gorge our way through the free 5GB allocation and receive prompts to purchase more space. This is why we have put together the Ultimate iCloud Masterclass to clear up any confusion and help you get the most out of this essential service. Also this issue we look at ways in which we can protect younger Apple users. Many households have a shared Mac…

 Developing apps is big business. There have been over 180 billion downloads from the App Store since its launch in just 2008, and during that time Apple has paid out over $70 billion in royalties to developers. There are more than 500 million unique customers from 155 countries every week visiting the App Store. Apple describes its library of apps as the world’s most vibrant software marketplace – and virtually no one can argue against that. This is a booming economy that shows no sign of crashing any time soon, and the race to be the next millionaire developer is fascinating to watch. “Last month Apple expanded its Everyone Can Code initiative to over 20 countries outside of the United States” As those staggering figures suggest, Apple has – to…

When setting up iCloud you will need to tweak the settings for individual apps to ensure they work as you need them to. It won’t take long and the process is simple. This tutorial will give you the pointers you need to get started with tweaking iCloud to your exacting preferences. 1 iCloud Photo Library Go to Settings >Photos and make sure that ‘iCloud Photo Library’ is enabled. This will ensure that your photos are available on every device and backed up. 2 Turning it off When you opt to turn iCloud off for a specific app you will receive a warning that certain data will not be available. Obviously, only do this if absolutely necessary. 3 iCloud Music Library If you enable ‘iCloud Music Library’ in Settings>Music you will…

iCloud Drive can link all of your devices together and act as a repository for all of your most valuable files. Whether you need to access them on your Mac or iPhone, the contents of the drive will be updated in real time and accessible to all instantly, just like all of the other iCloud services. 1 Enable the drive In iCloud settings tick ‘iCloud Drive’ to enable it and then click ‘Options’ to dive deeper into the tools you can use to customise it to your needs. 2 Your desktop If you tick ‘Desktop & Documents Folders’ the content from these locations on your Mac will be synchronised to the iCloud Drive ready to use from anywhere. 3 A new drive Now head to Finder on your Mac and…

iCloud Photo Library can be enabled with just one click, but the uses it offers are incredibly beneficial and you will be offered software and hardware advantages that are hard to measure. It could save you from buying a device with more memory and it also ensures that your precious memories are kept safe and secure at all times. 1 One click Go to the iCloud settings and click ‘Options’ in Photos. Here you can tick ‘iCloud Photo Library’ and the entire setup is now complete. How easy is that? 2 Snap and save Now when you capture a new photo on an iCloud-connected device it will be automatically uploaded to iCloud for viewing and editing on any of your devices. 3 Save your memories Your memories are also created…

The Photos app’s Colour slider boosts all the colours in a shot equally. However some areas, such as a pale blue sky, might need a stronger boost in saturation to give them more impact while skin tones could look too orange if you increase their saturation. Fortunately the latest incarnation of Photos (macOS High Sierra) boasts a more versatile colour tweaking panel called Selective Colour. As well as enabling you to adjust the saturation of individual colours, it also allows you to lighten or darken them. By selectively darkening the blues of a sky you can make clouds pop out. You an also make more creative adjustments by selectively changing a particular colour’s hue. Step-by-step Target and tweak selective colours 1 Import start file Go to File>Import and browse to…

When the camera zooms in on a subject during an interview it brings the audience closer, as if they are leaning forward to hear what’s being shared. A pan or tilt can draw the eye to important parts of a scene. However, it can be a challenge to add professional camera moves to your footage in-camera. If you shoot on an iPhone then you can’t zoom in while filming. DSLR camera users can manually twist the lens to zoom in, but is will be a jerkier than the smooth movement produced by a professional video camera’s servo motors. Fortunately iMovie’s Crop tools enable you to create professional-looking zooms, tilts and pans to add motion to statically framed footage. Step-by-step Add slick camera moves to footage 1 Add to timeline Add…

Introduced in Logic Pro 10.1, the Note Repeat feature is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s only accessible either by a little-known keyboard command or an icon on the toolbar that’s not visible unless you’ve both revealed the toolbar in the first place and then ticked the box to display the feature. Once you know it’s there though, it’s an incredibly useful tool for crafting rhythmic, gated-style synth parts or programming tricksy, multiple-speed ilable hi-hat patterns. Not to be confused with the Note Repeater MIDI FX plugin, although it has a similar function, the Note Repeat tool can be used to change the note repeat rate on the fly as you record in your parts. Here’s how it works… Step-by-step Using the Note Repeat feature 1 Open project To…

Just as in the Messages app in iOS 11 (which we explored in last issue’s iCreate), you are able to view the location of your various contacts through the macOS High Sierra Messages app. For this to happen, however, the other person must first go to Settings>Privacy>Location Services>Share My Location and enable the option and then, in Messages, select your conversation, tap the ‘i’ icon in the top-right corner of the screen and tap ‘Send My Current Location’. Here’s how to use the function… 1 Viewing location When the person you are having a conversation with in Messages chooses to share their location with you, you can click on the ‘Details’ option within Messages and that person’s location will appear in the Details menu. 2 Get directions If you then…

You might come across a web page that would be useful for someone else and a bookmark could be sent to them, but there is also the option of sending them a PDF file. Once the PDF is created we saw how it could be saved, but in ‘Step 3’ of the tutorial you could press the share button at the bottom of the screen and use the usual iOS sharing features instead. Here’s how they work… 1 iOS sharing options After creating a PDF file of a web page you want to save, press the share button at the bottom of the screen. The options are similar to sharing a web page, but you are sharing a PDF. Press ‘Mail’. 2 Email the PDF Emailing a copy of the…

Removing the panes To remove a Split View app pane, tap and hold this edit handle on the divider and move it left or right. Swipe right along the top of Slide Over panes to remove those. Swap out apps You can call up the Dock with a swipe and swap one of the open apps with another if you wish just by dragging, holding and releasing it. Convert Slide to Split Pull on the app’s handles at the top of the screen and you can hold and drag them from Slide to Split, and Split to Slide. Add a third app Already have a Split View with your two apps on screen? You can introduce a third simply by using Slide Over. Just drag an extra app to Split…

“With iCloud syncing, you can access the scans on your Mac if you need to” The camera on the iPhone is so good it can be used as a scanner to scan documents, receipts and other paper-based items. It means you will not lose them, they won’t fade, and they are easier to find and organise when you need them. They can also be carried with you in your pocket. There are dozens of scanner apps in the Store, but do you need one? Apple has upgraded the Notes app in iOS 11 and it now includes a great scanning feature. It enables you to scan all your paperwork and store the images in notes on your phone. With iCloud syncing, of course, you can then access the scans on…

“The launch of ARKit means that we are about to see an explosion in the way augmented reality is used” Augmented reality is not new, but the launch of ARKit, a framework that allows developers to create apps and games using the technology, means that we are about to see an explosion in the way it is used. Apple has a habit of taking technology that is already present and bringing it to the masses and there is no doubt that the same will happen here. You can, however, already experience augmented reality on your iPhone or iPad. There are apps and games available that use augmented reality and some will surprise and amaze you in equal measure. When you take a look at the apps listed in the top…

We love the fact that we can sit back on the sofa and use our remote to control what we’re watching but we hate turning the air blue when we can’t find it. At the same time, we applaud the creation of an Apple TV Remote app for iOS but still find searching for it on our multiple home screens a bit of a pain. Step forward a new way. With iOS 11, Apple has added an Apple TV remote to the Control Centre which means you only need to swipe up and tap a button to use it. That certainly cuts out a lot of hassle and it comes with the bonus of replicating virtually every feature found in the main Apple TV app. Step-by-step Add Apple TV Remote…

“You can limit the user interface animations by selecting ‘Reduce Motion’” Highlighted cursor With High Contrast activated under Focus Style you can see a white border is placed around the icons and other elements as you move around the screen. Stronger backgrounds With reduced transparency, the background elements of the Movie and TV Show pages as well as the menu tabs now appear solid, making the foreground elements more prominent. Non-highlighted cursor Again, this default view shows how Apple TV simply enlarges an icon when you usually navigate the onscreen options and it is therefore more subtle. Transparent background This is the default view of Apple TV, with the background transparent and appearing brighter which lessens the contrast with the foreground elements. Knowledge base Reducing the motion If you suffer…

I accidentally purchased an app from the App Store when my iPhone screen froze. Instinctively, this prompted me to press the Home button but then this took my thumbprint to confirm a purchase that I didn’t really want. Is there any way to possibly get this money refunded? You should be emailed an electronic receipt for any purchases that you make through the App Store or the iTunes Store. Check this when it comes through and you will see an invitation to ‘Report a problem’. State in here that you made the purchase accidentally, and how, and Apple should be sympathetic to your plea and arrange for the money to be refunded. I would like to change the email address associated with my Apple ID but when attempting to do…

Powerstation USB-C XXL £149.95/$159.95 mophie.com Mophie’s Powerstation USB-C XXL pocket-rocket is capable of powering your MacBook for 14 hours, your iPad for 20+ hours and your iPhone for over 100 hours. Weighing in at 391g, the unit isn’t exactly lightweight, but the size makes it easily portable. It features a built-in LED battery indicator and two charging ports – a USB-C PD 30W Fast Charge and a USB-A 2.4A Quick Charge – and is finished in a quite delightful premium fabric wrap. Zypp Power Case £49.99/$59.99 accessoryoutlet.co.uk Mobile power banks are handy things to have, but their bulk sometimes makes them a problem to carry around. The Zypp Power Case neatly addresses this issue by incorporating a method to top up your iPhone battery into the case itself.…

• 640x480 pixel resolution • QuickTake, BMP, JPEG, PCX and TIFF image formats • 8mm lens • 1/4 – 1/5000 of a second shutter speed • f/2.0 – f/8 (user selectable) aperture • RS-232C, NTSC Video I/O connections • 4xAA batteries • 2MB or 4MB 5V SmartMedia card Original price (base level) £400/$600 Price now £80/$80 Long before Apple inserted miniature digital cameras into smartphones there was this standalone snapper. Codenamed Neptune, the QuickTake 200 was actually the third digital camera released by Apple and was built by Fujifilm (previous models the QuickTake 100 and 150 were built by Kodak). The QuickTake 200 was the first model that you could connect directly to your Mac and it was also the first to feature focus and aperture controls, as well as…

Roland Waddilove This month Roland has been delving deeper into iOS 11’s extensive new features to bring you guides to saving websites as PDFs and using the Notes app to scan documents. Shaun McGill This month, Shaun was charged with the task of fathoming iCloud to help you set it up, utilise its many features and help you figure out what aspects you really need to enable. George Cairns Our creative expert helps you polish your Final Cut Pro X and iMovie projects this month by adding trippy dream effects and using smooth rostrum camera moves to footage.…

Apple Cash is coming very soon iOS 11  iOS 11.2 beta users in the United States have been getting a sneak peek at Apple Pay Cash, Apple’s peer-to-peer payment feature, ahead of its upcoming release. And it turns out it’s pretty simple to use. It all works in your Messages app through a new Apple Pay Cash app, and it’s the perfect way to transfer money to friends, family and work colleagues, whether that’s for a coffee, lunch or round of drinks. You send money using whatever card you want, and any money you receive is housed in an Apple Pay Cash card in iOS 11’s Wallet app. What could be easier? Production cost of the iPhone X revealed iPhone X Ever wondered how much profit Apple makes on an…

Setting up iCloud could not be any easier because Apple has ensured that it is baked into iOS and macOS, and that you have automated access to the platform as long as you have an Apple ID set up. When you use any Apple device it is almost impossible to use it properly without an Apple ID so the chances of you avoiding iCloud are low which means that the initial setup will be child’s play for anyone. 1 A secure password Go to appleid.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Now click ‘Change password’ and input a new one that is as complex and secure as possible. 2 Your account details Open System Preferences on your Mac and then click ‘iCloud’. Now click ‘Account Details’ and make sure…

There are many reasons to set up Family Sharing if you have children or simply want to simplify your usage, but perhaps the main one is the cost savings. Apple has recently allowed the purchased space to be used by all family members and you can also manage how your children use their devices for extra security and privacy. 1 The setup Go to iCloud in Settings and look for the ‘Family Sharing’ option. When you tap it you will be guided through steps which have recently been made much easier to follow. 2 A new member When you click ‘Add Family Member’ you then get the choice to invite someone via iMessage or in person or to create a child account. Make your choice to proceed. 3 Add some…

iCloud Backup is just one line in iCloud settings from a visual perspective, but it is vitally important in the grand scheme of your daily computing life. When you consider the amount of personal information and app settings held in an iPhone or iPad you’ll realise just how important it is to keep it all safe. 1 Protect your data Go to Settings and search for ‘Backup’. You will be presented with a screen and within it the option to ‘Back Up Now’. The last backup details will also be displayed. 2 Select from your backups Tap the iCloud storage option and then ‘Backups’ to view all of the available historic backups. You can then delete one or restore directly from it. 3 Use your storage space wisely If you…

iCloud can protect your data in a variety of ways, but it can also give you the potential to retrieve lost hardware as well. Find my iPhone works with iPads, Macs and even AirPods as well and will show you the location of your devices whenever you think one may be lost. You ‘must’ enable it for so many good reasons. Tap to find You will also see each device displayed on a detailed map. Tap any device to be given more options that will display at the bottom of the screen. The entire system offers every feature you will need. Everything is listed All of your iCloudconnected devices will be listed in the Find my iPhone app with the last time they were found displayed alongside the distance they…

Few features create as obvious a link between your devices as Continuity and of course iCloud is at the heart of how the technology works. With little effort you can set it up in minutes and over time it will become a feature that you use in multiple apps without even thinking about it. It brings everything together perfectly. 1 Set it up On your Mac go to System Preferences> General and make sure ‘Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices’ is ticked. 2 iOS Handoff On your iPhone or iPad you will need to go to Settings> General> Handoff and ensure that the option is enabled. This will ensure it works with your Mac. 3 Manage all your messages One of the better uses for Continuity is…

GarageBand now makes it very easy to move its song projects across all of Apple’s platforms. By using iCloud, users can centralise project access before importing special versions between devices. Having previously looked at how the latest update to the macOS app exports iOS-compatible projects, here we look at the demo-sharing prowess of Music Memos. This companion iOS app enables musicians to capture scratch compositions quickly, while intelligently adding drum and bass accompaniments. These can then be saved out to iCloud for opening on macOS for more comprehensive development, keeping the audio recording and smart tracks intact. Step-by-step Import song ideas from Music Memos 1 Tap an idea To start, you’ll need Music Memos open on your iOS device. Here we have the main ‘ideas’ browser and you’ll need to…

As you know, Siri has been woven into the very fabric of macOS and so it is able to learn from and then make suggestions based on the default apps you have on your Mac (and this also applies to an increasing number of third-party apps). However, you do still have full freedom to determine which apps can and can’t feature in Siri’s suggestions and you can deselect any that you don’t want to include in Siri’s responses in the Siri System Preferences pane, as we will demonstrate here. 1 Go to Preferences Go to System Preferences>Siri and click on ‘Siri Suggestions & Privacy’. The list of apps that Siri will learn from and make suggestions based on will then be displayed. Go through the list and deselect any you…

If you gave your folder a name (or left it as the default title) earlier then only the name will be visible on your desktop. You can now make the folder totally invisible by renaming it. The downside of this is that the folder will be hard to locate again unless you know where to look (this also underlines what a good security measure it is). You can get around this by clicking, holding and dragging over the area where the folder is. 1 Rename your folder Click to highlight the folder and then click again on the name. This should now become highlighted, inviting you to type alternate text over the top. To make the folder completely invisible, name it by tapping Space three times. 2 Finding the folder…

Go to the Safari menu and select Preferences. Then select the Websites tab. This is new in Safari 11 and it enables you to see all the sites you have configured and their settings. It shows the tabs that are open too. Using the controls in Preferences you can reset options you have changed back to the default, select new options, and set the default action when new websites are visited. This is a great new feature in the web browser. 1 Website settings Go to Websites in Safari preferences and there is a list of categories from Reader to Notifications. Select one of the items, such as ‘Microphone’, to see the websites that have been configured. Change the setting on the right. 2 Default setting Select any of the…

“You can save tutorials and step-by-step guides to read even when offline” Although you can save web pages as bookmarks, there is no guarantee they will still be available in the future – the page may be taken down. To save valuable information on the web permanently, save pages as PDF files. You then have your own original copy forever. What would you save? You may want to save news stories of significant events and we’ve saved the iPhone X press release as an example. It’ll be fun reading in five years’ time! You could save tutorials, step-by-step guides and information on websites, and read them any time, even when you are offline. Here we show how to create a PDF file from a web page using Safari on the…

As the winter nights draw in, we may come to rely on our iPhone torches to illuminate dark pathways and help us find dropped car keys. As you know, you can access iPhone’s torch function by swiping up to enable your Control Centre and then tapping the torch icon (which will turn on your iPhone’s camera flash to act as a makeshift light). But did you know that you can also adjust the brightness of the torch? This is useful if your iPhone is low on power as a dimmed torch won’t consume as much juice. To do this you must employ 3D Touch, whereby you press down hard on an app icon to quickly access particular features of an app instead of launching the app itself. Step-by-step Adjust the…

“You can move items from one app to another: dragging text from Safari to Notes for example” We’re all used to cutting and pasting within iOS – after all, it was introduced way back in 2009. But what about dragging and dropping? It may feel like a natural progression yet it is fair to say that it has taken its time in coming. Now it is here, however, we couldn’t imagine an Apple-focused life without it. It speeds up productivity and makes you far more efficient. Of course, drag and drop allows you to move items within an app simply by holding them down and sliding them across the screen. More crucially though, you can also move them from one app to another: dragging text from Safari to Notes for…

Hive Connected Home is one of the biggest names in smart home devices, particularly in the UK. Fitted by British Gas, it has expanded from a thermostat to lights, smart plugs, cameras, motion detectors and window and door sensors. The idea is that you can control all of these using your smartphone. Now, however, you can use your Apple Watch too. The Watch app is not perfect by any means. It is limited in function and it only lets you manipulate a few devices. But you can at least activate your lights, boost your home’s temperature and turn various appliances connected to Hive plugs on and off. The benefit is that you don’t have to reach for your iPhone. Here we will take a look mainly at the Watch app,…

My Mac Photos app is being unresponsive. It opens but the app then stalls – how can I fix this? Phillipa Hinton 1 Try a Force Quit If the Photos app is still unresponsive after about an hour, press Cmd+Alt+Esc to bring up the Force Quit dialog. Select Photos (which may appear red). 2 Repair library Open a new Finder window and locate the Photos app. Open it with the Cmd+Alt keys held down and this dialog should appear. Click on the ‘Repair’ button. 3 Select a library If the dialog isn’t shown, quit Photos and re-open it with the Alt key held to select the library you want. Repeat the second step and if this fails, use a backup. I have tried to connect a set of Bluetooth speakers…

Beautiful Mac desktops Kit macOS out with some stunning wallpapers Exclusive video tutorials Discover how to get more out of your devices Tutorial project files All the assets you’ll need to get creative All of this is yours… • Over 15 minutes of expert iOS and macOS video guides from MacMost • This issue's creative tutorial files to follow along with • Royalty-free fonts • Stock video clips to enhance your video-editing armour • Stunning new wallpapers to brighten up your Mac desktop Log in to www.filesilo.co.uk/icreate Register to get instant access to this pack of must-have creative resources, how-to videos and tutorial assets Free for digital readers too! Read on your tablet, download on your computer The home of great downloads – exclusive to your favourite magazines from Future…

You can use your iOS devices to capture a wealth of special moments with photos, videos and Live Photos and then edit and store them as memories to treasure forever on your Mac. Improvements in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra ensure that your photos can easily be edited to a much higher standard than before, so this month we’ll show you how to take a Live Photo on your iPhone, transfer it to your Mac and then edit it. 1 How to take a Live Photo As well as an image, Live Photos also capture snippets of video and sound at the time the photo was taken to provide more fleshed-out memories. These can then be edited in iOS 11 or macOS High Sierra. 1 Launch the camera Any…

iTunes in the Cloud sounds like a fancy feature that has to be set up to be used, but it is in actual fact available to you if you are using iCloud already. The benefits will soon become clear once you realise that you can watch movies and play music on any device no matter where you are. 1 iCloud Music Library You can enable iCloud Music Library in iTunes>Preferences>General. You will then be able to access your tracks from any device that is available at the time. 2 Automatic downloads In the same menu go to the ‘Downloads’ tab and then decide if you want to download films, TV shows and music automatically to all of your devices. 3 TV as well With iTunes in the Cloud your Apple…

It would take a long time to detail every difference between iCloud Drive and other online storage solutions such as Dropbox, but there are two important differences to focus on when deciding what to use. You cannot currently share folders from iCloud Drive which may be a hindrance for those of you who have a requirement to complete projects and then share them with colleagues. Also, the synchronisation of files works differently with Dropbox being somewhat quicker in day-to-day use. However, iCloud Drive is designed to help you deal with large amounts of data and media, and to integrate deeply with your Apple products. As we have shown, the benefits are very clear and for anyone with Apple products there is no doubt that iCloud is an essential resource. We…

 Thanks to its powerful new Selective Colour Panel, Apple’s Photos app can now give high-end apps such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom a run for their money when it comes to being creative with colour. We’ll show you how to create a black and white shot that retains a particular colour. This spot colour effect helps draw attention to specific objects in a shot, such as an iconic red London double-decker bus. “Photos gives high-end apps a run for their money” 1 Import image Import our supplied Spot_start.jpg file and click ‘Edit’. Click on the yellow, green, blue and pink colour swatches in turn and reduce their saturation slider to 0. This desaturates most of the colours in the scene. 2 Change saturation and hue Click on the red swatch…

Since dreams and flashbacks in a movie occur in the mind of its characters, filmmakers tend to add stylised effects to the dream or flashback footage to differentiate it from the look of the main narrative. Final Cut Pro X’s Effects browser has a dedicated Dream effect, but this simply desaturates the clip’s colours and creates bland, washed-out tones. You can create far more attractive and surreal dreamlike sequences by combining a range of effects and then modifying their properties in the Inspector. We’ve supplied you with a couple of colourful clips to work with, but you can have fun experimenting with your own footage to create dreamlike scenes. Step-by-step Create dream and memory scenes 1 Bokeh effects Import our source clips into a new Event. Drag the ‘Dream start…

Last issue we explored how to track family members using the iOS 11 Messages app, so this issue we are following that up by exploring some of the great features tucked away within the macOS High Sierra version of the app. For example, you can access the same ‘Tapback’ reactions present in the iOS app and, of course, still send emojis and audio messages. Best of all though, like the iOS app, you can also track the location of loved ones, as long as they share their location with you. In this tutorial we will showcase some of the lesser-known options within the macOS Messages app and guide you through pinpointing the location of your family members on a map. Step-by-step Get the most out of Messages 1 Message details…

The recent release of macOS 10.13, codenamed ‘High Sierra’, didn’t bring with it a massive sackful of enhancements to an already highly functional operating system. Instead it refined many of the existing features while adding only what was genuinely necessary. One of the additions, thankfully, was the option to type your questions to Siri instead of asking them. Many of us still feel a little self-conscious about talking to a computer and so this new feature allows us to fully enjoy the benefits of Siri and the way in which it has been integrated into the operating system without feeling awkward verbally asking the questions. Here’s how to set it up… Step-by-step Set up ‘Type to Siri’ 1 Open System Preferences Make sure your Mac is updated to High Sierra…

If you share a Mac with other family members within the same household then you may not want to keep switching accounts whenever someone else wants to use it. But what if you have lots of important work stored on the Mac that you don’t want anyone else to see or interfere with? One solution is to create an ‘invisible’ folder that only you know about and only you know the whereabouts of. In previous Mac operating systems this could be done by creating a folder, opening your Terminal app, typing ‘chflags hidden’ into Terminal and then dragging the folder into the Terminal window to make it vanish. However, there is an even simpler way, which we will demonstrate here. Step-by-step Create a hidden folder 1 Create a folder Click…

Safari 11 is here and if you have upgraded to macOS High Sierra you will have it by default; but even if you have not yet upgraded, with automatic updates on, it will be installed in macOS Sierra too. It has a fantastic new feature that enables you to configure the permissions and settings of websites, not just globally, but individually. Using the new configuration settings in Safari you can tell it to always use Reader mode for one website or to always zoom in or out a little on another site. Annoying content can be blocked on one website, but allowed on another where it is not so bad or is even useful. So now you can set up websites to work just the way you want them to.…

Back in the halcyon days of Apple, when Steve Jobs had turned the company around, he used to refer to Apple in a very specific way. He placed the company and its philosophy ‘at the crossroads between technology and the liberal arts’. To this day, that philosophy is baked into the software. Some of the apps give you the chance to be as creative and thoughtful as Steve Jobs was about positioning Apple all those years ago. Inside macOS there are options for creativity that you just don’t get on other platforms. We are going to show you how to unleash some of this creativity and use it to share your own sense of style, so you can give something back to the people that you love this gift-giving season.…

The new Files app in iOS 11 grants you direct access to documents not only stored in iCloud Drive but within third-party cloud-based services too. Plus it lets you share those files with other people using AirDrop, Messages, and Mail, along with numerous other methods, making it a rather flexible app. It also comes with a bonus: the ability to collaborate on iWork documents stored in iCloud Drive with others in real time. Selecting this option lets you add people one by one, colour-coding them so you know who is taking part and marking documents. Here’s how to get going… Step-by-step Share a document from iCloud Drive 1 Go to Files Launch the Files app on your iPhone or iPad and tap ‘Locations’ in the top-right corner. You’ll be able…

Split View and Slide Over have been around for a while but they are now more functionable thanks to the use of drag and drop (covered elsewhere in this issue) and some new tweaks for iOS 11. You can now have a smaller window to the left if you wish (previously you could only have it to the right). It is also possible to add apps to Split View and Slide Over simply by dragging on their icons, whether that be from the Home screen, the Dock or even through the Spotlight Search. What’s more, you can add a third pane as a Slide Over too. On older iPads, this causes the Split View to grey but on the latest iPads, all three panes are active. Step-by-step How to add…

Documents, photos and receipts can be scanned and saved in any note, but you might want to create a special folder to store them in. Organising your notes can make it easier to find the items you need and it keeps everything in one place. Here we show how to create a folder for your scans and how to find your scans. 1 Create a folder Open Notes and if you are in a subfolder, press the back button in the top-left corner. Press ‘New Folder’ at the bottom and enter a name for the folder. We called ours Scans, but you could use Receipts. 2 Find your scans When browsing the notes you have made, press the button in the bottom-left corner of the screen to display attachments to…

Ever since the Apple Watch was introduced, we’ve become used to being able to call up our contacts and accept or decline calls from the comfort of our own wrist. But if you have ever felt frustrated that the Phone app has restricted you to dialling your own contacts or anyone who recently called you, then the good news is that Apple appears to have been listening. With watchOS 4, Apple has introduced a keypad that lets you dial a new number and make a phone call from scratch. It also allows you to tap in any phone extensions that you may require, and it lets you navigate automated phone systems too. This makes it a truly useful addition, ensuring you won’t now have to reach for your iPhone whenever…

Apple has created a range of accessibility features to make viewing Apple TV much more of a pleasure. One of the most useful functions is the ability to increase the screen contrast to ensure the items you want to use prominently stand out against the background. There are two settings involved here. One makes the background less transparent and the other enables you to better highlight selected items. By turning both on, or experimenting to see which combination suits you best, you should find items easier to see. We also look at making the text bolder and reducing the potentially sickening background motion effects. Step-by-step Adjusting the Apple TV interface 1 Go to Settings If you find the background of the Apple TV interface a bit too busy, you are…

Accessibility This is a general term for features within your Mac or iOS apps and operating systems that make them easier to use for people with physical or visual impairments. These can be tweaked in System Preferences or Settings> General>Accessibility. Apple Pay Apple’s payment system based on the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and NFC wireless antennae that is built into the iPhone 6 models and above. Bluetooth Technology used to wirelessly transfer data between paired devices. Used mainly to attach wireless accessories such as keyboards or speakers. Emoji Graphics used as visual representation of words (happy, sad, etc) that you can use as shorthand when sending messages, emails, etc……