Innehållsförteckning för December 2018 från MacLife

So this is it — macOS Mojave is finally with us after many months of eagerly awaiting its release. Just minutes after the upgrade landed I had it downloading to my iMac Retina 4K, 21.5–inch, 2017 (my other machine, a company–loaned MacBook Pro, has to make do with High Sierra, for now), and a short while after, it was installed and ready to go. Initially, I thought “wow, this looks great,” but beyond the initial visual fanfare, I couldn’t help but think “what else?”. I’m sure I’m not alone in experiencing slightly lukewarm first impressions, and it’s entirely warranted. Apple has made a pretty big deal over Mojave, and outwardly it appears as if this version of macOS has received the biggest lick of paint since Mac OS X Leopard…

NO SOONER HAD the iPhone XS and XS Max shipped than a number of users complained their cameras were applying some sort of ‘beauty filter’. Skin texture had been smoothed out, they thought, giving a retouched look. While some might see that as a feature rather than a bug, it seemed unlike Apple to compromise realism by default. So what exactly was going on? The likelihood is that this isn’t deliberate, but a consequence of multiple innovations in the latest iPhones. While we might like to think a camera never lies, today’s cell phone photos are generated using advanced software in order to overcome the limitations of miniaturized hardware. This process involves both technical and subjective decisions. Take Smart HDR, Apple’s AI–enhanced high dynamic range feature. This exploits the four–frame…

DEPENDING ON WHO you ask, social media’s effect on our society is a blessing, a curse, or somewhere in between. While it has undeniably lowered barriers for conversation and given a voice to the voiceless, social media has also given new form to social manipulation, personal abuse, and (not good) ol’ fashioned racism. In general, I believe social media has become a powerful, permanent, though flawed medium that is worth improving. That’s why I’m happy to see a new wave of efforts to “decentralize” and tackle some of social media’s most notable problems. The thing about today’s most popular online social spaces is that they are centralized. If Twitter or Facebook ever stopped bringing in enough money, their management could pull the plug and everything would disappear. But the internet…

The most significant change is Dark Mode, which I really like. Other than that it doesn’t seem that different, and performance isn’t better. Unfortunately I lost all my Favorites in Safari, but luckily recovered them from Google Chrome afterwards. PAUL TARNUZZER I installed the new macOS on my Mac and l think it is great! I love the look and feel of Dark Mode. As a news junkie, the addition of the News app is going keep me on my Mac, not my iPad, more. TOM SLAYTON For me, Mojave was a disaster. My Wi–Fi stopped working, as did some of my peripherals, including the mouse. Thank goodness for Apple Support as they helped me uninstall Mojave and get back to High Sierra. Oddly, my Mac is quite new. I’ll…

We expect you save files to the desktop in a hurry and worry about tidying up later on, like we do. The consequence is an increasingly messy desktop where it becomes hard to find items. Desktop Stacks is Mojave’s way of helping you find things among the clutter, without having to open Finder in list view to sort through. Stacks lets you quickly focus on what matters. Sort your files Got a crowded desktop? Ctrl–click an empty space and choose Use Stacks to group loose files by kind. Stacks are created only for types where there are two or more instances present. Working with stacks When you click a stack, the items in it fill down then across the screen. You can open multiple stacks at once. When you Ctrl–click…

Where macOS offers keyboard shortcuts to toggle features like Do Not Disturb, Dark Mode sadly has none. Rather than going to System Preferences’ General pane to switch to or from Dark Mode, you can easily build your own shortcut to toggle it from the keyboard, thanks to the one new action in Mojave’s version of Automator: Change System Appearance. Here’s how. Create a Quick Action Open Automator — it’s in your Mac’s Applications folder. If not presented with a choice of project types, choose File > New. Create a Quick Action, set it to receive no input from any app, and make sure ‘Output replaces selected text’ is off. The Image and Color items are mostly of benefit if your Mac has a Touch Bar and you’ll initiate Quick Actions…

Like the News app, Apple’s smart home manager has also landed on the Mac in Mojave. Frankly, we’ve found Home a bit confusing as an early example of Apple’s initiative to make cross–platform apps easier to develop. Its interface is rooted in iOS design, but lacks interactions we expected, such as Force Click. Here are our key pointers. EDIT YOUR HOME To edit your home settings or manage your HomePods, choose Edit > Edit Home. ADD A ROOM Ctrl–click an accessory’s tile, pick Settings, click the Room row, then click Create Room. EDIT A ROOM Use the top–left button to go to the desired room you want, then choose Edit > Edit Room. CONTROL AN ACCESSORY Click an accessory to toggle it on or off. If finer control is possible,…

From $399 (40mm, GPS) $429 (44mm, GPS) From Apple, apple.com Features Apple S4 chip with 64–bit dual–core processor, W3 wireless chip, 16GB storage, OLED Retina display (40mm: 324x394 pixels; 44mm: 368x448 pixels); 2.4GHz Wi–Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 Series 4 is the first time the Apple Watch’s design has changed since its release in 2015. The display now almost reaches the edges, it has rounded corners like an iPhone XS, and the old 38 and 42mm designs are now replaced by 40 and 44mm (older straps work with the equivalent sizes). We tested the 44mm version, and the extra width and height is certainly noticeable on a device you’re looking at day after day. The change in depth is less than a millimeter, but the new Watch feels less hefty. Apple has…

Free From Courtney Circle, oakmeditation.com Made for iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 11 or later Your iPhone can be a source for stress. Apps can help, but it’s hard to relax when a meditation aid is draining your bank account with a subscription. Oak is different. First, it’s free; but second, it in every way wants to put you at ease. It’d rather fit into gaps in your life than demand you dedicate hours. The meditation section caters for newcomers and veterans with mindful and unguided options. Session durations range from 10 minutes to half an hour, and smartly provide a short tutorial during your first go. If you need a quicker relaxation fix, three breathing exercises are included. Deep Calm is described as a natural tranquilizer. Awake and Box, respectively,…

Free (IAPs) From Astound Inc, astoundthem.com Made for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Needs iOS 10.0 or later Professional voice coaching can certainly bring benefits, but the idea that an app can help you speak confidently is almost unheard of. Astound, however, is one of a handful of apps that claim to do just that. The idea is that through a combination of video–guided breathing, voice, and articulation training, you can learn to speak in such a way that others take notice. Astound’s 21 step–by–step foundation course costs $4.99 per month (less if you subscribe for longer), but the first three days are free, which provides a decent taste of what’s on offer. The steps involve exercises that activate and condition your diaphragm, vocal chords, resonators (throat, mouth, chest), and…

Free From Audible, Inc., audible.com Made For Watch, iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 10.0 or later Between work and family, it can be tough to find enough time to read a good book. Thankfully, Amazon–owned Audible makes it easier to get caught up courtesy of audiobooks, by letting you take that best seller anywhere. With the latest 3.0 update, the list of compatible devices now includes Apple Watch. Because of this, audiobook listeners no longer have to carry their iPhone to get a quick fix, although a pair of Bluetooth-connected earbuds are required, since the watchOS app can’t play audio through the speaker. (We’re sad, too.) Transferring audiobooks to Apple Watch isn’t difficult, but like other apps offering sync capabilities, it’s never as seamless as advertised. From the iPhone app, open…

DC UNIVERSE Free (subscription) Marvel rules cinema, but DC owns television — and with the comic book giant’s new subscription service, that includes reading favorite superheroes on Apple TV. A “first–of–its–kind digital experience,” DC Universe also includes hours of original series, animated movies, classic films, and TV series in stunning HD. HQ — LIVE TRIVIA GAME SHOW Free The wildly popular live game show comes to Apple TV! Every day, players can tune in, answer trivia questions, and win real cash prizes — not to mention catch a glimpse of guest celebrities like De Niro or even The Rock, when he has a few spare minutes between starring roles in major blockbuster movies. KIDSCLICK Free Relive the days of Saturday morning cartoons, free and ad–supported. Whether you’re into superheroes, princesses,…

ONE OF THE great things about VPNs is their sheer versatility. They can be used for multiple purposes, all of which help to boost your privacy and security levels when browsing online. The most obvious use for a VPN is to allow you to securely access the internet through insecure connections, such as Wi–Fi hotspots found in public places like cafes or trains. Even if the hotspot itself is encrypted, it’s still possible for others connected to it to harmfully intercept your communications. By using a VPN, you effectively block your internet traffic from anyone snooping around. The VPN also protects your connection from certain vulnerabilities, such as KRACK. We’ll note, however, that other shared resources remain unprotected — so, for example, make sure you go to System Preferences’ Sharing…

LIKE ALL FORMS of encryption, a VPN can’t promise to make all your online habits hackproof. Neither can it make you invisible or anonymous online — if someone is monitoring your internet connection, they can still see data is being received and transmitted, and they can probably guess a VPN connection is being used. Neither does a VPN mask your online activity: even though the packets are encrypted, the data itself isn’t, so your internet behavior can still be tracked using cookies and other existing kinds of technologies by websites and data providers. A VPN is just one element in a multilayered approach to security and privacy. When it comes to web browsing, for example, use your browser’s private mode to avoid leaving telltale traces of where you’ve been. FAKING…

SO, YOU’RE MORE savvy about VPNs now, and you’d like to set one up. If you plan to use a VPN on single devices — your MacBook, say, and your iPhone — then setup can be as simple as downloading the correct app from the provider you go with. Sign into the app, choose your location and then off you go. Make sure you take the time to explore the app’s settings — you’ll find options for auto–starting it with your Mac, plus there may be options such as kill switches. When this is switched on, it’ll suspend your internet connection when you’re not connected to your VPN — VPN connections can drop, so it’s an extra security measure you shouldn’t skip. Just how secure is your new VPN connection?…

1 Set up VPN server QNAP users should first install the QVPN Service app from the App Center. After, open it from the main menu, then select L2TP/IPS ec (PSK) under VPN Server Settings. Check mark the ‘Enable…’ box to turn it on. 2 Configure server Enter a password in the ‘Preshared key’ box — you’ll need this to log on to the VPN, so make it a strong password, ideally randomly generated. Leave all other settings and then click Apply to continue. 3 Add user Select Privilege Settings, then click Add VPN Users to give one of your NAS drive’s users access to the VPN (if necessary, create a new user first). Check mark the L2TP/IPS ec box and click Apply to finish configuration.…

Smart Smoke Alarm HomeKit and IFTTT–compatible for whatever automations you might want to throw at it, Netatmo’s new alarm (around $99) comes with an integrated 10–year battery, and uses a photoelectric sensor to watch out for smoke. Nest Protect With a split–spectrum sensor that can sniff out smoke and carbon monoxide, the $119 Nest Protect is a clever thing — more so because, once connected to your Wi–Fi, each unit will communicate with others in your home to sound the alarm. Roost Smart Battery Though stock of the Roost ($34.99) seems rather low, it is an ingenious idea: a Wi–Fi–connected 9V battery that can listen out for smoke alarm sounds. As a result, any traditional alarm in the home is essentially turned into a smart one.…

AM I ABLE TO ACCESS WIKIPEDIA OFFLINE? First download the free Kiwix reader, which handles the special ZIM compressed format that offline sites come in. Then visit bit.ly/mfkiwix for a list of downloads. A full Wikipedia in English is around 83GB, but without pictures that falls to 20GB. CAN I MUTE SOMEONE IN AN IMESSAGE GROUP CONVERSATION? You can’t ‘mute’ their messages to the group; you’ll continue to see them so long as they and you are both members of that group. However, you can turn off receiving alerts for any and all messages from that conversation: simply open the conversation in Messages and tap the ‘i’ icon to see the switch.…

REQUIRES Trusted Contacts, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp YOU WILL LEARN How to share your location and see where friends are IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes GENIUS TIP The per–app setting for Trusted Contacts in Location Services needs to be set to Always, so it can send your location when the app’s running in the background. You can make this change in Settings > Privacy. FIND MY FRIENDS is a great app, and a clever use of Location Services, but it has one drawback: it’s Apple-exclusive. Perhaps one day this won’t matter, but while people insist on using non-Apple cell phones, you’re going to need a cross-platform solution to meet up with your family and friends. The first, and perhaps most obvious, port of call is Google, whose Trusted Contacts app is…

APPLE’S ORIGINAL TV content could be on stream as soon as March 2019, according to reports. And, unlike rival subscription–based providers such as Netflix and Amazon, Apple reportedly plans to offer content free of charge to owners of iPads, iPhones, and Apple TVs. The business model is not entirely clear here. Sales of iPads have been holding steady in an otherwise declining tablet market (down 13.5 per cent worldwide in the June 2018 quarter, according to IDC, the 15th straight quarterly fall), but maybe Apple believes it has to offer extra enticements with iPads as the market becomes ever tighter. However, even if Apple figures this will drive sales of its devices, which is where the company still makes most of its money, it would have to sell an awful…

TWELVE SOUTH PLUGBUG DUO Your MacBook charger has just one USB–C port. Add two Type-A sockets and charge all your stuff from just one adaptor. $49.99, twelvesouth.com I–STAY BAG ST RAP V2 Laptop bag slipping off your shoulder to knock your latte out of your hand? No more. This replaces most detachable straps. $19.84, i-stayput.com IPOW IPAD MOUNT ADAPT OR Cushioned grips attach 10.5–inch iPads securely to any tripod, magic arm, and other mounting accessories that are compatible. $9.95, Amazon.com…

1 MagSafe You trail your MacBook cable to an outlet. ‘Look out,’ you say to your toddler/co–worker in Dunkin’ Donuts, ‘there’s a cable.’ They trip over it anyway. If it’s 2008, the MagSafe connector pops off. If it’s 2018, RIP your MacBook. 2 USB–A ports Yes, there are two ways to put the plug in, three of them wrong. But at least the socket was universal. Have Silicon Valley’s designers tried differentiating Micro–B, USB–C, and Lightning ports by eye? Sexing hamsters is less fraught. 3 Buttons Once upon a time, gadgets had knobs to twiddle and switches to flick. Now there’s just pictures under glass. Even the Mac has a flat keyboard and a buttonless mouse. No wonder fidget spinners got popular. Give us something to grab! 4 Hard disks…

ACCENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS Ever changed the color that’s used to highlight selected text, but been disappointed that your choice also affects the color that’s used to indicate the item in the menu bar, or control in a window that has the focus? In System Preferences > General, Mojave offers two color options. The accent color is the one used for menus, controls and the like. Make sure you set it first, as the highlight color set to match it automatically; you can then change it to be different. Note that some apps are inconsistent: in Notes, say, the selected folder uses the accent color, while the selected note uses the highlight color. Similarly, System Prefs’ search bar uses the highlight color. DVD PLAYER Noticed DVD Player doesn’t show up in…

HERE AT MAC|LIFE we believe you should only buy the things that you really need, which is why our Reviews section is so important to us, and you. We don’t want you to waste time and money on inferior products, and while we aim to include only the best hardware and apps, occasionally we like to include products that look promising, even if they don’t always deliver. We only use carefully selected experts, with specialist knowledge in their respective field, so no matter which review you’re reading, you can be confident the person who’s tested it knows their stuff, allowing you to make an informed purchase. Each review is rated using a five–star system, with half stars, which is easy to understand because we give an explanation next to each…

THIS MONTH’S MOST INTERESTING IPHONE & IPA D APPS $4.99 (IAPs) From Due Apps LLP, dueapp.com Made for iPhone, iPad or iPad touch Needs iOS 10.3 or later Due reminds you to do things. This is one of those app categories that shouldn’t need to exist, since there are features built into iOS for the same purpose. But, understandably, many people find they don’t hit the mark. Timers, part of iOS’ Clock app, notoriously allows only one item at once. Reminders, which works across iOS and macOS, lets you organize and sync regular tasks, and has powerful options like using Location Services to remind you when you arrive at or leave a place. But it isn’t the most intuitive app to use, and when a reminder occurs it just pops…

Free (IAPs) From Apalon, apalon.com Made for iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 10.0 or later Apple’s mobile OS is in its twelfth iteration and still doesn’t include native sleep tracking. Granted, Bedtime in the Clock app can track the time that you spent in bed, but not how much you slept or moved. Sleepzy is a smart alarm clock app that aims to fill that gap by tracking sleep patterns and letting you set goals, but it also promises to lull you to sleep with relaxing sounds and wake you up. Most similar apps ask you to keep your phone in bed so they can detect your movements while sleeping, but Sleepzy can also use the microphone to analyze ‘sleep sounds’, so you can just keep your device next to your…

Free (IAP subscription) From CLEEVIO s.r.o., spendee.com Made for iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 10.0 or later If your idea of managing money is tossing receipts and praying you don’t spend more than you earn each week, it’s time to put that iPhone in your pocket to work. Spendee is a free app designed to keep you on a budget by tracking income and spending. While the app has a colorful interface and boasts a laundry list of enticing features, most of what average users need is locked behind a paid subscription starting at $1.99 per month ($14.99 annually). However, the two best features — syncing bank accounts and automatically categorizing entries — need a Premium subscription, which is one dollar more per month ($22.99 annually). Without paying up, users are…

Free From Orion Lukasz Gonerski, orion.lukaszgonerski.com Made For Watch, iPhone Needs iOS 9.1 or later In the early, wild west days of the App Store, one of our favorite novelty apps turned your iPhone into a Star Wars lightsaber, making a variety of different sound effects as the user moved the device around. Lucasfilm’s legal team eventually shut down such unofficial apps, but every once in a while, others pop up like this Apple Watch variation. This one is pretty basic — launch the watchOS app, tap Activate, and the screen turns white and begins responding to rapid motion as you move your wrist. Sadly, you can’t even change the color of the so-called ‘beam’, but at least there’s a brief animation as you switch it off. Star Wars fans,…

DOES YOUR INTERNET activity sometimes need to take place over a cafe or hotel’s Wi–Fi? What about Skyping friends or finishing off your latest Netflix obsession when you’re abroad? Whether you’re looking for increased assurance of privacy, the ability to access a specific region’s video content, or you want access to computers and storage devices back home or in your office, a virtual private network is the solution. Here we talk about the pros and cons of the tech, dispel some myths about it too, and explain how to make sure you’re getting a good deal that suits your needs. What is a VPN? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and, as its name suggests, is a way of creating a more private internet connection. VPNs act like a network…

Increases the privacy and security whenever outside your home The obvious benefit of a VPN is to encrypt all your network traffic, ensuring your data can’t be intercepted or read by snoopers, including your ISP, whatever connection you use. If you frequently browse over Wi–Fi hotspots away from home, a VPN is essential. Change your country of origin VPNs can make it so you appear to be connecting from a different country, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions or — in some countries — censored content. Switching country can also make it easier to torrent or perform other activities restricted by your own country or ISP. Avoid being tracked by your internet provider, or anyone All your internet traffic can be logged by your ISP, allowing it to track what…

The encryption and transportation of your data across a VPN is handled by a protocol, and there are several different types. Each one offers greater or lesser degrees of security and performance. Check with your VPN provider to see which protocols it supports. There are three main protocols to look out for and consider. The best protocol is IKEv2/IPsec, which offers the highest levels of encryption, fastest speeds, and most stable VPN connections. Support for IKEv2/IPsec is built in to most Mac and iOS clients, but not all. If your provider doesn’t support it, look for one that supports OpenVPN instead. It’s reliable, secure, and fast — if not as quick as IKEv2/IPsec. Two other protocols are commonly found: L2TP/IPsec is reliable, but not particularly quick. It is, however, more…

Connecting to your VPN by app is quick and convenient, but what if you want an always–on connection that’s protecting you from the moment you log in? Start by checking your app’s preferences to see if it can be tailored to do so — for example, NordVPN app users should open the sidebar and choose Settings, then flick the switches to ‘Start on Boot’ and ‘Connect on Start’. (You also need to select your choice of server.) If your VPN app doesn’t offer this feature, it’s possible to add the functionality using a script — or you could just follow our step–by–step guide for a more user–friendly approach. 1 Download VPN app Go to blog.timac.org/2018/0719-vpnstatus/ and click the ‘Precompiled VPNStatus’ link to download the VPNStatus app. After copying it to…

Awair (2nd Gen) $189 From Awair, getawair.com Detects CO2, humidity, fine particles This updated take on Awair’s core product comes only a year after the original version hit the shelves, and carries the same frankly fantastic styling, with a wooden shell and recessed white LEDs showing through the front grid. It does the same CO2, temperature, and humidity sensing as its elder brother, but now adds tracking of fine particles (PM2.5) into the mix. It’s an all–round gorgeous device, displaying a bar graph of current conditions and an overall environment score (or a clock, if you’re so inclined), and it’s quick and sometimes a little overeager to react to environmental changes. Awair’s app catalogues conditions over time. While Awair works fine with Alexa and Google Assistant, and can link to…

Make sure you check out these important support articles on Apple’s website to better understand the latest features. WANT TO USE AN EGPU? In recent issues of Mac|Life, we’ve done in–depth testing on the latest external graphics processors (eGPU), highlighting their performance benefits, and this article outlines how to use one with your Mac bit.ly/ml148ask1. HOW TO FIND OUT YOUR macOS VERSION To find out which version and build of macOS that you’re running on your Mac, and to see how it sits against older or newer versions, head over to bit.ly/ml148ask2. 32–BIT COMPATIBILITY IN macOS 10.13.4 ONWARDS We get lots of questions from readers asking whether their apps will work with later versions of macOS, and you can get the full lowdown at bit.ly/ml148ask3.…

Our advice may refer to the following features; check out the support articles linked below for full instructions. macOS RECOVERY The Recovery system contains tools to help you look up info online when macOS won’t start, and to repair or reinstall the system. Learn more at bit.ly/mlrecovery SAFE MODE When you start your Mac in Safe mode, macOS performs extra checks and stops certain third–party software from running. See how to use it at bit.ly/mlsafemode RESET SMC & NVRAM These features handle low–level functions and store key settings for your Mac, respectively. Resetting them can fix various issues described at bit.ly/mlresetsmc and bit.ly/mlresetnvram HARDWARE ISSUES Your Mac includes tools that check for certain hardware issues without going to a Genius Bar. For Macs introduced in June 2013 or later, see…

REQUIRES Affinity Photo YOU WILL LEARN How to make quick selections, hide content using masks, and alter an object’s size and position IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes EXOTIC SUMMER HOLIDAY locations give you more scenic photography opportunities than you would get at home. As a result, you’re likely to have come back from your trip abroad with a camera packed full of stunning landscape photos. However, when viewing your images from the comfort of a Mac, you may find that the contents of your memory card don’t live up to your memories. The colors in your photos may not be as vibrant as they once seemed on location, and the large sun that dominated the sky during those magnificent sunsets might now appear to be more underwhelming. Take this tutorial’s…

YOU WILL LEARN How image stabilization techniques remove camera shake, and their limitations. KEY FACT ‘Video image stabilization’ was Apple’s term for digital stabilization, recently superseded by ‘Cinematic video stabilization,’ with improved software. Only Plus–size iPhones and the iPhone X have optical image stabilization. WHEN CINE CAMERAS became small enough to hold in one hand, they began to change the way we recorded family memories, as well as liberating movie directors from the pedestals on which bulky filming rigs were wheeled around. But there was a visible problem: while most could hold a still camera — well, still for long enough to take a photo — shooting moving pictures resulted in what became known as ‘shakycam’. While the producers of gritty dramas shrugged it off as a style, audiences —…

YIKES White House video reveals Kanye West’s iPhone passcode is plain genius or just mad: 000000 NIXED Save button goes missing from Voice Memos editing in iOS 12, causing quite the confusion DYSTOPIA Boston Dynamics’ military robot shows off scary new parkour abilities — is the singularity imminent? LIKES Ye’s security is forward–thinking, way ahead of people who only choose to use four zeroes FIXED If you can’t save your memos, iCloud can’t fail to sync them, so technically it’s a bug fix and not a fail UTOPIA Don’t think RoboCop, think ‘Siri, can you run to Krispy Kreme and grab me an apple pie doughnut?’…

I’ve been a Mac user since 1985, and along the way I’ve seen lots of changes. With Apple’s marked death of iDVD, presumably to make way for iCloud, optical media is now dying out. An industry of making CDs and DVDs will soon go the way of the vinyl album, the cassette, and the eight–track, as technology marches forward. It will be exciting to see if someone develops a legacy package to allow folks that still have use for a physical disc — maybe even Apple will develop one. There are a few alternatives out there now but none as slick as the original. Max Colvin Not all is lost, yet. In the previous issue of Mac|Life we reviewed the latest version of Roxio Toast, version 17. It’s a CD/DVD…

Updates to macOS arrive every year these days. Making such meaningful improvements to an established operating system is always a tricky challenge, but we think Apple has done a fine job with Mojave. The latest macOS is packed with new and improved features, and even a few new apps — result! There are new options for how your desktop looks, extra ways to organize files on your desktop, a helpful tweak to the way the Dock behaves, amongst much more. Welcome to our guide to Mojave’s best headline and hidden features. A NEW MAKEOVER FOR MACOS The first new feature of Mojave you’ll have encountered is Dark Mode, the much–talked–about interface flourish that’s offered to you when first logging in. Want to alter your choice? Head to System Preferences’ General…

Thought Finder would stay largely the same after all this time? Oh no! Here are the most useful improvements found in Mojave. GALLERY VIEW Choose View > as Gallery (or press Cmd+4) to try the new view, which is good for browsing any kind of file that Finder is able to preview. It can be difficult to tell apart items in the carousel at the bottom, especially folders, when navigating deeper in this view. Place the pointer over an item there to reveal its name, or better yet, Ctrl–click an empty area of the folder’s background, choose Show View Options, and turn on where it says ‘Show filename’. This spaces out icons a bit; sadly, there’s no keyboard shortcut to toggle it. THE PREVIEW PANE In all four of Finder’s…

Behind the scenes in Mojave, Apple is trying out software that’ll make developing for iOS and macOS easier. As part of this, it has brought News to the Mac. Some items that appear in it are based on your established tastes and habits. Check the app’s preferences to exclude channels you don’t follow, block explicit content, and prevent suggestions based on browsing in Safari. Discover major sources Click ‘Discover Channels & Topics’ in the sidebar. More suggested brands and topics will appear as you scroll the list. Click those you want to follow, then Done to add them to the app’s sidebar. Click one there to browse its stories. A news overview Your subscribed channels and topics are listed in the sidebar. At the top there is Today, which shows…

From $999 (XS) $1,099 (XS Max) From Apple, apple.com Features A12 Bionic chip, 64, 256 or 512GB storage, 5.8–inch (XS) or 6.5–inch (XS Max) Super Retina HD display with P3 gamut, HDR and True Tone, 458ppi pixel density, 3D Touch, IP68 water resistance The iPhone XS Max changes the formula for Apple. For the last few years, when there’s been a ‘plus’–sized iPhone, the bigger one has been definitively better. The screen size is a matter of personal preference, but Plus models had significantly longer battery life than the smaller versions, and a dual–lens camera setup on the back instead of just one. Maybe that’s why this 6.5–inch model is called the iPhone XS Max instead of ‘Plus’ — as while it’s bigger than the 5.8–inch iPhone XS, they are…

Free (IAP subscription) From Bloom Built Inc., dayoneapp.com Made for iPhone, iPad, Watch OS Needs iOS 11.0 or later When it to comes life logging on iPhone or iPad, few apps match the simplicity of Day One. Since 2011, this powerhouse has catered to all types of workflows, from basic journaling about life and travel to keeping tabs on hobbies. Day One 3 builds upon the foundation of the previous version, which kicked Dropbox and iCloud to the curb in favor of the company’s own sync service. Although the app is now free, the best features are reserved for Premium subscribers ($2.99 monthly or $24.99 annually), including a pair of new arrivals. Dark mode takes great advantage of Apple’s True Tone display on iPhone X/XS, with deep, inky blacks. It’s…

Free From Microsoft Corporation, azure.microsoft.com Made For Watch, iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 9.0 or later Everyone needs two–factor authentication, but the inconvenience of fumbling around to unlock your iPhone, launching an app to fetch a code, then pasting it into the service you’re trying to access gets to be a drag. Microsoft streamlined the process with its Authenticator app — now on watchOS. Let’s get the bad news out of the way up front: While Authenticator for iPhone and iPad works great with Microsoft and non–Microsoft accounts alike, the Windows giant has limited Apple Watch app to only the former. That’s a bummer, but if you regularly need to log into Outlook, OneDrive, Office, or other Microsoft accounts this still comes in handy. From now on, when you log in…

WE’RE GOING TO focus on consumer VPNs in this guide. A normal connection to the internet — whether over an Ethernet cable or Wi–Fi — sends data in packets that aren’t subject to any additional forms of encryption, on top of what may already have been applied (such as to data sent to and from a secure website over the HTTPS protocol). The data is requested, sent, and received through servers supplied by your internet service provider (ISP), which can then be used to identify you, your location, and your internet usage. A VPN effectively adds another, more secure layer to the process. Each packet of data is encapsulated, which basically means it’s wrapped in an outer packet that’s encrypted prior to being sent — think of this outer packet…

Performance isn’t as fast through a VPN The twin demands of encrypting and decrypting your internet traffic, plus routing it through an extra server (the VPN’s) will influence your internet performance, although some providers are better at minimizing this than others. Expect a slowdown when routing through servers in other countries. A VPN provider can see whatever it is you’re doing Your internet provider may no longer be able to track your movements, but your VPN provider can — you’re basically transferring your privacy from one to the other. All providers claim to keep no logs, but check the fine print to verify they do what they actually say — some are less truthful than others. It can prove to be a more expensive option If you want maximum protection…

WE’VE SEEN HOW VPN clients work for secure internet access, but how do you configure a VPN server to dial back home to your own network? If all you want is access to your Mac when on the road, then Back to My Mac is the obvious choice (discontinued in macOS Mojave). If you need to widen access to other devices, then you need a VPN server. Until recently, macOS Server made this process easy, but its VPN server functionality is being depreciated. The best place to implement a server is at router level, so check to see if your router supports acting as a VPN server in this way. If it doesn’t, then a good alternative is a network hard drive — QNAP, Synology and Asustor all offer VPN…

1 Install a smart plug There are many smart plugs — Belkin’s Wemo range seems reliable, but it’s far from the only choice. Ensure that your plug can handle the load of what it’s plugged in to. An electric oven, for example, draws a lot of amps. 2 Find a good function If your socket is IFTTT–compatible, head to ifttt.com, find your socket’s applets, and look for the relevant ‘switch off at X time’ one. If it’s not compatible, its own app (or even HomeKit) may be able to perform the relevant task. 3 Sleep safely Ensure you tweak the applet (or build your own, using the socket’s triggers) to switch off when you’re not likely to be using the device. You can set up a routine to switch it…

WE’LL MAKE IT clear: the Awair almost swayed us. It really is something special, scoring a raft of style points over the slightly more boring–looking Eve Room, and its particulate matter sensor is not to be overlooked. Indeed, the Eve Room’s lack of CO2 sensing almost lost it the lead, as nobody needs high concentrations of carbon dioxide in poorly ventilated rooms. But if you care about air quality, you’re going to open a window now and then, and we think excluding CO2 in favor of a sensor that can sit anywhere up to six weeks on battery power (then drop to temperature and humidity sensing only for some time after that) is absolutely worth the sacrifice. We were less thrilled with Netatmo’s effort than with the company’s Weather Station,…

Normally, Java installations end up in/Library/Java, which is visible but unexpected. If you can’t see Java installed there, search for it in a Finder window by choosing File > Find. However, for that to show you items located in system folders, you’ll need to tailor the search options. Below the search field you can set criteria to focus your search. In the first pop–up menu there, select Other. In the pane that drops down, select ‘System files’, then click OK. Set the second pop–up to ‘are included’, and type in the phrase ‘JavaVirtualMachines’ (without quotes) in the search bar to find Java’s folder. Oracle’s Java software also provides a configuration pane in System Preferences.…

REQUIRES macOS High Sierra (many features work in previous versions) YOU WILL LEARN How to get your apps exactly how you want them IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes GENIUS TIP Add a Smart Folder to the Dock (see step 6). If it doesn’t appear as a stack of its contents’ icons, Ctrl–click it and pick ‘Display as Stack’. MAC USERS FALL into two groups: those who set up their desktop and workspace exactly the way they want it to make them as productive as possible. The rest of us leave almost everything as it is and promise ourselves that one day we’ll get round to setting it up properly. This tutorial is aimed squarely at the second group, The good news is that there are lots of ways you can…