Innehållsförteckning för October 2019 från MacLife

By the time this magazine lands on the shelves, in your mailbox, or via the Mac|Life iOS app, macOS Catalina and iOS 13 (iPadOS specifically for iPads) should be ready to go and available for you to download immediately. I can’t say for definite though, since I’m actually writing this about a month ago and the lack of available time travel technology means I can only assume it’ll be out, based on the release date of previous major OS launches If not, the arrival of these brand new system updates is certainly imminent, so what does this mean? Well, if you’re not that bothered about the whole process, the easiest option is for you to go right ahead and just download the updates as soon as it’s physically possible. Or,…

WANT MORE PORTS on your late–model MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, or Mac mini with Thunderbolt 3 or USB–C, or even your iPad Pro with USB–C? There’s an updated $69 USB–C Digital AV Multiport Adapter available now from Apple (model A2119, replacing model A1621). Plug it into your Mac or iPad Pro and it gives you an HDMI video port, a USB–A port, and a dedicated charging port (USB–C type, but suitable for charging only, not for data transfer or video). The HDMI port on the new model A2119 adapter, when used with macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or newer or iOS 12.4 or newer, supports HDMI 2.0 at up to 1080p at 60Hz, 3840 x 2160 at 30Hz, or 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz with the following: 15–inch MacBook Pro (2017…

UNHIRED Study casts doubt on environmental benefit of dockless electric scooters NO BETS Apple Card customer agreement prohibits cryptocurrency and gambling purchases OOPS Microsoft ridiculed for hiring Mackenzie “Mac” Book to plug Surface Laptop REWIRED Silicon Valley productivity skyrockets as commuters rediscover working on the bus NO F’S Want a thrilling game of chance? Buy a MacBook Pro and see how the keyboard goes GOOPS If Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter wants extra pocket money, she knows who to call…

In the main feature of a previous issue (#157) you refer to the synchronization and backup of iOS devices becoming redundant in iTunes when macOS Catalina launches; it assumes that everyone now performs a sync via the cloud or using iCloud. I don’t and prefer syncing via internal storage on my iMac or MacBook Pro. So while I’m excited for the future, I’m obviously very concerned about this. Will there be a solution for me to continue utilizing my computer’s drive space to synchronize my iOS data? I should also point out that while I’m aware of Apple giving me some cloud storage space for free, it certainly wouldn’t be enough to accommodate my needs and I don’t want to have to start paying Apple a monthly fee for something…

”PROGRESS MEANS LEAVING things behind”, which sounds like a Steve Jobs quote but was actually GK Chesterton. One casualty of Catalina, although many users won’t notice it, is the Dashboard. Introduced in 2005’s Mac OS X Tiger, it’s been disabled by default since 2014, with OS X Yosemite. But you could still turn it on, from System Preferences > Mission Control, and access it with a key combo, either as a Space, to the left of the Desktop, or in its original form as a translucent overlay. This is helpful if you were trying to check some numbers from a document or web page in Dashboard’s Calculator or Conversion widgets It’s for those little helpers, along with the miniature Calendar, that some of us stuck with the Dashboard. But it…

CATALINA’S SIDECAR FEATURE lets you use an iPad and Pencil as a touchscreen monitor or graphics tablet for your Mac. It’s a great idea, but not a new one. Duet Display ($9.99, see duetdisplay.com) supports an iPad as a wired screen, promising a 60fps refresh rate without lag, although not all tasks will see seamless response. Duet Air ($19.99 per year) lets you use it wirelessly; Air Display ($19.99, see bit.ly/mf343airdply) supports wired and wireless connection; Duet Pro ($29.99 per year) adds features and improved responsiveness for drawing. Astropad Standard ($29.99, see astropad.com) supports wired and wireless use with Pencil, while Astropad Studio ($79.99 per year) is the most advanced option and generally rated as more reliable for serious work. The Luna Display dongle ($69.99, see lunadisplay.com) optimizes wireless performance.…

WRITERS CAN BE a picky bunch. Some have special pens, others demand a particular kind of notebook or a certain writing location. And on Macs, writers definitely have their favorite apps. Like pens and places, those favorites differ from person to person. Some prize the beauty of the writing environment; others, the speed of the search engine. Some want to use the same app for scripts, scribbles and shopping lists; others want an app that focuses on paid–for projects. There is one thing many can agree on, though, and that’s Markdown. Markdown was created by John Gruber, aka Daring Fireball, and it’s designed to make it really easy to create structured text without sacrificing readability. That structure makes it easy to output the same document in multiple formats, something that…

Free(IAPs) From Bloop, airmailzero.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 12 or later Airmail was one of our favorite email clients on iOS, so we were intrigued to learn its developer has relaunched it as a Gmail–only client called Airmail Zero. The “Zero” refers to the fact that it uses very few resources, primarily a benefit on the Mac version (the iOS Airmail was never sluggish). Airmail Zero only works with Gmail accounts, so if you were hoping for an alternative to Apple’s Mail or Microsoft’s Outlook, this isn’t it. On the plus side, if you only need to use it with one Gmail account and don’t want 24/7 support, it’s free. Multiple accounts, a unified inbox, and 24/7 support costs $2.99/month or $9.99/year. Airmail Zero’s quick to…

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 bit.ly/mldiag, otherwise see bit.ly/mlahwt.…

REQUIRES An iOS 12 device (some features work on older versions) YOU WILL LEARN How to find and use hidden features in iOS IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes NO MATTER HOW frequently you use your iPhone or iPad, it’s likely you’ve developed habitual ways of interacting with it. While there’s nothing wrong with strengthening muscle memory or doing what comes naturally, if you never move beyond your comfort zone you risk missing out on slicker, faster, and more productive ways of working. Many of these features are things you may never have thought of, while others are possibly things you wish you could do with your iPhone, but never thought possible because the interface has concealed them just well enough that you don’t stumble on them, or you can’t find…

1 According to Apple, the iMac G5 was “the world’s **** desktop computer” when it was launched? 2 True or false, macOS Catalina will see the end of support for 32–bit apps? 3 WHAT IS THIS APPLE DEVICE? 4 WHAT WAS THE DISPLAY RESOLUTION OF AN APPLE II? 5 What was the first game to support color displays on the Macintosh II? 6 As of 2018, what was the most downloaded app on iTunes? 7 Bonus question: what was the most popular app based on spend? 8 WHAT WAS THE FIRST TV SHOW MADE USING FINAL CUT PRO? 1 Thinnest 2 True 3 PowerBook 100 4 280 x 192 5 Crystal Quest 6 Facebook 7 Netflix 8 Women of Wrestling NEXT MONTH >>> The ultimate guide to iOS 13! >>>…

YOUR IPHONE OR iPod touch will let you know when iOS 13 becomes available via Settings > General > Software Update. It’s the same for iPads, which switch to iPadOS, basically iOS 13 with some extra features. Having accepted the upgrade, make sure your device is connected to power and Wi–Fi. You’ll also need a few gigabytes of free space in its internal storage. In Settings > General > iPhone [or whatever device] Storage, you’ll see a chart of what’s taking up space followed by options to delete some data you may not need, then details of the rest. If photos are a big culprit, as they so often are, using iCloud Photo Library with Optimize Storage can help (see page 22). If a device has very little storage and…

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…

$29.95 From Acqualia, soulver.app Needs macOS 10.14 or later Most Mac calculators live in the 1970s, with traditional readouts; spreadsheets are more powerful, but complex. Soulver exists in–between the two. You write calculations in plain English, and the app extracts figures and tots up line totals. The most immediate advantage of Soulver is how you can experiment with numbers. In writing out calculations with context (such as “Hotel: 3 nights at $199”), you can adjust a document at speed, yet always know what each figure refers to without the need for further reference. This is all augmented by live currency conversions, custom variables, and reference tokens. The last of those lets you place any line’s total in dynamic fashion within subsequent lines. Updates cascade throughout the document, ideal for intricate…

$39 From Chargeasap, chargeasap.com Features Three interchangeable heads (USB–C, Lightning, Micro–USB), USB–C connector, braided cable, tip removal tool UNO is a cable with three interchangeable heads: Lightning, USB–C and Micro–USB. You clip the detachable head into your device and the cable connects and disconnects magnetically. The strong magnets mean you can connect the cable one–handed, and easily detach it. It has a braided cable that will aid with longevity, and a tip removal tool (they’re tricky to remove otherwise). But you can’t use it to charge a MacBook: for that you’ll need a USB Power Delivery (USB–PD) cable. Still, UNO’s (non–detachable) USB–C connector delivers up to 9.75W to your phone, provided you use a more powerful adapter than the 5W one included with an iPhone. That 9.75W isn’t as fast…

$75.99 From Vava, vava.com Needs Mac with USB–C port This aims to fulfill all your connectivity needs. It powers from your Mac, or when powered externally via the optional PSU it charges your laptop and provides a higher current to other USB devices. With a 60W input, it passes 49W to the Mac and the rest to the other ports. There’s two USB–3 ports, one USB–2, one SD/MMC card and one TF/MicroSD card slot, a 1GBps ethernet port, and a USB–C power–in port — as well as an HDMI port with up to 4k resolution at 30Hz and 1080p at 60Hz. It worked perfectly, and though there’s no Mini DisplayPort format connection for Thunderbolt 1 or 2 devices, that’s largely been superceded by Thunderbolt 3, which uses the USB–C connector.…

$59.99 From Feral Interactive, store.feralinteractive.com Needs macOS 10.14.4 or later, 2GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 2GB Nvidia 680MX, 2GB AMD R9 M290, 1.5GB Intel Iris Graphics 540 or better After the stripped–back nature of Thrones of Britannia comes the full–fat, no–holds–barred Three Kingdoms. It’s as expansive as the name suggests, taking inspiration from a 14th–century historical novel chronicling the events at the end of the Han dynasty and the steps toward Chinese unification. On the surface is the classic Total War structure: a turn–based strategy game in which armies and generals prowl the map, capturing cities and building them up, before rooting out enemies and rebellions, and a real–time tactical battle game when armies clash. You can play in Records mode, in which generals and other characters are powerful…

Free (IAPs) From Daniel Farrelly, gifwrapped.co Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11.0 or later There are two kinds of people in this world: people who know exactly which GIF to use on social media, and people who think GIF is pronounced “jiff”. If you’re in the former camp, GIFwrapped can seriously raise your GIF game. It enables you to find the right GIF fast, and store your favorites so there’s always a mic–dropping Barack Obama or eye–rolling Emma Stone when you need one. Version 2 gets a new interface, iCloud sync, Dropbox, and better search. The app is for any iOS device, but the interface has clearly been designed for iPhone as it’s sparse on the iPad screen. You can add GIFs from your Photos library or…

Nothing makes a home feel smart like lighting. Automated and customizable illumination makes a massive difference to the comfort of your entire living space and can, to coin a TV cliché, really bring a room together. Lest you think this is just idle bluster to begin an article about smart lighting… Well… No, hang on, there’s actual science involved. A 2014 article published in the Journal of Building Engineering suggests that automating lighting — and specifically tying lighting, shade, and air conditioning systems together with shared data — “outperforms all other strategies in energy and visual comfort performance”. If you can do it, you should. Looking up is an obvious first step. There are smart options available for all kinds of ceiling fixtures — whether you’re running a bayonet fitting,…

DISCOVER THE LATEST MOJAVE UPDATES The latest version of macOS Mojave (10.14.6) comes with a wealth of updates, which you can explore in detail (along with prior Mojave updates) at bit.ly/ml159ask1. MAKE YOUR DRIVES EXTRA SECURE If you want to increase the level of protection for your Mac’s drives, you can set a firmware password which prevents starting up from any internal or external storage except for the startup disk, at bit.ly/ml159ask2. NEED TO RESTORE YOUR APPLE WATCH? Learn how to unpair and erase your Apple Watch — useful if you’re selling your device or you just want a clean slate — to find out more, visit Apple Support at bit.ly/ml159ask3.…

REQUIRES External storage disk YOU WILL LEARN How to use Time Machine IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes BACKING UP YOUR Mac is essential. We know it. You know it. Apple knows it too, which is why it created the Time Machine application to make it as easy as possible to back up your Mac. Sadly, Time Machine’s hardware buddy Time Capsule is no longer with us. However, several NAS boxes do support Time Machine, albeit with varying degrees of success and difficulty in setting them up. (Check out Mac|Life #150 for our group test on four network drives.) The other option is to use a regular external hard drive — fine if you have a desktop Mac, not so convenient otherwise. Time Machine backs up everything except folders you specifically…

RUMORS PERSIST THAT a 16–inch MacBook Pro is in the works, possibly arriving as early as October. According to reports, it will have a 3,072 x 1,920 pixel, 226ppi LCD screen measuring 16.4 inches diagonally. This would be an unusual 16:10 aspect ratio, possibly suggesting a new design, but other sources claim the new model will have the same footprint as the current 15–inch model, except with slimmer bezels. The new 16–inch MacBook would be Apple’s largest laptop since the 17–inch model was discontinued in 2012. And sources say it will be a premium model in all respects, with up to 32GB of RAM (already an option on the current top–of–the–line 15–inch MacBook Pro, which reports claim will be discontinued) and a baseline price of $3,000. It’s also reported that…

HYPERDRIVE 6–in–1 USB–C HUB FOR IPAD PRO 2018 This gives you USB–A, SD and microSD reader, HDMI, audio jack, and USB-C charging and data. $89.99 from hypershop.com WITHINGS BPM CORE With its built–in cuff, this Wi–Fi device checks blood pressure, takes a three–lead ECG, and includes a digital stethoscope. $249.95 from withings.com KANEX MULTISYNC FOLDABLE TRAVEL KEYBOARD This 4–inch iOS–compatible Bluetooth keyboard will fit in the smallest of bags, even coat pockets. $37 from amazon.com…

1 The MobileMe team When iCloud’s predecessor ran into difficulties, Jobs called in its developers and asked if anyone could tell him what it was meant to do. Someone obliged. “So,” Jobs asked, “why the f*** doesn’t it do that?” 2 The Mac developer During Steve Jobs’ first WWDC back at Apple, one developer criticized his decision to discontinue frameworks on which many apps relied. “I know some of you spent a long time working on stuff that we put a bullet in the head of,” responded Steve, sensitively. “I apologize.” 3 The HR manager Interviewed for a new human resources position, an executive from rival firm Sun asked Jobs why Apple was hiring. Steve told her: “I’ve never met one of you who didn’t suck.” 4 The hardware designer…

WHEN APPLE LAUNCHED the first iPod in 2001, the only way to get music onto it was to transfer tracks from your Mac via the iTunes app. That option has remained, but these days you’re more likely to download or stream music directly to your iPhone or iPad via Wi–Fi or mobile data. iTunes also lets you back up your iOS devices to your Mac’s storage. Compared to turning on iCloud Backup, this used to have the advantage of preserving apps that might’ve been removed from the App Store. But since that ability was removed last year, the main attraction is if you have more personal content on your device than storage in your iCloud plan. In macOS Catalina, iOS file transfer and backup move into the Finder. This is…

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From $1,299 From Apple, apple.com Features 1.4GHz quad–core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB 2,133MHz memory (16GB tested), 128GB storage (1TB tested), Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645, 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports, Touch Bar and Touch ID3.5mm headphone jack, 802.11ac Wi–Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 13-INCH PRO (MID 2019) + Twice as powerful + Just as good–looking + Ideal form factor - Poor performance when gaming EXCELLENT Apple “retired” the 12–inch MacBook and the non–Touch Bar 13–inch MacBook Pro in July, while also updating the MacBook Air. It’s a welcome change. Not only does it simplify your choice over which entry–level MacBook to buy, the entry–level 13–inch Pro is now even better value. Out goes the previous model’s seventh–gen dual–core Intel i5, in comes an eighth–gen quad–core i5. Plus, the 13–inch Pro gets Touch…

$199 From Plume, plume.com Features 3x SuperPods units, tri–band Wi–Fi, Gigabit Ethernet; membership plan includes Wi–Fi management, parental controls, performance tracking, threat protection PLUME SUPERPODS + Great coverage + Advanced (paid–for) features - Costly membership - Bulky units GREAT The Plume SuperPods are Wi–Fi boosting units from a company that you’ve likely never heard of. Using the Plume iOS app you can decide who can connect to your network, when, and with what devices. You can protect the network from cyber attacks, as well as remove ads using the built–in ad blocker. To get this functionality you will have to fork out an additional $60 for the annual membership. Without that, you only get the Wi-Fi boosting. The SuperFast pack ($199, reviewed here) gives you three units, which plug into…

$2.99 (IAPs) From Fifth Star Labs, fifthstarlabs.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11 or later Sky Guide’s mission is very simple: to help you learn more about planets, constellations, satellites, and pretty much everything else in the sky — and to help you have fun doing it. It succeeds beautifully. From the moment you first launch this app, you’re greeted with the kind of calming celestial music you’d expect to hear in a planetarium (you can, of course, turn it off in settings). Sky Guide has three main sections. The main screen displays constellations, planets, moons, satellites, and other celestial bodies. Tap the compass and point your device at the sky, and Sky Guide displays those bodies currently in the location you’re pointing at. If you have…

$3.99 From Benjamin Rivers Inc., worsethandeathgame.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 8.0 or later Worse Than Death tells the story of Holly and Flynn, two friends who attend a high school reunion that goes horribly wrong, set years after the mysterious death of Flynn’s fiancé. Flynn disappears at the reunion, setting off a dramatic chain of events. As Holly, you must explore her dilapidated hometown to find Flynn and uncover long–hidden secrets, all while trying to escape unseen terrors out for her blood. The game is illustrated with richly detailed pixel art scenarios, interspersed with hand–drawn comic book–style interludes, all of which make it a visual treat. While the story is stock horror fare, it’s well–executed and enjoyable nonetheless. Unfortunately, the game is let down by its…

Free (IAPs) From Wild Ventures, yourwildjourney.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 12.0 or later The App Store is packed with mindfulness and meditation apps, most of which offer a mix of guided meditations and timed sessions of soothing sounds. Wild Journey does things a little bit differently: while it does indeed offer soothing sounds and sessions, everything here is based around nature. Birds sing, leaves rustle and rivers rush, and because each soundscape is dynamically generated, each visit will sound unique. The high–quality audio is best experienced on headphones, where it feels as if the sounds are all around you, but it’s also utterly involving on the iPad Pro’s multi–speaker setup, where birdsong appears to come from a different part of the room. The app enables you…

REQUIRES macOS 10.14, an Apple ID, Apple’s iWork apps YOU WILL LEARN How to export iWork files to Microsoft–compatible formats IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes COMPATIBILITY IS A big concern for people who switch to macOS. Files you create in Apple’s own iWork office suite (Pages, Numbers & Keynote) won’t automatically open in Microsoft Office, so documents, spreadsheets, and presentations created within macOS may not display correctly in Windows. Apple has an extensive list of which features are supported in each of its own productivity apps and Microsoft Office, which you can find at bit.ly/mfpagescomp. For instance, Numbers doesn’t support page breaks but Microsoft Excel does. In this handy guide, you will discover how to prepare documents for sending to Windows users. We’ll also show you how to use the…