Innehållsförteckning för August 2022 från MacLife

Coming in iOS 16 A revamped Lock Screen, unsending messages, and the end of passwords APPLE HAS PREVIEWED iOS 16, a free update coming this Fall with a raft of enhancements. In “the biggest update ever to the Lock Screen,” you’ll be able to change the typeface and color of the date and time, and add widgets for at-a-glance info on calendar events, weather, alarms, and more. A new Live Activities feature will update such things as sports scores, your food delivery order, and workout info in real time. Notifications now roll up from the bottom to keep your Lock Screen view clearer. You can set multiple Lock Screens and swipe between them, and they now connect with Focus — you can tie a Lock Screen wallpaper and widgets to…

BOTH macOS AND iOS Photos help you organize your shots and fix common problems with exposure and composition. However, the macOS version of Photos contains additional tools when it comes to altering images in more creative ways. The Retouch tool enables you to remove unwanted objects that can spoil a photo. You can also target and tweak the hue, brightness and saturation of colors for creative looks. There’s even a dedicated Black & White panel that selectively lightens or darkens grayscale tones based on the shot’s original colors, enabling you to draw attention to particular subjects. Here’s how to get more from the desktop version of Photos… A GOING MANUAL Instead of simply adding a filter you can produce a range of creative (and unique) looks by adjusting a range of…

FEIYUTECH VIMBLE 3 $119 feiyu-tech.com/vimble-3 Features Stabilization technology Needs iPhone 7 and above Gliding movement Built–in extension rod Hit and miss targeting during panning timelapse No shooting mode display GREAT The Vimble 3 is a 3–axis smartphone gimbal that enables you to capture smooth camera moves such as tilts, pans, and gliding tracking shots. Thanks to the iPhone 13 Pro’s sensor–shift optical image stabilization (OIS) technology you can already shoot stable handheld footage, so is there any point in buying the Vimble 3? Yes! For starters, the iPhone’s in–camera stabilization only works its magic on the Wide and Telephoto lenses. If you shoot handheld video with the Ultra Wide lens then the footage may wobble, requiring stabilization in apps such as iMovie. Post–production stabilization works well enough, but it will…

ON TEST… > Camera+ 2 > Focos > Halide > Moment Pro Camera > Obscura 3 > ProCam 8 THEY SAY THE best camera is the one you have with you and iPhones have made that more true than ever. We always carry our phones and over the years their cameras have got so good that they have effectively taken over the market for small and mid–level point–and–shoot digital cameras. Apple’s iOS Camera app however isn’t as fully featured as it could be. You may be surprised to learn that iPhone camera hardware supports an extensive range of features that aren’t in the standard iOS app including manual shutter, exposure and ISO setting and manual focusing. On top of this, developers add software features like focus peaking, exposure bracketing, clipping…

ONCE YOU’VE MASTERED the basics in Contacts, there’s plenty more you can do. As well as messaging, calling or emailing contacts from within the app, you can share contacts, show their address on a map, or see their birthday in the Calendar app. Contacts also enables you to print an address label from within the app, or create a PDF for printing later — by combining Contacts with the macOS ‘Save as PDF’ print dialog. When it comes to editing existing contacts, you can add profile photos or other pictures to their card, and you can create fields for adding entries such as website or social media URLs — making it easy to find them on platforms like Twitter. One useful feature is the ability to add a nickname that…

REQUIRES macOS YOU WILL LEARN How to use the App Switcher in macOS IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes THERE ARE LOTS of different ways to move between open applications in macOS, depending on how you like to work. You can move the pointer down to the Dock and select the application you want from there. But let’s face it, even if you’re a demon with a mouse or trackpad, it’s kinda slow. If you tend to work with applications in full–screen mode, you could tap the Mission Control key on your keyboard, or invoke it with a three–fingered swipe over the trackpad and choose the application from there. You could even fire up Spotlight, start typing the application’s name and select it when it appears in the results. But if…

REQUIRES iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd gen), iPhone XR, or iPhone 11 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to use Haptic Touch IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes HAPTIC TOUCH HAS its roots in a couple of different Apple technologies. It provides much of the same functionality as the old 3D Touch on iPhone, enabling you to access app features and menus without actually opening the apps, for example. But the process no longer relies on a touch–sensitive layer on the screen that used to detect a ‘firm’ press. Instead, it now uses the length of the press to determine what you’re trying to do. The other technology is haptics, where the device, whether it’s an iPhone, Apple Watch or a trackpad, provides feedback that you can feel with your fingers. The…

REQUIRES iPadOS 15 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to transform Safari to improve your web browsing experience IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes SAFARI IS ONE of the most important apps on your iPad, because it’s your way into the world wide web. And if you want the fully fledged web experience without being locked into the walled gardens and restricted features of some website–specific apps, it can also be your online ally. The latest version of Safari is the best yet, with plenty of features that will help you browse better, protect your privacy and eliminate all kinds of irritations. But the arrival of this Safari was also rather controversial. As with iPhone, Safari’s Tab Bar was moved to the bottom of the display. And while that works fine…

AS I WRITE this, Apple has just announced that WWDC 2022 will indeed take place this year. I wasn’t especially fearful that it wouldn’t, any more than I am fearful that December will roll around and there’ll turn out to be no Christmas (though, admittedly, that may be a real danger this year at this rate). So I tried to think about what features I’d like Apple to add this year, and I realised that I don’t think about magic new features for the iPhone any more. 15(!) years into its life, it’s no surprise that it’s harder and harder for there to be game–changing new things that a phone can do. No, all my gripes are more about the state of things now, and it struck me just how…

YOUR iPHONE (OR digital camera set to Auto mode) will do its best to capture an image that is correctly exposed and focused on the main subject. It’ll also try to balance the colors so they’re not too cold or too warm. However, certain scenarios, such as contrasting lighting, can risk some areas becoming overexposed or underexposed. Newer iPhones automatically snap a rapid series of separate exposures when faced with high contrast subjects. These images are then merged as a single HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo featuring detail in the shadows, midtones and highlights. Despite these image processing powers, some photos will still need attention in the Photos app’s digital darkroom to make them look their best. Open an image and click Edit to get started. A ADJUST The Adjust button…

THANKS TO iCLOUD Photos any picture that you take on your iPhone will appear in the Photos Library of your iPad and Mac, so you can edit your images on whatever device you fancy. Although the macOS version of Photos boasts extra tools and panels you can still make effective photo fixes and produce creative looks using the iOS version. This makes your iPhone a ‘one–stop shop’, as you can use it to capture, edit and share your pictures quickly and conveniently without needing to access a desk–based Mac. iOS Photos even has tools that are absent in macOS Photos, such as the ability to straighten converging vertical lines caused by perspectival distortion. A CONVERGING WALLS Here we’ve captured a tall building from a low angle. The tower’s vertical walls…

Apple didn’t invent the graphical user interface (GUI); that was the work of Doug Engelbart in the 1960s. Researchers at Xerox PARC built on his work and made the 1973 Alto, the first personal computer with a GUI. It had many of the things we take for granted today. That operating system spawned another, Gypsy, the first WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface. And it lead to the 1981 Xerox Star. A certain Steve Jobs was impressed by the PARC’s work as Apple made its own GUI, helped by many former PARC members. The first GUI product Apple shipped was the Apple Lisa in 1983. Early versions of its operating system didn’t even have icons, but as Apple visited Xerox and occasionally poached its people, the design…

The Samsung T7 Shield is an external rugged SSD and is the third member of the T7 family, after the T7 and the T7 Touch launched in 2020; a long hiatus. The latter left a lasting impression on us because it brought a feature that was never available at this price point: a fingerprint reader. The T7 Shield does the opposite; it brings a fairly common feature — extra ruggedness over the standard model, that is — at a $20 hike over the T7’s reasonable price tag, and that’s about it really. The T7 Shield is available in black, blue and beige, and in 1TB and 2TB capacities for $159.99 and $289.99 espectively; there are no 500GB or 4TB models. The T7 Shield adopts the same form factor as its…

$99.99 From hypershop.com Features Magnetic grip, 7 ports, USB–C cable extension Available in space gray or silver, Hyper’s Duo Pro is designed to fit any recent MacBook, and brings a selection of 7 ports. It also works with USB–C iPads via the included adapter cable. Its dual plugs connect to your device, with the magnetic grip ensuring it sits snug to the laptop and doesn’t wobble around. Should your MacBook be in a protective case, the extended USB connectors allow the dock to still be utilized, provided they’re not covered. There’s a solid set of ports on offer. There’s USB–A and a USB–C port both at 5 Gbps and a Thunderbolt 4–compatible USB–C port that also supports 100W PD passthrough device charging and 6K, 60Hz video output. An HDMI out…

Get started with Contacts THE CONTACTS APP is something of an unsung hero in macOS. At its simplest, it’s a database of people, companies and organizations with whom you communicate. However, there’s a great deal more to it than that. Of course, it syncs via iCloud with all the Apple devices connected to your Apple ID. So any contact you add on any device is available on all of them. But that merely scratches the surface. Contacts enables you to house contacts from various different internet accounts such as Google, Microsoft Exchange and Yahoo. It is also the directory for apps such as Mail, Messages, and even WhatsApp; if you add a contact in Contacts, they appear in the WhatsApp app or web client (if they use WhatsApp). You can…

REQUIRES macOS 12 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to capture images and videos of your Mac’s screen IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes EVERY NOW AND then, you will probably need to take a screenshot or video recording of your Mac’s screen. Rather than take a photo using your iPhone, you can use the built–in tools in macOS to get a crisp, clean capture instead. You might know that pressing Cmd+Shift+3 will grab a screenshot of your entire Mac screen. But there are more options, and much more power baked into macOS that enable you to save what you want with minimal fuss. For instance, you can draw a selection box on your screen, then move it around to the perfect position before firing the shutter. You can save a…

REQUIRES Watch, iPhone YOU WILL LEARN How to automate your Watch’s features IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes WOULDN’T IT BE great if your Apple Watch changed its face at a particular time, such as when you arrived or left work, at sunset, or on Tuesdays? With Shortcuts for iPhone you can get it to do just that. The Shortcuts app enables you to create handy automations, which means apps will do specific things when certain criteria are met. And this includes the Watch app for your Apple Watch. In this tutorial, we’ll keep it simple by setting a daytime face and an evening face. But you can use exactly the same tools to set different triggers, such as changing the face when it’s time to leave for work or college…

WHETHER YOU’RE A camera enthusiast or just someone who takes cat photos on their iPhone for fun, Apple’s Photos app is your go–to destination. In this in–depth guide we’ll help you discover the key features of Photos, from importing your media, to creating albums and processing your pictures to perfection so they impress family, friends and social media followers. We’ll also explore Extensions for Photos and show you how to make the most of the Photos app on iPad and iPhone too. It’s a one–stop shop for photography lovers everywhere. As well as showing you the ropes when it comes to fixing common picture problems with color, tone and composition, we’ll demonstrate techniques to help you come up with really creative results. Of course, you’re not tied to the Mac…

AFTER SHOOTING AND editing many pics, your Photos library will become full of images. So how do you track down the one you want if you can’t recall when it was taken? Fortunately, you don’t need to rely on such details to find your favorite pictures fast. The Photos app provides a range of automated ways to organize your images. As well as gathering them according to time, faces and places you can search for photos based on their subject matter — without the hassle of having to assign keywords! 1 Subject search Photos analyzes your shots to detect faces and objects. In macOS, iPadOS or iOS, type a subject such as ‘cats’ into the Photos app’s search field. All photos matching your search criteria will then be shown in…

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Although Apple’s use of skeuomorphism — making computer things look like real things — peaked in the 2000s, it was there from the first GUIs. The trash can is skeuomorphic, as are folders and Stickies. But where macOS flirted with skeuomorphism, the iPhone was up the skeuomorphic tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g. There was a good reason for that. Steve Jobs wanted the iPhone to be friendly and familiar. A button would quite obviously be a button; a switch would quite obviously be a switch. What Apple was doing with iOS is what the Mac had done for computers; to make them feel less complex, to make them more welcoming. On the Mac that meant a mouse, folders and menus, which was pretty good given the limitations of the hardware. On the iPhone…

KLIPSCH PROMEDIA HERITAGE 2.1 MULTIMEDIA SPEAKER SYSTEM $349 klipsch.com Features 2x 35W satellites, 1x 150W subwoofer, Bluetooth, RCA (phono) aux input, USB–A port Needs Bluetooth, RCA or USB-A Solid, balanced sound Multifunctional remote Cool design USB port is only for thumb drives EXCELLENT This three–speaker system from Klipsch is an interesting blend of old and new, as perhaps befits a company that’s been making audio equipment since 1946. On the face of it, it’s a fairly conventional 2.1-channel multimedia setup, designed to sit on your desk or perhaps a side unit when functioning more as a hi–fi playback system. Each speaker is finished in faux–wood vinyl, which looks good, and you get two desktop satellite speakers, each housing a 4–inch woofer and 1–inch tweeter. The offboard subwoofer has an 8–inch…

$14.99 From norcogame.com Needs macOS 11 or later NORCO Superb storytelling Great characters Beautiful graphics Very atmospheric AWESOME Norco is a game that feels deeply nostalgic yet also undeniably modern. Its mechanics and presentation are rooted in classic 90s point–and–click mystery adventures, yet its setting exists firmly in the present, perhaps even the future. The game is an alternative–reality take on real–life Norco, Louisiana. You play by turns as Kay, a drifter who has returned home in search of her missing brother, and Kay’s mother Catherine in the days leading up to her death. When Catherine’s time runs out, she leaves behind a strange story of hidden secrets, corporate cover–ups, and floating lights in the sky. The local town is run by an enormous oil company, people’s lives are crumbling,…

THERE ARE A number of options for creating contacts. You can sync via iCloud to pull them in from your iPhone. You can type them manually. And you can import them from other internet accounts. Or, you can import files in a variety of formats such as. vcf. Contacts is even smart enough to monitor apps like Mail and suggest additions to a contact, such as a new email address, if it finds something it thinks is relevant. The more flexibility you give Contacts to pull in information from elsewhere, the more likely you are to end up with duplicate contacts. So, Contacts also enables you to merge entries easily if you find multiple cards for the same person, company or organization. Creating groups is a useful way to keep…

Get started in Luminar Neo How to quickly enhance the color, tone and composition of your images REQUIRES Luminar Neo ($79, skylum.com) YOU WILL LEARN How to use AI–assisted tools and presets IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes PRODUCE EYE–CATCHING RESULTS WITH THE MINIMUM OF EFFORT WE SPEND A lot of time capturing and sharing our shots to social media sites. Thanks to Luminar Neo’s artificial intelligence (AI) tools we no longer need to spend ages processing our pictures to make them look their best. Luminar Neo can improve a careless composition in a click, and turn a dull overcast shot into a more colorful and interesting one thanks to a range of creative color and tone grading presets that suit a range of subjects. The app has plenty of manual…

A CINEMATIC MODE In the iPhone 13’s Camera app swipe to select the Cinematic shooting mode for selective focus. B FOCUS TRACKING The Camera app automatically keeps the foreground subject in focus while adding blur to the background. C MANUAL FOCUS Tap on a gray focus rectangle to manually pull focus to that person. Tap again to activate the Tracking Lock. D DEPTH Tap here to summon the Depth slider. Drag it to change the f–stop value and create more or less blur. REQUIRES iPhone 13 YOU WILL LEARN How to shoot in Cinematic mode, and edit focus points and blur amount IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MAKERS can adjust their camera’s aperture to change the strength of a clip’s background or foreground blur. This selective focus enables…