Innehållsförteckning för February 2023 från MacLife

ONE THING I look forward to every day in my job as editor on Mac|Life is opening the mag’s email inbox, and perusing through the lengthy list of emails to see what goodies wait for me inside. I say goodies, but the majority of my emails tend to be press releases for products or software that aren’t particularly interesting, and there’s always a modicum of what I like to call “casual” spam, but occasionally I’ll get an email from you — the reader. If I’m honest, I definitely don’t hear from you enough, but I appreciate we all live busy lives and we don’t always have time to check in, or perhaps we don’t even consider doing so — after all, if you’re happy with the reading experience, why would you?…

WITH THE ARRIVAL of iPadOS 16, I’ve been playing with Stage Manager. Sadly, “playing” is the right word there; not “working with” or even just “using”. I suppose you could go with “investigating”, since a big part of your early time with Stage Manager tends to be figuring out its quirks. It has intentional behaviors I find counter–intuitive, seemingly unintended behaviors that get in the way of how the iPad is supposed to work, and stability problems that just rule it out of contention for now. But! There’s also something really interesting in there that hints that the future of the iPad could be as an even more flexible and changeable device. When holding my iPad Pro in my hand, I found Stage Manager to be more fussy and fiddly…

WHEN YOU’RE MIGRATING from one computer to another, or from a mobile device to a Mac, the goal is to get up and running on your new Mac with the minimum of fuss in the shortest possible time. Apple goes out of its way to make that process as fast and as fuss–free as possible, and for computer–to–computer transfers it does that via a handy app called the Migration Assistant. This tool is on every new Mac and can be downloaded to Windows PCs too, and its job is to transfer all the important things from your old computer to your new Mac. It will copy all of your documents and apps, your user accounts and your settings from one Mac to another, and it does a great job of…

UPGRADING FROM APPLE to Apple is really easy — especially if you use iCloud. Apple has made it remarkably simple to migrate all your data, apps and preferences from one device to another. If you’re moving from Android, you’ll find that all the big–name apps are available for iOS and iPadOS too: Google’s many apps from Photos to Maps are in the App Store, and so are all the popular apps for music streaming, TV, messaging and so on. In many cases that means it’s just a matter of installing the appropriate app, like Google Photos, WhatsApp or Spotify, and logging in with your username and password. The key apps are all present, but if you find that there’s one you really like and it’s not in the App Store…

$69.99 (Caddy only); $239.99 (1TB mag); $359.99 (2TB mag); $659.99 (4TB mag) From westerndigital.com Features USB–C, swappable SSD magazines, rugged caddy Needs macOS 10.13 or later PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND videographers tend to favor using fast external SSDs for working on shoots. Small and light, they are a much more cost–effective way of adding storage to your Mac than paying Apple’s premium for a larger internal drive when you first buy your computer. SanDisk takes this concept a step further with the Pro–Blade system, a rugged caddy paired with removable SSD magazines. The idea is that you can swap magazines in and out as you work without needing to carry multiple regular–sized drives. The caddy itself is relatively inexpensive and comes with a heavy–duty USB–C cable that’s certified for up to…

$99.99 From logitech.com Features Bluetooth 5.2, with AAC; weighs 6.52oz; 1.57–inch drivers; 18 hours battery LOGITECH IS WELL known for its range of Mac–compatible mice and keyboards, but it’s recently been making a push into other areas too, with new products such as the Zone Vibe 100 wireless headset, which is very much designed for voice and video calls when you’re working from home or in the office. There are two models in the Vibe range, with the Vibe 100 offering basic Bluetooth connectivity for $99.99. The Vibe 125 model costs a little bit more at $129.99, and also includes a USB wireless adaptor that provides a more secure and reliable connection than Bluetooth. Both models share the same basic design, with a lightweight headset and 18–hour battery life that…

$2.49 weekly, $19.99 yearly, $39.99 one–time purchase From imgmiapp.com Needs iOS/iPadOS 15 or later IMGMI FOR iPAD and iPhone takes some of the core technologies from Skylum’s desktop Luminar image editor and puts them into a mobile app. The developer says that Imgmi is for people who want to enhance and correct photos quickly, perhaps for social media, without moving to the desktop to perform detailed edits. It loads one image at once from your Camera Roll, though there’s no direct access to the camera and no library of its own to manage. The first tool you come to is sky replacement, and this is able to identify part of a photo and substitute in a new sky from a built–in selection. This works well although it struggles to identify smaller…

THE WATCHOS 9 UPDATE should delight pretty much every kind of Apple Watch user, from fitness fanatics to those of us with a more laid–back lifestyle. One of our favorite features is the ability to have different watch faces for different Focus modes; so for example you might have one face and set of complications for driving, another for the gym and something completely different for school or work. There are some great new watch faces, and many of the existing ones have been given more options and complications too. MORE POWER! We particularly like the new Low Power Mode, which is a vast improvement over the previous Power Reserve. Power Reserve tried to maximize your battery life by making your Apple Watch pretty much useless, but Low Power Mode isn’t…

THE CLOCK APP does more than simply tell the time. It also offers world clocks so you can see what time it is elsewhere; you can set alarms that trigger at a time of your choosing; and it has a stopwatch with a digital or analog display and a lap timer, as well as a countdown timer that lets you know when a certain period of time has elapsed. The Clock app has been a popular feature of the iPhone and iPad for many years, but with macOS Ventura, it finally comes to the Mac too. It doesn’t sync with iCloud, so your world clocks and alarms don’t carry across from your mobile devices, but you can always add them separately if you wish. We’ll show you how to get the…

I read your recent “Mac Writing Apps” article and would like to add two more for another time: Nisus Writer Pro and Mellel. For some reason, I’ve never been interested in using Pages. I’m not happy with Word’s one–time price, nor its monthly fee. But then I came across Nisus, which to me had always been a slightly complicated word processor. I found the new Pro version, however, very easy to use with simple formatting of two things I use often: ease in changing the header between “chapters”, and ease in formatting a hanging paragraph. But, after about nine years of writing my diary, it takes more than three minutes to reopen it. As a genealogist and diary writer I’m looking for a functional, easy and inexpensive one–time purchase word…

THERE ARE LOTS of ways to move to a new Mac, and one of the easiest is to clone your existing one. This creates a perfect copy of your current Mac’s system, data and all your files, and it’s straightforward. All you need is a decent amount of external storage and a cloning app. We particularly rate Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper! (see below), both of which make it exceptionally easy to clone some or all of your Mac system. Just make sure both Macs are running the same version of macOS. Before you consider cloning, though, it’s a very good idea to do some housekeeping so that any messy bits from your old Mac don’t make it across to your new one. A good place to start is in the…

From $129 From apple.com Features A15 Bionic chip, 64GB (Wi–Fi model) or 128GB of storage (Wi–Fi+Ethernet model), Wi–Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 1x HDMI 2.1 port, 1x Gigabit Ethernet port (Wi–Fi+Ethernet model only), Siri Remote NOW SPORTING THE same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, the latest Apple TV 4K comes in two versions: the $129 model ditches the previous gen’s Ethernet port and Thread smart home support, but now comes with 64GB of storage; while the $149 model retains both Ethernet and Thread, and comes with 128GB of storage. Both also come with the redesigned Siri Remote that came with the second–gen Apple TV 4K, only this now has a USB–C charging port instead of Lightning. Both new Apple TV 4K models also now support HDR10+ (the high dynamic range…

$79 (250GB), $99 (500GB), $149 (1TB) From owc.com Features USB–A and USB–C, bus powered, bootable, Time Machine support OWC’S MOST PORTABLE solid state drive weighs just 0.06 pounds and is machined from aluminum, which gives it a premium feel. Its USB–C connector is housed behind a cap and the USB–A plug can be extended out from the body and reversed, clipping into place to give you a choice of either plug that realistically covers any user’s needs. A lanyard is supplied too for convenience. The Envoy Pro Mini comes in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities and all are attractively priced considering the amount of storage they add to a typical Mac or iPad. With Apple still charging a hefty premium for larger storage capacities, this is a far more cost–effective way…

Lock Launcher Free (IAPs) From locklauncher.com Needs iOS 16.0 or later Lock Launcher already lets you fire up apps right from your Lock Screen, but its Dynamic Island update takes its capabilities even further. Now you can store a goody bag of apps inside the Dynamic Island, and expanding it with a long press lets you launch any of them with just a tap. Instead of scrolling through pages of apps to find the one you need, just store your favorites in the Dynamic Island. It’s like a second, even more expansive Dock in addition to the one your iPhone already has. GoodTask Free (IAPs) From goodtaskapp.com Needs iOS 14.0 or later GoodTask is a top–notch reminders app, putting tons of control and customization at your fingertips. It recently got…

OPERA GX IS, on the surface, a gaming–focused web browser. It integrates neatly with Twitch, letting you watch livestreams from your sidebar, and has a dedicated tab showing the latest gaming news and deals. But look a little closer and you’ll see it has a bunch of features with much wider appeal for more than just gamers. As well as Twitch, you can pin your favorite messaging app or music player directly to the side of the browser. Its GX Control feature provides fine–grained options to rein in the app’s resource usage, while GX Cleaner can quickly clear out browser cruft in just a click. If you download the Opera GX app on iPhone or iPad, you’ll also get access to its cross–platform features. That includes My Flow, which sends…

ADOBE LIGHTROOM IS a powerful image organizing and editing app that runs on iOS or macOS. In this tutorial, we’ll focus on the iOS version to demonstrate how you can creatively edit images from the convenience of your device’s display. You can use most of Lightroom’s tools on your iOS device for free, however the AI masking and selection tools in this walkthrough require you to have a Creative Cloud Photography Plan subscription. Download Adobe Lightroom for your iPhone or iPad, sign in using your Apple ID and access Lightroom’s capture, organization and sharing features. You can use plenty of Lightroom’s editing features for free too (on a relatively new iOS device running iOS 13 and above). When holding your device vertically, you’ll see handy text labels next to each tool’s…

ISSUE 203 ON SALE 31 JAN 2023 + ALSO INSIDE… HomeKit — The Complete Guide We showyou what HomeKit can do, and howyou can set up your smart home using it. Plus, we reveal advanced tips for power users looking to do even more. Beginner’s Guide to Find My Never lose track of all your Apple devices, or the people you love, with the amazing Find My app. …and much more! Contents subject to change…

AR COMES TO Google Maps. Google Maps has introduced Live View, which displays information on top of the scene you’re viewing through your phone camera. Live View works on iOS and Android, and is initially rolling out in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo. You tap the Live View icon and point your camera at buildings, street signs, or any element of scenery that Google Maps can match against Street View data in the area. Once it recognizes where you are, it will overlay AR pop–ups on the scene with info such as ATM, coffee shop, and store locations, opening times, and prices. Tap the carousel at the foot of the screen for more, such as offers and ratings. It also highlights out–of–sight points of interest.…

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 one.…

$500 ($350 with GoPro Subscription) From gopro.com Features HyperSmooth 5.0 stabilization, automatic highlight videos, waterproof to 33ft THE GOPRO HERO 11 Black is here, following on from the powerful and well–received Hero 10 Black. GoPro claims its new, larger sensor delivers the highest resolution, 10–bit color depth, video stabilization and the widest field of view ever featured natively in a HERO camera. But is this upgrade too incremental? When you go to the official specs, you’ll find the GoPro Hero 11 Black is exactly, to the half–millimeter, the same physical size as the GoPro Hero 10 Black. Indeed, apart from the new “11” gracing the side of the unit, the two are indistinguishable. So what’s the difference? The first key change is a new, upgraded 1/1.9–inch sensor. This opens up…

$149.95 From zagg.com Features 15W MagSafe charging pad, Apple Watch magnetic charging puck with adjustable angle, AirPods charging pad, 30W USB–C PD wall charger, USB–C to USB–C cable, carry case MOPHIE’S TRAVEL CHARGER might be the ultimate companion for keeping your Apple devices charged when you’re away from home. It features a compact felt case with three compartments to house each of the components, and fastens shut via an elasticized loop which hooks over a large black button. It’s stylish, easy to use and offers protection for the contents. Speaking of which, there’s a 3–in–1 travel charger in the main section. This folds out to reveal three charging pads: a magnetic Apple Watch puck, which can be angled from flat through to 90°; a wireless charging pad for your AirPods, or…

FILMORA STRIKES THE perfect balance of features and design, marrying the friendly approach of iMovie with the much wider feature set of some of the other apps we tested. Despite having a ton of powerful features it manages to feel fast and approachable, keeping everything inside one nicely designed window. Performance is excellent and it even adds in some unique features like screen recording and beat matching picture to music. Lightworks Create gets a notable mention, with very powerful tools especially in the audio department, albeit also with a slightly more clinical interface. Hitfilm also performs well and doesn’t require too much learning, though you might want to opt for the Pro version to access the more advanced effects. Ultimately however, if you are stepping up from iMovie, you’ll find…

$12.99 From intruderinantiquonia.com Needs OS X 10.11 or later INTRUDER IN ANTIQUONIA centers on a girl named Sarah who wakes up outside a small Spanish town with no memory of who she is or how she got there. People in town shun the internet and distrust outsiders, and soon you start to get the feeling you are being followed. The game is a point–and–click adventure where you must use clues in your environment to uncover Sarah’s story. What is her real name? What lies in her past? How did she get to Antiquonia? And who are the shadowy people looking in through every window? Unfortunately, the game falls far short of point–and–click greats like Day of the Tentacle. Where that production was a funny and challenging tale that saw you…

EXPERT ADVICE Our resident genius solves your Mac and iOS problems Email Mac|Life at ask@maclife.com Get official documentation at support.apple.com | Get help with hardware at support.apple.com/repair You can’t speed up background tasks When TechTool Pro runs on my Mac Studio, much of its work is done on the M1 chip’s slow cores. Is there any way that can I force it to use the fast cores instead, so it completes that work more quickly? Apps normally run time–consuming tasks in parallel threads to avoid locking the app up with a spinning beachball. When those threads are created, the code should assign them a priority, known as Quality of Service (QoS), a setting of great importance when running on M–series chips. In Apple silicon Macs, the QoS also determines which…

THE BOOKS APP got a minor refresh with the move to iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. The audiobook player has also been revamped, with a new interface and a mini–player which makes it easier to listen to your book while doing other things on your iPhone or iPad. The interface has had a brush–up too, with more customization options and the ability to choose reading themes for different environments and moods. As always, you can use the Books app to purchase reading material directly from Apple, and download samples of books before purchase. You can also add books obtained elsewhere, as long as they’re in a supported format, and organize them in your library. Here’s a guide on how to get the most from Apple’s amazing ebook experience. A MULTITASKING MENU…