Innehållsförteckning för September 2024 från MacLife

> MAPS ON THE WEB Users in many regions can now access Apple Maps (in beta) directly from a web browser. As well as finding information such as opening hours and reviews, users can get driving and walking directions, order food directly from the Maps place card, and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world. More features, including Look Around, will be added in the coming months. Maps on the web is currently available in English, and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows. Support for additional languages, browsers, and platforms will be expanded over time. > APPLE INTELLIGENCE ON TRACK In Apple’s latest quarterly investor call, CEO Tim Cook…

Everyone loves a brand new Mac. It’s that smell of fresh technology as you take it out of the box, the ease at which you can get it up and running, and the improved performance compared to your old Mac. If the machine you’re retiring couldn’t run the latest version of macOS, you’re likely to find some exciting new features to play with. But which Mac should you buy? Would a notebook better suit your needs, or do you prefer a desktop? Is your budget better suited to an entry–level model, or do you have high–end needs that can only be serviced by a powerful beast of a Mac? And let’s face it, Macs have style. What color would you like? In this feature, we take a look at the…

When a Mac is a little outside your price range, or you have a desktop Mac and would like something cheap to carry around, why not buy an iPad? You can share files between your computer and tablet using your iCloud storage, key applications such as Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are available on the iPad, and if you buy a Bluetooth keyboard or keyboard case, you can use it as a notebook. The current version of the regular iPad is the 10th–generation release. Prices are relatively affordable — they start from $329 for the entry–level model. They’re available in Silver, Blue, Pink, or Yellow, so there’s bound to be one to match your sense of style. The 10th–gen iPad comes in 64GB and 256GB versions. If your budget allows, we…

Whatever Mac you buy, if you order from www.apple.com, you can customize its configuration to better suit your needs. When you click the Select button, you’re taken to a screen where you can add in various customization options. The off–the–shelf stats are selected by default, but upgrades are offered. For example, if you’re buying the most expensive 15–inch MacBook Air, for an added cost, you can increase the memory to 24GB, opt for 1TB or even 2TB of storage, and choose between a 35W Dual USB–C Port or a 70W USB–C Power Adapter. Like all Macs with a keyboard, you can change the layout from US English to a variety of other options, such as Spanish, Arabic, French, Italian, German, and more. If you’re buying a Mac with an external…

Technically, the Mac Studio isn’t Apple’s highest–end Mac. The Mac Pro is still a thing, but these days it’s an enterprise machine that costs a fortune. The Mac Studio is also far from cheap, costing $1,799 for the off–the–shelf M2 Max version and $3,599 for the M2 Ultra–powered version. Buy the more expensive model and customize it to the max on Apple’s website, and it will set you back an incredible $7,919. But what a Mac it is. THE KING OF DESKTOP MACS The M2 Max version can handle up to 10 streams of 8K ProRes video playback. Its 67 billion transistors can manage up to 15.8 trillion operations per second, and it supports up to five displays. The M2 Ultra is built from two M2 Max chips, and supports…

PART 1 of 2 REQUIRES Photomyne (free, IAPs), iOS 15 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to digitize prints, negatives, and slides IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes THANKS TO OUR ever–present iPhones, we have plenty of options when it comes to shooting, editing and sharing our thousands of photos. However, in pre–digital days we were limited to shooting up to 36 photos on a roll of analog film. Some of our prints might have been placed in photo albums or given pride of place in a picture frame, but the majority are probably still stacked in their original envelopes and hidden in a dark corner of a cupboard, attic or basement. In part one of this two–part tutorial, we’ll show you how to rescue these irreplaceable moments in time, to…

REQUIRES iOS/iPadOS 17 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to use Clips to record, edit and share slick videos IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes CLIPS IS A fantastic video–capture and editing app that launched in 2017, as a response from Apple to the super–popular and ever–changing world of short–form video content. Clips is part of the native applications present from the very first time you turn on your iPhone and iPad, it’s fully free to use, and like many Apple native apps, extremely intuitive. It is ideal for quickly editing and sharing a reel of video clips. The app is based on the concept of recording or importing little snippets of video footage to then edit with filters or enrich with fun stickers, emojis, and animated backgrounds. Subtitles can be…

HOW IT WORKS YOU WILL LEARN How new sensors provide greater creative control for the Apple Pencil Pro PEOPLE LAUGHED AT the Apple Pencil when it was first launched back in 2015, saying that only Apple could take a simple tool like a pencil and turn it into an overpriced accessory costing $99. In fact, Steve Jobs had always mocked the idea of using a stylus with an iPad or iPhone, arguing that “God gave us 10 styluses” so they didn’t need to invent another one. And critics certainly reminded Apple of Jobs’ words when the Pencil was launched. Even so, the Pencil has proved surprisingly popular over the years, and — like so many other Apple products — it recently got the “pro” treatment with the launch of the new…

THE BEST SECURITY is multilayered. With security software, the antivirus component provides a last line of defense; look for packages with additional protections, such as against dangerous websites and scam emails. Also avoid installing software from suspicious sources (see right) and get into the habit of choosing New > New Private Window in Safari to hide your browsing history from trackers (see p28). If your Mac supports it, enable its Touch ID feature for secure logins. Finally, consider upgrading to iCloud+ to unlock extra security features — the guides opposite reveal what’s available. Install new software with care Desperate to try a new application? Don’t rush into making a potentially costly mistake. First, make sure it’s downloaded from a reputable source: ideally the App Store or the program’s official website. If it’s…

I MAGINE IF YOU had your own personal chef. Imagine someone was on hand to prepare all of your food, cook it, and even clean up afterward, leaving you with nothing to do but sit at the table, grab your knife and fork, and tuck in, mouth salivating. Imagine if that someone was able to rustle up a delicious drink, too; a lovely beer to accompany your meal, perhaps, or a fine coffee to finish off. Well, imagine a little longer, because that’s not going to happen! But let’s not entirely burst that bubble. Thanks to smart kitchen tech, the processes of prepping, cooking, and cleaning can be so much easier and far less tiresome. For starters, food can be kept fresher for longer, reducing those trips to the grocery…

$369.99 From www.edifier.com/us Features 70W RMS output, 2x 1.25–inch silk tweeters, 2x 2.75–inch aluminum mid–range/bass drivers, 55Hz–40kHz frequency response, RCA (phono) and USB–A audio inputs, Bluetooth 5.3, subwoofer output, integrated 65W GaN charger with 2x USB–C and 1x USB–A ports, 11 customizable TempoAbyss lighting effects; 141.5x213x216.8mm (active speaker), 130x213x212mm (passive speaker), 2x angled aluminum speaker stands THERE’S SOMETHING DELICIOUSLY old school about Edifier’s QR65. Available in black or white vinyl finishes, it eschews the single-box 360° sound offered by many modern speakers in favor of proper stereo, combining a 141.5x213x216.8mm active speaker, containing the amplifier and electronics, and a slightly smaller (130x213x 212mm) passive speaker that connects via a chunky cable. This means that not only can you use the QR65 as a stereo system for your home hi–fi, but also…

$99.99 From elgato.com Features HDR support, 1080p resolution at 60Hz, f/2.4 aperture, 84–degree field of view, 30–120cm focus range, 24mm focal length, Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor, USB–C to USB–A cable THREE YEARS AGO, Elgato brought out the original Facecam. Now, Elgato has revised its camera, which comes with high dynamic range (HDR) support, a redesigned body, and a lower price. But does it go far enough? The Facecam MK.2 offers 1080p Full HD video at 60 frames a second. It has more resolution and frame rate combinations than its predecessor, including 120Hz at 720p. It also has HDR support, and performs well with it enabled. In bright lighting, we were correctly exposed, with no hints of washed–out overbrightness. In challenging lighting with a window behind us, it struggled to get…

Andrew Cottle Art Editor With an ageing MacBook Pro, Ian Osborne’s range review (p12) can help Andy pick the perfect new machine — and he already has his sights set on a new Mac Studio. Rachel Terzian Production Editor Rachel’s smartening up her new home by starting in the kitchen — and she has her eye on a few of the awesome gadgets you’ll find on p62. Now we’re cooking! Howard Oakley Contributor Problems with your Mac, iPhone or iPad? Luckily, Howard’s waiting on p46 to answer all your hardware and software questions.…

Apple has been enjoying healthy growth in computer sales of late. According to a report by the global intelligence firm IDC, there was a 20.8% growth in shipments of Macs in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. In real terms, that equates to 5.7 million machines across the world (up by a million) and an increased market share from 7.5% to 8.8%. But while that’s good news, all is not quite what it seems. To some extent, Mac sales have mirrored the general state of the PC industry of late and the overarching story has been one of general decline until this year when first–quarter Apple shipments were up 14.6%, meaning it has now had two consecutive growth periods. In the first quarter of…

When the MacBook Air was first released in 2008, Mac|Life contributor Matt Bolton said it was “overpriced, underpowered, and definitely the future”. He was right on all three points. 16 years later, we’re in that future, and the latest MacBook Airs are neither overpriced nor underpowered. The current 13–inch MacBook Air range use the latest Apple silicon M3 chips, except for a couple of models that have M2. They range in price from $999 to $1,499. Four colors are available: Silver (a regular aluminum casing), Starlight (adds a hint of yellow), Space Gray (a beautiful gunmetal color), and Midnight (black). The MacBook Air’s key strengths are its portability and battery life. It’s only 0.44 inches thick, and weighs just 2.73lbs, so it’s not going to give you backache, even if…

The MacBook Pro is the most powerful of Apple’s notebook range. They’re not cheap, starting at $1,499, but you get a lot of notebook for your notes. All models in the 14–inch MacBook Pro range offer some variant on the Apple silicon M3 processor. The three cheaper releases, available in Silver or Space Gray, use regular M3 chips. Two of the three higher–end models, which offer Silver or Space Black finishes, use the M3 Pro chip, and the top–end 14–inch MacBook Pro has an M3 Max. This is important, because as well as offering more processor and graphics processor cores, the M3 Pro and M3 Max can drive more external screens than the standard M3 chip. While the Apple silicon M3 chip can support only one external monitor, the M3…

When it comes to mobile Mac computing, there’s no better notebook than the 16–inch MacBook Pro. The screen is perfect for design work, offering two extra inches compared to the 14–inch model. It looks amazing, too, thanks to its Liquid Retina XDR display, which has 3456x2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch. It offers refresh rates of up to 120Hz, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and 600 nits of brightness. The screen’s extra size makes it a little less portable. It’s 14 inches wide and 9.76 inches deep, but weighs only 4.71lbs for the M3 Pro version and 4.76lbs for the M3 Max. At 0.66 inches thick, it won’t stretch a bag’s notebook pocket as long as it’s tall and wide enough for a 16–inch laptop. While the 14–inch MacBook…

REQUIRES Apple silicon Mac, macOS 12 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to install and use virtual Windows 11 on Arm IT WILL TAKE 1 hour FOR A COUPLE of years, Apple silicon Macs have been able to run Windows 11 on a virtual machine (VM), although at a price. Fortunately, VMware has now made its highly respected Fusion Pro virtualizer free for personal use, giving you the opportunity to run games and other Windows apps on your M–series Mac. Getting an ISO disk image can be difficult, as Windows for ARM architecture still isn’t available in a retail version. It’s simplest to download it using the rival Parallels Desktop; it should also be available to those in Microsoft’s Insider Program, or on a PC through the UUP Dump app. The…

REQUIRES iOS 15 or later YOU WILL LEARN The best ways to store docs and text on your iPhone IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes WE LOVE THE Notes app on our iPhone, but we can’t quite stop ourselves from putting our pen to Post–It notes or scribbling on the backs of envelopes. And that’s why the scanning features in the Notes app are so useful. Whether it’s an important letter, a receipt that you need to keep or a scrawled shopping list, you can use your iPhone camera to capture it — and you can turn it into text that you can then tick off, edit or share. It’s then available wherever you have a phone, tablet or computer using your Apple ID. CLEARER THE BETTER As you might expect,…

EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, it seems like someone is out to scam you. Online ads promoting deals too good to be true, suspicious web links lurking in prominent paid–for search engine slots — even people at the end of the phone trying to trick you into thinking your Mac is infested with malware. Since 2010, the amount of money lost to fraud has ballooned, with a report by the FTC stating that consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023 alone. Thanks to a growing number of online security breaches, hackers have gained access to millions of people’s personal information and are using it in increasingly sophisticated scams. But the good news is that there’s plenty you can do to fight back, and that’s where we come in.…

SECURITY IS BAKED into your iPhone and iPad from the ground up. But you can’t assume your phone or tablet is completely protected from the get–go. You need to get involved in the process by ensuring you set up your devices correctly. The walkthrough opposite covers the basic steps required to achieve this. When you come to strengthen your passcode, choose something memorable to you, and make it alphanumeric if possible. It’s a good idea to store this somewhere safe — for example, as a secure note in your password manager (see below). Your phone is also equipped with measures to protect you from scammers. Navigate to Settings > Phone to work through various options such as Silence Unknown Callers (all calls outside of your contacts are diverted to voicemail) and…

FOOD DOESN’T JUST magically appear on your plate. It needs to be prepared, which typically means keeping raw ingredients fresh before weighing, chopping, and mixing them. It often requires accuracy and patience, as well as a watchful eye, should something go wrong. But, as laborious as prepping can be, it can also be fun, relaxing, and efficient — with the right tech. Here, we look at smart gadgets to help reduce waste, keep food fresher for longer, prevent you from setting it alight and enjoy time in the kitchen. We’ll show you devices that make light work of the most boring of tasks and allow greater control, thanks to apps that let you set up and monitor key processes. 1 Vitesy Shelfy > $179 > www.vitesy.com Shelfy uses WO3 photocatalytic technology…

$199 From us.ankerwork.com Needs USB–C or Bluetooth MANY PEOPLE ARE used to the idea of working from home, but without a little tech help, online meetings can sometimes go less than perfectly. AnkerWork’s latest speakerphone contains a battery that holds up to 16 hours of charge, and an adjustable Qi2 MagSafe phone mount that will charge compatible phones at up to 15W, and others at 7.5W. It pairs to your smartphone over Bluetooth, and also to your Mac over USB–C, with one port for data and another for power. In either mode, it assumes the role of detecting your voice and playing the sound from your device, with the echo canceling working just as well as it does on a Mac. The speaker has four microphones spaced around its circumference, meaning…

IT outage lessons to learn What can we learn from the CrowdStrike/Windows disaster? IN MID JULY, a flawed security software update caused “the largest IT outage in history”. Thousands of flights were cancelled around the world as airline and airport systems went down. Banks, businesses, and Social Security services were disrupted. Hospitals, broadcasters, and 911 call handling in several states were impacted, and much more. Losses are expected to reach many billions of dollars globally. It was all caused by a glitch in a software update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm based in Austin, Texas. The glitch caused an estimated 8.5m computers running Microsoft Windows to crash. Recovery was slow because it required a manual reboot of each computer and deletion of the faulty software. Mac and Linux machines running…

Really need a Mac, but don’t have much money — or maybe space? Then the Mac mini is perfect. Prices start at $499, and all current Mac mini models are powered by Apple’s own M2 system–on–a–chip (SoC). The Mac mini is just 7.75 inches square and 1.4 inches deep, and weighs from 2.6lbs. This makes it very transportable. If you use a Mac in the office or from home, you could set up a screen and keyboard in both places, and carry the Mac mini between them. It’s powerful enough for most tasks, and it has two USB–A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus either two or four Thunderbolt 4 ports depending on the model you choose. The Mac mini’s biggest potential drawback is…

While you may well like the portability of the MacBook Air, you might prefer a larger screen. If so, you’ll be glad to know that there’s a 15–inch option. Despite the extra screen space (and therefore larger body), it still weighs just 3.32lbs and is 0.45 inches thin. It has the same battery life as its smaller counterpart, namely 18 hours of video streaming or 15 hours of wireless web surfing. Once more, you can use this notebook all day without recharging. As you’d expect, given its larger display, the 15–inch model costs a little more than the 13–inch. The cheapest of the 15–inch range costs $1,299. That’s $200 more than the cheapest 13–inch model, but you do get two extra GPU cores, as well as two inches more screen.…

For the last few high–end iPad releases, Apple has boasted about how it’s “the thinnest ever”. The current 11–inch iPad Pro is 0.2 inches thick, and to be frank, that’s as thin as it needs to be. Shaving fractions off its depth with every release no longer impresses. On the other hand, the quality of the 11–inch iPad Pro definitely does. Available in Silver or Space Black, it boasts an impressive camera system, which includes a LiDAR scanner. Its rear–facing camera is 12MP, with an ƒ/1.8 aperture and a digital zoom up to 5x. It can record video of up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second (fps), too. The front–facing camera, which is on the long side, is great for video calls, and also offers Face ID, so…

REQUIRES macOS 12.4, iPadOS 15.4 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to combine Mac and iPad with Sidecar and Universal Control IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes UNIVERSAL CONTROL CAN ALSO CONTROL MULTIPLE MACS FROM THE SAME KEYBOARD, MOUSE AND TRACKPAD WITH UNIVERSAL CONTROL and Sidecar, you can combine your Mac and iPad (or your iPhone) into one super device, transforming your MacBook or Mac into a dual–display device for controlling multiple Apple devices from the same keyboard, mouse or trackpad. Sidecar enables you to use your iPad or Apple TV as a second display for your Mac. It can do that either as a second monitor or by mirroring your Mac’s screen. If you mirror your Mac to your iPad in an app such as Photoshop, you can then navigate…

REQUIRES Any Apple device (we’ve used an iPad here) YOU WILL LEARN How to make the most of Siri, Apple’s voice assistant IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes SIRI, THE VOICE assistant found on all of Apple’s products, often gets a bad rep for being ineffective and a little outdated compared to its competition — although things look set to change dramatically with the imminent release of Apple Intelligence. But even now, Siri is far more than just an afterthought on your device, it’s capable of loads of nifty tricks that can help you get the most from your iPad. Think of Siri as your personal assistant and it quickly becomes one of the most–used features on anyone’s device. You can access Siri from anywhere on your iPad, making it the…

Spot the scams THERE WAS A time when you could rely almost exclusively on your Apple devices to keep you safe and secure. If you needed extra protection, then antivirus software sealed the deal. But bad actors have found ways to bypass such security measures by targeting the weakest point in any system: us. Hackers and scammers have realized they can trick people into giving up personal details or even handing control of their devices to a third party. What started out as simple “phishing” — an attempt to steal people’s personal information through random fake emails — has evolved into more personally targeted and sophisticated scams that stretch across all channels. Many of these personalized attacks use data obtained from large–scale breaches (see opposite). Read on to find out…

YOU’VE MADE GREAT strides in protecting your devices and securing your online presence, but there’s still plenty you can do to tighten things up further. In this final section, we examine further ways you can improve your security, both at home and when out and about. One popular privacy and security measure is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This adds an extra layer of encryption to the data you send and receive over the internet, but it’s not quite the silver bullet you might think. The job of a VPN is to prevent data being identified or intercepted during the first part of its journey to the VPN server. From here it’s then decrypted and sent on — you need to make sure you’re connecting to secure destinations, such as a…

WITH THE PREP out of the way, it’s time to cook — heating your food to perfection so that it draws out the flavors and maximizes nutritional value. But while we’re all used to appliances that make cooking possible, such as ovens, hobs, microwaves, grills, and the like, smart kitchen tech can free up your time, make guesswork a thing of the past, and, who knows, even help turn you into a Michelin–star chef? Maybe. Of course, once you’ve made your awesome meal, you’re then going to be faced with lots of dirty pots, pans, plates, and cutlery and a potentially messy floor. Do you relish the task of cleaning up, or can smart tech rush to the rescue once again? 1 Stirr > $35.99 > www.uutensil.com Bored of standing…

$799 From us.espres.so Needs USB–C or Thunderbolt port, USB–C power supply for maximum brightness Features 4k resolution, USB–C or Thunderbolt data and power, 1 billion colors, magnetic stand USING A SECOND monitor with your MacBook while also keeping it portable is surprisingly tricky. Enter Australian developer espresso, which has added a 17–inch model to its 13–and 15–inch monitor lineup, its first at 4K. Constructed from aluminum and scratch–resistant glass, the screen is 9mm thin and weighs 2.4lbs. A soft case is available, though it should probably be thrown in at this price. You do, however, get a foldable metal stand that attaches magnetically. The monitor sends data and power over the USB–C cable, though when powering in this way, it will drain your laptop’s battery more quickly than normal. A second…