Issue 299 May 2016 macformat.com @macformat
W K! NE O LO
The UK’s best-selling Apple mag!
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PHOTOS See what’s new in El Capitan and put your pictures in iCloud PLUS! Go further with Affinity Photo
Wi-Fi SECRETS
Smart Lights
Create the perfect home network + Make all your Apple devices cable-free
Bright ideas on how to get the Apple-powered home of the future… now!
iPhone SE & iPad Pro Say hello to the new 4-inch iPhone and the best-ever iPad screen
WIN! iPad Pro with uMake Pro 3D software
Rescue choppy home movies
Crashproof your Mac the easy way
Fix up iPhone videos fast
Mac
iPhone
iPad
Take our ultimate health check
Watch
iCloud
iTunes
Photos
iOpener Game-changing tech from the world of Apple and beyond
The sleek design of the printer fits in well with Apple hardware.
Hold a HyperPhoto in front of your iPhone and see it in motion on the screen.
LifePrint brings the tactility of printed photos to your online images and videos, along with a sense of wonder as you watch a static photo turn into a video.
The printer weighs 200g, so it’s portable enough to carry wherever you go.
Printable Live Photos Watch your photo prints come alive with LifePrint LifePrint prints out the photos you’ve uploaded to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social networks – but so what? Well, it can also print videos. Called HyperPhotos, each one comes on a small photo card similar to those you’ve been able to get developed on the high street for years, yet it contains an augmented reality element. Point your iPhone’s camera at it and the video plays on your phone’s screen, and you can share it on LifePrint’s social network. It’s like holding a QuickTime window in your hand, and is a fascinating merger of photography old and new. $149 (about £105) includes LifePrint printer, 60 sheets of LifePrint photo paper website lifeprintphotos.com works with iPhone 5s or later
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may 2016 | MACFORMAT | 3
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It doesn’t matter what Mac or iOS device you use, you need the internet for them, and your home network is where you’ll spend the most time connecting your devices to it. Most broadband connections and routers are free from bad reception these days, but with more and more devices being connected in your home the strain on your network has never been greater, particularly with smart home gadgets like multiroom speakers, thermostats and IP cameras. That’s why we’ve uncovered some great ways to maximise your home Wi-Fi network in this issue, so that all your Macs, iPhones, iPads and internet-connected accessories perform to their best at all times of the day. Core to your online activity is iCloud, and this month we’ve dived back into the Photos app to show you how to get more from it in El Capitan and how it all relates to iCloud Photo Library – something we hear a lot about from readers. The cloud is one aspect of your storage, but your Mac’s local drives are the main home for your files. In this month’s project we show you how to maintain all your storage devices so that you can minimise the threat of data disasters in the future. Turn to page 62 to get started. Finally, we saw the release of the smaller iPhone and new 9.7-inch iPad Pro in late March. Get the low-down on page 14, and look out for full reviews of them next time.
Meet the team
Christian Hall Editor editor@macformat.com
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facebook.com/macformat
twitter.com/macformat
Alan Stonebridge Production Editor Alan is delighted that the latest OS X and iOS software updates at last sync books not bought from Apple to all of his devices over iCloud.
Alex Blake Commissioning Editor Apple celebrated its 40th anniversary on 1 April, and it’s really making Alex feel old. Wait, no it isn’t – he was born in 1989!
Paul Blachford Managing Art Editor Paul’s finally got a 512GB SSD on his four-year-old MacBook Pro. “It’s so much quicker!” So, no rush to upgrade the rest of it then…
Seth Singh Digital Art Editor Seth is a changed man, having tackled an obstacle course this month. No Apple Watches were harmed in this. Art editors, however…
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MAY 2016 | MACFORMAT | 5
Issue 299 May 2016 macformat.com
8
30
APPLE CORE 8
Rumour & news
The core Apple news you need to know about
11
apps & games
Our top picks of the month for Mac and iOS
12
Apple facts
Amazing stats from the world of Apple
14
news feature & opinion
Wi-Fi SECRETS Discover the exciting and extensive ways you can put your Wi-Fi network to greater use
Going deeper into the hot topics of the month
18
split view
The team’s views on the latest Apple tech
APPLE HOME 21
80
Apple Home
Build the smart home of the future today
22
smart lighting
Illuminate your abode with these bright ideas
26
light up with your iphone
Change brightness and colour with a few taps
28
Home Gadgets
Get spring-cleaning with a smart vacuum
6 | MACFORMAT | May 2016
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Issue 299 CONTENTS
GENIUS TIPS
95
67
Genius Tips
Howard Oakley solves your Mac and iOS issues
68
MAC OS X
Stop desktop difficulties dragging you down
APPLE CHOICE 89
APPLE CHOICE
Our verdicts on the latest hardware and apps, including a sweet little portable speaker
104 STORE GUIDE Get help with picking your next piece of Apple hardware and the best add-ons to go with it
SAVE
64%!
70 MAC SOFTWARE Easy your app-fuelled anxieties with our fixes
72
iOS Software
Swipe away your touchscreen troubles
58
Turn to page 46 *Includes print and digital editions
20
WIN! An iPAD PRO
APPLE SKILLS 49 50
Get creative for your chance to win an iPad and a great 3D modelling app
REGULARS 74
back issues
Head here if you’ve missed an issue
110
next month
What’s coming in MF300, on sale 10 May
111
LETTERS
Have your say on all things Apple-related
112
PHOTOS
Apple skills
Expand your knowledge with our tutorials
Get smart with contacts
Create groups that maintain themselves
52 Master Affinity Photo
75
Love Your Mac
Inspiring ideas for revamping old Apple kit
Blend two images to mimic a double exposure
54
Save receipts to iCloud
Make receipts available on all of your devices
58 Fix up your video quality Improve the way your home movies look
60
C apture musical ideas
Lay down an idea as soon as it comes to you
62 Project: Maintain your Mac’s storage Beat performance issues to the punch
Our pick of the best of readers’ photographs
114
BACK PAGE
Apple kit given a modern makeover
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May 2016 | MACFORMAT | 7
What’s inside 8–10 RUMOUR & NEWS The core Apple news you need to know about
11 APPS & GAMES
Edited by
christian hall
Our top picks of the month for Mac and iOS APPLE RUMOUR
12 apple facts Amazing stats from the world of Apple
14–15 new apple kit The low-down on the iPhone SE and iPad Pro
16 opinion Adam Banks on digital content’s shelf life
18 SPLIT VIEW The team’s views on the latest Apple tech
Contact us Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com Keep up to date by following us on Twitter @macformat Join the conversation at facebook.com/ macformat
8 | MACFORMAT
Mac Pro (Mid 2016) Will WWDC 2016 be the time for a new Pro? Apple’s March event saw no talk of updated Macs in any shape or form. It’s now been more than two-and-a-half years since the high-end Mac first appeared in its radically redesigned form. It’s well overdue an update, and this summer could finally be the time for Apple to beef up the Pro. We wouldn’t expect Apple to change the Pro’s casing. It was a major industrial design success, and we’re far more likely to see changes that are restricted to the computer’s internals, unless new colours join the line-up of just black! Space Grey? Gold? Even Rose Gold? Well, nothing’s impossible! 1 But what about those internals? We haven’t got sales figures, so maybe Apple has been in no rush to update things 1 if buyers are happy enough. But, as with any computer, a gap of around three years soon intel xeon e5 v3 becomes a gulf in capability. Intel’s Xeon Skylake The late 2013 Mac Pro uses chips (E3 v5) are now here, so Apple may simply Intel’s Xeon E5 v2 (Ivy Bridge) have been waiting for their arrival. However, they processor family. When it are low on cache, so not ideal for multithreaded launched, these were Intel’s tasks. The older but highly capable Haswell chips most powerful workstation chips. of the E5 v3 range might fit the bill, and they Skipping Haswell (v3) may not be support DDR4 memory. It’ll be fascinating to see an option if the Pro is to retain where the Mac Pro goes next. Let’s look at those a large cache in its processors. potential specs in more detail…
Alan says…
I’m also eager to see how OS X’s graphics features evolve in its next release
2
10 USB 3 ports Code in El Capitan suggests the next Mac Pro will have a whopping 10 USB 3 ports. We think this makes sense if the new model gains Thunderbolt 3, which uses a USB-C connector but with 40Gbps transfer rates.
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Rumour APPLE CORE
THE POLL We asked… With similar components inside, which size iPhone would you pick?
4.7-inch (6/6s)
4-inch (SE)
46% 20% 2% 32%
3.5-inch please!
5.5-inch (6/6s Plus)
Log on and see next issue’s big question! twitter.com/macformat facebook.com/macformat
RUMOUR MILL
Hot on the heels of the tech giant’s latest moves…
1
LATE april event? 3 3
huge flash storage
4
Currently there’s 256GB PCIebased flash storage included in both standard Mac Pro models, with an option of 512GB for £240, or 1TB for £640. We expect a 2TB top-of-the-line option will be made available for £1,000.
4
dDR4 support 2
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A move to Haswell processors means moving from DDR3 to DDR4 on the memory side of things. That means up to 40% reduction in power usage, which could be just the thing for improved thermals if the casing design remains unchanged.
With Apple’s March event lacking Mac announcements, it could be swiftly followed by another small event to refresh the MacBook line-up.
2
Cloudbusting Apple is to split storage of iCloud data between Google and Amazon. There’s also talk of Apple building its own infrastructure for increased independence from its rivals.
3
google gestures The search engine giant is reportedly developing an iOS on-screen keyboard with gestural input, similar to apps like SwiftKey and Swype.
MAY 2016 | MACFORMAT | 9
APPLE CORE Apple News
Classic Apple FACTs
MacBooks
could be high 93% ‘Optane’ in a few years…
Apple’s renewable energy goal
Apple’s spring event kicked off with a look at the company’s commitment to recycling and renewable energy. Vice president of environment and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson, stated that Apple is just 7% shy of a 100% renewable energy goal in its ‘operations’.
iTunes 4.1 the first iTunes made for windows
In October 2003, iTunes expanded beyond the Mac and on to a far wider Windows audience, signalling the demise of jukeboxes like the popular MusicMatch to sync iPods with PCs.
Will new drive technology make your next notebook a speed freak? acBooks could be set for a major storage speed boost as early as next year, after reports emerged stating that Intel’s new Optane SSDs could be included in MacBooks in 2017. Optane drives contain 3D XPoint tech, which allows data to be read and written in small sizes far more quickly than on current SSDs thanks to the transistor-less crosspoint architecture of the drive. In practice, that could mean speeds a thousand times quicker than current NAND storage, and a more durable device too. Optane would also be 10 times denser than the DRAM chips contained in many computer models around today.
M
Extra! Extra! Apple News opens up to all Apple’s fancy format to finally make Apple News a great app
$23,700 A what an apple lisa’s cost would be today Launched in 1983 at a cost of $9,995, the Apple Lisa sold only around 100,000 units. The equivalent cost today, adjusted for inflation, buys you nine entry-level Mac Pros!
10 | MACFORMAT | may 2016
Optane is reported to be making its way to Apple’s MacBook range first, before coming to PCs at a later date. Apple has often been an early and enthusiastic adopter of advanced technology in its machines, such as Thunderbolt and switching to PCIe‑based flash storage in recent years, and Optane is another innovation that will keep MacBooks at the head of the portable computing pack. It was also recently announced at the Open Compute Project’s summit in San Jose, California, that Optane is compatible with the NVMe protocol used in the latest Retina MacBook storage, so that’s one less obstacle in the way of Optane-equipped MacBooks.
pple has opened up Apple News to all publishers and bloggers who wish to promote their stories on the iOS-native platform. When it first launched, the publishing tools built in to Apple News were limited to Apple’s official partners like the New York Times and Wired magazine. Now, these tools have been made available to anyone who wants to publish and monetise their content with Apple’s app. Apple News Format allows for rich content to be embedded in articles, and enables content creators to access analytics, and to monetise their content through iAds.
Soon many more media outlets will be delivering their Apple News feeds in a richer Apple News Format.
Alternatively, publishers can submit RSS feeds, which then push their content directly to the Apple News app. The move comes at a time when other large media players are moving into news. From Facebook Instant Articles to Snapchat Discover, many of Apple’s rivals are seeing the value in publishing and promoting news content. MacFormat currently publishes stories from its Tumblr blog on the Apple News app. Watch these pages for future updates.
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Apps & Games APPLE CORE
APPLE TV
APP of the month
Our top picks of what’s worth watching and playing this month
[ ma c g ame ]
Superhot £17.99
[ MOV I E]
star wars: The force awakens £13.99
Gives ‘bullet time’ a whole new meaning If you’re beginning to think all first-person shooters are alike, take a look at Superhot. It’s a game where the central mechanic forces you to think through your moves step by step – and it’s not often you hear that said about shooters. The mechanic in question is this: time only moves at a normal pace when you do. So rather than running gung-ho into an arena
and blasting your way out, you can simply stop moving and everything else will slow to a snail’s pace. Fire your gun or take a forward step and your enemies move too. It’s like a strategy-FPS mash-up that is by turns frantic and thoughtful depending on your game plan. Throw in a highly stylised graphical aesthetic and a risk-fraught, one-hit-death health bar and you’re left with a game that will leave an indelible mark on your psyche.
You must have been under a rock on Tatooine if you didn’t know this was coming. Unleash the Force!
[a pp]
mathboard £3.99
[ i os a p p ]
[ i os g ame ]
[ p od c as t ]
viki £1.49
I LOVE MY CIRCLE £1.49
THE THOUGHT SHOW FREE
If you find text overlays on maps a bit annoying, try this app instead. It’s a Wikipedia reader that plots interesting things in your vicinity, using leading lines to the content at the bottom of the screen so as not to obsure your map view. We love it. Why you need it: Takes the hassle out of using two apps. What’s it best for: Discovering interesting things around you.
The App Store is full of fast and furious twitch games in the Super Hexagon mould, but it’s nice to see new ones still being developed. Here you have to stay in your circle, dodging blocks that fly towards you. Stray outside and it’s goodnight! Why you need it: If you just love a good twitch game. What’s it best for: Short bursts of gaming on the go.
The Thought Show, from the BBC’s World Service, looks at the numbers behind the news, reveals the true story behind the social media buzz, and offers a compact guide to current affairs. Each 50minute programme is packed with digestible facts. Why you need it: Looking for something new in news? What’s it best for: Perfect for enlightening your lunchtimes.
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This app encourages kids to solve problems, rather than guess at the answers. It has a helpful assistant, and you can create multiple profiles.
[ g ame ]
sonic the hedgehog £2.29 You’ve been able to relive the widescreen remaster of this classic on iOS for ages. Now it’s on the big screen too!
may 2016 | MACFORMAT | 11
APPLE CORE Facts & Figures
The iPad 49.6 2
IN NUMBERS million Apple practically invented the tablet, so it’s no wonder few other companies have even had a look in. But how has the iPad done its first six years of life?
1 £1.97 per year
3
If you were to fully drain and then recharge an iPad Pro every day for a whole year, this is the princely sum it would cost you – less than making a cup of tea every day.
Apple sold nearly 50 million tablets in 2015, giving it the largest slice of the tablet pie. Samsung came in second with 33.5 million sales, according to market analysts TrendForce.
437
GRAMS
The weight of the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, making it almost 300 grams lighter than the first-generation iPad.
4 16.12 million
The number of iPads sold in the first quarter of 2016. Although less than the 26.04 million sold in Q1 2014 (the record quarter for iPad sales), it marks a large increase over the 9.88 million sold in Q4 2015. Samsung came in second with 33.5 million sales, according to TrendForce.
92% There’s no doubt that iPad owners love to play games, but a glance at the App Store’s Top Grossing chart reveals how much. 46 of the top 50 grossing iPad apps on the App Store are games – that’s 92%.
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6
5
24.5%
The share of the global tablet market taken up by iPads in Q4 2015. That’s down from the crushing 90% iPads enjoyed shortly after their initial launch in 2010, but up slightly from Q3 2015’s 20.3%
Next issue Learn vital statistics about Apple’s new headquarters, Campus 2.
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