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Group test: photo editing apps for Mac

Productivity boost: declutter your Mac’s menu

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iOS secrets uncovered

How tech changed the world

HomeKit–friendly household

From customizing your iPhone to making the most of animojis, discover things about iOS 12 you previously never knew with these invaluable tips.

Most aspects of life are now more convenient than they’ve ever been due to the advancements of tech. Here’s how the once impossible eventually became an everyday reality.

A device–controlled home is no longer limited to science fiction, as these HomeKit–compatible devices are equipped to automate your living space.

>>> Contents

Consider

KEF LSX speaker pair

Things 3.8

The editor muses how time changes everything.

FSNotes

dJay 3.0

Digital Life

Apple Leather Folio

Get two new digital guides when you subscribe.

Shine — Journey of Light

Acton Multi–Room 61

ChillScape

The next generation

Liquid | Author

Is now the right time to make the jump to 8K?

Nizo

Olloclip Pro lenses 63

Nebo 2

Personal space

Permute 3.08 64

6 apps to kickstart your spring clean

Get started with… Apple HomeKit How to best set up your HomeKit–friendly devices and successfully automate your household.

Ask

Does the US need EU– style data protection?

Acorn 6

The Shift

ExpanDrive 6.3.0

Darkroom 4

Tidy a Mac’s menu bar

Matt Bolton's method behind Airpods' madness.

Type–C Mobile Pro

Launch Center Pro 3

Organize your contacts

CES announcements

Reolink Go

Best of the best

Reveal the tonal details of your photos

Instant notetaking

Publish an ebook

Track your 2019 goals

Advanced video editing

Task tracking in Timely

Better Reddit browsing

Apple Quiz

Highlighting the best tech despite Apple's absence.

D–Link mydlink Pro

Typinator 7.8

Email us your views at letters@maclife.com

Antitype

Crave

SkySafari 6 Pro

The gear we’re lusting after this month.

Photo editing apps for Mac

Our experts solve your Mac and iOS problems.

Mac|Life’s pick of the best apps and hardware

Security cameras go head–to–head

Questions to help sort the Apple fools from fanboys.

Apple Leather Folio

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. Douglas adams

The number one destination for g ra phi c de s i gn news, views, an d h ow-to s creativebloq.com

it’s about time… I thoroughly enjoy making Mac|Life every month, but the only downside is the amount of time between me pressing the print button on deadline to the magazine landing in your hands. It’s a long wait. As a result, occasionally the things we write about aren’t quite as relevant as they were when we put pen to paper, so to speak. Case in point: this month would have been an ideal time to talk about the recent CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, but that was back in January, and although it still is as I write this, for you it’ll now be early March. So, the extensive CES feature that I was planning just wouldn’t make quite as much sense, so instead we’re focusing on some of the interesting tech that came out of the show. The biggest of these is one that’s been around for a while now but is just starting to gain traction — that is, the impending arrival of 8K resolution TVs, which you can read about on p8. Like me, you’ve probably only just got round to upgrading your current set to 4K, so yet another technological leap already seems unfathomable, but there you go — such is the march of progress (for better or worse). We’ve also got a glimpse of the best gadgets to come out of CES on p12, so you can get an idea of the products you can pimp up your Mac or iOS devices with, and if you really want to push the boat out, check out our not–so–affordable melee of tech on p14 in Crave this month; my personal fave is the folding TV that I neither really need, nor thankfully can afford. Speaking of technological progress, it’s hard to imagine that just over 20 years ago — the blink of an eye in tech terms — we were just starting to witness the emergence of the internet, along with sleeping giants like Amazon and eBay, and that one day gadgets would take the hard work out of living, so we could spend more time, erm, living or — reality check — being frustrated with the gadgets that were meant to make life easier. Turn to p32 to get a glimpse of what once was, and to find out how how digital tech has changed the world, and how it continues to evolve.

>>>The team

Matt Smith Art Editor Matt is considering the impact of a world without any social media and what would replace it.

Aaron Potter Production Editor This issue’s tech origins feature caused Aaron to reminisce about floppy disks. Ah, simpler days!

Alex Summersby

Nick odantzis, Editor Twitter: @maclife

6 Apr 2019 maclife.com

Contributor Want to get more from iOS 12? Alex shows you how to unlock its hidden potential on p16.

Stay up to date with the

latest Apple news

Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA, UK Future US, Inc. 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016 EDITORIAL Editor Nick Odantzis ARt editor Matt Smith production EDITOR Aaron Potter CONTRIBUTORS Adam Banks, Dayrl Baxter, Duncan Bell, Alex Blake, Matt Bolton, George Cairns, Jamie Carter, Alex Cox, Tim Hardwick, Hollin Jones, Cliff Joseph, Kenny Hemphill, Carrie Marshall, Dave Stevenson, Alan Stonebridge, Alex Summersby Art contributors Apple Digital edition ARt editor Matt Smith Digital edition Sub Rob Mead–Green BUSINESS marketing and strategic partnerships Stacy Gaines, stacy.gaines@futurenet.com us chief revenue officer Luke Edson, luke.edson@futurenet.com East coast account director Brandie Rushing, brandie.rushing@futurenet.com East coast account director Michael Plump, michael.plump@futurenet.com east coast account director Victoria Sanders, victoria.sanders@futurenet.com east coast account director Melissa Planty, melissa.planty@futurenet.com east coast account director Elizabeth Fleischman, elizabeth.fleischman@futurenet.com west coast account director Austin Park, austin.park@futurenet.com west coast account director Jack McAuliffe, jack.mcauliffe@futurenet.com director, client services Tracy Lam associate director, audience development Sheri Taubes MANAGEMENT Managing Director Aaron Asadi Editorial Director Paul Newman Head of Art & Design Rodney Dive Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham PRINT & PRODUCTION HEAD OF PRODUCTION UK & US Mark Constance PRODUCTION manager Frances Twentyman Project Manager Clare Scott Production Assistant Emily Wood We are committed to using only magazine paper derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation.

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MAC|LIFE (ISSN 1935-4010) is published monthly by Future US, Inc., 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036 USA. Website: www.futureus.com. Periodicals postage paid at San Bruno, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Newsstand distribution is handled by Curtis Circulation Company. Basic print subscription rates: 13 issues U.S. $30.00, Foreign: $39.95. U.S. prepaid funds only. Subscriptions do not include newsstand specials. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PO Box 2024, Langhorne, PA 19047, USA. Ride-Along Enclosure in the following editions: None. Standard Mail Enclosure in the following editions: None. Canadian returns should be sent to IMEX Global Solutions, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada. Future US, Inc. also publishes Maximum PC, Official Xbox Magazine, and PC Gamer. PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE: Mac|Life Customer Care, PO Box 5852, Harlan, IA 51593–1352. Online: www.myfavoritemagazines.com/youraccount. Toll free: 1-844-779-2822 (Opening hours: Mon- Fri 8am to 7pm; Sat 10am to 2pm EDT). Email: contact@myfavouritemagazines.com. REPRINTS: Future US, Inc., 11 Hanover Square, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10005. Phone: (718) 772-3598. Website: www.futureus.com. AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR LAWYERS: All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under license. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted, or used in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA, UK. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. Mac, iPad, iPhone, iOS, macOS, and other terms are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. This is a fully independent publication, not affiliated in any way with Apple or any other companies mentioned herein, and has not been authorised, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/ permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a license to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide, and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors, or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, or adapt all submissions.

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maclife.com apr 2019 7

Start FEED YOUR MIND. FEAST YOUR EYES.

8K: the big picture Higher than hi–def, bigger than big, and coming soon? BY Alex summersby

Word is, 8K is about to take off. That, at least, is according to television manufacturers and “industry leaders.” At CES 2019 in Las Vegas in January, one of the world’s biggest consumer electronics shows, 8K TVs such as Samsung’s 98Q900 and Sony’s Z9G wowed the crowds and grabbed the headlines. Then again, both are massive 98–inch screens, so they’re hard to miss. To put it simply, 8K is the next–generation hi–def TV standard. Compared to 4K, it boasts double the number of pixels horizontally (around 8,000, hence 8K) and double the number vertically — 7,680 x 4,320, to be precise. Do the math and this means 33 million pixels, four times the pixel count of 4K, or 16 times that of HD. That’s why 8K promises even larger screens, as well as a more immersive viewing experience, with no pixels perceptible even up–close. According to Sharp — one of the pioneers of 8K, and the company that introduced the first–ever 8K TV at CES 2013 — “8K technology is set to revolutionize the broadcasting and video industry.” Hold on, though. Aren’t we still just catching up with 4K? It’s true that 4K (or “Ultra HD”) has been around for about a decade and has taken a while to build up to speed. But according to one estimate, 75 per cent of all TVs sold commercially in the US in 2017 (the last year for which figures are available) were 4K capable. As of June 2018, according to statista.com, 31 per cent of US households own a 4K TV. 8 Apr 2019 maclife.com

The slow growth in adoption of 4K, experts say, was largely down to a lack of 4K content, and there’s already a move in the industry to shooting in 8K. Since Guardians of the Galaxy 2, the first feature film shot entirely in 8K, others have followed, including Deadpool 2, Hacksaw Ridge, and Venom. Netflix’s Lost in Space was shot in 7K on a RED Helium camera, although Netflix has yet to actually offer 8K content. YouTube already supports 8K video streaming. Paradoxically, however, now that consumers have finally perceived the benefits of ultra–hi–def image quality, they might be more willing to upgrade to the next level even before much 8K content becomes available — particularly if 8K TVs are able to upscale 4K footage to 8K on–screen, as is promised soon. What’s more, while 4K broadcasting is slowly rolling out, Japan’s public service provider NHK has already launched the world’s first 8K TV channel, which went live on December 1, 2018, although for now it will broadcast only 12 hours a day. It’s not quite that simple, though. NHK is using the 8K60 video format, which is not compatible with the 8K30 format used in Sharp’s and Samsung’s 8K TVs. Eventually, NHK plans to move to 8K120. In addition, adds one specialist observer (Rasmus Larsen, at flatpanelsHD.com): “Before 8K can become reality in the living room, consumers must also invest in 8K TVs with full HDMI 2.1. These TVs do not exist yet. The transition will take many years and perhaps even longer than for 4K because while many movies and video productions can be remastered to 4K based on the original 35mm film negative, 8K will typically require 70mm or content shot on new digital cameras such as RED’s cameras.” This might not be as big an issue if effective upscaling is built into your TV. And on the consumer side, the price of 8K TVs is already falling: Samsung’s Q900 retails for $15,000 — still a substantial investment, but much less

Feed your mind. Feast your eyes.

AirPlay 2, too Apple’s streaming app is one of many set for built–in TV support

Sony offers 8K and 4K displays via its Z9G Series of Smart TVs, supporting content filmed that way.

than Sharp’s first 8K TV commercially available in Japan, which cost $133,000 in 2015. On the production side, RED’s DSMC2 Helium 8K S35 camera, for example, lists at $24,500, but Sharp previewed a prototype DSLR–like 8K camera at CES 2019 expected to cost under $5,000, although final pricing and release date are yet to be announced. On the desktop, the iMac Pro supports 8K, and Final Cut Pro X can handle 8K processing and editing. There have been rumors circulating since September that Apple has an 8K monitor in the works. Otherwise, all the technologies are in place to support 8K workflows on the Mac, including Thunderbolt 3 for fast data transfer — 8K files are gargantuan, and file handling bottlenecks were previously an issue with working even with 4K. (Raw 4K footage weighs in at around 67GB per minute. Uncompressed 8K footage runs to an estimated 265GB per minute, or 24 terabytes for a typical 90–minute feature film.) So 8K certainly looks set to be the next big thing — and for now, things don’t come much bigger.

Apple did not have an official presence at CES 2019, but it nevertheless made a splash with the announcement that the latest TVs from leading manufacturers will have AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support built–in (beginning later this year). These include new 8K and 4K models from Vizio and Sony, including the Sony Z9G Series, A9G Series, and X950G Series TVs. There’s also LG’s Signature OLED TV R, a 65–inch 4K HDR unit that rolls up and down from a cabinet with built–in speakers and ports. It has Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support. Sony’s TVs are based on the Android TV platform, raising the prospect of users having a choice between Google Cast and AirPlay. AirPlay 2 enables streaming of videos, music, and photos direct from Apple devices, as well as synchronized multiroom audio; HomeKit enables control using Apple’s Home app or Siri. Going one better, Samsung announced the world’s first Smart TV with iTunes built in, in addition to AirPlay 2. Although Apple and Samsung are implacable rivals in the smartphone market, the two companies have been ready to work together (Samsung manufactures the screens for several iPhone models, for example). Samsung will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows on its 2019 Smart TV models beginning in spring, and on 2018 models after a forthcoming firmware update. You’ll be able to access iTunes on a Samsung Smart TV, as well as browse the iTunes Store to buy or rent hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows, including the largest selection of 4K movies.

maclife.com Apr 2019 9

>>> Start Feed your mind. Feast your eyes.

must

h av e s

What the heck?

Canopy Keyboard cases rarely feel like desktop keyboards. But you can carry an Apple Magic Keyboard in this case that’s also an iPad stand. $40, studioneat.com

Lifeactiv Power Pack 20 This 20,000mAh USB–C battery can charge your Apple gear, and water or dirt won’t hurt it. There’s even a flashlight thrown in. $99.99, lifeproof.com

Catalyst airpod Case The AirPods charging case isn’t waterproof and has nothing by which to grip or mount it. This silicone case fixes those flaws. $29.95, apple.com

Should the US adopt an EU–style policy regarding data protection? BY adam banks

In Europe, implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) caused headaches for businesses and confusion for citizens. But the idea of protection for personal data was popular. In October, Tim Cook, speaking in Brussels, floated the idea of a US equivalent, stating: “We at Apple are in full support of a comprehensive federal privacy law.” Cook’s theme, reflecting Apple’s aversion to the exploitation of personal data, was that users’ data was being traded for profit without benefit to them. It’s not a position that seemed calculated to win friends in big data, but when Time published an op–ed in January reiterating Cook’s views, data broking giant Acxiom backed his call for legislation. This hints at one reason why giant incumbents may welcome regulation: compliance burdens can pull up the ladder on new entrants and smaller players, reducing bothersome competition. But a central tenet of GDPR is proper

management of data transfers between controllers — something Cook raised in relation to data broking. Users should be able to see who has their data and request its global deletion, if necessary. Also in January, another proposal was released by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a think tank respected for its nonpartisan expertise but seen as close to industry. Critical of GDPR, the ITIF wants new US rules to supersede all existing federal and state privacy laws. Among the casualties would be COPPA, the long–standing act protecting children’s data rights, and California’s robust digital privacy law, signed in 2018 and due to come into effect in 2020. Some believe the ITIF proposal would amount to the data industry writing its own rules. Several senators, meanwhile, have put forward alternative federal data privacy bills, and the issue is sure to remain high on the agenda in the coming months.

w i n s & fa i l s BRAKE Apple redeploys staff from troubled autonomous vehicle project

SwERVE Chances rise that next MacBook will get that long– awaited feature: cup holders

FAIL French software company DxO finds more digital noise in iPhone XS Max front camera pics

WIN Rivals start to work on ‘grainy film effect’ selfie filters for those wanting to live it up like its the 1920s

CRASH Unaffordable iPhone upgrades results in a nasty hit to Apple revenues

SMASH Falling avocado prices could bring a Gen Z spending boom in 2019. Will this remedy the revenue woes?

10 Apr 2019 maclife.com

> The shift MATT BOLTON thinks there’s more smart design to Apple’s signature Airpods than merely how they fit in your ear

ast issue, I talked about a piece of Apple design I loathe. This time, I want to readdress the balance by talking about one that I think deserves more kudos than it gets, and not for the obvious reasons. Well, actually it is for the reasons of obviousness. As AirPods have become more popular, I’ve heard more and more people to whom I’ve recommended them say that they wouldn’t want to wear them because they’d feel that they look silly. Which I get — imagine a queue of people with them on, and you’re basically envisioning a scene from the first 10 minutes of a Doctor Who or Black Mirror episode. But the more I think about it, the more strange this opinion seems, even though it has also been my own. People would find it normal to see someone in a wired pair of EarPods, with cables dangling out of the bottom, yet that should be considered even more of an oddity. If little white sticks on your head seems weird, adding dangling white cords

Jabra’s Elite 65t are fantastic headphones, and most people won’t even notice you’re wearing them! Which is kind of the problem…

should definitely feel ostentatious, shouldn’t it? But no, by cutting back to just the in–ear part, it looks weird, rather than improved. I know that’s simply because it’s what we’re used to — that the baseline is cabled headphones. And so people will think they look silly to others when they diverge from that. But humans are smart! Mostly. Not so much recently. But we can surely handle the computations involved in seeing things that are a little bit different to the things we’ve previously seen before. You might think that the answer is to offer more subtle in–ear headphones, but here we come to what I think is the secret advantage of AirPods: the bright, sticky–out, almost ostentatious design of the earbuds is actually a social feature, not a design bug. In interface design, there’s a concept called an ‘affordance’. Essentially, this is the way that a device communicates to you what actions you can take, or what its current state is. The mouse pointer is an affordance, because it shows what you’re about to interact with. An icon changing color when clicked is an affordance, confirming your action. And an unmissably bright white pair of headphones sticking out

The long bit isn’t just there to make AirPods look like old headphones — it helps keep the mics super–clear at all times. of someone’s ears are an affordance, telling you that this person cannot hear you. I don’t use AirPods myself — they don’t fit my ears very comfortably. I use Jabra’s Elite 65t, which are much more discreet in the ear. In fact, people rarely notice I’m wearing them. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to apologize and ask people to start their conversations again, because they didn’t notice I was wearing headphones. It happens daily. I do not feel silly wearing them, but I do when I have to get people to repeat themselves. I think the protrusion and ostentation of AirPods are a social grace. An affordance to those who might interact with you. And that’s extremely good design.

>>> Matt is the editor of Future’s flagship technology magazine T3 and has been charting changes at Apple since his student days. He’s skeptical of tech industry hyperbole, but still gets warm and fuzzy on hearing “one more thing”.

maclife.com Apr 2019 11

9000

>>> Start Feed your mind. Feast your eyes.

6 things announced at CES 2019 Shunned by Apple, Vegas’ CES is still a mine of Mac and iOS tech BY Adam banks

DJI Osmo Mobile 2 Handheld video gets even smoother with the second edition of drone maker DJI’s lightweight three–axis gimbal, much cheaper at only $139 and with tripled 15– hour battery life. Works with any iPhone, landscape or portrait.

Otter + Pop PopSockets attach your iPhone to many accessories. OtterBox cases protect it from drops. Put the two together and you have an oddly practical and customizable cover, from $60. The swappable PopSocket sits flush when not in use.

12 Apr 2019 maclife.com

HyperDrive Wireless Charger Hub Launching on Kickstarter for March–April delivery, this will retail later for $159. Designed for MacBooks, it can charge compatible iPhones and adds in 4K HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, SD card reader, and USB–A ports alongside standard USB–C.

Lockly Secure Pro We’re wary of smart door locks, but this $250 unit (available in deadbolt or latch) has some sensible innovations. Not least of them is a touchscreen that arranges digits randomly, so button wear won’t give away your passcode.

Speck Case–E iPads are great for kids, until they fumble them onto a tile floor. For $40, Case–E not only provides six–foot drop protection but easy–to–grip gooseneck arms. A tie is supplied for car seat headrests. Fits recent mid–sized models.

Brydge Pro This aluminum keyboard case for iPad Pro ($150 for 11–inch, $170 for 12.9–inch) has a stiff hinge that folds all the way around, turning your tablet into a 2–in–1 laptop. An optional magnetic rear cover is also included for extra protection.