6
secure Safari alternatives on test
Power up spreadsheets the easy way
Rated: All–new Beats Studio Buds. The AirPods killer? MAC
iPHONE
iPAD SEPTEMBER 2021 NO.184
The ultimate showdown: MacBook against iPad Pro! But which portable should be your next purchase?
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Editor’s opinion
DIFFICULT DECISIONS
We face some pretty difficult choices in life. Should you start a completely new career? Do you rent or buy? Stay friends, or move things to the next level? And, should you get an iPad Pro or a MacBook? This last one is a question that still goes unanswered to this day. Apple has made steps to align the two portable powerhouses more closely, and they both now share an identical M1 chipset, making them — OS aside — virtually identical. iPadOS is getting more capable all the time, but is it ready for your needs? Or do you still want a MacBook for all that, and more? That’s what we aim to find out in our main feature this issue. We pit the two devices against each other, and show you which is better for a given task, as well as which makes better financial sense in the long run. Take a look on page 14 and find out what works best for you. Let me know which camp you’re in, and why, in the ongoing Mac vs iPad debate at the usual inbox — letters@ maclife.com. The best responses will earn a place in our letters section in the next edition of Mac|Life! Elsewhere in this issue, there’s plenty to keep you tuned in with your Apple hardware. On page 28, we’ll show you how to make the most of your Apple Watch, if you’ve just made a purchase. Some of these tips might seems obvious, but others might make you kick yourself that you didn’t use them sooner. Before the more secure Safari+ arrives with us later this year, you might want to check out our group test of the best, and most secure, alternatives to Safari on page 54. We’ve got a wide range of browsers built specifically to enhance your security and privacy, and we’ll reveal which is best for you needs. In insecure times like these, I highly recommend you consider your choice of browser. Lastly, I’ll be heading back to the Mac|Life base next month, and I’ve mixed feelings about it, but how about you? Are you wedded to your home office and thankful there’s no commute, or are you desperate for a change of scene? As usual — get in touch.
>>>THE TEAM
Matt Lochrie
Art Editor Matt thinks that MacBooks and iPads target different audiences, so it’s easy to choose the right one.
Olivia Weaver
Production Editor The Saint Laurent x Bang & Olufsen speaker (p12), is on Olivia’s wish list. Time to start saving up...
Alex Blake
NICK ODANTZIS, Editor Twitter: @maclife
Contributor Alex’s round up of apps to sort your finances (p64) will help you save money without penny–pinching. SEP 2021 3
SEP 2021 NO.184
14
iPad vs Mac
Which portable to choose: laptop or tablet? It all depends on your needs. We’ll help you discover which Apple device is best suited to you. 4 SEP 2021
MACLIFE.COM
28
Apple Watch tips
Unlock the full potential of your Apple Watch with our essential tips for watchOS — you can now go far beyond simply telling the time!
68
Beginner’s Guides: Introducing Numbers
Learn how to really improve your spreadsheet game with tables, charts, and more.
48 — Carbon Copy Cloner
03 Consider
The editor on making difficult decisions
06 Digital Life
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07 Share
Email us your views at letters@maclife.com
08 Supply shortages
Apple acts to address shortages of chips and screens amid the pandemic
10 The Shift
Matt Bolton explains why the striking new iMac needs better peripherals
49 — Halide for iPad
60 — Cardhop 2
GEAR UP
APP LIFE
74 Expert advice
38 Beats Studio Buds 40 Roku Express 4K 41 Astell & Kern USB–C Dual DAC Cable 41 Kingston Nucleum USB–C Hub 42 Head to head: Apple’s AirTag versus Chipolo ONE Spot 44 Belkin SoundForm Connect 45 Brydge iTrack 45 Twelve South HoverBar Duo 46 Viewsonic M2e
48 49 50 52 53 53 54
38
60 61 61 62 63 64 66
Carbon Copy Cloner Halide for iPad Waltr Pro Baba is You Cardiobot Mind Node 7 Group test: Best secure Safari browser alternatives Cardhop 2 Inked Sunblaze F–Secure TOTAL Screenflow 10 Best apps to fix your finances for good! Best of the best
Mac|Life’s pick of the best apps and hardware for Mac and iOS
42 Image rights, clockwise from top–left: Bombich, Lux Optics Inc, Flexibits, Apple, Chipolo, Apple.
Our tech hotshot solves your Mac and iOS problems
80 Make Big Sur more accessible 82 Find and delete duplicate files and photos 84 Capture any text with TextSniper 86 Get creative with CorelDRAW 88 How to make music remotely 90 Get a handle on Microsoft Teams 92 How to use AirTags 94 Protect accounts with 2FA security 96 The periscope lens
RAM
98 The PowerBook 100
SEP 2021 5
Stay up to date with the
latest Apple news
EDITORIAL EDITOR Nick Odantzis ART EDITOR Matt Lochrie PRODUCTION EDITORS Iain Noble, Olivia Weaver, Steve Wright GROUP PRODUCTION EDITOR Steve Wright GROUP ART DIRECTOR Jo Gulliver CONTRIBUTORS Alex Blake, Matt Bolton, Ryan Butt, George Cairns, Ian Evenden, Craig Grannell, Kenny Hemphill, Charlotte Henry, Hollin Jones, Cliff Joseph, Carrie Marshall, Rob Mead–Green, Howard Oakley, Nick Peers, Alex Summersby ART ART CONTRIBUTORS Apple PHOTOGRAPHY Bath Photo Studio — Phil Barker COVER IMAGE CREDITS: Apple, Brave, mozilla.org, The Tor Project, Vivaldi Technologies. DIGITAL EDITION ART EDITOR Matt Smith DIGITAL EDITION SUB Rob Mead–Green Future US, Inc. 15th Floor, 11 W 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036, USA www.futureus.com BUSINESS 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 tracy.lam@futurenet.com ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Sheri Taubes INTERNATIONAL Mac|Life is available for licensing and syndication. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities HEAD OF PRINT LICENSING Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Penny Ladkin–Brand CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Angie O’Farrell CHIEF AUDIENCE & ECOMMERCE OFFICER Aaron Asadi MD TECH SPECIALIST Keith Walker GROUP EDITOR–IN–CHIEF Graham Barlow FINANCE DIRECTOR MAGAZINES & SUBSCRIPTIONS Dan Jotcham PRINT & PRODUCTION HEAD OF PRODUCTION UK & US Mark Constance SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER Matthew Eglinton PRODUCTION MANAGER Frances Twentyman PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Emily Wood AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Emma Thomas SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE Mac|Life Customer Care, PO Box 5852, Harlan, IA 51593–1352. Online: www.magazinesdirect.com Toll free: 1-844-779-2822 (Opening hours: Mon- Fri 8am to 7pm; Sat 10am to 2pm EDT). New Orders: help@magazinesdirect.com Renewals/Queries: help@mymagazine.co.uk
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Volume 15, Issue 9
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6 SEP 2021
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Your opinions, rants & raves
I wanted to share an issue I had with my iMac, and how one of your support articles helped me to recover. I always properly shut down my iMac (27–inch, late 2014) from the Apple icon shutdown menu at the end of the day. A couple of days ago when I powered it on the screen would appear to turn on, but freeze half way through the process. I tried to shut down and restart, with no success. I then remembered that your magazine has an “Essential Support Article” section, and I tried the safe mode and recovery function. I initially tried First Aid to check for any disk errors, but it came back with no errors. I then tried loading the latest Time Machine backup, but this did not rectify the issue. I then knew I could either reinstall macOS Big Sur or erase the drive and start from a fresh install. I tried the Big Sur reinstall in recovery mode, and after about 45 minutes the system was returned to normal. No data was lost from what I could see. Although I was aware of the keystrokes to get to safe mode and recovery functions, it was reassuring to have the article to guide me through restoring my system. Thank you for the tips, and most of all for keeping a print edition I can refer back to when needed. ED LINGERFELT We’re glad to be a help Ed! There’s nothing worse than encountering a problem and being stuck. Our Ask section was designed to help you figure things out for yourself, rather than having to call Apple’s tech support. If any of you reading this have a problem with your Mac that you want to share, no matter how serious or trivial it is, then do get in touch using the contact info on this page. We have a dedicated expert on hand to get things sorted.
Speaking up
I always enjoy the editor’s thoughts. This time, I was impressed by him taking Apple to task for its laissez faire attitude about animals and our environment. It’s terrific when a person of his strength uses their platform to speak up for what is right. If I enjoyed his thoughts before, I love them now! All good wishes. JERRY CESAK, LA JOLLA, CA.
SHARE WITH US! Image rights: Apple.
For a tech company that wants to be seen to be doing "the right thing" by the environment, Apple sure has a funny way of showing it. Here’s hoping it addresses all areas of its environmental (and ethical) impact.
MIDI support
I have lots of songs that I created on a Windows 10 computer saved in midi format. Is it possible to open the files in macOS without issue, or will I
have to convert them into formatting specific to it? GERALD CARROLL Apple doesn’t have a player that supports MIDI files. There are two options: Either download a specific app from the Mac App Store, or use GarageBand to import and play back MIDI files.
iPhone vs pacemaker
My wife has recently been fitted with a pacemaker. However, reading a website, I note that the latest iPhone 12 can interfere with them. I gather Apple has issued a warning. This was news to the hospital team involved with my wife’s pacemaker, but they gave no guidance. Do you have any info? COLIN STEVENS The MagSafe tech used in the iPhone 12 relies on magnets to work, and this can cause interference on some medical devices. However, while US researchers did raise the alarm — which led to Apple issuing its guidance at bit.ly/ ml184_magint — the risks may be overstated. The best advice is to talk to your doctor or pacemaker specialist.
EMAIL: letters@maclife.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/maclife TWITTER: twitter.com/maclife SEP 2021 7
START THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF APPLE
Apple acts to address supply shortages Screens and chips in short supply, but Apple’s working on it BY ALEX SUMMERSBY
WITH THE ENTIRE electronics industry facing global component shortages, Apple has acted to secure supplies of critical parts. The M1-chip-powered 12.9-inch iPad Pro, launched in April, has Apple’s first display with mini-LED technology instead of LCD or OLED. Buyers are complaining of long wait times and shipping delays, and it’s believed the cause is that Apple’s production partners are struggling to produce the mini-LED screens in quantity. This is said to be impacting Apple’s plans to launch a rumored MacBook Pro with mini-LED screen. According to DigiTimes, Apple has made a $200m investment in its primary supplier, TSMT (Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology). This will be used to create four new mini-LED assembly lines, boosting capacity by 700,000 to 800,000 8 SEP 2021
units. In addition, reports claim four new suppliers have been signed. There’s a global chip shortage, for multiple reasons. Lockdowns around the world have reduced output, as has a drought in Taiwan (wafer manufacturing requires a lot of water), and even freezing weather in February in Texas, which forced chip-making plants to close. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger warned in June that “shortages of foundry capacity, substrates, and components” will likely last at least to the end of 2021. Nikkei reports that production of some existing MacBook and iPad models has been delayed by component shortages, although IDC notes that Mac shipments jumped by 29 per cent in 2020. It is unclear whether supplies of the M1 chip in particular are constrained. The chip is produced
by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract chipmaker, who said in April that while it is doing all it can to increase production, tight supplies are expected to continue well into 2022. Apple has also invested for the long term in key technologies. In May it awarded Corning $45m from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, fueling the creation of Ceramic Shield for the iPhone 12 line. Also in May, it announced a new $410m award on top of a 2017 investment of $390m, both from the same fund, going to II-VI, whose optical technologies Apple uses for Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and the lasers used in LiDAR scanners.
Image rights: Intel.
The latest news from the world of Apple
News in brief Apple news in
bite–sized chunks
> AUDACITY TURNS SPYWARE? Open source audio–editor Audacity is being condemned as “spyware” after changes to its privacy policy. It now collects data like OS version, country (based on IP address), and unspecified “data necessary for law enforcement.” It is “occasionally required to share your personal data with our main office in Russia,” it says, and possibly others including “advisors” and “potential buyers”.
> Apple–1 manuals re–created Not a copy, but a meticulous remake OUT OF THE 200 or so Apple–1 computers ever built, under 70 are known to survive — only six in working order. For retro computing enthusiasts, there have been replicas of the first Apple computer around for some time. But when the guys at retroplace.com, an online marketplace for video games based in Munich, Germany, started selling replica PCBs online, they soon realized that although there are also reproductions of the original manuals available, these are all printed from poor–quality scans on cheap laser printer paper. Not good enough, they thought. So they lovingly re–created the original manuals for the world’s first home computer from scratch. They didn’t just scan the originals — they didn’t even just typeset the text. They laboriously kerned every single character manually to produce Image rights: Corre Hierstetter GbR.
a re–creation true to the original, down to a fraction of a millimeter. All the schematics had to be redrawn, too. They even re–created the original Byte Shop logo stamp, with the permission of former owner Paul Terrell. After some 100 hours of painstaking work, the end result is breathtakingly accurate re–creations of the Operation Manual (with fold–out schematics!), the Preliminary Basic Users Manual, and the Cassette Interface Manual. As a bonus, they also re–created the first full–page ad for the Apple–1, all printed on exquisite Munken Pure paper (which has a nice ivory tint to it). All manuals are available for purchase from retroplace.com/apple-1. Tell them Mac|Life sent you!
> MAGNET WARNING EXTENDED Earlier this year, Apple warned that the magnets in iPhones and MagSafe accessories could affect pacemakers. In May, the FDA found the risk to patients with pacemakers is low, but urged caution. In June, the American Heart Foundation said MagSafe poses a “clinically significant” risk to cardiac devices. Apple’s support note (support.apple.com/en-us/HT211900) now lists products with magnets inside — AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and Beats products — and advises “Keep these products a safe distance away from your medical device.” > PRIVACY RESTORED App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requires advertisers to get your permission to track your iPhone. In March, a system known as CAID emerged in China, promoted by the state–backed China Advertising Association, to sidestep ATT and track you anyway. It was reportedly being considered by China–based businesses including Tencent and TikTok parent company ByteDance. Sources say Apple now blocks apps on the App Store that it finds are adding CAID support to updates. SEP 2021 9
>>> Start
>MATT THE SHIFT BOLTON thinks the new iMac is
beautiful, so why is Apple forcing him to add an ugly peripheral?
T
HE NEW iMAC is a gorgeous computer, and is the thing I’m third–most looking forward to having in my house this year, after my parents and my friends. The slim design feels like a computing revelation, but the cheapest model only has two USB–C ports for connectivity, and that’s it. Two ports total. While the next model up adds two more USB–C ports, there’s still a total lack of support for any accessories with older connection types. Apple’s problem is obvious: the 11.5mm thinness that makes it look so good just isn’t deep enough for a regular USB Type–A connector. I just measured one on my desk, and it’s 12.5mm, and that doesn’t include what you’d need to plug into it. It has this problem with the 3.5mm headphone jack
This CalDigit dock has the most connection options that Apple sells. It is also the dullest design I have ever seen.
too, but Apple moved that over to the side of the iMac, to fix the issue. Moving the USB ports to the side would lead to ugly cabling, which explains the reluctance to do that. But the end result is still annoying: you need to add an adaptor if you want USB Type–A, or an SD card reader and so on. The cheaper iMac model doesn’t include the Ethernet connection on the power brick that the more expensive version does, either. The adaptor being a hidden cost if you have lots of accessories you want this iMac to work with is frustrating, yet I can live with that. When you know, you can factor it in. Fine. But… why do they all have to be so ugly? Anything on Apple’s site with a decent number of ports is some chunky gray lump — the antithesis of the sleek computer I actually want. If Apple had made a sleek USB–C/Thunderbolt dock in the same colors as the iMac — maybe one that fits neatly to the stand to keep the aesthetic clean — then I’d just roll my eyes at Apple and pay the extra. But a look through the dock options on the Apple Store (the products you can buy along with your iMac), makes it feel like no one at Apple cares about consistent aesthetics. That’s
If Apple won’t make a neat USB–C hub in seven different colors as per its new iMac range, who else will? obviously not the case, but it’s hard to find another explanation for the gulf in design quality here. You can buy different dock options from other companies, but most people will want to buy one with their computer, trusting in Apple’s quality control for the products it sells in its store. And even if you do look elsewhere, there’s still nothing that actually looks good enough for these iMacs. It’s such a sharp bubble–burst to get this incredible–looking machine set up on your desk, only to then attach what looks like a modem from 1998. It’s a radical design: the first built specifically with the M1 chip in mind… so why didn’t Apple open its mind just a little further to remember those of us with USB–A cables?
>>> Matt is the AV and smart home editor of Future’s flagship technology website 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.” 10 SEP 2021
Image rights: Apple, CalDigit.
SPOTLIGHT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH…
iPhone 7 (2016)
The tenth generation of iPhone featured a 12– megapixel camera with quad–LED “True Tone” flash, widened f/1.8 aperture, and optical image stabilization.
>>> Start
CRAVE THE GEAR WE’RE LUSTING AFTER
Saint Laurent x Bang & Olufsen Beosound Edge $7,500 From ysl.com >>> Some speakers are not just there to be heard — they’re there to be seen as well. The Beosound Edge speaker from Bang & Olufsen and Yves Saint Laurent is one such device, with its marble print front face looking like it was hewn straight from an opulent mansion on the sunny French Riviera. It’s the latest of many collaborations between the two firms, following a series of equally extravagant speakers, headphones and charging mats. The Edge speaker hooks up to an iPhone or iPad (gold–plated only, please) thanks to its built–in AirPlay, but you’re probably not too fussed about that. After all, you’re here to gawp at this marvel of modern money rainmaking. We don’t blame you. We’re doing the exact same thing.
Leica M10–R Black Paint Finish $9,295 From leicacamerausa.com >>> The black, silver, and red look of the Leica M10 camera is iconic, and you instantly know what you’re looking at when you see it in the flesh. With this new edition, though, Leica is trying something new, cladding the silver elements in a new gloss black outfit, and omitting the trademark red dot entirely. The result is a limited edition comprising just 2,000 units worldwide, and a new take on an absolute classic. 12 SEP 2021
The performance of the M10–R Black edition is exactly the same as its Silver Chrome counterpart — the same 40MP resolution, the same ISO 100–50,000 range, the same everything — so if you want to save yourself some cash, you can opt for that traditional model for a mere, erm, $8,995. Time to start adding those spare coins to the money jar, and eventually you’ll have the gear to help you capture that perfect shot. Image rights from top: YVES SAINT LAURENT, Leica Camera AG.
The gear we’re lusting after
Level Lock Touch Edition $329 From level.co >>> Who says smart locks have to be big and ugly? Not Level, and we’re inclined to agree. The Level Lock Touch Edition is one of the tiniest smart home locks on the market — where other locks let it all hang out, Level stuffs everything out of sight into the deadbolt slot. On first glance, you wouldn’t even know it was a smart lock to begin with. It works with HomeKit, Ring, and Alexa, and you can open it with your voice, a card, the app, a traditional key, or even just a touch of your finger. You’ll get a year’s worth of juice from the CR2 battery, too. You’ll have the convenience of a smart lock, with more sophistication.
Monogram Creative Console
$399+ From monogramcc.com
>>> Monogram’s Creative Console series is designed to help you do your creative and editing work more easily and more efficiently. It might also make you feel you’re at the control deck on the Starship Enterprise. If that helps with your work, then Godspeed. Each console comprises various modules, each with a sole purpose —
there are sliders, dials, buttons, and more. Modules snap together magnetically, meaning you can arrange them however you prefer. Each can be configured to control a range of apps, with native support for the Adobe Creative Suite, Unreal Engine, and Capture One Pro. You can use it to control almost any app through universal controls, too.
Dusk $189+ (pre–order price) From indiegogo.com >>> How many times have you been wearing glasses and had to switch to shades as the light changed? Dusk is an attempt to eliminate that problem — it’s a handy pair of electrochromic sunglasses that adjust their polarized lens tint through a companion app, shielding your eyes from the sun and adding a dose of cool in one fell swoop. Image rights from top: LEVEL HOME INC, Monogram, Ampere.
They’re more than just that, though. Dusk’s arms contain tiny microphones so you can listen to music on the go, take calls, or summon Siri. Lost a pair? You can track them down with the companion app or use the AirTag slot in Dusk’s case, which also charges the shades. While we wait for Apple Glass, Dusk could be perfect for scratching your eyewear itch. SEP 2021 13
Do you need a laptop or a tablet? We help you discover which Apple device is best suited for your needs
I
WRITTEN BY RYAN BUTT
T USED TO be the case that choosing between a MacBook and an iPad was easy, but Apple has started to blur the lines between the two in ways that few of us could have expected. In terms of power, we have now reached parity thanks to the new iPad Pro which uses the same M1 chip as the MacBook Air, and when you start to look at the storage onboard the comparisons become even closer. For example, you can buy a 12.9–inch iPad Pro for only $200 more than the equivalent 256GB MacBook Air,
14 SEP 2021
but if you opt for the 11–inch iPad Pro then you can pay only $100 more than the 256GB MacBook Air for 512GB of storage. This makes the cost analysis almost moot, which is then exacerbated by the fact that the M1 chipped MacBooks can run most iOS apps and games as well. With so many titles now available on macOS it can come down to how each will work for you in terms of the physical forms. We’ll try to help you decide which device will be best for you, but there’s little doubt that Apple is making this a tricky question to answer. Image rights: Apple.
QUICK LOOK The flat iPad keyboard Many people will quite rightly presume that a physical keyboard is best for long periods of typing and data entry, and in many ways this assumption makes sense — but there is more to the story. A software keyboard like the one on the iPad can be customized to work in specific ways, which can make it as efficient as real keys.
A SCREEN A HALF The main disadvantage of using the iPad software keyboard is that it takes up half the screen, which lessens how much text you can view. However, you will be working on a much smaller and more portable device while typing. Image rights: GoodNotes Limited.
KEYBOARDS B APP Many apps will customize the keyboard and allow specific functionality just above the keys. This will speed up your data input and could be likened to the hardware touch bar that was added to some MacBooks.
THE C FORGET KEYBOARD There’s a good argument for using voice dictation for data entry, whether you’re using a MacBook or an iPad. The software tech is the same in both, so the end results will be identical.
TO CHANGE D FLICK The ability to insert numbers and punctuation with a simple gesture is a big advantage on the iPad side. Not only is it very efficient, it will likely reduce the strain on your fingers and wrists as well. SEP 2021 15
>>> iPad vs Mac
PRO iPAD APPS
You no longer need a “proper” computer when performing many professional tasks
1
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Most people are aware of Photoshop, but are likely less aware of just how powerful the iPad version is. You can now undertake complex image manipulation wherever.
4
CODE EDITOR If you have a data input system you are happy with, either an external keyboard or the iPad screen, Code Editor gives you every coding tool you could possibly need.
2
3
5
6
GARAGEBAND Apple makes GarageBand, and has not scrimped on features when it comes to the iPad. In this app the Apple Pencil arguably gives you greater control than on the Mac.
LUMA FUSION Video editing on an iPad? Yes indeed. With the later iPads and the Pro models you will notice little difference in performance compared to a Mac. A big leap forward.
AFFINITY PHOTO Whether you need unlimited layers, brushes or smart object importing, Affinity Photo offers it all on the iPad. Again, the Apple Pencil offers near perfect control.
AUTOCAD AutoCAD lets you view and edit CAD drawings wherever you are with just your iPad. This is perfect for when you’re on site and you need to make instant adjustments.
>>> DUPLICATE AND HANDOFFS Some of the core aspects of the Apple operating systems can now be used in exactly the same ways, just using different devices and potentially in different situations. Having this consistency across devices is a genuine productivity bonus
1
START THE PROCESS In many apps you can start creating a document or task on an iPad, and then you can have a break and leave it for when you need to return later.
16 SEP 2021
2
CONTINUE YOUR WORK When you open the work on your MacBook it should return to the exact point you left it. The feature you are reading has been created on both.
3
WORK WHERE YOU WANT Messages is a very good example of how identical the two platforms are in use, which should help you to make your choice on hardware alone.
Image rights: Adobe, Apple, Serif Ltd, Luma Touch LLC, Autodesk, Apple.
>>> WRITE ANYWHERE The Scribble feature offers a new way to use an iPad, and one which is not present in macOS. Potentially, it lets you control your iPad almost entirely with the Apple Pencil and offers unique flexibility
1
SET IT UP To enable Scribble, all you need to do is go to Settings > Apple Pencil and ensure that the icon next to ‘Scribble’ is green. You can try it out immediately.
2
WRITE AND SEARCH In Safari you can simply start writing with the Apple Pencil in the search bar. At no point will you need to bring up the keyboard if you have Scribble enabled.
3
EXTRA SCRIBBLE FEATURES In Settings you can learn how to delete, select, and insert text using Scribble. It proves that the feature is much more than just writing words.
QUICK LOOK True word processing The MacBook is arguably the perfect portable device for writing longform articles and getting work done on the go. Pages is provided by Apple, and you get all of the features you require in the best alternative to Microsoft Word available today. The thing to remember is that Pages on the iPad is now not very different at all.
TEMPLATE A EVERY All of the Pages templates you’re used to using are in the iPad version. Indeed, you’ll be hard pressed to find a feature that doesn’t work as well on the iPad version as it does in the macOS version. Image rights: Apple.
MULTIMEDIA B AMARVEL From simple text–based letters to complex leaflets and presentations, you can do it all in Pages on the iPad, and arguably have greater control over how images are added.
C SMART ANNOTATIONS If you want to add annotations and drawn additions you can. The Apple Pencil acts as the main differentiator between the Mac and iPad, and your choice could be influenced by your creativity.
SINGLE D EVERY SETTING Every feature should be present on the iPad, including the useful word count at the bottom of the screen. Tap any paragraph three times and the count automatically adjusts to your selection. SEP 2021 17
>>> iPad vs Mac
QUICK LOOK Stay connected If there is one feature Mac users have been hoping for over the past few years, it’s cellular connectivity. Despite the fact that Apple has made MacBooks more portable than ever, you still need an iPhone for connections outside of Wi–Fi. The iPads, however, all have this option if you need it. It is a very strange omission.
SIM A AYouNEW will need to purchase a separate data plan for your iPad to be able to use it outside of the house and away from Wi–Fi. The relevant options will be available at the top of the main Settings screen.
EVERYWHERE B WI–FI If you are careful with your security, you can be fairly sure of decent Wi–Fi coverage in most public places. Cellular can perform better for you, however, if you are undertaking data– hungry tasks on the road.
CHEAPER OPTION C AIf you carry your iPhone with you anyway, using the hotspot feature will be cheaper and almost as convenient. This works in exactly the same way for a MacBook, which evens the feature setup a bit.
THE COSTS D MIND An iPad cellular connection is very handy, but you really need to think hard about the costs. Most providers offer a monthly plan that includes the cost of the hardware, but standalone SIMs can prove quite costly over time.
>>> ADVANCED CALCULATIONS There’s one task in which the iPad wins for the majority of users. Numbers is an advanced spreadsheet solution, and one where data entry is usually done in short bursts. When you consider this alongside the iPad touchscreen, the benefits are clear
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SIMPLE OR COMPLEX Numbers on the iPad has all the pre– formatted spreadsheet templates you need. Choose one, customize the look, and add data to make it your own.
18 SEP 2021
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QUICK NAVIGATION The ability to tap on any cell with your finger or Apple Pencil is much quicker than using a trackpad or mouse. This adds up to big time savings.
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WHAT YOU SEE… The unblemished screen view on the iPad offers a clean summary of your work. It equals the Mac and surpasses it in many crucial areas. Image rights: Apple.
ENHANCE YOUR CREATIVITY
Combine the Apple Pencil with some of the specialist apps designed to take advantage of it
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A GOOD START In an app like Notability you can create an ongoing personal notebook using the Apple Pencil. Our tip would be to use a black background and watch your ideas flow.
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DRAW WITH PAPER Paper is an excellent Apple Pencil– centric solution for drawing at almost any level. If you have little artistic talent, you can still enjoy creating pleasing works in just a few minutes.
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EXPLORE YOUR TALENTS The later iPads and Apple Pencil 2 lend themselves to letting you explore your ideas in a relaxing way. The results may surprise you and take you away from paper forever.
PASS SOME TIME Pigment lets you create stunning works by simply coloring them in, just like you did as a child. The varied tools and Apple Pencil precision make the experience very realistic.
CAPTURE YOUR NOTES Notability and GoodNotes let you organize all of your drawings, notes and ideas in a structured way so that they are always available when you need them. It feels natural.
LEARN TO SKETCH ShadowDraw is all you need to learn how to sketch, and it could change the way you view drawing forever. Over time your abilities will improve more than you could have imagined.
>>> COMMUNICATE IN STYLE The need to communicate remotely has become much more important and the hardware you use will be vital, no matter what software you use. This is one area where an iPad can beat the majority of Macs
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SEE EVERYTHING Whether on a MacBook or an iPad, the FaceTime interface is great for seeing your correspondent clearly. Today’s Apple screens are more than capable.
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THE CAMERAS MATTER The iPad Air FaceTime camera is capable of 7MP photos and 1080p HD recording. The MacBook Air only offers a 720p FaceTime HD camera.
Image rights: Ginger Labs, GoodNotes Limited, WeTransfer BV, Pixite, Shadow Draw, Apple, Zoom Video Communications.
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IT ALL WORKS The iPadOS versions of apps such as Zoom have more options than their macOS equivalents. The iPad can work in conjunction with a Mac. SEP 2021 19
>>> iPad vs Mac >>> ARCADE QUALITY GAMING In theory, a MacBook is better for gaming, but the main issue is the relatively small range of titles available. On iPadOS you can choose from thousands of titles, but you can now run many on an M1 Mac. This makes choosing between the two difficult
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THE GREAT LEVELLER Apple Arcade has brought a selection of excellent games to both iPadOS and macOS, but the range is still limited to just a couple of hundred titles.
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SO MANY GAMES In the iPadOS App Store you’ll find thousands of games, and this is where an iPad can have the edge in terms of variety. It’s comparable in performance.
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THE BLURRED LINES The fact that M1 Macs can now run iOS apps and games blurs the lines a little, but we’d argue that the iPad is more suited to extended sessions.
THE BEST iPAD ACCESSORIES
Gear to protect your iPad when you’re out and about, and make it even more usable
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PROTECT EVERYTHING The Smart Cover comes in a variety of colors, it offers excellent minimally sized protection for an iPad, and it also acts as a very useful desk stand.
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PODCAST FROM ANYWHERE With the Apogee HypeMiC Microphone you can create podcasts no matter where you are on the iPad using a range of pro software. The editing process will be easy too. 20 SEP 2021
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MULTIPLE PORTS The USB–C Digital AV Multiport Adapter takes advantage of the single port in the new iPads to give you instant access to HDMI displays and USB–A devices.
A PAPER SCREEN If you are drawing on your iPad or take notes every day, a screen protector from Paperlike will help you be more accurate and recreate the real feel of paper.
GET YOUR GAME ON The SteelSeries Nimbus+ Wireless Gaming Controller will work with all of your Apple Devices and takes advantage of the huge range of iPad games available.
CARRY ALL For serious work away from home, you may want to carry a few accessories and your iPad with you, and this is where the FINTIE Portfolio Sleeve Bag will be useful.
Image rights: Apple, SteelSeries ApS, Apogee Electronics Corp, Paperlike, Fintie Corporation.
QUICK LOOK Mobile multi– tasking One huge advantage that a MacBook has is the ability to truly run multiple apps and processes at the same time, and to do so in a way that feels natural and simply right. The iPad has always struggled to match macOS in this area, but it is improving. This remains, however, a definite win for the MacBook.
IN ONE A ALL You can use each app that is displayed in part of the iPad screen as normal — for example, opening multiple tabs in Safari, and the process is managed by grabbing an icon from the Dock and pulling it upwards.
APPS WORK B TWO For true productivity two apps side by side work best, because you can use them as you would normally with very few visual restrictions. This could become a standard setup for you in the future.
THIRD APP C THE With two apps running side by side you can bring up a third from the Dock and use it in a mini window on the left or right of the screen. It is a clever solution, but it still falls behind macOS in terms of productivity.
FOURTH APP D AEven with three apps running on the iPad screen, you still have access to a fourth app by bringing up the Dock and holding on an icon. You will see various actions available that you can take immediately.
>>> BUILD AN iPAD DESKTOP A handful of accessories can help you close the gap to a MacBook, or even an iMac if you own a recent iPad. This can be tricky, because the ultimate price may exceed that of a new MacBook, but you will have the portability available to you
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A MAGIC KEYBOARD The Magic Keyboard is an expensive accessory, but the typing experience is superb and it gives you a trackpad while servicing as an adjustable stand.
Image rights: Apple, Dell.
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A BIGGER SCREEN A monitor like the Dell U2415 UltraSharp can be used with the iPad to increase the display size. It can make the iPad Pro or Air feel like an iMac.
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FULL CONTROL The Magic Trackpad 2 is ideal for precise control and input in a desktop situation. You’re likely to want to tap the iPad screen, so this should suffice. SEP 2021 21
>>> iPad vs Mac
QUICK LOOK Automate your Mac iPadOS Shortcuts are very handy, but when it comes to dealing with complex or repetitive tasks the macOS Automator is in a different league. With very little programming knowledge, or indeed none at all, you can build automations that will save you lots of time every day and enable you to truly embrace the power of your Mac.
A MULTIPLE INCLUDED ACTIONS Automator includes a lot of actions that you can run in sequence to complete complex tasks. It will take some time to learn them all, but it will be worth it in the long run.
AND GO B RECORD You can record your automations just as you would a simplistic macro. Trial and error is the key here to finding packages that will work for you and make your days just a little easier. The options are endless.
SOME LEARNING C DO Each action has a description that will offer an indication of what it can do, but you can read up on Apple’s site and elsewhere to truly understand what is possible. You may be surprised at the power available.
AN APP D BUILD If you create a package from your actions others will be able to run them just as they would an app. While Automator will not make you a programmer, it can offer solutions at scale for those who need them.
>>> A BRILLIANT READING EXPERIENCE It’s perfectly possible to read on a MacBook, but the reality is that it still feels like reading on a computer. The form factor of the iPad makes it feel much more suited to reading as you would with a traditional book or a Kindle device
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BUY THE BEST There are perfectly formatted books, even user guides, available from Apple. The experience will be greatly enhanced when reading on an iPad.
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TAP TO ZOOM You should be able to tap on any image in a book and then view that image in much greater detail. Tap the “x” at the top right to zoom out.
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YOUR READING EXPERIENCE The majority of eBook reading apps for the iPad allow you to customize the theme and font options to tailor the experience for your tastes. Image rights: Apple.
APPLE PENCIL ADVANTAGES
A big differentiator between the Mac and iPad is use of the Apple Pencil for creative tasks
CREATE DIGITAL ART There are multiple apps in the App Store containing a multitude of tools to let you create intricate artwork on your iPad. This is where the Apple Pencil truly shines.
MANAGE YOUR PROJECTS You can dispense with paper now and use the Apple Pencil to draw simple plans for your garden, home or any other personal project that you need to manage.
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MORE INTRICATE NOTES Many of the default Apple apps include support for writing naturally with the Apple Pencil, and Notes is just one example. It can quickly become your default way of working.
DO MUCH MORE Snap a screenshot of a web page, tap the “Full Page” option and then highlight any part of a website you need to. This offers lots of flexibility for many tasks.
ANNOTATE DOCUMENTS The annotation of documents would usually require a printer and a long process to do it properly, but now you can pick up your Apple Pencil and annotate in seconds.
HAVE SOME FUN There are many games that support the Apple Pencil and some can bring a traditional way of playing on the iPad through natural input. This accessory can change everything.
>>> DISTINCT MAC ADVANTAGES No matter how impressive and flexible the later iPads are, there are still areas where a MacBook running macOS can offer a more complete and bespoke solution for specific tasks
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OPEN ANY FILE With so many file formats available it is likely that you will either have default access, or be able to find a Mac app to handle all of them.
Image rights: Apple.
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ALL IN ONE An iPad is more portable and easier to use for reading and web browsing, but the all–in–one nature of a MacBook is hugely convenient and more complete.
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CORE FUNCTIONALITY From editing photos to sharing data between apps, the “full operating system” nature of macOS provides more seamless use when undertaking tasks. SEP 2021 23
>>> iPad vs Mac
WHO SHOULD USE WHAT?
Still not sure which device is best for you? Here’s a brief roundup based on usage
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THE TYPICAL USER If your main computer uses are web browsing, email and other simple tasks where data entry is not too common, it is likely that an iPad will do everything you need.
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THE WORKER Not everyone gets to choose their work computer, but for those who can the Mac still wins for most uses. The form factor and compatibility lift it above the iPad.
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THE CREATIVE PERSON For many creative people, an iPad is ideal for drawing and sketching, and it is now capable of audio and video editing with some seriously powerful apps available.
THE PRO CODER You can code on an iPad when you are travelling, but the reality is that a powerful Mac is still required for complex coding and translation. This is somewhat unavoidable.
THE PROFESSIONAL CREATOR If you need serious power and are aiming to undertake complex video editing or image manipulation for many photos, we would suggest that a Mac is still the way to go.
THE SALESPERSON For those who travel a lot for work and who need to present and interact with customers, the iPad is actually a much more impressive device to work with.
>>> MAC APP FLEXIBILITY (INCLUDE RUNNING iOS APPS ON MACOS) Despite having fewer apps available than iPadOS, the actual flexibility within macOS is great, and in some areas much more wide–ranging than in iPadOS
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MACOS AND iOS APPS Having access to all of your macOS and iOS apps is a bonus, and ensures that you can run your favorite solutions on all of your Apple devices.
24 SEP 2021
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SUBSCRIBE TO APPS Setapp is a service that allows you to subscribe on a monthly basis to get continued use of an impressive selection of powerful apps. Ideal for many users.
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YOU HAVE CONTROL! You can download thousands of apps direct from developers, which is something you can’t do within iPadOS. This is a big advantage for macOS.
Image rights: Apple, Bare Bones Software Inc, Setapp Limited, Red Sweater Software, LLC.
>>> ESSENTIAL iPAD SHORTCUTS The number of Shortcuts available for iPadOS is growing. With considered curation, you can build up a set of Shortcuts that will improve the way your iPad works in many different ways
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WHERE WAS IT TAKEN? Use this Shortcut to instantly see a map detailing where a particular photo was taken. It can help to bring back special memories in a whole new way.
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READ THE WEB ALOUD This Shortcut is very clever and potentially useful for everyone. Use the share sheet while in Safari, choose the Shortcut, and listen to the page text.
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GET ORGANIZED When you have a series of meetings coming up, this Shortcut is ideal for including the amount of travel time. This is often missed when on a busy schedule.
QUICK LOOK A simple Mac Launchpad is a macOS feature that does not get the credit it deserves, but if you take some time to familiarize yourself with it then you may use it more than you expect. It is very basic visually, but gives you the chance to use a simple interface and access your apps in a more logical fashion every single time.
IT YOURS A MAKE You can drag any app icon to a new position or delete apps. The fact that your iPadOS apps can be accessed if you are using an M1 powered Mac is an added bonus. It is versatile below the surface. Image rights: Apple.
AND B SEARCH SELECT The simple search bar at the top gives you instant access to whatever app you need. With the keyboard in place you can click and start typing straightaway and the results will appear instantly.
SO FAMILIAR C IT’S Launchpad feels so familiar, and there is more than a resemblance to the iPad interface. The icons feel almost identical to those in iOS, and it tricks your mind, making it hard to distinguish between macOS and iPadOS.
STILL A MAC D IT’S The Dock at the bottom of the screen reminds you that it is still a Mac you are using. macOS is already a natural and easy–to–use operating system, and Launchpad takes this idea even further. SEP 2021 25
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SEP 2021 29
Watch
The Apple Watch can do so much more than just tell the time. Here’s our pick of essential tips for unlocking the potential of watchOS! WRITTEN BY CARRIE MARSHALL
28 SEP 2021
Image rights: Apple.
tips Image rights: Apple.
O
ver the last few months, we’ve rummaged around the more obscure corners of macOS Big Sur, iOS and iPadOS to discover all kinds of tips, tricks and apps to get even more out of your devices. This month, we’re turning our attention to the Apple Watch. It’s safe to say that when Apple first launched the Apple Watch it wasn’t entirely sure what the device was for — the answer to a question Apple hadn’t quite worked out. But in six generations it’s become clear that it’s an incredibly powerful health monitor, fitness tracker and information provider. As the range of watch faces and complications — the little sections you can use to get info from and launch apps — has increased, so has the Apple Watch’s usefulness. What was a fun, clever but inessential bit of tech has, for many, become an integral part of our everyday lives. We’ll show you how to get your Apple Watch just–so, from choosing and customising watch faces to the apps that can help you navigate unfamiliar places and find things that matter to you. We’ll explore the fitness features, including Apple Fitness+, and you’ll even discover how your Apple Watch can help in the battle against COVID. We also reveal why the Apple Watch is the most personal device Apple has ever made — it’s there when you sleep and when you swim, when you work and when you work out, and, if you ever go skydiving, you can wear it then too. Here’s how to make the most of it. SEP 2021 29
>>> Watch tips
Faces and complications Your Apple Watch has many faces. Here’s how to find the right one Don’t forget the App Store! Need a new app for your Apple Watch? Pop to the built–in shop and discover what’s available. You don’t need your iPhone to find new apps for your Apple Watch. Just press the Digital Crown and move the icons until you see the familiar App Store icon. Tap it and you’ll see a Search bar and some of Apple’s recommendations; tapping on an app enables you to read about it, see screenshots, and install it directly onto your watch.
WATCHOS 7 HAS AN all–new look and you can do more with it than ever before — but if you’re still using the default face or don’t use complications, you’re missing out on some of its best features. To change a face, long–press and swipe to move between installed faces; keep swiping right and the big “+” sign enables you to install a new one. You can customize a face by long–pressing and choosing Edit to move into the customization screens. These vary from face to face but typically you’ll have one screen to customize the color, which you do by turning the Digital Crown, and one for choosing complications, which you use by tapping the one you want to change and using the Digital Crown or swiping to see the options. Some of the more complex faces have another screen for changing their design too. You can move between these customization screens by swiping left and right. Different faces support different complications. The Infograph one has
You’ll find that corner complications can often display more information than central ones. room for four in the middle, four in the corners, and one on top; Astronomy has two; and Artist doesn’t have any complications at all. You’ll also find that there are different versions of different complications depending on where they’re going so, for example, complications for corners usually show more info than ones in the center.
HOW TO Change your face
Enter editing mode
To change, customize or add complications to your Apple Watch face you need to go into Edit mode. Long– press the watch face and you should see this screen here — a picture of the face, a small share icon, and a larger Edit button. 30 SEP 2021
Swipe right
If you have multiple faces installed, you can swipe left and right to move between them. If you want to choose a new face, keep swiping until you see this big “+” icon. Tapping on it will open up the Apple Watch face gallery.
Find your favorite
When you’ve found a face you like, don’t worry if it isn’t quite perfect; most faces are very customizable. Here, we’re working with the Chronograph face. To customize it, just tap the Edit button underneath the image of your new face. Image rights: Apple.
HOW TO Complication corner
INFOGRAPH MAIN FOCUS The Infograph face enables you to put four small complications in the centre of your Apple Watch face.
REMINDING STRIP In addition to complications in the corners, Infograph has room for a Complication strip at the top.
Change the color
If the face supports multiple colors (most do) use the Digital Crown to scroll through the options. The watch face changes as you do. Some change more dramatically than others, such as changing individual stripes’ colors. Image rights: Apple.
KEEPING THE CENTER CLEAR When using the Chronograph face, there’s no room for central complications due to its timers.
FROM CORNER TO CORNER With the complications in the corners, they go clockwise from top right: Music, Weather, Calendar, and Activity.
Get complicated
If your face supports complications, swipe left until you see a screen showing available places. Tap on the one you want to add or change and swipe or scroll through the options. Press the Digital Crown when you’re done.
SAME BUT DIFFERENT Complications on the Stripe face are in the corners too. This is a different Calendar, showing today’s date.
THIRD–PARTY APPS Many third–party apps have complications too. This one is PCalc Lite, the brilliant calculator app.
Face your friends
To share a face with someone else, long–press it, then tap on the Share icon. You can send it, its complications and an accompanying message to anyone in your Contacts, and they can do the same to you with their own creations. SEP 2021 31
>>> Watch tips If you have an Apple Watch Series 2 or later, you can switch on Water Lock to prevent accidental input while you’re in water.
Health and Fitness The Apple Watch can track a wide range of workouts, lock out water, and motivate you > Now wash your hands! Your Apple Watch can help you in a COVID–19 world. Its handwashing timer (Settings > Handwashing) detects running water and hand movement and then counts down for the recommended 20 seconds; the Series 6’s built–in blood oxygen sensor can warn you if your blood isn’t saturated enough, a telltale sign of respiratory problems; and the Series 3 onwards can still unlock your Face ID iPhone when you’re masked if wrist detection and passcode protection are on.
Helping with the fight against COVID - the handwash timer. 32 SEP 2021
YOUR APPLE WATCH doesn’t just have a pretty face. From walking to weight training, hiking to high–intensity interval training, swimming to skydiving, your Watch is the perfect companion for every kind of activity. Well, maybe not skydiving. The Series 6 has a gyroscope, an accelerometer, GPS, altimeter, compass, blood O2 sensor and a heart rate sensor, and they can track all kinds of health information from how vigorously you’re exercising to how oxygenated your blood is, how many stairs you’ve climbed today and how much loud noise you’ve been exposed to. That makes it ideal for tracking all
Focus on Fitness+
Fitness+ displays real–time data from your Apple Watch on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV as you exercise. And you get on–screen encouragement like video game power–ups when you hit certain fitness milestones. Fitness+ has been designed for Apple hardware, so on–screen metrics are only displayed if you’re using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. However you can also AirPlay the current workout Image rights: Apple.
kinds of data, which then feeds into the Health and Fitness apps so you can track your progress over time and identify triggers and trends. While your Apple Watch does all the work, its data gets sent to your iPhone; sleep data and vital signs are sent to the Health app and activity data to it and to the Fitness app. Your Apple Watch automatically tracks three goals in Activity on your watch and Fitness in your phone; daily calories burned, daily exercise minutes, and daily hours spent standing. You can change all three daily goals in Activity by scrolling to the bottom and tapping on Change Goals.
video to your smart TV while the Apple Watch continues to record your activity. Open the video in your iPhone or iPad, tap the AirPlay icon at the bottom right of the screen, and choose your destination. The video should shift to your connected TV.
> From Wind Down to Wake Up Your Apple Watch can help you get a better night’s sleep, and help you to wake up in the morning. The Watch’s sleep app enables you to set sleep goals, arrange audible or vibrating alarms and turn on sleep mode at specific times, and it tracks your sleep activity too. You can create multiple schedules so the weekday alarms don’t go off at the weekend, and you can also set Bedtime to have a wind–down time where it simplifies your Watch display and goes into Do Not Disturb before you go to bed every night. Of course, if you’re wearing your Apple Watch you’re not charging it. We actually pop our Watch on its charger when we get up; by the time we’ve showered and breakfasted it’s fully charged for the day and night ahead.
HOW TO Master your Fitness goals
Open Workout app
You can change your overall fitness goals in the Fitness app on your phone, but you can create goals on the go with the Workout app on your Watch. Scroll until you see the kind of workout you’re doing — a walk, a dance, a swim…
Count the calories
We’ve tapped on the Kilocalories icon. You can adjust the calorie target upwards or downwards by tapping on the “+” and “–” signs or using the Digital Crown. The app also shows you your personal best for this kind of workout.
Set your timer
The Sleep app enables you to create different sleep and alarm schedules for different days. Image rights: Apple.
The time target works like the calories and distance targets — tap the icons or use the Digital Crown to make the target time increase or decrease. Once you’ve set it, just tap Start and your watch will start recording your workout.
Choose your metric
Tap on the “…” icon at the right of the workout type and you should see the goals menu. An open goal doesn’t have any targets, but you can specify a target number of calories, a target distance, or a target time. Or all three.
Set the distance
Changing your distance goal works in the same way, but this time you’re adjusting the distance in miles rather than the calorie target. We like the way the different targets are color– coded so it’s clear what you’re adjusting.
Pause, stop, or swim
You can pause your workout at any time; swipe right and tap on the pause button, remembering to take it off pause again when your break is over. You can also end your workout, or activate the Water Lock feature if going swimming. SEP 2021 33
>>> Watch tips
Maps, Translations, and more Going somewhere? Your Apple Watch can get you there > Change your timezone Whether you’re going from one side of the world to the other or just nipping across a border, your Apple Watch can show you the time for two different places. Choose the GMT face, press (but don’t long–press) the centre and you can now use the Digital Crown to tell your watch which second time zone you’d like it to display. When you return to the GMT face, it’ll show the current time zone’s time in the inner, 12–hour dial and the other time zone in the outer, 24–hour dial.
The GMT face can show two different time zones at once. 34 SEP 2021
YOUR APPLE WATCH is your perfect travel companion whether you’re globe–trotting or nipping out to the shops. Its Maps app is a brilliant navigation aid with dedicated options for drivers, pedestrians, public transport users, and cyclists; and it can help you find places such as restaurants, shops, car parks, and ATMs. We like its eyes–free navigation where your watch taps you on the wrist as you walk or drive to alert you of an upcoming turn or lane change. If you have the GPS+Cellular model, you don’t even need your phone. That’s not all it can do when you travel. Siri can help you find the right phrase in other languages (and there are many great Apple Watch translator apps too, such as iTranslate); you can use the Calculator app to calculate the tip when you’re paying in a café or
Public transport info is built into the Maps app on your Apple Watch, enabling you to plan routes.
restaurant; you can use free apps such as Elk for currency conversions, and there are tons of to–do apps that you can use to make sure you pack everything you need. If you’re flying with big–name airlines such as American Airlines or Qantas Airways, you can also get up–to–the–minute details of gate times, arrivals, and flight status. And when you arrive you can use the Uber app to get you from the airport or get Maps to show you where the trains or subway rides are. The American Airlines app also enables you to have your boarding pass on your watch. Lots of airlines did the same when the Watch first shipped, but many of them seem to have lost interest since — which is a shame, because it’s really handy. It’s possible that the move to COVID vaccination passports may rekindle their interest — the International Air Transport Association has announced an iPhone app, but it’s unclear whether it’ll have an Apple Watch component. One lesson we’ve learnt the hard way — always make sure you’ve got your Apple Watch charger. Maps and other location–based apps can be quite demanding on your Watch’s battery and you don’t want to run out of power when you’re far from home. Image rights: Apple.
Sprechen sie Siri?
The late, great writer Douglas Adams imagined a translation tool called the Babel Fish, a fish that you stuck in your ear to understand any language. Your Apple Watch is similar, and you don’t need to stick it anywhere. Just say to Siri, “How do I say [thing you want to say] in [chosen language]?” and Siri will show you and also say the word or phrase aloud.
Siri’s translation features are best for quick queries. If you want real–time translation, use Apple’s Translate app on your iPhone. This enables you to type or talk, automatically translating into your chosen language. If you’re speaking it will read the results aloud, and if you put it into Conversation Mode it’ll listen to two speakers and play a translation of what each person has just said.
Want to know how to say something in a particular language? Just ask Siri.
HOW TO Getting from A to B is as easy as A, B, C
Open the app
You can use third–party mapping apps, but we’ll stick to the Apple option. Press the Digital Crown, then tap on the Maps icon. You’ll see a Home Screen with favorites and a Search icon. Tap the search icon.
Get directions
Each type of transport displays an estimated travel time based on current traffic conditions and public transport timetables. Tap the option you want to use and your Apple Watch will calculate your route. Image rights: Apple.
State destination
There are multiple options here. You can say or scribble an address, pick a contact, or use the Nearby feature to find useful places nearby. We’re going to use that feature to find a store that isn’t too far away.
Choose your route
Sometimes there are multiple routes to the same place, in which case the Maps app will let you choose the one you prefer. Here, though, there’s only one sensible route to the store so Maps isn’t providing other options.
Pick your transport
Maps can give you four kinds of directions — walking, driving, public transport and, in some cities, cycling. Cycling can take account of things such as steep steps, so it can be useful for wheelchair users too.
Hit the road, Mac
Tap the route to start; your Watch will display directions and destinations. You don’t need to look at the screen as you go; your Watch taps your wrist in advance when you need to change direction. SEP 2021 35
The home of technology techradar.com
TOUGHTESTING,TRUSTEDRATINGS HEREATMAC|LIFEwe 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. The products that really stand out, those with a five– star rating, get a Mac|Life Editor’s Choice award.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Only the best… The products that
really stand out in the mag — those that receive a five–star rating — get the Mac|Life Editor’s Choice award. It doesn’t get any better than this, so you’d be mad not to buy anything bearing this mighty accolade.
GEARUP The latest & greatest hardware 38 BeatsStudioBuds 40 RokuExpress4K 41 Astell&KernUSB–CDual DACCable 41 KingstonNucleum USB–CHub 42 Headtohead:AirTaqs versusChipoloONESpot
44 BelkinSoundForm Connect 45 BrydgeiTrack 45 TwelveSouthHoverBar Duo 46 ViewsonicM2e
Image rights from left: Apple, Roku Inc, Dreamus Company, Lux, Flexibits, Bombich Software Inc.
APPLIFE
The most interesting Mac, iPhone and iPad apps 48 49 50 52 53 53 54 60 61 61 62 63 64 66
CarbonCopyCloner HalideforiPad WaltrPro BabaisYou Cardiobot MindNode7 Grouptest:Bestsecure Safaribrowseralternatives Cardhop2 Inked Sunblaze F-SecureTOTAL Screenflow10 Bestappstofixyour financesforgood! Bestofthebest
Mac|Life’s pick of the best apps and hardware for Mac and iOS
SEP 2021 37
Beats Studio Buds Capable and affordable alternative to the AirPods Pro $149.99 From beatsbydre.com Features Bluetooth 5.2, Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), Up to 8 hours listening time between recharges, water and sweat resistant to IPX4, Siri voice activation
B
BEATS STUDIO BUDS
Easy to use and comfortable to wear High quality, beautifully balanced sound Not as expensive as AirPods Pro Lacks some niceties
EXCELLENT 38 SEP 2021
eats built its name and reputation on two things: being seen on (and in) the ears of pop stars, athletes and other influencers; and bass, lots and lots of bass. Since Apple took over, things have changed. Beats still has that cool cachet (perhaps even more so), but its cans also finally sound as good as they look — that bass bias has been replaced by something more balanced and neutral. They’re headphones for the rest of us. That applies to their pricing too. While the second–gen AirPods Pro cost a cool $249, Beats first true wireless in–ears are $100 less. That’s chiefly down to the absence of the H1 chip that enables AirPods Pro to support features like spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and also prevents the Studio Buds from seamlessly switching between devices as you move from iPhone to iPad to Mac and back — instead you have to do so manually. However that absence also enables the Studio Buds to pair seamlessly with Android as well as Apple devices, and they still offer automatic support for Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio tracks on Apple Music. So your mileage may vary. Design–wise Beats Studio Buds are very diferent to the AirPods Pro too. They lack the latter’s long touch–enabled stems, instead replacing them with a stubbier form factor that includes a clickable button that you can
press to play, pause, skip tracks or switch between the Bud’s Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) modes — On, Off and Transparency. While we prefer clickable buttons to hit–and– miss touch surfaces, there is one noticeable absence: volume control. To adjust the sound level, you’ll need to do that from your iPhone, Mac, iPad or Android phone instead. The AirPods Pro are the same in this respect. Available in Black, White and Red, the Studio Buds also come with a chunky pill– shaped charging case, and offer up to eight hours of listening time with ANC switched off or five hours with it on. The charging case can supply an extra 16 hours of power to headphones before it too needs to be recharged via its USB–C port. It does lack Qi wireless charging support, however. So far, so cool, but where the Studio Buds really shine is with their sound quality — fire up your favorite rock, dance, classical or jazz track and that balanced sounds really makes its presence felt, with wonderfully clear highs, ear–stroking mids and deeply enjoyable musical bass that never drowns out the sound like other Beats cans could. ANC is more of a mixed bag, with external noises in Transparency mode lacking clarity. THE BOTTOM LINE. Beats’ first ANC true–wireless headphones perform briliantly for the money. ROB MEAD–GREEN Image rights: Apple.
The chunky charging case doesn’t charge wirelessly, unlike with AirPods Pro. Image rights: Apple.
SEP 2021 39
>>> Gear Up
EDITOR’S CHOICE
The Express 4K is a really affordable alternative to the Apple TV box.
Roku Express 4K
One of the most affordable options for streaming 4K video $39.99 From roku.com Features HDMI, micro–USB; supports HD, 4K, HDR; Apple AirPlay
The micro–USB port provides mains power using the Roku adaptor, but it can also draw power from a USB port on your TV.
ROKU EXPRESS 4K
Bargain price HD and 4K video with HDR Supports AirPlay No Dolby Atmos
AWESOME 40 SEP 2021
Roku has been giving the Apple TV box a real run for its money recently, with impressive products such as the Streambar speaker. The new Express 4K lacks a speaker, but it does provide an excellent entry–level streaming device for just $39.99. Getting started is very straightforward, as you simply use the HDMI port on the back of the little plastic pod to connect it to your TV. There’s a micro–USB port that provides power via the included mains adaptor — but it can also draw power from a USB port on your TV, which is really handy. When it’s turned on for the first time, the Express 4K automatically guides you through the set–up process, including connecting it to your home Wi–Fi network. There’s no internal speaker on this model, so the Express 4K relies on your TV’s own speakers for audio output. But, like its bigger brother,
it supports HD and 4K video with HDR, along with an impressive range of streaming services. We had no trouble logging in to an Apple TV+ account, and other options include Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, as well as Tidal and Spotify for music. Despite the low cost, the Express 4K supports AirPlay too, allowing you to easily stream video from your Mac or iOS devices. The Roku iOS app also has a clever “private” mode that lets you listen with your headphones on mobile devices. The only real omission is support for Dolby Atmos surround sound, but it’s hard to complain when the Express 4K provides such a simple and affordable option for all your binge–watching and streaming needs. THE BOTTOM LINE. Home cinema buffs might prefer an Apple TV 4K with Dolby Atmos, but the Express 4K is hard to beat on sheer value for money. CLIFF JOSEPH Image rights: Roku, Inc.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
Kingston Nucleum USB–C Hub
A compact, affordable dock
$69.99 From kingston.com Features Type–C data transfer, aluminum casing, SD and microSD slots Needs Mac with USB–C
Astell & Kern USB–C Dual DAC Cable
Better Mac audio quality on the move $149 From astellnkern.com Features Full metal housing design, dual-DAC audio chipset, copper shielded cable Needs Mac with USB–C
Astell & Kern (A&K) is a well known name in hi–fi circles, and it recently brought its audio expertise to the Mac with its new USB–C Dual DAC Cable. One end of the sturdy cable connects to a USB–C port on a Mac or PC and it then acts as a DAC — digital/analogue converter — that lets you connect your wired headphones to the 3.5mm connector on the other end. Of course, most Macs do have a headphone socket, but A&K’s high–quality DAC chip provides much better sound quality than the Mac’s own rather low–fi sound chip. The cable actually uses two DAC chips to process sound for the left and right channels, and supports audio up to 32-bit/384KHz — far beyond the 16–bit/44.1KHz of a standard CD. The difference was obvious when listening to the high– res version of Queen’s “Somebody To Love” — the sound was much clearer, catching every detail, like the crashing cymbals, and shrieking falsetto. The only downside is that using two DACs means the cable needs more power than a mobile device can supply, so it’s only for Macs. THE BOTTOM LINE. Owners of wired headphones will love the sound quality and portable design of this DAC Cable. It’s a worthwhile upgrade for your hi-res music. CLIFF JOSEPH
There’s no shortage of USB–C docks and hubs these days, but Kingston’s new Nucleum provides a good selection of ports and connectors, along with a compact, portable design for under $70. The Nucleum measures just 1.2-in thick, 4.6-in wide, and 7.1-in deep, and weighs 0.23lb, so it’s easy to slip it into a bag, or to carry it around in a jacket pocket. It’s well–built too, with a sturdy USB–C cable for connecting to your laptop. The low price means that it loses out on Thunderbolt 3 ports, but it does have HDMI for an external display — although 4K resolution only supports 30Hz refresh rate. There are two USB–C ports — one for data transfer, and one to provide 60W power for charging your devices — and two USB 3.1 ports for connecting older USB accessories. The Nucleum even manages to squeeze in two slots for SD and microSD memory cards, making it a good choice for photographers. THE BOTTOM LINE. If you just need an affordable, portable USB–C dock for your laptop, then the Nucleum is great value. CLIFF JOSEPH KINGSTON NUCLEUM USB–C HUB
Very competitive price Sturdy, lightweight design Good connectivity for your laptop No Thunderbolt 3 ports
GREAT
ASTELL & KERN USB–C DUAL DAC CABLE
Affordable audio upgrade for your Mac Pocket–size portable design Sturdy zinc casing Not iPad–compatible
GREAT
Image rights from top: Dreamus Company, Kingston Technology.
SEP 2021 41
>>> Gear Up
p92 Check out
to get started with AirTags
THE BEST FIND MY–COMPATIBLE
TRACKING TAGS
42 SEP 2021
Tough testing, trusted ratings
HEAD TO HEAD
Chipolo ONE Spot
BEST ON TEST
$28 (1 pack), $90 (4 pack) From chipolo.net Features IPX5 water resistant, replaceable battery, 120dB DESIGN
DESIGN
With a white front and a chrome metal back, the AirTag stands out. Two downsides of its design: when you want to attach it to something — a keyring or a bag — you need to purchase the optional accessory. An Apple key ring costs a frightful $35. It’s also a scratch–magnet.
Unlike the AirTag, the Chipolo ONE Spot features a simple plastic body that you shouldn’t worry about scratching when it comes in contact with your keys. Bonus points: it also has a keyring hole so you can attach it straight onto a keyring without having to purchase a third–party case.
FEATURES
FEATURES
Though it might look a bit fragile, the AirTag actually boasts an IP67 rating, making it splash, water and dust resistant. It can also be submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1–meter. There’s a replaceable CR2032 battery which Apple says lasts for a year.
The Chipolo ONE Spot looks more rugged than the AirTag, but only has an IPX5 rating, which means it’s only water resistant, albeit it can withstand a sustained low–pressure water jet spray, if that matters. Like the AirTag, it features a replaceable CR2032, with up to a year’s battery life.
CONNECTIVITY
CONNECTIVITY
Along with Bluetooth for proximity finding, the AirTag also comes with Apple’s U1 Ultra Wideband chip, and NFC. Ultra Wideband allows it to use Precision Finding in Find My, showing you both direction and distance to the AirTag. It only works on iPhone 11 and 12, though.
As with the AirTag, the Chipolo ONE Spot uses Bluetooth to find the location of the device in relation to the proximity of iPhones nearby. Without the U1 chip, it doesn’t benefit from Find My’s Precision Tracking mode, however, so it’s harder to find when nearby.
MELODY
When Play Sound is activated in the Find My app, the AirTag plays a delightful melody with an ear–bothering crescendo, so it’s easy to find. A minor downside is it only plays once — you have to manually activate it each time.
Apple AirTag
Apple’s AirTag is technically better, easier to locate at short range thanks to Precision Finding, but it’s more expensive considering the accessories you have to buy. GREAT
Image rights: Apple, Chipolo.
MELODY
VERDICT
By contrast, the Chipolo ONE Spot’s melody is a bit more striking, reminiscent of an 80s sound effect key chain. It’s certainly easy to find — about on a par with the AirTag when it comes to being detected audibly at a distance.
Chipolo ONE Spot The strengths of Chipolo’s ONE Spot are its low price, key–friendly ruggedness and ability to attach to any keyring. Some color options might be nice in future. EXCELLENT
SEP 2021 43
>>> Gear Up
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Dual–band Wi–Fi and AirPlay support allows the SoundForm Connect to stream high–quality lossless music.
BELKIN SOUNDFORM CONNECT
Dual–band Wi–Fi Supports AirPlay 2 3.5mm and SPDIF connectors Initial set–up could be simpler
AWESOME 44 SEP 2021
Belkin SoundForm Connect
Add AirPlay 2 streaming to your favorite wired speakers $99.99 From belkin.com Features Dual–band Wi–Fi, AirPlay, 3.5mm and optical output Needs iOS or Mac devices
Now that Apple is finally offering high– quality lossless music on Apple Music, this is a great time for Belkin to release its new SoundForm Connect adaptor. The Connect acts as a Wi–Fi receiver that can be connected to any set of wired speakers, and supports dual–band Wi–Fi on 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands. Its killer feature, though, is that it also supports AirPlay, allowing you to turn any set of wired speakers into wireless AirPlay speakers. Using Wi–Fi rather than Bluetooth also allows it to stream lossless CD–quality audio up to 16–bit/44.1kHz from Apple Music or any other music source that you like to use (like a Tidal account). The Connect provides both 3.5mm and optical outputs, and connecting a pair of JBL desktop monitors took no time at all — although you do have to provide the audio cables yourself. There’s a mains power
adaptor included, but you can power the Connect from a USB port on a MacBook or other device that provides at least 5W output. We did have a little trouble getting the Connect set up though. The NFC pairing option didn’t work with an iPhone, and it couldn’t scan the blurry HomeKit code on the Connect either. In the end, the tiny code was manually typed into the Home app. But, once done, the Connect was flawless. With wired speakers plugged in, the Connect shows up as an AirPlay device in any apps that can play music or audio, and in Control Center too, so you can select it and play music through it just like AirPlay speakers. THE BOTTOM LINE Set–up could be smoother, but audiophiles will love the ability to stream music via AirPlay. It’s a great way to bring new life to an old, but cherished, set of speakers. CLIFF JOSEPH Image rights: Belkin International, Inc.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
Twelve South HoverBar Duo A dock for creative types
$79.99 From Twelve South, twelvesouth.com Features Freestanding or shelf–mounted
Brydge iTrack Standalone desktop trackpad for iPad $99.99 From brydge.com Features Touch area (5.5-in x 3.3-in) and pressure sensors Needs iPadOS 14.5 or later
When Apple added mouse support for iPadOS, it paved the way for users to interact with their iPads like they do with their Macs. Brydge makes a number of iPad keyboards with trackpads — sized for specific models. iTrack is a standalone trackpad that works with any recent iPad. Charging over USB–C, it offers up to 6 months of charge assuming two hours’ use per day and has “instant–on”, which wakes the trackpad with no discernable lag. Well–built and finished in space gray, it’s larger than integrated models, but still lightweight at just 160g and supports a range of useful gestures including swipe between open apps, pinch to zoom, vertical and horizontal scrolling, and opening the app switcher. As with a Mac trackpad, there will be some that you use more than others. It’s remarkable how much faster you can navigate and work in iPadOS using a trackpad, and perhaps also a keyboard, with the iPad standing in a dock or case. The limitations of iPadOS itself remain for now, but iTrack is an excellent way to interact with any recent iPad. THE BOTTOM LINE A more natural and efficient way to use iPadOS. HOLLIN JONES
Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is an essential accessory for iPad fans wanting a more substantial and versatile stand. Its multi–adjustable arm can be mounted on the weighty base, or swapped out for a shelf clamp, allowing you use it freestanding, or hanging from a suitable surface. The arm gives you loads of adjustability, and it extends to 15 inches, allowing you to bring it up to eye level. This is perfect for SideCar next to your Mac’s display! Though Twelve South markets it as a stand for the iPad (all generations), the HoverBar Duo also works with all iPhones. Mounting your chosen device is a cinch — just pull apart the spring– loaded clamp, and place it in. It’s very secure. One neat extra is the Apple Pencil slot on the base. The only downside is the arm wobbles slightly when you press the touch screen, resulting in the iPad vibrating slightly. Not a deal breaker, but that, along with the high price tag, means no five stars. THE BOTTOM LINE. A brilliant, versatile stand for those wedded to their iPad. NICK ODANTZIS TWELVE SOUTH HOVERBAR DUO
Easy to mount your device in seconds Versatile and plenty of adjustability Mount works with all iPads and iPhones Slight screen shake when it’s tapped
EXCELLENT
BRYDGE iTRACK
Easy to use Great battery life Speed up workflow iPadOS still limited
EXCELLENT
Image rights from left: Brydge, Twelve South LLC.
SEP 2021 45
>>> Gear Up
ViewSonic M2e A versatile, useful home
projector with Wi–Fi and AirPlay support $599.99 From viewsonic.com Features 1080p resolution, HDMI, USB–C, USB–A, MicroSD, dual-band Wi–Fi, AirPlay
P
he M2e provides HDMI, USB–C, USB–A and microSD for connectivity options. VIEWSONIC M2E
Effective auto– focus feature Impressive connectivity features No 4K resolution Best in a dark room
GREAT
46 SEP 2021
rojectors are primarily aimed at business users for presentations, or home cinema buffs who aren’t satisfied with a mere TV screen for watching Hollywood blockbusters. However, ViewSonic’s new M2e is a feature– packed, compact projector that is well suited for use at home, while still being affordable enough to provide an alternative to a conventional TV! The compact projector measures just 7–in wide and deep, and stands 2–in high, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a convenient spot for it. It’s light too, weighing in at just 2lb 3oz and, as well as running off mains power, it’s also possible to power the M2e from a USB–C powerbank. The powerbank will need to provide at least 45W output, and the projector’s brightness will be reduced to 60%, but that’s still a handy option if you want to take it out into the garden for an alfresco movie evening on a warm summer night. The primary projector features are fairly straightforward, with the M2e providing standard HD resolution (1920x1080) and 1,000 lumens of brightness. The image quality is good — although not a match for the Retina resolution that most of us are used to from our Apple devices — and its short throw feature is impressive, as it can create an image 100 inches in size (diagonally) from a distance of around 9 feet from your screen. However, the relatively modest brightness does means that you really need to block external daylight as much as possible, in order to see the image clearly. When trying the projector out in the office first, the
slatted blinds were a problem, allowing in quite a lot of sunlight while testing the M2e on a sunny, spring morning, but it was fine later in the day in a room with closed curtains. This is something to consider. WELL CONNECTED The projector scores in other areas too, particularly on ease of use for people who may not have used one before. As well as the 1080p lens, the projector also has a camera and light sensor built in, which allow it to auto–focus like the camera in an iPhone. We had the projector set up and perfectly focused in about five minutes. In fact, the Image rights: ViewSonic Corporation.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
most complicated aspect of the M2e is deciding which of its many input options you want to use. As you’d expect, there’s HDMI for connecting devices such as an Apple TV or Roku streaming stick, but it also has a USB–C port, USB–A, and MicroSD slot so that you can play video from a wide range of computers, mobile devices, and storage devices. It’s got a respectable little set of Harman Kardon speakers already built in, but the M2e also provides a 3.5mm audio output, as well as Bluetooth for streaming to wireless speakers. The M2e even includes dual–band Wi–Fi and — although ViewSonic’s website Image rights: ViewSonic Corporation.
bafflingly omits any mention of this — it supports AirPlay too. This means that you can use AirPlay’s screen–mirroring features to stream video via Wi–Fi from your Apple devices too (although this does require a 5GHz Wi–Fi network). The M2e won’t completely replace your TV, as it’s best suited for use in dimly–lit rooms, but its big–screen image, and the versatility of its connectivity features make it a good addition to your home entertainment system. THE BOTTOM LINE. Easy setup, good connectivity features, including AirPlay support, and decent image quality makes this a versatile, useful product. CLIFF JOSEPH
AirPlay support makes the M2e a good option for movie nights with your Apple devices.
SEP 2021 47
>>> App Life
Carbon Copy Cloner 6 A sleek new look and faster copying make the latest version of this disk–cloning tool a significant upgrade $40.00 From bombich.com Needs macOS Catalina or later
Carbon Copy Cloner’s user interface has been overhauled, making it less daunting and easier to find what you want.
CARBON COPY CLONER 6
Faster than previous version Progress indicator New automation options Snapshot navigator makes it easy to find file versions
EXCELLENT 48 SEP 2021
Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) is one of two disk–cloning tools Mac users turn to when they need to make a complete copy of a disk, its only real competition being Shirt Pocket’s SuperDuper. The latest version of Mike Bombich’s popular tool features a redesigned interface, including Dark mode and significantly faster copying, among a host of other features. The interface overhaul sees CCC’s main window reduced in size, but font sizes and controls are larger. That makes everything much easier to see and use. The progress indicator that shows running tasks is now more detailed, and also shows the estimated time remaining. Additionally, file processing and transfer rates are displayed on a live chart as the task runs. The heart of CCC is its file copier, and it has been updated to meet the needs of modern storage media. One of the key improvements is that it is now able to hook
into macOS services to read the list of folders that have been modified on the source volume since the last backup. This means CCC doesn’t have to scan the disk itself to discover that information, and it makes the whole process of updating backups much quicker — up to 20x, according to Bombich. Other improvements include a Snapshot Navigator that lets you quickly find a specific version of a file you want to restore, and a new automation option that allows you to specify a task runs when a certain amount of data has been modified on the source volume. You can also visually compare the source and destination volumes, and it keeps audits of every backup so you can see what was changed during every task and why. Carbon Copy Cloner has long been a useful tool for backing up your Mac regularly or creating one-off clones before you, say, perform a clean install of macOS. It’s as easy to use as ever, but now faster and sleeker. Version 6 is a significant upgrade, and something of a no-brainer for existing users. New users can download a 30–day trial version. THE BOTTOM LINE. Version 6 makes this essential disk–cloning tool easier to use and more useful than ever. If you don’t already use it, you owe it yourself to give it a try. KENNY HEMPHILL
The progress of a task is now displayed in the main window as a graph while it runs. Image rights: Bombich Software, Inc.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
Halide MkII Pro Camera Pro iPhone camera app — now on iPad From $1.99/month From halide.com Made for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch Needs iOS 13 or later
Halide offers more shooting control than Apple’s own Camera app, and version 2.2 brings native iPad support, making it universal across your iOS devices. It’s free for seven days, but then you have to buy or subscribe. A camera app purely for iPad would be odd, since relatively few people use their iPad as their main camera. But a single purchase for a universal app makes sense, and the developers have designed the iPad version with a couple of unique features. The most
obvious is two viewfinder options when shooting on iPad. In full screen view, the frame occupies the entire screen, with controls around the edges. Tap a button, and the frame shrinks down to the center of the screen, with the controls around the edge. While you do have the choice, the smaller view makes framing an image far easier, while the full screen view can feel unnatural. In either mode, running a finger along the right edge of the frame will adjust exposure. There are also manual controls for ISO, white
balance, and manual focus, with a loupe mode to magnify your focus point, and zebra mode for checking colors. Halide can capture in JPEG, HEIC, or RAW formats, and there’s also Coverage, which when activated captures both a processed image using Apple’s Deep Fusion and Smart HDR pipelines, and an unprocessed DNG RAW file. There’s also Smart RAW, which uses machine learning to optimize RAW captures. It’s only the most recent iPad Pro models that have dual rear cameras, so most iPad users will be limited to one rear and one front. But since you almost certainly own an iPhone and iPad, having the same capture tools on both devices makes Halide better value than ever. THE BOTTOM LINE. A powerful camera app, now with universal support. HOLLIN JONES
When zoomed out, it’s easier to frame an image on the iPad.
HALIDE MKII PRO CAMERA
Powerful manual shooting Easy to use Zoom out view handy on iPad Most iPads only have one rear camera
EXCELLENT Image rights: Lux Optics Incorporated
Far left: Full screen view on iPad fills the frame, with controls around the edges. SEP 2021 49
>>> App Life
Drag and drop any file wirelessly from Mac to iOS. Use several iOS devices if required.
WALTR PRO
Automatic conversion Easy Wi–Fi transfer Metadata fetching iOS app is quite basic at present
GREAT
50 SEP 2021
WALTR PRO Convert and copy any file from Mac to iOS
One-year license $29.95, Lifetime license $59.95 From softorino.com Needs macOS 10.13 or later Transferring media between your Mac and an iOS device is still something of a chore, despite Apple’s Files app making life somewhat easier. Apple restricts the types of media file formats and codecs that its operating systems will play back natively, but there are plenty of video and audio files out there that don’t meet its criteria. WALTR PRO aims to remedy this by simplifying the process of converting and copying files between macOS and iOS.
You begin the process by booting the Mac app, then physically connecting your iOS device to your Mac once via USB, and when that connection has been made it will be remembered and transfers can happen wirelessly. Multiple devices are supported, and when you drag and drop a file onto the iOS device, you can hold the Option key to choose which app to send it to. Any installed app capable of reading the file will appear, meaning Kindle for eBooks, VLC for movies, and so on. If required, WALTR also Image rights: Softorino Inc.
Tough testing, trusted ratings converts a file into a more iOS–friendly format before sending it. There’s also automatic metadata fetching for videos, which works well, and you can manually edit this before transfer. By default, movie and music files are converted and sent to the Music and TV apps on your iOS device. The free WALTR for iOS app acts as a repository for your files in the event that you just want to store them. It can’t open files, which is something of a shame, but can be used to send them to compatible apps. It also adds a share sheet to iOS, which is particularly useful in Messages, as you can directly attach any file in the app to a message. As you might expect, this is better suited to files of smaller sizes. The Mac app has a couple of other tools, the first of which is a file converter, which takes a file you drop onto it, and converts it to a macOS or iOS–friendly format that is stored locally on your Mac, so it’s a converter for more esoteric video and audio files like AVIs, FLACs, or MKVs, which you might otherwise need the VLC app in order to open. Then there’s an Apple Music converter that will encode any audio files to Apple’s .m4a format, and transfer them straight to your Mac’s Music app and from there to the Cloud if you use iTunes Match. WALTR PRO essentially takes a multi–step process of conversion, connection, and copying of files, and streamlines it without the user having to
understand formats or file systems. Future updates will include default sending of files to the WALTR iOS app when they don’t have an installed app that can play them back, which will make workflow a little clearer. Overall though, it’s easy to use, and ideal for those wanting to store content locally rather than being reliant on the cloud and the upload speed issues that invariably arise when dealing with larger files like movies. THE BOTTOM LINE. A hassle–free way to get any file from Mac to iOS. HOLLIN JONES
The free iOS app can act as a repository for transfers though it can’t open files, just store and move them.
Hold the Option key to choose a compatible app to transfer a file into. WALTR will convert video and audio if necessary. Image rights: Softorino Inc.
SEP 2021 51
>>> App Life
Baba Is You Wordplay puzzling is simply amazing
EDITOR’S CHOICE
$6.99 From hempuli.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac Needs iOS 9.0 or later/ macOS 11.0 or later, and a Mac with Apple M1 chip
Baba is You, Flag is Win. Get to the flag, exit the level. They’re not all this simple.
52 SEP 2021
This is a little work of genius. Winner of the Excellence in Design award from the Independent Games Festival in 2018, it’s taken a long time for this game, created by Finnish student Arvi “Hempuli” Teikari, to get to iOS. And now it’s here. The basis of the game is pushing blocks around so a little bunny rabbit called Baba (is You) can get to the flag (is Win). In your way are walls (is Stop), lava (is Hot), skulls (is Defeat), and many other obstacles. Any block you can access can be moved, however, and that includes the text descriptions that give objects
their properties. Want to fail a level instantly? Push away any part of the statement “Baba is You” — you’re not you any more. Replace Baba with Flag, however, and you’ll move the flag around the screen in just the same way as the bunny. Likewise, Rock is Push can become Rock is Win, if you can access the right bits to walk into the rock, and then victory! Push a vital part of a statement into the corner, however, and it’s all over — initially, at least, you can only push and not pull. There’s no limit to what you can push — put together the statement “Wall is Push”, and you can move the entire infrastructure of the level to your advantage. It’s a beautiful system that sees ever more fiendish traps and mazes set for you. Sometimes there’s a shortcut, for instance — a level with a crab near the victory flag can be completed with Crab is You. The “Is” part of a statement can be used twice, lining words up in a cross formation to make two things happen, while later levels introduce “And”... and we already feel like we’ve
The map between levels uses the same swipe controls. said too much. As with all the best puzzle games, the joy of Baba is You lies in discovery, of how the rules of its universe work, and how they can be exploited in the best way. The simple movement style used here — swipes in any direction to move, a large restart button, and an easily available rewind — make a good home on the touchscreen. The game has been available on PC and Switch, but flicking Baba around with a finger is the superior way to play. THE BOTTOM LINE. A superb puzzle game. The only downside is that it has to end. IAN EVENDEN BABA IS YOU
Like nothing else Excellent puzzling Moreish Looks a bit primitive
AWESOME
Image rights: Hempuli Oy.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
CardioBot Your heart health explained
Free (Premium $14.99/year) From cardiobot.swiftwithmajid.com Made for iPhone and iPod touch Needs iOS 14.0 or later You might already know the Apple Watch collects a lot of heart–rate data. What you might not know is what all this data actually means, because Apple’s Health app isn’t the best at interpreting this barrage of information. This is where CardioBot steps in. While the Health app might say you have a heart rate of 69bpm, CardioBot tells you this is normal. That clarification makes data meaningful and can spur action. The app is stacked with graphs and charts that not only show your performance, but explain what it means. The heart rate summary, for example,
breaks down what is normal and what is elevated, with a detailed explanation from the Mayo Clinic. Lift some weights and it will explain how efficient your workout was. The Trends tab shows your historic performance, with verdicts like “Improvement” and “Regression” to tell you your progress. Most widgets are excellent, although the Cardio Fitness one is harder to read than the Health app’s equivalent. At the bottom is a color–coded calendar with your average heart rate overlaid on each day. Most content on the Trends tab requires a subscription ($14.99/year), and
MindNode 7 Calm the storm in your brain
CardioBot makes your heart data really simple and presentable. we think for your money, CardioBot could offer even more info. But compared to Apple’s Health app, CardioBot is much more informative. Even the free version is a step up if you have an Apple Watch. THE BOTTOM LINE. Makes your heart data meaningful and concise. ALEX BLAKE GREAT
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Free (Premium $19.99/year) From mindnode.com Made for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Needs iOS/iPadOS 13.4 or later Got ideas in your head that need to get out? Do they resemble chaos? Then you need MindNode. The app enables you to begin a single thought and branch ideas from it, capturing and arranging everything from holiday plans to business organization charts. MindNode is feature–rich — assuming you pay. For free, you’re limited to basic mind–map creation and no additional goodies — although that in itself still isn’t bad. Go for MindNode Plus, though, and you gain great flexibility in how your mind maps look — themes; icons; images; stickers — and how they work. Elements Image rights from top: Majid Jabrayilov, IdeasOnCanvas GmbH.
can have tasks assigned to them, Focus Mode lets you zero in on a branch — which is useful on the iPhone’s smaller screen — and tags help you group elements together that aren’t connected. This latest release beefs up the outliner too. Previously a useful way to kick off a mind map or to quickly navigate an existing one, the outliner is now an alternate means of editing your documents. You can rearrange branches solely in this view, which can be set in full screen — and with a tools sidebar alongside on iPad. It’s handy for sanity checking task completion, and refining thoughts free from visual distraction.
MindNode offers plenty of flexibility in terms of layout and editing options. In all, then, MindNode continues to impress. It’s a product that justifies its annual subscription by regularly adding meaningfully useful new features. THE BOTTOM LINE. Increasingly superb, MindNode is perfect for organizing ideas to keep a clear head. CRAIG GRANNELL AWESOME SEP 2021 53
>>> App Life
GROUP TEST
REVIEWED BY CARRIE MARSHALL
ON TEST...
> Brave > Epic Privacy Browser > Firefox > Opera > Tor > Vivaldi
BEST SECURE SAFARI ALTERNATIVES You don’t need to wait for iCloud+ to surf more securely
54 SEP 2021
A
PPLE’S SAFARI IS a great web browser, and if you’re an iCloud subscriber it’ll become even more so this Fall with iCloud+ and iCloud Private Relay. That routes your traffic through a relay to hide your IP address, your exact geographic location, and your browsing data. It’s not quite a Virtual Private Network (VPN), but it’s pretty close. That’s great if you’re an iCloud subscriber upgrading to macOS Monterey. But if you aren’t, these browsers all promise to keep you safe, secure, and private when you’re online. You’ll notice that one browser is conspicuous by its absence: Chrome. That’s because Chrome is at heart, a browser built to connect to Google, and as Mozilla told Forbes magazine: “Chrome is the only major browser that doesn’t offer meaningful protection from tracking.” While Chrome itself may not be the best choice, the Chromium engine it’s built on is very fast and very powerful. Some of the browsers here use it to deliver a Chrome–like experience without the Google stuff, which presents something for you to consider.
How we tested
We tested each of the six browsers on the same M1 MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina, connected via 802.11ac Wi–Fi to 150MB fibre broadband for the fastest possible internet connection. Where possible we browsed with privacy features on and off, so we could see what difference those features made to browsing speed and site rendering, and we investigated their privacy settings to see what control they offered over the kinds of trackers and adverts you might see. SEP 2021 55
>>> App Life
Things to consider…
>>> Are there enough extensions? Secure browsers often restrict your available extensions. If they don’t, it’s really important to ensure that you’re not undoing the browser’s good work by running privacy–breaking add–ons.
>>> Do you need it to sync between your devices?
Some of the browsers here have iOS/ iPadOS versions that can sync with your Mac’s browser. >>> Are you sharing stuff voluntarily? Browsers can’t stop you from sharing data voluntarily. Don’t use social media accounts to log in to other websites, and be careful with your personal data. >>> Do you need a VPN? These browsers hide your address and traffic, but only for your web browser. You need a VPN to use apps privately.
1
> Brave
> Epic Privacy Browser
Free From brave.com
1
Brave is Chrome with the Google taken out. The browser includes built–in ad blocking, password management, script blocking and tracking protection, and it supports most Chrome extensions — which of course means you can undo all the privacy protection if you don’t also check the privacy of any extensions you install. It also has its own search engine, currently in beta, offering you fully anonymous searching, like DuckDuckGo. Brave has been controversial: in 2020 it attracted bad publicity over its redirection of cryptocurrency URLs to 56 SEP 2021
Free From epicbrowser.com affiliate links. That no longer happens, fortunately. Brave isn’t the fastest browser here but it’s still quick and the one–click Shields Up/Down toggle is useful. You can also choose to opt in to Brave Rewards, a more nuanced kind of advertising that enables sites to run “privacy–respecting ads”. That earns you tokens which you may then redeem at participating sites.
It’s Chrome without the Google Has its own search engine Alleged URL misbehavior No mobile version
SOLID
2
Epic is designed to offer “extreme privacy” as its default. That means no third party cookies, no password saving, no DNS pre–fetching or caching, no trackers or URL tracking, no WebRTC IP address leaking, …and so on. You can also configure it to use secure DNS servers and set per–site permissions for hardware and system features. The browser is based on Chromium and adds a built–in encrypted proxy server that acts as a VPN you can turn on or off with a single click. It doesn’t collect browsing data and it’s always in private browsing mode. The default
search provider is Yahoo but you can choose Epic’s instead, which only costs $2.50 per month. The browser runs incredibly well: the M1– optimized version in particular is super fast. The downside is you don’t get the same massive extension library as you do with Chrome: at the time of writing there are just ten to choose from.
Very, very fast Built–in proxy server Small extension library Search engine isn’t free
GREAT
Image rights: Brave.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
2 EDITOR’S CHOICE
3
> Firefox
> Opera
Free From Mozilla.org
3
After nearly 20 years of service, Firefox is one of the most trusted and customizable browsers around — and because it’s open source you can be confident it doesn’t have any little nasties lurking in the code. Firefox’s default settings do share some data about you — telemetry data on performance and stability, location data for recommendations and snippets, Pocket integration and so on — but it’s easy to disable them. There is also a very large collection of security add–ons from a variety of well known names that you can use to enhance
4 Free From opera.com
the already impressive default tools. The private browsing mode does a good job of protecting you from tracking, and the browser also includes anti–phishing and anti–device fingerprinting protection. We’re particularly impressed by the Firefox Privacy Notice on Mozilla.org, which goes into great detail about what the browser might be sending to Mozilla’s servers.
Almost infinite customization Fully open source You’ll need to tweak defaults Rivals can be faster
AWESOME
Image rights counter–clockwise from left: Hidden Reflex, mozilla.org, Opera Software.
4
Opera has been around since 1995, and while the current version is based on Chromium, it delivers a very different user experience to Chrome–like browsers. The user interface is cleaner and more colorful with lots of good browsing options, and the security settings are comprehensive: Opera has a built–in ad blocker and VPN, as well as fraud and malware protection. However, by default Opera does share quite a lot of user data with third parties unless you disable such sharing, and its VPN is not as anonymous as you might think: it’s more like
a secure web proxy as it only covers your browsing activity, not protocols for things such as email, file transfer, or media streaming. It doesn’t throttle your connection, limit your bandwidth, or demand personal data to sign up, so it may be a better option than a free third–party VPN. Opera delivers a really great browsing experience, but if you’re serious about privacy it may not be for you.
Lots of useful features Very different to Chrome Shares a lot of user data VPN is basic
SOLID
SEP 2021 57
>>> App Life
5
> Tor
> Vivaldi
Free From torproject.org
5
If it’s good enough for privacy activist and whistleblower Edward Snowden, Tor should be good enough for us too. Right? In many cases, yes. Tor is doing a lot of work under the surface to keep your browsing private, with a level of detail right down to the dimensions of your browsing window. It blocks trackers and ads, wipes cookies when you’re done, makes device fingerprinting very difficult, and encrypts your data three times as it passes through the Tor network. Ultimately, if you’re worried about being tracked, Tor will make you feel much safer. 58 SEP 2021
6 Free From vivaldi.com
There are some downsides, though. All that encryption and relaying slows down your browsing (sites that load instantly in Chromium browsers take several seconds in Tor) and the focus here is on privacy rather than malware, which Tor doesn’t block. And while Tor is based on Firefox, it doesn’t support many Firefox add–ons: if you need them you should try Waterfox.
Superb privacy protection Triple–layer encryption It’s very slow It’s very basic
SOLID
6
Vivaldi is a great browser for power users, with the speed of Chromium wrapped in a much more attractive and configurable user interface. There are some really inspired ideas here including calendar–based history views, stackable tabs and the option to specify different search engines for normal and private browsing modes. It can block those annoying cookie permission banners as well as third party cookies, it blocks ads and trackers and it uses Google’s phishing and malware protection. The privacy settings are displayed clearly in plain English so you
can see exactly what you are and aren’t blocking, whether that’s abusive ad technologies or your IP address in WebRTC sessions. You can also set Vivaldi so it won’t install Chrome Web Store extensions or log in to Google accounts. The range of customizations, settings, and controls here is probably overkill for the average user but it’s a very powerful Safari alternative to consider.
Does absolutely everything Excellent customization options May be overkill for some Uses Google to detect bad sites
GREAT
Image rights from left: The Tor Project, Vivaldi Technologies.
Tough testing, trusted ratings
THE WINNER
P
FIREFOX
Still one of the most secure browsers around
ROVIDED YOU CHANGE the default settings, Firefox is a very powerful, secure, and privacy–protecting browser, and because it’s completely open source you can be confident that the code doesn’t contain any unhappy surprises. The browser is very fast and very easy to use, and thanks to the add–ons library it’s almost infinitely expandable too. If you prefer a more Chrome–style interface, Epic is pretty epic. It’s extremely fast and the only real downsides are the lack of available extensions and the lack of an iOS/iPadOS companion app.
Image rights: mozilla.org.
Brave is also very quick and its search engine is impressive but it falls down one place, due to the loss of trust over its URL redirecting. Vivaldi and Opera are very similar. We think Vivaldi is more fun for power users, but Opera may be a better choice for most. Its VPN isn’t up to the standards of a paid–for VPN but it’s nice to have. Last but not least, there’s Tor. It isn’t a bad browser but it’s a slow one and feels quite dated in this company. Plus, there’s the knowledge in the back of your mind that Tor is also used by cybercriminals for their activities on the dark web. SEP 2021 59
>>> App Life
Cardhop 2 Now even more potent for power users Free (Premium from $4.99/month) From flexibits.com Made for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Needs iOS 14.1 or later
Cardhop, the contacts manager for iOS and macOS, showed plenty of promise when we reviewed version 1 a couple of years ago. Now, with version 2, much of that early promise has been realized. New features in version 2 include viewing family trees or organizational chart relationships from Office 365 or Google. However, the most significant change to Cardhop is that it is now more integrated with Flexibits’ other app, Fantastical. You can now invite contacts or groups to new events that you create in Fantastical. And instead of a one-off purchase price, the premium features in Cardhop are now part of the Flexibits subscription, which covers both products, and also has individual and family versions.
Cardhop 2 has Home Screen widgets for upcoming birthdays and Quick Actions. 60 SEP 2021
Cardhop now also adds Home Screen widgets for use in Notification Center. There are two to choose from: one that displays upcoming birthdays, and another that invokes Quick Actions that you’ve set up, such as calling a specific contact. Each is available in small, medium, or large sizes. There’s also a business card scanner that allows you to take photos of a business card, from which Cardhop will then automatically create a contact for you. Cardhop, like Fantastical, is built on the ability to understand natural language commands. So for example, if you type “message Kenny lunch on Tuesday?” Cardhop will suggest contacts, tap a contact to select it, and will then open a new message in your preferred messaging app with the message, “lunch on Tuesday?” in the text box, ready to send. If that’s not the correct contact, then you can keep typing in order to narrow down the search, or click one of the other suggestions that are available. There are lots of actions available in the app’s settings — you can choose which are displayed as Quick Actions. We’re still a little bit confused by the contacts chosen for
the ‘Recents’ listing, but other than that, Cardhop 2 is an excellent upgrade overall. THE BOTTOM LINE. Cardhop 2 is a good update, and the integration with Fantastical makes sense. For anyone who doesn’t use the latter, however, the subscription fee for premium features may feel a little steep. KENNY HEMPHILL CARDHOP 2
Integrated with Fantastical Home Screen widgets Business card scanner Could be expensive if you don’t use Fantastical
EXCELLENT
Image rights: Flexibits Inc.
Inked A hand–drawn work of art
Tough testing, trusted ratings EDITOR’S CHOICE
$3.99 From pixmain.com/inked Needs macOS 11.0 or later and Mac with Apple M1 chip Inked is one of those rare games where nearly every element is utterly breath– taking. The hand–drawn visuals — mesmerizing. The music — enchanting. The storyline — profound and even, startling. The Nameless Hero and his beloved Aiko set out to discover why the birds in their pen–and–paper world are suddenly suffering. To do so, they must navigate isometric puzzles that are increasingly tricky but always fun and challenging to solve, eventually reaching portals to enter new, richly detailed worlds. It’s perfect for a bit of escapism.
As you play Inked, you learn that nothing is as it seems. Seemingly impossible puzzles become trivial in a moment of revelation. The world’s artist, intervening in the game like a curious god, flits between benevolent and vengeful, and their story intertwines tightly with the hero’s. Are they on your side? Are you, the hero, truly a force for good? You’ll soon find out, if you continue playing. Inked is a labor of love, and it deserves to be played and played again (its well– hidden collectible canvasses make a second playthrough a no–brainer). But even one run through is enough to know
Inked is gorgeous to behold — you will frequently stop and stare as you play. it is an absolute masterpiece and one of the most beautiful games you will ever play. We would wholeheartedly recommend it, especially if you’re artistically–minded. THE BOTTOM LINE. An astoundingly beautiful game. Short but incredibly sweet. ALEX BLAKE AWESOME
Sunblaze Prepare to die… a lot $14.99 From sunblazegame.com Needs OS X 10.7.5 or later
Sunblaze is a seriously hard game, but it’s so delightfully creative that you will find yourself marveling at its ingenious level design and absurd challenges, giggling as you splat, crush, fall and explode your way to death after death, in an endless loop (if you want). Your protagonist is Josie, daughter of a retired superhero, who wants to try her own powers in her father’s virtual reality training program. Unfortunately, the program goes mad, leaving you trapped until your dad can work out how to fix it. The best moments in Sunblaze are those when you see the next level load Image rights from top: Somnium Games, Games from Earth.
and realize how much of a struggle it will be to beat. It is fitting that a game about superhero training ends up coaching you to be a better player, one who becomes conditioned to relish the challenge and the chance to try again after each inevitable death. You’ll need to memorize the controls early and fast, as your keyboard or controller will come in for some frenzied button bashing. Annoyingly, though, there is no “mercy pass” for levels you really struggle with. There are cheats (euphemistically listed under the Accessibility menu), but if that feels like a step too far, you’re left to grind out levels, dying potentially
Challenges and obstacles get more complex as you progress through the game. hundreds of times in the process. For that reason, it’s best to play Sunblaze in doses, lest the constant defeats get too much. In short, sweet bursts, though, it’s absolutely superb. THE BOTTOM LINE. Incredibly hard, but Sunblaze makes you want to come back for more. ALEX BLAKE EXCELLENT SEP 2021 61
>>> App Life
F-Secure TOTAL Can this security app compete with the big boys? From $89.99/year (3 devices) From f-secure.com Needs macOS 10.11 or later
FREEDOME provides basic VPN protection for an extra layer of security when online.
F-SECURE TOTAL
Simple to set up and use VPN adds extra layers of security Protection isn’t bulletproof Lacks configurable options
GOOD
62 SEP 2021
TOTAL is F-Secure’s top-of-theline security product for Mac, and comprises three products, which you install separately. F-Secure SAFE offers core antivirus protection, backed up with ransomware protection, browsing and banking protection, and parental controls. It’s easy to install, and steps you through giving the app the access it requires. The interface is straightforward, but bare, and configuration is virtually non-existent. There are two types of virus scan: Full, or ‘choose what to scan’. Most other controls are on/off, with a handful of advanced controls in System Preferences. Parental controls offer more tweaking, although even here you’re limited to setting time and usage limits, plus filters, for other Mac users. TOTAL’s ‘bonus’ tools are a password manager and VPN software. ID Protection protects passwords and other sensitive info — everything is double-encrypted, but there’s no additional security in the form of
two–factor authentication. The app also betrays its Windows focus by failing to provide a Safari add-on. Similarly, FREEDOME VPN can’t match dedicated VPN services. On the upside, you can use it on both your iPhone and Mac to encrypt your internet connection on public Wi-Fi networks, and it can also block tracking attempts via insecure HTTP traffic, plus scan for malware, tracking cookies, and other threats. Weaknesses include restricting you to 28 servers across 22 countries. Performance is noticeably affected too: Speedtest reported a 25-30 per cent drop-off over our fiber connection when using FREEDOME. Nevertheless, it’s competitively priced as part of TOTAL, and can bypass geo-restrictions abroad too. Overall, TOTAL is fine. However, SAFE’s AV-Labs test scores of 5.5/6 for protection and performance reveal two issues. The first is protection — a 99.6 per cent malware detection rate isn’t bad, but four products (Norton, Trend, Bitdefender, and Avast) score 100 per cent. Then there’s an impact on accessing files and opening programs thanks to SAFE’s real-time scanner. THE BOTTOM LINE. TOTAL provides adequate protection, but there are plenty of better options out there. NICK PEERS
The F-Secure SAFE element is a no-nonsense — and definitely no-frills — security application. Image rights: F-Secure.
Screenflow 10 An overhaul and more speed for this screen recorder
Tough testing, trusted ratings
$149 From telestream.net/screenflow Needs macOS Catalina 10.15, Apple Silicon or 64–bit Intel processor, Apple macOS approved GPU
Screenflow has long been a favorite of Mac users who need to record the content of their Mac’s screen, along with its FaceTime camera and microphone. While you can do all of that in QuickTime X, Screenflow and its competitors offer more features and a great deal more flexibility. Version 10 of Screenflow sees those features increase significantly. There’s a new library of animated titles for use full–screen or the lower third. Once you’ve chose an animation you like, you can add your own text, style it, and choose colors to fit your project. Screenflow now supports simultaneous recording from multiple inputs. You can record your Mac’s screen and system audio, while also recording input from its FaceTime camera, a second camera, an iPhone, external mic, and more. If you’re using multiple apps in a video, Screenflow can record the audio from each separately, meaning that if you’re interrupted by a notification, it’s easy to edit it out. There are even more filters and effects in version 10, and a background removal tool that’s brilliantly optimized for Apple’s M1 architecture. You can also create templates from projects, but there are no pre–built
Screenflow can record multiple inputs, such as an iPhone, FaceTime camera, and your Mac’s screen. Image rights: Telestream, LLC.
templates included, unlike its major competitor Camtasia. Telestream says it has also improved performance so that Screenflow is faster, and uses fewer resources than its predecessor. And a re–designed interface features a customizable toolbar and dark and light themes. There’s also a new Archive tool that lets you save projects and retain only what has made the cut. Screenflow is straightforward to use, and there’s help to get started, found on Telestream’s website. The interface does have its quirks. For example, when you create a new document, there’s nowhere to change its name from “Untitled”. And the window has a tendency to enlarge beyond the edges of the screen. On the performance side, it felt very responsive on our M1 MacBook Air. THE BOTTOM LINE. Screenflow is an excellent tool for making and editing screen videos, and the ability to record multiple inputs makes it even more useful. KENNY HEMPHILL
You can now customize the toolbar in a similar fashion to the way you customize the toolbar in a Finder window.
SCREENFLOW 10
New animated titles Can record multiple inputs simultaneously Optimized for Apple silicon No pre–built templates GREAT
SEP 2021 63
>>> App Life
6 apps... To finally nail your finances File taxes, erase debt, and start saving
Managing your finances can seem scary until you have the right tools at your disposal, at which point the weight is lifted, making life easier. Your Apple devices are perfect for meeting this challenge because they are always with you. Load them up with the right apps and you can get to work on your financial life a little
bit at a time, rather than trying to tackle a huge mess all at once. That makes it much simpler. We have brought together the best financial apps into one place, enabling you to set budgets, files your taxes, manage your stocks, and even more with a touch and a tap.
PRISM PAY BILLS, BILL REMINDER Free From prismmoney.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Managing bills can be a pain, especially when you have services from different providers. Let Prism take the strain for you. It automatically tracks your bills and sends you reminders, so you never miss another due date. It houses your balance, income, expenditures, and consolidates multiple providers into one view for worry–free management.
CREDIT KARMA Free From creditkarma.com Made for iPhone, iPod touch, Mac Your credit score is so important to your financial life, yet it is often shrouded in mystery to us mere mortals. Instead of second–guessing it or simply hoping for the best, get Credit Karma. This nifty app makes checking your score a cinch, but it goes beyond that initial service. It includes free credit monitoring, mortgage info, loan offers, identity theft checking, and a whole lot more.
64 SEP 2021
ALEX BLAKE
QUICKBOOKS ACCOUNTING Free (IAPs) From quickbooks. intuit.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Running a business day–to–day is a real handful, and staying on top of invoices, expenses, and cash flow can be draining. QuickBooks Accounting can help, offering almost everything you need to manage your business. You can create invoices, track sales, collate customers, and more, all managed from a straightforward dashboard that brings it all together. Image rights from left: BillGO Inc, Credit Karma LLC, Intuit Inc.
TAX
TURBOTAX: FILE TAX RETURN Free From turbotax.intuit.com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch No one likes filing their tax returns, but it doesn’t have to be painful. With a little help in the form of TurboTax, you can get it sorted. It has all the forms you need to get started, and if you ever feel lost there are knowledgeable experts on hand to guide you through it. Tax returns will never be fun, but with TurboTax they needn’t be intimidating either. Image rights from left: Intuit Inc, Acorns Grow Incorporated, Intuit Inc.
ACORNS: INVEST SPARE CHANGE Free (IAPs) From acorns.com Made for iPhone, iMessage, iPod touch Acorns does the hard work of investing for you. Connect your bank account and the app will automatically invest spare change into stocks, and it can do the same with your paycheck. It can suggest stock portfolios for your needs, and adjust your investments to rebalance where you put your money. It’s a good way to start for novice stockholders.
MINT: PERSONAL FINANCE & MONEY Free (IAPs) From mint.intuit.com Made for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, iPod touch With Mint, monitoring your personal finances is simple. Whether you want to save more, set a budget, get control of your expenditure, or check your cash flow, Mint’s friendly interface makes it easy. Its intuitive charts help you understand your costs, enabling you to make any necessary financial tweaks. SEP 2021 65
>>> Best of
Best of the best Can’t find the hardware or app you’re looking for in our reviews section? Then check in here — we’ve highlighted the best in every major category, as voted for by us
> HARDWARE CATEGORY
MESH ROUTER 4K USB–C MONITOR THUNDERBOLT DOCK KEYBOARD PRINTER EXTERNAL HDD NAS DEVICE Qi CHARGER HEADPHONES IN–EAR HEADPHONES SECURITY CAMERA SMART SPEAKER USB MICROPHONE 66 SEP 2021
PRODUCT Zyxel Multy U BenQ EW3280U Brydge Stone Pro Logitech MX Keys For Mac
WEB zyxel.com benq.com brydge.com logitech.com
PRICE $269.99 $799.99 $239.99 $99.99
Epson Expression Photo HD
epson.com
iStorage diskAshur M2
istorage-uk.com
FEATURES AC2100, 3 nodes, tri–band, MU–MIMO 32–inch 4K IPS, HDR, USB–C, 65W charging 11 ports, 87W power supply, dual display Backlighting, number pad, USB–C wireless printing, 200 $349.99 Wide–format, capacity $169 7-15 digit PIN, IP68 rated, shockproof
WD My Cloud Pro PR2100 Belkin BOOSTCHARGE TrueFreedom Pro Bose NC700 Apple AirPods Pro EufyCam 2C (two–pack kit) HomePod mini
wdc.com belkin.com bose.com apple.com eufylife.com apple.com
$399.99 $129.99 $399.95 $249 $239.99 $99
Movo UM700
movophoto.com
Up to 20TB, 4GB RAM, 2x Gigabit Ethernet 2x 10W charging, supports 3mm thick case 10 noise–cancelling steps, 20 hours battery Noise–cancelling, wireless charging case Battery–powered, floodlight, local storage 360–degree sound, stereo pair, AirPlay 2 recording modes, 20Hz-20kHz frequency $99.95 4response, mode–control dial Image rights from left to right: Movo, Doist Ltd, The Grizzly Labs, Silvio Rizzi.
> iOS/iPadOS APPS CATEGORY TO DO (PRODUCTIVITY) WRITING EMAIL PHOTO EDITOR VIDEO EDITOR CAMERA RSS READER IDEAS ORGANIZER NOTE–TAKING MIND–MAPPING DOCUMENT SCANNER CALENDAR WEATHER > macOS APPS CATEGORY TO DO (PRODUCTIVITY) WRITING EMAIL PHOTO EDITOR VIDEO EDITOR SCREEN CAPTURE MUSIC CREATION FILE ORGANIZER DESKTOP PUBLISHING BACKUP VIRTUALIZATION TIME–TRACKING PERSONAL FINANCE
PRODUCT
Things 3 Scrivener Spark Pixelmator for iPad LumaFusion 2.0 FiLMiC Firstlight Reeder 5 OmniOutliner3 Notability 10 MindNode 7 Genius Scan 6.0 Fantastical 3 Carrot Weather 5
PRODUCT
Todoist Ulysses 21 Canary Mail 2 Affinity Photo Final Cut Pro ScreenFlow 9 Logic Pro X ForkLift 3 Adobe InDesign Carbon Copy Cloner Parallels Desktop 16 Tyme 3 Quicken
WEB
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OS X 10.11 or later macOS 10.14.4 or later OS X 10.10 or later OS X 10.7 or later macOS 10.13 or later macOS 10.12 or later macOS 10.12 or later OS X 10.11 or later macOS 10.13 or later macOS 10.15 or later macOS 10.13 or later macOS 10.13.2 or later OS X 10.11 or later SEP 2021 67
Beginner’s Guides Introducing Numbers
68 SEP 2021
Image rights: Apple.
How to create spreadsheets i n Numbers Numbers is a versatile and capable tool for creating budgets, lists, invoices, and more WRITTEN BY KENNY HEMPHILL
WHEN IT COMES to spreadsheets and data– crunching applications, the Mac is still relatively poorly served. If you don’t want to use Microsoft’s behemoth Excel (an application that began life on the Mac a full two years before the first Windows version), and would rather avoid web–browser based tools like Google Sheets, then Numbers is by far the best option. Image rights: Apple.
Thankfully, Numbers is very good indeed when it comes to tasks like personal budgets, planners, invoicing, and pretty much anything that doesn’t involve macros code or the kind of enterprise–level automation at which Excel, well, excels. Numbers’ great strength is in its ease of use and its templates. While basic, the templates are an excellent jumping off point for creating your
own spreadsheets, customizing them and, in the process, learning how Numbers works. Many of its conventions are identical to those in Pages, including the way you import objects, such as images and style text. In this useful guide, we will show you exactly how to get started with a personal budget template, then get into more detail on data, formulas, and charts. SEP 2021 69
>>> Beginner’s Guides Introducing Numbers
Create a spreadsheet in Numbers Pages excels when it comes to making documents that really grab your attention
IN THIS TUTORIAL, we’ll show you how to use one of Numbers’ standard templates to make your own personal budget. The template has two tabs: Budget and Transactions. The Transactions tab houses all the details of money spent during the period covered by the budget. These are allocated into categories. In the Budget tab, a table uses functions and formulas to add up the values of all the transactions in a given category and put them in a cell in the Actual column. For example, the Actual column in the Entertainment row
looks for all the cells in the Transactions table where the category matches “Entertainment” and sums the value of the transactions. The Budget column in the table in the Budget tab contains manually entered values. These are then compared with the Actual spend to calculate the Difference. A doughnut chart is created from the Actual column, showing how the total spend is split across categories. And a bar chart displays the differences between budget amounts and the actual spend for each category.
EXPLAINED… Numbers’ interface MULTI TABS Numbers spreadsheets can have multiple tabs. Their names are displayed at the top of the sheet.
FORMAT The Format sidebar in Numbers is very similar to the one in Pages, but with tabs for formatting tables and cells.
FORMULA BAR The formula bar at the bottom of the sheet displays the formula or value for the selected cell.
TABLE OPTIONS Reposition tables by dragging the circle (left); add rows or columns by clicking “||” (right).
70 SEP 2021
Image rights: Apple.
EXPLAINED…Build your own personal budget spreadsheet
your budget template 1 Choose a template 2 Add 3 Delete figures entries
Launch Numbers. Choose New Document to show the Template Chooser. Use the categories on the left to navigate the templates, then click on one and press Create. We’ve chosen Personal Budget.
The Personal Budget template has two tabs: Budget and Transactions. We’ll start by adding data to the Budget column. For each category, type in the max figure you want to spend.
Now, click on the Transactions tab. Select all the cells in the table by clicking and dragging over all the cells in the table and press the left arrow. We’ll use this table to log transactions.
table a new 4 Add transactions 5 Customize 6 Create style category
Type details into the Date, Description, and Amount columns for each transaction. In the Categories column, click on the arrow that appears when you click on a cell and choose a category from the list.
You can change the way the budget table looks. Click on the table, then choose Format in the toolbar. Select the Table tab. Choose from one of the pre–existing styles or use the options.
the new 7 Add category
8 Filter transactions 9 Sort transactions
Click on the Budget tab. Ctrl–click in the table, where the new category will go and choose Add Row Below. Type the category name into the Description column, and the amount into Budget.
Image rights: Apple.
To see how much you’ve spent on Food, go to the Transactions tab, click the header of column C and click the arrow. Choose Quick Filter, then Food. Other categories will be hidden and you will only see those for Food.
In the Transactions tab, click in a cell in the Categories column. Choose Format > Cell. Under the list of items, press “+”. Type in the name of the category, then drag it into its place in the list.
To list items according to how they’ve performed against budget, click in the table, then press Organize, and Sort Choose Sort Entire Table. Click Add a Column > Difference, then Ascending or Descending for the order. SEP 2021 71
>>> Beginner’s Guides Introducing Numbers
Table, charts, and functions Tables and charts are the heart of any spreadsheet. Here’s how they work USING TEMPLATES IS a great way to get to grips with Numbers, but very soon you’ll find yourself wanting to hack them to work with your own data sets, or to create spreadsheets yourself from scratch. To do that, you’ll need to create your own formulas using the functions Numbers understands. There are hundreds of these and they range from the very basic, such as adding up a column of numbers or calculating an average, to complex statements with conditions and
boolean operators. Thankfully, Numbers provides detailed descriptions and examples of how each function works so you know which ones to opt for. To see them, click in an empty cell in a table, press the Insert button in the toolbar, and choose New Formula. You will see the Functions browser appear on the right of the screen with a library of functions, descriptions, and examples. Use the categories on the left to find the function you want to know more about or use, or search for it.
HOW TO… Add a table
1 Add a table
When you open a new blank document in Numbers, it has one table in it. To add another one, click the Table icon in the toolbar. Use the arrows to scroll through the style options, then click on one to choose it. 72 SEP 2021
rows and 2 Add columns
To add more columns, click on the “||” icon to the right of the header row, and drag it right. To add more rows, click on the arrow next to the number at the bottom and Add Row Above or Below.
3 Fill out the table
Use the Table tab in the Format sidebar to style the table and double– click over the default title to type your own. You can now start typing data or formulas into cells on the table, or paste data from another spreadsheet. Image rights: Apple.
HOW TO… Create a chart
1 Add a chart
Identify the data you want to chart and decide what type of chart it suits. Click on the chart button on the toolbar and choose a chart type. Press Add Chart data to define the cells you want to use to populate the chart.
data to the 2 Add 3 Style the chart chart
Click the bottom left of the sheet and choose Plot Columns as Series or Plot Rows as Series. Click in the first cell whose contents you want to plot, then the next, and so on. Click Done.
Use the Format sidebar to style the chart by selecting a preset, or manually making adjustments. You can drag the chart and key anywhere. To add or delete data, select the chart and choose Edit Data References.
HOW TO… Use functions
a complex 1 Add a simple function 2 Add formula
To add a simple function, such as Sum or Average, click and drag over the cells you want the formula to act on. Choose Insert in the toolbar. Select the particular function you want. It will then be added to the first empty cell.
Click in the cell where you want to add the formula. Click Insert and choose New Formula. You’ll see a list of formulas in the Functions browser; search the list and choose one. Click Insert Function.
3 Complete the formula When the formula appears, click on the first cell you want it to act on and drag over the rest of the cells. If necessary, click on the second parameter in the formula and give it a value. When done, click the green tick.
> FILTER TABLE ENTRIES Hide data you don’t need so you can focus Filters let you analyze your data by displaying only those data that meet criteria you specify. In our budget spreadsheet, we can filter out table entries where we were under budget so we can focus on those where we overspent. To do this, select the table, choose Organize > Filter. Click Add a Filter. Choose Difference. With Numbers selected as the rule, choose “is less than” and type “0”. The table and charts in the spreadsheet will now ignore all the entries where you were under budget and display the rest. Image rights: Apple.
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ASK
TECH SUPPORT & TECHSPLANATIONS
EXPERT ADVICE Our resident genius solves
your Mac and iOS problems
Email Mac|Life at ask@maclife.com
Big Sur’s > Unable to update external drive missing updaters
I often start my M1 Mac mini up from a Thunderbolt SSD, but since updating its internal drive to macOS 11.3.1, I’ve been unable to update that external disk. How can I do that?
UNTIL APPLE RELEASED Big Sur, it had always provided standalone installer packages for macOS updates and Security Updates. While those continue for Mojave and Catalina, Big Sur’s new Sealed System Volume requires a different kind of installer. The choice now is Software Update when it’s available and works, or the full installer app. If you just want to update macOS and preserve your existing Data volume, that seems a gamble. In early releases of Catalina, full installers had a habit of trashing or duplicating any existing Data volume — do you remember getting ‘Macintosh HD — Data — Data volumes’? Thankfully, Big Sur’s installers are behaving better, but they’re still less friendly than standalone updaters. Maybe Apple will bring back updaters. 74 SEP 2021
Using external startup drives with M1 Macs is tricky. To ensure success, you need to change security boot policy for the external drive in Recovery Mode. Start your Mac up in Recovery by holding the Power button until the Options icon appears. Select Options, and click Continue to open the Recovery Assistant. There, select the user you know the password for, and click Next. Enter the password to see the Recovery window. In the Utilities menu, select Startup Security Utility. In its window, select the
external disk with the old version of macOS on it and click Security Policy… Set the policy to Reduced Security and click OK, then restart your Mac using the Apple menu. When your Mac restarts, open the Startup Disk pane and switch to your external drive. That should start up, and you can update it to the current release using the Software Update panel. Once that’s done, start up in Recovery Mode again and set boot policy for that drive back to Full Security, using Startup Security Utility to ensure your Mac is fully secure.
Setting a startup volume to Reduced Security lets you run older versions of Big Sur on M1 Macs. Image rights: Apple.
Tech Support & Techsplanations
Get official documentation at support.apple.com | Get help with hardware at support.apple.com/repair
> Do AirTags drain the battery?
Quick–fire questions & answers
In normal use, AirTags in your iPhone’s Find My list should make little difference to its battery use. AirTags aren’t intended to track items that aren’t normally with you, nor people. Pop one on a keyring, a purse or bag which you keep nearby and could be misplaced. When you can’t find them, open Find My and tap Items to see where your AirTags are. To track someone, that person will need to agree and share their location with you so you can view their location in the People section of the app. That uses common location services rather than Apple’s Find My system, and remains under their control. Because of the danger of misusing AirTags to track people, a potential issue that’s flared up in the news recently, Apple has built deterrents into the Find My system. If an unknown AirTag moves with you for a while, the Find My app notifies you of its presence, and the AirTag plays a sound to help its location. You can then tap and hold your iPhone against the white side of the AirTag to learn information about it: Apple details this at bit.ly/ml184airtagalert. If you’re concerned, you can easily keep track of the battery use of the Find My app by opening Settings and tapping Battery, which lists usage by each app. Sometimes shutting your iPhone down then starting it up again can return battery use to normal after an iOS update.
HOW DO I SYNC THE PAGE I’M READING IN BOOKS? Open Settings > [your name] > iCloud and enable iCloud Drive and Books. Then go back to the Books item and turn on Reading Now. This only works across other iOS and iPadOS devices accessing the same Apple ID, and still doesn’t work with Macs, even if they share the same account.
My partner and I updated our iPhones to iOS 14.5 to use AirTags. Now, when we track them in the Find My app, both phones use a lot of battery power. Is that normal?
Image rights: Apple.
HOW CAN I TELL THE WIFI CHANNEL MY iPHONE IS USING? Install Apple’s free AirPort Utility from the App Store. Open that app in Settings, and enable Wi-Fi Scanner. In the AirPort Utility app, tap Wi-Fi Scan at the top right, then tap Scan to see channel details. Remember to disable Wi-Fi Scanner in Settings afterwards to save power.
SEP 2021 75
>>> Ask
Using one external disk to start two M1 Macs up will require multiple authentications when you swap between systems.
CAN I REPLACE THE FUSION DRIVE IN MY iMAC 5K 2017? Not unless you’re very skilled at tricky internal surgery, as the process requires separating your Mac’s display and moving its left speaker. This is explained in iFixit’s guide at bit.ly/ ml184imacdrive. You almost certainly need to pay a qualified Apple technician to do that for you. HOW DO I CHECK THE LAST DIAGNOSTICS RESULT CODE? Use the About This Mac command in the Apple menu, click on System Report… and select the Diagnostics item at the left, in the Hardware section. That should tell you the last time Diagnostics was run, and the result. M1 Macs running 11.3 may not update this correctly though, as it’s stored in NVRAM.
76 SEP 2021
> Starting two M1 Macs from the same external disk
When my M1 iMac arrives, can I start both it and my M1 MacBook Air from the same external drive? Yes, once you’ve set your external drive to work with both Macs, and provided that they and the drive are running the same version of macOS. Format it as APFS and run the current Big Sur installer app from the App Store, or in Recovery Mode if you prefer. When you’re invited to create and migrate the existing user, agree, and authorize the drive for startup from that Mac. Using the Startup Disk pane, restart that Mac from your external drive, and check that it has been properly set up, which will require you to sign it into your iCloud account. Return to the Startup Disk pane, restart from the internal drive, then eject your external drive from that Mac. Connect it to
your other Mac, and open the Startup Disk pane there to make the external drive that Mac’s boot disk. You’ll be prompted to select its authorized user, and that Mac should then be able to start up from it as well. Once set up, you’ll probably need to authenticate in four ways each time you start either of your Macs up from it: Your normal user password login first, then the password to access the internal SSD of that Mac, followed by your Apple ID password, and finally the six digits sent to your main device for two-factor authentication of your Apple ID. Those are common to all Macs running Big Sur from an external disk, and aren’t peculiar to M1 models. Image rights: Apple.
Tech Support & Techsplanations
Once a sick M1 Mac is in DFU mode and connected to the other Mac, Configurator 2 can revive or restore it completely.
> Reviving a frozen M1
When I tried to create a new user account on my M1 MacBook Air, it froze, and won’t accept any password to start up. What can I do?
Try starting it in Recovery Mode by pressing and holding the Power button until it displays the Options icon. Select that, and click Continue underneath. If that provides recovery tools, try reinstalling macOS. If you can’t enter Recovery Mode or get any further, you’ll need to get the whole system restored. If you have another Mac with the current version of Apple Configurator 2 from the App Store, and a USB-C cable to connect them, you can do
> Hot and flat MacBook Pro
When using Chrome on my MacBook Pro 2018, it gets too hot to rest on my lap, and within 90 minutes it needs recharging. What’s wrong? First, connect it to mains power without any peripherals connected to it, and start it up in Diagnostics Mode, holding the D key. If the diagnostic results are normal, you’ll need to ensure that any cooling vents in its case are cleared. Open Activity Monitor to get a better idea of what’s loading the processor. Select the CPU view and click on the header of the %CPU column to put processes which are using the most CPU at the
Image rights: Apple.
this yourself. Apple’s detailed instructions are at bit.ly/ml184config2. Although this appears daunting, it’s straightforward. Apple recommends trying to revive it first, which updates firmware and Recovery, but in your case you’re almost certain to have to perform a full restore, which erases all user data, and installs a fresh copy of macOS. That comes from an IPSW image file which Configurator can download for you.
HOW DO I FIX DEAD ETHERNET ON A MAC MINI 2018? Ethernet hardware is part of the logic board, so is an expensive replacement. You can work around this by connecting a compatible USB-C or Thunderbolt dock with its own Ethernet port, which should prove much cheaper and provide additional ports too. DO M1 AND INTEL MACS GIVE THE SAME MATHS RESULTS? Yes, they’re identical. That’s not just the vast range of calculations they get correct, but in test cases producing less than perfect results because of accumulated errors, those are also exactly the same. You shouldn’t notice any difference in calculation results between the two machines.
Activity Monitor’s CPU list shows the processes loading the cores in your Mac, to find out what’s responsible.
top. You may see a process named kernel_task at the top. macOS gives that process a lot of CPU time to prevent other processes from loading the processor when it gets too hot. That’s part of its cooling system. Chrome isn’t known to be frugal with the CPU, and you may find that
using another browser such as Safari lets your Mac run cooler. If it continues to run hot in spite of Diagnostics being normal, it’ll be worth your while getting it checked out by Apple, as it still could prove to be a hardware fault, perhaps a failing battery. SEP 2021 77
>>> Ask
> How to migrate from old macOS
What’s the best way to migrate from my iMac running High Sierra to a new M1 iMac?
Although Migration Assistant works best and your old iMac as source. If you can’t get when working between two consecutive that to complete, go back and be less major versions of macOS, such as Catalina ambitious about what to migrate until it’s and Big Sur, it can still save time instead of successful. Next, copy across anything you It’s often best to update a new Mac first; copying across apps and files manually. For couldn’t migrate, and keep the two Macs when complete, use Migration Assistant a new M1 iMac, start it up and create its main running on the same network until you’re user account before attempting migration. happy you’ve got everything. to copy files from your old Mac. Then use Software Update to bring macOS If you prefer, you can use an app like up to date. Once you’re happy it’s running Carbon Copy Cloner to make a copy of your HOW TO QUICKEN THE sweetly, connect the iMacs back to back old startup disk to an external drive, to LAST PART OF APP using the fastest means possible, preferably connect to your new iMac and use as the STORE UPDATES? Thunderbolt. Open Migration Assistant on source for migration. Finally, archive your Once the progress circle each Mac, setting the M1 as the destination, old backups, and start fresh ones. reaches about ‘9:30’, downloading the update has already been completed, and it’s prepared, then installed. Is it safe yet to upgrade my iMac 2015 from Catalina to Big Sur? The time taken for this is dependent on the work required to install the Big Sur 11.3 brought many bug fixes, and update, and there’s nothing Big Sur, older extensions are likely to be should prove a good upgrade. As you’re you can do to accelerate it. incompatible, and should wherever possible using Catalina, your software is already 64be replaced with new System Extensions, bit, and free from reliance on retired WHY DOESN’T which are less likely to cause problems like QuickTime codecs. Before starting, check all kernel panics. SPOTLIGHT FIND OLDER your key apps to ensure that they’re current, RICH TEXT FILES? Immediately before upgrading, make as it’s easier to update them before you’re A late update to Catalina one last full backup, check your startup running Big Sur. introduced a bug into the disk is completely healthy, then allow ample The most difficult decision you’ll face is if importer file used by time to perform the upgrade and fix any your Mac is backing up using Time Machine. Spotlight to index content of resulting problems. Big Sur introduces a huge all Rich Text files, but not improvement, as it can RTFD documents. Any RTF now back up to APFS disks, document created or edited but doing so requires you from then until the bug was to start a new backup fixed in Big Sur 11.3 will only series which won’t be be indexed if it has been compatible with Catalina. If changed since you updated you’re forced to retreat to to 11.3. The only way you’ll 10.15, those backups will be get existing documents inaccessible. If you decide properly indexed is to force to back up to APFS, archive Spotlight re-indexing on that old backups and start with volume. Open the Spotlight a new disk. pane. Add the disk to the Another area needing exclusion list in its Privacy attention is any peripheral tab, close the pane, and or software reliant on a after a couple of minutes, kernel extension. Although One major advantage of Big Sur is that its Time Machine can back up to open it and remove the they can still be installed in APFS, using a more reliable method. volume from that list.
> Is Big Sur safe yet?
78 SEP 2021
Image rights: Apple.
Tech Support & Techsplanations
> Accessing a Mac without its password
My late mother’s iMac, from around 2003, won’t start up without her password, which I don’t know. How can I get it going again? Provided that a Mac doesn’t have a firmware password set, and has neither a T2 or M1 chip, it’s possible to start it up from an external disk if that disk has a suitable copy of macOS installed. However, the most recent version of Mac OS X that iMac is likely to be able to run is 10.5.8 Leopard, which Apple stopped supporting 10 years ago. Depending on what you want to do with that Mac, you may need a specialist Mac repair shop. If you want to recover documents from your mother’s Home folder, that would be more difficult, but provided she didn’t use a very secure password, it can be
done. Although more expensive, you may find that Apple can help. You’ll need to provide evidence of the Mac’s ownership and endorsement of her executors. If you don’t want to recover any files from that Mac, it’s now so old that it has little value or use, and is best sent for recycling. Before doing so, it’s worth physically destroying the hard drive inside it, which prevents anyone else accessing her private information. Some Macs can be tricky to gain access to their internals, but once you have, extract the hard drive and smash it with a hammer before adding it to the recycling.
Before sending an old Mac for recycling, remove its internal storage and smash it up using a hammer.
HOW TO TELL WHETHER MOJAVE SAFARI IS VULNERABLE? Open Safari, and open the About Safari command in the Safari menu to show its About window. The build number given after its version should be at least 16611.1.21.161.6. If the last digit is any smaller, then you need to update it using the Software Update pane.
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HOW TO DISABLE SOME OF BIG SUR’S SYSTEM FONTS? Use Font Book to control your fonts unless you’re already using a replacement font manager. Ctrl–click one of the named fonts to see if it can be disabled; those installed in the System’s font folder can’t be, nor can they be removed, as they’re locked on Big Sur’s protected System
EMAIL: ask@maclife.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/maclife TWITTER: twitter.com/maclife SEP 2021 79
CREATE HOW TO DO ANYTHING ON YOUR MAC, iPHONE & iPAD
Make Big Sur more accessible Right the accessibility wrongs in macOS and make it even easier to use REQUIRES macOS 11 Big Sur or later YOU WILL LEARN How to make macOS Big Sur easier to use if you have visual impairments IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes
APPLE’S MACOS BIG Sur is an enormous overhaul of the Mac operating system, with an entirely new look and feel compared to older versions. Not every change has been welcome, though. Apple’s new design includes an awful lot of transparent, low–contrast elements that, while pretty — make using the system harder for anyone with eyesight trouble. Throw in small text and plenty of moving elements that can cause motion sickness, and you have a potential accessibility nightmare. If you find Big Sur means big problems for accessibility, there is help at hand… Apple has a range of features that can alleviate the most
troubling problems in its operating system, thanks to an extensive list of accessibility tools (like VoiceOver) housed in System Preferences. In this tutorial, we will focus on the ways you can make macOS Big Sur’s visual elements more accessible, from increasing text sizes to enabling color filters and more. ALEX BLAKE
HOW TO Fix Big Sur’s accessibility woes GENIUS TIP To add accessibility shortcuts to the menu, go to System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar > Accessibility Shortcuts and check the “Show in Menu Bar” box.
Reduce transparency
Open System Prefs and click Accessibility > Display. Enable “Reduce transparency”. This makes windows and dialog boxes opaque and easier to read. For a stronger effect, check “Increase contrast”. 80 SEP 2021
Contrast and colors
In the same Display tab, adjust the slider at the bottom to tweak display contrast. You can invert Big Sur’s colors (except in images) with the checkbox at the top. Click “Classic Invert” to invert image colors. Image rights: Apple.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
JARGON BUSTER
Reduce motion
Big Sur uses a lot of motion, such as when you switch from one desktop space to another and everything shifts. This can cause motion sickness. Fix it by ticking the “Reduce motion” checkbox under the Display tab.
Menu bar text size
Big Sur’s menu bar text can feel small and hard to read. To increase the text size, use the drop–down menu on the Display tab and choose “Large” from the list. You will need to log out and in again to see the changes.
Differentiate without color
Some apps in Big Sur use colors to show different statuses, such as your availability in a mail app. Check the “Differentiate without color” box on the Display tab to use shapes.
VoiceOver is a built–in screen reader on the Mac. It reads aloud highlighted items and lets you control your Mac with your keyboard.
Cursor size
The cursor can also be made larger. Under Accessibility > Display, click the Cursor tab and adjust the “Cursor size” slider. Tick the checkbox above to increase the cursor size when you shake the mouse.
GENIUS TIP
Color Filters
Now click the Color Filters tab. You can enable a range of filters here, including grayscale and specific color blindness options. Click “Color Tint” to create a custom filter based on a selected color and intensity. Image rights: Apple.
Zoom in
In System Preferences, click Users & Groups > Login Options > Accessibility Options. Any features you enable will be available on the login screen.
In the left–hand menu, click “Zoom” to enable various methods of enlarging text under your pointer. You can trigger it with a keyboard shortcut, by scrolling your mouse, or by pressing and holding the Cmd key. SEP 2021 81
>>> Create
Find and delete duplicate files and photos Save space with Find Duplicates in Parallels Toolbox REQUIRES Parallels Toolbox for Mac (around $22.04/year), macOS 10.12 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to find and delete duplicate files IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes
IT DOESN’T TAKE long to fill your Mac’s hard drive or solid–state drive with clutter. Old photos or work files can quickly take up hundreds of megabytes of precious storage space — take a look at your folder that contains email attachments, you’ll find that alone is taking up a surprising amount of GB. One common problem is that many of us tend to create duplicate versions of files that people send us — photos from a friend, or PDF files from a work colleague. There’s a tendency to automatically create
duplicates of photos and files that we need, say, for work, keeping the originals safe in one folder while editing the duplicates in another. There are many apps that can help you deal with duplicate files, but the one we go to most is part of the Parallels Toolbox suite (from parallels.com). Toolbox costs around $22 per year, but it includes more than 30 different apps and utilities, and its Find Duplicates tool works very much like Spotlight, so it feels familiar. Toolbox also offers a seven–day free trial so that you can check it out first. CLIFF JOSEPH
QUICK LOOK The Find Duplicates feature SPOTLIGHT ON DUPLICATES The tool works like Spotlight, with a list of files on the left and a preview of each file on the right.
WHAT’S IN A NAME? The app doesn’t just look at a file name – it looks at the actual content of each file.
SORT AND DELETE You can sort all your duplicate files by file name, size or type, and choose which ones to delete.
FILE PREVIEW You can view details of each duplicate that you find, and preview the file before deciding whether to delete it.
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Image rights: Parallels International GmbH.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Find and delete duplicate files
Launch Find Duplicates
Parallels Toolbox contains a large collection of useful tools, and version 4.5 includes a new “dashboard” that shows the tools you use the most. Just click on Find Duplicates to launch it.
Save results
Here, it’s taken Parallels Toolbox 30 seconds to scan a folder with 10GB of old work files. Toolbox stores the results of that scan too, so that other scans in the future will be faster even if you add more files to that folder.
Go auto or inspect
By default, the app selects the oldest versions of every duplicate file to delete, and leaves the newest version alone. It can automatically delete all duplicates, but you can take a closer look at each file if you want. Image rights: Parallels International GmbH.
Start searching
The Find Duplicates tool is very straightforward. You can search any folders for duplicate files, either by dragging and dropping them into this window, or you can click Select to open the Mac’s standard Open dialog box.
Spotlight on duplicates
As mentioned, the Find Duplicates tool works in a similar fashion to Spotlight, which makes it easy to use. It shows a list of the duplicate files on the left, with a preview of the file on the right.
Make your selection
There are other options available when searching for duplicate files. Instead of selecting the oldest file copies, you can tell the app to select the newest files, or tell it not to select any files at all.
Select folders
You can select multiple folders where you want to search for duplicate files, and Toolbox will also search any additional sub–folders stored within those folders. Just click the “Search for duplicates” button to start.
Look beyond the name
The app doesn’t only look for files that have the same name — it also compares the content of each file. Here, it has found identical photos of this webcam, and the files have different names.
Sort and find files
If you’re looking for a particular type of file, then you can speed things up by sorting through files in alphabetical order, by file size, or file type. You can also arrange the list in ascending or descending order. SEP 2021 83
>>> Create
Capture text with TextSniper Recipes, presentations, PDFs… TextSniper captures text from anything REQUIRES TextSniper ($9.99), macOS 10.15 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to grab usable text from anything IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes
HAVE YOU EVER encountered a web page that won’t let you copy text from it? A recipe that puts all the ingredients in the video but not on the actual page? An image you want to quote, or a fact–packed presentation slide that you need to copy from quickly? TextSniper can help with all of these things. It’s an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) app, but instead of scanning printed documents it scans
The Additive Clipboard enables you to capture text after text without losing what you’ve already copied. 84 SEP 2021
what’s on your screen — so you can grab a block of text from that digital magazine, that PDF, that video recipe or anything else you can see on your Mac’s display. In addition to copying the text to the clipboard, it can also read it aloud — which is handy for apps or content that don’t pass editable text along to macOS’s own text–to–speech features. It can also decode QR codes and barcodes. TextSniper doesn’t work on every Mac: if you’re running macOS older than Catalina, you’re out of luck. But if your Mac is running macOS 10.15 or later, you can take advantage of iOS/iPadOS integration and use TextSniper on images captured, effectively turning it into a document scanner too. TextSniper is the kind of app we love to see on the Mac; it sets out to do one thing and do it well. And it’s reasonably priced too — it’s just $9.99 on the Mac App Store and it’ll pay for itself by saving you tons of time. You can download a free trial from textsniper.app. CARRIE MARSHALL Image rights: Valerijs Boguckis.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Capture text with TextSniper
JARGON BUSTER Optical Character Recognition is the catch– all term for the technology that analyzes text in an image to turn it into an editable document.
Inspect the menu
When you run TextSniper, it puts an icon in the Menu Bar, enabling you to access its features. It can also connect to your iPhone or iPad, which is useful if you want to use TextSniper on a scanned document.
Set the shortcuts
Although we’re using the Menu Bar for clarity, TextSniper is best when you use keyboard shortcuts: by default, Cmd+Shift+2. You can change that in the app’s preferences — add new shortcuts for other features, too.
Get a thumbs up
If you haven’t disabled the notification, you’ll now see this message. You can now go to another page or image and extract the text from that. TextSniper adds captured text to the clipboard without erasing what’s there. Image rights: Valerijs Boguckis.
Set the language
TextSniper defaults to English but there’s also built–in support for scanning text in a number of other languages. If you wish, you can also disable the notifications you get when text has been captured.
Find your text
TextSniper can extract text from anything on screen: an image, a PDF, an application window, or an ebook. Simply go to the page you want to capture and use the Menu Bar or shortcut to capture the text.
Paste the text
You can now paste the text just as you would in any other app; here we’re pasting an extract into Notes. TextSniper tries to replicate formatting such as line breaks, but it can get confused with complex layouts.
GENIUS TIP If you want to translate text in an image, you can do it from your iPhone in real time: just install Google Translate or Microsoft Translator. SEP 2021 85
>>> Create MAIN TOOLBAR Ctrl–click to customize this to contain your most common tools from the Object menu.
PROPERTY BAR This bar provides access to more detailed settings for the selected object or drawing tool.
DRAWING TOOLBOX These set pointer actions. Select variants by clicking on the lower right triangle. to relaunch.
INSPECTOR Selected from the list in the Window menu, commonly for Properties, Objects, or Pages.
Get creative with CorelDRAW Use its shortcuts to save repetition when creating symmetrical objects REQUIRES CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2021 (from $249.99/year), macOS 10.15 or later YOU WILL LEARN To create and use complex objects simply and efficiently IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes
COREL PROVIDES FREE HIGH– QUALITY CLIP ART, IMAGES, FILLS, AND FONTS 86 SEP 2021
FAITHFUL DRAWING WITH physical media is about repetition. This introduction to CorelDRAW shows how to use its tools to save time — getting your Mac to do the repetitive drawing necessary to create a daisy flower. It can easily be extended to other types of flora, and most other symmetrical objects. CorelDRAW (coreldraw.com) is the vector drawing app in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. Here you’ll use drawing tools to create instant and regular ellipses rather than having to draw the shapes
Use your iPad in Sidecar when you need fine control for drawing and editing using Apple Pencil.
from curves. You could instead scan or photograph your pencil drawing, clean the image up in Corel PHOTO–PAINT, then convert that to vector format using CorelDRAW’s PowerTRACE feature. Another option, particularly for less regular objects — is to draw them in using the Smart Drawing tool, which works well with a graphics tablet or, best of all, an iPad with Apple Pencil connected in Sidecar mode. Corel provides lots of free clip art, images, fills, and fonts for you. Here you’ll use just one item from its Starter Pack, a bitmap fill. These can be obtained through the Help menu, and Corel’s Store also offers a range of paid–for products. You can easily create your own bitmap and vector fills, as well as useful objects containing common graphic elements. When you’ve completed this introduction, you can try using different effects to give your daisies a more natural look, and apply them to a 3D carton projected using CorelDRAW’s perspective drawing. HOWARD OAKLEY Image rights: Corel Corporation.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Get creative with CorelDRAW
Create the disc
Create a new document containing one A4 page in landscape mode. Set the Zoom to 400%, select the circle/ellipse tool, and drag out a near–circle slightly smaller than a third of the height of the working area.
Regroup the petals
When you’re happy all the petals are properly aligned around the disc, click Finish in the property bar. Select that symmetry group and, in the property bar, click Break Link to change it into a group of objects.
Color the petals
Select one group of petals and give them a color fill, this time from very pale blue to white, in a linear gradient. Repeat this procedure with the other group of petals, and adjust their order in the Object menu. Image rights: Corel Corporation.
Add the first petal
With the circle tool selected, draw in a narrow ellipse at the 12 o’clock position to form a petal, overlapping the disc slightly. Adjust its position by dragging it and, as needed, the numbers in the property bar.
Double the petals
Select that group, copy and paste it in place, then select the rotate figure in the edit bar above. Change the rotate figure from 0.0˚ to 15.0˚ to rotate the second group of petals into the gaps within the first group.
Add the background
Select the rectangle drawing tool and drag out a background behind the flower. Set its fill to contrast color and texture; if you have the free Starter Pack, this bitmap fill (079) is ideal.
Multiply the petals
Select that petal and use the “Create new symmetry” option in the Object/Symmetry menu. In the symmetry group property bar, set the copies to 12, and drag the center of symmetry to the center of the disc.
Color the disc
Select the disc and open the Properties editor from the Object menu. Select the Fill tool, and set a central gradient with a Fountain fill from a deep yellow to a pale yellow, giving it a central highlight.
Spray your daisies
Select the objects in your daisy on the page or Objects list and group them using that command in the Object menu. Zoom out to 200% and duplicate the group, dragging each by a corner to resize them for variety. SEP 2021 87
>>> Create
How to make music remotely Use the cloud to collaborate with your musical buddies REQUIRES Splice Studio (free), macOS 10.14 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to collaborate remotely using Logic or other apps IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes
IF YOU’VE EVER tried to play along with another musician in a Zoom call, you’ll know that the lag in video apps makes real-time collaboration painful. But that doesn’t mean you can’t all work remotely on the same track when you can’t all be in the same room. Simply share your project with your collaborators, and it will automatically update and sync when anybody adds to it. For remote music making, you need everyone to have three things. One,
decent internet access. Two, a music app — ideally the same one you have. And three, an interface that they can use to connect their instrument to their computer, such as a USB guitar, microphone, or MIDI interface. When you have all of those things, you can use cloud storage to share and sync your project, but what if your bandmates don’t use the same apps or, whisper it, don’t even have Macs? As we’ll discover, there’s an elegant solution, and it’s called Splice Studio. CARRIE MARSHALL
HOW TO Sync and share music projects
Use iCloud Drive
The simplest way to share your music project is to put it in an iCloud Drive folder, Ctrl–click and choose Share File. However, this only works if the recipient has either macOS 10.15 or later, iOS 13.4 or later, or iCloud For Windows. 88 SEP 2021
Use another cloud
Alternatively, put the project into another cloud storage/sharing service, such as Dropbox or Microsoft’s OneDrive. Anything put in a Dropbox or OneDrive folder works just as it does with iCloud, updating and syncing as it’s changed.
Share with Splice
Our favorite way to collaborate remotely is via a service called Splice. It works on Macs and PCs, and is designed for musicians, with support for Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, and GarageBand. Download and install from splice.com. Image rights: Distributed Creation Inc.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
Drag or copy
The app creates a new folder on your Mac called Splice. Now, you can drag your musical projects into it from another Finder window, or save directly into it from your music app. Here, we’re dragging a bunch of Logic Pro songs.
Invite the band
Hover to the right of a project’s Open button in the Splice app, and you’ll see a ‘…’ icon. Click and choose Manage Collaborators to add collaborators to that project. They’ll need to have signed up for Splice before you can add them.
Share your stems
Splice only shares projects, not stems, so you need to do that manually online. You can do it in two ways: By dragging from the Finder over the Attach Stem Files bit of the Splice screen, or by using the Add Stems button. Image rights: Distributed Creation Inc.
Upload your songs
Splice will automatically upload anything new or updated in your Splice folder to the cloud — here, our Logic projects are uploading. Once uploaded, open the project from within Splice, or view it on the Splice website.
Do your thing
If you and your collaborators all use Splice, it will automatically update everybody when someone saves the Logic project. It will also keep the previous versions so you can recover from any bad decisions!
Upload for anyone
The benefit of sharing stems is that they work with any music app, but the person you’re sharing with needs to know the project tempo so they can sync any click track or MIDI with the song. Do so by including the BPM in the filenames.
See on the web
This is where things get interesting. Splice not only uploads your Logic project, it also gives an overview of the tracks in it. You or your collaborators can leave comments on those individual tracks.
Export for other apps
If not all of the band members have a Mac, don’t worry. Splice lets you share the individual tracks, called stems. To make stems in Logic, use File > Export > All Tracks As Audio Files.
Share your song
Once your stems are uploaded, collaborators can download them. You’ll need them to export the stem of what they record and share it in the same way: Splice can’t update your Logic project if the other person isn’t using Logic. SEP 2021 89
>>> Create
Use Microsoft Teams Chat, schedule meetings, and share your screen with friends and family REQUIRES Mac, iPhone, or iPad; Microsoft Teams (macOS 10.14 or later; iOS 12.2 or later) YOU WILL LEARN How to use Microsoft Teams IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes
MICROSOFT’S TEAMS MAY not have had the profile of Zoom or Skype over the last 12 months, when many of us have been working predominantly from home. That said, it has been crucial for many companies and large organizations in keeping people connected and working together; schools in particular have been using it as a platform for accessible home learning. Teams isn’t just for business and education, though.
GENIUS TIP Friends and family members don’t have to have the app installed to join a meeting. They can click the link you send and join in a web browser. 90 SEP 2021
As well as allowing you to hold conversations with friends and family, Teams has a calendar that you can use to schedule meetings.
Microsoft is pushing to make Teams popular among friends and families as an alternative to Zoom, Skype, and Apple’s FaceTime. As such, it’s currently free to download and use, without the need for an Office 365 subscription— although you will need to create a Microsoft account if you don’t already have one. Along with the ability to send text messages, hold audio and video conversations and group meetings, Teams has one or two features not seen in its nearest competitors. For example, Teams has a Calendar that displays meetings you’ve arranged or committed to, along with invitations to which you haven’t responded, for example. It also has some quirks – for example, you can’t currently manage Teams notifications in Notification Center We’ll show you how to get started with Teams so you can try it out with friends and family. We’ll also show you how to share your screen, and you can use the same process to share video from your device’s camera or photos you’ve taken. Image rights: Microsoft.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Set up and use Microsoft Teams
Download + install
On an iPhone or iPad, go to the App Store, search for Teams, and download it. The Mac version is not on the Mac App Store, so go to bit.ly/ msoftforhome, download the installer, then double–click it to install Teams.
Start on Mac
Click New Chat (Cmd+N) , and type the email address of the person you want to chat to. Click their name, then add a group name. Type a message and click Send. Next time, just click their name in the sidebar.
Schedule a meeting
If you want to arrange a meeting, tap More, then Calendar, and ‘Add an event’. On the Mac, click Calendar, then ‘New meeting’. Fill in the name of the meeting and date, time, and any other details. Image rights: Microsoft.
Sign up or log in
If you already have a Microsoft account, you may be prompted to sign in to it. If you want to use a different account, choose ‘Sign in with another account’, Or ‘Sign up for free’ to create a new account to use with Teams.
Create a group on iOS
Tap the New Chat icon, then ‘New group chat’. Type a group name. Scroll through the contacts, and tap those you want to add to the group. Tap Next, type a message, and tap Send.
Share the meeting
On the Mac, click Save, Copy link, and close the dialog box. On iPhone or iPad, tap ‘Invite a group’ to invite people, and choose the group. Tap Done. To join the meeting, go to Calendar and tap Join.
Start on iPad
On the iPhone or iPad, you’ll be prompted to allow Teams to access Contacts. If you agree, start a dialogue by tapping the New Chat icon and starting to type a name in the ‘To’ field, then tapping on the contact.
Create a meeting
To start a meeting immediately on a mobile device, tap Meet, then ‘Meet now’. Give the meeting a name, then tap ‘Copy meeting link’. Share the link by pasting it into an email or message, then tap ‘Start meeting’.
Share your screen
On the Mac, click the Share button in the toolbar, and choose ‘Share screen’. If you have more than one screen, click the image of the one to share. On iPhone or iPad, tap More, then Share and ‘Share screen’. SEP 2021 91
>>> Create
Get started with AirTag Keep track of your stuff with Apple’s new Find My accessory REQUIRES An Apple AirTag, an iPhone (preferably an iPhone 11 or 12 with U1 chip), iOS 14.5 or later, Find My app YOU WILL LEARN How to set up and use Apple’s AirTag and locate AirTag items IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes
TO FURTHER PINPOINT AN OBJECT YOU CAN EVEN GET AN AIRTAG TO PLAY A SOUND 92 SEP 2021
THE FIND MY app for iPhone and iPad makes it easy to keep track of your Apple devices — you can do so on your Mac and on iCloud (although they work slightly differently). With the launch of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, you can now keep tabs on other items too, thanks to support for third-party hardware such as Belkin’s SoundForm True Wireless AirPods and VanMoof’s S3 and X3 E-bikes,
AirTags cost $29 each. To attach one to an item, you’ll need an official accessory, like an AirTag Loop (from $29) or AirTag Leather Key Ring (from $35).
plus you can also use it to track more personal items such as keys and bags. All you need to do is attach and activate an Apple AirTag ($29) or Chipolo ONE Spot ($28) to each one, then select the items tab in the Find My app to locate each object you’ve added a tag to. If you own an iPhone equipped with Apple’s U1 chip (the iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, say), you can go even further. That’s because the U1 uses ultra-wideband technology tor precision location finding, with arrows indicating the direction of the object appearing on screen. Your iPhone will even vibrate when you get really close. To further pinpoint an object, you can also get an AirTag to play a sound through its built-in speaker. When used in this way, you may never lose your bag or keys again. Here, you’ll discover how to set up and use an AirTag and find an item you’ve attached it to using the Find My app. Let’s get started. ROB MEAD-GREEN Image rights: Apple.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Set up and use an AirTag
JARGON BUSTER
Add an AirTag
Take your AirTag out of its packaging, and remove the plastic tab to activate the battery. With Bluetooth and Wi-Fi active on your iPhone, hold the AirTag to it. Click Connect when the pop-up window appears.
Register your AirTag
The next screen will let you link your AirTag to your Apple ID, and so have it appear in the Find My app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, as well as on iCloud.com. Tap Continue. On the next screen, tap ‘View in Find My app’.
Name your AirTag
Choose an identity for this AirTag. Scroll through the names that appear onscreen (eg, Keys), then tap Continue. Or click Custom and type in a name. Again, tap Continue when you’re done.
Ultra-wideband is a lowpower, broad bandwidth radio technology that is ideal for location finding, and is used by the U1 chip inside the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and Apple Watch Series 6.
See its location
In Find My > Items, you should now see your named AirTag’s location, its name, and four further options: Play Sound, Find, Notifications, and Lost Mode. Tap Play Sound, and your AirTag will chirp in response.
GENIUS TIP
Find a lost AirTag item
If you can’t find your keys or any other item with an AirTag attached, tap Find in Find My. On iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, you’ll now see a series of arrows appear on screen that can help guide you to its precise location. Try it! Image rights: Apple.
Enter Lost Mode
To make your AirTag play an audio alert while using Find My > Find, tap the speaker icon. You should now hopefully hear it chirp up.
If you can’t find an AirTag item, turn on Notifications to be alerted when it next appears. If you’ve really lost it, tap Lost Mode. This enables anyone with an NFC-equipped device to tap it and get in touch with you. SEP 2021 93
>>> Create
Protect accounts with 2FA Add a secondary layer of security to your online accounts and services REQUIRES iPhone running iOS 11 or later, Authy (Free) YOU WILL LEARN How to set up Twilio Authy to generate and supply 2FA codes IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes
TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (2FA) is a form of additional verification to protect your online accounts in case your password is compromised. Verification can take several forms: 2FA is the most popular, but others include receiving a confirmatory email or SMS message to your phone, or the need to complete login using a secondary device. 2FA links your phone to your account via a special authenticator app that generates rotating numerical codes
(six to eight digits) that change every 30 seconds. After entering your password, you’ll be prompted to check your app for the code, which you input to complete the login process. There are several apps available — we’ve chosen Twilio Authy, because it supports multiple devices and secure backups. Once you’ve downloaded it, you’ll need to supply your phone number and email, then enter the registration code you receive via phone call or SMS to verify your account. NICK PEERS
HOW TO Enable 2FA for any supported website
Add a 2FA code
Log into one of your online accounts. If it supports two-step verification, it’s likely to be in the Account or Security section. Switch it on, then pick the Authenticator App option, which should show a QR code. 94 SEP 2021
Set up Authy
Open the Authy app, tap the Settings button and switch to the Accounts section. Tap the ‘+’ followed by Scan QR Code, and use your phone’s camera to capture the code, which will set up the new 2FA link.
Select logo and verify
Authy will try to identify the service you’ve connected to, and pick a suitable icon. Tap Save and Exit. Your new account should be selected, so type the code into the web page. Image rights: TWILIO, INC.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Backup and sync
Enable cloud sync
When you add your first account, you’ll be prompted to create a password (make it strong — 12 characters minimum). Enter it, tap Enable Backups, and then retype the password to confirm.
Set up backup device
Go to authy.com/download to install Authy on your secondary device. Open Authy on your new device, enter your country code and number into the boxes, then click Next.
Authorize connection
Choose Existing Device. Tap the notification that appears on your phone, open Authy and tap Accept, then type ‘YES’ before tapping OK to sync your codes to your new device.
HOW TO Protect your account
Disable multi– devices
Remove the risk of unauthorized devices being added by disabling multi-device support. Navigate to Settings > Devices and switch Allow Multi-device off.
Protect app
Prevent anyone from accessing Authy should they steal your phone. Navigate to Security > My Account, and tap Security. Toggle all the available switches to on, and set a four–digit passcode when prompted here.
Review and remove
If a device is no longer required, or gets stolen, then log into Authy on another device, and navigate to Settings > Devices. Tap the device, or the bin next to it, then choose Remove Device, followed by Yes.
> RECOVER YOUR ACCOUNT Restore access to Authy from your phone If you’re forced to remove Authy from your primary phone, but later recover the phone successfully, download the app, and go through the account verification process as outlined in the main text. After doing so, all your accounts will appear back on your phone, but you’ll see they’re protected with a lock symbol — tap one and enter your Authy backup password to unlock your account and regain access. If this doesn’t work, visit authy.com/phones/reset to begin the account recovery process, which can take up to 24 hours to complete. Image rights: TWILIO, INC.
SEP 2021 95
The periscope lens How submarine tech could mean better iPhone photos
HOW IT WORKS YOU WILL LEARN How periscope lenses could enhance iPhone photography Above: This image, by Chinese hardware firm OPPO, shows how a periscope lens works in a smartphone.
KEY FACT To get a longer-range zoom, you need to increase focal length — the distance between the lens and camera sensor. In a normal camera, you do that by making the lens move outwards — for example, by having a telescopic lens. Telescopic cameras have been tried in smartphones but they weren’t too successful. 96 SEP 2021
ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE well-connected Apple leakers, the iPhone could be getting a new kind of camera in 2022; one that sees further than any existing iPhone camera without having to sacrifice any image quality. That’s because Apple is experimenting with periscope lenses. It wouldn’t be the first to do so, either. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 and S21 Ultra both have periscopes, and other Android firms are following suit with their own high-end products. So what is a periscope lens, and why would you want it in your phone? Let’s — ahem — look into it. WHY PERISCOPES CAN HELP YOU SEE SO MUCH FURTHER Periscope lenses enable you to get much more powerful optical zoom without requiring an enormous lens sticking out of the back of your phone. To understand why that’s important, we need to understand how optical zooms work, and why digital zooms aren’t as good. With optical zooms, you get the same level of detail, no matter how much you zoom in or out; with digital zoom, software tries to guess what detail a zoom lens would see. It’s clever, but no substitute for the real thing. In order to use optical zoom, you need to change the focal length of the camera. That’s the gap between the lens or lenses and the camera sensor. Short focal lengths are brilliant for close-up photos, delivering great detail, and a very wide angle. That’s something many smartphone cameras excel at. But it’s
no good for things that are far away. To shoot them, you need the focal length to be as long as possible. That means you get the same amount of detail with much longer range. The problem with that is increasing the focal length means physically moving the lens or lenses further away from the camera sensor, and there’s not a lot of room to do that in a typically slim smartphone. Firms such as Samsung did try to solve that problem by putting enormous telescopic cameras on otherwise slim phones such as the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom, but while the results were effective enough, the phones weren’t very popular, so manufacturers decided to steal some ideas from submarines instead. Naturally. PERISCOPES: WHY THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR SUBMARINES We’ve all seen submarine periscopes in movies where a grizzled captain pulls down the periscope to look for the enemy. It’s a very sensible solution to a particular problem; you need to see the ships you’re targeting, but you don’t want to come to the surface. A periscope solves that problem by using angled mirrors to bounce light from the lens, which is horizontal, down the periscope tube, which is vertical. Periscope phones do exactly the same thing, but instead of bouncing the light downwards, they bounce it sideways, moving it horizontally across the back of the phone. On the outside, the lens looks the same, but instead of sitting in front of a sensor it sits in front of a mirror. That Image rights: OPPO.
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
> SNAP HAPPIER The iPhone 12 blends hardware and software in a clever way by using Computational Photography to deliver pro–quality photos instantly. In addition to normal image processing, it uses machine learning tech to analyze an image and break it down into its component parts, each of which is analyzed and adjusted separately. For example, if you were taking a photo of a person, your phone would identify and process the background, clothing, hair, eyes, and lips separately, adjusting exposure and
saturation, and then blending them all together. The results are particularly good with traditionally tough tasks like shooting under skies. Bright skies can often overpower the subject in a photo, but with Smart HDR, the sky is analyzed and adjusted separately from everything else. Your iPhone effectively cuts out the sky, fixes it, and sticks it back again. The same processing is used in Night Mode, which takes advantage of new image algorithms to remove noise and produce better lowlight photos.
mirror bounces the incoming light at a right angle so it travels horizontally through other lenses until it reaches the sensor. By making the light travel that distance, you can increase the focal length far beyond what a normal smartphone camera can deliver. Where a normal camera might have a focal length of a few millimeters, periscope cameras can have a focal length measured in centimeters — without having to make the camera bump any more prominent. THE POWER OF THE PERISCOPE That additional focal length means much better optical zoom. How much better? In a device such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the periscope camera achieves 10x optical zoom. That’s something you’d normally need a proper camera for, not a smartphone. Samsung uses software to turn that into an effective 100x digital zoom, although as with all digital zooms quality degrades noticeably; as you get towards three figures, the picture becomes more impressionistic than photographic. Like most digital zooms, the figure of 100x here is more about looking good on a spec sheet. While the Samsung is capable of shooting at up to 108 megapixels, at 100x zoom that’s 108 megapixels of jaggy and indistinct detail. However, as our Image rights: Samsung.
This Night Mode shot was taken on an iPhone 12 Pro Max by NKCHU in China.
friends at Techradar (techradar.com) pointed out in their Samsung review, what’s happening at 100x zoom on the Samsung is effectively the same thing that happens at 10x zoom on phones without optical zoom lenses. And if you stick to the 10x optical zoom, the results are superb, enabling you to get really close to faraway things without losing any detail.
KEY FACT Normal periscopes use two angled mirrors to reflect light, so in a submarine periscope the lens is horizontal and the image is then reflected downwards before being reflected again into the viewer. Periscope lenses in cameras use a mirror too; they reflect the incoming light at a 90° angle so it travels across the width of the phone.
DO YOU NEED A PERISCOPE LENS SYSTEM IN YOUR iPHONE? The short answer is yes; it means longer range for photography and for video too. But how much longer that range will be depends on a lot of things, not least how much room Apple can make inside the iPhone’s case for that horizontal lens assembly. It’s clearly possible, as Samsung’s Galaxy Ultra demonstrates, but don’t hold your breath for a periscope lens in the iPhone 13 mini. For the time being, periscopes are more likely to appear in Apple’s biggest phones, most likely the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Firms like Samsung tried to combine telescopic
CARRIE MARSHALL
cameras with smartphones, but without much success. SEP 2021 97
RANDOM APPLE MEMORY
I Got the Power(Book)
Charlotte Henry looks back at the PowerBook, the groundbreaking product that launched Apple into the laptop market
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98 SEP 2021
>>> Master your Mac!
plane, but pulls out his new PowerBook, accompanied by a narrator saying: “At least his hands are comfortable.” Despite his seeming lack of desire to push the product, the PowerBook became one of the major successes of Sculley’s tenure. It generated $1 billion of revenue for Apple in just its first year. Beyond the bottom line, the effect of the product on both the company and the wider industry was significant. The PowerBook proved to be attractive to those who had to travel for work, and ultimately helped make Apple a major player in the modern laptop market. It was no surprise, then, that after the initial success Apple continued to upgrade the product line. It did so first with the PowerBook Duo in 1992, which >>> The evolution of Apple TV
>>> Learn the basics: Keynote
lasted until 1997 over seven different iterations. Then there was the PowerBook 500 in 1994, which was a significant upgrade from the 100 line–up, and is regarded as the first computer with a built–in trackpad. The product remained as Apple moved to PowerPC architecture, and there were redesigned G3 and G4 models too. In 2005, Mobile PC magazine declared the PowerBook 100 the “number 1 gadget of all time”. A year later though, it was no more, replaced by the MacBook Pro.
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THE POWERBOOK 100 series of portable computers from Apple was launched in October 1999. Unlike its predecessor, the Mac Portable, the PowerBook was (relatively) lightweight, and easy to carry, with the team behind it reportedly determined to keep the weight to under 8lb. It came in three versions: the 100, 140, and 170. They all had an eyecatching trackball built-in, a feature then not offered by PC rivals. Only the top-end 170 model had an active-matrix display. The product was granted a marketing budget of just $1 million by then CEO John Sculley. This was mostly spent on deploying the advertising firm behind the famous 1984 advert to create a spot featuring Kareem Abdul–Jabbar. The former basketball star is crammed onto a
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