Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2024 i Essential Apple User Magazine

James Gale Managing Editor Now we have joystick support and lag-free Apple TV casting, can get Sega AM2 arcade games for iOS? Sega Rally, Virtual Fighter 2 and Daytona USA! Martin Smith Group Senior Designer I’m torn between the DJI Mini 4 Pro now it finally has omni-directional obstacle avoidance, but also the new HOVERAir X1 looks fun too! Alan Hulme Staff Writer Ian’s been singing the praises of Baldur’s Gate I, II and 3, and I think I’d like them too. I must put them on my list for my birthday. Mark Ayshford Art Director I’ll ask for a HomePod Mini. It’s the perfect smart speaker for me, for both streaming Apple Music and the connected home. Ian Osborne Editor I’m after a four-bay RAID drive to rationalise my…

This inexpensive gadget designed for iPhone and iPad selfies is clearly aimed at teenaged social media content creators. Available in a range of colours, Pivo Pod is a palm-sized, drum-shaped device with a vice-style clamp on the top to hold your smartphone in portrait and landscape orientation. When in place, the Pivo Pod can rotate the iPhone through 360 degrees, but there’s no native way of tilting it backward or forward. Pivo Pod connects to your Apple device using Bluetooth, and is controlled with free apps. There’s a standard tripod screw hole on the base, so you can fit it to a regular photography tripod if you wish. As well as making it easy to raise or lower the camera perspective, a decent tripod lets you tilt it too, giving…

This is awesome. While a fixed-position notebook raiser holds your MacBook at a set height, the Curve Flex goes a step further and lets you adjust it. It can lift the top of your screen up to 22 inches, and set your keyboard angle to between zero and 45 degrees. Available in matte black or white, it also folds flat so you can take it with you when on the move. It even comes with a neoprene sleeve for transportation, which has a little pocket to hold the supplied Allen key used to tighten it up if things get loose over time. It’s easy to set up. Put it on your desk, place your hand on the base and pull it up to the height you want. It’s a little…

Philips’ 27B1U7903 4K satisfies on pretty-much every level. It’s wonderful for design. Colours are clear and bright. There’s 1.07 billion of them on offer, and they’re brilliantly reproduced. Viewing angles are excellent, with almost no colour shifting at narrow angles. The screen is backlit by MiniLEDs. There’s 2,304 individual local dimming zones, compared to 576 on most 27-inch monitors. This really helps with the contrast, making blacks darker, whites brighter and the entire spectrum more vivid. For professional and prosumer users, it’s perfect. It does a decent job with movies and games too. These should be regarded as secondary uses, of course. If you’re looking for a monitor specifically for movies and games, there are more appropriate options. But its 4K, 3840x2160 resolution, 163 pixel-per-inch density and 60Hz refresh rate…

The GorillaPod range of tripods has an enviable reputation for versatility and strength, and this new model, the PodZilla, is no exception. As well as using it as a tripod, you can hold its legs together to turn it into a selfie stick, wrap them around a branch or railing to hold your iPhone steady in unusual places, bend one leg a little more than the others to accommodate uneven surfaces and more. There’s a standard head mount screw, so you can use it with a regular camera, and a housing to hold a mobile phone. This housing can also support LEDs, microphones and other JOBY products alongside your phone, but these are not supplied. The PodZilla comes in four exciting colours. Or maybe three exciting colours and grey. The…

The ChargeTree, STM’s multi-device charger for Apple fans, reaches perfection with the ChargeTree Go. Like previous versions, it can charge an Apple Watch, an iPhone with Qi charging (iPhone 8 or later) and earbuds that offer wireless charging such as Apple’s own second-generation or later AirPods, all at once. But unlike previous versions, this ChargeTree folds down flat for travel use. You get a drawstring bag to carry it in too, which is large enough to also hold the 20W plug (not supplied) and the USB-C to USB-C cable (supplied). It has charge status lights to show you that your devices have been positioned correctly and are charging, but these go out after a brief while, so you can use it on your bedside table without having LEDs keeping you…

Of the three feature-rich and competitively-priced design packages in the Affinity range, it’s Affinity Photo that impressed us most. A powerful image editor, it rivals Adobe Photoshop for versatility but costs a single, affordable fee with no monthly subscriptions. Affinity Photo 2 is a major overhaul, with a new user interface, non-destructive RAW editing, live masks and more. There’s no upgrade discount for existing users, but a free 30-day trial is available so you can try before you buy. Custom settings can be imported from the original Affinity Photo, so if you’ve set up custom brushes, adjustments and more, you won’t have to do it all again when you upgrade. Like the other Affinity apps released as Version 2, Photos 2 benefits from a greatly revised user interface. The workspaces,…

Point-and-click adventure fans rejoice! Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack is an indie tribute to the much-loved LucasArts games from yesteryear. If you have fond memories of The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Loom, a couple of Indiana Jones offerings and more, you’ll feel right at home here. According to developer Warm Kitten, it’s a ‘cozy 2D point-and-click adventure featuring three acts, multiple playable characters and plenty of silliness. Oh, and there’s time travel and relationship stuff going down too. And robots – lots of robots.’ So let’s get started… Justin Wack is not a happy guy. If splitting up with his girlfriend Julia isn’t enough bad luck, an incident with a microwave sends him back in time, swapping places with a prehistoric guy called Kloot. Can he…

Shiver me timbers, me hearties! Those scurvy dogs at Netflix are sailing the seven seas of video gaming, producing a treasure chest of titles for their subscribing crew-mates at a charge of zero pieces of eight! One of those treasures is Rival Pirates, a multiplayer death-match featuring a motley collection of cartoon buccaneers. Produced by games industry legend Nick Roberts, Rival Pirates sees you commanding a weak and flimsy pirate ship crewed by two comedy pirates, each of whom has their own abilities. Put these abilities to your advantage and you can bring down your online foes in a 16-ship arena battle, earning money to invest in building up your ship into a force to be reckoned with. The action is crazily cartoony, and a delight to watch as you…

Doom. What the hell can anyone say about this game that hasn’t already been said many times before? The granddaddy of the FPS genre and one of the greatest games in the history of its industry, the only thing I can add is if you’ve never played the original, get yourself a copy and imagine how games like Call of Duty could exist without it. As a big fan of the first three games in the series, the franchise lost me with its recent incarnations. Its old-school exploration-based demon-shredding shifted to a less involving arena style of gameplay. Fortunately, it’s a style of play that suits this roguelite mobile reimagining. The smaller play area with the core gameplay focusing on sending a set number of hell spawn, err back to…

STM MagArm URL: www.stmgoods.com Price: $49.95, UK and Euro prices TBA Using your iPhone as a webcam with Continuity Camera is great, right? With STM’s MagArm, you can attach a MagSafe-compatible iPhone to your Mac using a strong, airtight sucker. It’s robust, and rotates so you can twist it to point your iPhone any way you like. CLCKR Clear Stand & Grip URL: https://clckr.co.uk Price: £34.99, $39.99, 39.99 € This clear iPhone case is ideal for the new iPhone 14 series. Replete with a built-in stand in black and purple, it protects against drops of up to 3.6 metres. The stand can hold the iPhone in landscape or portrait mode too. WaterField Designs Moto Sling Bag URL: www.sfbags.com Price: £159, $179, 180 € This accessory sling bag is ideal for…

In a nutshell, the difference between a Wi-Fi extender and a Wi-Fi repeater is that an extender connects directly to your router, maybe through homeplugs, and offers a separate wireless access point. A repeater, on the other hand, latches on to the outer reaches of your existing Wi-Fi network, and rebroadcasts it, giving you extra range. These two devolo products are repeaters. The devices offer two form factors. The 5400 looks like a router, with a separate mains outlet plug and two Ethernet ports for cabled connections. The 3000 model plugs directly into the mains socket and a single Ethernet port. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer a through-port for you to plug in another electrical device. They’re extremely easy to set up; using WPS, just press a button on your router…

Keyboards and controllers can be a significant investment, especially if you’re a small business owner who needs to buy in bulk. Logitech’s Signature MK650 Combo for Business offers a (relatively) low cost option instead. Available in black or white, the combination pack contains an K650 keyboard and an M650 mouse. Designed for maximum compatibility, the keyboard is printed with both Mac and Windows key layouts. It has a full set of function keys along the top, and a built-in keypad too. It feels comfortable to type on, and as it has a palm rest, it’s easy on the wrists. The mouse is equally comfortable to use. It has a tracking DPI of 400-4000, which is ideal for general use. There’s a scroll wheel with a middle button, and two side…

This home karaoke machine is surprisingly comprehensive for such an affordable device. It’s bundled with two mics so it’s ideal for duets, there’s flashing coloured LED lights for that on-stage feel and it connects to your iPhone or iPad through Bluetooth so you can sing along to your favourite songs. Top tip; there are plenty of songs on YouTube with vocals removed and lyrics on display. It supports the CD+G format, so a karaoke CD can output lyrics to your television for you to follow as you sing, and you can play CD-R/RW disks on it too. Talking of CDs, there’s a ten-track karaoke disc bundled, offering tracks such as Dancing Queen, Living on a Prayer and Valerie. You wouldn’t expect audiophile quality playback and studio-quality mics from a karaoke…

The Melomania Touch is Cambridge Audio’s second true wireless earbuds release, following the respected, well received Melomania 1. The new buds have been redesigned from the ground up, and have little in common with their predecessor. Featuring 7mm Graphene drivers for enhanced bass, the Melomania Touch offers a nine-hour continual play, with a 50-hour battery life when you throw in the case. It has a Unique High Performance Audio Mode for hi-fi quality sound and a Transparency Mode to let in ambient sounds, but no noise-cancelling feature to keep them out. It comes with six sets of silicon earbud in small, medium and large sizes, and three pairs of fins to keep them in your ear, again in small, medium and large. A USB-A to C cable is included for…

How’s that for an arty drive case? This portable SSD has a real cubist vibe to it, and it’s made using a high-end IML (in mould labelling) process so the colours won’t fade over time. It’s the 1TB version we’re looking at here, but it’s also available at all the usual sizes from 256GB to 2TB. As you’d expect for a modern storage drive, it features an on-board USB-C port. It includes both USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables so you can plug it into either. In use, it’s very fast. The SSD itself offers speeds of up to 20Gbps, and data transfer is based around the USB3.2 GEN2X2 chip, giving it reading speed up to 2060MB/s in perfect conditions. In our tests, using a USB-A port in…

These Affinity Version 2 apps are really knocking it out of the park. Publisher 2 is no exception. For the first time, it’s available on the iPad as well as the Mac, bringing it into line with Affinity’s Photo and Designer apps. The original Affinity Publisher was highly respected, and the new release makes significant advances on it with some great new features. Like all the Affinity apps, Publisher 2 is very affordable. On both the iPad and Mac you pay a single fee and buy the apps outright – there’s no monthly subscription. Best of all, there’s a universal licence that gets you all three Affinity apps on the Mac, Windows and iPad. It’s amazing value for money. Interesting interactive interface The interface is as instinctive and intuitive as…

If you expect this game to be about snotty misfits chasing locomotives down station platforms while photographing the engine numbers, you’re on the wrong track (ouch!) It’s a business sim set in the golden age of railways. It’s also the latest game in the Railroad Tycoon franchise, which has been going since 1990. Sid Meier’s Railroads! itself dates back to 2006 on Windows and 2012 on the Mac, so can this new release for iPad and iPhone measure up to todays standards? As Railroads! is the first game in the series since the original that strategy gaming legend Sid Meier worked on directly, you expect a solid, cerebral game, and you won’t be disappointed. Those familiar with the desktop-computer original will appreciate the tweaks and refinements made by Feral in…

Franchise fatigue is a very real issue, not only for audiences but also the creator/producer and retailer; the entire food chain. Worst still, it’s mostly a self-inflicted injury, usually caused by the over-recycling of old themes into into realm of the trope and cliché. It’s something to which those of you who’ve suffered through some the later editions of once-classic gaming series will no doubt testify. While the over-reliance of the familiar over invention is never a recommendation, let alone commended in any form of entertainment, it remains a driving force across mediums. To maintain focus, engagement and fan loyalty, invention is a core requirement for any ongoing franchise/series; gaming in particular. Alas, invention in gaming has a powerful Kryptonite; a big green rock from space called ‘franchise expectation’. An…

Our great give-away is easy to enter. Just point your web browser at our Facebook and/or our Instagram page, and like, follow and share it. The first 501 people on Facebook and the first 501 people on Instagram each win one of our digital titles, which we’ll send as a web link and a download code. It’s only one win per person, but if you like, follow and share both our Facebook and Instagram pages, you’ll double your chances of winning. So what are you waiting for? Tap one of the links found on this page to get to our Facebook or Instagram accounts, then like, follow and share it to be entered into our competition. There’s over a thousand prizes to be won, so you’ve an excellent chance. Check…

Device Guide While most of our reviews cover most devices, we have added these icons to give you a quick reference to what device is best suited for the product or software. Scores// Our ratings explained: 5 - excellent 4 - good 3 - average 2 - poor 1 - avoid…

If you’re addicted to all things Apple and use an Apple Watch and AirPods alongside your iPhone, this is a comprehensive charging solution. It can charge all three of your devices at once, from a single power outlet. It comes supplied with a USB-C cable, but not the 20W USB-C power adapter you need for fast charging. Your MagSafe iPhone fits magnetically to the front of the HiRise, while your Apple Watch sits atop the device facing the ceiling. This means you can’t see the charging watch’s face if you’re lying in bed and have the HiRise your the bedside table; forget Nightstand Mode. The AirPods (wireless charging cases only) rest on the base. If your iPhone supports wireless-charging but not MagSafe you can charge it on the base instead,…

512 Audio’s latest microphone is a decent price. It’s certainly not cheap and nasty, but nor is it a pro-level beast with a price tag to match. Instead, it’s a decent mid-range device that’s perfect for broadcasters, vidcasters and podcasters who want a quality mic but don’t need something the BBC might use while interviewing a politician near a busy motorway. Tempest is a true large-diaphragm studio microphone with the convenience of modern USB-C connectivity. It has a 34mm gold-plated condenser capsule and 24-bit/48kHz resolution. It has a single cardioid recording pattern, and doesn’t process the signal itself. This, of course, gives you the flexibility of doing your own processing at a software level. Not as straightforward as a mic with Digital Signal Processing (DSP), but you can get some…

How cheap can a Bluetooth speaker set be, without sounding horrible? This one is less than 30 quid, and it certainly doesn’t sound horrible. Not stellar either, but definitely not horrible. groov-e’s Soundbar 20 has two 5W drivers. It plays your tunes through Bluetooth 5.0 or a 3.5mm AUX cable, and it’s powered through USB or a ten-hour battery that takes a couple of hours to recharge. For that disco feeling, there are coloured LEDs around the speakers that flash when music is playing. You can turn them off if you’re using the soundbar under your TV or computer. Inevitably for the price, Soundbar 20 lacks the high-end audio you’d prefer for music. Its bass is solid, but the high ends sound a little tinny and the sound stage is…

Would you use something like this? Or would it end up in a drawer after a month or so, untouched and unloved? It’s a decent enough product. In the box, you get a vegan leather scratch-resistant hardcover, a pack of 20 reusable pages, a Pilot FriXion pen and a microfibre cloth. Use the pen to write on the waterproof, tear-resistant paper and you can wipe it clean with the cloth afterwards. The paper can be used again and again, and you can buy extra packs offering templates for to-dos, planners, meetings and more from the Rocketbook website too. Cloud connection When you’ve made your notes, you can scan them with an iPhone app, and store them on the cloud. There are seven icons at the foot of the page; you…

Serif’s Affinity series of apps has really shaken up the design world, and their second versions look set to continue the trend. And it’s no wonder. They’re approaching their industry-leading Adobe rivals in power and versatility, and are available for a much lower price. They’re a once-only purchase with no subscription fees, and if you buy a Universal Licence, you can get all three Affinity v2 apps for Macs, Windows and iPads for a bargain once-only payment. Unfortunately, there’s no upgrade discount for existing users. Affinity Designer 2 is Serif’s answer to the much more expensive Adobe Illustrator, with a little Photoshop thrown in. It’s raster and vector drawing we’re dealing with here. This second release, a very considerable update, offers significant upgrades to the well received original. A feature…

As regular readers know, French company DxO’s PhotoLab is a powerful alternative to Adobe’s Photoshop, with the emphasis firmly and unapologetically on photo editing. This new edition is the sixth major release in five years, and offers discounts for those upgrading from a previous version. We’re covering the ELITE app here, but there’s also a cheaper ESSENTIAL version for those who don’t need the high-end options offered by this premium suite. A new feature in the ELITE edition lets you simulate papers and inks when soft proofing, further expanding the performance of DxO Wide Gamut. The app’s noise reduction and detail recovery capabilities take a step forward with DeepPrime XD, which is now available for Fujifilm X-Trans cameras along with the rest of the roster. Other ELITE-only features include the…

Remember the Tamagotchi craze of the Nineties? Now you can revisit those halcyon days with Nomi, a new virtual pet that lives on your Apple Watch and integrates with the Health app to reward exercise. To interact with your Nomi (which you can call anything you like), tap them or scroll the Digital Crown to make them smile. Keep an eye on their heart rings too. When they have three full hearts, they’re content and well fed. Over time, each heart ring in turn empties. It’s time to feed them. You get a heart to throw to your Nomi for walking 500 steps. An alert tells you there’s a heart ready. Serve it up to Nomi, you don’t have to wait until one of their heart rings is completely empty.…

My initial reaction toward Angry Birds Journey was far from favourable. It felt too familiar, too predictable and ultimately nothing different to what we’ve been playing for over decade. Yet as I kept playing the game’s genuine appeal started to shine, much to my confusion! Why did I keep playing? This is nothing new? Same birds, same abilities, same level design and the same gameplay, but I kept coming back? This is Angry Birds as we all knew and loved it, but in all honesty Angry Birds across its many spin-offs and sequels has changed to such a degree the franchise shamefully lost focus on the core play. Instead it diluted itself with unneeded gameplay modes, pay-to-win gameplay, power-ups and filler challenges. As the series progressed and evolved, the less…