Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2023 i MacFormat

Scan here to get the latest tech news in your inbox! By the time you read this, Apple will have revealed its brand-new iPhone line-up at its ‘Wonderlust’ event on 12 September. That should be followed shortly after by an upgrade you can get for free: iOS 17. While it’s not a particularly huge upgrade compared to others in recent times, iOS 17 nonetheless comes with some welcome improvements and new features – one of our favourites being StandBy, which brings cool new display options when placed on a charger, and has a fetching Night mode. You can read all about StandBy (and how you can customise it) in this month’s lead feature (p20), which reveals all the key new features of iOS 17, as well as some tips and…

[ MAC APP] Parallels Desktop is one of the most popular ways to run Windows or Linux on your Mac. Now, version 19 has launched with a slate of updates for cross-platform users. The new version is compatible with macOS Sonoma and reworks the shared printing feature as a result. You can also sign in on Windows using Touch ID, adding a great deal of security to your Windows files, and there’s a newly updated icon too. As well as that, Parallels Desktop 19 now works with OpenGL 4.1, meaning there’s greater support for various Windows-based CAD design apps if you need it. Elsewhere, there are plenty of other improvements for using virtual machines on Apple silicon chips, as well as more options and features for running Linux on a Mac,…

Marshall Motif ANC II >From £179.99 > From marshallheadphones.com > Audio gear maker Marshall isn’t afraid to wear its rock heritage on its sleeve and with portable speakers like the spectacular Middleton, that’s very good news indeed. Now it’s updated its Motif active-noise cancelling (ANC) earbuds with improved connectivity, thanks to Bluetooth LE. Plus, they now offer longer battery life, lasting for up to 30 hours with ANC on when used with the charging case – that’s 10 hours more than before – or up to six hours solo. They also deliver up to one hour of playback time on a 15-minute charge. Eschewing Apple’s all-white AirPods aeshetic in favour of rockstar black with white and gold highlights, the Motif ANC II earbuds and charging case are nonetheless…

Every year Apple unveils a new generation of operating systems at the June Worldwide Developer’s Conference. It then releases them as developer and public betas a while later, and as a finished product by the autumn. The public beta of iOS 17 was released on 12 July, and the developer beta was made available for free too. iOS 17 boasts a range of new features for any iPhone that can run them. For instance, there are personalised Contact Posters to design and use, and Live Voicemails where incoming voicemail messages are transcribed and the text shown in real time, so you can decide whether or not to take the call. Or, if you ring someone using FaceTime and they don’t pick up, in iOS 17 you can now leave a…

NEW IDEAS Your in-depth guide to getting more from your Apple kit Contact us Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com Master Apple shortcuts macOS Cmdis the Command key. Altor Optis the Option key. Ctrlis the Control key, also shown as ‘^’ in shortcuts in the menu bar. The thick, outlined up arrow is the Shift key. The thin, left arrow or outlined pointer with ‘X’ inside is the Delete key, which deletes to the left. Pressing the Function key (Fn) and the Delete key deletes to the right. The thin, right arrow key with a small vertical line at the end is the Tab key, which shifts the focus between somecontrols. iOS A tap is a brief contact of (usually) one finger on your device’s screen. To dragis…

Reset an Apple silicon Mac QHow can I reset the SMC and NVRAM in my new M2 MacBook Pro? by SUE MURRAY AAlthough Apple silicon Macs do have System Management Controllers (SMC) and non-volatile memory (NVRAM), you can’t reset either in the way that you may need to in an Intel Mac, as they don’t work in the same way. Most of the functions performed by the SMC in an Intel Mac are now performed by the SMC system within the M-series chip. This is initialised each time the Mac starts up, so if you feel the need to reset it, simply shut your Mac down, leave it for at least ten seconds, then start it up again. So far, though, there’s no evidence that’s needed to address the sort…

Preview has been around as long as Mac OS X and yet in those 20 years, few have given it a second thought. It may have started out as a way to view PDFs, but it’s so much more than that now. You can use Preview to annotate PDFs or images in a number of formats. And it’s a great way to quickly resize images as well as edit them – though admittedly the editing tools are rather limited. Meanwhile, if you need to change the format of an image, you can do that in Preview too. It’s also the perfect tool for scanning images, either from a scanner connected to your Mac or from an iPhone or iPad using Continuity Camera. As you would expect, Preview supports all the…

£102 FROM naenka.com FEATURES Bluetooth 5.2, USB charging cable with base for wireless charging, tightening band, 3x different-size sound-quality enhancers, 1x set of ear plugs The headset is extremely comfortable to wear for extended periods MacFormat VERDICT A superb upgrade on the Naenka Runner Diver with improved tech, a secure fit and excellent audio. ★★★★★ + Audio quality + Easy-to-use controls - Loud beep when connecting to calls When we reviewed Naenka’s Runner Diver Bone Conduction Headphones back in MF380, we gave them a healthy 4 out of 5 stars. So we were looking forward to testing out the brand’s latest headphones – the Runner Neo. Like the Diver headset, the Neo is made using a continuous loop of medical-grade silicone over a titanium skeleton. This means they are…

£1,099.99 FROM uk.seenebula.com FEATURES Full HD projector (1920x1080 pixels resolution), 1000 ANSI Lumens brightness, 200-inch max screen size, Android TV, 185Whr power bank, 40W speaker with Dolby Digital Plus, water resistant to IPX3, remote control, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, Chromecast, 1x HDMI port, 1x USB-A and 1x USB-C charging ports, 1x 3.5mm aux output; 260x250x160mm, 4.49kg MacFormat VERDICT A surprisingly good portable projector that makes up for the lack of AirPlay support with plenty of cool features. ★★★★★ + Great for a garden cinema + Built-in powerbank and light + Full HD movie quality - No AirPlay support Everyone loves movie nights, especially when they’re shared with friends and family – but to enjoy movies at their best you need to go big and that’s where the Nebula Mars 3…

Group test Reviewed by IAN OSBORNE ON TEST… > Acer CB282K >AOC U32P2CA >BenQ PD2706U > Dell UltraSharp 32 U3223QE > Lenovo ThinkVision T32p-30 > Philips 288E2UAE W hatever Mac you own, an external display will always come in handy. Whether you need a main monitor for your Mac mini, Mac Studio or Mac Pro, or a second screen for a Mac laptop or iMac, a 4K monitor is a great boon to your computing. You could, of course, buy an Apple display, but you’d need deep pockets. They start at £1,499, and that’s without the fancy-pants heightadjustable stand. So, instead, how about a third-party monitor – one that gives a good performance without costing the Earth? We’ve rounded up six different displays with a 4K resolution. They each sell…

£4.99 FROM softorino.com NEEDS macOS 11.0 or later Folder Colorizer is well presented and easy to use, but it needs more… MacFormat VERDICT It’s very functional and straightforward, but does too little to recommend. ★★★★★ +Easy to use +Well presented -Can’t use own art -Not enough features With Folder Colorizer, you’re no longer restricted to the plain blue W folder offered by macOS.Instead you can change its colour, add an icon or emoji, or replace the front with an image selected from the libraries of Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash. We’re told there’s more than 3.1 million pictures to choose from. The app is easy to use – simply drag the folder or folders you want to modify onto the sidebar ready to make your changes. Updating the colour of the…

NEW IDEAS Your in-depth guide to getting more from your Apple kit Contact us Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com Master Apple shortcuts macOS Cmd isthe Command key. Alt orOpt isthe Option key. Ctrl isthe Control key, also shown as ‘^’ in shortcuts in the menu bar. The thick, outlined up arrow is the Shift key. The thin, left arrow or outlined pointer with ‘X’ inside is the Delete key, which deletes to the left. Pressing the Function key (Fn) and the Delete key deletes to the right. The thin, right arrow key with a small vertical line at the end is the Tab key, which shifts the focus between some controls. iOS A tap is a brief contact of (usually) one finger on your device’s screen. To…

IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to identify and manage duplicates in your Music library YOU’LL NEED macOS 10.15 or later, Music app No matter how carefully you curate your music collection, you’re bound to end up with all kinds of duplicates – and it’s not your fault! Artists often release songs first as singles and then on albums, before they eventually turn up on greatest hits collections, movie soundtracks and chart hits compilations. And then there are the live versions, recordings made specially for radio broadcasts and all those ones that have popped up on the Apple Music playlists you’ve downloaded. If you’re getting tired of having 17 different versions of the same Ed Sheeran song on your Mac, iPhone and iPad we sympathise – and…

IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to manage Safari’s preferences so that websites work the way you want them to YOU’LL NEED Safari Genius tip! Click Reader in the search field to strip web articles of ads, videos and surveys. Ctrl-click and you can set it to automatically appear on all future visits. Websites aren’t always fun. Some insist on auto-playing media. Others bombard you with pop-up surveys. And many will interrupt your reading with adverts. In a lot of cases, websites will do all three (and more), but the good news is you can start to take control of websites by managing preferences in Safari. Apple’s web browser enables you to determine whether you want to be sent notifications, view videos, download content, grant access to…

IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN All about some of the new features in tvOS 17 YOU’LL NEED Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, tvOS 17 Unlike macOS, iOS and iPadOS, tvOS updates for the Apple TV streaming box tend to be stealthily incremental in nature, and are often not noticeable at all. This year’s update is different. For one, tvOS 17 brings FaceTime to Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K by leveraging Continuity Camera on iPhone and iPad with support coming for third-party apps such as Zoom and Webex by Cisco too. Plus, Apple Music Sing – which enables you to sing along to favourite tracks in karaoke fashion – will also work with Continuity Camera too, meaning no-one need miss out on the fun……

Versions or tracking changes? QI work on Pages documents using both my iPad and MacBook Pro. How can I access previous versions of my documents on my iPad? by ED BRAITHWAITE A When Pages saves or auto-saves a document, it adds a new version to those you can revert to, in case you nee`d to reverse changes too complex to undo. These old versions also let you copy contents removed some time ago, functioning as a fine-grained backup. With documents shared in iCloud, versions are only accessible from the same device that saved them; you can’t access those saved by your Mac from your iPad. You can acccess versions from Pages’ Documents view by selecting the document and tapping the Version icon at the top right. There are third-party utilities…

Do you have an old Mac gathering dust somewhere in your home? If so, why not press it into service as a dedicated server? As the name implies, a server provides services through your network, from a simple centralised file-sharing repository to full-blown tools such as media streaming, password manager, VPN server, cloud storage, home surveillance, and so much more. In this feature we’ll show you how to prep your old Mac for its new role. You’ll wipe it clean and upgrade it to the latest version of macOS – even if it’s no longer officially supported by Apple. We’ll also highlight useful hardware upgrades – including extra memory, Ethernet add-ons and external storage, and reveal how to set it up for remote unattended access, so it can be connected…

£149.95 FROM majority.co.uk FEATURES Bluetooth (AAC), Wi-Fi, 1x RCA (phono) output, 2x 3.5mm outputs, 1x optical, 1x coaxial outputs, 1x USB-A; 1x 3.5mm input “You may not want to buy a smart speaker just to listen to Apple Music or Spotify” MacFormat VERDICT Ease of use could be improved, but the Fitzwilliam 3 brings online audio to your existing hi-fi system. ★★★★★ + Multiple audio inputs/outputs + Supports Wi-Fi, Blueooth (AAC) - No built-in speakers - Fiddly interface Modern smart speakers, such as Apple’s HomePod, allow you to stream a wide range of online radio stations, podcasts and streaming services via your home network. But, if you already have an existing set of stereo speakers or a home entertainment system, then you may not want to buy another smart speaker…

  Finding a worthy winner was a difficult decision. Do we favour the feature-rich build and superb screen quality offered by the BenQ PD2706U, or the excellent value for money delivered by the Philips 288E2UAE, which is a little over half the price? In the end we went for BenQ’s monitor, but if you’re on a tight budget and need a great screen you won’t be disappointed with Philips. All the screens performed well in our tests, and we doubt you’d be disappointed with any of them. Two of the monitors didn’t include integrated speakers, but that shouldn’t put you off – the four options that did have in-built speakers ranged from mediocre to abysmal in sound quality. It’s best to rely on your Mac’s internal speakers, or buy a…

£4.99 /month (Apple Arcade) FROM stardewvalley.net NEEDS iOS 13 or later Gameplay is deep, with lots to do no matter your interests MacFormat VERDICT One of the best mobile games around, with so much to offer and many, many hours of fun. ★★★★★ + Deep and rewarding gameplay + So much to do + Gorgeous graphics + Very relaxing - Controls can be fiddly Stardew Valley was released on iOS in 2019, but it’s only just joined Apple Arcade. S As with previous versions, it remains an incredible game in almost every way, full of heartwarming moments and rewarding gameplay that offers depth, variety and plenty of replay value. As a farming simulation game, Stardew Valley+ is unsurpassed. Disenchanted with the modern rat race and having inherited your grandfather’s farm,…

EXPECTED NOV 2023 UPDATED APR 2021 iMac From £1,399 Ever since the Bondi Blue iMac debuted in 1998, Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer has been setting standards for design and performance. The current 24in model is certainly Apple’s finest yet – thanks to its 4.5K (4480x2520) Retina display and the Apple-designed M1 chip, which is available with either an 8-core CPU/7-core GPU at the entry-level, or an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU on the mid-range and top-tier versions. All models come with 8GB of memory as standard (upgradeable to 16GB), with solid-state drive (SSD) storage ranging from 256GB on the entry-level and mid-range versions to 512GB on the top tier, although you can add more – up to 1TB on the entry-level and up to 2TB on the mid-range and top-tier models if…

Apple has been working on its Vision Pro headset since at least 2007, it has just been revealed. This possibly makes it one of the longest development cycles of any product in the company’s history. We know that Apple has taken at least 16 years to bring the Vision Pro to market because of a company patent that was updated in August 2023. Apple had originally applied for the patent in May 2007. The original patent, simply titled “Headmounted display”, describes a “goggle system for providing a personal media viewing experience to a user.” As well as an outline of what the headset could be capable of, the patent contains drawings of the device. While it is recognisable as a virtual reality (VR) headset, it appears to be bulkier and…

APP OF THE MONTH From £89.99/year or £104.99 (one-off) Run Windows or Linux on your Mac Parallels Desktop is one of the most popular ways to run Windows or Linux on your Mac. Now, version 19 has launched with a slate of updates for cross-platform users. The new version is compatible with macOS Sonoma and reworks the shared printing feature as a result. You can also sign in on Windows using Touch ID, adding a great deal of security to your Windows files, and there’s a newly updated icon too. As well as that, Parallels Desktop 19 now works with OpenGL 4.1, meaning there’s greater support for various Windows-based CAD design apps if you need it. Elsewhere, there are plenty of other improvements for using virtual machines on Apple silicon chips,…

IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to identify and manage duplicates in your Music library YOU’LL NEED macOS 10.15 or later, Music app No matter how carefully you curate your music collection, you’re bound to end up with all kinds of duplicates – and it’s not your fault! Artists often release songs first as singles and then on albums, before they eventually turn up on greatest hits collections, movie soundtracks and chart hits compilations. And then there are the live versions, recordings made specially for radio broadcasts and all those ones that have popped up on the Apple Music playlists you’ve downloaded. If you’re getting tired of having 17 different versions of the same Ed Sheeran song on your Mac, iPhone and iPad we…

1 Preview dupeGuru enables you to place two photos side-by-side to check if they’re duplicates or to compare differences. 2 Delta Values Tick this and the file list will highlight the differences between a reference file and potential duplicates. 3 Zoom controls Use these controls to see your two chosen photos up close. This makes it easier to spot any differences. 4 File details This panel provides a more detailed comparison between your two selected files in terms of attributes. IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to identify duplicate and similar files, plus delete unwanted copies YOU’LL NEED dupeGuru, macOS 10.12 or later When it comes to keeping your drive clean and clutter-free, duplicate files are a huge contributor to wasted space. However, thanks to a free…

IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to personalise one or more Lock Screens on iPad YOU’LL NEED iPadOS 17 Since iOS 16, iPhone users have been able to create multiple Lock Screens featuring a host of widgets drawn from a wide number of first- and third-party apps. You can also take your pick from a selection of suggested wallpapers, alter the way the time is displayed, see information at a glance and play around with a variety of colour scenes. In other words, it allows for greater personalisation. With iPadOS 17 this same functionality is now available on iPad and there’s plenty to get stuck into. Want a Live Photo as your Lock Screen and see it animate? Well, now you can! Fancy a Lock Screen that…

HOW IT WORKS YOU WILL LEARN How ANC and Adaptive Audio can silence the outside world ANC is adouble win: it delivers better audio, and it helps protect your hearing too Key fact Anything you put in your ears offers passive noise cancellation by blocking some of the sounds around you – it’s like closing a door or sticking your head under water. But this kind of noise cancellation isn’t very effective and reduces the volume of everything, including sounds you might still want to hear. Without a doubt, our favourite feature on the AirPods and AirPods Max is the ability to turn down noise coming from the outside world. Whether it’s the chatter of a busy cafe, the thrum of a plane engine or the rumble (and grumble) of…

Unstick files in iCloud Drive QSometimes I put files into iCloud Drive that get stuck, and take hours to sync. How can I unstick them? by MICKEY HART AThis common problem can sometimes be hard to fix. If you have a Mac that’s running much of the time, consider making that a local Content Caching server in System Settings > General > Sharing, as that can help considerably. It will also help if you can disable Optimise Mac Storage and don’t put Desktop & Documents Folders into iCloud, if you have sufficient local storage. First check your Mac’s internet connections, and iCloud service status at apple.co/3s1Gb1Z to check if they’re working normally. If only one or two files are stuck, move them back to local storage to see if that…

IN PRINT ON iPAD & iPHONE ISSUE 395 OCTOBER 2023 ● How to pick your perfect Mac! ● Clean up your Mac’s hard drive ● Group test: 6 best video chat apps ● 24 pages of how-tos and Genius tips ISSUE 394 SEPTEMBER 2023 ● Inside the new Vision Pro! ● 78 ways to make beautiful docs! ● 15in MacBook Air: the definitive review ● Best portable Bluetooth speakers ISSUE 393 AUGUST 2023 ● Apple’s incredible new Vision Pro! ● Your next free OS updates revealed ● First-ever 15in MacBook Air ● Back up with Time Machine To order back issues of the print magazine, go to bit.ly/macformat_backissues or phone +44 (0)330 333 1113 and we’ll post them out to you. Download back issues onto your iOS device at any…

£89.95 FROM evehome.com FEATURES Portable 90 lumens LED smart lamp, up to 6 hours of battery life between recharges, Bluetooth Low Energy, HomeKit and Thread compatible, water resistant to IP65 The stand doubles as a charger, so you can use the lamp mains-free MacFormat VERDICT A convenient and versatile smart lamp for use indoors or out. ★★★★★ + Stylish and versatile + Water- and dust-resistant + HomeKit integration - No dynamic colour Perfect for use in your bedroom, living room or even outdoors, the Eve Flare is a brilliantly versatile smart lamp – and it’s affordable too. This second-generation model from Eve eschews the first-gen’s conical design in favour of a 25cm white plastic globe with a flattened base, which enables it to be placed on its mains-powered stand. The…

£29.50 FROM cyan.com NEEDS macOS 13.3 (Ventura) or later The landscapes provide ample breathtaking vistas to the grateful gamer MacFormat VERDICT A reasonable puzzler that doesn’t quite live up to Cyan’s previous efforts. ★★★★★ +Gorgeous environments +Some challenging puzzles +Excellent music -Vague lore -Fiddly Adjunct -Worlds lack spark F irmament is the latest game from Cyan Worlds, the creators of Myst and Obduction. While this puzzler has plenty to offer, it lacks some of the magic that infused the company’s previous attempts. But what it does not lack is beauty, and it’s full of gorgeous environments, from the icy Curievale to the lush St Andrews. In the gameworld’s series of long-abandoned realms all that remain are steampunk structures guarding the lands. These are made from brass, glass and steam, all…

£4.99/month, £49/year (one-month free trial) FROM apple.com NEEDS iPadOS 16.4 or later and an iPad with M1 or M2 chip MacFormat VERDICT An excellent video editor for the latest iPads, though falls a little short of the desktop version. ★★★★★ + Great touchbased workflow + Apple Pencil and keyboard support + Great performance on M chips - Lacks some desktop features - Can’t edit fromSSD drives When Apple released contentcreation apps Final Cut Pro for iPad W and Logic Pro for iPad at the same time, this reinforced the idea of the device as a tool for creative professionals. While Logic Pro runs on all recent iPads, Final Cut Pro is restricted to models with an M1 or M2 chip due to its demands on your iPad’s graphics hardware. That…

MacFormat, Future, Quay House, The Ambury Bath, BA1 1UA Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 ● www.futureplc.com ● facebook.com/macformat ● twitter.com/macformat To email, enter firstname.surname@futurenet.com EDITORIAL Editor ROB MEAD-GREEN Art Editor PAUL BLACHFORD Operations Editor JO MEMBERY Global Head of Design RODNEY DIVE Group Art Director WARREN BROWN CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL: Alex Blake, Matt Bolton, George Cairns, David Crookes, Kenny Hemphill, Charlotte Henry, Hollin Jones, Cliff Joseph, Carrie Marshall, Howard Oakley, Ian Osborne, Nick Peers, Davina Rungasamy ART: Apple Inc, Getty Images, Olly Curtis, Phil Barker (Bath Photography Studio) ADVERTISING Chief Revenue Officer ZACK SULLIVAN Commercial Sales Director CLARE DOVE Head of Commercial – Technology DAVE RANDALL Senior Advertising Manager SASHA MCGREGOR Account Director ANDREW TILBURY INTERNATIONAL LICENSING MacFormat is available for licensing. To find our more contact us at licensing@futurenet.com…