Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i MacLife

WHETHER YOU’RE STRUGGLING with some prose, finding writing a chore, looking for the right tone, or hoping to organize your words into something more digestible, Apple’s new Writing Tools are sure to help. Thanks to Apple Intelligence, these tools let you proofread, rewrite and summarize text, enabling you to communicate more effectively. You’ll find it available in Apple apps such as Notes, Mail, Pages and Messages, as well as in many third–party apps and online services, such as Gmail and LinkedIn. One Ctrl–click is all you need to discover whether it’s at hand. Here we show you how to get the most out of all that Writing Tools has to offer right now, but bear in mind that Apple is continuing to make improvements. As of December, with macOS 15.2…

WHETHER YOU’RE WORKING or relaxing, unwanted interruptions can be annoying. Fortunately, the Focus option that’s built into macOS has your back. You can set up a selection of Focus modes that, when active, will silence notifications and only allow specific ones to come through. In this guide, we’ll show you how to add new Focus modes, choosing from presets such as Mindfulness, Gaming, and Work, or set up a custom Focus mode from scratch. You’ll learn how to set a schedule based on a time period, location or an app being opened, such as Books for the Reading mode. You can also opt to only allow notifications from certain people and apps, and add a filter for those from some Apple apps, such as only allowing notifications from particular Mail…

THANKS TO OUR ever–present iPhone cameras, we have been able to document family milestones and everyday events for many years. Throughout this time, Apple has focused on developing methods for us to relive precious memories in new ways, such as Live Photos that display a three–second video (and audio) snippet from before and after the photograph was taken. With the inclusion of the new Spatial mode in the Camera app, Apple has provided us with an even more effective way to step back in time! Traditional photographs are two–dimensional, displaying only width and height. However, we don’t think about a memory as being a flat photograph or a flat video because our brains encode memories spatially. The iPhone Camera’s Spatial mode adds a third dimension to our clips and stills…

$199.99 From www.apple.com Needs macOS 14.4 or later LOGIC PRO IS one of the world’s most popular digital audio workstations (DAWs), and it’s also one of the world’s best software deals: we bought a copy in 2007 and that’s meant 17 years of free upgrades, both major and minor. It’s not the only reason we love the Mac, but it’s a big reason why we’d never consider moving to a Windows PC. This new upgrade builds on the solid foundations of Logic Pro 11 and adds Quantec Room Simulator, Plug–in Search (a big time saver), and a host of improvements that’ll feel welcome to serious Logic users. Those improvements include the much–wanted function to re–order the channel strips in your mixer; the ability to quickly share your mix to Voice Memos…

$19.99 From Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki, Fáyer Needs macOS 11 or later JUST A FEW minutes ago, the village was thriving — now it lies in ruins, smoke rising from the charred remains of its modest dwellings, the dead littering the ground. Was this the Kanek warriors? Or colonizing Newcomers? The clues point in both directions, but you know that whichever path you follow, many more bodies will line the way. Arco is a hard game, set in hard times and full of hard choices. It’s one where death is just a fact of life, whether it comes at the hand of rampaging invaders or your own bloody choices. From its fantasy–western setting to its innovative combat system, it’s an RPG you won’t soon forget. Combat happens frequently and takes…

RECENT REPORTS WARN of new or underestimated data security threats. How real are the risks in each case? APP TRACKING DATA HACKED “Thousands” of widely used apps, including Candy Crush, Tinder, MyFitnessPal, and FlightRadar, are reportedly being exploited to collect location data on a vast scale, and some of this sensitive data has been stolen. This was revealed in a data breach filing by Gravy Analytics, a location data broker that claims to track more than a billion devices daily around the world. It disclosed in January that a large set of historical location data, relating to millions of smartphones, has been acquired by hackers. Despite protections such as App Tracking Transparency (ATT), introduced in iOS 14 back in 2020, location information and other sensitive data can still be gleaned…

LETTER OF THE MONTH I saw rumors a while back saying that Apple might bring the AirPort back. As a big fan of its old AirPort routers, I’d love to see Apple sell them again. What are the chances? BY JERRY ROBINSON We feel you. The original AirPort and AirPort Extreme marked our entry into the wireless world back in the day and we still have a fondness for their quirky flying saucer–shaped designs and, my goodness, were they easy to set up, use, and secure. The current rumors seem to have sprung out of Apple’s next moves with its Home devices, with a new HomePod, a new Home control device with a touchscreen display, and more expected. It looks, though, that while Apple may build router–like capabilities into its…

APPLE INTELLIGENCE IS Finally here — and that means Photos now has added image–editing superpowers, thanks to the new AI–assisted Clean Up tool. In older versions of Photos for Mac, you could try using the Retouch tool to replace unwanted spots or blemishes, but it struggled to remove larger objects without leaving smudged or blurry pixels. And there was no Retouch tool in the iOS version of Photos. The new AI–powered Clean Up tool does a much better job of replacing unwanted objects (such as a distracting background photobomber) to create a cleaner shot. We’re looking at Clean Up on the Mac and iPad here, but the tool is available in the iOS version of Photos too. The Clean Up tool works amazingly well, but it can struggle on occasion.…

APPLE’S MUSIC RECOGNITION service for Macs and more, Shazam, recently celebrated its 100 billionth recognized song. That means it’s listened to even more songs than someone at Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, and even though the app is very familiar, it still feels very much like a magic trick — especially when you can simply ask your watch what song’s playing and get an instant answer. In watchOS 11, Shazam has been renamed (mostly) to Music Recognition, but while it may have a different name it’s still the same music–recognizing masterpiece it’s always been. And, as we’ll discover, it’s easy, efficient and really fun to get your watch to tell you what’s playing. Chances are it’s Dance Monkey by Tones and I, the most Shazam’d track of all time with 45…

$169 From www.marshall.com Features 2x 10W drivers, 2x passive radiators, Bluetooth, USB–C, dust– and waterproof to IP67 THE FIRST EMBERTON model released since Marshall officially merged with Stockholm–based Zound Industries, version 3 comes in black or cream, and retains the gorgeous design and finish so reminiscent of Marshall’s legendary guitar amps. Weighing just 700g, it’s solidly built, and also IP67 dust– and water–resistant. It charges over USB–C from empty to full in two hours, and provides 32 hours of playback. Pairing is straightforward over Bluetooth 5.3, which will allow you, after a future software update, to connect multiple Auracast speakers. Helpfully, the multipoint features mean that several devices can connect to the speaker without re–pairing. Control is via the central joystick dial, and an LED bar displays battery remaining—something not…

$399.99 From www.kensington.com Features 10 downstream ports, including three Thunderbolt 5 for displays and storage, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, power delivery up to 140W THUNDERBOLT 5’S PROMISED leap in speed becomes most critical when connecting your Mac to a dock to feed multiple outlets. Realizing the potential of an M4 Pro or Max with several peripherals requires a dock, but that has to squeeze the data through its single cable. It’s in that host connection where Thunderbolt 5 could prove game-changing. Kensington’s SD5000T5 Triple 4K Docking Station is robustly engineered and solid rather than petite, with a similar internal volume to an M4 Mac mini and nearly twice the weight. The two long sides offer 11 ports, with the front including the host connection, one Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) port, a USB-A port…

$79.99 From www.creative.com Features Bluetooth 5.3 (AAC), active noise–cancelation (ANC), 12–hour battery life (no ANC), charging case with Qi support allows for 39 hours, IPX5 water–resistance IF THE ENTRY–LEVEL AirPods 4 are out of your price range, Creative’s Zen Air SXFI earbuds are a highly affordable competitor. They come in at a full $100 less than the AirPods 4 that provide active noise cancelation (ANC) — a staggering price difference. The design is similar to the Apple earbuds, with a large oval earpiece that rests in the outer ear and a small stem that hangs down. However, the Zen Air SXI also uses rubber ear tips for a firmer fit in three different sizes. They use Bluetooth 5.3 and support the AAC codec for Apple devices. The low price means…

While January can be an otherwise bleak month, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) shone bright once more, and it wasn’t just because it was held under the bright lights of Las Vegas. For those lucky enough to traverse the halls and booths of one of tech’s most important annual events, there was a huge assortment of innovative goodies to see, touch, and hear, and most of those cutting–edge devices will be heading our way over the coming months. Although Apple itself wasn’t showcasing any of its wares (it has its own events for that, the first of which will be coming soon), there was plenty of third–party gear to keep us happy. We spotted devices that will help you get the most out of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, saw…

APPLE’S MAIL APP Has long been giving its rivals a run for their money, but the addition of Apple Intelligence is now taking it to another level. With a host of great new features, and more promised on the way, it’s set to revolutionize how you handle all those emails that fill your inbox each and every day. It’ll also potentially change the way you communicate by ensuring each message you send is near–perfect thanks to the magic of Writing Tools. Upgrade your Mac to macOS 15.1 or later, and you’ll benefit from easier searching. With priority messages, time–sensitive emails are now sent to the top of the inbox, so if you have a flight or some event tickets, you’ll be able to quickly find them. Mail is also making…

THERE’S A NEW phrase being used to describe the iPhone 16 series’ rear camera: the 48MP Fusion camera. The resolution? That’s not new. But the other word, Fusion, is. Apple uses the term Deep Fusion for its computational photography processing, which helps dramatically improve low–light shooting in particular. But it didn’t describe the iPhone 15 as having a Fusion camera in the previous generation. So what’s up? Is “Fusion” used in part to make it seem as though the iPhone 16 gets more of a camera upgrade than it really has? Sure, probably. But there’s also some substance behind the name. Potentially. Getting to the bottom of this one could also help you make the most of an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro camera. Let’s take a look. There…

THE HEALTH AND fitness features baked into Apple devices are not gimmicks. They genuinely have the power to improve and, in some cases, save lives. Aside from encouraging you to exercise and motivating you to work towards your fitness goals, the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch will monitor your body and ensure it’s in tip–top shape. These devices will also amass reams of data and make it available for analysis either by you or, should something feel amiss, by a medic. With the latest operating systems — watchOS 11, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18 — you’re in even better hands. As you’ll see in this guide, Apple is now offering greater insights into your health, and it has been rolling out even more fitness features grounded in science. You’re also…

$1,299 From www.asustor.com Features Bays for four 3.5–inch hard drives and four M.2 NVMe SSDs, two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, Time Machine support, with both SMB and AFP available ASUSTOR’S THIRD-GENERATION Lockerstor systems are mid–range NAS with two 10– and two 2.5 Gigabit ports, matched with fast processors and four PCIe 4.0 SSD slots to deliver the best-performing NAS we’ve tested. Inside is an AMD Quad Core Ryzen processor with 16GB of ECC memory, expandable to 64GB. Four bays tuck 3.5– or 2.5– inch hard drives away, and its four SSD slots are set inside the top of its case. Ports provide a further two USB4 and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 external drives. The cooling fan is almost silent in use, and avoids a need for heatsinks on SSDs.…

$199.99 From www.logitech.com Features USB–C, Bluetooth, customizable controls, switch between up to three Macs, plug–in integration with a number of pro apps MODERN CREATIVE APPS have so many tools and features that a keyboard and mouse are often not the most efficient way to work with them, even if it is very familiar. Logitech’s MX Creative Console is a clever two–part hardware system that pairs with the company’s Logi Options+ software and provides a much better way to interact with certain professional apps, as well as more widely used software like Apple Music, Zoom and Spotify. To start, download the free Logi Options+ app, which also manages other recent Logitech peripherals you may have, and connect the two units — the battery–powered dialpad by Bluetooth and the keypad via USB–C.…