Macworld UK April 2016

Welcome to the latest issue of Macworld, the only guide you need to the wonderful world of all things Apple. The company has been grabbing the headlines recently for its opposition to the FBI. The two are at loggerheads over the tech giant’s refusal to unlock an iPhone 5c that belonged to the San Bernardino gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook. We’ve the latest news on page 4. For those thinking of updating their Mac, we’ve a complete guide to Apple’s line-up (page 39). Whether you are looking for a desktop powerhouse or something you can carry around with you on the daily commute, we’ve got it covered. If after buying a new Mac your wallet is feeling a little light, on page 20 we round up the best free software choices…

The background The FBI has an iPhone 5c that belonged to the San Bernardino gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook, and believe it has evidence inside. The agency can’t access the information because of the phone’s passcode, so on 16 February, the US government issued an order essentially asking Apple to get the data off the phone. Apple posted an open letter to customers on its website explaining its side of the case, prompting government attorneys to file a motion on 19 February disagreeing with Apple’s view of the situation, and asking the court to force Apple to comply. A hearing is scheduled to take place on 22 March. Until then, the lawyers will file more motions, while the two sides also take their case to the court of public opinion. So…

Since Apple said it would do battle with the FBI over the agency’s request for access to a smartphone belonging to one of the San Bernardino terrorists, tech industry leaders have been weighing in with their views. Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft Microsoft’s cofounder took issue with Apple’s characterisation that the US government wants a back door to the iPhone. “Nobody’s taking about a back door, so that’s not the right question,” he said. “This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They’re not asking for some general thing; they’re asking for a particular case.” The next day, Gates said headlines stating he “backs the FBI” don’t reflect his position. “I was disappointed because that doesn’t state my view on this,” he told Bloomberg.…

The week of 21 March, 2016 will go down as an important one in the Apple history books. It’s been confirmed that Apple has pushed back its spring event to 21 March, the day before its federal court hearing against the FBI. Apple is expected to announce a 4in iPhone, a 9.7in iPad Pro, and new Apple Watch bands. The BuzzFeed confirmation came on the heels of an Apple Insider report, which said that “Apple employees have been asked to keep the days around March 22 free, presumably for an upcoming event.” Originally, this event was rumoured to happen a week earlier on 15 March with new products hitting store shelves that Friday, 18 March. If Apple is delaying the announcement event, it’s likely that shipments will also be pushed…

Apple’s general approach to naming its products is refreshing in an industry filled with products with complicated names and model numbers. Macs have model numbers, but nobody really uses them: I own an iPad Air 2 and a 2014 5K iMac and a 2012 11in MacBook Air, and between the model name, the release year, and maybe a screen size, that’s all any of us needs to know. Still, the ebb and flow of technology and fashion means that sometimes Apple needs to take a breath and adjust how it presents its products to the world. The PowerBook became the MacBook, the Power Mac became the Mac Pro, the MacBook Air appears to be diminished and headed for the west in favour of the new (adjectiveless) MacBook. So it goes.…

Apple has announced a repair programme for certain models in its Mac Pro line, in response to a repeatedly reported issue with failing video cards. It applies to late 2013 Mac Pros equipped with AMD FirePro D500 or D700 GPUs. If your Mac Pro is affected by the issue, you will have experienced any or all of the following symptoms: video problems (distorted picture or video refusing to play); your Mac shutting down or restarting spontaneously (or generally acting unreliably); freezing; failure to start up normally. If you are affected by the problem and your Mac qualifies for the programme, you will be able to get it repaired for free, provided you do so by 30 May 2018. It’s understood that Apple will simply replace the affected GPUs. To see…