Macworld UK June 2021

Apple’s Spring Loaded event might have been a big deal for Apple with the launch of the M1 iMac, iPad Pro and AirTag trackers (more on these later), but one of Apple’s MacBook suppliers didn’t have such a good day. Bloomberg reports that Quanta Computer Inc, a key supplier for Apple’s MacBooks, was hit with a $50 million ransomware attack by a well-known dark web hacking group REvil. After refusing to pay the exorbitant sum, REvil made good on its threat. As Bloomberg reports, the group “posted schematics for a new laptop, including 15 images detailing the guts of what appears to be a MacBook designed as recently as March 2021”. Bloomberg didn’t divulge what was in the documents, but Macrumours, which also saw the schematics after they were published,…

AirDrop is a convenient way to share files and photos with the people around you, but a team of security researchers is warning that a flaw could allow strangers to steal your personal information even if they’re locked out of the system. The ‘significant privacy leak’ was uncovered by researchers from the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, who claim they informed Apple about the leak nearly two years ago but it still exists. According to the report, the user doesn’t even need to share a file to be vulnerable: “As an attacker, it is possible to learn the phone numbers and email addresses of AirDrop users – even as a complete stranger. All they require is a Wi-Ficapable device and physical proximity to a target that initiates the discovery process…

Apple has announced a minor expansion to its Fitness+ service with the addition of several new workouts and new instructor. The workouts target underrepresented groups in the current slate of Fitness+ workouts: those who are pregnant, older adults and beginners. In addition to these new workouts, a new Yoga and Mindful Cooldown instructor joins the cast: Jonelle Lewis. One of the existing instructors, Anja Garcia, is joining the HIIT team. For those taking advantage of the new Time to Walk feature on Apple Watch, you’ll find a new episode with Jane Fonda. All this stuff – the new workouts, instructor, and Time to Walk episode – are available to Fitness+ subscribers now.…

While music streaming services have long been the subject of artists’ and labels’ ire over low rates and onerous terms, Apple Music might be their biggest advocate. In a post on Apple Music’s artist dashboard obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Apple divulged that it pays out a penny per stream whenever subscribers play a song. That might not seem like much, but it’s actually significantly higher than other services, including Spotify, its biggest competitor and the largest streaming service. Spotify launched a website last month to defend its rates, boasting that it has paid “over $23 billion in royalties to rights holders” as of 2020. However, that works out to less than half a cent per stream. Unlike Apple Music, Spotify has an ad-supported free tier that contributes to the…

Silver and black had a good 13-plus-year run, but at its Spring Loaded event, Apple put an end to it and started a colourful new chapter for its all-in-one Mac, the iMac. The colours aren’t all that’s new; the iMac features Apple’s new M1 system on a chip, new sizes, and a lot more. Here are the top five features of Apple’s new all-in-one. 1. NEW DESIGN WITH A RAINBOW OF COLOURS The iMac is now available in blue, green, orange, pink, purple and silver, with matching a Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. (Maybe you can even match with the coloured iPad Air if you bought one recently.) The new iMac has an elegant, minimal look compared to its predecessor. The bezels around the display are much smaller than on the previous iMac,…

As we’ve seen Apple has launched a new M1 iMac, and if you’re like us, you’ll immediately wanted to buy one. So follow our guide and spend your money wisely. WHAT’S STANDARD ON ALL THREE MODELS Before we start getting into the differences, let’s take a look at the features that are the same on all three models of the 24in iMac. • 4.5K Retina display (support for 1 billion colours, 500 nits brightness, P3 colour gamut, True Tone)• M1 processor• 8GB RAM (16GB upgrade available)• 1080p FaceTime HD camera• Six speaker system• Three-microphone array• 3.5mm audio jack• Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 That’s a lot of computer no matter which model you buy. But there are key differences between the £1,249, £1,449 and £1,649 iMac models. DESIGN AND COLOURS All of the iMac models have…