Índex per April 2021 a MacFormat

If your wireless network is feeling the strain in this era of home working, home schooling, home shopping, online gaming and video streaming, take heart. This month’s lead feature (p18) offers plenty of fast fixes and quick tips to help you improve your home network, plus you’ll discover some awesome upgrade options from fast routers and network extenders to mesh Wi-Fi systems, and much more. Talking of tune-ups, if your exercise regime has taken a hit during lockdown, turn to p69 where we give the latest health and fitness apps and gadgets a workout in Apple Home. After that you’ll deserve a well-earned rest – in which case, we recommend this month’s second feature (p60), which takes an affectionate look back at the Apple classics of yesteryear – from the…

WE ASKED… What’s your favourite Apple TV+ show so far? Log on and see next issue’s big question! twitter.com/macformat facebook.com/macformat Free MacBook battery replacement Got a MacBook Pro from 2016 or 2017 that will not charge beyond 1%? You are in luck, as Apple has started a new service scheme whereby it will replace your battery for free. See bitly.com/MFMBPbatt (link is case sensitive). If your MacBook’s Battery Health status is ‘Service Recommended’, your device might be affected, so you should contact Apple. The company will examine your laptop to see if the problem is present before replacing the battery. If you have a MacBook Pro from the affected years that has not experienced this issue, you should update macOS. Apple has issued a fix in macOS Big Sur 11.2.1…

Apple likes to promote the App Store as a watertight way to get apps on your devices. Yet according to one developer, Apple has been allowing scam apps that have been bilking millions of pounds of out unsuspecting users. Kosta Eleftheriou, developer of keyboard apps such as FlickType and Fleksy, noticed that some of his apps had been cloned and reuploaded by rogue developers. These clones were largely non-functional, yet still charged users weekly subscriptions that could run up to hundreds of pounds a year – and millions of pounds a year for the developer. What’s more, these apps had been flooded with fake five-star reviews and floated to the top of App Store searches, helping to trick users into thinking they were legitimate apps. After contacting Apple, Eleftheriou noted…

1 Samsung Smart Monitor M7 >£399 > samsung.com Samsung has basically combined its TVs and monitors in one here, making this perfect for an office you might also want to use as a chill-out room. On the one hand, it’s a 32-inch 4K UHD monitor with USB-C connectivity and 65W of power, making it great for MacBooks. But it also has Samsung’s Smart Hub built in, which makes it easy to access streaming services, such as Netflix, without needing a computer connected or turned on. Even better, it supports video streaming over AirPlay 2, and can even display Microsoft 365 docs with no PC attached. 2 Belkin Boost Charge TrueFreedom Pro > £149 > belkin.com Remember AirPower, Apple’s wireless charging mat that you could place two devices on at any…

For a long time, we’ve heard rumours and discussion about the possibility of an Apple-designed and branded car. The company already makes the CarPlay software, but is reportedly looking to build its own vehicles too, ones that align with its green credentials. While it seems likely that it will still be a few years until we see any such vehicle on the road, a recent flurry of news indicates that not only are those plans very much real and ongoing, they may now even be accelerating. The history bit… Work on an Apple Car began in 2014, under the internal codename Project Titan. It is understood that at least 1,000 engineers are part of the efforts for the company to produce an electric vehicle, and that they are located at…

1 Reposition your router Ideally, your router should be located right in the centre of your home. That’s not always possible, but you can still make sure to lift the router up off the floor, and keep it away from obstacles that might block the signal. 2 Adjust the antennas You should remember to spread the antennas out as well (although some routers just hide their antennas inside). Each antenna transmits its own signal, so spreading these out ensures that the Wi-Fi signal reaches out in all directions. 3 Change Wi-Fi bands Most routers can transmit on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. The 5GHz band is faster, but 2.4GHz provides greater range and reliability, so that’s probably the best option for mobile devices that move around a lot. 4…

If you’ve just got one room where the Wi-Fi is a bit unreliable, you can use a pair of inexpensive PowerLine adaptors to magically send your internet connection over your existing electrical wiring. One adaptor is plugged into a power socket close to your router, and connected to the router with an Ethernet cable. Another adaptor is plugged into a power socket in the room with the weak Wi-Fi, and the two adaptors can then connect together over the mains wiring. Then you just plug your Mac or other devices into an Ethernet port on the PowerLine adaptor and you’ve got a fast, reliable internet connection in no time at all. Netgear PL1000 >£44.99 >netgear.co.uk >This two-pack is one of the cheapest PowerLine kits around, providing two PowerLine adaptors with…

Most conventional routers are designed for use in homes with 2-3 bedrooms, or typically up to 1,500 sq ft in size. A router like that may struggle to provide Wi-Fi throughout larger homes, especially where there are bedrooms on upper floors, or maybe even up in an attic. And, even in some smaller homes, you may find that thick walls or ceilings can block the Wi-Fi signal too. A ‘mesh’ networking system is often the ideal solution for homes such as these. Rather than a single router, a mesh system typically consists of two routers - generally for homes up to 3,000 sq ft – or even three routers for really large homes. One of those mesh routers will use an Ethernet cable to connect to your existing broadband router,…

As well as fine-tuning your network to get the best possible performance, it’s important to keep your network secure too. An insecure network can allow your neighbours to piggyback on your Wi-Fi and steal the precious bandwidth you’re paying for every month. Even worse is the risk that hackers might penetrate your network in order to spy on you, or to steal important personal information. We’ve even heard of (albeit rare) cases where hackers have threatened people in their own homes, by taking control of devices such as security cameras. Stranger danger It’s actually not too difficult to spot unauthorised devices that connect to your Wi-Fi network, as the apps provided with most modern routers automatically display a list of all connected devices, and generally allow you to quickly block…

My new router won’t connect to the internet Q I recently bought a new router to replace the ancient, slow router that was supplied by my ISP about four years ago. When I set up the new router my Macs and iOS devices can see the new Wi-Fi network that it has created, but the router itself can’t connect to the internet. A A router on its own can’t actually connect to the internet, so the original router provided by your ISP is actually a combined modem router. It’s the modem – or modulator/demodulator – that handles the actual internet connection, while the router is responsible for creating the Wi-Fi network and transmitting data to/from the internet to all your connected devices. Most new routers that you might buy as…

1 Viewing choices There are several folder views – Icons, List, Columns, Gallery – that you can access by clicking the view button in the toolbar. To the right is the item grouping button, letting you group files by date, type, and more. 2 Deeper options Click View > Show View Options to get deeper options. Here, you can tell Finder to always open folders in your current view (such as columns), adjust the icon size, and change how files are sorted and grouped. 3 Contextual options Some view options change depending on the Finder view you are using. Gallery view lets you change the thumbnail size and add a preview column, while you can add a background picture or colour in Icons view. 4 Hide the toolbar To get…

1 Favourite a template Simply click the heart icon to favourite a template. To view all of your favourited templates in one place, click on the starshaped My Collection icon. From the Favourites section, you can just click on a template to apply it. 2 Customise a template By clicking on the ellipse (…) icon near the slider at the bottom, you can choose Edit to customise a template. This takes you to the Edit workspace. Click on Landscape and increase Golden Hour for a warmer sunset glow. 3 Enhance foliage The Landscape panel has a handy Foliage Enhancer that can give plant life more impact. Drag this slider to the right to add more vibrant-looking greens to your scenery. Don’t worry, this selective slider doesn’t alter skin tones.…

IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to control smart devices from the Home app YOU’LL NEED iPhone or iPad, iOS/iPadOS 14; or Mac, macOS 11 HomeKit is a bit like Siri – it’s an impressive technology that has never really fulfilled its potential. It’s a great idea, as it allows smart devices such as light bulbs, speakers and security cameras, to work together and to be controlled via the central Home app. That’s a lot easier than constantly switching back and forth between several apps provided by different manufacturers. However, the Home app itself can be rather confusing at times, spreading controls and settings across a whole series of menus and screens. Thankfully, Apple’s most recent round of software updates – iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and Big…

1 Your app library Open the App Store app and click your username in the bottom-left corner. This will show a list of apps registered to your account. Click the iPhone & iPad Apps tab at the top to filter by iOS and iPadOS apps. 2 Download an app This will show every iOS or iPad app associated with your Apple ID. From the resulting list, find the app you want to install on your Mac. Click the cloud icon to download it and wait for it to install on your Mac. 3 Launch it on your Mac When the download finishes, you will be able to launch the app. You can also install new apps by finding them the usual way on the App Store. Some apps may appear…

1 Control from Settings You’ll find that spatial audio is turned on by default. To turn it off, make sure your AirPods are connected to the device, then tap Settings, Bluetooth and the ‘i’ next to AirPods. Toggle Spatial Audio to off. 2 Control from Control Centre With your AirPods connected and playing audio, swipe down from the top right of the screen to access Control Centre. Tap and hold on the volume slider, then tap the Spatial Audio icon to switch it off. 3 Use Accommodations Go to Settings > Accessibility and choose Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations. Tap Custom Audio Setup and follow the instructions. When done, tap Use Custom Settings (or make manual adjustments). 4 Reduce loud sounds This one works with any headphones connected to your device,…

1 Mix it up If you do not have something specific in mind, Apple has categories like New This Week, Try Something New, More of What You Do, and Popular. This is a good way to shake up your workout routine if you are stuck in a bit of a rut. 2 Linked workouts Apple Fitness+ also offers programmes containing a series of linked workouts (such as ‘Workouts to Get Started’). When browsing one of these programmes, tap the ‘+’ next to each workout to add it to your saved list. 3 Share your favourites If you have found a good workout and want to share it with someone, go to its page and tap the elipsis button (…) in the top-right corner. This lets you share the workout, and…

It’s not like Apple’s older laptops were bad, but the aluminium cases of 2003’s ‘AlBook’ refresh were something else. No longer did Apple’s laptops resemble a refined take on Windows rivals (PowerBook G3) or have a sleek form ruined when scratches revealed the silver surface to be skin deep (PowerBook G4). But where the AlBook line really wowed was with its smallest member. The 12in model gave you a dizzying mix of power and functionality in a portable package. It rivalled desktop machines, yet didn’t take your shoulder off when slung in a bag. Also, its endearingly chunky form managed to be smart, chic, friendly, cute and professional all at once.…

A mistake people make about Apple is thinking the company wants to be first. It doesn’t — it wants to be best. The iPod wasn’t the first digital music player, but its predecessors were big, clunky, confusing contraptions. Apple redefined the industry. Perfectly pocketable, Apple’s player was designed around a surprisingly svelte 5GB hard drive. Rather than having a slew of buttons and a screen you had to squint at, the iPod gave you a 2in display and thumbable scroll wheel for zooming through the thousand songs you could load on to the thing. Apple’s white EarPods became a status symbol — an indication you had your hands on something better. And although initially a niche concern, the iPod line quickly branched out, embracing Windows and later becoming a design…

Getting smart about getting fit is all about doing the right things at the right time. Even if you’re free of specific movement restrictions and curfews, the way we go about our daily business likely isn’t changing for a while: now would appear to be the perfect time to put that expensive gym subscription on hold and dial up your activity in and around your home. There are a host of devices and apps that will get you moving, with more released in the past year than ever before, but let’s start with those that try to bring that authentic gym experience into your own four walls. Subscriptions are a big thing now of course, and they’re only getting bigger. Apple, of course, has its own: Apple Fitness+ (£9.99 per…

£129.95 FROM Cambridge Audio, cambridgeaudio.com FEATURES Wireless, touch and voice control, 7mm dynamic driver (graphene-enhanced), Bluetooth 5.0; frequency response 20Hz-20kHz, splash resistant to IPX4; battery life up to nine hours (earbuds); 41 hours (case) in Low Power mode, USB-C charging Data points from over 3,000 pairs of ears mean the Melomania should fit comfortably he bullet-shaped Melomania 1 became one of our favourite pairs of wireless earbuds after we tested them back in MF344. Now their successors are here with an all-new design and improved sound. The Melomania Touch’s new look is significant – Cambridge Audio created them using data points from over 3,000 pairs of ears, meaning they should fit comfortably, especially when paired with the included silicone fins and eartips (six pairs of which are included in various…

£39.99 (64GB)/£62.99 (128GB)/£114.99 (256GB) FROM SanDisk, shop.westerndigital.com/en-gb FEATURES 2-in-1 flash drive; USB-C 3.1 and Lightning connectors While you can use AirDrop to shuttle files between devices, sometimes an external drive works best. This is especially the case if your iPhone, iPad or Mac have limited storage. That’s a problem SanDisk’s iXpand Flash Drive Luxe aims to solve, thanks to capacities that range from 64GB to 256GB and a handy 2-in-1 design that has a USB-C connector on one end and a Lightning connector on the other. Transferring files between the two devices is pretty straightforward, though not entirely seamless: The Apple TV app on iOS/iPadOS, for example, won’t recognise iTunes media stored on external drives and so won’t play or transfer them. It is possible to play third-party videos using…

£28.99 FROM River SRL, sparkleapp.com NEEDS OS X 10.9 or later Building a website from scratch is something many of us simply don’t do any more. We’ll use something template-based for business purposes, use WordPress or Medium for blogging and the like, and hire a designer for anything more complex. Sparkle would like to offer an alternative option to the mix: professional website creation that’s as simple as creating something in Pages or Keynote. Version 3 brings over 50 new features and introduces an improved, Big Sur-friendly interface. There’s a simple blog module, new built-in fonts, EXIF data extraction for images and galleries, buttons for key payment services such as PayPal and Stripe, and impressive audio and video embedding features. With Sparkle it’s easy to produce impressive results, but it’s…

£4.99/month (Apple Arcade) FROM Annapurna Interactive, thepathless.com NEEDS macOS 10.15 or later Using your archery skills and eagle companion, you need to solve puzzles The Pathless was a headline title when Apple announced its game subscription service Apple Arcade, and it is easy to see why. Like many of the offerings in Apple Arcade, it is visually arresting, with a gorgeously crafted game world and a standout aesthetic style. But it is not quite the showstopper that many hoped it would be. You are the Hunter, seeking to defeat the evil Godslayer who has the world in the grip of a dark curse. Using your archery skills and eagle companion, you need to solve puzzles dotted throughout the open world, thus freeing the old gods from the curse and weakening…

From £1,299 In November 2020, Apple rather surprised the tech world with an earlier-than-expected release of the first MacBook Pro with its own custom designed 5nm Apple M1 chip. The eight-core CPU is said to offer 2.8 times faster performance over its predecessor, while the eight-core GPU has five times faster graphics. The 16-core Neural Engine completes the powerhouse spec sheet for advanced machine learning. All this, coupled with a 61W battery, translates to the longest battery life for a MacBook Pro so far, with an impressive 17 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video play. The Pro comes with 8GB of unified memory but you can upgrade to 16GB. Storage starts at 256GB SSD, and can be configured up to 2TB. The physical build remains the same…

Boost your online security Protect your privacy and your data – we show you how ALSO INSIDE… Master the Notification Centre in Big Sur Burn CDs and DVDs in iMovie and Music Access files on thumb drives in iOS/iPadOS … and much more! Contents subject to change ISSUE 364 ON SALE 6 APR 2021 DON’T MISS IT – SUBSCRIBE TODAY! IN PRINT & ON YOUR iPAD Our print and digital bundle gets you the paper magazine as well as our iPad edition magazinesdirect.com/macformat-magazine-subscription ON YOUR MAC Read digitally on your Mac: subscribe with Zinio at bit.ly/ziniomacf…

HOT NEW KIT! Rumours have been swirling for a long time that Apple is working on some kind of augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) headset. Recently, though, we have had a surge of leaks, rumours, and news relating to the project, all of which have helped shed light on an otherwise highly secretive project. One of the main sources of information has been a major report from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. In the report, Gurman explains that Apple is working on a headset that blends both VR and AR. This device would primarily focus on the former, but has multiple cameras to help provide AR experiences. The long-term goal will be to bring out a pair of AR glasses in a few years’ time. Some previously seen prototypes…

[MAC APP] File management is one of those mundane things that we all do every day on our Macs. Yet it is so important that it is a wonder Apple has never done more with Finder. Luckily, Eltima has stepped in with Commander One, a free dual-pane alternative that makes managing files much more productive. The app has just been updated to version 3.0, which brings compatibility with macOS Big Sur and the macFUSE file system extender. Performance on both macOS and with third-party apps like Dropbox and Google Drive has been improved, and numerous bugs fixed. Existing features include unlimited tabs, customisable hotkeys, a built-in file viewer, plus a heap of tools for advanced users. The Pro version ($22.99, about £16) adds integration for cloud storage, themes, an FTP…

Welcome to the new normal. Even the best-case scenarios tell us that we’ll all be working from home and spending most of our free time indoors for quite a few months to come. It’s hardly surprising, then, that our home networks have started creaking under the strain of Netflix, Apple TV+, Zoom calls, and music and gaming services that are often all running at the same time. We’re also using many new types of devices as well, with smart speakers, lights and security cameras all demanding a slice of our Wi-Fi, alongside the more traditional Macs, iPads and iPhones. Fortunately, there are some simple, quick fixes that can help to improve the speed and reliability of your home Wi-Fi, perhaps by connecting to different frequency bands or channels on your…

When you look at the Wi-Fi Settings on your Mac or iOS devices you can see the names of all the networks in the area around your home. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi Settings panel doesn’t provide much info beyond the names of those networks, so it’s worth using an additional app that can delve deeper into all those networks. There are lots of network monitoring apps available for both Macs and iOS devices, and many of these are free to download. However, the free apps tend to bombard you with ads and in-app purchases, so it’s worth spending just £1.99 on a straightforward app such as WiFi Explorer Lite. WiFi Explorer Lite can be a little daunting at first, as it shows a lot of information about all the networks around…

1 Network know-how Most routers provide an app that allows you to adjust various settings. The features in these apps can vary quite a lot, but they generally start by giving you an overview of all the devices that are currently connected to your network. 2 Take back control You can control individual devices, perhaps blocking devices you don’t recognise, or pausing the kids’ internet at dinner time. Some apps provide filters to block unsuitable material – but watch out for additional subscription fees here. 3 Day by day Another really useful feature – but not found in all apps – is the ability to create daily or weekly schedules to control your kids’ internet access. That way you can make sure they’re not on Instagram or TikTok all night…

TP-Link Archer C80 >£99.99 >tp-link.com/uk >TP-Link’s Archer range concentrates on providing good performance and value for money. The new C80 model is an affordable entry-level router, but it offers dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi running at a healthy 1,900Mbps, and will be fine for streaming video and music, and the occasional gaming sessions. There are four Ethernet ports for wired connections, and TP-Link’s well-designed app will have you up and running in no time at all. D-Link DIR-1950 >£112.99 >eu.dlink.com/uk >The DIR-1950 has an array of external antennas to provide wide coverage for the router’s Wi-Fi signal. The router provides dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with a max speed of 1,900Mbps, which is fine for streaming video, online calls, and the occasional spot of gaming. The router also includes four Ethernet ports for desktop…

1 Unwelcome guests Your router’s app will show you a list of all devices that are connected to your network. It will also allow you to block any devices that you don’t recognise, although you should follow our next few steps to stop it happening again. 2 Password protection While you’re at it, you should also consider changing your Wi-Fi password every now and then. You can do this in your app, and the app will also provide a secure option for sharing the new password with family and friends. 3 Check your security Your iPhone or iPad will actually tell you if your network is secure or not. Take a look at Settings > Wi-Fi, and you’ll see this warning if your security settings aren’t up to scratch. Oddly,…

TP-Link RE450/AC1750 >£49.99 >tp-link.com >You can get cheap extenders for as little as £20, but it’s worth paying for one that provides decent performance. The RE450 from TP-Link provides dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi running at 1,750Mbps, plus one Ethernet port, for around £50. Devolo Magic 1 WiFi >£129.99 >devolo.co.uk >It’s a little pricey, but this feature-packed kit will fix most Wi-Fi problems. As well as 1,200Mbps dual-band Wi-Fi and two Ethernet ports, the two adaptors also include PowerLine networking that can reach even into total Wi-Fi deadzones. Netgear EAX20 Image credits: Microsoft, TP-Link Corporation Ltd, devolo AG, Netgear >£160 >netgear.co.uk >Netgear’s EAX20 is one of the first Wi-Fi 6 range extenders – although it will work with older 802.11ac routers too. It provides dual-band Wi-Fi running at 1,800Mbps, and provides four…

IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to access and organise templates, and create your own customised versions YOU’LL NEED Luminar AI, macOS 10.13.6 or later Luminar AI’s Templates panel acts as a useful springboard to producing a range of creative looks in a few clicks. Luminar AI analyses a photo and suggests a collection of templates that might suit its subject in the For This Photo section. You can ignore its recommendations and take manual control by scrolling through the categories in the Templates panel. In this walkthrough, we’ll demonstrate how to speed up your workflow by creating your own favourite collections of Luminar’s most useful templates. You’ll also learn how to edit an existing template to enhance the look that it produces. For example, we’ll use…

1 Before and after Click the Compare icon at the top right. You can now drag a vertical slider to display a ‘before and after’ comparison of different parts of the picture. You can fine-tune the Landscape sliders until you’re happy with the look. 2 Save user template Click on the edited Hyperdrive template’s (…) icon and choose Save. Click on the Templates icon at the top, then click the star-shaped My Collection button. Toggle open User Templates to view customised templates. 3 Rename and apply Once you’ve customised the look of a template and saved it, you can click on the template’s adjacent ellipse (…) and rename it. You can then apply it to other photos in a click to produce a ‘golden hour’ look.…

1 Take back control As well as updating the main Home app itself, Apple has also improved the way that it works with Control Centre on the iPhone and iPad, in order to provide quick access to the smart devices that you use most around your home. 2 Quick controls Control Centre automatically shows the devices and scenes that you use most often. You can tap to turn devices on or off, or press and hold to see additional settings, such as brightness or colour controls for your lights. 3 Making a scene Control Centre also displays ‘scenes’, such as the ‘Good Night’ scene that automatically turns off all the lights at once. There’s also an icon for the Home app itself, and a quick tap will display this overview…

IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to use the Apple Library in iOS 14 YOU’LL NEED iPhone, iOS 14 The App Library is Apple’s answer to cluttered Home screens. Rather than rely on users to create folders to store apps neatly, Apple took matters into its own hands and made a way for apps to organise themselves automatically. The idea is that you have a few Home screens with your most used apps, widgets, or folders, then hide the rest and access any apps that aren’t on those screens from the App Library. You can choose whether or not newly downloaded apps are automatically stored in the App Library and whether notifications are visible on Library folders. Note that Library Folders are created and named automatically, and…

1 Search for a photo Tap on the top-left corner to view the menu, then tap the magnifying glass. Type in your search. If you separate words with a space, Photos will look for images that match both terms, as if you had put ‘AND’ between them. 2 Narrow down a search When your results appear, you can filter the search further by tapping on a location, Moment, Category, or Keyword. You will then be shown the photos that match both the search term and that filter. 3 Another way to filter results Tap See All on the results screen, then tap the elipsis (…) at the top right of the screen. Tap Filter, then choose an option and press Done. To zoom in on results, use two fingers and…

IT WILL TAKE Workout times vary YOU WILL LEARN How to work out with Apple Fitness+ YOU’LL NEED An Apple Watch and either an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV Apple has waded deeper into the fitness fray with its own health subscription service called Apple Fitness+. For £9.99 a month you get a library of workouts in a range of styles, from yoga and dance to strength and rowing to many more. Every workout is led by an experienced trainer who can help motivate you to work harder and reach your goals. You can see your progress towards closing your rings on screen, and each session is accompanied by a music playlist designed to keep you focused and in the zone. To sign up, open the Fitness app on your…

1 Meet your new coach A key benefit of Apple Fitness+ is its emphasis on guided workouts. These are led by a variety of people, from dance choreographers and athletes to professional yoga teachers and more, all showing you how it’s done. 2 See what they offer From the Fitness+ home page, scroll to the Trainers section. You can tap a trainer to browse their workouts and find everything they do. Tap the Filter button to sort by workout type, time, and music for more control. 3 Trainer’s Perfect Week The Apple Fitness+ home page also offers a rotating ‘Trainer’s Perfect Week’ section. This is a curated set of seven workouts, all of which are thematically linked, to keep you active and motivated throughout the week.…

Apple says that the Apple Watch blood oxygen measurements “are not intended for medical use, including self-diagnosis or consultation with a doctor”. That’s because pulse oximeters, which the Apple Watch emulates, are Class II medical devices in the US – and such devices need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be sold for medical purposes. By saying a device is just for general wellness rather than medical use, companies can get to market earlier and then apply for FDA approval at a later date. Regulated or not, there is a limit to what the Apple Watch sensors can do. For example the ECG app delivers very similar results to the single-line ECG sensors typically used for home heart monitoring, but hospital doctors use…

Internal drive keeps throwing errors Q I have an old 2010-ish iMac which I mainly use for Zoom meetings. It has recently started crashing a lot, and on investigation Disk Utility reports errors it can’t repair. Neither can it complete running Diagnostics without throwing an error. How can I reformat its hard disk? by JILL [NO SURNAME PROVIDED] A Your Mac’s internal hard disk is sick. This isn’t surprising, as it’s around ten years old now, and most hard disks last no more than five years, so it has done well. Although it might be possible to reformat it and install macOS, chances are that it will run into further problems quickly, and at any time could die suddenly. To format its disk, you would either need to start up…

Beige and brown, with chunky keys, the Apple II might not be irresistible to modern eyes. But this was the 1970s — brown was in. On-screen, you mercifully got other colours — and, elsewhere, audio and game controllers. These things were unusual at the time, and were reportedly included so lead designer Steve Wozniak could show off a version of the Breakout video game to his chums. The Apple II’s nature informed Apple’s future. In being preassembled and plug-and-play, it was the first computer ‘for the rest of us’ — a sentiment that echoed down the ages, with Apple ever keen to take the cutting edge, make it accessible and use it to unlock people’s potential.…

Presumably dreaming of the day when a Mac would be as thin as a sheet of paper, a beaming Steve Jobs pulled a MacBook Air from an envelope during his Macworld 2008 keynote. This eye-popping debut ushered in an era of copycat super-skinny laptops. It looked gorgeous, tapering to a ridiculous 0.4cm at the thinnest point of its wedge-shaped form. And despite its svelte case, this Mac had a full-sized keyboard and large trackpad. There were, admittedly, some issues elsewhere — the price, limited storage, a flip-down hatch to access ports. But it looked like the future — although its current incarnation has transitioned the Air from premium to entry-level in Apple’s range.…

IN PRINT ON iPAD & iPHONE ISSUE 362 MARCH 2021 Moveto a new Mac – the pain-free way AirPodsMax: the definitive verdict Makethe most of widgets in iOS Createplaylists in Apple Music ISSUE 361 FEBRUARY 2021 Bestever free apps – for Mac and iOS Step-by-stepApple Shortcuts guide Firstlook: AirPods Max headphones Easyupgrades for a home cinema ISSUE 360 JANUARY 2021 Apple’s best ever laptop: MacBook Air MacBookPro 13-inch powerhouse iPhone12 Pro Max and 12 mini TheGreat Mac Refresh – Big Sur tips 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 time and keep them forever in your personal library. bit.ly/macformatipad NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! SUBSCRIBE…

£49.96 FROM Withings, withings.com/uk FEATURES Weight range 5-180kg, automatic user recognition (up to eight users), 128x64 pixel graphical display, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Once set up, the Withings Body will transmit your weight and BMI details to your phone This is the simplest of Withings’ three smart scales. Unlike the more sophisticated models (The Body+ and Body Cardio), it only measures weight and BMI, not body composition. The scale features a large platform, a high-contrast display, and directional arrows to help you stand in the correct position. Once it’s set up, just step on, and your weight and BMI will be transmitted to your phone automatically. The Withings Health Mate app is excellent, not least because of its integration with all the major health and fitness apps, including Fitbit, Samsung Health,…

£49.99 FROM Twelve South, twelvesouth.com FEATURES Metal MacBook/iPad stand, 18° viewing angle, cable management The 2021 ParcSlope may have the same name as its 2015 predecessor, but that’s where the similarities end. This time around we have an all-metal stand with rubberised inserts at the top and bottom for holding a MacBook or iPad in place – either of which sit at an 18° angle. The aim: a more comfortable typing/Touch Bar experience when used with a MacBook (Pro) and an equally pleasant sketching/drawing experience when using an iPad. And that almost is all there is to it. Luckily, the ParcSlope has some other things going for it – build quality is excellent, and the device sits solidly and flatly on a desk or worktop with little or no wobbling in…

$99.99 (about £72) FROM acdsee.com NEEDS macOS 10.14 or later A description of every tonal and colour tweak is stored in a sidecar file Back in the ol’ pre-digital days, we had fewer photographs to manage. Expensive rolls of film limited us to snapping 24 or 36 shots which then needed to be developed. As a result, we might restrict our shots to special occasions such as weddings and holidays. We could then pop our relatively small collection of photos into albums, store them on shelves and tell at a glance which album contained particular pictures. In these digital days, there are no limitations on the amount of photos we can snap as our iPhone’s camera is always with us. As a result, we may have thousands of photos scattered across…

£19.99 FROM Intuitibits, intuitibits.com NEEDS macOS 10.13 or later WiFi Explorer is a network scanner and analysis tool for Wi-Fi. It lists the Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity, including their SSID, MAC address, device manufacturer, signal strength, and more. It also provides a graphical illustration of the networks, so you can see where, for example, signals overlap or channels conflict. Each network is given a signal quality rating based on signal-to-noise ratio. It supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and 20, 40, 60, and 80MHz frequencies. It works with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax networks. You can add your own notes to one column in the table, and give the column a label, as well as adjust timescales and filter results based on criteria such as vendor or signal band. You can also customise certain…

Smartphones and tablets have become such a vital part of our lives that most of us now feel lost without them. But there are also risks involved. The advertising trackers that follow us around the web are just the start. Then there are the online scams that try to con money out of us, and malware-ridden websites that try to get hold of our data. And, of course, there are insecure public Wi-Fi networks, and hackers who attempt to break into home or office networks. But we can protect our personal info. Check out some of these top apps that can protect your privacy and security online. Avast Security & Privacy Free (Full version £4.49/month) NEEDS iOS 12 or later Avast offers a free version with basic security features, protecting…

From £999 Apple’s thinnest, lightest laptop now also gets the M1 treatment. But without a price hike! Prices still start at just £999. The next step model (with increased SSD storage and eight-core GPU) even costs £50 less at £1,249. Like the MBP, Apple’s own unified memory silicon enables faster performance and better graphic speeds. And the 16-core Neural Engine results in nine times faster machine learning. It may be Apple’s most affordable laptop, but the MacBook Air certainly doesn’t feel like a budget machine, thanks to its 100% recycled aluminium unibody, and 13.3-inch LED-backlit Retina display, which has a resolution of 2560x1600 (227ppi) and True Tone, which automatically adjusts the display’s colour temperature depending on the ambient light. The inclusion of the M1 chip has changed none of the…

Logic Pro sits at the heart of both pro and home studios the world over. It is an advanced digital audio workstation and sequencer that enables you to record, loop, and edit MIDI and other audio. Having started its life in the 1980s as a MIDI sequencer for the Atari ST platform called Creator, it became Notator when music notation capabilities were added. The real genesis of the software we use today came when, in 1993, programmers who had worked at C-Lab, the company responsible for this older software, founded a company called Emagic and launched Notator Logic. This incorporated sequencing capabilities and ‘Notator’ was ultimately removed from the software’s title. Apple bought Emagic in July 2002. Back then, Apple said Logic was actively used by 200,000 musicians worldwide. Sound…

Apple might be working on a foldable phone, according to leaker Jon Prosser. In a video on his Front Page Tech YouTube channel, Prosser claims the device – internally dubbed the iPhone Flip – is in the works but will not see the light of day until 2022 at the earliest. Prosser explains that Apple has been working on two prototypes: one that folds outward like a book as per the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, and one clamshell device that flips upwards like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. According to Prosser, Apple has settled on the latter. Interestingly, the Front Page Tech video indicates the iPhone Flip will come in a range of ‘fun’ colours. That is significant because it suggests the foldable iPhone will be an entry-level device like…

The iPhone’s Face ID unlocking system is incredibly secure – Apple believes there is only a one-in-a-million chance of it being fooled – but that insistence on facial recognition is hampered in the COVID age. Without a Touch ID sensor and with your face blocked by a mask, it can be hard to get into your device without having to enter your passcode. Apple is working on fixing it, though, albeit in a limited way. In iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 there is a new feature that allows you to unlock your Face ID-enabled device using your Apple Watch, provided your wearable is unlocked and your Face ID device detects you are wearing a mask. This is similar to how you can unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch without…

There are many smart home lighting kits out there, but none come with the design flair of Nanoleaf’s range. If you have been wanting to brighten up your home with some new lighting decor, you are in luck – this issue we are giving away a bundle of Nanoleaf light panels to one very lucky competition winner! First up is a Nanoleaf Canvas kit worth £300. This comes with 17 individual panels that can be arranged on your wall however you like. You get everything you need to get started, including a power supply, mounting tapes, connectors, and more. We are also throwing in a Nanoleaf Shapes pack containing 15 hexagon-shaped tiles worth £270. Both packs can display over 16 million colours in a huge range of presets for lighting…

There are many things that can cause your home Wi-Fi network to slow down, or become unreliable. Many electrical appliances, such as microwave ovens, cordless (DECT) telephones, and baby monitors generate electromagnetic signals that can interfere. Thick walls can block the signal travelling from room to room, and ceilings between floors can create a ‘deadspot’ in an upstairs room. The biggest culprit, though, will probably be rival Wi-Fi networks running in the homes of nearby buildings, so it’s worth knowing a little bit about how Wi-Fi networks transmit their data so that you can pinpoint any interference. Motorway madness Most conventional routers broadcast their Wi-Fi signal on two main frequency bands, at 2.4GHz and 5GHz. You can think of these two bands as being like two separate motorways for transmitting…

Having problems with your Wi-Fi network? Unreliable online calls, or stuttering video – then it’s worth taking a look at the devices and services that are using your network. The first place to start is with your broadband connection. Bear in mind that even basic video streaming on Netflix requires a speed of 3Mbps, going up to a whopping 25Mbps for 4K video. A family of four who are working from home, home-schooling the kids, and then bingeing on Netflix, Fortnite and YouTube are going to need all the broadband they can get. Some landline broadband providers can only offer 10Mbps, but you can get 100Mbps (or more) fibre broadband that will easily handle all your digital desires. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a postcode lottery so you’ll need…

Even if you’re lucky enough to have superfast fibre broadband, chances are that the router provided by your ISP will still be cheap as chips, and won’t provide particularly good performance. If you’re looking for a quick way to upgrade your network performance then buying a faster, more modern router is the best place to start. It’s quite likely that your existing router only supports the decade-old 802.11ac version of Wi-Fi, while the latest routers now offer the new 802.11ax standard – also known as Wi-Fi 6. This new standard provides amazing speed, but Wi-Fi 6 routers are still quite expensive, and at the moment there are only a handful of the latest Macs and iPhones that actually support Wi-Fi 6. So while a Wi-Fi 6 router is a good…

We’ve looked at a number of ways you can improve your network and Wi-Fi performance, from switching bands and channels to buying an entirely new router. However, most video and music streaming services also have their own apps that will allow you to adjust various settings in order to improve performance. Services such as Netflix and Apple TV+ all offer different levels of video quality for watching films and TV. In fact, Netflix and others charge extra for 4K video, so you can save money and improve performance at the same time, simply by sticking with perfectly respectable 1080p HD video. Unfortunately, the apps for all these streaming services tend to do things differently, so it can take a little while to locate the various quality settings and controls. Netflix…

Why use a VPN? For many people, the answer is simply – “so I can watch Netflix in another country”. But there are more important (and less legally dubious) answers too. For starters, your ISP always knows exactly what websites and services you’re using, so you have no real privacy when you’re online at all. That’s where a VPN – virtual private network – can prove really useful. A VPN uses special software to route all your internet communications through private servers that are run by the company that developed the VPN software. This means that your ISP can no longer see what websites or services you’re connecting to, and those websites can’t see where your connection is coming from either (which is how the Netflix trick works – although…

Public Wi-Fi hotspots are safe if password-protected >Except that everyone knows the password – it is called ‘public’ Wi-Fi, after all. Subscribing to a VPN app such as ExpressVPN will provide protection for all your devices, including your MacBook or iPhone, when you’re out and about. 5GHz Wi-Fi is always faster than 2.4GHz >The 5GHz frequency does transmit data at higher speeds than 2.4GHz, but it has shorter range and is more prone to interference from other networks and devices. You may find that the 2.4GHz band works better for mobile devices that tend to move from room to room. Simultaneous downloads will slow your Wi-Fi down >Older routers were originally designed to transmit data to just one device at a time, so if you had two or more devices…

IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to adjust the Finder and put handy shortcuts at your fingertips YOU’LL NEED macOS 11 or later The Finder is such a core component of macOS, used by everyone every day, that we often take it for granted. Yet there are a lot of ways you can customise it to perfectly suit your needs, adding extra features or removing those you do not need to create a much more streamlined and tailored Mac experience. In macOS Big Sur, nearly every element of the Finder can be customised, from the folders and shortcuts in the sidebar and the buttons in the toolbar to the size of the icons and text displayed with each file. You can set your preferences to apply to…

1 Browse categories In the templates workspace, scroll down to the bottom and view the All Categories section. This displays template themes as lists. Click on a category such as Landscape to view a group of landscape-enhancing templates. 2 Choose a collection After choosing the Landscape category, we have four collections to choose from. Clicking on a collection such as Sunsets gives you five sunset-themed templates that will change the look of your selected shot in a click. 3 Finetune a template Click a template, such as Hyperdrive, to add ‘golden hour’ style lighting to a landscape. If the template’s look is too strong, go to the bottom of the template panel and drag the slider to the left for a more subtle look.…

In the Templates panel, click on Get More Templates. This takes you to Luminar Marketplace where you can browse collections of customised templates. Be aware that some links provide assets such as sky replacement files: these are not templates. Click Learn More to preview a custom template collection, then Buy to download it. Choose File > Add Luminar AI Template Collection. Browse to import the downloaded .ltc (Luminar Template Collection) file; it will appear in the Purchased section of the My Collection panel.…

IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to download and install iOS apps on macOS YOU’LL NEED An M1 Mac running macOS 11 or later, an iOS device You can now run iOS apps on M1 Macs but there are some things to be aware of When Apple announced its Macs were transitioning from Intel processors to its own M1 chips, one of the touted benefits was being able to run iOS apps natively on your Mac. And the really good news is that this is extremely easy to do, which we will outline in this tutorial. That said, there are some things to be aware of. For one thing, macOS and iOS work in different ways. Mac apps can use multiple windows, for example, while iOS apps…

1 Open an app If the app is one of the three large icons in a Library folder, just tap on it. If not, tap in the bottom right-hand corner of the folder to display all the apps in it, then scroll down until you see the app you want and tap it. 2 Delete an app Tap and hold in the centre of any Library folder. If you want to delete one of the ‘big three’ apps, tap the ’X’ in its corner, then Delete App. To delete any other app, tap on the bottom-right corner then tap the ‘X’. 3 Show or hide Home screens Tap and hold in an empty spot on any Home Screen (not the App Library). Tap the dots (bottom of the screen) to…

1 Choose a category Open the Fitness app, tap the Fitness+ tab and choose a workout type from the horizontal list at the top of the app. There are options like HIIT, yoga, core, strength, and more, all with their own workouts and styles. Tap a category. 2 Select a workout Tap a workout, then tap +Add to add it to a saved workouts list. Or tap Preview for a quick overview, or Let’s Go to begin. You’ll see a description of the workout and its music (and open it in Apple Music) below that. 3 Get active! As you work out you will see your progress towards closing your rings, so you know how you are doing. There is an orange ring in the top-left corner showing how long…

The My Workouts section is at the bottom of the Fitness+ home page. This stores your saved workouts and makes it much easier to return to favourite exercises without spending time searching. Once you have selected a workout category, use the Filter button to narrow down the results. You can sort by the trainer, workout duration, and the type of musical accompaniment. Finally, when you finish a workout there is an option for a Mindful Cooldown. This is a good way to relax and ensure you do not strain your muscles after an intense workout.…

Numbers lost in translation Q When I copy and paste spreadsheet data between Numbers, Microsoft Excel and third-party apps, much of the time it works well, but sometimes goes wrong, most often when handling dates. How can I make it more reliable? by TOM BARNES A Although macOS and apps have specific data types to represent different types of number, including time and dates, when you copy and paste most numeric data, including from spreadsheets, the contents of the cells are transferred as plain Unicode text. To enable that, the app which you’re copying from converts numbers, times and dates into text separated by tabs – it doesn’t even use Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format – which is placed in the Clipboard. Then when you paste that data, the receiving app…

Having wowed the masses with the Apple II, Apple took things a stage further with the Mac. Instead of typing in arcane commands to interact with it, you used a graphical user interface (GUI) akin to the macOS still in use today. But also, the machine was almost unbearably cute. By the Mac’s 1984 debut, computers had a reputation for being ugly and clunky. But the Mac was dinky and could fit on any desk without taking over. Such was the form’s approachable nature it lived on for years as the Happy Mac icon that greeted you when you turned an Apple computer on — until Apple coldly removed it. After all, it wouldn’t want a reputation for nostalgia nor sentiment.…

It’s easy to forget how revolutionary the first iMac was. Prior to its arrival, computers were boring beige boxes. The most daring they got was when someone carved the equivalent of go-faster stripes into their cases. (This didn’t make them go any faster.) In 1998, a suited Steve Jobs announced Apple’s latest computer, whipping away a black sheet like a magician and instantly informing rivals their industrial design teams should get in the bin. There was so much to like. For geeks, the semi-translucent plastic case gave you a peek at the machine’s innards. For normal people, this felt like a computer you could leave on display, rather than hidden beneath a desk. There was even a handle, so you could lift the thing up. Sadly, rivals stopped paying attention…

You’d have needed a soul bypass to not be enraptured by the Power Mac G4 Cube. Aiming to squeeze a powerful desktop into a tiny case, the acrylic glass enclosure made this Mac look like it was magically floating above your desk. There was no fan. Discs popped out of the top as if from a toaster. The on switch was a gesture-driven capacitive sensor. And to get at its innards, you flipped the Cube upside-down and yanked them free. The snag: the Cube was expensive and lacked upgrade potential. A year after release, it was gone, but the miniaturisation knowledge Apple gained from this informed future designs from the G4 iMac to the Mac mini — which is basically a Cube someone sat on (ish).…

How many of us have piled on a bit of lockdown weight? A fair few I bet, including yours truly. But let’s see what we can do about it the smart way… LIVE SMARTER The smart home is here – live the Apple dream today! Temptation is a difficult thing. Especially when you’re stuck at home a mere footstep or three away from the kitchen. Turning to treats as a way to ward off boredom/frustration/solace (tick as appropriate) isn’t very healthy, but you do what you have to do today, then do the right thing tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, though, so the key is deciding on the right thing to do today. It has taken me a long time, and a great amount of guilt over unused subscriptions, to realise…

£99.68 (512GB)/£133.67 (1TB) FROM Adata, adata.com/uk FEATURES 512GB/1TB, RGB lighting panel, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C (USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cable included); 99.5x57.5x18mm, 136g Attach the drive to a USB port and the black side generates a spectacular light show The ADATA SE770G provides portable, high-speed external storage, but with a rather surprising and colourful twist… Once you attach the SE770G to a USB port, using either the USB-A or USB-C cables, the rather plain black side immediately generates a spectacular light show. The central part of the top is backlit with RGB LEDs through a stencil of hexagon and diamond tessellation, and colour cycles through a rainbow of rich colours. Unfortunately, though, you can’t control the colours nor the speed of cycling. The drive is…

£354.99 FROM Seagate, seagate.com FEATURES 4TB hard drive, expandable M.3 NVMe SSD slot, 1x Thunderbolt 3 port, 1x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.1 Gen3 ports, 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 battery charge port, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1x 3.5mm audio-in/mic port, 1x 3.5mm audio-out port; 270x51x135mm, 2.67kg The gaming dock boasts a high-speed Ethernet port and plenty of other connections The Seagate FireCuda Gaming Dock is like a supercharged external hard drive combined with a USB hub, bringing with it 4TB of storage as well as a bunch of extra connection ports. Plugging your laptop into the gaming dock instantly gives you a high-speed Ethernet port and extra USB connections, as well as Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort 1.4 sockets if you need to connect an additional display. You will need a Thunderbolt 3-equipped…

£31 (upgrade £18) FROM Houdah Software, houdah.com/houdahSpot NEEDS macOS 10.14 or later If Spotlight indexes it, HoudahSpot can search for it Searching your Mac often fails or frustrates despite Spotlight’s comprehensive index. This worsened noticeably in macOS 10.15 (Catalina), when Mail messages suddenly became inscrutable with the introduction of ‘Core Spotlight’. While protecting message privacy, this forces you to rely on Mail’s underpowered Mailbox Search feature. HoudahSpot removes these stumbling blocks with constant access to completely customisable search, which doesn’t have to be set up afresh every time in some generic Finder window. So long as Spotlight indexing is enabled on a volume or folder, it will search using any combination of hundreds of different criteria from Album name through Languages to Year Recorded: if Spotlight indexes it, HoudahSpot can…

$99 (about £75) for single-use licence FROM softoBe, softobe.com/kinemac NEEDS macOS 10.15 or later It’s easy to control the movement of each virtual camera as it travels through your 3D set Kinemac 2.0.3 is a 3D modelling and animation app that’s designed to help you create motion graphic sequences for video projects. You can use it to present clips or stills on a series of virtual 3D screens to create eye-catching title sequences for your YouTube channel. The app offers a range of preset 3D shapes that you can add to your virtual TV set (or stage), and it’s a doddle to drag and drop your own clips and stills onto the various sides of a 3D cube for example. You can also create your own 3D text by importing…

Free (IAPs) FROM OWC, owcdigital.com NEEDS iOS 13 or later Copy That is designed to quickly copy content from your Photo Library to an external drive. You need a USB external drive with its own power source, or a flash drive. We used the app with a cheap Lightning adaptor that supports SD and microSD cards as well as USB drives. By default, all videos and photos are included, and you can add screenshots and selfies. While you can’t select individual files, you can restrict the selection by date. Next, choose where to back it up to – in addition to external drives, Copy That can transfer files to iCloud Drive as well as any network drives connected through the Files app. Copy time depends on your adaptor’s speeds –…

DESKTOP SPEAKER Ruark MR1 £329.99 ruarkaudio.com Winner of MF357’s head to head, the MR1 speaker set looks and sounds the business. The dome tweeter and long-throw woofer can handle a variety of audio styles with aplomb. You get a good variety of connectivity options, and we love the chunky function/volume dial too. IN-EAR EARPHONES M&D MW07 Plus £279 masterdynamic.com Master & Dynamic’s MW07 Plus offer 10 hours of listening time, and the charging case holds an additional three charges (so you get 40 hours in total). These great-sounding earbuds are IPX5 rated, so they’re excellent for workouts and commuting. The marble-effect finish gives them a premium aesthetic, as does the stainless steel charging case. USB FLASH DRIVE SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe 1TB £243.99 shop.westerndigital.com Yes, this flash drive is…