Essential Apple User Magazine December 2021

James Gale Managing Editor A thicker head of hair, a flat stomach and a new MacBook Pro that I don’t have to sell my first-born to purchase. Looks like it will be socks again! Martin Smith Group Senior Designer I’d be keen for the new 16” MacBook Pro with the kick-ass new M1 Chip onboard, and the specs maxed out of course! (And for your other two wishes? – Ed) Alan Hulme Staff Writer The Wi-Fi signal in my attic room is never very strong. I’d like a set of homeplugs that use the household electrical wiring to add a Wi-Fi hotspot in the loft. David Hayward Staff Writer I'm holding out for a bigger telescope. I've been very good this year, and I want one that can connect to my devices and take awesome astrophotography. Ian Osborne Editor It’s time I got myself…

It’s Christmas, and it should come as no surprise that this month’s issue of Essential AppleUser Magazine is dedicated to gifts for the festive season. In our exclusive Christmas buyer’s guide, starting on Page 10, we round up some of the best peripherals available for your Mac, iPhone, iPad and other Apple gear. We also look back at some of the Gadgets sections from issues gone by, just in case you missed some of the best tech we’ve reviewed. Over in the Reviews section, we also bring you some new technology to read about, and bring back some older reviews of hardware, software and games that are well worth a revisit. We test some great new McLaren-branded earbuds, a couple of top keyboards from Logitech and a new version of Twelve…

ITSKINS HYBRID // CARBON for iPhone 13 Pro/Max URL: https://www.itskins.com Price: £19.99, $34.99, 19.99 € If you need some extra protection for your new iPhone, this soft, supple case looks and feels great. It has a carbon fibre back, is wireless-charging compatible and is drop-certified up to three metres/ten feet. Viscero URL: www.designpartners.com Price: TBA Those with abnormal heartbeats will welcome this wearable tech, which makes it easier to take an ECG (electrocardiogram), measuring your heart’s electrical activity and rhythms. A carefully designed ECG circuit system is built into the fabric of the Viscero vest using electronic ink. Belkin TemperedGlass Treated Screen Protector for iPhone URL: www.belkin.com Price: £19.99, $24.99, 19,99 € This tempered glass screen protector, made for iPhone, offers protection from impacts, scratches and smudges. The glass contains an antimicrobial agent to protect the product from microbial growth too. Mission…

Executive Leather Laptop Briefcase URL: https://www.sfbags.com Price: £345, $449, 399,50 € If you’re looking for a bag for your new 16-inch MacBook Pro, this one from WaterField Designs blends the look of an old-world briefcase with the modern functionality professionals need in this digital age. The Executive Leather Laptop Briefcase is crafted from a single full-grain American bison or cowhide for a consistent tone within each unique bag. Leather Sleeve for 16?inch MacBook Pro URL: www.apple.com Price: £199, $199, 219€ After spending a small fortune on your new 16-inch MacBook Pro, you need a really good laptop case to keep it in. This beautiful sleeve, crafted from highquality French leather with a soft microfibre lining, costs a small fortune too but it’s the last word in style. iVisor for MacBook Pro 16 URL: https://www.moshi.com/en Price: TBA Moshi’s respected screen protector is…

You can’t fault these limited edition Bluetooth earbuds for additional extras. Not only do you get the buds themselves and a wireless charging case, but there’s also a cord-braided USB-C cable with a bundled adapter for USB-A sockets, six pairs of silicon tips and one pair made of memory foam, three pairs of rubber pieces for a decent fit in your ear and even a wireless charging pad for charging up the case. That’s a lot of extras. Both the case and the earbuds are dust-proof and water-resistant. The case also has a ‘moisture removal system’, which basically means water-absorbent beads in the lid. Unfortunately, all this waterproofing has taken its toll on the case’s size. It’s way too large, and won’t comfortably fit in your pocket. It also has a…

This two-bay aluminium RAID drive enclosure has an excellent design. Made of solid, heat-dissipating aluminium, it looks great next to any desktop or notebook Mac. Housing a couple of 2.5-inch hard drives or SSDs, you can set it to RAID 0, whereby your data is spanned across the two disks for extra-fast access speeds, or RAID 1, which mirrors the drives so they both contain the same data; halving your drive capacity but preserving your files if one of the drives fail. Also available is Span, which treats your two installed units as a single drive, and Independent Drive Mode (IND), whereby they appear as two discrete drives. Unlike RAID 0 or 1, in Span and IND modes you can use drives of differing capacities. It’s a hardware thing, so all…