MacFormat January 2023

Scan here to get the latest tech news in your inbox! If you’re lucky enough to get a new Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch this Christmas, you may be wondering how to move all your data across on to your new device. Luckily, in this month’s lead feature (p20), you’ll be able to discover exactly how to do that – whether you’re moving from an older Apple device, a Windows PC or an Android phone or tablet. Talking of tablets (and new devices), turn to page 78 and you’ll be able to read in-depth reviews of the M2-powered 12.9in iPad Pro, the entry-level iPad 10.9in and the new Apple TV 4K, which now sports an A15 Bionic chip and more storage, and remains by far the best media streamer…

The iPhone 14 family may only be a few months old, but rumours have already started to fly concerning what we could see coming up in the iPhone 15. And if those whispers and stories turn out to be even half true, big changes could really be on the horizon. That said, we’re still a long way from a release date, and many of the predictions may fall by the wayside between now and September 2023. Nonetheless, we’ve rounded up some of the more prominent and reliable iPhone 15 rumours to get an idea of what could be on the way. Further stratification One of the biggest stories surrounding the iPhone 15 line-up is how Apple will likely continue – and perhaps even extend – the differentiation between the Pro…

The nature of open-source software often imparts it with a degree of trust, since users can read its code to check for hidden nasties and subsequently patch them out if they are found. But according to security firm Trend Micro, bad actors have taken open-source app ResignTool and modified it to steal your Keychain data, which can include passwords and credit card info. According to the report, the malware version of ResignTool is frequently distributed on filesharing websites, perhaps targeting users who want to save money by downloading cracked software. That could be a fatal error, however, given how much sensitive data is stored in the Keychain. The researchers advise people to be vigilant when browsing the web, checking that websites they visit are legitimate and avoiding suspicious downloads from…

AIRDROP GETS NEW FEATURE ‘EVERYONE FOR 10 MINUTES’ > Apple is introducing a new way to use AirDrop, letting you limit the ‘Everyone’ sharing option to 10 minutes at a time. The new setting was initially brought out in iOS 16.1.1 solely for use in China – supposedly at the request of the Chinese government as a way to limit the spread of anti-government material – but it will now roll out to the rest of the world in 2023 in order to limit spam from strangers. NEW APP FOR PARKINSON’S USES APPLE WATCH SENSORS > An app is being developed that could help monitor the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, potentially opening the door to earlier and more accurate treatment. The app uses the Apple Watch’s sensors and movement disorder…

Apple has built a reputation on the back of its strong stance on privacy, making it a central selling point for its devices and a reason to switch away from rival companies. But a couple of new reports suggest that the company’s privacy credentials might not be quite as strong as previously thought. For starters, security researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry found that Apple’s device analytics contain an identifier that is unique to each iCloud account. This identifier can allegedly be linked to its user, revealing their name, date of birth, email, and other information stored in iCloud. Elsewhere, a freshly filed lawsuit claims Apple devices still collect user data even when people opt out of such collection. Specifically, it claims the ‘Share iPhone/iPad Analytics’ and ‘Allow Apps…

Ever since Apple switched to its own Arm-powered Apple silicon chips, the company’s Mac division has seen a remarkable uptick in its fortunes, with sales climbing year-on-year. Now, a new report says Arm chips could make up as much as 30% of the entire PC market by 2026. Arm chips were rarely seen until just a couple of years ago. Apple only started selling computers backed by the Arm-based M1 system-ona-chip (SoC) in 2020, but its Arm computers had gobbled up 13.5% of the PC market by the third quarter of 2022, according to research at IDC. But the increase in Arm chips is not entirely down to Apple. Many affordable Chromebooks are powered by Arm SoCs, and while they don’t sell in huge numbers, they’re a notable segment of…