MacLife August 2022

There was a lot to take in at this year’s WWDC event in June. All Apple’s major operating systems have been updated, with macOS moving to Ventura (a coastal town in California which is famed, not surprisingly, for its sun and surf, as well as the Channel Islands National Park), iOS and iPadOS to 16, while watchOS moves to 9. It might be fair to say that the changes are, overall, not particularly huge, but there are some noteworthy updates that I, for one, am glad to see. The ability to customize the iPhone Lock screen has been a long time coming, and I like how you can set specific screens depending on the focus you’re in — a bit clearer and easier to differentiate than the small icon displayed under…

AS I WRITE this, Apple has just announced that WWDC 2022 will indeed take place this year. I wasn’t especially fearful that it wouldn’t, any more than I am fearful that December will roll around and there’ll turn out to be no Christmas (though, admittedly, that may be a real danger this year at this rate). So I tried to think about what features I’d like Apple to add this year, and I realised that I don’t think about magic new features for the iPhone any more. 15(!) years into its life, it’s no surprise that it’s harder and harder for there to be game–changing new things that a phone can do. No, all my gripes are more about the state of things now, and it struck me just how…

I was disappointed in the approach taken in your recent review of the Mac Studio. It focused almost exclusively on the Ultra version of the machine — on the theory that “most creative pros are likely to opt” for it. And from that theory, the review negatively concludes that the Ultra is “overkill for most of us.” I’m not sure I agree that most creative pros will want/need the Ultra. But even if that’s true, the review ignores what is almost certainly the larger market for the Max version. The reviewer mentions as a brief aside at the very end that “you could justify buying the Max version as an ageing iMac replacement” — dismissing this as of little importance. But that’s exactly why I (and almost every one else I…

Coming in iOS 16 A revamped Lock Screen, unsending messages, and the end of passwords APPLE HAS PREVIEWED iOS 16, a free update coming this Fall with a raft of enhancements. In “the biggest update ever to the Lock Screen,” you’ll be able to change the typeface and color of the date and time, and add widgets for at-a-glance info on calendar events, weather, alarms, and more. A new Live Activities feature will update such things as sports scores, your food delivery order, and workout info in real time. Notifications now roll up from the bottom to keep your Lock Screen view clearer. You can set multiple Lock Screens and swipe between them, and they now connect with Focus — you can tie a Lock Screen wallpaper and widgets to a particular Focus,…

1 Porsche Design Wireless Speaker PDS50 $449 From porsche-design.com Porsche Design is known for its striking, sleek products that turn heads at every opportunity. The company’s Wireless Speaker PDS50 is no different, with its imposing tower form and space gray finish making it feel like a monolith from a faraway galaxy. But this is no space–age relic. The PDS50 is instead a wireless speaker with Bluetooth connectivity, touch controls, and Qi wireless charging. You’ll get 20 hours of playback out of one charge, although it does take five hours to completely juice the speaker up. As with many Porsche Design products, the PDS50 is as much a statement piece as something you’ll buy for its audio output. With it at the center of the room, it will quickly become the main talking point —…

WHETHER YOU’RE A camera enthusiast or just someone who takes cat photos on their iPhone for fun, Apple’s Photos app is your go–to destination. In this in–depth guide we’ll help you discover the key features of Photos, from importing your media, to creating albums and processing your pictures to perfection so they impress family, friends and social media followers. We’ll also explore Extensions for Photos and show you how to make the most of the Photos app on iPad and iPhone too. It’s a one–stop shop for photography lovers everywhere. As well as showing you the ropes when it comes to fixing common picture problems with color, tone and composition, we’ll demonstrate techniques to help you come up with really creative results. Of course, you’re not tied to the Mac for…