MacLife October 2021

is it monter–yey! yet?

MacOS Monterey — along with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and WatchOS 8 — is due for public launch any minute now. In usual magazine fashion, this issue comes out somewhere around that time, which makes covering the new OS (or not) in any sort of detail a little tricky. Thankfully, in our main feature on p14, Master macOS, which shows you how to make the most of your Mac, all of our tips and tricks work equally well whether you’re still on Big Sur, or you’ve made the upgrade to Monterey (because it’s officially out, not because you’re a beta tester, mind). And this feature is an ideal way to really sink your teeth into either version of macOS, whether you’ve just bought a Mac for the first time, or you’ve…

microsoft teams is letting our team down

While reading about Microsoft Teams on pages 90-91 of the Sept 2021 (#184) issue of MacLife, I noticed that no mention was made of what I and those I work with consider a serious limitation of Teams. A video call using the enterprise version of Teams will not show images for more than nine participants at a time. Once the limit is reached, the program will cycle through based on who is talking and has talked. A contact discussed the enterprise limit with the Teams support team, and they stated there were no plans to change. During the pandemic, we have required more than 25 personnel onscreen. We hit the Teams limit last February and had to scramble. As one of our staff commented, “No wonder Zoom is eating their lunch.” When we…

let’s have all the fax first, please?

I have an outside–the–box suggestion. As old as the technology is, I still find myself needing to send or receive a facsimile (fax) from time to time, which I do through my all–in–one HP Color LaserJet and my landline. In fact, it’s the only reason I still maintain a landline at home. Having said that, I know there are a myriad of options for sending and receiving faxes via the Mac minus a physical fax machine — something that’s in my future since my landline will soon be cemented in my past. I’d love to see an article enumerating the pros and cons of different online “virtual” fax options and prices. Thanks for the heads–up Dan, it’s definitely something we’ll look into for a future issue. SHARE WITH US! EMAIL: letters@maclife.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/maclife TWITTER: twitter.com/maclife…

letter of the month

I recently listened to a tech podcast — Apple was mentioned several times as being one of the principal culprits in restricting customers from getting their electronics repaired. It is not alone in using planned obsolescence, [but] it seems to be taking it to a greater level with each new update to its devices. You used to be able to replace memory or upgrade it yourself on a Mac mini, for instance, but now you are stuck with whatever is there when you open the box. Apple makes it virtually impossible for you or a third party to replace a phone battery or screen. Nearly all components are soldered or glued into place. The podcast said Apple won’t repair products that are over five years old. To give Apple its…

privacy advocates protest apple measures to combat child abuse

APPLE HAS ANNOUNCED three new child protection features, coming later this year in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. However, objectors say the measures breach user privacy and open a door for unregulated surveillance. The first feature is aimed at children under the age of 13 in an iCloud Family group: The Messages app will be able to warn them when they receive or send sexually explicit photos, and, if they choose to go ahead and view or send, alert their parent. The feature uses on–device machine learning to analyze image attachments and determine if a photo is sexually explicit. Apple does not gain access to any of the messages. The feature requires opt–in, and applies only to accounts set up as families in iCloud. Second, Siri…

news in brief

APPLE’S BIGGEST CONTRACTOR BUYS CAR CHIP PLANT Apple’s biggest global manufacturing partner, Foxconn, has acquired a semiconductor plant in Hsinchu, Taiwan, for $90m. The plant belonged to another Apple supplier, Macronix International, which makes memory chips for Apple, Sony, and Nintendo, but it is believed Foxconn plans to use the plant to produce chips for electric cars, chips which are in particularly short supply in the ongoing global component shortage. Industry observers suggest the move is part of gearing up for Apple’s long–rumored electric car, although this is not expected before 2024 at the earliest. DELTA PILOTS GET iPAD PRO Remember the days when electronic devices were prohibited in–flight? Things have changed. Delta Air Lines is issuing pilots with an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) with a 5G iPad Pro. Flight bags used to…