MacFormat Autumn 2015

NEXT MON TH Do more in El Capitan 27 Oct There’s always a big buzz around September and October for Apple fans. They have become the biggest months in the calendar for Apple launches, and the incredible features of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus once again cement Apple’s as the world’s best smartphones. We were equally blown away by the tech inside the iPad Pro and its Pencil, and the new Apple TV looks to finally come of age in both capabilities and content. Our hands-on experience of the new devices is over on page 6. Of course, it’s also finally time for iOS 9. We’ve been busy using the betas for months, uncovering the exciting new ways you can use your iPhone and iPad more efficiently. Find out exactly how…

The eyes of the tech world once again fell on an Apple event in September, where the company showed us its latest iPhones. The 6s and 6s Plus were hotly tipped to introduce a Force Touch-like interface (which Apple called 3D Touch), and big camera improvements. As ever, Apple had other things up its sleeve. Perhaps the biggest wow factor came from the iPad Pro. The audience at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco was stunned by Apple’s powerful and larger tablet, which seeks to inject new life into a declining iPad market. It wasn’t just the huge screen space (12.9 inches) and 2732x2048 resolution that whetted our appetites, but the introduction of a Smart Keyboard and stylus, which Apple, in a typically understated way, called Pencil. iPad Pro…

The reinforced 7000 Series aluminium is clearly a direct result of the iPhone 6’s Bendgate controversy T he iPhones 3GS, 4S and 5s were all rather dull compared to the phones that launched in the years either side of them. That’s because there’s usually very little difference in the ‘s’ models from their predecessors, making it hard to get excited about them. This time around it’s a little different: the 6s is a great upgrade for those ‘stuck’ on a 5s, and it’s a decent phone in its own right. If you’re ready for an upgrade from the old design and keen to stick with Apple, this is a great time to go for it. Design The same stick that some use to beat iPhone fans still exists: yes, the 6s and 6s Plus…

We can't help but feel that Steve Jobs would have had somethings to say about the Apple Pencil T he iPad Pro is the device we thought we’d never see – it’s Apple finally taking on the enterprise market, but like with its MacBook range, the new, larger iPad makes non-business folk thinking about whether they’d fancy one too. The reason is simple: this thing has got a massive 12.9-inch screen with an impressive resolution of 2732x2048 pixels and a bunch of fancy new tricks that, combined with iOS, offers a really compelling experience. The main thing you’ll notice is that it is, well, huge. Really big in the hand, to the point of feeling like you might be able to defend yourself from an attack if you’re holding it the right…

Specifications Capacities 32GB, 64GB Processor A8 Connectivity HDMI 1.4, 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0, IR receiver, USB-C (for service only) Includes Siri Remote, power lead, Lightning to USB cable (to charge remote) Optional extras Remote Loop, HDMI cable At long last, Apple has unveiled its fourth-generation Apple TV with the feature we’ve been clamouring for: apps and games. The device is at long last growing up – literally so in the case of its body, which is the same width and depth as before, but 12mm taller. Yet Tim Cook’s proclamation that “The future of TV is apps” sounded a little bit blind to what the world has been doing with games consoles and some other set-top boxes for years. But apps and games aren’t the whole picture. The special sauce in…

Emulsion looks like the Aperture replacement we’ve been looking for On our APPLE TV What we’re watching on the iTunes movie store Film Avengers: Age of Ultron £13.99 (to buy) HD Spectacular scenes ensue when Marvel’s lengthy roster of superheroes goes up against a misguided artificial intelligence that’s put the fate of humanity on a knife’s edge. TV Inside Amy Schumer £13.99 (HD), £2.49 per episode This risqué comedy show is even better in its second run. If you were a fan of Sarah Silverman’s long gone show, this is bound to give you big belly laughs because Schumer also treats nothing as sacred. Emulsion £39.99 Developer The Escapers, emulsionapp.com Requires OS X 10.10 or higher We’ve been treated to some great Mac photography apps of late, with the likes of Affinity Photo and Tonality. Now it’s the turn of photo-cataloguing…