Table of contents for May 2017 in MacFormat

Recent patents have revealed that Apple is working on a MacBook Pro with a very special keyboard. The keyboard is actually a second display – just imagine that the current Touch Bar has been given growth hormones and has taken over the entire keyboard area. The second display could then be used as a virtual keyboard, sketch pad or simply as an extension of the screen. Details of the device are buried in the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard patent application, which shows Apple is considering a future version of the keyboard with a display instead of physical keys. Combined with haptic feedback, it could mark the end for physical keyboards, as we swap clicks for taps on a permanent basis. Paul says… Apple’s shallow MacBook keyboard was divisive, and this…

Contact us Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com LETTER OF THE MONTH! Where did ‘Bounce’ go? In Mac OS X Lion, whenever I received Junk mail or unwanted advertising, I used to bounce it back. This method got rid of it and did not tell the sender that their email had reached a valid address, or that the email had been opened. It worked, and gone really was gone. With the El Capitan upgrade, ‘Bounce’ has bounced off! Now we have to either drag the offending junk straight to the Trash (no problem there if you spot it in time), or, if I inadvertently do open it, there may be an ‘unsubscribe’ option which often does not work. On those occasions when it does work, it seems to…

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! SAVE 83%! I’ve heard rumours of more storage options, so the entry level one might turn out to be pretty affordable. If the next Apple TV comes with an A10 chip and 4K, then I’ll definitely be tempted. UP TO Turn to page 46 “Do you think 4K will justify buying a fift h-gen apple tv?” Jo says… Paul says… I’d have to know what kind of price point it’ll come in at – you know, Amazon’s Fire TV supports 4K, and that’s just £80. Yeah, but the storage doesn’t really compare, and you get all the benefits of Apple compatibility – being able to play stuff I’ve bought on iTunes is great But the last incarnation was not much of a leap. The Apple TV needs 4K…

A security camera is the ideal starting point for your home security system, but even the most advanced cameras have their limitations. A camera can only look out for activity in one specific room or location, and even cameras that have a night vision mode can only see things a few metres away once it gets really dark. You could buy additional cameras to cover other areas – but with high-quality cameras costing £120-£200 each that can quickly turn out to be very expensive. But cameras aren’t the only security option available for the smart home. Once you’ve got a camera you can also purchase a number of other security devices, such as motion sensors that can detect movement even in dark rooms, or contact sensors that can tell when…

1Clear the LaunchAgents Folder In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder then type ‘/Users/yourusername/Library’. If there’s a folder named LaunchAgents, delete anything you don’t recognise inside it. Repeat this step for each user account on your Mac. 2Clear System LaunchAgents folder In Finder, choose Go once again, then Computer. Double-click on your startup disk and then open the Library folder. Find the folder named LaunchAgents here and once again delete any unrecognised files inside it. 3System LaunchDaemons & StartupItems folder Click the back arrow (top left of Finder window); open the LaunchDaemons folder. Delete any unrecognised files; do the same for the StartupItems folder. Restart your Mac and empty the Trash.…

With unnecessary files and apps removed and large files moved to an external drive, if there’s still no noticeable improvement in system performance, there are further modifications you can make. First, check for new system updates. You can usually do this by opening the App Store and clicking Updates. If you’re having trouble with the Mac App Store, consider downloading a Combo Update directly from the Apple Support website. In the Spotlight The Spotlight search feature – accessed by clicking on the magnifying glass at the top right – functions as a system-wide search engine. Each time you create or modify content, Spotlight ‘indexes’ it so you can find it later on. As handy as this indexing is, it can sometimes go awry. You also may not want to index…

1Launch Disk Utility Power on your Mac and hold down command+R to start up in macOS Recovery. Choose Disk Utility. Next, click on your Macintosh hard drive on the left-hand side. If you’re using FileVault, choose File > Mount and enter your password. 2Create Image Choose File > New Image > Image from Macintosh HD. In the panel that appears, open the Where pop-up menu and select your external drive. Under Format choose Compressed. Now choose Save. 3Verify Image The image creation process can take several hours. Once complete, eject your external drive and connect it to a working Mac. Double-click on the .dmg file to open it on the new Mac to verify it can be mounted like a real disk.…

NEW IDEAS Your new-look guide to getting more from your Apple kit CONVERT OLD VIDEO TO MP4 p54 Understand iOS gestures A tap is a brief contact of (usually) one finger on your device’s screen. To drag is to move a finger across the screen to scroll or pan around content. Swipe means move one or more fingers across an item or the screen, then let go. A flick is like swiping, but it’s quicker, and is often used to scroll content more quickly. Pinch means move two fingers together or apart, usually to zoom in or out. Touch and hold means lightly rest your finger on an item and wait for a reaction. Master Mac keyboard shortcuts > When you see a shortcut like command+option+C, hold all but the…

NEW SECTION Your new-look guide to getting more from macOS Sierra MASTER MISSION CONTROL p62 macOS Sierra requirements macOS Sierra works on Macs dating back to 2010, and MacBooks and iMacs to 2009. You need to be running Mac OS X 10.7 or later. You need 8.8GB of available storage. Back up your Mac before upgrading; go to support. apple.com/en-gb/HT201250 for advice on using Time Machine. Go to the Mac App Store and download the free macOS Sierra upgrade. The benefits of running macOS Sierra macOS Sierra introduces Siri to the Mac. You can use Apple Pay on your Mac with macOS Sierra. Picture-in-picture – extract a video from a website and watch it from your desktop. By default, Desktop and Documents folders are uploaded to iCloud Drive. macOS offers the…

IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to get your Mac up and running again after a serious issue YOU’LL NEED macOS Sierra (some features work in older versions) Recovery is a built-in set of tools, hidden until you start up your Mac holding down command+R when you hear the startup chime. You should only need to use it in a rare emergency – typically when some drastic glitch prevents macOS Sierra loading. Recovery looks like macOS, but capabilities are limited to essential maintenance tools to help you get up and running after a critical problem. Apple has made restoring a Mac from a Time Machine backup almost as easy as turning on that feature in the first place. In fact, it’s even possible to download and reinstall the…

How can I connect my studio, it’s 50m from the router? Over open ground, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi can reach up to 90m, but signals weaken with any significant obstructions. A better bet may be outdoor grade Ethernet cabling, which can be up to 100m in length without performance loss. Cable is best run overhead, or buried in plastic piping. Can I put my own RJ45 plugs onto Ethernet cable? Yes, and it’s easier if you can buy or borrow two special tools: one for cutting the outer jacket, the other to crimp the plug on, available from electronics retailers. The process using those tools is illustrated at bit.ly/belden_modplug_ cat6 and numerous YouTube videos. Can I turn Wi-Fi off on a BT Home Hub? Yes. Ensure your Mac is connected to it…

Shared photos should only appear in your library if you’ve accepted an invitation to share Sudden photo sharing Q My wife and I have separate Apple IDs and different mail addresses, and have never used Apple’s family sharing feature. Suddenly, all the photos taken by my wife and stored in her Photos library have appeared in my Photos library on my iPhone. How can I remove them? A This is almost certainly because your wife has turned iCloud Photo Sharing on, and you have somehow inadvertently subscribed to that share, either through Messages or in an email you would have received. Reversing that is straightforward, and should remove all shared photos from your library immediately. If she can locate the shared album, she can go to its People tab, select…

BUYING ADVICE Our authoritative reviews help you make more informed choices Bill ion bipac router p92 Manifesto – our ratings explained Our reviews are totally independent; we’re not affiliated with Apple or anyone else, nor are we influenced by advertisers. You can trust us to give an honest assessment of a product’s worth. The prices quoted for products are correct at the time of writing and are the best we can find from a reputable online dealer, excluding delivery. A brilliant thing in all regards, and worth every penny Strongly recommended; any flaws are only minor concerns Worth considering, though there may be better options Fundamentally flawed; look at alternatives as a priority A waste of your money and everyone’s time; do not buy! The Mac Format Awards Awarded to…

£3.99 FROM Off Coast, weatherlineapp.com NEEDS iOS 10 or later Mac FORMAT VERDICT Both functionally and aesthetically pleasing, this is a brilliantly designed app. +Clear information +Weekly charts Y ou may wonder why you’d need a third-party weather app in the first place. As it turns out, there are lots of reasons: maybe you do a lot of work on your iPad – and the default Apple Weather app isn’t available for the iPad; maybe you want something that shows a lot of information in a small space. Whatever the reason, this app has a lot to offer. The app is really easy to use; its sleek interface can be read at a glance. Weather Line shows information on a plain white background for optimum visibility, and the simple, infographic-style…

W elcome to MacFormat’s Store Guide, the place to go to find out about all the Apple kit that matters, whether you’re looking for your next iPhone or a powerful new desktop Mac. We’ve highlighted the model of each product that’s ideally suited to your needs, whether you’re a recent convert or a seasoned Apple user. So be sure to check our handy tables to see which Mac, iPad or iPhone is best for you. We’ve also highlighted the gold standard in audio, storage, cameras, and many other categories, helping you complement your Mac or iOS device with the best accessories. Who’s it for? ENTRY LEVEL You’re just getting started in the world of Apple and need to know where to begin. UPGRADER A firm Apple user, you’re ready to…

GET ON IN STAGRAM Share your images with us by using the hashtag #MacFormat and we’ll print the best here in the magazine. While you’re there, follow @MacFormat (Twitter) and @MacFormatUK (Instagram). Covet that cover! MAC MEMORIES MacFormat’s Apple G4 Cube cover, Sept 2000 Thanks so much to gel_ous for having a bit of a clearout, and stumbling across a vintage issue of Britain’s best-selling Apple magazine! This G4 Cube cover dates back to September 2000 – the millennial year when Apple released its “coolest computer ever”. A year later? Ahem, Apple decided to put the cool computer “on ice”… Share your pics with us using the hashtag #MacFormat on Instagram. In each issue we’ll pick our favourites to feature on this page. What to do! 1 Open an Instagram…

[MOVIE] MOANA£13.99 Disney’s visually dazzling animation sees 16-year-old Moana team up with demigod Maui to save her island home and return a mystic relic to its rightful owner. [PODCAST] THE BUGLE FREE This satirical news podcast from Andy Zaltzmann has been going strong since 2007. With a “private militia” of co-hosts, it’s stupefyingly funny. [TVS HOW] MARVEL’S IRON FIST NETFLIX Danny Rand returns to New York City, using his superpowers and martial arts mastery to defeat the criminals bringing the city down.…

Apple’s money-making ability is legendary. In 2016, the firm made a staggering $44.9 billion in profits, making it the most profitable company in the world. In fact, it took 79% of all smartphone profits in that time, despite only holding a 14.5% market share. If there’s a secret code to making money, Apple has cracked it. And, as that market share figure indicates, Apple has achieved record financial successes despite selling fewer phones than some of its rivals. You would think this would be an indication of Apple’s rude health, but not everyone sees it that way. People have been predicting the downfall of Apple in the smartphone world for some time now – do they indeed have a point? We dived in to see if Apple’s iPhone dominance could…

STEVE JOBS apple.com “I’ve never met someone who knows technology who knows how to connect with people.” Jobs thought Genius Bars would never work, but later changed his mind JONATHAN ZDZIARSKI zdziarski.com “Privacy is sacred; our digital lives can reveal so much about us.” Security expert joins Apple to work on privacy issues TONY CHRISTOPHER landmarkusa.com “Steve Jobs… was looking for a way to connect Apple to its customers.” Designer recounts Jobs’ ‘Apple Café’ idea – later replaced by Apple Stores LUCA MAESTRI apple.com “The App Store is doing incredibly well, the quality and quantity of content continues to improve…” Apple Chief Financial Officer is pleased with the App Store’s performance…

Your Mac stores temporary files in cache folders. Apps can perform poorly while trying to access a corrupt or non-existent cache file. If so, you can manually clear cache folders. Doing so will not remove applications or cause you to lose personal data, but you should still make a Time Machine backup first. Open Finder and choose Go, then Go to Folder. Enter ‘/Users/ yourusername/Library’. Open Caches; choose Edit > Select All. Delete the files. If the Mac has more than one user account, log in to each and repeat the steps. Choose Go again and then Computer. Double-click your startup disk then open Library and the Caches folder. Delete files there, too. Restart, then in Finder, choose File > Empty Trash.…

Most browsers support extensions – software add-ons, such as allowing you to save passwords. Sometimes clicking on the wrong link results in malicious extensions being installed. Usually these are designed to show adware – pop-up advertisements which are annoying and can slow down your system. While in Safe Mode, open Safari, then click Safari > Preferences. In the new window, click Extensions to see what you have installed. If you don’t recognise an extension, clear the checkbox to disable it. Click More Extensions to browse legitimate extensions for Safari. Install both Adblock Plus (adblockplus.org) and Ghostery (ghostery.com) to avoid harmful links and prevent websites from tracking you easily. Log out and repeat for each user on your Mac.…

IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to create, modify then export your book YOU’LL NEED OS X 10.11 or later, an iTunes Connect Account, iTunes Producer Are you a budding author? Perhaps you want to pen the next great British novel or have an idea for a textbook. The iBooks Author app allows you to easily create your own book from scratch, using a variety of fonts and multimedia. Start by choosing your template and page layout, then add text, pictures, videos and more. The app is tech savvy, allowing you to add interactive content, such as surveys and animated images too. The interface is very much drag and drop; you can move content from Finder such as images and text will flow around it. If you…

IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How Mission Control can help organise your apps and your desktop YOU’LL NEED macOS Sierra (some features work in older versions) Mission Control has been a feature of OS X (now macOS) since 2011, when it appeared as part of OS X 10.7 Lion, but its roots go back to Exposé, which made its debut back in 2003 with OS X 10.3 Panther As the name implies, Mission Control can act as the control centre from which you run your Mac. In reality, you could use your Mac for years without ever activating it, but it’s handy when you need to find that one crucial app you’ve lost, or you simply need to get a handle on which apps you have running.…

EXPERT AD VICE Our resident genius solves your Mac and iOS problems Acrobat Reader not printing When I try to print from Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on my MacBook Pro Late 2011 running Sierra, I see a ’There are no pages selected to print’ error message, although they print from my Mac mini, or using Foxit Reader or PDF Reader Pro Free. Unlike Acrobat, they can’t open some PDFs, so how can I print them? by RICHARD GELLING Some users find that disabling Enhanced Security within Acrobat Reader’s preferences fixes this error. Others work around it by printing to JPEG image files, then printing those using another app. But for some, no matter what they try, the error persists. It’s almost certainly a problem specific to Sierra, resulting from its…

Why are my phone number and region incompatible? iCloud and iMessage match these. If you have problems, correct your Apple ID settings according to support. apple.com/en-ae/ HT201389. Check your Time Zone is set to match your Region, and the country code of your phone number matches. If you still see warnings, contact Apple Support to check your account. How can I stop unwanted calls? Get your number put on the ’do not call’ registry. Then in Settings, switch on Do Not Disturb to only let through specified callers and block notifications. Also, consider a call blocker app like Truecaller or Hiya (see our tutorial in last month’s issue).…

1 Install GeekBench Geekbench 4 (free trial version, as long as you’re connected to the internet, or £7.99, primatelabs.com). Earlier versions required you to upgrade in order to run 64-bit tests but these are available in the trial version now. The main screen just shows the same basic info that is available from the About This Mac menu. 2 Run the test Select CPU and click Run CPU Benchmark. This runs a series of tests simulating the tasks the processor normally performs when running apps. Tests are calibrated against an Intel Core i7, which should score 4000. The score is proportional to the speed, so a score of 2000 means your CPU is half as fast. 3 Single vs multi-core The two headline scores relate to the system speeds running…

Mac Hardware £727 from Nikon, nikon.co.uk Features 24.2 megapixels, 3.2-inch touchscreen, SnapBridge, ISO 100-25,600, 1080p video at 60fps Alex says… It’s a shame that Nikon decided to completely forego the ability to record 4K video on the D5600. Still, if you prefer fluid framerates to high resolutions, its 1080p 60fps output will be smoother than the 4K 30fps video on offer from some of its rivals. T he D5600 is designed for those looking for a few more features and greater creative control than Nikon’s more entry-level cameras. Its resolution is a decent 24.2MP, with a native sensitivity range running from ISO100 to 25,600, so it’s quite comfortable shooting in a range of lighting conditions. The optical viewfinder provides coverage of 95% of the frame, so for some key shots…

363 (enclosure only) FROM Drobo, drobo.com features 1x USB-C port, five bays for between 2 and 5 disks MAC FORMAT VERDICT The 5C offers the usual Drobo benefits, but there’s room for a second-gen model to improve on it. + Flexible for future storage expansion + Excellent software + Port is limited to USB 3.0 transfer rates - No USB hub feature You can remove one disk and install a new one of a larger capacity without a problem T he major appeal of Drobo’s storage drives is the ability to start with two disks installed and add more later to boost capacity whenever suits you. The distinguishing feature of this model is its USB-C port; a USB-A-to-C cable is included, but if your Mac has the newer kind of…

Netatmo Presence £249 FROM Netatmo netatmo.com FEATURES 100-degree FOV, 1080p HD video, weatherproof, light, infrared Features The Netatmo Presence detects in real time whether someone's in front of your house. An integrated smart floodlight switches on when needed as an added deterrent. Design Constructed from aluminium, the Presence is a tough looking piece of kit. The major design drawback is that most people will need a professional to fit it, as it will either replace an existing external light or need to be cabled up as a new one – there’s no mains plug or USB. Ease of use There’s consistent upload of full HD video to a 16GB microSD card (or to Dropbox or FTP should you wish). You can set specific zones for alerts. The app (iOS 9…

Free (£2.99 IAP for Pro version) FROM Marcus Carlsson, miliam.net/support NEEDS iOS 8.1 or later Mac FORMAT VERDICT Daunting at first, Darkr quickly teaches you how to take better photographs. +Learn photo skills -Hard without tutorials D arkr is a photo app designed to emulate the feeling of working in a real darkroom. It hopes this will help you take better pictures as you learn the darkroom process. The app only shoots images in black and white, but the results are so striking that we don’t mind. Getting to know Darkr is a bit intense. There are a few different camera options to try out, each offering varying amounts of control. These allow you to manually control focus and exposure, as well as set the contrast in the darkroom. The…

E ver since the famous Bondi Blue iMac debuted way back in August 1998, Apple’s all-inone desktop computer has been setting standards in gorgeous design and powerful performance. Apple’s spirit of innovation was as clear back then as it is today – the iMac was the first Macintosh to abandon the floppy disk in favour of USB ports, and its bright, colourful aesthetic set it apart as a playful pretender in a world of staid beige boxes. With the Mac Pro conspicuous by its absence in recent Apple keynotes, the iMac is the desktop of choice if you’re in the market for a powerful, capable desktop computer. And it’s not just a great computer on the inside – the iMac looks absolutely stunning too. With an amazingly thin frame and…

Mac OS X was, arguably, the product that got Steve Jobs back into Apple. Apple acquired NeXT Computer in 1997, bringing Steve back on board, to get its Unixbased NeXTSTEP operating system which evolved into Mac OS X and replaced the aging Mac OS 9. Aqua user interface Mac OS X’s most recognisable feature, and most radical departure from Mac OS 9, was the Aqua interface, which contained soft, water-like elements. After the initial splash (sorry) at the launch of Mac OS X, Aqua got toned down and by 2014’s OS X Yosemite started a new trend towards a flatter ‘2D’ interface that went hand-in-hand with the latest iOS look and feel. Big cats The first public beta of Mac OS X had the codename Kodiak, but the first official…

Jo Membery Operations Editor Fresh from subbing copy on our US title, Mac|Life, Jo has to adapt to life without apple pie, waffles and baseball. We think she’ll cope somehow. Alex Blake Commissioning Editor An office refurb led to Alex unearthing an old iMac G3 external floppy drive. He still can’t believe files haven’t always been in the cloud. Paul Blachford Art Editor Faced with (once again) having to photograph two objects that were completely different sizes for this month’s head-tohead, Paul has decided perspective is his friend.…

400KB MACINTOSH 512K FLOPPY DISK CAPACITY Apple killed off the floppy drive in Macs with the iMac G3, but back in 1984 they were all the rage. The Macintosh 512K nickname: ‘Fat Mac’) came with a drive that could read 400KB floppy disks built in. $7,300 LAUNCH PRICE OF MACINTOSH PORTABLE Apple’s first batterypowered portable laptop cost a mindboggling $7,300 in 1989, around £11,500 today. It was powerful, but didn’t sell well. 100,000 TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLE PIPPIN UNITS PRODUCED Considered one of Apple’s worst mistakes, the Pippin games console (made in conjuntion with Bandai) was limited to a production run of just 100,000 units. There were reportedly more accessories made for it than actual units.…

007 Apple's first CEO, Michael Scott, was its fifth employee, but registered himself as employee number seven as a joking reference to James Bond. 3. 5 Mike Markkula, Apple's second CEO, was hands-on with Apple engine ering. He persuaded Steve Wozniak to build a 3.5-i n ch floppy drive into the Apple II to dif ferentiate it from its rivals. 500 Gil Amelio was the final CEO before Steve Jobs' return, lasting roughly 500 days. His actions arguably saved the company, before Jobs ousted him in a boardroom coup. 30 Before taking charge of Apple in 1983, John Sculley had become Pepsi's youngest ever marketing vice-president at the age of 30. That marketing know-how helped him instantly click with Steve Jobs. 1986 CEO Michael Spindler introduced Japanese language support to…

The iPhone has led the pack ever since its introduction. When it was announced in January 2007, Steve Jobs called it a “revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone.” In fact, Apple wasn’t just ahead of the competition in terms of design, but in thought process too. Even upon its release, the likes of RIM and Nokia still saw it as a novelty for a small market, not likely to eat into their customer bases. But the iPhone devoured all. Only Google saw the Independence Day-like shadow coming from the iPhone as the danger it was, and immediately changed development of its nascent Android OS to ape the iPhone (rather than the BlackBerry-alike it was until then). Since then, every time the…

LIVE SMARTER The smart home is here – live the Apple dream today! Last month we looked at the huge explosion in sales of security cameras, which are now far and away the most popular products in the entire smart home category. But for many people a camera is just the starting point from which they can build a more extensive home security system. You can extend your security coverage with additional sensors that can detect movement in darkened rooms, or someone opening a door or window when you’re away from home. You can buy sirens to scare off intruders, or provide additional protection for your home with water and smoke sensors that can warn you of fires or floods. These sensors aren’t all that expensive either, so you can…

1 Consolidate iTunes files Open iTunes and click iTunes > Preferences. Click on the Advanced tab and make sure ‘Copy Files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library’ is checked. Click OK, then click on File > Library > Consolidate files. 2 Move your iTunes folder In Finder, navigate to Music/iTunes in your account’s folder. Click once to select the iTunes folder then ≈-click to copy it. Navigate to your external drive and choose Edit > Paste. Don’t delete the original iTunes folder just yet. 3 Update iTunes Open iTunes and click Preferences. In the Advanced Tab click on the Change button besides ‘iTunes Media Folder location’. Navigate to the new iTunes Media folder on your external drive, and click Open.…

Having run through all the previous potential fixes, if your Mac is still running slowly, you’ll need to take more drastic steps. While your Mac may be experiencing hardware failure, if it is still functioning, however slowly, it’s more likely the problem has to do with your system software. If this is the case, try to run a backup of your Mac before doing anything else. Time Machine Your Mac has a built-in app for running backups named Time Machine. Time Machine makes daily backups of your data which it can then save either to an external hard drive or to an AirPort Time Capsule. The latter can create a fast wireless network and are useful for backing up several Macs, but an external USB hard drive is the simplest…

The macOS Recovery system can install the OS to an external drive, then boot from it. If you use an SSD, you may find the speed of your Mac improves considerably, as these drives have no moving parts and use ‘flash’ memory. Your best option is to replace your Mac’s hard drive with an SSD, but this can be tricky compared to plugging in an external device, and could invalidate your warranty. To proceed, connect the external drive and follow the steps detailed in this section, but choose your SSD (under External in Disk Utility’s left pane) instead of the Mac’s internal hard drive. Select the SSD itself, not a volume on it. Once complete, hold down return as the Mac starts up and select the SSD to start up…

IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO combine multiple RSS newsfeeds and aggregator services YOU’LL NEED iPhone/iPad, iOS 9 or later, Internet access Apple’s News app is a handy way of gathering news stories from a wide range of newspapers and magazines, yet it barely scratches the surface of all the information that is available on the Internet every day. Another way of creating your own personal news service is to use RSS newsfeeds (Really Simple Syndication) Many companies and websites have their own individual RSS feeds – such as our colleagues at TechRadar (techradar.com) – and there are ‘aggregator’ services such as Feedly and Feedbin that work like Apple News by drawing together lots of newsfeeds from around the web. But if you’re a real news…

IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to make social networking simpler from your Mac YOU’LL NEED macOS Sierra, a Facebook account macOS Sierra integrates well with social networks, making it easy to share pictures or web pages via Flickr or Vimeo, post to Twitter and more. Here we’ll focus on Facebook, but the principles are the same for the other supported social networks. Once you have Facebook configured, you can send things to it from a range of apps. Your Facebook friends are added to Contacts, complete with profile photos. Any changes they make to their details on Facebook are updated automatically in the Contacts app. Facebook notifications come straight to Notification Center. You can post to Facebook without needing to sign in through a browser, because…

How secure are collaboration services like Slack? Slack and other collaborative working services are based on IRC, which can be secured, and can be run through a VPN service. However, your chats are stored on remote servers which may be vulnerable to attack and legal means of obtaining their content. For better privacy and security, use end-to-end encrypted group messaging instead. Does Console have a memory leak? While Console is open, it collects all fresh log entries, and over time these grow to consume lots of memory. Quit the app when it’s not in use, as eventually it can even slow your Mac down. Instead use my free utility Consolation to browse past log entries. How to remove Office 2011 after upgrading to 365? You don’t have to remove the…

How do I roll back to Lion or earlier? Apple still sells Lion and Snow Leopard on their website. Both cost £19.99. Snow Leopard comes on installation DVDs but Lion is only sold as a download code. If you need physical media, you can buy USB sticks with the Lion installer on them from Amazon for around £15. How big does the external install disk need to be? The OS X installer will fit into 8GB, so you can use a thumb drive if you want. I entered the Terminal command but my keyboard stopped working! The sudo command needs your password but Terminal won’t display the admin password on the screen, so it looks like the keyboard isn’t working. Just type it in blind and hit return.…

£575 FROM LaCie, lacie.com FEATURE S 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports, 1x USB 3.1 (Type-C) Mac FORMAT VERDICT Sound performance, attractive design, and plenty of space at a reasonable per-gigabyte price. + Connection choices - You’ll need to consider a back-up strategy T his drive has two features that are attractive if you deal with very large media files or have a high-end display setup. It sports a gigantic 10TB capacity and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Such a fast connection to your Mac might seem wasted on a traditional disk, which won’t saturate the 40Gbps bandwidth. The point of it, though, lies in the second Thunderbolt 3 port, which enables you to daisy chain another device – great news if you’re running short of places to plug things in to your…

Also inside… Get organised with Wunderlist Get better performance on old Macs Record FaceTime audio The best photo editing apps Master the features of Night Shift for Mac Discover the new abilities of iOS 10.3 Don’t miss it – subscribe today! In print & on your iPad Our print and digital bundle gets you the paper magazine as well as our iPad edition myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/macformat On your Mac Read digitally on your Mac: subscribe with Zinio at zinio.com/macformat Zinio subscriptions do not include a print copy of the magazine.…