Maclife Uk Issue 180 May 2021

45 years of classics from the Cupertino archives!
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FUNCTIONAL & EMOTIVE? >>>THE TEAM
By the time this issue lands, Apple will
have hopefully blown our minds with
some new hardware for 2021. Using my
Magic 8–Ball (and, maybe, by reading
popular internet news sites and Twitter
feeds that are usually pretty reliable)
I “predict” that Apple will release a
14–inch and 16–inch MacBook Pro and
an all–new iMac and iMac Pro, sporting
a next–gen version of the M1 chip Matt Lochrie
(possibly M2?) with way more power to Art Editor
suit, and a total redesign of its exterior. After mocking up the
I’m thinking a virtually bezel–less iMacs on p8 Matt hopes
display, slab sides, and flat at the back Apple does something
rather than the conventionally curved new with the design.
design of old. Which gets me thinking: At what point does Apple’s
design language get phased out, replaced with pure, unemotive
functionality? (Some might say it’s already happened.) I can well
imagine an iMac in 2030 that’s just a floating screen — superior
in terms of practicality, but lacking that Apple “magic” that
visually sets its products apart from the rest of the competition.
Sure, a future version of macOS will probably be awe–inspiring,
but if the hardware doesn’t stir the soul, then surely it’s game
over for the product design team? Maybe this is why Jony Ive left
— to get out before there was nothing left for him to do.
You’re the avid Apple consumer, what do you think? Would you
miss the Apple aesthetic, or are you only interested in how the Iain Noble
devices work to make your life easier? What sort of hardware Production Editor
would you like to see from Apple in the near (or far) future? Our “Best Apple Products
Speaking of changes, we’re in the process of giving Mac|Life Ever” feature on p30
a very light refresh. It’s been a few years now since I started, and made Iain all nostalgic for
I felt like now was the right time to give the place a bit of a spring his long–lost Macintosh.
clean. You might not notice the changes in the coming months,
but what you may notice is our group test feature (p56) has had
a makeover. I think it’s now easier to read, more informative, and
it’s also more frequent — every issue. What are your thoughts?
What sort of products would you like to see pitted against each
other? Drop me a line at letters@maclife.com.
Hollin Jones
Contributor
Everyone needs a good
to–do app in their life.
NICK ODANTZIS, Editor Hollin chooses the best
Twitter: @maclife tool for the job on p56.
MAY 2021 3
>>> Contents
MAY 2021 NO.180 MACLIFE.COM
14
Master iCloud
iCloud connects all your devices and
30
The best Apple devices ever
Apple’s ingenious products aim to make
72
Fitter, happier, stronger…
Could smart home technology make
makes great things possible. We’ll guide a dent in the universe. We explore the visits to the gym a thing of the past
you through the best bits, its pitfalls, most iconic — and a few flubs where we — even when we’re allowed to work out
and how to get the most out of it. ponder what went wrong. in the presence of others again?
4 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

56 — Group test: To-do apps for Mac 62 — CARROT Weather
03 Consider 40 Logitech Ergo K860 62 CARROT Weather 72 Get fit at home

The editor on the future Smart tech can help you
of Apple design. 42 AweClone 64 Fuzion 2.0 get fit without leaving the
house. We look at some of
06 Digital Life 43 Sophos Home 65 Focos the best devices and apps
Sign up to the newsletter to get you up and moving.
for more Mac|Life 44 Hex Technical Backpack 66 Motif: Photo Books
07 Share 45 PCalc 4.9 66 Tweetbot 6
Email us your views at
letters@maclife.com 45 Kingston Workflow 67 Scan Thing
Station
08 Next: iMac with 68 6 apps to rejuvenate 76 Ask
Apple silicon 46 JLab Talk GO your garden Our experts solve your
Is a new design with Mac and iOS problems
a next–gen Apple chip 48 Razer Thunderbolt 4 70 Best of the best
on the horizon? Dock Chroma Mac|Life’s pick of the best 82 Run iOS apps on
apps your Mac
10 The Shift 49 Kew Labs UTS–1
Matt Bolton reflects 84 Do more with
on the MacBook Pro's 50 Linksys MR9600 Luminar AI
Touch Bar "experiment"
52 ADATA SE770G SSD 86 Customize the Finder
12 Crave in Big Sur
The gear we're lusting 53 SanDisk iXpand Flash
after this month Drive Luxe 88 Master the App Library
53 Twelve South ParcSlope 90 Find photos on
your iPad
54 Seagate FireCuda
Gaming Dock 52
ADATA 92 Do more with your
SE770G SSD AirPods
40
Logitech Ergo
56 Group test: To–do apps
for Mac 94 Get fit with Apple
K860 Fitness+
96 How it works: Apple
Watch Series 6
Image rights clockwise from top left: haha interactive, The Omni Group, Grailr LLC, ADATA Technologies, Logitech MAY 2021 5
Stay up to date with the
EDITORIAL
EDITOR Nick Odantzis
latest Apple news

ART EDITOR Matt Lochrie
PRODUCTION EDITOR Iain Noble
CONTRIBUTORS Alex Blake, Matt Bolton, George Cairns, Alex Cox, Craig Grannell,
Kenny Hemphill, Hollin Jones, Cliff Joseph, Jeremy Laird, Carrie Marshall, Rob
Mead–Green, David Nield, Howard Oakley, Mark Pickamore, Alex Summersby
ART
ART CONTRIBUTORS Apple
PHOTOGRAPHY Bath Photo Studio - Phil Barker
COVER IMAGE CREDITS: Apple, Any.do, Appest Limited, Cultured Code, The Omni Group.
DIGITAL EDITION ART EDITOR Matt Smith
DIGITAL EDITION SUB Rob Mead–Green
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6 MAY 2021
Your opinions, rants & raves
Re: “Missing hardware diagnostics” query in Mac|Life’s “Ask”

Q&A section, (April 2021, p73):
“My iMac can’t enter hardware Diagnostics. When I hold down
the D key during startup, it complains that it can’t load EFI/Driver/
TestSupport.efi and I have to restart. How can I check its hardware?”
Though the answer to this question was quite good, my first go-to works better, sometimes an
question whenever someone says they can’t access a startup function is: unpowered one. But Apple's
“What kind of keyboard are you using?” Every time (in my experience) it advice will almost certainly be
turns out they’re using an aftermarket board. I first encountered this with to connect the SuperDrive to
my wife’s iMac years ago; I had gotten her a Matias board which was at–a– a Mac directly, and there's no
glance nearly identical to the stock iMac board. But Recovery, Internet reason not to do that with an
Recovery, Diagnostics, option to select a different startup disk — nothing iMac since you have USB
worked. Jumping ahead in the story, as soon as I swapped out that board ports available. USB and
for an actual Apple keyboard, it worked fine. This isn’t universal; my USB–C are a nightmare as the
Kinesis Freestyle ergo board does the boot select stuff just fine. Thanks standards are too broad for
again for the great “Ask” section; though I eventually read the whole third–party products and
publication, “Ask” is the first point I usually stop and read start to finish. aren't compatible. Even
RALPH FONTCUBERTA manufacturers warn users
to avoid using their products
Our resident Apple help expert Howard Oakley disagrees with this notion. with the Apple SuperDrive
You can have keyboard problems — one common cause for Mac failing to — Belkin and Satechi, to
enter Diagnostics is when a wireless keyboard is used — but what happens name but a few.
then is that a normal startup results. To see the specific error message
reported by this reader, the Mac has read the keyboard signal correctly to Searching question
enter Diagnostics, but can’t because the software for Diagnostics is missing. I subscribe to Mac|Life through
If the keyboard doesn’t tell the Mac to enter Diagnostics, then how could you Zinio and love how much I learn
get an error from trying to start them? each month. I’m having issues
with my Apple devices being
CyberPower) it won’t work. I get able to print to an Epson printer.
“USB Accessory Needs Power” Is there an index of questions
and must connect SuperDrive you’ve responded to that’ll
directly to Mac. direct me to the appropriate
MARK NASH issue for an answer?
Driven to distraction… PAM TURNER
Pursuant to the question posed Referring back to the Apple
in the April issue of Mac|Life, support page we linked to in As far as we’re aware you can
my SuperDrive only works when that letter (bit.ly/ml_sup_drv), search Zinio for articles within
it’s plugged directly into my Apple specifies only its own it. Unfortunately, due to the
computer(s), not a powered hub. adaptors, and that's the nub pandemic we're still a way off
ARNOLD WEXLER of the problem. As soon as incorporating a search function
you connect a SuperDrive to into Mac|Life's iPad version.
… by SuperDrive a third–party hub, dock or Hopefully once normality
We plan to give the I just upgraded to a new iMac adaptor, you enter tiger returns we'll have a new app
iPad version of with Catalina and when I try to country. It might work fine, for reading our digital version,
Mac|Life a search use my Apple SuperDrive on my it might not work at all. which'll have a search function
function and index. powered USB hub (seven–port Sometimes a powered hub and, fingers crossed, an index.
SHARE WITH US! EMAIL: letters@maclife.com

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/maclife TWITTER: twitter.com/maclife
MAY 2021 7
START FEED YOUR MIND. FEAST YOUR EYES.
Next: iMac with Apple Silicon

Is a new design with a next–gen Apple chip imminent?
BY ALEX SUMMERSBY
APPLE ALMOST NEVER discloses get a 256GB SSD or 1TB Fusion Drive, 16GB of dedicated memory. This
upcoming products ahead of official and other build–to–order options are made graphics–intensive tasks such
announcements, but signs are that still offered, including upgraded as video rendering up to three times
a new model iMac is coming soon, processor, GPU, and memory. faster than on the regular 5K iMac.
powered by a next–generation Apple Apple often clears obsolescent A comparably high–end iMac with
chip and possibly with a new design. models just ahead of the release Apple Silicon will likely have a new
In March, Apple said the iMac Pro of their successors. The clincher, generation of Apple’s system–on–
was being discontinued and would be however, is a log entry from Xcode’s a–chip instead of the entry–level
available only “while supplies last.” Crash Reporter spotted by an M1 chip in the 2020 MacBook Air and
It is now no longer available to buy observant developer and shared with Mac mini. It’s rumored it will have
on the online Apple Store, and no 9to5Mac.com, which records that the an edge–to–edge 24–inch screen,
longer appears in the product lineup app crashed while running on an replacing the 21.5–inch model.
on the site. AppleInsider.com says iMac with an ARM processor. No Sources speak of a new design
remaining references to iMac Pro, on such model has been released, but akin to Apple’s Pro Display XDR, or
Apple’s support pages for example, speculation is that it is ready to roll. possibly “iPad Pro design language.”
have changed from “2017 and later” Although iMac Pro had not been In the first major redesign of iMac
to “2017,” suggesting no new model substantially refreshed since its since 2012, a flat back is expected
is planned for the pro machine. introduction in 2017, it was Apple’s instead of the current curved shape,
Also, two configurations of the most powerful computer at the time, made possible by the reduced cooling
21.5–inch 4K iMac appear to have with up to an 18–core “workstation– requirements of the more efficient
been discontinued. The model is no class” Intel Xeon W processor and Apple Silicon processors.
longer available with 512GB or 1TB graphics options ranging up to an
SSD, although it is still possible to AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X GPU with
8 MAY 2021 Image rights: Future.

Feed your mind. Feast your eyes.
News in
brief
Apple news in
bite–sized chunks
> HOMEPOD DISCONTINUED
Apple has discontinued the
HomePod, although it’s not clear
why. The smart speaker — which
sounds stunning but cost a hefty
$349 at launch, later cut to a still–
uncompetitive $299 — recently
gained support for Dolby Atmos
sound and the intercom functionality
introduced in HomePod mini, which
enables you to send voice messages
to other HomePods, iPhones, iPads,
CarPlay, and even AirPods. Officially
Apple says it will now focus on the
hit $99 HomePod mini, but it’s hard
to see why it couldn’t sustain both
lines. It’s speculated that Apple plans
an all–new speaker with a new design,
or even rumored “new speakers with
> AirPods Max struggle

screens and cameras.”
despite booming market

> OSCAR NOMINATIONS
Apple TV+ has received its first–ever
Oscar nominations. Wolfwalkers is up
for Best Animated Feature, and the
HAVE AIRPODS MAX missed the officially report that revenue from its epic war movie Greyhound, starring
mark? Apple can’t be expecting to sell Wearables, Home and Accessories and written by Tom Hanks, for Best
huge numbers of the premium–priced segment reached almost $13bn in its Sound. The 93rd Academy Awards
headphones, but analyst Ming–Chi Kuo December 2020 quarter, compared to are presented on Sunday, April 25.
forecasts sales of only about one $10bn in the corresponding quarter of Though we’re a bit late to the game,
million units in 2021, or at most 1% 2019, a rise of 29.6% year–on–year. what with it clashing with our on-
of AirPods sales in the year. Shipments in the “hearables” sale date, it’s worth highlighting that
By contrast, according to research subcategory — which includes AirPods, Apple TV+ is really starting to pay
firm IDC, the wearables market — AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max — grew off. Now we just need more of it.
which includes AirPods — grew more less in Q4 than in Q2 or Q3, IDC said,
than 27% in Q4 2020 compared to Q4 but were still up 22% year–on–year.
2019. Total shipments, IDC estimates, In December, according to analyst
reached 135.5 million devices in the Neil Cybart, Apple Watch hit the
quarter, with Apple shipping 55.6m milestone of 100m wearers, with 30m
Apple Watches and AirPods, up from of these added in the course of 2020.
43.7m in Q4 2019. This gives Apple At this rate of growth, Cybart said, the
a dominating market share of 36%. Apple Watch installed base will surpass
IDC says Apple Watch shipments the Mac installed base in 2022.
grew 45% year–on–year. Apple does
not disclose unit shipments but did
MAY 2021 9
>>> Start Feed your mind. Feast your eyes.
>MATT
THE SHIFT
BOLTON reflects on the MacBook
Pro’s Touch Bar “experiment” now that its
time seems to have come to an end
A S I WRITE, there are strong

rumors that the new
MacBook Pros coming soon
will drop the Touch Bar as
part of a new design, and will
revert to using good ol’ fashioned
function keys. This may not turn
always been an excellent
showcase for this — there are
styling options for elements
such as text that are normally
hidden a couple of clicks
away, but the Touch Bar
shows as soon as you select
out to be true, but if it’s ever going an element, simply because
to be removed a full redesign feels it can. It has the space the
like the time, where it can take a cramped laptop screen
bow quietly while the conversation doesn’t. In this way, it One day, the bottom half of the MacBook Pro
focuses on what’s new rather than always felt like a beginner-friendly will be all screen. It’ll be Touch Bar having
what’s gone. I feel oddly sad about tool, helping you stumble on the last laugh then, eh?
the idea of its removal, considering options you didn’t realize you had.
that I’ve barely used it over the Yet it’s only available on the Touch Bar you have to break your
years. I’ve found it to be an MacBook Pro, where you find fewer concentration from your task and
interesting idea with lots of beginners. Not on the iMac, not on peer down and hunt and peck like
theoretical potential, but it has a the MacBook Air. So Apple used to we’re back in a college IT class in
fatal flaw that isn’t really its fault. demonstrate it as offering extra 1992. This also means all those
Where the Touch Bar shines is sliders or timeline views for pro useful functions for beginners go
exposing options that are hidden apps that were… okay. Useful in a largely unnoticed even by those
in a normal view, and acting handful of cases, kind of pointless who have it and would benefit most
almost like an extra pane for the in others — pros already know from it. How can you make use of
app in the process. Pages has how to make precise changes to what you don’t know to look for?
software settings at speed. So the I remain fascinated by the Touch
Touch Bar gets stuck in No Man’s Bar as an experiment in contextual
Land — unavailable to the people computing. It’s like a Ctrl–click
it’d be best for; uninteresting to that’s always visible, and in an era
the people who have it. where more and more functions
But that isn’t the fatal flaw. The get hidden behind gestures and
death blow is its ergonomics. The long–presses on iOS/iPadOS the
Touch Bar is a part of the keyboard Touch Bar feels like the preferable
and so is down by your hands, but path for understandable computing
that’s not where you look while in theory… yet it leads to a dead
One thing few people talk about — the unique using a computer — it’s not like end. So I’ll be saying goodbye with
texture of the Touch Bar surface. I’ve never being a touch typist is a rare skill an odd sense of mourning. For that
felt anything quite like it elsewhere… here in the 21st century. To use the potential left untapped, I suppose.
>>> Matt is the AV and smart home editor of Future’s flagship technology website T3 and has been charting changes at Apple since
his student days. He’s skeptical of tech industry hyperbole, but still gets warm and fuzzy on hearing “one more thing.”

SPOTLIGHT
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH…
Power
Macintosh G3
(1999)
Codenamed Yosemite,
the Blue and White G3
was the perfect “flashy”
Mac to see in the new
millennium. Did yours
have the optional
built–in Zip drive?
CRAVE
>>> Start The Gear We’re Lusting After
THE GEAR WE’RE LUSTING AFTER
C Seed M1
cseed.tv Around $400,000
>>> MicroLED is here, and it’s completely
out–of–its–gourd crazy. The C Seed M1
takes advantage of every one of the new
screen tech’s core features to create a TV
the likes of which we’ve never seen before
and will (unless something very strange
happens) never see in our own homes.
This folding, expanding hideaway TV
is a feat of engineering as much as it is
a leap in innovation. It’s the sort of TV
you build a room around — quite literally,
given that it’s supposed to emerge from a
mechanized hole in your floor and unfurl
its 165–inch panel automatically, then tuck
itself back into the floor when it’s done.
The M1 pulls off that feat by using
MicroLED’s unique ability to form
completely edge–to–edge screens. It
aligns them by way of a machined metal
structural frame and ensures the joins
aren’t visible by using what C Seed calls
Adaptive Gap Calibration, essentially
detecting any offsets and brightening Sound good?
the pixels on either side to compensate.
Very clever. The M1 integrates its soundbar
MicroLED’s big issue is pixel density. into the folding mechanism of
It uses discrete LEDs to make up each the screen, but it’s a rather
pixel rather than OLED substrates or disappointing 2.1 speaker system.
LCD panels, and while they’re pretty small Thankfully you’ll be able to boost
they’re not quite as micro as they could its audio capabilities because it
be — the resolution of the M1 tops out at supports up to 11.2 audio natively.
4K. That said, the huge advantages of But presumably you’ll need to plug
MicroLED are all there. The blacks are in your audio manually once it’s
fully black, there’s some serious 16 bit emerged from the floor — ditto the
HDR on offer, and a claimed 1,920Hz single HDMI input — which does
refresh rate. defeat the object somewhat.
12 MAY 2021 Image rights: C SEED.

Devialet
Phantom I
devialet.com From $2,200
>>> Devialet’s new speaker, the Phantom I,
can hit between 103dB and 108dB
depending on how much you spend.
Both models make the most of Devialet’s
fondness for acronym–based technology:
the company’s patented ADH (Analog/
Digital Hybrid) amplification; SAM
(Speaker Active Matching) tech
accurately balances the amplifier to
the output of the drivers; ACE (Active
Cospherical Engine) doctors sound output
to emit it evenly in all directions; and HBI
(Heart Bass Implosion) smashes you
around with sound. There’s better
connectivity, too, with the ability to
now plug in analogue sources.
Razer Kiyo Pro

razer.com $199.99
>>> Laptop manufacturers treat webcams 60fps (30fps if you switch on HDR)
with such disdain. How many top–of–the– through a sensor which employs STARVIS
line machines drop today with 720p tech, a pixel–backlighting method used in
sensors that would’ve been embarrassing professional CCTV to pull a clear image
ten years ago? No more. Razer’s chunky out of low–light areas. With a selectable
READ THE Kiyo Pro, its circular lens redolent of field of view between 103, 90, or 80
FULL REVIEW DSLR styling, might not be able to go degrees, it’s suitable for framing your
NEXT ISSUE beyond 1080p but it doesn’t necessarily face or your family depending on the call.
need to. It can manage 1080p at a full An upgrade on most other webcams.
Mad Catz B.A.T. 6+

madcatz.com $TBC
>>> You’ll need to be a serious mouse take,” because that’s ludicrous and would
slinger to make the most of the hypercar– be cheating if true. But we do see that the
inspired side vents of the ambidextrous B.A.T.’s design notes — nay, extended jazz
B.A.T. 6+, or to take advantage of its chords — are there to make it as versatile
quick–change grip–switching side plates and comfy as possible. The insides are just
and Batmobile–themed palm rest. And we as overdone, with that ultra–sharp sensor
don’t really buy Mad Catz’s claims the joined by Mad Catz’s DAKOTA mechanical
16,000 DPI sensor underneath can “sense microswitches, which cut debounce delay
all of your enemies in every step that they to actuate up to 60% faster than others.
Image rights from top: Devialet, Razer, Mad Catz. MAY 2021 13
>>> Feature
Apple’s iCloud connects all your devices and makes amazing

things possible. Here’s everything you need to know
WRITTEN BY CARRIE MARSHALL
14 MAY 2021 Image rights: (screens) Apple.

iCloud superguide
pple’s online adventures storage and cloud–based services

A haven’t always been designed to make your Apple
brilliant. There’s a famous experience even better. It’s a place
story about Steve Jobs being to store your stuff, and a way to
reduced to foul–mouthed share it with other people. It’s
firing–people fury over the half– a way to bring all your Apple
baked launch of MobileMe back devices together, and to connect
in 2008. But while the road to family members together. It
today’s iCloud may have been enables you to locate lost devices,
a rocky one, there’s no denying and to ensure you never lose an
that today’s Apple is so much important document.
better at delivering online services Over the next few pages we’ll
than it was back in Jobs’ day. The show you everything you need to
iCloud family is absolutely packed know about iCloud and what it can
with genuinely useful features and do to make your Apple life easier.
services that make your Apple We’ll show you the best bits, point
devices more flexible, more useful, accusing fingers at the bad, and
and more fun. show you exactly how iCloud can
So what is iCloud? As we’ll make your days better. As the
discover in this feature, it’s a little Rolling Stones nearly sang: “Hey,
bit of everything — a mix of cloud you, get on iCloud!”
Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 15

>>> Feature
Photos Files Personal Data

For many of us, Photos is the Files enables you to access any In addition to personal
killer app of iCloud. By storing of the files that you store in documents and photos, iCloud
all our images and videos in the iCloud Drive (and other cloud can also store other personal
cloud it doesn’t matter what services) on your mobile devices. data such as contacts,
device we’re using when we want For example, you can open passwords, credit cards, and
to look at or edit our photos and a document you made on your other key information and
movies — they’re available on our Mac and edit it on your iPhone. synchronize it across your
Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple If it’s a music file, iCloud can devices. For example, when you
TVs. It can make sure your stream it instantly; if it’s a access a new Wi–Fi network on
photos don’t take up too much document, you can open it in the your Mac, your iPhone and iPad
room on any device, and it also appropriate app. Files can also get the login details too; when
enables you to quickly and easily delete, duplicate, rename, tag, you’re accessing a secure
share your photos with your share, and even compress your website, the logins are available
friends and family. files for you. on all your Apple hardware.
Two–factor
authentication Family Sharing Privacy
Your various iCloud services Your iCloud subscription can This is something that’s worth
use the familiar Apple ID and be shared with up to five other shouting about because many
password, but for even better people, enabling them to use tech companies offer free or
security you can set up two– your iCloud storage for their files relatively inexpensive online
factor authentication. This adds and photos or access apps and products or services in exchange
an extra layer of security that other content that you have for permission to mine your
makes it much harder for various bought on iTunes, the App Store, personal data for all kinds of
villains to get into your iCloud or Apple Books. Each person’s reasons, including trying to sell
account. Apple also enables data is kept separate so there’s you things or selling your data
you to set up app–specific no danger of the kids accessing to advertisers. Apple doesn’t do
passwords, which are unique your important work stuff, and that, and all of your precious
one–off passwords for apps or you can use iCloud’s Find My iCloud data is encrypted so that
online services that want to use feature to locate family nobody, not even Apple, can
your iCloud data. members’ lost devices. access it.

iCloud superguide
iCloud is not…
>>>A BACKUP SERVICE
iCloud is a sync service. If you delete
or damage something on device A,
it’s deleted or damaged on devices B
and C (although you can often get it
back — see page 21). You should also
have at least one separate external
backup of anything important.
>>>BIG ENOUGH
When iCloud launched in 2011,
iTunes iOS backups the cheapest iPhones shipped
with 8GB of storage and iCloud
iCloud integrates tightly with One of the most important gave you 5GB for free. Ten years
Apple Music, but you don’t iCloud features is one you’ll later, the cheapest iPhones ship with
even need an Apple Music rarely notice. If you have enough 64GB of storage and iCloud gives
subscription to use it for music. iCloud storage available (we’ll you 5GB for free unless you have
It synchronizes your iTunes talk about that in more detail a school or uni–managed Apple ID,
purchases across all of your on page 20), it can create a which gives you 200GB.
authorized hardware, and if you backup of your iPhone, iPad,
subscribe to iTunes Match it can or iPod touch and update it >>>GREAT ON ANDROID
create a full cloud–based copy of automatically and regularly. If you (gasp!) don’t have an iPhone,
your entire music library that You can then use that backup iCloud is not very keen on working
you can access from any of your to recover from disaster, or set with your smartphone: Apple Music
devices. iTunes can even replace up a brand new Apple device and Apple TV are available for
your old audio files with better– with all your preferred apps Android but iCloud Drive is not.
quality versions. and settings.
How much
storage do
I need?
Most people need more than 5GB. If
Find my devices Access anywhere you don’t take lots of pictures and
video, 50GB should be adequate for
You can use the Find My app In addition to your various Apple backing up one mobile device and
or iCloud.com to locate your devices you can access your storing photos. If you have a big
devices and those of your family. iCloud content via Apple’s Photos library, want to back up
It makes your devices play iCloud.com website — and that multiple devices, and use iCloud
a sound so you can find them or works on any modern browser Drive, then 200GB is a better bet. Or
to lock them down if you think so you can open or download 2TB if you’ve got huge libraries and
they’re lost or stolen. We have files, check mail, or use Find My want to share storage with family.
lost count of the number of times from anywhere you can get on Capacity Price Per Month Shareable
the app has helped us locate the internet. If you haven’t
misplaced iPads or make our already done so, make sure 5GB Free No
iPhone ping from down the side you’ve enabled two–factor 50GB $0.99 No
of the sofa. Just remember to authentication if you’re going 200GB $2.99 Yes
turn off Find My before you sell to be using iCloud.com from
or give away your device. other people’s computers. 2TB $9.99 Yes

>>> Feature
The ins and outs of the iCloud service you’ll use most
he iCloud Photo Library One of the things we really like
T automatically copies any about iCloud Photo Library is that its
photos or videos you take edits are non–destructive even when
on your devices and stores them in you’re working across devices. If you
iCloud. You can then access them on apply a filter or crop on your iPhone,
your other Apple devices or share look at it on your Mac and think
them with others. It supports the “nope,” all you need to do is open it
most common photo and video on your Mac (or any of your other
formats, including Apple’s favored devices) and click Revert To Original.
HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) When iCloud Photo Library works,
and HEVC (High Efficiency Video it works like magic — take a photo Edits in Photos are non–destructive, so you can
Codec) formats and the standard on this device and it’s instantly go back to the original if you change your mind.
JPEG, RAW, PNG, TIFF, MP4, and available on all your other devices
GIFs used by most image apps. It too. We say “when it works” because don’t have to copy your entire
integrates seamlessly with your sometimes there’s a frustrating library to every device — on your
Photos app (and the data it syncs delay before new images sync, other devices, it’ll show the image
includes your People album, which is especially from iPad. thumbnails but won’t download
the one that uses image recognition them until you tap or click on them.
to recognize people in your photos). THE FULL PICTURE And if you use Optimize Mac Storage
You can also access your library from Among the many benefits of iCloud on your laptop, you can solve the
any web browser via iCloud.com. Photo Library is the fact that you age–old problem of a too–small hard
drive/SSD and a too–big photo
library — it intelligently monitors
What about iMessage?

your Photos library and swaps low–
res versions as required to prevent
your library from getting too big
If you have Messages iCloud, including any photos or other and unwieldy.
in iCloud enabled (it’s in attached files. It’s worth going into The biggest negative is that your
Messages > Preferences Settings > iCloud > iCloud Storage Photos library can get very big and,
> iMessage on your Mac), it doesn’t and having a clear–out from time to once you go past 5GB, you’ll need to
just keep your messages in sync time — if you’re an avid Messages pay for sufficient iCloud storage. You
between your devices. Apple will user your accumulated cat videos can’t decide to upload some but not
store your entire message history in can take up a lot of iCloud storage. all of your photos — it’s an all–or–
nothing deal.

iCloud superguide
HOW TO Share your photos and videos
Sharing your Decide what

to share
Create a new
album
photos, videos, iCloud Photo Library won’t share your If you hover over the Shared Albums
and large files entire library with other people, and
few of us would want that anyway.
link in the sidebar, a little “+” sign will
appear. If you click on it, you can then
in Mail Instead it lets you create shared
photo albums that others can access.
First, decide what you want to share.
give your new album a name, choose
the people you want to invite to view
the album, and add a comment.
When you share your photos in Mail,
you can adjust the image size from
Small to Actual Size. That last one is
rarely a good idea — iPhone photos
can be very big even when they’re
in HEIF format. But what happens
when you need to send photos,
videos, or any other files that are
just too big to email? That’s where
Mail Drop comes in. In Mail, go to Pick your pics Select the shots
Preferences > Accounts > Account Here’s a fresh new album just If you choose Add Photos And
Information (or, if you’re on iCloud. waiting for some photos to share. To Videos, you’ll be taken to your entire
com, choose Settings > Preferences add images, either click on the Add library, although you can filter it to
> Composing) and select “Send large Photos And Videos link underneath show only favorites. The process is
attachments with Mail Drop.” This the album’s name or drag and drop identical on Mac and on iOS/iPadOS,
creates a download link instead, and images from other albums over this with blue check marks against photos
your files are available to download one in the sidebar. that you’ve picked.
from iCloud for 30 days.
See what you’re Share from albums

sharing You can also share a selection
As you’d expect, once you’ve finished of images from within a Photos
picking your chosen photos you album. All you have to do is select the
simply press the Add option and photos you’d like to share and select
they’ll be added to your library. If you Share at the top of the screen. This
Photos are usually shared as Large rather than dragged and dropped instead, those gives you multiple sharing options,
Actual Size because their file sizes can be huge. images will also appear here. including Shared Albums.

>>> Feature
Store and share your stuff with anyone from any device
Access
Cloud is what iDisk became Using iCloud Drive depends on
i when it grew up: Apple’s your device. On your Mac, it’s in your
your files original cloud storage service
was shelved in 2011 and replaced by
Finder. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod
touch, you access it via the Files app,
everywhere iCloud Drive in 2012. It’s evolved
into a very clever and powerful tool.
iCloud enables you to store files
or from inside an iCloud Drive–
enabled app such as Keynote or
GarageBand. And on a Windows PC,
One of the best things about and data on Apple’s servers, and once you’ve installed the iCloud for
iCloud Drive is that you can there are few limits to what you can Windows app, your iCloud storage
access it from almost store. Provided it’s less than 50GB will appear in File Explorer.
anywhere. There’s an iCloud and you have sufficient iCloud space,
app for Windows that makes you can upload pretty much anything MORE THAN JUST STORAGE
iCloud Drive work in much — although Apple does advise If iCloud Drive were just a cloud
the same way as it does in against storing app folders, libraries, storage service, it’d be a good one.
your Mac’s Finder, appearing or .tmp files. iCloud Drive enabled But it can do more than just store
like a network drive; on iPad, apps such as Pages and Numbers stuff. You can use it to share files
iPhone, and iPod touch it to use it to store documents, so you and, where apps support it,
lives in your Files app. You can use the Mac ones on iPhone or collaborate on documents. You can
can access iCloud Drive using iPad and vice versa, and you can use also use it to recover deleted files
any modern web browser by it on Mac like you would a USB drive and mirror your Desktop and
logging in at iCloud.com, or other removable storage. Documents folders on multiple Macs.
which enables you to iCloud Drive uses the same storage
download files and photos as as other iCloud services such as
well as interact with them. iCloud Photo Library, iCloud emails,
iCloud backups and so on, so you’ll
probably find the 5GB of free storage
is inadequate. At the time of writing
you can upgrade to 50GB for $0.99 a
month, 200GB for $2.99 a month, or
2TB for $9.99 per month. You can
iCloud Drive in iCloud.com works also get iCloud storage as part of an
like iCloud Drive in iOS Files or Apple One bundle, or buy additional
macOS Finder. You can see what’s taking up room in your storage if your Apple One bundle
iCloud storage from System Prefs > Apple ID. doesn’t have enough.

iCloud superguide
Recover deleted files

Sometimes we delete important or folder name telling you how
things by accident. Thankfully, long it has left before it’s gone
iCloud can help us recover them. forever). To get files back, just
If you log in to iCloud.com and click select them and click on Recover.
on iCloud Drive, you’ll see an icon You can also restore other
at the bottom-right of the window things from within iCloud.com.
saying Recently Deleted. Click on If you click on your name in the
that to open the Recently Deleted top–right and then on Account
folder, which keeps deleted files Settings, you’ll see links to
If you regret deleting that funny cat picture, it’s available and folders for up to 30 days. restore contacts, calendars,
in iCloud’s Recently Deleted folder for 30 days. (You’ll see a label under each file and bookmarks too.
HOW TO Working with others
Share online Set sharing options Share in apps

If you use iCloud Drive it’s easy By default, sharing is only It’s pretty much identical inside
to share documents with people, even if available to the person you’re sending Apple’s iCloud–enabled apps. In Pages
you’re away from your Mac — just log into the document link to and they can make you’ll see the same icon in the toolbar
your account at iCloud.com and click on changes to it. If you prefer, you can at the top, and if you click on it you’ll be
iCloud Drive. To share a file, click the icon enable anybody who has the link to given the same sharing options we just
that shows a person with a “+” sign on it. open it and/or make the link read–only. saw in iCloud.com.
Share in online apps Share from iOS Share from Files

You can also share from inside the It’s the same with iOS. In this On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod
iCloud apps such as Pages, Keynote, and screenshot we’re sharing a spreadsheet touch you can also share directly from
Numbers. Once again it’s the same icon, from Numbers that we want to work on inside the Files app, which is handy when
and in this screenshot we also have Track with other people, and the only real you’re out and about, but you can’t
Changes enabled so we can see other difference is the range of things we can change the sharing settings for it like
people’s comments and edits. share to — on iOS there are more options. you can in Numbers or on iCloud.com.

>>> Feature
Find My can track the

location of any device
connected to your or your
family group’s Apple IDs.
The easy way to find your friends and locate missing Macs
he Find My app combines feature here is the one for when your
T two location apps in one: device appears to be lost or stolen.
Find My Phone and Find My It’s called Activation Lock.
Friends. It enables you to track the
Remove
location of all kinds of Apple devices ACTIVATION LOCK
— not just Macs, iPhones, and iPads Activation Lock works on iPhones,
unwanted but AirPods and Apple Watches too.
You can access it from the Mac or iOS
iPads, iPod touches, Apple watches
running watchOS 2 or later, and
devices app, or via iCloud.com on the web.
Find My is designed to do two
things. It can let you know where
Macs with Apple’s T2 security chip
running Catalina or later. If you
mark a device as lost in the Find
It’s important to keep an devices are, whether that’s an iPod My app it locks the device with a
eye on what devices are touch that’s fallen down the back of passcode and disables Apple Pay. You
connected to your Apple ID. the sofa or the iPhone of a family can also get it to display a message
Many of Apple’s products member who can’t remember where asking whoever has it to return it.
are limited to a maximum they last had it. And the second is to Once your device is locked it can’t
number of authorized take action if a device has fallen into be reactivated without your Apple ID.
devices, so you don’t want the wrong hands. That makes it effectively unsellable,
any devices you’ve given The location–based part of Find which is why you need to turn off
away or sold to count. My works really well. It can identify Find My on a device you’re selling or
You can see if there’s the last known location of your giving away. If your device remains
a device there that shouldn’t device, family devices, or devices missing, Find My also lets you erase
be and, if there is one, kick whose location your friends have it remotely: the next time it goes
it out and change your agreed to share with you. It then online it’ll wipe your personal data.
logins. You can see your shows the location on a map and Erasing the device is the nuclear
trusted devices on one of enables you to flash a message or option, and it’s vital that you don’t
your devices in Settings just play a sound so you can work do it if you have AppleCare+ with
> Apple ID, where you can out where in the house it is. Theft and Loss coverage — your
also then remove redundant Find My is really useful and it’s missing device must remain
or unwanted ones. recovered many devices many times connected to your iCloud account
for us, but the really important until your claim has been approved.

iCloud superguide
HOW TO Find your devices and friends
Find yourself Set your sharing See your stuff

The Find My app looks more or Tap the Me icon to adjust the Tap on the second tab, Devices,
less identical on Mac, iPhone, and iPad; settings that say whether other people for a list of all the devices that are
it’s effectively Apple’s Maps. If you can find your location. You can also connected to your iCloud account; if
haven’t previously enabled location rename your location to something you have Family Sharing it’ll also show
sharing, you’ll be prompted to do so that’s easier to remember such as your family members’ devices here. Tap
the first time you run the app. home, gym, school, or work. on a device to see where it is.
Look for someone See where they are Locate your device
As you’d expect, tapping on As with Find My Friends, Find My Find My works in exactly the
People gives you a list of people who will show you someone’s location, or same way for devices. Select the
share their locations with you, shown on their last known location if they’re Devices tab and tap or click on a device
the map. Once again, family members offline. You can use the map like any to see its current or last known location.
you’re connected to via Family Sharing other, switching between map, hybrid, Then tap or click on the little “i” icon to
appear here automatically. and satellite views — or just zooming in. make things happen.
Raise the alarm Delete a device Confirm deletion

You can now get the device to If, like us, your family has owned Don’t remove a device if it still
do something — play a sound you can plenty of Apple devices, your device list belongs to you, though! Find My is a
hear if it’s fallen down the side of the may well include several devices you key anti–theft feature and by turning
sofa, get directions to it, notify you don’t have any more. No problem. Just off Find My on a device that’s still
when it comes back online, or erase it select the device you want to remove yours, you’re making it possible for
remotely if it’s lost or stolen. and once again select the little “i.” someone else to activate and use it.

>>> Feature
How to make sure you only share the things you want to
ecause iCloud synchronizes encrypt by default is your iCloud
B data between devices and Mail, but if you want to encrypt
Apple’s servers, it’s moving that too you can enable S/MIME
lots of your personal documents and encryption in your mail apps.
data, so it’s important to protect that Not everything’s stored on Apple’s
data from being intercepted by the servers — some data may be stored
wrong people. on third–party servers like Amazon
In order to do that, Apple uses Web Services or Google Cloud Your Safari passwords are encrypted as they’re
extensive encryption provided you Platform. Those third parties don’t synchronized with your other devices.
have two–factor authentication have access to the keys that might
enabled (see “Protect iCloud privacy enable them to decrypt your data. your device’s unique information
with 2FA”). Encryption encodes your and your device passcode, encoding
data in a format that is essentially END–TO–END ENCRYPTION the data in a way that only you can
impossible for others to intercept In addition to the encryption access it. Even Apple can’t see it.
and decode, and Apple uses protection detailed above, iCloud The specific data protected by
encryption on all your data transfers also uses end–to–end encryption to end–to–end encryption varies
and almost all the data stored on its safeguard particularly personal data. according to which version of iOS
servers too. The only thing it doesn’t This creates an encryption key from you have on your mobile device.
Some features require iOS 12 or 13
but data includes Apple Card
Protect iCloud privacy with 2FA transactions, Health data, Maps
favorites and search history, Wi-Fi
passwords, W1 and H1 Bluetooth
We strongly recommend Apple’s keys, your keyboard’s learned
two–factor authentication (2FA) vocabulary, your Safari history,
to add an extra layer of security to and your Siri information.
your iCloud account. This ensures Apple also uses end–to–end
that people can’t log in as you from encryption on your Messages, and if
other devices even if they have your you use iCloud Backup your backups
Apple ID and password. With 2FA will include a copy of the encryption
enabled, when you try to log in to an key that protects the content of your
iCloud service from a new device, messages. That means you can still
Apple sends a one–time code to your access your messages if you can’t
existing devices. No code, no login. If access iCloud Keychain or your
it’s not enabled on your device you Look at System Preferences > Apple ID and trusted devices. If you turn off iCloud
can turn on 2FA in Settings. remove any devices you no longer have. backup a new key is generated and
stored locally on your device.

iCloud superguide
HOW TO Sync your data across your devices
Choose your apps Change iCloud

Drive
iCloud
On your Mac, go into System
Preferences > Your Name, then select Click on the Options button next to
Keychain iCloud from the sidebar. This shows
you which apps and services are
iCloud Drive to see a list of the apps
that store their documents and data
explained currently using iCloud on the current
Mac. You can uncheck any apps you’d
like to exclude.
in iCloud. In this example, we’re
syncing quite a bit of stuff, including
Messages and GarageBand projects.
iCloud Keychain is far and away our
favorite iCloud feature because it
remembers important things so that
we don’t have to! Keychain stores
website and app passwords, Wi–Fi
login details, internet account logins,
and credit and debit card details. It
holds the data securely so others
can’t access it and makes it available
across your devices, so for example Sync other apps Create app
you can log in to a Wi–Fi network on Some third–party apps can passwords
your Mac that you’ve previously access iCloud data. For example, An app–specific password is a one–off
connected to with your iPhone. All Fantastical 2 can connect to iCloud password that can only be used by
you need to do is authenticate, so for calendars and reminders and you can one app on one device to connect to
example when you try to log in to edit them in the app. To keep iCloud your iCloud data. To create it you’ll
a site that iCloud Keychain already secure, Apple needs you to create need to visit appleid.apple.com and
knows about you’ll be asked to verify passwords for those apps. scroll down to the security section.
via Touch ID, Face ID, or your iCloud
password. If you’re on iOS 13/
Catalina or later, you must enable
two–factor authentication to use
iCloud Keychain.
Use iCloud on iOS Enable your apps

In iOS or iPadOS, go into As with the Mac, you’ll also
Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and, see which apps are currently using
if you’re logged into your iCloud iCloud. Apple’s ones are listed first,
account, you’ll see how much of your then you’ll see details of the non–
iCloud Keychain securely stores usernames, storage you’ve used and the Manage Apple apps that use iCloud to sync
passwords, network logins, and card details Storage option if you want to have data between devices. Just tap on
so you can use them on all your devices. a clear–out. an app to stop it syncing.

>>> Feature
Save money by sharing your storage and services

ou can also share Apple iTunes purchases or iCloud Music
Y services and your iCloud Library. To share Apple Music, you’ll
package with family need to have an Apple Music family
members. Family Sharing enables membership or a family or premier
you to share all kinds of things with Apple One membership.
up to five other Apple IDs so you can
share photos, storage, and apps. If SAFER SHARING WITH FAMILY
you’re thinking “wait a sec, aren’t When you set up Family Sharing it
Apple IDs unavailable to under–13s?” will use the same payment method
you’re right, but Apple enables you for all your family, so if you don’t
Apple One to create Apple IDs on their behalf.
You can share iCloud storage,
want the rest of the family to run up
big bills on IAPs or paid apps, ensure
explained Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple
Music, location data, iTunes, App
Store purchases, and Apple Books.
that Ask To Buy is enabled. Ask To
Buy sends you a notification when
a family member attempts to buy an
Apple One enables you to Family Sharing also lets you set up app or media from Apple, and you
potentially save money by Screen Time and parental controls. can choose whether to approve or
bundling Apple’s online You may find your third–party apps deny each request. Ask To Buy is
services in one package that here too. switched on automatically when
could work out cheaper. An You can only share services you you create a child account, but you
individual plan gives you subscribe to, although you can share should check it in Settings > [Your
Apple Music, Apple TV+, Name] > Family Sharing (iOS) or
Apple Arcade, and 50GB of System Prefs > Family Sharing (Mac)
iCloud storage for $14.95 for any family member over 13.
a month; Family ups the Unless you’ve applied parental
storage to 200GB and lets controls in Screen Time, apps or
you share with five others for media you’ve bought can be accessed
$19.95 per month; and the by other family members. If you
$29.95 Premier adds News+ don’t want to share something, you
and Fitness+ and ups the can either disable purchase sharing
iCloud storage to 2TB. for specific people in the Family
Additional storage can be Sharing settings page or set Content
bought separately. Use Ask To Buy to control family purchases from & Privacy Restrictions in Settings
the App Store, iTunes Store or Apple Books. > System Preferences > Screen Time.

iCloud superguide
What about iTunes Match?

iTunes Match was launched in 2011 still exists as a stand–alone
and compared your Mac’s music service, but it’s also bundled with
library with the songs in the iTunes every Apple Music subscription
Store. If it found a match you could and called iCloud Music Library.
then stream or download Apple’s Unlike your Photos library, the
version even if it was higher quality space it takes up doesn’t come out
than your copy. If not, Apple would of your iCloud storage. Just be
copy the song to the cloud. You aware that the songs you
could add up to 100,000 songs download from Apple Music aren’t
Apple One offers three bundles of Apple’s cloud services, over and above the ones you’d purchases — they’ll no longer work
including Apple Music and iCloud storage. bought from iTunes. iTunes Match if you cancel your subscription.
HOW TO use Family Sharing
Open up Preferences See who’s sharing Invite everybody

On your Mac, the Family Sharing We’re already using Family If your family already have iCloud
features live in System Preferences Sharing, so as you can see we have accounts, you can send an invitation to
(top–right). On iOS and iPadOS, you’ll find four accounts listed here — the family start sharing with them straightaway.
Family Sharing in Settings. In this tutorial, organizer, who’s the person that’s sharing You might notice that our available apps
we’re assuming the person with the their iCloud services, and the other include Tweetbot — some third–party
iCloud account you want to share is you. family members that have been invited. subscriptions work with Family Sharing.
Add the kids Confirm the account Manage on the go

For under–13s, Apple enables you There’s an interesting bit in the You can also set up and manage
to create child accounts — just click on small print here — once you’ve added Family Sharing on your iPhone, iPad, or
Add Child Account instead of Invite a child under 13 you can’t then remove iPod touch. Go to Settings to do this;
People. You’ll need to provide a valid their account from your family group. from here, you’ll be able to see what
payment method. Don’t worry, Apple’s You can only transfer their account to you’re sharing and which members of
not going to take any money here. a different person’s family group. your family group you’re sharing it with.

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MAY 2021 29
Best Apple
products
ever
The best Apple products aim to make a dent in
the universe. We explore the most iconic — and
a few flubs where we wonder what went wrong
WRITTEN BY CRAIG GRANNELL
W HAT MAKES AN icon? What

is good design? What are
the criteria that lead you
to believe an item is the very best a
company has created throughout its
cutting–edge, or that were commercial
failures at the time, you’ll spot key
insights that Apple subsequently baked
into its DNA. Through this, even
products that didn’t make the grade
long and successful history? We at — or that today look comparatively
Mac|Life don’t claim to have all the archaic — deserve their place on this
answers, but this feature aims to shine list of Apple icons.
a light on the key products Apple has It’s also interesting during this trip
made since 1976 that still give us a giddy into the past to ponder where Apple
feeling in our tummies — and a handful might head next. In a world increasingly
of stinkers that leave us with an entirely obsessed with minimalism and making
different giddy feeling… technology as invisible as possible, what
On reading through these pages, we room is left for differentiation and
hope you’ll notice themes and ideas character? Whatever space exists, we
that extend throughout Apple’s history. hope Apple will continue to find and
Even with products that no longer look make use of it.
Best Apple Products
Apple II
Proof that sequels can be far
better than their predecessors
BEIGE AND BROWN, with chunky keys,
the Apple II might not be irresistible to
modern eyes, but this was the 1970s —
brown was in. On–screen, you mercifully
got other colors and, elsewhere, audio
and game controllers. These things were
unusual at the time, and were reportedly
included so lead designer Steve Wozniak
could show off a version of the Breakout
video game to his chums.
The Apple II’s nature informed Apple’s
future. In being pre–assembled and plug–
and–play, it was the first computer “for
the rest of us.” This sentiment echoed
down the ages, with Apple determined to
take the cutting edge, make it accessible,
and use it to unlock people’s potential.
Macintosh
The one that stopped people cursing command
lines and had them command cursors instead
HAVING WOWED THE clunky, but the Mac was dinky
masses with the Apple II, and could easily fit on any
Apple took things a stage desk. Such was the form’s
further with the Mac. Instead approachable nature it lived
of typing in arcane commands on for years as the Happy
to interact with it, you used Mac icon that greeted you
a graphical user interface when you turned on an Apple
(GUI) akin to the macOS that computer — until Apple coldly
we use today. removed it. After all, it
The machine was also wouldn’t want a reputation
almost unbearably cute. By its for nostalgia or sentiment.
1984 debut computers had a
reputation for being ugly and

>>> Feature
Aluminium PowerBook G4
In deciding to put pedal to the metal,
Apple created a framework for the future
IT’S NOT LIKE Apple’s older laptops But where the AlBook line really
were bad, but the aluminium cases of wowed was with its smallest member. The
2003’s “AlBook” refresh were something 12–inch model gave you a dizzying mix of
else. No longer did Apple’s laptops power and functionality in a portable
resemble a refined take on Windows package. It rivalled desktop machines, yet
rivals (PowerBook G3) or have a sleek didn’t take your shoulder off when slung
form ruined when scratches revealed in a bag. Also, its endearingly chunky
the silver surface to be skin deep form managed to be smart, chic, friendly,
(PowerBook G4). cute, and professional all at once.
MacBook Air
Carry a laptop in a bag? Pfft.
How about in an envelope?
PRESUMABLY DREAMING OF the day popping debut ushered in an era

when a Mac would be as thin as a sheet of copycat super–skinny laptops.
of paper, a beaming Steve Jobs pulled It looked gorgeous, tapering to a
a MacBook Air from an envelope during ridiculous 0.16–inches at the thinnest
his Macworld 2008 keynote. This eye– point of its wedge–shaped form. And
despite its svelte case, this Mac had a
full–sized keyboard and large trackpad.
There were, admittedly, some issues
elsewhere — the price, limited storage,
and a flip–down hatch to access ports.
But it looked like the future — although
its current incarnation has transitioned
the Air from premium to entry–level in
Apple’s range.
32 MAY 2021 Image rights : Apple.

Best Apple Products
iMac
timeline
1999
iMac G3
The iMac’s second revision
rethought “any color as long as it’s
Bondi Blue.” Instead, you had several
hues, including a deep purple and an
eye–searing pink.
2002
iMac G4
This design radically reinvented
the iMac. Mounting an LCD on
an adjustable arm made the Mac
look like a cousin of excitable Pixar
lamp Luxo Jr.
iMac G5 2006
iMac
The third iMac overhaul saw the
form factor that remains to this day
— albeit with a chunkier chin and
all–white frame that would later be
replaced by shiny metal.
Feeling blue about 1990s PCs? Bondi makes everything better
2012
IT’S EASY TO forget how revolutionary go any faster.) In 1998, a suited Steve
the first iMac was. Prior to its arrival, Jobs announced Apple’s latest computer,
computers were boring beige boxes. The whipping away a black sheet like a
most daring they got was when someone magician and instantly informing rivals
carved the equivalent of go–faster stripes their industrial design teams should get Slim unibody iMac
into their cases. (This didn’t make them in the bin. This redesign ditched the iMac’s
There was so much to like. For geeks, even depth and placed its innards
the semi–translucent plastic case gave within a bulge that tapered to 5mm
you a peek at the machine’s innards. For at the edges. Pretty from the side,
normal people, this felt like a computer invisible while using it.
you could leave on display rather than
hidden beneath a desk. There was even Retina iMac 2014
a handle so you could lift the thing up. We’re still waiting for another
Sadly, rivals stopped paying attention at big change to the iMac’s looks,
“semi–translucent plastic” and proceeded but 2014 at least gave us a Retina
to weld bits of that to boxy beige PCs for display. Just one glance at it and
years, hoping the iMac’s glory would rub lower–resolution screens were
off on them. It didn’t. dead to you.

>>> Feature
The wheely good portable music

player that rocked everyone’s world
A MISTAKE PEOPLE make about
Apple is thinking the company wants
to be first. It doesn’t — it wants to be
best. The iPod wasn’t the first digital
music player, but its predecessors were
big, clunky, confusing contraptions.
Apple redefined the industry.
Perfectly pocketable, Apple’s player
was designed around a surprisingly
svelte 5GB hard drive. Rather than
having a slew of buttons and a screen
you had to squint at, the iPod gave you
a 2–inch display and thumbable scroll
wheel for zooming through the thousand
songs you could load onto the thing.
Apple’s white EarPods became a
status symbol, an indication you had
your hands on something better. And
although initially a niche concern, the
iPod quickly branched out, embracing
Windows and later becoming
a design playground in the form
of the stylish iPod mini, the ever–
changing iPod
nano, and the
seemingly
indestructible
iPod shuffle.
Bum notes
iPod
iPod+HP 3rd–gen
There are many things You know your
people wanted added obsession with
to the iPod. Nowhere removing controls has
on that list was “HP.” gone too far when you
But in 2004, iPod+HP get rid of them all. The
existed, with an HP iPod Hi–Fi third–gen iPod Shuffle
logo stamped on the Not one of Jony Ive’s better moments, iPod was just a metal clip,
rear of a fourth–gen Hi–Fi looked like a speaker had fallen on its side awkwardly controlled
iPod. It was canned just and then been impaled by an iPod. Fortunately, using Apple–branded
18 months later. HomePod didn’t suffer a similar fate. iPod earbuds.

Best Apple Products
PowerMac G5
The metal powerhouse that can only
be described as grate. Sorry, great
THE FRONT LOOKED best This Mac also represented
suited to grating Parmesan, the zenith of Apple marrying
but this Mac marked a radical pro–oriented usability
shake–up from its predecessor. concerns and good looks.
Whereas Apple’s G4 tower There were ports on the
resembled the mutant front, for quickly plugging in
offspring of an iMac and a PC, headphones or USB/FireWire
the G5’s metal construction hardware. Sturdy handles let
positively screamed the you carry the thing anywhere.
“Power” bit of its name. And And the side door was easy to
the “Mac” bit, too, given the remove to peer at the Mac’s
huge Apple logo on the side. innards — and upgrade.
Power Mac G4 Cube

A beautiful Mac, but a square peg in a round hole
YOU’D HAVE NEEDED a soul There was no fan. Discs
bypass to not be completely popped out of the top as
enraptured by the Power Mac if from a toaster. The on
G4 Cube. Aiming to squeeze switch was a gesture–driven
a powerful desktop into a tiny capacitive sensor. And to get
case, the acrylic glass at its innards, you flipped the
enclosure made this Mac look Cube upside–down and
like it was magically floating yanked them free.
above your desk. The snag: the Cube was
expensive and lacked upgrade
potential. A year after its
release, it was gone. But the
miniaturization knowledge
Apple gained from this
informed future designs, from
the G4 iMac to the Mac mini
— which is basically a Cube
someone sat on (ish).

>>> Feature
iPhone
timeline
2010
iPhone 4
The first iPhone design to echo
the original’s beauty, this one had
a stunning flat–edged design that
incorporated the antenna. Just
don’t hold it wrong.
iPhone 5C 2013
No–one knows what the C stood for.
Not “cheap” — nor “criticism”
(although it received plenty).
“Color”? The 5C at least brought
that to the iPhone line.
2014
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone
Having pushed back against the
monstrous size of Android handsets
for so long, Apple relented and
released one the size of a surfboard.
Your pockets would have night
terrors forever. In 2007 Steve Jobs’ new
gadget changed our lives
2017
“AN iPOD, A phone and an it’s hard to remember the
internet communicator. An breakthrough the original
iPod, a phone… Are you iPhone represented. But back
getting it?” Whether the then, mobile phones were
iPhone X audience was getting it at the often cheap and plasticky
Bye bye, Home button — and hello, original iPhone event is hard devices. They had tiny little
notch. OK, so the iPhone didn’t to say — everyone was too keyboards and user interfaces
quite go “all screen” with this 2017 busy whooping or frozen in designed by sociopaths. With
revision, but the iPhone X did feel anticipation at what Steve its high–end ambitions, Apple
like a new beginning. Jobs would reveal. What we eclipsed every rival in terms
got: a pocketable screen of sheer class. And with its
iPhone 12 series 2020 and a big button, all housed blank canvas approach, the
A combination of the best two within a beautiful, premium iPhone could in theory
iPhone designs — the 4 and the metal enclosure. become anything you wanted
X — Apple’s latest is neither Given that we now live it to be — something more
a regression nor an exercise in surrounded by black fully realized when the App
nostalgia, but a modern classic. rectangles and metal devices, Store showed up a year later.

Best Apple Products
Design
disasters
1996 Apple Pippin

Marketed as PiPP!N to annoy editors,
this console flop was ugly and had
a controller that resembled a
boomerang. Also: hardly any games.
1997 eMate
Proof that slapping a translucent
plastic case on tech doesn’t make for
sensational design. Mercifully, a purple
version never made it into production.
1997
Twentieth
Anniversary
Macintosh
A concept Mac in
the wild. Absurd, overpriced, ugly,
and yet in key ways the precursor to
1998’s iMac — which fortunately had
much better design.
iPad
A giant iPod touch? Sounds like a slate idea to us 1998 Apple USB Mouse
Known as the “hockey puck” mouse or
IT MIGHT HAVE arrived in 2010, but it to mobile phones. However, an Apple “that stupid thing,” the original iMac’s
seems iPad had been lurking in the mind tablet did appear a few years later. mouse made it impossible to instantly
of Steve Jobs since 1983. In a speech at Depending on your stance, you were tell which way up it was.
the Center for Design Innovation that either overjoyed or dismayed that Apple
year, Apple’s co-founder talked of putting released what amounted to a giant iPod 2001 Flower
“an incredibly great computer in a book touch. But the larger canvas of the iPad Power iMac
that you can carry around with you gave apps more room to breathe and Steve Jobs was
and learn how to use in 20 minutes.” He ushered in new uses. And with the new proud of the tech
added that it would also have a “radio and genuinely all–screen iPad Pro and that infused patterns
link” for communication with the wider iPad Air models, it finally feels like Jobs’ right into this iMac’s plastic.
world. Reports suggest the iPhone began vision of the future of computing has If only someone had looked at the
life as a larger device, but Apple pivoted been fulfilled. thing before putting it on sale.

The home of technology
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TOUGHTESTING,TRUSTEDRATINGS
HEREATMAC|LIFEwe believe
you should only buy the things
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important to us, and you. We
don’t want you to waste time
and money on inferior products, Only the
and while we aim to include
only the best hardware and
best…
apps, occasionally we like to include products that The products that
look promising, even if they don’t always deliver. really stand out in
We only use carefully selected experts, with the mag — those that
specialist knowledge in their respective field, so receive a five–star
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Each review is rated using a five–star system, doesn’t get any
with half stars, which is easy to understand because better than this, so
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App|Life
Hardware & macOS apps 62
64
CARROTWeather
Fuzion2.0
40 LogitechErgoK860 49 KewLabsUTS-1
65 Focos
42 AweClone 50 LinksysMR9600
66 Motif:PhotoBooks
43 SophosHome 52 ADATASE770GSSD
66 Tweetbot6
44 HexTechnicalBackpack 53 SanDiskiXpandFlashDriveLuxe
67 ScanThing
45 PCalc4.9 53 TwelveSouthParcSlope
68 6appstorejuvenate
45 KingstonWorkflowStation 54 SeagateFireCudaGamingDock yourgarden
46 JLabTalkGO 56 Grouptest:To–doappsforMac 70 Bestofthebest
Mac|Life’s pick of the best apps
48 RazerThunderbolt4DockChroma
Image rights clockwise from top–right: Grailr, Leslie, haha interactive, ADATA Technology, HEX, Logitech.
MAY 2021 39
>>> Reviews
The split layout ensures

your hands sit at a natural
angle, and the undulating
shape supports your wrists.
Logitech Ergo K860
Great keys meet great posture
$129.99 From Logitech, logitech.com
Features Split layout, sloping body, wrist rest, Bluetooth 5.0, USB–A receiver dongle, 2x AAA
batteries (included)
LOGITECH
ERGO K860
M any of us spend an enormous amount of
time sat at a desk working on our Macs.
The problem with all this typing is that
it can create a real strain on your body — not
just your wrists, but your arms and back too.
a large wedge between them. The keys
themselves follow an undulating path,
aligning horizontally at the edges and
becoming more angled as they approach
the center.
Logitech has decided to do something about The body of the keyboard itself is also
Ergonomic design this with its new Ergo K860, an ergonomic convex, with its highest point right in the
Great key feel keyboard designed to make things easier on middle of the key divide. These two design
your body and offer a more comfortable choices are intended to provide a more
Takes some typing experience. natural, comfortable position for your hands
getting used to The first thing you notice about the K860 — instead of angling your wrists so that
Very large is its layout. The keys between Caps Lock they’re straight, there is minimal modification
GREAT and Return are divided into two banks, with needed for your posture.
40 MAY 2021 Image rights: Logitech.

Tough testing, trusted ratings
The built–in wrist rest also aids comfort. screenshot, calculator, and lock buttons — and
This is generously sized, taking up around oversize Esc and Print Screen keys.
three–quarters of the height of the keyboard. It lacks backlighting, which would have
It’s on the firm side but isn’t overly rigid, been a welcome addition; it would have
giving your wrists plenty of comfy support impacted on the long two year battery life
without feeling like a block of wood. from the two (included) AAA batteries,
though. The K860 also incorporates a full
SUPER–SATISFYING KEYS numpad, making it very wide on your desk,
Typing feel is one area where the K860 really and centering your hands over the wedge–
excels. Compared to Apple’s Magic Keyboard, shaped divide pushes your mouse quite far
the K860 has slightly more travel and there away. This took some getting used to and
is the merest hint of a physical click on each ironically actually resulted in some slight
key press. It actually makes the Magic discomfort before we found the ideal position.
Keyboard feel slightly squishy in comparison, Sadly, Logitech doesn’t offer a more compact
which is not something we expected and high “tenkeyless” option in its ergonomic range.
praise for Logitech’s effort. Still, the K860 has a lot going for it. Once
Many of the keys are printed for both you get the position right it’s a comfortable
macOS and Windows, which is handy if you experience — both in terms of its layout and
regularly switch between platforms. Speaking key feel — and could be just what you need if
of which, the K860 can connect to three traditional keyboards leave you aching.
devices and change between them at the THE BOTTOM LINE. A great option to
touch of a button. There are also dedicated reduce strain on your wrists. ALEX BLAKE
MAY 2021 41
>>> Reviews
AweClone
A simple disk copy and backup that doesn’t deliver
$24.95 From Magoshare, magoshare.com/disk-clone/mac-disk-clone.html
Needs OS X 10.7 or later
Making “image” backups works better,

but these aren’t proper backups, just one–
shot Zip archives or disk images, much as
you can create in Disk Utility. There are
none of the options offered there, such as
encryption or different file systems: AweClone
just writes HFS+ read–write DMG files. It
doesn’t use these for incremental backups,
or let you schedule them. When you quit the
app any copying you set up is lost, so has to
be re–entered when you want to repeat it.
Its many quirks are counterproductive.
Instead of using a standard file selection
dialog it invents its own, which annoyingly
lists items in random order. Its progress bar
doesn’t work, forcing you to rely on just a
busy spinner, which doesn’t show progress
at all. Not only doesn’t it grok the file
systems found in Catalina and Big Sur, but it
needs to be added to the Full Disk Access list
in Privacy, which passes unmentioned in its
AweClone doesn’t grok Cloning disks and making backups looks sketchy documentation.
Big Sur disks, and doesn’t deceptively easy, and shouldn’t be complex. To clone or back up volumes, look first at
show true volume sizes. AweClone is a new contender in a market Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper! For
with well–proven alternatives to bundled disk image creation, DropDMG is superior.
utilities such as Disk Utility and Time Maybe AweClone will grow into something
Machine. It’s cheaper and simpler, but how more useful, but for now it just walks into
well does it negotiate the bear traps in every one of those bear traps in macOS.
macOS, which have only been getting worse? THE BOTTOM LINE. You’ll do better with
It offers two functions: disk copying and the Finder and Disk Utility. HOWARD OAKLEY
the creation of “image” backups. These
aren’t anything like cloning and proper
backups, though.
AweClone makes copies of whole volumes
by copying individual files into a folder. This
happens fairly quickly, at around 320GB per
hour to a regular SSD, but its copy doesn’t
AWECLONE match the original. Try this with Big Sur’s
System and Data volumes and you end up
Makes disk images with a composite in which permissions have
Disk copies incomplete all been changed, many of the files and
Flawed interface folders are missing, and it hasn’t a clue what
a snapshot is. The copy can’t be used as a
Forgets settings startup disk, and is missing so much it isn’t When selecting folders to copy or image, its non–standard
POOR a faithful backup either. selector doesn’t sort items, but lists them randomly.
42 MAY 2021 Image rights: Magoshare.

Sophos Home
Robust additional security protection
$60/year (up to 10 computers) From Sophos, home.sophos.com/en-us.aspx
Needs macOS 10.13 or later
This cross–platform security suite scans

for malware and removes it, blocks
ransomware and rolls back encrypted files
using Cryptoguard, and protects from
known malicious websites. Features that
duplicate those available in recent versions
of macOS include control over access to
camera, microphone and shared personal
information, and parental web filtering.
Installation on an M1 Mac isn’t as slick
as it should be, and its apps aren’t yet
Universal, but they run happily in Rosetta
2. Its initial small installer downloads and
installs the full apps, but those then need
to update themselves before they can
install the endpoint security extension.
There’s a more serious issue that Sophos
should’ve resolved now: it stops Big Sur’s
Time Machine backing up to networked
storage, including Time Capsules. There’s
also a clash with software firewalls like
Little Snitch, and some VPNs. which its minimal cloud interface doesn’t Sophos Home’s detection
Sophos’ local apps work via its cloud give any indication of progress. Testing of malware is excellent
service, so accessing its features opens against a selection of recent malware, and extends to adware
pages in your browser. Scan for malware including newly discovered SilverSparrow, and unwanted apps.
and the results aren’t shown in a Sophos shows excellent detection in regular files
app, but in a web page connected to Sophos but its scan doesn’t extend to checking
cloud. If you don’t want your data to leave disk images unless they’re mounted or
your Mac, you’ll prefer different protection. inside Zip archives.
Its regular scan is quick but a full Sophos provides a page to confirm your
system scan takes several hours, during installation is working properly, with
links to non–malicious Eicar test files,
and a dummy malicious site.
Apple’s official line is that you don’t
need extra protection against malware.
Although that built into recent versions of
macOS is excellent at protecting macOS
itself, you may still want something extra. SOPHOS HOME
What you don’t want, though, is anything
that causes other problems, so use Sophos Excellent detection
Home’s free trial to check it doesn’t mess Good website blocking
up your other apps before buying it. Some incompatibilities
THE BOTTOM LINE. Comprehensive
Setting protection and scanning preferences works extensions to your Mac’s security. Not M1 native
through a web page in Sophos cloud. HOWARD OAKLEY GREAT
Image rights: Sophos. MAY 2021 43

>>> Reviews
The Hex Technical

Backpack is great for
carrying around your
valuable equipment.
Hex Technical Backpack
A high–quality backpack with room to roam
$149.95 From Hex, hexbrand.com
Features 17.5–liter capacity, antimicrobial fabric technology, wireless charging pocket, 1680D Cordura
ballistic bottom, YKK EYL woven zips, padded laptop pocket
Whether you’re travelling for work or for bottom and YKK woven zips. Frankly, your
pleasure, you need a great bag to tote all your tech deserves no less.
stuff — especially if your stuff includes a What’s more, the Technical Backpack is
MacBook, iPad, iPhone, a ton of peripherals, wonderfully easy to carry around thanks to
and your lunch. The Hex Technical Backpack thick and wide padded shoulder straps, plus
has room for all that and more, and it’s a moulded EVA (ethylene–vinyl acetate)
beautifully made too. panel that makes even a fully loaded
Boasting a storage capacity of 17.5-liters backpack gentle on your back. Our review
(just under four gallons), it comes with model came with Hex’s optional Wireless
padded, cosseting spaces for both the Power Bank ($49.95), which has its own
aforementioned MacBook (up to 16–inches) dedicated pocket on the bag’s top. Handy for
HEX TECHNICAL and iPad, plus myriad pockets for everything quick charging when you’re out and about.
BACKPACK
else — from your Apple Pencil and Lightning Of the three color options, our Gunmetal
High–quality materials cables to your iPhone or passport (there’s Woven test sample looks suitably business–
Oodles of storage a pocket just for them). It’s made from like — as laptop bags go, the Hex Technical
Very comfortable waterproof fabric that also has antimicrobial has your back.
properties which, according to Hex, repels up THE BOTTOM LINE. A comfortable, high–
Stylish to 99% of bacteria, mold, and fungus. The quality backpack with plenty of space for
AWESOME bag also comes with a 1680D Cordura ballistic your stuff. ROB MEAD–GREEN
44 MAY 2021 Image rights: HEX.

Kingston Workflow
Station
A dock for creative types
$129.99 From Kingston Technology,
kingston.com
Features USB–C port, 1x USB reader
Kingston’s new Workflow Station is a specialized

dock for creative users who have large amounts of
PCalc 4.9
photos or video stored on SD memory cards. It
connects to your Mac via a USB–C port, but also
requires its own wall power supply, so it’s primarily
designed for indoor use. It has four large slots into
The venerable calculator is updated which you can insert Kingston’s modular “reader”
devices. There’s one USB reader included, which
$9.99 From TLA Systems, pcalc.com provides one USB–C and one USB–A port, and you
Needs OS X 10.9 or later can buy additional readers for $34.99 that provide
either two SD card slots or two micro–SD slots
(memory cards not included). This means that the
At 28, PCalc is older than some of its users, but wears it fully loaded Workflow can connect eight separate
very well. The latest version for Mac continues to add new memory cards or USB devices at once. However,
features and support the latest additions to macOS. each reader module also has a standard USB–C
Specifically, 4.9 adds what developer James Thomson port, so you can remove them from the Workflow
describes as “a fully featured button layout editor” for the and use them as portable memory card readers.
main calculator and the widget version that sits (optionally) THE BOTTOM LINE. A useful time–saver for
in the Finder menu bar. This customization is in addition to creative users who have lots of files on SD
the choice of themes, colors, and button shapes that were memory cards. CLIFF JOSEPH
already present. As well as adding rows and columns to any
layout, you can change the function of any button or delete KINGSTON WORKFLOW STATION
it from a layout. Buttons can also be re–sized by dragging
corners and layouts can be duplicated, saved, and loaded. Versatile dock for USB devices and SD cards
Also new in 4.9 are the ability to use widget layouts in Reader modules are portable
the main app, a new Currencies layout for the widget, and Only includes one USB reader
a disclosure triangle to allow you to show only the display.
The wealth of options probably makes PCalc overkill for No video ports
those who occasionally use Spotlight for basic arithmetic GREAT
calculations, but for anyone who needs access to a scientific
or engineering calculator, it remains in a league of its own.
THE BOTTOM LINE An easy–to–use, highly customizable
calculator that keeps getting better. KENNY HEMPHILL
PCALC 4.9
Button layout editor
Keyboard shortcuts in widget
Currencies layout in widget
Overkill for basic arithmetic
EXCELLENT
Image rights from left: James Thomson, Kingston Technology Europe Co. MAY 2021 45
>>> Reviews
A button located on
the bottom mutes the
microphone and changes
its recording mode.
JLab Talk GO
A great upgrade on your Mac’s mic
$49 From JLab, jlab.com
Features Two recording modes (cardioid and omni–directional), two condensers, 96kHz resolution,
mode–control button, 10.5oz
T he Covid–19 era means having a good–

quality microphone is more important
than ever, yet built–in Mac mics have not
been able to keep up. If you’re spending more
time in video calls with your workplace or
it to the stand. On the bottom is the
aforementioned light ring, as well as a USB–C
slot, a volume roller, and a large mute button.
Hold it down and this doubles as a mode
switcher that flips between cardioid (front–
family, you need something reliable. So is facing) and omni–directional recording modes.
JLab’s Talk GO up to the task?
As the name suggests, this is a compact GREAT–VALUE AUDIO QUALITY
mic. It cuts down on extra features in favor of Compared to the $99 JLab Talk, the Talk GO
a small, lightweight design with just enough is not missing a huge number of features.
of what you need and none of what you don’t. There’s no gain control and it only has two
At just $49, it makes for a compelling option. recording modes rather than four, but for
most people that should be acceptable. The
SLEEK STYLE biggest issue, though, is the number of
Visually, the Talk GO looks great. It’s clad in condensers: two versus three in the Talk.
all black with light blue highlights — including That impacts the audio quality. Don’t get
an illuminated ring at the base that changes us wrong, the Talk GO is absolutely fine for
color when you switch recording modes or work conferences or video calls with your
mute the mic. It’s classy without being garish, family. Our voice sounded crisp and clear, and
and a clever idea that provides important mounting the device on a boom arm or larger
at–a–glance info. stand further helps volume and clarity.
The good looks are backed up with The main sticking point is what happens
excellent build quality. When you start putting elsewhere. There’s a noticeable level of
the Talk GO together, the first thing you background noise, which might be a problem
notice is how weighty the stand feels. That’s if you want to record videos. It’s not terrible,
reassuring — the last thing you want is your but is evident when compared to the $130
JLAB TALK GO mic sliding out of place or toppling over Blue Yeti; then again, that costs a lot more.
Great price because the stand can’t support it. There’s no JLab’s offering is great value if you need
Perfect for travel chance of that here, as the rubber feet at the a travel microphone or a step up from your
base of the stand’s legs ensure everything Mac’s built–in mic. Its audio isn’t studio
Decent audio quality stays exactly where it’s meant to. quality but is more than enough for most
Some background The microphone itself is lightweight — much people, and at this price you really won’t mind.
noise lighter than the stand. Halfway up its oblong THE BOTTOM LINE. Top looks and decent
GREAT body is a screw hole that allows you to attach audio quality at a superb price. ALEX BLAKE
46 MAY 2021 Image rights: JLab.

Lightweight yet sturdy,

the Talk GO microphone
is ideal for travel.
Image rights: JLab. MAY 2021 47

>>> Reviews
The compact design

of the Chroma dock is
ideal for desktop use. Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma
This glow–in–the–dark dock provides impressive connectivity
$329.99 From Razer, razer.com
Features 10 ports, dual 4K or single 8K video output, Razer Chroma Underglow lighting
The Chroma provides Razer’s glowing Chroma dock is the first of connection port tucked away at the back.
an impressive range the new generation of Thunderbolt 4 docks There’s also a slot for SD memory cards
of ports, including that have just begun to arrive. Fortunately, on the front, and a dual–purpose audio
Thunderbolt 4/USB–C, the differences between Thunderbolt 3 and connector that can work with either
USB–A, audio, and Thunderbolt 4 have more to do with the way headphones or a microphone. The back panel
networking. that Thunderbolt works on Windows PCs, provides three more Thunderbolt 4/USB–C
so the Chroma should work fine with most ports — with support for two 4K monitors at
existing Macs that have Thunderbolt 3. 60Hz refresh rate — three USB–A ports, and
It’s a little expensive, but the Chroma Gigabit Ethernet for a wired network.
RAZER provides an impressive array of ports and But there are some rough edges. The
THUNDERBOLT 4 connectors. The dock measures just 7.5– slowly changing colors on the base are
DOCK CHROMA inches wide, 3–inches deep and 1–inch high, amusing, but the Synapse software that lets
Lots of Thunderbolt, so it’ll fit neatly under your Mac’s display. It you create custom color schemes is only
USB and other ports does require a wall power supply, though, so available for Windows. And while the
Compact design (with it’s very much designed for indoor use. Chroma dock worked with a couple of our
cool lighting effects) You can plug a whole office full of office Macs running Catalina, Razer
Very expensive accessories into it. There’s one Thunderbolt recommends Big Sur for max compatibility.
4/USB–C port on the front that’s used to THE BOTTOM LINE. The Chroma’s Mac
No Mac software connect your Mac — which seems a little support could be improved, but its versatile
GOOD untidy, as most docks have their main connectivity will be useful. CLIFF JOSEPH
48 MAY 2021 Image right: Razer.

Kew Labs UTS–1

A neat, effectively invisible Qi charger that can
To be able to charge an
iPhone 12 effectively,
surfaces must be no
thicker than 0.78–inches.
power up your iPhone through thin surfaces
$104.99 From Kew Labs, kewlabstech.com
Features 7.5W charging, tool–free installation, works with surfaces up to 1–inch thick
How do you make your Qi charger stand unit) emits an audible ping to help you
out? Go invisible — that’s the premise get it right — once the noise becomes
of Kew Labs’ UTS–1 charging pad. constant, it’s in the right place. It’s not
Unlike other chargers that sit with impossible, but it is finicky and takes
pride of place on a surface, the UTS–1 time. With the included template under
attaches to the underside of a table, your iPhone beforehand you’ll see where
or whatever you choose, and charges to place your charging sticker afterwards.
wirelessly through the surface — just There’s also the issue of it working with
place your device on the designated your intended surface. In our case, most
charging spot and get up to 7.5W of surfaces were too thick for it register.
power. It’s all very neat and futuristic. Worse still is if you have an iPhone 12
Installation is tricky, however. Not — interference from the MagSafe tech KEW LABS UTS–1
physically attaching the UTS–1, we might means you need an even thinner surface. Hidden Qi charging
add, because strong sticky pads mean With that all said, once installed it Easy installation
there’s no drilling required (it also comes works well. The 7.5W charging speed
with screws, if you wish). What is difficult isn’t fast, though — choose a MagSafe– Needs a thin surface
is aligning your iPhone to initiate compatible one for faster 15W charging. Device alignment is
charging. Usefully, a calibration mode THE BOTTOM LINE. Neat Qi charging, a bit tricky
(activated via a switch on the side of the but surface dependent. NICK ODANTZIS GOOD
Image rights: Kew Labs. MAY 2021 49

>>> Reviews
Linksys MR9600
A versatile and impressive dual–band Wi–Fi 6 router
$399.99 From Linksys, linksys.com
Features 802.11ax Wi–Fi (aka Wi–Fi 6), dual–band 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 1.8GHz quad–core CPU,
2.4GHz and 5GHz beamforming, 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, 4x Gigabit Ethernet LAN
ports, 2x USB 3.0; 2.36x11x6.7in, 33oz
L inksys provides a number of Wi–Fi 6

routers and mesh systems, and its
new MR9600 is its top–of–the–range
router. Like all Wi–Fi 6 routers, the MR9600
is compatible with devices that use the
The router consists of little more than
a thin slab of shiny black plastic, with an
antenna poking up from each corner. It’s
a dual–band router, supporting Wi–Fi 6
(802.11ax) on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, with a
older 802.11ac, but you will need newer top speed of 5,951MB/s (pretty much 6GB/s).
LINKSYS MR9600 devices with Wi–Fi 6 to get the full speed The company states that the MR9600 will
Impressive Wi–Fi and benefits. be suitable for homes of up to 3,000sq ft
performance At $399.99, the MR9600 is on the pricey in size, that contain up to 40 connected
Multiple Ethernet side. We’ve seen rival Wi–Fi 6 routers offering devices. That should cover most two– or
and USB ports similar performance for less but, as well as three–bedroom homes, and maybe even
acting as a conventional router, the MR9600 reach out into the yard. And, thanks to that
Compatible with includes the same mesh networking Velop mesh tech, you have the option of
Linksys mesh systems technology as Linksys’ popular Velop mesh extending your network.
Expensive systems, so you could use the MR9600 The MR9600 doesn’t include a modem, but
GREAT to build or extend a mesh network. it has a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting
50 MAY 2021 Image rights: Belkin International.

to your existing broadband modem or router, info about the features and settings that The rectangular base is
and four more Gigabit Ethernet ports to might be available via this browser interface. just 2.36–inches in height,
provide a wired connection for devices such The app does allow you to set up a guest and you can angle the
as a smart TV or games console. There are network for visitors, and to prioritize three antennas to maximize the
also two USB 3.0 ports, which will allow you devices for maximum performance for tasks Wi–Fi signal strength.
to share hard drives or other storage devices such as gaming or streaming video.
on your home network. The app also includes the Ookla speed
test for monitoring network performance.
SET–UP AND PERFORMANCE However, the parental control features are
The Linksys app can use Bluetooth on your a bit basic. You can create schedules to
iOS devices to connect to the router and help control internet access for individual devices
set up everything for you. And, unlike most but, rather than providing automatic filters
companies these days, Linksys still includes to block unsuitable websites, the app simply
ye olde CD–ROM with a manual in PDF format. tells you to enter the web addresses yourself,
However, while the Linksys app is easy for which isn’t very helpful.
beginners to use, it doesn’t provide many The router’s performance is excellent. The
additional features for people who might Ookla speed test showed it could squeeze
prefer to configure the network themselves. 101MB/s performance from a 100MB/s
Most notably, the app creates a single internet connection, with that speed
network that merges the 2.4GHz and 5GHz remaining constant even in a back office. We
bands, and doesn’t give you the option of got good performance with Steam downloads
separating them and assigning different too, cruising along at 11MB/s for devices in
network names and passwords. Delving the same room as the router, and only dipping
through the PDF manual only reveals a single slightly to 10.5MB/s as we moved away.
line of text that states “you can view or THE BOTTOM LINE. High–end Wi–Fi
manage your Wi–Fi in an internet browser.” performance, and a future–proof mesh
The manual doesn’t provide any additional networking option. CLIFF JOSEPH
Image rights: Belkin International. MAY 2021 51

>>> Reviews
The “light show” could be

a bit more customizable
but it certainly makes
the drive stand out
ADATA SE770G SSD
This good–value SSD will brighten up your life
from the crowd.
$89.99 (512GB); $139.99 (1TB) From ADATA, adata.com
Features 512GB/1TB, RGB lighting panel, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C (USB–C to USB–C and USB–C to USB–A
cable included), 3.9x2.3x0.7in, 4.8oz
The ADATA SE770G provides portable, high– The SE770G delivers a decent capacity
speed external storage with a colorful twist. choice and good performance for those with
Once you attach it to a USB port, using either a Gen 2 specification port, at a price that
Both of the storage the USB–A or USB–C cables, the plain black some Gen 1 drives don’t match. And that’s
options are very side generates a light show as its RGB LEDs critical because this is the drive that should
affordable, and cycle through a rainbow of rich colors. be considered by users who only have Gen 1
the robust build The USB port on the drive is Type-C and ports now but expect to get Gen 2 ports soon.
is a real bonus. the two included cables are around 8–inches While the SE770G doesn’t cost any more
long, making them fine for laptop users but than most Gen 1 drives, it offers double the
ADATA SE770G decidedly short for desktop computers. performance when used with a Gen 2 port.
SSD In our benchmarking, CrystalDiskMark 7.0 The price premium for Gen 2 performance
Funky LEDs recorded 954MB/s reads, and 898MB/s writes, usually makes it pointless for those with the
and in the AJA System test these translated older Gen 1 ports to consider, but the SE770G
Type–A and into 857MB/s reads and 862MB/s writes. is a much more affordable option and allows
Type–C cables Many NVMe drives start a file transfer quickly for some degree of future-proofing. For most
Fast file transfer rates then drop down to around 700MB/s once the users with a games console or laptop to back
for the price internal cache is saturated. But at the lower up, the SE770G is a great, eye–catching unit.
USB 3.2 port needed speeds this drive runs, the cache would last THE BOTTOM LINE. A striking design,
for full performance much longer before becoming saturated, so and the drive performs well considering the
EXCELLENT it’s unlikely that it would slow significantly. relatively low price. MARK PICKAVANCE
52 MAY 2021 Image rights: ADATA Technology.

Twelve South
ParcSlope
Ideal for iPad artists
and MacBook users
$59.99 From Twelve South, twelvesouth.com
Features Metal MacBook/iPad stand, 18° viewing
angle, cable management
The 2021 ParcSlope has an all–metal stand with
SanDisk iXpand Flash

rubberized inserts at the top and bottom for
holding a MacBook or iPad in place — either of
which sit at an 18° angle. It aims to give a more
Drive Luxe
comfortable typing/Touch Bar experience when
used with a MacBook (Pro) and an equally
pleasant sketching/drawing experience when
using an iPad. And that almost is all there is to it.
Transfer files between devices Build quality is excellent and it offers cable
management, plus cooling for your MacBook
$44.99 (64GB); $59.99 (128GB); $89.99 (256GB) thanks to its angled design and cutouts. Typing on
From SanDisk, shop.westerndigital.com a MacBook using it feels weird at first, but you soon
Features 2–in–1 flash drive, USB–C 3.1 and Lightning connectors get used it. It also elevates the screen to a more
convenient angle than resting it flat on your desk
While you can use AirDrop to shuttle files between devices, or lap. With an iPad, again being able to securely
sometimes an external drive works best, especially if your rest its display at a comfortable viewing angle is
iPhone, iPad, or Mac has limited storage. The iXpand Flash great. It’s quite pricey for what it is but it is handy.
Drive Luxe aims to solve this. Transferring files between the THE BOTTOM LINE. Gives you a more comfy
two devices isn’t seamless. The Apple TV app on iOS/iPadOS, typing/drawing experience. ROB MEAD–GREEN
for example, won’t recognize iTunes media on external drives,
but it’s possible to play third–party videos using iOS/iPadOS TWELVE SOUTH PARCSLOPE
compatible apps. One way to make accessing the contents
of the drive easier on iOS/iPadOS is to use SanDisk’s iXpand Makes using MacBooks and iPads easier
Drive app, which makes it easy to back up and sync photos, Good build quality
videos, and other files… if it worked. In iOS and iPadOS 14.4 on A bit pricey
iPhone 12 Pro and a fourth-gen iPad Air the app consistently
crashed on startup — hopefully this’ll be resolved soon. As Fixed height/angle lacks flexibility
for the drive, transfer speeds are leisurely compared to an SOLID
SSD, averaging 33.5MB/s (read) and 90.7MB/s (write) speeds
in our 5GB Blackmagic Disk Speed Test benchmark.
THE BOTTOM LINE. A great tool as long as you accept
its limitations. ROB MEAD–GREEN
SANDISK IXPAND FLASH DRIVE LUXE

Flexible and convenient file transfer option
Handy 2–in–1 design
Leisurely transfer speeds
Not an entirely seamless operation
OKAY
Image rights from left: Western Digital Corp, Twelve South. MAY 2021 53
>>> Reviews
Seagate FireCuda Gaming

A premium storage and ports upgrade
Dock
$369.99 From Seagate, seagate.com
Features 4TB hard drive, expandable M.3 NVMe SSD slot, 1x Thunderbolt 3 port, 1x DisplayPort,
4x USB 3.1 Gen3 ports, 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 battery charge port, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1x 3.5mm
audio-in/mic port, 1x 3.5mm audio-out port; 10.6x2x5.3in, 94oz
T he Seagate FireCuda Gaming Dock is

like a supercharged external hard drive
combined with a USB hub, bringing with it
4TB of storage and a bunch of extra ports.
Plugging your MacBook into the gaming
The main feature is, of course, that 4TB of
extra HDD storage you get when you connect it
to your Thunderbolt 3–equipped computer. We
found 3.63TB free on the drive, so you don’t
get to access the whole lot. If you want even
dock instantly gives you a high–speed Ethernet more, and faster, storage there’s the SSD slot.
port and extra USB connections, as well as Even the less–speedy 7,200rpm HDD
Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort 1.4 sockets if managed to shift at a fair clip — we were able
you need to connect an additional display. to move over a 2.7GB file in about 10 seconds.
You’ll need a Thunderbolt 3–equipped Install an SSD and you’ll get even better
MacBook or iMac to use with the FireCuda results. New accessories and other drives we
Gaming Dock, though it uses the familiar plugged in were picked up pretty much
USB–C connector type. instantly, and we had no complaints with the
The dock has a glowing, removable block drive from a performance perspective.
which hides a slot that you can use to plug in In terms of the ports, you get an extra
a M.2 NVMe SSD drive — just in case the built– Thunderbolt 3 port (besides the one connected
in 4TB HDD isn’t enough. And there are some to your computer), plus one DisplayPort 1.4
sturdy rubber feet to keep the drive in place, . port, four USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, one USB 3.1
Your Mac will pick up the FireCuda drive and Gen2 battery–charge port, an RJ45 Ethernet
its 4TB of storage as soon as you plug it in, so network port, a 3.5mm audio–in/mic port and
you can just get going straightaway. If you a 3.5mm audio–out port. That’s an impressive
want to set up an automated backup to the array of connections for hooking up monitors,
drive or change the lighting on the end block, more external drives, speakers, gamepads,
you’ll need to install additional software from mice, keyboards, microphones and more.
Seagate — this isn’t difficult to do, though. If you don’t need all of these ports then you
Power is supplied by the bundled wall plug should probably save yourself some money
SEAGATE FIRECUDA and Thunderbolt 3, and you need both to get and get a standard external drive instead, but
GAMING DOCK
the drive to spring into life. The Thunderbolt 3 the FireCuda Gaming Dock is worth the cost if
Loads of capacity cable then controls the communication to and you’re going to make use of the connection
Stylish, modern looks from your laptop or desktop, giving you plenty ports and the external storage. It looks great
Plenty of ports of extra ports and storage at the same time. — with customizable lighting, no less — and
The drive is quiet in operation, though this performs really well.
Expensive being a mechanical hard disk drive you can THE BOTTOM LINE. Pricey but great for
GREAT hear it whirring. gamers and power users. DAVID NIELD
54 MAY 2021
The FireCuda Gaming

Dock has ports aplenty,
4TB of storage, great
performance, and even
customizable lighting!
Image rights: Seagate Technology. MAY 2021 55

>>> Reviews
GROUP
TEST
REVIEWED BY HOLLIN JONES
ON TEST...
> Any.do
> GoodTask
> OmniFocus
> Things 3
> TickTick
> Todoist
TO–DO APPS
FOR MAC
Take control of your life and work with a
dedicated task management app for your Mac
56 MAY 2021 Image rights: haha interactive.
A PPLE’S CALENDAR AND
Reminders apps provide
basic tools for nudging you
to do things at specific times, but
they don’t really extend to task
management or tracking, or
indeed anything but the most
basic types of collaboration. To–do
apps, on the other hand, elevate
many of these processes to an art
form, providing comprehensive
tools that enable you to record
and track tasks and reminders in
granular detail and across all of
your devices.
It’s likely that if you’re in the
market for a dedicated to–do app,
your needs go beyond simple
birthday reminders. The apps
on test here range from having
a more personalized focus through
to more heavyweight project
management and the ability to
visualize entire processes and
collaborate with other team
members. As you would expect,
they all have iOS and sometimes
even Apple Watch versions that
sync your data, though these are
not always included with the
purchase of the Mac app.
Whatever your requirements may
be, any of these apps will make
managing your work and life
significantly easier.
How we tested
We have focused on the Mac versions,
though all apps do have iOS companions so
additional costs and ease of syncing were
also considerations. Setting up multiple
smart lists, reminders, tags and, where
available, sequential tasks and subtasks, we
set up and checked off a range of personal
and work–based tasks. Email–to–task, voice
input, and collaboration with other invitees
were all tested where available in an app,
and the overall ease of use and efficiency of
workflow was also taken into consideration.
Image rights: The Omni Group. MAY 2021 57

>>> Reviews
1
Things to consider…
>>> Pricing options
These vary a lot and sometimes include
both purchase and subscription models.
Unlocking the iOS apps is sometimes
included but occasionally at extra cost.
>>> Ease of use
These kinds of apps need to be friendly
and quick to enable productivity and
efficiency. Features like voice input
support and shortcuts make life easier.
>>> Collaborative features
Teamwork means involving others in task
planning and tracking. Some of the apps
have read and write control, others have
more basic share sheet–style emailing
or messaging of read–only tasks.
>>> Unique features
All the apps share similar core features
but some have tools like special views
or uniquely powerful workflows. 2
> Any.do
Free; Premium features $35.99 or $5.99/month for
> GoodTask
$39.99 From haha interactive, goodtaskapp.com
12 months From Any.do, any.do
2 GoodTask hooks into for email or text message. It’s
1 Any.do has a solid core
of task management
functionality, and a good
search tool. The company
Apple’s Calendar and
Reminders apps and provides
based on Apple’s frameworks
but you get extra features
features, though its design employs an opaque pricing an extended framework for like Smart Lists where you
is not quite as seamless as structure and there are many working with their data. With can view tasks based on
some others on test. Creating possible combinations of a clean, Apple–like design, criteria like which calendar
tasks, lists and notes is easy, unlocking via purchases, and your Smart Lists appear on they live in, urgency, and so
and a Details column lets this would be much better if the left and you can also use on. It’s a more efficient way
you add tags and reminders, simplified. It also feels like day, week, or month views. to manage and group tasks,
manage lists and subtasks, the iOS version has been Tasks added are automatically tags and notificatons than
and add files as attachments. shown more attention when copied into Reminders, and Apple allows. For personal
It can sync with Google it comes to design than the double–clicking on a task use it’s a good one–stop shop
Calendar, though oddly on Mac version. Decent, but with opens an inspector window for task management.
the Mac not with Apple’s own room for improvement. where you can add more
Calendar or Reminders apps, granular detail. As well as Slick and easy to use
but you can invite people to Collaboration features priority and alerts you can Smart Lists are powerful
collaborate by assigning tasks. Add files to tasks flag items for follow up, edit
The iOS version can access dates and more, including Really just expands on
Apple’s databases. There’s an
Confusing pricing structure adding subtasks. Sharing
Apple’s apps
assignable key shortcut for Design could be more refined tasks is limited to using iOS version is an extra unlock
adding tasks, email–to–task SOLID Apple’s standard Share Sheet GOOD
58 MAY 2021 Image rights from left: Any.do, haha interactive.

> OmniFocus
Mac–only purchase: $99.99 for Pro and $49.99 for
> Things 3
$49.99 From Cultured Code, culturedcode.com
Standard edition From The Omni Group, omnigroup.com
4 Things 3 is perhaps the and right–clicked to access a
3 OmniFocus has
a slightly convoluted
you can enter parameters like
status, due date, deferment,
most Mac–like app on
test in terms of its design,
menu of commands to change
deadlines, dates, repeats, and
pricing model, though the review dates, and more. The which is minimalist and more. Widgets appear in your
company says it’s moving Forecast view gives a simple streamlined. Able, of course, Notification Center on Big
towards a simpler and more overview of upcoming dates to access your Reminders Sur, and linking your account
universal approach. The while notes, images, and video and Calendar apps, it uses its means sending an email to
software is also slated to can be attached to tasks. The own Things Cloud server to a special Things address,
receive collaboration support Pro version enables custom sync to iOS, although the turning it into a to–do —
this year. Those things apart, Perspectives for advanced iPhone and Watch and the useful if you’re away from
it’s a slick and professional filtering and tagging as well iPad apps are both separate your devices. There’s also a
app with a clean, single– as greater customization purchases. Projects store This Evening view that groups
window interface. Items can options. It’s a great personal your lists of to–dos, and you events or tasks, easy checklist
be grouped into Projects and task manager, if a bit pricey. can also define Areas as a creation, and quick searching.
each one contains Actions way of grouping tasks — these
which appear in a list. Projects Well–designed, easy to use might include home life, Beautiful, simple design
can be parallel, sequential, or Good granular task editing work, family, and so on. An Highly customizable
single actions depending on Rather expensive assignable keyboard shortcut Dedicated, secure sync server
how they relate to other lets you enter a to–do from
Projects. The Inspector panel No collaboration at present anywhere on your Mac. Tasks Very basic sharing features
reveals a series of tabs where SOLID can be reordered by dragging, GREAT
Image rights from left: The Omni Group, Cultured Code. MAY 2021 59
>>> Reviews
> TickTick
Free; Premium features $2.99/month, $27.99/year
> Todoist
Free; Premium features $3/month or $35.99/year
From TickTick, ticktick.com From Todoist, todoist.com
5 TickTick is the only app

on test where your
you can set sharing edit
permissions. The Premium 6 Todoist has an
appealing, pared–down
people allowed on the Free
plan, 25 on the Premium, and
purchase of the Mac app also version is well worth it as it design that belies its true 50 on the Business plan. The
unlocks full functionality in enables more comprehensive power. The Home screen has paid tiers come with features
the iOS and Watch apps, calendar views, task duration, Inbox, Home, and Upcoming like file uploads, productivity
which is a definite plus. On custom smart lists and more views, and tasks can be trends, automatic backups,
the Mac it has a relatively reminders, sharing members, grouped into Projects. and more. However, the free
plain interface with some and attachments. The design A unique feature is Boards, tier doesn’t allow reminders,
standard ways to view and isn’t as slick as some others where you can create custom calendar sync, labels, or
group tasks including today, but it has a very competitive columns of tasks and drag filters. But $3 per month
7 day, and calendar views, feature set for its price. tasks between columns to unlocks all but the highest–
with lists and smart lists for update their status. Also end business features, and
sorting by priority, due date, Affordable very useful is a customizable that’s a reasonable price.
and more. There’s also novel One purchase unlocks key shortcut to “quick add”
features like voice input, Mac and iOS apps a new task from the Finder Beautiful, efficient workflow
email–to–task, add task via or anywhere on your Mac, Excellent collaboration features
Siri, keyboard shortcuts, and Decent collaboration features complete with tags, priority
smart date parsing for auto Workflow could be flagging, reminder, and notes.
Unique Boards view
creation of reminders. Lists more polished Todoist is built for Free tier is relatively limited
of tasks can be shared and GREAT collaboration, with up to five AWESOME
60 MAY 2021 Image rights from left: Appest Limited, Doist.

THE WINNER
TODOIST
The perfect balance of workflow,
features, and pricing
A NY OF THE apps on test will fulfil your
essential task management requirements.
TickTick offers a competitive and well–
rounded feature set for a sensible price, and is also
the only app that includes full iOS functionality
But it’s Todoist that hits the sweet spot with
its attractive design and clever workflow that
puts a multitude of tools at your fingertips while
remaining friendly to use. Even though the free
plan is really quite limited, the eminently
with your purchase. Things 3 is the most Mac–like affordable $3 per month plan unlocks all but the
and could almost have been designed by Apple, few very highest–level features — and those are
though its collaboration capabilities are lacking. aimed at businesses — like collaboration with up to
OmniFocus is arguably the most technical–feeling, 25 people, file uploads, the clever Boards view for
and has much for power users but won’t receive visualizing progress, and much more. To top it off,
collaborative tools until a future update. it’s wonderfully designed and a joy to use.
Image rights: Doist. MAY 2021 61

APP LIFE
THIS MONTH’S MOST INTERESTING iPHONE & iPAD APPS
CARROT Weather
And the outlook is: Totally essential
Free (IAPs) From Grailr, meetcarrot.com/weather
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 13.0 or later
When it comes to receive sagely advice like:

mobile weather “Don’t worry, the rain will
apps, CARROT wash away the evidence.”
Weather has long With version 5, though,
been the oddball in the corner. personality is joined by
Forecasts are laced with snark personalization — CARROT
and sarcasm, presented by a Weather can be bent to your
malevolent AI biding its time will through its Interface
as a meteorologist before going Maker. You can opt to dive
Unlike many all Skynet. When it’s about to right in, but the app prefers to CARROT’s maps are packed with detail
iPad weather rain you’ll see the usual gradually unlock components, but noticeably less fluid than Dark Sky’s
apps, CARROT raindrop symbol and a rainfall drip–feeding the feature over
can utilize your prediction, but you’ll also be a few days so it doesn’t you end up with a range of
entire display. told it “sucks to be you” or overwhelm. When it’s done, panels to add, edit, and
rearrange. Although if that
sounds like far too much
effort, several varied presets
are provided.
Whichever path you decide
to take, you’ll marvel at the
possibilities. CARROT Weather
can be made to resemble rival
apps or the weather app you
always wanted to use. But its
smarts don’t stop there. One
of the new components is a
set of cards that contextually
surfaces useful data that’s
normally buried in other apps.
Long–pressing on almost
anything provides instant
access to fine details. And
quick actions from the tab bar
rapidly get you to commonly
used features.
The other big change is the
price: CARROT Weather now
62 MAY 2021 Image rights: Grailr LLC.

Always take the

APP TIPS
weather with you

The interface designer
is powerful. Features are
drip–fed over several days.
Tab–hold tab buttons for fast access to

settings. You can swap sources and
switch between imperial and metric.
starts off free, but can quickly CARROT Weather’s creator
become expensive. If you opt has in the past reminded us
to not pay, all that stuff about that data isn’t free. Apple and
customization goes out of the other giants eat data costs or
window — and you also lose flood weather apps with ads.
iCloud settings sync, Siri CARROT Weather wants to
shortcuts, maps, sources be better (when not plotting
beyond Foreca, notifications, humankind’s destruction,
Apple Watch complications, obviously). To that end, Ultra
and even widgets. That’s not to seems a reasonable ask in its
say the free version of CARROT annual incarnation — which
Weather is bad — you still get you’re pushed toward, what
a compact, usable main view with the hefty monthly Almost everything in CARROT Weather
that’s dotted with the alternative. And for that you is a context menu. Tap–hold a card or
aforementioned cards, and the get what’s now the most hour’s/day’s forecast for detailed info.
only ad banner you’ll be happy customizable weather app on
to see in an app. (It either iPhone, iPod touch or iPad
displays a joke or points you at – and, given its capabilities and
one of the CARROT Weather feature set, also the best.
creator’s favorite indie apps.) THE BOTTOM LINE. The
But it is basic fare. funniest weather app is now
Choose to pay and CARROT also simply the best available.
Weather’s first tier is $4.99 per CRAIG GRANNELL
month — but that becomes
palatable if you instead pay CARROT WEATHER
annually ($19.99). There’s also
an Ultra tier (double the cost, Hugely customizable interface
adding rain/lightning/storm Lashings of accessible info
cell notifications and a few Infused with personality You can share forecasts smartly: redact
other features) and Family your location, omit CARROT’s snark,
Ultra ($44.99), enabling Ultra Map clunkier than Dark Sky’s and capture all or part of the screen.
use across families). AWESOME
Image rights: Grailr LLC. MAY 2021 63

>>> App Life
Fuzion 2.0
Jazz up your portraits with stylish effects
Free (IAPs) From Leslie, fuzion.photo
Made for iPhone or iPod touch Needs iOS 12.4 or later
Fuzion for iOS is an image format images of your dog, for

editing app for quickly example, isn’t supported.
layering and masking There are also now presets
portrait photos with that dial in a bunch of
graphics and other effects, without settings for you, and these
requiring the use of advanced tools. can be edited using the same
It’s free to download and an IAP edit tools you would use if
($3.99/month or $19.99/year) starting from a raw image
unlocks the full feature set of styles rather than a preset. But you
and graphics content. don’t appear to be able to save
Version 2 adds some major new your own presets, which is
features as part of a redesigned a shame. The developers add
interface, starting with machine new presets on an ongoing
learning. Now it can read the depth basis, and the editing tools
map data in a portrait–format image are comprehensive within
taken on a compatible device. And the specialized approach the
it can identify a face in any portrait– app takes to creating looks.
style image and separate it from its Backgrounds, fills and faces
background, making it possible to can be faded, have their colors
achieve the cutout effect. This is changed, and different masking Fuzion is a fun layering and special
helpful since many portrait snaps effects employed. Light overlays and effects app for portraits that’s easy
may not have been taken in portrait gradients can be added with a tap. All to use and capable of great results.
mode. However, it does require this is via easy–to–follow tools and A monthly subscription may be best
a human face — taking portrait– sliders that don’t require any to begin with, however, so you can
experience of working with graphics. see if the unique picture style holds
Also new are text and stickers, your attention for longer than that.
with attractive fonts and one–click THE BOTTOM LINE. A fun and
masking to place them behind your friendly app for creating stylish
subject. One suggestion the portraits. HOLLIN JONES
developer makes is using these to
create movie–style posters and in FUZION 2.0
practice this works very well. When
you’re done editing, the picture can Can detect any face portrait
be posted to social media or saved to Cool effects without the hassle
your Camera Roll, though there are Only detects human faces
currently no quality or format
You can adjust the properties of any element options, so exports are just regular More export options would be good
on the canvas. JPEGs at fairly small file sizes. GREAT
64 MAY 2021 Image rights: Leslie.

Focos
Bokeh and light editing for any image
Free (IAPs) From Xiaodong Wang, focos.me
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11 or later
Apple’s dual or maximum blur. The app

three–camera makes a good job of picking
phones simulate out your subject, though it’s
“bokeh,” the preferable if they’re on a
creamy, blurred backgrounds simple background or indeed
achieved with wide–aperture much closer to the camera
SLR lenses. The iPhone’s two than the objects behind
cameras create a depth map them. A Patch mode lets you
which Photos uses to blur manually draw or erase the
the background but not the depth mask to fine–tune it,
foreground. In Photos that’s and there are hardness and
where your options end, but flow controls to correct
Focos goes far beyond that. anything the app’s analysis
Version 2 introduced may have got slightly wrong.
machine learning that You can tap to move the focus
analyses any image, not just area in an image, though it
portrait–mode photos, and can only defocus, not
creates a virtual depth map. sharpen areas of the original
Open up an image from that are already blurred.
your Camera Roll — RAW The bokeh can be precisely is supported, as well as up to Increase the
files are now supported too controlled not just in its 24 megapixel resolution if virtual aperture
— and the app either reads or intensity but also the shape the original file was this size. size to blur
creates depth data. Using of the virtual lens diaphragms Going far beyond Apple’s backgrounds
the Aperture Size slider you and the luminance and depth–editing tools, Focos is in portrait or
can blur the background from vibrance of the shapes they a great tool to control images’ regular images.
f20, which is essentially no create. Multiple virtual lenses virtual depth of field.
blur, down to f1.4, which is are available for different THE BOTTOM LINE. An
results and a Custom Lens effective depth editor for all
tool lets you control the your images. HOLLIN JONES
appearance of the
background. Selecting the FOCOS
Lighting tool jumps you into
depth mode and you can add Advanced bokeh control
different kinds of virtual and Free version still powerful
colored light, placing them in Virtual 3D lighting effects
the 3D environment to
Use Patch mode to manually change re-light your subject after the Masking sometimes needs a tweak
the blur mask. fact. High–quality exporting EXCELLENT
Image rights: Focos Camera. MAY 2021 65

>>> App Life
Motif: Photo Books

Create attractive photo products on the go
Free (IAPs) From RR Donnelley, motifphotos.com
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11.0 or later
The updated Motif 2.0 such as Recent, Selfies, or images shot in

enables you to create Portrait mode. Motif 2.0 also enables you
attractive printed photo to use the iOS photo picker to search
products from the comfort your image library for people, locations, Motif automatically places the best pics into
of your iPhone’s display. It now boasts and keywords. Motif then analyzes a variety of layouts, which you can then tweak.
the welcome ability to use Apple ProRAW potential shots for optimal focus, clarity,
files, enabling you to produce better and lighting before recommending the photos on various pages. You can then
quality prints. You can also now create best images. The app’s improved image fine–tune the layout manually. Motif
personalized calendars that start from curation groups similar photos into warns you of problems (such as low–
any month you choose, making them an stacks to save space. You can ungroup resolution shots) to ensure a premium
attractive present at any time of the year. these stacks and then choose your printed product.
After choosing a print product you favorite images manually. THE BOTTOM LINE. Quickly get your
can browse for images either from The updated Motif also boasts new photos out of cyberspace and onto a wall
automatically generated Memories, themes for your printed products such as or shelf. GEORGE CAIRNS
albums, or the Camera Roll. A filter “Holiday Cheer.” Tap to choose a theme
enables you to browse by Categories then use Autoflow to quickly place EXCELLENT
Tweetbot 6
A taste of tweets to come
Free (IAPs) From Tapbots, tapbots.com
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS/iPadOS 14.0 or later
Apps like Tweetbot played a The app doesn’t look much different:
huge part in making Twitter the interface is largely unchanged but its
successful, but in 2018 colors and fonts have been freshened up.
Twitter did its best to kill But as you explore you’ll find some useful The refreshed Tweetbot enables you to add
them off by limiting the features they new features, such as the ability to filter private notes about people you follow.
could use. In Tweetbot 5 we can see how your feed in lots of useful ways. Filtering
many people liked our tweets but not who enables you to create conditions such as promises that as Twitter’s API improves,
they are, we can’t see Twitter polls, and only showing original messages but not so will the app. If the features don’t
there are artificial delays between updates. replies; or muting quote tweets, users, appeal there’s no real reason to jump
The new Twitter API 2.0 finally keywords, or hashtags. On individual from Tweetbot 5 just yet, but v6 does
addresses some of the things that made profiles you can add private notes so you indicate that Tweetbot’s future is bright.
life so difficult for third–party apps. remember why you followed them, and THE BOTTOM LINE. Filters are great
Tweetbot 6 is built on it, and the full you can also create Tweet Topics that but this is very much a work in progress.
version’s $5.99/year subscription service chain your tweets together. CARRIE MARSHALL
reflects the fact that Twitter access isn’t This is a work in progress — Tapbots
free for developers. calls this the Early Access version and GREAT
66 MAY 2021 Image rights from top: RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Tapbots.
Scan Thing
Quick and easy scanning
Free (IAPs) From Operates Spaceships, scanthing.app
Made for iPhone Needs iOS 14.0 or later
This app lets you with fuzzier borders on

scan almost complicated backgrounds,
anything. You can the app struggles a little, but
scan objects and still does a decent job. Given
isolate them from their how quickly Scan Thing can
environment, ready to be isolate subjects and its high
saved as an image or shared. level of accuracy in most
And you can scan documents situations, these occasional
and save them as PDF files, or errors are negligible.
scan text on a page to be Wherever you tap, Scan
pasted wherever you like. Thing will cut out all targets
Scan Thing’s default mode it finds. If there are multiple
is for scanning objects. Open objects, it isolates them all.
the app and point your device You can’t save each object
at your chosen object, then separately, but you can
tap the screen; after a second narrow the selection window
or two, the object is isolated before scanning.
from the background. You You can also apply Scan
can then save it as a PNG file Thing’s magic to images and
on your device or share it files saved on your device by upgrade is recommended. In Scan Thing gives
with friends and other apps. dragging your finger over the return, you get a fun, effective a variety of
Object scanning is mostly area you want scanned. And scanning app that’s quick scanning options
accurate. For well–defined you can scan documents by and easy to use. Text scanning to choose from.
subjects, edges are crisp and snapping a page in the app, is unformatted, but that’s
sharp (although we did notice then save it as a PDF or copy forgivable considering the
some blurring around curved its text to the clipboard. app’s strengths.
sides at times). For objects Instead of saving a doc, THE BOTTOM LINE. A good
there’s a tool that lifts its app for scanning things in
text off the page. This is one a flash. ALEX BLAKE
of the weakest areas of Scan
Thing, as it doesn’t take SCAN THING
paragraph breaks into
account. It’s fine for quick Fast scans
scans, but you’ll probably Mostly accurate
need to edit the text later for Lots of options
all but single paragraphs.
Scans of text snippets work well, but You only get a few scans in Struggles with text paragraphs
paragraph breaks aren’t recognized. the free version, so paying to GREAT
Image rights: Operates Spaceships. MAY 2021 67

>>> App Life
6 apps to rejuvenate
your gardenTurn over a new leaf with these
handy gardening apps
Spring is upon us, and that means there are plenty of apps to help you.
now is the perfect time to get out We’ve rounded up six gardening
in the garden and put your green apps that do everything from
fingers to work. But while gardening identifying plants and offering
may seem like a very traditional growing tips to planning your dream
pastime, it can really benefit from a garden in minute detail. Best of all,
touch of digital assistance. Whether they’re all completely free to get
you want to grow your own veg or started. What will you do with your
nurture a field of beautiful flowers, green space? ALEX BLAKE
ISCAPE VEGGIE GARDEN PLANNER FROM SEED TO SPOON

Free (IAPs) From iscapeit.com Free (IAPs) From bentosoftware. Free From seedtospoon.net
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
To have a thriving garden, you first need While iScape focuses on your entire Growing plants and vegetables can be
to plan it to perfection. Visualizing how garden, Veggie Garden Planner drills a trial–and–error process, especially if
the finished product should look can be down into the detail of planting and you’ve never cultivated a certain species
tricky, but iScape makes it a real walk in growing your own vegetables. You get before. Fill the gaps in your knowledge
the park. This handy app lets you plan a top–down view of your plot, with tips on with From Seed To Spoon, which offers
and landscape your garden from the which vegetables grow well next to each easy–to–follow growing guides for over
comfort of your device. With tons of other and which are bad neighbors, when 100 plants, complete with location–based
design tools on hand and easy ways to to sow and when to harvest, and advice planting dates. There are pest–avoidance
purchase the products you need, you’ll on best practices for crop rotation. It tips, advice on when to harvest, and
have a ready–to–go plan in no time. takes away the guesswork from growing. discounted prices for seeds.
68 MAY 2021 Image rights from left: iScape Holdings, Bento Software, From Seed to Spoon.
GARDENIZE SMART PLANT HOME PICTURETHIS
Free (IAPs) From gardenize.com Free (IAPs) From smartplanthome. Free (IAPs) From picturethisai.
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch com Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
As your plants grow and your garden Rearing an outdoor garden is one thing, Do you have a mystery plant lurking in
develops, it’s important to keep track but growing plants and flowers indoors your garden that you can’t identify? Get
of everything and ensure it’s going is another matter entirely. Smart Plant PictureThis. This clever app uses artificial
according to plan. The Gardenize journal Home is a great companion for your intelligence to classify almost anything
app lets you record your plants and the houseplants, giving you tailored tips and that’s growing in your garden — just snap
actions you’ve taken through photos, advice from a host of experts. With a a quick picture and it gets to work. Once
notes, and reminders to help them plant–care calendar, flower identification the unknown plant has been unmasked,
flourish. You can also connect with other tools, and handy advice for your outdoor PictureThis can diagnose problems and
users and find inspiration in their garden as well, it has all you need for guide you on how to care for it, with
gardening success stories. happy horticulture. reminders and notes.
Image rights from left: Gardenize, Green Chip Tech , Glority. MAY 2021 69
>>> Best of
Best of the best

Can’t find the hardware or app you’re looking for in our reviews section? Then check
in here — we’ve highlighted the best in every major category, as voted for by us
> HARDWARE
CATEGORY PRODUCT WEB PRICE FEATURES
MESH ROUTER Zyxel Multy U zyxel.com $269.99 AC2100, 3 nodes, tri–band, MU–MIMO
4K USB–C MONITOR BenQ EW3280U benq.com $799.99 32–inch 4K IPS, HDR, USB–C, 65W charging
THUNDERBOLT DOCK Brydge Stone Pro brydge.com $239.99 11 ports, 87W power supply, dual display
KEYBOARD Logitech MX Keys For Mac logitech.com $99.99 Backlighting, number pad, USB–C
PRINTER Epson Expression Photo HD epson.com $349.99 Wide–format,
capacity
wireless printing, 200
EXTERNAL HDD iStorage diskAshur M2 istorage-uk.com $169 7-15 digit PIN, IP68 rated, shockproof
NAS DEVICE WD My Cloud Pro PR2100 wdc.com $399.99 Up to 20TB, 4GB RAM, 2x Gigabit Ethernet
Qi CHARGER Belkin BOOSTCHARGE TrueFreedom Pro belkin.com $129.99 2x 10W charging, supports 3mm thick case
HEADPHONES Bose NC700 bose.com $399.95 10 noise–cancelling steps, 20 hours battery
IN–EAR HEADPHONES Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 cambridgeaudio.com $99.95 Noise–cancelling, wireless charging case
SECURITY CAMERA EufyCam 2C (two–pack kit) eufylife.com $239.99 Battery–powered, floodlight, local storage
SMART SPEAKER HomePod mini apple.com $99 360–degree sound, stereo pair, AirPlay 2
21.5–INCH MONITOR Dell P2219HC dell.com $149.99 1920x1080,
USB–C
IPS, HDMI, 2x DisplayPort,
70 MAY 2021 Image rights from left to right: Belkin, Doist Ltd, Silvio Rizzi.
> iOS APPS
CATEGORY PRODUCT WEB PRICE NEEDS
TO DO (PRODUCTIVITY) Things 3 culturedcode.com $9.99 iOS 10 or later
WRITING Scrivener literatureandlatte.com $19.99 iOS 9 or later
EMAIL Spark sparkmailapp.com Free iOS 10 or later
PHOTO EDITOR Pixelmator for iPad pixelmator.com $4.99 iOS 11 or later
VIDEO EDITOR LumaFusion 2.0 luma-touch.com $14.99 iOS 11 or later
CAMERA FiLMiC Firstlight filmicpro.com $7.99 iOS 13 or later
RSS READER Reeder 5 reeder.app $4.99 iOS 14 or later
IDEAS ORGANIZER OmniOutliner3 omnigroup.com Free (IAPs) iOS 11.2 or later
NOTE–TAKING Notability 10 gingerlabs.com $8.99 iOS 12 or later
MIND–MAPPING MindNode 6 mindnode.com $14.99 iOS 11 or later
DOCUMENT SCANNER Prizmo 5 creaceed.com Free (IAPs) iOS 12.2 or later
CALENDAR Fantastical 3 flexibits.com $4.99/month iOS 13 or later
WEATHER Carrot Weather 5 meetcarrot.com $4.99/month iOS 13 or later
> macOS APPS

CATEGORY PRODUCT WEB PRICE NEEDS
TO DO (PRODUCTIVITY) Todoist
!WEN
todoist.com $35.99/year OS X 10.11 or later

WRITING Ulysses 21 ulysses.app $49.99/year macOS 10.14.4 or later
EMAIL Canary Mail 2 canarymail.io $19.99 OS X 10.10 or later
PHOTO EDITOR Affinity Photo affinity.serif.com $49.99 OS X 10.7 or later
VIDEO EDITOR Final Cut Pro apple.com $299.99 macOS 10.13 or later
SCREEN CAPTURE ScreenFlow 9 telestream.net $129.00 macOS 10.12 or later
MUSIC CREATION Logic Pro X apple.com $199.99 macOS 10.12 or later
FILE ORGANIZER ForkLift 3 binarynights.com $29.95 OS X 10.11 or later
DESKTOP PUBLISHING Adobe InDesign adobe.com $20.99 (p/m) macOS 10.13 or later
BACKUP Carbon Copy Cloner bombich.com $39.99 OS X 10.10 or later
VIRTUALIZATION Parallels Desktop 16 parellels.com $79.99 macOS 10.13 or later
TIME–TRACKING Tyme 3 tyme-app.com $3.99/month macOS 10.13.2 or later
PERSONAL FINANCE Quicken quicken.com $34.99 (1 year) OS X 10.11 or later
MAY 2021 71
HOME LIFE
>>> Home Life
BETTER LIVING THROUGH SMARTER TECHNOLOGY
FITTER,
HAPPIER,
STRONGER
BY ALEX COX
Could home tech make the gym a thing of the past — even when
we’re allowed to work up a sweat in the presence of others again?
etting smart about month) fired out of the gate with trainer–led workout program of
G getting fit is all
about doing the
something of a bang at Apple’s
previous big event, joining the
Nike’s Training Club, the
personalized workout plans of
right things at the likes of Apple TV+ in the firm’s Fitbit’s premium tier, or the
right time. Even if you’re free of push to add a bunch of content many great yoga apps out there
specific movement restrictions to its growing ecosystem. It’s (see “Yoga apps” on p74).
and curfews, the way we go about versatile, with video workouts
our daily business likely isn’t that let you see your current data PICK YOUR POISON
changing for a while. So now on screen (piped there directly Which service suits you is going
would appear to be the perfect from your Apple Watch) as well to be a very personal thing, and
time to put that expensive gym as customizing the music that that assessment probably won’t
membership on hold and dial up gets you moving. be an easy decision based on
your activity in and around your Peloton’s instructor–led class which one looks nicest. It’s going
home. There are a host of devices formula ($12.99 per month) is to be something you decide after
and apps that'll get you moving, another that’s gained traction, drilling down a little deeper into
with more released in the past with a host of exercise options on the options. You’ll probably
year than ever before, but let’s offer beyond the spin classes you prefer different instructors,
start with those that try to bring might expect. And Ultrahuman different workouts, different
that authentic gym experience ($13.99 per month) has launched ways of going about it.
into your home. with a top–to–bottom fitness A live class might prove more
Subscriptions are a big thing subscription covering overall motivational than a recorded
now, and they’re only getting fitness as well as sleep and session, or it might be too much
bigger. Apple, of course, has its mindfulness. That’s not to pressure; an enthusiastic trainer
own: Apple Fitness+ ($9.99 per mention the (partially) free might be just the thing you need
72 MAY 2021
Home Fitness
> Static bikes
TechnoGym
Recline Forma
$4,310, technogym.com
A sturdy gym–quality reclining
bike suitable for your home, fully
adjustable to suit your height. You
get on–bike heart rate monitoring
and an “entertainment support”
for your iPad.
Wattbike Atom
$2,599, wattbike.com
The Wattbike Atom uses
electromagnetic resistance to give
you a seamless riding experience
when you pair it with apps like
Zwift or Wattbike’s own Hub.
Fancy a hill climb? You’re on!
to get moving, or an irritant you to want to gather about your
don’t need in your life. Where progress, but not so much if all
possible, we’d suggest you you want to do is raise your heart
sample free trials of these rate a little. Peloton, conversely,
services if they’re available, does not demand that you pick
and don’t get sucked into the up either its Tread (from $2,495)
perceived value of a yearly or Bike (from $1,895) to partake
subscription — at least until in Peloton classes, but it does
you’ve tried it out for a month divide its subscription plan into Schwinn Airdyne
and are sure you’ll carry on. those who have and have not. AD8
Around $1,699,
Of course, that sort of loose The pricier version, for schwinnfitness.com
commitment is not always an equipment owners, gets you
option. Some subscriptions are family coverage and taps into the Space–saving design, upper– and
tied to hardware. Apple’s option live on–screen tracking, helping lower–body workouts, and infinite
demands an Apple Watch, for you feel more involved in the resistance make Schwinn’s clever
instance, which does make sense classes, while the free version bike a true workout master. Be
in terms of the data you’re likely offers a more cut–down subset of warned: it’s intense.
Image rights clockwise from left: Peloton Interactive, Technogym, Wattbike, Nautilus. MAY 2021 73
>>> Home Life
> Yoga apps
DDP Yoga Now Asana Rebel Glo

$39.99 per quarter, ddpyoga.com $37.99 per quarter, asanarebel.com $22.99 per month, glo.com
If you need motivation to stretch, who An oh–so–hip app with yoga at its core but Yoga, mindfulness and pilates in one app,
better than a 6ft 5in pro wrestler still able plenty of cardio, HIIT, and nutrition ladled which personalizes its offerings based on
to go in the ring well into his 60s? DDP’s on top. There’s also sleep, mindfulness and a simple three–question quiz. Glo is perfect
no–nonsense routines and slightly macho musical selections designed to help you get for beginners and experts alike, and it’s
moves will work wonders for anyone. more from your healthy new mindset. easy to organize classes into collections.
Peloton’s features but still offers compatible with the company’s own you’re blessed with space there’s
access to classes. heart rate trackers and is also happy a host of awesome smart fitness
Fiit is a great option if you’ve got to work with third–party trackers. devices out there.
no equipment. There’s a 14–day free Take the NOHRD Sprintbok,
trial of its mix of HIIT, strength SPATIAL AWARENESS a manual treadmill (meaning it’s
training, yoga, pilates, and mobility Big kit means a big commitment, powered entirely by your legs) with
lessons; there are 60 scheduled both financially and in terms of the a beautiful curved wooden frame
group workouts a day if you prefer space in your home. For many of us, which gives you the opportunity to
a little competition, and you can add accommodating a large piece of gym create your own running workouts
equipment if you like. It’s equipment just isn’t feasible, but if as well as following those delivered
through its touch screen. A very
Are you eating right?

attractive thing, as long as you have
a spare 14 square feet of floor space
and somewhere in the region of
Getting the right fuel for a workout what your metabolism is doing $7,799 to spend.
is vital, and the way your body — specifically whether you’re So let’s consider some devices
processes food is as important as burning fat or carbs. Tracked over with a smaller footprint. The
what you eat. If you’re getting smart time, you’ll build up a profile of when gym-quality TechnoGym MyRun
and serious about your training, a your body does what, and how ($2,980) is slightly smaller, can
metabolism tracker may be the effective your diet and be inclined up to 12 degrees, and
ultimate solution — a device like workout plans are. The includes a stand for an iPad which
the Lumen (around $485) will Lumen app will offer advice lets you connect to the dedicated
analyze the way your body on how to change your TechnoGym app or something
is working and provide workout patterns or on like Zwift to create yourself
appropriate advice. what you should be eating. a custom run. You can fold it down
Essentially, the Lumen We’d also argue that too, but you’ll need to use the
combines a CO2 meter and Lumen’s digestion–tracking included tool to do so. If you really
flow rate sensor attached tech isn’t too far removed want compactness and don’t plan
to a mouthpiece into which from the heart rate tracker to go too fast, the WalkSlim 630
you inhale and exhale. It on your watch. It’s been WalkingPad (around $1,000) literally
calculates the carbon adopted by some serious folds in half along the middle of its
dioxide concentration of Monitoring your gut’s athletes already, and it belt, and it’s small enough to easily
your breath, which tells it as easy as breathing. might just work for you. slide under a bed for storage when
you’re done sweating.
74 MAY 2021 Image rights, clockwise from top–left: DDP Yoga, Asana Rebel, Glo, Metaflow.
Home Fitness
Virtual training The Oculus Quest 2 is lighter, cheaper, and has a higher resolution than its predecessor.
For an immersive training experience, a wildly varying level of challenge to BoxXR) is well–presented with a wide
virtual reality is the way to go. We’d it. We’d also recommend boxing sim range of activities, while OhShape
recommend the self–contained wire– Thrill Of The Fight (provided you have will have you posing and stretching to
free experience of the Oculus Quest the room to move around). Going fit your body through holes which
2 (from $299), which has a bunch of three rounds with its AI opponents rush towards you. But Supernatural’s
games that’ll get you sweating while will have you dodging and swinging ever-changing (Beat Saber-esque)
you’re having fun. through a surprisingly tough workout. routines, which include a lot of
Your day–one purchase should If you really catch the VR bug, squatting, are probably the best
probably be Beat Saber, one of the there are specific workout apps to — the only real problem is its $20 per
best rhythm games ever made, with scratch your itch. FitXR (formerly month subscription fee.
As long as you don’t have meaning availability is often limited wouldn’t normally be able to get
downstairs neighbors, Tangram’s just to its own country. Apps don’t a handle on, and you’ll see
Smart Rope, we suppose, has a (generally) have any limits, so improvements and gains as you go.
footprint as large as yours. As you they’re not going anywhere. The key, It’s arguable, though, that
jump it can track your hops on your we feel, is going to be motivating although the Apple Watch is a
phone, track your time trained and, yourself to hit goals that don’t require superb personal fitness device, it’s
if you opt for the $79.95 version, it spin bikes or cross trainers, and still not enough for the hardcores.
ties persistence–of–vision (PoV) instead working on improving your Committed runners tend to lean
LEDs into the rope section. This own metrics. So measuring those towards Garmin. Its Forerunner 245
displays your jump count in mid–air metrics in the right way is crucial. Music is a great option at $349.99,
as you train, meaning you don’t lose There’s no better monitor of with a vast range of monitoring and
focus looking over at your phone. overall personal health than the the ability to store music, though the
Apple Watch Series 6 (from $399), $599.99 Forerunner 945 is a far more
MASTERING METRICS with its blood oxygen and ECG advanced choice. But there’s no
A note, now, about availability. Lots measurements. As long as you bear reason you even need to spend that.
of people have used their enforced in mind that the measurements If a $25 no-name fitness tracker
home stays as an opportunity to should generally be used as baseline from Amazon will get you accurate
purchase gym equipment. That’s comparisons rather than ultra- enough stats that you’re happy, that
understandable, but it does mean accurate diagnoses, the Apple Watch could be the only investment you
stock levels have diminished greatly is a perfect companion for fitness need to make.
— there are loads of smart products tracking. Take it on a hike, jump up If you’re really interested in
we looked to recommend here but and down on the spot repeatedly, or running, the best and most accurate
found entirely unavailable. Fitness do exercises like resistance training heart rate monitors are those which
gear also tends to be very bulky, which movement-based trackers go around your chest. The Wahoo
Tickr X ($79.99) is one of the most
highly regarded Bluetooth heart rate
monitors out there, slimmer and less
conspicuous than its predecessor. It
doesn’t only keep tabs on your
ticker, it’ll help you track runs or
bike rides and can even detect your
reps if you’re doing weight training.
Garmin’s HRM–Run ($99.99) is
probably a better choice if you’re
specifically into running above all
other forms of exercise, but it has hit
the pandemic curse and stock (at
The Fiit app will introduce you to some no–nonsense personal trainers. press time) has been affected.
Image rights clockwise from top: Facebook Technologies, Fiit. MAY 2021 75
Hot topics
right now
ASK
TECH SUPPORT & TECHSPLANATIONS
> Starting with a clean M1

Email Mac|Life at ask@maclife.com
When I get a new Mac, I like to start it from an external disk, wipe its internal storage,
Make sure you check and install macOS afresh. How can I go about doing that with my new M1 Mac mini?
out these important
support articles on
Apple’s website to Enter the M1’s 1 True Recovery mode by and system software from an IPSW image
better understand continuing to press its Power button when file, which Configurator downloads for you.
the latest features. starting up until it’s loading. Then click Installation should take less than 15 minutes.
Options and use Disk Utility to erase its Neither of these should be necessary.
System and Data volumes before installing Thanks to Big Sur’s new Sealed System
iMAC CAMERA NOT a fresh copy of macOS. Volume, it will only start up macOS if the
WORKING PROPERLY? That isn’t a complete wipe and install, entire system passes its integrity check, which
There are several reasons though. To do that, you need to put your mini relies on a tree of cryptographic “hashes” to
why your iMac’s built-in into DFU mode and connect it to another ensure that every single byte is correct. It
camera might not be Mac running the latest version of Apple then compares the overall “seal” with that
working, whether it’s Configurator 2, as detailed at bit.ly/ specified by Apple. If they don’t match, your
something to do with mac363config2. This erases the entire Mac invites you to reinstall macOS before it
Screen Time or simply internal SSD and installs your M1’s firmware will start up.
resetting the SMC. Find
out more here: Connecting an M1
bit.ly/ml180ask1. Mac in DFU mode to
Configurator lets you
wipe internal storage
CORRECT A REINSTALL and restore a fresh
ERROR FOR M1 MACS image of firmware
Some owners of M1 Macs and macOS.
are experiencing an error
during reinstallation of
macOS about failing to
personalize the software
update. If that sounds
familiar head here:
bit.ly/ml180ask2.
HOW TO USE THE NEW LG

ULTRAFINE 5K WITH
YOUR MAC OR iPAD
Find out what you need to
run this epic monitor, and
how to use it, on your Mac
or iPad at this link:
bit.ly/ml180ask3.

Tech Support & Techsplanations
Get official documentation at support.apple.com | Get help with hardware at support.apple.com/repair
> iPhone rings when sending mail Quick–fire

Whenever I send an email from it, my iPhone rings, although there’s no incoming call. questions
What’s wrong with it?
& answers
This most commonly results from having CAN MY iPHONE TELL
the wrong sound selected for the action Ensure that sound effects used are WHERE I’VE BEEN?
of sending email. Correcting that is quick distinct, and that none are set to use the This is enabled with
and simple. In Settings, tap Sounds & same that’s used for the ringtone. Location Services. In
Haptics (or just Sounds on some models), Settings tap Privacy >
and check that your Ringtone is set to Location Services. At the
Presto or your preferred alternative. bottom of that list tap
Then check that Sent Mail is set to a System Services >
different sound, normally named Swoosh. Significant Locations,
While you’re there, look through the other protected by FaceID, which
sound settings to ensure that nothing lists places considered
else is likely to cause such confusion. significant, starting from
Test that out by sending an email. If it your Home. You can disable
doesn’t work properly, shut down your this, and clear its history.
iPhone in the normal way, leave it for
a minute, then turn it back on. Go back HOW TO MINIMIZE
into the Sounds & Haptics settings to EFFECTS THAT
check that they’re still correct, and send TRIGGER VERTIGO?
another email to check. iOS has excellent support
More persistent problems are rare. for minimizing effects that
Check that you don’t have any apps can trigger and worsen
installed which might modify sounds or vestibular disorders such as
ringtones. If the worst comes to the vertigo. Open Settings, tap
worst, you might need to reset all its Accessibility, then Motion.
settings before the correct sounds are Enable Reduce Motion, the
used. This will also remove your current main control, and consider
network settings, the keyboard disabling auto–play of
dictionary, Home Screen layout, location effects in Messages and
and privacy settings, and Apple Pay video previews.
details, so you will need to set those up
again afterwards.
To do that, in Settings tap General
> Reset and choose Reset All Settings
from the options. Whatever you do,
don’t choose the Erase All Content and
Settings option, which will also remove all
content as well, which you’d then need to
restore from your backup.

>>> Ask
WHAT WI–FI SPEEDS DO

M1 MACS SUPPORT?
All three M1 models are the
first Macs to support the
new Wi–Fi 6 standard (aka
802.11ax). Although this isn’t
inherently much faster than
802.11ac used by other
recent Macs, it performs
better when there are
several devices accessing
the same router, provided
the router also supports Wi–
Fi 6. They also support all Before getting a dying drive replaced, salvage what you can from it when connected in Target Disk mode.
popular slower standards.
WHICH CONNECTION
TO USE TO MIGRATE
> Internal drive keeps throwing errors
I have an old 2010–ish iMac that I mainly use for Zoom meetings. It has recently started
TO A NEW MAC? crashing a lot, and on investigation Disk Utility reports errors it can’t repair. Neither can it
Use the fastest available to complete running Diagnostics without throwing an error. How can I reformat its hard disk?
both Macs. In order of
preference: Thunderbolt 3,
USB 3.1 Gen 2 through Your Mac’s internal hard disk is sick. This isn’t a local repair shop and get them to replace
USB–C, USB–A, an Ethernet surprising, as it’s around ten years old now, its hard disk. That should be inexpensive,
network cable connecting and most hard disks last no more than five and give it another year or more to support
them directly, or Wi–Fi years, so it’s done well. Although it might be your online meetings.
(normally slowest). possible to reformat it and install macOS, If you want to rescue anything off the sick
chances are that it will run into further disk before it’s formatted or replaced, connect
problems quickly, and at any time could die it to another Mac as a Target Disk. Connect
suddenly. To format its disk, you would either them back–to–back by the fastest possible
need to start up in Remote Recovery Mode, by means, such as Thunderbolt or USB, then
holding down the Opt+Cmd+R keys during start the target with the T key held down until
startup, or from a bootable external disk. the Target Mode icon appears on its display. Its
If the rest of the Mac is in good working internal disk should then mount on your other
order, and you want to prolong its life, locate Mac, so you can salvage what you can from it.

HOW TO GET
If a Mac’s Bluetooth ACCURATE CHARGE
hardware fails, you LEVELS FOR
should be able to TRACKPAD?
find an external > There’s a bug in
USB ‘dongle’ to act macOS 11.1 which
as a substitute. means the first time
you check your
Bluetooth in the menu
bar, charge levels
shown are out of date.
> Is my Mac’s Bluetooth failing?
Using my Bluetooth mouse is hard now as it repeatedly freezes for a few seconds before
Open it a second time
to see them updated.
returning to normal. Swapping the mouse and using a Trackpad don’t help, neither does HOW TO GET THE
turning Bluetooth off and on again. Is my Mac’s Bluetooth hardware failing? LAST DIAGNOSTICS
RESULT CODE?
> The result code from
Before accepting this is a hardware problem, try processor, perhaps with repeated crashes, that the last time your Mac
software remedies. Disable the lower and slower can cause identical signs. Finally, when you can ran diagnostics is
2.4GHz band on any Wi–Fi routers, which often rule out those more common software causes, stored in NVRAM. You
interferes with Bluetooth as they share the run Diagnostics by holding the D key during can check that in the
same radio frequencies. startup with both your Trackpad and keyboard Diagnostics item in
Try connecting your Trackpad using its connected by their charging cables. System Information.
charging cable to see if the freezing issue stops. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth hardware is part
If it continues freezing, then the problem isn’t of the main logic board, so repair is normally
with Bluetooth. expensive. In the meantime, you may be able to
Reinstalling macOS is another step worth find a Bluetooth USB dongle which is compatible
taking. If the Bluetooth drivers have become (get a money–back warranty in case it doesn’t
damaged, or another process is swamping the work, though).
> MacBook Pro recharges oddly in Big Sur

After upgrading to Big Sur, my MacBook Pro 16–inch 2019 is having problems recharging its battery. Sometimes when plugged
into wall power it won’t recharge when it shows a battery level well below 100%. Is its battery already starting to die?
It’s most likely that your MacBook Pro’s recent change in power management
battery is healthy, and what you’re in macOS aims to do.
experiencing is the result of changed To see this happening, open the
charging patterns introduced recently by Battery pane in System Preferences and
Apple to extend the working life of the check on its history. Rather than seeing a
batteries inside its devices. series of bars level at 100% when it’s run
Many laptops spend most of their on wall power, you should now see the
working lives connected to wall power, battery discharging slightly, before it’s
which previously kept their battery at recharged back to 100%. That pane and
a fairly constant full charge. It’s thought System Information give info about the
that doing so shortens the battery’s battery’s charge cycles and health which
working life, and has been related to you should find reassuring. If they do
problems like battery swelling too. Instead, suggest a problem, contact Apple The Battery pane has been extended in
it’s better to allow the battery to discharge Support — they should arrange a free Big Sur to provide more useful information
before recharging it. That’s what this replacement if your battery is defective. about its charge levels.

>>> Ask Start creating a new Virtual
Machine by selecting the
middle option in Parallels’
WHAT TO DO WITH Installation Assistant.
MY OLD CDS STORED
IN SD2F FILES?
Old versions of Roxio Toast
used to save optical disc
images in SD2F files, but
stopped doing so several years
ago. Currently the only app The Assistant can scan your Mac for
which accesses these is the suitable installation images, and should
costly Avid Pro Tools. We’ve find all that are suitable.
been unable to identify any
other app that can convert
SD2F files, although some
claim changing the extension
> Making a Mojave Virtual Machine
How can I create a Mojave virtual machine in Parallels Desktop to run my old apps?
to .iso allows macOS to
mount them so you can
recover their contents. You need the official installer for Mojave, select the middle option to Install Windows
available via the App Store link in bit.ly/ or another OS. If that doesn’t offer the
WHERE CAN I GET iMOVIE mac363macoslegacy. This is delivered installer app you’ve downloaded, click on
VERSION 9 FOR MOJAVE? through Software Update. Choose Manually and navigate the Open File
The App Store should offer a When you open Parallels for the first dialog to select the Apple installer that
version of iMovie 10 compatible time it should display a splash screen to you’ve downloaded.
with your current system. If step you through creating your first virtual Parallels then steps you through creating
you want iMovie 9.0.9, that isn’t machine (VM). If it doesn’t, use the New the VM and installing Mojave, then starts it
available from there, but can be command in the File menu. In the window, up so you can log it into your iCloud account.
downloaded from
bit.ly/mac363imovie9.
> Removing an app with
its System Extension
How should I remove AVG AntiVirus from my Mac?
WHY DID MY ZOOM APP Dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind command. Confirm that you want to
STOP WORKING IN BIG SUR? some of its components, so you should uninstall it in the dialog, and authenticate
It may be that you had an older, uninstall it properly. This has to be done using an admin account if you’re prompted
incompatible version. Run the from within the AVG AntiVirus app because to give your username and password.
Zoom installer to uninstall that the app installs a System Extension, as do If you trashed the app without doing
copy, download the current most anti–malware apps, whose removal is this, download a fresh copy, install that,
release from zoom.us/ best carried out by the app itself. Open the then uninstall it so macOS removes its
download, and install that. app and ensure its window is active. In the extension properly. System extensions are
(Check bit.ly/ app menu, use the Uninstall AVG AntiVirus usually installed in the System Extensions
mac363zoom4mac.) folder in Library, where macOS protects
them, so you can’t usually manually
TIME MACHINE uninstall them. That’s the responsibility of
INTERFACE OPTION? the app which uses them, and hands them
BackupLoupe (bit.ly/ over to macOS to manage. These are
mac363backuploupe) provides different from older kernel extensions,
a Finder–like browser for Apps like AVG AntiVirus that install System which end up in the Staged Extension
snapshots in each Time Machine Extensions should provide you with an uninstall folder, where they should be protected by
backup in recent macOS command to delete the app and its extension. SIP, so still can’t be manually removed.
versions, including Big Sur.
80 MAY 2021 Image rights from top: Apple, Avast Software.

> Numbers lost in translation Essential

support
When I copy and paste spreadsheet data between Numbers, Microsoft Excel and third–
party apps, much of the time it works well, but sometimes goes wrong, most often when
handling dates. How can I make it more reliable?
articles
Our advice may refer to
the following features;
Although macOS and apps have specific data One common error is that multiple empty check out the support
types to represent different types of number, cells collapse into a single cell, shifting those articles linked below
including time and dates, when you copy and to the right of it and disrupting every column. for full instructions.
paste most numeric data, including from This can occur because the character used to
spreadsheets, the contents of the cells are separate cell values is a tab, rather than the macOS RECOVERY
transferred as plain Unicode text. To enable comma used by the CSV format. Correcting The Recovery system
that, the app which you’re copying from that requires tedious manual editing. contains tools to help
converts numbers, times and dates into text There’s no general solution, but when copy you look up info online
separated by tabs — it doesn’t even use and paste runs into difficulty, leaving you when macOS won’t start,
Comma–Separated Value (CSV) format — with a lot of tidying up before you can use and to repair or reinstall
which is placed in the Clipboard. Then when those entries, try exporting as CSV instead, the system. Learn more
you paste that data, the receiving app has to import that, and do your copy and paste in at bit.ly/mlrecovery.
recognize the table structure and convert the same app. It will then use its own
each cell’s contents back into number formats. proprietary data format, which is most likely SAFE MODE
It’s a minor miracle that it works at all. to work fully. When you start your Mac
in Safe mode, macOS
performs extra checks
and stops certain third–
party software from
running. See how to use
it at bit.ly/mlsafemode.
RESET SMC & NVRAM
These features handle
low–level functions and
store key settings for
your Mac, respectively.
Resetting them can fix
various issues described
at bit.ly/mlresetsmc and
bit.ly/mlresetnvram.
HARDWARE ISSUES
Your Mac includes tools
that check for certain
hardware issues without
going to a Genius Bar.
For Macs introduced in
Inspecting the pasteboard contents after June 2013 or later, see
copying a block of data from Numbers bit.ly/mldiag, otherwise
shows the formats supported by that app.
see bit.ly/mlahwt.
SHARE WITH US! EMAIL: ask@maclife.com

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/maclife TWITTER: twitter.com/maclife

CREATE HOW TO DO ANYTHING ON YOUR MAC, iPHONE & iPAD
Run iOS apps

on your Mac
Get some cross–platform
goodness for your apps in
a few easy steps
REQUIRES WHEN APPLE ANNOUNCED its multiple windows, for example, while iOS
An M1 Mac running macOS Macs were transitioning from apps cannot; Mac apps are designed for
11 or later, an iOS device Intel processors to its own mouse or trackpad control, not finger–
M1 chips, one of the touted based gestures. Not every iOS app has
YOU WILL LEARN benefits was being able to run iOS apps been optimized for macOS, so running an
How to download natively on your Mac. And the really good unoptimized iOS app on your computer
and install iOS news is that this is extremely easy to do, may not be quite what you expect.
apps on macOS which we will outline in this tutorial. When browsing the Mac App Store for
That said, there are some things to be iOS apps, look out for “Not verified for
IT WILL TAKE aware of. For one thing, macOS and iOS macOS” in the description. If you do not
10 minutes work in different ways. Mac apps can use see that text, it indicates the developer
has taken the time to adapt the app for
the Mac and is likely to therefore give you
a better experience.
Some apps, though, may have had
less care devoted to them when they
were ported using Apple’s Mac Catalyst
framework (see the Jargon Buster). There
is still hope, though, as there are plenty
of ways you can improve these apps’
functionality. We will take you through
Even though many iOS apps are compatible on macOS them in this tutorial, showing you
and more than usable, you should be prepared for not only how to run these apps but
some things – such as menus – being designed with how to make the most of them too.
touch controls in mind. ALEX BLAKE

How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
HOW TO Install iOS apps on macOS
JARGON BUSTER
Mac Catalyst is Apple’s
tool for porting iPad
apps to the Mac. Many
Your app library Download an app of Apple’s own apps use
Open the App Store app and click your This will show every iOS or iPad app it, making them more
username in the bottom–left corner. This will associated with your Apple ID. From the consistent across
show a list of apps registered to your account. resulting list, find the app you want to install different platforms.
Click the iPhone & iPad Apps tab at the top on your Mac. Click the cloud icon to download
to filter by iOS and iPadOS apps. it and wait for it to install on your Mac.
Launch it on your Mac Increase display size

When the download finishes, you will be Open System Prefs > Accessibility >
able to launch the app. You can also install new Zoom and select the first two checkboxes. Click
apps by finding them the usual way on the App Advanced; in the next window, ensure the top
Store. Some apps may appear too small on option is set to “Only when the pointer reaches
your screen, in which case zooming in helps. an edge.” In your app, click View > Full Screen.
GENIUS TIP
Lots of iOS games work
well when played on the
Mac. That said, don’t
forget to check if yours
rely on your device’s
gyroscope for controls!
Touch Alternatives Use the macOS version
Many apps let you use your Mac’s Don’t forget to check the App Store and
gestures instead of swiping as on iOS. Open your favorite developers’ websites to see if
an app and click its name in the top–left of the they offer native macOS apps. Many popular
screen, then Touch Alternatives. This shows iOS apps, such as Spark, Things, Fantastical,
a dialog box with alternative controls for Mac. and many more, have native Mac versions.
Image rights: Apple maclife.com MAY 2021 83

>>> Create
BEFORE AFTER
Do more with Luminar AI

Create customized looks for your photos with template collections
REQUIRES LUMINAR AI’S TEMPLATES favorite collections of Luminar’s most
Luminar AI, macOS 10.13.6 panel is a useful springboard useful templates. You’ll also learn how to
or later to producing a range of edit an existing template to enhance the
creative looks in a few clicks. look it produces. For example, we’ll use a
YOU WILL LEARN Luminar AI analyses a photo and suggests template to evoke the warm “golden hour”
How to access and a collection of templates that might suit hues of sunset. We’ll then use the Edit
organize templates, and its subject in the For This Photo section. workspace to enhance this look and create
create your own You can ignore its recommendations and a user template we can apply to other
customized versions take manual control by scrolling through photos. We’ll also show you how to add
the categories in the Templates panel. extra templates to Luminar AI by
IT WILL TAKE We’ll demonstrate how to speed up purchasing them from the Luminar
10 minutes your workflow by creating your own Marketplace. GEORGE CAIRNS
HOW TO Access template collections
Browse categories Choose a collection Fine–tune

In the templates workspace, After choosing the Landscape a template
scroll to the bottom and view the All category, we have four collections to Click a template, such as Hyperdrive,
Categories section to see template pick from. Clicking on a collection such to add “golden hour”–style lighting to
themes as lists. Click on a category as Sunsets gives you five sunset– a landscape. If the look’s too strong, go
such as Landscape to view a group themed templates that will change the to the bottom of the template panel and
of landscape–enhancing templates. look of your selected shot in a click. drag the slider left for more subtlety.
84 MAY 2021 Image rights: Skylum.

HOW TO Create custom template collections
Favorite a template Customize Enhance foliage

Simply click the heart icon to a template The Landscape panel has
favorite a template. To view all of your Click on the ellipse (…) near the slider a Foliage Enhancer to give plant life
favorited templates in one place, click at the bottom and pick Edit to customize more impact. Drag it to the right to add
on the star–shaped My Collection icon. a template. This takes you to the Edit more vibrant–looking greens to your
From the Favorites section, you can workspace. Click on Landscape and scenery. Don’t worry, this selective
just click on a template to apply it. increase Golden Hour for a warmer hue. slider doesn’t alter skin tones.
HOW TO Save and access user templates
Before and after Save user template Rename and apply

Click the Compare icon at the Click on the edited Hyperdrive Once you’ve customized the
top–right. You can now drag a vertical template’s (…) icon and choose Save. look of a template and saved it, you
slider to display a “before and after” Click on the Templates icon at the top, can click on the template’s adjacent
comparison of different parts of the then click the star–shaped My Collection ellipse (…) and rename it. You can then
picture. Fine–tune the Landscape button. Toggle open User Templates to apply it to other photos in a click to
sliders until you’re happy with the look. view customized templates. produce a “golden hour” look.
> GO FURTHER
Add purchased templates to your collection
In the Templates panel, click on Get More Templates. This takes you to Luminar
Marketplace, where you can browse collections of customized templates. Be
aware that some links provide assets such as sky replacement files: these are
not templates. Click Learn More to preview a custom template collection, then
Buy to download it. Choose File > Add Luminar AI Template Collection. Browse
to import the downloaded .ltc (Luminar Template Collection) file; it will appear
in the Purchased section of the My Collection panel.
Image rights: Skylum. MAY 2021 85

>>> Create
Customize
the Finder
in Big Sur
Tune Apple’s file browser
to perfection with these
expert tips
REQUIRES THE FINDER IS such a core file. You can set your preferences to
macOS 11 or later component of macOS, used by apply to a single folder or every folder
everyone every day, that we you subsequently browse, based on your
YOU WILL LEARN often take it for granted. Yet needs. You can even add a background
How to adjust the Finder there are a lot of ways you can customize picture if you like.
and put handy shortcuts it to perfectly suit your needs, adding In this tutorial, we will cover some of
at your fingertips extra features or removing those you the most useful customization options
don’t need to create a much more in the Finder, but there are many more we
IT WILL TAKE streamlined and tailored Mac experience. simply don’t have space for here. Make
5 minutes In macOS Big Sur nearly every element sure you explore the Preferences menu,
of the Finder can be customized, from the as well as all the choices you get in the
folders and shortcuts in the sidebar and View menu, to see what else is available
the buttons in the toolbar to the size to help you adjust the Finder however you
of the icons and text displayed with each want it. ALEX BLAKE
QUICK LOOK Finder in macOS 11
VIEW OPTIONS CHANGE

This menu gives extra THE VIEW
choices to tweak the This button lets you
Finder. Its contents switch between Icons,
depend on the view that List, Columns, and
you’re using. Gallery views.
THE SIDEBAR GROUP THERAPY

Key Mac locations are You can sort a folder’s
shown here, as are tags contents more easily
and a customizable list with these simple
of favorites. grouping options.

HOW TO Customize the Finder
Viewing choices Deeper options Contextual options

There are several folder views Click View > Show View Options Some view options change
— Icons, List, Columns, Gallery — that to get deeper options. Here, you can depending on the Finder view you’re
you can access by clicking the view tell Finder to always open folders in using. Gallery view lets you change
button in the toolbar. To the right is your current view (such as columns), the thumbnail size and add a preview
the item grouping button, letting you adjust the icon size, and change how column, while you can add a background
group files by date, type, and more. files are sorted and grouped. picture or color in Icons view.
Hide the toolbar Add more buttons Rearrange and

To get a minimalist look, click You can add buttons by clicking remove
View > Hide Toolbar. This will strip out View > Customize Toolbar, then dragging If your toolbar’s too crowded, hold Cmd
almost everything except your folder a button onto the toolbar. You can also and drag a button off the toolbar, then
contents, including the sidebar and add files or even apps by holding Cmd let go to remove it. You can rearrange
status bar. To bring the toolbar back, and dragging them to the toolbar until items the same way — hold Cmd and
click View > Show Toolbar. a green “+” button appears. drag a button to a new position.
Hide the sidebar Add to favorites Collapse & expand

Just like the toolbar, you can The Favorites section lives in Sidebar sections can be
hide the sidebar if it’s in the way. the sidebar. You can drag folders and collapsed or expanded. Hover over
Simply click View > Hide Sidebar, or disks to this section for quick access. a section header until a downward
View > Show Sidebar to bring it back. To add an app here, hold Cmd and then arrow appears, then click it to collapse
Note that this will not hide the toolbar, drag it into place. To remove something subsections. To expand, click the arrow
which must be done separately. from here, drag it out of the sidebar. again, which’ll be pointing to the right.

>>> Create
Master the App Library

Discover how to make best use of one of iOS 14’s neatest new features
REQUIRES THE APP LIBRARY is Apple’s apps are automatically stored in the App
iPhone, iOS 14 answer to cluttered Home Library and whether notifications are
screens. Rather than rely on visible on Library folders. Note that
YOU WILL LEARN users to create folders to store Library Folders are created and named
How to use the Apple apps neatly, Apple took matters into its automatically, and you can’t get rid of
Library in iOS 14 own hands and made a way for apps to them or rename them.
organize themselves automatically. The App Library has its own search bar;
IT WILL TAKE The idea is that you have a few Home just tap in it to type in a search query. The
30 minutes screens with your most–used apps, App Library is positioned after your last
widgets, or folders, then hide the rest visible Home screen so, if you don’t want
and access any apps that aren’t on those to use it, you can make every Home screen
screens from the App Library. You can visible and simply act as if the Library
choose whether or not newly downloaded isn’t there. KENNY HEMPHILL
HOW TO Organize the App Library
GENIUS TIP
You can still create,
name, and use your
own folders on Home
screens in exactly the
same way as before.
Open an app Delete an app

If the app is one of the three large icons Tap and hold in the center of any
in a Library folder, just tap on it. If not, tap in Library folder. If you want to delete one of the
the bottom right–hand corner of the folder to “big three” apps, tap the “X” in its corner, then
display all the apps in it, then scroll down until Delete App. To delete any other app, tap on
you see the app you want and tap it. the bottom–right corner then tap the “X.”

JARGON BUSTER
You’ll find Suggestions
Manage Home screens Search for an app in the App Library. These
Tap and hold in an empty spot on any If you’re not sure which folder an app is are apps that Siri has
Home Screen (not the App Library). Tap the stored in, use the Search bar at the top of the determined you are most
dots (bottom of the screen) to view a grid of Library screen. Tap on the bar and you’ll see an likely to use, based on
Home screens. Check those you want to be alphabetical list of apps. Start typing the name time of day, location, and
visible and uncheck those you want to hide. to filter the list until you see the app. previous behavior.
Keep decluttering Manage notifications

There’s little point in tidying up your If you don’t want notification badges to
Home screens if new apps clutter it up again. be visible when an App Library folder’s “closed,”
Tap Settings, then Home Screen. Select App switch them off so you only see them when
Library Only; new downloads will be added to you tap on the folder. Go to Settings > Home
the App Library but not to the Home screens. Screen and toggle off “Show in App Library.”
GENIUS TIP
To move an app from
a Home screen to the App
Library, tap and hold on it
and choose Remove App.
Move an app Stop using App Library
To move an app from the Library to If you’ve used the App Library for
a Home screen, tap on the Library folder a while but want to stop using it, follow step 3
housing it, then tap and hold on the app and and check all your Home screens to make them
choose “Add to Home Screen.” You can then visible. Then, if you prefer, you can organize
place the app wherever you like. apps in folders manually.

>>> Create
Find photos on your iPad

Get to grips with Photos on your iPad to quickly find the images you need
REQUIRES MOST OF US have become used taking photos and using Apple’s software
iPad, iPadOS 14 to taking pictures of anything to manage them for the best part of two
and everything we see, from decades, those thousands could easily
YOU WILL LEARN a dramatic sunset to a recipe become tens of thousands. So how do you
How to quickly find any in a magazine that we want to try. organize them? And how do you find the
photo on your iPad The result is that our iPhones quickly exact pic you want when you want it?
become home to thousands of images. Sure, you can create folders and name
IT WILL TAKE And, thanks to iCloud Photos, that means them logically, but you still end up with
30 minutes our iPads do too. If, like us, you’ve been hundreds of folders to sift through. The
answer lies in making clever use of
Apple’s machine learning tools which can
identify faces, places, and objects within
images. In iPadOS 14 you can also write
captions for your images, and those are
searchable too.
Unfortunately iPadOS doesn’t support
Smart Albums, so if you have those on
your Mac they won’t show up in Photos
on your iPad.
Here, we’ll show you how to use all
Photos uses artificial intelligence to identify objects the different tools in the Photos app on
in pictures and apply tags to help you find exactly iPadOS to find any image in your Library
what you’re looking for. quickly and easily. KENNY HEMPHILL
QUICK LOOK Photos on iPadOS
APPLY SEE ALL

FILTERS Search results
Search for a term show a selection
Photos understands of images Photos
and filter results has found to match
by location, time your search term,
of year, etc. tap See All for
more of them.
EXTRA MOMENTS
FILTERS You can also view
You can also Moments and
filter photos Categories that
using the People, contain images
Places, Favorite, that match your
and Recents search term.
sections.

HOW TO Locate pics quickly and easily
Search for a photo Narrow down a search

Tap on the top–left corner to view the When your results appear, you can filter
menu, then tap the magnifying glass. Type in the search further by tapping on a location,
your search. If you separate words with a space, Moment, Category, or Keyword. You will then
Photos will look for images that match both be shown the photos that match both the
terms, as if you had put “AND” between them. search term and that filter.
Another way to Add a caption to photos

filter results Choose the photo you want to add
Tap See All on the results screen, then tap the a caption to and tap it to see it in full screen.
ellipsis (top–right.) Tap Filter, then pick an option Swipe up over it to reveal the “Add a Caption”
and press Done. To zoom in on results, use two bar beneath it. Tap in the bar and type your
fingers and unpinch, then pinch to zoom back in. caption. Tap Done when you’re finished.
GENIUS TIP
Use Photos on the Mac to
add keywords to images
to make it even easier and
quicker to find them when
you’re using the iPad.
Hide photos from results Use Favorites as a filter
If there are photos you don’t want to In step 3, one of the options when
show up in results, hide them. Navigate to the filtering photos is Favorites. So mark the pics
photo, tap it then tap Share. Pick Hide Photo, you know you’ll want to search for as Favorites.
then Hide Photo again to confirm. It will now Navigate to the photo, tap it, then tap the heart
be hidden everywhere but the Hidden album. icon. It will now appear in the Favorites album.

>>> Cre
Do more with your AirPods

Customize your AirPods to suit you by using the new features in iOS 14
REQUIRES APPLE NOW HAS three sets of for headphones, with a twist. The twist
iPhone or iPad; AirPods, AirPods in its range, and the is that your AirPods Pro/Max now know
AirPods Pro, or AirPods features it added to make the when and how you move your head and
Max; iOS 14 most of them in iOS 14 show utilize that data to anchor the sound
how serious it is about its headphones. stage, so the virtual “speakers” stay in
YOU WILL LEARN Perhaps the most technically the same place in the room, even if your
How to use impressive of the new features is spatial head doesn’t.
the new AirPods audio, available on AirPods Pro and Max. The most useful of the new additions,
features in iOS 14 Enabled by default on apps that support though, is automatic device switching.
it, spatial audio is like surround sound Before iOS, while you could connect
IT WILL TAKE your AirPods to multiple devices, you
30 minutes had to manually switch from one device
to another. Now, if you’re watching
a movie on your iPad and pick up your
phone to play music, the AirPods will
automatically switch to your iPhone.
It works the other way around, too, and
with macOS Big Sur.
AirPods also now support battery
notifications and optimized charging, so
they learn how you use them and then
charge your AirPods to 80% until you need
them. When it gets close to the time you
You’re able to drill down through a number of would normally start using them, the
different audio preferences for your AirPods to charge is then topped up to 100%.
get them just right. KENNY HEMPHILL

HOW TO Tweak your AirPods
JARGON BUSTER
Using Headphone
Accommodations
enables you change the
Control from Settings Use Control Center way your AirPods sound
You’ll find that spatial audio is turned With your AirPods connected and so they’re better suited
on by default. To turn it off, make sure your playing audio, swipe down from the top–right to your hearing.
AirPods are connected to the device, then of the screen to access Control Center. Tap and
tap Settings, Bluetooth, and the “i” next to hold on the volume slider, then tap the Spatial
AirPods. Toggle Spatial Audio to off. Audio icon to switch it off.
Use Accommodations Reduce loud sounds

Go to Settings > Accessibility and pick This one works with any headphones
Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations. connected to your device, not just AirPods.
Tap Custom Audio Setup and follow the Open the Settings app and choose Sound &
instructions. When done, tap Use Custom Haptics. Tap Headphone Safety and toggle
Settings (or make manual adjustments). Reduce Loud Sounds to on.
GENIUS TIP
View a decibel meter Automatic connection
Go to Settings > Control Center and add If you don’t want your AirPods to You can use your AirPods
Hearing to Included Controls. Swipe down from connect automatically, go to Settings > as hearing aids. On your
the top–right of the screen to access Control Bluetooth and tap the “i” next to your AirPods, iPhone, tap Hearing in
Center and tap the Hearing button while audio then tap Connect to this iPhone/iPad. Choose Control Center and switch
is playing. You will see the decibel meter. When Last Connected to This iPhone/iPad. on Live Listen.

>>> Create
Get fit with Apple Fitness+

Improve your health, strength and stamina with a little help from Apple
REQUIRES APPLE HAS WADED deeper by a music playlist designed to keep you
Apple Fitness+; Apple into the fitness fray with its focused and in the zone.
Watch; and either an own health subscription To sign up, open the Fitness app on
iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV service called Apple Fitness+. your iOS or iPadOS device or Apple TV and
For $9.99 a month you get a library of tap Get Started (on iPhone you must first
YOU WILL LEARN workouts in a range of styles, from yoga tap the Fitness+ button at the bottom.)
How to work out and dance to strength and rowing, and Apple Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch
with Apple Fitness+ many more. and works on iOS, iPadOS, and Apple TV
Every workout is led by an experienced (full requirements are at bitly.com/
IT WILL TAKE trainer who can help motivate you to work fitnessreqs). In this tutorial, we will help
Workout times vary harder and reach your goals. You can see you get started on iOS and offer some
your progress towards closing your rings handy tips to let you get even more
on screen, and each session’s accompanied from the service. ALEX BLAKE
HOW TO Start a workout
Choose a category Select a workout Get active!

Open the Fitness app, tap the Tap a workout, then tap +Add to As you work out you’ll see your
Fitness+ tab, and choose a workout add it to a saved workouts list. Or tap progress towards closing your rings, so
type from the horizontal list at the top. Preview for a quick overview, or Let’s you know how you’re doing. An orange
There are options like HIIT, yoga, core, Go to begin. You’ll see a description of ring in the top–left corner shows how
strength, and more, all with their own the workout and its music (open it long is left, and the app congratulates
workouts and styles. Tap a category. in Apple Music) below that. you when you reach a goal.

HOW TO Browse through the workouts
Mix it up Linked workouts Share your favorites

If you don’t have something Apple Fitness+ also offers If you’ve found a good workout
specific in mind, Apple has categories programs containing a series of linked and want to share it with someone, go
like New This Week, Try Something workouts (such as Workouts to Get to its page and tap the ellipsis button
New, More of What You Do, and Popular. Started). When browsing one of these, (…) in the top–right corner. This lets
This is a good way to shake up your tap the “+” next to each workout to you share the workout, and add or
workout routine if you’re stuck in a rut. add it to your saved list. remove it from your workouts list.
HOW TO Focus on the trainer–led workout
Meet your See what they offer Trainer’s Perfect

new coach From the Fitness+ home page, Week
A key benefit of Apple Fitness+ is scroll to the Trainers section. You can The Apple Fitness+ home page offers
the guided workouts. These are led tap a trainer to browse their workouts a rotating “Trainer’s Perfect Week”
by a variety of people, from dance and find everything they do. Tap the section. This is a curated set of seven
choreographers and athletes to Filter button to sort by workout type, workouts, all of which are thematically
professional yoga teachers, and more. time, and music for more control. linked, to keep you motivated.
> FITNESS+ TIPS AND TRICKS

Get more from your exercises
The My Workouts section is at the bottom of the Fitness+ home page. This stores
your saved workouts and makes it much easier to return to favorite exercises
without spending time searching. Once you have selected a workout category, use
the Filter button to narrow down the results. You can sort by the trainer, workout
duration, and the type of musical accompaniment. Finally, when you finish
a workout there is an option for a Mindful Cooldown. This is a good way to relax
and ensure you don’t strain your muscles after an intense workout.

>>> Create
Apple Watch Series 6

Apple’s wearable is a masterpiece in miniaturization
THE APPLE WATCH has come animation or video you don’t want them
a very long way in a very short for just showing you the time. This is
time. It’s just five years old, because refreshing uses energy, so the
HOW IT and in that time we’ve seen less frequently you refresh the longer you
WORKS Apple enhance it in every conceivable
way: better battery life, an always–on
get between charges. With LTPO, the
refresh rate can change as required — so
display, 4G connectivity, apps that run you can have your Watch running at a very
without a connected iPhone and, most low refresh rate to save power and only go
importantly of all, a whole bunch of to a faster refresh rate when you actually
YOU WILL LEARN sensors to provide useful insights into need it. In the Apple Watch, the refresh
You will learn what tech your health and fitness. rate is 60Hz — 60 times per second
sits inside the Apple Watch As the Apple Watch has evolved, it has — when required and 1Hz when it isn’t.
and what it does delivered a masterclass in miniaturization The Apple Watch also includes a small
— the Series 6 may look a lot like the first speaker and integrated microphone for
generation, but what’s inside is much Siri commands and making calls.
more advanced and much more useful.
THE MAGIC TOUCH
NOW YOU SEE IT The other way the Apple Watch
The main output of the Apple Watch is, communicates with you is by vibration.
of course, its display. In the Series 6 the That’s handled by what Apple calls its
display is an always–on OLED — unlike Taptic Engine, and the one in the Series 6
standard LED displays the pixels are is bigger than before, taking up roughly
self–illuminating and don’t require a quarter of the Series 6’s innards.
a separate backlight. The particular flavor The Taptic Engine first appeared in
of OLED here is LTPO, which is short for the iPhone 7, and it uses a linear actuator
low–temperature polycrystalline oxide, to create vibrations. A linear actuator
and it was developed by Apple to deliver is an electric motor that produces
dynamically controllable refresh rates. movement in straight lines rather than
That’s what made the always–on display in a circular motion, and in the Apple
possible: before LTPO, the display was too Watch it’s utilized for two things — to
KEY FACT power hungry and had to be woken up to deliver notifications and to make your
tell you the time. fingers feel a vibration on pressing the
The move to an always–on The refresh rate of a display is how screen. The amount and frequency of
Apple Watch required a frequently it updates, and while you the vibration is controllable by the
whole new kind of display: want fast refresh rates for things like Watch’s software, so you can have
LTPO. It’s a kind of OLED different sensations for different
display that can adjust its kinds of notifications.
refresh rate, which is how
frequently the screen KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
updates. In low–power What makes the Apple Watch Series 6
mode it updates once per so special is its vast collection of sensors.
second compared to up to It has GPS, a compass, an always–on
60 times a second when altimeter, a blood oxygen sensor, an
you’re using apps. That electrical heart sensor, an optical heart
makes a massive sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope,
difference to the display’s Although it’s simpler than the machines doctors use, and an ambient light sensor. Together
power consumption. the ECG sensor can detect some heart problems. those sensors know where you are, how

> WHY THE APPLE

WATCH ISN’T A
MEDICAL MONITOR
Apple says the Apple Watch blood
oxygen measurements “are not
intended for medical use, including
self–diagnosis or consultation with
a doctor.” That’s because pulse
oximeters, which the Apple Watch
emulates, are Class II medical devices
in the US — and such devices need to
be approved by the FDA before they
can be sold for medical purposes. By
saying a device is just for general
wellness rather than medical use, firms
can get to market earlier and then
apply for FDA approval at a later date.
Regulated or not, there is a limit to
The Series 6 may look similar to what the Apple Watch sensors can do.
the first Apple Watch, but it’s For example, the ECG app delivers very
changed enormously inside. similar results to the single–line ECG
sensors typically used for home heart
monitoring, but hospital doctors use
a more accurate 12–line version that
high up you are, if you’re moving and if CARING AND SHARING checks 12 different waveforms taken
you are how quickly you’re doing it, and Collecting all this data is great, from different angles instead of just
what’s going on with many of your body’s but you need to be able to get it one. The app can’t detect heart attacks
most vital signs. Some of these sensors out of your watch and into your or many heart–related conditions and
are not officially approved for medical health and fitness apps, your shouldn’t be used for people under 22.
use (see “Why the Apple Watch isn’t mapping app, or any other app
a medical monitor”) but of course in that uses sensor data. That’s
reality many of us do use them to keep where connectivity comes in.
an eye on our health. The Series 6 Apple Watch
The blood oxygen sensor is particularly connects via Bluetooth and
clever. It shines red, green and infrared 802.11n Wi–Fi via Apple’s W3 The oxygen sensor is very clever but it isn’t
light on to your wrist, and photodiodes wireless chip, Ultra Wideband currently approved for medical use.
— semiconductors that turn light into (UWB) courtesy of Apple’s U1
electrical current — and calculates how chip, and uses near field
much light is reflected. That calculation communication (NFC) for Apple Pay. With KEY FACT
then gets fed to an algorithm which works the cellular model there’s also a 4G radio.
out the color of your blood and from that, You don’t need a SIM card — the Apple The processor in the Apple
how oxygenated it is. That’s useful not Watch uses a digital SIM called an eSIM. Watch Series 6 is Apple’s
just for general health but for COVID too, The final element is the software. In S6, based on a dual–core
because one of the symptoms of COVID is much the same way the Apple Watch version of the A13 Bionic
a lack of oxygenated blood. shares much of its DNA with the iPhone, chip. The U1 chip is used
Where the blood oxygen sensor is watchOS has its roots in iOS — the first for short–range ultra–
optical, the ECG is electrical. It records version was based on iOS 8, and watchOS wideband connections
the electrical signals produced by your 7 is based on iOS 14. As with the iPhone, and location sensing. The
heart to create a waveform that shows developers can make their Watch apps Series 6 also has a W3
the rhythm of your heart, and which using Apple’s Xcode and platform– chip, an advanced version
can detect irregular rhythms and notify specific tools — on the Watch, they’re of the wireless chip in
you accordingly. called WatchKit. CARRIE MARSHALL the original AirPods.

>>> RAM
The Mac mini shakes up

RANDOM APPLE MEMORY
the Apple product line

From its launch in 2005 to being one of the first devices with
the M1 chip, the Mac mini is a key part of the Apple story
THE MAC MINI has undergone processors. Just over a year after the when the computer got a thinner, unibody
something of transformation since its original G4 models were launched, design. Even with this change, today’s
launch in January 2005 at the MacWorld the Mac mini got Intel inside. Two more mini is still recognizably the “same”
Conference and Expo with a PowerPC G4 generations arrived in the intervening device as its predecessors, certainly more
processor. Two models, a 1.25GHz or years and then, in 2020, the fifth so than many other Macs. We would also
1.42GHz version, were originally available, generation Mac mini was one of the argue the mini’s design paved the way for
both with ATI Radeon 9200 graphics and first Apple devices to get the powerful the Apple TV, too.
32MB of dedicated DDR memory. At the new M1 chip. An affordable Apple desktop machine,
time, Steve Jobs declared the new Mac The Mac mini has always been combining power and flexibility at a price
mini as “an incredibly compact Mac for a “headless” — there has never been a point that’s accessible to more potential
price that almost anyone can afford,” and display, keyboard, trackpad, or mouse users, the Mac mini holds an important
that original pitch remains, opening the included with it. And while the original spot in the Apple product lineup and
Apple ecosystem to users who may have certainly had a boxier, less compact company history.
otherwise been priced out of it. design compared to later generations, the
While it can sometimes feel a bit device’s fundamental design principles
forgotten, the gap between significant have held up well over time. The most
egnahc ot tcejbus stnetnoC
updates too wide, the Mac mini’s history significant change came in the third–
nicely outlines the development of Mac generation device, launched in June 2010,
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45 years of classics from the Cupertino archives!

Conquer Apple’s free online tools with our easy guide

ALL ABOUT THE BASS

MAY 2021 NO.180 MACLIFE.COM

4 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

03 Consider 40 Logitech Ergo K860 62 CARROT Weather 72 Get ﬁt at home

latest Apple news

Future US, Inc.

Sign up for our email newsletter at

Re: “Missing hardware diagnostics” query in Mac|Life’s “Ask”

SHARE WITH US! EMAIL: letters@maclife.com

Next: iMac with Apple Silicon

8 MAY 2021 Image rights: Future.

> AirPods Max struggle

despite booming market

A S I WRITE, there are strong

10 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

THE GEAR WE’RE LUSTING AFTER

12 MAY 2021 Image rights: C SEED.

Razer Kiyo Pro

Mad Catz B.A.T. 6+

Apple’s iCloud connects all your devices and makes amazing

14 MAY 2021 Image rights: (screens) Apple.

pple’s online adventures storage and cloud–based services

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 15

Photos Files Personal Data

16 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 17

What about iMessage?

18 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

HOW TO Share your photos and videos

Sharing your Decide what

See what you’re Share from albums

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 19

20 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

Recover deleted ﬁles

HOW TO Working with others

Share online Set sharing options Share in apps

Share in online apps Share from iOS Share from Files

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 21

Find My can track the

22 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

HOW TO Find your devices and friends

Find yourself Set your sharing See your stuff

Raise the alarm Delete a device Conﬁrm deletion

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 23

24 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

HOW TO Sync your data across your devices

Choose your apps Change iCloud

Use iCloud on iOS Enable your apps

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 25

Save money by sharing your storage and services

26 MAY 2021 Image rights: Apple.

What about iTunes Match?

HOW TO use Family Sharing

Open up Preferences See who’s sharing Invite everybody

Add the kids Conﬁrm the account Manage on the go

Image rights: Apple. MAY 2021 27

Ahead of the curve, and endlessly entertaining…