Inhoudsopgave van December 2023 - MacFormat

Scan here to get the latest tech news in your inbox! Well, there’s a surprise! After Apple watchers everywhere became convinced there’d be no new Macs this side of Christmas, the new MacBook Pro and iMac duly arrived at Apple’s Scary Fast event at the end of October. Not only that, but the new machines had a surprise of their own… A whole family of new Apple silicon chips: the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. Read all about them on p6. Since the event happened on the day we were due to go to press, we held up our news pages to bring you this exciting development, but didn’t have time to update our Store Guide. Normal service will be resumed next issue, when hopefully we’ll also have reviews…

Nikon Z f >From £2,299 > From nikon.co.uk > Inspired by the Nikon FM2 camera, the Z f is a full-frame mirrorless camera that blends analogue design with Nikon’s acclaimed Z series performance. The 24.5MP camera boasts an Expeed 7 processor, 4K video (as well as 10-bit H.265), and eight-stop vibration-reduction image stabilisation. The processor enables subject detection so that the camera can automatically move its focus to follow the subject. The Z f is Nikon’s first full-frame Z camera with a fully rotatable touchscreen vari-angle monitor, and Touch FN means you can use your thumb to specify focus on the monitor while you compose your shot through the viewfinder. Thanks to Pixel Shift, you can blend up to 32 shots to create really high-res images, and there are…

NEW IDEAS Your in-depth guide to getting more from your Apple kit Contact us Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com Master Apple shortcuts macOS Cmdis the Command key. Altor Optis the Option key. Ctrlis the Control key, also shown as ‘^’ in shortcuts in the menu bar. The thick, outlined up arrow is the Shift key. The thin, left arrow or outlined pointer with ‘X’ inside is the Delete key, which deletes to the left. Pressing the Function key (Fn) and the Delete key deletes to the right. The thin, right arrow key with a small vertical line at the end is the Tab key, which shifts the focus between somecontrols. iOS A tapis a brief contact of (usually) one finger on your device’s screen. To dragis to…

IT WILL TAKE 30 minutes YOU WILL LEARN Create and add detail to your family tree YOU’LL NEED RootsMagic Essentials, macOS 10.14 or later Looking for an easy way to record your family history without paying upfront? RootsMagic Essentials is the free cut-down version of the powerful RootsMagic 9 and contains all the core features you need to build your tree and record a rich array of information about you and your ancestors. You can then upgrade to the full version for £29.95 should you want to unlock its advanced features. Browse to rootsmagic.co.uk, selectTry-RootsMagic Essentials (top bar), scroll to the bottom of the page to fill in your details and click Submit to access a link to the DMG file. Once installed, open RootsMagic 9 from the Applications folder…

YOU WILL LEARN How Apple’s tetraprism lens provides powerful 5x optical zoom for the iPhone 15 Pro Max Key fact Apple says that the larger size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max made it possible to add the new 5x tetraprism lens, while the iPhone 15 Pro still has the same 3x zoom as the iPhone 14 Pro. However, there are already rumours that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models will both have tetraprism lenses next year, putting them back on an equal footing. One of the remarkable achievements of the iPhone is that its compact O camera system has become a professional-level tool for many photographers and film-makers. It hasn’t completely replaced traditional cameras, of course, but the pocket-size iPhone can be used on the move to…

The Apple TV app is one of iTunes’ three children. iTunes was Apple’s longstanding, do-everything entertainment app, but what started off as an iPod companion app turned into something much bigger – and in the end, much more bloated. So Apple took iTunes and split it into three more focused apps: Music, Podcasts and TV. The Apple TV app works much like iTunes did but it’s faster, simpler and easier to navigate, plus it has Apple’s Apple TV+ streaming service built in. There’s lots to like about the Apple TV app, including good options for subtitling and audio on Apple TV+ and purchased content, the ability to stream via AirPlay to other devices including the Apple TV 4K, and the option to rent as well as buy movies. However, as…

Group test M Reviewed by CLIFF JOSEPH ON TEST… > Amazon Eero 6+ > Asus ZenWifi XD5 > Devolo Magic 2 WiFi 6 > D-Link Eagle Pro AI M32 > Linksys Atlas 6 > TP-Link Deco X55 Most people still rely on the Wi-Fi router that was provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP) to handle their home Wi-Fi network. That’s probably fine if you live in a smaller home with just one or two bedrooms, but if you have a larger home with more bedrooms, or rooms located on upper floors, then you may find that some rooms have a ‘dead spot’ where your Wi-Fi signal can’t quite reach. A mesh Wi-Fi system could be the perfect upgrade that provides ‘whole home Wi-Fi’ capable of reaching into every corner…

For our latest subscription offer see page 30! Cast your mind back to October 2020. While most of us are dealing with some form of lockdown or Covid-19 restriction, Lisa Jackson is on the roof of Apple Park. It is that year’s crucial iPhone keynote address and Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives is explaining how, by 2030, “we plan to have Net Zero climate impact.” She points out previous environmental progress the firm has made and announces new developments, for instance that the magnets in the iPhone 12 Lisa Jackson is now Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives. use 100% recycled rare earth elements. Oh, and EarPods headphones and power adaptors are no longer going to be included in the box with a…

1 Bulk editing Use the options here to quickly edit the relevant tag(s) across all currently selected tracks. 2 Switch artwork Any embedded artwork appears here – click ‘<’ and ‘>’ to move between multiple images if relevant. 3 File list A list of the files inside any folders you’ve opened or added via the File menu are shown here. 4 Quick Actions Mp3tag includes several handy tools to automate certain tasks – click one to open a dialog box. IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to tag audio files automatically and manually YOU’LL NEED Mp3tag (£24.99), macOS 10.14 or later This clever toolX# makes it easy to track down the correct tags for your files If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the way your music collection…

IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN Some of the cool things you can do with the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro or later YOU’LL NEED An iPhone 14 Pro or later, suitable apps One of the best things about Apple’s latest iPhones is that they all now come with the Dynamic Island – the magical notification area that first appeared on the front of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. If you own an iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, you now get the Dynamic Island too, and that’s great news for two main reasons: one, it’s no longer exclusive to Apple’s ‘pro’ phones; two, Apple and third-party developers have had time to come up with all kinds of clever uses for…

From £1,199 FROM apple.com/uk FEATURES 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR Display (2796x1290 pixels), A17 Pro chip, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G, USB-C port The 5x optical zoom enables you to capture detail on a building or shoot candid street photos Any keen photographers or video makers should be considering ways to fund a purchase of an iPhone 15 Pro Max! This flagship model boasts better quality images and more compositional choices than any other iPhone. While the 15 Pro Max has the usual three cameras at the back and a fourth ‘selfie’ camera at the front, it actually boasts seven lenses. You have the 12MP Ultra Wide 0.5x lens on the back which has a focal length of 13mm, making it effective at capturing large…

EXPECTED OCT 2023 UPDATED APR 2023 iMac From £1,399 Ever since the Bondi Blue iMac debuted in 1998, Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer has been setting standards for design and performance. The current 24in model is certainly Apple’s finest yet – thanks to its 4.5K (4480x2520) Retina display and the Apple-designed M1 chip, which is available with either an 8-core CPU/7-core GPU at the entry-level, or an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU on the mid-range and top-tier versions. All models come with 8GB of memory as standard (upgradeable to 16GB), with solid-state drive (SSD) storage ranging from 256GB on the entry-level and mid-range versions to 512GB on the top tier, although you can add more – up to 1TB on the entry-level and up to 2TB on the mid-range and top-tier models if…

EXTERNAL DISPLAY Philips 27B1U7903 £1,099, philips.co.uk An excellent monitor that satisfies on every level. It’s expensive, but you do get a lot of quality for your money. ★★★★★ MF392 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER Marshall Middleton £269.99, marshallheadphones.com Meaty, beaty, big and bouncy, the Middleton knows how to rock. ★★★★★ MF391 NAS DRIVE Asustor Lockerstor 2 Gen2 AS6702T £469, asustor.com Excellent and versatile mid-range network storage. ★★★★★ MF390 OUR TOP 3 MESHNETWORK DEVICES ASUS ZenWiFi XT9 >£459.99 >MF386 >asus.com/uk Linksys Atlas 6 >£179.99 >MF386 >linksys.com/gb Devolo Magic 2 WiFi next >£174.99 >MF386 >devolo.co.uk OUR TOP 3 PORTABLE SSDS Crucial X8 >£211.99 >MF388 > uk.crucial.com SanDisk Extreme >£99.99, >MF388 > westerndigital.com OWC Envoy Pro SX >£285 >MF388 > owc.com OUR TOP 3 SUPERFAST CHARGERS Satechi 200W USB-C 6-Port PD GaN £159.99 >MF392 >…

APP OF THE MONTH Mac gaming is finally having its moment in the sun but, unfortunately, there are still tons of games you can’t play on Apple’s computers – and the same goes for apps. CrossOver can ease the pain by letting you run Windows apps on your Mac, and its new version is stacked full of great new features, especially for gamers. The headline change is support for DirectX 12, and now numerous popular games can be run on your Mac that were previously locked out, including Diablo IV. Elsewhere, the addition of geometry shaders fixes issues with games including Street Fighter V, Trailmakers and Astroneer. As well as that, the EA app can now run on Macs, opening access to games like The Sims 4 and Titanfall. It’s…

IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to make the most of the dictation features in macOS Sonoma YOU’LL NEED macOS 14 or later Being able to dictate documents, emails, text messages and more has many benefits – from helping speed up the process for people with physical impairments to giving your fingers a rest. It can be a boon to those of us who remain one-finger typists and, with macOS Sonoma, the experience is now better than ever. The big difference is that you’re able to dictate, type and edit without having to keep turning dictation on and off. For example, you could dictate a sentence, use your keyboard to amend a couple of mistakes, add another sentence then go back to dictating. The…

1 Focus & Exposure Hold on the centre circle to separate the focus and exposure reticules. Here the focus reticule prioritises our subject’s face. 2 Camera settings Tap here to access manual controls that tweak shutter speed (for example, 1/80), aperture value (eg, f1.8) and ISO sensitivity (eg, 250). 3 White balance (WB) Tap here to access white balance presets that enable you to capture true colours under a wide range of different light sources. 4 Mode wheel Tap here to access the mode wheel. You can then switch between camera modes such as Portrait or Pro (see step 2, Manual Control). IT WILL TAKE 10 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to manually adjust focus, ISO speed, white balance and shutter speed YOU’LL NEED Obscura – Pro Camera (Free, offers…

IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to scan text, share and collaborate, and fill in PDF forms YOU’LL NEED iPadOS 17 Genius tip! Don’t forget that Photos can automatically extract text from photographs of signs, documents, recipes and more so you can paste it into other apps. PDFs are brilliant things: they work on everything, they ensure that documents look the same on every kind of device and have become a worldwide standard for sharing documents – especially work ones. Document management And PDF owes a lot of its success to Apple, because Apple has been a big supporter for decades. But, all that aside, PDFs can famously be PDF documents in Notes or Files now appear full width to make them even easier to read and…

£799 FROM apple.com/uk FEATURES 49mm case size, Apple S9 chip, Always-On Retina display, dust-resistant to IP6X, water-resistant to 100m, up to 36 hours’ battery life, dual-frequency GPS, mobile connectivity options Siri computing now takes place ondevice, resulting in faster responses There’s no telling the Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Apple Watch Ultra apart at a glance. The device retains the same flat 49mm display, protruding right-side button array, and orange Action button on the left. It’s a one-size-fits-all approach that may continue to deter those with smaller wrists. The screen is brighter, up to 3,000 nits from 2,000 nits. In direct sunlight, the improvement is subtle, but it is clearer than the Apple Watch Series 9. This will be more relevant if you spend a lot of time in bright…

Fully assembled knob £179, Barebones knob £164 FROM keychron.uk FEATURES Swappable keycaps, up to 300hrs battery life, macro keys and aluminium knob, wired or wireless The VIA lets you remap and customise almost any key on the keyboard VERDICT A seriously capable keyboard for anyone who values a great typing experience. ★★★★★ Fantastically responsive Fully customisable Macros and knob save time Low latency performance Keychron has a strong history of making mechanical keyboards, for users who prefer a robust typing experience, want to extensively customise or achieve extremely low latency for pursuits like competitive gaming. Or who simply prefer big, chunky keys for a more classic feel when typing. The Q3 Pro is the company’s latest and greatest, hewn from metal and weighing a very solid 2.3kg. This is thanks,…

£16.99 FROM mintrocketgames.com NEEDS macOS 10.15 or later It’s relaxing, forgiving and easy to grasp, in spite of all there is to do VERDICT Dave the Diver perfectly balances different gameplay elements into a winning recipe. Relaxing, forgiving gameplay So much to do Easy to learn Occasional crashes Dave the Diver sounds like it should be a complicated game. You spend D the day swimming in crystal blue waters to explore, catch fish, scavenge materials and complete missions. By night, you run a sushi restaurant, picking the menu, enhancing the food, serving the meals and keeping customers happy. Yet it never feels overwhelming. Instead, this is a game with real depth that, like the best sushi, looks beautiful and leaves you absolutely satisfied. Every time you dive into the sapphire…