Содержание выпуска: June 2022 — MacFormat

Your Mac, iPhone and iPad are such incredibly powerful and versatile devices, the chances are you’re only just scratching the surface of all the wonderful things they can do. To help inspire you, this month’s lead feature – ‘54 amazing Apple hacks’ – on p20 is all about the amazingly creative and productive projects you can carry out on your devices. Of course, it’s really just the start. We’d love to hear what kind of things you use your devices for, so drop us a line at letters@macformat.com and tell us yours. Talking of powerful devices, this month we’re taking an in-depth look at two of Apple’s latest: the new Mac Studio and Studio Display. While Apple is deliberately aiming both at the kind of creative pros who churn through…

Head straight to the Apple Store on iPhone launch day? Or do you wait for a deal? Or get your iPhone secondhand? If you opt for any of these, you buy the phone outright. That might not be the case for much longer. Apple is allegedly working on a hardware subscription service where you would pay a monthly fee for your iPhone or other Apple product. It’s unlikely this would totally replace the option of buying a device, though. Apple already has several subscription services, such as iCloud+ and Apple Music, but these are limited to software. According to Bloomberg, Apple is aiming to make hardware purchases more like subscribing to an app. Rather than an instalment plan that divides the hardware cost into 12 or 24 months, a subscription…

Bad Blood: The Final Chapter with John Carreyrou The Just Enough Family with Ariel Levy U Up? with Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid Fresh Air with Terry Gross The Handoff with Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo How I Built This with Guy Raz Chameleon with Josh Dean, Vanessa Grigoriadis and Trevor Aaronson Diet Starts Tomorrow with Aleen Dreksler and Sam Sage Planet Money with Amanda Aronczyk, Erika Beras, Mary Childs, Jacob Goldstein, Sarah Gonzalez, Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi and Kenny Malone Swindled with ‘A Concerned Citizen’…

The humble link has lots of different uses, and they are employed to great effect in Apple’s Pages, Numbers, and Keynote applications. You can use them for tasks as simple as directing your reader to a web page or opening an email with the address field populated. So far, so obvious. But links can also be used to accommodate online video from the likes of YouTube and Vimeo in your documents and presentations, and to direct readers to pages, or sections of texts. There are a few different ways to create links, depending on what you’re linking to. And there are some conditions attached. For example, if you want to link to a bookmark in Pages, you’ll need to set your document to be a word processing, rather than page…

iOS and iPadOS 15.4 were significant updates that introduced a host of new features. Among them are Face ID while wearing a mask, Tap to Pay on iPhone, improved SharePlay integration, Shortcuts notifications, changes to the TV app, Notes in iCloud Keychain, and custom domains in iCloud Mail. There are also new emoji to choose from, and plenty of other tools to discover and take advantage of. All devices from the iPhone 6s onwards can use iOS 15.4; this includes the original iPhone SE, the 2020 iPhone SE, and the seventh-generation iPod touch. EXPLAINED… What’s new in iOS 15.4 1 Face ID with a Mask Go to Settings Face ID & Passcode. Turn ‘Face ID with a Mask’ on and follow the onscreen instructions. You can also add glasses here.…

Ever since iOS 14 brought widgets to the iPhone and iPad, people have been looking for ways to spruce up their Home Screens with fresh new looks. With the Themify app (free, with IAPs) close at hand, that’s easier and quicker than ever before. In this guide, we’ll show you how to customise your Home Screen so it’s truly personal to you. Whether that means adjusting a few app icons and adding a video wallpaper or going for a complete visual makeover, Themify makes creating a new style quick and, dare we say it, even fun. Themify’s free version gives you plenty of content, but its premium version unlocks even more, including exclusive themes and extra widgets. It also removes ads and lets you install more than five app icons…

EXPERT ADVICE Our resident genius solves your Mac and iOS problems Contact us Email your queries and your questions to genius@macformat.com You have custom access Select your Home folder, or any of the standard folders inside it like Documents, and Get Info. In the lowest of the sections, Sharing & Permissions, does it report that “You have custom access”? Do you know what that means? Custom access is Apple’s jargon to let you know that macOS has set an Access Control List (ACL), in this case to prevent anyone from deleting those folders. If you’re good with Terminal, you can use the command ls-led there to see the details that the Finder is too coy to reveal. But oddly Apple doesn’t explain any of this. If you’ve invested in a…

App Dock icons don’t work properly Q I normally open recent documents through an app’s Dock icon, and clear that list in the app itself. Why doesn’t that work the same with apps like NeoOffice, LibreOffice and OpenOffice? by DAVID LISTER A Normally, when an app opens a document, details of that are recorded by Launch Services, part of macOS which operates many of the features associated with the Finder and common human interface. Launch Services adds that to the list of documents opened by that app, and puts it into the list shown in the app’s Open Recent menu command. Not only is this accessible within the app, but those recent documents are also listed at the top of the menu shown when you ctrl-click on that app’s icon…

As we’ve mentioned, the iPad is a tremendously versatile device, but most iPad owners still need to buy an assortment of cables and adaptors in order to connect the iPad to other non-Apple devices. Apple makes its own range of cables and adaptors, with options such as its Digital AV adaptors (£49-£79) for HDMI displays and TVs proving essential for many. Apple’s accessories are expensive, though, so it’s worth exploring alternatives from companies such as Belkin, which makes a wide range of Lightning and USB-C adaptors that enable the iPad to work with external displays, wired Ethernet networks, and audio devices. Of course, many iPad owners also have an iPhone, as well as AirPods and an Apple Watch, and we’ve seen some great multi-charger devices, such as the BaseLynx from…

Index score (higher is better) GEEKBENCH 5 SINGLE-CORE TEST This tests the capability of a single processor core. Many more common tasks on a Mac will only use a single core at a time. Geekbench 5 is a universal app running on Monterey. Duration (shorter is better) HANDBRAKE VIDEO ENCODING We transcode a Blu-ray–quality video file into H.264 format using HandBrake to test the multicore processor performance. Handbrake 1.4 or later runs natively on the M1. Frames per second (higher is better) RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER (1920X1080) For a real-world gaming test, we use the benchmarking tool in this game, with the graphics quality set to High and the resolution set to 1920x1080. Not yet optimised for M1. Duration (shorter is better) DAVINCI RESOLVE In Blackmagic Design’s editing tool…

£164.95 FROM Joby, joby.com FEATURES GorillaPod 3K stand, BallHead 1K, phone mount, Bluetooth Professional movie makers can make a clip look more interesting (or tell a story) by tracking the camera. The Joby Swing enables you to track your iPhone as smoothly as a top cinematographer. The dedicated Joby Motion app enables you to set the Swing’s start and end points by tapping on the iPhone’s display. Tap Go and it tracks in either Video or Timelapse mode. The Kit also ships with a sturdy GorillaPod 3K tripod, so you can mount the device in a variety of locations using the tripod’s flexible legs. The Joby Swing tracks slowly so the moves that it makes are subtle. For more noticeable results, you need to have an object in the foreground…

£8.99 FROM Tominlab, tominlab.com/wonderpen NEEDS macOS 10.11 or later The feature that differentiates WonderPen from many other writing apps is its document tree. This sidebar contains thumbnails of docs that you drag and drop to change where they sit in the final document. In that sense, it’s a bit like Scrivener’s binder. WonderPen shares a few other features with Scrivener, such as the ability to add memos to documents. And there’s a whiteboard where you can keep tables, notes, or images. Many of WonderPen’s features are not immediately obvious. There’s a typewriter mode, and a split-screen mode to view two documents side by side, and snapshots that allow you to create a backup of a document at any stage and return to it should you need to. Text formatting options…

DESKTOP SPEAKER Ruark MR1 £329.99 ruarkaudio.com Winner of MF357’s head to head, the MR1 speaker set looks and sounds the business. The dome tweeter and long-throw woofer can handle a variety of audio styles with aplomb. You get a good variety of connectivity options, and we love the chunky function/volume dial too. IN-EAR WIRLESS EARPHONES Beats Fit Pro £199.99 beatsbydre.com/uk The Beats Fit Pro are compact and sporty in design with integrated silicone ear hooks. The earbuds match Apple AirPods Pro almost feature for feature, and cost nearly £40 less. You get Apple’s H1 chip, Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), Find My, Siri support and Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. What’s more, these Beats boast longer battery life than the AirPods Pro. KEYBOARD (MAC/iOS) Logitech MX Keys Mini £99.99 logitech.com…

There are many rumours surrounding this year’s MacBook Air release. Some say it will get an all-new design, that it will come in a range of new colours, and that it might even come with an old chip (see opposite page). However, there are also whispers of another, larger device that is shrouded in mystery. Ostensibly, it appears to be a MacBook Air in a new size, but even that is far from nailed down. While there have been calls for Apple to offer a MacBook Air with an increased display size for a number of years, the idea picked up steam recently thanks to a report from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), a group of experts in the display industry spearheaded by prominent analyst Ross Young. The report outlined…

APP OF THE MONTH [MAC APP] OutlineEdit 3 £28.99 Work more efficiently with this productivity booster Want to get your ideas organised and take action on them? Rather than trying to keep everything in your head, an outlining app could be what you need. Version 3 of OutlineEdit adds a host of helpful new features that can aid in getting your ideas down. For instance, you can now add inline images to your outlines, be they photos, charts, diagrams, or something else. There are new custom templates, new themes, colourful category tags and filters, and more. The app is now much faster and smoother, its developer says, thanks to a new editor core. In fact, this is OutlineEdit’s biggest update ever, with over 100 enhancements to almost every aspect of…

In association with If you love making podcasts, creating music, or streaming content, you know the value of a top-notch recording setup. And if it’s time for an upgrade, you’re in luck, as this issue we’re giving away two huge recording bundles from 512 Audio. First up, we’ve got the Skylight XLR microphone that’s perfectly tuned for vocals. Its 34mm gold-plated condenser capsule, cardioid pattern, and custom frequency response are all tailor-made to get the best results for music and streaming. Then we have a mic that’s perfect for podcasters, the Limelight XLR. This comes with a ‘hyper-focused’ pickup pattern, which is 20% narrower than standard cardioid patterns, helping to separate your voice. Its built-in pop shield and low-frequency filter mean crystal-clear audio that audiences will love. As you also…

Privacy has been at the heart of many of Apple’s new features and improvements in macOS in recent years. And nowhere is this more evident than in Safari. Whether it’s preventing you from being tracked by cross-site cookies as you browse, or displaying a privacy report for the websites you visit, Apple has done much to make Safari more secure. In addition to those improvements, there are a whole host of ways you can tweak how Safari deals with websites that may want access to your microphone or camera, or auto-play videos, display pop-ups or notifications, or want to know your location. You can control what data websites have access to and how far they can go with putting content in front of you using Safari’s preferences. And you can…

Macro photography enables you to capture a close encounter with a wide range of objects, plants or creatures. With the release of the iPhone 13 Pro range (and iOS 15.2), you can snap details that aren’t easily visible to the naked eye – such as a pollinating bee’s proboscis or flakes of peeling paint on a rusty sign. Unlike older iPhone models, the Ultra Wide camera on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max has an autofocus capability that enables you to capture sharp macro shots from about an inch (or two centimetres) away from your subject. We’ll demonstrate how to shoot a variety of subjects using Macro mode and capture the classic background blur (bokeh) that’s the hallmark of macro photography. Your iPhone 13 Pro (or Pro Max) will…

When the iPad first launched in 2011, it was very much intended as a device for entertainment, rather than work, with a focus on web browsing, music, video and FaceTime. More recently, Apple has attempted to position the iPad – especially the iPad Pro – as a versatile and lightweight alternative to a laptop, providing enough graphical horsepower for serious design and video-editing work. Last year’s adoption of the M1 processor in the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro – and now the 10.9-inch iPad Air in 2022 – takes the iPad into entirely new territory. A decade on from the iPad’s inception, these three iPad models now provide the same levels of power as the M1-based 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini or 24-inch iMac, making them a genuine alternative to…

Most iPad models now support the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, with only the entry-level iPad still using the older Wi-Fi 5 (formerly known as 802.11ac). However, mobile broadband – referred to as cellular in the US – is an optional extra that costs £120-£150, depending on which model you’re buying. The iPad draws the short straw, only offering 4G LTE support for mobile broadband. In the UK, the Uswitch comparison website reports that the EE network provides the best 4G performance with average download speeds of 20-30Mbps. All other current iPad models support 5G mobile broadband, which currently provides average speeds of around 150Mbps. However, speeds vary a lot depending on your network provider and coverage in different parts of the country. If you buy a ‘cellular’ iPad model then…

Creating your own Shortcuts if you’re starting from scratch can be quite daunting. So Apple has built a Gallery of precooked Shortcuts in the app. All you have to do is decide which ones you want to use and how you want to activate them. Once you’ve got used to the way shortcuts work, you can edit them to make them do different things, or dive right in and create your own. When it comes to triggering shortcuts, you have a choice of using Siri, a keyboard shortcut, Spotlight, or placing an icon for the shortcut in the menu bar or Dock, or by including it in Quick Actions or the Services menu. In this section, we’ll start by showing you how to use and modify an existing shortcut and…

BUYING ADVICE Our authoritative reviews help you make more informed choices Contact us Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com Our ratings Our reviews are totally independent; we’re not affiliated with Apple or anyone else, nor are we influenced by advertisers. A truly exceptional product. Award given solely at the discretion of the editor. The best example of its kind when pitted against comparable products. A brilliant thing Strongly recommended Worth considering Notable flaws A waste of your money…

£1,499 FROM Apple, apple.com/uk FEATURES 27-inch 5K Retina display (5120x2880 pixels), 600 nits brightness, True Tone, 1x Thunderbolt 3 port, 3x USB-C ports Now that the 27-inch iMac has joined the Power Mac G4 Cube and the original MacBook in the great big Apple resting place in the sky, the new Studio Display could be the next best thing. Maybe. Released alongside the new Mac Studio, the Studio Display sports a 27-inch 5K Retina display (just like the 27-inch iMac) and even bears a passing resemblance to the 24-inch iMac. It is also only Apple’s second display of the modern era, joining the 32-inch Pro Display XDR (£4,599), but at a more reasonable £1,499. We say ‘reasonable’, but there’s a catch. The £1,499 price either gets you a Studio Display…

£129.99 FROM Shiftcam, shiftcam.com FEATURES Wireless powerbank, Bluetooth shutter, ergonomic grip, landscape/portrait The act of capturing a perfect shot on your iPhone can be a challenge. You need two hands to snap a shot safely when tapping the Camera app’s shutter button. When switching between lenses, you may not realise that one of them is obscured by a finger. On an intensive shoot, you’ll drain the iPhone’s battery more quickly and may miss a photo opportunity. The ShiftCam ProGrip solves these problems, and makes your iPhone feel more like a traditional camera. Its ergonomic non-slip rubber grip lets you hold your iPhone comfortably (and securely, thanks to a strap) in one hand. You can capture a shot by pressing a button (triggering the Camera app’s shutter via Bluetooth). Thanks to…

£115 FROM DxO, dxo.com NEEDS macOS 10.15.7 or later DxO PureRAW 2 uses DeepPRIME machine learning to counteract a range of artefacts that can spoil a Raw format photo. It will reduce noise, correct optical lens distortion and colour fringing, counteract vignetted edges and sharpen details. It does this more effectively than the native tools in apps such as Adobe Lightroom Classic. And once PureRAW 2 has preprocessed a shot, you can use Lightroom Classic or Photoshop’s Camera Raw tools to process other picture properties such as colour, composition and tone. The app enables you to revisit old Raw files in apps such as Lightroom Classic. For example, some of your old Raw shots may have been rejected by a stock photography site’s inspectors for suffering from too much ISO…

£23.79 FROM Might and Delight, tmorpg.com NEEDS macOS 10.15 or later Book of Travels bills itself as a ‘tiny multiplayer online RPG’, or a TMORPG. It eschews the huge battles and multitudes of players that you’ll find in traditional massively multiplayer online RPGs for a much slower pace of life. The game is in early access, but it was so intriguing we couldn’t wait to give it a try. We were hooked right from the off. At character creation, each archetype has various unusual buffs and debuffs, such as having items move around in your backpack because you’re disorganised. The land of Book of Travels – the Braided Shore – is a place where magical teas are brewed and letters are written with knotted ropes. The music is esoteric and…

Apple might keep older chips around for longer in future devices, if a number of leaks and rumours are to be believed. That could break with the company’s usual strategy of upgrading its devices’ chips with each product update, and could potentially mean less exciting performance from your new devices. One of the products potentially affected is the MacBook Air. While many experts expect the next version to be outfitted with the upcoming M2 chip, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes it could instead come with an M1 chip (or a modified version of the M1, perhaps with more cores). Similarly, the iPhone 14 and rumoured iPhone 14 Max could have the same A15 Bionic chip as the one used in the iPhone 13, according to Kuo. The iPhone 14…

When Apple is set on something, there is little that will make it change course. A rare change of tack has come to pass, however, with important implications for the App Store – and Apple’s struggles against antitrust investigations. That change seems simple: apps like Netflix, Kindle and Spotify can now point customers to sign-up pages on their own websites, something that Apple previously forbade. However, it means there’s a breach in Apple’s walled garden. People will have the option to avoid in-app purchases (IAPs), as these apps will not have to pay Apple’s 30% commission. Before you think Apple has gone soft, it’s clear the change is a grudging one. Apps must apply for an ‘entitlement’ to bypass the IAP system, and then have to use a specific user…

23.6 million Number of supplier employees who’ve been trained on their labour rights since 2008. 50.3 billion Gallons of fresh water saved by suppliers in Apple’s Clean Water programme across 10 countries and regions since 2013. 2,000+ Number of energy efficiency projects being carried out by Apple’s suppliers – a 39% increase year-on-year. 175+ Number of Apple suppliers committed to transitioning to 100% renewable production, representing 9 gigawatts of clean energy. 1st Apple is the first company in the industry to produce a battery made from 100% recycled and responsibly sourced minerals. 52 The number of countries where Apple auditors have conducted environmental assessments of its suppliers. Over 2 million Metric tons of waste diverted from landfill by Apple’s suppliers since it introduced its Zero Waste programme in 2015, including…

Since we clapped eyes on and fell in love with our very first Macs, we’ve been blown away not just by their performance or their power, as impressive as they are, but by the possibilities they offer. Where else can a single device be an artist’s sketchbook and a guitarist’s amp, a writer’s notebook and a photographer’s darkroom, a space cruiser’s cockpit and an architect’s easel? And that’s just scratching the surface of what your Mac, iPhone and iPad can do. In this feature, we’ll discover how you can do all kinds of amazing things on your Apple kit. We’ll discover the apps that’ll elevate your creative projects into something truly spectacular, and we’ll look for the cool tools that’ll make your life easier. We’ll discover how your Apple kit…

With so many apps loaded on to our devices, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of notifications fighting for our attention. That’s particularly true on the Mac, a device where so many of us do our daily work – and where we really need to concentrate the most. Luckily, macOS Monterey has several built-in features that can rein in the chaos and let you get back to the things that matter. From Focus mode to fine-grained notification controls, there are plenty of ways to get more control over the information thrown your way. It’s also worth looking at widgets, as these handy mini apps can display pertinent information right from the Notification Centre, meaning you don’t need to wade into each app every time you get an…

The Mac’s Preview app has evolved into a very useful tool for viewing, editing, converting, and annotating images and PDF documents. In fact, if you need to quickly resize an image, change its format, or add a comment or visual note to it, there are few better tools available. In this tutorial, we’ll focus on using it to convert multiple images in a batch from one format to another. One use case for this could be when you take photos on an iPhone, AirDrop them to your Mac and need to upload them to a website or server, or email them to a friend. By default, the images are saved as HEIC (High Efficiency Image File) format. That’s the format Apple has used since iOS 11 for iPhone camera images.…

The Magic Trackpad doesn’t have any buttons or moving parts, but you can still feel – and hear – the trackpad ‘click’ when you press it. This technology is known as haptic feedback, and it enables devices such as trackpads to create the sensation of movement in response to actions such as pressure from your fingers. Apple’s version of haptic feedback is called the Taptic Engine, and it uses magnetic coils – similar to those used in speakers and headphones – to create vibrations that make it feel as though the trackpad is responding to your touch. If you turn the Magic Trackpad off and press down on it, you can feel that the surface of the trackpad is fixed in place and doesn’t move. But when it’s turned on…

More memory or storage in an M1? Q When I choose my new M1 Mac, should I get more memory or a bigger SSD? by RODDY MARTIN A Apple silicon models come with special high-speed memory mounted in the M1 chip carrier which can’t be upgraded or replaced, and their internal storage is soldered in, again for performance and security. While you can always add external storage, it’s essential to get both right when you order. M1 Macs use memory differently from Intel models. They don’t have any graphics memory, as all parts of the chip including the GPU share main memory to deliver the best performance. This doesn’t mean that you have to add on an allowance for graphics use, like the dedicated memory in graphics cards, as they…

The LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor used by the rear cameras of the iPad Pro and recent iPhones is a key part of Apple’s grand plans for the future of AR and VR technology. The LiDAR sensor helps to improve camera performance in low-light conditions, but it can also calculate depth within an image or scene. This is similar to the TrueDepth technology used with the front-facing camera to map the contours of your face so that you can use Face ID to unlock the iPad Pro or an iPhone. However, the LiDAR sensor is more precise than Face ID as it uses lasers to bounce rays of light off objects and measure their distance from the camera. This enables you to shoot photos and videos that contain accurate…

Apple can be really annoying at times. The iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air all start with just 64GB of built-in storage – which really isn’t enough. This means you’re pretty much forced to pay around £140 to upgrade to 256GB. However, that’s the maximum storage available for those iPad models, so if you need more than 256GB of storage, you’ll have to pay for a top-of-the-range iPad Pro. The iPad Pro can be upgraded to 512GB, 1TB and even 2TB – although that 2TB option weighs in at almost £2,000. But don’t forget that the iPad mini, Air and Pro now have USB-C ports, which enable you to connect an external USB drive or a flash drive. It’s not an elegant solution, but it’s a lot cheaper than Apple’s…

Once you’ve mastered the basics of choosing shortcuts from the Gallery, running them, creating your own and sharing with others, you’re ready to dig deeper. The shortcuts we’ve discussed so far are simple, with only a few actions and limited inputs. However, they can include questions that ask for your input before running. Apple’s Home ETA shortcut, for example, asks for your home address and who you want to notify before it calculates an ETA. Shortcuts can also have ‘if then else’ statements, where the result of the action varies according to conditions set. And you can set and call variables to store content in a shortcut. Third-party apps you’ve installed on your Mac may have their own pre-cooked shortcuts. The note-taking app Bear, for example, has a shortcut that…

£6,199 (model on test) FROM Apple, apple.com/uk FEATURES Apple M1 Ultra chip (20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine), 2TB storage, 128GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, 6x Thunderbolt 4 ports (2x front, 4x rear), 2x USB-A ports, 1x 10Gb Ethernet port, 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack,1x SDXC card slot, 197x197x95mm, 3.6kg Ever since Apple introduced its first Apple silicon Mac in 2020, its direction of travel has been crystal clear. First to arrive were the M1-powered MacBook Air, Mac mini and 13-inch MacBook Pro in 2020, followed by the gorgeous 24-inch iMac in April last year. Last October, Apple moved things on again with the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro offering up new members of the M1 family, the M1 Pro and…

£249.99 FROM Lenco, lenco.uk FEATURES Bluetooth 5.0, four built-in speakers, 50W RMS power, 33 and 45rpm turntable, moving magnetic cartridge Vinyl continues to enjoy a renaissance but not everyone has space for a full hi-fi setup. Lenco’s small range of all-in-one turntables offer a way to listen to records while taking up as little space as possible, combining a belt-drive platter with four built-in speakers, two rated at 15 watts and two at 10 watts, and running off mains power. The LS-440 is finished in beige or grey fabric which lends it a pleasingly retro feel and the design is sure to be a talking point in any home. Other models in the series use plastic or even wood finishes. There are two speed switches for 33 or 45rpm playback…

Group test ON TEST… Apple AirPods MaxBowers & Wilkins PX7JLab Studio Pro ANCSennheiser Momentum 3Shure Aonic 40Sony WH–1000XM4SoundCore Life Q35Urbanista Los AngelesYamaha YH–E700A When it comes to audio fidelity, over-ear headphones are almost always going to offer a superior listening experience compared to earbuds. This is due to their bigger size and the fact that their drivers are many times larger, which enables them to move more air and thus achieve a richer soundstage. An over-ear design means that the ear cups completely surround each ear, minimising sound leakage both in and out. Additionally, noise cancelling technology, when activated, analyses ambient sound and then cancels it out, providing you with an even more immersive listening experience. All of this plus wireless operation uses power of course, but these larger bodies…

Free (IAPs) FROM 7S2P Inc, effie.pro NEEDS macOS 10.13 or later Effie is a minimalist Markup editor and mind map app. While stripped back, it has a few handy tools. It’s free to download, but some options require a subscription. Effie uses a three-column layout, with folders, files, and workspace ordered left to right, and you can hide the first two columns to aid concentration. Press ‘/’ and you’ll see a cheat sheet of Markup shortcuts – helpful if you’re new to the syntax. You can also add Markup stylings from the Markup menu bar. You can display a character counter and pin it on your writing space. You can also export to various file types and publish to Effie’s companion mindhub.pro website or to your own WordPress blog. Publishing…

THE APPLE INTERFACE The past, present and future of interface design – from the computer that inspired Steve Jobs to neomorphism The beginner’s guide to Contacts Are you getting the most out of Apple’s address book? ALSO INSIDE… Discover photo-editing tricks with Luminar Neo Master your iPhone’s Cinematic mode Change Watch face automations … and much more! Contents subject to change ISSUE 379 ON SALE 31 MAY 2022 DON’T MISS IT – SUBSCRIBE TODAY! IN PRINT & ON YOUR iPAD Our print and digital bundle gets you the paper magazine as well as our iPad edition magazinesdirect.com/macformat-magazine-subscription ON YOUR MAC Read digitally on your Mac: subscribe with Zinio at bit.ly/ziniomacf…