2019 10 01 - Macworld
2019 10 01 - Macworld
2019 10 01 - Macworld
The Data folder in the Time Capsule volume holds Time Machine backups. (Yes, the screen
capture is ancient, from the last time I used Time Capsule for backups.)
backups. The company discontinued the 1. Mount your Time Capsule volume in
device and other related network gear, but the Finder. (If you’ve forgotten the pass-
there are plenty still in operation. word, you can use AirPort Utility to reset
A problem with Time Capsule is that its file sharing settings.)
drive can get filled with outdated backups 2. Open the Data folder.
if you migrate computers and don’t adopt 3. Find any disk images that corre-
the old backup set. Fortunately, Time spond to outdated backups and throw
Capsule exposes that data in a particular those in the Trash.
way, making it possible to delete 4. You may be prompted to empty the
unwanted backups. trash immediately, because it’s a net-
Warning: These deletions aren’t worked volume. If so, agree to do so.
reversible. Make doubly sure before your Otherwise, empty the trash from the Finder
delete a Time Machine backup from your menu.
Time Capsule that it’s the one or ones you 5. Eject the volume from the Finder
really intend. (Finder → Eject). ■
OCTOBER 2019
≥
FIVE SIGNS
THAT TELL
YOU IT’S TIME
TO UPGRADE
IS IT TIME TO
REPLACE YOUR
iPHONE?
8 kids a day are accidentally killed
or injured by FAMILY FIRE.
FAMILY FIRE is a shooting involving an
improperly stored gun, often found in the home.
ENDFAMILYFIRE.org
I N C O R P O R AT I N G M A C U S E R
iOSCENTRAL
Traveling with Apple tech 47
Apple apologizes for Siri grading
program 51
WORKINGMAC
10 incredibly useful Mac keyboard
shortcuts 97
Avira Free Antivirus review 101
Hide.me review 104
Dark mode is coming to Office on the web
107
PLAYLIST
How to use Siri for hands-free Apple TV
control 111
Grace Digital Mondo+ Classic review
w 117
Bose SoundSport Wireless Bluetooth
Headphones review 123
HELPDESK
The 10 best complications Mac 911: When it tells you deleted songs
might not be moved to the trash; what to do
for Apple Watch 89 when an app won’t update 127
Editorial
STAFF WRITERS Jason Cross, Michael Simon
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Leif Johnson
SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS Glenn Fleishman, Rob Griffiths,
Joe Kissell, Kirk McElhearn, John Moltz, Dan Moren, Jason Snell
COPY EDITOR Sue Voelkel
Design
DESIGNER Rob Woodcock
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PUBLICATION INFORMATION
October 2019, Volume 36, Issue 10
Macworld is a publication of IDG Communications, Inc., and International Data Group, Inc. Macworld is an independent
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User, Macworld, and the Macworld logo are registered trademarks of International Data Group, Inc., and used under
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A
pple’s Q3 2019 financial results other areas: wearables and services.
(go.macworld.com/q319) But this is hardly the first time Apple
caused a bit of a hubbub has experienced a major change in the
because iPhone revenue shape of its business. In fact, Apple is a
was—for the first time in seven years—less company that’s rarely stood still in terms
than half of Apple’s overall revenue. The of its evolution.
cause is a slowdown in iPhone sales To prove the point, let’s step through 20
combined with dramatic growth in two years of Apple’s business, five years at a time.
many Macs
Total Apple Revenue Apple sells in
FOUR-QUARTER AVERAGE
a quarter now,
because it
stopped
releasing unit
sales figures
last year, but
it’s probably in
the ballpark of
four million.
Keep this in
mind when you
1999: THE MAC COMEBACK consider that the Mac is now only
Steve Jobs came back to Apple in 1997 roughly 10 percent of Apple’s overall
and we all know what happened next. But business: back when the Mac was 80
that transformation took a while. Look at a percent of Apple’s business, Apple was
sample quarter from twenty years ago— selling less than a fifth as many Macs
the fourth fiscal quarter of 1999—and you’ll per quarter as it is in 2019.
see a very different company than the
Apple of today. Apple Q4 1999
First off, there was only really one REVENUE BY CATEGORY
Apple product back then: the Mac. 80
percent of Apple’s revenue came from the
Mac, with 20 percent coming from other
20%
products, mostly Mac accessories and OTHER
software. In the fourth quarter of 1999,
Apple’s total revenue was $1.34 billion,
generating $111 million in profit. To put that
80%
in perspective, Apple generated that much MAC
revenue every two days or so in the third
quarter of 2019.
In the fourth quarter of 1999, Apple
sold 772,000 Macs. We don’t know how
W
hen it comes to the 10th-generation Core processor (formerly
performance of Mac known by the code name Ice Lake) is so
laptops, it’s safe to say that important to Mac users. It’s the company’s
Intel is in the driver’s seat. first truly high volume chip on its 10nm
Unless Apple shows some sign of either manufacturing process, and the first to
switching to AMD or producing its own use the new “Sunny Cove” processor
laptop processors, the MacBook line will core design.
be inextricably linked to Intel’s CPU Our sister site, PCWorld, has a detailed
releases. overview (go.macworld.com/detl) of the
That’s why the launch of Intel’s new entire 10th-generation line, a deep dive
vector operations,
as well as larger
caches and
buffers.
Intel says to
expect an overall
18 percent
improvement in
instructions-per-
clock (IPC) across
a wide variety of Intel’s model numbers are getting no easier to decipher. Apple tends to
tasks, but hide these details, anyway.
encryption, video
compression, and machine learning tasks offset by the fact that these
should execute a lot faster. 10th-generation chips have significantly
Before you get all excited about the lower base and boost clocks than the
next round of MacBooks being 18 percent Amber Lake and Coffee Lake-U chips they
faster than the ones sold today (and much are replacing.
more in select tasks), get ready for some It’s hard to get an exact picture of how
bad news. That big IPC boost is somewhat well these chips will perform in a
MacBook Air or
Synthetic graphics benchmarks are around twice as fast with 10th-generation chips.
0 30 60 90 120
Higher scores are better
greater than 50 percent boost in real- home routers are just now trickling out. If
world graphics performance. Apple doesn’t supplant Intel’s own Wi-Fi
Mac laptops aren’t exactly gaming hardware with a chip with a separate
machines (at least, not without hooking networking chip, we can expect high-
up an external GPU), but some light
gaming is possible and that should be a
lot more enjoyable with the new
10th-generation Intel CPUs. Graphics
acceleration is important in many
applications beyond gaming, and those
might feel a lot smoother.
It’s rumored that the first MacBooks to feature Wi-Fi 6 will be released in 2020.
I
love Retina iMacs. So much so that I machine that’s actually slower than my
took a chance and bought a used 2012 Core i7 iMac. I bought it with
2015 low-end Core i5 iMac with a 1TB upgrading in mind, which is where the
Fusion Drive (which combines a 24GB fickle finger of fate came into play.
NVMe SSD and a 1TB hard drive)—a I wanted to upgrade the iMac’s NVMe
Though a fine
SSD, and super
fast when on
cache, the 970
EVO Plus is
not the drive
you want when
upgrading the
NVMe SSD in an
older iMac.
company armed me with a number of long, and the drive just a shade more so. It
relevant tips, and sent me a 512GB M13 can still be installed, but it’s not a perfect
Feather SSD kit (go.macworld.com/m13f) with fit. Then again, it’s inside the iMac where
macOS High Sierra pre-installed. you’ll never see it. Out of sight...
While 25 cents per gigabyte isn’t It’s been reported that one of the most
bad—the Feather drive turned out to be a popular and fastest midrange NVMe SSDs,
good all-around performer—I was the Samsung 970 EVO Plus, currently
enamored with the idea of using a less won’t play nice with Macs. I had intended
expensive M.2 (go.macworld.com/m2dr) to test the 970 EVO Plus as an upgrade,
2280 drive. I already had a bunch and but while formatting it in an external PCIe
they’re not all cheapos. enclosure, it crashed my other Mac. I took
I settled on the Western Digital SN750 the hint.
Black for the experiment, but you could
easily make do with something such as INSTALLATION OF THE
Crucial’s P1 (go.macworld.com/crp1). Also, NVME SSD
you need a sub-$20 adapter from As I said before, this will void your iMac’s
Sinetech (go.macworld.com/snm2) to use warranty. You also run the risk of
an M.2 2280 SSD in an iMac. permanently damaging your iMac.
The Sinetech adapter is actually made What’s nice about the Fledging NVMe is
for MacBooks, and there is a subtle that it’s a plug-and-play device. If you don’t
difference in the distances between opt for a plug-and-play NVMe, you need to
MacBook and iMac mount points. The end create an installation USB thumbdrive with a
result is that the adapter is just a hair too full copy of macOS High Sierra or later.
Next up is the easy, affordable plug- or not. Regardless, the 2.8GBps reads and
and-play upgrade Fledging Feather M13 lightning seeks mean you still get that NVMe
SSD. It’s convenient as well, coming with kick in the pants, and you don’t have to
High Sierra pre-installed, though for $5 worry about a slightly ill-fitting adapter.
you can have a USB stick that allows you Just in case you aren’t so sanguine
to install Mojave. about opening up your iMac, here’s the
Note that the write performance alternative I talked about—NVMe via
numbers the company sent me were quite Thunderbolt (go.macworld.com/nvia).
a bit higher than this, but they were Below are the results from the same 2015
garnered using a 2015 i7 MacBook Pro. i5 iMac, with an Akitio Thunder2 PCIe
The CPU does make a difference. enclosure housing a Samsung 970 EVO
SSD. The older 970 EVO works just fine
(I’ve run High Sierra from it for over a year),
where the 970 EVO Plus did not.
Though NVMe over Thunderbolt is Last, but not least, is the Sinetech
not always quite as smooth an adapter paired with a 1TB WD Black
experience as an internal NVMe SSD SN750 NVMe (go.macworld.com/snbl).
(there seems to be the occasional slight This is what I had in mind—consistently
pause), it’s still faster, and though not large numbers across the board.
cheap, a good alternative if you’re shy
about opening your system. BOTTOM LINE
Don’t listen to the doom-and-gloomers in the
forums, you most decidedly can upgrade the
NVMe SSD in your iMac to something faster
and more capacious without forking over
your life’s savings. I tested the 2015, but I’ve
seen 2017 models upgraded, and Fledging
assured me any Mac with an SSD connector
can be upgraded.
Given the price, quality, and speed of
the plug-and-play Fledging Feather, that’s
likely the best option for the average user.
On the other hand, I’m pretty darn happy
with the WD Black SN750 and the adapter,
despite the slightly ill fit.
Either way, it’s an upgrade that will make
This is what it looks like when you use a top-
flight NVMe SSD such as WD’s Black SN750 you smile. And not in small part because you
with the Sinetech adapter. Yowser. survived taking your Mac apart. ■
F
ew of us ever get a chance to Blizzard Entertainment’s “newest”
start over from scratch, but game is essentially the popular massive
recently World of Warcraft players multiplayer online roleplaying game
got exactly that with the launch of exactly as it played in 2004, right down to
WoW Classic (go.macworld.com/wowc). molasses-paced quest text, a dearth of
like, say, The Witcher 3—have a critical ingredients outlined above. This
timelessness springing from the fact that sense of a long, shared history and a
you can play them over and over again so persistent world is critical to WoW’s
long as you have a supporting system. continued success; it makes it feel like a
World of Warcraft, though, has a place we can always go home to. It
dedicated high-population multiplayer sometimes even leads me to think of my
base, a constantly evolving storyline and character as an extension of myself. I was
world, an old age for a game, and a a member of one of the better-known
sustained faction rivalry that give it a linear guilds back when this content was fresh—
history that few other games have. we had a handful of world-first and
Combined, all these factors help World of -second raid boss kills (go.macworld.com/
Warcraft feel more like a real world than b0ss), and a truckload of server firsts—and
many other persistent worlds. the mage I used in those means a lot to
This is a special thing, and it’s me. I keep him “retired” on a ranch so he’ll
unmatched by any other game save be happy even though I play another class
perhaps EVE Online. You’ll find similar these days.
situations in other MMORPGs like This sense of a linear history that
EverQuest and Final Fantasy XIV (go. mimics what we find in the real world is
macworld.com/ff14; and even Second Life), what spurred the concept of the “good ol’
but those games usually lack one of the days” in WoW to begin with. It makes
looking at
“Did somebody screenshots
say...?” (Risen on feel like looking
Alleria spawning
Thunderaan for at photos from
the first time.) the past. World
of Warcraft has
definable eras,
much as the
real world, and
it’s lasted for so
long that you
can even point
to different
generations of
tendency to wallow
in nostalgia—and to
our detriment. At the
most benign, this
tendency makes us
believe things were
better in the past in
part because we fail
to account for the
conditions that color
that perception. At
the worst, it leads to
Risen spawning Ragnaros for the first time on the Alleria server on cynical attempts to
April 16, 2005. cash in on that
perception while
looks up a strategy and tells everyone doing little to move forward. Classic feels
about it out of impatience. We know like it touches a bit of both of those ends.
exactly when this or that ability will be
removed from the game. We even know THROUGH A DARK PORTAL
exactly which items will sell best during I believe WoW Classic is most helpful for
specific patches, so even the economy the ways it shows enough time has passed
lacks mystery. In a weird meta way, playing that players are ready to once again
Classic feels a bit like roleplaying the embrace the system design of the original
roleplaying game. Or worse, it’s a little like game. Rather than releasing Classic,
trying to watch Game of Thrones again though, I wish Blizzard had simply
with the knowledge of knowing how it experimented with reintroducing old
ends and being unable to forget the systems into the next mainline expansion—
disappointments waiting down the line. although I well remember the blowback
For most of its history, Blizzard’s when Blizzard tried to reintroduce crowd
approach to WoW showed it adeptly control-heavy dungeons in the 2010
understood the old Latin adage that the Cataclysm expansion. And now that Classic
times are changing and we are changing seems like a hit—although I’m intensely
with them. Classic rejects that change. curious to see what the reception will be
That makes it a good fit for the current like two months from now—maybe some of
The “good ol’ days” included such fun as going AFK for hours so you could level your weapon
skills with auto-attacks. Photo from 2005.
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UNDERSTANDING BENEFITS
iOSCENTRAL The Latest on the iPhone, iPad,
Apple Watch, and App Store
T
ravel has a way of opening your found myself thinking about the different
eyes to new possibilities. For the ways that we use technology when we’re
last three weeks, I’ve been away outside of our daily routine, and how it
from home, spending time in a brings to light not only things that work
few European countries. During this trip, I well, but also the areas where there’s still a
decent amount of friction. the States, where it can often feel like a
As I’ve been making the rounds, I’ve bolt-on to the existing system. And the
made note of a few places where I think reader hardware is far more ubiquitous in
Apple technologies have worked places like the U.K. Even out in the middle
particularly well, as well as where there’s of a hiking trip in a national park, the local
some room for improvement. tea shop was more than happy to take
payment via our phones.
CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS That said, one area where Apple Pay
If this trip has drilled home one thing, it’s lags behind some of its competitors is the
that contactless payments are king. Apple slow rollout of Apple Cash and the inability
Pay has been a godsend—it’s even easier to transfer funds between people from
than digging out your card and fumbling different countries. If I want to pay back my
with an unfamiliar system. It’s clearer than Scottish friend for being nice enough to
ever that digital payments are the way of buy me a SIM card, I still need to fall back
the future and, if anything, it’s a future to services like PayPal and Venmo—or
where the U.S. is still lagging behind. time-honored traditions like buying them
Contactless payments in Europe is dinner. Apple Cash has quickly become
much faster than their counterparts back in my default way to exchange money with
Contactless payments in
Europe is fast, but Apple
Pay lags in a few areas.
SIM WORLD
This trip was my first opportunity
to travel outside the U.S. with a
phone that supports dual SIMs,
and it’s been a real win. Earlier
this year I converted my iPhone
XS’s main AT&T number to an
eSIM, which freed up the SIM
slot for traveling. And thanks to Dual SIM mode in iOS is very useful while traveling.
U.K. provider Three, I was able
to buy one SIM which worked for all of my check several times before I was satisfied
European travel needs. that leaving iMessage/FaceTime on my
Even better, the Dual SIM mode in iOS primary SIM wouldn’t accidentally use data
means that you can still use your original from my primary phone plan. (It works
phone number for iMessage and FaceTime correctly, but the wording is a bit
even while using your travel SIM for data. confusing, given that iMessage and
That solves a huge headache, as anybody FaceTime are, of course, data.) And
who’s ever swapped SIMs knows; since changing my AT&T SIM to an eSIM was
those features still tie in to your phone surprisingly annoying, though that was
number, you could potentially miss out on more about the carrier than Apple. There
messages and calls from people who only certainly might be some streamlining that
have your usual phone number. (The Dual can be done to setting up two SIMs, but it
SIM feature also means you still get SMS still ended up being a net win.
texts to your primary phone number as
well, which are fortunately often free to AUGMENTED TRAVEL
receive while overseas.) I like learning things when I’m traveling,
I will say, though, that I found some of but I also don’t want to be staring at my
the user interface to be a little obtuse. For phone all the time, so one thing I found
example, I set it up to use data only myself really wanting on this trip was a
through my travel SIM, but I had to double piece of passive augmented reality
A
bout a month ago, a report in com/halt) while it conducts a “thorough
The Guardian (go.macworld. review,” which left us wondering how the
com/hear) exposed the fact company would move forward (go.
that third-party contractors macworld.com/mvfw), as human grading of
have been listening in on a small any machine-learning process is an
percentage of Siri requests as part of a essential part of training the algorithms to
“Siri grading” program. Apple promised to improve them.
halt the Siri grading program (go.macworld. Apple now appears to have finished its
A
head of the upcoming launch iPhone a little longer. Instead of taking
of the iPhone 11, Apple has your broken iPhone to a high-priced
announced (go.macworld.com/ Apple Genius or roll the dice with third-
repr) a new program that party parts, you’ll now be able to go to an
might let you keep your out-of-warranty independent repair shop and get the
same high-quality parts that you’d get businesses need to have an Apple-
from the Apple Store. certified technician (go.macworld.com/cert)
That’s a big change. Previously, Apple who can perform the repairs, which
kept its tools under lock and key, but requires a passing grade on both the
under the new program, it’s promising “the Apple Service Fundamentals Exam and
same genuine parts, tools, training, repair ACiT 2019 iOS Service Certification Exam.
manuals and diagnostics” as an Apple Additionally, shops must be located in a
Authorized Service Provider. The commercially zoned area, so people
program is limited to out-of-warranty won’t be able to run Apple-backed repair
iPhone repairs at launch. shops out of their garages.
That means repair shops big and small Otherwise, there is no cost to join the
will be able to take advantage of the new independent repair program. While the
program without going through Apple’s program is limited to the U.S. at launch,
rigorous certification to become an Apple said it has been working with 20
Authorized Service Provider. However, independent repair businesses in Europe
there are still limitations on who can join and Asia as well as North America over the
the new program. Most notably, past year as a pilot. ■
A
pple’s ads tend to imply that out of one if you frequently find yourself in
you need to be some kind of the situations we discuss here.
artist if you want to buy an A few pointers before we begin. First,
Apple Pencil, but it’s great for as a rule of thumb, if you’ve never found
plenty of other things, even if those things yourself thinking that some iPad activity
don’t look so hot in the latest TV spot out would be easier if you only had a pen,
of Cupertino. Not everyone needs to use you probably don’t need an Apple Pencil.
an Apple Pencil, but you’ll get a lot of use Second, there’s a whole range of cheap
Apple’s screenshot markup tool that’s now Considering that Lightroom feels this way, I
built into both macOS and iOS. It substantially have a lot of hope that Photoshop will be
simplifies actions like circling text or elements just as impressive when it finally drops
in a photo or making arrows to point to sometime this year.
something. Just scribble on the screenshot as
though you’re writing on paper and you’ll be HAVE A LITTLE MORE ‘FUN’ IN
ready to send it to someone. YOUR BROWSING EXPERIENCE
And that brings me to my last point. I
EDIT PHOTOS IN ADOBE would never suggest that someone buy an
LIGHTROOM (OR A Apple Pencil for this reason, so let’s
SIMILAR APP) consider it a complementary feature to the
I suppose this technically still counts as stuff above.
“art,” but I’m a big fan of how easy it is to When I’ve already got an Apple Pencil in
edit photos in Adobe Lightroom with an my hand from a task like taking handwritten
Apple Pencil. It’s a simple enough task notes or marking up a document, I find I
with a MacBook and a mouse, but enjoy little tasks such as clicking links or
somehow it always feels like work. highlighting text more enjoyable with the
The experience is so much more Pencil than I do with my bare fingers. It feels
pleasant on the iPad when I’m using my more precise. Sometimes it even feels
Apple Pencil. When I select a specific area more responsive. Particularly when I’ve got
with the Pencil, it feels as though I’m my iPad flat on a table. ■
“painting” the image. It
allows me to be more
precise than I would
have been with my
fingers. Even adjusting
the various sliders with
the Pencil feels more
enjoyable, and I’ll go so
far as to say that it
inspires me to be more
creative than I would
have been if I’d just
used a mouse.
Y
ou’re trying to download and enough space. So you look at your iPhone
install the latest iOS release, or storage in the Settings page and, sure
take some photos, or download enough, your iPhone’s storage is full.
that cool app your friend told Worst of all, a huge chunk of it is just
you about, and your iPhone says the
storage is full. VIDEO: iPHONE OTHER
You’ve already deleted every app you
STORAGE: WHAT IS IT?
Watch now at go.macworld.com/oth
don’t think you need, and there’s still not
categorized as
Other. What’s that
supposed to
mean? How do
you get rid of it?
The Other
storage is
mysterious and
confusing, and
there’s no one
answer that works
for everyone, but
hopefully this
guide will help
you deal with this
problem. You’ll find your storage details a few layers deep in the Settings app.
Create an
encrypted
backup to
make the
restore
process as
painless as
possible.
Finally, go back to iPhone Storage and required to enter your passcode, which
look at the apps list. Most of the apps store you should do.
data that is categorized as Apps, but some Select your iPhone by clicking the little
will keep caches that are categorized as phone icon in the upper left, and under
Other. If, say, the Podcasts app is taking up Backups, choose This Computer. Checking
a couple gigabytes of space, it’s likely Encrypt Local Backup is a good idea, so
mostly cached data. Deleting the app and your account passwords and Health data
re-downloading it might put a dent in the gets backed up, too. Just choose a
Other category. password you won’t forget. Click the
button to Back Up Now.
THE NUCLEAR OPTION: When the backup is done, disconnect
BACK UP AND RESET your iPhone and head to Settings →
WITH iTUNES General → Reset and choose Erase All
You can go through your iPhone trying to Content And Settings. This will return your
delete every little cache that could grow iPhone to an out-of-the-box state. When it
the size of Other storage, but if you really restarts and it’s in the initial setup process,
want to make it as small as possible, you reconnect it to your computer with iTunes
need to back up your phone and reset it. open, and follow the instructions on
This can take a little while. screen to restore your device.
The best way to do this is to use iTunes This is the longest and most involved
on your Mac or PC. way to reduce the size of Other storage,
Connect your iPhone to your computer but it’s also the best; there’s just no way to
and launch iTunes. You may be prompted get it any smaller than it will be after a
to allow access on your iPhone and fresh reset and restore. ■
HUNGER
IS A
STORY
WE CAN
END.
FEEDINGAMERICA.ORG
iOSCENTRAL
WIRELESS KEYBOARD
I’m always looking for ways
ZAGG FOLIO to do my job on the go while
using the least amount of
KEYBOARD CASE space in my bag, and that’s
FOR iPAD MINI 5: why I love the Zagg Folio wireless
nah, we’re stuck with the workaday black the case is closed, anyway).
fabric and plastic that defines Zagg’s cases Dropping it shouldn’t happen all that
as of late. often, though, thanks to the grippy
It’s a good thing, then, that almost textured material enveloping almost the
every other feature of this delightful case entire exterior. The only exceptions are
makes up for it. It’s barely thicker than half places where the cloth would likely see
an inch when it’s closed. It’s tough enough a lot of wear and tear through normal
to endure the pain I put my stuff through use, such as the Lightning port, the
on my footbound commute, and the headphone jack, the camera port, and
keyboard—though small—offers much of volume buttons. Around these spaces
the satisfaction I’d expect from a proper and along the edges, Zagg left exposed
laptop. After handling it for a while, I kind black plastic that should last throughout
of wish Apple would take some cues from the case’s lifespan.
Zagg for some of its own designs. You’ll also find that plastic around the
cradle-style hinge, which is hard to pry
MAKING A STRONG CASE apart because it’s meant to hold up the
Owing to the tiny dimensions, this iPad when you’re writing in “laptop
Bluetooth case doesn’t have some of the mode.” I occasionally hear complaints that
extra features you’ll find in bigger cases. Zagg’s hinges aren’t strong enough to
Unlike Zagg’s Slim Book Go for the 9.7- support the tablet after a couple of
inch iPad (go.macworld.com/bkgo), for months, and true, the inherent structural
instance, this version doesn’t
have a handy slot for Apple’s
first-generation Apple Pencil,
likely because the lengthy
stylus would end up sticking
out the end. The Folio’s
sturdiness makes up for its
rather plain design, and I
know from experience that
both the iPad and the
keyboard can survive
tumbles off a counter and
onto a tile floor (so long as It feels a bit like a clothbound book.
You can get around this by give some users pause. For me,
mmmm
tapping the on-screen “switch to the satisfaction of purging
Firewall: Robo Call
cell” option, which reroutes the Blocker robocalls was ultimately worth it.
PROS
call-in progress to the cellular Firewall did miss a call from one
• Completely eliminate
network. It’s a little clunky but unwanted incoming calls of my contacts, but infrequent
on the iPhone.
comes in handy while on outages are routed to voicemail,
• Built-in voicemail with fast,
unreliable wireless connections. super-accurate with a push notification reminder
transcription.
Also, you can customize to check recent calls.
CONS
what’s spoken during voicemail • Occasionally missed
whitelisted calls routed
greetings for whitelisted and straight to voicemail. BOTTOM LINE
blocked calls, but there’s no way • Requires forwarding Firewall is Kryptonite for unwanted
incoming calls using VoIP.
to record outgoing messages in calls and worth the modestly-
PRICE
your own voice. Free to try for 7 days, priced monthly subscription for a
then $3.99 per month
Although contacts remain on little peace and quiet, if you don’t
COMPANY
your device at all times, the idea Ad Hoc Labs mind entrusting incoming calls to a
of forwarding incoming calls may third-party app. ■
DEAD CELLS
go.macworld.com/dce
The title Dead Cells ($7.99) refers to the hero of Motion Twin’s game, who’s basically a bundle
of sentient cells that slithers into the bodies of decapitated prisoners in their...cells. Wordplay is
fun, y’all! And so is Dead Cells, which, like Castlevania, is a 2D game that relies on exploring
and backtracking through various levels, with the key difference being that these levels
randomly generate each time you go through. Dead Cells is a hard game, not least because it
features a permadeath mechanic that makes you start from the beginning every time you die.
76 MACWORLD OCTOBER
MARCH 2018
2019
TELLING LIES
go.macworld.com/tli
Telling Lies ($6.99) is the kind of game that’ll make you want to stick a spot of
electrical tape over your MacBook’s camera. You play as an NSA agent, and
you’re tasked with piecing together the story behind a traumatic event by watch-
ing and listening to secretly recorded one-sided video chats from a large cast of
characters. Your job is to pull the most important clues from what you hear, so
you’ll need to pay attention to relevant references in this chatter. This isn’t always
easy, though, as you’ll quickly realize some of these chumps are shameless liars.
ROGUE LEGACY
go.macworld.com/rle
It’s not difficult to find 2D platformers on the App Store, but so many of
them have a hard time translating controller-oriented combat and
movement controls to touchscreens. (This month, we see a bit of that in
Dead Cells.) That’s one of the reasons why I adore Witcheye ($2.99),
which embraces the touchscreen entirely. Here, you’re a witch who
transforms into an eyeball in order to chase down a knight who stole a
few witchy ingredients and trinkets from her home. It’s a very tough
eyeball, too, as it’s able to break through walls and crush enemies by
bumping into them.
JOURNEY
go.macworld.com/jo
80 MACWORLD OCTOBER
MARCH 2018
2019
I SHOULD
GET A
RIDE
HOME.
BUZZED DRIVING
IS DRUNK DRIVING
Jacob Sanchez
Diagnosed with autism
FIVE
SIGNS
THAT
YOU
NEED TO
REPLACE
YOUR
iPHONE
DON’T KNOW WHEN TO
SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR
CURRENT IPHONE AND
GET A NEWER ONE?
MAYBE WE CAN GIVE YOU
THE NUDGE YOU NEED.
BY JASON CROSS
D
o you really need a new accepting that their old phone is holding
iPhone? They’re so expensive them back.
now, and yours is…fine. It’s If one or more of these signs apply to
fine. You’ve never been one of you, perhaps it’s time to replace your
those people who needs a new phone iPhone.
every year, or every other year, anyway.
How do you know when it’s time to 1. YOU CAN’T GET IOS
take the plunge and ditch your old iPhone UPDATES ANY LONGER
for a new one? Apple does a better job than any other
We’re definitely not one to encourage phone maker of supporting old hardware
the cycle of nonstop iPhone upgrades. with new versions of its operating system.
Hanging on to your phone for a long time iOS 12 is supported by iPhones going all
is a good thing. But just as some users feel the way back to the iPhone 5s (released in
compelled to upgrade way too often, 2013) and iPads back to the third-
others stubbornly refuse to get a new generation iPad and iPad mini (released in
phone until their current one literally won’t 2012). That’s six years old!
function at all, and might need a little help And Apple even put special effort into
Even if you can live without the new features in the latest version of iOS, you shouldn’t forego
its security updates.
Everyone has a different level of iPhones are so popular that you can find
satisfaction with the photos and videos accessories for your particular model at
they take, so the need to upgrade for major retailers for years. That’s definitely
camera quality will vary. But don’t take not true in the Android world; the
lackluster photos of life’s ephemeral collective Android market is huge, but no
moments just because you’re too one model is popular enough to continue
stubborn to replace an aging iPhone supporting for very long.
that “works fine.” So if you can’t find accessories that
fit or work with your iPhone, it’s
4. YOU CAN’T FIND definitely time to move on.
ACCESSORIES FOR IT And if you have an iPhone with a
ANYMORE 30-pin connector, you should have
You need a screen protector, but you can’t upgraded a few years ago.
find one made for your iPhone model. It’s
time for a new case, but the stores have 5. YOU’RE ALWAYS OUT OF
only one or two to choose from. You were STORAGE SPACE
going to buy that car mount, but it’s made You’ve tried everything. You store your
for iPhones of a different photos and videos online. You have
size, and yours Optimize iPhone Storage (go.macworld.
doesn’t fit right. com/optz) enabled in the Photos section of
Generally the Settings app. You deleted all the apps
speaking, (go.macworld.com/dele) you don’t really
use. You’ve done everything you can to
reduce Other storage (see page 59).
Yet you still run out of space on your
iPhone. You can’t download that app you
want. You get a warning when you try to
take photos. You get a warning when you
try to update iOS.
At some point, you have to face the
facts—as operating systems and apps do
If you’re still using one of
more, they get bigger. As you take more
these, you probably should
have replaced your iPhone photos, even the thumbnails and indices
a few years ago. for them get bigger. The 16GB of space
T H E 1 0 B E S T
COMPLICATIONS
F O R A P P L E W A T C H
BY LEIF JOHNSON
3. BATTERYPHONE
Price: Free at go.macworld.com/btph I really wish “battery” wasn’t lowercase.
You’ll find several good apps for checking Fortunately, I usually use the smaller version.
8. FANTASTICAL 2
Price: $4.99 at go.macworld.com/fst2
Fantastical 2 is a, well, fantastic calendar
app, and frankly you should be using it.
On the face of things, though, its
complication isn’t all that different from
the one for Apple’s own Calendar app,
although it’s notable for letting you know
how much longer an event you’re
attending is going to last (provided you
entered that information).
On the smaller complication, it uses an
I hear it’s good for cheating on pub trivia, too.
So people say. “activity ring” to give you a rough visual
idea of how long you have until an event
app on my iPhone or Apple Watch. With ends as well. It’s not the most original
this complication, it’s always in reach complication, perhaps, but it’s certainly
(although it’s only available in the small one of the most useful.
I
f you’re not using keyboard shortcuts MacOS has many shortcuts, but I
on your Mac, you’re missing out on a consider these the ones everyone should
big part of the reason why so many know. I’ve tried to avoid (still useful)
people love Apple’s desktop operating shortcuts with related Windows
system. Thanks to Apple’s integration of
hardware and software, you’ll rarely have VIDEO: 10 USEFUL MAC
to reach for your mouse or trackpad once
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Watch now at go.macworld.com/10k
you learn to speak the language of the keys.
counterparts—such as ⌘-A to select all or shortcut and type the name of the file
⌘-F open the Find prompt—and focus on you’d like the find in the prompt that pops
shortcuts you may not be familiar with if up. The results are instant. Spotlight will
you’re new to Mac. also search through things like
And let’s talk about that ⌘ symbol. iMessages, bookmarks, and the full text
That’s the Command key, and it’s the key of files on your hard drive. It’s also a quick
to all the shortcuts listed here. It works way to find and open apps you don’t
kind of like the Control key on a Windows keep on your dock.
PC, except it’s in a handier spot—typically
on both sides of the spacebar. In the 2. IMMEDIATELY QUIT ANY APP
following examples, an example like ⌘-A ⌘-Q: Use this command to shut down any
typically means you need to hold down app immediately. This command doesn’t
the Command button and press A or press just minimize the app (as sometimes
both at the same time. happens when you hit the red X button at
If these shortcuts get you hooked, you the top of any Mac app)—it completely
can even make your own for everything shuts it down.
from the system to specific apps by going
to System Preferences → Keyboard → 3. TAKE SCREENSHOTS OR
Shortcuts and then choosing one of the RECORD THE SCREEN
options on the left. As you can probably imagine, we use
these shortcuts a lot here at Macworld.
1. OPEN THE SPOTLIGHT There are actually several ways you can
SEARCH TOOL take a screenshot on a Mac.
⌘-Spacebar: This is probably the most ⌘-Shift-3: Screenshot the entire visible
useful shortcut of all. Whenever you want window. If you can see it on your Mac’s
to find a file on your Mac, just tap this screen, it’ll show up in the screenshot.
between the two (or more) documents. I an accidentally closed tab in Chrome or
find it’s particularly helpful if I’m working Opera, you can press ⌘-Shift-T.
on a MacBook with a smaller screen
where the split-view interface might feel 9. IMMEDIATELY LOCK
too cramped. YOUR MAC
⌘-Control-Q: If you’re stepping away from
7. FORCE-QUIT AN APP your desk at home or the office and you
⌘-Option-Q: If an app is locked up (and don’t want someone snooping around on
⌘-Q isn’t working for whatever reason), your Mac, press this shortcut and your Mac
use this shortcut to force the app to quit. will immediately switch to the lock screen.
You can also choose multiple apps to It’s a heck of a lot faster than doing it
force-quit by pressing ⌘-Option-Esc through the menu bar.
(Escape), which is much like using
Control-Alt-Delete on a PC. Instead of the 10. USE QUICK LOOK TO
Task Manager, though, you’ll get a PREVIEW FILES
window that says Force Quit Applications Click-Spacebar: If you want to see what
and you can choose which app you want a file looks like but you don’t want to
to close from there. waste time opening the associated app,
select the file in a Finder folder and then
8. QUICKLY ACCESS THE press the spacebar. (This also works
SEARCH/ADDRESS BAR IN with files on the desktop.) A full-page
SAFARI preview will pop up—and with Markup
⌘-L: Reaching for your mouse to activate options, too. This works for everything
Safari’s search bar wastes a lot of time. from images and PDFs to Microsoft
Press this shortcut while you’re using Excel files.
Safari, and the cursor will jump up to the You can also select multiple files
search bar, where you can type out either to preview at once by holding down
a search term or a URL. This shortcut also the Command key as you select them
works with Google Chrome. (You can also and then pressing ⌘+Y. (⌘+Y also
use it on Windows with the Control key.) works for single files, but in that case
Safari has some other great keyboard it’s less convenient.) Once that window
shortcuts, too: ⌘-T opens a new tab, and is open, you can navigate between
⌘-Z reopens the last tab you (possibly the files with the arrow keys in the
accidentally) closed. If you want to reopen upper left. ■
P
erhaps you’re the type of Mac macworld.com/998p) from 585 malware
user who hates the idea of samples. Avira Pro and Free use the same
running an antivirus suite but detection engine.
recognizes its necessity. If so, The organization also gave Avira Free
then Avira Free Antivirus for Mac might be a 100 percent detection rate for Windows
for you. For no money down, this suite malware on Mac using 500 “prevalent
offers real-time protection and a firewall. It Windows samples.” The latter is important
doesn’t include USB scanning, which is a since it prevents Macs from becoming
special feature for the paid version. “carriers” of Windows malware and
What you do get is a solid antivirus infecting Windows systems through
solution. AV-Comparatives gave Avira Pro sharing infected files.
for Mac a 99.8 percent protection rate (go. AV-Test (go.macworld.com/avra) had
a similar finding with Avira Pro for Mac, didn’t see how well Avira for Mac did
giving it a 99.8 percent detection rate against Windows malware, but over on the
in June 2019 from 557 samples for Windows side Avira also did well (go.
widespread and prevalent malware (the macworld.com/wnwl), with similarly high
industry average is 99.9 percent). AV-Test detection ratings from AV-Test.
Our own malware spot
tests using the Objective See
archive and Wicar.org were
pretty good. It detected a
Trojan with no trouble as soon
as we tried to unzip the folder,
and the same went for
Macransom ransomware.
Over on Wicar there were
about 11 “no results” from
these tests, which means we
tried to open a malicious
web-based attack and we
ended up with a blank page.
Avira for Mac’s Scanner section.
Interestingly, when we
installed Avira’s free browser
add-on Avira Browser Safety
there were four additional
detections. We’d advise
users to install the add-on
since the web is a primary
vector for attacks.
INTERFACE AND
FEATURES
Avira’s interface is plain but
effective. It uses the common
left-rail and primary pane
The Activity Log for Avira for Mac Free. design. The first section is
HIDE.ME: SECURITY,
T
he fundamental features you
want in any VPN service are an SOFTWARE, SERVERS,
easy-to-use desktop application, AND SPEED
privacy protection, and speedy Hide.me by default on Mac uses
connections. The latter two are harder to OpenVPN, but you can also specify IKEv2,
determine. In the case of privacy, you have SoftEther, and SSTP protocols. For data
to trust that your VPN is doing what it says encryption on OpenVPN, Hide.me uses
its doing. Speeds depend on your DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384; data
location, equipment, and ISP. authentication is over HMA SHA-256, and
Nevertheless, we do the best we can to the handshake uses RSA 8192-bit. If you
make informed decisions, and when it opt for IKEv2, Hide.me uses AES-
comes to Hide.me VPN on Mac you get CBC-256 for data encryption, HMAC
almost everything you need. SHA-512 for data authentication, and
I
f you can’t stand an excess of photons iOS versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
blasting your retinas, rejoice: dark SharePoint, OneDrive, Planner, and To-Do
mode is coming to the mobile version on mobile.
of Outlook, as well as Office on the web. “While some Dark Mode experiences
In late August, Microsoft said that it’s can be neon or overly bright, people felt
bringing dark mode to both Outlook for that Outlook mobile kept the kind of
iOS and Android, as well as Office.com— relaxed feeling you might want in a dimly
the version of Office that lives on the web, lit living room or bedroom,” Jon Friedman,
not on your PC. When Apple rolls out iOS the chief designer for Office 365, wrote in
13, the company will add dark mode to the a blog post (go.macworld.com/medm) on
S
iri has always been one of the But until recently, Apple didn’t offer a
Apple TV’s best features. On a hands-free way to use Siri on an Apple TV,
fourth-generation Apple TV or like Amazon offers with Fire TV and Alexa
Apple TV 4K, the voice assistant (go.macworld.com/frtv), or like Google
can quickly launch videos, tune to live TV offers with Chromecast, Android TV, and
channels, and provide search results for Google Assistant (go.macworld.com/astn).
specific genres. If you wanted to control the Apple TV, you
channel
included with
those services.
If a
compatible
video app is
installed on
your iPhone or
iPad, but not on
Apple TV, the
video will
instead launch
using Apple’s
AirPlay
protocol. This, however, requires you to Bravia Sync, if a CEC option isn’t displayed
unlock your iOS device, and it precludes specifically.
you from using other apps that require
video or sound. You’re better off installing OPTIONAL: INVITE OTHERS TO
the TV app instead. USE VOICE COMMANDS
If you have other users at home with
STEP 5: ENABLE HDMI-CEC separate iCloud accounts, you can invite
With HDMI-CEC (go.macworld.com/hcec) them to control the Apple TV from their
enabled on both the Apple TV and your own iPhones or iPads. Open the Home
television, Siri will be able to turn on the app on your iOS device, press the home
TV before playing a video. On Apple TV, icon in the top-left corner, and then
head to Settings → Remotes And Devices, select Invite under the People section.
and make sure Control TVs And Receivers Finally, enter the email address
is set to On. associated with the iCloud account of
Then, in your TV’s settings, look for a whoever you wish to invite.
CEC option and enable it. As Apple points The other person will then get an
out (go.macworld.com/apnt), the exact invite message on their iOS device. Once
name of this option can differ for some they’ve accepted, they’ll be able to
TVs, so look for a setting with “Link” or control Apple TV with their own iPhones
“Sync” in the name, such as Aquos Link or and iPads.
G
race Digital dives into the table radio evokes vintage 1950s and 60s
mid-century modern design products from such makers as Zenith, KLH,
revival with the aptly named Grundig, and RCA; radios that stood guard
Mondo+ Classic internet radio. on nightstands and calmed visitors in
With its buffed warm sound and soft doctors’ waiting rooms. This one comes
good looks, this glorified $250 (MSRP) dressed in a wood (walnut) cabinet, beige
WEAK LINKS
I have mixed feelings about the oval Qi
wireless smartphone pad on top for
magnetic induction charging of compatible
smart phones. Grace Digital rates the
charger at 10 watts—a good match for
high-end Samsung Galaxy phones adept
at fast charging. But with my iPhone X
optimized for a 7.5-watt max Qi charger,
This rear view shows uncommon Wi-Fi
the extra intensity made the phone heat whip antennas, analog in/out jacks, a USB
up more than I like, even when removed connector, and a bass-extending port.
$15 adapter—connect the radio to your speaker sounded best when the preset
network via an ethernet cable. There’s a and tone controls were flat or just a single
UPnP media player onboard, for streaming notch up or below “0” on the bass and
music from media servers on your network, treble settings.
and—coming soon—two-way Bluetooth that When tone controls were pushed
will enable you to beam music not only harder, the clarinets and trumpets in Evan
from your smartphone to the radio, but also Christopher’s Afro/Cuban-flavored jazz
from the speaker to headphones (but not band got raspy. Bass only came on
to Bluetooth speakers). stronger on LCD Soundsystem’s “Pulse
Pry open a Mondo+ Classic and you’ll find (v1)”—heard on QXR-Q2—when the volume
a monophonic Class D amplifier, rated at 25 was cranked, and then with an unwelcome
watts, driving a single, four-inch, glass-fiber, increase in sonic bloat. It’s telling that
full-range speaker. (A rear port enhances bass Grace rates the speaker with a frequency
response.) Also onboard: MaxxAudio digital response range of 50 to 20kHz without
signal processing from Waves. Open the EQ specifying tolerance or total harmonic
tab (or tap the dedicated button on the distortion values.
remote) to cycle through a selection of Don’t get me wrong. At “flat” settings
presets—flat, classic, jazz, rock, and moderate volume levels, the
vocal—which you can tweak using mmmh Mondo+ Classic is a perfectly
bass and treble controls. Grace Digital Mondo+ pleasant performer, well suited
Classic
The voice setting offered the PROS for casual listening. Still, I can’t
most detectable improvement— • Easy to operate, with lots of help but wonder how much
channel preset buttons (the
clearer diction on talk shows— app is truly optional). better this box might present
• Attractive displays on radio
while others hardly moved the screen and app keep you
with a more refined driver. That
needle. I suspect the physical informed who’s on first and would of course push the cost of
what’s on deck.
driver doesn’t have the dynamic CONS
the package above the magical
range to take full advantage of • Speaker system is not $199 street price, but it might
capable of bass-kicking,
either the DSP or the amp. super-dynamic audio also lead me to consider placing
performances.
Listening to a variety of more than one Mondo+ Classic
• Chromecast and Bluetooth
styles—from the earthy riches of streaming are iffy in a multi-room set-up. As it sits, I
propositions.
the New Orleans Jazz and can’t imagine making this box
PRICE
Heritage Fest on WWOZ, to the $222 my prime listening source
mondo-modern “New Sounds” COMPANY outside the bedroom or small
Grace Digital
on WQXR-Q2—I thought the home office. ■
M
ost athletic earphones work electronics. Even cleaning them can be
fine for everyday tasks, but risky after sweaty workouts if they’re not
everyday earphones usually water-resistant. For that matter, everyday
aren’t suited to athletics. earbuds usually aren’t designed to handle
Working out or playing sports takes a the vibration and jostling inflicted on them
heavy toll on them. Moisture from rain, by joggers.
mud, or sweat can fry their delicate Bose’s SoundSport Wireless Bluetooth
Headphones (go.
macworld.com/sdsp) are
designed to tackle those
athletic challenges and
they handle themselves
well. They’re resistant to
the elements, they stay
secure in your ears, and I
even like their sound.
Unfortunately, a handful of
minor flaws hinder their
potential.
And with colors like that, Bose is going to make sure people see
DESIGN you wearing them.
Much like Bose’s excellent
SoundSport Free true wireless earphones, Bose compensates for the potential
the battery and the bulk of the electronics discomfort of that heft and weight with its
are stuffed in pods inside the endcaps of incredibly comfortable StayHear+ ear
each earbud. This design comes with a tips. The tips are made from a single
number of pros and cons. piece of silicone and come in three
On the plus side, having all these guts sizes, and they’re designed to ride
packed into the pods rather than inline on loosely on the ear’s auricle, just outside
the pods’ connective cable means that of the auditory canal.
they feel balanced and don’t bounce Since they’re not tightly squeezed
around when I’m exercising. This also into the ear canal, though, they only
eliminates much of the microphonics I serve up a small degree of passive noise
come across while testing other in-ear cancellation. You wouldn’t want them if
headphones. On the downside, this you’re seeking a sublime auditory
design makes the pods noticeably larger experience, in other words, but their
and heavier than what you’ll see from ability to allow outside noise while
most competing Bluetooth earbuds. If channeling the sound from your audio
your fashion sensibility leans toward source allows for increased situational
clean-lined minimalism, these earbuds awareness. This makes them wonderful
aren’t for you. for gym-goers, joggers, or cyclists.
Mac 911
Solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.
BY GLENN FLEISHMAN