Tech Life Australia-August 2021

2021

EDITOR
APPROVED

$TBC, salomon.com.au

Salomon Index.01

A no-nonsense running shoe with real green credentials.

Huge kudos to Salomon for the The sole has quite a curved squidgy one (unlike, for example,
Index.01. It’s one of the first shape, which is intended to keep Nike’s ZoomX foam), which we
companies to make a truly landings well cushioned and help actually liked for those regular
recyclable performance shoe and, with forward propulsion. It also daily runs. Also, given the neutral
despite the technical challenges has an overhang and angled corner setup, you can happily use them
involved, the end result is a bona at the back – it’s distinctive but for walking and general life too.
fide running shoe. could well have a ‘love it’ or ‘hate
it’ effect for some people’s The upper is really breathable, so
Articulating the myriad aesthetic. This material is very sweat can easily dissipate, helping
components in a trainer isn’t durable. The outsole has a minimal to keep your feet cool for those
normally easy. However, with the profile, just featuring little bobbles hotter summer runs. It’s pretty
Index.01, this isn’t a problem, for tread. Although these are easy to slip on and off too, which is
because in order to be totally grippy, and are perfect for use on always handy.
recyclable, simplicity is key. In road, the lack of any substantial
earlier prototypes, Salomon tried lugs means you best not venture After a while, the brilliant white
making a shoe that was made of too far off road onto loose or colour will pick up dirt and start to
just one material: thermoplastic uneven surfaces. Tor regular look grubby, so advisable to give
polyurethane (TPU) foam. roads, though, they are totally them a sponge down once in a
However it wasn’t durable enough, perfect. This is a great no- while if you like your trainers to
so the designers added a second nonsense running shoe. It doesn’t have that box fresh look.
material, and made the upper from overcomplicate things – running
recycled polyester. This is the shoe on it feels totally natural, so you Comfort wise, there’s nothing to
we see today. won’t stress unusual muscle fault. Supportive around the upper,
groups or need time to get used to with no rubbing or pinching
The sole is made from a generous it, and with the curved sole, there’s anywhere around the heel or toes.
wedge of durable nitrogen-infused, a jolt of forward propulsion for
TPU-based foam called Infiniride. speed too. If you’re a keen runner with an eye
It gives a nice amount of on reducing your environmental
cushioning, yet is still firm too. With a heel stack height of impact, this shoe could well be
Under the heel is a stack height of 28.5mm, there is a nice level of your next choice. It’s a great all
28.5mm, and forefoot of 19.5mm cushioning, but the foam isn’t a rounder, perfect as a daily runner
making a drop of 9mm. and regular training companion.
Fergus Scholes

51

TEST BENCH

Reviews

2021

EDITOR’S
CHOICE

$84, www.tapo.com/au

Tapo C310 Outdoor Security
Wi-Fi Camera

A great value security camera that can thrive outdoors. But beware of the
cable management issues.

Tapo is an off-shoot brand of adapter and Wi-Fi, you will be left can use this in a walkie-talkie,
TP-Link. Its corporate mantra is, with an unsightly Ethernet push-to-talk operation, or call your
“Smart, Easy, Secure.” The C310 is connector that’s difficult to camera like a phone. The volume
it’s new weatherproof security conceal. If you make use of both coming both ways is impressive.
camera that’s designated for home cables then you need to be able to
use. Consequently, instead of being channel them to a wall socket and Video quality can be set to HD,
part of a hard-wired network of a router which could well be an Full HD or 3-megapixel (2,304 x
centrally-monitored cameras, it’s issue. No Ethernet cable is included 1,296). The image is well detailed
optimised to be added to a so you may need a long one. and colourful in light but also offers
domestic Wi-Fi network and Meanwhile the two-metre power good infra-red night vision with a
operated via an app. supply cable may struggle to reach 30-metre range.
a power socket. You’ll need a
Set-up is very simple: you just separate microSD card to record The Wi-Fi standard used is
turn on the power, download the content: it gets installed inside the old-technology – it only supports
app, follow the on-screen guide camera via a screw-in cover. 802.11b/g/n but we had no issues
that finds, identifies and adds your reliably connecting to it via our
camera to the network (either These issues aside, the camera Wi-Fi 6 network. However, if your
directly by Wi-Fi or via an optional itself operates very well, has all the router is old and has a weak signal
Ethernet cable) and a few minutes important security features and is you might need to dial down
later, you’re looking at an image on intuitive to use. The app enables quality settings.
your phone. you to invert the image (for ceiling
mounting) and turn its LEDs off to At $84 it represents impressive value
The C310 comes attached to a make it less easy to spot. You can but you may need to factor in the
multi-directional mounting plate easily set-up multiple motion additional cost of a microSD card
that needs screwing into a wall. detection zones by creating and/or long Ethernet cable. While
This will instantly cause issues for rectangle overlays on the we’re concerned about the
Australians who rent. Two wires recorded image. practicalities surrounding cable
extend from the camera, one for management, we can’t really fault
the Ethernet cable and one for the If motion is detected it can the device itself as it does everything
power adapter. Both have sound an alarm and send push it’s supposed to very well.
weatherproof housings included in notifications to your phone. Nick Ross
the box. If you only use the power Two-way audio is enabled and you

52

From $11.99/month, music.apple.com

Apple Music

Apple’s streaming service makes serious strides towards becoming a true Spotify competitor.

Launched in 2015, Apple Music quality listening – with better writing, is more than Spotify.
primarily focuses on the music you quality soon to follow. This isn’t just about discovering
can stream. However, you can also
add music you may have ripped Apple recently announced that new music, but loving what you
from a CD or bought via iTunes, Apple Music will be bringing have. Apple Music combines what
and watch videos. Apple wants Spatial Audio and the ability to you already have in iTunes, whether
Apple Music to be more a “cultural listen to over 75 million tracks in that’s what you’ve bought or ripped
platform” than a music streaming Lossless Audio. from a CD, with the streaming
service. service. This is great for bringing all
We’ll wait until these new your music together in one place.
The last time the company features have rolled out to There’s similar functionality on
revealed official details about the comment on the quality of them. offer from Spotify, but you can’t
total number of Apple Music But what’s important to know search your library of owned tracks
subscribers was way back in 2019, right now is Apple Music could and streaming tracks quite so
when it hit 60 million. By June 2020, sound significantly better than efficiently; the integration feels
that figure was estimated to be 72 other music streaming services seamless with Apple Music.
million. However, as of March 2021, very soon – and not charge you
Spotify has 158 million subscribers, any extra for the uplift in quality. Apple Music does a fantastic job at
which is a significant difference. helping you to discover new music.
But Apple Music doesn’t necessarily But let’s not get ahead of It has a great recommendation
need to try to get more subscribers ourselves. Right now, Apple Music engine and a vast library.
than Spotify; it already has streams music at a 256kbps AAC Upcoming Lossless Audio listening
dedicated fans. bitrate. It streams at the highest and Dolby Atmos support mean it’s
quality by default and reduces it if happily keeping up with the
All music streaming services are you’re streaming on the move. competition. Although the service
upping their game to bring Tracks sometimes take a few has few stand-out features, it’s
subscribers better music quality seconds to play, but they’re crisp Apple through and through,
– or at least the option to try it. and clear – especially if you’re offering a great user experience
listening with a pair of the best and fantastic integration with other
Deezer and Tidal already offer noise-cancelling headphones. Apple products.
hi-res audio. Spotify is launching Becca Caddy
its HiFi service later in 2021, and There are more than 75 million
Amazon Music HD offers CD- tracks available to stream on Apple
Music – which, at the time of

2020

EDITOR’S
CHOICE

53

SUPER GUIDE

85 Big Sur Secrets

BIG SUR SECRETS

Hidden tips, tricks, & shortcuts revealed!

WRITTEN BY KENNY HEMPHILL

łØķĤŅę ėƀĺĺ ƀŰă Ŏė Øĺĺ ĤŹŰ ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ØŅû ØûûĤŹĤŎŅŰ̖ Ņû̐ ĺăŹ̵Ű ėØõă ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ŹĠă { ĤŹŰăĺė̖ ÃĠăŹĠăŬ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ĤŅŹăŬăŰŹăû ĤŅ ûŎƕŅĺŎØûĤŅę
ĤŹ̐ ŹĠăŬă ØŬằŨĺăŅŹƛ̖ DŬŎł ŹĠă ŬăûăŰĤęŅăû ĤŅŹăŬėØõă ŹŎ ŹĠă Ņăƕ N' łŎƔĤăŰ ĤŅ ŨŨĺ㠧 ŎŬ̀õŬăØŹĤŅę ŰŹØŹĤŎŅŰ ĤŅ •ŎûõØŰŹŰ̐ ĤŹ̵Ű Øĺĺ
!ŎŅŹŬŎĺ !ăŅŹăŬ ØŅû òăăėăû ƀŨ năŰŰØęăŰ ØŅû nØŨŰ ØŨŨŰ̐ ŹĠăŬă̵Ű õŎƔăŬăû ŎƔăŬ ŹĠă ŅăƚŹ ˘˚ ŨØęăŰ̖
ŨĺăŅŹƛ ŹŎ ę㏠ŹŎ ęŬĤŨŰ ƕĤŹĠ̖ Ņû ŹĠØŹ̵Ű òăėŎŬă ƕằę㏠ŎŅ ŹŎ ŹĠă
Ņăƕ ŨŬĤƔØõƛ ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ĤŅ ØėØŬĤ ØŅû ŹĠă ŨŨ ŹŎŬă̖ ƛ ŹĠă ăŅû̐ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ òă ØŬłăû ƕĤŹĠ ûŎƤăŅŰ Ŏė ƕØƛŰ ŹŎ õƀŰŹŎłĤŰă
Ĥę ƀŬ ØŅû̀ę㏠ĤŹ ƕŎŬķĤŅę ăƚØõŹĺƛ ŹĠă ƕØƛ ƛŎƀ̀ƕØŅŹ ĤŹ ŹŎ̐
'ŎŅ̵Ź ƕŎŬŬƛ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ ƕă̵Ɣă ęŎŹ ƛŎƀ̀õŎƔăŬăû̖ RŅ ŹĠĤŰ ėăØŹƀŬă̐ ĤŅõĺƀûĤŅę ĤŬŎŅĤŅę ŎƀŹ ƕŬĤŅķĺăŰ ØŅû ŰłŎŎŹĠĤŅę ĤŬŬĤŹØŹĤŎŅŰ ŹĠØŹ
ƕă̵ĺĺ ę㏠òăŅăØŹĠ ŹĠă ŰƀŬėØõă Ŏė łØõ{ Ĥę ƀŬ ØŅû ŬăƔăØĺ ŹĠă łØƛ ĠØƔă õŬăŨŹ ĤŅ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă Ņăƕ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̖ Ņû ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ òă ØŅ ăƚŨăŬŹ
ŹĤŨŰ ØŅû ŹŬĤõķŰ ŹŎ ĠăĺŨ ƛŎƀ ę㏠ŹĠă łŎŰŹ ėŬŎł ĤŹ̖ Ãă̵ĺĺ ŰĤûăŰŹăŨ ĤŅ ƀŰĤŅę ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ûĤûŅ̵Ź ăƔăŅ ŬăØĺĤŰă ăƚĤŰŹăû̖

DĤŅûăŬ ŰĠŎŬŹõƀŹŰ

> - Open a new Finder window > - Duplicate the selected item > - - Use Group or Stacks
> - - Create a new Finder folder > - - Add selection to the Sidebar in Finder
> - - Create a folder with the > - - Create an alias
> - Launch App Switcher/go > - - Show Inspector
current selection > - Minimise the current window
> - - Show or hide Finder’s to the next app > - - Minimise all Finder windows
> - - In App Switcher, go to the > - Open Finder preferences
preview pane > - - Force Quit
> - - Go to Applications previous app > - - Lock the screen
> - - Go to AirDrop > - Go to the next window > - - Log out [user]
> - - Go to iCloud Drive
> - - Go to Downloads in an app
> - – - Switch Finder views > - - Hide or show the Dock

55

SUPER GUIDE

85 Big Sur Secrets

Finder and System Preferences

Finder may look a
little unfamiliar but
you can tweak it to
your liking.

The Finder has had a serious overhaul You can configure Control Center to include elements you want, and add items to the menu bar.
in Big Sur. From the new-look
windows with full-height sidebars to it’s displayed permanently or only and drag it to the menu bar. To remove
the new rounded Dock and the return ƕĠăŅ ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ̀ŰŎłăŹĠĤŅę ŨĺØƛĤŅę̖ ØŅ ĤŹăł ėŬŎł ŹĠă łăŅƀ òØŬ̐ ĴƀŰŹ
of shaded icons, there’s plenty to take short-drag it in Control Center.
in visually. However, it’s the addition To add modules to Control Center
of Control Center and changes to that aren’t currently there, scroll to 4 Hide the menu bar
qŎŹĤƱõØŹĤŎŅ !ăŅŹăŬ ŹĠØŹ ØŬă ŹĠă łŎŰŹ Other Modules and choose which RŅ ŨŬăƔĤŎƀŰ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅŰ Ŏė
ŰĤęŅĤƱõØŅŹ̖ NăŬă̵Ű ĠŎƕ ŹŎ ØûĴƀŰŹ ŹĠăł̖ ŹŎ̀Øûû̀ŹŎ !ŎŅŹŬŎĺ !ăŅŹăŬ̖ łØõ{̐ ƛŎƀ̀õĠŎŰă ƕĠăŹĠăŬ ŹŎ
automatically show and hide the menu
1 Manage 2 Add or remove items bar in the General pane in System
Control Center items from the menu bar •ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ̖ RŹ̵Ű ŅŎƕ ĤŅ̀ŹĠă 'Ŏõķ Έ
Some items can be either in the Not everything in the menu Menu bar section. Go to System
•ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ͧ̀'Ŏõķ Έ năŅƀ ØŬ̐
menu bar or in Control Center, or both. bar is accessible from Control Center. ŰõŬŎĺĺ̀ŹŎ̀năŅƀ ØŬ̐ ØŅû õĠăõķ ŹĠă òŎƚ̖
Launch System Preferences from the Under “Menu Bar only,” you can
Apple menu and choose Dock & Menu choose whether to display Spotlight, 5 Check up on your
Bar. Scroll through the list under Siri, or Time Machine, and specify how battery usage
Control Center, and click each one in ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹĠằõĺŎõķ ŹŎ ØŨŨăØŬ̖ The new Battery System
turn. For those you want to add to the
menu bar, check the “Show in Menu 3 Drag items from Preferences pane replaces Energy
Bar” box. Select “when active” Control Center to ØƔăŬ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ ĤŹ ĤŅ̀ƛŰŹăł •ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ
or “always.” the menu bar ØŅû ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ ĺØŅû ŎŅ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ŰăõŹĤŎŅ̐
Battery Usage, which shows a graph of
There’s an item here that’s new in Rė ęŎĤŅę ŹŎ ƛŰŹăł •ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ĤŰ ŹŎŎ how your battery has performed over
Ĥę̀ƀŬ̏ qŎƕ •ĺØƛĤŅę̖ RŹ̵Ű ŰĤłĤĺØŬ ŹŎ ŹĠă łƀõĠ ĠØŰŰĺă ĴƀŰŹ ŹŎ Øûû ØŅ ĤŹăł ŹŎ ŹĠă the last 24 hours or 10 days. The
qŎŹĤƱõØŹĤŎŅ !ăŅŹăŬ ƕĤûę㏠ØŅû menu bar, you can click on Control
displays the name of media currently Center, then click on the item you want
ŨĺØƛĤŅę ŎŅ̀ƛŎƀŬ nØõ̐ ØĺŎŅę ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă
app that’s playing it and controls for
ŨĺØƛĤŅę̜ŨØƀŰĤŅę ØŅû ŰķĤŨŨĤŅę̖ ÉŎƀ̀õØŅ
õĠŎŎŰă ƕĠăŹĠăŬ ĤŹ ŰĤŹŰ ĤŅ̀!ŎŅŹŬŎĺ
!ăŅŹăŬ ŎŬ ĤŅ ŹĠằłăŅƀ òØŬ̀ØŅû ƕĠăŹĠăŬ

Gestures and shortcuts > Shortcuts. Check or uncheck the box
next to a shortcut to switch it on or off.
There aren’t any new system–wide Click on the shortcut itself to edit it. To
keyboard shortcuts or gestures in Big manage gestures, use the Trackpad or
Sur, but the Reminders app gets a few Keyboard pane in System Preferences,
new ones. There are now keyboard depending on which you use with your
shortcuts for switching between lists Mac. Check and uncheck gestures and
and for changing due dates to, say, use drop–down menus to select how
today, tomorrow, or next weekend. they are performed.

To configure system–wide shortcuts,
go to System Preferences > Keyboard

Battery pane is also now home to the Some apps offer multiple widgets for Notification Center – pick what suits best.
options that were available in Energy
Saver, like how and when to sleep, Control Center and
whether to optimise charging, and tools Notifications
for scheduling startup or wake.
Control Center is new in Big Sur and accomplish some tasks without
6 Choose whether works similarly to iOS. It groups opening the application. And you
your Mac plays together settings like display and can add and remove widgets from
the startup chime keyboard brightness, volume, Wi-Fi, third-party apps.
and Bluetooth. (You can still choose
Apple removed the startup chime in 2016 to have some of those settings in the Click on Notification Center, scroll
and most Macs released since then have menu bar.) Notification Center now to the bottom, and choose Edit
started up silently. Now, it’s back, but combines notifications and the Widgets. Click the “-” in the corner of
you’re in control of whether it plays or widgets that previously appeared in any widget to remove it. Widgets are
not. Go to System Preferences > Sound the Today tab. Widgets are grouped grouped by app and the apps with
ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ŹĠ㠝ŎƀŅû 1ƫăõŹŰ ŹØò̖ !Ġăõķ by app and nested. So if, for available widgets are listed on
the box next to “Play sound on startup.” example, you have multiple Calendar the left of the screen. Click on an app
notifications, you’ll see a stack. Click name to see its widgets, choose a
7 Speak typing feedback on it and all the notifications will be widget and its size, then hover over
One of Big Sur’s new accessibility displayed. Notifications are now the widget and click the “+” in the
features allows you to have your more interactive, so you can top-left corner to add it.
nØõ ŰŨăØķ ƕĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ŹƛŨă ØŰ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă
typing it. It’s tucked away in a new
section of System Preferences’
Accessibility pane called Spoken
!ŎŅŹăŅŹ̖ !Ġăõķ ŹĠă òŎƚ ŅăƚŹ ŹŎ ̱ŨăØķ
typing feedback” to enable the function.
This section also contains the options
that were previously to be found in the
Speech section of Accessibility.

8 Manage your
Notifications
ÃĠăŅ qŎŹĤƱõØŹĤŎŅŰ ØŨŨăØŬ ĤŅ

Big Sur, many of them have a drop-down
arrow that’s located in the bottom-right
õŎŬŅăŬ̖ ĤłŨĺƛ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠĤŰ ØŬŬŎƕ ŹŎ Űăă
ŹĠă ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ ŹĠØŹ ØŬă ØƔØĤĺØòĺă̐ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ
ØõõăŨŹ ŎŬ ûăõĺĤŅă õØĺăŅûØŬ ĤŅƔĤŹØŹĤŎŅŰ̐ ŎŬ
reply to emails.

How to Customise your desktop

1 CHANGE PICTURE Big Sur comes 2 ADD AN ACCENT COLOUR To 3 CHANGE THE SIDEBAR Big Sur’s
with 40 new desktop wallpapers, change the color of buttons full-height sidebars in windows
including different phases as they and sidebar glyphs in apps, go to allow for more or bigger icons. To add
change during the day. To choose one, System Preferences > General and more, go to Finder > Prefs > Sidebar.
go to System Preferences > Desktop & choose a colour from the Accent To make them bigger, it’s System Prefs
Screen Saver > Desktop Pictures and menu. Multicolor leaves apps at the > General > Sidebar icon size and small,
make your selection. developer’s default colours. medium or large.

57

SUPER GUIDE

85 Big Sur Secrets

Photos

Photos now allows
you to edit videos,
add new effects,
and much more.

•ĠŎŹŎŰ ĤŅ Ĥę ƀŬ ŬăõăĤƔăû Ø̀ėăƕ ĠØŅûƛ The Info window allows you to add a caption to a photo, as well as a title, keywords,
ĤłŨŬŎƔăłăŅŹŰ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ õŬŎŨ and location.
ƔĤûăŎŰ̐ ØŅû Øûû ƱĺŹăŬŰ ØŅû
ØûĴƀŰŹłăŅŹŰ ŹŎ ŹĠăł̖ §ĠăŬă̵Ű Ø Ņăƕ 3 Sort thumbnails ŎŅ ĤŹ̐ ØŅû ûŬØę ØŅû ûŬŎŨ ĤŹ ŎŅ ŹŎ
ÂĤòŬØŅõă ăƫăõŹ ØŅû ƛŎƀ õØŅ ØûĴƀŰŹ ŹĠă in albums ŹĠă ėŎĺûăŬ̖
ĤŅŹăŅŰĤŹƛ Ŏė •ŎŬŹŬØĤŹ eĤęĠŹĤŅę ăƫăõŹŰ̖ RŅ ØŅƛ Øĺòƀł̐ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ÂĤăƕ ĤŅ
§Ġ㠙ăŹŎƀõĠ ŹŎŎĺ ĠØŰ ØĺŰŎ òăăŅ 5 Move your
ĤłŨŬŎƔăû̐ ØĺŎŅę ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă năłŎŬĤăŰ ŹĠă łăŅƀ òØŬ̐ õĠŎŎŰ㠝ŎŬŹ̐ ØŅû ŨĤõķ Photos Library
ėăØŹƀŬă̖ NăŬă ØŬă Ø ėăƕ ŹŬĤõķŰ ŹŎ ę㏠ŹĠă ØŅ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ̖ ĺŹăŬŅØŹĤƔăĺƛ̐ ƛŎƀ õØŅ õĺĤõķ Rė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŬƀŅŅĤŅę ŰĠŎŬŹ Ŏė
łŎŰŹ ėŬŎł •ĠŎŹŎŰ̖ ØŅû ûŬØę ØŅƛ ŨĠŎŹŎ ŹŎ ØŅƛ ŨŎŰĤŹĤŎŅ
ĤŅ ŹĠă Øĺòƀł ƔĤăƕ̖ ûĴƀŰŹ ŹĠă ŰĤƤă ŰŨØõă ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ òŎŎŹ ûŬĤƔă̐ ƛŎƀ õØŅ łŎƔă
1 Change the key photo Ŏė ŹĠƀłòŅØĤĺŰ ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠă ŰĺĤûăŬ ØòŎƔă ƛŎƀŬ •ĠŎŹŎŰ ĺĤòŬØŬƛ ŹŎ ØŅ ăƚŹăŬŅØĺ
for an album ŹĠă Øĺòƀł ŹĤŹĺă̖ ûŬĤƔă̖ !ŎŨƛ ƛŎƀŬ •ĠŎŹŎŰ ĺĤòŬØŬƛ Ʊĺă
§ĠĤŰ ŎŅĺƛ ƕŎŬķŰ ėŎŬ ØĺòƀłŰ ƛŎƀ ėŬŎł ƛŎƀŬ •ĤõŹƀŬăŰ ėŎĺûăŬ ŹŎ ŹĠă
4 Store your albums ăƚŹăŬŅØĺ ûŬĤƔă̖ NŎĺû ûŎƕŅ ŹĠă {ŨŹ ķăƛ
ĠØƔă õŬăØŹăû̖ {ŨăŅ ŹĠă Øĺòƀł̐ in a folder ØŅû ĺØƀŅõĠ •ĠŎŹŎŰ̖ RŅ ŹĠă ƕĤŅûŎƕ ŹĠØŹ
!ŹŬĺ̪õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă ŨĠŎŹŎ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ØŰ ŹĠă Rė ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă Ø ĺŎŹ Ŏė ØĺòƀłŰ̐ ŎŨăŅŰ̐ õĠŎŎŰă {ŹĠăŬ eĤòŬØŬƛ ØŅû
Ņăƕ õŎƔăŬ̐ ØŅû ŨĤõķ ̱nØķă ķăƛ ŨĠŎŹŎ̖̲ ŅØƔĤęØŹă ŹŎ ŹĠă ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ ŎŅ ŹĠă ăƚŹăŬŅØĺ
ƱŅûĤŅę ŹĠă ŎŅă ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ õØŅ òă ûŬĤƔă̖ !ĺĤõķ {ŨăŅ̖ Rė ƛŎƀ ęăŹ Ø łăŰŰØęă
2 Add a caption ŹŬĤõķƛ̖ §Ŏ łØķă ĤŹ ăØŰĤăŬ̐ ęŬŎƀŨ ŹăĺĺĤŅę ƛŎƀ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ŹŎ ûŎƕŅĺŎØû
ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ Øûû õØŨŹĤŎŅŰ ŹŎ ØĺòƀłŰ ĤŅ Ø ėŎĺûăŬ̖ ÉŎƀ õŎƀĺû ĠØƔă ŎŅă ĤŹăłŰ ėŬŎł Ĥ!ĺŎƀû̐ õĺĤõķ ̱ûăĺăŹă
ŨĠŎŹŎŰ̐ ØŅû ķăƛƕŎŬûŰ ØŅû ėŎŬ̐ ŰØƛ̐ ėØłĤĺƛ ĠŎĺĤûØƛŰ̐ ØŅû ŎŅă ėŎŬ ĤŅõŎłŨĺăŹă ĤŹăłŰ̖̲ RŅ •ĠŎŹŎŰ̐ õĠŎŎŰă
ĺŎõØŹĤŎŅ ĤŅėŎ̖ !ŹŬĺ̪õĺĤõķ ŎŅ Ø ŨĠŎŹŎ ØŅû ûØƛ ŹŬĤŨŰ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă DĤĺă łăŅƀ •ĠŎŹŎŰ ͧ •ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ͧ FăŅăŬØĺ ØŅû
ŨĤõķ ̱F㏠ĤŅėŎŬłØŹĤŎŅ̲ ŎŬ ŰăĺăõŹ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă qăƕ DŎĺûăŬ̖ FĤƔă ĤŹ Ø ŅØłă õĠŎŎŰă ̱®Űă ØŰ ƛŰŹăł eĤòŬØŬƛ̖̲
Ø̀ŨĠŎŹŎ ØŅû ŨŬăŰŰ ŹĠă ̱Ĥ̲ ĤŅ ŹĠă ØŅû ûŬØę ĤŹ ØŅƛƕĠăŬă ĤŅ ŹĠă ĺĤŰŹ Ŏė
ŹŎŎĺòØŬ̖ ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ Űăă ŹăƚŹ òŎƚăŰ ƕĠăŬă ƛŎƀ ØĺòƀłŰ̖ §Ŏ Øûû ØŅ Øĺòƀł̐ ĴƀŰŹ õĺĤõķ
õØŅ Øûû Ø ŹĤŹĺă̐ õØŨŹĤŎŅ̐ ØŅû ķăƛƕŎŬûŰ̖
ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ ŰŹØŬŹ ŹƛŨĤŅę Ø ĺŎõØŹĤŎŅ ĤŅ
ŹĠằeŎõØŹĤŎŅ òŎƚ ŹŎ Űăă Ø ĺĤŰŹ Ŏė
ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ̖ •Ĥõķ ŎŅă ŹŎ Űăă ĤŹ ŎŅ ŹĠă łØŨ̖

NŎƕ ŹŎ ƀŰ㠕ĠŎŹŎŰ ăƚŹăŅŰĤŎŅŰ

Extensions in Photos allows you to Preferences, from where you can

access many of the editing features in enable extensions for those apps

apps such as Pixelmator, Affinity Photo, that support them. Once enabled,

and Luminar without leaving the the apps appear in the Edit menu.

Photos app. There’s even a category on Some apps have only one option,

the App Store that lists the apps that others have several. The difference is

have Photos extensions. that, say, Pixelmator offers one option

To see that, double-click any photo that takes you to a ‘Pixelmator view’

then choose Edit from the top–right inside Photos that provides access to

corner of the window. Click on the Pixelmator’s editing features. Affinity

More button (…) and choose App Store. Photo, on the other hand, displays

In that menu you’ll also see an option multiple options in the Edit menu,

called Manage. Click that and you’ll be each of which takes you directly With Extensions you can use some
features of third-party apps without
taken to the Extensions pane in System to a specific editing tool. launching the app.

What about iMovie?

Now that Photos allows you to add Ken Burns–style effects to iMovie works brilliantly with Photos, so it’s
edit videos, and Big Sur expands still images, adjust the color, and easy to stitch together your stills and clips
that to allow cropping and filters, apply lots of different audio and into a great video.
you might be wondering why you video effects to clips.
should bother with iMovie. But
iMovie allows you to do a great iMovie is well integrated with
deal more than just crop, trim, Photos, so it’s easy to pull in
and add filters. For example, images and video clips from your
iMovie has 29 themes that make Photos library, and to share them
it really easy to turn your photos with iOS versions of iMovie.
and movies into Hollywood–style iMovie has been around on the
trailers. It also allows you to add Mac for many years and had its
transitions and fades to your ups and downs, but it remains a
videos, as well as apply picture– very capable video–editing tool
in–picture, green screen effects, for anyone who needs to do
and speed up or slow down clips. more than just trim clips and add
iMovie also allows you to apply filters, but doesn’t need a
image stabilization to shaky clips, professional tool like Final
Cut Pro.

How to Create a shared photo album

1 CREATE THE ALBUM In the 2 INVITE MORE PEOPLE To invite 3 SHARED ALBUM WEB PAGE VIf
sidebar in Photos, hover over more people after creating an you want to share an album with
Shared Albums and click the “+” album, choose the album under Shared people not on iCloud, create a web
next to it. Give the album a title and Albums and click the People icon in the page. Click the people tab in the album
type the names – if they are in your toolbar. Click “+” next to Invite People view and choose Public Website. This
Contacts – or email addresses of and type the name or email address of creates a link on icloud.com that anyone
people you want to share with. Click the people you want to invite. can use when you share it with them.
Create.

4 ADD PHOTOS Choose a photo 5 ALLOW OTHERS TO SHARE If 6 DELETE ALBUM PHOTOS In
in Photos library and press the you want to allow those you have the album, choose any photo,
Share button in the toolbar. Choose shared the album with to share their whether you added it or not – if you
Shared Album then pick the album pics, go to the album and press the created the album you can delete
you want to share the photo to. To add People button. Check “Subscribers can any photo. Press the delete key. If the
photos from within a shared album, post.” You can only do this in albums photo is one you added, it will remain
select “Add photos and videos.” you created, not those shared with you. in your Photos library.

59

SUPER GUIDE

85 Big Sur Secrets

Safari, Mail, and Messages

Safari has new
customisation and
privacy features.

Safari and Messages have had big You can now customise the start page in Safari with your own background
updates in Big Sur, and much of the and content elements.
focus is on privacy. Safari’s new Privacy
Report details all the cross-site trackers 2 Check password bottom-right of the page. Check the
it’s blocked over the last 30 days and security box next to the elements you want to
displays the privacy practices for Click on the Safari menu and include. Scroll across the images at
websites you visit. You can even add the ŹĠă òŎŹŹŎł ØŅû õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŎŅă ŹŎ̀ŰăĺăõŹ
Privacy Report to your newly choose Preferences. Select the ĤŹ̐ ŎŬ õĺĤõķ ̱̲͡ ØŅû ŅØƔĤęØŹă ŹŎ
customisable start page. Passwords tab and authenticate. ØŅ̀ĤłØęă ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ nØõ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ
Look for entries with a yellow use and select it.
Safari now also warns you if any ŹŬĤØŅęĺă ŅăƚŹ ŹŎ̀ŹĠăł ̩ ŹĠØŹ
Ŏė̀ƛŎƀŬ ŰØƔăû ŨØŰŰƕŎŬûŰ ĠØƔă òăăŅ ĤŅûĤõØŹăŰ ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ ØŅ̀ĤŰŰƀă ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă 4 Translate a
involved in a data breach and helps you ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû̖ ăĺăõŹ ØŅ̀ăŅŹŬƛ ŹĠØŹ ĠØŰ web page
change them. It’s faster and more power Ø̀ƛăĺĺŎƕ ŹŬĤØŅęĺă ØŅû̀ŨŬăŰŰ 'ăŹØĤĺŰ ØŹ Navigate to the web page
ăƬõĤăŅŹ ØŅû ûĤŰŨĺØƛŰ ėØƔĤõŎŅŰ ŎŅ ŎŨăŅ ŹĠằòŎŹŹŎł Ŏė ŹĠă ƕĤŅûŎƕ̖ ™ăØû ŹĠă
tabs, making it easier to identify them. advice in the window that opens. you want to translate. Look for the
Mail didn’t get a big update this time speech bubbles icon to the right of
ØŬŎƀŅû̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ûĤû òăŅăƱŹ ėŬŎł ŹĠă 3 Customise your the address bar. Click on it and
OS-wide interface enhancements like start page õĠŎŎŰă ̱§ŬØŅŰĺØŹă ŹŎ 1ŅęĺĤŰĠ̲ ŎŬ
full-height sidebars and new icons. Open a new tab in Safari. Preferred Languages.

1 Import data Click the settings icon at the
from Chrome or Firefox
You can now import passwords,

bookmarks, and history directly from
!ĠŬŎłă ŎŬ DĤŬăėŎƚ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠằDĤĺă
łăŅƀ̀ĤŅ ØėØŬĤ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ̱RłŨŎŬŹ
from.” Choose either Chrome or Firefox.
Select the items that you want to import
and then click Import.

How to Send a message with Photos, Effects, or GIFs

1 FIND A GIF TO SEND Click the 2 GIF WITH A MESSAGE You can 3 IMAGE WITH EFFECTS Effects
new message button or click on a also use the search box to find play an animation over the whole
message thread in the sidebar. Type images. When you’ve found the one screen of an iOS device or window in
your message in the box, then click you want, click on it to add it to macOS. Create a new message and
the “A” to display the options. Choose your message. Press send to send the this time, when you press “A,” choose
“#images.” Scroll through the GIFs to message, or press the “X” in the corner Message Effects. Choose an effect and
find the one you want. of the GIF to remove it. press Send.

0

Messages

Messages is finally on a par with its iOS Messages in Big Sur is now much more fun to use, with plenty of iOS–inspired features at
counterpart, and with other messaging your fingertips.
apps on the Mac. You can now pin up
to nine messages to the top of the those are now in the Mac version too. photo, you’ll like the new search
messages list, reply inline to specific And if you use Messages a lot and feature. It organises results into links
messages in a group conversation, often find yourself trawling through and images, and makes it much easier
“mention” participants in a group them looking for a specific message or to find what you’re looking for.
conversation, and choose its photo.
GIFs and Memoji stickers come to the
Mac and you can also create and edit
Memojis in Big Sur Messages. When
you first begin a conversation with
someone new, you can choose
whether to share your name and
photo, or you can use a Memoji image
or monogram instead. If you’re a fan of
message effects in iOS, like fireworks
and balloons, you’ll be pleased to see

5 Preview a tab łăŰŰØęă ĤŰ ėŬŎł Ø łØĤĺĤŅę ĺĤŰŹ̖̲ §Ŏ 8 Organise messages
You can now preview the the right of that, click Unsubscribe. in Smart Mailboxes
contents of a tab without Click on the Mailbox menu
ŎŨăŅĤŅę ĤŹ̖̀aƀŰŹ ĠŎƔăŬ ŎƔăŬ ŹĠă ŹØò ƕĤŹĠ 7 Check a sender’s
the mouse pointer and a thumbnail email address and choose New Smart Mailbox.
preview will appear. Phishing emails often look Name it and select items from the
łăŅƀŰ ŹŎ õŬăØŹă ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ õŎŅûĤŹĤŎŅ
6 Unsubscribe from genuine because the message header for putting a message in the
a mailing list in Mail shows what looks like a legitimate łØĤĺòŎƚ̖ §Ŏ Øûû łŎŬă õŎŅûĤŹĤŎŅŰ̐
Select a message in your inbox name and conceals the email õĺĤõķ ̱̲͡ ØŅû ŰŨăõĤėƛ ŹĠă ŅăƚŹ
ØûûŬăŰŰ̖ §Ŏ Űăă Ø ŰăŅûăŬ̵Ű ăłØĤĺ õŎŅûĤŹĤŎŅ̖ •Ĥõķ ̱Øĺĺ̲ ŎŬ ̱ØŅƛ̲ ŹŎ ŰăŹ
that comes from the list you want to address, hover over the sender whether all or only one of the
unsubscribe from. Look under the ØŅû̀ŹĠăŅ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă ûŬŎŨ̪ûŎƕŅ conditions has to be met for a
ĠăØûăŬ̀ėŎŬ Ø łăŰŰØęă ŹĠØŹ ŰØƛŰ ̱§ĠĤŰ arrow that appears. łăŰŰØęă ŹŎ òă Ʊĺăû ĠăŬă̖

4 MESSAGE WITH A PHOTO 5 SEND A MEMOJI In a new 6 CREATE A MEMOJI Go through
Follow the steps for sending message, click on the “A” and the options for skin, hair,
a GIF, but choose Photos instead of choose Memoji stickers. To send an accessories, and the rest to create your
“#images.” Or find the photo you want existing sticker, click on it and press Memoji. When you’ve chosen all the
on your Mac and drag it on to the Send. To create a new one, click on options you want, press Done to create
message window. You can add multiple the More (…) button and choose New the stickers. You can now add a sticker
images. Press Send when you’re done. Memoji to open the Memoji creator. to your message.

61

SUPER GUIDE

85 Big Sur Secrets

Maps

Start planning a trip
on your Mac and
then continue on
your mobile device.

Maps may not be as useful on the Mac The new guides in Maps allow
as it is on a mobile device, but there’s you to get the most out of a
still plenty you can do with it, such as trip. There are lots of curated
ŨĺØŅ ĴŎƀŬŅăƛŰ ØŅû ăƚŨĺŎŬă ėØŬ̪Ŏƫ õĤŹĤăŰ̖ guides, and you can create your
Big Sur adds several new features to the
nØõ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ ŹĠă łŎŰŹ ŰĤęŅĤƱõØŅŹ Ŏė 2 Create a new guide 3 Build your
ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ FƀĤûăŰ̖ !ƀŬŬăŅŹĺƛ ŎŅĺƛ In the toolbar, click the “+” and own library of guides
available for London in the UK, curated õĠŎŎŰă !ŬăØŹă qăƕ FƀĤûă̖ FĤƔă ÃĠăŅ ƛŎƀ ƱŅû Ø ęƀĤûă ƛŎƀ ĺĤķă̐
Guides enable you to discover the best ŹĠă ęƀĤûă Ø ŅØłă̐ ŹĠăŅ õĺĤõķ !ĠØŅęă căƛ
ŨĺØõăŰ ŹŎ ƔĤŰĤŹ̐ ăØŹ̐ ØŅû ăƚŨĺŎŬă̖ §Ġăƛ •ĠŎŹŎ̖ §Ŏ̀Øûû Ø ŨĺØõă ŹŎ Ø ęƀĤûă̐ ŰăØŬõĠ click Add to My Guides to add it to the
update automatically as other users ėŎŬ ĤŹ ŎŬ̀ŅØƔĤęØŹă ŹŎ ĤŹ ŎŅ ŹĠă łØŨ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŰĤûăòØŬ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŹĠă nŎŬă òƀŹŹŎŅ ØŹ ŹĠằŹŎŨ̪
add places and you can create your łØĤŅ ƕĤŅûŎƕ̖ !ĺĤõķ ĤŹŰ łØŬķăŬ ŎŅ ŹĠă right to share the guide using Mail,
ŎƕŅ̖ FƀĤûăŰ ƕĤĺĺ ăƚŨØŅû ŹŎ łŎŬă õĤŹĤăŰ łØŨ̐ ŹĠăŅ̀õĺĤõķ ŹĠă ̱̲͡ ƀŅûăŬ ĤŹŰ ŅØłă năŰŰØęăŰ̐ ŎŬ Ø ŰĠØŬă ăƚŹăŅŰĤŎŅ̖ {Ŭ ŰăŅû
ûƀŬĤŅę ˙˗˙˘̖ Ĥę ƀŬ ØĺŰŎ ŰăăŰ nØŨŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă ƕĤŅûŎƕ ŹĠØŹ ŎŨăŅŰ̖ !ĠŎŎŰă ŹĠă ĤŹ ûĤŬăõŹĺƛ ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ Ĥ•ĠŎŅă ŎŬ Ĥ•Øû̖
gain 3D Look Around, electric vehicle ęƀĤûă ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ Øûû ĤŹ ŹŎ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ
charging points, cycling routes, and share the location from here, or click the 4 Look around a city
ĤŅûŎŎŬ łØŨŰ̖ ęØĤŅ̐ ŰŎłă Ŏė ŹĠăŰă łŎŬă òƀŹŹŎŅ ŹŎ Øûû łŎŬă ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ̖ §Ŏ !ĺĤõķ ŹĠă nØŨ ĤõŎŅ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŹŎŎĺòØŬ
features are limited to a small number share a guide once you’ve created it, ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă 'ăėØƀĺŹ̖ qØƔĤęØŹă ŹŎ
Ŏė õĤŹĤăŰ ƕŎŬĺûƕĤûă̐ òƀŹ ƕĤĺĺ̀òă !ŹŬĺ̪õĺĤõķ ŎŅ̀ĤŹ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŰĤûăòØŬ̖ Ø ŰŹŬă㏠ŎŬ ĺŎõØŹĤŎŅ̖ Rė ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ Ø̀eŎŎķ
ăƚŨØŅûăû̖ Around available for that location, the

1 View guides from your
favorite publishers
Launch maps then click in the

ŰăØŬõĠ òØŬ̖ ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ Űăă Ø ĺĤŰŹ Ŏė 1ûĤŹŎŬŰ̵
Picks in the sidebar, followed by a list
Ŏė ŨƀòĺĤŰĠăŬŰ̖ õŬŎĺĺ ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ ŹĠă ĺĤŰŹ Ŏė
ŨƀòĺĤŰĠăŬŰ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ŎŅă̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ Ø
ęƀĤûă ŹŎ ŬăØû łŎŬă ØòŎƀŹ ŹĠă ØŬăØ̖

62

The Flyover Tour option
will give you a bird’s eye
view of a city.

binoculars in the toolbar will be black, if ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ƱŅĤŰĠăû õĺĤõķ ŹĠă ̱È̲ ĤŅ ŹĠă òØŬ 7 Don’t like
ŅŎŹ̐ ŹĠăƛ ƕĤĺĺ̀òă ęŬØƛăû ŎƀŹ̖ RŹ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ØŹ ŹĠă òŎŹŹŎł Ŏė ŹĠă ƕĤŅûŎƕ̖ metric? Go metric
òĺØõķ̐ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠăł ŹŎ ŰƕŎŎŨ ûŎƕŅ ŎŅ ƛ ûăėØƀĺŹ̐ ûĤŰŹØŅõăŰ ĤŅ nØŨŰ
ŹŎ̀ŹĠă ŰŹŬăăŹ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă ŰŹŬă㏠ØĠăØû Ŏė 6 Set your travel
ƛŎƀ ŹŎ łŎƔă ėŎŬƕØŬû ŎŬ ƀŰằŹƕŎ̪ƱŅęăŬăû preferences ĤŅ̀ ƀŰŹŬØĺĤØ ØŬă ŰĠŎƕŅ ĤŅ̀ķłŰ̖
ęăŰŹƀŬăŰ ŎŅ̀ƛŎƀŬ ŹŬØõķŨØû ̦õĺĤõķ ØŅû Simply choose Maps > However, if you prefer imperial
ûŬØę ƕĤŹĠ Ø̀łŎƀŰă̧ ŹŎ ŹƀŬŅ ØŬŎƀŅû̖ łăØŰƀŬăłăŅŹŰ̐ Øĺĺ ƛŎƀ̀ĠØƔă ŹŎ ûŎ ĤŰ
•ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ͧ̀™ŎƀŹă •ĺØŅŅăŬ̖ DŬŎł ĠăŬă ęŎ̀ŹŎ nØŨŰ ͧ̀•ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ͧ FăŅăŬØĺ̖
5 Fly over a city ƛŎƀ õØŅ Ű㏠ƛŎƀŬ ŨŬăėăŬŬăû ŹŬØƔăĺ DŬŎł ŹĠăŬă̐̀õĠŎŎŰă nĤĺăŰ ėŬŎł
ăØŬõĠ ėŎŬ Ø õĤŹƛ ŹĠØŹ ĠØŰ Ø̀ƲƛŎƔăŬ łăŹĠŎû ̦ûŬĤƔĤŅę̐ ƕØĺķĤŅę̐ ŨƀòĺĤõ ŹĠằ'ĤŰŹØŅõă ®ŅĤŹŰ łăŅƀ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ
ØƔØĤĺØòĺă̐ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ØŅ DŬØŅõĤŰõŎ̖ ŹŬØŅŰŨŎŬŹ̧ ėŎŬ ûĤŬăõŹĤŎŅŰ̐ Źăĺĺ nØŨŰ õĠŎŎŰă ŹŎ ûĤŰŨĺØƛ ĺØŬęă̪ŰĤƤăû ĺØòăĺŰ
ăĺăõŹ ĤŹ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŰăØŬõĠ ŬăŰƀĺŹŰ ØŅû ĤŅ ŹĠă ƕĠăŹĠăŬ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ØƔŎĤû ŹŎĺĺ ŬŎØûŰ̐ ėŬŎł ŹĠĤŰ łăŅƀ̐ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ŹƀŬŅ Ŏƫ ŹĠă
ƕĤŅûŎƕ ŹĠØŹ ŎŨăŅŰ̐ õĠŎŎŰă DĺƛŎƔăŬ §ŎƀŬ̖ ØŅû ƕĠăŹĠăŬ ƛŎƀ ƕŎƀĺû ŬØŹĠăŬ ØƔŎĤû ƕăØŹĠăŬ ėŎŬăõØŰŹ ØŅû ØĤŬ̀ūƀØĺĤŹƛ
ĤŹ òØõķ̀ØŅû ƕØŹõĠ ŹĠă ŹŎƀŬ̐ ØŅû ƕĠăŅ ĠĤĺĺƛ ŬŎƀŹăŰ ƕĠăŅ õƛõĺĤŅę̖ ĤŅėŎŬłØŹĤŎŅ Ĥė ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ Űăă ĤŹ̖

63

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85 Big Sur Secrets

Music, Apple TV, Podcasts, & Books

It was evolution rather than revolution Content caching
for these entertainment apps in Big Sur.
If you have more than one Mac
One of Catalina’s biggest changes was ėŬĤăŅûŰ ĤŰ ƀŰĤŅę ŨŨĺă nƀŰĤõ̖ õŬŎĺĺ or iOS device, you can use a
the end of iTunes and its replacement through the list of Contacts and press service called Content Caching
with separate apps, Music, TV, and DŎĺĺŎƕ ŅăƚŹ ŹŎ ŹĠŎŰă ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ Øûû̖ to reduce the amount of data
Podcasts. It’s no surprise, then, that ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ ĤŅƔĤŹă ØŅƛ ƕĠŎ ØŬăŅ̵Ź you download over the
these apps don’t get huge updates õƀŬŬăŅŹĺƛ ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠă ėăØŹƀŬă̖ !ĺĤõķ qăƚŹ internet and speed up OS
ĤŅ̀ Ĥę ƀŬ̖ §Ġă òĤęęăŰŹ õĠØŅęă ĤŅ nƀŰĤõ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ŹĠă ŨĺØƛĺĤŰŹŰ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ updates and the retrieval of
ĤŰ̀ŹĠă ŬăŨĺØõăłăŅŹ Ŏė DŎŬ ÉŎƀ ƕĤŹĠ share, then follow the instructions other data. With Content
eĤŰŹăŅ qŎƕ̖ ĤłĤĺØŬ ŹŎ ĤŹŰ ŨŬăûăõăŰŰŎŬ̐ on screen. Caching set up, whenever a
ØŅû ĺĤķă ŹĠă Ĥ{ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ eĤŰŹăŅ qŎƕ Mac or iOS device on the
suggests music, artists, and 2 Help Music get a network downloads an update,
ĤŅŹăŬƔĤăƕŰ ĤŹ ŹĠĤŅķŰ ƛŎƀ̀łĤęĠŹ better idea of what the update is stored on a Mac
ĺĤķằòØŰăû ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ ĺĤŰŹăŅĤŅę ĠØòĤŹŰ̖ you like to listen to on the network. The next time
ăØŬõĠ ĠØŰ òăăŅ ĤłŨŬŎƔăû̐ ŹŎŎ̐ ƕĤŹĠ a device requests the update,
Ņăƕ ƱĺŹăŬŰ̖ eĤŰŹăŅ qŎƕ ØĺŰŎ ŨŎŨŰ ƀŨ ĤŅ Listen Now attempts to work out what it’s delivered from the cache,
the Podcasts app, making it easier to ƛŎƀ ĺĤķă̐ òƀŹ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ęĤƔă ĤŹ Ø ĠØŅû̖ rather than being downloaded
ƱŅû ŹĠă ŅăƚŹ ăŨĤŰŎûă Ŏė ŨŎûõØŰŹŰ̖ ÃĠăŅ ƛŎƀ ĠăØŬ Ø ŹŬØõķ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ĺĤķă̐ ŎŬ again. And it’s not just OS
ûĤŰĺĤķă̐ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă nŎŬă òƀŹŹŎŅ ŅăƚŹ updates. Content Caching
1 Go social to the song title and choose Like supports apps, app data such
ŨŨĺă nƀŰĤõ ØĺĺŎƕŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ƱŅû ŎƀŹ or Dislike. as GarageBand songs, Books,
what friends are listening to and and iCloud data like photos
ŰĠØŬă ƕĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ĺĤŰŹăŅ ŹŎ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠăł̖ 3 Check and manage and documents.
Click on Listen Now, then on the ID what third–party
ŨŬŎƱĺă ĤõŎŅ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă !ØłăŬØ ĤõŎŅ services access Music To switch it on, go to System
ŹŎ õĠŎŎŰă Ø ŨŬŎƱĺă ŨĤõŹƀŬă̐ ØŅû ŹƛŨă ĤŅ Prefs > Sharing, and check the
ŹĠă òŎƚ ŅăƚŹ ŹŎ ̱ƀŰăŬŅØłă̲ ŹŎ õŬăØŹă Ø Rė ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă ØŅ łØƤŎŅ 1õĠŎ̐ ƛŎƀ ƕĤĺĺ box next to Content Caching.
ŅØłă̖ •ŬăŰŰ !ŎŅŹĤŅƀă ŹŎ DĤŅû ĠŎŨăėƀĺĺƛ ØĺŬăØûƛ ķŅŎƕ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ õØŅ You can choose to cache all
!ŎŅŹØõŹŰ̐ ŹŎ̀Űăă ƕĠŎ ØłŎŅę ƛŎƀŬ ŨĺØƛ ŨŨĺă nƀŰĤõ ûĤŬăõŹĺƛ ėŬŎł ŹĠă data, just apps and updates, or
1õĠŎ ĴƀŰŹ òƛ ØŰķĤŅę ĺăƚØ̖ §Ŏ Űăă just iCloud data. Select
ƕĠĤõĠ ûăƔĤõăŰ ØŅû ŰăŬƔĤõăŰ ĠØƔă Options to specify a limit for
the amount of disk space it
uses. You’ll need to restart
devices so they can use
Content Caching.

Listen Now replaces For You and suggests music, artists, and interviews based on your Content caching allows you to
listening habits. download updates and app
data once and share it over a
local network.

You can choose whether to stream TV Podcasts allows you to create your own stations and pupate them with favorite podcasts.
shows and movies in the highest available
quality or limit bandwidth usage.

access to your Music account, click on ŹŎ̀nƀŰĤõ ͧ̀•ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ͧ DĤĺăŰ ŎŬ nŎŰŹ !ŎłŨØŹĤòĺ㠝' Ĥė ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ
Account then “Apps with Access…” In ØŅû̀ŨŬăŰŰ RłŨŎŬŹ ăŹŹĤŅęŰ̖ DŬŎł ĠăŬă transfer the downloads to another
the window that opens you can you can choose the format and bitrate ûăƔĤõă ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ØŅ Ĥ•ĠŎŅă̖
ŬăƔŎķă ØõõăŰŰ ŹŎ ŰŨăõĤƱõ ŰăŬƔĤõăŰ Ŏė ƱĺăŰ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ĤłŨŎŬŹ̖
Ĥė̀ƛŎƀ õĠŎŎŰă̖ 8 Create a
6 Create a Smart Podcasts station
4 Manage playlist in the TV app ŹØŹĤŎŅŰ ăŅØòĺă ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ęŬŎƀŨ
family access §Ġ㠧 ØŨŨ ØĺĺŎƕŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ
If you pay for the Family tier ŨŎûõØŰŹŰ ƛŎƀ ŰƀòŰõŬĤòă ŹŎ̖ {Ņă ƕØƛ
õŬăØŹă ŨĺØƛĺĤŰŹŰ̐ ĴƀŰŹ ĺĤķă nƀŰĤõ̖ §Ġăƛ ƕŎƀĺû òă ŹŎ ęŬŎƀŨ Øĺĺ ŹĠă łŎƔĤă
of Apple One, family members can are displayed in the sidebar in the ŨŎûõØŰŹŰ̐ ŎŬ Øĺĺ ŹĠă ėŎŎû ŨŎûõØŰŹŰ̖
ØõõăŰŰ ŨŨĺă nƀŰĤõ̖ §Ŏ łØŅØęă ƕĠŎ eĤòŬØŬƛ ŹØò̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ õŬăØŹă łØŬŹ ÉŎƀ łƀŰŹ ŰƀòŰõŬĤòă ŹŎ Ø ŨŎûõØŰŹ
has access, click on Account, and ŨĺØƛĺĤŰŹŰ̐ ƕĠăŬă łŎƔĤăŰ ØŅû̀§Â ĤŅ̀•ŎûõØŰŹŰ ŹŎ Øûû̀ĤŹ ŹŎ Ø ŰŹØŹĤŎŅ̖ RŅ
õĠŎŎŰă nØŅØęă DØłĤĺƛ̑ ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ òă shows in your Library are added •ŎûõØŰŹŰ̐ ęŎ ŹŎ DĤĺă ͧ qăƕ ŹØŹĤŎŅ ̦ŎŬ
ŹØķăŅ ŹŎ ŹĠă DØłĤĺƛ ĠØŬĤŅę ŰăõŹĤŎŅ automatically if they meet ŨŬăŰŰ !łû̪q̧̖ FĤƔă ŹĠă ŰŹØŹĤŎŅ Ø
of System Prefs, where you can then ŹĠằõŬĤŹăŬĤØ ƛŎƀ ŰŨăõĤėƛ̐ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ŹĠă ŅØłă ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ŹĠă ŎŬûăŬ ƛŎƀ̀ƕØŅŹ
Øûû ØŅû ŬăłŎƔă ėØłĤĺƛ łăłòăŬŰ̖ name of the director or the year to play episodes and whether to
ŹĠăƛ̀ƕăŬă łØûă̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ DĤĺă ͧ qăƕ ͧ ęŬŎƀŨ ŹĠăł òƛ ŨŎûõØŰŹ̖ Ź ŹĠă
5 Specify the quality łØŬŹ •ĺØƛĺĤŰŹ̑ !ĠŎŎŰă ØŅ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ bottom of the window, under
of music you import ėŬŎł ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ûŬŎŨ̪ûŎƕŅ łăŅƀ Podcasts, click on the arrow next to
®ŅėŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ̐ ƛŎƀ õØŅ̵Ź ûŎ ØŅû̀Ű㏠ŹĠă ŨØŬØłăŹăŬŰ̖ !ĺĤõķ̀ŹĠă ̱̲͡ !ĠŎŎŰ㠕ŎûõØŰŹŰ̖ !Ġăõķ ŹĠă òŎƚ
ŹŎ Øûû ØûûĤŹĤŎŅØĺ õŬĤŹăŬĤØ̖ !Ġăõķ ŹĠă ŹŎ̀ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ Ŏė̀ŹĠă ŨŎûõØŰŹŰ ƛŎƀ
ØŅƛŹĠĤŅę ØòŎƀŹ ŹĠă ūƀØĺĤŹƛ Ŏė ØƀûĤŎ òŎƚ ŅăƚŹ ŹŎ̀eĤƔă ®ŨûØŹĤŅę Ĥė ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ƕØŅŹ̀ŹŎ Øûû̖ !ĺĤõķ {c̐ ŹĠăŅ ęŎ ØĠăØû
you stream from Apple, but you can ĤŹ ŹŎ̀ƀŨûØŹă ØƀŹŎłØŹĤõØĺĺƛ̖ ØŅû õĺĤõķ {c ØęØĤŅ̖
õĠŎŎŰă ŹĠă ūƀØĺĤŹƛ Ŏė łƀŰĤõ ƛŎƀ
ĤłŨŎŬŹ ėŬŎł ƛŎƀŬ ŎƕŅ õŎĺĺăõŹĤŎŅ̖ FŎ 7 Set TV download and 9 Make notes in Books
streaming options ŎŎķŰ ûĤûŅ̵Ź ę㏠ØŅ ƀŨęŬØûă
In Books, you can makes notes in the margins §Ġ㠧 ØŨŨ ØĺĺŎƕŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ĺĤłĤŹ ĤŅ Ĥę ƀŬ ØŅû̐ ŰØûĺƛ̐ ƛŎƀ ŰŹĤĺĺ
and sync them across devices. õØŅ̵Ź Ű㏠ŬăØûĤŅę ęŎØĺŰ̐ ØŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ĤŅ
ŹĠă ûØŹØ ƛŎƀ ƀŰă ƕĠĤĺă ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę ŎŬ Ĥ{̖ ƀŹ ƛŎƀ õØŅ łØķă ŅŎŹăŰ ŎŅ
ûŎƕŅĺŎØûĤŅę §Â ŨŬŎęŬØłŰ ŎŬ òŎŎķŰ̖ ÃĠăŅ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŬăØûĤŅę Ø òŎŎķ
łŎƔĤăŰ̖ FŎ ŹŎ §Â ͧ •ŬăėŰ ͧ •ĺØƛòØõķ̖ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ nØõ ØŅû ŹĠăŬă̵Ű Ø ŨØŰŰØęă
DŬŎł ŹĠ㠝ŹŬăØłĤŅę łăŅƀ̐ õĠŎŎŰă ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ łØķă ŅŎŹăŰ ŎŅ̐ ŰăĺăõŹ ĤŹ̖
NĤęĠ ˜ƀØĺĤŹƛ ŹŎ ŰŹŬăØł ŹĠă ĠĤęĠăŰŹ In the menu, pick a colour for the
ØƔØĤĺØòĺă ūƀØĺĤŹƛ̐ ŎŬ 'ØŹØ ØƔăŬ ŹŎ ĠĤęĠĺĤęĠŹ̐ ŎŬ õĠŎŎŰă ŹŎ ƀŅûăŬĺĤŅă ĤŹ ĤŅ
ĺĤłĤŹ ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę ŹŎ ˜˗˗n ̜ĠŎƀŬ̖ Ŭăû̖ §Ġă ŨØŰŰØęă ØŨŨăØŬŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă
DŬŎł ŹĠă 'ŎƕŅĺŎØû ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ̐ õĠŎŎŰă ŰĤûăòØŬ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ŅŎŹăŰ ŰăõŹĤŎŅ òăĺŎƕ̖
NĤęĠ ˜ƀØĺĤŹƛ ŎŬ DØŰŹ 'ŎƕŅĺŎØûŰ Ĥė §ƛŨă ƛŎƀŬ ŅŎŹă̖
you only want to watch the download
ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ nØõ̐ ŎŬ nŎŰŹ !ŎłŨØŹĤòĺă N'

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Other Big Sur tips and tricks

There are even more
ways to get the most
from Big Sur.

We’ve covered tips and tricks for the Voice Memos allows you to create folders and add memos to them, as well as enhance memos.
łØĴŎŬ ØŨŨŰ̀ŹĠØŹ ØŬă ĤŅõĺƀûăû ƕĤŹĠ Ĥę
ƀŬ̐ ØĺŎŅę ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠŎŰă ØŰŰŎõĤØŹăû ƕĤŹĠ Delegate reminders ûĤŰŨĺØƛ ûăŹØĤĺŰ Ŏė ŹĠĤŅęŰ ĺĤķă
ŹĠă òĤęęăŰŹ ĤłŨŬŎƔăłăŅŹŰ ØŅû õØŬòŎŅ łŎŅŎƚĤûă̐ ŎƤŎŅă̐ ØŅû
õĠØŅęăŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă {̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ ûăĺăęØŹă̐ ŎŬ ŨØŬŹĤõƀĺØŹăŰ ĤŅ̀ŹĠă ØŹłŎŰŨĠăŬă
ĺŎŹŰ łŎŬă ŰłØĺĺăŬ õĠØŅęăŰ ØŅû łƀõĠ ̱ØŰŰĤęŅ̲ ĤŅ̀ ŨŨĺă ŹăŬłĤŅŎĺŎęƛ̐ ĺŎõØĺĺƛ̖ aƀŰŹ ØŰķ ̱ÃĠØŹ̵Ű ŹĠă ØĤŬ
łŎŬă ƛŎƀ õØŅ ûŎ ŹŎ̀ŹƀŅă ƀŨ łØõ{ Ĥę ŬăłĤŅûăŬŰ ŹŎ ŎŹĠăŬ̀ŨăŎŨĺă̖ §ĠĤŰ õØŅ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ̗̲ ØŅû ĤŬĤ ƕĤĺĺ Źăĺĺ ƛŎƀ ŹĠă
ƀŬ ØŅû ę㏠ĤŹ ƕŎŬķĤŅę ăƚØõŹĺƛ ŹĠă ƕØƛ ŎŅĺƛ òă ûŎŅă ėŎŬ ŬăłĤŅûăŬŰ õŬăØŹăû ĤŅ Ø ĠăØûĺĤŅă ŬăØûĤŅę ØŅû̀ûĤŰŨĺØƛ ŹĠă
ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ĤŹ ŹŎ̖ ĺĤŰŹ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ŰĠØŬă ƕĤŹĠ ŎŹĠăŬŰ̖ §Ŏ ûăŹØĤĺŰ ŎŅ ŰõŬăăŅ̖
ŰĠØŬă Ø ĺĤŰŹ̐ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ĤŹ ØŅû ŹĠăŅ õĺĤõķ
Clean up Voice Memos ŹĠ㠕ăŎŨĺă ĤõŎŅ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ĠŎƕ ƛŎƀ Use Quick
ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ŰĠØŬă ĤŹ̖ {Ņõă ĤŹ̵Ű ŰĠØŬăû̐ ƕĠăŅ Styles in Notes
ÂŎĤõă năłŎŰ ĤŅ łØõ{ ĠØŰ òăăŅ ƛŎƀ õŬăØŹă Ø Ņăƕ ŬăłĤŅûăŬ̐ õĺĤõķ ŹĠă
òŬŎƀęĠŹ ĤŅŹŎ ĺĤŅă ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă Ĥ{ •ăŎŨĺă ĤõŎŅ òăŹƕăăŅ ŹĠă ĺŎõØŹĤŎŅ ØŅû ˜ƀĤõķ ŹƛĺăŰ ăŅØòĺăŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ
ƔăŬŰĤŎŅŰ̐ ØŅû ŹĠØŹ łăØŅŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ ûăØûĺĤŅă òƀŹŹŎŅŰ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ƕĠŎ ƛŎƀ ėŎŬłØŹ ŹăƚŹ ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ ŅØƔĤęØŹĤŅę
̱ăŅĠØŅõă̲ łăłŎŰ ŹŎ Ŭăûƀõă ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ̀ûăĺăęØŹă ŹĠă ŬăłĤŅûăŬ ŹŎ̖ ÉŎƀ ŰăƔăŬØĺ łăŅƀŰ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØŨŨĺƛ Ø ŰŹƛĺă
òØõķęŬŎƀŅû ŅŎĤŰă̖ !ĠŎŎŰă ŹĠă łăłŎ õØŅ̀ØĺŰŎ !ŹŬĺ̪õĺĤõķ Ø ŬăłĤŅûăŬ ØėŹăŬ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ĠăØûĤŅę̐ Űƀò̪ĠăØûĤŅę̐ ŎŬ
ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ăŅĠØŅõă ĤŅ ŹĠă ĺĤŰŹ Ŏė ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă õŬăØŹăû ĤŹ ØŅû̀õĠŎŎŰă òƀĺĺăŹăû ĺĤŰŹ̛ ŎŬ łØķă ŹăƚŹ òŎĺû̐ ĤŹØĺĤõ̐
łăłŎŰ ØŅû ŨŬăŰŰ 1ûĤŹ̖ !ĺĤõķ̀ŎŅ ŹĠă ̱ ŰŰĤęŅ ŹŎ̖̲ ƀŅûăŬĺĤŅăû̐ ŎŬ ŰŹŬƀõķ̪ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ̖ RŅ
1ŅĠØŅõă òƀŹŹŎŅ ̦ĤŹ ĺŎŎķŰ ĺĤķằØ łØęĤõ ØŅƛ̀ŅŎŹă̐ õĺĤõķ ĤŅ ŹĠă łØĤŅ ŅŎŹă
ƕØŅû̧̖ ®ŅûŎ ŹĠă ăŅĠØŅõăłăŅŹ òƛ Check for pollution ƕĤŅûŎƕ ØŅû ŰăĺăõŹ ŹĠă ŹăƚŹ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ
õĺĤõķĤŅę ŹĠă ĤõŎŅ ØęØĤŅ̖ ŰŹƛĺă̖ •ŬăŰŰ ŹĠă ̱ Ø̲ òƀŹŹŎŅ ĤŅ ŹĠă
ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØŰķ ĤŬĤ ėŎŬ Ø ŬăŨŎŬŹ ŹŎŎĺòØŬ ØŅû̀õĠŎŎŰă Ø ŰŹƛĺă̖
Use folders õØŬû ŎŅ̀ØĤŬ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ŹĠØŹ ƕĤĺĺ
with Voice Memos

ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ ŎŬęØŅĤŰă łăłŎŰ
ĤŅ̀ėŎĺûăŬŰ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŹĠă ŰĤûăòØŬ òƀŹŹŎŅ
ØŹ̀ŹĠă ŹŎŨ̪ĺăėŹ Ŏė̀ŹĠă ƕĤŅûŎƕ ŹŎ
ûĤŰŨĺØƛ ŹĠă ŰĤûăòØŬ̖ •ŬăŰŰ ŹĠă ėŎĺûăŬ
ĤõŎŅ ØŹ ŹĠă òŎŹŹŎł Ŏė ŹĠằŰĤûăòØŬ̖
FĤƔă ŹĠă ėŎĺûăŬ Ø ŅØłă ØŅû ŨŬăŰŰ
ØƔă̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ ûŬØę łăłŎŰ ŎŅ
ŹŎ̀ŹĠă ėŎĺûăŬ̖

Rė ĤŅ ûŎƀòŹ̐ ØŰķ ĤŬĤ you discuss in Messages. Siri can also Siri is now better at searching the web and
change system settings, such as as a result can answer a wider range of
The biggest change to Siri in Big Sur is turning Wi-Fi on and off, or switching questions.
that it can now answer a wider range of on Do Not Disturb. You can search
questions by searching the web. In within apps, say for notes or photos,
addition, Siri in Big Sur can tell you and you can launch apps using Siri, too.
about your Mac’s system, so you can
ask “How fast is this Mac?” It can also Additionally, instead of speaking
search for files and you can ask to your Mac to use Siri you can type
follow-up questions. Siri can also make questions. Go to System Preferences
suggestions to you based on how you > Accessibility > Siri and check the
use your Mac, such as prompt you to box next to “Enable type to Siri.”
create a calendar event for something

66

You can change the background colour of notes to make them easier to read.

The App Store now displays information about Change your profile ĤŅėŎŬłØŹĤŎŅ ĤŅ ØėØŬĤ̖ RŅ ŹĠă ŨŨ ŹŎŬă̐
the data that apps collect on you. pic in Messages navigate to the app you’re interested in,
ŰõŬŎĺĺ ûŎƕŅ ŹŎ ŨŨ̀•ŬĤƔØõƛ̐ ØŅû õĺĤõķ
Change note to Pinned messages give more ăă 'ăŹØĤĺŰ̖
light background ŨŬŎłĤŅăŅõă ŹŎ ŨŬŎƱĺă ŨĤõŰ̐ ŰŎ ĤŹ̵Ű
appropriate that you can now choose In Safari, navigate to a website
If you’re using Notes in Dark ƛŎƀŬ ŎƕŅ ĤŅ năŰŰØęăŰ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ and then click the shield icon to the left
Mode, you can change the background Messages and Choose Preferences Ŏė ŹĠă ŰĤûăòØŬ̖ §ĠăŅ ĴƀŰŹ õĺĤõķ ŹĠă
of any note to white to make it easier ͧ FăŅăŬØĺ̖ NŎƔăŬ ŎƔăŬ ŹĠă ŨŬŎƱĺă ûŬŎŨ̪ûŎƕŅ łăŅƀ ŹŎ ŰăằŹĠă ŹŬØõķăŬŰ ŎŅ
ŹŎ̀Űăă ĤŹŰ õŎŅŹăŅŹ̖ ÃĠăŅ ƛŎƀŬ nØõ ĤŰ̀ĤŅ ŨĤõ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰă ăûĤŹ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŎŅ ŹĠă ŨĠŎŹŎŰ ŹĠØŹ ŨØęă̖
Dark Mode, Ctrl-click in the body and icon to choose a photo, the emoji
choose “Show note with Light ŹŎ õĠŎŎŰă ØŅ ăłŎĴĤ̐ ŎŬ ŹĠă ŨăŅõĤĺ ŹŎ ƀŰă Use Quick Look
ØõķęŬŎƀŅû̖̲ ƛŎƀŬ ĤŅĤŹĤØĺŰ̖ {Ŭ̐ ŰõŬŎĺĺ ûŎƕŅ ŹŎ õĠŎŎŰă in Spotlight
Ø năłŎĴĤ ŎŬ ŎŅă Ŏė ŹĠă ŰŹŎõķ ĤõŎŅŰ̖
ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŅŎƕ ŨŬăƔĤăƕ
Pin conversations documents in Spotlight using Quick
in Messages eŎŎķ̖ !ĺĤõķ ŹĠằŨŎŹĺĤęĠŹ ĤõŎŅ ĤŅ ŹĠă
łăŅƀ òØŬ ŎŬ̀ƀŰă ĤŹŰ ķăƛòŎØŬû ŰĠŎŬŹõƀŹ ŹŎ
Ctrl-click on any message ĤŅƔŎķă ĤŹ̖ §ƛŨă ƛŎƀŬ ŰăØŬõĠ ūƀăŬƛ ŹĠăŅ
ŹĠŬăØû ĤŅ năŰŰØęăŰ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰ㠕ĤŅ̖ õĺĤõķ ŎŅ ØŅƛ ûŎõƀłăŅŹ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ Ø̀•'D ŎŬ
§Ġă ŹĠŬăØû ƕĤĺĺ ŅŎƕ òă ŨĤŅŅăû ŹŎ ŹĠă text document to see a preview in the
top of the list and displayed as the ŬĤęĠŹ̪ĠØŅû ƕĤŅûŎƕ̖ ®Űă ŹĠă ŰõŬŎĺĺ òØŬ ŎŬ
ŨŬŎƱĺă ŨĤõŹƀŬă Ŏė ŹĠă ŎŹĠăŬ ŨăŬŰŎŅ ĤŅ ŹƕŎ̪ƱŅęăŬăû ęăŰŹƀŬăŰ ŹŎ̀ŰõŬŎĺĺ ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ
ŹĠă õŎŅƔăŬŰØŹĤŎŅ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ ŨĤŅ ŹĠă ûŎõƀłăŅŹ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ăŅĺØŬęă ŹĠă
conversations by swiping right over ƕĤŅûŎƕ òƛ õĺĤõķĤŅę ØŅû ûŬØęęĤŅę ĤŹ̀ėŬŎł
ŹĠăł ØŅû õĠŎŎŰĤŅę ŹĠă ŨĤŅ ĤõŎŅ̐ ŎŬ òƛ ŹĠă ŹŎŨ ŎŬ òŎŹŹŎł̖
ûŬØęęĤŅę Ø õŎŅƔăŬŰØŹĤŎŅ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŹŎŨ Ŏė
ŹĠă ĺĤŰŹ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŨĤŅ ƀŨ ŹŎ ŅĤŅă Use an APFS-formatted
õŎŅƔăŬŰØŹĤŎŅŰ̖ disk with Time Machine

Messages allows you to use a Memoji as your Check privacy labels Big Sur now allows you use
profile pic, or you can choose a photo. for apps and websites ØŅ •D ûĤŰķ̀ƕĤŹĠ §Ĥłă nØõĠĤŅă̖
ÉŎƀ ƕĤĺĺ ƱŬŰŹ Ņăăû ŹŎ ŬăėŎŬłØŹ ŹĠă ûĤŰķ
Privacy has been at the heart ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ƀŰă ĤŅ 'ĤŰķ ®ŹĤĺĤŹƛ ØŅû
Ŏė ŬăõăŅŹ ƀŨûØŹăŰ ŹŎ òŎŹĠ łØõ{ ØŅû õĠŎŎŰ㠕D̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŹĠăŅ ŰăĺăõŹ ĤŹ̀ĤŅ
Ĥ{̖ §Ġă ŹƕŎ ØŬăØŰ ƕĠăŬă ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰ łŎŰŹ the Time Machine pane in System
obvious in Big Sur are the privacy •ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ̖
labels in the App Store and privacy

67

FEATURE

Cracking cameras

CRACKING
CAMERAS

68

Whether you’re after a pocket-friendly
snapper or something with a greater degree

of control, we’ve tried them all. Spread
across a range of budgets, use our guide to
help you achieve your photographic goals.

Amy Davies

69

FEATURE

Cracking cameras

MIRRORLESS CAMS

By far and away the dominant area of the market and skill level, but there are many more out
right now – at least in terms of new releases – there for you to consider.
mirrorless cameras bring you all the latest camera
technology, generally in smaller and lighter Most mirrorless cameras these days offer an
packages than traditional DSLRs. electronic viewfinder, while other specifications to
pay attention to include super-fast frame rates, 4K
Having been around for just over a decade, and video, articulating or tilting screens and the size of
with a range of different manufacturers in the game, the sensor.
this is where you’ll find the greatest choice. You might also want to consider the lens and
accessory range of the system you’re choosing.
Whether you want something to get you started, Some have been around for more than 10 years,
or something with advanced and complicated so there’s plenty to choose from, while others
controls to really get your teeth stuck into, there will are still in their relative infancy and are therefore
be a mirrorless model on the market for you. less flexible.

We’ve selected four here at a range of price points

FUJIFILM X-T4

Practically perfect in every way, the Fujifilm X-T4 is a
stunning all-rounder for anybody that wants to shoot a
variety of subjects. Fast shooting, a great autofocusing
system, a fantastic EVF and screen combo all come together
in a stylishly designed package. At a mid-range price, it

shouldn’t sting too much when you’re
handing over the cash either.

$2,085 (with 16-80mm lens), fujifilm-x.com

70

NIKON Z 50 CANON EOS R6

If you’re just getting serious about your It took Canon a while to bring its A game to mirrorless,
photography, then Nikon’s Z 50 is a lovely place to but with the EOS R6, it’s clear the wait truly was worth it.
start. With great handling in a small and portable Beautiful image quality and decent handling are matched
body, it delivers well in a range of situations with with a superb and almost faultless AF system. There’s very
little not to like here, except perhaps the high price – but that
its APS-C sensor and decent AF system. Native
lenses aren’t too numerous, but that will improve. will come down eventually.

Meanwhile, the price is great for the tech. $3,599 (with 24-105mm lens), canon.com.au

$1,545 (with 16-50mm lens), nikon.com.au

PANASONIC LUMIX S5

If you’re equally into your moving
images as your stills, then the

Panasonic S5 is a fantastic full-frame
hybrid option. It has great handling

and an impressive set of video
specifications, including uncropped
4K/30p shooting. Wildlife and sports
shooters might not get on too well with
the AF system, but otherwise it’s a nifty

little number at a great price.

$2,999 (with 20-60mm lens),
panasonic.com

71

FEATURE

Cracking cameras

DSLRs

With very few recent releases, it would be easy to nous to the table. However, with less competition, it’s
assume that the DSLR’s days are numbered. There are also fair to say that there’s less innovation and
still some ways in which these traditional systems exciting new technology to play with – whether that
outdo their younger rivals, though. bothers you largely depends on the type of
photographer you are.
In terms of system flexibility and all-round
ergonomics, DSLRs tend to fare better. Having been If you mainly shoot stills, say, or prefer an optical
around a lot longer, the range of lenses and viewfinder to an electronic version, then the DSLR is
accessories is huge – so it’s unlikely you won’t be able still king. Battery life remains a little problematic for
to find something, no matter how niche your need. mirrorless options too, while most DSLRs will keep
on shooting long after sunset.
That said, these days there are really just two main
contenders for your cash in the DSLR market – Canon Our selections below aren’t all brand new, but
and Nikon. Both are huge names in the camera they’re still great choices at a range of prices and
industry, bringing a century or more of photographic ability levels.

NIKON D780

A camera that fuses together some of the latest
mirrorless tech into a traditional design? Yes please.

This flexible full-frame model has everything we
know and love about DSLRs, including a great
AF system, lovely optical viewfinder and solid
ergonomics. It’s a little pricey, but if you’re an
enthusiast looking for a versatile tool, it’s still

a great buy.
$3,999 (with 24-120mm lens), nikon.com.au

72

CANON EOS 250D CANON 90D

Another good option for those looking for their This powerful all-rounder is one of the newest
first serious camera, we like the dinky design of DSLRs on the market, and shows why there’s
the 250D. Despite its small size, it still manages still life in the old dog yet. With a high-resolution
sensor, uncropped 4K video recording and a
to fit a flip-out LCD onto the back. A decent hugely impressive 1,300-shot battery life, this is a
autofocusing system, an easy-to-understand fantastic all-rounder that can be a real workhorse

interface, a superb battery life and a huge camera to meet a variety of needs.
ecosystem make this a great entry-level choice.
$1,899 (with 18-55mm lens), canon.com.au
$779 (with 18-55mm lens), canon.com.au

NIKON D3500

If you’re after your first
proper camera but otherwise

don’t have a huge budget,
you can’t go far wrong

with this straightforward –
and slightly older – model

from Nikon. Specifically
designed to be simple for

those new to the game,
it’s the perfect camera to
learn what everything does
and how it works. There’s a
great guide mode to get you

started, too.
$739 (with 18-55mm lens),

nikon.com.au

73

FEATURE

Cracking cameras

COMPACTS

Compact cameras are not as ubiquitous as they once A lot of compact cameras feature zoom lenses,
were, thanks to your smartphone being capable of and while you can get some which offer incredible
doing a lot of heavy lifting these days. zoom ratios, the compromise there is a smaller
sensor – and therefore lower image quality. In our
However, there are still lots of occasions where a list, we’ve chosen two models that have fixed lenses,
‘true’ camera is more appropriate than your mobile. but offer superb image quality in return.
Whether it’s because you’re getting into vlogging,
like street photography, or fancy something a little The cameras below are varied in price, but they’re
bit niche, then there’s still a compact camera on the also more disparate in the type of user they suit than
market out there for you. There’s also some really either the DSLR or mirrorless recommendations.
good ‘all-rounder’ type options that work well as That’s because, these days, compact cameras can
travel cameras and give you just that little bit of offer something fun and unique – we’ve even
extra flexibility compared to your phone. thrown in a Leica to drool over.

CANON G5X MARK II

You may well have a well-functioning camera on your
smartphone, but the G5X Mark II will still up your photography
game in a meaningful way. There’s a well-performing one-inch
sensor, 4K video recording and a relatively flexible zoom lens,
which works quite well in low light. It also handles nicely and

has a viewfinder for traditional composing, too.
$1,049, canon.com.au

74

LEICA Q2 MONOCHROM

A camera that only shoots in black and white
and costs the best part of $10k – well, it’s not
going to be top of everyone’s list, but it is bloody
gorgeous. The photos it takes are nothing short
of stunning, too, with its full-frame sensor and
superb 28mm f/1.7 lens. Start counting those

pennies: this is a Leica after all.

$9,279, leica-store.com.au

SONY ZV1 FUJIFILM X100V

Are you a budding vlogger Oozing retro appeal, the X100V is a
or video maker? If it’s mainly beautiful camera with power behind it
video that’s your thing, this too. It has a large APS-C sensor and
a fixed 23mm f/2 pin-sharp lens. The
pocket-friendly 4K shooter
is designed for you. With hybrid viewfinder brings the best of
both optical and electronic worlds and
a one-inch sensor and there’s even 4K video available. It’s got
fantastic autofocusing, you a hefty price tag, but it’s oh so worth it.
can create content to your
$1,699, fujifilm-x.com
heart’s content with the
ZV1. If you need to grab the 75
odd still or two, it’s not too

shabby for that either.

$1,049, sony.com.au

FEATURE

How to get fitter, happier, stronger

HOW TO
GET FITTER,
HAPPIER,
STRONGER

Could home tech make the
gym a thing of the past —
even when we’re allowed to
work up a sweat in the
presence of others again?
Alex Cox

Getting smart about getting fit is all with something of a bang at Apple’s the (partially) free trainer–led
about doing the right things at the right previous big event, joining the likes of workout program of Nike’s Training
time. Even if you’re free of specific Apple TV+ in the firm’s push to add a Club, the personalised workout plans
movement restrictions and curfews, bunch of content to its growing of Fitbit’s premium tier, or the many
the way we go about our daily business ecosystem. It’s versatile, with video great yoga apps out there (see “Yoga
likely isn’t changing for a while. So now workouts that let you see your current apps” over the page).
would appear to be the perfect time to data on screen (piped there directly from
put that expensive gym membership on your Apple Watch) as well as customising Pick your poison
hold and dial up your activity in and the music that gets you moving.
around your home. There are a host of Which service suits you is going to be
devices and apps that'll get you moving, Peloton’s instructor–led class formula a very personal thing, and that
with more released in the past year (US$12.99 per month, and coming to assessment probably won’t be an
than ever before, but let’s start with Australia soon) is another that’s gained easy decision based on which one
those that try to bring that authentic traction, with a host of exercise options looks nicest. It’s going to be
gym experience into your home. on offer beyond the spin classes you something you decide after drilling
might expect. And Ultrahuman ($17.99 down a little deeper into the options.
Subscriptions are a big thing now, and per month) has launched with a You’ll probably prefer different
they’re only getting bigger. Apple, of top–to–bottom fitness subscription instructors, different workouts,
course, has its own: Apple Fitness+ covering overall fitness as well as sleep different ways of going about it.
($14.99 per month) fired out of the gate and mindfulness. That’s not to mention
A live class might prove more

76

Static bikes

§ăõĠŅŎFƛł
Recline Forma

US$4,310, technogym.com
A sturdy gym-quality reclining
bike suitable for your home, fully
adjustable to suit your height. You
get on-bike heart rate monitoring
and an “entertainment support”
for your iPad.

ÃØŹŹòĤķă ŹŎł

$3,499, wattbike.com/au
The Wattbike Atom uses
electromagnetic resistance to
give you a seamless riding
experience when you pair it
with apps like Zwift or
Wattbike’s own Hub. Fancy a
hill climb? You’re on!

motivational than a recorded session, ĺĤŹŹĺă̖ •ăĺŎŹŎŅ̐ õŎŅƔăŬŰăĺƛ̐ ûŎăŰ ŅŎŹ õĠƕĤ
ŎŬ̀ĤŹ łĤęĠŹ òă ŹŎŎ łƀõĠ ŨŬăŰŰƀŬă̛ ØŅ ûăłØŅû ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ŨĤõķ ƀŨ ăĤŹĠăŬ ĤŹŰ ĤŬûƛŅă '˟
ăŅŹĠƀŰĤØŰŹĤõ ŹŬØĤŅăŬ łĤęĠŹ òă ĴƀŰŹ ŹĠă §ŬăØû ŎŬ Ĥķă ̦òŎŹĠ õŎŰŹĤŅę ŹĠă
ŹĠĤŅę ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ŹŎ ę㏠łŎƔĤŅę̐ ŎŬ ØŅ ŹĠŎƀŰØŅûŰ̧ ŹŎ ŨØŬŹØķă ĤŅ •ăĺŎŹŎŅ Around $1,999,
ĤŬŬĤŹØŅŹ ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź Ņăăû ĤŅ ƛŎƀŬ ĺĤėă̖ ÃĠăŬă õĺØŰŰăŰ̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ûŎăŰ ûĤƔĤûă ĤŹŰ schwinnfitness.com
ŨŎŰŰĤòĺă̐ ƕă̵û ŰƀęęăŰŹ ƛŎƀ ŰØłŨĺă ėŬăă ŰƀòŰõŬĤŨŹĤŎŅ ŨĺØŅ ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠŎŰă ƕĠŎ ĠØƔă Space-saving design, upper- and
ŹŬĤØĺŰ Ŏė ŹĠăŰă ŰăŬƔĤõăŰ Ĥė ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ØƔØĤĺØòĺă̐ ØŅû ĠØƔă ŅŎŹ̖ §Ġă ŨŬĤõĤăŬ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ ėŎŬ
ØŅû̀ûŎŅ̵Ź ę㏠Űƀõķăû ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠă ŨăŬõăĤƔăû ăūƀĤŨłăŅŹ ŎƕŅăŬŰ̐ ęăŹŰ ƛŎƀ ėØłĤĺƛ lower-body workouts, and infinite
ƔØĺƀă Ŏė Ø ƛăØŬĺƛ ŰƀòŰõŬĤŨŹĤŎŅ ̩ ØŹ ĺăØŰŹ õŎƔăŬØęă ØŅû ŹØŨŰ ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠă ĺĤƔă
ƀŅŹĤĺ ƛŎƀ̵Ɣă ŹŬĤăû ĤŹ ŎƀŹ ėŎŬ Ø łŎŅŹĠ̖ ŎŅ̪ŰõŬăăŅ ŹŬØõķĤŅę̐ ĠăĺŨĤŅę ƛŎƀ ėăăĺ resistance make Schwinn’s clever
łŎŬă ĤŅƔŎĺƔăû ĤŅ ŹĠă õĺØŰŰăŰ̐ ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠă
{ė õŎƀŬŰă̐ ŹĠØŹ ŰŎŬŹ Ŏė ĺŎŎŰă ėŬăă ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ ŎƫăŬŰ Ø łŎŬă õƀŹ̪ûŎƕŅ bike a true workout master. Be
õŎłłĤŹłăŅŹ ĤŰ ŅŎŹ ØĺƕØƛŰ ØŅ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ̖ ŰƀòŰ㏠Ŏė •ăĺŎŹŎŅ̵Ű ėăØŹƀŬăŰ òƀŹ ŰŹĤĺĺ
Ŏłă ŰƀòŰõŬĤŨŹĤŎŅŰ ØŬă ŹĤăû ŹŎ ŎƫăŬŰ ØõõăŰŰ ŹŎ õĺØŰŰăŰ̖ warned: it’s intense.
ĠØŬûƕØŬă̖ ŨŨĺă̵Ű ŎŨŹĤŎŅ ûăłØŅûŰ ØŅ
ŨŨĺă ÃØŹõĠ̐ ėŎŬ ĤŅŰŹØŅõă̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ûŎăŰ DĤĤŹ ĤŰ Ø ęŬăØŹ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵Ɣă ęŎŹ
łØķă ŰăŅŰă ĤŅ ŹăŬłŰ Ŏė ŹĠă ûØŹØ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŅŎ̀ăūƀĤŨłăŅŹ̖ §ĠăŬă̵Ű Ø ˘˛̩ûØƛ ėŬăă
ĺĤķăĺƛ ŹŎ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ęØŹĠăŬ ØòŎƀŹ ƛŎƀŬ ŹŬĤØĺ Ŏė ĤŹŰ łĤƚ Ŏė NRR§̐ ŰŹŬăŅęŹĠ
ŨŬŎęŬăŰŰ̐ òƀŹ ŅŎŹ ŰŎ łƀõĠ Ĥė Øĺĺ ƛŎƀ ŹŬØĤŅĤŅę̐ ƛŎęØ̐ ŨĤĺØŹăŰ̐ ØŅû łŎòĤĺĤŹƛ
ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ûŎ ĤŰ ŬØĤŰă ƛŎƀŬ ĠăØŬŹ ŬØŹă Ø ĺăŰŰŎŅƯ̋ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ˝˗ ŰõĠăûƀĺăû ęŬŎƀŨ

77

FEATURE

NŎƕ ŹŎ ę㏠ƱŹŹăŬ̐ ĠØŨŨĤăŬ̐ ŰŹŬŎŅęăŬ

Yoga
apps

DDP Yoga Now Asana Rebel Glo

$62.99 per quarter, ddpyoga.com $79.99 per year, asanarebel.com $32.99 per month, glo.com
If you need motivation to stretch, who An oh–so–hip app with yoga at its core Yoga, mindfulness and pilates in one
better than a 6ft 5in pro wrestler still but plenty of cardio, HIIT, and nutrition app, which personalizes its offerings
able to go in the ring well into his 60s? ladled on top. There’s also sleep, based on a simple three-question quiz.
DDP’s no-nonsense routines and slightly mindfulness and musical selections Glo is perfect for beginners and experts
macho moves will work wonders for designed to help you get more from alike, and it’s easy to organise classes
anyone. your healthy new mindset. into collections.

ƕŎŬķŎƀŹŰ Ø ûØƛ Ĥė ƛŎƀ ŨŬăėăŬ Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ƱŅØŅõĤØĺĺƛ ØŅû ĤŅ ŹăŬłŰ Ŏė ŹĠă ŰŨØõă ĤŅ ƕŎŎûăŅ ėŬØłă ŹĠØŹ ęĤƔăŰ ƛŎƀ ŹĠă
competition, and you can add equipment your home. For many of us, opportunity to create your own
if you like. It’s compatible with the accommodating a large piece of gym ŬƀŅŅĤŅę ƕŎŬķŎƀŹŰ ØŰ̀ƕăĺĺ ØŰ
company’s own heart rate trackers equipment just isn’t feasible, but if you’re ėŎĺĺŎƕĤŅę ŹĠŎŰă ûăĺĤƔăŬăû ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ
ØŅû ĤŰ ØĺŰŎ ĠØŨŨƛ ŹŎ ƕŎŬķ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠĤŬû̩ òĺăŰŰăû ƕĤŹĠ ŰŨØõă ŹĠăŬă̵Ű Ø ĠŎŰŹ Ŏė ĤŹŰ ŹŎƀõĠ ŰõŬăăŅ̖ ƔăŬƛ ØŹŹŬØõŹĤƔă
party trackers. ØƕăŰŎłă ŰłØŬŹ ƱŹŅăŰŰ ûăƔĤõăŰ ŎƀŹ ŹĠăŬă̖ ŹĠĤŅę̐ ØŰ ĺŎŅę ØŰ ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă Ø ŰŨØŬă ˘˛
ŰūƀØŬă ėă㏠Ŏė ƲŎŎŬ ŰŨØõă ØŅû
Spatial awareness §Øķă ŹĠă q{N™' ŨŬĤŅŹòŎķ̐ Ø łØŅƀØĺ somewhere in the region of $9,000
treadmill (meaning it’s powered entirely to spend.
Big kit means a big commitment, both òƛ ƛŎƀŬ ĺăęŰ̧ ƕĤŹĠ Ø òăØƀŹĤėƀĺ õƀŬƔăû
Ŏ ĺăŹ̵Ű õŎŅŰĤûăŬ ŰŎłă ûăƔĤõăŰ
Are you eating right? on your watch. It’s been adopted by with a smaller footprint. The
some serious athletes already, and it gym-quality TechnoGym MyRun
Getting the right fuel for a workout is might just work for you. ̦͊˜̐˛˟˗̧ ĤŰ ŰĺĤęĠŹĺƛ ŰłØĺĺăŬ̐ õØŅ
vital, and the way your body òằĤŅõĺĤŅăû ƀŨ ŹŎ ˘˙ ûăęŬăăŰ̐ ØŅû
processes food is as important as Monitoring your gut’s as easy as includes a stand for an iPad which
what you eat. If you’re getting smart breathing. lets you connect to the dedicated
and serious about your training, a TechnoGym app or something
metabolism tracker may be the ĺĤķằÒƕĤėŹ ŹŎ õŬăØŹă ƛŎƀŬŰăĺė
ultimate solution – a device like the Ø̀õƀŰŹŎł̀ŬƀŅ̖ ÉŎƀ̀õØŅ ėŎĺû ĤŹ ûŎƕŅ
Lumen (around $500) will analyse too, but you’ll need to use the
the way your body is working and included tool to do so. If you really
provide appropriate advice. want compactness and don’t plan
ŹŎ̀ęŎ ŹŎŎ ėØŰŹ̐ ŹĠă ÃØĺķĺĤł ˝˚˗
Essentially, the Lumen combines a ÃØĺķĤŅę•Øû ̦ØŬŎƀŅû ͊˘̐˚˗˗̧
CO2 meter and flow rate sensor literally folds in half along the
attached to a mouthpiece into which middle of its belt, and it’s small
you inhale and exhale. It calculates enough to easily slide under a bed
the carbon dioxide concentration of ėŎŬ̀ŰŹŎŬØęă ƕĠăŅ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ûŎŅă
your breath, which tells it what your ŰƕăØŹĤŅę̖ Ű ĺŎŅę ØŰ ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ĠØƔă
metabolism is doing – specifically downstairs neighbors, Tangram’s
whether you’re burning fat or carbs. Smart Rope, we suppose, has a
Tracked over time, you’ll build up a footprint as large as yours. As you
profile of when your body does what, ĴƀłŨ ĤŹ̀õØŅ ŹŬØõķ ƛŎƀŬ ĠŎŨŰ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ
and how effective your diet and ŨĠŎŅă̐ ŹŬØõķ ƛŎƀŬ̀ŹĤłă ŹŬØĤŅăû ØŅû̐
workout plans are. The Lumen Ĥė ƛŎƀ ŎŨŹ ėŎŬ ŹĠă ͊˘˗ˠ̖ˠ˜ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ ĤŹ
app will offer advice on how to ŹĤăŰ ŨăŬŰĤŰŹăŅõă̩Ŏė̩ƔĤŰĤŎŅ ̦•ŎÂ̧
change your workout patterns or on LEDs into the rope section. This
what you should be eating. ûĤŰŨĺØƛŰ ƛŎƀŬ ĴƀłŨ õŎƀŅŹ ĤŅ łĤû̩
air as you train, meaning you
We’d also argue that Lumen’s ûŎŅ̵Ź ĺŎŰă ėŎõƀŰ ĺŎŎķĤŅę ŎƔăŬ ØŹ
digestion-tracking tech isn’t too far your phone.
removed from the heart rate tracker

78

Virtual training The Oculus Quest 2 is lighter, cheaper, and has a higher resolution than its predecessor.

For an immersive training experien , tough workout. through holes which rush towards
virtual reality is the way to go. We’d If you really catch the VR bug, there you. But Supernatural’s ever-
recommend the self-contained changing (Beat Saber-esque)
wire-free experience of the Oculus are specific workout apps to scratch routines, which include a lot of
Quest 2 (from $479), which has a your itch. FitXR (formerly BoxXR) is squatting, are probably the best
bunch of games that’ll get you well–presented with a wide range of — the only real problem is its US$20
sweating while you’re having fun. activities, while OhShape will have you per month subscription fee.
Your day-one purchase should posing and stretching to fit your body
probably be Beat Saber, one of the
best rhythm games ever made, with
a wildly varying level of challenge to
it. We’d also recommend boxing sim
Thrill Of The Fight (provided you
have the room to move around).
Going three rounds with its AI
opponents will have you dodging and
swinging through a surprisingly

Mastering metrics ƛŎƀŬŰăĺė ŹŎ ĠĤŹ ęŎØĺŰ ŹĠØŹ ûŎŅ̵Ź ŬăūƀĤŬă down on the spot repeatedly, or do
ŰŨĤŅ òĤķăŰ ŎŬ õŬŎŰŰ ŹŬØĤŅăŬŰ̐ ØŅû ĤŅŰŹăØû ăƚăŬõĤŰăŰ ĺĤķă ŬăŰĤŰŹØŅõă ŹŬØĤŅĤŅę ƕĠĤõĠ
A note, now, about availability. Lots of ƕŎŬķĤŅę ŎŅ ĤłŨŬŎƔĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ ŎƕŅ łŎƔăłăŅŹ̪òØŰăû ŹŬØõķăŬŰ ƕŎƀĺûŅ̵Ź
ŨăŎŨĺă ĠØƔă ƀŰăû ŹĠăĤŬ̀ăŅėŎŬõăû ĠŎłă łăŹŬĤõŰ̖ Ŏ łăØŰƀŬĤŅę ŹĠŎŰă łăŹŬĤõŰ ĤŅ ŅŎŬłØĺĺƛ òằØòĺă ŹŎ ę㏠Ø̀ĠØŅûĺă ŎŅ̐ ØŅû
ŰŹØƛŰ ØŰ ØŅ ŎŨŨŎŬŹƀŅĤŹƛ ŹŎ ŨƀŬõĠØŰă ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ ƕØƛ ĤŰ õŬƀõĤØĺ̖ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ Űăă ĤłŨŬŎƔăłăŅŹŰ ØŅû ęØĤŅŰ ØŰ ƛŎƀ
ęƛł ăūƀĤŨłăŅŹ̖ §ĠØŹ̵Ű go.
ƀŅûăŬŰŹØŅûØòĺă̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ûŎăŰ łăØŅ ŰŹŎõķ §ĠăŬă̵Ű ŅŎ ò㏏ăŬ łŎŅĤŹŎŬ Ŏė ŎƔăŬØĺĺ
ĺăƔăĺŰ ĠØƔă ûĤłĤŅĤŰĠăû ęŬăØŹĺƛ ̩ ŹĠăŬă ŨăŬŰŎŅØĺ ĠăØĺŹĠ ŹĠØŅ ŹĠă ŨŨĺă ÃØŹõĠ RŹ̵Ű ØŬęƀØòĺă̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ ŹĠØŹ ØĺŹĠŎƀęĠ
ØŬă ĺŎØûŰ Ŏė ŰłØŬŹ ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ƕă ĺŎŎķăû ăŬĤăŰ ˝ ̦ėŬŎł ͊˜ˠˠ̧̐ ƕĤŹĠ ĤŹŰ òĺŎŎû ŹĠă ŨŨĺă ÃØŹõĠ ĤŰ Ø ŰƀŨăŬò ŨăŬŰŎŅØĺ
ŹŎ ŬăõŎłłăŅû ĠăŬă òƀŹ ėŎƀŅû ăŅŹĤŬăĺƛ ŎƚƛęăŅ ØŅû 1!F łăØŰƀŬăłăŅŹŰ̖ Ű ĺŎŅę ƱŹŅăŰŰ ûăƔĤõă̐̀ĤŹ̵Ű ŰŹĤĺĺ ŅŎŹ ăŅŎƀęĠ ėŎŬ
unavailable. Fitness gear also tends to ØŰ̀ƛŎƀ òăØŬ ĤŅ łĤŅû ŹĠØŹ ŹĠă ŹĠă ĠØŬûõŎŬăŰ̖ !ŎłłĤŹŹăû ŬƀŅŅăŬŰ ŹăŅû
òă ƔăŬƛ òƀĺķƛ̐ łăØŅĤŅę ØƔØĤĺØòĤĺĤŹƛ ĤŰ łăØŰƀŬăłăŅŹŰ ŰĠŎƀĺû̀ęăŅăŬØĺĺƛ òă ƀŰăû ŹŎ ĺăØŅ ŹŎƕØŬûŰ FØŬłĤŅ̖ RŹŰ DŎŬăŬƀŅŅăŬ
ŎėŹăŅ ĺĤłĤŹăû ĴƀŰŹ ŹŎ ĤŹŰ ŎƕŅ õŎƀŅŹŬƛ̖ ØŰ òØŰăĺĤŅă õŎłŨØŬĤŰŎŅŰ ŬØŹĠăŬ ŹĠØŅ ˙˛˜ nƀŰĤõ ĤŰ Ø ęŬăØŹ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ ØŹ ͊˜˞ˠ̐ ƕĤŹĠ
ŨŨŰ ûŎŅ̵Ź ̦ęăŅăŬØĺĺƛ̧ ĠØƔă ØŅƛ ĺĤłĤŹŰ̐ ƀĺŹŬØ̪ØõõƀŬØŹă ûĤØęŅŎŰăŰ̐ ŹĠă ŨŨĺă Ø ƔØŰŹ ŬØŅęă Ŏė łŎŅĤŹŎŬĤŅę ØŅû ŹĠă
ŰŎ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ŅŎŹ ęŎĤŅę ØŅƛƕĠăŬă̖ §Ġă ÃØŹõĠ ĤŰ Ø ŨăŬėăõŹ õŎłŨØŅĤŎŅ ėŎŬ ƱŹŅăŰŰ ØòĤĺĤŹƛ ŹŎ ŰŹŎŬă łƀŰĤõ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ ŹĠă ͊ˠˠˠ̖
ķăƛ̐ ƕă ėăăĺ̐ ĤŰ ęŎĤŅę ŹŎ òă łŎŹĤƔØŹĤŅę ŹŬØõķĤŅę̖ §Øķă ĤŹ ŎŅ Ø̀ĠĤķă̐ ĴƀłŨ ƀŨ ØŅû DŎŬăŬƀŅŅăŬ ˠ˛˜ ĤŰ Ø ėØŬ łŎŬă ØûƔØŅõăû
õĠŎĤõă̖ ƀŹ ŹĠăŬă̵Ű ŅŎ ŬăØŰŎŅ ƛŎƀ ăƔăŅ
The Fiit app will introduce you to some no–nonsense personal trainers. Ņăăû ŹŎ ŰŨăŅû ŹĠØŹ̖ Rė Ø ͊˙˜ ŅŎ̪ŅØłă
ƱŹŅăŰŰ ŹŬØõķăŬ ėŬŎł łØƤŎŅ ƕĤĺĺ ęăŹ
ƛŎƀ ØõõƀŬØŹă ăŅŎƀęĠ ŰŹØŹŰ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă
ĠØŨŨƛ̐ ŹĠØŹ õŎƀĺû òă ŹĠă ŎŅĺƛ ĤŅƔăŰŹłăŅŹ
ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ŹŎ łØķă̖

Rė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŬăØĺĺƛ ĤŅŹăŬăŰŹăû ĤŅ ŬƀŅŅĤŅę̐
ŹĠă òăŰŹ ØŅû łŎŰŹ ØõõƀŬØŹă ĠăØŬŹ ŬØŹă
łŎŅĤŹŎŬŰ ØŬă ŹĠŎŰă ƕĠĤõĠ ęŎ ØŬŎƀŅû
ƛŎƀŬ õĠăŰŹ̖ §Ġă ÃØĠŎŎ §ĤõķŬ È ̦͊˘˚ˠ̧ ĤŰ
ŎŅă Ŏė ŹĠă łŎŰŹ ĠĤęĠĺƛ ŬăęØŬûăû
ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ ĠăØŬŹ ŬØŹă łŎŅĤŹŎŬŰ ŎƀŹ ŹĠăŬă̐
ŰĺĤłłăŬ ØŅû ĺăŰŰ õŎŅŰŨĤõƀŎƀŰ ŹĠØŅ ĤŹŰ
ŨŬăûăõăŰŰŎŬ̖ RŹ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ŎŅĺƛ ķăăŨ ŹØòŰ ŎŅ
ƛŎƀŬ ŹĤõķăŬ̐ ĤŹ̵ĺĺ ĠăĺŨ ƛŎƀ ŹŬØõķ ŬƀŅŰ ŎŬ
òĤķă ŬĤûăŰ ØŅû õØŅ ăƔăŅ ûăŹăõŹ ƛŎƀŬ ŬăŨŰ
Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ûŎĤŅę ƕăĤęĠŹ ŹŬØĤŅĤŅę̖ FØŬłĤŅ̵Ű
N™n̩™ƀŅ ̦͊˘˙ˠ̧ ĤŰ ŨŬŎòØòĺƛ Ø ò㏏ăŬ
õĠŎĤõă Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŰŨăõĤƱõØĺĺƛ ĤŅŹŎ ŬƀŅŅĤŅę
ØòŎƔă Øĺĺ ŎŹĠăŬ ėŎŬłŰ Ŏė ăƚăŬõĤŰă̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ
ĠØŰ ĠĤŹ ŹĠă ŨØŅûăłĤõ õƀŬŰă ØŅû ŰŹŎõķ ̦ØŹ
ŨŬăŰŰ ŹĤłă̧ ĠØŰ òăăŅ ØƫăõŹăû̖

79

FEATURE Apple certainly ended its 2020 with a bang. In
true Steve Jobs fashion, it released newer
The complete guide to Ultra-portable laptops MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch
models that are more powerful than ever at
The complete its ‘One More Thing’ event.
guide to
That in and of itself is nothing new, as the
Ultra-portable Cupertino-based company has recently been
laptops giving its ultra-portable laptops an update
every year. What does make this new round
The unveiling of Apple’s groundbreaking M1 chip is of updates notably different, however, is the
resculpting the laptop landscape. We’re on the verge of fresh-from-the-oven M1 chip that is now
another revolution in the world of portables. Let us bear powering both svelte laptops. And its timing
couldn’t have been more perfect.
witness. Michelle Rae Uy
That isn’t to say that Intel and its host of
80 ultrabooks have been letting things slide.
Intel’s new Evo platform, the evolution of
Project Athena, has also ushered in a new
class of impressive laptops that are highly
portable and blow-you-away powerful
thanks to those new 11th generation Tiger
Lake chips.

This new line-up, which includes the HP
Spectre x360 13-inch, Dell XPS 13-inch,
Lenovo Yoga 9i and Acer Swift 5 14-inch, also
delivers features that Apple’s MacBooks only
dream about – like a 2-in-1 form factor,
touchscreen functionality, IR login, or the
ability to upgrade to a 4K display. Such things
are a boon for work-from-home pros. That
2-in-1 form factor eliminates the need for a
separate tablet, saving you money, while a
touchscreen or a 4K display should deliver a
more seamless creative workflow.

Still, the revered M1 chip has already
proven to be a game-changer, giving the
MacBook Air a whole lot of power to rival
such popular contenders as the Dell XPS 13
and the HP Spectre 13.

Thanks to this chip, what was once a
strictly-for-casual-users line is now rocking
enough juice to tackle more demanding
tasks. And, in that way, the MacBook Air M1
is helping lower the price of entry into
prosumer-level ultrabooks.

Now, remote working professionals, office
workers and creators have an irresistible
option that keeps things portable as well as
fiscal-friendly. In a time when the world’s
economy is partially paralysed and more
people are turning to the comforts of home
to put down their professional roots, it’s a
crucial one as well. It’s also offering users
more compelling reasons to abandon the less
seamless Windows ecosystem and switch to
Mac. At last, Apple is no longer the priciest
proposition. The MacBook Air M1 is proving
to be a better value for your money, touting a
more powerful performance, better display,
longer battery life and superior graphical
performance than the similarly priced Dell
XPS 13.

The top three…

Easily carried extras

Ultra-portable laptops
might be powerful and
versatile, but a little help from

these wouldn’t hurt

01

SUPER POWERED They might not be able to see you EGGTRONIC LAPTOP POWER
through the most intensive games at BANK CANVAS
With the MacBook Air M1 giving formerly 1440p or 4K – as they won’t have enough
MacBook-Pro-level ultra-portable space under the hood to house a more This external battery pack boasts a
laptops a good run for their money in robust discrete graphics card or prevent USB-C port that delivers up to 63W of
terms of power and battery life, things ŹĠăŬłØĺ ŹĠŬŎŹŹĺĤŅę̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ƕĤĺĺ ØƫăõŹ power, two USB ports to charge your
would have to change drastically for such ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̖ other devices, and enough juice in its
ÃĤŅûŎƕŰ ŎƫăŬĤŅęŰ ŹŎ ķăăŨ ƀŨ̖ ƀŹ ŹĠĤŅęŰ smart form to give a MacBook Air M1
ƕĤĺĺ õĠØŅęă̐ ØŰ ŹĠăƛ ØĺƕØƛŰ ûŎ̖ Ãă ØŬă̐ However, they should have enough
right now, standing at the edge of an power to see you through demanding more than a full charge.
ƀĺŹŬØ̪ŨŎŬŹØòĺă ĺØŨŹŎŨ ŬăƔŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ̖ ŹØŰķŰ ĺĤķă ŨĠŎŹŎ ăûĤŹĤŅę ØŅû ûăŰĤęŅ̖ US69, einova.com
Apple’s M1 chip has given the MacBook
When you think about all those laptops ĤŬ n˘ ăƚØõŹĺƛ ŹĠØŹ ķĤŅû Ŏė ƱŬăŨŎƕăŬ 02
that came out in the late 1990s and early while keeping it fanless, proving once and
2000s, you’d be amazed at how far for all that ultra-portable laptops can be CURVE BY TWELVE SOUTH
ƀĺŹŬØ̪ŨŎŬŹØòĺă ĺØŨŹŎŨŰ ĠØƔă õŎłă̖ ŹĠĤŅ̐ ĺĤęĠŹ ØŅû ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ̖ Put your laptop on a pedestal, quite
literally. Twelve South’s Curve laptop
The biggest selling point here, of §ĠăŰă ûăƔĤõăŰ ØŬă ŬăØŨĤŅę ŹĠă òăŅăƱŹŰ stand not only raises your portable on a
õŎƀŬŰă̐ ĤŰ ŹĠăĤŬ ėŎŬł ėØõŹŎŬ̖ ®ĺŹŬØ̪ŨŎŬŹØòĺă of having less power-hungry internals in height much more comfortable for
laptops have essentially given portability ŎŹĠăŬ ƕØƛŰ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ̖ ®ŹĤĺĤŰĤŅę łŎŬă viewing but it also affords you additional
Ø ƕĠŎĺă Ņăƕ łăØŅĤŅę̐ ŎƫăŬĤŅę Ø õĠØŰŰĤŰ ăŅăŬęƛ̪ăƬõĤăŅŹ õŎłŨŎŅăŅŹŰ̐ ŹĠăƛ ŹăŅû space underneath for a docking station
with an area only slightly larger than A4 ŹŎ ŎƫăŬ ĺŎŅęăŬ òØŹŹăŬƛ ĺĤƔăŰ̖ §Ġă 'ăĺĺ ȕ
ŨØŨăŬ ØŅû ƕăĤęĠĤŅę ĺăŰŰ ŹĠØŅ ˘̖˜ķę̖ §Ġă ˘˚̐ ėŎŬ ŎŅă̐ ŎƫăŬŰ ƀŨ ŹŎ ˘˛ ĠŎƀŬŰ ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠă or an external SSD.
nØõ ŎŎķ ĤŬ n˘̐ ėŎŬ ăƚØłŨĺă̐ ĤŰ ˘̖˙ˠķę N• ŨăõŹŬă ȕ ˘˚̪ĤŅõĠ ĠØŰ ƀŨ ŹŎ ˘˝ ØŅû Ø $79, twelvesouth.com
ØŅû ˘̖˜˝õł ØŹ ĤŹŰ ŹĠĤõķăŰŹ̖ năØŅƕĠĤĺă̐ ĤŹŰ ĠØĺė ĠŎƀŬŰ̖ qŎŹ ŹŎ òă ŎƀŹûŎŅă̐ ŹĠă
biggest Windows 10 competitor, the Dell nØõ ŎŎķ ĤŬ n˘ òŎØŰŹŰ Ø ƕĠŎŨŨĤŅę ˘˟ 03
ȕ ˘˚̐ ĤŰ ăƔăŅ ĺĤęĠŹăŬ ØŅû ŹĠĤŅŅăŬ ØŹ ˘̖˙ķę ĠŎƀŬŰ ŎŅ Ø ŰĤŅęĺă õĠØŬęă̖ §ĠØŹ̵Ű ŹĠă
ØŅû ˘̖˛˟õł̖ longest battery life ever on a MacBook Air, SANDISK 1TB EXTREME
and again is thanks to the M1 chip that PORTABLE SSD
SLIM FIT Apple has declared delivers industry-
ĺăØûĤŅę ŨŎƕăŬ ăƬõĤăŅõƛ̖ Pros need all the storage space they can
You’d be forgiven to think that nothing get, and this extra 1TB from SanDisk
could possibly be that thin without having ®ŅėŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ̐ Ĥė ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ Ø ŹĠĤŅŅăŬ should more than suffice for your
to make compromises on power and, in a and lighter laptop, you’ll have to pay a file-saving needs. It’s fast – with up to
ƕØƛ̐ ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ ŰŎłă ŹŬƀŹĠ ŹŎ ŹĠØŹ̖ ŰŹăăŨ ŨŬĤõă̖ Ŏłă ØŬă łŎŬă ØƫŎŬûØòĺă 550MB/s read speeds – pocket-sized,
Portability is a bit of a double-edged ŹĠØŅ ŎŹĠăŬŰ̖ ÃĤŹĠ õŎłŨØŬØòĺă ŰŨăõŰ̐ ŹĠă and has an IP55 rugged rating.
ŰƕŎŬû̖ nƀõĠ ĺĤķă ĠŎƕ ŹĠă łŎŰŹ ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon can be a $239, amazon.com.au
laptops out there are still playing catch up ŨŬĤõĤăŬ ŨŬŎŨŎŰĤŹĤŎŅ ŹĠØŅ ŹĠă 'ăĺĺ ȕ ˘˚̖
with the most powerful desktop PCs, so similarly specced Acer Swift can be more 81
are ultrabooks with their bigger (and ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ŰŹĤĺĺ ØŅû ŹĠØŹ̵Ű ƕĠĤĺă ŎƫăŬĤŅę Ø
ŹĠăŬăėŎŬă ŬŎŎłĤăŬ̧ õŎƀŅŹăŬŨØŬŹŰ̖ touch display, which ultimately adds to
ĤŹŰ ƔØĺƀă̖
There’s a reason why digital nomads
ĠØƔă ĺŎŅę ŬăĺĤăû ŎŅ ŹĠăŰă̖ §ĠØŅķŰ ŹŎ Ņû̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŨŨĺă̵Ű łŎŰŹ ØƫŎŬûØòĺă
Intel’s – as well as Apple’s and, to a MacBook not just joining the line-up of
ûăęŬăă̐ n'̵Ű ̩ ăƫŎŬŹŰ ĤŅ ûăƔăĺŎŨĤŅę pro-friendly ultra-portable laptops but
thinner yet better performing processors ØĺŰŎ ŎƫăŬĤŅę Ø łŎŬă ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ
and graphics cards, ultra-portable performance than that of a pricier Dell
laptops still deliver enough power to rival XPS, that price of entry has also
łŎŰŹ ˘˜̪ĤŅõĠ ØŅû ˘˞̪ĤŅõĠ ĺØŨŹŎŨŰ̖

FEATURE

The complete guide to Ultra-portable laptops

The best ultra-portable laptops

You can still have excellent performance while keeping things slim and svelte

Leave those thick laptops in the noughties where they belong. while keeping things powerful and feature-rich to see you through
Whereas massive, bulky laptops take up space and burden you an entire workday with a flourish. They cost more than the
with a heavy load when you’re commuting to work or sitting at average laptop, but they’re worth the investment in the long run.
your small desk at home, these ultrabook-style laptops have a These four lead the ultra-portable charge and are your best bets if
smaller footprint. They are the very definition of portability. That’s you want to jump on the lightweight bandwagon.

SURPRISE CONTENDER GREAT ALL-ROUNDER

APPLE MACBOOK AIR M1 DELL XPS 13 TOUCH (2020)
No one could have predicted that Apple’s lightest and Don’t judge an ultrabook by its woven Arctic white cover. The
cheapest would one day join the ranks of its Pro counterparts, Dell XPS 13 Touch is more than just a pretty portable. It looks
but here we are. The M1 chip has given the Apple MacBook Air and feels great, with a dazzlingly bright screen, deliciously slim
such a boost: it’s now a beast of a laptop. Not content with bezels, and the ability to log in either via facial recognition or
being incredibly portable and significantly faster than
many pro-level laptops, it also encourages you to leave that via fingerprint. But it’s also touting a lot of power with an
charger at home as it offers a whopping potential 18 hours of 11th-gen Intel Core processor and the Intel Iris Xe Graphics.
That touchscreen feature is enough to sway the undecided.
battery life.
From $1,499, apple.com From $1,899, dell.com/en-au

THE MONEY-SAVER THE BUSINESS-MINDED

HP SPECTRE X360 13 (2020) LENOVO THINKPAD X1 CARBON GEN 8
The HP Spectre 13 is a cracker. Smart and stylish, with a Lenovo’s business laptop has yet to upgrade from Intel’s
chiselled gem look, a nifty 2-in-1 form factor, and a stunner of a 10th-generation processors, but that doesn’t mean it’s in any
screen, this ultra-portable looks more at home in the offices of way dated. In fact, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is plenty
Vogue. But don’t let its high-fashion air fool you: it’s just as robust – in its performance, build and features. Its military-
capable and as rich in features as the Dell XPS 13 while grade ruggedness lets it survive extreme conditions and it has
doubling down on affordability. This one’s truly ace, whether or staunch security solutions. If you’re looking for an ultra-
portable laptop for your business, this is the way to go.
not you’re looking for something budget-friendly.
From $2,429, lenovo.com/au
From $1,499, hp.com

82

somewhat dropped. Still, if you’re looking nor has it ever flirted with the idea of a With the plethora of USB and USB-C
for something under $1,000, you won’t 2-in-1 form factor. So, if those are hubs that are available, you can just as
find it here. something you need, you should keep easily invest in one and not worry about
your options focused in the Windows your laptop having the ports you need.
If, on the other hand, you can stretch realm. However, that’s also an added cost you
your budget a bit, there’s certainly a lot to might not want to incur when you’re
love in these ultra-portable laptops. The Consider as well the keyboard and already spending a lot on your device.
level of performance they offer – on top trackpad. If you’re going to spend a lot of
of longevity, portability, design and hours on your ultra-portable laptop, Finally, take a look at the customisation
features – makes them a better having a comfortable keyboard that’s options available to you. Many of these
investment in the long run. satisfying to type on and a trackpad that devices are highly configurable so you can
is accurate, reliable and easy-to-use is pick and choose the specs you want before
Of course, as with any device, there’s incredibly important. Otherwise, they you hit buy. Some have more options than
never really going to be one champion. will simply get in your way, and you won’t others. The Dell XPS 13, for example,
Apple’s Arm-based system-on-a-chip be as productive. allows you to upgrade to a 4K display and
may have given the MacBook Air M1 a leg have the touchscreen functionality.
up when it comes to processing power Ports – or rather the variety of them
and graphical prowess. However, when – are almost as important. Some of these As you’re already spending a bit of
choosing the best ultra-portable laptop, laptops have fewer ports than others. The money on an ultra-portable laptop, it’s
you need to consider a few other metrics MacBook Air, for example, has two important to bear these factors in mind
beyond those. Thunderbolt ports while both the XPS 13 when weighing your options. Power isn’t
and the Spectre x360 13 also have a everything; personal preferences and
You must decide which operating microSD card reader. needs also come into play.
system works best for you, first of all.
While the MacBook Air M1 offers a more
seamless experience, the Mac
environment just isn’t as flexible as
Windows 10 for some pros. Also, if you
haven’t used a Mac computer before, it’s
important to see if the macOS user
interface is something you can get used
to, as it’s very different from that of
Windows.

Naturally, price matters. But so do
features, display, customisation options,
reliability of its keyboard and trackpad,
and variety of ports.

DON’T TOUCH

Apple has never offered any level of
touchscreen functionality in its laptops,

Mad about Apple’s M1 chip

The newly released SoC is raising the bar on so many levels, but is it enough?

Apple’s M1 chip is upending the ultra- Apple devices the power boost they need storage options, nor have discrete
portable laptop market. Thanks to its to rule over their rivals. graphics. What we know is that it’s already
impressive 8-core CPU, up to 8-core GPU, proven itself a powerful adversary, beating
and 16-core Neural Engine, this impressive Still, is the M1 chip powerful enough to the Dell XPS 13, among the best laptops
system on a chip (SoC) is showing supersede other Pro-level flagships? Not out there, in performance. If Apple does
everyone what they’ve been missing necessarily. The MacBook Pro 13-inch Intel get around to replacing those Intel chips in
all along. configurations have the advantage of the higher MacBook Pro 13-inch
having more RAM and storage to upgrade configurations with the M1, it would be
This chip has outperformed Intel’s Tiger to. Laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus very interesting to see it stretch its legs
Lake i7 chips in benchmarks as well as G14, on the other hand, have the upper with more RAM and storage.
outgunned its Iris Plus Graphics, while hand in terms of graphical power,
also giving both the MacBook Air and the boasting Nvidia GTX or RTX GPUs while There’s a hard battle awaiting
MacBook Pro staggering battery life. being not much thicker than M1 laptops. Intel-powered laptops. And, with Apple
That makes them more appealing to allegedly threatening to unleash its
Intel now has cause for concern. After professionals who also play AAA games. M1X chip on MacBook Pro 16-inch
all, the M1 is not just paving the way for adversaries sometime this year, it may
Apple to completely rely on its own This is hardly a fair comparison, however. well be a long one.
homegrown internals and ending its use We’ve only seen the M1 do its thing in
of Intel chips for good, but also giving laptops that neither offer such RAM and

83

HELP STATION
Expert solutions for everday problems.

THIS MONTH Frame stutter problem issue, or something else entirely? ŨŬŎƱĺăŰ̐ ØŅû ŹĠă ŨŬŎòĺăł ƔØŅĤŰĠăû̖
BJ Koho BJ puts the problem down to the
Q&A I’m experiencing an intermittent age of his old equipment, but
Your questions frame stutter issue in games as TechLife responds: {ƀŬ ƱŬŰŹ ƕØŅŹăû ŹŎ ŰĠØŬă ĠĤŰ Ʊƚ ĤŅ õØŰă ĤŹ
varied as World of Warships and response was to ask about BJ’s helped fellow readers.
answered Ghost Recon Breakpoint. It’s not tied display setup, as the internet was
WINDOWS to graphics quality settings, as I’ve full of people exhibiting similar SD card won’t format
Find Control tried everything from maxed out ŰƛłŨŹŎłŰ ØŅû ƱŅûĤŅę õŎłłŎŅ
Panel’s secrets to turning them down to mud, and ground when looking into the I have a question about my Dell XPS
still have the issue. I’ve tried connection to their monitors. BJ 13. It has a built-in microSD card
MAC killing all background apps/ tried several of the solutions – he reader but when I insert a card and
Run iOS apps on processes, I update regularly, ƔăŬĤƱăû Ġă ƕØŰ ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠă try to format it, I get an error saying
whether BIOS, drivers, or DisplayPort and bumped its that the disk is in use, asking if I
your Mac ƱŬłƕØŬă̖ R̵Ɣă ŹŬĤăû ŰŹŎõķ ƔŎĺŹØęăŰ̐ response time to the maximum. want to force-eject it. I’ve tried
IOS PBO enabled, Ryzen Master OC, He went into Device Manager, disabling background apps, looked
and so on but can’t resolve it. right-clicked “Communications into what’s running with Process
Master the Port,” and choose “Properties > 1ƚŨĺŎŬăŬ̐ ØŅû ŹŬĤăû ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŹŎŎĺŰ
App Library I built my PC in November 2019 Port Settings,” where he set “Flow to format the card, but no luck. One
– key specs are Gigabyte Aorus control” to “Hardware,” and – GUI Format – throws up the
ANDROID Ultra X570 MB, AMD Ryzen 3800X disabled FIFO under “Advanced.” same error, but with no option to
How to get the CPU, 32GB (4x 8GB) DDR 3600 He also uninstalled iCUE and force-eject. Another app,
RAM with XMP enabled, plenty of disabled the 0 core in Ghost Recon SmartDisk FAT32 Format Utility,
most from an cooling, 2TB Seagate Firecuda Breakpoint in Task Manager won’t recognize the card as an
Android Assistant PCIe 4.0 OS drive, 1TB Samsung external drive unless it’s plugged
970 Evo PCIe 3.0 auxiliary drive, This helped a fair bit in Ghost into an external reader/hub.
Home Hub 2x 3TB Seagate mechanical drives Recon Breakpoint, although some Yosef Safdeye
SECURITY & in RAID 1, Windows 10 Home, and I frame stutter remained, but had
reused my GeForce GTX 1080 Ti ŅŎ ăƫăõŹ ŎŅ WoWS. Undefeated, BJ TechLife responds: Despite Yosef
PRIVACY from my old rig. My temps are all kept plugging away and got back providing lots of information, we
A look at security far below the max thresholds in touch two weeks later to share still needed him to answer a few
during gaming. I have tried ĠĤŰ ƱŅØĺ ŰŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ̖ ÃĠĤĺă more questions, and Yosef was
in iOS 15 disabling XMP and dropping the troubleshooting an issue with his quick to reply. To summarise: The
HOME łăłŎŬƛ ŹŎ ˚̐˙˗˗nNƤ ĤŅ̀ŹĠă R{̐ Internet connection, BJ – with the problem applied to all SD cards, as
but still no dice. aid of his ISP – traced a problem to ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ® ƲØŰĠ ûŬĤƔăŰ̐ ØŅû ƕĠăŅ
NETWORKING his modem and router, both of using an external SD hub. The same
VPN-ing I’d love to upgrade to a Ryzen which exhibited intermittent error popped up when Yosef
5900X and an RTX 3080 to try to signal loss. He replaced these with attempted to format the card in
your router resolve this issue that way, but we a Netgear CM500 cable modem Windows, but clicking “Yes” led to
A/V all know the vaporware status of and Asus RT-AX82U router the card being formatted
those. Any ideas of what is causing respectively, set up device priority successfully – however, Windows
Is there such a this? Am I running too much gear for his PC and the requisite game can’t format 64GB-plus cards in
thing as ‘British over the PCI interface and hitting FAT32 format, which is why he
bottlenecks, is the DDR4 3600 the needs a third-party app. Finally,
Hi-Fi Sound’? the same error popped up when
FITNESS attempting to eject the card – but
this is common and trying again
Get a better resulted in the “Safe to remove”
night’s sleep with message popping up.

SleepScore One potential workaround arose
PHOTOGRAPHY from our conversations: If Yosef
MASTERCLASS rebooted into Safe mode, he was
able to format the card with no
Shoot a problems. Other suggested
woodland sunset workarounds are to format the card
ĤŅ q§D ŎŬ ăƚD § ƱŬŰŹ̐ òăėŎŬă
DIGITAL trying again with FAT32, or to use a
DARKROOM
Make majestic
scenes with the
Magic Wand

MiniTool
Partition
Wizard can

handle
troublesome

SD cards.

84

ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŹŎŎĺ̐ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ nĤŅĤ§ŎŎĺ ŨăŬėŎŬł ŹĠă ŎŨŹĤłĤŰØŹĤŎŅ̐ ŹĠăŅ Optimise MP4 TechLife responds: §Ġă õĠĤŨ
•ØŬŹĤŹĤŎŅ ÃĤƤØŬû ̦www. ûŎƕŅĺŎØû ŹĠă ŰõŬĤŨŹ̏ files for ŰĠŎŬŹØęă łăØŅŰ ŹĠă a˜˗˛˗̪R§È ĤŰ
partitionwizard.com̧̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ƕă streaming using ŅŎƕ ƔĤŬŹƀØĺĺƛ ĤłŨŎŰŰĤòĺă ŹŎ ęăŹ̖
ĠØƔă ƀŰăû ĤŅ ŹĠă ŨØŰŹ ŹŎ ŨØŬŹĤŹĤŎŅ $ sudo apt update && sudo apt MP4Box. RŹ̵Ű Ø ŰĠØłă òăõØƀŰă ĤŹ̵Ű ŹĠă
ØŅû ėŎŬłØŹ ûŬĤƔăŰ ŎŹĠăŬ ŹŎŎĺŰ install atomicparsley gpac ŨăŬėăõŹ òŎØŬû ėŎŬ Ø q ̖ §ĠØŹ ŰØĤû̐
ƕŎƀĺûŅ̵Ź ŹŎƀõĠ̖ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ûŎ ò㏏ăŬ ŹĠØŅ Ø a˛˗˗˜ ̪
͊ ƕę㏠ĠŹŹŨ̜̜̏łƀƤŰŎ̖Ġƀ̜ûƱĺăŰ̜ R§È ̩ ĤŹ ŎŅĺƛ ŎƫăŬŰ ŹƕŎ  §
ÉŎŰăė ƕØŰ ƕŎŬŬĤăû ŹĠă ŨŬŎòĺăł ŨƀòĺĤõ̜Ʊƚ̝łŨ˛̝łŎŎƔ̖ŰĠ ŨŎŬŹŰ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĺĤłĤŹŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ŹƕŎ
ƕØŰ ĺĤŅķăû ŹŎ łØĺƕØŬă ̩ ĤŹ̵Ű ŅŎŹ̐ ĤŅŹăŬŅØĺ ûŬĤƔăŰ ƀŅĺăŰŰ ƛŎƀ ƀŰă Ø
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Ŏė łĤŅû̐ ŬƀŅ ŰõØŅŰ ƕĤŹĠ ŹƕŎ õŎŅŹØĤŅĤŅę łăûĤØ ƱĺăŲ̋ėŎŬ ŰŬŎõķ a˛˘˙˜̪R§È ̦ ƕĠĤõĠ ̩ ĺĤķă
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cĤŹ ̦www.emsisoft.com/en/ ƀŰăŬŅØłă̜łăûĤØ̜nŎƔĤăŰ̵̜̖ ØƔ㠙ăėŬăŰĠ òŎØŬû̖ RŹ̵Ű Ø !ăĺăŬŎŅ ŬØŹĠăŬ
home/emergencykiţ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ŹĠă Ʊĺă ØŅû ăƚĤŹ̖ qŎƕ ĺØƀŅõĠ ŹĠă ŹĠØŅ Ø •ăŅŹĤƀł ŨŬŎõăŰŰŎŬ̐ òƀŹ ĤŰ
õŎłòĤŅăŰ 1łŰĤŰŎėŹ ØŅû ŰõŬĤŨŹ ĺĤķă ŰŎ̏ ūƀĤõķăŬ ŹĠØŅ ŹĠă a˛˗˗˜̐ ØŅû õŎłăŰ
ĤŹûăėăŅûăŬ ƔĤŬƀŰ ŰõØŅŅăŬŰ ĤŅ Ø ƕĤŹĠĤŅ ˘˗̩˙˗ ŨăŬõăŅŹ Ŏė ŹĠă
ŰĤŅęĺă ŹŎŎĺ̐ ØŅû nØĺƕØŬăòƛŹăŰ ͊ ̖̜Ʊƚ̝łŨ˛̝łŎŎƔ̖ŰĠ Έ a˜˗˛˗̵Ű ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̖ !ŬƀõĤØĺĺƛ̐
ŅŹĤ̪nØĺƕØŬă ̦www. Ãă̵Ɣă Øûûăû ŹĠă ̱Έ̲ ŎŨăŬØŹŎŬ ŹĠă a˛˘˙˜ òŎØŰŹŰ ŹĠă ŰØłă RŅŹăĺ
malwarebytes.com̧̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ŹŎ ĤŅŰŹŬƀõŹ ŹĠă ŰõŬĤŨŹ ŹŎ ŬƀŅ ĤŅ ŹĠă ˝˗˗ ęŬØŨĠĤõŰ̐ ŰŎ ĤŹ̵Ű ŰƀĤŹØòĺă ėŎŬ
ŬăƔăŬŹŰ ŹŎ Ø ėŬăă ŰõØŅ̪ØŅû̪ŬăłŎƔă òØõķęŬŎƀŅû̐ ŰŎ ĤŹ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ŹĤă ƀŨ ĠØŬûƕØŬă ŹŬØŅŰõŎûĤŅę łăûĤØ
ŹŎŎĺ ØėŹăŬ ŹĠă ˘˛̪ûØƛ ŹŬĤØĺ̖ n n̵Ű ƛŎƀŬ ŹăŬłĤŅØĺ̖ §Ġă ŨŬŎõăŰŰ õØŅ ŰŹŬăØłŰ Ĥė ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ƀŰă ŹĠă q 
ŬăŨƀŹØŹĤŎŅ ĠØŰ ŹØķăŅ Ø òØŹŹăŬĤŅę ŹØķă ĠŎƀŬŰ̐ ûăŨăŅûĤŅę ŎŅ ĠŎƕ ØŰ Ø ĺŎƕ̪ŨŎƕăŬăû łăûĤØ ŰăŬƔăŬ̖
ŬăõăŅŹĺƛ̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ûŎăŰ ûăŹăõŹ łØŅƛ ƱĺăŰ Ņăăû ŎŨŹĤłĤŰĤŅę̐ òƀŹ
ƀŅƕØŅŹăû ŰŎėŹƕØŬă ŎŹĠăŬ ŹŎŎĺŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ łŎŅĤŹŎŬ ĤŹ ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠă §ĠăŬă ØŬă ŹƕŎ łŎûăĺŰ̖ §Ġă
ĤęŅŎŬă̐ ŰŎ̀ĤŰ Ø ęŎŎû ŰăõŎŅûØŬƛ ŹŎŎĺ̖ ̱ĠŹŎŨ̲ ŹŎŎĺ̖ {Ņõă ŬƀŅŅĤŅę ̦ŹƛŨă ŬăęƀĺØŬ a˛˘˙˜̪R§È ĠØŰ ėŎƀŬ
̱ĠŹŎŨ̲ ØŅû ŨŬăŰŰ 1ŅŹăŬ̧̐ ŨŬăŰŰ D˛̐ ŎŅòŎØŬû  § ˚ ŨŎŬŹŰ ̩ ŹƕŎ ŅØŹĤƔă
Optimise MP4s ØŅû ŹƛŨă ̱łŨ˛̲ ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠă ƱĺŹăŬ ŨŎŬŹŰ̐ ŨĺƀŰ ŹƕŎ ŰłăûĤØ n˘˗˝˘
òŎƚ̖ §ĠĤŰ ăŅØòĺăŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ łŎŅĤŹŎŬ ŨŎŬŹŰ̖ §Ġă a˛˘˙˜ ̪R§È ĠØŰ ŎŅĺƛ
R ŬăõăŅŹĺƛ Ű㏠ƀŨ •ĺăƚ ŎŅ łƛ ŹĠă ŬƀŅŅĤŅę ŨŬŎõăŰŰăƯ̋ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ Űăă ŹƕŎ ŅØŹĤƔ㠝 § ŨŎŬŹŰ̖ Rė ƛŎƀ ŎŅĺƛ
®òƀŅŹƀ ŰăŬƔăŬ ėŎŬ Øĺĺ łƛ ŬĤŨŨăû ŹŎłĤõ•ØŬŰĺăƛ õĠăõķĤŅę ăØõĠ Ʊĺă Ņăăû ƀŨ ŹŎ ėŎƀŬ ûŬĤƔăŰ̐ ŹĠă
łăûĤØ ŎŅĺƛ ŹŎ ûĤŰõŎƔăŬ ĺŎØûŰ Ŏė ØŅû ŹĠăŅ̐ ƕĠăŅ ĤŹ ƱŅûŰ ŎŅă ŹĠØŹ a˛˘˙˜̪R§È ĤŰ õĺăØŬĺƛ ŹĠă ò㏏ăŬ
ƱĺăŰ ķăŨŹ òƀƫăŬĤŅę ƕĠăŅ R ŎŬ ŅăăûŰ ŎŨŹĤłĤŰĤŅę̐ ĠØŅûĤŅę ĤŹ ŎƔăŬ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ̐ òƀŹ ƕĠØŹ Ĥė ƛŎƀ Ņăăû łŎŬă̗
ėŬĤăŅûŰ ØõõăŰŰăû ŹĠăł ŬăłŎŹăĺƛ̖ R ŹŎ n•˛ Ŏƚ̖ DĤĺăŰ ØŬă ŨŬŎõăŰŰăû
ûĤŰõŎƔăŬăû ŰŎłăŹĠĤŅę õØĺĺăû ŹĠă ØĺŨĠØòăŹĤõØĺĺƛ̐ ØŅû ØŬă ĺĤŰŹăû ØŰ §Ġă a˛˘˙˜̪R§È ĠØŰ Ø ŰĤŅęĺ㠕!Ră
̱łŎŎƔ ØŹŎł̲ ŹĠØŹ ŅăăûŰ ŹŎ òă ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă òăĤŅę ŨŬŎõăŰŰăû̐ ˙̖˗ ƚ˘ ăƚŨØŅŰĤŎŅ ŰĺŎŹ̐ ØŅû ƛŎƀ õØŅ
ŨĺØõăû ØŹ ŹĠă ŰŹØŬŹ Ŏė łƛ n•˛ ƱĺăŰ ŨŬŎƔĤûĤŅę Ø ŨŬŎęŬăŰŰ ĤŅûĤõØŹŎŬ̖ ŨĤõķ ƀŨ ŹƕŎ̪ ØŅû ėŎƀŬ̪ŨŎŬŹ  §
̦ŬØŹĠăŬ ŹĠØŅ ŹĠă ăŅû̧ ŹŎ ėØõĤĺĤŹØŹă •ŬăŰŰ D˘˗ ŹŎ õĺŎŰă ĠŹŎŨ ØŅû ŬăŹƀŬŅ •!Ră ƚ˘ õØŬûŰ õĠăØŨĺƛ ŎŅ ă Øƛ̖ ƀŹ
ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę̖ R ķŅŎƕ ŅŎƕ R Ņăăû ŹŎ ŹŎ ŹĠă õŎłłØŅû ĺĤŅă ØŹ ØŅƛ ŹĤłă̖ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă òØŅûƕĤûŹĠ ĺĤłĤŹăû ŹŎ
õĠăõķ ̱Ãăò {ŨŹĤłĤŰăû̲ ŎŅ ŹĠă ØŬŎƀŅû ˜˗˗n ̜Ű̐ ØŅû ŰĠØŬăû ƕĤŹĠ
̱ƀłłØŬƛ̲ ŹØò ĤŅ NØŅûòŬØķă ŹŎ Alternate NAS ŹĠă ŎŅòŎØŬû n˘˗˝˘ ŨŎŬŹŰ̐ ƛŎƀ
Ű㏠ŹĠĤŰ ƀŨ ėŎŬ ØŅƛ ėƀŹƀŬă ƱĺăŰ R motherboard ƕŎŅ̵Ź ę㏠łØƚĤłƀł ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă
õŬăØŹă̐ òƀŹ ƕĠØŹ ØòŎƀŹ ŹĠă ėŬŎł Øĺĺ ƛŎƀŬ ûŬĤƔăŰ̖ §Ġă a˛˘˙˜ ̪
ĠƀŅûŬăûŰ Ŏė ƱĺăŰ R̵Ɣă ØĺŬăØûƛ ęŎŹ̗ R ŬăØû ƕĤŹĠ ĤŅŹăŬăŰŹ ĠăŬă ŹĠă ĺ㏏ăŬ R§È ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹŰ Ø •!Ră ˙̖˗ ƚ˘˝ ŰĺŎŹ̐
Liam McShane ŬăęØŬûĤŅę Ø q ̖ R ƕØŰ ƕŎŅûăŬĤŅę ƕĠĤõĠ łØƚăŰ ŎƀŹ ØŹ ØŬŎƀŅû ˟F ̜Ű̐
Ĥė ŹĠ㠝™Ŏõķ a˛˗˗˜ ̪R§È ĤŰ Ø łØķĤŅę ĤŹ łŎŬă ŰƀĤŹăû ėŎŬ ŰăŹƀŨŰ
TechLife responds: eƀõķĤĺƛ̐ ŹĠăŬă ŰƀĤŹØòĺă ŰƀòŰŹĤŹƀŹă ėŎŬ ŹĠă òŎØŬû ƕĠăŬă ƱƔă ŎŬ łŎŬă ûŬĤƔăŰ ØŬă
ØŬă ŹŎŎĺŰ ŹĠØŹ õØŅ łŎƔă ŹĠă łăŅŹĤŎŅăû ̦ ŰŬŎõķ̵Ű a˜˗˛˗̪R§Ȩ̗̀ Ņăăûăư̂ ăƚŨăõŹ ŹŎ ŨØƛ ŅŎŬŹĠ Ŏė
ŬăūƀĤŬăû òĤŹŰ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŰŹØŬŹ Ŏė ƛŎƀŬ §Ġă ĺØŹŹăŬ ĤŰ ŎƀŹ Ŏė ŰŹŎõķ ØŅû ƕØƛ ͊˘˗˗ ėŎŬ ØŅ ăĤęĠŹ̪ŨŎŬŹ  § •!Ră
Ʊĺă ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ ĠØƔĤŅę ŹŎ ŬăõŎŅƔăŬŹ ĤŹ̖ ŎƔăŬŨŬĤõăû ăĺŰăƕĠăŬă̖ ƚ˘˝ õØŬû̖
§ĠĤŰ ŅŎŹ ŎŅĺƛ ăŅŰƀŬăŰ ŹĠă ƔĤûăŎ Anthrax.Ancient
ØŅû ØƀûĤŎ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ØŬă ƀŅØƫăõŹăû̐ ŎŹĠ ̩ ĺĤķă ŹĠă a˜˗˛˗̪R§È ̩ ØĺŰŎ
ĤŹ̵Ű ØĺŰŎ Ø ėØŬ ūƀĤõķăŬ ŨŬŎõăŰŰ̖ ÉŎƀ ŰŨŎŬŹ ØŅ n̖˙ ŰĺŎŹ̐ òƀŹ ŹĠĤŰ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź
õØŅ õŎłòĤŅă ŹƕŎ ėŬăă ŹŎŎĺŰ ØŅû Ø ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ n̖˙ òŎŎŹ ûŬĤƔăŰ̖ n̖˙ ĤŰ
ŰõŬĤŨŹ ŹŎ ŨăŬėŎŬł ŹĠă ŹØŰķ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŎƔăŬķĤĺĺ ėŎŬ Ø ŰăŬƔăŬ ŹĠØŹ̵Ű ŎŅ ˙˛̜˞
òØõķęŬŎƀŅû ėŬŎł ŹĠă õŎłłØŅû ØŅƛƕØƛ̛ ĴƀŰŹ Ũĺƀę ØŅ ' ûŬĤƔă
ĺĤŅă̖ DĤŬŰŹ̐ ĤŅŰŹØĺĺ ŹĠă ŹƕŎ ŹŎŎĺŰ̏ ĤŅŹŎ ŎŅă Ŏė ŹĠă ŅØŹĤƔ㠝 § ŨŎŬŹŰ̐
ŹŎłĤõ•ØŬŰĺăƛ ėŎŬ ûăŹăõŹĤŅę ƱĺăŰ ØŅû ĤŅŰŹØĺĺ ƛŎƀŬ { ŎŅ ŹĠØŹ̖ !ĠŎŎŰă
ŹĠØŹ Ņăăû ŎŨŹĤłĤŰĤŅę̐ ŨĺƀŰ ØŅ ' ûăŰĤęŅăû ėŎŬ ŹĠă ƀŅĤūƀă
n•˛ Ŏƚ ̩ ŨØŬŹ Ŏė F• ! ̩ ŹŎ ûăłØŅûŰ Ŏė ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ŰăŬƔăŬƯ̋
TechLife ŬăõŎłłăŅûŰ ŹĠă Ã' ™ăû
' ˜˗˗F ̖

85

HELP STATION

Windows

Find Control CATEGORIES
Panel’s secrets Whatever view you
choose, you can
Microsoft would prefer you to use Settings, browse the Panel in
but the humble Control Panel Category mode by
still has a great deal to offer in Windows 10 clicking the arrow in
– we probe its mysteries”. the address bar.

In earlier versions of Windows, the SKILL LEVEL START MENU
Control Panel was where you turned to Searching the Start
change all manner of settings relating to Straightforward menu for the Control
hardware and the operating system Panel is perhaps the
itself. With Windows 10, however, SUITABLE easiest way to find it
Microsoft has replaced this – largely – FOR… to start with.
with Settings. We say ‘largely’ because
although Settings enables you to access Windows 10
the vast majority of Windows’ options,
there are still some that are locked away
in the Control Panel.

With this in mind, it is all the stranger
that Microsoft has made it increasingly
ûĤƬõƀĺŹ ŹŎ ØõõăŰŰ ŹĠă !ŎŅŹŬŎĺ •ØŅă̖ Ű
Windows 10 has been updated, this
handy little tool which makes it possible
to change all manner of settings relating
to your computer has gradually faded
into the background. But it is still there,
and it is still immensely useful – and
could well harbour a few secrets.
n ™c ÃÉ!RžeRc̪ÃRe{q

HOW TO Secrets of the Control Panel

1 FINDING THE CONTROL PANEL Microsoft would prefer you 2 SEARCH FOR SETTINGS There are a huge number of
use Settings, so the Control Panel is a little buried in the Start options in the Control Panel, and it can be difficult to
menu. You can find it by clicking Start, and scrolling down to the remember where you should look for something – this is where
Windows System folder. To save all of the scrolling, you can also the search function comes in. The Control Panel functions much
just click the Start button and start to type “control panel” to like a folder within Explorer, so you can search using the search
perform a search for it – you just need to click the link that box to the upper right-hand corner of the window and easily
appears at the top of list of results. home in on something.

86

PANEL SEARCH Jargon
A quick and easy buster!
way to jump to a
particular setting in CONTROL PANEL
the Control Panel is A central hub for
to search for it using settings and options
the search box. that can be used to
configure Windows
VIEW MENU 10, control
You can view the hardware, and
Control Panel in change the way
different ways: all things look, feel
the applets at once, and function.
or grouping them by
type of setting. SETTINGS
Windows 10’s take
APPLETS on the Control Panel
Some applets open is the Settings app
within the Control where you can
Panel itself, while access almost all of
others will open the same settings as
in separate in the Control Panel.
dialog windows.
APPLETS
The individual
components of the
Control Panel,
applets function like
miniature programs.

THE PANEL Best tip!
Each icon in the
Control Panel For easy access,
represens an applet click Start, search
that can be used to for “control panel”,
change endless right click the icon
system settings. and select Pin to
Taskbar.

3 SECRET SEARCH OPTION Searching can help discover 4 SECRET GAME CONTROLLER APPLET If you are a gamer,
settings you had never heard of. Try typing the letter “e” you might be surprised to learn that there is a hidden Game
into the search box – because the vast majority, if not all, Controllers applet. Press Win-R to activate the Run dialog, and
settings names include the letter ‘e’ – and press Enter. You’ll be type “joy.cpl” and Enter. Select your controller from the list and
presented with a massive list of settings grouped together into click Properties. On the Test tab you can check that all of the
categories. You just need to click one to jump straight to that buttons work, while on the Settings tab you can access the
Control Panel applet. calibration wizard.

87

5 ACCESS ‘GOD MODE’ There is a hidden mode for the 6 OTHER HIDDEN CONTROL PANEL SHORTCUTS Try
Control Panel that has become known as “god mode”. All it creating these folders: Application Connections.{241D7C96-
takes is the creation of a specially named folder. Right-click on F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}; Default Programs.
the desktop and select New > Folder before naming it GodMode. {17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}; Firewall and
{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} – you can Security {4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}; Icons
replace “GodMode” with anything you like, as this is just the And Notifications.{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9};
name of the folder. Programs and Features.{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-
805e482dafd4}.

7 BOOST SYSTEM PERFORMANCE You can boost the 8 ADD CONTROL PANEL TO FILE EXPLORER You can add a
performance of your computer by disabling unnecessary Control Panel link to This PC via the
animations and effects. Open System in Control Panel and click Registry Editor. Press Win-R, type “regedit”, press Enter
Advanced system settings to the left. On the Advanced tab, click and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
the first Settings buttons under the Performance heading then Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\
select the Adjust for best performance option – or you can NameSpace. Create a new key called {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-
manually specify what should be disabled. A2DD-08002B30309D}.

9 CUSTOMISE DESKTOP ICONS A slightly hidden Control 10 HELPFUL SHORTCUTS (AND SCREENSAVERS!) If you use
Panel applet lets you choose which icons appear on your some Control Panel applets frequently, you can create
desktop, including adding a Control Panel shortcut. Right click shortcuts to jump straight to them. Right click on an applet and
the desktop and select Personalise before moving to the select Pin to Start to add it to the Start menu, or Create shortcut
Themes section. Click the Desktop icon settings link on the right, to add it to the desktop instead. You can also access a hidden
hen use the tick boxes to choose which icons – This PC, Recycle screensaver applet by creating a desktop shortcut that points to
Bin, etc – should be displayed. “rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL desk.cpl,,1”

88

NEW VIDEO
PRESENTATION

FORMAT
Meet the team
from APC, TechLife
& Techradar

Tune in live to watch
the show and be in the
running to win prizes

during the stream!

It’s time to discover the
best of the best in tech
The 2021 Australian PC

Awards is coming!

www.australianpcawards.com.au

Visit now to see all the finalists and check the viewing
times to watch the Awards presentation streamed in

three parts across June 23rd, 24th and 25th

Best Motherboard Maker THIS YEAR’S CATEGORIES: Best Cooling Product
Best Value Motherboard Best Monitor
Best Premium Motherboard Best Internal Storage Maker Best Keyboard
Best External Storage Maker Best Mouse
Best GPU Maker
Best Value GPU Best SOHO or Home NAS Best Gaming Headset
Best Premium GPU Best Value Laptop or 2-in-1 Best PC Case
Best Value CPU Best Premium Laptop or 2-in-1 Best Router
Best Premium CPU Best Reseller
Best Gaming Laptop
Best Desktop PC Maker

Best Memory Maker

2021 AUSTRALIAN PC AWARDS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

HELP STATION

Mac

JARGON BUSTER
Mac Catalyst is
Apple’s tool for
porting iPad

apps to the Mac.
Many of Apple’s

own apps use
it, making them
more consistent
across different

platforms.

GENIUS TIP
Lots of iOS

games work well
when played on

the Mac. That
said, don’t forget
to check if yours

rely on your
device’s

gyroscope
for controls!

Run iOS apps on your Mac

Get some cross–platform goodness for your apps in a few easy steps.

REQUIRES When Apple announced its Macs ŹŎ òă ØƕØŬă Ŏė̖ DŎŬ ŎŅă ŹĠĤŅę̐ on your computer may not be
An M1 Mac were transitioning from Intel łØõ{ ØŅû Ĥ{ ƕŎŬķ ĤŅ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ūƀĤŹă ƕĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ăƚŨăõŹ̖
running macOS ŨŬŎõăŰŰŎŬŰ ŹŎ ĤŹŰ ŎƕŅ n˘̀õĠĤŨŰ̐ ways. Mac apps can use multiple
11 or later, an ŎŅă Ŏė ŹĠă ŹŎƀŹăû òăŅăƱŹŰ ƕØŰ ƕĤŅûŎƕŰ̐ ėŎŬ ăƚØłŨĺă̐ ƕĠĤĺă Ĥ{ When browsing the Mac App
iOS device being able to run iOS apps natively apps cannot; Mac apps are ŹŎŬă ėŎŬ Ĥ{ ØŨŨŰ̐ ĺŎŎķ ŎƀŹ ėŎŬ
on your Mac. And the really good designed for mouse or trackpad ̱qŎŹ ƔăŬĤƱăû ėŎŬ łØõ{̲ ĤŅ ŹĠă
YOU WILL ŅăƕŰ ĤŰ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰ̀ăƚŹŬăłăĺƛ ăØŰƛ õŎŅŹŬŎĺ̐ ŅŎŹ ƱŅęăŬ̪òØŰăû description. If you do not see
LEARN ŹŎ ûŎ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ̀ƕă ƕĤĺĺ ŎƀŹĺĤŅă ĤŅ gestures. Not every iOS app has ŹĠØŹ ŹăƚŹ̐ ĤŹ ĤŅûĤõØŹăŰ ŹĠă
How to this tutorial. òăăŅ ŎŨŹĤłĤƤăû ėŎŬ łØõ{̐ ŰŎ developer has taken the time
running an unoptimized iOS app ŹŎ̀ØûØŨŹ ŹĠă ØŨŨ ėŎŬ ŹĠă nØõ ØŅû
download §ĠØŹ ŰØĤû̐ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ŰŎłă ŹĠĤŅęŰ ĤŰ ĺĤķăĺƛ ŹŎ̀ŹĠăŬăėŎŬă ęĤƔă ƛŎƀ Ø
and install iOS ò㏏ăŬ ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõă̖
apps on macOS
Ŏłă ØŨŨŰ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ łØƛ ĠØƔă
IT WILL TAKE ĠØû ĺăŰŰ̀õØŬă ûăƔŎŹăû ŹŎ ŹĠăł
10 minutes ƕĠăŅ ŹĠăƛ ƕăŬằŨŎŬŹăû ƀŰĤŅę
Apple’s Mac Catalyst framework
Even though (see the Jargon Buster). There is
many iOS apps ŰŹĤĺĺ ĠŎŨă̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ ØŰ̀ŹĠăŬă ØŬă
are compatible ŨĺăŅŹƛ Ŏė̀ƕØƛŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ĤłŨŬŎƔă
on macOS and these apps’ functionality. We
will take you through them in
more than ŹĠĤŰ ŹƀŹŎŬĤØĺ̐ ŰĠŎƕĤŅę ƛŎƀ
usable, you ŅŎŹ̀ŎŅĺƛ ĠŎƕ ŹŎ ŬƀŅ ŹĠăŰă ØŨŨŰ
òƀŹ ĠŎƕ̀ŹŎ̀łØķă ŹĠă łŎŰŹ Ŏė
should be them too.
prepared for ALEX BLAKE
some things –
such as menus
– being designed

with touch
controls in mind.

90

HOW TO Install iOS apps on macOS

1 YOUR APP LIBRARY Open the App Store app and click 2 DOWNLOAD AN APP This will show every iOS or
your username in the bottom-left corner. This will show iPad app associated with your Apple ID. From the
a list of apps registered to your account. Click the iPhone & resulting list, find the app you want to install on your
iPad Apps tab at the top to filter by iOS and iPadOS apps. Mac. Click the cloud icon to download it and wait for it
to install on your Mac.

3 LAUNCH IT ON YOUR MAC When the download 4 INCREASE DISPLAY SIZE Open System Prefs
finishes, you will be able to launch the app. You can also > Accessibility > Zoom and select the first two
install new apps by finding them the usual way on the App checkboxes. Click Advanced; in the next window, ensure the
Store. Some apps may appear too small on your screen, in top option is set to “Only when the pointer reaches an edge.”
which case zooming in helps. In your app, click View > Full Screen.

5 TOUCH ALTERNATIVES Many apps let you use your 6 USE THE MACOS VERSION Don’t forget to check the
Mac’s gestures instead of swiping as on iOS. Open App Store and your favorite developers’ websites to
an app and click its name in the top-left of the screen, then see if they offer native macOS apps. Many popular iOS apps,
Touch Alternatives. This shows a dialog box with alternative such as Spark, Things, Fantastical, and many more, have
controls for Mac. native Mac versions. TL

91

HELP STATION

iOS

Master the App Library

Discover how to make best use of one of iOS 14’s neatest new features.

REQUIRES The App Library is Apple’s answer that aren’t on those screens from search bar; just tap in it to type
iPhone, iOS 14 to cluttered Home screens. Rather the App Library. You can choose in a search query. The
than rely on users to create folders whether or not newly downloaded ŨŨ̀eĤòŬØŬƛ ĤŰ ŨŎŰĤŹĤŎŅăû ØėŹăŬ
YOU WILL to store apps neatly, Apple took apps are automatically stored in ƛŎƀŬ̀ĺØŰŹ ƔĤŰĤòĺă NŎłă ŰõŬăăŅ ŰŎ̐
LEARN matters into its own hands and the App Library and whether if you don’t want to use it, you
made a way for apps to organise ŅŎŹĤƱõØŹĤŎŅŰ ØŬă ƔĤŰĤòĺă ŎŅ eĤòŬØŬƛ can make every Home screen
How to use the themselves automatically. folders. Note that Library Folders visible and simply act as if the
Apple Library in are created and named Library isn’t there.
The idea is that you have a few automatically, and you can’t get rid KENNY HEMPHILL
iOS 14 Home screens with your most- of them or rename them.
used apps, widgets, or folders, then
IT WILL TAKE ĠĤûă ŹĠă ŬăŰŹ ØŅû ØõõăŰŰ ØŅƛ ØŨŨŰ The App Library has its own
30 minutes

HOW TO Organise the App Library

1 OPEN AN APP If the app is one of the three large icons 2 DELETE AN APP Tap and hold in the center of any
in a Library folder, just tap on it. If not, tap in the bottom Library folder. If you want to delete one of the “big
right–hand corner of the folder to display all the apps in it, three” apps, tap the “X” in its corner, then Delete App. To
then scroll down until you see the app you want and tap it. delete any other app, tap on the bottom-right corner then
tap the “X.”

92

JARGON BUSTER
You’ll find
Suggestions in the
App Library. These
are apps that Siri
has determined you
are most likely to
use, based on time
of day, location, and
previous behavior.

3 MANAGE HOME SCREENS Tap and hold in 4 SEARCH FOR AN APP If you’re not sure
an empty spot on any Home Screen (not the which folder an app is stored in, use the
App Library). Tap the dots (bottom of the screen) Search bar at the top of the Library screen. Tap on
to view a grid of Home screens. Check those you the bar and you’ll see an alphabetical list of apps.
want to be visible and uncheck those you want Start typing the name to filter the list until you see
to hide. the app.

GENIUS TIP
You can still create,
name, and use your
own folders on
Home screens in
exactly the same
way as before.

5 KEEP DECLUTTERING There’s little point in 6 MANAGE NOTIFICATIONS If you don’t want
tidying up your Home screens if new apps notification badges to be visible when an
clutter it up again. Tap Settings, then Home App Library folder’s “closed,” switch them off so
Screen. Select App Library Only; new downloads you only see them when you tap on the folder. Go
will be added to the App Library but not to the to Settings > Home Screen and toggle off “Show
Home screens. in App Library.”

GENIUS TIP
To move an app
from a Home screen
to the App Library,
tap and hold on it
and choose Remove
App.

7 MOVE AN APP To move an app from the 8 STOP USING APP LIBRARY If you’ve used
Library to a Home screen, tap on the Library the App Library for a while but want to stop
folder housing it, then tap and hold on the app using it, follow step 3 and check all your Home
and choose “Add to Home Screen.” You can then screens to make them visible. Then, if you prefer,
place the app wherever you like. you can organise apps in folders manually.

93

HELP STATION

Android

How to get the most
from an Android
Assistant Home Hub

Home is where your Android is.

Lately it seems everyone I visit Apple also have their equivalents. The Google Nest/
has a Google Home Mini smart We will use the generic term Home Hub comes
speaker or similar device, usually ̱ĠŎłă Ġƀò̲ ėŎŬ Øĺĺ ŰƀõĠ ûăƔĤõăŰ̖ in several versions.
in their kitchen. Despite the wide
range of functions available, the A couple of years ago, when a As usual, the device that you
main use is saying: “Hey Google, lot of these devices were newly download the app onto needs to
ŰăŹ Ø ƱƔă łĤŅƀŹă ŹĤłăŬ̲̐ ŎŬ ̱Năƛ released, we put together a be logged in to a Google account
Google, what’s the weather TechLife article about how to (on this point, we have found
ŹŎûØƛ̗̲ convert an old Android device that it can be useful to have more
into a Home Hub. It was fun, but than one Google account - for
But these intelligent speakers with purpose-built devices now example, separate work-focused
can do so much more, and it available for not much money and personal accounts with
seems a waste of their there is little reason to do that. ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ õŎŅŹØõŹ ĺĤŰŹŰ̐
capabilities to treat them as a bookmarks and favourites could
ęĺŎŬĤƱăû ăęę ŹĤłăŬ̖ •ĺƀŰ łØŅƛ Back then we noted that the òă ƀŰăû ƕĤŹĠ ĠŎłă ŎŬ ŎƬõă
such devices have a display Lenovo Smart Display was a good hubs).
screen that can add further looking gadget, and recently saw
dimensions to your Google the 7-inch model on a $100 Once you have downloaded the
Assistant interactions. We special so ordered one, and then Google Home app on your phone
decided to explore the options. didn’t get around to setting it up. or tablet, plug your home hub
But it’s time has come, and it into power, and follow the
Note that Google Home devices seems to be a quality unit – so on-screen instructions. Google
have now been rebranded as what can we do with it? NŎłă ŰĠŎƀĺû ƱŅû ƛŎƀŬ Ġƀò ØŅû
Google Nest, but the functions help you connect it to your WiFi
are the same. They are smart Setting up network.
speakers that simply give you an your home hub
audio system with Google The next level
Assistant built in, while the more Setting up any Google Home/
expensive versions include a Nest/Assistant type of device is We have already mentioned the
touch screen. And it’s not just pretty much the same process, so most basic functions of a home
Google selling these gadgets: the the Lenovo provides a good hub device, so how do we take it
Amazon Echo and Show ranges demonstration. Typically, your to the next level?
Ʊĺĺ ŰĤłĤĺØŬ ŅĤõĠăŰ̐ ØŅû ŹĠă home hub device is managed by
Lenovo Smart Display was the ŹĠă ėŬăă ̱FŎŎęĺă NŎłă̲ ØŨŨ ŹĠØŹ If you are reasonably familiar
ƱŬŰŹ ŹŎ ĤŅõĺƀûă Ø ŰõŬăăŅ̐ ŅŎƕ can be downloaded from the with Google Assistant that’s a
available in 7-, 8- and 10-inch FŎŎęĺ㠕ĺØƛ ŹŎŬă ŎŅŹŎ ØŅ good start. Apart from the
versions. Samsung, JBL, and Android or iOS smartphone previously mentioned basic timer
or tablet. and weather, you can set alarms
and reminders, check commute
The Lenovo Smart Display is an upmarket device. times, check the news, cast music
and video, stream YouTube, and
94 much more.

With the Lenovo Smart Display
our implementation of Google
Assistant was automatically
transferred from the Samsung
smartphone through the Google
Home app. In fact it works much
more reliably on the home hub

than the phone, and Assistant is Left: Setting up Activate your choices by voice or anything, or a recipe for
always listening and responsive. Google Home is touchscreen. anything, and Assistant will
Want to hear a podcast on provide. Again, having a visual
Spotify? Just ask, and it plays. Not simple – follow Ambient Mode display makes this capability so
to your liking? Ask for a different the prompts. much more convenient and
one. Want music with a video? Most home hubs have an Ambient usable – it can guide you through
Just ask for it on YouTube – Right: Google Mode where they play the whole process so simply.
so easy. Assistant and background sounds or music
your home hub when on standby, and they can You can also use your home hub
Your Assistant can find also display selected photos from to make regular and video phone
information, tell you what words gives you your Google Photos, art gallery calls, hands free – through
mean, do maths and conversions, options. images, or many more options Google Duo or other supported
manage and play music and depending on your device. You app. And you can simply ask
videos, handle your messaging Left: A picture can also have your choice of Assistant to connect you – maybe
and calls, schedule your calendar beats words for sound or musical backing for to someone in your contact list,
and appointments – all by simple weather – and your photo display. A request for or to search for a local restaurant
spoken requests. The best way to Darwin looks “relaxing wave sounds” then call them to make a
find out what it can do is to ask. nice this week. produced just that. reservation. Your home hub
Right: The quickly becomes the default way
Most importantly in this case, Lenovo Smart Of course, you could choose to of doing so many day-to-day
the touch-screen display adds so Display 7 simply display the time in a tasks – we recommend giving it
much more to the user providing variety of clock formats when a try!
experience compared to an breakfast your home hub device is not in
audio-only device. Spotify assistance. active use. Smart Home
displays song facts, lyrics and a Far Right: Your device control
progress bar. Weather is home hub can Cast your
displayed in tables and charts, control whatever music and video If you have installed smart
and of course photos and videos smart devices devices and appliances in your
are displayed on request. You can, you have around Google Assistant supports home or workplace, your home
for example, ask to see photos or the home. Chromecast, so with most home hub makes it super easy to
videos from a specific time or hubs you can cast your music, control them – just ask Assistant
place – there really is no limit to slideshow or videos to other to set it up. And with a visual
the requests you can make. devices such as smart TVs or display and an IP camera, you
audio systems. could ask something like “Hey
Google, show me the front
In the kitchen door camera.”

Home hubs seem to end up in the From switching on air
kitchen more than any other conditioners, to coffee makers, to
place. After all, it tends to be a dimming the lights, everything’s
centre of activity, and a place just a spoken request away.
where many questions arise. CHARLES HANDMER
Apart from the ubiquitous
cooking timer, Google Assistant
is great at cooking tips and
recipes. Just ask how to cook

95

HELP STATION

Security & privacy

A look at security in iOS 15

Nathan Taylor thinks some neat new tools are coming with the next major Apple release.

Early in June this year, Apple The new App permission or the app.
revealed that it had a new version Privacy Report While we don’t expect many
of iOS in the works, due to go into tells you when
beta in July and likely to be an app has used regular users will actually use this
released sometime between feature very often, since it
September and November. certain OS requires quite some attention to
features. detail, it may be very helpful in
We’ve been consistently ŹĠă õŬŎƕûŰŎƀŬõăû ĤûăŅŹĤƱõØŹĤŎŅ Ŏė
impressed with Apple’s approach apps acting suspiciously. Not
to security in the last few years. everybody may notice that a given
Unlike Google, for whom your app is acting suspicious, but it’s
privacy is antithetical to its likely that at least a few people
business model, Apple has ƕĤĺĺ ØŅû ƕĤĺĺ ĠŎŨăėƀĺĺƛ ƲØę ĤŹ ƕĤŹĠ
consistently added new and Apple for correction or removal
impressive security features to from the App Store.
its platforms. While you can, of
course, secure Android phones to look at them in person at the Mail Privacy Protection
and tablets, doing so often time of writing, we thought it and updated Intelligent
requires a lot of extra expertise would be a good time to give an Tracking Protection
and software. Apple is building a overview of some of these new
lot of the tools you need right features in anticipation of the While not as dramatic a new
into the OS. upcoming release. All the feature as the App Privacy Report,
screenshots here are courtesy a couple of new features shut
This latest version of iOS is no of Apple. down common privacy exploits
ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŰŎłă ƔăŬƛ being using by marketing
interesting additions to the App Privacy Report companies and online advertisers.
security platform. Unfortunately,
some of these are buried behind While you’ve been able to audit nØĤĺ •ŬĤƔØõƛ •ŬŎŹăõŹĤŎŅ ĤŰ Ø Ʊƚ
the paywall of the new iCloud+ app permissions for years with for a trick where marketers and
service, meaning you’ll likely iOS (and Android), this new criminals would embed tiny,
need to be a paid iCloud version of the App Privacy Report invisible, remotely hosted images
subscriber to access them. takes that to the next level, in a called tracking pixels into HTML
similar fashion to the new feature emails. What that invisible image
While we haven’t had a chance being introduced in Android 12. In would do is call upon a remote
addition to exposing an app’s server when you opened the
Of course, the access permissions (for example, email, letting the sender know
new security whether it can access location or that a) you’d read the email and b)
features are just calendar information), the App your current IP address and
a part of iOS 15. Privacy Report will let you know therefore rough location (unless
There are other how many times the app in you are protected by a VPN or
goodies like question has used that privilege, other anonymising tool). As of iOS
in-built text as well as any internet domains 15, Apple Mail will now not
recognition. that app has accessed in the last download such images
seven days. If an app is acting automatically. While this feature
suspect – for example, accessing has been present in dedicated
your location way more often than mail clients like Thunderbird for
it seems it should – then you can some time, it’s a very welcome
take measures to remove that addition to iOS.

Intelligent Tracking Protection
was a feature that was already in
Safari, and functions somewhat
similarly to Disconnect or
Ghostery, preventing tracking
cookies and other widgets from
tracking you over multiple
websites. Apple has updated this
for iOS 15, hiding your IP address

96

from known trackers. This way Intelligent website that includes an email important way. Unlike a VPN,
they can’t track you by using your Tracking address, you will have the option where the VPN provider has full
IP address or by using tracking Protection to use a temporary email address. information of the relay and is
cookies. has received Emails sent to that address will be therefore is a point of
a welcome forwarded to your real email vulnerability, in Private Relay
On-device Siri update in iOS 15. address – at least until you decide (just as in Tor) nobody in the
to delete the burner email address. relay has the full information on
As of iOS 15, your device will no Below: In Safari According to Apple, you can have both the source and destination
longer have to send your voice you can create as many fake email addresses as of a message, so there’s no point
ƱĺăŰ ŎƔăŬ ŹĠă ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠ŹŎ ØŅ ŎŅĺĤŅă you need, and delete them at will. of vulnerability and nobody has
interpreter for voice commands. temporary to be ‘trusted’.
iOS 15 can process Siri voice burner email It appears that this feature will
commands on the device itself, addresses when only be available in Apple Mail Of course, we haven’t seen
which will save a modest amount and Safari for now. You can, of Private Relay in practice, and it’s
of data as well as unwanted audio creating an course, still use third party burner unclear if it will be only used in
recordings of your voice going account on a email systems, such as ØėØŬĤ ŎŬ ėŎŬ Øĺĺ ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠ŹŬØƬõ̖
across the internet. It’s not a big GuerrillaMail (www. The big weakness of Tor, for
deal (the search itself still has to website.. guerrillamail.com) or FakeMail example, is the abysmal
go over the internet), but it’s a nice Right: And you (www.fakemail.net). performance created by having
privacy touch. to relay through two other
can choose to Private Relay computers; we’ll see if Private
Hide My Email send email from Relay has that same weakness.
And at last we come to perhaps the
Arguably the two most impressive a burner email most interesting of all the new We’ll also have to wait and see
improvements to security in iOS account in Apple features: Private Relay, again only if the privacy is all that is
15 are, unfortunately, only available to iCloud+ subscribers. promised. Unlike Tor, where the
available to subscribers of the Mail. relays themselves are
ŨØĤû Ĥ!ĺŎƀû͡ ŰăŬƔĤõă̖ §Ġă ƱŬŰŹ Ŏė Private Relay is an integral anonymous, Apple will control
these is Hide My Email, a burner three-hop relay system that both the intermediaries.
ăłØĤĺ ŰƛŰŹăł ƱŬŰŹ ŰăăŅ ĤŅ ŨØŬŹ ĤŅ sounds very similar in principle to According to Apple, the system
iOS 13 as part of Apple ID. Signing the Tor network (torproject.org). will hide the IP addresses even
in with Apple would let you create By sending internet messages from Apple itself – but given full
a temporary ‘fake’ email address through two intermediaries, it control of the Private Relay
for signing on to suspect websites obscures the IP address of the network, Apple could well be in a
that you didn’t want to provide message source from the message position to reconstruct
your real email address to. ŬăõĤŨĤăŅŹ ØŅû ƔĤõă ƔăŬŰØ̖ §Ġă ƱŬŰŹ anonymised communications.
intermediary strips the IP address
Hide My Email extends that from the message before sending In the meantime (or if you
feature to all email, as well as to it on to the second; the second don’t want to pay for iCloud+),
sign-ins on any website (not just intermediary (who doesn’t know you can still use Tor on iOS. Your
the handful of Apple ID- the source IP address, only the IP best option is the Onion Browser,
supporting sites). When you send ØûûŬăŰŰ Ŏė ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ĤŅŹăŬłăûĤØŬƛ̧ available on the App Store.
ØŅ ăłØĤĺ ŎŬ õŬăØŹă Ø ŨŬŎƱĺă ŎŅ Ø then sends the data onto its
destination.

While in function this sounds
ĺĤķă Ø Â•q̐ ĤŹ ĤŰ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ĤŅ ŎŅă

97

HELP STATION

Home networking

VPN-ing your router

How to use a VPN all the time, for everything, according to Nathan Taylor.

As our own government doubles protocols should work fine. PPTP is Above: the VPN server that you’ll be
down on spying on its citizens and fast and the easiest to set up, but is Newer D-Link using. Unlike a desktop app,
criminals get better at intercepting the least secure. L2TP is more routers support you can’t just flip between VPN
our communications, you may be secure, but slightly slower; PPTP and L2TP server locations easily on your
thinking it’s a good time to use a OpenVPN is both secure and fast, connections. As router – you have to pick one
VPN for pretty much everything. but can be challenging to set up; do Linksys, and stick to it (since changing
It’s not a bad idea, and it’s entirely SSTP is also fast and secure, but TP-Link and it will require you go into the
possible to set your router up to technical and rarely supported. Netgear routers. router settings manually). For
connect to the VPN so that every Left: that reason, it’s best to pick a
device in your home that connects Regardless of which protocol Asus is a server near you to get best
through that router is effectively you’re using, you’ll have to head to standout, performance, unless you’re
using the VPN. That includes your your VPN provider’s website to get supporting specifically using the service
PCs, your mobiles, even your game the details. If they support PPTP or OpenVPN as to bypass content geoblocks
consoles and smart TVs. L2TP, what you’ll need from your well. (such as Netflix or Hulu).
router provider is this: Note that on the last point, many
Not every router model from Changing the providers do not list their servers
every vendor supports this, - The protocol they’re using. connection type by IP address. If you go to their
however. Especially if you have an - A username and password. server list and they just list them
older router, or are still on ADSL to L2TP on a by URLs (eg. sydney1.vpnprovider.
and haven’t been moved to the NBN This will often be your VPN Linksys router. com), don’t worry. You can either
yet, it may not support it. Most account username and go to a Command (type cmd in the
current models of router, though, password, but in some search bar) line and type ping URL,
do have the ability to directly instances (eg. with SurfShark where URL is the address of the
connect to a VPN. Which protocols or ExpressVPN) they might server, to get the IP; or you can go
they support will vary, however. have a distinct username and to a site like www.hcidata.info/
password specifically for host2ip.cgi and enter the URL of
There are four major protocols PPTP/L2TP connections, the server to translate it into an
used by commercial VPN services: which you’ll find in your IP address.
L2TP, PPTP, SSTP and OpenVPN. account details on the VPN Once you have those details, og
You’ll have to check with your provider’s website. into your router administration
VPN provider to find out which - A server IP address. Note that and the rest should be easy. For
it uses. this is the specific IP address of most models (Linksys, D-Link,
TP-Link and Netgear), you simply
Most commercial consumer configure it on the Internet
routers now support PPTP and Connection/Connectivity page.
possibly L2TP connections. SSTP Where you get to choose from the
and OpenVPN support is rarer, internet connection type, choose
found typically only in custom L2TP or PPTP, then enter the
third-party firmwares and a very details above.
few commercial firmwares (Asus If there’s a dynamic IP option,
firmware being notable for its VPN
support). That can be an issue with
some VPN providers; some
providers such as NordVPN have
discontinued PPTP and L2TP
support, citing security
vulnerabilities. That means that it
only supports OpenVPN and SSTP,
which locks quite a few routers out.
Looking at the vendors:
- Linksys, TP-Link, D-Link and

Netgear commonly support L2TP
and PPTP but not OpenVPN or
SSTP.
- Asus and DrayTek do commonly
support OpenVPN.
As a practical matter, any of the

98

you’ll generally select it since most A PPTP setup on But my router ExpressVPN offers its own custom
providers will give you a dynamic a TP-Link router. doesn’t support the router firmware that makes it easier to
IP address. You may also have to VPN protocol I need! switch locations.
enter a DNS on the router. The DNS DD-WRT
setting is typically on the same supports Despair not, for third party router few VPN providers – notably
page (possibly hidden in advanced OpenVPN ƱŬłƕØŬă ĤŰ ĠăŬă ŹŎ ĠăĺŨ̖ ÃĠĤĺă ExpressVPN (expressvpn.com) and
settings). We recommend entering connections as many commercial router VyprVPN (vyprvpn.com) – actually
8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in the DNS well as PPTP and ƱŬłƕØŬăŰ ûŎ ŅŎŹ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ provide their own, custom
settings for the router (these are L2TP. As with OpenVPN, for instance, it should be ƱŬłƕØŬă ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ĤŅŰŹØĺĺ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ
the addresses of Google’s DNS Asus, VPN setup possible to install a third-party router. Not every model of router is
servers). Finally, Max idle time, if is distinct from ƱŬłƕØŬă ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ''̪Ù§ supported, but these custom
it’s an option, should be set to 0 general internet (dd-wrt.com) or Tomato ƱŬłƕØŬăŰ ĠØƔă Ø Ġƀęă ØûƔØŅŹØęă
(meaning that the connection connection (advancedtomato.com) on your ŎƔăŬ ęăŅăŬĤõ ƱŬłƕØŬăŰ̏ ŹĠă ØòĤĺĤŹƛ
never times out). setup, and found router which will. to switch VPN locations easily.
in a different
Once that’s done and saved, your part of the Installing these replaces your After installing the ExpressVPN
router should now connect to the administration router’s current software with an ƱŬłƕØŬă ŎŬ ÂƛŨŬ•q ƱŬłƕØŬă ŎŅ
L2TP or PPTP VPN automatically, interface. entirely new operating system, your router, you can then easily
and every device on your local very often much more capable switch VPN servers. No need to go
network – wired or wireless – than the commercial one. As a rule, deep into the router settings and
should connect through it. doing so is much less painful than ŹŬƛ ŹŎ ƱęƀŬă ŎƀŹ ŹĠă R• ØûûŬăŰŰ Ŏė
it once was. Most of the time, you the relevant server – just open the
Now, if your VPN provider uses can just use the ‘upgrade app and select your location. The
OpenVPN, then the process will be ƱŬłƕØŬă̵ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ ĤŅ ŹĠă ăƚĤŰŹĤŅę app will talk to your router and
much more complicated. You’ll router settings and upload the new update the connection to the
likely have to go through their help ƱŬłƕØŬă ŹŎ ŹĠă ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ §ĠØŹ ŰØĤû̐ correct server. This is ideal if you’re
system to get a step-by-step on you should absolutely 100% check using a VPN to bypass content
Ű㏏ĤŅę ĤŹ ƀŨ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ ŰŨăõĤƱõ ŬŎƀŹăŬ ŎƀŹ ŹĠă ęƀĤûă ŎŅ ŹĠă ''̪Ù§ ŎŬ geoblocks and need to change your
model. For some models, like Asus, Tomato website for your particular apparent location frequently.
they may provide a quick router model. There are often
õŎŅƱęƀŬØŹĤŎŅ Ʊĺă ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ õØŅ quirks and weirdness you have to Whichever way you go, you’ll
upload to your router; for other account for when upgrading the have the peace of mind that you’ll
router models you’ll have to paste ƱŬłƕØŬă̐ ØŅû Ĥė ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ƛŎƀ łØƛ always be connected to a VPN,
in huge blocks of encryption key brick your router. bypassing all spying on your
information. It isn’t fun, but in the activity and ensuring your
end you’ll have a fast and secure We should also note here that a connections are as secure as
VPN for it. possible.

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HELP STATION

A/V

Is there such thing as ‘British hi-fi sound’?

Dan Sung asks the experts who make the products we love.

RŹ ĤŰ ŰØĤû ŹĠØŹ Ĥė ØŅ ŎŨŹĤłĤŰŹ ŰăăŰ Ø ma h outside, a distinctive sound doesn’t
ęĺØŰŰ ĤŰ ĠØĺė ėƀĺĺ ØŅû Ø ŨăŰŰĤłĤŰŹ ŎŬĤęĤŅØĺ ŬăõŎŬûăû ŰŎƀŅû̐ ŹŬƀĺƛ exist. The view from abroad seems
ŰăăŰ ĤŹ ØŰ ĠØĺė ăłŨŹƛ̐ ŹĠăŅ ØŅ ƀŅŹØĤŅŹăû̐ ĤŰ ŅăƚŹ ŹŎ ĤłŨŎŰŰĤòĺă̖ to suggest it does.
ăŅęĤŅăăŬ ƕĤĺĺ Źăĺĺ ƛŎƀ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠă ęĺØŰŰ
is twice as large as it needs to be. Sound principles Take Marantz – not a British
We are reminded of this old adage ĠĤ̪Ʊ õŎłŨØŅƛ̐ Ŏė õŎƀŬŰă̐ òƀŹ ŎŅă
when we asked some of the best “Sound is what turns out after the ŹĠØŹ ĠØŰ ăŅęĤŅăăŬăû ŰŨăõĤƱõ ®c
ăŅęĤŅăăŬŰ Ŏė ŹĠă ŬĤŹĤŰĠ ĠĤ̪Ʊ brief. You choose the best materials editions of some of its best-loved
ĤŅûƀŰŹŬƛ ƕĠăŹĠăŬ ŎŬ ŅŎŹ ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ Ø for each required element that’s models. The Award-winning
ûĤŰŹĤŅõŹĺƛ ŬĤŹĤŰĠ ŰŎƀŅû̖ ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ėŎŬ ăØõĠ ŨŬĤõă ŨŎĤŅŹ̐ •n˝˗˗˝ ØŅû !'˝˗˗˝ ØłŨĺĤƱăŬ ØŅû
then use that material to achieve !' ŨĺØƛăŬ ØŬă ŹĠă ŎòƔĤŎƀŰ
̱ õõƀŬØŹă̐ ėØĤŹĠėƀĺ ØŅû ŹŬƀă̲̐ ŹĠă òăŰŹ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̲̐ ŰØƛŰ ™Ŏƛ ăƚØłŨĺăŰ̖ Rė ŹĠăŬă ŬăØĺĺƛ ĤŰ ŅŎ
ŰØƛŰ qĤõķ !ĺØŬķă̐ ûĤŬăõŹŎŬ Ŏė FØŅûƛ̐ ŎƕŅăŬ ØŅû õŎ̪ėŎƀŅûăŬ Ŏė ĤûăŅŹĤƱØòĺă ŬĤŹĤŰĠ ŰŎƀŅû̐ ƕĠƛ ûĤû
engineering at Arcam, when we ask turntable manufacturer Rega. Marantz bother?
ĠĤł ØòŎƀŹ Ø ŬĤŹĤŰĠ ŰŎƀŅû̖ ̱R ûŎŅ̵Ź
associate it with a sound as such, “We take a disc which, when ̱Ãă ûĤû ĤŹ ŨØŬŹĺƛ òăõØƀŰă Ŏė ŹĠă
ŹĠă ăūƀĤŨłăŅŹ ŰĠŎƀĺû ę㏠ŎƀŹ Ŏė ŹĠă rotated, creates vibrations which ĺŎƔă ėŎŬ ŰŹăŬăŎ ĤŅ ŹĠă ®c̲̐ ŰØƛŰ
ƕØƛ Ŏė ŹĠă łƀŰĤõ̖ Rė ĤŹ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź̐ ĤŹ ØŬă ŬăØû òƛ ŹĠă õØŅŹĤĺăƔăŬ ØŅû ™ŎęăŬ ØŹõĠăĺŎŬ̐ ŨŬŎûƀõŹ ŰŨăõĤØĺĤŰŹ
ĠØŰŅ̵Ź òăăŅ ûăŰĤęŅăû õŎŬŬăõŹĺƛ̲̐ ŰŹƛĺƀŰ̖ §Ġă ĴŎò ĤŰ ŹŎ òă ėØĤŹĠėƀĺ ƕĤŹĠ ØŹ ŎƀŅû ®ŅĤŹăû̖ ̱!ŎłŨØŬăû ƕĤŹĠ
he adds. ØŰ ĺĤŹŹĺă ØƀęłăŅŹØŹĤŎŅ ØŰ ŨŎŰŰĤòĺă̲̐ ŹĠă ŬăŰŹ Ŏė 1ƀŬŎŨă ŎŬ ŹĠă ăƔăŅ ŹĠ
he adds. ƕŎŬĺû̐ ŹĠă ŨăŬõăŅŹØęă Ŏė łƀĺŹĤ̪
̱®ŅûăŬŰŹØŹăû̐ ęăŅƀĤŅă ØŅû õĠØŅŅăĺ ØłŨĺĤƱăŬŰ ŰŎĺû ĤŅ ŹĠă ®c ĤŰ
ėØĤŹĠėƀĺ ŬăŨŬŎûƀõŹĤŎŅ ŹĠŬŎƀęĠŎƀŹ “Some manufacturers might use lower. Also, there’s a demand here
ŹĠă ăŅŹĤŬă òØŅûƕĤûŹĠ̲̐ ŰØƛŰ !ŬØĤę Ø ŰƀŰŨăŅûăû Űƀò̪õĠØŰŰĤŰ ŹŎ ėŎŬ òƀûę㏠ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ƕĤŹĠ ĠĤęĠ
Milnes, co-owner and design eliminate motor noise – however ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă ØŅû ŰĤłŨĺă̐
director of Wilson Benesch. we don’t do that as we think it’s straightforward design, where
̱•ŬăõĤŰă̐ ŅØŹƀŬØĺ̐ ØõõƀŬØŹăĺƛ ûăŹŬĤłăŅŹØĺ ŹŎ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̖ 'ŎĤŅę ŰŎƀŅû ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ĤŰ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ØŅû
ŬăŨŬŎûƀõĤŅę ŹĠă ŎŬĤęĤŅØĺ ŹĠØŹ ØûûŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŅØŹƀŬØĺ ėŬăūƀăŅõƛ ėŎŬăłŎŰŹ ŨŬĤŎŬĤŹƛ̖̲
ŬăõŎŬûĤŅę̲̐ ŰØƛŰ nØŹŹ ØŬŹĺ㏏̐ Ŏė ŹĠă ŰƀŰŨăŅŰĤŎŅ ĤŹŰăĺė ØŅû ŹĠă
Chord Electronics’ managing harmonics of that; it’s often a Ņû ƕĠØŹ ĤŰ ŹĠØŹ ŰŎƀŅû ūƀØĺĤŹƛ
director. ŨĺăØŰØŅŹ ƕØŬłŹĠ̖ §ĠăŬă ØŬă ØĺŰŎ ăƚØõŹĺƛ̗ õõŎŬûĤŅę ŹŎ ØõĠăĺŎŬ ØŅû
łØŹăŬĤØĺŰ ĤŅ ŨĺØŹŹăŬŰ ŹĠØŹ Øûû his colleagues at Denon and
So, just as the job of the glass is ŰŎƀŅû̖ •ăŎŨĺă ĠØƔă òăõŎłă ƀŰăû ŹŎ Marantz, it’s a warm, natural
ŹŎ õØŬŬƛ ŹĠă ƕØŹăŬ ėŬŎł ŹĠă ŹØòĺă ŹŎ ŨĺØŰŹĤõ ŨĺØŹŹăŬŰ ØŅû ŹĠăŰă õØŅ łØķă overall balance; an accurate, clean
ƛŎƀŬ ĺĤŨŰ ̩ ŅŎŹ ŹŎ õĠØŅęă ŹĠă Ø ŰƀòŹĺă õĠƀŬõĠ̪ĺĤķă ŬăƔăŬò̖̲ bass; and wide stereo imaging with
ƲØƔŎƀŬ ŎŬ õŎĺŎƀŬ ŹĠă ĺĤūƀĤû ĤŅ ØŅƛ Ø ęŎŎû ŰăŅŰă Ŏė ûăŨŹĠ ØŅû ĠăĤęĠŹ̖
ƕØƛ ̩ ƛŎƀŬ ĠĤ̪Ʊ ŰƛŰŹăł ŰĠŎƀĺû òă nØƛòă ƕă̵Ɣă Øĺĺ òăõŎłă RŹ̵Ű łƀŰĤõØĺĺƛ ėƀŅ ŹŎ ĺĤŰŹăŅ ŹŎ ƕĤŹĠ
true to its name and deliver the accustomed to some degree of emotional involvement, rather
ŬăõŎŬûĤŅę ØŰ ėØĤŹĠėƀĺĺƛ ØŰ ŨŎŰŰĤòĺă̖ additive in our audio listening, but ŹĠØŅ ŨƀŬă ûăŹØĤĺăû ŬăŰŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ̖
that doesn’t mean there is no such ŰŎƀŅû ƕĤŹĠ Ø ęŎŎû ŰăŅŰă Ŏė ŬĠƛŹĠł
But, as noble as that aim is, does ŹĠĤŅę ØŰ Ø ŬĤŹĤŰĠ ĠĤ̪Ʊ ŰŎƀŅû̖ aƀŰŹ ØŅû ûƛŅØłĤõŰ ŹĠØŹ ûŬØƕŰ ŹĠă
ŹĠă ęĺØŰŰ Ŏė ƕØŹăŬ ØŅØĺŎęƛ ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ because none of these British audio listener in.
ŰŹØŅû ƀŨ̗ !ŎłŨØŬăû ŹŎ ŬăõŎŬû ăŅęĤŅăăŬŰ ĤŰ ûŎĤŅę ĤŹ ŎŅ ŨƀŬŨŎŰă̐
ŨĺØƛăŬŰ̐ ØłŨĺĤƱăŬŰ ØŅû that doesn’t mean that, from the
ĺŎƀûŰŨăØķăŬŰ̐ ŹĠă ęĺØŰŰ ĤŰ Ø ŰĤłŨĺă
ûăƔĤõă̖ §ĠăŬă ØŬă ŅŎ ŨŬŎòĺăłŰ Ŏė
leakage, mechanical loss, the
ĤŅƱûăĺĤŹƛ Ŏė ûĤęĤŹØĺ ŹŎ ØŅØĺŎęƀă
õŎŅƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ ŰŨĺĤŹŹĤŅę Ŏė ƕØŹăŬ ĤŅŹŎ
ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ėŬăūƀăŅõĤăŰ ŎŬ ĤŰŰƀăŰ Ŏė
unwanted resonance. The water
ŬĤŨŨĺăŰ̐ łØƛòă Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă Ŏė ĤŹ
ăƔØŨŎŬØŹăŰ̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ŰŹĤĺĺ ŹØŰŹăŰ
ăƚØõŹĺƛ ŹĠă ŰØłă ØŰ ĤŹ ûĤû ƕĠăŅ ĤŹ
ĺăėŹ ŹĠă ŹØŨ̖

NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ƕĠăŅ òƀĤĺûĤŅę Ø ŨĤăõă
Ŏė ĠĤ̪Ʊ ăūƀĤŨłăŅŹ̐ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă
ĺĤłĤŹØŹĤŎŅŰ ØŅû õŎłŨŬŎłĤŰăŰ ŹŎ

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