Índex per December 2017 a Macworld

With the release of macOS High Sierra and its upgrade for SSD-based startup volumes to Apple File System (APFS), Macworld readers had many questions about how this new filesystem—more efficient and reliable for SSDs—will interact with older Macs, hard drives, networked filesharing, and more. Here are the answers. Many questions revolve around a concern that files stored on an APFS formatted volume won’t be readable or usable elsewhere. Generally, a filesystem structure only affects the way in which documents are stored on a drive. When the files are retrieved, they’re independent of that format and can handle just as they would in any other case, like downloading a file from a website. CAN I OPT TO NOT INSTALL APFS? No. It’s mandatory on SSDs when you upgrade to High Sierra. Fusion drive…

Photoshop Elements 2018 ($100 on Amazon), Adobe’s consumer photo editor, concentrates on giving its targeted family-oriented users new ways to jazz up mundane snaps for sharing with friends, family, and social media pals. It features a flurry of new guided edits, a super-easy selection tool, and improved integration of its Adobe Sensei AI and machine learning framework. Photoshop Elements 2018 also introduces a convenient new naming convention for its annual updates, substituting old-fashioned sequential version numbers with the upcoming year. ORGANIZER APP Like Photoshop’s Bridge, the Elements Organizer helper app that ships with both Photoshop Elements and the Premiere Elements video editor, provides the bedrock for locating, selecting, and searching your photo collection for the best shots to edit or share, or to use in creating an artwork or building a slideshow. The…

The coolest connected toys of 2015 are back for round two this fall. Sphero has just rolled out— sorry—the similar BB-9E and the even grander R2-D2 (follow-ups to its delightful app-controlled BB-8). And now Anki is back with a new edition of Anki Overdrive—this time with the blockbuster Fast & Furious film license attached. It’s such an obvious fit, pairing the explosive action of the smash movie series with Anki’s speedy connected cars, and the familiar rides from this year’s The Fate of the Furious fit in perfectly with Overdrive’s existing supercars. By and large, the addition of movie branding doesn’t result in massive changes to the two-year-old experience, but it brings a little more personality and pop to the still-fun experience. OVERDRIVE, ALL OVER AGAIN At its core, the Fast & Furious…

You might have missed the Apple references during the recent Google Pixel 2 event, but they were there. There was VP of Product Management Mario Queiroz telling the crowd, “We don’t set aside better features for the larger devices.” Or pointing out that “even iMessages” would be transferred over when you decide to switch. And let’s not forget the woman taking a big bite out of an apple during the Pixel 2’s intro video. In fact, it seemed like every new Google product released last week had a singular message seemingly aimed squarely at Apple. Google might have a long way to go before it starts selling iPhone-like numbers of Pixel phones, but there is one important area where it’s firmly in the lead, and it has nothing to do…

The Meem (available on Amazon for $47 [32GB], $61 [64GB], or $60 [128GB]), is a USB 2.0 charging cable that includes cloud-free backup storage. Available for iOS devices with a Lightning port or micro-USB for Android, the Meem offers 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of flash memory built into one end of a stylish green cable. A small processor is also embedded into the 120.6mm x 21.1mm x 8.3mm black barrel at the Lightning end. The larger section of the cable is a little flexible, but be careful when setting it on a table or kitchen counter, because the Meem protrudes about four inches from the device. You’ll have to provide an AC power supply like the one shipped with your iOS device, but the Meem is otherwise ready to go. Plug it in and your device begins charging…

ALTO’S ADVENTURE Alto’s Adventure ($3) is one of the most beautiful iPhone games we’ve played on our iPhones and iPads, and—no surprise here—it’s also one of the most beautiful games you can play on your Apple TV. Its gorgeous, minimal artwork, which features flat environments, stark colors, and smooth animations, all holds up rather well on a living room flat screen. CHAMELEON RUN Chameleon Run ($2) is one awesome—but also very difficult—2D platform game. It’s like a hyper-speed version of Mario, albeit with a twist: to make it to the end of the level, you can only step on platforms that are the same color as your hero (pink or yellow). Land on anything else and your character detonates on the spot. CROSSY ROAD After all the hours we’ve poured into Crossy Road (free)…

A devastating flaw in Wi-Fi’s WPA security protocol makes it possible for attackers to eavesdrop on your data when you connect to Wi-Fi. Dubbed KRACK, the issue affects the Wi-Fi protocol itself—not specific products or implementations—and “works against all modern protected Wi-Fi networks,” according to Mathy Vanhoef, the researcher that discovered it. That means that if your device uses Wi-Fi, KRACK likely impacts it. Fortunately, major tech companies are moving quickly to patch the issue. Read on for what you need to know about the KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability, from how it works to how to best protect yourself against it. We’ll repeatedly update this article as more information becomes available. HOW DOES KRACK BREAK WI-FI SECURITY? KRACK (short for, uh, Key Reinstallation AttaCK) targets the third step in a four-way authentication “handshake” performed when your Wi-Fi client device…

For a device that was at the forefront of the home streaming revolution, Apple TV has always been a bit behind the times. The first generation required a computer to stream content. Third-party app support didn’t arrive until the fourth generation. And it’s only the most recent model that embraces the most popular video standards. It would be easy to dismiss Apple TV 4K as a me-too release. Had Apple TV 4K launched in 2015, HDR10 and Dolby Vision would have been pioneering features, but in 2017 they’re practically obligatory. Apple had no choice but to add 4K support just to ensure Apple TV isn’t completely overlooked by videophiles. It’s late to the party, but it just so happens that Apple TV 4K doesn’t feel like an afterthought. It might not bring anything to the table that you don’t…

Photos 3, part of macOS High Sierra, doesn’t bring much that’s truly new. Apple acknowledges this by listing changes as a combination of improvements and enhancements, a welcome bit of frankness. And I’d argue it’s great news, because many of the rough spots in the Sierra release that we heard about repeatedly from readers who ran afoul of them have been smoothed down. But Photos has come a long way since its first release in April 2015. That initial foray at replacing iPhoto with something fresher, faster, and better often fell short, because it was missing many features that people relied on with iPhoto. Apple released regular updates, however, and features returned, new ones appeared, and existing ones matured. Some people still hate it—I get emails—but it settled down for the most…

As Adobe boosts the presence of its AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning framework within its consumer imaging apps, Premiere Elements 2018 ($100 on Amazon) benefits with new features like Candid Moments and Smart Trim, as well as some intelligent updates to the companion Organizer app that ships with both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. Going forward, Elements adopts an updated naming convention that uses the upcoming year as part of the software name, as opposed to oldfashioned version numbers. The previous version number was 15. Adobe’s Organizer helper app, which ships alongside both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, offers an updated, wall-to-wall view of your photographic assets in much the same style as photo apps from Apple, Google, and Flickr. (For a detailed discussion of specific Organizer updates, see our review…

D-LINK OMNA 180 CAM HD Wi-Fi security cameras are becoming more of a fixture in smart homes thanks to integrations with Amazon Alexa, SmartThings, and even IFTTT. But D-Link’s $150 Omna 180 Cam HD is the first camera certified to work with Apple’s HomeKit platform, which makes this purchase a slam-dunk for Apple fans who are tapped into HomeKit. It’s a solid security camera— the image quality is great, motion detection is reliable with plenty of customization for adapting it to different situations, and the Omna companion app is elegant and easy to use. Plus, its sleek, cylindrical form evokes Apple’s attention to design. –MICHAEL ANSALDO RYLO 360-DEGREE VR CAM 360-degree cameras are nothing new, but with a handful of crafty software tricks, the $499 Rylo cam rises well above the fray. Rylo is small…

ITune’s 12.7 removed the iOS app store, which means you can’t buy or manage your iPhone and iPad apps when your devices are connected to your Mac. Some people don’t like it, and if you really don’t want to change your ways, there’s a workaround: You can install iTunes 12.6.3 and get back access to the iOS app store. There is a catch, though. Apple provides support only for the latest version of iTunes, which means that iTunes 12.6.3 is not supported by the company and you can’t get technical support if you need it. iTunes 12.6.3 was originally released to address the needs of businesses and enterprise customers that prefer the app management method built into iTunes prior to version 12.7. You can learn more about iTunes 12.6.3 by reading…

As smartphone cameras have become more powerful, it’s gotten a whole lot easier for a serious iPhone photographer to justify spending hundreds of dollars on accessory lenses, tripods, and gimbals designed to drag the best images and video possible out of their handsets. These extras don’t come cheap and their diminutive size makes them easy to lose. Stashing them in your backpack or camera bag makes them difficult to find or organize and eliminates the size savings that rolling through a photo shoot with nothing but a smartphone imparts. What’s needed is a bag designed specifically for smartphone photography. With its iPhone Camera Bag ($99 to $129 MSRP), Waterfield Designs has attempted to give us exactly that. DESIGN Waterfield Designs called it an iPhone Camera Bag but, provided your handset’s no larger…

The latest edition of Parallels Desktop is not only ready for macOS High Sierra, but already supports the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update as well. Apple and Microsoft have settled into annual update schedules for macOS and Windows, which means you can expect virtualization software dependent upon both platforms to arrive around the same time. TOUCH BAR WIZARD If you own a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac is a must-have upgrade. That’s because key features of Windows 10 will now appear on the Touch Bar while a VM is running, a feature that works straight away for the Start Menu, Cortana, Desktop, File Explorer, and popular web browsers like Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. Microsoft Office 2016 applications are also imbued with Touch Bar capabilities, offering multiple command…

So, you want to build a streaming service. At this point, the evidence that Apple is jumping into streaming is incontrovertible. You don’t pony up a boatload of cash for the likes of Steven Spielberg and not build a streaming service. Nor do you just shove that into Apple Music, a platform which has proved to be only half-baked when it comes to streaming video. No, this kind of $1 billion investment seems to call for a major revision to infrastructure as well. This is a serious investment, and so of course Apple’s going to want to be serious about how it builds a service. So, let’s take a look at what’s critical in such an endeavor. PUT IT ALL TOGETHER Here’s the thing: Apple’s already got all the ingredients…

In some ways, Channels DVR is tough to recommend. The subscription cost is greater than other over-the-air DVR options, the hardware requirements are more stringent, and even some basic features–like conflict resolution–are absent. Yet one feature manages to compensate for those weaknesses: With the press of a button, you can skip through entire commercial breaks in any recorded program. Only TiVo’s Roamio OTA offers similar ad-skipping powers, and Channels is a much slicker solution that runs on Apple TV and iOS devices rather than a clunky set-top box. Channels also excels at the little things, like loading live channels quickly, and preserving the full video and audio quality of broadcast TV. If the service could just fix some of its other shortcomings, it could be the undisputed DVR champ--at least for Apple…

Apple’s not a company that backtracks easily. It’s got a lot of pride and a reputation for moving forward. And yet every so often the company makes a decision that it thinks is right and is ultimately proven to be completely wrong. In 2008, Apple removed FireWire from the MacBook, only to put it back in 2009. In 2009 the iPod Shuffle went buttonless, only to revert to its previous buttony design in 2010. The thirdgeneration iPod, with its row of touch-sensitive controls, was a similar design cul-de-sac. And the most recent example is the Mac Pro, which Apple introduced to fanfare, but ultimately admitted was a mistake. I’ve been thinking about all of these visible failures because I’m starting to imagine what Apple might do if it decides that some of the decisions it’s made…

Keymand ($20 on the iTunes store) is an iPad app that turns the iPad into an application-specific keyboard for Mac applications like Final Cut Pro. Hardware application-specific keyboards exist, but they aren’t particularly well-suited to tasks beyond the ones for the apps they are designed for. Keymand can work with a wide array of apps, not just production apps that most application-specific keyboards focus on. Keymand syncs with a free Mac companion app through a required Lightning-to-USB connection, which also keeps your tablet charged while working. Sadly, the app syncing via the iPad Pro Smart Connector isn’t supported. SHORTCUT COMMANDER After launching both apps, click Connect on the Mac side, then tap Accept at the iPad prompt. When the sync indicator changes from red to green, Keymand is ready to use, automatically reconnecting whenever the…

Augmented reality apps have been around for some time now, but they’ve often been clunky or rudimentary. But Apple is pushing hard on an AR future with iOS 11, thanks to ARKit. The tech allows developers to create smarter, more responsive apps that tweak and enhance your real world via the lens of your iPhone or iPad screen. And creators were ready and waiting. When iOS 11 dropped in September, there were dozens of ARKit-ready apps available, some of which built upon past AR ideas and others that debuted new concepts. If you’re eager to see what’s possible, whether it’s with apps or games, we’ve picked out 10 of the most impressive ARKit experiences so far. 1. SKY GUIDE AR ($3) Star-finding apps have been iOS highlights for years now,…

Constructed from sturdy aluminum, the Udoq ($111 to $219) is a docking station for charging multiple smartphones and tablets. The Applespecific version includes MFi-certified Lightning cables that snake through the back, snapping into patented connectors which slide along a track on the bottom and can be moved to any position. Height is also adjustable, allowing the dock to be used without removing most protective cases. There are four models available; I reviewed the Udoq400 ($147), which at 15.75 inches wide was a tad long for my desk, but perfect for the kitchen counter. (By comparison, the largest Udoq700 ($219) tops out at 27.56 inches, enough for all three iPad sizes with room to spare for two iPhones.) The Udoq’s unique design allows owners to mix and match with Android devices with a…

Into the Dead 2 Quick! Need a free, fun, seasonally-appropriate game to play before the Halloween season ends and we’re all thinking about Thanksgiving instead? You’re in luck: PikPok just released Into the Dead 2, the sequel to one of the best endless runners ever seen on the App Store. The Talos Principle The Witness hit the App Store in September, and now The Talos Principle brings another one of the most beloved puzzle games from the past couple years to your iPhone and iPad. The most obvious comparison is probably Valve’s quintessential Portal. Stranger Things Stranger Things is back on Netflix with a second season, but that’s not the only thing that viewers should be excited about this month: there’s also a mobile game, and unlike the vast majority of licensed games, it’s…

The Apple Watch Series 3 has relieved my Forgotten Phone Anxiety. You know the feeling: You reach your destination and paw at the outside of your pocket to feel the phonesized lump and it isn’t there. And you panic. Mind you, my stomach still drops when I realize my phone isn’t with me (even times when I had purposefully left it at home), but now my fears quickly subside. With an LTE-equipped Apple Watch Series 3 on my wrist, I don’t need to turn around and head back to my house. I know that if someone is trying to get in touch with me, they can, and if an urgent email comes in, I can answer it. That being said, I didn’t need more than a couple days with my LTE-equipped Apple…

Netgear makes well-built, super-fast NAS boxes that we truly enjoy testing. The ReadyNAS RN422 might seem expensive—you can buy one at Amazon, without drives, for $360—but they’re actually quite affordable compared to similar businessgrade products from QNAP and Synology. While aimed at the enterprise, this class of hardware is outstanding for media streaming and backup on a home network. The only downside is the occasional need for above-average tech chops for things like setting up a website server or FTP backup. If that doesn’t faze you, then the RN422 (or any of its siblings: the RN424, RN426, or RN428, offering four, six, and eight drive bays respectively) will serve you well. Pun intended. DESIGN AND FEATURES The RN422 is a two-bay box with a frontpanel LCD and five modern-looking, blue-backlit…

Sonos has multi-room audio down to a science, but it desperately needed a speaker capable of voice recognition if it was to fend off the veritable flood of smart speakers coming to market. The Sonos One is that speaker. It sounds better than the last entry-level Sonos speaker, it’s compatible with Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant, and it will be compatible with Google Assistant soon. It’s a great speaker for the price, and it’s a must-have component for music lovers living in modern smart homes. If you already have Sonos speakers in other rooms, you can control all of them with voice commands with the addition of a single Sonos One to your network. Once you have that, you can control any Sonos speaker from any Amazon Echo. There are some…

Safari bookmark sync out of whack? Here’s the solution iCloud has a feature that lets you sync your Safari bookmarks across your Macs, iPhones, and iPads. However, Macworld reader Mark has a tale that sounds nearly appropriate for Halloween: disappearing and haunted bookmarks: I upgraded my MacBook recently and transferred everything across surprisingly easy. After a few weeks, the bookmarks disappeared in favor of the defaults (Apple, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook). I recovered following your advice with Time Machine, but after a few minutes or hours or even days, they switch back to default again. I suggested to Mark that this sounded like an out-of-phase synchronization problem. With iCloud enabled to sync Safari in iOS and macOS, it sounds as though iCloud decided the “truth” of the bookmark state was the defaults…