Macworld May 2018

Are you curious about buying a new $329 iPad? This month we give you five compelling reasons to pick one up. We also review a formidable competitor to the Apple Watch: the Fitbit Versa. Get all of the details from Apple’s Education Event and find out why Apple will soon be a force in the classroom. We review the top 5 VPN services and tell you which one is best for your needs. And last but not least, we have our first look at Fortnite on iOS. All this and more in the May issue of Macworld.

In This Issue

MacUser

You can now buy the coolest part of the iMac Pro without spending $5,000

Along with an updated 9.7-inch iPad with Pencil support and new classroom-based tools for students and teachers, Apple had one more surprise up its sleeve for its Chicago event. A space gray–colored surprise. Apple is now selling its too-cool-for-school space gray iMac Pro accessories as an option along with the standard silver color. As you might have expected, they cost more than the ones Apple gives out with regular iMac purchases, but they’re still less than the astronomical prices people are selling them for on eBay. The prices are as follows: Magic KeyboardSilver: $129Space Gray: $149 Magic Mouse 2Silver: $79Space Gray: $99 Magic Trackpad 2Silver: $129Space Gray: $149 Apple introduced the new accessories along with the Space Gray iMac Pro in late December. Starting at $5,000, the new all-in-one computer is the most…

1 min

MacUser

Tim Cook discusses privacy, regulation, U.S. manufacturing, and education

On the morning following Apple’s education event in Chicago, CEO Tim Cook sat down with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and Recode’s Kara Swisher to talk about a variety of Apple-related topics. The interview was filmed in front of a live audience, and portions of Cook’s responses were released before the interview aired on April 6 at 8 p.m. EDT as part of MSNBC and Recode’s “Revolution” series. Here are some highlights. ON EDUCATION “Our view is education is the great equalizer of people,” Cook said. “If you look at many of the issues in society today, you can find the root in people don’t have access to quality education today.” Cook placed a big emphasis on learning to code, too. “I want America to be strong. First and foremost. And one base…

4 min

MacUser

Apple proposes nine new accessibility emojis

Apple has proposed nine new emoji to the Unicode consortium for inclusion in the standard set of images. If accepted, they will appear in Emoji 12.0, which is scheduled for release early in 2019. In itself, that’s not a big deal, but Apple’s focus here is laudable. All nine emoji are aimed at better representation for people with disabilities. Apple makes its intentions clear in its proposal letter to the Unicode Consortium. One in seven people around the world has some form of disability, whether that be a physical disability involving vision, hearing, or loss of physical motor skills, or a more hidden, invisible disability. The current selection of emoji provides a wide array of representations of people, activities, and objects meaningful to the general public, but very few speak…

2 min

MacUser

Intel Inside: The CPUs Apple could stuff in the next MacBooks

With Intel’s recent introduction of its 8th generation Coffee Lake CPUs, it’s again that time of the year when the reality TV show called MacBook gets to act as a romance-seeking laptop looking for new internals. While the future of the MacBook could see a marriage with an Apple-made ARM processor, the immediate future of the MacBook sees the continuation of the courtship with Intel and its x86 CPUs. Using our knowledge of previous MacBook configurations and what other laptop makers are using, we’re willing to make a few forecasts on what to expect, and what kind of performance difference they will make. MACBOOK: MINOR CHANGES AHEAD Of all the laptops Apple currently sells, the MacBook (mid 2017) is the one least likely to undergo a major processor change. The…

7 min

MacUser

Where Apple’s reinvention of the keyboard may go next

Keyboards are important. While speech-to-text technology has come a long way, I suspect there will always be value in writing one letter after another with your hands. Apple clearly thinks so, too, because in recent weeks there have been reports about several new Apple patents regarding keyboard technology. From those patents to the controversial innovations that drove the latest generation of MacBook keyboards, Apple’s continues to push the boundaries of text input. So what do Apple’s current technology directions suggest about where the company might be innovating in the future when it comes to keyboards? A RELIABLE TOOL I’ll admit that as a writer, I’m especially opinionated when it comes to keyboards. As a writer friend of mine told me a very long time ago, keyboards are to us what…

5 min

MacUser

How to download your Facebook data

With all the news about Facebook recently, you might be wondering, what exactly does Facebook know about me from my profile? Sure, you can peruse your profile online, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. One way to see what Facebook has on you is to download your Facebook data. The ability to download your Facebook data isn’t really new, but not many users know that you can do it. It only takes a few minutes; how long depends on how big your data files are. Here are the steps to download your Facebook data. If you’ve decided that you want to leave Facebook completely, here’s how to delete, disable, or limit your Facebook account, see the next article. DOWNLOADING YOUR FACEBOOK DATA 1. Go to your Facebook page and…

3 min