Table of contents for July 2016 in Macworld

The menu bar at the top of your computer screen has been with the Mac since the beginning. It’s one of the defining characteristics of the Mac, one that even Microsoft didn’t dare duplicate—in Windows, the menu bars go on the top of windows, not at the top of the screen. The Mac menu bar is a constant, a north star. Except…things have been getting a little weird lately. Last year, Apple added an Automatically Hide And Show The Menu Bar feature to the General pane of System Preferences. When that preference is selected—or when you’re in full-screen mode—the menu bar appears only when you move your mouse to the top of the screen. It feels spectacularly wrong to me, but then, I’ve been using a Mac since George Bush…

WITH VERSION 15, the FileMaker platform (filemaker.com) gets better, and it was pretty good already (go.macworld.com/filemaker14rev). But in terms of features, FileMaker 15 is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary release. Many existing users may not feel the need to rush to upgrade, and both new and current users may find the new licensing options a bit confusing. FILEMAKER PRO 15 AT A GLANCE A powerful and widely used development platform gets better. PRICE WHEN RATED $329 individual license; $197 upgrade; licensing for teams pricing available FILEMAKER PRO ADVANCED 15 PRICE WHEN RATED $2,664 perpetual license or $888 annual license for up to five users; licensing available for more users FILEMAKER GO 15 PRICE WHEN RATED Free COMPANY FileMaker FILEMAKER GO FileMaker Go (free; go.macworld.com/filemakergo) allows iPhone and iPad users to…

YOU HAVE TO HAND IT TO QUARK: every few versions it adds a major new capability that has never existed in any program before. With QuarkXPress 2016 (quark.com/products/quarkxpress), it’s added the ability to—cue drum roll, please—convert imported PDF, EPS, and Adobe Illustrator files to native editable QuarkXPress objects. You can even convert objects or entire pages from Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), CorelDraw, Affinity Designer, and other apps. QuarkXPress 2016 has other innovative new features, many of them based on requests from users. QuarkXPress 2016 is also impressively fast and stable, and those upgrading will be delighted that XTensions written for QuarkXPress 2015 also work with QuarkXPress 2016 (as long as the XTension doesn’t conflict with a new function). And unlike Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress…

Wireless charging is slowly becoming more mainstream, but one company is going all-in to try to boost its adoption. In late May, Mophie (mophie.com) released three wireless chargers that can charge your Mophie-encased phone on contact. This “Charge Force” product line includes a charging pad for your nightstand, a vent clip for your car, and a desk mount for the office—all with built-in magnets to help stabilize your phone and keep it in place.   VIDEO To view this video, go to go. macworld.com/mophiechargervid   These wireless chargers require a compatible Mophie case. The company tells us that all Mophie cases moving forward will be equipped with this technology. In fact, Mophie’s Juice Packs for the Samsung Galaxy S7 that went on sale earlier this year are already Charge Force-compatible. I got…

APPLE TV SETTINGS, SIRI REMOTE TRICKS, AND MORE After installing your favorite streaming apps (go.macworld.com/strm) and playing some of the games (go.macworld.com/atvgames) designed just for tvOS on your Apple TV, you’re probably wondering what else this set-top box can do. There are a slew of under-the-radar features that let you customize your TV to your heart’s content and make it much easier to use. Apple just released tvOS 9.2, which baked a ton of functionality into the device (including some features from older TV models). Here are 30 tips and tricks to make the most out of your fourth-generation Apple TV. SIRI SEARCHES ACROSS APPS 1 Searching for stuff to watch on your Apple TV just got a whole lot easier with the help of Siri. If you search for…

In a perfectly productive world, your inbox would have a place for every email with every email in its place. But it’s easy to let messages stack up knowing Google’s powerful search can usually bail you out when you need to find a months-old missive. Still, there will be cases when you need the help of an advanced search operator. These terms can help you home in on what you’re looking for more quickly and accurately than a simple search. There are dozens of operators you can use, but we’ve narrowed down five of the most handy. 1. USE ‘IN:ANYWHERE’ TO SEARCH EVERYWHERE It’s a given that a general Gmail search crawls every nook and cranny of your inbox, right? Alas, no. Search ignores Spam and Trash unless you specifically…

Apple recently released iTunes 12.4, simplifying some of the complex navigation features that have been criticized in this version of the media management app. Apple’s release notes for iTunes 12.4 say: “Now enjoy all of your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more in a simpler design.” You can update iTunes through the App Store app on your Mac. When I reviewed iTunes 12 back in late 2014, I said, “Overall, I find the navigation confusing—it requires too many clicks to get around.” I find the changes Apple has wrought to the interface of iTunes 12.4 to be both positive and intuitive, and I think all users will find these new ways of navigation to be more efficient, once they get used to them. Navigating iTunes is now—or, again—centered on…

How to export a Live Photos movie into OS X Q: As I understand it, a Live Photos image has a .jpg file and a .mov file: the still JPEG shown normally and the MOV file “activated” when viewing the live portion (either on the iPhone 6s or in photos). — Sarah Kruberg A: She took a number of Live Photos on a trip, but discovered after importing them and deleting them she couldn’t figure out how to get access to the movie files. Apple makes it both easy and opaque. When you import a Live Photo into Photos for OS X, the app tags it: you can see the Live Photos icon in the lower left corner of a full preview of the image alongside the text label Live,…

In April, Apple updated the MacBook, making its already-ultraportable laptop faster and giving it a longer-lasting battery. These improvements certainly made the MacBook even more ideal for travelers and people who are always on the go. Still sporting just one USB-C port, the new MacBook was built for a truly wireless world, according to Apple, so you won’t be bogged down by superfluous wiring. With that travel-friendly mindset, we went on the hunt for the perfect backpack for taking your MacBook with you on all your summer adventures. Some of these backpacks are big enough to fit even a 17-inch MacBook Pro, but small enough to still be considered a carry-on should you happen to be boarding a plane to a far-off destination. Here are five of our favorite backpacks…

STANDARD LUGGAGE CO.’S CARRY-ON BACKPACK The $179 Carry-On Backpack by Standard Luggage Company (standardluggage.com) was intended for all types of travel, whether you’re going on a weekend getaway or some serious backpacking. You can tuck away the backpack straps and turn it into a duffel bag by holding it from the side handle, or add the shoulder strap and carry it like a messenger bag. The Standard Luggage backpack has a clamshell design, so you can open it and lay it out flat when you’re packing. In addition, it comes with a separate pocket for storing a 15-inch MacBook Pro. The main compartment can be expanded, too, if you happen to buy more stuff during your travels. —OSCAR RAYMUNDO HEX SOLO WALLET CASE FOR THE iPHONE 6/6S One of our…

On an unseasonably hot Wednesday at the end of May, a little voice in my head was telling me to run faster. “It’s time to get your heart rate up,” she told me. This wasn’t my inner masochist, like it usually is. On this particular run, it was the voice of Vi, a digital assistant baked inside a pair of prototype in-ear headphones. Vi is the first consumer product from wearable technology company LifeBeam, which has provided the tech backbone for products from Samsung, Under Armour, and JBL, among others. Now LifeBeam is partnering with Harman/Kardon for Vi, which debuted on Kickstarter (go.macworld.com/kickstartervi) recently. WHO IS VI? At first glance, LifeBeam’s wrap-around headset resembles the LG Tone, a pair of Bluetooth headphones with neck controls for volume. And while Vi…

BOOM: MUSIC PLAYER The free Boom: Music Player app (globaldelight.com/boomforios) for iOS promises to let you hear your tunes in highest-quality stereo, promising 3D Surround Sound, a 16-band equalizer, an “intensity slider,” and more. One warning: It only works for your downloaded music files, not streaming music. Model 15 By far the most expensive app we’re featuring, check out the $30 Model 15 (go.macworld.com/model15app)—an electronic recreation of the beloved synthesizer that first appeared in 1973. (And a cheaper version at that: Hardware models report-edly cost $10,000 or more.) Love some groovy old-school keyboard sounds? This is your app. Warning, though: Only 64-bit devices are supported. Clawtar Clawtar ($6 for iPad; clawtar.info) is “a musical instrument and MIDI controller with an adaptive interface.” The interface is laid out with…

Asset management? Your first thoughts likely run to databases of devices. Fixed. Immutable. Manual entry. A pain to change and keep up-to-date. Maybe even a walking tour of your building(s) every year to make sure the numbers in your database match your numbers on the floor. Fun times, yes? For the last several weeks I’ve been testing the Watchman Monitoring service (watchmanmonitoring.com), a web-based tool that uses a System Preference installed on every computer you own or manage to help you inventory and keep track of your Mac, PC, and Linux assets. Watchman Monitoring not only automatically collects information on all your devices, it also provides proactive monitoring of those devices, warning you about critical issues before they become real problems. Watchman Monitoring offers excellent options for consultants, enterprise and…

Apple released iTunes 12.4, changing a number of interface elements users had become familiar with for navigating their iTunes libraries. There are fewer buttons, and the interface is less cluttered (at least that’s my opinion) but some users are lamenting the loss of some of these buttons and menus, which allowed them to move around iTunes with just a few clicks. Remem It’s true that, for some features, you now need to click a bit more. For example, there was previously a row of icons near the top left of the iTunes window. These icons let you change media libraries, going from Music to Movies, or TV Shows to Audiobooks. But now, there’s a menu that Apple calls the Media Picker; you need to click that menu to choose a…

Remember when you first started using a web browser, how great it was to be able to save bookmarks? It was necessary back in the day, because you couldn’t remember all those URLs, and browsers didn’t auto-complete with addresses of your saved sites. They also didn’t suggest sites when you typed the name of a company or publication, so you needed to know the URL to get whereyou wanted. But the more bookmarks you save, the harder it is to find what you’re looking for. Remember that site where you saw that really interesting article last month? You bookmarked it, and you remember the title, but if you look in your Safari bookmarks, you have to either scan the entire list, or search for it. Sure, you can sort bookmarks…

The last time we took a look at extra tools and accessories to help you get more work done on an iPad, the iPad Pro was nothing more than a glass slab of rumors. As we now know, the iPad Pro is very real. Whether you’re thinking of picking up an iPad Pro, or already have one and want to get more out of the tablet, here are some accessories I’ve found that make working on the iPad Pro a breeze. APPLE’S SMART KEYBOARD There are several Bluetooth-enabled keyboards available for both sizes of the iPad Pro, but they’re often bulky and require charging. It only makes sense to use a keyboard that takes advantage of the iPad Pro’s Smart Connector. Apple’s Smart Connector provides power to the keyboard, and…

THE ABILITY TO REMOTELY access desktop computers on mobile devices feels futuristic every time I do it, but that captivation wears off right around the time I have to pinch and zoom to see what’s on screen or attempt to get any real work done from a remote system. Luckily, there’s Parallels Access (go.macworld.com/parallels). Paral-lels Access addresses these problems by allowing iOS and Android devices to not just access, but actually use Mac and Windows comput-ers from anywhere there’s an internet connection. Rather than replicate the computer’s display like other virtual network computing (VNC) apps do, Parallels Access adapts larger screens to smartphones, tablets, or web browsers. ACCESS 3.1 AT A GLANCE Parallels Access offers fast, optimized remote access to Mac and Windows computers from any iPhone, iPad, or iPod…

TOAST The Custom Cover (9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, all iPad Air and iPad mini models; $69 to $99; toastmade.com) is made from wood obtained from ecologically sustainable sources. The case grants full access to the iPad’s buttons and ports, can be personalized with your own logo or favorite artwork, and is available in walnut, bamboo, ebony, or ash. BRENTHAVEN The Medina (all iPad models; $100; brenthaven.com) is a messenger bag with plenty of room for your tablet and larger electronics. The bag sports a fashionable two-tone exterior with a genuine leather trim, a dedicated pocket for your iPad and your laptop, and a front panel for accessories that’s secured by a magnetic closure. For extra peace of mind, each Medina bag comes with an individual tracking number that can…

Jean-Francois Baril has a complicated problem to solve: He needs to have two monitors that mirror his iMac display, so that he can buy one iMac and use it in three different adjacent rooms (in a doctor’s office). Baril wonders if display mirroring would solve the problem. Yes! Any iMac model with two Thunderbolt ports can support one monitor via each port (go.macworld.com/thunderboltfaq) using the DisplayPort video standard, which uses the same connector type and passes over the Thunderbolt standard. You’ll also need to think about what resolution displays you want to use. You can get a 21.5-inch iMac either standard 1080p resolution (1920x1080 pixels) or 4K (4096x2304 pixels), or the 27-inch iMac with 5K (5120x2880 pixels). The 21.5-inch models can handle two 1080p displays (or thereabouts), while the 5K…

Ports are the unsung heroes of Apple’s biggest revolutions. We got USB with the iMac, FireWire and the 30-pin connector with the iPod, Lightning with the iPhone and iPad, and USB-C with the new MacBook. Whether the ports are fledgling or proprietary, Apple’s biggest breakthroughs have often centered around a new way to connect and charge, and its latest one might be making a surprise appearance on the next iPhone. Ports are the unsung heroes of Apple’s biggest revolutions. We got USB with the iMac, FireWire and the 30-pin connector with the iPod, Lightning with the iPhone and iPad, and USB-C with the new MacBook. Whether the ports are fledgling or proprietary, Apple’s biggest breakthroughs have often centered around a new way to connect and charge, and its latest one…