Table of contents for December 2018 in Macworld

Apple recently unveiled a revamped privacy website to educate users on how the company handles the personal information that it collects. The website covers how your data is protected, who can access it, and iOS and Mac features you can use to further protect your personal data. Apple’s new privacy website also now lets you get a copy of the data that Apple collects about you. Here’s how to get your copy. HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PERSONAL DATA FROM APPLE 1. On the Apple privacy website, go to the Manage Your Privacy section. 2. The top of the Manage Your Privacy website is a section called “Here’s how to manage your privacy.” Click on Manage Your Apple ID. 3. Scroll to the “Take charge of your data” section. Click on Visit…

If you are the designated family memoirist, you can count on Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 to give your run-of-the-mill photos a bit of a kick. The latest version of 2019 vintage does a good job of augmenting automated aspects of the program while giving the opening sequence a fresh coat of paint. Increasingly, Adobe’s creative apps rely on Adobe Sensei, the company’s artificial intelligence engine, and the first thing you’ll notice when launching Photoshop Elements 2019 is the brand-new Home Screen. This light, airy window into the Elements world presents you with the new Auto Creations feature, a series of photo and video collages and slideshows generated from the content you added to the Elements Organizer. While Organizer, the asset management helper app for both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, got…

Apple seems to have finally figured out exactly what the Apple Watch is for, and built just the right hardware to do it. The Apple Watch isn’t a little smartphone-lite on your wrist, but is now more narrowly focused on being a health and fitness accessory that provides lots of quick, glanceable information. The Series 4 hardware is the first true “generational” update since the original Apple Watch, and it’s a great expression of that new focus. The much faster processor makes interactions instantaneous, smooth, and precise. The upgraded sensors have the kind of fidelity and range to enable all kinds of new health and fitness tracking. The larger, higher-res display can show more complications and makes text and icons easier to read. And the upgraded mic and speakers make…

If you’d asked me a little over a year ago, I might have told you that Apple’s silicone iPhone cases were among the worst products on its shelves. Friends who’d bought them for the iPhone 6 and before told me horror stories of the silicone peeling as though it had a tragic skin condition, or how it retained grease as enthusiastically as a Waffle House napkin. Occasionally I even saw the evidence myself. In June, though, I picked up one of the newer versions in a bar on a friend’s iPhone X. I immediately wanted to take it home. So grippy! So slim! My own third-party case felt like a brick by comparison. As the iPhone refresh that culminated in the XS was still a few months away, I resolved…

The team at Aspyr certainly understands their Civ. While I had my attention focused elsewhere, they advanced so far down their technology tree that they managed to stuff a game as complex as Civilization VI on the iPhone and make it look as though it belonged there all along. If this were a game of Civ, I would have figured such a feat would have taken them a few more turns. After all, it was only a little over a year ago when my jaw dropped at the sight of Civilization VI running on an iPad; its complex mouse-and-keyboard controls brilliantly translated to Apple’s language of taps and swipes. But that’s the little leagues compared to what I’m seeing here. I can build empires on the subway. I can usher…

Long-time iPhone users should be familiar with the iPhone product release cycle by now. Usually, it works like this: Apple releases a major product, then the following year is the “S” generation of iPhones that offer incremental upgrades. In this case, the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are the incremental upgrades to last year’s iPhone X. The iPhone X was an exciting release, so what can the iPhone XS do to follow it up? It does plenty, but if you currently own an iPhone X, you’ll probably be fine with sitting this model out and waiting to see what happens next year. If you own an older iPhone, now’s the time to upgrade. You’ll be glad you did. FASTER IS ALWAYS BETTER You can never have too much speed in…

The Mac has avoided widespread malware, and Apple tries to keep ahead of the ways in which malicious software can gain a foothold in macOS. In 2015 with El Capitan, that was System Integrity Protection, to keep system files from being modified. Sierra in 2017 removed an option to allow unsigned Mac apps to run without a prompt. Now in Mojave, macOS has forced apps to request certain kinds of system-level privileges for behavior that it generally allowed in previous releases. In some cases with older apps that haven’t been updated, you have to take a manual step to keep them working, too. If you have any of these apps installed, after upgrading to Mojave you will receive prompts or warnings from them, explaining that you have to approve or add…

Apple TV just got a lot more interesting for cord-cutters now that its TV app supports PlayStation Vue. The TV app, which aggregates video from different providers into a unified TV guide, previously didn’t integrate with any live TV streaming bundles. If you wanted to watch cable channel programming through that guide, you had to download and log into individual apps from networks like NBC and FX. Those apps don’t support DVR the way PlayStation Vue does, they don’t always offer live TV feeds, and in some cases require repeat logins because they don’t support Apple’s single sign-on feature. The whole thing was a hassle that made the TV app easy to ignore. PlayStation Vue, which starts at $45 per month for more than 45 channels, appears to be the…

HOW TO USE MULTIPLE DRIVES WITH TIME MACHINE FOR REDUNDANT BACKUPS When you create a backup system for your data, duplication is the best course of action. I don’t mean duplicating the files—that’s a requirement—but duplicating the destinations to which files are bound. Every form of backup media is destined to fail, and despite high reliability from cloud-backup services, you can’t put all your faith that any of them will always be perfect. Even a system with “five nines” of reliability (99.999 percent) may suffer a loss, and the universe might pick you to experience that loss. The rule of thumb is summarized as 3-2-1: three copies of your data, two of them local, and one offsite. One copy is your live version on your active drives; one can be…

In early October, Bloomberg published a bombshell article uncovering an extraordinary hardware hacking effort by state-sponsored Chinese agents. “The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies” details successful efforts by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to implant tiny chips into the motherboards of servers made by Super Micro, to compromise those systems and give them access. It’s an extensive piece of reporting, too complex to fully summarize here. To really understand all the details, you should read the original article. Citing many sources both inside affected companies and the U.S. government, the article explains that the PLA infiltrated Super Micro or its suppliers to sneak tiny hardware chips—as small as the tip of a sharpened pencil—into server motherboards. Super Micro is one of the world’s…

Is there such a thing as a bag with too many pockets? You’ll never catch me uttering such blasphemy, but I can easily imagine someone pointing to the WaterField Air Porter as proof of decadence most dire. It has 10 interior pockets, 4 exterior pockets, and even more pockets in an optional removable sleeve. Depending on how you interpret the term, it even has pockets in some of the pockets. Somehow WaterField manages to turn this bag into something that’s both incredibly portable yet capable of carrying fairly hefty loads, making it perfect for both the streets and the skies. HIDDEN DEPTHS The Air Porter sounds like a complex bag, and in some respects it is. The beauty of it, though, is that you’d never know that from a quick glance.…

So it’s official. Photoshop—real Photoshop—is coming to the iPad next year. If you’re someone who uses Photoshop, uses the iPad to get work done, or both, this is big news. It’s a huge shot in the arm for the iPad Pro and another sign of where Apple’s platforms are going in the future. In 2019, iOS apps aren’t just coming to the Mac—one of the biggest and most important Mac apps is coming to iOS. THE POWER OF THE FAMILIAR Most of the time when I mention Photoshop around my fellow computer nerds, it’s met with a raised eyebrow. Lots of tech people dislike Adobe’s pioneering of the software subscription route, and there are numerous alternatives to Photoshop out there. On the Mac alone, there are excellent apps like Acorn and…

In an age of smartwatches with cellular chips and near edge-to-edge screens, the Fitbit Charge 3 is something of a throwback. It doesn’t have a color screen. You can’t install third-party apps. It doesn’t even store music. But even without many of the things that make a smartwatch, well, smart, the Charge 3 may as well be Fitbit’s flagship device. The Ionic and Versa have higher price tags and more features, but the Charge 3 is the perfect balance of smartwatch and fitness tracker. Rather than trying to chase Apple or Samsung with large-screened devices that can answer calls, turn off the lights, and play games, the Charge 3 is just smart enough to be relevant in a crowded wearable field. The Charge 3 won’t help you unplug or let you leave your…

Wall Kickers Wall Kickers isn’t about misplaced aggression, but rather vaulting a little pixel character skyward by bouncing from wall to wall while avoiding myriad obstacles. And it’s rarely as simple as just bouncing back and forth between parallel walls. Add in electric walls and other hazards, and Wall Kickers always finds a way to keep you on your toes. Valleys Between Valleys Between is a gorgeous puzzler about the ebb and flow of nature. Simple swipes are used to raise and lower chunks of terrain, which generates different results. For example, you might raise up some trees and then combine them into a forest, which also creates new land nearby, or raise up some grass to help animals wander across the grid. Where Shadows Slumber Where Shadows Slumber looks a fair bit like Monument…

Sure, the Apple Watch is a huge success, outselling all rivals, but there are still a lot of fence-sitters not sure if it’s really a worthwhile addition to their Apple ecosystem. And not everyone is a watch person. If this sounds like you, it’s time to get off the fence. The improvements in Series 4—a bigger display, faster processor, and better sensors—make the Apple Watch downright delightful to use, elevating it from “neat gadget for Apple fans” to “gotta-have-it addition to your iPhone.” The $399 starting price is disappointingly high, but this is the Apple Watch that finally feels like it delivers on the promise Apple has been building toward for the last four years. THE NEW DISPLAY: 30% BIGGER IS 100% BETTER The most immediately noticeable difference in the…

We already know Google collects a ton of data on us, and a lot of it comes from search. Google offers plenty of ways to limit the amount of data you have lying around, but they’re not all that easy to find. Starting today, Google is making it easier to both see and delete your search activity. Previously, you could visit your Google Account in Settings on Android phones or on the web on iOS, tap Manage your data & personalization and then My Activity to see your search results. Then you needed to tap the three-dot menu and select Delete to get rid of something. Finding your search history on desktops was just as cumbersome. Google is simplifying that process in a big way. Instead of hitting up your account,…

Having previously checked out 1More’s first products—Dual Driver and Triple Driver in-ear-headphones—and coming away impressed with the gorgeous packaging, excellent design, and good sound at a modest price, I was keenly interested to review its new Triple Driver Over-Ear headphones. I am happy to report that the young company has delivered another great value in personal audio. As the name suggests, each ear cup is outfitted with three drivers: A ceramic tweeter delivers the top end, while a full-range 40mm graphene dynamic driver paired with a bass reflector provides extended bass response. The headphones are Hi-Res certified, offering frequency response of 20Hz to 40kHz. These cans weigh in at a modest 10.4 ounces. They present impedance of 32 Ohms and sensitivity of 104dB, which makes them a perfect complement for…

I’m excited about the new iPads and MacBook that we saw from the October event. As you know, I was also excited about a possible update to the Apple Pencil. But I’m going to go ahead and say this, as it’s sometimes best to remind a company to get the little things out of the way: On top of everything else, I’d really, really like to see a space gray version of the regular Magic Keyboard. Apple originally designed the space gray keyboard, trackpad, and Magic Mouse solely for the $5,000 iMac Pro, lending a premium look for Apple’s most powerful desktop to date. That exclusivity didn’t last long, though, perhaps because iMac Pro owners quickly took to eBay to sell their space gray peripherals for exorbitant prices that probably made…

SAMSUNG Q8FN 4K UHD TV The Samsung Q8FN 4K UHD TV is a Quantum-dot television that can hold its own with the finest TVs at any price point. The HDR is vibrant, the colors true, and the blacks very dark. In addition to being quite bright, the picture was largely artifact free. There’s very little blooming or other artifacts with bright objects on a black background. The TV is equipped with four 60Hz HDMI ports, with one supporting ARC (Audio Return Channel; a coax connector for cable or an OTA antenna (there is a tuner on board); two USB ports; an ethernet port; and an optical audio output. A/V and component input is supported via 3.5mm ports and adapter cables. There are also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters onboard.—JON L. JACOBI…

For obvious reasons, we spend a lot of time focusing on Apple here, but let’s take a moment to turn our attention to another tech company (yes, there are others!) that competes in many of the same spaces. In mid-October, Google introduced a slew of new devices, from new smartphones to a tablet to a smart home speaker with a screen. And while there will always be those who prefer one company’s products to another’s, it’s important to have competition in this space in order to drive all companies—including Apple—forward. To that end, here’s a look at a few features that Google announced in its products that many users of Apple devices—including yours truly—would welcome with open arms on Apple’s own platforms. A BROADER SELFIE CANVAS Apple started adding more lenses to…

Anyone out of diapers in the 1980s will remember those infamous LifeCall television commercials. Although viewers got an unintentional chuckle out of poor old Mrs. Fletcher’s misfortune, in the days before smartphones and Bluetooth-connected devices, such medical alert products provided a glimpse of what the future might hold. WEARABLE BUTTON The modern equivalent of LifeCall are gadgets like Lotus by Seam, a futuristic-looking disc barely wider than a quarter (34.30mm to be exact) and 14.47mm thick including the built-in clip used to attach the unit to your shirt, belt, or handbag. (The device can also be worn on the wrist or around your neck with optional accessories priced at $25 and $28, respectively.) Available in white or black, Lotus pairs to the iPhone via Bluetooth and a free Seam Personal Safety…

DRAGALIA LOST This vibrant, fantasy role-playing game drops you into real-time combat scenarios on little battlefields, which you’ll navigate with simple taps and swipes… oh, and you can transform into an enormous dragon, too. Over time, you can unlock more and more heroes, which is where the potentially pricey in-app purchases come into play, or you can just grind and grind in this freemium affair. And Dragalia Lost (free) definitely has Nintendo-elevated production values, with fully-voiced characters, original songs, and a sharp anime-inspired aesthetic. LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM The original Life is Strange was one of our must-play iOS picks of 2017, with the multi-part narrative game delivering a tale of intrigue as you controlled a teenage girl suddenly imbued with time-altering powers. Prequel story Life is Strange:…

Since the beginning, Wi-Fi network standards have been designated by a set of numbers and letters only an engineer could love. 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11ac (there are two letters now?)… how can you possibly expect regular users to know what they’re buying or connecting to? In a stunningly rational move, the Wi-Fi Alliance (the industry group that sets Wi-Fi standards) has decided to dump the confusing alphabet soup and go with simple version numbers. The networking standard previously known as 802.11ax will now be known as Wi-Fi 6, and it’s coming in 2019. Here are some answers to common questions about the new standard. WHAT’S WITH THE NEW NUMBERS? The Wi-Fi Alliance has decided that simply using IEEE standard designations on products is probably a little too confusing. Now, instead of…

The new MacBook Pros aren’t cheap. The least expensive 13-inch model costs $1,800 and goes all the way up to $6,700 for the maxed-out 15-inch model with a 2.9GHz Intel Core i9 processor. And now there’s a hidden catch that might make them way more expensive. Along with the high price tag and any dongles you may need to purchase to get your old USB-A devices up and running, you might be in for a rude awakening if you try to fix your new MacBook Pro. As reported by Motherboard, Apple has introduced new software locks with its new laptops that “will render the computer ‘inoperative’ unless a proprietary Apple ‘system configuration’ software is run after parts of the system are replaced.” The new policy, which is also being implemented on…

Genius, the massive online song lyrics database, just announced a partnership with Apple. Starting today, visitors to the Genius website or users of its iOS app will see a small player at the bottom of the screen while viewing a song’s lyrics. The player will use Apple Music to play a 30-second clip of the song, and Apple Music subscribers can play the entire thing by signing in. The Apple Music service as a whole benefits from the partnership, too, as Genius will provide lyrics to thousands of songs on the service. Lyrics have been featured in Apple Music for a long time, but they are often criticized for spotty accuracy. A great many popular songs don’t have lyrics at all. Adding lyrics from Genius should drastically improve both problems:…