Table of contents for No. 201 in iCreate

MacBook Pro battery problems identified MacBook Apple has announced a voluntary recall of a number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery  that may overheat. The units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017. In a statement, Apple says: “To confirm which model you have, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen. If you have MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, mid 2015), enter your computer’s serial number on the program page to see if it is eligible for a battery replacement.” You should visit apple.com/support/ 15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-recall for details on how to have a battery replaced, free of charge. Apple Music hits 60 million subscriber mark Apple Music That’s still some way short of Spotify’s reported worldwide 100…

Animation and effects Using this dropdown you can make the three-second Live Photo loop continuously or bounce back and forth forever. Long Exposure combines multiple frames to create a soft motion blur from moving objects such as waves. Export options Here we’ve exported a Live Photo’s manually selected Key Photo as a still .jpg photo to send to friends. We’ve also used Photo’s Share menu to create a looping animated .gif file to share via social media. Key Photo A Live Photo is a collection of consecutive frames. A key frame is automatically chosen to represent the contents of a Live Photo. Choose a better Key Photo in the Edit panel. Change the colours and tones Although a Live Photo is a mini movie you can edit every frame’s colour…

Piano Roll The left edge contains a keyboard strip that references the vertical lines denoting pitch within the Piano Roll Editor, with the horizontal lines signifying time positions divisible by the timeline ruler shown above. The Inspector This panel consists of two control tabs for either the region or just selected notes. Crucially the sliders they house adjust time quantisation, pitch (transpose), and velocity in terms of how hard/loud the note is sounded. MIDI notes Notes are shown as small green strips that are ‘drawn’ into the region within the Editor’s display area. From here they can be selected, deleted, resized in length, or dragged horizontally and vertically to alter timing or pitch. The playhead The Piano Roll Editor has its own playhead that you can drag within the display…

Run apps Run apps on the Mac remotely, such as from your iPad. Tap instead of clicking, such as apps in the Dock, and press and drag to click and drag windows and other items. Code and access To access your Mac when you are away, leave it switched on and running AnyDesk. Make a note of the number code and click here to set a password for unattended access. Secret controls Swipe in from the left on the iPad to display a semi-circle of controls. Some show additional icons when you drag over them. Show the iPad’s keyboard by selecting this icon. Who has access? When someone connects to the Mac, this window appears showing who it is in the top half. The bottom half shows the permissions they…

Launch the preferences Open this window by heading over to OpenOffice>Preferences. Select ‘Load/Save’ from the left-hand menu and choose ‘General’ to see options for saving your documents. Select a timeframe Tell OpenOffice how regularly you would like it to save AutoRecovery information. By default, it is set to 15 minutes. The shorter you set it, the less likely you’ll lose work. Choose a file type While you’re here, it’s worth pointing out that you can change the default document type used for saving files. This may be useful if you don’t want to work with ODF docs. Check the box The most crucial box here is the one next to ‘Always Create A Backup Copy’. Make sure this is ticked otherwise backup files will not be created if anything goes…

Delete your activity After looking through the log of things you have read, watched or searched for, you can click ‘Delete Activity By’ and either remove entries by topic or by date. Access My Activity Go straight to My Activity at https://myactivity.google. com/myactivity – sign in with your Google account. You can then manage what Google can save about you. Remove individual entries As you scroll down the list, you’ll see a three-dot menu next to each entry. Clicking this gives you an option to delete or else view more details. Check the entries Google gives you a summary of the number of items it has listed for a particular day and the kind of search you made, be it a general, image or video search or access to maps,…

1 Quit apps Are you one of those people who keeps loads of apps running with hundreds of open documents reduced to your Dock? If so, close/quit all of the stuff that you don’t need and it will undoubtedly speed things up. 2 Restart your Mac Although many of us probably don’t do it as much as we should, restarting your Mac can free up memory by flushing out cache files, which might provide a small, but welcome boost. 3 Update macOS If your Mac is being sluggish then there may already be a software update available that addresses the issue. Click on the Apple menu bar icon and choose About This Mac>Overview>Software Update. 4 Dynamic Desktop off Effects, like Dynamic Desktop in macOS Mojave, look good but suck processing…

Sometimes, certain apps may have issues that cause them to use up more than their fair share of your Mac’s system resources – perhaps there is an update available to address the problem? You can see exactly which apps are overloading your CPU by using your Mac’s built-in Activity Monitor app. Here’s how… 1 Launch Activity Monitor The quickest way to launch this app is to hit Cmd+spacebar and then enter the name. It usually resides in the Utilities folder in Applications. 2 View processes Open Activity Monitor and click on the ‘CPU’ tab. Then go to View>Windowed Processes to view all open apps by the amount of CPU they are using. 3 Close app If an app is causing too much drain on the CPU, click on it to…

We have already looked at one way of removing apps by using your Mac’s built-in storage optimising utility, but here we take a look at another. Because just deleting apps doesn’t remove all of the data associated with them on your hard drive, you will either need to use the uninstaller for the specific app you wish to remove or grab a specialist app that does the job for you. 1 Grab an app Go to freemacsoft.net and download the free AppCleaner app. Launch it and the interface will consist of a small window into which you drag unwanted applications. 2 Select an app Navigate to your Applications folder and drag the icon of an app to uninstall into the AppCleaner window. It will scan for all files associated with…

One thing we haven’t yet touched on is malware and how it can be the root cause of a misfiring Mac if left undetected. Thankfully, there is lots of free malwarescanning software available, such as Malwarebytes. This app offers a free trial, so you can scan your Mac and see if there is any malware present before deciding whether to purchase the software to perform more frequent checks. 1 Download app Go to malwarebytes.com and click on the ‘Free Download’ button to save the software to your Mac. Once it has downloaded, double-click the .pkg file and go through the installation process. 2 Allow software When you first run the software you will need to authorise it. Go to System Preferences>Security & Privacy and then click on the ‘Allow’ button…

Email the data Tap ‘Mail’ when exporting health data to attach the data file to an email message. Who would you send it to? A partner? Send it to yourself to keep a copy in the Mail app. Edit and update Before you export your health data, check that it is up to date. Is all the information correct? Tap the ‘Edit’ button on your profile screen and update if required. Add to Notes Notes is a useful place to keep a copy of your health data and you can create a new note or select an existing one. Unfortunately, notes with files cannot be locked. Save to Files Tap this to open the Files app and all the online storage services it is connected to, like iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive…

Use Text Replacement Tap here to see and add text replacements. For example, type ‘omw’ and it is automatically replaced with ‘On my way!’ Add your own shortcuts for common phrases to make typing faster and easier. Use predictive text Enable it to show words you probably want to type next and tap them to save typing. Disable Predictive if the suggestions are not useful and the keyboard shrinks to show more of the screen. Activate keyboards The iPhone comes with many foreign language keyboards and ones downloaded from the App Store appear here too. Go to ‘Keyboards’ to select a keyboard or to finish installing and activate it. Auto-fix typing Does Auto-Correct get in the way and change what you type into something else when words are not recognised,…

Tap to find Tapping a marker will bring up a panel offering much more detail about any establishment close to you. You can use the app to discover new places as well as navigate new locations. Almost there At all times you will know how far it is to get to your destination in Google Maps and crucially how long it will take whether cycling, walking or driving. You can time arrivals to perfection. Search for anything Tap the magnifying glass and enter a natural phrase to find businesses, attractions and street addresses. The database of information is so complete that you will very rarely not find what you need. This is you This simple icon will show you where you are at any time as you travel around a…

Preview apps Since the apps operate in the background, the Dock is a great way to see a preview of their content without having to actually open them. Scroll through the apps Either use your finger to scroll up and down the screen or turn the Digital Crown. In both cases, you’ll be able to see and select an app from the Dock. Side button The Dock is called upon by pressing the physical side button on your Apple Watch. Your selected favourite apps will appear here (unless you’ve opted for it to display your most recent apps). All Apps If the app you want isn’t in the Dock, you can tap ‘All Apps’ at the bottom of the list and you’ll be taken to the Home screen of your…

“A serious bit of kit that flicks the finger at its multiroom competitors” Key features • HDMI ARC (audio pass-through) • AirPlay 2 • Multiroom ready Learn more naimaudio.com Available from richersounds.com NAIM HAS JUST released the 2nd Generation of its multi award-winning Mu-so wireless sound system that retains the iconic styling of its predecessor but features an extensive array of performance and functionality upgrades beneath its luxurious exterior. The power within Placed side-by-side, there are few visual clues to distinguish between the 1st and 2nd Generation Mu-so models. The dimensions are practically the same – bar an additional 12mm of depth – the weighty metal industrial aesthetics are still present and correct, and the illuminated Naim logo still glows triumphantly from the base of the unit. But much has…

Key features Bluetooth • 38-day battery life • Spacious, full-size keys Learn more zagg.com/keyboards Available from zagg.com IF WE NEED to compose long emails or generally type reams of text then we’ll always use our Macs over our iPhones because it’s simply easier and faster to type on a keyboard than a screen, so wouldn’t it be great to have a portable keyboard to accompany your iOS devices? Absolutely, but how can a keyboard be portable? It folds, dur! Wallet-sized The USP of the Trifold is that it is a keyboard that can connect, via Bluetooth, to any device and it comprises of three panels that fold up to the size of the average wallet for easy portability. Two of these panels house a full-size keyboard featuring laptop-style, spacious keys,…

As reported last issue, Apple used the global stage of WWDC 2019 to showcase the latest version of iOS, but that wasn’t all because, for the very first time, the iPad now gets its own special edition of iOS 13, known as iPadOS. And we’ve been trying them both out. With a bold new look, major updates to the apps that we use every day, new ways to protect our privacy and improvements across the entire system, iOS 13 feels ultra-responsive from the first second you start using it. And in iPadOS, our Apple tablets now have an operating system that truly complements the unique qualities of the hardware, giving our iPads a much more computery feel. And after a few swipes and taps you start to get a handle…

Physical damage Due to its physical nature, film can get scratched or contaminated by hair particles and dust. Torn sprocket holes will cause the film to judder. These analogue artefacts can be added to digital video using the Aged Film Effect. Modify properties Most effects that you add to a clip can be modified using the sliders in the Inspector. Some effects only have an Amount slider while others – such as Aged Film Effect – have multiple editable properties. Sound effects In addition to the usual iLife sound effects used by iMovie, Final Cut Pro has access to its own collection of sound effects. The Movie Projector sound complements the visual filmic artefacts from the Effects browser. Hue/Saturation Curves Curves enable you to change the hue of blue skies…

Stop iCloud sync You don’t need to stop permanently, just temporarily disable all these functions, restart the Mac and then return and enable them. You might need to do this on the iPhone at the same time. Knowledge base Check connected devices All your Apple devices should be connected to iCloud and signed in. Perhaps one is not and that’s the problem. To see a list of connected devices go to appleid.apple.com in Safari and sign in. Alternatively, open System Preferences>iCloud>Account on the Mac and select ‘Devices’. Check the status Before you start trying to fix iCloud on the Mac, check it is not a system fault. Open a Safari window and go apple.com/ support/systemstatus. It will say if there is a problem. Sign out Signing out is a more…

Set the default Click the menu below the thumbnail to display a long list of effects and filters. Choose the one you use the most often to make it the default for the app. Quartz Composition Filter This is a great collection of filters, effects and tools that can be applied to photos. Drag it from the library and drop it in the application area to add it to the project. Use the controls Drag a photo from Finder and drop it on the app icon to run it. Select the effect from the menu below the thumbnail and use these controls to configure the action. Add interactivity If this checkbox is clear, the selected filter effect is applied. Tick the box to add the filter menu to the app…

Check for notifications A new button appears in the toolbar when there are notifications. Click it to see them and you can see new notifications and ones you have already replied to. Change your mind by clicking the buttons. Invitation details Click an event you have been invited to and the organiser is listed. Below is your response and a green tick means you have accepted, but an orange ? means you replied with Maybe. Add location maps Click in the location area under the event title and type the address of the event. A map is then displayed at the bottom of the information panel. Click the map to open the Maps app. Add accounts Calendars for work may be stored in Google or Microsoft accounts. Add these in…

We skipped a few steps concerning security, so let’s take a look. MacOS will not allow an app to control the Mac unless you allow it, which limits what AnyDesk can do unless you permit it in System Preferences. This is an important step. Also, if you use AnyDesk to help someone with their Mac, they can see an incoming connection request and authorise it. However, if there is no one at the Mac, you need to set up Unattended Access. 1 Set Unattended Access In Preferences>Security, tick ‘Enable unattended access’ and ‘Allow computer to save login information’. A password is required, which is used for remote access (see step 4). 2 Accessibility Access In the Accessibility Access window open System Preferences>Security & Privacy> Accessibility and allow AnyDesk. This allows…

When you double-click a file in OpenOffice’s backup folder, it will say there is no application set to open the file. By default, it will prompt you to launch it in Text/Edit which is no bad thing, especially if you fear OpenOffice crashing again since this will allow you to save your own backup file under a different name. In most cases, however, you’ll be fine launching direct into OpenOffice and the steps you need to take are simple enough. 1 Double-click file Double-click the file you want to open and select ‘Choose Application’. Or right-click the file, select ‘Open With’ and choose ‘Other’ since OpenOffice is unlikely to appear here. 2 Find OpenOffice Find OpenOffice and select ‘Open’. Once your document launches into the app, it is a good…

When you ask Google to remove a tracked entry and it directs you to Gmail, you may think it would take you straight to the email in question. Alas, no. Instead it simply takes you to your latest emails and you have to search for the one you need to remove yourself. It does mean that the deletion process could take you quite some time. The only good news is that Google at least opens Gmail in another browser tab. 1 Identify the details When you look at the information for a transaction, note not only the vendor but the date. This will help you more quickly locate the email in question. An order ID could help too. 2 Delete the email Search for the name of the vendor and…

Disable your Dashboard Does anybody actually use Dashboard, the Mac widget launcher any more? So why have it on standby using up power? Go to System Preferences>Mission Control and then click on the menu next to ‘Dashboard’ and change it to ‘Off’. 1 System Preferences Open your Mac’s System Preferences and then click on the ‘Users & Groups’ pane. If you have multiple user accounts on your Mac then select your personal account in the left column. 2 Login items Click on the padlock icon and enter your username and password to make changes to these preferences and then click on the ‘Login Items’ tab to see what automatically loads when you log in. 3 Remove items If there are apps that open automatically that you don’t absolutely need, click…

As we use our Macs, small files are stored in cache folders that speed up certain processes. For example, Safari keeps copies of website images so that the loading times are reduced the next time you visit that site. Over time though, these caches get rammed and so it is good practice to clean them out and then allow them to rebuild themselves. After all, it may be keeping images of sites you are unlikely to visit again. In this walkthrough we show you how to clean out your caches and help speed up your Mac. 1 Open Preferences In Finder, press Cmd+N to open a new Finder window and then click on the ‘Go’ menu and select the ‘Go to Folder’ option. 2 Format the text You will now…

We have already mentioned that certain special effects can place an increased workload on your Mac’s system – especially if it is already working to the limits of the latest macOS requirements and doesn’t have loads of RAM – but there are other features you can disable too in order to speed things up… 1 Limit Spotlight Many people find Spotlight a useful tool, but indexing disks, especially mechanical ones in older Macs, is slow. Go to System Preferences>Spotlight>Search Results and disable any categories that you don’t need to search in. 2 Ignore disks Still in the Spotlight settings, click on the ‘Privacy’ tab, then click on the ‘+’ icon and then select any disks that you don’t want included in the Spotlight search, such as connected backup disks and…

Predictive text Improvements to predictive text in iOS 13 will make typing easier, especially when using QuickPath. Look here and tap the word you want. This isn’t QuickPath here though – it is the SwiftKey keyboard. Reminders Until Reminders gets a huge upgrade in iOS 13, you might want to use Todoist, which has a lot of the new features, like smart lists – different ways to list tasks that are due. Priority flags Priority settings and different coloured flags are coming to apps in iOS 13, but Todoist already has them. Set a task’s priority with a coloured flag. Red is most important. Swipe to type QuickPath in the iOS 13 keyboard enables words to be entered by sliding a finger around the keyboard from letter to letter without…

The More menu A new ‘More’ menu has been added to place important functions in one place without being ever-present. Tap the three-dot (…) icon to access it. Start recording Should you wish to keep a record of your conversation for later use, then you simply need to tap ‘Start Recording’ during a call. Make use of subtitles Live captions and subtitles were introduced in December 2018 and they allow you to read words that are spoken during a call. Add people to calls If you want to chat with more than one person, you can use the Add People option. You can even send them a heart if you’re feeling grateful. Knowledge base Prevent personal pop-ups When you are sharing your screen with others, everything you look at on…

There are many ways to export health data and in the tutorial we looked at saving it to a note in the Notes app. The data can also be attached to an email and sent to someone, saved to iCloud or other online storage like Dropbox or Google Drive, or sent via a text message. Whichever method you use, make sure it is secure and that no one else can access it. You could even AirDrop it to a partner’s iPhone for safekeeping. 1 Email your data Choose ‘Save to Files’ when exporting the health data to go to this screen. The options depend on what apps are installed – yours may have other drives. Tap ‘iCloud Drive’. 2 Save to iCloud Any files saved to iCloud are synced with…

Manage who can track you You can see which contacts are able to view your real-time location at the top of the screen. Tap one to view the options. Knowledge base Share an estimated time of arrival When you’re travelling to see others, constantly updating them on your progress can be a pain. Better to start navigating to a destination and tap ‘More’ when your directions appear. You’ll be able to select ‘Share Trip Progress’ and select a contact. From that point on, they will get to see your estimated arrival time and exactly where you are. Add more contacts Tap this icon and you can grant more contacts access to your location. You can determine the length of time they can continue tracking you. Block a contact If you…

Start playing After tapping the ‘Start Playing’ button, Steam Link will connect with the computer running Steam and allow you to play your games. Alter the settings The Settings will allow you to alter the streaming, video, audio and input quality. It will also let you select a different computer running Steam. Pairing a Steam controller To pair a Steam controller, press and hold the Steam button to turn it off. Turn it back on while holding the Y button. Then, on Apple TV, go to Settings>Remotes and Devices>Bluetooth and select the controller. Pair a standard controller MFi controllers pair in different ways. Consult the instructions for your pad, depending on which one you have. Apple is planning to support Xbox One and PS4 controllers soon. Knowledge base What do…

Key features Bluetooth keyboard • Adjustable design • 3-month battery life Learn more logitech.com Available from amazon.co.uk DESIGNED FOR THE latest iPad Pro models (a £109/$119 11-inch version is available as well as the 12-inch model, reviewed here), Logitech’s Slim Folio Pro is an all-in-one backlit keyboard case that pairs wirelessly with your tablet via Bluetooth and provides a comfortable and responsive laptop-like typing experience when using your iPad. Fully adjustable For typing, the Slim Folio Pro provides an edge-to-edge keyboard layout and beneath each key is a scissor mechanism that delivers the perfect bounce for fast, accurate typing. It feels silky and responsive and comes with the added bonus of a row of iOS shortcut keys to control brightness, volume and other essentials without your hands having to stray…

Modify The Modify menu also gives you access to speed changing presets such as Slow Motion and Fast Forward. The fun Instant Replay command repeats a clip and lets you slow it down by a specified increment. Tortoise and hare Clips in the timeline that have been slowed down in iMovie (or shot using your iPhone’s Slo Mo mode) will have a tortoise icon. Clips that have been retimed to go faster will display a hare. Frozen frames will feature a hand icon. Custom speeds After slowing down or speeding up a clip using preset increments (such as 50%) you can manually tweak the speed of the clip by dragging this retime icon. Drag right to slow down a clip, or left to speed it up. Speed icon After splitting…

Plugin away Tick the Plug-ins box to import any plugins and their settings that were inserted in the target track’s channel strip. Plugins are listed in order of insertion, from the top down, including instrument plugins on software instrument tracks. Arrowing experience Use your keyboard’s arrow keys to navigate the pane quickly. Use the Up/Down arrow keys to select lines, then press the Right arrow to select all checkboxes on the selected line, or the Left arrow to deselect them. Project settings Use this button to import Sync, Metronome, Record, Tuning, Audio, MIDI, Movie and Asset settings, Screensets, Transform sets, Hyper sets, Score sets, staff styles and text styles settings from another project. Filter tip Click these buttons to hide unwanted track types – handy when scouring projects with large…

Syncing and other iCloud account problems could be because of something on the Mac, but it could be the result of something on another device, like an iPhone or iPad. To fix iCloud you may need to fix it not only on the Mac but also on every other device that uses it. All devices use the same account and so you may need to disable syncing or sign out everywhere and then power the devices off and then on again. 1 Stop using iCloud A fix that may work is to stop using iCloud, then start again. After disabling everything on the Mac (step 3), disable everything on iOS devices in Settings>your Apple ID>iCloud. 2 Sign out Sign out everywhere – Mac, iPhone and iPad. On iOS, go to…

Once the Automator application has been saved, the app will run on any Mac and it can be copied and given to other people, just like any other app. Automator is not needed anymore and it can be closed. It does not need to be running. The desktop is a convenient place to keep the app because of the way it works, but you could move it to the Applications folder and add an icon to the Dock to run it. 1 Add photos The Photo Effects app we created is top-right of the desktop. Open a Finder window, go to a folder containing photos, drag one and drop it on the app. Choose where to save it. 2 Choose an effect When the app runs, it shows a small…

Pick a category Categories relating to everything that is likely to require disk space will be listed in the Storage sidebar. Click on one to view a list of content to scrutinise. Be vigilant Even apps like Messages can have files that eat into your storage space. Clicking here will list all image and movie attachments. Highlight them all, right-click and select ‘Delete’ to batch remove. Delete items You can remove items quickly by hovering your cursor over them and then clicking on the ‘X’ icon that appears. You will then need to confirm your action. Review content When you click on a category, all of the related content will be listed. Click ‘Last Accessed’ to see the items you have used the least listed at the top.…

Select a disk A disk may be divided into several partitions. Select the boot volume and check it with First Aid to make sure it is okay. Also select external USB drives and check those. View the details Several tests are performed on the disk. You can click ‘Show Details’ to view a detailed report of each one. If all of the errors are not fixed then run First Aid again. First Aid Problems with the drive hardware are very rare and most disk problems are with the filing system. Errors can slow down the Mac, so click on ‘First Aid’ to fix them. Use Disk Utility You will find the Disk Utility app in your Mac’s Utilities folder in Applications. Open it, click on ‘First Aid’ and then click…

Many features that used to require a third-party app are being built into iOS 13 and when it finally arrives you will be able to ditch them and just use the built-in features. Swipe to type is one of those features that will no longer require an app. Apple’s keyboard is called QuickType and the iOS 13 edition contains QuickPath, which is a radically different way to enter text and you would think it couldn’t possibly work, but it does. 1 Install a keyboard Several keyboards in the App Store feature swipe to type. Install Swiftkey and go to Settings>General Keyboard>Keyboards>Add New Keyboard. Select, then return and tap it. 2 Tap and slide Press and hold the keyboard button and select ‘SwiftKey’. Press on the first letter of the word,…

Copy some data You can select any cell in this preview and tap ‘Copy’. If you hold down, then you can also make use of the Select and Select All functions for swift editing. Uncertain data Even though it looks clear to us, Excel has had trouble identifying this particular number. As a result, it has left a spreadsheet cell blank. Make an edit Select the Edit button and you will be shown the iOS keyboard. Enter the correct information for that cell and tap ‘Done’. Ignore a troublesome entry It may be that data which is flagged for your attention is actually correct. In which case you can tap ‘Ignore’. Knowledge base What data works best? In general, we found far fewer problems when we were working with printed…

Key features Bluetooth • 14-hour battery life • Touch-to-talk button Learn more groov-e.co.uk Available from amazon.co.uk SINCE THE RELEASE of Apple’s AirPods, rival tech companies have been upping their game when it comes to wireless headphone technology – specifically earbuds that come in charging cases. Duking it out with the AirPods in the precision sound quality stakes are the Bang & Olufsen E8s, but Groov-e is looking to exploit the one main chink in the armour of Apple’s wireless earphones – the price. Touch to talk Available for only £59.99, the SoundBuds use Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to your Mac or iOS device and work well within a ten metre radius. They power on and connect with each other as soon as you remove them from the case and can…

Requirements macOS 10.10 or later • 64-bit processor • 3.1MB Learn more daisydiskapp.com Available from App Store ALTHOUGH DAISYDISK IS available from the Mac App Store, we would advise against purchasing it from there because Mac App Store guidelines limit what an app can and can’t do. As such, if you grab the app from daisydiskapp. com then you’ll get far more functionality for the same price. “You can easily spot apps and files that are taking up space unnecessarily” One such feature is Sandboxing, a security feature that isolates apps from the critical system components of your Mac and the data contained within and ensures that they only do what they’re supposed to. Another is being able to scan your Mac HD as an administrator, so you can get…

Requirements macOS 10.12 or later • 64-bit processor • 33.4MB Available from Mac App Store Learn more pdfexpert.com FEW PDF-HANDLING apps are as well equipped, or as fast, as PDF Expert. It boasts one of the best PDF reading experiences on Mac, you can perform full edits to text, images, links and outlines, highlight, mark up and annotate, digitally fill in forms and sign them… and then there’s more. Through PDF Expert’s simple interface, you can merge PDF files without even opening them, grouping together multiple pages into one document before sharing them with other people quickly and easily. It works very well and feels like a genuinely useful addition to PDF Expert’s already rammed box of tricks. What really impressed us about this app though was the speed at…

Requirements iOS 10.0 or later • 174.2MB Available from App Store Learn more nianticlabs.com IF YOU THOUGHT that the end of the Harry Potter books and movies meant an end to the tie-in games then you’re gravely mistaken, as they keep coming thick and fast. But rather than the huge sandbox game to fully immerse you in JK Rowling’s wizardry universe that we all crave, we get a Potter-themed Pokémon GO clone. “There is certainly a great deal of Wizarding World content to enjoy here” The game enlists you into the Statue of Secrecy Task Force and your job is to wander around the Muggle world staring at the augmented reality display on your iPhone to hunt down Foundables – magical artefacts, creatures, people and memories that pop up all…

Requirements iOS 8.0 or later • 103.4MB Learn more avokiddo.com Available from App Store IF YOU ARE unfamiliar with Thinkroll games – and there have been many – then you’re missing out. Colourful, funny and very child-friendly, they involve manipulating a cast of characters into strategic positions to solve puzzles. Every puzzle consists of guiding the main Thinkball into a key and then into the exit, but the route is seldom straightforward and you must swipe and roll the supporting cast into areas where their strengths can be exploited to create a manageable path for our hero, who can roll and roll only. “The difficulty could be ramped up and it would still be incredibly hard to put down” Throughout your quest to conquer the 200-plus levels on offer you…