Table of contents for No. 249 in iCreate

Apple’s iCloud has undergone many evolutionary stages over the years, transforming from a basic settings syncing service to a fully fledged cloud storage facility, collaborative tool and a means of tracking people and lost devices. New features are added with each new system update, Advanced Data Protection being the latest, which encrypts your iCloud+ data end-to-end for maximum security and the sound peace of mind that none of it will be leaked. There is a lot to untangle and get your head around there, so hopefully our iCloud Masterclass, starting on page 14, will help you un-fankle the complexities of the service, allowing you to take advantage of every penny of your subscription fee. We also explore Ventura’s new tools for helping you stay focused on your Mac. With Safari,…

Final Cut Pro’s Keyer effect enables you to make a clip’s green (or blue) background become completely transparent. By adding a clip to the layer below the green screen clip, you can make your subject appear in a new location. You can use this keying technique to enhance dramas or add information such as a background map. We’ll show you how to use Final Cut Pro’s tools to make your keyed character look less ‘cut out’ by softening their edges. We’ll also demonstrate how to add different shades of green to the key and even extend the range of the green screen transparency to fill the whole frame. Step-by-step Create a clean green screen key 1 Import assets Go to File>New Event. Name it ‘Greenscreen’. Set the Video dropdown to…

System Settings Developer Apple Inc Difficulty ● ● ● Time needed 15 The documents, backups, app data and other files stored in iCloud are encrypted for security. However, with the standard data protection, Apple has a copy of the encryption keys used to scramble your data. It enables them to recover your account if you lose access, which is useful, but it also means the data could potentially be accessible in the event of a security breach in the cloud. Enable Advanced Data Protection and Apple gives you the encryption key and deletes its own copy. Only you have access to your data. Take care – if you lose it, no-one can recover your account, not even Apple, but that’s the point. Step-by-step Turn on Advanced Data Protection View Apple…

Created at Washington University in 1989, Pico text editor has been around for so long, yet hardly anyone knows it exists. It is bundled with the Mac and is a little-known utility included in macOS. Pico includes state-of-the-art features and functions, for 1989 that is. Its interface is archaic for a 2023 operating system, but if you don’t mind learning a few keyboard shortcuts, it is still usable. When you are at the Terminal and need to view or edit a text file, use Pico. It is quick and easy to use once you get to know it, and another useful feature is that it strips out formatting, leaving plain text. Step-by-step Open, edit and save text files 1 Open Pico Launch the Terminal app and type ‘pico’ at the…

The Mac does not need a lot of maintenance and it can run trouble-free for a long time. However, occasionally it can benefit from some simple tasks. For example, if you are one of those people that never turns off their Mac, make sure to restart it occasionally, it will run better. Over time, the Mac’s drive fills up and iCloud storage is used, but even if you are not short of space, a clean-up can be beneficial both online and offline. Remove unused apps and their data, duplicate photos, old messages, documents, backups, and more. Clear completed reminders, check for compromised passwords and more. Here’s how to keep your Mac running smoothly and avoid problems before they occur. It is time to give your Mac a much-needed spring clean-up.…

Being able to record the screen of your device is very useful, and before it was incorporated into iOS, the process had to be carried out using the QuickTime Player app on your Mac (which you can still use). The screen recording feature is particularly useful if you are producing tutorial videos on how to carry out specific functions on your device but, by default, the recordings that you make are muted with no sound. So what if you want to add voice-overs, or you need to capture the audio of a game or app along with the video? You just need to know how to turn on the microphone, which we will reveal here. Step-by-step Set up Screen Recording 1 Launch Settings To use Screen Recording in iOS you…

Are you making the most of the Calculator app? Plus, did you know you don’t always have to launch the app itself? For example, you can actually perform calculations directly from Spotlight Search and see the results at the top of the screen. You can also paste figures into the Calculator app or perform tricks such as holding down the % key when converting a percentage into decimal form and instantly see the result. (Try tapping then holding down the +, –, x or / keys when inputting numbers too.) Here we look at other ways of expanding your use of the app, making it quicker and easier to work with. Have fun! Step-by-step Make the most of the Calculator 1 Delete a mistake Inputted an extra number by mistake?…

Sometimes you’ll come across a photo online and wonder where it has come from. You may like to use it but you don’t want to infringe anyone’s copyright; perhaps you simply want to know what the image is showing, or quickly find similar examples. A reverse image search can be worth its weight in gold. Google offers such a service for free and it’s very powerful. As well as giving you a better idea of the source, a reverse image search will identify items in a photo and allow you to search for those too. You may like the look of a pair of trainers, and a reverse image search could tell you who makes them and where they are being sold. Let’s see how it’s done. Step-by-step Reverse image…

There’s a limit to how much stuff you can store on your Apple Watch – install too many apps or make use of large amounts of media and you’ll likely discover that you’ve run out of room for more goodies. Indeed, having too little free space also means you may struggle to update your Watch to the latest version, so that’s a double incentive to keep on top of your device’s storage. Here we show how you can identify the amount of space you have left, plus how to delete unwanted apps and remove unnecessary clutter. But first, why not consider some pre-management too? By delving into the Settings, tapping ‘App Store’ and turning off ‘Automatic Downloads’ you can prevent new apps you install on an iPhone from installing corresponding…

Price Arcade subscription Requirements iOS 13.0 or later • 44.6MB Learn more 3minute.games Available from iOS App Store IF YOU WANT TO TRY SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT ON ARCADE, then this texting adventure played out in real time will definitely add a little excitement to your life. When you’re contacted out of the ether by Taylor, an astronaut on board the starship Varia that has crashed on an unknown moon, a sprawling text exchange occurs in which you – the only person in the universe that Taylor’s communicator could reach – must help him make life-changing decisions and then face the consequences together. The story branches in different directions depending on how you respond to Taylor’s texts, which arrive at different points throughout the day. Verdict What starts out feeling…

LEAKS AROUND THE iPHONE 15 SEEM TO BE ARRIVING THICK AND FAST AT THE MOMENT, WITH THE LATEST IMAGERY REVEAL FOCUSING ON THE MOST EXPENSIVE PRO MAX MODEL – AND THERE ARE A FEW CHANGES FROM THE CURRENT MODEL TO DISCUSS. The reveal comes courtesy of renderings from well-known tipster, Ice Universe (@UniverseIce), and we get a look at the iPhone 15 Pro Max from just about every angle possible. The images are apparently based on schematic information that Apple has given to its supply chain partners. Intriguingly, the same leak refers to the “iPhone 15 Pro Max (or iPhone 15 Ultra)” – we had previously thought that the iPhone 15 Ultra might be a completely separate model, but the implication here is that it will be rebranded Pro Max.…

Professional portrait photographers produce great-looking people pictures due to a combination of experience in directing people how to pose, and a range of assets such as lighting kits and studio backdrops. You can get pro-looking portraits armed only with an iPhone! We’ll give you some shooting tips, tricks and techniques to help you capture better-looking iPhone portraits. You can also add a professional look (such as a blurred background bokeh) from within the Camera app and then fine-tune it in Photos. We’ll show you how to mimic studio lighting in Photos and even fake a studio backdrop. Step-by-step Shoot and edit like a pro 1 Rule of thirds Many classic compositions obey the Rule of Thirds, where the main subject is placed on intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. Go to…

Across every platform, GarageBand has introduced loops and patches for trending sounds, with ‘Glitch’ being one of them. Glitch as a genre rose to prominence in the 1990s but has since found a place in modern EDM and Pop music, giving rise to Glitch Hop. Jittery beats and heavily manipulated, processed synths are a hallmark of this technologically influenced sound. So it’s all about throwing in odd, jarring clips that suggest that audio playback is malfunctioning – in a cool way! GarageBand recognises Glitch with some great loops to add, along with numerous plugins and presets to try. Step-by-step Add instant glitch with loops 1 Glitch Beat Show the Loop Browser (Y) and find the Tech House pack. Our first beat loop found here is Tech Glitch Beat for a…

Safari Developer Apple Inc Difficulty Time needed 10 No matter how fast computers become, the web always seems slow. Web pages are growing in size and complexity, which can make them slow to appear. What can be done to speed up the web? Is it possible? Yes. A new, faster broadband internet connection will speed up the web, but what if you don’t want to switch providers or spend more? There are a few tweaks you can do to Safari to make the web faster and smoother. For example, cutting out the usual web clutter, pop-ups, ads and extensions makes a difference to the speed of the web. With just the content you want, web pages load and display much faster. Step-by-step Performance tweaks for Safari browsing 1 New blank…

Many apps were updated when macOS Ventura was released, but Font Book looks more like a complete rewrite than a few simple tweaks to an existing app. If you use fonts in design or writing apps, from TextEdit to Pages, get to know the new Font Book and see how to install and manage fonts on your Mac. There are many sources of fonts on the internet and a search for ‘free fonts’ produces a list of websites with thousands. We look at a popular site and show how to download the free fonts and install them on your Mac. You can then use them in any app that enables you to select the font for text. New and improved Font Book Get to know the best features Knowledge base…

Scroll through the Apple News app and you will probably see a few stories about major sporting events. However, you can see a lot more of the news stories that interest you by following your favourite football teams in the app. Give teams that are rarely in the main news feed a boost by following them. Not only will you see more news about your favourite teams, you can also see past match scores and upcoming matches and statistics. Show the News app which teams you love and which news stories you like, and it will show you much more in the main news feed, and also display a news feed dedicated to your team. Step-by-step Follow your favourite teams and results 1 Get started Open the News app and…

The Notion app is a great tool for creating online spaces for work, with productivity that will sync across all devices. The app offers templates for customisation, which are under categories such as Life, Student, Product Management, and many more. The app can be used to store and organise information, for note-taking, for presenting, for personal tracking and for business uses. The app is extremely flexible to the user, which may seem daunting at first and it can take a while to set up, but this tutorial will show how to get started with your first Notion workspace. Step-by-step How to get started with Notion 1 The Home page Once you have created an account, your new Notion will be full of example templates to use and explore. Open any…

Quick Notes is a great feature that allows you to take notes, or even sketches, from anywhere on your iPad, almost instantaneously. You can create a Quick Note with an Apple Pencil or similar stylus, by typing on the iPadOS keyboard, or even with your finger. As well as taking notes and sketching, you can open Quick Notes while in Safari to add links, text or images from a web page. If Quick Notes is opened in the main app, you are also able to use the camera to scan text, documents or add photos and videos to your note. And don’t forget, as well as all this, you can also still create lists, add lines and grids, share notes, and pin them for urgent times of need. Let’s share…

As Apple doesn’t currently offer the Notes app on your Watch, the Notebook app is a great complication to add to your watch face to collect your thoughts and ideas. The app allows you to use the scribble keyboard as well as an option to voice record notes, which are transcribed automatically. By creating an account with the app on iPhone, all notes created on your Apple Watch will be synced to your other devices. The iPhone app also offers a few more options for you to create. For example, create and customise a notebook, make to-do lists, scan documents, share notes with other users, capture text with photos, and draw. If you need to check a shopping list or to-do list when you’re without your phone, all iPhone creations…

Key features Bluetooth 5.0 • HDMI-ARC • 39-25kHz • 192 kHz/24-bit decoding Learn more klipsch.com Available from richersounds.com IF YOU’RE AN APPLE MUSIC SUBSCRIBER WHO IS KEEN to greedily stuff the highest-quality audio into your ears, then Klipsch’s new addition to its Heritage Wireless speaker series, The Sevens, are geared very much towards the premium audio market. Handcrafted with real wood finishes, premium metal controls, fabric grilles and cork ‘foot’ pads, these cabs are stunning to behold (and bloody heavy). They include a host of physical connectivity options, such as HDMI- ARC (for connecting them to your TV), TOSLINK Optical (for connecting them to older TV sets, CD players or streaming hubs), analogue RCA, 3.5mm jack and USB-B. You can also hook them up directly to a record player thanks…

Price £25.99/$29.99 Requirements macOS 10.13 or later Learn more lemkesoft.de Available from Mac App Store A POPULAR TOOL FOR EDITING AND MANAGING IMAGES, GraphicConverter has recently been updated with a host of new features to cater for modern demands. These include auto-cropping, which works like iOS 16 in that you can click on a subject, drag it out of the image and place it, neatly cropped, into another. It is also now possible to create vector objects and apply torn-edges to your images. You can also now combine several editing steps, save them and apply them to other images. For example, you can delete parts of the metadata, such as exposure time and aperture and copy the contents of an IPTC field into another without the need to open and…

Our iPhone is usually able to capture high-quality video footage in a variety of locations, but in some situations it might struggle to capture comparably good sound. We took the iPhone 14 Pro Max to a noisy beach where the wind and wave-driven pebbles threatened to drown out our speech. Audio quality also dropped the further the subject stood from the built-in mic. Fortunately we were equipped with a Joby Wavo Plus gun mic and a SmallRig wireless mic to experiment with ways to capture better audio. We’ll also show you how iMovie can improve audio quality using its suite of sound tools. Step-by-step Capture high-quality sound 1 Skimmer info Import our clips into a new project. To identify each clip go to the View menu and turn on ‘Skimmer…

The concept of Logic’s Track Mute and Solo buttons is based around the same features you’d find on a real mixing desk – the Mute button removes a track from the mix and stops it sounding, while Solo removes everything other than that track from the mix, allowing you to hear what you’ve solo’d in isolation. However, there are several different ways to use these functions, such as soloing more than one track at once, toggling between solo’d and unsolo’d states or muting individual regions rather than a whole track. Luckily, Logic features a wealth of keyboard shortcuts and power user commands. Mute points Enhance your workflow using mute and solo shortcuts Knowledge base Solo endeavour The practice of soloing and muting individual tracks is one that comes into its…

Mail Developer Apple Inc Difficulty ● ● ● Time needed 15 There is huge pent-up demand for holidays and it’s likely you’ll be away from work and home sometime soon. What about emails when you are away? Do you ignore messages or spoil your holiday by dealing with them? Set up your email account to manage messages automatically by sending replies to enquiries and forwarding workrelated ones to someone else. This is great for handling work emails when you are away, but it can also be used with personal emails, too. Here we use iCloud because it’s much better for this sort of thing due to being online 24/7. Step-by-step Set up email forwarding 1 Open iCloud Mail Go to iCloud.com. Sign in and then open the Mail app. It…

Memoji are fun characters that can be used in Messages conversations on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, and you can even create your own custom designed Memoji using the built-in editor. Each new version of macOS, iOS and iPadOS has brought new features to the Memoji editor and in Ventura there are 17 new and updated hair styles, more nose options and lip colours, extra headwear and more. What you may not have realised is that Memoji can be used in more places than you might expect. For example, you can create your own Memoji and use it for your Apple ID image and login image on the lock screen. Account avatars Personalise a fun Mac Memoji Step-by-step Create Memoji for your account 1 Access Memoji stickers Memoji can be…

Making and receiving calls on the iPhone is easy, but it is also possible to customise the settings and tweak them a little to your tastes. In both the Phone and Accessibility settings there are a few features that you can play around with. You can enable auto ‐answer and direct calls to the speaker, and you can get Siri to call people. These are great when your hands are dirty and you don’t want to transfer that grime to your iPhone. You can also hide your phone number when calling people, create custom responses for when you can’t take calls, flash the light with calls and more. Let’s dive in to the iPhone’s settings. Step-by-step Use Siri and enter secret codes 1 Call with Siri Instead of typing numbers…

The steep rise in fuel costs, clean air zones, congestion charges, increasing traffic and lack of parking in big cities makes it undesirable to own a car. Public transport is often the best option. Whether you live in a city or just plan to visit, the Maps app can not only tell you how to get from one place to another, it can tell you how much it will cost too. Use the Maps app to see the costs involved in different types of public transport, like bus, train and ferry. This feature is not just for residents of cities like London, use it to plan trips to cities like New York and others. It doesn’t work everywhere, yet, but the cities covered will grow. Step-by-step View public transport costs…

The sharing features in iCloud enable you to let other people view files and even whole folders and their contents. They can even be given editing access so they can open and work on documents on their own iPhone, iPad or Mac. You will probably manage shared files and folders on your Mac, but when you are away from your computer and you need to share something with a friend or work colleague, you can do it on an iPhone. Here we look at how to access the iCloud file and folder sharing features on the iPhone. You will learn how to share items, view and manage shared items, and edit sharing permissions. Step-by-step Manage iCloud shares in the Files app 1 View iCloud Drive Open Files and select the…

RichCast is a curious tool that’s well worth exploring. It lets you create and share linear interactive stories that can be played by tapping buttons or verbally issuing instructions. It also has a host of built-in tools to make the development process easier, such as AI voice actors while ensuring you don’t need any programming knowledge. Although any titles you create have to be enjoyed via the RichCast platform (you can’t make a standalone app but what you create, you own), this has benefits: you don’t need to keep up with iPadOS updates and your titles will work across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Step-by-step Create your first RichCast game 1 Start a project From the main RichCast screen, tap ‘New Project’, enter a title and tap ‘Submit’. Now let’s…

SharePlay has made FaceTime even more fun, allowing you to stream content from your Apple devices with other people. With iOS 16, Apple added the ability to use SharePlay within the Messages app too, making the feature even more accessible. The idea is that you can enjoy content (whether video or audio) while chatting (or messaging). Playback is synced for everyone in the call, and when someone talks, the content volume lowers so others can hear what’s being said. Here we’re going to look at how you can throw an Apple TV device into the mix and use it to SharePlay amazing content to other Apple devices. It will work with Apple TV+ as well as Disney+, HBO Max among others and, while it may feel a little fiddly at…

Key features Bluetooth 5.1 • 50 Hz – 20,000 Hz • 20 hours playtime Learn more marshallheadphones.com Available from amazon.co.uk THOUGH BY NO MEANS A SLIP OF A SPEAKER, Marshall’s Middleton ticks all the right boxes for a summertime of big tunes in exotic locations. Rugged and durable in design, it boasts over 20 hours of playtime, an IP67 rating for dust and water, and is like a brick encased in a 55 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic skin that you can take anywhere. Stack ’em high Inside the Middleton are two 3-inch 15W woofers, two 3.5-inch 10W tweeters and two passive radiators, which combine to kick out the impressive sound you would expect from Marshall – crisp, defined, bassy and very loud. Stack mode also means that you can…