Table of contents for December 2016 in Macworld Australia

Klipsch Reference Headphones Klipsch has announced the debut of four new headphones, including two with Bluetooth. The Reference Over-Ear Bluetooth and On-Ear Bluetooth headphones were released in conjunction with wired Reference Over-Ear and second-generation On-Ear headphone models. The Reference On-Ear Bluetooth and Over-Ear Bluetooth headphone models boast up to 20 hours of high definition wireless streaming Reference Over-Ear and Over-Ear Bluetooth headphones use patented Klipsch Balanced Dynamic (KBD) driver technology, which puts you closer to the music by equalising the weight of the driver’s diaphragm. KBD driver technology significantly improves the sound, reducing the driver’s inter modulate distortion (IMD) by removing lead wires from the diaphragm. The difference is noticeable as bass becomes fluid and connected to the midrange and high frequencies without becoming bloated or disconnected. The headphone’s soft…

Recently I was hiking with my iPhone when I got caught in a torrential rainstorm. I had on a rain jacket that was supposed to be completely waterproof, including the zippered front pockets, which is where I put my phone when the rains arrived. As it happens, they weren’t waterproof enough and my phone took on more than a couple of drops of rain. I won’t go into the details of the damage, but I wasn’t worried because I have AppleCare+ and a full iCloud backup, which put me in good stead once I had a new phone in my hands. But, an iCloud restoration also meant I had to be near Wi-Fi and plugged in to get my phone back up to speed. So, I created an iTunes backup…

Ultimate Ears has slammed down the gauntlet with its Megaboom portable Bluetooth speaker. This loud-and-proud, thoroughly weatherproof speaker produces enough sound to fill the average backyard, and it comes with a richly featured app that will make it the life of any party. A pair of 2in full-range drivers and dual 2in by 4in passive radiators in a cylindrical enclosure create a near 360-degree sound field. The 875g speaker comes with a plastic carrying case and its built-in rechargeable battery is rated to up to 20 hours. Large plus and minus buttons on the Megaboom’s face let you raise or lower the volume manually. Its cap ends are rubberised, with the top end carrying the unit’s power and Bluetooth-pairing buttons. Remove the waterproof gasket on the bottom of the speaker…

When Apple released the new MacBook in 2015, it did away with every port other than the headphone jack and the all-new USB-C connector that can carry data, video and power with a single cable. Flash forward to October 2016 and Apple went a step further removing all ‘legacy’ ports from the MacBook Pro – other than the headphone jack – replacing them with a swag of USB-C ports. Aside from the market speaking, loudly, about the need for dongles to convert USB-C to a bunch of other connectors that are still on the market, the MacBook created another problem. One port can only connect to one thing at a time. And when that one port supplies your MacBook with power, that doesn’t really leave much room for anything else.…

If you have Apple’s Server app, you have access to an excellent VPN server that’s simple to set up and easy to use. The acronym VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and VPNs allow users to be anywhere in the world and create a secure connection to private networks. VPNs secure your data using data encryption and tunnelling. In the simplest terms, using a VPN is like connecting a very long ethernet cable from a computer anywhere in the world to your private network. VPN AND THE SERVER APP If you have Apple’s Server app, you have access to an excellent VPN server that’s simple to set up and easy to use. Before you begin configuring your server, let’s take a look at the configuration settings for Server’s VPN service.…

It’s thinner, lighter and smaller all around, but the new MacBook Pro makes a big impression. The trackpad on the 15in version is downright ridiculous – twice as large as the trackpad on the previous generation – but I didn’t look down and say, “Holy cow, that is a seriously huge trackpad,” until I’d been using it for a couple of minutes. Because it’s really all about that gorgeous Touch Bar. Apple doesn’t do touchscreen Macs, but the Touch Bar adds a strip of ultra-handy iOS-style contextual controls right where you need them, and the rest of the MacBook Pro received great updates too. After my limited hands-on time, I think it has the right mix of power, portability and ports to satisfy users of previous MacBook Pro and MacBook…

I’ve given the iRig HD 2, the latest digital guitar/bass interface from IK Multimedia a workout and I’m pretty impressed. Over the last couple of years I’ve been happily using the top of the range iRig Pro to connect my guitar to my iPad where I have a number of guitar modelling apps. For the techos, the iRig HD 2 uses 24-bit analogue to digital conversion with a high-end 96 kHz sample rate, which delivers high-quality sound to the level of the Pro. Hence the HD tag. Compared to the Pro with one input and one output, the HD 2 has one in and three out. For starters, I plug in to the HD2 with a standard guitar cable, then connect the unit via the provided USB cable to my…

There was a time when all-in-one printers that could print, scan and copy cost an arm and a leg, and took up a tonne of space. But HP’s DeskJet 3720 turns that on its head. When I first took this multifunction device out of the box I had to check that it really was an all-in-one as it barely takes up more space than a compact printer. The DeskJet 3720 supports both USB and Wi-Fi connections. For some reason, HP insists on including a driver CD, which seems wasteful given the printer setup for macOS and Windows will install the latest driver automatically. I used the iOS app to install the device using my iPad. When first turned on, the DeskJet 3720 broadcasts its presence over Wi-Fi. I launched the…

With macOS Sierra, Apple, as with previous desktop OS versions, integrates even more features that were introduced in iOS, the operating system for the company’s mobile devices. But Sierra doesn’t just add features found in iOS, it also does more to make your Mac and your iOS devices work together. Considering that, nowadays, most people’s primary computers are iOS devices, it’s fitting that macOS Sierra does more to cater to those users’ needs. Before we dive into Sierra, let’s address the main question: should you upgrade? First, you need to determine how compatible your Mac is. The older the Mac, the more likely a feature won’t work. Apple also has information on what features are available based on region and language at apple.com/macos/feature-availability. Checking this first may answer the upgrade…

In the wake of a mass stabbing at a Minnesota mall that was linked to the terrorist group ISIS, the FBI is looking for answers on a passcode-protected iPhone. “Dahir Adan’s iPhone is locked,” FBI special agent Rich Thornton told reporters at a press conference, according to Wired. “We are in the process of assessing our legal and technical options to gain access to this device and the data it may contain.” The FBI has other evidence in its possession: 780GB of data from Adan’s computer and other devices. But it wants to crack his iPhone to find out more information behind the terrorist attack that left 10 people wounded. It’s unclear what iPhone model Adan owned or the operating system installed, and those two facts could determine whether the…

When people ask me for the single best reason to upgrade to macOS Sierra, the answer I give them doesn’t involve Auto Unlock or iCloud Drive. It’s version 2.0 of Photos, the biggest update to Apple’s photo-management utility app since it debuted in the spring of 2015. I’ve been using Photos 2.0 extensively all summer as a part of my testing of macOS Sierra. My six favourite features make Photos almost singlehandedly worth the upgrade to Sierra. IT CAN FIND A ZEBRA IN A HAYSTACK Apple spent a lot of time at its Worldwide Developer Conference last winter promoting the machine-learning algorithm that sits at the heart of Photos for Mac and iOS 10. But you know what? It’s awesome. Apple’s not the first to go down this path –…

Apple’s quest to embed itself into every aspect of your life extends right from the front door of your home. Its HomeKit platform works with various home automation hardware and software. The Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt brings the ability to remotely manage your home security and to unlock your door with a key, app or via Siri. I’ve installed a few door locks in my time, so I was intrigued as to how easy or difficult the Schlage Sense would be. It is designed to replace existing deadbolts, which typically use a standard configuration with respect to the holes that are drilled into the door. The kit includes all of the screws and plates you’ll need, including different plates for the door jamb, as well as reinforcement plates to make…

Calendar is the weakest of Apple’s built-in apps (with Reminders a close second). While the Mac version is passable enough, the iPhone app is borderline useless, even with the month and list split-screen view enabled. After initially cosying up to the iOS-only Calendars 5, I eventually settled on Fantastical 2, despite initial reservations about the lack of a good month view on the iPhone. Occasional bugs with recurring to-dos aside, I’ve never looked back. That is, until the recent release of BusyCal 3, a sequel four years in the making. Back in 2012, OS X Mountain Lion 10 and iOS 6 were the latest and greatest Apple had to offer. At US$65, I didn’t pay much attention to BusyCal at the time, although Macworld sang its praises in a review,…