The offcial journal of the Wellington Macintosh Society Inc Volume 37.06 – June 2020

Come to one of New OS versions coming soon our meetings

Online Monday 29 June 7:00 pm for 7:30 pm Subject: Apple Developer Conference announcements iPad Group TBA Help Desk TBA

Apple has announced the next OS versions due for release in September or October. They also announced a major platform change for Mac models starting later this year. See inside or attend our meeting for more details.

Where to find us Now that the country is down to alert level 1, it may be possible to resume physical meetings once we have made suitable arrangements. In the meantime we will be running online meetings via Zoom, normally on the same monthly schedule as our Wellington meeting: the evening of the last Monday each month. Meeting invitations will be sent to members via email. If non-members or former members would like to attend a meeting on a trial basis, please email [email protected].

Wellington Apple Users Group p13 INSIDE The President Writes p2 David’s Tech Guide p3 How to Request Access to a Deceased Mac going to Apple Silicon p8 Family Member’s Apple Accounts p15 What the HEIC? p12 Committee Contact Details p16

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 1 The president writes ...

We found ourselves needing to find another location to meet in and moved to the Royal Society on the corner ofTurnbull and Murphy Streets for a number of meetings however the cost was quite high and we then moved to the Johnsonville Community Centre. At first we were using the main hall and as our numbers fell, we moved into one of the smaller Graeme Moffatt rooms. [email protected] We changed the meeting format into something similar to our St Mary’s multiple meetings Hi folks however as Macs were the only system in use, the I recently attended the AGM of another group I meetings were for either basic or advanced users. belong to and at the beginning of the meeting the In an effort to gain new members, we decided to president suggested that we discuss the future of hold an expo one Monday meeting night and the group before going any further. advertised it in the local paper along with There was a feeling among a number of distributing leaflets around the wider Johnsonville members that was not much point in continuing area. with the society as we had not been able to attract A number of our members set up their any new active members who were prepared to computers in the main hall demonstrating how assist with the objectives of the group. they use a Mac and we also invited two of the Mac I spoke against any moves against winding up resellers to come along and show the computers the operation as although we had not achieved that had for sale. many of the goals we had set ourselves, I did not This went off pretty well although we did not consider quitting before the job was done as being gain many new members however it worked well a worthy choice. to encourage existing members to become more One of the issues that was raised was that energised and the net result was that our loss of younger people are so predisposed with mobile members was halted. phones and online social media that attending We then decided to hold another expo the physical meetings was not a priority. following year in conjunction with the two Mac For our WelMac members, physical meetings are resellers however we did it on a more professional not the obstacle that the younger generation senses basis and held it in a venue at Te Papa. as this has been the only manner in which we were This was reasonably successful and we held able to socialise for the most of our lives. another at Te Papa the following year and formed a This lack of a new crop of members however is company in conjunction with the two resellers to the death knell for any group if some means of protect ourselves from any liabilities. recruiting new members is not found. We held a third one at the Michael Fowler Our group has been through this experience for Centre however by then expos were becoming a some time and have tried all manner of things to casualty of the same internet that was causing us encourage new members and overall, they have problems. not been very successful. Now that we have been impacted by the I have written a follow on to our April article covid-19 lockdown and have been forced to find an about the formation of our group in 1984 based alternative to physical meetings, maybe our around our monthly Capital Apple newsletter and salvation may have arrived. discuss a number of activities that we tried to That’s all, folks! Graeme Moffatt address this issue. To contact me, email [email protected], or you can ring me at home (027 660-3094)

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 2 The presidentDavid’s Tech Guide writes ... by David Empson

[email protected] problems they were having with their applications. 04 976 9755 For 2020 this also went online, with developers anywhere in the world potentially being able to book time with an Apple engineer for an online lab. This all brought a much greater degree of democratisation to the conference: rather than having a select few getting the most benefit (if they Apple’s Online Developer Conference had the time and could afford the conference fee, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not travel and accomodation), developers anywhere in possible for Apple to run their traditional annual the world could benefit as long as they had a “World-Wide Developer Conference” (WWDC) reasonable Internet connection and could handle where 5000 developers paid to attend the event in the time zone and language differences. person. The popularity of the iPhone in particular As usual, the keynote announced the next major means there are millions of developers for Apple operating systems. There were no announcements platforms, and demand for attending WWDC got of new hardware products or services. to the point that Apple had to introduce a lottery The major announcement was that Macs are system for buying tickets, rather than all the tickets going to stop using Intel processors and transition being snapped up by the early birds. to Apple Silicon. See my later article for details but To cater to the larger audience, Apple had been the short version is that the first models with Apple improving their online offerings for WWDC. The Silicon will be available before the end of this year, keynote address was already live streamed as it the transition will take up to two years, Macs with was aimed at a wider audience, and developer Intel processors will be supported for several years sessions for detailed topics have been available after that, most existing software will work on the after the end of the session as free online video for new models, and there are still some new Macs the last few years. with Intel processors coming. For 2020’s entirely online event, Apple pre- recorded the keynote and sessions, resulting in Keynote Video better production quality, eliminating “live demo If you want to watch it, Apple still has the failure” and presenter mistakes. The lack of an WWDC keynote video available to stream from audience meant no delays for audience reaction, their web site and via various other platforms and there were no demos from third party including the Apple TV app (on the Apple TV, developers (just brief demos by Apple staff), so the macOS Catalina, iOS, iPadOS and some third party keynote in particular flowed better and was shorter TVs), Apple’s YouTube channel, and their developer than it had been in recent years. web site. It was also nice to see the use of backdrops and They have also made the keynote available for transitions: the keynote used parts of Apple Park streaming or download via Apple Podcasts or the including the Steve Jobs Theatre and flyovers of the podcasts section in iTunes: search for Apple Events. grounds. All the presenters and the camera crews There are audio-only and video versions, but in a were appropriately self-isolating, as emphasised by change from previous years, the video is now only a statement at end of the keynote. available in Full HD, which comes to about 8 GB for It seemed there were even more sessions than the WWDC keynote. Previously there were three usual, probably because Apple staff had more time versions of the Apple Keynotes podcast, with the to pre-record segments and not needing to fit all video in different resolutions. The 2020 WWDC the events into a limited number of days. keynote has not been added to those podcasts, but A significant change was the labs, where older events have been added to the Apple Events developers attending the conference could book podcast. time with an Apple engineer to work through continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 3 Timeline and features of new OS versions notification rather than taking over the screen on As normal, Apple is expecting to release their the iPhone or iPad. new operating systems in our spring, probably Siri will have a small badge and use part of the starting in early September for most platforms. screen to show results, rather than taking over the macOS has usually been delayed slightly, as late as whole screen. October in some years. Messages supports pinned conversations (keep The first developer beta is available now, with a important ones at the top). Group messages can public beta expected to follow in July. They will be have a photo assigned, mention people to get their updated as the public release approaches. As attention, and send inline replies for specific always, if you are interested in trying either of the messages to maintain context. betas, I recommend that you avoid running them Safari has new website privacy reporting and on your primary devices, due to the much greater and can warn you about password re-use. risk of serious bugs and data loss. If you have a App Store will have more privacy information in spare or secondary device which is compatible, app listings (coming later). that is a safer bet for trying out the new OS before On iPhone and iPad, you will be able to set a the public release, but you might also want to third-party app as the default for mail and web avoid having that device linked to your online browsing. accounts such as iCloud, email, etc., as bugs on the new software might result in losing data in your iOS 14 (iPhone, iPod Touch) online services as well. https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-14-preview/ There is a non-disclosure agreement which in A major change is the particular disallows live demos or screenshots of ability to place widgets on the new OS versions, but there is some scope to the home screen. These are discuss details, particularly the ones Apple has currently in the Today view already announced. (swipe left to right on the I’ll summarise some changes for each platform, first page) but you will be and go into more detail on compatibility and able to drag frequently used support issues. Please refer to Apple’s web site for ones into any position in the a more detailed list of features. There is an “all new app grid on the home screen. features” page for each of the major platforms (iOS, Widgets can be in three sizes iPadOS and macOS). (four to eight app icons), and include stacks where you can Feature availability in New Zealand swipe between multiple If you are reading, listening to or watching widgets in the same position, reviews or summaries of Apple’s new operating or a Smart Stack which learns systems, please keep in mind that some of the which widget to display based major new features are only available in a limited on usage patterns. number of countries at this stage, and it is Since most people only organise a few pages of unknown when or even if they will be available in their home screen, if you have a lot of apps you New Zealand. Apple has not yet put NZ-specific may end up with randomly organised pages after a versions of the preview pages on their web site. certain point. The new App Library feature adds a Some features are also limited to selected page at the end of your home screen which models, and some will be coming later than the automatically lists all your apps and groups them initial release. into categories, has a recently added category, and When looking at Apple’s preview pages, most of provides suggestions and a search field including these details are mentioned in footnotes. the ability to list apps alphabetically. You can hide pages of the home screen, so you New features for multiple platforms only need as many pages as you want for apps and Incoming calls from the phone or various video widgets you use regularly, with everything else apps (FaceTime, Skype, etc.) will show a accessed through search or the App Library. continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 4 The iPhone gains picture-in-picture video watchOS 7 (already available on the iPad and Mac), which https://www.apple.com/watchos/watchos- allows you to keep watching video or a FaceTime preview/ call in a movable and sizeable floating window A new Sleep app adds bedtime routine, sleep while using other apps. scheduling and tracking if you wear the watch A new Translate app translates between overnight. If the battery is low near your bedtime, languages, including side-by-side mode to see both the watch will ask you to charge it before you go to languages at once, and the option to download bed. You can charge it quickly in the morning after selected languages to use them on-device for you get up, and your iPhone can notify you when privacy and to control data use. the watch is fully charged. App Clips provide a new way to use services Activity has been renamed to Fitness, and new such as parking and ordering food where you workouts have been added for Dance, Functional might previously have needed to download a full Strength Training, Core Training and a post- app. The App Clip is a small and fast download. workout Cooldown. You can get the App Clip via methods such as a A COVID-19 feature: the watch automatically web link, QR code, Maps link or NFC tag, and detects you are washing your hands and gives you from the App Clip you can use Sign in with Apple a cute 20 second countdown, encouraging you to and Apple Pay. If you want the full app, you can keep washing if you don’t do it long enough. get it from App Store via the App Clip. Models supported by watchOS 7 iPadOS 14 watchOS 7 drops support for the Series 1 and https://www.apple.com/ipados/ipados- Series 2. This continues a pattern of a minimum of preview/ two years of watchOS support after a model was Widgets gain some new features including discontinued. Series 0 was unable to upgrade to Smart Stack, but remain in the Today view. watchOS 5 and didn’t get further security updates, Many apps are gaining Mac-like sidebars which but we don’t know yet whether Series 1 and 2 make it easier to work in different areas of the app. might get watchOS 6 security updates. Apple Pencil support gains a major boost with Series 3, 4 and 5 are supported by watchOS 7, but Scribble, which brings handwriting recognition some features require newer models. and editing. Geometric shapes drawn with the pencil are recognised and tidied up automatically. tvOS 14 https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-4k/#tvos- Models supported by iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 new These versions make no changes to the support Apple TV 4K is gaining several new features: list: all iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads which are multi-user support for games, HomeKit camera able to run iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 can update to iOS view of door cameras, picture-in-picture, 4K 14 or iPadOS 14. This goes back as far as iPhone 6S YouTube videos, connect two sets of AirPods so two and iPhone 6S Plus, original iPhone SE; 7th people can listen privately at the same time. generation iPod Touch; iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4. Technically this includes all models with an A9 Models supported by tvOS 14 or newer processor, plus iPads with A8 processors. It appears that the Apple TV HD (4th generation) Assuming the oldest models will be unable to will be able to run tvOS 14, but misses out on most run iOS 15 in late 2021, that brings iPhones back up of the new features. to six years of being able to run the latest iOS The Apple TV HD has an A8 processor, similar to (matching the previous record). The the iPad Air 2 the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4, so tvOS 14 may its is up to seven years (a new record). last major version, with only security or minor after Devices limited to iOS 12 (iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, that (similar to the pattern seen with the 3rd 6th gen iPod Touch) have had an extra year of generation Apple TV). security updates. I don't expect that to extend to The Apple TV 4K (5th generation) gets the full two years. set of new features. continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 5 macOS 11.0 “Big Sur” Models supported by macOS 11.0 Big Sur https://www.apple.com/macos/big-sur- In general, macOS 10.14 Mojave and mac OS preview/ 10.15 Catalina ran on models in introduced in 2012 Big Sur has a huge redesign of the user interface: or later. (Mojave also supported the 2010 Mac Pro; this is the biggest change in a single version since Catalina dropped support for the 2010 and 2012 the introduction of Mac OS X. There is more Mac Pro.) transparency, window toolbars have merged into macOS 11.0 Big Sur supports all models the title bar and increasingly use symbolic icons introduced in 2014 or later, plus some 2013 models: rather than buttons (with tooltips if you point to MacBook Air (Mid 2013), MacBook Pro (Retina, 13- them), and the general styling is much closer to the inch, Late 2013), MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late iPhone and iPad than previously. 2013) and Mac Pro (Late 2013).

Models limited to macOS 10.15 Catalina These models are not able to upgrade to Big Sur: • MacBook Air (11-inch and 13-inch, Mid 2012). • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012). This is the last notebook Apple sold which had an optical drive and internal hard drive. Apple kept selling it until late 2016. • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012). • MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012). • MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012). • MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch and 15-inch, Early 2013). I’ve had a brief look at the new interface and my • iMac (21.5-inch and 27-inch, Late 2012). first impression is “prettier without being jarring”. • iMac (21.5-inch, Early 2013). I’d happily use this, but it will take a little while to • iMac (21.5-inch and 27-inch, Late 2013). get comfortable with it. • Mac Mini (Late 2012). Some of the use changes might be toned back Looking at technical features, the set of models slightly before the public release. dropped by macOS Big Sur includes all with a 3rd A new Control Centre combines several menu generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 “Ivy Bridge” bar icons into a single one, with the ability to keep processor, which includes all with Intel 4000-series the ones you use frequently on the menu bar. integrated graphics. The only “Ivy Bridge” The Messages app has a major overhaul: it now processor left is in the Xeon processor in the Late matches the features of the iPhone/iPad version. 2013 Mac Pro, which is somewhat more advanced, This was done by porting the iPad version of plus the Mac Pro has dedicated graphics. Messages to the Mac, using an updated version of The Late 2013 iMac is the only series dropped the Mac Catalyst framework which was introduced which has a a 4th generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 last year in macOS Catalina. “Haswell” processor. This series seems to have Once you are running Big Sur, software updates missed out for arbitrary reasons. Technically it is which require a restart will be less disruptive almost identical to the Late 2013 MacBook Pro, and because most of the work can be done in the is more powerful than the entry level Mid 2014 background, rather than tying up your computer iMac (both of which are supported). This might be for an extended period. an oversight or Apple may change their mind by If you have a recent Mac model, the startup the public release, but as things stand it appears the chime is back! Late 2013 iMac missed out only because the cutoff Notebook models have optimised battery was chosen to be models introduced 2014, extended charging to extend your battery’s lifetime, and back to 2013 for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro history of recent battery usage. which have the same identifier as 2014 models, plus the 2013 Mac Pro getting a support extension. continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 6 Planning for macOS 11.0 Big Sur What about Catalina? If you would like to avoid rushing into the new macOS Catalina is up to version 10.15.5, with macOS and its likely early bugs and major user 10.15.6 in the pipeline, probably due by late July. interface changes, some points to keep in mind: That will be the final numbered update for Catalina 2011 or older models are limited to High Sierra (followed by supplemental, security and Safari (or earlier), and security updates for High Sierra updates), so if you want to wait for the last version will end by September. to avoid big minor updates and to have as many 2012 and some 2013 models won’t be able to bugs fixed as possible, you should be aiming to upgrade to Big Sur. Their last version is macOS upgrade to Catalina during August. Catalina, which is expected to get two more years If you are still running macOS 10.14 Mojave or of security updates. macOS Mojave is expected to earlier, remember that Catalina drops support for get one more year of security updates. all 32-bit Intel applications, which kills a fair For 2014 and later models and the remaining amount of old software. I recommend the utility 2013 models, Software Update will start offering Go64 from St Clair Software for a comprehensive Big Sur as an available update once it is released to check of whether any of your applications will not the public (September or October). If you want to work on Catalina due to being 32-bit (or depending play it safe and avoid accidentally installing Big on 32-bit components, which is a subtle issue not Sur, you should turn off the “Automatically keep shown by Apple’s System Report.) my Mac up-to-date” option in System Preferences https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64 > Software Update before the end of August. My main reason to avoid Catalina as my primary Under Advanced options it is safe to have system has not changed: everything ticked except “Install macOS updates”. Mail still has a known bug where moving a If you are planning to buy a new Mac soon, message between mailboxes may result in it being consider buying it before September. This ensures permanently lost (including being deleted from the the Mac comes with macOS 10.15 Catalina. If you server). I value my email too much to risk this, so buy a new Mac in September or later it may unless Apple fixes it quickly I may skip Catalina already have Big Sur installed. entirely on my primary system. As things stand, If you buy a newly introduced model in this bug may persist into Big Sur. September or later (including all models with Apart from the option of changing to third party Apple Silicon), it will come with Big Sur and will email software (which would mean a lot of not be able to run any earlier macOS version. relearning), a potential workaround is to run If you aren’t worried about Big Sur but want to software which keeps a separate archival copy on buy a new Mac around the time it is due, then I your computer of all your email as it arrives. This suggest delaying your new Mac purchase until wastes a fair amount of storage. November or later if possible, so there has been time for the inevitable bug fixes and compatibility macOS Version Numbering updates for third party applications. This decision macOS Big Sur is version 11.0. This marks the may vary depending on whether you think you end of twenty years of macOS versions with a need to buy an Intel Mac or are happy with the number that starts with “10”. The version number idea of an Apple Silicon Mac. change was clearly due to it being “about time”: to As always, before upgrading to a major new mark the transition to Apple Silicon, the significant macOS version, please remember to have a full user interface changes, and to stop the second part backup of your computer before installing the new of the version number from getting too high. version, so that you have the option of wiping the I think Apple will switch to the same pattern as computer and restoring the backup if you find iOS, so next year’s major macOS release will be something you can’t cope with (such as an version 12. This would simplify the version important application not working). numbering and remove the need for updates called “Supplemental Update”.

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 7 Macs transitioning from Intel to Apple Silicon by David Empson

This was the big news of WWDC: Apple Support for older Macs and older applications announced that starting in late 2020, they will be was achieved through two features: introducing new Mac models which have an • Rosetta allowed PowerPC applications to Apple-designed processor rather than an Intel run on Intel Macs by translating PowerPC code processor. The transition to Apple Silicon will take to Intel code for execution. This had some two years, so by the end of 2022 all new Mac performance impact, but the new processors models will have Apple Silicon. were fast enough that it wasn’t bad. This has been rumoured for a while. Given the • Universal Binary applications contained performance of recent iPhone and iPad models and both PowerPC and Intel code. This allowed Intel’s ongoing delays in releasing new processors, updated applications to run natively at full it was only a question of when Apple jumped. speed on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Apple Silicon is more than just a CPU: it is a To help developers prepare for Intel Macs, Apple “System on a Chip” (SoC), similar to the Apple offered the lease of a “Developer Transition Kit” chips used in Apple’s other products. It includes an which had an Intel Pentium 4 processor (less ARM processor but also several other components powerful than the Core processors used in the first designed by Apple such as the graphics controller, Intel Macs). Developers had to return the DTK after Neural Engine, video encode/decode, image the real Intel models were available, but they were processor, Secure Enclave and storage controller. It offered an Intel iMac as a replacement. also has the computer’s memory (RAM) integrated Late model PowerPC Macs were able to run Mac into the SoC for better performance. (Storage is a OS X 10.4 Tiger then Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard but separate component.) were not able to upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Some of these features such as the secure enclave Leopard (late 2009). Security updates for Leopard and storage controller are already available in continued until mid 2012, so a PowerPC Mac recent Macs via the T2 chip. bought in late 2005 got about seven years of Apple is not just going to drop an iPhone or software updates, which was typical for all Macs iPad SoC into a Mac: they will have new chips around that time. based on the same architecture which are designed Rosetta was included in Tiger (starting in 2006) appropriately for the Mac. I expect we will see through to Snow Leopard, but not Lion (mid 2011). multiple variants of each Mac-specific SoC, Security updates for Snow Leopard continued until adapted as appropriate for the expected use of the late 2013, so as long as you bought a new Mac with computer. For example, a MacBook Pro would an Intel processor, your old PowerPC applications probably have a more powerful SoC than a worked for up to eight years after the transition MacBook Air of the same generation. was announced. If you wanted to keep using the The main reasons for the switch are to improve old applications after that, you needed to keep an Mac performance now and even more in the old Mac running, stay on Snow Leopard, or run future, add features, and to give Apple more Snow Leopard in a virtual machine. control over the future direction of the Mac, e.g. Apple’s own applications were quickly moved to Apple can add custom silicon to implement Intel native or Universal, but third party features in hardware rather than having having to applications varied: some were quick, some major implement them (much more slowly) in software. ones like Microsoft Office took until late 2007 before a Universal version was released, some were no The last transition: PowerPC to Intel longer supported by the developer so never got Apple announced the PowerPC to Intel updated—notable examples included the Eudora transition at WWDC in 2005, started introducing email software, and Apple’s own AppleWorks (last Mac models with Intel processors in 2006, and had updated in 2004, mostly superseded by the iWork phased out all models with PowerPC processors by suite but with some components like the database the end of 2006 (sooner than the announced plan). having no easy replacement). continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 8 What will the Intel to Apple Silicon Applications which use Apple’s Metal transition look like? framework for graphics will be less affected by the This sounds like a replay of the PowerPC to Intel transition because Metal can run without transition. Apple will be supporting “Universal 2” translation on both Intel and Apple Silicon. Some apps (same concept, this time with Intel and ARM graphics-intensive applications will work as well as code) and “Rosetta 2” which works similarly to or in some cases faster than they do on Intel Macs Rosetta, but goes further by pre-translating Intel which currently have integrated graphics. code to ARM where possible and saving it to disk. This will typically result in a slower first launch of iPhone and iPad Apps on a Mac an Intel app on an Apple Silicon Mac, but using the Because Apple Silicon uses the same processor app and re-launch will be faster than it would be if family (ARM) as the iPhone and iPad, Macs with the code was translated on the fly. Apple Silicon will be able to run iPhone and iPad For better performance or long term support, apps without modification. For some apps, running developers need to update their apps to include on a Mac won’t make sense because they depend ARM code by adopting Universal 2. on portable use or iOS-only hardware features like An advantage this time is that most developers motion detection, or are too hard to control with a are using the same development software (Apple’s mouse or trackpad rather than a touch screen. Xcode) whereas in 2005 there was a lot more Developers can choose whether to make their apps diversity in development tools. Apple available on the Mac, but if enough of them do, this demonstrated that Adobe Creative Cloud software means a huge number of new apps will become and Microsoft Office are already running natively available on future Macs via the Mac App Store. on Apple Silicon so should be good to go when the iPhone apps will run in an iPhone-sized movable new models are available. window. iPad apps will be close to a full Mac app, Apple is once again offering a Developer with a resizable window and if the app supports Transition Kit, this time a Mac Mini shell with an split view, it can have multiple documents open in A12Z SoC (as used in the latest iPad Pro models). separate windows which behave like normal Mac The only notable omission on this model is it has document windows. Both iPhone and iPad apps USB-C but no Thunderbolt ports, but I believe that will have a menu bar which includes standard is a temporary issue because the A12Z doesn’t items, including basic access to preferences which support Thunderbolt. The Apple Silicon SoC used appear in the iOS Settings app. in the public Mac models will be more powerful, The ability to run iPhone and iPad apps is based and can include additional features like on the Mac Catalyst feature introduced in macOS Thunderbolt 3. Catalina. Developers who want a better Mac native Last year’s change in Catalina which dropped experience for their apps can use Mac Catalyst to support for 32-bit Intel code was clearly a adapt their app to better fit the Mac user interface. prerequisite because it means Rosetta 2 only needs Using Mac Catalyst to adapt and rebuild the app to translate 64-bit Intel software, and it eliminated a also allows the app to work on Macs with Intel lot of old Apple code (such as the entire Carbon processors, rather than the unmodified app only framework and features like QuickTime 7). working on new Macs with Apple Silicon. The graphics controller in Apple Silicon will be considerably faster than Intel’s integrated graphics, Compatibility issues with Apple Silicon which means the “low end” graphics capabilities of I expect most Mac users will be able to switch to Apple Silicon Macs will get a big boost. Early Apple Silicon models with all their software releases may not be as fast as dedicated graphics working, as long as it runs on Big Sur at all. (as used in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, some iMac Intel-only applications which require installation models, iMac Pro and Mac Pro) so these models of a kernel extension won’t work, since the kernel may transition to Apple Silicon at a later point, or will be purely ARM. may continue to use a dedicated graphics Applications which use plugins can be forced to processor in the meantime. use Rosetta 2 (via Finder Get Info) if some plugins are still Intel-only. continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 9 No Windows or other Intel-based OSes Those who used Macs as far back as the 1990s Apple Silicon cannot run other operating may recall Connectix Virtual PC, which was an systems for Intel processors. emulator for running Windows on a PowerPC Mac Intel Macs are able to use Boot Camp to boot (under Mac OS 9 and earlier). I used that, and it into Microsoft Windows, or can use virtual was so slow that I only used it on rare occasions machine software to run Windows, Intel-based when no alternative was available, and not for versions of Linux, or older Intel-based macOS anything which was performance critical. versions. All of these will be unavailable on an I expect it wouldn’t be as painful on an Apple Apple Silicon Mac. Silicon Mac. Intel emulation may become practical If you require Windows, don’t buy a Mac with in later years as Apple further improves the Apple Silicon until you can find an alternative performance in later generations of Apple Silicon. solution for the software which requires Windows. Another possibility is that Microsoft already has Buying a new Mac with an Intel processor within a version of Windows which works on ARM the next year or two may be a good solution for processors, which they use on some models of the now, as that will let you run Windows on your Mac Microsoft Surface. If they choose to make that for several more years. An alternative is to buy a available for Macs with Apple Silicon, it could run non-Apple computer just to run Windows. under virtualisation. Most Windows applications An Apple Silicon Mac won’t run macOS that people might want to run are Intel, so they Catalina or earlier. This mainly affects those who wouldn’t run natively on an ARM version of want Mojave to run 32-bit Intel applications, or Windows, but ARM Windows already includes an Snow Leopard to run PowerPC applications. The Intel emulator which allows at least some Intel same solution applies: get a new Intel Mac while applications to be used, albeit slowly. you can, or keep using an older Mac. There was no mention of Windows support from Apple Silicon can virtualise an ARM-based OS, Apple during their announcements or subsequent and there are ARM versions of Linux, so some interviews. It is Microsoft’s decision and theirs to Linux uses are covered. If you really need Intel announce if they will make ARM Windows Linux, then you need an Intel Mac or a non-Mac. available for Macs. Apple Silicon does not support Boot Camp, but Boot Camp support for ARM Windows seems it can boot macOS from different volumes or unlikely, but not impossible. external drives. In future it will be possible to boot Big Sur or later versions as needed (as long as your Future availability of Intel Macs Mac is supported by the macOS version), or you Apple has said that they will complete the can use virtualisation to run older or newer ARM- transition to Apple Silicon within two years, i.e. by based macOS versions (Big Sur or later). late 2022. After that, we don’t yet know whether One reason to run Windows on a Mac, especially Apple will continue selling selected Intel Mac via Boot Camp, is to be able to play Windows-only models (with no further hardware revisions) as games. This will not be possible on a Mac with “new” for a while longer, but at a minimum they Apple Silicon. This means the likely loss of some should be available for some time via the games, but that should be balanced against the refurbished Apple Store, and even longer on the potentially huge number of iPhone/iPad games second hand market. which will be able to run on an Apple Silicon Mac, some with no work by the developer. Future macOS support Big Sur continues the recent pattern that when a Possible future ways of running Intel OSes new macOS version drops support for old models, Someone (probably not Apple) could release a the supported models include all introduced in the full Intel emulator for ARM Macs. This would previous six years, and all discontinued less than allow running Intel-based operating systems in a four years ago. Some models get longer support. manner similar to virtualisation, but much slower It also continues the recent pattern of every because the processor instructions would need to second macOS version dropping support for about be translated from Intel to ARM on the fly. two years of old models, with the intervening continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 10 versions continuing to support mostly the same inheriting sidebars, search user interface and some models. pop-down menus which resemble the Mac. Each macOS version gets security updates for a macOS Big Sur has many user interface changes further two years after it is superseded. which resemble the iPad, such as transparency, The transition from Intel processors to Apple alert/dialog styles and rounded corners. Silicon may shorten some of the support The Mac transition to Apple Silicon adds another timeframes for Macs with Intel processors. point in common between all of Apple’s platforms. In the last transition from PowerPC to Intel Despite these changes, you should not assume (2006), the minimum was three years after a model we are looking at an eventual merger of the Mac was discontinued, with the last PowerPC models and iPad, or the elimination of the Mac. Apple has discontinued in 2006 unable to run Mac OS X 10.6 repeatedly denied this idea and did so again in Snow Leopard in late 2009. interviews during the week of WWDC. Big Sur is the first version which will run on The iPad is gaining flexibility by supporting Apple Silicon and it is a good sign that it continues more options for input devices (including some the pattern of supporting older models at least six unique features like Apple Pencil support), and years since introduction and four since allows somewhat more complex uses such as discontinuation. This makes me hopeful that future running two applications side by side, but doesn’t macOS versions will continue the same pattern. go as far as the Mac. Apple is planning to complete the transition to The Mac still has unique features like the system- Apple Silicon by the end of 2022. Based on a three wide menu bar, the ability to have overlapping year minimum, in the worst case the macOS windows from multiple applications on screen, version introduced in late 2025 is the first which supports more complex software due to having could drop support for the last Intel models. more memory, can install applications from places If I’m right and the patterns of Sierra to Big Sur other than App Store, lower level technical features continue, then we should see Intel support in new such as the UNIX subsystem, and settings which macOS versions until at least late 2026, or later if can disable some of the security features for those there are updated Intel models in 2021 or 2022. who want a greater degree of control. Based on how Apple handled previous The user interface changes should be viewed as transitions and the expected timeframe, I think that Apple moving to a common design language for all Rosetta 2 and Intel Mac support would be dropped their platforms, rather than “the Mac is gaining the by the same macOS version. iPad user interface”. Rosetta 2 and the last Intel models would be macOS Big Sur doesn’t support a touch screen, supported a further two years on the preceding but some of the changes include increasing spacing macOS version due to security updates, therefore between user interface elements such as menu the final cutoff should come between 2027 and items, which look like Apple could be moving in 2030. After that point you could still run Intel-only the direction of a future Mac model having a touch Mac software by continuing to use an older macOS screen to supplement the mouse/trackpad. That version which is no longer getting security would make it feasible to run a wider range of updates, e.g. via virtualisation. iPhone and iPad apps on future Macs.

Convergence of platforms? Conclusion Apple is continuing to introduce new features The loss of Windows may be a problem for me across all platforms where they make sense, and (meaning I need to use a different computer), but moving toward common development of otherwise I’m excited by the prospect of what applications, similar or common user interface Apple Silicon can achieve, and will probably buy elements and input device support. one of the early models to get experience with the The iPad recently gained support for mouse/ platform. I expect that I would eventually get an trackpad, and the new Magic Keyboard with Apple Silicon Mac similar to the 16-inch MacBook trackpad for recent iPad Pro models. iPadOS 14 is Pro as my next main computer, but I’m not likely to need that for several years.

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 11 What the HEIC? Apple’s Highly Compressed Image Format Still Confuses by Glenn Fleishman

To store more photos and videos on a mobile device, you can either buy more storage or increase image compression. Apple has enabled both paths. It expanded maximum storage so that a 256 GB iPhone isn’t ludicrously expensive. But that gets you only part of the way there. In 2017, Apple added support for successors to JPEG for images and H.264 for video: • HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a container format that allows extensive metadata, still images, and sequences (like bursts or Live Photos) to co-exist in a single file. • HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), also known as H.265, can encode video using 40–50% Since we couldn’t easily sort it out despite the less data than H.264 while maintaining the same fact that we live and breathe this kind of thing, we quality. spent some time teasing it all apart for you. (For the technical nitty-gritty, read “HEVC and HEVC HEIF Will Make Video and Photos More Efficient,” H.265, which is just another name for HEVC, 30 June 2017.) provides substantial improvements in compression Despite all of this happening nearly three years by being more clever and versatile in analysing ago, we at TidBITS found ourselves scratching our individual frames of video and then equally smart heads recently about HEIF and HEVC. While Apple in storing differences between adjacent frames. uses those terms, files created using those schemes HEVC can compress still images or sequences of are stored, respectively, with the filename extensions video. .heic and .mov. (This came up because of the College HEIF Board mishandling iPhone images. See “Take a HEIC: Make Sure AP and Other Test Uploads Work HEIF is a container format developed by the from Your iPhone and iPad,” 21 May 2020.) Moving Picture Experts Group, which has created The former, HEIC, apparently stands for High many licensed audio and video formats. HEIF is Efficiency Image Container—more on that in a used for still images, whether an image stored by moment. The latter is potentially even more itself; with added modification layers (such as from confusing since MOV files have been around for an image-editing program), alpha masking, and decades. MOV is a video container format that can depth layers; or sequences (such as a burst mode) hold media encoded in many different ways, and simple animation (as with Live Photos). including HEVC. You can think of a container format as a sort of Apple discusses HEIF and HEVC in various folder within a file. Older image formats like GIF, places, including in Settings > Camera > Formats, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF pack metadata into the where you choose between High Efficiency for the image file, usually at the start. A long-ago change newer formats and Most Compatible for JPEG and to GIF allowed the integral storage of multiple H.264—though H.264 is also stored in a MOV frames for animations, and TIFF can support container. But the company doesn’t mention HEIC multiple pages in a single file. But each of these or the use of MOV for storing HEVC—even on the options requires, in effect, unpacking the entire file. page on which it explains HEIF and HEVC. Because HEIF is a container, each discrete image or sequence has its own file within the container, and … continued on page 9

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 12 Wellington Apple Users Group by Graeme Moffatt

had a supply of shareware software you could acquire on a floppy disk at group meetings. This sounded like a fairly good idea so I went along to a meeting that was held in the St Mary’s College staff room in Guildford Street behind the St Mary’s Cathedral in Hill Street just up from where we have been meeting prior to the covid-19 lockdown. At that time there were around four hundred members of the group and if you did not get to the meeting reasonably early, you missed out on a seat and may have had top stand out in the hallway. Apple II’s were still being used by members and after the first part of the meeting in the staff room, those using Mac’s split off into their auditorium for a demo about some aspect of Macs while the Apple II members went into one of the classrooms. I did not get to personally meet many of the Following on from the article about the members other than members of the committee who formation of the Wellington Apple Users Group were running the meetings or shareware desk until and its first issue of Capital Apple, I will describe the following year when I first joined the committee my involvement with the group some nine years and got to know quite well the committee members after the group was formed. including David Empson. In 1993 not long after I had shifted to Upper Hutt Capital Apple at that time was being printed and began working for a printer doing graphic commercially with a common cover that was design and typesetting using my Mac Classic, I met wrapped over the magazine with a label stuck on up with Andy Chaplow who was doing similar the join to keep it all together. As there were around work from his photography shop. He told me about 400 members, labelling the magazines was a whole the Wellington Apple Users Group and how they night affair at the presidents home.

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 13 Once the internet became usable with 14.4Kb/ Our membership at that stage had fallen to sec modems, our membership began to fall as it around 120 and my announced goal was to stabilise was possible to get help online and the need for the membership at that level and increase it if at all attending a physical meeting was becoming less possible, and we instituted a number of changes to essential. ensure that this happened. The member who was a staff member at St We remained there for a few years then decided Mary’s left the group and we needed to find a new to move into a more central location in order to location so we moved to the Royal Society on make it easier for those who lived in the city or the Murphy Street for a few meetings however as the Hutt Valley as getting public transport to cost was quite high, we shifted up to the Johnsonville was a bit of a pain. Johnsonville Community Centre as I mentioned in We chose a room at Turnbull House and my introduction. remained there for a number of years until they As the years rolled by while we were at decided to strengthen the building for earthquake Johnsonville, the membership continued to decline protection and we need to find somewhere else and we found it difficult to keep presidents for any which I will cover in my next instalment of life at longer than a twelve month stint and so in 2000 I the Wellington Macintosh Society. agreed to take on the role for a period of three years provided that I was re-elected.

continued from page 7

metadata is stored in separate files as well. It’s a encoded MOV file unless it can determine the more robust, more compatible way to ensure files destination can read HEVC/H.265. can be read across systems, even far into the future. You can check a MOV’s internal encoding HEIC formats by opening it in QuickTime Player in An HEIC file is one specific way to use HEIF, in macOS and choosing Window > Show Movie which the HEIF container relies only on HEVC to Inspector. Under Format, the inspector will display encode images. Other operating systems, camera the encoding video and audio formats, as well as software, and image-editing apps may produce or dimensions and other details. support variations on HEIF, like AVCI, which uses the AVC (Advanced Video Coding) encoder to store data within HEIF. With iCloud Photos enabled, you can see the .heic extension on images synced from an iPhone to Photos for macOS. iOS is careful about exporting, however, so your HEIC files may be converted to a JPEG image (for still images) or a JPEG and an H.264 MOV file (for Live Photos) if iOS thinks the receiving device can’t display HEIC. MOV HEVC videos are packaged inside MOV containers. Without inspecting them further, there’s I hope that clears things up, at least a little. In no way to know whether or not they contain H.265 short, HEIC is Apple’s flavour of HEIF that relies data—which requires iOS 11 or later or macOS solely on HEVC for compression for still images. 10.13 High Sierra or later—or whether they contain For HEVC-compressed video, Apple continues to H.264-encoded video that will play on older use MOV containers. devices. As with HEIC, iOS may export an H.264-

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 14 How to Request Access to a Deceased Family Member’s Apple Accounts By Adam Engst

Of those two guarantees in life, death and taxes, The name of the next of kin who is requesting death has dominated the headlines this year. While access to the decedent’s account taxes in some parts of the world were delayed, That the decedent was the user of all accounts 450,000 people have died from COVID-19 around associated with the Apple ID the world so far, nearly 120,000 of whom were in That the requestor is the decedent’s legal the United States, and over 25,000 of whom personal representative, agent, or heir, whose perished in New York City, a mere 4-hour drive authorisation constitutes “lawful consent” from where I live. And then there are the high- That Apple is ordered by the court to assist in profile killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, the provision of access to the decedent’s Ahmaud Arbery, and far too many other people of information from the deceased person’s accounts color. I suspect that acquiring such a court order So, without further comment on the sociological would be time-consuming and most easily done in and epidemiological crises that we’re all facing, conjunction with a lawyer. Once you have it, yes, death has been on my mind of late. contact Apple support and be clear about what you Then I saw a message on a private mailing list need, the fact that you have a court order, and that I’m on, asking for help after a member of an you’re working in accordance with this support acquaintance’s family died unexpectedly in a note. boating accident. The guy who died was the sole In the particular example I gave above, the admin of his Family Sharing account and hadn’t family is still waiting for their state to fulfill their left shared passwords or shared security phrases, request for a court order two weeks after it was so the family members couldn’t access the filed, in part because it took some time to get the administrative side of the account, including the official death certificate. Luckily though, they billing info, which needed to be updated so the discovered that they could work around the account wouldn’t be deactivated for lack of problem by having each member of the family payment. remove themselves from the family plan on their Troublingly, when they worked with Apple own devices. After that, they were able to create a support, the reps weren’t able to help, telling them new family plan and add everyone back to it. unless they could figure out the password or Two other notes. First, just as when the FBI otherwise gain access on their own, the account requests help with getting into a criminal’s locked would go into a suspended state. They were iPhone, Apple is very clear about how it cannot worried they’d lose all their family shared data if break passcode encryption, saying: that happened. I suspect this doesn’t happen all Please note that devices locked with a passcode are that often or Apple’s support reps would have protected by passcode encryption, and unless the next of known that the company has a policy for such kin knows the device passcode, Apple will not be able to situations. Since I’d never heard of this policy remove the passcode lock on the device without erasing before, I figured it was worth sharing more broadly it. in the unfortunate event that someone needs the So you might be able to get Apple to help information therein. sufficiently to erase a deceased family member’s The Apple support document, “How to request devices, but there’s no way to access the access to a deceased family member’s Apple information on that device. It’s conceivable that accounts,” lays out the process and the necessary you could restore an iCloud backup to a new or paperwork. The key is a court order that specifies: erased device once you have access to the deceased The name and Apple ID of the deceased person

CAPITAL APPLE – JUNE 2020 PAGE 15 person’s Apple ID, but I don’t know for sure if that’s Digital Legacy” (30 January 2017). In the book, Joe possible. walks readers through the thinking necessary to Second, while boating accidents are a particularly create a digital inventory of your online accounts, unexpected way to go (they account for only 0.02% purchased media, software, personal data, and of deaths in the US), it’s only sensible to plan for a cryptocurrency. If you make such a digital inventory, similar eventuality. Several years ago, Joe Kissell you can rest easy knowing that your family won’t wrote a tremendously helpful book on the topic, have extra work in the event that you die without Take Control of Your Digital Legacy, and introduced warning it in TidBITS with “Aunt Agatha Ponders Her

For the iOS User

• Another list of iPhone features. Now be honest. How many of these do you use? How many did you know about? Thought so. https://ios.gadgethacks.com/how-to/17-things-you-didnt-know-your-iphones-home-button-could- do-0170811/ • A list of iOS Tips and Tricks. Depending on the age of your iGadget whether all of these tips will work. You can sort that out. Like every list of this kind there are always some tips you did not know about. Certainly is the case for me, e.g. Long screenshots of websites. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/14-hidden-iphone-and-ipad-tricks- screenshots-trackpad-better- battery-charging/ • Hide the Toolbar. I don't bother with this but you may like it. https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/hide-the-toolbar-in-safari/

The Wellington Macintosh Society Incorporated is a non-profit editor or the Wellington Macintosh Society Inc. Copyright of trade- organisation formed in April 1984 with the following objectives: marks and trade names used remains with the owners at all times. • To exchange and disseminate information among the members Advertising rates: $35 full page, $20 half-page (members); $50 full concerning the computer arts and sciences. page, $35 half-page (non-members). For details, contact the editor. • To publish books, newsletters, magazines and periodicals for the benefit and education of members and the public. Home phone • To conduct and sponsor seminars, lectures and courses relating Patron Steve Wozniak to the computer arts and sciences. President Graeme Moffatt 905 6321 • To provide technical assistance to members of the group. Vice President Shane Gordine N/A • To seek privileges and discounts for members. Secretary Andrew McPherson 971 1914 Subscriptions: $30 a year from date of joining. Treasurer Peter Kirby 478 5386 Website: http://www.welmac.org.nz Journal editor Graeme Moffatt 905 6321 Email: [email protected] (email addresses for committee Membership Secretary Shane Gordine N/A members are available on the website) Committee David Empson 976 9755 Joseph Booth 526 5141 Please contact the information officer for all enquiries regarding Martin McKendrick N/A meetings and other activities. Membership enquiries should be (Tony Phillips) N/A directed to the membership secretary. Information Officer Dennis Hamblin 478 9466 The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the

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