Macworld You’ve got a Mac, not a money tree. So why are you still forking over cash every month just to open a Word doc or make a PowerPoint presentation? A surprising number of Mac users are switching to this lesser-known Office license that ditches recurring fees for good. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Top-notch sound Flawless ANC Convenient controls Practical charging box with touch display App is easy to operate AUX and USB connection Cons Sound with weakness in the mids Hi-Res certified audio with LDAC is Android-only Our Verdict The JBL Tour Pro 3 is more than just a competitor to the Apple AirPods Pro. ...   Mac Central

Macworld I love almost everything about my Mac: Battery life, interface, and how it easily connects to the rest of my Apple ecosystem. But working in corporate America, I need to have access to Microsoft apps like Excel and Word to easily send files to the rest of my team who aren’t as Apple-forward as I am. ...   Mac Central

Macworld If you’re already thinking about all the outdoor activities you’re going to do this summer, you’re going to need an Apple Watch to keep track of it all. And today’s a great time to buy one: Amazon is selling the Apple Watch Series 10 at its very best price of $299, a hefty $100 discount, and the best price we’ve ever seen. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple has changed its MacBook connection standard from Thunderbolt 4 to Thunderbolt 5, but some earlier MacBook Air models had their ports listed as “Thunderbolt / USB 4” and “Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4” on its Pro and Max models. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple added the iCloud Shared Photo Library in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura, dramatically improving sharing photos and videos with a group of people with whom you frequently exchange media. Shared Library, as it appears in the Photos app, is a kind of supercharged shared album that you might use with your family or a close friends group. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros High data transfer rate Compact dimensions MagSafe ring for iPhone Cons Plastic housing Our Verdict With the EX400U, Corsair has fulfilled the desire of many media professionals for a compact and powerful external SSD. It combines a small housing with USB4 speed. ...   Mac Central

Macworld PDF is a universally spoken language across the business world, but Apple products fall behind with fewer features for editing or annotating PDFs. You don’t need to be tethered to your computer or struggling to use your finger to sign on your phone. You can get a lifetime subscription to PDF Expert for just $139.99. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Other than the chip, the new iPad Air is identical to the old model, so there’s no reason not to jump on a clearance sale. And we’ve got an incredible one: Amazon is selling the 11-inch M2 iPad Air with 512GB of storage and 5G for $799, a massive savings of $250 on its $1,049 MSRP and the best price we’ve ever seen by far. ...   Mac Central

Macworld One way or another, it seems that prices for future Apple devices are going up. If it’s not because of tariffs, a new report claims that going to be because of the cost of the chips that run the devices. According to a report by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Apple will “definitely use TSMC’s 2nm process” in its chips next year. ...   Mac Central

Macworld If you just updated to iOS 18.4.1 this week, you may have noticed that Safari on your iPhone or iPad has started showing a list of your recent search queries. The feature was added in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, with the goal of making it quick and easy to look for something again (a common occurrence). ...   Mac Central

Macworld What I really love about smartphones is the extensive app catalog, which lets users try and pick between a wide range of options. If you don’t like how a certain application works, you can typically find solid alternatives in the same category that better match your expectations. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Effective stabilization People tracking with other apps Compact dimensions Cons Tripod legs are not very robust Our Verdict Whether vlogging while travelling, action-packed sports shots, or a YouTube tutorial, the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro impresses across the board and scores with well-thought-out details. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Tax day has come and gone which means that tax returns will be coming soon. If you’re getting a big return, you might be tempted to blow it on an expensive purchase: A new phone, computer, or tablet. ...   Mac Central

Macworld The iPad: You either love it or you don’t give it much thought. On this show, we talk about why that is and what changes we may see in the iPad this year This is episode 930 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple has released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, which offers no new features but fixes two critical vulnerabilities. For both fixes, Apple says on its security updates page that it is “aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on iOS.” The release notes are small for this one. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple on Wednesday released macOS Sequoia 15.4.1, a point-release update to the Mac operating system. The update comes after Apple released Sequoia 15.4 on March 31. This update contains security fixes. Below are the release notes for Sequoia 15.4.1: macOS Sequoia 15.4. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple on Wednesday announced that customers can get 10 percent off the purchase of an Apple accessory if they bring in an old Apple device for recycling. The program, which is available now, is part of the company’s efforts to promote Earth Day on April 22 and lasts until May 16. ...   Mac Central

Macworld A few weeks ago, Apple posted the New Lumon Terminal Pro on its website to promote the season finale of Severance, its hit show on Apple TV+. It’s not a real product, and the product page isn’t on Apple.com anymore (but it lives forever in the Internet Archive). However, what is real is the MDR Dasher Keyboard, a replica of the keyboard used by Lumon employees in the show. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Friendly interface, good performance Removes leftover file systems and unwanted extensions Easy to find what you’re hunting for Cons Mediocre update utility Remaining Files module needs to be custom-configured Search and removal function impacts core file systems and functionality Our Verdict Despite everything App Cleaner & ...   Mac Central

Larry Taylor has updated MIDIRMX to v1.2.1. MIDIRMX is a simple utility that allows routing from one MIDI port to another, and monitoring or recording of MIDI data. Changes: Added channel filtering. Added output port selection via control change or SysEx message. Added monitoring of output. Added recording of SysEx messages. Price: $0.99 on the Mac App Store. Read More   KVR Audio

GSi has released Genuine Sounds Vol. II - Gemini Edition, a new sample-based virtual instrument featuring a collection of sampled instruments coming from the GSP-01 sample player engine from the GSi Gemini hardware module. ...   KVR Audio

IK Multimedia has released new content for all TONEX users. The latest TONEX Factory Content v2 expands the creative arsenal with a brand-new collection of Tone Models captured at the highest quality and presets optimized for live performance. TONEX Tone Models are unique captures of rigs dialed into a specific sweet spot. ...   KVR Audio

Audioblast has updated the drum machine plugin MininnDrum to v1.2.0 with some fixes and CLAP support for macOS, Windows and Linux. Changes: Added: multi output (16 stereo aux outputs). Added: CLAP version. Added: custom MIDI assign saved in session/state/preset. Fixed: bug on custom sample if stereo + antialiasing. Fixed: MIDI clear assign not working on VST2. ...   KVR Audio

Ample Sound has released Ample Bass v4, featuring 8 upgraded bass instruments: ABP, ABJ, ABJF, ABY, ABTR6, AMR, ABU, and ABA. New Features in Ample Bass v4: Riffer 4: A MIDI editor tailored for plucked string instruments. ...   KVR Audio

Luftrum has announced the release of Twilight for Omnisphere 2 featuring 300 cinematic presets for Omnisphere 2. Of the 300 presets, 100 are suspenseful pulses, sequences and arpeggios, making Twilight a toolkit for all things rhythmic and BPM-driven. Price: $59 with 20% discount for Luftrum newsletter subscribers. YouTube.com/watch?v=bchJfI99We0 Read More   KVR Audio

Sound Magic has released Violin One, a physical modeling violin, as a free VST3 instrument plugin for Windows. A Mac version will come out later. Sound Magic Says. Violin One combines physical modeling with behavior modeling. This results in a smaller footprint and excellent playability. A standout feature of Violin One is its support for MIDI 2. ...   KVR Audio

THEPHONOLOOP has released themkI - an exploration of a 70s classic. themkI is a deeply sampled, expressive instrument and a playground of evolving textures, all housed in a sound engine built for discovery and experimentation. Intro Price: €112.49 until the end of April (Reg. €149.99). Read More   KVR Audio

Noisebud has updated Bear to v2.50, a new version of the bass enhancement plugin designed to add harmonic content and subtle stereo depth to the low end of a mix. Bear is not a compressor or EQ, but a bass texture processor that enhances the perception of low frequencies by introducing carefully crafted overtones. ...   KVR Audio

Native Instruments has announced the release of Scene: Nightshade, the latest addition to their Scene series of virtual instruments. Scene: Nightshade is designed for creating immersive horror and moody soundtracks. It features a combination of deep strings, vocal pads, plucks, and synth textures. ...   KVR Audio

Loopcloud has been updated to version 7.5, featuring updates designed to make music production workflow faster, more intuitive, and more inspiring. Loopcloud is an all inclusive sample library, music production tool, and library management system. Library management has been improved, giving more control over how sounds are organised and accessed. ...   KVR Audio

Sugar Bytes has released Dialekt, an 8-Track Groovebox for macOS and Windows. Dialekt is designed for quick groove programming and capturing new musical ideas on the fly. The 8-Track Groovebox offers various synthesis methods, built-in effects, a song sequencer, and a powerful Song Randomizer. ...   KVR Audio

iZotope has released Equinox, a new surround and immersive reverb plugin built on the reverb engines from Exponential Audio's Stratus and Symphony, bringing both hyper-realistic and creative reverb sounds into a single plugin. Craft immersive depth, life, and clarity with Equinox, a premium reverb plugin for post and music production. ...   KVR Audio

Alesis has announced the release of the Strata Club electronic drum kit, the latest addition to their Strata family. The Strata Club is designed to provide professional-quality sound and an authentic playing experience in a compact format suitable for smaller spaces. ...   KVR Audio

Wavelet Audio has announced the release of Edda, a new instrument for Kontakt Player. Here's what they say: EDDA is a library of Nordic tagelharpa strings and epic shamanic percussion that authentically captures the raw, organic atmosphere of Nordic musical traditions. ...   KVR Audio

Universal Audio has introduced UAD Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier, a UAD plug?in designed give you the authentic tone of the American tweed guitar amp that shaped the sound of rock 'n' roll, blues, and soul music. ...   KVR Audio

Psytrance Plugins has released Axtro Project, a set of three new plugins for macOS (AU/VST3) and Windows (VST2/VST3): Axtro-FM Axtro-FM is an FM synth with 5 oscillators and 11 algorithms, featuring a note sequencer/piano roll and 8 master effects. The plugin includes 512 presets divided in various banks. Price: $60. Axtro-DS-08 Axtro-DS-08 is a drum machine that uses. ...   KVR Audio

Algoriffix has released an update of its free voice-to-MIDI product, Pitch Perfekt. In the new version, the note tracking has undergone a revision and a critical bug related to note muting and thread synchronization has been fixed. In addition, the key is now shown together with its relative key. Pitch Perfekt can be downloaded here or at www.algoriffix.com Read More   KVR Audio