You probably pay for more things with a card than with cash, and hardly any with a cheque. It’s taken us since the 1970s to automate payment this far – but the next revolution could be just months away. Mobile devices – likely to include the next iPhone – now have built-in compatibility with the contactless readers spreading across the UK, meaning you won’t need your card to spend money on your account. Meanwhile, retailers such as Starbucks are releasing apps to let any user pay on screen. Developments like these will quickly change the way we pay. In MacUser Vol 28 No 2, on sale now, we investigate the benefits and the hazards.
This year, why be tied to the office when your iPad or iPhone can go anywhere? We test four full office software suites for iOS to find out just how much they can do, how well they cope with Microsoft formats, and how easy it is to swap files with your Mac.
Also on test in this issue are photo enlargement apps to enhance low-resolution pics; iStopMotionv for iPad, the fun new way to shoot your own Wallace and Gromit-style animations; Sony’s latest DSLR; Dragon’s new low-cost voice recognition app for the Mac; an excellent portable hard drive with its own shockproof bumper; and a racing game that needed more time in the pit.
In Praktik, our mag-within-a-mag for creative tips, marvel at the changing perceptions of the future; experiment with halftones; choose an affordable cinematic camera; and track your time and billing in iWork.
Remember, MacUser comes out every two weeks, so get it now before we make you another one. Find us at newsagents, supermarkets and bookshops; on your doorstep when you SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive three issues of Britain’s favourite Mac magazine for just £1, for iOS in the App Store, or on your Mac or iPad. Missed a crucial issue? Find it online here.
Comments on this entry are closed.