Image rights from left: Gerald Koeder, Apple.
We last checked out Start two years ago, and thought it a
launcher with promise. It sits in the menu bar, and when
clicked displays a searchable alphabetical list of installed
apps. You can reĽne the list in Start’s settings, and add
folders and Ľles to it. Individual items can be tagged,
thereby creating arbitrary groups of related items.
Updates have since brought usability improvements like
system–wide shortcuts for your items, meaning you can
launch them without using Start’s menu. Also, it’s now
possible to drag documents from Finder to Start and then to
a listed app to open the Ľle in it. Start has also been reĽned
for Catalina and had a visual refresh.
There are quirks. Drag and drop doesn’t work for folders,
so you can’t drop documents dragged from Finder on to a
shortcut. On assigning a color background to an item, the
Clear Color button doesn’t seem to work. And there’s a
general awkwardness around the settings. But if you’re
aware of the minor shortcomings, Start’s an ideal alternative
to the relative chaos of Apple’s Launchpad and Dock.
THE BOTTOM LINE. A great way to speed up getting to
favorite apps, Ľles, and folders. CRAIG GRANNELLApple’s smart battery case offers up to 50% more
battery life for all iPhone 11 models, and comes in
black, white or pink sand (for Pro/Pro Max).
The soft–touch silicone shell adds grip, and
there’s a definite feeling of added protection.
For those who like to swap between cases, the
elastomer hinge makes it really easy to do so.
It’s bulky, sure, but that’s to be expected.
One of the most welcome additions is the
dedicated camera button, discreetly located on
the side, making it easy to get to the one function
on the iPhone 11 that you’re likely to use the most.
The added battery life means you’ll rarely touch
the main battery on your iPhone 11, even after a
day’s use, and you can easily monitor usage via
the lock screen. Both the case and iPhone 11 can
be charged in situ, whether that’s wirelessly on
a Qi charger, or fast charged over USB–PD.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Costly, but the Smart
Battery Case for iPhone 11 is a fit–and–forget
option for extra battery life. NICK ODANTZISStart 3.1
A fast start for launching
$8.99 From Gerald Koeder, start.innovative-bytes.net
Needs macOS 10.13 or later, 64–bit MacApple Smart
Battery Case
Easy extra life, at a price
$129 From Apple, apple.com
Features Dedicated camera button, silicone exteriorSTART 3.1
Efficient in use
Item keyboard shortcuts
Heavily customizable
Some quirks and bugs
GREATAPPLE SMART BATTERY CASE
Significantly increases battery life
Increased grip
Dedicated camera button
Quite expensive
EXCELLENTTough testing, trusted ratings
maclife.com MAR 2020 47