I use a Mac laptop. Is there something I can do to make it easier to see the screen?
MacOS includes a long-standing setting that may fulfill your needs. This feature used to be in the “Displays” settings, but now it’s part of “Accessibility.”
Open the Apple menu at the top left corner of the screen, then choose System Settings -> Accessibility -> Zoom and make sure the “Use scroll gesture with modifier keys” switch is on. The custom modifier key selection is just below the switch, and the default setting is the Control key.
Once enabled, you can magnify anything on the screen by holding down the Control key and dragging two fingers up on the trackpad. Repeat by dragging two fingers downward to zoom back out.
Other settings can fine-tune the zoom feature: your favorite modifier key and the zoom configuration. By default, the zoom will enlarge the frame based on the pointer icon. Wherever you move the mouse and invoke the zoom gesture, the screen will enlarge while focused on the cursor.
This is one of those features that becomes second nature with a little practice.
I encourage everyone to explore all the “Accessibility” settings on their devices. Accessibility offers dozens of options to personalize your experience, everything from color contrast to default text size.
What is the difference between Apple Pay and Google Pay?
Payment networks such as Apple Pay and Google Pay enable users to pay with a simple tap of their smartphone. These are payment networks that transact business with different banks and credit cards. Users can fund these payments from different sources, including Apple’s free “Cash Card,” which can also serve as an alternative to PayPal or Venmo.
These networks claim increased privacy and convenience as a benefit, and those claims are generally true.
However, if you review the behind-the-scenes network diagrams, it is clear that Apple Pay handles everything on-device, and Google Pay depends on Google’s cloud infrastructure. As a result, Google stores your account information on its servers. This seemingly minor difference is the key reason why I think Apple’s approach is far superior.
In both networks, the merchant never has access to your account number. That is a big win compared to traditional credit card numbers. But only Apple shields your personal information from everyone by default.
My advice: if you have access to either of these payment networks, use it. Every time you make a transaction without revealing your actual credit card number, you help keep your personal banking information restricted to only essential parties.
What do you think of the new MacBook Neo?
This new low-cost entry to the Mac lineup is the best laptop available at any price for nearly everyone.
The $599 price point, even lower for students, is astonishing. The Neo is powerful enough for most computing tasks. There are faster Macs, but the real-world performance of the Neo is more than enough for most people.
Consumers are familiar with lower-cost products that sacrifice quality, but the Neo is a rare “budget-friendly” tech device that does not sacrifice anything essential.
There are only two limitations, namely memory space and a physical TouchID key. Neither of those options are dealbreakers, and they are available at an increased cost at purchase time.
Nothing about holding a Neo in your hand or using it will make you think this is a budget device. It feels like a premium experience.
If you are new to the Mac, just get a Neo and use it. It should last at least five years, which works out to less than $150 a year for an excellent laptop.
If you outgrow the Neo, it would likely sell on the used market for more than half of its original price, because of how well used Apple devices hold their resale value.
Wander the Web — Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month:
- Edit Short Video Posts Quickly
If you need to polish your social media presentations, consider this online editor: submagic.co2
- Presentation Tool
This site is an easy-to-use tool for designing any sort of invitation, poster, or zine: canva.com
- Weather Flashback
The original Weather Channel local forecasts from the 1980’s cable TV — featuring current data — are back: weather.com/retro/
Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at [email protected].
