Monthly Mini-Bytes - February 2026

 

Security Alert: Beware of QR Codes If we all don't have enough to worry about it's disturbing to know that the crooks are using QR codes to come at you, your data, and your money. QR codes are everywhere. They are on parking meters, in instruction manuals, at restaurants linking to menus, and on ads galore. I've even seen them on gas pumps. As useful as they are, the bad guys use fake ones to link you to bogus websites or apps. The parking meter scam is a big one. Criminals post fake QR stickers on parking meters. You scan to park, pay, and then they take your money. What's worse is that you also get a parking ticket, because you didn't pay the right person. There are even sophisticated "Fancy QR Codes" that are imbedded in images. You can't tell they are QR codes, but your phone can and then the potential phishing begins. Telling a legitimate QR code from one that is a scam is all but impossible, unless you interact with the code itself. And that's risky to say the least. The best thing that you can do is be wary of QR codes out in the wild -- especially ones that ask for payment or a bunch of personal information. Downloading a menu at a restaurant is one thing, but paying for fake parking and having your credit card compromised is another. Scan safely.

Protect Digital Accounts During Tax Season

It's getting to be that time of year where we pull together our tax forms in preparation for filing. All of this personal information is a gold mine to scammers. Keeping your data safe is paramount, so here are some best practices to keep in mind: Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication Make sure that you have good and secure passwords at all your financial accounts, including robust multi-factor authentication. Use whatever enhanced security they have. Beware of Uploads When uploading documents electronically, make sure you are doing it through a secure portal. Your bookkeeper or accountant should have a safe and encrypted way to get files back and forth. Be very careful with them, as all of these tax documents have the bulk of your personal info that criminals crave. Secure Hard Copies If you have hard copies of these documents, just don't let them lay around your house. Secure them in a safe or some other location with controlled access.

Apple Creator Studio: Do You Need It?

No. Most people don't need a subscription to this service. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are still free and shall remain free for Apple computers. Apple Creator Studio bundles all of their premium apps like Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Logic Pro into an Adobe Creative Suite type product. So, if you need those apps, it's a way to avoid a one time purchase fee ... and instead just pay one time every month. To learn about Apple Creator Studio visit: https://creatorstudio.apple.com/

The Micro-Byte - January 2026

 

Your iPhone or iPad May Be Vulnerable

It's true. Apple has warned its vast user base that there is an exploit in earlier versions of iOS and iPad OS where hackers could possibly launch a targeted attack on your device. The key word here is "targeted." This is a very specific vulnerability. You would have to be singled out to be a victim. Still, that's not very reassuring. What is, though, is the fact that the fix is easy. Apple already patched things up with the latest release. So, if you update or have already updated to iOS 26.2 or iPad OS 26.2 you should be good to go. This is why having a mobile device with the ability to run the latest operating system is critical.  To learn more about the security flaw, visit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/apple-issues-major-warning-800-151934863.html

Monthly Mini-Bytes - January 2026

 

Scam Alert: Out of Storage Spam There's enough wrong in the world that you think folks would put their collective energy toward making things better. But nope! Why do that when you can scam people out of money? And that's what has been happening over the past month. Inboxes have been flooded with fake, urgent "out of storage" spammy messages for both Google and iCloud. Considering we live in the world of A.I., you'd think they would have some level of sophistication or consistent branding with Google and Apple, but they don't. A lot of them are sloppy and easy to spot, while the occasional "gem" may look real it doesn't change the fact that almost all are a scam. Yet, it is true that you may actually be low on storage. This happens a lot, but the way Apple and Google deal with notifying you is different. To be completely safe, here is how to check your storage used for each. Apple's iCloud It's easiest on your iPhone, so grab it and go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> iCloud and choose Storage at the top. Here you can see a breakdown of what you are using. If you need more space and want to change your plan, you can do it right here. Google You need to do this via a web browser. Just go to your Gmail and scroll down to the bottom of your inbox. or you can visit https://one.google.com/storage and see a breakdown of your usage along with the opportunity to upgrade your plan.

Our eMail Platform Picks for 2026

The landscape of email has changed greatly in the past decade. They used to hand out email accounts just like old AOL CDs at CompUSA. But hosting email is a pain with all the spam, spoofing, and scammers. That's why companies like Cox, CenturyLink, and Xfinity are all ditching their old email systems and making it someone else's problem -- always a solid business plan. So, what are our picks for email platforms? For consumers our first choice is Apple's iCloud. If you use Apple you are already part of the ecosystem, so choosing iCloud as your email provider has a lot of advantages. You benefit from Apple's insistence on security, and have seamless integration across all your devices. It has features like Hide My Email, which can help cut down on spam, and even supports custom email domains. Plus, Apple does an excellent job of gray and black-listing scammy domains, so it will help cut down on that annoying junk mail. Runner up is, of course, Google's Gmail. It's solid, reliable, and can be configured to have robust security. The only issue is privacy, as Google has a questionable record on the subject.  For business, the only game in town worth your time is Google Workspace. This is the professional version of Gmail and has so many features, options for security, and the ability to set up audit logs. Their support is top notch, which considering how bad customer service is today is really saying something. For ease-of-use, flexibility, and cross-platform usability, Google Workspace is the hands down winner, in our opinion.

What Printer is Best?

Printing is still necessary for many things, so having a good, reliable printer is important. But your good old workhorse of a printer may have stopped working after upgrading to macOS Tahoe, or you may just need a new one. So, which one to get? Inkjet: Epson WorkForce Inkjet printers are inexpensive, but unfortunately consume mass quantities of ink. But if you print pictures they are really the only game in town. The Epson WorkForce series of printers is a solid choice, and you can usually find one on sale for around $150. Laser Printer (B&W or Color): Brother Ah! You thought we were gonna say HP.... but no. Brother's line of laser printers are excellent and have proven to be long-lasting. They range from a simple black and white desktop printer all the way up to high-volume color behemoths.

The Micro-Byte - December 2025

 

Gifting Apple this Holiday?

Being a kid during the Holidays was always great! There were parties, events, days off from school, and, oh yes, presents. It was a month of joy unlike any other on the calendar. And then we became adults. It all changed. Now we had to organize the parties and events, host the fancy dinners, and, yes, purchase and source all the presents. It's still fun in a way within the stressed-out "need to make it happen" type of chaos. So, if you are thinking of gifting anything from Apple this year, we have your back. Tech is personal, and trying to buy an iPhone or iPad for someone when you don't know how they will use is or what device they are coming from is hard. To that end, here are three easy wins for you to consider. AirPods Pro 3 Apple knocked it out of the park with the latest version of their AirPods Pro. Everybody, and I mean everybody loves them – even the Android people. They are seen as the gold standard of earbuds. Noise cancelling is vastly improved; they have a built-in heart rate monitor; and the live translate feature is a game changer. If your giftee doesn't have a pair, then these are a solid choice. To learn more about the AirPods Pro 3, visit: https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/ MacBook Air 13-Inch - 512 GB Storage Trying to choose a computer for someone when you don't know how they are using their current machine is very difficult, but the MacBook Air hits the sweet-spot. The M4 chip is ridiculously powerful and can run just about every application out there, aside from the very high-end 3D modeling software, and highly complex design apps. Yes, you can do 8K video editing on one. Yes, you can run the basic parts of Adobe Creative Cloud. And most importantly, they come in several colors. The $1,199 model with the 512 GB of storage is a safe bet. It's not as powerful as a MacBook Pro or Mac Studio, but for many users, it's way more than enough. To learn more about the MacBook Air, visit: https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/ Apple Gift-Card Or just leave the decision up to them and get them an Apple Gift Card. It's not cheating at all. In fact it also absolves you from picking the wrong color, storage, or whatever. Here is a link to the Apple Gift Card page: https://www.apple.com/shop/gift-cards

Monthly Min-Bytes - December 2025

 

Avoiding Scams on Amazon Well, we all probably knew that it would happen someday. It used to be easy. Need something? Just queue it up on Amazon and get it delivered lickety-split. But those days are long gone, and it's too bad in a way. Amazon is not the only outlet that sells on Amazon. Pull up any product and look to the right and in fine print you will see something that says "Sold By." Amazon allows other businesses to use their platform to sell items. You buy the item on the site. It's shipped by Amazon, most often in an Amazon box. But the seller is not Amazon. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, but what has been cropping up lately are a series of seller scams that can not only find you purchasing fake products, but also spending 10 times what the item actually sells for on other outlets. Then there are the fake reviews. And there are a lot of them. It's easy now to pay click farms to stuff in product reviews. The other scam is to rename a page with overall positive reviews with a totally different product altogether. So how can you protect yourself? Purchase only from Amazon listed in the "Sold By," unless you are familiar with the seller. Cross-shop your product at other websites. You may find it cheaper. For example, printers usually come in much less at Staples than at Amazon. Mind the Price: As you are cross-shopping see what the actual retail price is. That way you don't overpay. Make sure you that can return whatever you purchased. Amazon has a very liberal return policy, so use that as another layer of protection.

macOS Tahoe and the Slow Upgrade

macOS Tahoe is good, speedy, and relatively stable. Yes, the Liquid Glass clear over clear design is garbage, but for the most part Tahoe is a solid update. If you have an M-Series processor it will squeeze even more speed out of your already speedy machine. But the update can be slow and appear to hang. This is especially the case right now if you are upgrading directly to the latest 26.1 release. It may sit at that "5 Minutes Remaining" for an eternity – sometimes taking another 30 to 40 minutes to complete. It's not a problem, but it can appear that your upgrade is hanging. It's not. Just go get yourself a beverage or snack and stop back in a bit. It should finish up just fine. But, just make sure you have a backup before you start... as always. To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

Always Use FaceID Out in Public

Your iPhone is no longer just a phone. It is the key to your entire life, for the most part. It has your email, passwords, texts, and all types of personal information that you must protect. Having a passcode and enabling FaceID is extremely important. But using FaceID when out in public is a must. If you enter in your passcode, someone can see, swipe your phone, and then they are in. In a few moments they can lock you out of your life. Scary? Yes. Avoidable? Absolutely! Always, always use FaceID to unlock your iPhone. If you need to enter your passcode, do it stealthily, like entering your PIN at an ATM. And also make sure that you have physical control over your phone. Don't leave it on a restaurant table or on a bar. It's almost more important than your wallet, so keep it just as safe.

The Micro-Byte - November 2025

 

Techy Travel Tips

'Tis the season for travel, and before spending precious time with friends and family we need to brave delayed flights, crowded roads, and maybe even frightful weather. But fear not as your Apple devices can have your back and help you get through the challenges of everything from planes, to trains, to automobiles. Here are some tips to get you through it all. Boarding Passes We already know that we can get our boarding passes in the iPhone's Apple Wallet, but did you also know that if you have an Apple Watch your boarding pass is available there, too? Open the Wallet app on your Apple Watch and with a flick of your wrist you can scan and board your flight. One word of advice: Print out a paper hard-copy of your boarding pass just in case the tech fails you. It happens, and when it does you will be ready. For more info visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/123179 Triple Up on Maps If you are in to science, then you know that more is always better. And that's true when it comes to mapping apps on your iPhone. It's very important to be able to cross-reference from one to the other, as one will show a blocked road, while another may not. In addition to the pre-installed Apple Maps, download a copy of Google Maps along with Waze. Be sure to double-check your route in at least one other app. It may seem like overkill, but I have been directed to incorrect locations along closed roads before. Taking a minute to verify your track can save you a lot of time and stress. Pro-Tip for Flight Tracking Going back to the theme of double-checks and confirmations, just using your airline's app to get info on your flight doesn't give you the whole story. Downloading an app like FlightAware can show you your plane's entire daily itinerary, including its exact location, and if it is delayed or early. Medication & Supplement Reminders Being in a different country or time zone can totally mess with your medication and supplement schedule. Apple gives you the ability to track your meds in the Health app and even schedule reminders. To learn more, visit https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/track-your-medications-iph811670c81/ios Calendar Entries When traveling to a different time zone, be wary of how you enter in calendar entries. Depending on your settings in Calendar, or even with invites you receive, they may not show up at the correct time that you expect. A tip is to put the actual expected time, and even which time zone, in the title. Then when you get back home, you can make sure they line up with the time that they are supposed to happen.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2025

 

Is iCloud Going to Delete Your Photos? We've all got the emails or the texts that say that we are out of iCloud Storage and Apple will delete all our photos unless we renew, or pay 2 Bitcoin, or whatever. It's all a scam -- every single one of them. And they are getting more frequent, more aggressive, and even more convincing. But they still are a scam -- totally fake. None of the major cloud storage companies whether Google or Apple will delete any of your data if you run out of space. They will just not allow you to upload any more data, or in extreme cases, require you to renew your subscription prior to accessing saved data on the cloud. That's it. If you are out of iCloud Storage, your photos will not sync, but remain on your phone, iPad or computer until you pay for more storage, or clean off enough room for the process to restart. Here is a quick way to check on your iCloud Storage: On your iPhone go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> iCloud. Right at the very top it will show you your storage and how much you are using. It's a super simple way to put your mind at rest and if you do need more space you can choose the Storage section and have the option to Change Your Plan on the next screen.

macOS Tahoe May Break Your Printer

Well, it won't really physically break your printer, but many printers in fact are not compatible with macOS Tahoe. After upgrading you may find that you cannot print and your beloved old printer is no longer supported. It's frustrating and there's really only one fix... to buy a new printer. If you are considering a new laser printer, whether color or otherwise, consider a Brother. They are very good and have been extremely reliable. If you are looking for an inkjet, then the Epson Workforce series continues to be a solid option. Usually you can find a good one on sale for around $100. To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

Should You Renew AppleCare?

AppleCare has undergone some major changes and we will cover this more in depth later, but for now many of us are getting prompted to renew our AppleCare on some of our devices. AppleCare extends Apple's warranty for 3 years for Macs and 2 years for mobile devices from the date of purchase. You also have a loss/damage option available on some plans, which is a nice thing if you accidentally run over your iPhone. But is it worth it to continue coverage after the initial period? Industry standard life cycle for a phone is two years and for a computer it's three. That doesn't sound like a lot, and most of us get a lot more life out of our devices. That being said, extending a warranty on your dollar past that period may not make a lot of sense. Something like a defect will usually show up within the first year, and especially after the end of the initial AppleCare window. So, you have to weigh the costs with your plans for your computer and your device. If the loss/damage protection is important, this may be your motivation, but you will need to balance the cost/benefit and risks as with any extended warranty. Personally, we do purchase AppleCare, but find that the initial coverage period is adequate protection for the way we use our Apple products.