August 2016 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Is Your Backup Punking You? Even Hermit Crabs Need Care and Feeding News Flash! Your automatic backup is not really automatic. Okay, well it really is automatic, but in the way that technology is automatic, meaning it plays fast and loose with reliability. I'm not attempting to wind you up into a panic, just dispense a dose of reality and some things that you can do to ensure your data is backed up and ready for when you need it. Notice I did not say "if." Hmm.... Whether it is Time Machine for your Mac or iCloud Backup for your iOS device, once you set it up to run, you need to keep an eye on it to ensure it backs up successfully. Both your Mac and iPhone/iPad will yell at you with warnings if they haven't backed up in a while, but it's best to check in on your backup so it's getting everything from precious family photos, to work documents, to those plans for interdimensional domination.  On your Mac you can go ahead and click on the Time Machine icon in the upper right of the Menu Bar. If you click on it once, it will drop down and tell you when your last backup was. Also, you can go into System Preferences -> Time Machine to see the same info. If you are experiencing a problem, you may see a red exclamation mark that you can click on for more details. Remember that your Mac needs to be on, plugged into power, and have the backup drive hooked up for Time Machine to run. On your iOS device, go into Settings -> iCloud -> Backup to see when your last backup ran. You can also force a backup from this window. You must be connected to wifi and power for your backup to run "automatically" at least once daily.

Who Should Update to macOS Sierra? Or is it whom? The next version of OS X, which is no longer called OS X, is set for release next month. macOS Sierra is more evolutionary than revolutionary, so it appears that the adjustment for El Capitan users should be minimal. So, who should upgrade? First, it's always prudent to wait a few weeks before slamming a new operating system on your computer. After the initial release there may be a few bugs here and there, so waiting a few weeks to a month isn't a bad idea. Also, it's important to make sure that any of your critical use software will be compatible with macOS Sierra. Most developers will have something posted on their site about compatibility. If you are on OS X 10.10 Yosemite or earlier, you will definitely want to update. Those on the latest operating system benefit from the cutting edge of compatibility and security updates. Being more than one operating system behind is not where you want to be, as older systems don't get the testing that the newer ones do. You don't want your favorite website to suddenly become inaccessible, as many OS X 10.7 Lion folks have been finding out. And yes, it is going to be different. If you use technology your cheese will constantly be moved. I don't always like it, and most people don't like change, but change is part of tech so if you have to click someplace different, or the window looks different, just get used to it. It's going to change again anyway. For OS X 10.11 El Capitan folks, you can wait a little while longer. Being one OS back is okay, unless one of your heavy use applications is forcing you into an upgrade.  Oh yeah, if your computer won't run macOS Sierra, you probably bought it back when Pontiac was still a car brand. It's time to consider a present for yourself. To learn more about macOS Sierra, click here: http://www.apple.com/macos/sierra-preview/

Recovering Photos in Photos  It's Only Really Deleted After 40 Days While on the airplane wifi, you, after a set amount of cocktails, delete a slew of photos trying to free up space on your iPhone, only to recover no additional space and then find them missing from the computer once home. Nuts!  If you have enabled iCloud Photo Library, you know that a photo deleted on an iPhone also gets deleted from the computer. Here is how to get them back: Open Photos and go to the Albums. You will see one called Recently Deleted. There they are! Select what you want and click Recover. Crisis averted!

July 2016 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Welcome to the State of Solid State Spinning Platters Don't Cut It Anymore If you have taken a look at a calendar lately, you may have noticed that it is 2016. And in 2016 if you are considering a new Mac then why would you purchase one with 1990s technology? Your data is important, and getting to it reliably and quickly is paramount. Old-fashioned hard disc drives use spinning platters moving at 7200 RPM just a hair away from powerful magnets. Yes, they work, but compared to modern Solid State Drives (SSDs for the hipsters) they are yesterday's news -- slow, and with moving parts, prone to failure. The good news is that if you purchase a MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or MacPro, they all come standard with SSDs. But if you are in the market for an iMac or Mac Mini, you will need to spec it out with the SSD of your choice. SSDs can be had up to around 1 TB, but they are pricey. If you need a ton of storage then right now you are stuck with the older hard drive options. And those Fusion or Hybrid drives sound attractive, but we've seen a high failure rate with them in the wild -- especially with the first generation. If you do opt for a Fusion drive, make sure that you back up your data with Time Machine. But then again, no matter what type of drive you have you should be backing up with Time Machine anyway.

Fix the Weirdness with Safe Boot Squirreliness Be Gone! Since OS X 10.10 Yosemite, Macs have been very reliable at taken care of their own little background maintenance, but every once and a while your Mac may start to act funny. Funny is a technical term meaning "acting unusual or strange in an unspecific way that may also be defined by a four letter exclamation." The good news is that there is a little maneuver that will force your Mac to clean up its act. It's called Booting Into Safe Boot. Here is how to do it: Restart your Mac while holding down the LEFT SHIFT Key. Keep it held down until you see the progress bar under the Apple, then let go. Your Mac will take longer to boot and you may see funny lines go across the screen. Log in to your Desktop and wait for it to come up completely. At this point you will most likely see some lines or scrolling -- this is normal. No worries. Then restart normally. Believe it or not, this simple maneuver can resolve a lot of annoying issues.

Use the Right Charger for Your Mac  Watts Up, America! If you have a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, it is extremely important that you use the correct wattage Apple Charger for your device. We have seen instances where machines get damaged, some irreparably, by either the wrong wattage adapter or a third party unit. Keep in mind that the damage may not immediately be apparent. Only use genuine Apple Chargers for your MacBooks (Pro, Air, etc.). And make sure that you are using the correct one.