Monthly Mini-Bytes - March 2023

 

The Best Fix For Your Computer Woes Okay, it's true. Things have been a bit buggy lately. Even though macOS Ventura is a decent update to the Mac operating systems, bugs, quirks, and annoyances still abound not only for the current system, but also for Monterey and older. So the next question is why. Why are there so many bugs lately? Well, it's not just Apple. From streaming apps, to websites, to weather apps they are all chocked full of inconsistencies and odd quirks. While we can discuss at length the reasons, at the end of the day it's just important to get past the issues and continue on with your day. And the easiest thing that you can do to fix all of these issues is to just... shut it down. Turning off your computer, iPhone, or quitting out of an app will resolve 99.931% of most of these issues. And with the new Apple Silicon-powered Macs a full shut down and restart resets the System Management Controller. So those issues with sound, or bluetooth, or that incessant beeping can be easily fixed with a shut down and restart. Now to be clear I am talking about shutting down the computer or device. A simple reboot will not do the trick. Shut it down, wait a few seconds, and then start it back up. If it will not shut off then sometimes you will just need to hold in the power button until it does.

Trust No One - It's Just Easier That Way Trust needs to be earned. Well, the internet has never earned the trust of anyone. It has done nothing but take over our lives, scoop up our identities, and tried to sell us just about everything. Scams are all over the place. Personal data has become the biggest business out there and just about every company, legitimate or not, will want to get their hands on it. So the best way to protect yourself is not to trust anyone. If you get an email about resetting your password, a big purchase, or any super-scary thing, take a minute and breathe. Look over the email. See who it is from. That is the biggest telltale sign of a scammer. If it is from a trusted company you work with, give them a call. Never ever click on the links or call the numbers in the email. If it is from a website, open a browser, and visit that site directly.  If you get a pop-up in your web browser that you have a virus and you need to call Apple, then just quit out of your browser and ignore it. Those are always a scam. Apple doesn't provide a service like that.  If you get a phone call or text from an odd international number, be very wary. Just ignore it and don't answer. They can't "hack" you or do something to your phone (at least for now), but picking up or responding will let them know they "hooked a live one." Staying safe online is easy. It really is. Just be suspicious of absolutely everything online or in your email. Don't assume anything. It may be more work, but it is the best digital insurance you have.

Review Your Subscriptions

I use my AppleTV everyday and love it, but I did notice that the AppleTV app tried to get me to sign up for Paramount+ saying I didn't have a subscription. Well, I did for the Paramount+ app itself, not the Paramount+ channel within the AppleTV app. Confusing? Oh yes it is -- confusing to the point where unsuspecting mortals (and some immortals) could be "tricked" into dual subscriptions. Is this nefarious? No, it's just really bad programming. I was able to train the AppleTV app to look to the Paramount+ app for certain content. And there ended my struggle. But since it is so easy to subscribe to the same app in four different places, it makes sense to take a minute and do a self-audit. On your iPhone go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> Subscriptions. Here you will see all that you purchase under your AppleID. Go ahead and unsubscribe as needed. And while you are at it, don't stop there. From Amazon, to Peacock, YouTube, and HBO Max, you may be subscribing to services under those umbrellas, too. Each one has a different way to look at your subscriptions within those apps. It's confusing, but taking the time to do a self-audit can save you some real money.