Monthly Mini-Bytes - October 2026

 

Apple Drops Newness: Should You Partake? September and October have been filled with the announcement of new Apple products. From the iPhone Duo, to HomeView, and Touchscreen MacBook Pro, there have been so many introductions that it's hard to keep up. So, let's keep it simple. If you are considering a new computer or device, here are some things to consider. Mac Computer If you are still running an Intel Processor on your Mac, then you need a new machine. There's no dancing around this fact. The current macOS Golden Gate no longer supports these chipsets. Even the last gen models with the i9 processors are seeing their age. So, if you are rocking an old MacBook Pro, or iMac, or whatever, then the bell is tolling and it's for you. If you have any of the M-Series processors, then you are good. There can be an argument to say that the regular M1 models are getting long in the tooth, but they still are so much faster and more capable than the Intel-powered Macs that came before. M1 Max and Pro models are still incredibly powerful. So, unless you need even more power or storage, you don't need to get a new Mac unless you want one... or want the MacBook Pro with the touchscreen. iPhone If your iPhone can run the current iOS 27, then there's no need to run out and get a new phone. If your battery is getting weak, Apple can replace it for less than $200 and get you back up and running. A fresh battery can extend a phone's life. iPad Our general recommendation is to have an iPad that can run the current operating system, which is iPadOS 27. That being said, it depends a lot on the way you use your iPad. Heavy users should upgrade. But, if you use it to watch Netflix, play some games, and read email, then depending on your model, you can weigh the pros and the cons. With the price increases the iPad Air is almost as much as the iPad Pros used to be, and the Air does not have FaceID... much like the iPhone Duo. Apple Watch The new watches have better battery life and a completely overhauled heart rate sensor. The general lifecycle of a wearable is two years, but if your watch can run watchOS 27, you are in good order. Once your battery starts getting weak, it's time to get an upgrade. I do think that the improvement in battery life with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is worth the upgrade. AppleTV The new AppleTV box doesn't have a lot more to offer than the previous model, which was half the price incidentally. Much of it remains the same albeit with the integration of a FaceTime Camera and Siri AI, which is still in Beta anyway.

Be Careful with Your Email Password

One of the latest and most successful scams out there seeks to get a hold of your email address and password. Once they get access to your account, they can spam your friends, get into your accounts, and lock you out of your life. The only way they can do this is by tricking you, so here is what to watch out for. You may see an invite from a friend, or an email with a link to pictures, but in both cases they will redirect you to a fake login. It may ask for your Google, Outlook, or Apple password. If you enter it in, they got you. If you have multi-factor authentication enabled, they will be stopped in their tracks. You will get a notification to approve a log in. Do not do it. We have seen people approve fraudulent logins, and then all the bad things happen. So, if you get a prompt to enter in your password, always, always question it. Understand what you are putting in and where. And never, ever approve logins unless you are 100% sure it is you. I know we have shared this in the past, but here is a cool Phishing Quiz from Google and Jigsaw. It can help you spot these scams before you become a victim: https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/

Apple HomeView

Apple has been dancing around the home automation space for years, but hasn't had anything that caught on. Compared to Amazon/Ring and Google, they are way behind. With the introduction of HomeView they are trying to close that gap. They are partnering with LG on a whole host of cameras and lights. To learn more, visit: https://www.apple.com/apple-homeview/

Monthly Mini-Bytes - September 2026

 

Apple Introduces a Foldable iPhone There's being late to the party, and there's totally blowing off the invitation and just showing up whenever you feel like it. Unfortunately, that has been Apple under Tim Cook. Even though John Ternus has taken the helm, all the new releases this fall were still developed under Tim Cook's oversight. And the one last halo product to be released from his term at Apple is its first foldable iPhone: the iPhone Duo. Just about every single mobile phone company has been innovating in the foldable space for years. It was back in 2019 when Samsung first introduced their Z-Fold. Yes, it has been seven years and in that time Samsung has released eight iterations of their foldable with each one making vast improvements. Other companies followed suit, but there has always been one big problem: all the foldables before the iPhone Duo ran Android. If you wanted to stay in the relative security of the Apple ecosystem, you were out of luck, until now. Samsung released their ZFold 8 in August and it is very similar in form factor to the Duo. Reviewers have noted that the iPhone Duo is thicker and heavier than the ZFold 8. That's something to keep in mind. The Duo is heavy. It's not a phone that will disappear into your pocket, but again it's a lot better than trying to jam an iPad mini down your pants. The iPhone Duo also does not have FaceID. TouchID is back, so if you like the fingerprint sensor, the Duo is your jam. The iPhone Duo will ship at the end of October and starts at $1999. If you do the math, you can get yourself an iPhone and an iPad mini and still have plenty left over. If you have been waiting for a foldable iPhone, then the Duo may just work for you. Just keep in mind that this is a first generation product. Future foldables aim to be lighter, hopefully smaller, and maybe can be FaceID enabled. For right now, much like the Apple Vision Pro, I see this as serving a niche audience. To learn more about the iPhone Duo, visit: https://www.apple.com/iphone-duo/

Apple May Owe You Money

Apple Intelligence was announced way back in June of 2024. Right from the start Apple pushed out advertising heralding the absolute necessity about upgrading your devices so they can run the aforementioned Apple Intelligence. Well, the problem was Apple Intelligence stayed in Beta for years, and not until the latest round of operating system releases this month has it been considered "released" and rebranded as Siri AI. If you purchased any iPhone 15 or 16 from June 10, 2024, to March 29, 2025, you may be eligible for a $95 payout. To learn more, check out this article from CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/apple-settlement-iphone-siri-claim/

Updates are Out!

All the fall updates have been released, and just as usual we recommend waiting a few weeks before jumping into the new systems. Already Apple has had to patch a plethora of bugs in macOS 27 Golden Gate. iOS and iPad OS updates are not immune, so if you can, hold off until the first round of patches come out Just know, that if you have updated there is no "undo" or way to go back. You just need to move forward, work out the kinks, and know that they will patch up the holes over the next couple of weeks. One more thing: If you have an Intel based Mac you cannot run macOS 27 Golden Gate. It is the first release exclusively for the Apple Silicon powered Macs. To learn about the new updates, visit the links below: macOS 27 Golden Gate: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/ iOS 27: https://www.apple.com/os/ios/ iPad OS27: https://www.apple.com/os/ipados/ watchOS 27: https://www.apple.com/os/watchos/

The Micro-Byte - August 2026

 

Apple TV Price Increase & New iPhones Incoming

Apple has bumped the price of their streaming service by $2. It doesn't seem like a lot, but all of the streamers are tacking on increases a few dollars at a time. And even at the new $14.99 a month for Apple TV it still has some of the best produced content out there. If you compare it to Netflix's top-tier plan at $26.99, it's actually still very competitive. Apple has announced and sent out invites for it's September 9th "Surprise and Shine" event. They are expected to announce the new iPhone Ultra foldable phone along with refreshed iPhone Pros. The standard iPhone 18 is supposedly delayed until the spring. Prices for the new iPhone foldable will be high. The question is if they will price themselves out of the market as they did with the Vision Pro. Also expected are updated Apple Watches and a Home Pod with a screen. To learn more about the AppleTV+ price increase visit: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/28/apple-tv-one-price-hike-us.html To learn more about the Apple event, visit: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/surprise-and-shine-apple-reveals-when-to-tune-into-its-september-event-and-teases-whats-coming-heres-what-to-expect-and-how-we-might-finally-meet-a-folding-iphone

Monthly Mini-Bytes - August 2026

 

Scams to Look Out For I don't know if scams are on the rise, or it's summer so people are on their devices more... maybe. I guess it doesn't matter, because a scam is a scam and getting caught up in one whether it be summer or winter is no fun. Here are some of the big ones to be aware of. But first, let's just put ourselves in a mindset that is suspicious of everything. It's not being paranoid, or running to the kitchen to fashion a tinfoil hat. It's aggressive pragmatism. The dude sitting in a Faraday cage in a warehouse because he is afraid of everything is not getting scammed. I don't think that you need to be that extreme, but it's healthy to be suspicious of everything online. It could be an email, or a website, or a text. The Internet is not your friend and does not wish you well. That's the truth of it. It's a tool we need to use and interact with, but you have to be on guard... just a little bit to keep yourself safe. The Virus Pop-Up If you ever get a pop-up on your phone or iPad or Mac saying you have a virus, you don't. It's a scam. It's always a scam. They want you to call a number, or not click on whatever or you will lose 200 years of photos. It doesn't matter, because it's fake. Don't call the number. Don't click on anything. Just close the window or app and move on with your day. The Phone Call You may get a phone call from Apple or Microsoft saying that you are locked out of your cloud storage or something to that end, and you will lose a bajillion years of photos if you don't do this, that, or the other thing. Their solution for you usually ends in them getting a large sum of money. Again, this is a scam. None of these tech companies will call you. Apple won't. Microsoft won't. And Amazon definitely won't -- I don't think you can even call them anymore. Just hang up or delete the message. The E-vite This one is a little more sophisticated. It is an e-vite that comes from one of your trusted friends or an actual email that you recognize. Sometimes the sender's email has been compromised, so it will look legit. The truth is, it's a scam. When you click on the e-vite it will ask you to login with Google or Apple. Do not do this. This is how they get your email info and lock you out of your account. This is a tough one, but to be safe, if you do get an e-vite, check with the sender via phone before doing anything, especially if you are not expecting one. The Picture Link Just like the e-vite above it will send you to a place to login to Google or Apple to see the photos. Same thing here where a verbal verification may be the best way to keep you safe. If you'd like to take a quiz on how good you are at spotting scams and phishing, check out this collaboration between Google and Jigsaw: https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/

Apple's New Rent to Own Program

I knew some guys who did the rent-to-own thing back in college. They got furniture, never paid, and had it all repossessed right at the end of the year. Yes, they got free furniture for a year. It just cost them their credit rating. Well, Apple has now entered this line of business with their Apple Upgrade program. For a monthly fee, you can lease an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or hey, even a Vision Pro. With the ever increasing cost of Apple products it's a way they are hoping people will be open to a program like this where they can get new equipment every few years. To learn more about the Apple Upgrade program, visit: https://www.apple.com/shop/apple-upgrade

Apple Ending Support for Intel-Based Apps

You may have seen the pop-up on your Mac that support for Intel-based programs will end with the release of macOS 28 in September 2027... or thereabouts. macOS Golden Gate, which is set for release next month, is the last Mac operating system that will support Rosetta 2 -- the software needed to run old Intel apps on Macs with Apple Silicon. The good news is that Apple supports three operating systems at a time, so even though macOS 28 will not support Intel apps, you can still run either macOS Tahoe or macOS Golden Gate. It will give you some time to adjust. To read more, check out this article from MacRumors: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/10/macos-golden-gate-last-to-support-intel-apps/

The Mico-Byte - June 2026

 

iPhone Lost or Stolen?

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where my iPhone is?  Is this you? Have you sung this song to yourself while running through a foreign airport in search of your lost iPhone or iPad? The panic, the fear is real. We are so connected to our devices for keeping up with texts, emails, and the daily appropriated amount of doom scrolling that when our iPhone is missing, it's like that lost blanky from childhood. Only this blanky has all of our personal information, credit cards, passwords, and the rest of the keys to our lives.  But if you have a passcode on your iPhone or iPad, then no fear. Wait? Don't have a passcode on your device? You absolutely, positively need a passcode followed up by FaceID (or TouchID). I know it's inconvenient, but it encrypts your device, and in the case it is lost at that foreign airport it's all but a brick to whoever finds it. So, if you have a passcode then no one, of course unless they have the passcode, can get into your iPad or iPhone. Your data is safe, and that should be cause for calm. Yes, you are still missing it, but it's all locked up waiting for your next move. And that is to access the Find My app whether on another device or at iCloud.com. Here you can locate the lost iPhone/iPad, post a note on the screen for whoever finds it, or even erase and lock the device permanently.  To learn more about the step by step process on how to do this, check this FAQ out at Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/101593

Monthly Mini-Bytes - May 2026

 

Should You Trust AI? Just like when navigation devices became prevalent, you got stories on the news of folks driving for 50 miles down a dirt road to nowhere, only then needing to be rescued because the map app led them astray. Heck, I've been parked in front of a Starbucks only to have may "nav app" tell me the closest coffee was miles away. Technology is only as good as those who program it and the data from which it derives its advice or answers. And this has never been more true than with Artificial Intelligence. Yes, I use AI quite a bit, but just like a flat-earther, I am a professional skeptic. Tell me it's 2026 and I'll ask to see a calendar. It's not paranoia or a complete mistrust of anything, but a healthy dose of a trust-but-verify mentality that is extremely important when working with AI. And if you go on ChatGPT or Grok or any of them you will see a disclaimer that says something like "sometimes we get it wrong." I have argued with AI when it gives me incorrect answers, and oftentimes get it to spiral further into the dungeon of misinformation. Here are some tips to get the most out of AI: Take your exact prompt and cut-and-paste it into different tools. Comparing results is critical, and you will be surprised at the different answers you will get. All the AI tools will site sources. Go to those sources and read the data yourself. Sometimes AI will misinterpret data it scrapes from the internet. Don't be afraid of free trials to use more advanced models. These models can give much better or thoughtful answers.

Apple Has a New CEO

John Ternus has been named the new CEO of Apple. He will take over for Tim Cook on September 1st. What will this mean for the future of the company? There is a lot of speculation, but considering Ternus has been with the Apple since 2001, he was around during the Steve Jobs era, so hope is high that he will be able to bring a level of entrepreneurial innovation that was a Jobs signature. To learn more, check out this article from CNET: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/apple-new-ceo-john-ternus-ai-plans-commentary/

Hope for a Failing iPhone Battery

iPhones have gotten very expensive, and in the case of the Pros, large and heavy. You may not want to upgrade your iPhone. You may be happy with your iPhone 13 mini. Well, the good news is that if your iPhone can run the current iOS 26, then there is no reason to purchase a new phone, unless you want one. Apple's battery replacement is relatively inexpensive and can extend the life of your iPhone. To learn about costs and logistics, visit: https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/battery-replacement?services=service

Monthly Mini-Bytes - March 2026

 

We Need to Talk About the MacBook Neo Macs are expensive. I remember when I was choosing between a Mac and PC back in the early 90s; the prices weren't even close. But something has been happening. Over the past few years with the Apple Silicon processors, the Mac computer family has become immensely powerful along with prices staying on par with what they had been in the past. An iMac with an M4 processor doesn't cost much more than a 2019 Intel-powered iMac back in the day. Adjusted for inflation, you could say that the new M4 iMac is actually cheaper.  A MacBook Air today can do the work of the old MacBook Pros, and the Pros can handle 3D modeling and AI on the level of machines that a few years ago would be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Then they drop the MacBook Neo. At $599 it doesn't have an M-Series processor. But the A18 Pro chip that it shares with the iPhones is still part of the Apple Silicon family, just a de-powered mobile setup to be affordable and power efficient. It still is incredibly capable and would smoke most old Macs with Intel chips. And at $599 it is a good option. But who for? This Mac is designed for basic tasks: email, photos, surfing the web, word processing, spreadsheets, and maybe some light video editing with iMovie. It is not a pro-level machine, but can handle 90% of the work that most people do. It won't have the longevity of the MacBook Airs, but the Neo can be a good option if you just need a computer to do the basic computer type stuff. To learn more about the Neo, visit: https://www.apple.com/macbook-neo/

The iPhone 17e

Apple refreshed its affordable iPhone as the 17e. It comes in at a starting price of $599, which is $200 less than the iPhone 17 (regular). If you need an iPhone and just need basic functionality, don't care about fancy cameras, and the Dynamic Island is not a place where you want to visit, than a 17e can be a good choice. To learn more, visit: https://www.apple.com/iphone-17e/

Apple Discontinues the Mac Pro

The Mac Pro, or the cheese-grater that many have affectionally coined it, has been set out to pasture by Apple. It was very expensive. Just the wheels were a $599 option, and the Mac Studio does all that it did at a much more affordable price. We never recommended one of these, as the Mac Studio is a great powerhouse in a compact form, but you'll have to buy a cheese-grater separately, unfortunately. To read more, visit. https://9to5mac.com/2026/03/26/apple-discontinues-the-mac-pro/

The Micro-Byte - February 2026

 

eMail Security: Why It Matters

Your three most important passwords are your iPhone unlock code, the login password for your Mac, and your email password. Why? If any one of these gets compromised a bad actor has the keys to your entire life. Even if you take the time to have secure passwords at your bank and other financial institutions, a weak email password opens a back door to resetting all of these. And if you've had the same email password for years, chances are it's already in the dark web as part of a data breach. Your email is the key to your accounts. It's the way you verify your identity, communicate with customers, and interact with friends and family. Someone getting access means that they can impersonate you and do everything from filing fake tax returns, opening new bank accounts, redirecting business payments, and even compromising personal relationships. The good news is that staying secure isn't all that difficult. Here is what you need to do: Create a Secure Password - If you are using Apple's Passwords app then it's easy to create and store complex passwords. If you can remember your email password, it's not secure. If you haven't changed it in five years, it's not secure either. Use Multi-Factor Authentication - This could be via a text message or through an authenticator app. Change It Every So Often - You shouldn't go years without changing up this most secure password. Apple's Passwords will show you when the password was changed, so it's easy to keep track. That's why we like Apple's Passwords app so much. For Businesses: Use Delegates and Groups - Only the designated user should have the account password for any individual email at a business. If an account requires multiple people to access it, there is the option to setup Groups or Delegates. This keeps the account secure, and provides an audit trail for who is accessing what and when. Securing your email isn't automatic. It takes some work, but if done, the peace of mind that it will give you with regard to your personal security is definitely worth the effort.

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.