November 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Slow Mac? It May Be Your Processor Core 2 Duo Days Numbered Is your Mac slow? Does it take a long time to boot up, load programs, or do just about anything? If you still have an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, or Mini with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, then chances are you are experiencing one or all of these symptoms. Apple installed the Core 2 Duo processors in its machines from 2006 through early 2010 when the iSeries processors were introduced. They did a great job, but nowadays they don't have the punch that they used to.  So what to do? Adding RAM or a Solid State Drive can help, but considering that most of these machines are older than 5 to 6 years, it's a good time for an upgrade. Spending the time, effort, and money to breathe a few more months out of a Core 2 Duo Mac is not really money well spent. Also, the cost of the upgrades would exceed the value of the Mac anyway. Five or more years for a computer is excellent, since the industry life-span is three. The odds have been beaten, but now is the time to consider a new Mac.

Slow iPad Solutions Don't Toss That iPad 2 or iPad 3 Just Yet! Is your older iPad slow? It's true that the iPad 2 and newer can run the current iOS, but many of us that have had an iPad for the past few years notice them getting slower and slower. Well the good news is that it's not the iPad, it's you -- and all the stuff loaded on it from older iPads and older operating systems. The solution? Erase the iPad, restore it to it's factory settings, and set it up as a new iPad. If you connect your iPad to iTunes you will have the option to Restore. This will erase the iPad and download the latest copy of iOS and the firmware for the iPad. When it restarts, it will be just like it was when it was new. But here is the trick: DO NOT RESTORE YOUR OLD IPAD DATA. Set it up as new and all the cobwebby slowness should go away with all that old data. You can then choose what Apps to download and start anew!

Save Your iPhone Battery Save the World! Actually, not really... Battery life whether with your iPhone, iPad, or Tesla is always an issue. ZDNet has a great article on what works to save your iPhone battery and what doesn't. They don't mention anything about the Tesla, though. You can read the article here:  http://www.zdnet.com/article/iphone-battery-saving-tips-really-actually-work-and-those-that-are-garbage/

October 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Don't Fall Victim to the Pop-up Scam Don't Call the Number - Don't Let Them Remote with You It's happening a lot now. You are surfing the web when all of a sudden a pop-up seems to lock the computer saying that you have a virus or some other malware and you need to call a certain number immediately or your machine will melt into a pile of goo. IT'S A SCAM. Never, ever call the number, and do not ever allow them to remotely access your machine.  Why it is happening: Macs, due to their underlying UNIX architecture, are extremely secure systems and the only way the bad guys can get stuff on a Mac is by tricking the user to give them remote access. Don't give the bad guys remote access. If Safari is locked up, here is how to get around it: Either go up to the Apple in the upper left-hand corner and select Force Quit, OR hit the key combination Command-Option-Escape to bring up the Force Quit window. Select Safari or the locked browser from the list and then Force Quit It's then a good idea to clean out your browser's Cookies, History, and Cache. To do this in Safari, go up to History in the menu bar and select Clear History from the drop-down menu. You can choose how far back you want to remove the data.

OS X 10.11 El Capitan is here! Should you upgrade? The latest iteration of OS X is out on the street. OS X 10.11 El Capitan is a mild update visually to OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Disk Utility is totally different, and the ability to Repair Disk Permissions is gone. Mail is streamlined; Spaces gets an update (if you use Spaces); and the new Notes App that integrates with iOS 9 is kinda neat, among other things. Overall, once you download and install El Capitan you'll notice that the look and feel is very similar to Yosemite. So should you update? Here are our suggestions: You have an iPad and/or iPhone - YES If you have either an iPad or an iPhone, then being on the latest system on both the iOS devices (currently iOS 9) and your Mac is extremely important so that they work well together. Delaying an update or having updates out of sync will cause problems. Business User - Not Necessarily... If you are a business user not tightly integrated into your iCloud account on your iPhone and/or iPad, then updating is not something you need to rush into. As long as you are running OS X 10.9 Mavericks or better, and the software you use for work doesn't require a system update, then you are okay to delay the update until you are ready. Updating to El Capitan may require an investment in new software that you use for your business. Home User / No iPhone or iPad - YES Even if you don't have an iPad or iPhone and don't really use iCloud, you do want to be on the latest system since it will support more secure web browsing, email, and security updates much better than an older version of OS X. BUT FIRST... Make sure that you have a current Time Machine backup of your computer before upgrading. And if you have delayed updates and are still on Snow Leopard (10.6), Lion (10.7), or Mountain Lion (10.8), the update is a BIG jump, so have a backup and be patient.  OS X 10.11 El Capitan has been out for two weeks. If you want to wait a few more, that's up to you. Usually Apple comes out with a patch not too long after the release to fix any bugs, but both Wendy and I have been running OS X 10.11 El Capitan since it came out and haven't had any issues. Your mileage may vary. To find out more about OS X 10.11 El Capitan, visit: http://www.apple.com/osx/

Backup your iPhone or iPad with iCloud Backup iTunes Syncing is So Totally 2008 With iCloud Photo Library and iTunes Match you no longer need to sync an iOS device with iTunes. During the sync process, iTunes performs a backup of your device, but since you no longer have to sync with the computer, this backup no longer happens. So what to do? Back your device up to iCloud. The backup happens once per day while on Wi-Fi (while plugged into power) and is totally automatic. It also makes it a snap to restore a device if it is broken, fails, or is replaced with an upgrade. To enable iCloud Backup go into Settings -> iCloud and turn Backup on.

September 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

The iPad Pro: Its Size Isn't The Big Deal... How the Apple Pencil Changes the Game Apple announced it's biggest iPad yet last week. The iPad Pro has a huge 12.9 inch Retina Display and four speakers to pump out rich sound in such a small package. It has a fast processor and blahdey blah blah blah...  But wait... It's not all the shiny goodies that make it significant, but the addition of a small device called the Apple Pencil. Artists, designers, architects, and sketch artists love the feel of pencil to paper. Nothing compares to the immediate feedback when creating directly on the paper itself. There have been devices that attach to PCs and Macs over the years to assist with drawing, but you still had to look up at a screen to see your results. The effect was numb and disconnected. But now with an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil you can draw on a digital interface and get immediate results that you can see. You can vary thicknesses via pen pressure, just as you would do on paper -- no more need to select a brush size/width. It is all done immediately and intuitively. Supposedly you can, with a light touch, draw the width of one pixel. Wow! Not everyone needs an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil, but if your job involves drawing, you should strongly consider one. There are two Wi-Fi only options, and one with Wi-Fi + Cellular.  To learn more about the iPad Pro visit: http://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/ For the Apple Pencil check out: http://www.apple.com/apple-pencil/

Amazon Prime Video: You Can Take It With You! Download, Disconnect, and Watch Streaming is awesome, but if, like me, you need to go off-the-grid to some undisclosed location at a moments notice, it's comforting to know that if you are a consumer of Amazon Prime, their video app now allows you to download content for later disconnected viewing. You will need to download the Amazon Prime Instant Video app to your iPhone and iPad to take advantage of this service. But keep in mind that you will, of course, need space to hold this content. Keeping all those photos from your trip to Antarctica while downloading all five awesome seasons of Babylon 5 isn't going to be possible. To learn more, visit Amazon's Help Page at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201460820

Get a New iPhone from Apple Every Year iPhone Upgrade Program for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus More and more carriers are ditching their subsidized phone plans for something more akin to a lease. You make monthly payments, get a phone, and then can upgrade at a more liberal interval. Well, beginning with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple is introducing an iPhone Upgrade Program. For a set monthly fee you get an unlocked phone associated with the carrier of your choice. After 12 payments you can then upgrade to a new iPhone -- the every year upgrade, as it says. It also includes Apple Care Plus and its famous damage protection. To learn more, visit: http://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program

August 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Back to School: Breathe New Life Into An Old Mac

A New Machine, You May Not Need

I just bought this, you think to yourself. And yes, as we get older five years doesn't seem like that much time, but with technology it is a century... sort of. Sure, the kids at the Apple Store are more than willing to hook you up with a shiny new Mac with all the trimmings, but do you really need to spend the money right now, or is there another option.

"There is!" he exclaims, as he heads over to the Internet to get what he needs. But what? And where? And will it really help?

It can. If you have a MacBook Pro running an iSeries Intel Processor (Mid-2010 or newer) or an iMac (2009 or newer with the iSeries) than you can simply purchase more RAM and a Solid State Hard Drive. The bottleneck with these older machines is the Hard Drive, and with the Solid State (SSD for the hipsters) your old machine will be almost as snappy as a new one... almost. Keep in mind that the upgrade for the MacBook Pro is easier than the iMac, which is a bear to take apart.

How about you Mac Pro pros? If you have an Early 2009 or better you can pop in some Solid States for a jump on the fast lane of awesomeness. But, you will need to purchase an adapter to make them fit.

To peruse prices and options, check out Crucial.com: http://www.crucial.com

New iPhone Rumors

Here we go again!

Did you just step up and purchase an iPhone 6? Well, Apple is about to push you down to second string with the announcement and release of the newest iPhone which will probably be called the 6s. I recommended calling the new iPhone "Tony," but Apple hasn't returned my calls. Hmmm....

Here are the big facts that everyone seems to agree on:

1. Force Touch - This technology first introduced itself on a display with the Apple Watch. Basically, it is a pressure sensitive screen with a tactile feedback rumble. You can see what CNET says about it here: http://www.cnet.com/news/what-force-touch-could-do-for-the-next-iphones-and-ipads/
2. It Will Be Thicker - Rumors are about 2mm thicker to handle the Force Touch Display.
3. Better Camera, Faster Processor... normal generational improvements.

Apple will be announcing the new phone in September. Me? I'm still rolling with my iPhone 5s and am hoping that they will come out with a smaller phone.

Oh yeah, to read more on the rumors, check out Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/iphone-6s-rumors-release-363648

Apple CarPlay

The Power of Your iPhone in the Car

If you are like Wendy and I, our built-in car tech is buggy and frustrating. Sometimes I think it would be faster and simpler to pull off the road, find a pay phone, and make a call that way. Music? I can't keep the turntable from skipping in the Jeeps.

Well now there is Apple CarPlay. It is available from a number of different car companies and can come in aftermarket head units. It gives you seamless access to the content and capabilities of your iOS driven iPhone. Read all about it here: http://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/

July 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Is it too hot for your iPhone? Your Tech and the Environment As you stand outside talking on your brand new iPhone 6 in a typical 115 degree day in Phoenix, you may not realize that you are pushing your little phone 20 degrees above it's approved operating temperature. Well, you are. The iPhone 6, for example, has an operating ambient temperature range from 32º F to 95º F. This also means that you cannot use your phone in Minnesota, ever -- except in August. All of your tech, whether it be your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, GPS, or digital camera, has a tested and verified environmental operating range. Using the iPhone 6 as an example, here are it's limitations -- I also included Celsius, because my teachers told me in the 70s that the US is totally going metric any day now: (From Apple https://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/) Operating ambient temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Non-operating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet (3000 m) Nice. But what does this mean in a practical sense? It means that if you exceed these tolerances there is a good chance that your device may flake out or shut down.  Should you worry? No, but be mindful not to leave your devices in hot cars in the summer, or in the freezing cold on the opposite end. Keep it out of the sun and treat it like the expensive piece of art that it is. Tech is fragile, and we count on it every day, so being aware of the operating ranges will help you extend the life of your device. You can read what Apple has to say about it here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201678 When Good Inkjet Printers Go Bad To Toss or To Clean It has happened to all of us at one point or another. After a wonderful excursion to Europe, a month in San Diego, an African Safari, or a surprising trip to Pluto, we arrive home only to realize that our inkjet printer now only spits out page after page of nothing. What are we to do? There are many unproven home remedies to deal with dried ink, but many don't work and some are downright dangerous. You can always try: Cleaning the Print Heads - Most printers will allow you to clean the print heads either on the console or through a utility. Change Inks - This may work, but it all depends on the design of the printer and the location of the clog. Having a plan to start is the best course of action, since often times the cost of getting the printer repaired is close to the purchase price of a new one. Here is our advice: Keep it Cheap - For home use, as a general guideline, we don't recommend spending over $150 on an inkjet printer. $125 is the sweet spot. That way if it fails, you don't break the bank trying to replace it. Print, Print, and Print Again - Keep the ink flowing. If someone is watching your house while you're gone, have them use the printer to keep it going. Also, print a couple of things before you hit the road. Consider Laser - If you travel a lot for long periods, then a laser printer may be better for you. They are more expensive to purchase and maintain; they don't have the resolution of inkjet printers; but they also don't clog up.  The bottom line is that if you come home from an extended absence and your inkjet won't print, and the cleaning and ink changing doesn't help, then it's unfortunately time for a new one. Apple watchOS 2.0 The Update that Makes It Awesome If you have seen either Wendy or I since May, you most likely have also seen our Apple Watches and been riveted by our stellar demos. Yeah, it's cool, but coming this Fall, Apple will be updating the watchOS (it's like iOS for the watch...) with all types of neat features. But the big news is that developers will now be able to create apps that run natively on the Apple Watch. If you recall back to 2007 and the original iPhone, the first iteration of iOS did not allow 3rd party developers to create apps for the phone. It was not until later that the App Store and the multitudes of iOS Apps came onto the scene. It's hard to remember the iPhone without them. Well, watchOS 2.0 is that watershed moment for the Apple Watch. This is the point it will really come into it's own by making the full suite of sensors on the watch open to other apps.  To find out more about watchOS 2.0, visit Apple's site here: https://www.apple.com/watchos-2-preview/

June 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Snow Leopard Folks: The Party is Over OS X Now Goes to 11 If you are still running OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, the luxury of avoiding a system upgrade has ended. To check your version, go to the Apple in the upper left hand corner of the screen and choose About This Mac. If it comes up and says you have 10.6, then you have some decisions to make. At the World Wide Developer Conference last week, Apple announced a new operating system: OS X 10.11 El Capitan. (http://www.apple.com/osx/elcapitan-preview/) It will be released in the Fall, but what this means for those of you running OS X Snow Leopard is that support for that platform will effectively end. What does it mean exactly? Well, you probably already have had difficulties with mail, accessing websites, and using current software. It's only going to get worse. What do you need to do? If you are on 10.6, the jump to the current version 10.10 is rather huge. Some software like MS Office 2004 and AppleWorks will not run in OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Also, if you only have 1GB of RAM, you will need to upgrade that before installing a new OS. And if you have an older machine, it may not even run Yosemite. Bottom line is that if you had delayed upgrading there is a lot to do, which is why we always beat the drum of staying current. It avoids headaches like these. Still, there are solutions:  To start, go to the App Store on your Mac and take a look at the current operating system. Here is a link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-yosemite/id915041082?mt=12  It should tell you if your Mac is available for an update. You can also learn more about the requirements for OS X Yosemite here: http://www.apple.com/osx/ If you are concerned about running any of your current software in OS X Yosemite, check with the developer's website. When NOT To Upgrade Sometimes You Have to Wait Let me start out by saying that if you are on OS X 10.6 (see above), you have to upgrade. In fact 10.7 folks should start to make some decisions about updating your Mac's operating system. But if you are on 10.8 or 10.9 you may be asking yourself if it makes sense to move.  First off, if you are a heavy user of iCloud and it's features, you MUST be on the highest system possible, which right now is OS X 10.10 Yosemite. It will allow you to sync seamlessly with all your devices. And if you have an iPad, iPhone, and Mac, it does pay to stay current, as it is necessary so that all three (or two) work together. BUT... and this is a big but... if you use your Mac for work or extreme hobbying there are cases where delaying a system upgrade may make sense: Your Business Critical Software Won't Run - If you have an application that you use for business that will not work in a current system, then delaying an update does make sense -- at least in the short term. Keep in contact with your software provider to see when updates will become available. Software No Longer Developed - If you use an older software platform it may no longer be available. It's okay to delay, but you must look for an alternative and see how to move your data to something that is more future proof. Need to Purchase New Equipment - Upgrading may mean swapping out older machines for new Macs. This can get expensive, so holding off a little on upgrading can help when figuring out a holistic strategy for the office. So What About an Anti-Virus? ClamXav at the App Store Thanks to the underlying Unix architecture of the OS X Operating System, Macs are very secure devices. But we get asked often about an anti-virus solution for the Mac. There area a lot of choices out there, but the one that we have used is called ClamXav.  ClamXav is available at the App Store, and it's a freebie, too. You can run the scan when you need to, but otherwise it can sit in your Applications folder for a time when you want to check your machine. It does not actively monitor your machine by default -- just run it when you choose. You can find it here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clamxav/id430207028?mt=12

May 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Protect Yourself from Malware and Scams Be Proactive and Suspicious Macs, by the very nature of the design of OS X, are very secure systems, unlike Windows computers that pass around infections and viruses faster than a kindergarten class. But still, the bad guys have to figure out a way to, well, be bad guys. The way they do this in the world of Macs is by trickery and tomfoolery. Keeping a watchful eye will go a long way to keep you safe. Your Admin Password Keep in mind that your Administrator Password (the one you need to enter to log in or install software) is the key to your Mac. If it pops up, ask yourself why. It's the front door of your system -- enter the password and you open the door. Just as you do at home, be sure you know who you open the door for. Adware Let's talk about Adware. What is it? Adware is software that tracks your activities on line so that you can be presented with ads either embedded in a web page or via pop-ups. Technically Google is adware, but we're talking about the bad stuff -- the borderline malware that gets installed on your system by piggy-backing on a legitimate install. If you are getting a lot of pop-ups or your home page has been changed to a weird search engine like InstallMac, then chances are you have adware on your system. How to remove it? Adware Medic is donation-ware that does the job. It was developed by The Safe Mac Blog and is available here: http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php BUT! If you have adware, you may not be able to download it or will be redirected somewhere, else. It can be a vicious circle. How do you prevent adware? Only download content from legitimate websites. Many malware sites will mimic the URLs of actual websites. Again, be wary and check twice. The Scary Pop-Up We know you've seen it. It pops up and says that you are infected with some awful virus and that you need to click here or there, or buy something. Well, phooey! It's a scam. Don't download the software and don't call the phone number. Ever! If you call, they will want access to your machine and then it gets a lot more serious. Close Safari, then reopen and go to History and select Clear History & Website Data. Choose an interval, or all of it -- your choice. The Phone Call The phone rings and it's Microsoft, or the Internet Police, or the Tooth Fairy, or whoever telling you that your machine is throwing errors and causing ships around the world to spontaneously sink. You must grant them access to your computer and pay them $200 or even worse things will happen. What to do? Hang up. It's bogus. How long have you been on hold with your ISP when you can't get online? Exactly.... they don't have time to be calling. It's a scam. And never, ever, allow someone to remotely control your machine, unless you know them. (See the front door reference above.) This is just the tip of the iceberg of best practices, but if you follow the roadmap presented here it will be a significant help to keep you away from the scammers. Is it a little cynical? You bet, but in this case a little cynicism today can keep any future headaches away.

How Much Speed is High Speed Internet The FCC Changes the Benchmark Back in the late 90s I was psyched when we got 256 Kbps DSL internet. It was a huge step up from 56K dial up, but nowadays that speed just doesn't cut it. In fact, the FCC changed the definition of High Speed Internet by setting the minimum to 25 Mbps for download and 3 Mbps for upload. CNET covers it here: http://www.cnet.com/news/sorry-your-broadband-internet-technically-isnt-broadband-anymore/ This means that if you have anything below that, you technically are no longer in the broadband awesomeness club. But what does 25/3 mean in real life? Like most folks, if you surf the internet, read email, use social media, stream music, watch HD movies, or even update your computer's software, you need a reliable connection to pull all that data. An HD Movie can be as large as 5GB and if you have a 4K TV, that content is almost four times larger. And keep in mind that ALL of your software is delivered via the web through purchases and updates. The days of rolling down to Computer City and bringing home a CD are long gone.  The FCC based their 25 Down 3 Up standard taking all of that into account. These days it really is the practical minimum for a decent experience for the average household. Again, more is always better, but 25/3 is a good place to start.

Mom Says: Do Your Updates or No Pudding! Three Reasons to Keep Current If you are sitting in front of a Mac running OS 10.8 or less, or holding an iPhone running iOS 7 or earlier, I am talking to you. We all know that updating is hard. Things change, icons move, beloved tasks need to be altered, and the place where I used to click is now over here when it used to be there. But to keep your machine healthy and happy, updating your software and operating system on a regular basis will keep you current and out of trouble.  Delaying an update for a short time is prudent while the bugs are worked out by the programmers, but making sure that you are on a current system with updated software will make sure that your computer, iPhone, or iPad operates at peak efficiency. Here are three reasons to do updates: 1. Safer and More Reliable Web Browsing Whether you use Safari, Firefox, or Chrome, running the latest version of a browser on a current system will allow you the best surfing experience, along with taking advantage of the latest in security. It will make everything from YouTube to Netflix to banking sites work as they are intended. 2. Better System Security Apple tweaks the already excellent security of OS X with every edition. In OS X 10.10 Yosemite a feature called "Sandboxing" has applications working in their own little silo. It's difficult for one app to hurt your computer, and knock you down. 3. Better Integration with Your Devices If you have an iPhone or an iPad, the iCloud service syncs your information between those devices and your Mac. Having them all on the current system allows them to work together more reliably. Put it this way: If you delay going to the dentist for 15 years, bad things happen. If you delay updating your system and software... I think you get the point. And, if you have any software that will no longer work in an updated system, it's time to shop around for a replacement. Keep Mom Happy: Upgrade, update, and stay current so you can eat your pudding, too!