Monthly Mini-Bytes - February 2022

 

Automatic Updates: Yes or No Let's be honest. The latest Apple updates have been... glitchy. I hope it's not the Microsoftification of Apple, but only time will tell. Missing Desktop items, hidden Docks, broken scanners, and mysteriously being logged in as Guest all have happened to somebody after an update. So, is it a good idea to turn off automatic updates? First, automatic updates are only automatic when they are automatic, but we all know that they are only occasionally automatic, which means they are not automatic at all. Manual intervention has been needed in many cases. And back in the old days, updates had to be done manually -- it's the way our ancestors did it, so it should work for us. Right? I say it can, but let's leave this up to personal preference. I have set my updates so that I need to process them myself. This gives me a chance to prepare in case something goes awry, instead of walking into the office in the morning with a half loaded Apple on the screen. On the Mac, to update your settings go to System Preferences -> Software Updates and choose Advanced to set your preferences. On your mobile device go to Settings -> General -> Software Updates.

The Scammers are Back! Actually they never left, but it seems like there has been an uptick in their activity. The biggest one to watch out for is the internet pop-up. It may make a loud sound and then warn you about viruses or some other horrible thing and you need to call Apple immediately or your computer will melt into a pile of goo. It's fake. 100% fake. It's not Apple. Don't call the number. You just happened on a compromised website. Navigate to a different site and it will go away. Run a malware scan with MalwareBytes if you so choose, and you could always dump your browser cache and history. Just don't ever call the number. They want to trick you to giving remote access to your computer, and that is very, very bad.

Scientists Say Too Many Apps Can Make Your iPhone Heavy

If you've had an iPhone since 2007, chances are it is packed with apps that you no longer use. Every single store or restaurant has an app these days, and every one not only clutters up your phone, but can compromise your security with tracking requests and the like. Kick off your spring cleaning by deleting apps that you no longer use. When you get down to it, it's amazing how few apps we actually use at all. To delete an app, hold your finger down on the one you choose to get rid of and select Remove App. In older versions of iOS you may just get a little X. Either way, you will probably get a little endorphin buzz from cleaning up your phone.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - January 2022

 

Forced Update Compliance: My Story No, I didn't want to update to iOS 15, or the watch, or the iPad. I was done with Apple making "improvements" that did nothing but add superfluous additional functionality, or break things that I use everyday. And I don't use that much. I don't do any social media: no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any of it. I use my phone as a computer -- to get email, make calls, and surf the web. I'm not on it all day every day. I'm not a texter nor a consumer of memojis. The one thing that I do use my devices for is for fitness and tracking the data from my training and bike rides. So, I thought I was good. My Heartbeatz heartrate monitor dongle was working flawlessly. I could sync with my Wahoo Element bike computer without worry, and updating the firmware on all my external devices was not a problem. Then about two weeks ago everything broke all at once. It wasn't a cascading failure of one thing at a time, but more of what seemed like all my devices got word from central planning that no, I did not update, and it was time to stop working. And stop working they did. The best part is they failed in the middle of an off-road excursion in Brown's Ranch. Syncing my bike's head unit meant deleting it and then setting it up every single time. The Heartbeatz dropped connection almost every minute. It was frustrating. But I got the message. I thought with everything working I could wait. iOS 14 was dialed in for me and all was good, but as the apps received updates they started to break. I was forced to update the watch and iPhone to return to full functionality. I don't know how to feel about this, to be honest. These devices aren't inexpensive and they should be mine. If I want to wait to update, I should, but the reality is that technology is always moving. It is never static, but constantly changing. What was good, fine, and working one day can collapse to a spillage of bad code the next time. It's the cost of owning these things, and unfortunately good stewardship means staying current. So what does this mean for all of you? It's simple: Keep your iPhone, watch, and iPad up to date. It's okay to wait a month after a major release, but your apps will update and things will start breaking if you wait too long. And if your device will not run the current operating system, then it's time to go shopping! And just a quick disclaimer: This does not apply to the Mac. I have not yet updated to macOS Monterey, although Wendy has. The Mac is a different creature and that upgrade saga is for another time.

What's the Deal with macOS Monterey? macOS Monterey is the successor to macOS Big Sur and was released back in the Fall. If you purchase a new Mac today it will come pre-installed with Monterey. The question is if you are on Big Sur or an older operating system, should you update? This is a difficult subject as Monterey still has some very serious known issues, especially with interfacing with USB hubs and external devices. Apple has patched many things, but it still needs work. New Macs shipping with Monterey don't seem to have these problems -- it's mostly isolated to upgraded machines coming from a previous version of macOS. If your are not being forced into an update, then waiting to install Monterey may be the best course of action. We fully expect Apple to have patched the remaining issues with Monterey over the next fes months.

Personal Security: The Darker Side of AirTags

Apple's AirTags have been in the news lately and not for good reasons. The little tags have been used to track people without their knowledge. It's kinda scary, so I wanted to link to an article below by CNET. They have a comprehensive writeup on how this is happening and how to protect yourself. Visit the article here: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/apple-airtags-can-be-used-to-track-you-how-to-protect-yourself/

Monthly Mini-Bytes - December 2021

 

The Unbreakable Security of Apathy It's important to note that choosing to do nothing is choosing to do something. Apathy can be a comforting and secure place to be in the raging rapids of modern technology. Being the first to jump on the latest and greatest thing may put you and your data in peril. The act of waiting and choosing to do nothing allows time for the product or service to work out the bugs and mature. So how can you weaponize apathy against the invading hordes of updates, upgrades, and the new new new? Here are three tips: Wait to Update/Upgrade: Don't be the first to download and install the iOS, iPadOS, macOS, or whateverOS updates. There are always bugs that are not flushed out in testing. Give it time. There is never a benefit to jumping on an update out of the gate with the one exception being urgent security patches to close off a vulnerability. Love the One Your With: As relevant today as it was in the 70s, appreciating your device and avoiding being mesmerized by that new shiny thing can alleviate much frustration. If your phone, computer, or tablet are working, then there is no reason to rush out for the new edition. Wait and see how it is received. It can save both money and frustration. Do you really need it? When a new version comes out of an application or service, you may be presented with aggressive 50% off offers, or free toasters, or a trip to Trenton, New Jersey, but avoid the temptation. You may not need the app or service any more, or the subscription doesn't apply to the way you are using the product (online syncing, etc.). Stop, make an assessment, and see if you can save yourself some money and storage space.

Do You Need a New Computer? If you are sitting in front of a G4 Daisy iMac while absorbing all this wisdom, then you absolutely need a new computer. That's an easy case, but for most of us the question is always there, and determining the right time to purchase a new Mac can save you money by maximizing the usable life of the machine. But how do you know it is time? You Have A SATA Drive: Serial ATA drives are the old-school record player style hard drives. They are slow, noisy, and are prone to failure. Thankfully, Apple no longer sells Macs with SATA drives, but they did up until recently. Macs with these drives are incredibly slow to the point of being unusable, especially on macOS versions Catalina and newer. To see if you have a SATA drive, go to the Apple in the upper-left and choose About this Mac. Select Storage and if it says SATA, then you have one, and if you do, you absolutely need a new Mac. Models From 2013 And Older: Macs of this age struggle with newer software. To see if yours falls into this category, go to the Apple in the upper-left and choose About this Mac. In the Overview tab it should state the era of the machine... or just check your receipt from Apple. That works, too. A Persistent Hardware Issue: If your Mac is three years or older and you are having strange hardware issues with the keyboard, monitor artifacts, or blown speakers, you may want to consider a new machine. Sometimes the cost of repair will approach the value of a new Mac, and the Apple Silica M1 family of processors are so superior that it may make sense to make the leap.

Security Corner: Find My Network

We get a lot of questions about security and privacy, which are ever moving targets. Today let's discuss Apple's Find My Network. This little feature allows your phone to be located when it is off. Great! But, it also allows your iPhone to participate in a network with other iPhones to locate devices, AirTags, and other things that are not your own. If enabled, you are basically carrying around a mobile hotspot that Apple is using to create a network with other iPhones. Do we think this is nefarious? No, but many of you may not be comfortable allowing this type of use of your phone. To see if Find My Network is enabled and to turn it off on your iPhone (if you choose) go into Settings, then select your name at the top. Choose Find My and Find My iPhone to see the Find My Network toggle.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2021

 

The "How to Avoid Scams" Splainer Article (Plus Pro Max Edition) Ah, 'tis the season for all the low lifes to emerge from their evil lairs ready to wreak havoc on the Holiday Season by scamming the unsuspecting masses out of their hard earned dollars. And scams have been on the rise lately. From the phone, to text messages, instant messages, and email, the evil-doers weapons are many and varied, but so are the ways that you can protect yourself. Check the Language - Many scammers aren't proficient in English, so looking for things like mis-used words and bad punctuation is a strong giveaway that the message is a scam. I mean who starts a note with "I hope this finds you well." Seriously? Are we living in a Jane Austen novel? Check Your Credit Card Transactions - If you get a message that you had just spent $297 on whatever, check your credit card transactions, or even give your credit card company a call. They can sometimes see pending transactions before they show up online. Do Not Call the Number - Never, ever call the number in a suspected scam message. Do your due diligence first. Calling the number will let them know that they have a live target, and they now have your phone number, too. Examine the Number or Email Address - This is usually a quick give-away. The email or number may not be recognizable or sync up with what you normally suspect. Use your insticts. Beware of the Search - Search results can be spoofed. Looking up a customer service number online can lead your right into a scammer's hands. If you need to contact a particular company, go directly to their website and pull up the contact information from there. Don't call a number that comes in via a Google search. Call the Person Directly - If you get a text or email from someone that is questionable, pick up the phone and call them. Ask if they sent the email. Chances are they did not. Don't Answer Unrecognized Numbers - This goes under the "Trust No One" category. If you don't recognize the number, just let it go to voicemail. If it is important they will leave a message or send a text. If you do answer and it seems suspicious, just hang up. It's Free - No, it's not. Nothing is free. That offer for whatever is a scam. Sorry, you didn't win anything.  These are just a couple of things that you can do that will go a long way in protecting yourself from scammers.

When Should You Update An iPhone or iPad? It used to be that every single year the advancement from iPhone to iPhone had us running down to the Apple Store to wait in line for the latest and greatest. Well, those times have passed. From year to year the changes to the iPhone have been small, and the latest iPhone 13 has 12 users wondering if they should upgrade. But when is it time to upgrade an iPhone, or iPad for that matter? Poor Battery Life - If the battery won't hold a charge that is usually the time you want to upgrade the device. Hey, it comes with a new battery. Problem solved! Can't Update Software - If your devices won't run either the most current or previous version of iOS or iPadOS you will need to update so that all of your apps continue to work and everything plays nicely with iCloud. Cracked Screen - Although these can be repaired, if the device is more than a few years old, replacing rather than repairing may be a better choice. You Just Want One - No better reason in my book!

The Great Shut Down Debate

Should you shut down your computer if you will be away for a while? This has been an ongoing debate and the choice is personal. If you will be traveling for more than a few days, shutting down your computer is not a bad idea. It will consume less power and will have some protection from any nasty power surges. In fact it's the rogue power surges that are of most concern to computers and electronic devices. Of course there are those that need access to their computer while traveling for remote access, file access, etc. But for most, if you are doing that two month cruise to Antarctica, shutting down the computer and even the printer can be a good idea.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - October 2021

 

The New MacBook is So Pro! In what seemed like a year, which is good since it has been almost exactly a year since Apple announced their own line of chips, the big red ball of fruity has intruduced the immensely powerful 14 and 16 Inch MacBook Pros with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. These chipsets are game changers, and probably the biggest leap Apple has done in tech since the iPhone. Apple claims that on these new MacBook Pros you can edit multiple 8K ProRes streams at a time. What?! That may sound like gibberish to you, and it is, but that type of power wasn't even possible a couple of years ago, let alone in a portable computer. Both models have an array of ports, including HDMI and SD card slots. Just know that the M1 Max is more "Pro" than the M1 Pro, which of course makes no sense. Maybe they should have just called it the M1 Max Pro AppleTV Plus Texting & Web. It's just a thought. To learn more about the new MacBook Pros visit: https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro-14-and-16/

iPhone 13: Is it worth the upgrade? No. Not really. It's faster and Apple touts "more better and bestest," but it's such a mild update to the 12 that if you are on a 12, there's no compelling reason to move... except for one: Cinematic Mode. This feature is available on all flavors of the iPhone 13 and, in basic terms, "pulls focus" automatically. This means, when enabled, the iPhone will focus to what it believes to be the prominent subject in a video. It's neat, and if you are shooting a lot of video with your iPhone it is a really slick feature. If you are interested in Cinematic Mode, definitely go for the iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max to take advantage of the better camera set. Now, if you are still on an iPhone 5 or 6, yes, you need a new phone. I liked the size of my iPhone 5 and for those like me the iPhone 13 Mini will fit the bill... or the pocket. In fact if you are on an older phone and need to upgrade, only upgrade to an iPhone 13. Don't go for a 12, 11, or another. As a general rule, when it is time to upgrade, go for the latest model, which is of course the iPhone 13 (Pro, Max, Mini, etc.). To learn more about the new iPhones, visit the Pros at: https://www.apple.com/iphone-13-pro/ or the Regular and Mini at: https://www.apple.com/iphone-13/

Take the Phishing Test

Email and text phishing scams seem to be ramping up lately. There are so many that it's hard to keep track. From subscribing to the philosophy of "Trust No One" to marking almost everything as junk, it gets a little tiring, but it is necessary. To test your Phishing savvy, Google and Jigsaw came up with this neat quiz. It's a great way to test your internet street smarts. Just be sure to use a fake email address for the test. It's not necessary to use your real one. To take the quiz, visit: https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com

Monthly Mini-Bytes - August 2021

 

Two Apple Events Slated for September Apple is planning not one, but two events for September this year. From the iPhone 13, to new AirPods, and the long anticipated Apple Silica refresh of the MacBook Pros, it all shall be revealed next month. For more info and insights visit: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/20/digitmes-mulitple-apple-events-for-september/

Cox Mail Users: Time to Think About Change Cox and other internet service providers are moving to get out of the email hosting business. If you have had a Cox email address for an eternity like many of us, changing our accounts and usernames to a new iCloud, Gmail, or Outlook address can seem daunting. Well, it is. It's a lot of work, but now is the time to get started. We have also noticed a slew of Cox email accounts that have been compromised. If you have not logged into your Cox webmail account in a while, it's a good idea to do so, update your password, turn on two factor authentication, and check your settings. You can get to your Cox webmail via: https://webmail.cox.net

Clean Out Messages Automatically

Did you know that your Messages app is set to keep all messages forever? Yes, this is the default, and over the years your texts can take up a massive amount of space not only on your Mac, but also your iPhone, and iPad. You can have Messages delete any texts that are more than 30 days or over one year old automatically. On the iPhone and iPad you can go into Settings -> Messages and scroll down to Message History. Here you can choose to keep messages Forever, One Year, or 30 days. On the Mac in the Messages app select the Messages drop-down menu and Preferences. Choose the General tab and in the middle of the page will be the option to choose how long you want to retain your messages. One thing to note: If you add a new device to iCloud Messages, it will toggle back to Keep Forever. This is annoying, but really, would we expect anything different from technology? And to keep that technology happy, it's best to make sure that whatever retention frequency you choose, you do the same across all of your devices.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - July 2021

 

When is an Intel Mac a Better Choice? Oh... what? Yes, let's let the internet melt down for a minute. Why would anyone purchase and Intel Mac over the more powerful and definitely more future-proof M1? What could possibly motivate an individual, or group of individuals to collectively choose to invest in older technology? Well, the answer is simple. It's Windows. Yes... Windows. For better or worse (mainly worse) there is software out there that has only been written for Windows PCs, but fortunately Macs can run Windows software without breaking a sweat using an emulator like Parallels or Apple's Boot Camp. Both macOS and Windows 10 run natively on Intel i-Series Processors. The M1 is all new, and even though there is a beta version of Windows 10 that can run on the new ARM processors, it's the tip of the spear here, meaning stability is in question. So, for those who need the capability of running Windows software, an Intel Mac can be an excellent choice. But to future-proof it so it can compete later on with the M1s, go for at least an i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. Extra credit is offered for i9s with 32 GB of RAM to keep up with the M1s integrated RAM and video processor. In closing, and as of right now, at this moment and second (July 2021), if you are 100% Mac, the M1 is the only way to go. If you still run Windows only software, opt for a well equipped Intel Mac so that everything stays nice and stable.

Multiple Monitors with DisplayLink? Yes, Please! If you have an M1 Mac or an older Mac and you want to experience the joy of a massive row of displays to intimidate friends and family, you can! It's true Apple limits the number of displays, how they are connected, and don't seem to know what adapters may or may not be needed, but worry no more! With a DisplayLink enabled device you can connect extra displays. There are limitations as DisplayLink technology uses your main processor and a driver rather than the native video card, so gaming and certain video content may not come out as well, but for general use it is a perfect solution. To find out more about DisplayLink and the different docks, cables, and adapters that are needed visit: https://www.displaylink.com

Internet Browser: Beware of Extensions

Internet browser extensions seem like a good idea. They allow you to run little bits of software to clip coupons, remember your passwords, block ads, or even flag questionable content. But that same capability can be turned the other way and voila!, you have spyware. Generally we don't recommend any extensions, but if you use a password manager like 1Password or LastPass, you will need one. To see if you have any extensions in Safari go to the Safari drop-down menu and choose Preferences. You will see an Extensions heading. Choose that to see what Extensions you may be running. If they are checked they are active. In the right-hand window each one will have an uninstall option. For other browsers: In Chrome choose Extensions from the Window drop-down menu.You can also access it from the Preferences menu as in Safari. In Firefox you would choose Preferences from the Firefox drop-down menu. Then select Extensions & Themes to access the list.