Monthly Mini-Bytes - June 2023

 

Let's Talk About Apple Vision Pro At this month's World Wide Developer Conference Apple introduced the most technologically advanced virtual reality headset ever made for public consumption. It is an astonishing device, well thought out, and offers features that no other comparable headset has. It is brilliant, but who is this for? First, the price puts this out of reach for most people. It starts at $3500, meaning there will be more expensive configurations. That is a lot of money, and with that money you could purchase a Mac, iPhone, and iPad if you are a savvy shopper. That's a full suite of Apple products. It is isolating by its nature. This is something only one person can use at a time. When technology is moving to be more collaborative, it is an interesting shift away from creating a community. The Apple Vision Pro only has about two hours of battery, and that battery is external to the headset, meaning it would need to be clipped to a belt or placed in a pocket. And it is heavy. One pound may not seem like a lot, but all that weight hangs off the front of your head. Early users noted that it does get tiring wearing it for more than an hour. But who is this for? What is it supposed to replace? Apple's presentation at WWDC didn't answer this. They did not present a use case for a device that starts at $3500. Wendy and I have talked a lot about the Apple Vision Pro and we can't honestly figure out what problem it is trying to solve. The iPhone expanded the way we use our phones. The iPad let us leave our laptops behind, and the Apple Watch extended the features of the iPhone and presented new ways to interact from fitness to ApplePay purchasing. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Apple Vision Pro. Right now it looks like a solution looking for a problem, and at such a high cost Apple won't get those who are simply curious and would purchase it on a whim. Of course, I could be wrong and maybe in 18 months everybody will be walking around Whole Foods with one of these things on their heads. Only time will tell. For more information about the Apple Vision Pro, visit: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

The 15-Inch MacBook Air is Here! Apple did it! They released a super-sized version of their powerful M2 MacBook Air. The 15-Inch model was announced at WWDC and it's just as good as the 13-inch, only with more... And more is always better.  If you are looking for a new Apple laptop and are not involved in heavy video editing and complex 3D modeling, then the M2 MacBook Airs should absolutely be on your short list. There's no need to invest in the more expensive MacBook Pro for most folks. To find out more, visit: https://www.apple.com/macbook-air-13-and-15-m2/

Summer Time Is Hot! Protect Your Devices

All Apple products have an acceptable operating range with respect to temperature, and here in Arizona summer time temps go way beyond them. Talking outside in 110 degree heat on an iPhone is not a good idea. Don't leave MacBooks or other devices in hot cars, and even AirPods are sensitive to high temps. Linked below are three FAQs from Apple to help you out. MacBooks: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201640 iPhones and iPads: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201678 AirPods:https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211884

Monthly Mini-Bytes - May 2023

 

Do You Need a Password Manager? I want to break this conversation up between business and personal use. There is a strong case for the use of password managers in a business situation where multiple people need to access certain accounts. There is audit-ability and a good professional grade password manager can do a lot to save time and actually boost security. But if it is just you and only you and your stuff, then it is a totally different picture. First realize that you already have a password manager. It is you. Look in the mirror. There is your password manager. That password manager needs to have a system first and foremost before considering any third party solution. Whether it is a spreadsheet, notebook, or whatever, you need to have a system to record and save your passwords. Once that is complete and you have a good system, you can begin to consider a third-party password manager to use in parallel to your system. It has to be in parallel in the case you lose access to the password manager account. But there are some very important things to consider. By saving all of your passwords with one business, you are giving them all the keys to your entire online life. Do you trust them? They may wax poetic about security and encryption, but at the end of the day you are trusting them, their employees, and whoever eventually buys that company with all of your passwords. Needless to say we are not big fans of third-party password managers for individuals. There have been breaches and it seems just too risky. iCloud Keychain, which is built in to the macOS ecosystem, shares your passwords between your devices. It is secured behind your iCloud, but even with this we don't recommend saving bank, investment, or any other similar passwords. There is no easy way to deal with passwords. You just have to cope with them and have a good system that works for you. The easier it is for you the easier it is for the bad guys to get in to your accounts. Passwords are frustrating and just something modern technology users have to accept.

Tips for Using Maps and GPS It's summer, which means it's travel season, and maps and GPS will be used liberally over the next several months so we can all get to our destinations, But there are important things to keep in mind when using your GPS or maps to navigate. 1.) Trust But Verify - When choosing your destination don't trust the app to be correct. Cross reference by using something different. For example you can look up the address in Apple Maps and then compare in Google Maps. The data is only as good as the people programming it and mistakes are made. You can also call the destination to confirm their address, directions, and any nearby landmarks. 2.) Know Your Route - After picking your destination, don't just set out on your way. Look at the route. Oftentimes the one chosen for you may not be the best, can lead you down some iffy roads, or may be more stressful. Understanding where you are going is imperative. There are horror stories about people ending up stuck down dirt roads because they just followed the GPS directions. Be an active participant in your route planning. 3.) Go Analog - When traveling you absolutely must have a paper map or atlas. They don't need batteries, always work, and are an excellent backup to cross-verify your app or GPS unit.

Possible 15-Inch M2 MacBook Air

The MacBook Air used to be Apple's entry-level computer, but with the M2 chip and the total redesign it is far from entry-level in performance. In fact the M2 MacBook Air is incredibly powerful and enough computer for most normal users, and can even handle light video-editing and graphics. The big news is that Apple may be announcing a 15-Inch version, which would be fantastic. The larger screen at a lower price-point then the 16-Inch MacBook Pro would be a great option for those looking for something with more real estate. The announcement, if it does happen, will be at the World Wide Developers Conference on June 5th

Monthly Mini-Bytes - April 2023

 

The Trinity of Security We get asked a lot: "Is it safe?" Well, no. It's not. Not really. The Internet is a seedy place and it mainly has three functions: to steal your money, your time, and your sanity. It is filled with scammers and crooks, and is akin to the worst neighborhood that you wandered into at one-thirty in the morning. But we need the Internet. It's how we do business, keep up with current events, pay our bills, and connect with friends and family. We can't just disconnect completely. It's not reasonable, so we all need to take common sense precautions. Security is not automatic. It takes work and discipline, but knowing the three biggies of the so-called Trinity of Security you will go a long way to protecting yourself and your data. #1 - Your Phone Your iPhone is not just a phone, it is the master key to all of your passwords. It allows you to confirm your identity, reset passwords, and proves to apps far and wide that you are who you say you are. The Wall Street Journal has been covering the latest scam where crooks observe you entering your phone passcode. Then they swipe your phone, and since they have the passcode, get in and lock you out of everything. With the phone unlocked they can now use it to complete multi-factor authentication and gain access to bank accounts and the like. What do you need to do? Keep your phone secure. Use FaceID or TouchID and have a passcode. Also, don't enter your passcode in a public place. Be discreet about it. If you'd like to watch the Wall Street Journal reports, here are the YouTube links: https://youtu.be/QUYODQB_2wQ https://youtu.be/tCfb9Wizq9Q #2 - Your Email Just like your iPhone, your email is a big dangly ring of keys that can be used to prove your identity, reset passwords, and complete multi-factor authentication. Lock it down! Use a reputable email provider Enable Two Factor Authentication Setup recovery options (passkeys, other phone number and emails) And if you haven't changed your password in 10 years, then change it right away. Don't make it easy to remember, because if it is, it will be easy for the crooks to guess. #3 - Bank & Investment Account Passwords You need to keep your bank and investment account passwords secure. They need to be complex and hard to guess. You also should enable two-factor authentication, setup recovery options, and enable all the alerts that you can. If your bank account gets breached, banks are not super helpful. You must be vigilant, and those passwords need to be complex and hard to guess. If you can remember them, they are too easy. Being safe and secure takes work and commitment. It requires good, strong passwords with a method to record and keep them safe. It means keeping your iPhone secure, and changing that email password if it is too simple, too old, or both.

Which Streaming Device is Best for You? When it comes to streaming, there are a multitude of devices out there. There are smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, AppleTV, and others. But the biggest question is which one is best for you, or moreover, which one just works the best? Hey, we are all Apple people here. We are invested in the ecosystem with the iPhones, iPads, and computers. It just makes sense to stream using the AppleTV. It adheres to all the rigid standards that Apple puts on its products. The apps need to adhere to the same processes for testing and coding as does anything else at the App Store. The AppleTV out of all of the devices is the one that will work hand and hand with your iPhone, and that alone makes it easier to set up and log into apps. To find out more about the AppleTV, visit: https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-4k/

Spring Cleaning Your Downloads Folder

It's not just you. Most people neglect to clean out their Downloads folder. It gets cluttered with pictures, documents, receipts, memes, and old installers. It can take up a lot of space on your hard drive, so this April get in there and clean it out. We'd recommend sorting through the contents to make sure there aren't any pictures or important documents. If there are, move them to somewhere else on your hard drive. To get to your Downloads folder, open a Finder window and choose if from the list on the left.

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.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - January 2023

 

Adventures in Systems Settings and Other Musings If you upgraded to macOS Ventura you may have noticed that the biggest change to the operating system was the end of System Preferences and the introduction of System Settings. Yes, all those familiar icons and their locations have been changed to a windows-esque compilation that reminds me of Control Panel. I know that Apple wants to have iOS, iPadOS, and macOS look similar so it is easier to jump between devices, but System Settings is such a jarring change that it has confused many. Some options are now buried clicks deep in menus so there is a learning curve even for the most experienced users. So, why is this done? Why do software developers monkey with the things that work, and introduce new methods, menus, or systems that just get in the way of getting things done? My assertion is that I don't think it should matter at all. Yes, it's frustrating, but the computer is a tool. That tool exists to help work get done faster and more efficiently even if that work is just play, email, or photos.  Instead of getting frustrated, think different. Yes, employ the old Apple adage of adjusting the way you think, and I also say feel about the changes. You still need to get your work done. You still need to send that email, or create that PowerPoint deck by tomorrow, so think differently about it. Try to see how to exploit this change to make work faster and easier.  Then when new changes come by, you can take a moment to grunt and huff, but then accept it, move on, and get it to work for you.

What iPhone Should You Buy? $1,700 for a phone is a lot of money. It's a lot of money for most things. With that much cheddar you can get a full blown Mac computer -- not just a phone. But Apple could probably charge $5,000 for the new iPhone 15 Plus Max Pro+ Extra. People would buy it. People spend $100K on pickup trucks these days. And why are potato chips $5 a bag? So, if you are on your way to the Apple Store in your $100K pickup truck, snacking on that $5 bag of chips, what iPhone is best? For years we have always recommended getting the newest, bestest, and pro-est iPhone available. This is no longer the case. There have not been massive evolutionary changes to the iPhone since the iPhone X, so there are a multitude of different options depending on your budget. Getting a newer model will mean it will run a supported system longer. It will be faster, and the camera slightly better, but I am right here right now telling you that you don't need to spend $1,700 on an iPhone if you don't want to. What phone do I use? I have an iPhone Xs and it's fine for me. It does everything that I need it to do, and more. I hope that is a bit freeing. The iPhone is great, and there are so many out there to choose from. Don't feel compelled to get the latest and greatest, because from the iPhone X in 2017, they are all pretty great.

M2 mini or Mac Studio? Which One to Choose?

Apple just released the M2 Pro chip in the Mac Mini and that machine is a beast! It's probably the best bang for the buck that Apple has going when it comes to power. But how does this brute stack up to the Mac Studios that still run the M1 Max and Ultra chips? It comes down to this: Are you editing 8K video or performing complex 3D graphics? Does your machine spend a good deal of time rendering? If so, then the Mac Studio will be the better choice not for the chipset, but for the cooling. The Mac Studio looks like a taller mini due to the way it cools the processor. A cooler processor is a faster processor. But the M2 Pro in the mini is so good, it will suffice for 90% of users out there. It's a great buy and will run Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, and whatever with ease. To learn more about the new Mac mini visit: https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/

Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2022

 

My Instagram Mug Shot It's not a secret that I don't participate in social media. Twitter is just like two drunk college debate teams duking it out in a Circle K parking lot; Facebook exists so people can overshare personal info so that companies and advertisers can build profiles and sell that data all over the web; and TikTok is dancing nurses at best, but probably more like a psyop from an unfriendly foreign power that just seeks to turn our youth's brains into mush. So then you may be shocked to learn that I broke down and set up an Instagram account. Here is the backstory: Wendy and I were following some trail runners and through hikers attempting to do the whole 817 mile Arizona Trail in record time. The FKT, or Fastest Known Time, has several categories, but the swiftest to complete the course did it just shy of 14 days. Since it was such an epic effort there were no camera crews on the most recent attempts, so the participants updated via Instagram. I created an account and followed the runners, crew, and some other endurance athletes. All was well for a few days, but then I got a notice that my account was suspected of suspicious activity and I needed to verify my information. This struck me as odd since I had two-factor authentication enabled and a password that would have taken two supercomputers and a pre-Capaldi Dr. Who to crack. Still, I went through and verified my email, password, and phone -- no problem. Then it asked for what I can only call a "mug shot." Instagram wanted me to write down this code and my username on a piece of paper. Then I was to take a selfie and send it to them for "verification." Having been on the Internet for almost thirty years and having hundreds of accounts with various providers, I have never once been asked for a mug shot. It made me furious, and of course I did not provide it. As such they deleted my Instagram account, and good riddance to it. This leads me to today's point: You don't have to provide information just because a website or online store asks for it. It's your information. It's personal and you have the power to choose with whom and when you share it. There is no reason that JC Penny needs to know your birthday. You don't have to tell Facebook where you went to high school. Be selfish with your information. It's yours, not theirs, and you have the right to do with it as you wish. It's okay to say "no." And many times these days, saying no will go a long way to protecting your precious personal information.

What's the Deal with macOS Ventura? Upgrade? macOS Venture is out and I have installed it on one of my computers. It's not on my main work machine, but just on the laptop I carry about to clients. The question is if you should upgrade. But as I think about it, the answer is much more nuanced than it has been in the past. A computer or any technology exists to make our lives easier. It allows us to work faster and more efficiently, along with giving us the tools to stay organized. That's all. That's the whole point. So, when choosing to upgrade an operating system it comes down to whether or not we can benefit from its new features to make us better, faster, and more efficient. But these days technology has gotten so good that many of the upgrades whether to iOS or macOS just introduce what I call fluff -- changes that make things look prettier, but don't really help with functionality. I was watching a video from this tech channel about problems their staff were having with Macs and what Apple could do to fix it. I was disappointed to find users complaining about not having the ability to snap windows to the side, two clicks instead of one. or any number of superfluous things that did nothing to fix some of the core problems. There was nothing about the search in Mail being wonky for several years; nothing about the constant pop-ups asking to re-login to iCloud; or problems with Photos down-sampling images. These are things that are important. These are things that come to the core of macOS functionality, but as long as users just ask for "shiny object" we will unfortunately just get "shiny object." So what do you do? Take a look at how your Mac is working today. Are you able to do your work? Are things functioning the way you want them to? As long as you are on Big Sur or Monterey, you are currently supported by Apple. If you'd like to jump in the pool and update to Ventura just make sure that you have a current Time Machine backup. To learn more about the new features in macOS Ventura visit: https://www.apple.com/macos/ventura/

Does "The Cloud" Own Your Data?

Everything is up in "The Cloud" these days, but when storing your stuff on other people's machines what terms and conditions do you really agree to? Is the data still yours? Does the cloud service provider have any rights to your data that you unknowingly agreed to give away? There is a difference between business, paid, and free accounts, but it has been reported in the past that companies like Google and DropBox scan the data that is uploaded to their servers. It's a fair deal, as you are uploading information to their property, but it's important to carefully review the Terms of Service and understand them especially if you plan on putting a whole bunch of data up online. I know it's time consuming, but if you are planning on going in on cloud storage, then take the time to read the Terms of Service, ask questions, and be clear that you are putting your data on someone else's servers. That's the Cloud after all, and knowing how it works, where your stuff is, and what you agreed to is an important step in taking advantage of these services.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - October 2022

 

The November Analog Challenge! So, Wendy and I were driving along and there was a mountain that we didn't know the name or height. We pulled up Google Maps and it could show us the closest Starbucks, but no info about the mountain. We launched Apple Maps and after asking for our Apple ID, shoe size, and locker combination from high school it thought we were in Toledo. Awesome.  Then we did the unthinkable. It's really hard to imagine anyone doing this in 2022, but we did, and we don't feel bad about it. We broke out the paper map, and lo and behold there was the name of the mountain, the height, and detail on roads and trails that encircled it. This then began our renewed love affair with paper maps and atlases. The amount of detail and information about routes, the size of roads, and attractions along the way was astounding after being tied to the electronically served versions for years. There are countless horror stories of mapping programs taking people down 4x4 routes in winter, right through heavy traffic, or even locations miles away from their destination. In one case a group of people were routed off Mount Lemmon in Tucson down the old control road, which is a Jeep only passage at the best of times. Maps have routed me through the 202 between Priest and Rural at 4PM on a Tuesday noting that it is the fastest route. Fastest compared to what? There's always a massive slowdown there in the PM. It is a 100% proven undeniable scientific fact that we have become overly dependent on technology. Trying to break that cycle of dependance is hard, but can be done with some small steps. And one of those steps can begin with maps. This Holiday Season as you travel about the country try bringing along an atlas or good old gas station paper map. Plan your route on the map first, and only then employ one of the Apple or Google Maps to assist with routing. And don't trust the route. Compare it to the map. Don't just drive down some darkened corridor just cuz the Googles told you to. Take back control of your routing and join with us in this November Analog Challenge!

Chrome Destroys Your Privacy Let's talk for a minute about Google's Chrome web browser. A lot of people use it. A lot of people like it, and you know who likes it the most? Yes, Google. And how does Google make their money? Is it by gathering as much information about you and your family as possible then selling it for fat stacks of cash to whoever is buying? You bet. So why use their web browser? You invested in Apple's ecosystem for a reason, and one of those is privacy and security. It's true, Apple isn't perfect in this regard, but it is 1000% better than the Googles. Using Chrome compromises that privacy and security. Apple's Safari browser is the better choice, and even though it is not perfect, because of the integration within your Mac, iPhone, and iPad it goes a long way to helping plug up some of those security and privacy issues.  "But, Mike! Some websites don't work that well with Safari." That's true, and in those cases using an alternative browser like Firefox or Chrome becomes necessary. In fact, some of the features in Firefox leans us more toward it as an alternative to Chrome, but for a Mac user, Safari should be your go-to web browser.

macOS Ventura is Out - Wait to Upgrade

Apple has a new release of macOS developed in that work-from-home incubator that brought us so many great new products and software updates. Was that sarcasm? Oh, yes. Ventura has a lot of new features, but as always it is best to wait until at least the .1 update, which will be in a month or so. The current 12.6.1 version of Monterey is very good, so if you are on that or Big Sur, then please wait until all the bugs get chased out of macOS Ventura before upgrading. For more information about Ventura, or to see pics of the developers working in their pajamas, visit: https://www.apple.com/macos/ventura/