July 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

New Mac? What About An iPad Pro? The Little iPad Grows Up Hey, is that 2009 iMac getting a little long in the tooth? For many, the thought of dumping $3,000 or more on a new Mac can be a little daunting, but in 2017 there is an attractive alternative -- the iPad Pro. I know, it's not a full fledged computer, but in two sizes that rival the MacBook and 13-Inch MacBook Pros it can be an excellent solution for the right user. Storage options go up to a whopping 512 GB, just like Apple's laptops. The Apple Smart Keyboard that can be paired with the iPad Pro has a great feel, and with the Apple Pencil you can write on an iPad Pro just like a notebook. True, the iPad Pro is not a full fledged computer, but with more and more programs running on the web or in the cloud, the iPad Pro can do things that were once the exclusive realm of the Macs.  So would an iPad Pro be good for you? If you simply surf the web via Safari, get email, and enjoy sharing photos with Photos it's a perfect solution. And with office app solutions like Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, or even Microsoft Office for iOS the iPad Pro is closer to a full-fledged MacBook than it has been in the past. To learn more about the iPad Pros, click here: https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/

Yes, You Need a Backup! Ensure Yourself Against Disaster If you have important documents or photos on your Mac, you need to back up. Period. Do not pass go or collect $200. If you are not backing up you can potentially lose all of that data. Months of hard work could be wiped out in a second; family photos packed with precious memories could be erased from existence; and critical financial information may be lost never to be recovered again. Scared yet? Well, boo! Yeah, you should be scared. It happens all the time, so it's important to do what you can to protect that data. The good news is that Apple meets you half-way with Time Machine for your Mac and iCloud Backup for your devices. And if you don't have enough iCloud space to back up your devices, buy more. It's $0.99 a month for the 50 GB plan. C'mon! Now is not the time to be cheap. For Time Machine you will need an external hard drive to plug into your computer. They can be had for less than $100 these days in 2 TB sizes, which is plenty for most people. To enable iCloud Backup on your devices, make sure that you are on wifi and go to Settings -> Click Your Name at the Top -> iCloud -> Backup. Then turn it on. It should run once a day when the device is plugged into power and on your wifi. But remember to Trust But Verify: It's important to check in on your backups every once and a while to make sure that they are running.  To learn more about Time Machine click: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250 To get the info on iCloud Backup: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977

Are You Hacking Yourself? How to not set yourself up as a victim. We hear it everyday: It's the fear about being hacked, having information stolen, being breached, spoofed, and spammed. We all know someone that it has happened to on one level or another. But truth be told the most dangerous person on the internet setting you up for all the bad stuff may be the one who inhabits the space between your keyboard and chair -- yes, it may be you. "But how?" you ask. From weak passwords to oversharing on social media, bad tech habits can be akin to walking through a dark alley at 3AM wearing a Rolex while counting your Benjamins. Don't be a victim. Here are our tips to keeping yourself safe. 1. Have Strong and Varied Passwords Passwords are the locks for your online information. You wouldn't buy cheap locks for your house, so then why have terrible weak icky passwords for your accounts? I don't know, the question was rhetorical. Your passwords must have at a minimum (more points for extra flair) of eight characters that are a mix of numbers, symbols, and both capital & small letters. Be creative, but write them down somewhere (see next heading). It's also important not to use the same password for everything. Once one gets compromised, the bad guys (or gals) have unfettered access to all of your stuff. Not too fun. 2. Manage Your Passwords You must write down your passwords and record them somewhere. It could be a password utility, spreadsheet, encrypted storage, a notebook, or whatever. The method matters less than having a system that is easily updated so you can keep it current. 3. KNOW YOUR PASSWORDS Not knowing your passwords means that you do not have control of your accounts. You, in essence, took the first step to being a victim by ceding control of your information to someone else. Password reset schemes are one of the favorite methods that hackers use to get your stuff. 4. Use Two Factor When Available Two factor authentication sends a text to your phone with a code when you try to log into a specific site. This means that your phone and your username/password are needed to log in. This is a very secure method and we highly recommend it for things like iCloud, mail accounts, and bank logins. 5. Password Protect Your iPhone/iPad You must must must have a password on your iPhone and/or iPad. This encrypts the data and ensures that if the device gets stolen, the theif won't be able to access your information. This is critical if you use Two Factor Authentication. 6. Be Careful What You Download Downloading malware to your Mac is an easy way to give the bad folks access to your info. Be careful on what you download and install. Use only trusted search engines and take a second or two to verify you are at the correct site before downloading a printer driver or the like. These six steps mixed with a healthy dose of suspicion and common sense will go a long way to helping you protect yourself.

June 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

iCloud: Who Needs One? And why... iCloud, Apple IDs, usernames, passwords, etc. can be a jumble of nonsense until you understand their purpose. iCloud is almost universally misunderstood. Is it a backup? Yes, sometimes, but not by definition? Does it keep things on my Mac safe? Yes and no. Is it an Apple ID? Yes, it is. An Apple ID is any email that identifies you to Apple where you can purchase stuff -- music, movies, content, storage, etc. iCloud is an Apple ID, although it may not be your only Apple ID, but it makes it much easier if it is. iCloud is a syncing service that allows your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to share mail, contacts, calendars, photos, music, and documents. You can even sync your keychain and do other fancy tidbits that we won't go into here. If you have an iOS device (iPhone or iPad) then it is essential that you have an iCloud, but it needs to be your own iCloud. The iCloud defines your own personal ecosystem between your devices. Sharing an iCloud is bad. You don't want to get your kid's friends' texts while you are giving a presentation. You may share an Apple ID for purchasing, or better yet set up Family Sharing. If you have youngsters you can setup iCloud accounts for them and link it to your Family Share.  Bottom line in all this is that you need your own iCloud. It's personal. Don't share it. Sharing is fine for some things, but I can honestly say that in the case of iCloud, it would be oversharing. For info on Family Share click: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201060 And for iCloud for the kiddies visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201084

Apple's World Wide Development Conference  iOS 11, High Sierra, and a Speaker On June 5th Apple had their WWDC 2017 Keynote and announced all types of things from upgraded MacBook Pros, iMacs, a $5000 iMac Pro, iOS 11, a Speaker, and the latest iteration of the Mac operating system macOS High Sierra. There's too much to go into here, but to view Tim Cook's Keynote visit: https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2017/ For a brief summary, the Nerdist has you covered at: http://nerdist.com/apple-wwdc-2017-round-up-tech/

A Quick Word on Solid State Drives Say No to SATA or Fusion We get a lot of questions about what type of machine to purchase. The biggest thing to note in 2017 is that Solid State Technology is king, and all the rest... meh. Do not purchase a Mac in 2017 with anything but a Solid State Drive. They come standard in all the laptops and in the Mac Pro, but the iMacs get these hybrid Fusion Drives set up as a (sort of) RAID that likes to unRAID itself and then [insert expletive here]. Now, just to contradict myself a bit, there are a few cases when a Hybrid Drive may be okay. A Hybrid Drive is a Solid State Drive (good) and an old style SATA drive (meh...) merged together. If you need storage above 2 TB, it can be an option. Just remember that if you have a Hybrid Drive you MUST be diligent with your backups. We have also seen cases where it is possible to "break" the RAID on purpose, turning it into two logical drives, which can help with reliability. Solid States still are a much better option, always. In fact if you do need storage it is almost better to go with a smaller internal Solid State and then use an external drive for the larger data. With the new Thunderbolt 3 technology it's almost as good as a large internal drive. The hard drive has always been the bottle neck of the computer. As file sizes increase more needs to be pulled from those drives. A Solid State with its lack of moving parts is a good investment. Just remember that you will need to order your iMac or Mac Mini with a Solid State drive as an upgrade. They don't stock these in the Apple Stores.

May 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

How to Protect Yourself from Ransomware Fallout from the WannaCry Worm You may have been hearing about this WannaCry ramsomware worm that has taken down computers across the globe, extorting their owners of hundreds of dollars to unlock data held "ransom." The good news is that it only impacts Windows PCs, but as Mac users we may not always be so lucky. It is true that the Unix underbelly of macOS protects us, but here are some things that you can do to make sure that you hedge your bets against becoming a victim: Do Your Updates: I know so many people that are reluctant to do updates. Well, the hard truth is that you need to do them. You must make sure that you are on a currently supported operating system both on your Macs and iPhones and iPads. This will ensure that you have all the most up to date security. And truth be told, if you are holding back on upgrading because your older software will not run on a current system, then you are hurting yourself there, too. Old software can be a gateway to malware entering your machine.  Enable File Vault Encryption: You can encrypt your drive yourself using the File Vault feature in macOS. Since your hard drive would be encrypted, it makes it next to near impossible for ramsomware to attack your data. You can also encrypt your backup drive, too. Word of Warning: Enabling File Vault WILL slow down your machine. We only recommend enabling it if you have a Solid State Drive. If you do graphic design or video editing, it is not a great idea. File Vault options can be found in System Preferences under Security & Privacy. Backup Your Mac: It sounds simple -- just back it up. If you run a Time Machine backup along with an off-site cloud backup, then you can always restore your system from scratch. Those Windows victims of WannaCry who had backups were inconvenienced, but had the option of wiping their drives, destroying the worm and then getting back to business with a data restore from that backup. To learn more about WannaCry, see this article from CNET: https://www.cnet.com/news/wannacry-wannacrypt-uiwix-ransomware-everything-you-need-to-know/

Don't Be A Victim: Adobe Flash Player Scam The Best Way to Stay Up To Date Adobe Flash Player is one of those applications that is still used across the internet. Not having it active or up to date can impact everything from reading webmail to video streaming. But there is a scam out there that many have fallen for. While surfing said internet a pop-up appears saying that you need to update Adobe Flash. You click on the link, download the software, and all of a sudden you are infected with malware.  So, what's the best and safest way to update? Go into System Preferences and click on Flash Player. Select the Update tab and take note of the options below. By selecting "Allow Adobe to install updates" Flash Player will do all the work and keep itself current. If you get a pop-up online, you can just ignore it as you know it is fake. If you choose one of the other two options, we do recommend going back here to click on the Check Now button. If an update is required it will direct you to Adobe's site where you can pull it down directly from their servers. And what about NPAPI and PPAPI? 99.9% of you only need the NPAPI plugin. No need to worry about PPAPI.

Know Your Passwords Memorization Not Required Here is the straight truth: You need to know your passwords. Period. You don't need to have them memorized, but you need to have them somewhere that is accessible to you. As you can see with this whole WannaCry worm, it's not 1996 anymore. The internet is a seedy back alley filled with those who wish to steal your money, take your data, and otherwise ruin your day. Your passwords are your line of defense, so keeping them secure, updated, and known by you is paramount. How you keep your passwords is up to you. I've known people to use various methods, but the best is one that you are comfortable with, is secure, and can be readily updated. From encrypted spreadsheets, to secret codes, to some of those password services, there are many options out there, but pick one and use it. No one on the planet has all of their passwords memorized -- and it's not necessary if you are organized and have a plan. My advice: Have a plan...

April 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Safe Travels with Your Mac or iOS Device Avoiding Icky Public WiFi Free public wifi is convenient. It's available just about everywhere these days, but its safety is questionable. Even if you are diligent about not logging into financial sites or doing anything of the like while on one of these networks, there still is a risk that your information can be intercepted. The good news is that there is a simple solution: set up your own wifi network. This can be as simple as tethering to your iPhone by enabling Personal Hotspot or purchasing a mobile hotspot device from your phone provider. In this way you will be using your provider's cellular data network vs. a wide open public wifi. And yes, we have all read about fake cell towers jacking our data connections. This does happen. Nothing on the Internet is risk free, but by using your cellular data connection you are at least hedging your bets. For instructions on how to setup and use Personal Hotspot on your iPhone, click here:  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204023 Here are some links to popular mobile hotspot devices:  - AT&T https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/hotspots.html  - Verizon https://www.verizonwireless.com/internet-devices/verizon/

Clean Up Your Mac the Easy Way Make Room for More Stuff If you have had your Mac for a while, chances are it's plugged up with iPhone backups from 2008, old iTunes TV show downloads, or any number of old documents that you just no longer need. Well, if you are on macOS Sierra (and yes, you have to be on macOS Sierra) there is a new "Manage" tool to help you clear out old files and apps. First, go up to the Apple in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, and from that drop-down select About this Mac. Click on the Storage tab and there you will see the Manage button. Give it a little time to calculate, but here you will have the ability to see what's clogging the drain and get helpful solutions on how to handle all that stuff. BUT FIRST! Make sure that you have a backup before deleting stuff, because if you delete something by mistake, it would not be fun.

New Mac: How Much Space Do You Need? 128, 256, 512 - Oh My! Time for a new Mac? If you have a machine that is from 2011 or earlier, that means you. But, how much space do you need? It's important to figure this out before you buy, as the new Macs either don't allow for future upgrades, or if they do, it's logistically difficult and prohibitively expensive. First, here are our general recommendations for consumers: 512 GB is sufficient for general use. 256 GB is fine, but only for very light use (email and web surfing). 128 GB is useless as there is not enough space for system files, apps, and other things -- you will run out fast. Professional use is a different thing, and often times much more storage will be needed. To determine how much space you will need, first do a backup, and then see the previous article on how to clean up your drive. Then, go back up to the Apple in the upper left and click About This Mac, then select the Storage tab. It will tell you how much data you are using. Write this number down. This is a good place to start. Remember that as the years pass, file sizes will increase, so the more storage you purchase now, you are looking at extending the useful life of your new Mac. And you also need about 10% of the drive to remain free so that the operating system and apps have a place to work.

March 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Backup Your iPhone/iPad Now! Seriously! New iOS Update Introduces New File System Toward the end of March Apple will be introducing an update for the operating system on your iPhones and iPads. iOS 10.3 will be introducing new features, but the biggest change is one that you will not see. The underlying file system is changing. Imagine a library re-doing their entire card catalog overnight. Yeah... you get my point. Advice from around the internet is to backup your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch before this update comes out. You can backup to iCloud, which is the method we recommend, or go old school and do it in iTunes. Either way, it's something that you need to put on the top of your priority list. To backup to iCloud, connect your device to a power source, join your wifi network, and then go to Settings -> iCloud -> Backup. Initiate a backup by selecting Back Up Now. For more prepping advice, check out this article from ZDNet: http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-get-your-iphone-or-ipad-ready-for-ios-10-3/

Spring Clean Your Passwords Make Life A Bit Easier I know, we all hate passwords. And in this case, it's totally okay to hate -- I asked. But no matter how much ire we direct toward them, passwords are a necessary part of technology. This does not mean that they need to drive you crazy. Here are some tips to clean up your passwords: Make A List - It doesn't have to be a list, but it has to be something. You need to record your passwords somewhere that is secure, accessible to you, and easy to update. This can be a locked/encrypted document or spreadsheet, a notepad kept in a safe, or anything like that. Just ensure it is secure and easy to update. And make sure you update it every time you change a password. Use A Current Email - If you are using an old Compuserve email for your Netflix login, you need to change it. Make sure your logins are associated with your current email address. Update them as needed. Change It Up - Complex passwords are secure passwords. When creating a password use at least ten characters with a mix of numbers, letters, and symbols. Avoid names, birthdates, or anything that can be easily figured out by a hacker. Two-Factor Authentication - Consider two-factor authentication for important accounts, like banks, brokerage sites, etc. When you login you will be sent a text with a code. This makes sure that it is YOU logging into the account, and not someone from Moldavia.

Apple TV Secrets Shhhh... don't tell anyone We love our Apple TV. The new version has so many features, some of which are hidden. Check out this article from Macworld about 38 Must-Know Secrets and Shortcuts for Your Apple TV: http://www.macworld.com/article/3003185/home-players/30-must-know-secrets-and-shortcuts-for-your-apple-tv.html

February 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Safari and Flash How to Re-Enable It Adobe Flash has been a necessary evil of the internet, but its influence is waning. HTML5 is taking over and this is good news for you, as it's faster and much more secure. To prepare for this, Apple has disabled the Flash plug-in in Safari.  But you may have sites that still require Flash. Here is how to re-enable it: Open Safari and go up to the Safari drop-down menu Select Preferences Choose the Security tab Make sure Allow Plug-Ins is checked Click on the Plug-In Settings button Choose Adobe Flash Player on the left and make sure it is checked In the lower right hand of the window look for "When visiting other websites" Turn it either to On or Ask. If On it will just run when needed. "Ask" will require you to allow it for specific sites -- you will be prompted by a pop-up. That will get Flash running again in Safari, but you may still need to update it. Never, ever click on a pop-up asking to update Flash. Many times this is the way malware gets on a Mac. Here is the safe way to check for Adobe Flash Updates: Go to System Preferences Select Flash Player Click on the Updates tab Hit the Check Now button

iPhone Rumors The Roundup The 10th Anniversary iPhone is due to be released this fall. Check out these links for the latest rumors: Mac Rumors: https://www.macrumors.com/2017/02/15/2017-iphone-edge-to-edge-display-virtual-buttons/ CNET: https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-iphone-8-steel-body-iphone-7s-aluminum/ ZDNet: http://www.zdnet.com/article/what-wireless-charging-would-mean-to-the-iphone/

Apple TV and the Single Sign On Setup Has Gotten A Little Easier One of the most finicky things about setting up an Apple TV is logging into every single provider app. The good news is that Apple finally released Single Sign On. If your provider supports it, you sign in once in settings and then allow the apps to use those credentials. Here is the link to the how-to from Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207035

January 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Battery: To Replace or Not A Word On the iPhone & iPad Like me you may be resisting letting go of your older iPhone because you don't want to put a huge flat screen TV in your pocket. Okay, I'm exaggerating (a bit), but some of us don't see a need for a 5 inch or larger screen -- that's why we have iPads. But the pitfall of holding on to an older iPhone is of course battery life. The same can be said of iPads. My iPad 3 is now over four years old an I need to charge it up often to keep it going. But does it make sense to replace our aging batteries? No. That's the answer. Don't do it. Sure, there are a myriad of phone repair places that will happily replace your battery. But the iPhones and iPads are built with non-replaceable batteries for a reason. Having a random shop crack yours open to put in some off-brand lithium ion battery is ill advised. We have yet to see a "repaired" device that we would consider acceptable. iOS devices have a life-span of about 2 years, which is standard for mobile devices. Battery life will be good for that period, but will start to drop off afterwards. If your device is older than 3 years, an upgrade is advisable as a better option than repair. And remember, you don't need the iPhone 7 if you don't like the size. The iPhone SE is the same size of the venerable iPhone 5 with all the iPhone 6 guts in it.

Apple Wireless Network Tweaks Yes, It Hertz If you have an Apple Airport Extreme and a new Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, you can enable the 5GHz network option on your Apple Airport Extreme to boost speed to those devices. In fact, we have found that the newer Apple TVs work much better on this frequency, especially when using AirPlay. 5GHz is a higher frequency than the standard 2.4GHz radio, so the signal won't go as far, but it allows much better throughput for devices that can take advantage of it. And if you have one of those Gigawhatever internet services, it's an easy way to optimize speed. To enable your 5GHz radio, go into Airport Utility and when editing the configuration of your Airport, select the Wireless tab and then Wireless Options to see the checkbox.

Alexa, Siri, Google Home & Privacy It's Open Mic Night at Your House... Every Night All these new voice assistants hitting the market are cool. I think of Captain Picard asking the Enterprise computer for his favorite tea. Cool, yes, but are they secure? All voice assistants are constantly listening for their key phrase to activate. This means that the microphone is always on. How the different services handle trapping this voice data varies. Wiredmagazine has an excellent and brief article that can answer some of your concerns. You can read it here: https://www.wired.com/2016/12/alexa-and-google-record-your-voice/