June 2018 - Technology Mini-Bytes

Own Your Network! What You Should Know About Your Smart Home In the Smart Homes of today, everything is connected to the internet and thus your home network. You can set the AC from the airport, view your backyard via a camera, your fridge can order take-out, you can stream music in the shower, and your smart lightbulb can unwittingly participate in denial-of-service attacks against Martha Stewart Living. It's not just about email and web surfing anymore, and your home network is the foundation on which it all runs. So this means that you have a responsibility to know or have access to certain things about it.  But, not all home networks are equal. If you have a simple modem with a router, then knowing the admin passwords is fine. That way you can access the devices or give that information to someone who is helping you troubleshoot an issue. If you have a Smart Home with entertainment centers, cameras, connected lighting, or a myriad of other things (e.g. Savant, Crestron, etc.), then it becomes much more complex.  If you have a Smart Home and hire a company to install it, here are a few things you want to ask for: Administrative Passwords - You paid for it. You own it. You have a right to know the admin passwords for all the devices and how to access them. I'm not saying that you need to access them, but you should have the option to do so, especially if you have a falling out with the company that installed everything... or if they go out of business. Network Map - They may charge extra for this, but having a map of your network can be very useful. Make sure they update it if any piece of equipment is swapped out or upgraded. List of Equipment - Along with a map, it will be good to have a list of all the equipment, model numbers, etc. Access List - If they can administer your network remotely, ask them for a statement on how they gain access and who can have access. It's a Smart Home, and external access is akin to leaving the front door open on purge night. This is chilling if you have internal cameras, meaning that they may have the ability to access them when you don't want them to. We are not big fans of remotely administered networks. It can be done, but it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to do it securely. Don't be afraid to ask questions before, during, and after install. Keep all the documents and manuals in a binder. Smart Home integrations are expensive, and you don't always get what you pay for. But if you do your research, ask tons of questions, and own your network, you are putting yourself in a very good position for a positive experience.

The Paleo Diet for Your Mac Trim Up & Spring Cleaning Storage on a Mac, if it is a new one, is (and should be) Solid State. This type of storage is significantly more expensive than the old style SATA drives, or even banker's boxes. (Stone tablets still win for affordability, but you can only put so many in your pocket.) Not emptying the Trash or cleaning off old files could mean a $600 mistake, as you would need to move up in storage on a new machine. The good news is that Apple has a tool to make your life easier. First, just go empty the Trash. Do it now. I will wait............. Great! Now, if you are on macOS 10.12 Sierra or 10.13 High Sierra, go up to the Apple in the upper left and choose About This Mac. Select the Storage tab and, this is where the magic happens, choose the little Manage button on the right. Give it a bit of time, but your Mac will show you where you are eating up space and how to clean it off. ***A Warning About Adobe: You may see the option to remove and optimize Adobe files in Applications. Do not do this. Adobe likes to take up space and removing files can break the programs. Just pass that one over.

A Case for the AppleTV Stable Streaming for Sanity After a glass of wine or two, when you sit down to watch a movie, stream a show, or binge on last season, the last thing that you want to deal with is streaming issues. In a world where you have options on your smart TV and cable box, along with add-on devices like Roku, Amazon FireTV, and AppleTV, it can be difficult finding a reliable device that gets you all the content that you crave. The good news is that as of 2018, the majority of streaming services are available on all the options out there. It comes down to personal preference and reliability. Apple is very strict about third-party developed apps, and they need to go through a rigorous testing process before being allowed on the AppleTV. It is the same process that they use for anything from the App Store. The benefit to you is reliability and a consistent experience across different apps and services. Other streaming devices do not have the benefit of Apple's gatekeepers that the AppleTV does. This results in a more stable streaming experience. True, the AppleTV is on the higher end of the streaming device spectrum with regard to cost, but in this case you do get what you pay for. To learn more about the AppleTV visit: https://www.apple.com/tv/

May 2018 - Technology Mini-Bytes

Microsoft Office and macOS High Sierra Stability and Upgrade Options For many that have already updated to macOS High Sierra, they have already learned that Office 2011 and earlier either does not run in High Sierra, or runs extremely poorly. Bottom line is that Microsoft does not support Office 2011 or earlier in High Sierra.  If you intend to upgrade, you may choose the one time Office 2016 for Mac install or the subscription based Office 365. You can see the options here: https://products.office.com/en-us/buy/compare-microsoft-office-products-for-mac?ms.officeurl=mac-compare-redir  If you do not want to purchase Office for Mac or Office 365, you can use the built-in offerings from Apple. Pages is to Word and Numbers is to Excel. Keynote is the Powerpoint equivalent. With these three apps you can open, view, and edit items created in Word, Excel or Powerpoint. You also have the option of exporting documents, spreadsheets, and presentations into those versions if you so choose.

Another Update to iOS 11 11.4: Fourth Major Update Apple will be releasing yet another major update to iOS 11 sometime in the next few weeks. It will include many features that were promised in earlier releases. As always, we recommend that you wait a few days following the release to update in case any bugs pop up. Here is an article from Forbes with more information: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykarcz/2018/05/19/apple-releases-ios-11-4-public-beta-6-in-preparation-for-launch-next-week

World Wide Developer Conference 2018 Apple to Announce New Products WWDC is just around the corner and will start on June 4th. Expect the usual announcements about the next iterations of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Hopefully they will also have some surprises, but as always with Apple they try to keep the big reveals a secret. To find out more about WWDC 2018 check out MacRumors: https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/wwdc/

April 2018 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

2 Tips to Solve Almost All Computer Problems Documented Results! Impress Your Friends Computer and tech issues are annoying. They take up time, they cost money to resolve, and they slow down productivity. But what if there were two simple things you could do to resolve 96.7342% of them? What if you (meaning yourself) had the power and ability to knock out error messages, lost data, and frustrating logins? Would that be something that you would be interested in? The good news is you don't need a pill, an expensive subscription, or a new piece of software. You don't have to spend hours at the gym, go Vegan, or even sweep your house for odd EMF fields. No, all that you have to do to solve most computer issues is: 1.) Know Your Passwords 2.) Backup  That's it. It sounds annoyingly simple, and if you are a regular consumer of our Mini-Bytes you probably have heard it all a billion times before, but it is true.  If you know your passwords, you will be 100% confident in logging in and interacting with websites and other online resources. You will be able to install software with a snap, unlock your encrypted drives, and re-setup your email with ease. No more will you have to reset that password again and again, or get locked out for multiple fruitless attempts.  I have said this before: You don't have to memorize your passwords. Just have a system to write them down in a way you can access them if you need them. The method is up to you, yet whatever you choose, make sure you keep the list updated. And backup... Here is an example: Wendy was trying to get an older unsupported version of a certain piece of software to run on her MacBook Pro as a test, troubleshooting a problem. The installer broke her install to the point where she had to re-setup her MacBook Pro from her Time Machine backup. There was no stress here. It was a minor inconvenience, and then she was back up and running. I have done the same to my machine four times -- completely thrashed it troubleshooting problems, working on issues, and experimenting to see if I could break it. It's what us IT consultants do so you don't have to. We're like crash-test dummies with our machines. Now, Wendy and I do this stuff for a living, so we are more exposed to having to restore our workstations more often than most. But the lesson here is if you have a backup, you can get right back to where you left off -- no stress, no worry, no problem. So, stop what you are doing and get a plan together on passwords and backup. You will be happy that you did.

General Tips for Purchasing Apple Equipment Guidelines to Make Dollars Work For You I'm typing this Mini-Bytes on a 2012 MacBook Pro. It's on it's fourth hard drive. I am dreading the day when I have to get a new machine. I'm cheap, and would rather spend money on bike stuff (#priorities), but the time will come when I will have to replace this laptop with a new one.  Many of you are running into this now. 2012 and 2013 machines are aging quickly. Those with SATA hard drives are dropping like flies after a Minnesota barbecue. The truth is that industry standards for a computer's lifecycle is three years -- two for mobile devices. That's not a long time, but like me, there are many of us on six year or older machines that are coming up to the day when new equipment beckons. So here are some guidelines to help you with your next purchase: Cheaper Doesn't Mean Better Value - The less expensive Macs, iPads, and iPhones are actually MORE expensive relative to their capability to more expensive models. Look at capability and longevity over cost. 16 GB of RAM is the Minimum - These days we don't recommend purchasing a machine with less that 16 GB of RAM. You will need it in the future. Get Enough Storage - Whether an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, make sure that you get enough storage at the time of purchase. File sizes will get larger over the years. Ensure you have room to grow. SSD only no SATA - Do not purchase an iMac or Mac Mini with a SATA or even a Fusion hard drive. These are old-style drives that will slow down your brand new machine. Log on to Apple.com and custom configure your new iMac or Mac Mini with a Solid State Drive. iPad or iPhone - Get the Top of the Line - iPhones start to show their age at about two years. iPads last a bit longer, but if you buy the better of the units, you are hedging your bets that you will get far more usable life from your device than if you went with the budget option.

It Gets Hot in Arizona Be Kind to Your Devices With the summer heat fast approaching, it's important to remember that your iPhone, iPad, and Mac have both operating and non-operating tolerances. They do not like being left in a hot car. If you are outside on your iPhone in July in downtown Phoenix, you are probably exceeding the recommended operating temperature. Also keep in mind that iPads and iPhones are held together with glue. Leaving them in a hot car is not a good idea. Apple has an article here on what happens when your mobile device gets to warm: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201678

March 2018 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Online Privacy: Is there any? 3 Tips That May Help You have probably been hearing a lot in the news lately about some big social media sites being mined for data without the users' permission. It's definitely a thing, and if you think about it, this is one instance to which we have become aware. How many breaches have there been that we have not been told of? Plenty. But should you be paranoid? Not necessarily, but caution is the order of the day.  The internet is wide open (for now) and data posted to it can potentially be accessed by anyone. Sure, there are privacy settings and notices from different companies on how they keep our data safe, at the same time they admit sharing some "things" with subsidiaries and other business entities. And these Privacy Notices change on the fly and have very little to do with privacy, in my opinion. Yet, we all do not have the luxury of disconnecting and rushing away to an off-grid cabin in the Rockies. And I don't think that is necessary. The internet, cloud computing, email, and social media have changed the fabric of society, but it's important to be mindful. Here are three tips that will go a long way to help: Have Good, Strong & Varied Passwords I talk about this a lot, and you are probably sick of hearing me say it. Well, like a broken record, here I go again. Do not use the same password for everything. It's easy for you, but it's easy for the bad guys to crack. Once they have one, they have it all! Vary your passwords with mixes of numbers, letters, and symbols. Write them down. I don't care how. You are not supposed to remember them, just have a spreadsheet, password manager, or a QR tattoo on your wrist that unlocks another secret code that gets you to your passwords. There are points for creativity. Having secure and varied passwords helps keep your accounts safe. Also, I highly recommend using two-factor authentication when available and practical. Think Before You Post Before posting a picture or message on-line, take a moment and think. Back at the company I used to work for, I drilled into my employees the idea of taking a breath and thinking before sending an email. The same can be said for posting a picture, comment, or review on a site. Do you want other people to see this? Once it's out there, it's out there forever. It's impossible to remove everything from the internet.  Say No to Peer Pressure And this can be pressure from kids and grandkids, too. You do not have to use a site or service that you are not comfortable with. Period. It goes back to your mother using the "everyone jumping off the bridge" analogy. Many people get sucked into different social media sites because their friends are on it, or it's a way to keep in touch. Remember there is always the phone and email (#oldschool). Please, take this all with a grain of salt. I do not believe that paranoia is the correct reaction to any of this. It's just about being cautious, thoughtful, and deliberate in your approach to online society so that it works for you.

Your Automatic Backup Isn't Understand Care & Feeding Whether it is Time Machine, the iCloud Backup for your iOS device, or a cloud backup, you have to keep an eye on them and their progress. They are only automatic when they are working. Each requires attention. In the case of Time Machine, it's an easy process to go into System Preferences to see when it has backed up. Plus, the drive needs to be attached to the machine, and in the case of a laptop, the lid has to be open and plugged into power.  On your iPhone or iPad, if you are taking advantage of iCloud Backup (and you should) going into your iCloud settings in Settings, you can then drill down to Backup to check on the status, or even force a backup. iOS Backups only happen if the device is on wi-fi and plugged into power. Third party cloud backups are all different. Some will give you a report, but all can be checked on to see how they are progressing. Cloud backups usually take longer than Time Machine, so keeping the machine on, awake, and plugged into power is critical.

It's Phishing Season! It's Delicious to be Suspicious There have been a rash of phishing emails popping up, spoofing Apple, Google, and maybe even your own email. It's alarming, but phishing and spoofing will happen and we don't have control to stop it. Fortunately there are things that you can do to keep yourself safe: Never Click on a Link I never click on any links in an email, even if I am 100% sure it is real. If I get something from my bank, I go to my bank's website directly. If I get a security alert from Google, I go to Google in my web browser, log in, and check that way. Not clicking on links is the best way to protect yourself. Mark it as Spam/Junk Marking an email as Junk or Spam helps your email provider understand what type of nefarious messages that are being sent to their users. Each provider handles this process differently, but if you mark it as Spam/Junk it will hopefully cut down on getting similar messages, at least in the short term. Passwords... Again, I know Sorry, but it has to be said: Good passwords help keep your account safe. If you suspect your account may have been compromised, changing the password is one of the best things that you can do.

February 2018 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Sometimes It's Not You Give Yourself Some Credit! Tech is not perfect. In fact I think it is incredibly broken for one simple reason: it can't think for itself. Fortunately, we can, but when we run into roadblocks the tendency is to blame ourselves, rather than the bucket-of-bolts with which we are trying to interact. But how do you know when it's not you, but the machine? Unless you are a whiz at root cause analysis, determining if the problem is you or the computer can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Just keep it simple. Case in point: I have an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and a Mac. I have setup Text Message Forwarding so I get alerts on all my devices. Theoretically, when a text comes in all four devices should bing, or beep, or vibrate and alert me. This rarely happens -- but it does happen. I have verified all my settings, tested and both resolved and then re-created the problem. I KNOW the settings are correct, then the only other thing is a bug or flaw in the design. It is not me. It is the machine. You may have also run into issues when trying to log into a website, or email, or iTunes, or whatever, and you KNOW the password is correct. You have it written down and have it committed to memory, yet the machine says no. Is it you? In this case, no. It could be a network problem, the site could be down, or it may just be 1:37 PM on a Tuesday. Because the machine cannot think for itself, it throws the only error it has at hand: Incorrect Password - Please Re-Enter Password - Have you forgotten your password? - Would you like to read our FAQ? (Enter colorful expletive here...) It's not you. It's the machine. So, what can you do to absolve yourself in the computer to human blame game? Know Your Passwords - I harp on this a lot, but knowing your passwords and having them written down is so important. Just do it. It's 2018. It's not like passwords are new. Go record them now. I'll wait... Don't Ignore the Network - Login or technical issues from printing to streaming problems can be related to a network. You can recycle the modem and router or even try jumping on another network or tethering to your phone to see if that fixes the issue. Confirm Settings - Walking things back and confirming things are on and setup correctly can help ease your mind. It may not fix the issue initially, but at least you will know that you've done what you could. Ultimately, after all this, you still may have a problem, but at least you have absolved yourself of blame and now can move forward to either a workaround or resolution. The first step to resolving the issue is determining where the problem resides. And sometimes, it's not you.

macOS High Sierra and the Sticky Update Again, It's Not You... This has happened a lot. You go to update macOS High Sierra and it hangs on reboot or login. Try the following Safe Boot procedure. In 9 out of 10 cases (no dentists surveyed) it will unstick the update and get you rolling again! Restart your Mac Hold down the LEFT Shift key Keep it held down until you see the Apple, then release It will take a while to boot and run the update, but you should eventually get to a login screen Login, and then (very important) Restart your Mac

Public Wi-Fi Staying Safe on the Road Public wi-fi is scary. You don't know who else is trolling the network looking for vulnerable machines or even if you have connected to a spoofed "man in the middle" router. You could always use a properly configured VPN, but the easiest thing to do is create your own network with your iPhone. Here are Apple's instructions on turning your iPhone into a hotspot:  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204023

January 2018 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

The Inherent Unreliability of Technology It's Only as Good as They Make It Did you enter your Apple ID password today? Did it ask again... and again? Why is the internet slow? Oh! It's asking for the Apple ID password again... cannot verify. Why is there no sound coming from the TV? Bluetooth headset crackling? Does this all sound familiar?  Yes, it does -- at least for me and a billion other people. In fact this was just my morning... the first hour. As a technology professional, or someone silly enough to deal with the stuff for a living, I am astonished about how simple little activities turn into a troubleshooting session. The mundane task of turning on a TV these days is a complicated mess of remotes, boot sequences, and choosing the correct HDMI port. Back before MP3s, when we wanted to listen to music we pulled out a cassette tape, popped it in the boom box, and hit play. It worked 100% of the time. Today you need to login with your ID, verify your credit card, maybe even enter a new one, click on those silly "I'm not a Robot" pictures, and THEN you get an error that your music client does not support the digital rights format of the song that you want to listen to. Yep, we're totally ready for self-driving cars... The truth is that technology is not magic. In fact, it is a simple human construct like the wheel, sliced bread, and CBS's The Amazing Race. Genius, of course, but just like the people that created it, technology is fallible with all the imperfections and failings of any of us. So what do we do? How do we keep from going insane? How do we approach technology so that it once more is an enhancement of convenience rather than a time consuming burden? It's a big subject, but here are three things that you can do: Temper Your Expectations This does not mean expect to be disappointed, rather set realistic expectations about the tech that you use and how you approach it. Do not assume that any digital solution is going to be a time-saver unless you put in the effort to learn and adapt to it. Set some reasonable goals and know what you can handle in your journey to get there. Know the Creator No, this is not about religion, but literally know who makes the tech that you use. It doesn't mean knowing them personally, but understanding the reputation of a hardware maker or software developer can help you choose what you would like to use. For example, Apple has always had a good and reliable reputation and that is seen in their products compared to others. If you take some time to do research, it could pay off in reduced downtime and frustration later. Nail the Workaround Tech often does not work the way we expect, and the way it works can change with updates, bugs, or even the speed of our internet connection. By first understanding the goal with any task, you can choose differing paths to the objective when the tech throws up roadblocks. Workarounds are the keys to getting around the human factor that is baked into the hardware and software that we use. And, believe it or not, knowing how to work around issues will build your tech confidence higher than any computer science degree I can think of.  I hope this special article can help calm a little bit of the insanity that technology brings to our lives. Wendy and I have used the three best practices above for years, and we are happy to share them with you. Oh, it's asking for my Apple ID again....

Apple's Special Battery Replacement Pricing $29 for Many Through December 2018 iOS 11 uses a lot of power, and you may have read in the news that if you have an older iPhone with a failing battery, you may be having less than a positive experience. Right now if you need a battery replaced, Apple has reduced the price to $29 for several models through the end of 2018. Here is a link to the details: https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/battery-power

New Printer: Quick Tips for the Home User *See Article Above About Expectations Printers should not be stressful, but they are. They turn off by themselves, then they turn on by themselves; they need ink; they need wifi -- it's almost like having another child for many. Printer is low on ink... feed printer. When picking out a printer for your house, the choices can be daunting. I am not covering business printing here -- that is a whole different animal. Finding a good and reliable printer can be challenging, but here are three tips to help: Keep Inkjets under $150 Consumer grade inkjet printers are the mainstay of the suburban home. They plow through ink, but are inexpensive. Don't be tempted to spend more than $150 on an inkjet for the house. In fact, if you can find one for around $125, that would be best. At those prices you should get a good printer to fill your needs, but not feel bad when it fails and has to be replaced in two years... or less. Get Extra Capacity Inks It depends on the model printer, but all manufacturers offer extra capacity ink replacements. They can go a long way to keep you from constantly swapping in new ones at every turn.  Second House? Consider Laser Inkjet printers clog when they are not used. Oftentimes, they will not be able to be cleaned and have to be tossed. If you have a printer at at second home or a location where it will sit for months on end, consider a low cost black and white laser printer.

December 2017 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Updating to High Sierra Have Patience and a Backup You've probably seen the persistent alert to update your Mac to macOS High Sierra. Wendy and I have been on this version of macOS for a while now and it is a very good update, but it is a big one. It lays down an entirely new file system structure, which means under the hood there is a lot that's going on during the update process. Here are our tips for updating to macOS High Sierra. Have a Current Time Machine Backup Do not go into this update without having a Time Machine backup of your computer. It would be like hiking Camelback in the summer with no water. Make sure you are backing up, and if you don't use Time Machine, now is the time to start.  Check your Applications If you have applications that your rely upon daily, check to see if they are supported in macOS High Sierra. Some older versions of QuickBooks are guaranteed not to open and Microsoft does not support Office 2011 for Mac in High Sierra. This means you will need to spring for a new version of Office... or use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Be Patient Do not rush the update. We have been recommending that folks start it in the evening and let it run overnight. Do not interrupt the process. Once the machine comes back up, give it a few hours to reindex before diving back into your 4K video editing. To learn more about macOS High Sierra visit: https://www.apple.com/macos/high-sierra/

QuickBooks for Mac is No More Intuit Ending Support Intuit is ending support for QuickBooks for Mac Desktop. The current 2016 version will be supported through May 2019. Intuit is encouraging users to move to QuickBooks Online. I know this is a bummer for some, but personally I think it is just the direction that software is moving. By being web-based QuickBooks Online is not dependent on whether the user is on a Mac or a PC. For more info from Intuit visit: https://community.intuit.com/articles/1615867-discontinuation-of-quickbooks-mac-desktop

Holiday Tip: Guest Access Keep Your Stuff from the Crowd The Holidays are a time when family and friends stop by your home. It's also the time they ask to check their email on your computer, play games, or print out boarding passes. Well, there are ways to keep your network and your computer segmented from their prying eyes. Guest Access on the Mac You can set up a Guest user on your Mac. It allows your guests to log in, without a password, to a fenced off area. They can't see your stuff; can't make any changes to the Mac; but can surf the internet, check webmail, and even print boarding passes. When they log out, all their activity (their footprint) is then deleted from your computer... like they were never there. To enable Guest, go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups. You will see Guest User in the left hand column. If it is On you are set. If it is Off, click the lock and go ahead and turn it on. Then just log out of your account. You will see the Guest user. Your guests just need to click on it -- no password required! Guest Wifi Network This is for the advanced users: Most wifi routers allow you to setup a Guest network with a separate password. This is a segmented network that allows you to give your guests access to your wifi, but on a separate network that keeps all of your other stuff away. Each router is different on how this is done, but it is great when you have parties and people want to jump on your wifi.