October 2018 - Technology Mini-Bytes

macOS 10.14 Mojave is a Good Update The latest version of the Mac operating system was released about a month ago, and of course I downloaded and installed it a few microseconds after it was released. Wendy and I have been on it for the past several weeks, we are very impressed. Apple did a very good job with this update and the stability so far has been excellent. If you are thinking about updating your Mac, here are a few things to know: Do a Backup First: Always, always, always do a backup before updating your operating system. If you are not backing up, now is the time to start. Check Your Computer's Compatibility: Here's the bad news... if your computer is older than mid-2012, you will not be able to update, unless you have one of the pricier Mac Pros (most don't). If this is the case, then it may be time for a new machine. Check Your 3rd Party Software: Not all software has been updated yet to work well with macOS Mojave. If you rely on a piece of software, just check with the developer at their website to see if macOS 10.14 is supported. Microsoft Office 2011: Microsoft ended support for Office 2011 with respect to it running in macOS 10.13, and Mojave is now one generation newer. It may work, but it has broken for many. If you do decide to update to Mojave, you will need to get a new version of Office, or switch to Apple's built in suite of productivity apps -- Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. To learn more about Mojave: https://www.apple.com/macos/mojave/ To learn more about updating to Mojave: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201475

The iPhone XR is a Real iPhone! The new 6.1 Inch Apple XR (10 "R") was just released on Friday. There has been a lot of initial criticism that this is a "cheap iPhone." I think any phone that starts at $750 is far from cheap, and by the time you add AppleCare and a case your wallet will be light close to $1,000. But here is the real truth: It's good... actually better than good and the reviews have all echoed this sentiment. The iPhone XR differs from the iPhone XS in a few distinct areas: The screen is LCD vs. OLED. This is not a deal-breaker. Every iPhone before the iPhone X had the same screen, and at 6.1 inches it is larger than the one on the iPhone XS. It only has one rear camera. The camera is very similar to the iPhone 8, but it uses software to mimic the dual lens units on the iPhone XS. Size: If fits in between the iPhone XS and XS Max. As for processor, etc., all the internals are similar, which means the iPhone XR at $750 to start is a very good option for someone looking to update to a full screen iPhone with facial recognition. To learn more about the iPhone XR: https://www.apple.com/iphone-xr/ Check out CNET's review at: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/apple-iphone-xr-review-2018/

New Apple Stuff: October 30th Event On the heels of the iPhone event last month, Apple is holding another on October 30th in Brooklyn. From the rumors they will be possibly announcing new iPad Pros with the iPhone XS form factor, new Mac Minis, and a replacement for the aging MacBook Air. It is hoped they will also announce a new Mac Pro and a refreshed 12-Inch MacBook. There's not much there, but if you want a link to the event page, here it is: https://www.apple.com/apple-events/

September 2018 - Technology Mini-Bytes

iOS 12 is Out & It's Good! Everyone had major issues with iOS 11. It slowed down phones, contained numerous glitches, and brought us “Battery Gate.” On Monday, Apple introduced its successor — iOS 12. It looks exactly like iOS 11 — in fact, if you have the new operating system installed on your phone it’s hard at first glance to tell that it’s there. The feel is the same, which is good. The improvements in usability are noticeable, which is better. With every release of it’s mobile operating system, Apple tries to include something new and innovative. But this year the killer app is stability and speed. I put iOS 12 on both my iPhone 8 and iPad Pro 10.5 and the difference is significant. The first thing I noticed was the speed. Both devices are much faster, and paired with watchOS 5, which I installed on my Apple Watch Series 3, everything seems to be working like premium Apple products should. Yes, there are a myriad of tweaks and the new Measure app shows us a useful side of Augmented Reality, but for the most part the iOS 12 update is about fixing the problems with iOS 11 and it seems that Apple has done just that. To learn about all the features of iOS 12, check out Apple’s official page at: https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-12/ iOS 12 just came out on Monday, so if you’d like to wait a while to see if any bugs pop-up it’s totally okay and a prudent idea. You don’t have to be an early adopter like Wendy and myself. If you do want to take the plunge, back up your device (make sure to backup), and then back it up again just to make sure. And after confirming the backup of the backup, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update to begin… after you backup.

The Apple Watch Series 4 is a Game Changer I love my Series 3, but Apple hit it out of the park with the new Series 4. Both editions are slightly larger by 2mm, but the screen now goes edge-to-edge like the iPhone Tennis (Xs, sorry). Yes, there is an improved processor, too, but the big news is all the health monitoring. It has fall detection, the ability to sense atrial fribulation, and an FDA (yes, that FDA), approved ECG. Wow! You can take an ECG (single lead electrocardiogram) with your watch. How cool is that! The speaker has been moved to the other side of the watch and is now 50% louder. The back is made of ceramic so it will help with connection to wifi and cellular networks.  To learn all about the new Apple Watch, go to: https://www.apple.com/watch/

The New iPhones: Should You Upgrade? The new iPhones are here! Or they are coming on Friday the 21st… or in late October for fans of the new XR. But what are they? Should you upgrade? Do you have $1500 burning a hole in your pocket and no place to spend it? Do you like candy? I do! But what does that have to do with the new iPhones? Nothing. But the following does: This is an “S” release year, which in iPhone terms means a very mild update. The new iPhone Xs looks no different from an iPhone X. It has all the same external features, and that notch. Yes. It has a newer processor and all the benefits that go with it, but nothing really new or earth shattering. The iPhone Xs Max (Really? The name, Apple?), on the other hand, is all new. It has the largest screen in iPhone history at 6.5 inches. If you are looking for a big screen phone, here it is! Then there is the humble iPhone XR. But is it? Not really. It has all the internals of the iPhone Xs with the new processor, etc., but it has a larger screen at 6.1 inches. The three big differences is that the screen is LCD vs. OLED (higher resolution) and there is only one camera lens on the back. It also does not have Force Touch, which Apple is starting to shy away from. Think of the LCD screen as a larger cousin to the iPhone 8. It’s good… really good, and the XR starts $200 less than the iPhone Xs. They are going to sell a lot of these things. So to the Purchasing Money Making Decision Matrix Questiony Things: Should you upgrade to the Xs if you have a X? No, they are essentially the same phone. Differences are small and the new processor only adds for things like games. It’s a mild update. You have one of the “Pluses” and need an upgrade? The iPhone Xs Max [name] is a significant upgrade to the Plus series of phones. The screen is much larger and the OLED technology offers a significant gain in resolution. You also have another option in the iPhone XR. It has the same LCD screen as your current Plus phone, but bigger at 6.1 inches in a similar form factor… and it’s $300 less than the Max.  You have an iPhone 6s or earlier. Should you upgrade? Yes. I know that iOS 12 will make the phone faster, but the lifecycle for mobile devices is two years. Time for a treat! To learn more about the new iPhones check out Apple’s site at: https://www.apple.com/iphone/

August 2018 - Technology Mini-Bytes

Use Your iPhone or Apple Watch with Emergency SOS Also, Update Your Medical ID  You may have found out by accident that your iPhone or Apple Watch can be used as an Emergency Alert. This feature is built into iOS 11, so if you are on an earlier version of iOS you will need to upgrade to take advantage of this feature.  Accessing the Emergency SOS feature is similar on both the iPhone and Apple Watch. For detailed explanations visit: iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208076 Apple Watch: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206983 You also have the option of setting up a Medical ID in the Health App. Here is a link to the instructions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207021

Quick Tips: Spot Email Spoofing Don't Fall for the Tricks Spoofing an email address is when a sender, other than the owner of that address, sends an email that appears to come from the owner. It has been going on for years and it won't stop anytime soon. Here is how you can spot a spoofed email: Name/Email Mismatch - The name may look familiar, but the email will not.  Strange Language - A lot of spoofing comes from non-English speaking countries. The wording may be jumbled and punctuation may be wrong or non-existent. Weird Links - Most spoofed emails come with links the scammers want you to click. Don't click any links! There are other things to look out for, but those are the big ones. Chances are if it looks like spoofing, it is spoofing. Be safe. Be suspicious.

Pro-Tip: VPNs Options for Internet Security VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, have been used for years by businesses to create secure and private links across the Internet to private internal networks. When properly configured they can be very secure as your information goes through what basically is an encrypted tunnel through the web. The key here is "properly configured." If a VPN is not setup correctly it can be just as vulnerable as not having one at all. Recently, VPNs have become popular with consumers trying to protect their online privacy, or by travelers wanting to operate more securely on public networks... again, when properly configured. If you have ever wanted to charter these waters, check out MacWorld's article on the Best VPNs for 2018: https://www.macworld.com/article/3258836/security/best-vpn-for-mac.html

July 2018 - Technology Mini-Bytes

It's a Scam! You don't have a virus! But You May Have Malware This is going to be the next in the tough love series of articles. I've written on this subject many times before, but there seems to be a big push in the virus pop-up scam this summer.  We've all seen it. A page pops-up claiming that our Macs are infected with 3 trillion viruses and if we don't call a number or click on a link in 30 seconds, all data, pictures, and email will be deleted. Well, don't buy it. It is a scam. It is always a scam. They want access to your machine. They want your money. They want to turn you into a victim. Don't be one. Do not call the number! Do not click on any links! Do not allow remote access to your machine! And, please, do not install anything! Since macOS is based on the UNIX operating system it is very difficult to write viruses for it. You can write a virus, but it is so much easier in the Windows PC world since they pass along infections like a kindergarten class. It is more efficient for the scammers to trick you into getting access to your Mac. Now they can deploy all types of malware that can re-direct your web searches, scrape off data, or log your keystrokes.  This is the tough-love part: If you have malware or adware you did it to yourself. It does not install on it's own. Your Mac doesn't go on a drunken binge through the seedy part of town only to awake the next morning with malware. No, you installed it. It may have come on with fake software, or a spoofed page. It doesn't matter, because you did it. And yes, it is okay to blame another member of the household -- out-of-town guests also make excellent scapegoats, by the way. How do you know if you've been infected? If your search page looks different in your web browser, you have it. If your search results look weird, you have it. If you constantly get pop-ups when surfing the web about viruses, you have it. And yes there are other indicators, but those are the big ones. To get rid of it you need software that expressly deals with malware. Subscription anti-virus programs do not always do the trick. We have seen machines running anti-virus software that were seething with malware. We have used a program in the past that used to be called AdWare Medic, but it is now Malwarebytes. It does a good job, but there are others out there. Just be careful, because a fake software that claims to clean up your Mac can just be a scam for you to install more malware, and you are back at square one. How do you avoid all of this in the first place? It is possible to avoid installing malware on your Mac. Since you do it, it's easy to stop. Here are some tips that will help: Use a legitimate search engine: Spoofed search results are one of the big ways you get tricked into installing malware. We have found that Google seems to be the best search engine at scrubbing its results of bogus pages, but even they are not 100%. Check the link: If you are going to your bank's webpage, look at the URL in the search result. It may be spoofed. If you regularly hit websites, we recommend adding them to bookmarks and going that way, which avoids the pitfalls of spoofed pages all together. Think twice before the install: It is amazing, but the Mac does not need a ton of third party utilities. It runs well on it's own. Don't get tricked into optimizers or things such as those. It will potentially throw some malware on to boot. Be Careful with Remote Access: The scammers want to access your machine remotely. They will show you all types of bogus errors or fake foreign IPs and try to scare the heck out of you. In the meantime they may be installing malware, key loggers, or fake profiles. Do not allow anyone to remotely access your machine unless you 100% know who they are. And do not give them any passwords. Let's be frank: The internet is the bad part of town filled with people who want to take advantage of you. They want to take your money, hijack your information, and if they leave you in a gutter somewhere, they just don't care. Don't be a victim. Check your six, and think before you click or install.

Application Stuck? Force Quit It! More Tools for Your Toolbox If you get stuck on one of those fake virus pages in Safari, or another application seems to lock the machine, there is a solution. macOS allows you to Force Quit an application. Here is how you do it: Method 1: Go up to the Apple in the upper left hand corner and select Force Quit from the drop-down menu. Choose the offending application and hit Force Quit. Method 2 (Pro Tip) Keyboard Command: Hit these three keys simultaneously: Command, Option, Escape. The Force Quit window will pop-up. Choose the offending application and hit Force Quit.

Mac being fussy? Maybe you need to Reset the SMC? Power Management Fix You are most likely familiar with Safe Boot and Zapping the PRAM. Well, this little tip falls into that same quick-fix bag of skills. The System Management Controller has responsibility for the fan, battery indicators, keyboard lighting, and a whole host of things. If your Mac is running a little pokey and you've tried everything else, resetting the SMC may be the ticket. Here is a link to the Apple article on what it is and how to do it: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

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