Monthly Mini-Bytes - February 2025

 

Did You Get Your 1099 from Apple? Testing... It's probably the most arduous, time consuming, and thankless tasks in all of technology, but it is by far the most critical. Testing software and hardware is important as a market failure could destroy a company's reputation. It's not fun work. It's hard, tedious, and with update after update it is seemingly never ending. It is a high overhead cost for any company. So, how does a corporation like Apple short cut the process to try to save some cash? They introduce the Public Beta. Beta testing is an important process of the whole testing procedure. It gets the software or hardware out to a trusted group of people to use it in the real world. Even with the best internal testing methodology, the Beta always unveils issues. The Public Beta is a different thing. Apple releases unfinished and seemingly lightly tested software temping users with "early access" to features. These features are buggy and could compromise the daily use of your iPhone or Mac. We have never advocated putting any Beta software on a phone or computer that you rely upon. And then comes Apple Intelligence: This has been in a Public Beta since the Fall, but with the latest updates Tim Cook and his merry band of developers have automatically enabled Apple Intelligence making any user of a compatible Mac or device a Beta Tester. Well, boo Apple. Apple Intelligence is not ready. Apple admits that it isn't ready by continuing to have it as a Public Beta. It's not cool to enable a Beta Test for your entire user base. Do the work. Test Apple Intelligence, and when it is ready, release it then. If you have a Mac or iPad running an M-Series processor or an iPhone 15 Pro or newer you, will need to go and turn off Apple Intelligence in Settings. If you want to avoid having it auto-enabled in a future update, just choose a different language selection for English under Siri Requests. It only works with American English. I use British English to get around this myself.

It's Printer Season! With macOS Sequoia your beloved old printer may no longer work with your Mac. Choosing a new printer can be confusing and getting the wrong one will guarantee unwanted frustration. Here are our tips for choosing a good one: The Black and White Laser Printer Black and white laser printers are the simplest and most reliable printers that you can buy. They aren't sophisticated or sexy, but they will print page after page with the least amount of headaches compared to just about any other option. If you print high volume and don't need color, definitely look at one of these. We really like the models from Brother. Photo Printing If you print lots of photos, you want a printer that is designed for that task. A general purpose inkjet will be fine, but it won't have the resolution or color depth of the dedicated photo printers. The Epson Expression series is worth a look in this category. The Color Laser Printer Easily the most expensive option, the color laser printer is more reliable than an inkjet, but cannot print photos as they usually don't have the resolution needed at the more consumer-focused end. They will not dry out if you leave for that three month trip to Antarctica. But they will be more expensive to maintain when it becomes time to replace toner. Check out the options from Brother if you are looking for one of these. The Inkjet Printer These are the least expensive and least reliable printers. They will use a ton of very expensive ink, and the nozzles will dry out if they are left idle for any period of time. Try to get one on sale and avoid spending more than $150. They tend to break, so why shell out the big bucks for something that you'll have to replace in two years anyway. Both Canon and Epson have some decent models. In our experience Staples seems to have the best prices and selection. They are a good place to start. Once you figure out the model you want, you can price shop against Office Depot, B&H Photo, Best Buy, etc.

Apple Introduces the Stripped Down iPhone 16e

iPhone prices have gone through the roof! I know they always talk about the "adjustment for inflation" malarkey, and it may even be true. But spending $1500 on an iPhone (after AppleCare+, accessories, snacks, etc.) is still a lot for a phone. Yes, it's a mobile computer. Yes, you can shoot and edit Hollywood-ish level video on it. But for a lot of people that want the latest chip, but will never use the advanced camera features, MagSafe accessories, or that weird camera button, it's one to consider. That is where the iPhone 16e comes in. It's an iPhone that does iPhone things at a price that is $400 less than a 16 Pro. You only get one camera and it lacks many of the other features, but it still comes with the latest chip and even Apple Intelligence for you aspiring Beta Testers. If you are in the market for a new iPhone, just need the basics, and don't want to spend MacBook Air money on a phone, check out the 16e here: https://www.apple.com/iphone-16e/

The Micro-Byte - February 2025

 

Getting the Most Out of AI: The Prompt

Like it or not Artificial Intelligence is here and it is rapidly changing the face of computing. Whether you use it at work with the likes of the Adobe creative apps, interact with a chatbot at your favorite website, spend casual hours with ChatGPT, or try to untangle that thing that is Apple Intelligence, you cannot escape the AI revolution. But it's not a bad thing. At the end of the day it is just another tool to help make queries and tasks faster and easier. One of the keys to doing this is understanding how to interact with AI, and this requires learning how to create a proper prompt. The Prompt is the question or task that you craft to set any AI out to complete what you want it to do. It is not different from assigning homework to a student or directing an employee to do this, that, or the other thing. Its complexity is in its simplicity. Crafting a prompt incorrectly can mean you just get a pile of misinformation. Here are a few tips to help you on a path to being an expert prompter: Use Proper Language As language and writing have both devolved thanks in part to texting and chat apps, the time has come again for speaking proper English. Write in clear and complete sentences with good structure. Keep it Concise One of the things that many of us learn early in our careers is executive-level communication. Executives don't have time to go through and read a lengthy email. It needs to be brief, to the point, and clearly state the expectations on what is needed. You can find many books and tutorials on executive communication. Any one of these can help you in being better at prompts. Be Clear on the Output State exactly what you want in the prompt. Don't be vague. If you are clear on the output, it will make it easier to re-prompt the AI if you don't get what you want. Direct It Where to Look If you are searching for information on a medical issue, be sure to direct the AI to look in places where you trust like medical journals or research studies. If you don't the AI may grab data from discussion forums or conspiracy sites. No matter what it is, tell the AI the types of sources that you want it to draw from so that you get a better response. Audit the Answer When you get the response from the AI your job is not done. It is imperative to visit the links from the sources presented and to do your own research based on keywords. I often receive wrong answers and when I challenge the bot, I oftentimes get a spiral of increasingly wrong answers to the point where I abandon the thread. AI is not foolproof or correct all the time. Artificial Intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it is not fully self-driving. You cannot take your hands off the wheel. You need to prompt effectively and then audit the answer. Even with this, AI is an incredible time saver, especially when using it as an internet search engine. Happy Prompting!

Monthly Mini-Bytes - January 2025

 

The Current State of Apple Intelligence Apple Intelligence is out! Well... sort of. It's a Beta, meaning it's not a full release and we are all Apple employees now since we are doing the testing for them. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or an M-Series powered Apple computer or iPad, you can participate in this public beta and test out all that Apple Intelligence promises to offer... when it is fully released. Apple Intelligence is not enabled by default. You need to opt in on each device to be able to use it. You must also use one of the American English voices -- not one from another country. So, if you choose British English, you are out of luck for now. Being a beta there is a lot missing from Apple Intelligence. The biggest gap is the absence of Personal Context where Siri learns everything about you and then is able to wield A.I. to be the most helpful. This is not promised from Apple until March. So, for right now, Apple Intelligence is a mishmash of tools you have probably used in other apps or platforms. The writing tools are similar to what you may have experienced using apps like Grammarly; Photos allows you to remove objects from the background much like Adobe Photoshop; and the ChatGPT integration is a nice touch. The summation feature for email and texts does not work as well without Personal Context, so you may find it frustrating and end up turning it off. If you do decide to jump in with Apple Intelligence, just know that it is a work in progress. It is not the final release -- Personal Context and Advanced Siri are missing. Without these tools to pull it all together right now it is a fun curiosity more than something that can help us be more efficient.

Here We Go! More iPhone Spying  The hits to our privacy and security just keep on coming! The National Security Agency has published a notice to disable location tracking for certain apps. These apps have been compromised and will unknowingly publish your location data to possible bad actors and third parties. This impacts iPhones and Android devices, too. It is specific to the location data and permissions allowed to each individual application. It is always best to restrict Location Services data to While Using or Never for your apps. You can toggle these settings per app by going to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services. Here you can see all the apps that have requested location information.  To read the article from Forbes, click here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/01/14/nsa-warns-iphone-and-android-users-disable-location-tracking/

All the Current Updates are Good!

If you are still on the fence about upgrading your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac to the latest versions, then we are here to say that all of the new updates are good and well implemented. iOS/iPadOS 18 works surprisingly well, and macOS Sequoia actually breathes a little more snap into the M-Series powered Macs. But, if you're still on a Mac with an Intel chip, you may want to think about upgrading to a new M-Series Mac in 2025. They are so much faster and will allow you to take advantage of Apple Intelligence when it is fully released. It is also important to know that all of the software for Macs is being updated and programmed with the new chips in mind. The last Intels are from the 2020 model year, and five years is unfortunately a millennia in the world of tech.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - December 2024

 

Yes, Your Info is on the Dark Web. Now What? The dark web sounds scary, and all the anti-virus, malware, and endpoint monitoring companies do their very best to scare you into thinking that it is where your data and identity go to die. It's a place where all types of illegal information is shared and traded. It is not a place you want to go. But the truth of the matter is that everyone's data is on the dark web in some form or another. It could be as simple as old user names and passwords, to maybe things a little more concerning. There have been data breaches at companies going on for decades, and there are ones that have happened that no one knows about yet. There's probably a breach happening right now that won't be publicized for a few years, if at all. It's the actual reality of the internet. The important thing to know is that you are not powerless to protect yourself. Truth be told you have all the power, and that's a good thing. But digital security is not automatic. You cannot download an app or apply to a service and expect everything to be okay. It won't. You must take control. It takes effort and diligence, but it's not too difficult either. Here are the basics that you can do right now to protect yourself: Take Control of Your Passwords: The only passwords that you need to know by heart are your Mac computer password and your unlock code for your iPhone. If you use a third-party password manager, you will need to know that, but that's it. If you can remember your other passwords, then they are just too easy. You must use a different password at every website. That unique password should be complex and difficult to guess. Apple has the new Passwords app that makes creating, managing, and even sharing passwords easier than ever. There are also third-party password managers out there, but if you still use a spreadsheet or a notebook, it is all still the same process. Turn On Multi-Factor Authentication: This is where you get a text or an email when you log into an account. You want to turn this on at every website or service that you use if it is offered. Set Up Alerts: Most online accounts allows you to set up alerts. These could be if someone tries to log into your account, purchase something, or whatever else. Set Up Recovery Information: Make sure that you add a recovery email or phone number to your accounts in the event that your primary email or phone number gets compromised. It will allow you to reset your password and get access to your online accounts a lot quicker and easier. But what about Passkeys? Passkeys are the new kid on the block and promise to be more secure than the old systems of authentication. But passwords still linger in the background, even with passkeys enabled, meaning password management AND the management of the passkey come into play. There is a mix of good and bad that we will have to cover in a future article. Bottom line is that they don't absolve anyone from the best practices mentioned above.

The M4 Mac mini: Best Mac Value Ever? With the introduction of the M4 powered Macs, the mini burst onto the scene with a diminutive form factor, powerful configuration, and an attractive price. Starting at just $599 it can be paired with a 3rd party monitor, mouse, and keyboard to come in for a full Mac desktop computer for less than $1000. If you don't need the iMac's 4.5K display, then take a look at the mini for your next possible Mac computer. Because it doesn't lock you into a display, you can choose the monitor of your liking, add multiple monitors, or even swap monitors every year... or something. To learn more, visit: https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/

Huge Telecom Breach

If you have not heard, there is a massive breach of eight telecommunication systems here in the U.S. This includes all the major mobile phone providers, and it seems it may have started as long as two years ago. It appears that targets of the hack are specific people in government, but it is so broad and ongoing that it's best to keep up with the news on this one. How can you protect yourself from these types of things? Always be careful of sending personal and confidential information electronically whether by text or email. Using encrypted services when sending this type of info is always important. This is why you will see secure upload options offered by your accountant or broker.  To learn more about this breach, check out this article from Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/us-telecom-firms-targeted-chinese-hacking-campaign-white-house-1995794

Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2024

 

The M4 Macs Are Here: Do You Need One? After stuffing the latest M4 chip in the new iPad Pros, we had to wait a bit before Apple got around to updating the rest of its lineup with the new processor. The M4 is the latest and greatest, and as with the other M-Series Processors, allows interested users to run Apple Intelligence. But do you need one? If you still have a Mac running an Intel processor, sooner or later you will have to upgrade. The new processors from Apple are faster, more power efficient, and have enough gusto to run all the A.I. you can handle. We are on the 4th iteration of Apple Silicon, so if you are looking for more speed and compatibility with more advanced features, then yes, I think you should strongly consider one of the new M4 Macs. If you have an earlier machine with the M1 processor, the only reason to consider upgrading is if you want one, or are now using software that requires a Pro, Max, or Ultra variant. The venerable old M1 is still miles faster than the Intels and are still up to the tasks at hand including compatibility with Apple Intelligence. If you have any of the Ms in Pro, Max, or Ultra then there's no compelling reason to get the M4 unless you need more RAM, more storage, or extra ports for expandability. A well configured M1 Max or Ultra will still be able to handle all the Adobe, 3D tasks, and 8K video editing that you can throw at it. To learn more about the new M4 Macs, check out the links below: MacBook Pro: https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/ iMac: https://www.apple.com/imac/ mini: https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/

Traveling with Your Mac? Turn On These Two Settings The holidays once again have crashed upon the calendar and most of us will be moving about the country, or other relative near dimensions, with our precious Mac laptops. Keeping them safe means preparation, and here are two settings that you should enable to that end. Turn on FileVault FileVault encrypts your hard drive, meaning that if someone did steal or otherwise get a hold of your laptop, they would not be able to get at your data without your computer password. Yes, your data would sit behind your password, encrypted and safe from anyone without 2 million dollars and a super computer. To turn on FileVault go to System Settings -> Privacy & Security. Scroll down to FileVault and turn it on. We do recommend that you select the iCloud recovery option, but if you want the encryption key instead, write it down. Enable FindMy Mac In the event that your Mac laptop would get lost or stolen, the FindMy feature gives you the option of not only locating it, but also locking or even remotely erasing the computer. FindMy binds the device to your iCloud, and it will forever be associated with your account unless you release it by signing out. To turn it on go to System Settings -> [Your Name] -> iCloud. In Sequoia you will need to choose the "See All" option to reveal the setting.

The Apple Vision Pro is Finished

You know, it used to be that if you wanted to launch a new product and have it be successful you would look for a hungry market, fill the needs of those users, and then do it at a competitive price. It's Business 101 after all. Well, Apple did none of this with the Vision Pro. The VR market is and has been weak. Meta has been banging its head on the wall trying to light up and expand the user base to no avail. But here came Apple with the Vision Pro. It's priced 7 times -- [YES!!!] -- 7 times higher than Meta Quest 3, which is the most popular VR headset out now. It doesn't have any killer app, nor a stated use case from Apple, and since it only starts at $3499, after AppleCare, a case, and some more storage it is more like $4200. That's what a high-end Mac Pro costs! Well, it's done. Apple is all but ending production, which will see this halo product not even last a year. It's not good, and hopefully they will focus their energies on making it so the Apple Watch updates take less than six hours. C'mon Apple! To read more, check out this article from the New York Post: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/apple-s-vision-pro-flop-company-scales-back-production-of-3500-vr-headset-amid-lackluster-sales-customer-complaints/ar-AA1tXX7R

Monthly Mini-Bytes - October 2024

 

The Updates (iOS, macOS, etc.) and Apple Intelligence Stable but cluttered is how I would describe the latest round of updates from Apple. From macOS Sequoia, to iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS, all of the OSes are probably the most stable releases Apple has put out in recent years. macOS Sequoia is especially good and not only helps enhance the speed of the new M-Series processers, but also breathes life into the final crop of older Intel-based Macs. But then there is the clutter... Yes, messy is the new organization. For many things that took one or two clicks, now it's three or four, or even a couple of minutes searching for the option to do whatever that has been relabeled and shelved to another part of Settings. The Photos app on the iPhone has all the features that you asked for, but crammed in so tightly that you can't see or find anything. The good news is that you can spend some time tweaking it to get Photos usable again, but these types of annoying "enhancements" really stain what is overall a solid and stable base in the updates. And Apple Intelligence is now here! Sort of.... Only a few bits and pieces, and if you use anything other than US English for your language settings, then you are out of luck. With iOS 18.1 Apple unlocked a few features. You can now use AI to clean up images in Photos, much like the tools Google and Samsung have had on their devices for years. The Rewrite tool is just Apple's version of Grammarly. And your interaction with Siri will be a bit more natural. The real meat and potatoes of Apple Intelligence is still very much on the horizon, but at least they gave us a little taste. These features are only available on the iPhone 15 Pro or better, and any devices or Mac with an M-Series processor.

Apple Has a Passwords App! Finally! With the latest round of updates Apple has introduced its own Passwords app, and it is extremely good and easy to use. It integrates seamlessly across devices and makes managing passwords a breeze. You can also share passwords with other people in your Family Share. Need to get your guest on your Wi-Fi? Well. you can use the passwords app to generate a QR code for them -- no need to share your complex password to get them online and surfing. To learn more about the new Password app, visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/120758

Beware of the iCloud Storage Scam

There has been an ongoing phishing scam where users are notified that they are running low on iCloud storage or their account has been locked due to lack of storage. Inaction will result in deletion of all iCloud data. This is a total scam. Be wary and don't fall for it. There is an easy way to check your iCloud storage. On your iPhone, go to Settings, choose your name at the top, and then iCloud. It will show your storage right there. If you are running low on space, just select the Storage and you will see an option to add more.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - August 2024

 

You Are Your Best Security When you talk about computers with anyone, the topic of security always comes up in one form or another. With all the scammers, spoofers, SPAM, AI generated voices, and just the regular alien high frequency mind control it's something that everyone is concerned about. But did you know that you are your best security? Yes, you are the one who has the greatest ability to protect yourself from all the bad actors, malware, and scams out there. No software can do it better. You are in total control of your online digital destiny. Now, this is for us Mac users. Windows PCs are a different animal. Having a Windows computer is like walking into a kindergarten class. You will walk out with some sort of virus. This is not the case for Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and all the rest of it. So, just focusing on the Macs today, here are three ways that you can get a handle on your personal digital security. 1.) Mind Your Computer Password Your computer password, sometimes referred to as your Mac administrative password, is the most powerful tool in your security arsenal. Absolutely nothing can be installed or added to your Mac without you entering in this password. That's right! No malware, virus, adware, or anything can be added to your machine without you installing it and allowing it with your computer password. When you get that pop-up asking for that password, read the prompt and take a minute to make sure you want to allow whatever it is asking. This simple step can secure your computer better than any software at any price. 2.) Get a Handle on Your Passwords You absolutely, positively need to get a handle on your password game. If you have weak passwords, use the same one for multiple accounts, or haven't changed your email password in a decade, then you are asking for trouble. Whether you use a spreadsheet, a third-party app, or Apple's built in password manager, you must have good passwords for all your important accounts. Apple will be enhancing its app called Passwords in macOS Sequoia that will be released in the fall. But don't wait until then. Good password management is just too important. 3.) Enable FileVault Encryption This is especially important if you travel with a MacBook Pro/Air. FileVault encrypts your data so that it can only be accessed with your computer password. It can also stop bad actors from encrypting and locking your drive, but this is extremely rare in the Mac world. To enable FileVault go to System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> FileVault.

Your Mac Does Not Back Up to iCloud I know I have mentioned it before, but it has come up in conversations recently so let me clarify: Your Mac computer does not back up to iCloud. iCloud is not a backup. It is a cloud syncing service that coordinates things like mail, contacts, calendars, notes, and potentially files and photos between your devices. Your Mac only backs up using a Time Machine backup. If you are not using Time Machine then you are not backing up your Mac. And since the new Apple M-Series computers put everything on the chip, when they fail it's complete and catastrophic. To run Time Machine you will need an external hard drive connected to your Mac. If you are running Time Machine and want to know the status of your backups, go to System Settings -> General -> Time Machine. To learn more about Time Machine visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/104984

A Quick Word on MalwareBytes

Long ago there was an app called Adware Medic for Mac. It was free and it did a terrific job of cleaning up malware, adware, and junkware. It was purchased about a decade ago by MalwareBytes and we have been big proponents of this software. It does a good job of cleaning up malware from the machine and not taking up too many resources. But lately you may have noticed unwanted pop-ups and other alerts encouraging you to purchase things like VPNs and the like. This is very Windows-esque as ads are prevalent all over PCs, but us Mac folks are not used to it. We don't like it and you probably don't either. You have options like ignoring them or turning off notifications for MalwareBytes, but this is a disturbing trend for a software that we have really liked. They are also getting rid of the free version and moving to a paid-only model.  We will be investigating other solutions over the coming months, but if you have been annoyed by the pop-ups, just know that we have, too.

Lenny's Techy Bytes: Your Staff is Your Best Security Asset!

In this month's featured video, Lenny talks about how your employees are your best security asset. Check out the video below:

VIST ON YOUTUBE