Backup? When? How?

        A query from Bobbie Pastor opened the conversation.  Ward Stanke advises, "Drives die. Western Digital is generally better than Seagate, Toshiba seems to be better than WD.

        "Here's a blog post from Backblaze that talks about their experiences with consumer grade hard drives (like you or I would buy from Costco or Best Buy)."

        And Ward concludes with, "Backblaze runs a profitable cloud storage service using theses drives and has accumulated quite a bit of data concerning reliability, primarily on Seagate, WD and some on Toshiba."  

Explaining Mechanical Keyboards

        Mechanical keyboards, what is that?  Here comes Jim Hamm to explain, "Learning all about mechanical keyboards is something you've probably not given much thought to -- or quite possibly don't even care to know. However, if you're open to learning something new, take a read on this article. I found it interesting, gained some new knowledge, and now wonder how will I use it? How does one tell, for example, when buying a new computer, which type of keyboard does it have? 
        "You (and I) probably don't even care. You'll just try it out and find out how it feels. Each keyboard on my various computers feels different, and I certainly like some better than others.  Read on if this topic might be of some interest." And, thanks to Jim for his input. 

Have You Seen a 3-D Printer?

        "3D Printers! Wonderful technology! The PC club had a short presentation on this last month. They didn’t cover much," and this starts John Carter on an interesting discussion.  

        "There’s no way I would bother with this yet. The cost of the 'ink' (plastic) is still quite high and what ones needs to be able to do in order to create their own 3D model of something is way beyond my pay grade. In order to purchase a 3D model of something, I’m sure the cost would also be quite high." 

        Now, there's some costs to consider.  John explains, "If one cartridge prints 14 objects and each cartridge costs $50, that’s $3.57 per object. You can go to the Dollar store and get the same thing for $1 (if they have it). But what if there’s only enough plastic in one new cartridge to print one complicated object? Now we’re talking big bucks!

        "But wait! I remember the time when a new computer and printer combo cost me around $3,000! And all I wanted to do was print a few photos (at a cost of nearly $2 each).

        "But wait! I paid more than that for my old 17” laptop!

        "Argh! Even all my telescopes, cameras, and observatory combined cost thousands of dollars more!"

        So, is that all John has to say?  "Okay, maybe I’ll get one. It will make a good conversation piece on my coffee table.

        "Someday I’ll get tired of making plastic goodies no bigger than 5.25 cu. in. and only in one color and want to make something bigger, like a large vase or a set of china, or maybe I’ll want something in metal. Wait a minute! I can print one of those stainless steel forks that I lost! And I need another sharp knife! How about a new diamond tip drill bit? Maybe even a whole new drill? In full color, too, please.

        "I think I’ll wait until they figure out how to fabricate food at low cost in a 3D printer. That will be something worthwhile. Yum! One banana split coming up! Don’t laugh! It’s coming!"

        The website that started this conversation is here.  Take a look and see what you think of this invention  http://www.hammacher.com/Product/82332?promo=search

Got a Smart Phone?

        A handy emailed daily tip from Here's the Thing recently has given tips for people with "smart phones."  A query to Jim Hamm brought us this reply, "Yes, I get this, and it has some useful tips. You could post a link to this in the blog and suggest to people they might take a look at it."
        And, not leaving well enough alone, Jim goes on, "So, you just have a dumb phone? That reminds me of the old adage that smart phones are for smart people, and dumb phones are for..........(grin)...Just teasing you."  And here's the link to the smart phone posts. 

Appreciating YOU

        We appreciate having interesting, helpful PMUG meetings.  And we appreciate YOU coming.  

        See what Jim Hamm has to say:  "This is an open letter to PMUG members, and I have some questions for you. How long have you been a member of PMUG? How many meetings have you attended, where someone else stood up and shared some knowledge with you? How many tips have you sent to be published in the PMUG newsletter. How many officer positions in PMUG have you volunteered for? How many presentations have you given?
        "If the answer to these questions is none, PMUG needs your help. 

        "The President and Vice President are not planning to run for office again, and we need volunteers for these positions, and to give some presentations. Yes, I'm talking about you, one who hasn't contributed in the past. Remember, the meetings and presentations don't just spontaneously happen -- someone has to work and make them happen."

        Now, Jim illustrates this,  "Here's an analogy. Let's say your neighborhood has a potluck, pitch-in, dinner every month. You faithfully show up, enjoy the food and camaraderie, but never contribute any food. 

        "Would you do that? I don't think so. The same with PMUG. It's nice to come to the meetings and hear what someone else has prepared for you. But it's also nice for you to chip in now and then also. 

        "The intent of this note is not to embarrass you or rile you up. Its intent is to get you to volunteer. If you haven't contributed to PMUG in the past, now is the time to step up. We need volunteers who care and want to see PMUG continue."   
        So, let Jim's logic sink in, then email your ideas to PMUG. Click on About Us, and contact one of our officers.  We do appreciate YOU. 

Instead of CarPlay

        Quick to reply, John Carter explains his view of CarPlay that Prez Art Gorski described yesterday. He jests, "Hah! Nothing new to me. Everything that CarPlay does I can already do with my iPhone (or iPad) and a bluetooth headset.

        "On a recent trip to California, I kept in constant touch with Jackie using Messages. Siri recorded my messages to Jackie and then read back any new message from Jackie. (It wasn’t always perfect.) I listened to music or podcasts when I wasn’t messaging. With the iPhone attached to the windshield, I was always up to date with directions to my destination. I could even hazard watching a video. And of course, the only real drawback was when I was out of touch of a tower when driving through mountains, but that didn’t stop me from listening to music."

Here Comes CarPlay

        Prez Art Gorski is the first in PMUG to bring this alert, "Apple just announced iOS integration with various brands of automobiles. It’s called CarPlay, and basically it lets you use Siri, Apple Maps, Messages, and other iOS services on the screen in your car. Of course, you need a wireless data connection for most of this to work, otherwise you’ll experience CarPlay Tunnel Syndrome."
        Here's Apple's announcement.  Look at all the nifty features, then scroll down to see the car models where CarPlay will be available in 2014 , and then the list of future models from “these committed partners.”    http://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/ 

Upgrade Options for OS X

        Snow Leopard updates are probably done — you will want to see your OS X upgrade options.  Prez Art Gorski says, "If you’re still running an older version of OS X and are interested in upgrading, here’s a great article on your options."

Net Neutrality in the News

        Net Neutrality is in the news. David Passell forwards a letter from Public Citizen, see it here and RootsAction, here. 
        Do a Google search for that term and you’ve got a lot of sites to scan.  On the first page that comes up go to the left side and decide what time frame you’d like:  Any Time, Past 24 hours, Past week, Past month, or Past year.  Keep informed so you can take action. 

Mail in Mavericks and iOS 7: How To

Having trouble or confusions with Apple Mail in Mavericks?  John Carter to the rescue.    "Lots has changed from previous versions, particularly for Gmail users, and although Apple has restored some functionality in 10.9.1 and the just-released 10.9.2, there's nothing like a healthy dose of expert advice to put you back in control of your email.         "To help with that, email expert Joe Kissell has revisited the topic in 'Take Control of Apple Mail.' This new ebook, which covers both Mail for Mavericks and iOS 7, provides 175 pages of essential setup, usage, and troubleshooting advice, whether you use Gmail, iCloud, Exchange, or IMAP — or more than one. The book normally costs $15, but the 30% MUG discount drops that to $10.50. Learn more about the book and purchase via the coupon-loaded  link.   Want to know more?  "Along the way, Joe explains core concepts like special IMAP mailboxes and email archiving, reveals Mail's hidden interface elements, and offers tips on customizing Mail to your preferences (including the best power-user plugins for Mail on the Mac). You'll also learn how to find that message in the haystack, figure out how digital signatures and encryption work in Mail, and uncover solutions to numerous common problems. Perhaps most important, Joe shares his strategy for avoiding email overload; the article where he first introduced it won American Business Media’s Neal Award for Best How-To Article.

        "When Apple released 10.9.2 Mavericks earlier this week, we were within minutes of uploading the completed ebook files to our server. Once Joe realized that 10.9.2 had made significant changes to Mail, he dropped everything in order to research the changes and update the manuscript. Editing occurred overnight, and we produced the ebook anew in the morning, making this not only the most comprehensive book about Apple Mail, but also the most up to date!"  

        And there's 30% off Take Control's other ebooks:  Take Control of Apple TV, Take Control of Your Passwords,  Take Control of CrashPlan Backups,  Take Control of 1Password

Anti-Virus App Does Its Job

       "I opened my mail this morning and Sophos (my only Anti-Virus app on my Mac) presented me with this notice: 

        So John Carter has now gotten everyone's attention!  (You do remember to click to enlarge the pasted graphics.)  Read on, "I opened the Quarantine manager.

Then I clicked on the link for the threat to see the details.  Not to worry, it only infects a Windows machine.   But anyway, I let Sophos clean it up:

And here's the happy conclusion from John,  "Having Sophos check my email for viruses and threats does help me avoid opening suspicious email, even if the threat can’t hurt my Mac."

        Note on this page  that Sophos is FREE,  and it's for Mac OS X 10.6 or later.  Their website also has a forum for discussions. 

Security Flaw Warning

        Jim Hamm informs us, "Here is an article about a vulnerability in iOS and OS X on a shared network you should be aware of."    http://gizmodo.com/why-apples-huge-security-flaw-is-so-scary-1529041062.

Mac Running Slow??

        "If your Mac is running a bit slower than you'd like, here are some tips you might consider," Jim Hamm advises us. 

Interesting Possibilities: Past, Present, Future

        David Passell found this title in a BBC article and sent it on.  But there was another link there that is also thought-provoking for the future. Here's what David sent:  "The title of the link caught my eye,  'Mac and the Micro.' 

      "So I went to it expecting to see something about what our beloved Macs or their iPod, iPhone, iPad offspring had to do with an early computer pioneer named Ian McNaught-Davis and a BBC programme of the 80s. However; much of his work has found its way into our everyday computing so I thought i would send it."

      With interest piqued, we went on to what’s happening with computing education and technology in Britain?  A controversy has brought out several articles from the BBC.  Interesting to see about the Year of Code and how they (we) got to where we are in computer technology.  

        Where does the future lead?  See the link to “The Internet Through a Light Bulb” which describes what will be demonstrated next week in Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26245544 

What To Do With Your Mac

        His students and clients often tell John Carter that they want to learn how to use their Mac better. The trick is, though, a big enough incentive is needed in order to motivate one to really learn how to use their computer. 
        John wrote an article titled “What To Do With Your Mac” that he hopes will give people some ideas on where to look for just the right incentive. Look for the article in the Tips ’N Tricks section of the PMUG website here.   Check out those links that will help you spend quality time with your Mac. 

iPhoto Library Manager

        John Carter is at it again with an update for one of his favorite apps, iPhoto Library Manager from FatCatSoftware.com. When iPhoto was updated to version 9 (now at 9.1.5, and is better known as iPhoto ’11), version 3 of iPhoto Library Manager didn’t do some of the things John wanted it to do, specifically merge iPhoto libraries. So it was necessary to update to iPhoto Library Manager version 4. 
        John is very impressed with the changes and wrote a review of the software which you can find in the PMUG website here. 

Organizing Photos in iOS7

       Saturday's PMUG meeting (2-15-14) featured John Carter, and his notes "Organizing Photos in iOS7" have now been posted on the PMUG website here.   John's talk was informative, with good audience participation, as well as input from Prez Art Gorski.

Apple Sales Tax

       Jim Hamm found something interesting,  "If you buy something from Apple, and it's significant dollars, you might take a close look at what tax rate Apple charged you. It might not be the correct rate.  Here is a story with further details.
        "This is something I hadn't considered or checked in the past when I bought a major item from Apple -- but I will henceforth."

Let's Talk About Flash Drives (Thumb Drives)

   Remember the floppy drives and CDs used for storage and backup of your computer files?  Here’s some interesting facts about the Flash Drives, taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive  The whole article is 21 pages long!  

A USB flash drive is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than an optical disc.   Page 1.

USB flash drives are often used for the same purposes for which floppy disks or CDs were used, i.e., for storage, back-up and transfer of computer files. They are smaller, faster, have thousands of times more capacity, and are more durable and reliable because they have no moving parts. Additionally, they are immune to magnetic interference (unlike floppy disks), and unharmed by surface scratches (unlike CDs). 

USB flash drives use the USB mass storage standard, supported natively by modern operating systems such as Linux, OS X, Windows, and other Unix-like systems. USB drives with USB 2.0 support can store more data and transfer faster than much larger optical disc drives like CD-RW or DVD-RW drives and can be read by many other systems such as the Xbox 360, Play Station 3, DVD players and handheld devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.

A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board carrying the circuit elements and a USB connector, insulated electrically and protected inside a plastic, metal, or rubberized case which can be carried in a pocket or on a key chain, for example. The USB connector may be protected by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive, although it is not likely to be damaged if unprotected.

USB flash drives draw power from the computer via the USB connection. 

USB flash drives were invented in 1999, claimed by several companies, contesting various patents around the world.  Trek’s “ThumbDrive” & IBM’s “DiskOnKey” started selling in 2000.  Lexar came out with CF (Compact Flash) card and card read/writer and cable that eliminated the need for a USB hub. Read more on page 3.  

This article claims 1,500 insert-removal cycles for the flash drive’s longevity. It goes on to describe how the innards work and shows some photos, tells what the essential components are, the size and style of packaging.  

USB flash drives have now been integrated into other items such as watches, pens, even the Swiss Army Knife.  Others have been fitted into novelties, such as toy cards, LEGO bricks, images of dragons, cats, or aliens.  See page 6.      

The File system is described, p. 7. Defragging claims are disputed.  USB flash units can be partitioned just like hard drives.  File transfer speeds are greater for the USB 3.0 than the 2.0. 

Common use is to store and transport personal files.  Storing medical information is mentioned. Encryption is supported with some types. Forensic and law enforcement usages are described. 

This article goes on to briefly describe other uses: updating motherboard firmware, booting operating systems, operating system installation media, application carriers.  Other uses are mentioned, such as backup for resellers since they can be removed at night and taken offsite.

Read about uses for audio players, media storage and marketing.  Availability of inexpensive flash drives makes them handy for promotional and marketing purposes, preloaded as a form of advertising. Page 11.

Advantages are noted:  have little power, no fragile moving parts, small, lightweight.  Date is impervious to mechanical shock, magnetic fields, scratches and dust.  Page 12. 

Testing? Is your flash drive going to survive the washing machine?  There are some that retain their memory!  Leave it out to dry completely before using it again.  Channel Five's Gadget Show cooked one of these flash drives with propane, froze it with dry ice, submerged it in various acidic liquids, ran over it with a jeep and fired it against a wall with a mortar. A company specializing in recovering lost data from computer drives managed to recover all the data on the drive. All data on the other removable storage devices tested, using optical or magnetic technologies, were destroyed.

There is a list of disadvantages on page 13. There is little or no advance warning of failure.  Its size means they can be easily misplaced.  

Comparison with other portable storage on page 14: tapes, floppy disks, optical media of CD and DVD.  Page 15 details the Flash Memory Cards, e.g. Secure Digital cards.  

Tells about external hard drives susceptible to damage, page 15.   Encryption and security is described on page 16.

Security threats are mentioned on page 17.  Flash drives may present a significant security challenge for some organizations. Their small size and ease of use allows unsupervised visitors or employees to store and smuggle out confidential data with little chance of detection. Both corporate and public computers are vulnerable to attackers connecting a flash drive to a free USB port and using malicious software such as keyboard loggers or packet sniffers.

For computers set up to be bootable from a USB drive, it is possible to use a flash drive containing a bootable portable operating system to access the files of the computer, even if the computer is password protected. The password can then be changed, or it may be possible to crack the password with a password cracking program and gain full control over the computer. Encrypting files provides considerable protection against this type of attack.

USB flash drives may also be used deliberately or unwittingly to transfer malware and autorun worms onto a network.

Pages18-21 lists 75 references with names and dates of the information that’s quoted. 

Amazon.com/ lists 32,814 results in search for “USB thumb drives.”  See the ratings from users. Customer reviews can give you important aspects to consider.    

We do want to keep our computers happy, and our data safe!                 # # #      

by Elaine Hardt.  This was my handout at the 2-15-14 PMUG meeting.  

Useful Websites

        "Here's some websites you might poke about in and find useful. This could keep you busy for awhile, as there's 101 websites listed...(grin)…."  Jim Hamm.