The eagle eye of Jim Hamm found this and he says, "By October 2015 all of our magnetic-stripe credit cards should be replaced by EMV-enabled cards, also referred to as "chip and PIN" cards. Here is an article with details about how these new cards work, and some possible vulnerabilities. One aspect of the new cards is that banks are now shifting the onus to us -- the customer -- for any fraudulent use of a credit card. Now, most banks limit our responsibility to $50.
Updates, New Versions of Safari . . . and . . .
"Here's some news about Mavericks," says David Passell. You'll also read about updates for earlier OS X versions, multiple new versions of Safari, and patches for Xcode, OS X Server and Apple TV. http://www.zdnet.com/apple-updates-os-x-mavericks-safari-and-other-products-7000033836/
eBay Redirect Hack
A really serious article here http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29241563 is brought to our attention by David Passell. This eBay redirect hack info was posted yesterday, and it should be passed on to others, too.
About the Demise of Macworld
Jim Hamm found this interesting, ". . . here are comments by Jason Snell and the demise of the print edition of Macworld. I am really sad to see the print edition go. I am not a fan of digital magazines." Look here. (sent via his iPad this time!)
He adds by saying, "If you were a reader of the Macworld magazine, as I was, you are no doubt saddened by its demise, as I was. Here is an article by Chris Breen wherein he pays homage to the writers that were laid off."
How to Get Ready for an iOS8 Upgrade
Shared via his Zite, Jim Hamm passes along this info: Cult of Mac has posted how to get ready the right way; whether you're getting a new iPhone or not you'll want to upgrade to iOS 8 to take advantage of its many features. Look here.
Netflix Streaming in Safari in Yosemite
"Here is perhaps another reason to upgrade to Yosemite when it is available," notes Jim Hamm. "The version of Safari that ships with Yosemite can stream Netflix w/o any plugins." Read about the other features of this HTML5 video here.
Six Reasons Why You Should Not Immediately Upgrade
"Here is something that should be interesting to iPad/iPhone owners. Maybe i will win the PWC Raffle:)." See here. David Passell continues, "If you're sticking with an older iPhone or iPad, or working in a business setting, upgrading to iOS 8 may be premature. Here are six good reasons not to upgrade just yet."
iPhone 6 Video
"If you should have an interest in the new iPhone 6, here is a video with a good review. The reviewer says the iPhone Plus is the same as the 6 except it is just larger," writes Jim Hamm.
iOS 8, Thoroughly Reviewed
This from Past Prez Art Gorski, "As usual, Ars Technica does a monster review of an Apple operating system. This time, they tackle iOS8, which was released to the public today."
ios-8-thoroughly-reviewed
See If Your ID Password Has Been Leaked
Check and see if your ID password has been leaked. Jim Hamm says, "Here is a website https://isleaked.com/ that will check it for you. Five million were just released on-line." He checked his Gmail account but changed his password anyway, because more passwords and Gmail accounts may be released later on.
Prepare for Yosemite
John Carter alerts us to a new Take Control offer. There's an early-bird version of Joe Kissell's Take Control of Upgrading to Yosemite, available now at a steep discount. Take a look at http://tid.bl.it/tco-yosemite-upgrading-mug-prerelease-discount describing their 73-page offer. Mary Ann Clark has posted many of John's articles in detail on the PMUG website: www.pmug.us under the heading of Reviews.
Big Changes for Macworld Magazine
Jim Hamm informs us here's the latest on "Macworld laying off some staff and ending print edition." Thanks, Jim for helping us keep up with the news!
Apple Event in 84 Seconds
"If you'd like a quick overview of the entire Apple event look here," says Jim Hamm. It takes 84 seconds to view.
Protest Net Slowdown
Here is information David Passell wants to share with us. He says it's "gathering momentum to prevent large telecom companies from slowing down the Internet for their benefit and our loss. Anyone with a website can do something here." Today's the day: see here.
Beware of Phishing
After hearing from David Passell posted on 9-3, we all are on alert for the bad stuff. A few days later here comes an email to "editor" of this blog, asking for the password to be reset. Avoiding the obvious, it was time to phone directly to Apple for help from a living person. Finally, a person to talk with! The man agreed that since the return address on the email was from "orders@tunes.co.uk" it was BAD. He directed me to forward that email to reportphishing@icloud.com and so that's that.
Is This Phishing?
"Doesn't this look threatening?" questions David Passell. He passes along a copy of an email which says it's from no-reply@icloud.app.com asking for him to update his account records. He wonders if it's legitimate or not. He says he doesn't buy anything on an Apple Account, at least he hasn't for a long time. He emphasizes "I will not click on the update to my account Link. If I were worried I would go straight to my Apple account with my id and PW."
Did anyone else get this kind of an email?
Buy Stuff & Save Money
Jim Hamm is looking for stuff; look what he found: "I just came across this site today, and know nothing about it, except some good deals on what they say are genuine Apple products. Take a look." You can view a 5 minute video for an overview of this Utah company and their stuff. http://www.yugster.com/faqs
Restore Files with Time Machine
"Here is a helpful article if you should ever need to restore files on your Mac using Time Machine," notes Jim Hamm. Thanks again, Jim, for keeping your PMUG friends in mind.
Health Data Privacy Issues
Startup Issues
Responding to a question John Carter gives two ways to handle Mac login issues. You can picture him smiling as he first suggests this: "Do an Internet search like this: 'mac turn off login items.' And then sift through dozens of similar answers.
"But here’s my answers: