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iCloud, iCloud Drive, and . . .

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        "If you've upgraded to iOS 8 or Yosemite, perhaps, like me, you're trying to understand about -- and the differences between -- iCloud, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, and other 'cloud' storage options," Jim Hamm begins.  And he's got some good stuff to share.  Read on . . . 
        "Here are some articles that may help you understand the differences.To start off, take a read on this article. Then, take a read here on iCloud Drive. And finally, here's yet another article that asks whether now is a good time to use iCloud Drive? A question like this always makes me a bit nervous."  
        And you do picture Jim's grin at this point. So there's more . . . 
        "For me, it's easier to think of iCloud as another external hard drive (a storage repository), except the drive is in the 'cloud.' Then, I think of iCloud Drive as a way to access iCloud from any (almost) app, and to sync them. I do back up to iCloud, but haven't used it except to transfer my files, documents and apps to a new iPhone 6 from an older iPhone. It worked well for that. 
        "But on a daily basis I use Dropbox,  which is cross-platform, and always handy when I need it. So far, I've never actually logged into my iCloud account to see what's in there, or what it looks like. I don't seem to have a need to do so. As to iCloud Drive? Well, in theory I'm using it -- I've initiated it -- but haven't noticed any real results yet from using it. Perhaps with time."  
        So, thinking of his readers, Jim concludes, "Hopefully the above articles will be of some benefit in understanding these storage options."

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Using Siri

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        "For those of us with iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, we've had access to Siri for a long time but we probably rarely use it," Art Gorski begins.  He explains, "I've found that when I'm in the supermarket and I need 2 cups of something for a recipe but the item lists its size in grams, I can just ask Siri 'How many grams in 2 cups?'  Cool."
        "There's a gazillion useful things like this that Siri can do, but how do you figure out what they are without a lot of annoying trial and error? Did you know that you can use Siri to voice dictate an email or a text document?"
         And Art sends this helpful link:  "Here's a great website with tons of tutorials worth exploring: http://www.siriuserguide.com "

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Maps.Me is FREE

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        Jim Hamm has another interesting bit of info here:  "For travel there is an app for your iPhone or iPad that is free today: Maps.Me. In this app you can download maps of the various states ( or even around the world) which you can use when you're offline. Normally the cost is $5 for this app. You might take a look and download it from the App Store."   https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/maps.me-pro-offline-maps/id510623322?mt=8

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Remember ENIAC?

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        "No doubt you've heard of ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) -- arguably the first real computer.Here is an article about this computer you might enjoy reading," Jim Hamm gets our attention. 

        "You'll note the picture shows it being used at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, in 1947, where I first went for basic training in the Army -- but not in 1947, though.
        "Also note ENIAC could do 5000 instructions per second while, by contrast, the new iPhone 6 can do 25 billion calculations per second! As the old saying goes, 'we've come a long way, baby'...(grin)…"  Jim.
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Take Control of iCloud

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        Everybody’s asking, “What is iCloud?”  Well, John Carter to the rescue.  See what he's got to say:  "The people at Take Control have answered this several times, and now they are doing it again with version 3.0 of Take Control of iCloud, which brings us up to date with all the latest features for Yosemite and iOS 8. This PDF or ePUB (you choose) book is available now on their website here at a 30% discount."

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Internet Controversy

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Keeping us informed is David Passell's goal here.  He writes, "I think our members might want to add comments."  He refers to a government bill that would censor the Internet as part of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).  For details look here.  Apparently, the bill would make it a felony to merely stream copyrighted content online like a video of someone singing karaoke, singing happy birthday, or even playing a video game.  

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Approach With Caution

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        David Passell suggests we approach with caution if you are offered a free credit score.  David points out that when you click on the red "Click here"  you are taken to a NOT FREE site where you have to establish an account and provide a lot of information.  The catch is if you do not call the given telephone number to cancel within seven days you'll be charged $29.95 per month.  
        "The pitch did not come to me by email.  It appeared when I signed into my BofA account to check my online banking.  I also got it at the top of my PayPal account."
        David called to cancel and a "heavily accented person who answered tried very hard to get me to get me not to cancel or at least keep it till the end of the year."  He emphatically told him to cancel and then got an email confirming the cancellation. 

From Us to YOU ! (Yes, You)

         So, you are interested in the latest info on Mac, etc.  So, you come to the Prescott Mac User Group meetings when you can . . . and . . . that's it?  
        Maybe you are overlooking a real asset you have.  
        Your experiences with computers, iPhones, iPads, etc. would add a nice variety to our PMUG meetings.  No, you don't have to be a professional IT or an experienced public speaker . . . you have something to share.
        Several PMUG guys, Ward Stanke and John Carter, were discussing the possibilities for program presenters in 2015.  John emailed a reminder of a short article he sent to the Reviews section of www.pmug.us called "Presentation Zen."  
       Need another nudge?  John volunteers to happily assist you to put together a little presentation for all the nice people who come to PMUG meetings.  Drop him a note at john@jrcarter.com . 

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Re: iCloud Drive

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        Here John Carter jumps in to the discussion, "A major disadvantage of iCloud is that it does not allow sharing between users in the way that Dropbox does. However, iCloud has other features that aren’t available in Dropbox. So it becomes prudent to know what iCloud is for and to take advantage of those features in addition to using Dropbox for what it does best.

        "To get informed on what iCloud is for, get the eBook “Take Control of iCloud” by Joe Kissell (2nd Edition) here. (Click on “All Ebooks” in the left margin to find the title. A 30% MUG discount will be applied at checkout.)"
        John provides this further info:  "Here’s an outline of the major iCloud features:
   * Media syncing
   * My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing
   * Syncing documents and app data
    * Mail, Contacts, Calendar, browser data, Reminders, and Notes
    * iCloud Keychain
    * iCloud.com
    *  Find My Device and Find My Friends
    * iCloud backup
    * Apple TV
    * Back to my Mac
      And John summarizes,  "Some of those features require Mavericks, and some are available in Mountain Lion or Lion."
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More on iCloud Drive

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        First, we hear from Jim Hamm.  "If you've upgraded to iOS 8 or Yosemite you're probably aware you've now got iCloud Drive available. If you, like me, may be wondering what this is all about, here and here are two articles from the TidBITS Newsletter you may want to read."
        Jim winds up, for now, saying, "In theory, I use iCloud -- since I've uploaded 'stuff' to it --  but in practice I don't really use it as I find Dropbox (which I use frequently) more convenient. In fact, I've never even checked to see what might actually be in my iCloud account.  Now I've got iCloud Drive to wonder about and figure out how it fits -- if it does -- with iCloud."
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Apple Pay and CurrentC

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        Filling us in on some important facts, Jim Hamm writes, "You are probably aware that a few major retailers are blocking the use of Apple Pay and plan, perhaps next year, to use a program called CurrentC. Here is an interesting article, from the TidBITS Newsletter, that explains both these topics very thoroughly, I think."

       Here's the big point to notice:  "One thing to notice is that CurrentC is a direct link to your bank account, which is a big no-no for me. Also, the author thinks retailers really don't like bank credit cards, for a variety of reasons, and has the following to say: "It’s no exaggeration to say that most merchants hate the credit card brands and the banks that support them.."

        Jim concludes with, "It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. Also, by next October, If I recall correctly, our magnetic-stripe credit cards are to be replaced by cards with an imbedded chip. Now, who will pay for the new cards and equipment to use them? The banks will try to push this on the retailers, who will want to push the cost on to us, the consumer."