“It may be time to get prepared” is the title for the article Jim Hamm sends us. Now, that’s a title that fits for lots of things, but this starts off, “Apple is approaching the launch of its new Photos app for Mac.” Read about it here. http://www.computerworld.com/article/2900539/get-ready-for-photos-for-os-x.html?
Your Smartphone is Spying on You
In an article dated 3-25 the question is asked, how much is your smartphone spying on you? It discusses app permission managers. Read it here http://www.cultofmac.com/317087/your-location-has-been-shared-over-5000-times-in-the-last-two-weeks/
What About Flash?
Here's some helpful food for thought from Jim Hamm. "You may be aware that Apple is not too fond of Adobe's Flash Player. Steve Jobs once referred to Flash as a 'bag of hurt.' It is an older technology and has been subject to virus infections due to weak security in its design. There are still some websites that require Flash Player ( Pandora, I'm looking at you). So, if you want or need to use Flash in Safari, here is an article that clearly shows how to install Flash on your Mac.
"If you do install Flash for Safari, the author recommends you keep automatic updates on so security in the Flash Player is always up to date. He also suggests not to click an update notice that may pop up in your browser. Instead, go directly to Adobe's website and download from there. https://get2.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/
"You may note in the comments that some people, instead of installing Flash for Safari, prefer to just switch over to the Chrome browser for a time on those websites that
require Flash, Chrome has Flash already installed, and 'sandboxed,' which makes
it safer for you to use," Jim concludes.
it safer for you to use," Jim concludes.
An Old Mac
"Here is an article that will be of interest to computer Geeks," declares Jim Hamm. " A guy took an old, really old, Mac, and tried to connect it to the internet. Was he successful? Sorta. Talk about a labor of love, and what he did was well above my level of understanding.
"If you're a Geek, or just curious, take a read. Interesting, I thought," Jim said.
Fascinating Photos: Making the Apple Watch
Jim Hamm informs us, "Although an Apple watch is not in my Bucket List, I can appreciate all the care and effort Apple puts into making the watch, as the following blog shows. Add to this the cost of developing the software, and it's easy to see why the watch may be considered pricey by some.
"Although the blog may be of more interest to engineering-type people, and not for the casual consumer, I found it quite interesting to read about all the precision going into the manufacture of this new watch. I suspect it will be a success for Apple."
Gigabyte Data Usage
"If you purchase a data plan from a carrier with, say, a 2-Gigabyte data plan, how much can you use your smart phone or tablet before consuming all your data?" asks Jim Hamm. He goes on with some useful info. " This link gives some estimates, which you may find helpful.
"If you like to listen to music while you're checking the internet (while using your cellular plan), this article gives you a good idea of how much data streaming music consumes."
Keep reading; Jim sends us that good word FREE. "If I'm using a cellular connection I usually don't listen to streaming music so I don't consume all my data. But if I did, I'd listen to Pandora (which I do when I'm connected to wifi) and I find it uses a maximum of 64kbps, which is fairly low quality, but adequate (at least for my ears). Of course, Pandora provides a free service, so I'm not complaining."
How Would Apple Streaming TV Work?
OK, bright and knowledgeable PMUG members and friends: how would this work? David Passell writes, "On the recent evening news there was the statement that Apple's proposed streaming TV that included local channels (except NBC) would let you 'cut the cable' and free you from those expenses (by implication that exploit you).
He explains, "I have Cable One that brings in my internet and has my email server. I also maintain my 'northlink' email addresses via a nominal monthly charge. I also have a magic jack that provides me with unlimited national phone service. Here I could 'cut the cable' to my landline phone number, or I could let the landline bring in my internet via DSL and eliminate Cable One.
"BUT: How would I 'cut the cable' and use the touted Apple Streaming without the above internet interface that my router provides (from cable or DSL) in my home environment? In a big city where there are WiFi hot spots, that might work. (e.g. if i lived near the library or downtown).
"Besides, Apple would also have a monthly fee not quite as high."
So, here's the biggie: "Can somebody explain the magic?"
Thanks
David Passell sends his thanks to all who sent him cards and emails at the passing of his wife, Elizabeth (Betty).
YouTube Malware
Alert and aware! Keep reading . . .
"I occasionally will watch a video on YouTube, as you probably do too," says Jim Hamm. "One thing to be aware of when watching YouTube (or visiting any website, for that matter) is the possibility of getting malware on your computer. Here is an article that gives some tips on avoiding malware on YouTube and websites in general.
"One item of particular interest, and one which I hadn't heard of previously, is a program called 'Tubrosa.' Take a read on what this program does. The hackers are quite creative, it seems. To my way of thinking, 'Tubrosa' is malware."
And there's more to know. Jim Hamm goes on, "Here is another link with 7 common sense tips on avoiding malware.
"Also, if I get an email from someone I know and trust, and it has a link in it with no words of description of why my friend is sending this to me, I don't open it. Why? Occasionally an email address will get hijacked and the hacker will start sending out links for people to click and get a virus or other malware -- and they never offer any comments on why the email was sent out." So, thanks again to Jim for notifying us.
Privacy! VPN
What about privacy using your computer when you're not home? Jim Hamm has something to say about that. "Although I don't need a VPN (virtual Private Network) all the time, we do travel frequently and use public wifi in places such as RV parks, restaurants, motels, airports, libraries, etc.
"For the added security, occasionally a VPN would be handy when I'm on a public wifi network. To that end, I recently purchased, installed and am using a VPN called VPN Unlimited. For a short period of time a lifetime subscription is available for just $39. Look here.
"This VPN comes from a company called Simplex Solutions. Look here.
"After doing some research, in theory I've got the following with my VPN: a lifetime license (the app says 100 years when I open it...(grin); unlimited data -- no cap; no throttling of internet speed (I haven't experienced any slowdown); adequate servers around the world (the one I'm using now is in California); available on 5 devices (one can be deleted if a new one is to be added); the program is available for OS X, Windows, iOS, and Android; and, best of all, so far it works...(grin).
"Now, I'm not a poster child for VPN Unlimited, nor a commissioned salesperson. Since the $39 deal is a limited time offer (at least I think so), I just wanted to pass this on in case you might have an interest in trying this VPN." So, give Jim a grin when you see him. He's sharing lots of good info with PMUG.
What THEY Don't Want You to Know
On the lookout for helpful info Jim Hamm steps up to the plate with this one: "Here's an article that provides some interesting information about your cell phone. We use AT&T, — just look at the 'generous' offer they made to us for only $29/month...(grin)"
Check out this article from USA TODAY: What cellphone companies don't want you to know http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2015/03/13/cell-phone-privacy/70202468/
Kim Komando goes into some detail about "super cookies," how Facebook and cell phone companies AT&T and Verizon track and sell your information, how to turn off tracking — she likes DuckDuckGo. Read the whole thing.
Good-bye, Privacy
In an article dated February 17, 2015 the writer goes into detail about your latest lack of privacy in your home and in your car. The site shows photocopied information from the various companies' “privacy policies.”
The companies discussed are: Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Xbox Kinect, Amazon Echo, GM’s Onstar, Chevrolet’s MyLink and PDRs, Google’s Waze, Hello’s Sense, and Hertz cameras in its rental cars.
Got one of these? Did you read the fine print?
(You could also add Safari which lets you check "Block Cookies and Other Website Data ALWAYS." And soon you'll find 30 cookies (and other website data) have been added and info collected from your computer via the Internet.) Well, more or less . . .
Seen the New Web Browser?
"Want to play around with a new browser? You might give Vivaldi a try," says Jim Hamm. "I've been using it for awhile, and it seems OK. But nothing special, at least so far. Just something to try and play around with.
"Why Vivaldi? See here to find out." http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/hands-on-with-vivaldi-the-new-web-browser-for-power-users/?utm_source=howtogeek&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
What''s the Life of a Thumb Drive?
The earlier post from Jim Hamm's email piqued our interest. What's the life of a thumb drive? we asked. Two shakes later his reply flew through the air: "A long time. See here: http://www.getusb.info/what-is-the-life-cycle-of-a-usb-flash-drive./ "
We Need Better Batteries
Jim Hamm asks an interesting question: "Although Apple's new MacBook is really thin and small, the big hangup now is the battery -- how to get it smaller?
"Look at the inside of the new MacBook and see how small the computing stuff is (especially after getting rid of a spinning hard drive and optical drive), and all the room left for a battery. Although the running hours before recharging have improved by about 50% for a computer battery, the improvement isn't as impressive as for all the electronic stuff."
And Jim declares, "Way down the road, Graphene may be the answer for a significant improvement in batteries." Take a look at the link he sends: http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2015/03/11/apples-new-macbook-reiterates-how-desperately-we-need-battery-innovation/
SSDs Last Far Longer Than Rated
"If you were worried about the life of the SSD in your computer, worry no more. Just
like the famous bunny rabbit, they take a lickin' and keep on tickin' -- or something like that...(grin)…" Jim Hamm informs us.
SSD, you’ll remember, is solid-state drive, not an actual disk, nor a drive motor to spin a disk. You could read the whole description and history of SSDs at Wikipedia.
"Freak" Bug Update
John Carter passes along some VERY important info. "Both Microsoft and Apple have announced that they have released a patch for the FREAK bug. See full article here.
"In this article, it explains a lot more about the 'Freak' bug and what you can do to find out if your browser is safe to use and even if a website you want to visit is safe to use. The article is written for Mac users, but the method for determining if your browser is safe is essentially the same."
John continues, "For all users, check this site to determine if the website you want to visit is secure. The sad news is that your favorite website may fail. It could be only because the site does not have an updated security certificate, or it may be vulnerable to an attack by some issue other than FREAK, so you’re just going to have to take your chances if you insist on going there. For example, my personal website is vulnerable because the hosting service is vulnerable.
"I have tested the latest Safari browser and have determined that it is safe to use - and this was confirmed after the latest Apple security updates have been installed. I have also just updated Windows 8.1 and tested MSIE and found it to be safe.
"The Win 10 Beta with the latest updates is secure for MSIE, Firefox, and Chrome.
"However, Windows 7, even with the latest update, still has the vulnerable MSIE, and this also applies to both the latest Firefox and Chrome browsers on Win 7. Please continue to monitor your Windows 7 update for updates.
"It is still recommended that Firefox be the browser to use (instead of MSIE or Safari)."
John concludes with this, "In addition, Apple has just release iOS 8.2 for the iPhone and iPad, and this release fixes the FREAK bug for those devices. See full article here."
Do You NEED an Apple Watch?
Here's something from Jim Hamm to think about: "Although the upcoming Apple smart watch may not be in your future, you may enjoy reading this article discussing how Apple wants to convince people to wear a watch again, after the iPhone helped convince people they didn't really need to wear a watch at all if they have a smartphone. The article was written by a watch aficionado, who writes a blog about watches, and he makes some good points
on how Apple will convince people they need to wear a watch again.
Jim closes with, "As I said previously, it will be interesting to see how well Apple's new watch is received in the marketplace."
Is iOS 8.2 Killing Your Battery Life?
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About That New Connection
"If you're into the Mac world of computers, USB-C may be coming your way. What, you very well ask, in the world is a USB-C? A good question, and the following article attempts to explain what it is, and why Apple is doing this.
"It can be a big confusing, to be sure, and change is frequently painful. But change is inevitable, so take a read on the article," says Jim Hamm. http://www.macworld.com/article/2894423/thunderbolted-usb-c-is-our-new-connection-overlord-get-used-to-it.html