Warning About Fake Amazon Email

        David Passell alerts us about this fake Amazon email.  If you get something similar DO NOT click on any links on it.  

Instead either attach the email or forward it to spoofing@amazon.com  

        David comments, "For some reason Amazon does not provide a quick and easy link to report taking their name in vain.  However, after I sent a message to them it seemed like a convoluted process which I don't even remember.  I received a message back from Amazon the next day which identifies the email address to send messages to." 

Got an Old Apple Computer?

        In the Silicon Valley they're looking for a woman who was cleaning out the garage and came over to a recycling center and dropped off an old Apple computer.  It turned out to be a collectible item worth $2000,000.  Wow!  Read this news story dated 5-31-15.   http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/05/31/woman-tosses-apple-computer-that-turns-out-to-be-worth-200g/?intcmp=latestnews.  

Google May Have Won the Cloud Wars

        Here's that word FREE.  "For the storage of your photos, Google Photos is free, has unlimited storage, and is available on iOS devices.  What's not to like about this scenario?" asks Jim Hamm.    See http://bgr.com/2015/05/28/google-may-have-just-won-the-cloud-wars-with-google-photos/    and take a look at this article, dated 5-28-15:  http://bgr.com/tag/google-io-2015/ 

iPad Magic

        A German magician, Simon Pierro,  was in Las Vegas for the Oracle Corporation, see his post 4-3-15.  http://www.simonpierro.com/oracle-ipad-magic-las-vegas  He does tricks with iPhones and the Apple Watch as well.  http://www.simonpierro.com/simon-pierro-ios-magic  Thanks to Jim Hamm for mentioning this. 

Illegal Drone Photos

        Jim Hamm found some fascinating photos from India, Russia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Hungary.  The headline reads "37 incredible drone photos from across the glove that would be totally illegal today."  You'll want to see it here:  http://uk.businessinsider.com/illegal-drone-photos-of-the-most-beautiful-places-on-earth-2015-3?op=1
       The photographer Chapple took advantage of the drones during the 18 months when it was legal to fly drones anywhere.  In 2014 the FAA made it illegal to fly drones for commercial purposes, including photography. Other countries followed suit. 
        Thanks to the Internet we can see amazing views and learning interesting facts. 

Emerging Technologies

        "Want to stretch your mind a bit?"  (That counts as exercise, Jim?)   

        "If so, take a read on this article from Scientific American on the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2015."
        Jim Hamm outlines his opinion: "My thoughts: #3 is really needed to help reduce the amount of plastic going into landfills, etc.; in theory, #4 may prove to be OK, but I'm not a fan of GMO's, in any fashion; I don't think # 7 is realistic at all -- at least for the majority of people; #10 could be very helpful in determining potential illnesses in people, and perhaps taking preventive measures.       
         "One thing for sure: whether it is these potential technologies, or others, there will continue to be dramatic technological changes in our lives."  And so, thanks to Jim for this little jaunt into the future. 

How the Apple Watch Was Won

        "Ah, the pressure builds," acknowledges Jim Hamm.  " Here is an article by a tech writer that wasn't going to fall for the Apple trap: he didn't need or want the new Apple Watch. But then, what happened to his resolution? You'll have to read...'the rest of the story'.        
        "Don't let this happen to you...(grin)"…Jim.

Have You Noticed?

             There are some really good Apple devices,  iPad, iPhone,  Mac computers of various sizes, etc. And there's new advancements in technology.  Great reasons to connect with some friendly people in your local area who know helpful stuff.  It's logical to come and visit our Prescott Mac User Group -- or the one nearest you. 
            Secretary Bobbie Pastor had a good presentation on Saturday.  Prez Rob Raess and John Carter helped make it interesting. 
            We're all learning and discovering.  And you don't have to be an expert to volunteer to help in some way.  Next month is our annual election.  We encourage each other by attending, so check out the www.pmug.us site for more info.  

Shortcut for Finding a Definition

                 Hmmmm.  What does this word mean?  Yes, you can go over to the Dictionary in your long-long list of icons there on the side of the screen.  But this morning Ruth Davis' emailed tip says to   "Hover your mouse cursor over top of the word you'd like to look up and press Command + Control + D. A dialog will then pop up with the word defined by the build-in Mac OS Dictionary."  The little box also lists some words from Thesaurus and Wikipedia.
           She also has free guides for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. 
        Macintosh trainer Ruth Davis publishes Mac2School's Weekly Tips for more than 1000 subscribers. If you want to feel more confident and be more productive with your Mac, iPad and iPhone, sign up for a FREE subscription to Mac2School's Weekly Tips at www.mac2school.com 

Make Chrome More Efficient

          Here's a tip from Jim Hamm,  "If you occasionally use the Chrome Browser, be aware that it may be a memory and CPU hog. Here is a helpful article that explains how to make Chrome a more efficient browser."

Of Course, You're Careful . . .

        Scan the info that applies to you:  "Surprising Ways Hackers Can Steal Your Identity"  http://www.lifelock.com/education/crimes/surprising-ways-hackers-can-steal-your-identity   
        If you're a Facebook fan you'll want to look at this info:  http://www.lifelock.com/education/alerts/the-latest-scam/malicious-tagging-on-facebook/  
        Keeping informed and being careful are simply logical things to do! 

Discussing iPad Features

        Maybe you saw the latest from Apple's page: http://www.apple.com/ipad/change-everything/    and maybe you even looked at the drone you'll be drooling over?  Costs a mere $499.95.   http://store.apple.com/us/product/HH4W2/parrot-bebop-drone   
        But, hold it.  Jim Hamm has some thoughts to pass on. "If you use the iPad then you might have an interest in the following comments. It was posted to a Forum I subscribe to. I hadn't read any of this previously, so have no idea of its veracity. 
        "One thought I have is with this increased screen size it will be heavy. One advantage of the present iPad -- for me, anyway -- is its light weight. Looking at the other comments, I don't see any feature that excites me. And it all may just be a rumor anyway."
        Here's the comments Jim found: 
"Don’t get a new iPad (yet)… Details about the next-generation iPad have leaked out.  So, if you were planning on buying a new iPad any time soon, you may want to hold off until the Fall.
         Apple will be releasing the "iPad Pro", which is larger than the current iPad (12.9 inch display instead of the current 9.7 inch display.)
         If the larger display isn’t that interesting to you. You may also want to consider the added features that the next iPad is rumored to have, including…
* Force Touch technology that was introduced on the Apple Watch. This feature will allow you to press a little harder on the screen to bring up extra sets of options. While this might not sound that interesting now, it may be a critical technology to have with certain apps in the future.
* A new USB-C port for charging, transferring files and video output to monitors or your TV.
* Near Field Communication which will enable Apple Pay on the iPad.
* A Bluetooth stylus may be included with increased sensitivity to make drawing and handwriting on the iPad more accurate.
        I’m going to hold off until the fall for my next iPad. Maybe I’ll get myself the new Apple Watch to hold me over until then :-)"

What Will the FCC Allow?

       "Here is an interesting article wherein the FCC is considering allowing carriers to use their cellular network and Wi-Fi frequencies together. Does this seem like a traffic jam just waiting to happen?" asks Jim Hamm.  He goes on to challenge us to get informed.  
        "I'm sure that I don't understand all of the ramifications of this idea, or whether it's a good or a bad idea. It will be interesting, though, to see how this develops with the FCC." 

About This So-Called Security Program

        Take a look at this serious matter brought to our attention by Jim Hamm.  

        "If you surf the net, you've probably seen ads pop up for MacKeeper, a so-called security program for the Mac. Here is an article about MacKeeper, and its aggressive advertising program on the internet.       
         "My suggestion is to stay far away from this program. You'll see why after you read the article. Having said that, though, I am amazed -- and somewhat jealous -- at how some young, smart programmers in the Ukraine had an idea, developed a program, aggressively marketed it, and rolled in some $26 million dollars. Now why wasn't I smart enough to do this?...(grin)…" Thanks to Jim for this info. 

Which Mac Laptop to Buy?

        "If you are possibly be in the market for a new Mac laptop, should you consider Apple's new, 12-inch MacBook?" asks Jim Hamm.  " Here is an article with a very good review of Apple's new offering, and the author's opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of it.

        "And here is another article with some comments about the 12-inch MacBook, the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro. The author mentions that the MacBook laptop line is getting a bit crowded, what with three, somewhat similar, MacBooks.

        "Ah, which one to buy, you ask? A good question, and the articles may help you decide, based on how you plan to use the MacBook, and how much power you might need. I don't think one can go wrong with any of the three." 

        Jim closes with, "I'm very well pleased with my MacBook Air, so I'm not in the market -- at least right now. But it's always interesting to see what Apple is offering next."

Photos Tutorial

         And who would be sending this info?  John Carter. "Not to be outdone, Noteboom Productions has a 43 lesson tutorial on Photos going through every possible detail of the app.  Check it out here. Of course, this one isn’t free." 

Astrophotography with a Smartphone?

        John Carter has more to say about photography, "Someone has been quite successful in taking images of Jupiter using his iPhone, an 8” telescope, and a couple of apps on his computer.  Get the full, brief, story here."

Editing Photos in the New Photo App

        "MacMost.com has done an excellent job of briefly demoing the features in the new Photo app.  Check it out here. Hey, even I learned something, and now I have a lot less to complain about," comments John Carter. 

Malware / Adware / Crapware

        With the bold statement, "Mac OS X isn't safe anymore" this article dated 2-26-15 has 16 pages of details and pictures.  http://www.howtogeek.com/210589/mac-os-x-isn’t-safe-anymore-the-crapware-malware-epidemic-has-begun/  
        Your personal information, bank and credit card numbers, where you are and what you're doing is open to view.  How did this happen?  What can I do?  What downloads are safe? 
        This article has 37 replies posted which gives you an idea of what others are thinking about the troubles that many have not considered. This website also has sections on Windows, Linux, Office, Apple, Mobile, Gadgets, and more.  

See if Virus Detection Software is Working

        A helpful tip comes from David Passell:  "Here is a site to go to if you want to see if virus detection software is working. http://www.rexswain.com/eicar.html

        "It gives you three situations that you can have downloaded. When i downloaded any of them my Mozilla (Firefox) browser gave me a 'Malicious Software Detected' and blocked the load. 

        "What was downloaded is a harmless test virus. If not detected, it gives you a message."  And David explains, "Somebody at the last LUGY meeting told me about this.  That's the Linux User's Group of Yavapai County.  They have an evening social meeting early in each month.  Idea is similar to our PMUG brunches."