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Wi-Fi Assist

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If you are running iOS 9 on an iPhone or iPad and have purchased a cellular data plan, here is an article you will want to read. There is a new "feature" in iOS 9 that automatically switches your device from wifi to cellular if iOS 9 deems the wifi signal to be too weak. It is called "wi-fi assist". Jim Hamm does not like this "feature".  He travels frequently, and wifi signals are often weak in hotels and RV parks.  He does not want his iPhone or iPad to switch to cellular without his OK since he could easily burn through his cellular plan data cap and not even realize it.  Fortunately, this "feature" can be turned off.

El Capitan Installed

Jim Hamm installed OS X 10.11 -- El Capitan -- on his MacBook Air on September 30, when it was released. It took about 30 minutes to download the 6 GB program, and another 40 minutes to complete the install. All went well as far as he could tell at the time. His MacBook Air has an SSD, and it must have been working hard as the cooling fans were blowing hard to cool the Mac down during the install. Normally he does not hear the fans. According to Gizmodo (here) there are 11 things that can now be done that could not be done with Yosemite.  Another recap of the new features of El Capitan is given here from  MacRumors.

One new feature is the ability to find the cursor by just shaking the Mouse.  It is sometimes difficult to see where the cursor is located.

Microsoft has said there will be no more major updates to Windows 10 -- just continuous improvements.  Will Apple follow their lead?

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El Capitan - worth getting

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He loves me, He loves me not. He loves me ... El Capitan debuts on September 30. A modest upgrade to OS X, but all suggest it's worth getting....Jim Hamm

Now if you want to know what others think, read this article. Here's an excerpt:

"After testing El Capitan for a few weeks, most sites agree that while OS X 10.11 isn't a massive overhaul, its performance enhancements and speed boosts make upgrading to the free new OS essentially a no-brainer."

El Capitan is really getting overwhelming approval.

ATM - not all good.

Jim Hamm reminds us, "if you travel, and particularly overseas, you probably use an ATM machine. Well, beware, because tech thieves are now focusing their malware efforts on ATM machines. Read the article here.
"When we travel and need to use an ATM, we try to do so only at a bank, and only during business hours. One time, some years ago, an ATM grabbed Zee's card and wouldn't return it. Fortunately, it was at a bank, the bank was open, and Zee got her ATM card back. A few tense moments, though, before the bank returned her card. We're not sure what happened. Perhaps an incorrect PIN entered?
"Anyway, if it's electronic -- whether it is your computer, the internet, an ATM, or? -- you can bet malware thieves are looking at it and wondering how they can get ahold of some your money....Jim"

Jim Hamm submits the following news about the iPhone 6S.

"Apple’s job every year is to bring out a new iPhone with enough improvements to justify an upgrade, a new purchase, or a switch from a competing phone. This year, the company has done it again with the iPhone 6S, adding core new features including a screen that detects the pressure of your touch and uses that knowledge to make navigation easier and faster.”
 
See the full article here.
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Take Control e-Book on iOS 9

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There is a new e-Book available that you might want to take a look at. It is a crash course on iOS 9. Visit takecontrolbooks.com (click here) and use your MUG discount to get this e-Book with a 30% discount.

While you are there, notice that there is also a new e-book out on upgrading to El Capitan.

You might want to bookmark that link for future reference.

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iPhone 6S is HERE!

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Jim Hamm submits this news about the iPhone 6S. "Apple’s job every year is to bring out a new iPhone with enough improvements to justify an upgrade, a new purchase, or a switch from a competing phone. This year, the company has done it again with the iPhone 6S, adding core new features including a screen that detects the pressure of your touch and uses that knowledge to make navigation easier and faster.”

See the full article here.

What's in the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

Jim Hamm found this intriguing article that briefly highlights the major new features of the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. It sounds mouth-watering to John Carter whom we are sure will get the new 6S Plus for the advanced photo and video features. Maybe he won’t be the only one. So the question is, do you get a smartphone like this to make phone calls, or is it mostly a handy pocket video/camera?

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False message from Apple iTunes! BEWARE!

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If you get an e-mail message supposedly from Apple asking you to confirm your iTunes ID and password, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK! The link does NOT go to an Apple website. You WILL get something you never wanted, especially if you give away your Apple ID and password.

Apple - in fact, no reputable company - will ever ask you to verify your ID and/or password or any other personal or financial information by e-mail. If you need to make sure that your ID and password are good, go directly to the company's website and login. That will verify your ID and password.

Below is the exposed content of the phishing message. Notice that the link for "Verify now" goes to "lookslikedesign" and not Apple. Always hover over links to confirm their true identity.

Dear,
We just need to verify that the information account belongs to you. Simply click the link below and sign in using your itunes ID and password. To complete the process, click the link below.
Verify now > <http://lookslikedesign.com/blog/Update.Your.Credit.Card.OnlineINFO.USIP343.12.675.18%20/apples/>
This link will expire three days after this email was sent.
Extend our this request, it's likely that another user has entered your email address by mistake and your account is still secure. If you believe an unauthorized person has accessed your account, you can enter your account information at My Apple ID <http://lookslikedesign.com/blog/Update.Your.Credit.Card.OnlineINFO.USIP343.12.675.18%20/apples/>.
Apple Support

My Apple ID <https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/wa/chooseYourCountry> | Support <https://www.apple.com/support/country/> | Privacy Policy <https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/privacy/>
Copyright Š 2015 Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, United States. All Rights Reserved.

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Free Photoshop course!

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Jim Hays gives us this good news: "Photoshop Mastery: Zero to Hero Course" for free!
Udemy offers Dr. Chad Neuman's Photoshop Mastery: Zero to Hero Course for $29. Coupon code "LEARN_PHOTOSHOP" makes it free. It includes 40 lectures and three hours of video covering the essentials of Adobe Photoshop. It's not clear how long this offer is valid for.
Interested? Click on this link.
John Carter thanks you, Jim. John now has one more course to take to add to the nearly hundred hours of things to do every week.
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The future of Mac User Groups

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Jim Hamm provides us with a New York Times article (link below) about Mac user groups, suggesting that they may have faded in popularity, as evidenced by the following comment in the article: “We’re all suffering the same thing. We’re not getting new people,” said Bob White, 72, a MacNexus member. “A lot of us are senior citizens.” Since PMUG is going strong, Jim hasn't noticed the impact the internet, forums, Apple stores, etc., have had on Mac clubs.

Jim also belongs to the Mac club in Phoenix (AMUG), and has noticed how their membership has shrunk over the years. He enjoys the personal presentations in Mac meetings, and likes to contribute a bit when he can, such as his frequent contributions to the PMUG Blog.

Jim adds, "One can't help but wonder, what does the future hold for Mac user groups?"

John Carter notes that the Prescott Computer Club membership has increased to 140+ recently, and a lot of that increase is due to the flurry of excitement about the Windows 10 release and the public announcements the club makes to get the news out. Just how much attention will the new announcements by Apple this month will bring new members to PMUG is unknown, but due to the high success rate of individuals being able to do their own updates, probably none.

Mac User Groups Fade in Number and Influence, but Devotees Press On

Hearing Loss Problem? Try this.

Costco is offering a top of the line hearing loss solution for - not $7500 - only $1800. And this unique hearing aid can be adjusted using your iPhone or iPad! What's more, this hearing aid can receive phone calls, music, podcasts and other audio directly from Apple iPhones, iPads or iPod Touch devices without requiring an intermediate streaming device.

Jim Hamm submitted this article by a more-than-pleased user of the Kirkland Signature 6.0 hearing aid. And John Carter did a little research on it and found this article by another pleased user. There are literally dozens of more-than-pleased reviews about that particular hearing aid, and you can get these reviews just be searching with this phrase: "kirkland signature hearing aids reviews." Or this: "Kirkland Signature 6.0 hearing aids."

 

 

Mail Messages Don't Wrap

In Mac Mail, have you ever experienced that some (not all) of your e-mail messages do not wrap? Yet the same message in the iPhone and iPad wrap just fine. This is a problem with Mac Mail, and it has been around for a long time. You can search the Internet for many stories of users who are experiencing this problem. But there seems to be only one solution.

You can actually read the message normally in Mac Mail if you just hit the reply button, whether you intend to reply or not.

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How to get your Mac hijacked

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Yes, it is possible that your Mac could get hijacked. On August 17, 2015, PC World posted an article about how your Mac could get hijacked. PC World reports, "An Italian teenager has found two zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple’s OS X operating system that could be used to gain remote access to a computer."

The good news for Apple is that it doesn't appear to be in OS X El Capitan.

Is there a patch? Sort of, but it doesn't come from Apple. And because it takes two bugs together to cause the kind of memory corruption that would allow a hacker to gain root access, it's kind of unlikely that any Mac user would be affected. In other words, if you're not a high profile target, this should be the least of your worries.

Read the full PC World article here. And Cult of Mac has a similar article here.