mSecure Password Manager

Here is a tip for possible consideration and FYI. As I've mentioned previously, I use the app, mSecure (https://www.msecure.com/), to securely store my passwords. Whenever I add or make three changes to mSecure it asks if I'd like to send an encrypted email to myself of all my passwords so I'd have another record of these changes. Of course I do this.

What I didn't think about doing previously was saving this encrypted password file to my Dropbox account, and I just did it. Now, I've saved my passwords to the 'cloud' as well as storing them in my mSecure app -- which is on my iPhone, iPad and Mac. If my Dropbox account should ever get hacked, no one could get into my password file as it is securely encrypted, and would self-destruct after three failed password tries.

Yes, I realize this is really a "belt and suspenders" approach to password security. But it's free and easy to do, so why not do it?

Jim Hamm

Dropbox Security

I have commented previously about how much I use and appreciate the convenience of using Dropbox to store documents and easily sync between devices. And I've also mentioned that I don't store any sensitive data there, such as passwords. But this brings up the question: how secure is Dropbox? Read the following two articles and a short video: http://tiptopsecurity.com/is-dropbox-safe-to-use-how-dropbox-works-to-secure-your-files-online/

http://www.howtogeek.com/129393/6-ways-to-secure-your-dropbox-account/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5dQ-NCQtdY

The video discusses using an encryption app -- such as BoxCryptor (https://www.boxcryptor.com/en/boxcryptor) -- to encrypt one's passwords or sensitive data before sending it to the 'cloud'. Here's another approach I'm going to use: I already have an encrypted file of my passwords from my mSecure app. I'll just send a copy of this file to my Dropbox account for storage. Let's say, as an example, that my Dropbox account gets hacked, or Dropbox gets a court order to open my account. This they would do, but Dropbox doesn't have access to my mSecure file so it couldn't be opened by Dropbox or the hacker or the government.

If you should have an encrypted file from another Password Managers, I should think this would work, also. Easy to do, and yet another way to use the 'cloud' securely.

Jim Hamm

PMUG: Computer won't boot up?

It is inevitable that someday the internal hard drive will develop an anomaly and fail to boot up. This happened to me yesterday. The internal drive on my MacBook Pro is a Solid State Drive - the original from Apple. The first line of defense is to hold down the Command and R keys together when powering up the computer. This boots the computer into the Recovery mode.

Once in Recovery mode, click on Disk Utility in the window that shows up on the display. In Disk Utility, select the internal hard drive in the left column and then click on First Aid in the Tool bar. Then reboot.

Well, this didn’t fix my problem. And if it doesn’t fix yours, then the next step is to re-install the OS. This is done without losing any of your data. And again you have to boot up into the Recovery mode.

After I re-installed the OS, my computer still would not boot up. And if a re-install doesn’t fix your problem, the next step is to wipe the internal hard drive clean and re-install the OS from scratch.

To wipe the computer clean, boot up into the Recovery mode and again select Disk Utility. In Disk Utility, select your internal drive and then click on Erase in the Tool bar. There goes all your data and applications!

After erasing the internal drive, you now select to re-install the OS.

After the OS has been installed you need to reboot your computer. Thankfully, this time my computer did boot up. But now I was faced with a decision. Do I just pretend I have a new computer and start everything from scratch or do I attempt to recover everything from the Time Machine backup that I had been meticulously keeping? I decided to recover from the Time Machine backup. If you have not been keeping an up-to-date Time Machine backup, your only option is to start from scratch. Sorry.

Following the instructions given me on the screen after booting up my computer, I selected to restore from a Time Machine backup. The good news is that the computer was restored and it now reboots normally - and nothing was lost! Even better news is that an annoying problem I had with Mail is now gone.

So now I have to consider that there just might be something lurking in my internal drive that will someday again cause the computer to misbehave. I’m prepared to replace the 500GB SSD with a 1TB SSD should that happen again.

John R Carter Sr

Battle of the Browsers

If you're just browsing the net, and have the time and interest in reading another article comparing browsers, read here. I read the article, but it didn't give me any reason to switch from my favorite browser -- Chrome. I really appreciate and like the many features and extensions available on Chrome (running Flash in a Sandbox is a good one), but I suspect it may use the most memory when it's running. The article didn't discuss that aspect of browsers.

One browser that I'll keep my eye on is Opera, when it is available with a built-in VPN. This could be handy to use when one is traveling and using public wifi. Right now it is still being tested in developer mode. Article here.

Jim Hamm

What Does iTunes Make You Agree to before Use?

David Passell offers this amusing bit of information about the Apple EULA: The user agreement for iTunes includes a clause promising not to use Apple products to build nuclear weapons. Admit it: you never read the fine print when installing software. That became amusingly evident back in 2008 when an astute user discovered that in the End-User License Agreement (known as the EULA) for iTunes, Apple prohibits the use of its products in “the development, design, manufacture or production” of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

PMUG: Give Apple Feedback

Do you have a suggestion for Apple about any of their products? It is easy to do. Just go online at http://www.apple.com/feedback/ and select the product that you want to give feedback on. I’m less than satisfied with how Photos synchronizes across devices, so I gave them an earful. In fact, I submitted three different posts.

Each post had to be submitted separately because they have a limit on how many characters can be entered in a single post. My suggestion, and this was also suggested by the Apple tech support I talked to, is that every member in PMUG post these complaints. The more complaints they get, the more likely they are to make a change.

Problem 1. Reported as a Photos feedback. When using My Photo Stream to transfer new photos from iPhone/iPad to the Mac, I can edit or delete the photos that then show up on the Mac, and I can import the photo from the photo stream to the Mac's library.

When using My Photo Stream to transfer new photos from the Mac to an iPhone or iPad, I cannot delete the photo although I can duplicate the photo to edit the photo. This is NOT GOOD! In addition, photos transferred to an iPad from an iPhone - or vice-versa - the photo on the destination cannot be deleted. This is NOT GOOD!

I need to have full control of all photos on all devices no matter how they are transferred or sync'd.

Problem 2. Reported as a Photos feedback. In order to have full control of all photos on all devices, I have to use AirDrop to do the transfer. This means turning OFF My Photo Stream on all devices and never using iTunes to sync photos from the Mac to a mobile device.

The problem with not using iTunes is that albums are not created on the mobile device. But if I use iTunes, then I can’t delete a photo that goes to the mobile device without deleting it from the Mac and then sync’ing again. Nor can I edit the photo on the mobile device without creating a duplicate. This is NOT GOOD!

I need to be able to transfer albums as well as album content using AirDrop, because AirDrop is the only way I can have full control of all my photos on mobile devices.

Problem 3. Reported as an iPhone feedback. When importing photos into the system Photos library on the Mac I am given the option to import only new photos or to select just those photos that I want. This is good.

When transferring photos from the Mac to a mobile device using iTunes, it appears to be an all-or-nothing selection — I can select individual albums or faces, etc., but not individual photos. This is NOT GOOD!

I need to be able to transfer selected photos or albums or events from the Mac to a mobile device or vice-versa WITHOUT USING ITUNES! iTunes is broken because it does not allow me to delete a photo in iOS, and I have to create a duplicate in iOS in order to edit the photo there.

John R Carter Sr

Google Drive for the Mac

How would you like to have available 15 GB of free 'Cloud' storage on your Mac? If that might be of interest, here is an article with more information on Google Drive. Of course, you're probably already using Apple's iCloud, which provides 5 GB of free 'Cloud' storage. If you haven't installed the app yet, here is an article on how to set iCloud up.

Now, perhaps you, like me, may be a bit confused as to the difference between Apple's iCloud and iCloud Drive. Here and here are two articles you might read for a better understanding between the two.

And, of course, you have Time Machine for backups -- and you're using it, aren't you? And, to be really safe, you could do a complete image, bootable, backup of your hard drive, using an app such as SuperDuper (info here). You download all the items on your computer's hard drive onto an external hard drive. I have used SuperDuper for years but, fortunately, have never had to use it. This is somewhat akin, I suppose, to buying a Life Insurance policy and hope you never use it.

The above will give you some food for thought on places where to safely store your computer "stuff".

Jim Hamm

mSecure Password Manager

If you keep your passwords secure on a Password Manager -- and you should, I think -- here is a suggestion for your consideration. My wife and I both use the same Password Manager: mSecure. (https://www.msecure.com/). The app can be purchased from Apple's App Store as well as the website. We both have the app on our Macs as well as our iPhones, and are able to easily sync between devices. We both use the same password, so if one should pass before the other (which is most likely), then the remaining spouse would have access to passwords for bank accounts, etc. I shudder to think what it would be like for a remaining spouse to try and figure out passwords to get into bank accounts, etc. What a mess that would be.

We happen to like the features of mSecure, but there are other Password Managers one can consider. But, if you have a spouse (or even if you don't), I highly recommend your getting and using a Password Manager -- and both spouses use the same password. If single, perhaps leaving your password with a sibling or your beneficiary.

As I said, just a thought for your consideration.

Jim Hamm

Avira AV for the Mac

For years I used the free Avast AntiVirus program on my Mac (and PCs as well), and was pleased with its performance. Recently, however, the free version started doing small popups wanting me to upgrade or do something else. In short -- lots of nagging. Well, I decided to look around a bit at another free AV program, and settled on Avira, which I installed and am now using instead of Avast. If you're interested in reading more about Avira, following are two reviews:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/security-software/avira-free-antivirus-review-3493945/

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/avira-free-antivirus,review-2207.html

Opinions vary on whether an antivirus program is needed on a Mac. I prefer to use one, especially one that is free and seems to be effective.

Jim Hamm

Which Mac Laptop Should You Buy?

If you should be in the market for a new Mac laptop, now or perhaps at a later date, which one should you buy? The following article gives a great comparison of the features between a Macbook, a MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro: http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/macbook-vs-air-vs-pro

Once you have a new Mac laptop, the following article lists a few apps the author thinks are very helpful for you to have:

http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-mac-apps

Of the apps the author recommends, my favorite is Dropbox, which I use often. I've used some of the others, and you probably can't go wrong in using any of his recommendations.

Jim Hamm

A Better Way to Sync Photos

When you use "My Photo Stream" to sync photos between devices, there will be a few complications that you really don't want to work around. For instance, if you take a photo on the iPhone, it will show up on your iPad and Mac automatically. However, if you delete the photo from the iPad, it will the be deleted from the Photo Stream on all other devices. This does not delete the original photo from the iPhone, but it does delete the photo from the Mac. But there's a snag with what I just said.

At some point in time during all the updates from Apple, if you have not logged out of your Apple ID on ALL devices and then logged back in, you may discover that you can't delete a photo from a device that was sync'ed using Photo Stream - and you can't even edit it without creating a duplicate. The cure for this is to log out of your Apple ID on ALL devices and log back in. When you do this, all photos on any device that were sync'ed with Photo Stream will be deleted (you will be given the option to keep other items, like notes and calendar information).

Now for the good part. Once you stop using My Photo Stream to sync photos between devices, you can use AirDrop to transfer photos between devices. And what's even better is that the original (creation) date of the photos are retained. No other method of copying photos retains the creation date.

The bad news for some people is that you have to have a new enough iPhone/iPad that allows you to use AirDrop. Check out "How to use AirDrop with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch" in support.apple.com.

John R Carter, Sr.

5 Ways Apple Protects Your Data

Here's a handy piece of information that just came out in issue 159 of iCreate, the magazine for everything Apple. I get the digital issue for quite a bit less than the printed issue. If there's anything that you want to know about any Apple product - and some 3rd party products - iCreate is the magazine to subscribe to. The following points are excerpts from iCreate: 5 Ways Apple Protects Your Data 1. Encryption as default In contrast to Android devices, every new iPhone shipped is encrypted by default ... (Even hidden from Apple engineers)

2. Local Data While some of your stuff is backed up to iCloud, a lot of data - included in Siri searches, location history, and other sensitive information - is stored locally on your Apple device ... (Not beamed anywhere else)

3. Secure Element Since 2014, iPhones (and the Apple Watch) have had an integrated Secure Element ... (Transactions can't be spoofed)

4. Encrypted Communications As with the data on your iPhone, data transmitted between contacts in iMessage and FaceTime is fully encrypted ... (Wiretapping is impossible even by the government)

5. ICloud Security Unlike Google, Apple doesn't mine your email or searches to provide targeted advertising. ... (Just make sure your password is a good one)

To see the full story, you'll have to subscribe to the magazine (sorry). Download the free iCreate app in the App Store or purchase a subscription to iCreate using Zinio. Imagine Publishing offers several additional digital magazines that you might find interesting.

John R Carter, Sr.

Opera VPN

If you use your iPad or iPhone in public, unsecured wifi networks, you might consider trying out the new Opera VPN browser. Read more here. I plan to give it a try since I use public wifi frequently, especially when we travel. The VPN service is provided by 'SurfEasy'. Website here.

The use of the Opera browser is very small, at only about 2% market share. This VPN service is their way to try and attract more users. It will be interesting to see, first, how well Opera VPN works and, second, how successful their strategy turns out to be.

Jim Hamm

Gmail

If you use Google's Gmail as your email program of choice -- as I do -- then you'll want to read the following article for many useful tips: Note: Ignore the drop down box asking for a login.  Click on "Continue reading" to read the entire article.

http://www.minterest.org/gmail-tips-and-tricks/#customize

There are many attributes I enjoy about Gmail, but one that I really appreciate and use often is the 'search' function. If, for example, you sent an email to, say, 'Joe' or 'Jane' about 3 or 6 or ? months ago and need to retrieve some info from that email, just use the search function.

Jim Hamm

Gmail's Inbox

If you use Gmail, have you tried their new 'Inbox' yet? If you're interested in trying it, here is an article describing the various features of Inbox. I took a look at Inbox a while back, but didn't make the switch. I like the way Gmail works for me right now, and so I'll keep using it, at least for the foreseeable future. However, if you read the article, and like what you see, perhaps you'll give Inbox a try.

Jim Hamm

Are Your Bits Flipped?

TakeControlBooks.com has an amazing new ebook that our members may be interested in. It’s called “Are Your Bits Flipped?” by Joe Kissell. If you’re having trouble with technology terminology, this ebook should help you to feel more comfortable with your Mac and at the same time dispel some of those myths that you may have been under the influence of - like, how safe is the iCloud? Don’t forget to use the DMUG discount code when ordering to get your 30% discount. Go online here to check it out.

John Carter

An 'Apple' Phishing Scheme

Another 'phishing' scheme regarding an "Apple' notice just happened to a friend. He got an email, supposedly from Apple, that something had been purchased using his Apple ID. The email had a link to click, which took him elsewhere -- but not to Apple. Just a caution: if you receive an email from Apple, a bank, whatever, stating something has happened to your ID or account, don't click anything in the email. Of course, you already know this. If you're concerned that the notice might be valid, log into the company from your browser -- not the email -- and check from there.

Jim Hamm

Choosing to Skip the Upgrade and Care for the Gadget You’ve Got

Dave Rothgery found a great article on iPhone management, which is solid advice for both PCs and smart phones. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/technology/personaltech/choosing-to-skipthe-upgrade-and-care-for-the-gadget-youve-got.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

As part of a movement against consumerism, more people are maintaining their electronics instead of constantly buying the newest, fastest model.

 

What’s Special about 9:41 a.m. for Apple?

Some Apple trivia from David PassellwiseGEEK is a free news bulletin that David receives by email every day. Apple advertising materials show the time as 9:41 a.m., close to the moment when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone.

When the folks at Apple get something into their collective heads, it can last for years. For example, since 2007, all of their marketing material for products with screens -- such as phones, watches and tablets – displays the same time of day. Back when the first iPhone was unveiled in 2007, that time was 9:42. These days, it's 9:41.

Read More: http://www.wisegeek.com/whats-special-about-941-am-for-apple.htm?m