Chromium Browser

Have you ever tried the Chromium browser? If not, you might very well ask what is it, and why would I want to use it? Here is an excellent article that explains all about Chromium: https://www.lifewire.com/chromium-web-browser-4171288

I've used Chromium, and found it to be fine and very similar to Chrome, which is my browser of choice. The primary reason most people use Chromium, it appears, is that Chromium doesn't feed any of your internet surfing to Google, which many people don't care for.

As the article states, there is some downside to using Chromium. If you have further interest, read the article.

Jim Hamm

VPN Unlimited Chrome Extension

If you occasionally use a free wifi connection for internet access, I think it is important to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to secure and protect your connection. If you use the Chrome browser, as I do, I just became aware of a VPN extension from Keep Solid VPN Unlimited that will encrypt and protect your browser traffic. I downloaded and installed it just moments ago, and am connected to a server in Los Angeles.

I did a speed test to see if this extension adversely affected my download speed. I couldn't see any significant degradation.

So far so good using this extension, which will only encrypt traffic through the Chrome browser. A VPN app, on the other hand, will protect all traffic from your computer. Which do you want or need? It depends, and the info below may help your decision.

I just pass this on FYI and possible benefit.

Jim Hamm

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vpn-unlimited%E2%80%93anonymous-p/mpcaainmfjjigeicjnlkdfajbioopjko/related

https://www.vpnunlimitedapp.com/blog/vpn-browser-extension-vpn-app/

https://www.vpnunlimitedapp.com/blog/vpn-browser-extension-getting-to-a-new-level-of-online-security-and-freedom/

iCloud Photos


IF you are using iCloud Photo Sharing (storing your photos in iCloud to make them available on multiple devices), then pay attention to the following.

There are issues with using iCloud photo sharing, the main one being that uploading images to iCloud can be very slow no matter your ISP speed is. The slow speed is caused by Apple’s server. Apple throttles the speed down to try to accommodate the millions of users uploading many millions of images all at the same time. The end result is that changes made on one device may not show up on another device even in the same week.

Related to that, to know what is actually in iCloud.com, you need to open a browser and log in to icloud.com using the “same” Apple ID that you are using on your devices (for example, I have a main Apple ID and several aliases. I need to log in using the main ID). And it also helps to be logged in with that same ID on all your devices. So, when looking at your images in iCloud.com, you may see duplicates, or missing images, or images there that aren’t on one or more of your devices. There are several factors involved with this discrepancy. Wait a couple of days for the discrepancy to clear up. It is about a duplicate image (in iCloud.com or one of your devices), it may be a real duplicate caused by the synchronization process. The recommendation is to log in to icloud.com and delete the image to the right as that one is most likely not the original. If the duplicate is on one of your devices, again just delete the one on the right.

There is no way on your iOS device (using Photos in iOS) or in icloud.com to see the size information of an image. All you can go by is the date, and that will most likely be the modified date and not the creation date. So choosing to delete a duplicate in icloud.com or on iOS is a crap shoot - but choosing the one on the right is most likely the best bet.

Finally, if the total number of images and videos is different on all your devices (like it is on mine), then wait - and wait - and wait - until the numbers match up, which they eventually should. And it may take many days for the match to happen. During that time, you may be adding/deleting/editing images on one or more devices, and that will certainly keep the numbers mismatched at any point in time.

Hence, if things don’t seem to make sense regarding the number of images and what image is on one device and not another, be patient and have faith that eventually some, if not all, discrepancies will clear up.

John R. Carter, Sr.

 

VPN Unlimited

Now here's quite a deal if you're in the market for a VPN: a lifetime of VPN Unlimited for only $31.99. See here: 

https://www.macworld.com/article/3278669/security/get-a-lifetime-of-vpn-unlimited-for-just-31-99.html

This is way too cheap, it seems to me, so there may be a 'gotcha'. A few years ago I purchased a lifetime license for VPN Unlimited, and in fact am running it now. I don't remember now what I paid for my lifetime license, but it was way more than $32.

Here is one review of VPN Unlimited: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/utilities/keepsolid-vpn-unlimited-1325618/review

And here's another review: https://www.pcmag.com/review/344816/keepsolid-vpn-unlimited

This program has worked well for me, so thought I'd pass this offer along.

Jim Hamm

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Messages on iCloud

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If you've updated your iPhone or iPad to iOS 11.4 you've got a new feature: Messages on iCloud. What does that mean, you might very well ask? Well, it's a bit complicated, and David Pogue explains it all in this link:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/messages-icloud-landed-turn-191908351.html

I must admit -- this is something I'm not too excited about, but it may be helpful for people who use text messages and iMessage a lot.

Jim Hamm

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Router Hack?

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For your possible interest, here is an article about Russian hackers carrying out attacks on home routers. The article doesn't mention how widespread this issue is, but I don't like the sound of it.  As Kim Komando says in the article, "this is a big deal, so pay attention".

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2018/05/18/how-protect-your-router-and-wi-fi-russian-hackers/621297002/

The article provides a link to F-Secure where you can check to see if your router has been hacked. Another link to grc.com(https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?rh1dkyd2) provides several tests to see how secure your browser's web service requests are. 

I did both the router and browser tests and came out OK. I suspect we'll read more in the coming weeks about how widespread the Russian attacks are.

Jim Hamm

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Defender for Chrome

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If you use the Chrome Browser and would like a little extra protection when you're on the internet, you can download and use Microsoft's Window Defender as a plugin for Chrome. This plugin will work on a PC or Mac. The Defender program is an integral part of the Windows OS, and has been improving over time in its effectiveness in catching malware. The following article explains more about what protection it offers: 

https://betanews.com/2018/04/18/mac-users-you-can-now-add-windows-defender-browser-protection-to-google-chrome/

'm trying it out and so far haven't received any malware alerts. Even though the program does 'call' home to compare a URL you might be getting ready to click with a known list of malware, this checking doesn't seem to slow down the browsing any. So I'll keep on using it nd maybe it will help protect me one day. I downloaded it from the Chrome web store here..

Jim Hamm

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Public WiFi

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Public wifi is certainly handy, especially when one is traveling. But there are risks involved, and the following article describes more about this risk:

https://thecorrespondent.com/1101/what-we-give-away-when-we-log-on-to-a-public-wifi-network/31040493-53737dba

Now, I'm not suggesting one doesn't use public wifi -- I use it frequently. What I do recommend is that you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) whenever you're on a public wifi network.  

hich VPN should one use, you might ask? There are many reviews available of VPNs on the internet. Here's one to read, if you have an interest: 

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2403388,00.asp

f you're on public wifi, and not using a VPN, the first article above clearly shows how easy it is for hackers to snoop on your computer activity. So, just be careful when using public wifi.

Jim Hamm