Antivirus Program Described

        "I use the free Avast antivirus (AV) program on both my Macs and Windows computers," Jim Hamm begins.   "I like it, and it is light on computer resources. In case you might an interest in Avast,  here is a comprehensive article about this AV program. The article happens to cover installation on a Windows computer, but the process is basically the same for a Mac.
        "Some might question whether an AV program is needed on a Mac. Rather than ponder this philosophical question, I just go ahead and use Avast. I see no downside to doing this, and a possibility of an upside."

        Read  this info and note the chart comparing Avast with seven other well-known antivirus programs.  And there's that word:  FREE. 

Anti-Virus App Does Its Job

       "I opened my mail this morning and Sophos (my only Anti-Virus app on my Mac) presented me with this notice: 

        So John Carter has now gotten everyone's attention!  (You do remember to click to enlarge the pasted graphics.)  Read on, "I opened the Quarantine manager.

Then I clicked on the link for the threat to see the details.  Not to worry, it only infects a Windows machine.   But anyway, I let Sophos clean it up:

And here's the happy conclusion from John,  "Having Sophos check my email for viruses and threats does help me avoid opening suspicious email, even if the threat can’t hurt my Mac."

        Note on this page  that Sophos is FREE,  and it's for Mac OS X 10.6 or later.  Their website also has a forum for discussions. 

Free Webinar

        Ruth Davis of Mac2School is offering a free webinar.  (Note that word FREE.)  Her email announces that the live seats are filled, but you can sign up for the recording that she'll send so people can watch at their convenience. www.mac2school.com/webinar   Ruth spoke to PMUG a few years ago.  See about her 6 week online class here:  http://www.mac2school.com/biz/   

Box App for iPhone & iPad

        Here's that word, FREE, as Prez Art Gorski tells about an app named Box. "Box is an alternative to DropBox for storing files in the 'cloud.' They’ve just released new iPhone and iPad apps and, if you install one of these and sign up now, you’ll get 50GB of free on-line storage."  http://blog.box.com/2014/01/get-the-all-new-box-for-iphone-and-ipad-50bg-free/  

FREE Videos on Mavericks

        Learning more about Mavericks?  Jim Hamm informs us, "If you're relative new to OS X Mavericks, here is a half-hour video tutorial that might be helpful."  Note:  there are FREE videos for PC and Mac here.  

Hurry. . . This App is FREE

        Here's that good word — FREE.  Jim Hamm rushes us this info:  "This $7 iPhone app is free for a limited time, and you should go download it immediately."  It's available from the App Store. His email notes this info is shared from Zite and send from his iPad. 
        See for yourself here.  

Some FREE AntiVirus Programs for Mac

        Jim Hamm started off with a link http://www.slashgear.com/avg-antivirus-for-mac-launches-with-triple-protection-12308577/ about AVG AntiVirus protection,  but that raised a few questions.  Have you used this?  Will it run on Mac running an earlier system?  Jim obliged with more info,  "I haven't used AVG, but it's been around for a long time and has a good reputation. It will run on Mavericks and Mountain Lion. Here's some more info on AVG."  
        But Jim, what antivirus program are you now using?  "I use Avast AV, which is also free."
        So, there you have it.  Any more questions from anybody?  Any recommendations?  Let's keep up on what works! 

12 Days of FREE Gifts

         Got an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch?  Don't miss this deal; it's FREE.  You can just see Jim Hamm grinning as he announces this, "For 12 days, starting December 26, Apple will provide a free download -- songs, apps, etc -- for 24 hours. There is an app for this so you don't miss a freebie. Take a look  here." 

Ten iOS 7 Tips

       "If you've upgraded to iOS 7, here's some tips that might be handy to know," Jim Hamm recommends.  See the latest for your iPhone and iPad.  You can click to get a FREE daily tip sent to your email.  

FREE IWork Apps

        Jim Hamm's been busy with Mavericks, don't you know.  He sends us one more link with helpful information.  "With the release of Mavericks Apple has enabled FREE upgrades for iWork apps such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Here's an article with further details. A nice touch by Apple. 

        "Apple has so much cash stashed away they've become quite liberal with pricing their OS updates -- as in FREE for Mavericks. Hard to quarrel with that price...(grin)."  Jim

Apps for Free TV Shows

        Maybe you saw this from Ben Patterson's Here's the Thing blog:  There are 10 apps for FREE streaming network TV shows available for your iPhone and iPad.  Read about it here. 

FREE and Reduced-price eBooks

        Again Jim Hamm keeps us posted on FREE and inexpensive stuff!  "eReaderIQ is back, and now offers one free eBook and several reduced-price eBooks from Amazon. If interested, you might take a look and perhaps subscribe to their offerings."
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ed09bb8384b4b40c482babf93&id=1d37388ea9&e=3e18e2b6bf
Here's this:  http://www.ereaderiq.com

E-book: Mountain Lion

        Jim Hamm gets our attention with this word:  "Mountain Lion was released about a year ago. If you've used this latest OS since then, or are new to it, here is a E-book on using Mountain Lion that might be helpful." (From TakeControlBooks - available with your MUG discount.)

New Desktop Wallpaper, FREE

        "Here are some interesting images that might make a nice desktop wallpaper for you," is how Jim Hamm begins his latest email.  "I think I might go for the Andromeda image. On the other hand, hmmm?"  http://osxdaily.com/2013/06/28/9-high-res-space-wallpapers/
        They're gorgeous, they're free.  But how do you put them on your computer?
        Jim to the rescue.  "Just right-click the image and 'save image as' or copy image and paste wherever you want.  You save each image separately and then select the one you want for your desktop wallpaper. You also can have the wallpaper change ever so often, if you want, in System Preferences."  

Send Text Messages FREE

        Jim Hamm shares this information,  "If you use text messaging frequently, here is a cross-platform app, WhatsApp, to send text messages for free. And here is an article that explains more about the app."
        Prez Art Gorski adds, "Apple's iMessage also sends text messages for free (between Apple devices) if you don't need cross-platform." 

Fonts, Some Are FREE

        Prez Art Gorski shares this,  "Here's a really good article on finding tons of new fonts for your Mac, many are FREE."  Link. 

        "Back in ancient times —throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s . . . " is how the article begins!  So, take a deep breath and read it!  Lots of examples of font sales are shown. 

More Storage -- FREE

        That word gets our attention:  FREE!  Jim Hamm notifies us, "If you use Gmail for your email client, here's good news: you've now got 15GB of storage -- up from 10GB previously."  
        There's some Unified Cloud Storage for FREE across Google Drive, Gmail and Google+Photos.  After the first 15GB the upgrade plan starts at only $4.99 a month for 100GB.  The next couple of weeks brings the staged roll out.  

FREE & Lets You Run Apps

        Free and maybe handy for you.  David Passell says,  "I came upon this app which might interest somebody. It is free and called "blue stacks".  See it here.  It allows you to run android apps on your computer. It is free. I'm not sure what use it will be to me, but somebody might like it. It comes with a lot of games and you can add your own apps. There is a Mac version which sends you a .dmg to install. 

FREE Video Tutorials Available

        John Carter knows how to get our attention!  "Once in a while I run into a great find on the Internet, and this one is a keeper.

        "MacMost.com features video tutorials for everything Mac - from iPhones to Macs. The best part, for me anyway, is that all of the tutorials are available FREE in iTunes. And there is a newsletter that you can subscribe to and keep up to date with the latest Mac information.

        "Just a few days ago, the video "Mac OS X Cat Names" appeared on the scene. Gary Rozenzweig, the author and creator of MacMost, gives a full accounting of all the names Apple has been using for the various OS X releases - from the 10.0 Beta right up to 10.8. It's really worth watching, and I'm sure you'll get a lot from all of his other videos no matter how old they are.

        And here's John's recommendation to all of our readers here:  "Personally, I've already subscribed to the tutorials in iTunes and the newsletter. I'm hoping you will too, because I'm letting you know now that instead of me creating professional looking tutorials I'm going to let Gary do all the work."  

How to Automate Certain Functions on Your Mac

        "If you're interested in automating certain functions on your Mac, here is a link where a 60-page book of instructions can be downloaded. If a password is required, I think it will be: makeuseof."  This handy info comes from Jim Hamm, and yes, the book is FREE.