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."

Learning the New Photo Application

        John Carter sends this announcement of Tutor for Photos for OS X:  We are happy to announce we have our Tutor for Photos for OS X available for members! Learn all about Apple’s iPhoto replacement including importing from iPhoto, syncing with iCloud Photo Library, managing multiple libraries, and showing the sidebar to make it more like iPhoto. We also look at organizing your photos into albums, smart albums, faces, folders, and even how to hide your photos. Photos includes extensive editing tools and we show you how to use them. These tools include enhancing photos, adding filters, straightening photos, cropping photos, and making adjustments to your photos. We also show you how you can compare your edits to the original photo. When you are ready to share your photos we take a look at the different sharing options including creating books, calendars, slideshows, and ordering prints.  Login to view the tutorial.

Here's a Tip For Finding Tips

         Jim Hamm thinks you might find a handy tip, and he informs us.  "When David Pogue was the Tech Editor for the New York Times I used to receive and read his helpful technical tips. Then he resigned to go to Yahoo. I lost track of him and what he was doing at Yahoo. Then I came across a video tip from him here.
        "This looks like a good site to poke about in a bit."

That Adware!

        Here's something to consider, sent from Ward Stanke.  He quotes Randy B. Singer, "By far the easiest, quickest, and most complete way to remove adware from one's Macintosh is by using this free product:  AdwareMedic (free)  http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php
        "However, if for some reason you don't care to run Adware Medic, there is a very detailed article on how to manually remove adware, here:
http://www.thesafemac.com/arg-identification/
        "Note that most of the anti-virus software companies don't consider adware to be malicious, so their products don't look for adware."  

        Randy B. Singer is the co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions.)

Keep Informed About Facebook

        Facebook can track everywhere you go online.  Keep informed, see what Kim Komando says.  http://www.komando.com/tips/12299/step-by-step-guide-to-lock-down-your-facebook-profile/2   She gives 5 pages of what and how-to. 
        (Remember to get a better page view to read go to the link, then see if Reader is in a little blue box at the top right side of the website URL line.  Click on Reader to avoid having to see all the ads on the pages.  When you're on the nice clear Reader page and want to go back to the original website page just click somewhere on the page you're now looking at, and that takes you back to the page with all those ads all over it. Yes, you probably would like to see who supports her page . . . and what else she's writing about.)

Walmart App Saves You Money

        Jim Hamm gets our attention with "If you occasionally shop at Wally World, a blogger wrote the the following about an app that is available. It might be worth checking out."  
        "If you shop at Walmart you might want to check out their Savings Catcher Program.  Just download the Walmart app for your phone and then use it to scan your Walmart receipts.  There is a QR code at the bottom of every Walmart receipt that looks like this:  

        "Just use the Walmart app to scan the code and then WM will compare what you paid to prices at other stores in the area.  If they find a lower price, they credit you with the difference.  
        "So far in the last several months, we've gotten a little over $17 back.  You can collect it by printing out an e-card at home and then use it at the checkout.  So, check it out." 

iPad, Five Years Later

        "If you own an iPad, you may recall it was released a little over five years ago by Apple. Here is an interesting -- if somewhat lengthy -- article with comments from various writers on their initial and later perspective of what the iPad was all about," says Jim Hamm.  
        He concludes, "Although, for me, the iPad won't replace a computer, I find it quite handy to have, and feel like my iPad and computer work quite well together, and I wouldn't want to be without either."

Beware Apple Scam

        Get an email from Apple?  A local news channel posted yesterday, 4-2-15 at 4:31 pm their "3 On Your Side" looked into the issue and confirmed it was a phishing scam.  Keep informed, take a look:  http://www.azfamily.com/story/28710752/3oys-warning-scammers-using-apple-to-dupe-you?autostart=true

What is Keychain Access?

         Answering questions that he's been asked about Keychain Access John Carter has written a seven page article. It's what you need to know:  What is it?  How do you use it?  Is it safe?  
        And, as an added benefit John has included tips on using Spotlight with references to Keychain Access.  See it here  Working with Keychain Access. 

Trying Out the VPNs

        "In a recent posting (3/16/15) Jim Hamm gave us a lot of useful information on using VPNs," says Jim Hays.  You'll remember VPN is Virtual Private Networking. 
        He goes on to say,  "Intrigued, I decided to set one up, both to protect my privacy when using public wireless networks and to allow me to access my email accounts in the Prescott Library using an email client (as opposed to a web-based client). Since I will be using the VPN only while traveling or while using public hotspots I opted for Private Tunnel (https://www.privatetunnel.com/) a metered Virtual Private Networking service that provides an extremely easy to use and hassle-free experience. 
        "Pricing: the first 100 megabytes is free; 50 gigabytes costs $12.00; 100 gigabytes costs $20.00; 500 gigabytes costs $50.00. There is no usage time limit for the bandwidth you purchase. Private Tunnel offers clients for Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
        Jim concludes with,  "However you can use any OpenVPN client that will run on your setup. (I used Tunnelblick (http://code.google.com/p/tunnelblick/) on my MacBook.)"

What About Flash?

​        Here's some helpful food for thought from Jim Hamm.  "You may be aware that Apple is not too fond of Adobe's Flash Player. Steve Jobs once referred to Flash as a 'bag of hurt.' It is an older technology and has been subject to virus infections due to weak security in its design. There are still some websites that require Flash Player ( Pandora, I'm looking at you). So, if you want or need to use Flash in Safari, here is an article that clearly shows how to install Flash on your Mac.

        "If you do install Flash for Safari, the author recommends you keep automatic updates on so security in the Flash Player is always up to date. He also suggests not to click an update notice that may pop up in your browser. Instead, go directly to Adobe's website and download  from there. https://get2.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/

        "You may note in the comments that some people, instead of installing Flash for Safari, prefer to just switch over to the Chrome browser for a time on those websites that

require Flash, Chrome has Flash already installed, and 'sandboxed,' which makes
it safer for you to use," Jim concludes.  

An Old Mac

        "Here is an article that will be of interest to computer Geeks," declares Jim Hamm.  " A guy took an old, really old, Mac, and tried to connect it to the internet. Was he successful? Sorta. Talk about a labor of love, and what he did was well above my level of understanding. 

        "If you're a Geek, or just curious, take a read. Interesting, I thought," Jim said. 

http://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/12228/mac-plus-modern-web/

Fascinating Photos: Making the Apple Watch

        Jim Hamm informs us, "Although an Apple watch is not in my Bucket List, I can appreciate all the care and effort Apple puts into making the watch, as the following blog shows. Add to this the cost of developing the software, and it's easy to see why the watch may be considered pricey by some. 

        "Although the blog may be of more interest to engineering-type people, and not for the casual consumer, I found it quite interesting to read about all the precision going into the manufacture of this new watch. I suspect it will be a success for Apple."

atomicdelights.com/blog/a-glimpse-at-how-the-apple-watch-is-made

How Would Apple Streaming TV Work?

        OK, bright and knowledgeable PMUG members and friends:  how would this work?    David Passell writes, "On the recent evening news there was the statement that Apple's proposed streaming TV that included local channels (except NBC) would let you 'cut the cable' and free you from those expenses (by implication that exploit you). 
        He explains, "I have Cable One that brings in my internet and has my email server. I also maintain my 'northlink' email addresses via a nominal monthly charge. I also have a magic jack that provides me with unlimited national phone service. Here I could 'cut the cable' to my landline phone number, or I could let the landline bring in my internet via DSL and eliminate Cable One.  
        "BUT: How would I 'cut the cable' and use the touted Apple Streaming without the above internet interface that my router provides (from cable or DSL) in my home environment? In a big city where there are WiFi hot spots, that might work. (e.g. if i lived near the library or downtown).
        "Besides, Apple would also have a monthly fee not quite as high."
        So, here's the biggie:  "Can somebody explain the magic?"

YouTube Malware

        Alert and aware! Keep reading . . . 
        "I occasionally will watch a video on YouTube, as you probably do too," says Jim Hamm.   "One thing to be aware of when watching YouTube (or visiting any website, for that matter) is the possibility of getting malware on your computer. Here is an article that gives some tips on avoiding malware on YouTube and websites in general.

        "One item of particular interest, and one which I hadn't heard of previously, is a program called 'Tubrosa.' Take a read on what this program does. The hackers are quite creative, it seems. To my way of thinking, 'Tubrosa' is malware."

        And there's more to know.  Jim Hamm goes on, "Here is another link with 7 common sense tips on avoiding malware. 

        "Also, if I get an email from someone I know and trust, and it has a link in it with no words of description of why my friend is sending this to me, I don't open it. Why? Occasionally an email address will get hijacked and the hacker will start sending out links for people to click and get a virus or other malware -- and they never offer any comments on why the email was sent out."  So, thanks again to Jim for notifying us.  

What THEY Don't Want You to Know

         On the lookout for helpful info Jim Hamm steps up to the plate with this one:  "Here's an article that provides some interesting information about your cell phone. We use AT&T, — just look at the 'generous' offer they made to us for only $29/month...(grin)"

        Check out this article from USA TODAY:  What cellphone companies don't want you to know  http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2015/03/13/cell-phone-privacy/70202468/

        Kim Komando goes into some detail about "super cookies,"  how Facebook and cell phone companies AT&T and Verizon track and sell your information, how to turn off tracking — she likes DuckDuckGo.  Read the whole thing. 

"Freak" Bug Update

        John Carter passes along some VERY important info.  "Both Microsoft and Apple have announced that they have released a patch for the FREAK bug. See full article here.
        "In this article, it explains a lot more about the 'Freak' bug and what you can do to find out if your browser is safe to use and even if a website you want to visit is safe to use. The article is written for Mac users, but the method for determining if your browser is safe is essentially the same." 

        John continues, "For all users, check this site to determine if the website you want to visit is secure. The sad news is that your favorite website may fail. It could be only because the site does not have an updated security certificate, or it may be vulnerable to an attack by some issue other than FREAK, so you’re just going to have to take your chances if you insist on going there. For example, my personal website is vulnerable because the hosting service is vulnerable.

        "I have tested the latest Safari browser and have determined that it is safe to use - and this was confirmed after the latest Apple security updates have been installed. I have also just updated Windows 8.1 and tested MSIE and found it to be safe. 

        "The Win 10 Beta with the latest updates is secure for MSIE, Firefox, and Chrome.

        "However, Windows 7, even with the latest update, still has the vulnerable MSIE, and this also applies to both the latest Firefox and Chrome browsers on Win 7. Please continue to monitor your Windows 7 update for updates.

        "It is still recommended that Firefox be the browser to use (instead of MSIE or Safari)."

        John concludes with this, "In addition, Apple has just release iOS 8.2 for the iPhone and iPad, and this release fixes the FREAK bug for those devices. See full article here."

Is iOS 8.2 Killing Your Battery Life?

Here is a tip that might help the battery life on your iPhone or iPad if you've installed iOS 8.2."  Jim Hamm explains, " I checked the Fitness and Tracking app on my                                                       devices, and it was turned on in both. Why or how it got turned on, or why it's even there, I don't know, but I turned it off. Might help the battery life as the article states." http://bgr.com/2015/03/10/ios-8-2-battery-life-trick/

Search Privacy

        Here's some input from Jim Hays,   "In a recent posting David Passell mentioned using "duck duck go" to ensure search privacy. Another option is Startpage (https://startpage.com/) which claims to be 'the only third-party certified search engine in the world that does not record your IP address or track your searches.' 
        "StartPage is compatible with a broad range of browsers including Firefox, Safari and Chrome. StartPage can also be used to visit third-party websites with total privacy by using the StartPage Proxy."

Are You at Risk From This?

        A very serious warning comes from John Carter.  "GIGAOAM, CNN Money, BBC News, and others have released a notice that there is a bug called 'Freak' that was found in software used to encrypt data passing between web servers and web users. 
        "Browsers so far noted to be affected are Safari, Google Chrome, and Windows Internet Explorer. Initially, the flaw was thought only to affect some users of Android and Blackberry phones and Apple’s web browser. For sure, every version of Internet Explorer is at risk.

        "What is at risk is personal and financial data open to attackers. This bug only allows attackers to capture data, but that includes passwords which then opens up the possibility of the attacker stealing all your money and your identity.

        "The horror part of the story is that this bug is the result of the government insisting on 'weak' encryption so that it could break in wherever it wanted."

        Of course you will want to read the full story yourself.  See  here, here and here.

        John closes with these final remarks, "It might be wise to limit Internet browsing using only Firefox until things settle down.  The news broke as early as March 4, 2015."