iPhone

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Buying a Used iPhone?

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        Alerting us, David Passell says, "With people always on the lookout for 'bargains' here is something to be aware of when buying a used iPhone from eBay or other not-Apple sources. Buyers of second-hand iPhones can now more easily check that the previous owner still doesn't have control over the device."  Read about it http://www.zdnet.com/apple-releases-activation-lock-status-checker-for-used-ios-devices-7000034285/ 

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Learn Via Video, etc.

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        Helpful PMUG leader John Carter scores big with this link, www.macmost.com/  and you'll want to take a look at this website.  Turns out they have more than 900 FREE video tutorials on how to use your Mac, iPad, iPhone and other Apple Technology.  
        And here's some very welcome news: They never sell, rent or share your email address.  Read details at Policies. 
       No, we're not listing all 900 of their video tutorials.  But look at some of these other helpful categories.  

Here's another list of pages you'll want to check out. 
And this concludes the August PMUG meeting handout that's not getting handed out tomorrow, August 16; it's just posted here for your convenience.  Thanks again to John Carter who keeps an eye out for useful info for us.  
by Elaine Hardt. 
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Keeping Up With the Controversy

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        "On Monday, several media outlets mistakenly reported that Apple had installed 'backdoors' on millions of iPhones and iOS devices," states David Passell.  He sends this link http://www.zdnet.com/the-apple-backdoor-that-wasnt-7000031781/  and comments, "Interesting article on 'hacking the 'backdoor.'  Media reports anything that may upset somebody or make them insecure. Then they will make themselves happy again by buying a sponsor's product."   

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Learn About iPhone and Its Apps

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        On August 2 in the Prescott Library Founders Suite starting at 1 PM, John Carter will be talking about the iPhone and the millions of apps that are available. Okay, 1.2 million as of June, 2014. Most of them are probably copycats or lame gadgets, so that pares it down to probably less than a few thousand useful apps. 
        John will focus on the 24 standard apps and some others that he has found useful with categories in Astronomy, Business, Communication, Education, Entertainment, Finance, Internet, Lifestyle, Music, Navigation, Photography, Productivity, Reading, Social, and Utilities, probably none of which are in the top 100 apps for the iPhone for 2014 (but he will show you the list of 100.) Games will not be talked about, unless you like Sudoku. 
        He will also cover the upcoming iOS 8 and what features you won’t be able to use if you don’t have a Mac. This special talk is sponsored by the Prescott Computer Society (www.pcs4me.com).
        This talk follows John's monthly Digital Mac SIG which is in the same room, starting at 10 AM.  Please attend and harass John just enough to keep him awake.  (Who said that!) 

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iPhone's Mysterious "Other" Data

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        "f you own an iPhone here is some info that may be helpful -- particularly the tip about iMessage," Jim Hamm writes.  Here he explains: 

        "If you’ve ever filled your iPhone to capacity, you may have suddenly noticed a gray section of stored data titled “Other” in iTunes. What could this mysterious data be?
        "Well, there could be a couple things that could be contributing to it, but the most likely culprits are your apps. More specifically, one culprit: iMessage. You’re probably not aware of this, but every time you send or receive a file within an iMessage — whether it’s photos or various documents — your iPhone stores that data. If you are like millions of other users who enjoy sending silly photos to friends and family (or inappropriate ones if you’re into that sort of thing), that data can accumulate very quickly over time.
        "On the rare occasion, restoring the iOS on your iPhone can resolve this issue, but the less invasive solution is to locate problematic apps on your phone that could be taking up space.
        "To free up that space, follow these instructions:
  1. Make sure your phone and apps are synced in iTunes.
  2. If possible, make sure you have backed up or copied off any documents or data you might need, as you will lose it. A lot of apps allow you to email documents and data.
  3. On the phone, go to Settings/General/Usage. You should find a list of all the apps.
  4. On the right hand side is a list of the total storage space each app is using, including the app itself. The list is also handily listed in descending order of size. If you tap on on one of the apps on the list, it shows you how much space is being used by documents and data. You also have the option to delete the app.
  5. To delete the app, simply tap on “Delete App.” The app is deleted, and so is the data stored in the ‘other’ area. Repeat for other apps if necessary.
  6. To re-install the app(s), plug it in to your iTunes and re-sync your phone. The app(s) are re-installed with no data taken up in the ‘Other’ area.

        "If you want a visual representation of your data, the third party app iExplorer is very easy to use and available as a temporary demo. You can also buy it if you want."  
http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/

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Amazing Photos From Your iPhone

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        "If you haven’t heard about it yet, this is totally awesome — and I don’t say this about anything unless it really is!"  Now John Carter goes on to explain.

        "Fyuse is a FREE app for the iPhone that takes astounding 3D images (actually, a GIF image that you can manipulate to make it look like a short movie which gives you a 3D look and feel). Really! But I’m not going to spend any time here talking about how to use it or what it's like, because you can see the short demo yourself here in iTunes."  
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Ransomware Attack: What To Do

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      " Here is another article discussing what to do if your iPhone or iPad is hacked for ransomware."  And, of course, Jim Hamm immediately gets our attention.   "Unfortunately, hacks such as this are becoming more frequent as the following quote from the article mentions:
        'Database breaches are becoming far too common, with eBay, Adobe, Yahoo, and Target all falling victim in recent months.'
          Jim's advice is, "It seems the best thing to do to prevent this is to switch to a two-step verification process on your device.....

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Vulnerable! Keep Informed

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        Keep informed!  Jim Hamm passes this along, "This alert of a vulnerability in OpenSSl was published earlier. If you missed reading about it, here is another alert. Undoubtedly there will be more of these types of alerts as the hackers get more creative."
        And if you use a smartphone you'll want to scroll down to Arstechnica's March 29 entry, warning about selling or buying a used phone to turn off Find My Phone, and also telling about avoiding trouble with "good IMEI/ESN" or "bad IMEI/ESN."  Others comment about these problems in later postings. 
        See Macintouch.  See Arstechnica. 

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Clip Art, Photos, Recent Discoveries

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         What a clever picture.  It grabbed my attention and I just had to read what the article said.  Ever said that?
    Google to the rescue.  Well, first I emailed John Carter to ask where he’d found the photo he posted to the pmug.us website.  

         So, I followed his directions and now I can show it to you.
         Google makes it easy to bring up lots of illustrations, clip art, photos.  Here’s a screen shot of the entry I made:  (Click to enlarge this; click again to get back to this page)
    In the search box I had typed “street sign, confused, lost, unclear” not knowing any more descriptive terms for what I wanted.  The first search page allowed me to select “Images.”  
        A huge selection came up, and I could click Show More Results at the bottom of the page.  Click on any illustration and see what the information says.  Some will be stock photos with an embedded watermark.  That means you’ll need to read about licensing, extended license, additional multi-seat License.  Copyright info is on that company’s page.  Click to view Photos, Vectors, Footage, Audio, Mobile, Pricing.  See the company’s phone number, live help number.
      One photo I looked at had a tiny icon in the upper right hand of the page.  Here’s a screen shot of the list that came up. 
      It was fun, clicking to see how the various languages came up in the illustrations. 
        Try it out on some of your blogging or emails.  Your family will be impressed with your knowledge of other languages.

         Looking up “shepherd and sheep”  I scrolled down and when I’d gotten to the 64th picture I found a photo of my son Peter, holding his sheep on his shoulder.  I had posted it to my blog, www.EncouragingU.blogspot.com months ago and  they’ve put it up for anyone to help themselves to the picture.  Clicking on it brings up that page in my blog, with the verses I posted with it.  And on the Google Image page a person can click, bringing it up as JPG 800x533 pixels. 
         We hadn’t thought that it would be automatically available to anyone else.  Hopefully, if someone wanted a copy they’d write and ask for permission.  Maybe that’s wishful thinking, on my part.

Other Recent Discoveries: 
        Planning on selling that nice, older Mac and upping to something new?  You might get some helpful info here:  http://www.mactip.net/how-to-securely-wipe-your-mac-hard-drive-before-selling-it/
        We did decide to go for a new iMac to replace the G4 laptop that Don’s been using.
What do do with a 10 year-old that’s still running, but is before Intel?  We saw the PC column in Courier about recycling or donating.  Asked for info from Prez Art Gorski and John Carter.  John was first to reply, suggesting we donate it to the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) in Prescott. A very knowledgeable man there was happy to take it, and we’re delighted to be able to help someone that way. 
        Curious about all those nifty computers from Apple before you took the plunge and bought yours?  http://apple-history.com/pg4   lists highlights from 1976 to 2012. 
        Wondering about the security of your Contact list, alias Address Book?  http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/10/how-apples-address-book-app-could-allow-the-nsa-to-harvest-your-contacts/
        Keeping up with the latest info posted to our PMUG newsblog?  Look into NetNewsWire  https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/10350/netnewswire  I didn’t see a date on this page. 
        With schools and businesses using iPhones and iPads here’s what’s new with features to help the IT shops lock iOS down and make it easier to manage.  http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/02/apples-new-management-features-help-locked-down-ipads-stay-locked-down/
IT’S ALMOST TIME  for nominating PMUG officers for the May election. Give it some thought.  Your experience could mean some encouraging help for others.  You know how much we appreciate your time and your willingness to step up to this challenge.  You help make PMUG a success! 
        Have a chat with Prez Art Gorski, or Vice Prez Dave Rothgery, or Secretary Bobbie Pastor, or Treasurer David Passell.  Or talk to one of the appointed Chairs: John Carter, Ward Stanke, or a Past Prez: Jim Hamm or Howard LaPittus. Each of them has survived as they served our friendly organization!     * * * 

This was today's handout from Elaine Hardt at the PMUG meeting.  See you next time! 

Smart Phone Used in Medical Treatment

        An 8-minute video illustrates what Jim Hamm says,  "Here is an interesting story on how a smart phone can be used in medical treatment. One of the features covered is where, say, a diabetic needs to monitor his or her blood glucose frequently. So easy to do with a smart phone and sensor.
        "Smart phones have already had a significant impact on our lives, with more to come, it seems."  Look here. 

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Ideas and Shortcuts

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  Jim Hamm presented some helpful tips to the AMUG Senior SIG today, and shares these links with us. 

    more from Lifehacker:  http://lifehacker.com/tag/101
9) (item obsolete - admin)
10) 50 Best Mac Tips: http://www.techradar.com/