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
Articles discussing the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to prevent snooping or a hacker when one is using a public wifi network are becoming more common. Here is an article proposing the question: 'should Apple start a VPN service'? https://9to5mac.com/2018/05/25/apple-vpn-service/#more-534797
The author likes the idea, and states why. An interesting concept.
Jim Hamm
If you use the Chrome browser, it has a feature to scan your computer for malware. This article provides more detail:
I tried it and it took about 4 minutes or so to scan my computer. Fortunately, it didn't find any malware or unwanted software.
Jim Hamm
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".
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
If you have the iPhone X -- which doesn't have a physical home button -- and would like a virtual home button, read the following article: https://www.lifewire.com/iphone-x-shortcuts-4159398?
I just did it, and while it's not a major enhancement, it's kind of a neat feature, so you might give it try. The article mentions that you can do this with any iPhone.
Jim Hamm
18 iPhone Tips And Tricks You'll Wish You Knew About Sooner
BuzzFeed
These are legit. Read the full story
Frank Croft
On your iPhone or iPad would you like to easily close all those tabs in Safari that you've opened over time? Read the following article to find out how. I just did this on my iPhone, and I had 77 open tabs, which I closed. I'll check my iPad next.
Jim Hamm
https://soundsupport.biz/2018/05/06/close-all-safari-tabs-on-your-iphone-or-ipad/
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:
'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
If you use Gmail and access it through your browser, it has a new look and features available if you want to try them out. The following article explains more about these features. I'm trying the new look out right now, but it's a bit soon to tell what I think about the new features.
Jim Hamm
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3269415/email/25-tips-get-the-most-out-of-new-gmail.html
If you own an Apple watch, you may have wondered how it detects your heart rate. In the following issue of Small Dog Tech Tails, an article describes the process. In a word: "photoplethysmography". Huh?.
Jim Hamm
Public wifi is certainly handy, especially when one is traveling. But there are risks involved, and the following article describes more about this risk:
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
Layers of Protection, and Good Habits: Reviews by Wirecutter | A New York Times Company
https://thewirecutter.com/blog/internet-security-layers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS Feed
Art Gorski
Frank Croft agrees. "This is the best review and well reasoned article on security that I have read in a while."
Interesting statistic!!
New survey finds 75% of enterprise employees with choice pick iOS over Android, 72% Mac over PC
9to5Mac
Jamf has released a new survey titled "The Impact of Device Choice on the Employee Experience". Among other findings, Jamf reports that about three-quarters of employees picked iPhone, iPad, or Mac over competing options when given a choice. Jamf's March 2018 survey is based on responses from 580 executives, managers, and IT professionals. When organizations give employees... Read the full story
Frank Croft
If you have an Apple watch then you know how slow those updates can be. Here is a newsletter from Small Dog Electronics that explains a way to do the watch update much quicker.
Jim Hamm
Apple has decided to discontinue its routers, and the following article explains why. Many ISP's are now providing modems with built-in routers, so it isn't necessary to purchase a separate router.
https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/26/apple-discontinues-airport-wifi-routers/
Jim Hamm
If perhaps you're looking for an AV program for your Mac, the following article from Macworld provides a review of several anti-virus programs:
https://www.macworld.com/article/3263722/software/best-antivirus-for-mac.html
Some might feel an AV program isn't necessary on a Mac, but if an AV program is effective, free, and has a minimal impact on a computer's performance, I don't see any downside to using one. Why not run one, I ask myself? It doesn't hurt, and it might help.
In this particular article the free version of Avast is recommended. Avast usually comes out well in AV tests, and I've used Avast for years.
Jim Hamm
If you have a Non-Touch Bar 13" MacBook Pro and it was produced within a certain time frame, it may be eligible for a free battery replacement. The following article provides more details:
I just now checked my 13" MacBook Pro and it isn't eligible -- nor does it need -- a battery replaced.
Jim Hamm
For some time Opera has offered a free version of their VPN (Virtual Private Network) for iOS devices. Soon it will no longer be available. Following is an article that discusses this:
https://askbobrankin.com/is_operas_free_vpn_going_away.html
It's expensive for any company to maintain a VPN network, and unreasonable for them to offer it free. How can a company afford to do this? The desktop version of the Opera Browser does continue to offer a free built-in VPN, but I'm guessing Opera is doing this to try to increase market share for their browser. How long they'll continue to do this is uncertain, though.
Jim Hamm
Because Safari may not be as versatile as other web browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, it needs plugins to expand its features and capability. One commonly used plugin for the Safari web browser is Glims. Glims’ main objective is to enhance the search capability of your Safari browser, but it also features other functionalities as well, like bookmark management, search suggestions, and more. But with these enhancements also comes advertisements, which can be a little too frequent and annoying. If you find these ads too intrusive when you’re doing searches, and already affects your browsing experience, you can just easily uninstall Glims, and remove it from your Safari web browser.
Additionally, Sophos on my computer found four viruses in Glims.
To find out how to remove Glim from Safari, see this article:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Remove-Glims-from-Safari%3Famp%3D
John R Carter Sr
If you use the Chrome Browser, you will want to read this article on possible phishing protection:
Since Chrome will be doing extra work in scanning for phishing attempts, I wonder if this feature will somewhat slow down one's browsing experience? Best way to find out, I guess, is to try it, which I plan to do.
Jim Hamm