iOS

Closing Apps in iOS?

If you're using an iPhone or iPad running the iOS operating system, should you close an app after using it, or periodically close all apps that you've opened during the day? Here are two articles that say no:

https://www.komando.com/happening-now/409554/one-mistake-you-should-never-make-with-your-apps-when-trying-to-save-battery-power

https://daringfireball.net/2017/07/you_should_not_force_quit_apps

Prior to reading the above I had thought that apps, once used, remained running in the background and consumed a slight bit of operating memory. Apparently this is no longer true. Background apps, it seems, are 'frozen' and no longer consume operating memory.

This is good to know, and I'll not worry about closing background apps.

Jim Hamm

Immediately Check Your Apps

        Two days ago this urgent notice was printed with the notice "iOS users should immediately check the status of any apps they use, especially if the apps convey bank account numbers or other sensitive personal information."  Take a look:  keep informed.  http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/04/24/critical-https-bug-may-open-25000-ios-apps-to-eavesdropping-attacks/#p3 

iMessage Feature: Blue, Green, Red?

        Jim Hamm sends some interesting how-to for users of iMessage.  "One nice feature of iOS is iMessage. If both parties have a device (an iPhone or iPad) with iMessage then text messages can be sent to each other for free. This bypasses the carrier and no text message fee is encountered by either party. 

        "Apple has made it easy to determine if the message will be free for both parties. When you go to send an iMessage and tap the number (or email address) of the person you want to send the message to, take a look at the number or email's color. If it is blue it means both parties have iMessage and the text will be sent free of charge. If the color is green on an iPhone (or red on an iPad) it means the message will be sent as a regular text message and fees will be incurred by both parties. If one, or both, parties have already subscribed to and paid a monthly fee for text messaging, there won't be an incremental charge.
        "Apple's servers know if both parties have the capability of iMessage. If, say, you have an iOS device and want to send a text message via iMessage to someone who doesn't have iMessage, then the color of the number will be green or red instead of blue. Both parties could incur a text message charge from their respective carrier.  
        "If you haven't tried iMessage, you might give it a try. A quick and easy way to communicate with someone. Remember, if it's blue it's free to do...(grin)."
        But Jim, what website do you recommend for someone who needs more iMessage help?   Here comes his answer,  "Take a look here, and here for more info on iMessage." 

Mayo Clinic Using iPhone, iPad

        A recent posting at www.apple.com/hotnews brings up an interesting article about Mayo Clinic.  www.apple.com/ipad/business/profiles/mayo-clinic/   Using custom apps for physicians and patients on iPhone, iPad and iPad mini Mayo is "transforming the capabilities of individualized patient care."  It describes the app Synthesis Mobile that gives physicians instant access, and iOS provides security for patients using their password for personal information.  
        You can get Hot News info updated via RSS to NetNewsWire. 

An Armchair Tour via iOS Device

        "Are you somewhat of a history buff? Would you like to take an armchair visual tour of a variety of archaeological sites, museums, etc, from around the world?" asks Jim Hamm. He goes on, " Here is a link to ten history apps for the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch you might take a look at."
        Do these apps come up on a computer, too?  "I don't think so.  Only on an iOS device."

Back Up iOS to iCloud & iTunes Simultaneously

        "Here's a backup tip that appears, at first read-through (to me, anyway), a bit confusing," begins Jim Hamm.  He explains,  "Upon further cogitation, I think what it's saying is, when you're backing an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, etc.) up to the Cloud, to do a backup to iTunes as well. This requires an extra 'click', but once the data is in iTunes as well as iCloud, the data will also be backed up into Time Machine (from iTunes) the next time you run Time Machine. Pretty neat idea, and I haven't been doing this when backing up to the Cloud -- but I will now."

iOS Malware

"I just ran across this article about mobile malware attacks and according to their assessment, iOS (the operating system for iPhone and the other Apple mobile stuff) hasn't had a significant new malware attack," Allen Laudenslager reports. He goes on, "A lot of people have claimed over the years that Apple computers have not been attacked simply because they don't sell enough to make it worthwhile for the people writing viruses and malware to bother. Seems that even with the huge share of phones and internet linked iPods out there the hackers are still not bothering to create attacks. Could that be because it's so much harder to attack the Apple operating systems than to attack Windows?"