"You may not have ever wondered, or even cared, what is the difference between IMAP and POP protocols for your email system. But, if you really want to know, here is a lengthy article explaining the nuances of both systems," Jim Hamm informs us.
"I'm now using IMAP in my email programs and, overall, like it, after I got used to it. It seems Apple now automatically uses IMAP for any mobile devices, or a Mac, you purchase from them when setting up an email program. That's why/how I switched from POP to IMAP some time ago after purchasing an iPad 2. After switching, I noticed on my Mac that it takes a longer time to shut down the Mail program than it does other programs, and I wondered why. Here is a quote from the article that explains why: 'It's not uncommon for Mail to take a long time to quit. It looks like nothing is happening, but in fact it's trying (clearly, not hard enough) to log out of certain accounts, finish syncing mailboxes, or do other last-minute cleanup tasks such as deleting old messages.'
"If, like me, your eyes tend to glaze over towards the end of the article, I'll understand why. But, you'll be so much better informed," grins Jim.
Parallels Confusion
Got Parallels? Got confusion? Got frustration! David Passell alerts us to this notice: "Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac users: It's your last chance to upgrade to Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac at an upgrade price!
"Soon, Parallels will end support for Desktop 5 for Mac. That means no future software updates, no technical support and no discounted upgrades to newer versions of the software. We don't want that to happen to you. Upgrade today! Hurry! Offer ends on 12/31."
Here's where the problem becomes evident, according to David. He writes, "If you open your Parallels 6 desktop and 'check for updates' you will be informed that Parallels is up to date, checking further you will find information that the Parallels' team has been working with Apple and that 6 is compatible now with Lion. So what is Parallels 7?
"Trying to get further information, I went to their website and after getting logged in (I had to do the PITA of getting my PW in order with current email address) I got little, so I went to the phone number for information.
"I was very quickly (after another PITA push button 1, ... 2, ... 1, etc.) got a representative. He, with an accent, had a bit of trouble understanding me, bad connection. (I remarked that 'maybe that's because you are in India somewhere' -- he laughed and said 'yes').
"In any case, to cut to the chase I told him about the fact I get the message about upgrading to 7, I have Parallels 6 which says it is up to date. He said I should ignore the emails, and I suggested perhaps the message should say if you have 6 ignore this message. He said he would pass the suggestion on.
"I still don't know why they have a 7 from 5, but no 7 from 6. Oh well, what the h---:) In any case, it apparently is not going to cost me 39.99 (or 49.99 if I delay)."
And here David draws his conclusion, "Logic may run one way in the digital world, but in our squishy analog brains, never the twain shall meet--the twain jumps the twack."
Who is Calling ME on the Phone?
No, this won't happen tomorrow. But in the future? Soon? The iPads have been introduced to the orangutans in Milwaukee! Don't miss this provocative article from the BBC. David Passell is sure you want to read it.
Email Warning
Jim Hamm sends this link from MacWorld, and says, "Here's an article about a new 'phishing' attack on Apple customers. The moral of the story here is never click on a link in an email to update anything where a password is required. Always go directly to the website from an address you enter into the browser."
Help for that Snazzy Present You Got
Quicken Soon to be Compatible With Lion
Use Quicken? Jim Hamm tells us, "You may no longer need Quicken, but apparently it will be modified to be compatible with OS X Lion in the near future." Check it out here.
No Need to Defrag
Save time! Jim Hamm tells us how. "You've probably read/heard that it's not necessary to do a defrag on a Mac running OS X. Here's a video that clearly explains the mechanics of de-fragmentation and why it isn't necessary in OS X."
You'll find MacMost has 739 videos! Click on the small box under the title for the listings. This one takes less than 7 minutes, and it's well worth the time.
Are You Thirsty for Knowledge ....and a Degree!
Have you ever considered getting an education from M.I.T.? No? Why not? Too expensive? Too far away?
At this point John Carter gets our attention. He explains, "Well, here’s an opportunity you really should look into.
"M.I.T. is offering over 2000 courses FREE and ONLINE, and to make your time worthwhile for taking these online courses, you can apply for certificates of completion (at an affordable rate)! So now after completing all the free, online Khan Academy courses, you can “graduate’ with an M.I.T. education!
"Read about it here."
What do you think John is going to do? He exclaims, "Aha! Astrophysics, here I come!"
Put Holidays on your iCal
Holidays seem to sneak up on you? Jim Hamm has the remedy you need. He sends this link that will put all National Holidays on your iCal.
Mac & PC
John Carter is smiling as he says, "Do you own both a Mac and a Windows PC? You're not alone: according to a 2009 survey 85% of Mac owners also own a PC. This means millions of people need to, somehow, make these two systems work together."If you're one of those millions, you should check out 'Computing Harmony: Seamlessly Blend Windows and OS X,' the latest free MakeUseOf manual. This manual outlines everything you need to know to get your Mac and your PC to live in harmony, so you can do the things you wanted to do. DOWNLOAD Computing Harmony: Seamlessly Blend Windows and OS X http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/computing-harmony-seamlessly-blend-windows-and-os-x (download password: makeuseof) Thanks again, John, for keeping our Mac newsletter so full of good info!
Good Advice on Passwords
Pay attention: we hear from John Carter who advises we seriously consider ten reasons why we need different Internet account passwords and change them often.
1. There are groups (Anonymous, AntiSec, LulzSec) whose sole purpose is to raid the security of large corporations (Sony is an example) just to prove it can be done and to demonstrate to the public why it is important to not have the same password for every account you have on the Internet.
2. Changing all your passwords every month - even by one letter, number, or symbol - is an effective way to protect your accounts on the Internet.
3. Use a password that contains a minimum of 8 characters (15 is recommended as a strong password) with at least one uppercase, one number, and one symbol (where allowed).
4. If symbols are not allowed in a password (as happens with some sites) increase the password length to at least 10 characters.
5. If a site does not allow symbols and does not allow up to 10 characters in a password it would be best to leave that site alone.
6. Never use a password that makes any sense at all, such as P0pp1 (read as Poppy or Popeye) and avoid repeating characters (as in this example).
7. Use a password generator when at all possible.
8. Keep a written log of all your passwords and keep it updated as passwords change. This is your only hope of remembering them.
9. If you insist on keeping passwords on your computer, such as the Mac Keychain Access or a Password Manager in Windows, then use a strong password to access it, and not like any other password that you use.
10. Repeat #1 through #9 until you get the message.
Thanks, John, for reminding us!
Apple is Doing Well!
Interesting charts and comparisons show how well Apple is doing these days. Jim Hamm writes, "Here's one company's (Trefis) estimate of how Apple's products affect its stock price. It's interesting to note that the iPhone's impact is over 50% on the stock price. Mac computers are third in the ranking.
"Here's an estimate for Microsoft. I was surprised to see the impact Microsoft Office has on the stock price -- more than the Windows operating system.
"You can click on a product (division) and get a forecast (trend line) of future performance. This may be a handy tool for investors in the market. In the upper left corner you can enter the name or symbol of a stock you're interested in to get information on the stock price.
And, Jim, our eagle-eye reporter closes with, "Here is more information on Trefis."
Security & Privacy: Yours and Theirs
"Digital Spies," the feature article in the January Popular Mechanics exposes high-tech espionage: hacked, tracked, attacked. It also advises how to protect your personal data in an article, "Removing Yourself from the Internet."
Clean Your Screen With -- ?
Maybe you noticed the article on cleaning your gadgets in the January issue of Popular Mechanics. But let's see what Apple says. Here's some specific info to read on cleaning your computer. It warns that liquid damage is not covered under the Apple product warranty or AppleCare protection plans. Here's how to clean keyboard, trackpad, mouse. A comment following this MacLife article mentions the Optical Cleaning Kit from CostCo. Anyone use this?
Competition for iCloud
This article discusses Microsoft SkyDrive, a competitor to Apple's iCloud. David Passell sends this info for our iPad and iPhone users. He comments, "The closest I get to clouding (I just invented a new word!) is Dropbox."
Is It Time to Clean Up Your Mac?
Actually, Jim Hamm writes, "Is it time to clean up your act . . . ah, Mac, I mean? Here's an article from MacLife on what Onyx can do for your Mac. The free app can be downloaded from here. What's not to like about free? I've always wondered how anyone made money from free apps? Volume, do you suppose?" Jim closes with his friendly grin.
Special Recognition from PMUG
At today's PMUG meeting three helpful members received a Certificate of Recognition for being the top contributors to this Newsletter for the year 2011. Third place = David Passell. Second place = John Carter. And ..... drum roll, please ......... First place = Jim Hamm.
Other members who contributed info for this Newsletter during 2011 deserve mention, too. Give a big smile to Art Gorski, Allen Laudenslager, Bobbie Pastor, Ward Stanke, Bill Williamson, Howard LaPittus, Zee Hamm, Sandra Garramore, and Ginger Carlson.
The reason why many local Mac users join PMUG is because it's practical and interesting! Prez Art Gorski voices his appreciation to all who take part. And we look forward to a great year in 2012. See you in January!
Find Some Fun
If you missed today's PMUG meeting here's the handout.
Let’s spend some time relaxing and enjoying our Mac computers. See some interesting sites, then write something of your own. Share with friends and family!
Unusual days to celebrate, http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/january.htm
Unusual names of towns in the US, http://www.accuracyproject.org/towns.html
Quotations from the Famous & not so famous, http://www.great-quotes.com/
Historical events, birthdays of famous people, etc. http://www.scopesys.com/today/
Animated computer, http://www.bentbay.dk/how_your_computer_works.htm
Gadgets, http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/usb-gadgets/
2,000 uses for WD-40, http://www.wd40.com/files/pdf/wd-40_2042538679.pdf
Links to imaginative inventors and “stuff,” http://www.uen.org/themepark/imagination/invent.shtml
All kinds of on-line dictionaries, http://www.freesearching.com/dictionary.htm
Cute animals, http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/70-cutie-baby-animals-bring-your-a-good-mood/
Natural wonders, http://listverse.com/2008/01/03/top-15-amazing-natural-wonders/
10 unusual weather photos, http://listverse.com/2010/12/19/10-more-amazing-weather-phenomena/
Art, http://www.sharegoodstuffs.com/2011/08/famous-people-in-unusual-art-by-jason.html
YouTube - unusual recipes, http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/food-drinks/a2019/8-dishes-inspired-by-tv-shows-112099/
Cars, trucks and motorcycles from car shows, museums, and collectors; photos and info, http://remarkablecars.blogspot.com/
Save Money on Fancy Fonts
Costs only $1, and that saves you $149. Got your attention? Roger Lakner sends this link to Macware website with the info. It announces, "To show our appreciation for Mac Users everywhere, Macware is offering an incredible deal on FontPack Pro . . . " Catch the details on the coupon code to grab this bargain.
Here Jim Hamm adds, "From reading comments from another Mac user group I belong to, this is a valid offer and not a scam. If you do order this, you need to uncheck a certain box if you don't want to purchase this on a CD (for an extra charge) and only want to download the fonts for just $1. Another gentleman mentioned these fonts may be used commercially as well without royalty payments. This would be of interest to web developers."
iPhone Picture-Taking, Shopping Benefits
Do you take pictures with your iPhone? was the question that started us off. Jim Hamm willingly obliged and went into detail. Apparently, the iPhone camera is a good feature when shopping.
Jim explains, "For me, there are two big advantages to using the iPhone as a camera: first, I always have the iPhone with me, and I don't have to carry a camera around. Second, I find it particularly useful in the following situation: say I'm in a store and see something that I think might be useful/pretty in the house or condo. I know I don't dare buy something for the house or condo without Zee's approval (years of experience talking here), so I just take a picture of the item, email it to Zee, call her and tell her to take a look at it and call me back. This has been very handy.
"Yesterday, for example, she wanted me to place some hooks in a certain place in our condo. I went to Home Depot, found two sets that I thought she would like, took pictures, emailed them to Zee, she looked and picked the set she liked and called me back.
"From reading this—and other—articles on the iPhone's camera I've learned it is a pretty darn good camera. We've been pleased with the results of the pictures we've taken. And the camera in the upgraded iPhone 4S (which we don't have) is supposed to be even better."
The article that caught my attention was from National Geographic. Jim wrote, "Thanks for the link. Interesting article. In our house, Zee is the 'picture taker' on our trips, so she'll enjoy the article also, and maybe can add some comments."
"Convenience, light-weight, decent pictures—all make the iPhone's camera handy to have around," Jim closes with a smile.