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Save $$$ -- Be Happy!

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        Want to save money on Apple products?  Look what Prez Art Gorski found, "A little known fact is that you can buy Apple refurbished products at the Apple Store at a nice discount. I've done this myself. Now Apple has a refurbished products store on eBay, where not only is the shipping free, but it looks like there is no sales tax charged as well. Happy shopping!"     http://stores.ebay.com/Refurbished-Outlet 
        What a deal!  One year warranty, like-new condition, comes with manual, cable, and the final quality inspection by Apple.   This site has 21 products listed as of today, 3-9-13.   Positive feedback for the last 12 months is 99.7% for the seller.  Take a look.  Thanks, Art.

Good Info on iPhone

        A new article has been posted in the PMUG website in the Tips 'N Tricks page (under Benefits) about the iPhone. It's called "How I Use My iPhone." John Carter gives us a quick overview of his experience with the iPhone. This came about as a result of a short presentation that he gave at the joint meeting of PMUG and PCS on February 23, 2013.  John says, "Caution! If you don't already have an iPhone, this article may encourage to get one right away."

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Evernote Breach

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         Here's what David Passell passes along today,  "I saw this news item, and also received an e-mail from Evernote  (which was filtered by cableone's spam filter). I think I used it briefly. Nothing will organize my stuff:). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21644317
        The article says Evernote acts like an online personal organiser, with users able to save data such as video clips, images, web pages, notes and itineraries in an external storage system commonly known as the cloud.

Apple's Shareholder Meeting

       Keeping an eye out for the latest Apple news Jim Hamm reports, "Here's some of Tim Cook's comments at the Apple shareholder meeting on February 27. One of the attributes of being a publicly held company is that most shareholders are focused on short-term results -- e.g., what did you do for me today? Why is the stock price declining today? Why aren't you paying out that cash you've got as a dividend today?

        "A good management team, such as Cook and his team seem to be, focuses on the long term. They aren't, and shouldn't be, concerned or focused on what 'Wall Street' expects earnings to be the next quarter, etc.
        "Concern was expressed, as you would expect, about the fall in the Apple stock price. There are methods to calculate whether a stock might have been overpriced, and perhaps Apple was.  I didn't bother doing any calculations since to see how unrealistic, if at all, Apple's stock price was since I don't own any Apple stock." 
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How to Isolate Java

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                Jim Hamm grabs our attention with important info on Java.  "in case you didn't see it, here is another article discussing Java, and how to remove or disable Java in your browser of choice. Some time ago I had disabled Java in the three browsers I use: Safari, Firefox and Chrome. I happened to be using Firefox when reading this article, so I thought I'd check the Java plug-in. Ouch! Sure enough, it was enabled again. How, I don't know. Perhaps when the browser itself is updated. I immediately disabled Java again. 

        That's probably why the author of this article recommends removing Java -- because somehow it can become enabled again, which is not a good thing from a security standpoint.     Following is a summary from the article on how to disable Java.”  
How to isolate Java
        Isolating Java means leaving it on your Mac, but removing it from your browser except when you want it to run. Apple now does this by default for all Macs (10.6 and later) and will re-isolate it after about a month even if you've turned it back on. Isolating Java is a bit more complex now that Apple has removed the Java preferences utility from Lion and Mountain Lion.
        If you run Java 6 (the Apple supplied version), you need to restrict it on each of your browsers. In Google Chrome, type chrome://plugins in the address bar and click the link to disable Java. In Safari, go to Safari > Preferences and uncheck Enable Java in the Security pane. In Firefox go to Tools > Add Ons > Plugins and uncheck Java Plug-In.

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How to Update to iOS 6

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        John Carter gives directions, "iOS 6.1.2 update is available. How should you proceed? This notice is going out to a large group of people, and you may get this notice more than once. If you do not own an iOS device, you may disregard this notice.

        "First, how often do you perform a backup of your iOS device (iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone)? Did you know that you can backup your iOS device either by connecting it directly to your computer, or by Wi-Fi if you have the option set in iTunes to do a sync with the device over Wi-Fi? For the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can also set an option to automatically sync the device when the device is connected to the computer (this option is not available for the iPad)."
        Here's John's next suggestion, "Backing up an iOS device can be done to either a Cloud storage or to your computer using iTunes. Most devices can exceed the free 5GB storage of any Cloud storage, so it's probably best to backup to your computer."
        And, now for a caution, "Also, before doing a backup or an update, do an update of iTunes, sync your device, and then perform a backup followed by the update. You should also then perform another backup after the update is complete. The before update is necessary in case something goes wrong with the update process and you need to restore and start over again.
        "When you connect your iOS device to your computer, iTunes may automatically start up. If it doesn't, you'll have to manually start iTunes. When iTunes starts, you may get a notice that an update for the device is available. If you haven't done a device backup since the last time you made any changes to the content of the device, you should cancel the update, perform a sync, then perform a backup, and then do the update followed by another backup".
        Pay attention to John's warning, "If you find that when doing an update using iTunes that the downloaded file is corrupt (the update is approximately 1GB, and a file this large may not be properly handled), rather than perform the update using iTunes, try the update from the device itself (Settings -> General -> Software Update). One setting in 'Disk Utility' may be the culprit of a corrupt download. That setting is 'Verify Checksums' (open Disk Utility -> Preferences and uncheck that option). 
        "Even with this option unchecked, the large file might still be corrupt. Another possible cause of a corrupt download is some firewall setting in the Internet modem (unproven). If that happens, then it is really necessary to perform the update from the device itself. To do that, disconnect the device from the computer, power-cycle the device, and then go into Settings -> General -> Software Update. You may even find that the download goes much faster when updating from the device."
        Now, a call for patience!  John says, "In all, it may take several minutes to do all these steps, so your patience is necessary.
        "Following this procedure will ensure that your device will be updated properly and your content will not be lost."
        And, in closing John reviews it: 
  1. Update iTunes.
  2. Sync your device to iTunes.
  3. Backup your device.
  4. Perform the update either from iTunes or from the device.
  5. Backup your device again.      (Got it? Thanks to John Carter!) 

Anti-Virus Programs Examined

        Jim Hamm tells us more about AV , Anti-Virus programs, "There are several companies or persons that test various antivirus programs and publish the results. Which AV program is the best? Well, that depends on the type of test, when the test was done, how current is the AV program on loading virus signatures, and other variables. The results vary, and many question (perhaps rightly so) whether to run an AV program on a Mac at all? 

        "Out of curiosity, I enjoy reading about these tests just to see what the testers have to say. I may learn something useful. Following is an AV test performed by a Thomas Reed. The test results are shown in a PDF file, which can be downloaded and viewed from the link http://www.reedcorner.net/mac-av-detection-rates/  and see http://www.reedcorner.net/downloads/malware_scan_results_2013.pdf
        Jim reviews his decision, "As I've written previously, I use the free Avast AV program on my Macs and a PC. Avast has worked fine for me, and I'll stick with it. It came out first in the above test, but it doesn't always do so. Determining the 'best' AV program is a nebulous project at best, it seems to me."
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Keystrokes to Try at Startup

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        Prez Art Gorski gives us food for thought.  "Here's a reminder of all the different keystrokes you can use at startup and what they do. The interesting thing to note is that if you use a wireless keyboard you must press the key AFTER you hear the startup chime in order for it to work."  See the article here: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57570572-263/how-to-manage-os-x-boot-options-with-wireless-keyboards/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt 

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Java & JavaScript Explained

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        You've seen it, too.  Java.  JavaScript.  Are they related?
         Here John Carter explains what the difference is.  "Java and JavaScript are not the same. Disabling Java in the browser is necessary to prevent the possibility of getting one of the new Java enabled viruses. 
        "You have to have JavaScript enabled on your browser because nearly every web page has some kind of JavaScript in it. Currently, it is not possible to get a virus from JavaScript, but that was once said about Java.
        "JavaScript is language that has become popular with web designers to perform sophisticated operations. To view a web site that contains JavaScript does not require an application on the computer. To view a web site that contains a Java app requires that the computer have Java installed. However, the release of HTML5 may see the end of both JavaScript and Java in web sites."
        And John finishes today's explanation with this, "Updates will come out soon for Java that will make it okay to use with browsers, but like any other 'fix,' the hackers will find yet another undiscovered hole to give them an opportunity to pass on more viruses."

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Concern About Illegal Patent Applications

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         Describing some illegitimate patent applications in the software and Internet fields, and claiming that these patents cause profound harm, an organization, Electronic Frontier Foundation, has been formed to document the issues.  Their website gives more info. https://www.eff.org/patent-busting 

        David Passell found this, and comments, "Here is something completely different that I stumbled upon that might interest some of the crusaders among us." 
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Apple Got Hacked

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        John Carter alerts us to the hacking, "'Apple has identified malware which infected a limited number of Mac systems through a vulnerability in the Java plugin for browsers,' the company said in a statement to AllThingsD. 'The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware.'

        "The company noted that it has been shipping Macs without Java since the release of Mac OS X Lion, and that it also has a software mechanism that disables Java if it goes unused for 35 days. Apple is also releasing an updated software tool to detect and remove Java-related malware."
       John comments, "The sad part of this is that some websites, like GoDaddy, need to have Java enabled in the browser, and disabling Java in the browser is the only way to secure yourself from a Java attack.
        "Just yesterday I got an update from Apple for Java. I installed it. So I don't understand why I'm getting this update if Apple isn't installing Java on new computers. It could be because I already had Java installed and its presence triggered the notification for the update. Now I'm waiting for more news and maybe another Java update about this." 
        Here are several sites reporting on the situation: 
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-releasing-malware-removal-tool-after-being-hacked-2013-2 
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Deadline for Password Change

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         Commspeed emailed a notice yesterday that on March 1 you’ll lose access to your email account if you have not changed your password by then.  It specified the tougher rules for an acceptable password. 
(So, how’s YOUR password?  Still easy to type in, easy to guess?  Time to toughen it up!  Before you face a deadline from your email provider you might consider a longer, trickier password and fiddle with it now. )
OK, try not to panic.  Phone and ask the tech if it is a genuine email from them.  OK, now dream up a new password, and try and try and try to get it set up online. It won’t go through.  Maybe they’re too busy over there?  Do I have to allow cookies?  What else? 
Three phone calls later, and looking for success soon, it finally worked.  
Look at Mail Preferences and see your account info, mailbox behaviors, and advance settings.  

        Mail  > Window > Connection Doctor shows the connection status.  Why does the drawer show notations in that impossible-to-read  Party Let font?   So, that's it for now. 
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Try on Firefox: "No Style"

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         Find it easier to read black text on a white background?  YES.  David Passell shares this, "if you use Firefox, there is another good trick which I find even more useful for those websites with garish colors and text and photos spread over (and sometimes off the sides) of the screen. 
             In the top menu click on view. 
             Then scroll down to Page Style.
             Click on Page Style and in the menu presented (to the right) you will see 
             No Style and Basic Page Style (the default). 
             Click on No Style.
        The page will change to a more 'linear' presentation. The pictures will still appear as intended, but odd colors and white on black text will be black on white. You will have to scroll up and down to find various links, but not side-to-side when things are off the screen. You can also print the page  and not waste a lot of black ink. Try it on our PMUG newsletter. 
        Unfortunately, I could find no equivalent option for Safari."
        And David reminds us about a previous post about Safari where we had said, "One site came up with those tiny white letters on a black background, so that’s when you can do Command and Option and Control and the number 8 to toggle over to readable text, then toggle back."