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Of Course, You're Careful . . .

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        Scan the info that applies to you:  "Surprising Ways Hackers Can Steal Your Identity"  http://www.lifelock.com/education/crimes/surprising-ways-hackers-can-steal-your-identity   
        If you're a Facebook fan you'll want to look at this info:  http://www.lifelock.com/education/alerts/the-latest-scam/malicious-tagging-on-facebook/  
        Keeping informed and being careful are simply logical things to do! 

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Discussing iPad Features

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        Maybe you saw the latest from Apple's page: http://www.apple.com/ipad/change-everything/    and maybe you even looked at the drone you'll be drooling over?  Costs a mere $499.95.   http://store.apple.com/us/product/HH4W2/parrot-bebop-drone   
        But, hold it.  Jim Hamm has some thoughts to pass on. "If you use the iPad then you might have an interest in the following comments. It was posted to a Forum I subscribe to. I hadn't read any of this previously, so have no idea of its veracity. 
        "One thought I have is with this increased screen size it will be heavy. One advantage of the present iPad -- for me, anyway -- is its light weight. Looking at the other comments, I don't see any feature that excites me. And it all may just be a rumor anyway."
        Here's the comments Jim found: 
"Don’t get a new iPad (yet)… Details about the next-generation iPad have leaked out.  So, if you were planning on buying a new iPad any time soon, you may want to hold off until the Fall.
         Apple will be releasing the "iPad Pro", which is larger than the current iPad (12.9 inch display instead of the current 9.7 inch display.)
         If the larger display isn’t that interesting to you. You may also want to consider the added features that the next iPad is rumored to have, including…
* Force Touch technology that was introduced on the Apple Watch. This feature will allow you to press a little harder on the screen to bring up extra sets of options. While this might not sound that interesting now, it may be a critical technology to have with certain apps in the future.
* A new USB-C port for charging, transferring files and video output to monitors or your TV.
* Near Field Communication which will enable Apple Pay on the iPad.
* A Bluetooth stylus may be included with increased sensitivity to make drawing and handwriting on the iPad more accurate.
        I’m going to hold off until the fall for my next iPad. Maybe I’ll get myself the new Apple Watch to hold me over until then :-)"

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What Will the FCC Allow?

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       "Here is an interesting article wherein the FCC is considering allowing carriers to use their cellular network and Wi-Fi frequencies together. Does this seem like a traffic jam just waiting to happen?" asks Jim Hamm.  He goes on to challenge us to get informed.  
        "I'm sure that I don't understand all of the ramifications of this idea, or whether it's a good or a bad idea. It will be interesting, though, to see how this develops with the FCC." 

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About This So-Called Security Program

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        Take a look at this serious matter brought to our attention by Jim Hamm.  
        "If you surf the net, you've probably seen ads pop up for MacKeeper, a so-called security program for the Mac. Here is an article about MacKeeper, and its aggressive advertising program on the internet.       
         "My suggestion is to stay far away from this program. You'll see why after you read the article. Having said that, though, I am amazed -- and somewhat jealous -- at how some young, smart programmers in the Ukraine had an idea, developed a program, aggressively marketed it, and rolled in some $26 million dollars. Now why wasn't I smart enough to do this?...(grin)…" Thanks to Jim for this info. 
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Which Mac Laptop to Buy?

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        "If you are possibly be in the market for a new Mac laptop, should you consider Apple's new, 12-inch MacBook?" asks Jim Hamm.  " Here is an article with a very good review of Apple's new offering, and the author's opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of it.
        "And here is another article with some comments about the 12-inch MacBook, the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro. The author mentions that the MacBook laptop line is getting a bit crowded, what with three, somewhat similar, MacBooks.
        "Ah, which one to buy, you ask? A good question, and the articles may help you decide, based on how you plan to use the MacBook, and how much power you might need. I don't think one can go wrong with any of the three." 
        Jim closes with, "I'm very well pleased with my MacBook Air, so I'm not in the market -- at least right now. But it's always interesting to see what Apple is offering next."
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Malware / Adware / Crapware

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        With the bold statement, "Mac OS X isn't safe anymore" this article dated 2-26-15 has 16 pages of details and pictures.  http://www.howtogeek.com/210589/mac-os-x-isn’t-safe-anymore-the-crapware-malware-epidemic-has-begun/  
        Your personal information, bank and credit card numbers, where you are and what you're doing is open to view.  How did this happen?  What can I do?  What downloads are safe? 
        This article has 37 replies posted which gives you an idea of what others are thinking about the troubles that many have not considered. This website also has sections on Windows, Linux, Office, Apple, Mobile, Gadgets, and more.  

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See if Virus Detection Software is Working

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        A helpful tip comes from David Passell:  "Here is a site to go to if you want to see if virus detection software is working. http://www.rexswain.com/eicar.html

        "It gives you three situations that you can have downloaded. When i downloaded any of them my Mozilla (Firefox) browser gave me a 'Malicious Software Detected' and blocked the load. 
        "What was downloaded is a harmless test virus. If not detected, it gives you a message."  And David explains, "Somebody at the last LUGY meeting told me about this.  That's the Linux User's Group of Yavapai County.  They have an evening social meeting early in each month.  Idea is similar to our PMUG brunches."
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Immediately Check Your Apps

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        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 

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Learning the New Photo Application

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        John Carter sends this announcement of Tutor for Photos for OS X:  We are happy to announce we have our Tutor for Photos for OS X available for members! Learn all about Apple’s iPhoto replacement including importing from iPhoto, syncing with iCloud Photo Library, managing multiple libraries, and showing the sidebar to make it more like iPhoto. We also look at organizing your photos into albums, smart albums, faces, folders, and even how to hide your photos. Photos includes extensive editing tools and we show you how to use them. These tools include enhancing photos, adding filters, straightening photos, cropping photos, and making adjustments to your photos. We also show you how you can compare your edits to the original photo. When you are ready to share your photos we take a look at the different sharing options including creating books, calendars, slideshows, and ordering prints.  Login to view the tutorial.

The Watch is Here

        That's the headline today at http://www.apple.com  Jim Hamm adds this:  "I think today the new Apple Watch is officially launched.  Here is a video by a watch blogger showing and describing his first impressions of the watch as he unboxes it. Although getting one is not in my 'Bucket List', I found the video to be interesting to watch. It's almost as though I'm handling and looking at the watch myself.

        "Now, will this watch be useful or just a 'geeky' toy? As more people get and start using the watch, we'll find out how useful it might be -- there will be lots of blogs."
        Jim goes on to explain, "My impressions after watching the video: very high quality appearance; lots of 'foo-foo' stuff preloaded; the watch wants to come on and display the time every time the wrist is moved, which will be a drain on battery life; easy to change watch bands, which will be nice; many third-party apps will soon be available, which may improve the usefulness of the watch -- as in health apps.
        "Smart watches have been available for some time, so it will be interesting to see how well the Apple Watch will be received in the marketplace. Initial sales seem to be strong -- at least for those that already own an iPhone, which is needed to make the watch useful."

Here's a Tip For Finding Tips

         Jim Hamm thinks you might find a handy tip, and he informs us.  "When David Pogue was the Tech Editor for the New York Times I used to receive and read his helpful technical tips. Then he resigned to go to Yahoo. I lost track of him and what he was doing at Yahoo. Then I came across a video tip from him here.
        "This looks like a good site to poke about in a bit."

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Apps That Are Vulnerable

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        Alert and aware! We spare ourselves a lot of trouble by keeping informed.  The ArsTechnica article of April 20 declares about 1,500 iPhone and iPad apps contain a vulnerability that makes it easy for your encrypted passwords, bank account numbers and other sensitive information to be intercepted.  The article of April 20 needs your attention. http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/04/1500-ios-apps-have-https-crippling-bug-is-one-of-them-on-your-device/

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That Adware!

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        Here's something to consider, sent from Ward Stanke.  He quotes Randy B. Singer, "By far the easiest, quickest, and most complete way to remove adware from one's Macintosh is by using this free product:  AdwareMedic (free)  http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php
        "However, if for some reason you don't care to run Adware Medic, there is a very detailed article on how to manually remove adware, here:
http://www.thesafemac.com/arg-identification/
        "Note that most of the anti-virus software companies don't consider adware to be malicious, so their products don't look for adware."  

        Randy B. Singer is the co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions.)
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Where is Your AV Program Made?

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        "Here is an interesting article that discusses where AV (anti-virus) programs are developed.  I hadn't gave this much thought before reading this article. I use Avast, which comes from the Czech Republic," Jim Hamm gets our attention.  
        "Now, this isn't something that most of us are going to worry about. But, having said that, I think I would avoid any programs coming from China or Russia. I don't trust either of those countries, and they are definitely not our friends. Lots of recent articles about hackers from China and Russia attempting to spy on us.
        "Just a thoughtful, philosophical article for your contemplation...(grin)…" Jim.
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Anti-Virus Software Trouble

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         Commenting, "Folks using the Avast! anti-virus software might be interested in reading this," Jim Hays attaches this, "An article posted on The Safe Mac website states, 'The security community is ablaze with news of Superfish being pre-installed on some Lenovo computers. The primary issue concerning experts is that Superfish replaced SSL certificates, used for ensuring secure connections on the internet, with its own certificates. It turns out that the same behavior is being exhibited by software that many people are inclined to trust: Avast’s anti-virus software!'
     Read all about it here: http://www.thesafemac.com/avasts-man-in-the-middle/#more-1829.