There are some really good Apple devices, iPad, iPhone, Mac computers of various sizes, etc. And there's new advancements in technology. Great reasons to connect with some friendly people in your local area who know helpful stuff. It's logical to come and visit our Prescott Mac User Group -- or the one nearest you.
Secretary Bobbie Pastor had a good presentation on Saturday. Prez Rob Raess and John Carter helped make it interesting.
We're all learning and discovering. And you don't have to be an expert to volunteer to help in some way. Next month is our annual election. We encourage each other by attending, so check out the www.pmug.us site for more info.
Hmmmm. What does this word mean? Yes, you can go over to the Dictionary in your long-long list of icons there on the side of the screen. But this morning Ruth Davis' emailed tip says to "Hover your mouse cursor over top of the word you'd like to look up and press Command + Control + D. A dialog will then pop up with the word defined by the build-in Mac OS Dictionary." The little box also lists some words from Thesaurus and Wikipedia.
She also has free guides for Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
Macintosh trainer Ruth Davis publishes Mac2School's Weekly Tips for more than 1000 subscribers. If you want to feel more confident and be more productive with your Mac, iPad and iPhone, sign up for a FREE subscription to Mac2School's Weekly Tips at www.mac2school.com
Here's a tip from Jim Hamm, "If you occasionally use the Chrome Browser, be aware that it may be a memory and CPU hog. Here is a helpful article that explains how to make Chrome a more efficient browser."
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!
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 :-)"
"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."
And who would be sending this info? John Carter. "Not to be outdone, Noteboom Productions has a 43 lesson tutorial on Photos going through every possible detail of the app. Check it out here. Of course, this one isn’t free."
John Carter has more to say about photography, "Someone has been quite successful in taking images of Jupiter using his iPhone, an 8” telescope, and a couple of apps on his computer. Get the full, brief, story here."
"MacMost.com has done an excellent job of briefly demoing the features in the new Photo app. Check it out here. Hey, even I learned something, and now I have a lot less to complain about," comments John Carter.
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.
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
John Carter announces, "For Sale! Canon 60Da, body only. Used. Includes strap, battery, battery charger, AC-Adapter, manual, CD, cables, original box. $1,200.00 (List price, $1,499 in Amazon) S/N 6596B002AA Available circa May 8
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
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.
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."
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/