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Illegal Drone Photos

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        Jim Hamm found some fascinating photos from India, Russia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Hungary.  The headline reads "37 incredible drone photos from across the glove that would be totally illegal today."  You'll want to see it here:  http://uk.businessinsider.com/illegal-drone-photos-of-the-most-beautiful-places-on-earth-2015-3?op=1
       The photographer Chapple took advantage of the drones during the 18 months when it was legal to fly drones anywhere.  In 2014 the FAA made it illegal to fly drones for commercial purposes, including photography. Other countries followed suit. 
        Thanks to the Internet we can see amazing views and learning interesting facts. 

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Emerging Technologies

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        "Want to stretch your mind a bit?"  (That counts as exercise, Jim?)   
        "If so, take a read on this article from Scientific American on the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2015."
        Jim Hamm outlines his opinion: "My thoughts: #3 is really needed to help reduce the amount of plastic going into landfills, etc.; in theory, #4 may prove to be OK, but I'm not a fan of GMO's, in any fashion; I don't think # 7 is realistic at all -- at least for the majority of people; #10 could be very helpful in determining potential illnesses in people, and perhaps taking preventive measures.       
         "One thing for sure: whether it is these potential technologies, or others, there will continue to be dramatic technological changes in our lives."  And so, thanks to Jim for this little jaunt into the future. 
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Have You Noticed?

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             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.  

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Shortcut for Finding a Definition

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                 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 

     

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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."