Due to the unprecedented situation and recommendations I am suspending all in-home visits for the foreseeable future.

That said, Apple has built in excellent remote capabilities into all Macs. I can do most things on Macs remotely and that is how I would like to proceed with my business for now. When I remote into your Mac (with your approval, of course), we can both control the keyboard and mouse. Also included is a voice line so we can communicate without a simultaneous phone call. It really is an excellent, fast and secure remote system maintained by Apple. On your end it could not be easier - just accept my request that appears on your Desktop.

If you have not already heard, I resigned from teaching at Clark College in Vancouver. I have taught there since 2012. Recent management and policy changes made me believe that my students could not effectively learn there. In addition, they cut my pay drastically (along with other instructors). So I decided to quit Clark College.

What is malware?  It is short for “malicious software” and is a broad term that encompasses everything from annoying ad pop-ups to full scale viruses (that generally do not attack Macs).

Most commonly, and with a spike in frequency lately, Macs can get infected with spyware and adware that are generally limited to taking over your browser, re-directing your online surfing.  The purpose of these pieces of software is to re-direct you to a site that is trying to extract money or information from you.  The good news is that these are pretty easy to eliminate on your Mac without resorting to a full anti-virus software suite that will slow your Mac to a crawl….

Catalina has been out a couple of weeks now and I have been inundated with emails, texts and calls with issues. The issues center around one problem: Catalina does not support all older apps that may be on your Mac before upgrading.

You can set your watch to it. Every recent September Apple has introduced new iPhones. This year they also introduced a new iPad, a new Apple Watch and new operating systems for iPads, iPhones and Macs. Here are my thoughts:

iPhones

Apple introduced the iPhone 11 series this year.

I have had Comcast TV & Internet service since 1993.  That is a long time.  Over that time the TV programming has not necessarily gotten better but the charges have gone up astronomically.  Yes, the Internet service has gotten better; much faster and more reliable.  However after my bill topped $200/month for basic TV and Internet I had had enough.

Yes, after 26 years in the same home it is time to downsize and move out of the woods so we can see some sky.  We are excited!  The house is new and the project has just broken ground.  We anticipate moving in May 2019.

However, this move has an impact on my business and you. 

My wife and I recently spent a couple of weeks touring Ireland.  Its an amazingly beautiful  country with rich culture, friendly people, fun music and pub life and lots to do!  I highly recommend a visit.  I thought I was pretty prepared from a technology perspective, but I learned a whole lot about it on that trip.  I’d like to share it with you.

Before you leave

This is vastly important.  Contact your cellular provider about options for when you travel abroad.  I find it easiest to do this on the carrier’s website, but you can call them if you wish.

You can set your watch to it. Every September in recent years Apple has introduced new iPhones. Also, they released new operating systems for iPads, iPhones and Macs.

iPhones

The big news this year is that all of the new iPhones introduced this year have no Home button, use FaceID instead of TouchID (fingerprint sensor) and have edge-to-edge screens.

Are you frustrated that texts in your Messages apps do not match between your Apple devices and that you have to delete a conversation on each device separately to totally get rid of a conversation?

Your frustrations are over…

Yes, fall is upon us. If the weather did not clue you in, Apple’s regular fall updates should.  They are as regular as the seasons.  Here are my thoughts on the new hardware and software.

New hardware

Of course, the big news every September are the new iPhone announcements.  Like clockwork.   This year there was not one, but two new iPhones announced.

iPhone 8 & 8 Plus - These should have been called 7s...

A couple of days ago Apple released important updates for Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Apple TVs.

It is very important to keep your devices updated.  This is really the only security your Mac needs but if you do not keep it updated your device becomes vulnerable to increasing threats.

I have had a flurry of questions and issues with aging Macs lately.  I thought I’d quickly go over what to expect of your Mac as it ages.

Macs are generally built with leading-edge technology at the time they are made.  Apple does a good job keeping up on this.  However, software in general and operating systems in particular demand more of hardware as time goes along.  So, it is inevitable that modern software will out-strip your aging Mac’s ability to run it effectively.

I get this question a lot.  After my description of it many people react with “Oh, that is cool.  I think I’d use that.”  Given that, I thought I would describe it to you here in this short blog.

Dropbox is a service (free or paid) that is similar, but better, than its competitors, including: Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, box.com, Amazon Cloud Drive and Apple’s iCloud Drive among many others.  Why is it better? 

It happens about every 4 years for most of Apple’s Mac computer lineup: an all-new design replaces the previous one.  A couple of weeks ago it was the MacBook Pro’s turn to be updated.

The previous generation started in 2013.  The one before that started in 2008.  This one will likely last until 2020.

Today Apple released the first major updates to its operating systems that were introduced last month - for Mac, iPad, iPhone and AppleTV.

If you have been dragging your feet on upgrading your Apple product for fear of getting a buggy system, you can fear no more.  Major issues have been addressed with these updates.  If you already have upgraded, make sure to do these updates.

You have probably read about it and, in fact, your Mac may have actually downloaded the new operating system for you (but not installed it, unlike Microsoft’s practice).  Note that Apple has changed the naming of operating system for the Mac from OS X to macOS to better align with the other operating system nomenclature (iOS, TVOS, WatchOS, etc).

What features are there?  The big one is Siri on your Mac!  Also, you can copy something from your iPhone or iPad and paste it onto your Mac.

iOS is the operating system that runs your iPad & iPhone.  It is its software engine and the software you interact with the most.  It is the soul of your device.  Its newest version, iOS 10, released to the public today.  It is free for all modern iPhones (5 and newer) and iPads (iPad 4, iPad mini 2 and newer as well as all iPad Airs & Pros).  

It is easy to upgrade: Settings > General > Software Update.  I recommend that you backup your device first (Settings > iCloud > Backup > Backup Now), then restart it before proceeding with the upgrade.

Apple predictably announced the new iPhone 7 this week.  I will not go into great detail about the changes, but more focus on offering advice whether you should upgrade and how to upgrade.

What about the new 7?  Well, although there are lot of changes inside, the outside dimensions and shapes are identical to the 6 & 6s models of 2014 & 2015 respectively.  There are still 2 models:  iPhone 7 (4.7” screen) and iPhone 7 Plus (5.5” screen).  Here are the major changes:

As has been the case for several years now, Apple will release new versions of operating systems for Macs, iPads & iPhones this month.  Also, as has been the case in the past, when the new versions are released, current versions of these operating systems will no longer be availalbe.

What is different this year is that these new operating systems will NOT be supported on fairly recent hardware.