Category: Uncategorized

Apple’s cloud-based storage service is iCloud, and it is not shy about reminding you every 3.5 seconds to log in. Apple certainly isn’t alone in the arena – Google Drive and Dropbox are its biggest-name competitors in the space, and there are tons of lower-tier companies wanting to store your data.

But let’s take a step backwards – what exactly is “cloud storage?”

According to SearchStorage.com (the Funk & Wagnalls of all things storage), cloud storage is “a service model in which data is maintained, managed, backed up remotely and made available to users over a network (typically the Internet).” In non-tech talk, that means your stuff is on somebody else’s computer, somewhere else in the world and it’s accessible to you as long as you’re connected to the internet. (And assuming the hosting company doesn’t go under.) If you screw up and delete something, you can get it back (in most instances). Most providers offer a bit for free (typically 5GB), using more will cost you.

To start, all of these cloud-based storage services not only store your files but synchronize them among your various devices. So, the most up-to-date versions of your documents are available no matter what device you’re using. But what are the pros and cons of using iCloud for your files as opposed to one of the other services?

One big pro (or is a con?), iCloud isn’t just about your files. It also allows you to keep your contacts, calendars, notes, passwords and Safari bookmarks synced between your devices. (Photos too, but that’s a subject for next month’s blog.) Which is good for people like me, who need to keep current versions of these things (mostly contacts, calendars and notes) synced between my MacBook, iMac and iPhone. (My iPad has a funky battery issue, but that’s my cross to bear.)

But back to the file thing. Apple goads you into enabling it when you set up a new Mac, but where the files end up is what confuses users. The two areas it syncs are the Desktop and the Documents folder, both of which are located in your Home folder. Users who turn it off suddenly find themselves unable to access their valuable documents – Apple stores them in folders titled “iCloud Drive (Archive)” in your Home folder. Good luck finding those on your own.

So is this a good solution? Here are the pros and cons of Apple’s iCloud file storage:

Pros:

• Free
• Easy to enable
• Instantaneous syncing
• All file types are supported

Cons:

• If you disable it, files are moved to a hard-to-locate folder
• If your data exceeds 5GB, then you have to either offload some data from the two locations (desktop and Documents folder) or pay for more storage
• Not good for team collaboration
• If you use Outlook 2011 as your mail client, you definitely will exceed the 5GB threshold for a free account

You’ve seen the warning signs – the spinning beach ball, the bouncing icons in the dock, the agonizing eternity it takes to boot up. Yup, all the signs of an aging computer.

But is it time to kick it to the curb and whip out the credit card at Best Buy or The Apple Store? Or would a little time and effort fight off father time and give your Mac a few more golden years with you?

At the risk of sounding like a bad motivational poster, for every problem, there’s a solution. Usually. So here is a list of common issues and what you can do to remedy them.

Problem: Spinning Beach Ball

Issue: According to Apple, it’s “when an application cannot handle all of the events it receives.” Translation – there’s too much going on at once.

Solution: You may have to force quit any non-responding applications in order to get out of the immediate crisis.

To force quit:

• Click on the finder icon in the dock. That’s the one at the far left (if dock is on the bottom) or at the top (if your dock is on the left or right).
• Click on the Apple icon (top left corner of screen) and pull down to FORCE QUIT.
• Highlight any non-responding application in the list and click on the FORCE QUIT button in the lower right corner of the window.

Problem: Taking forever to open applications, start up, etc.

Issue: Some of your settings may be FUBAR and need to be cleared up.

Solution: Try “zapping the PRAM,” which is this:

• Shut down your Mac.
• Restart and IMMEDIATELY hold down the following keys: P R Option Command all at once.
• Keep holding the keys down until the startup chime sounds three times. Release as soon as you hear the third startup chime.

This is sort of an exorcism for your Mac – it casts out evil spirts and such.

* Hot tip: Take a look at the keys and see how to position your fingers BEFORE trying to restart. Time waits for no man, and if you delay here, you’ll have to start the entire startup process over. Practice makes perfect.

Problem: You’re out of hard drive space

Issue: You probably have some junk files that need to be trashed.

Solution: First, empty the trash. Then check the following folders for files no longer needed:

• Downloads: This folder will contain installers, receipts and other stuff you’ve downloaded throughout the years. Any installers – out they go. The other stuff, you’ll have to sift through. When in doubt, throw it out!

• Documents: Same deal. You’ve saved a lot in Documents, so again, be prepared to look before you trash anything willy-nilly. Also – if you’re NOT using a Microsoft mail client (Entourage or Outlook), you can open the MICROSOFT USER DATA folder (in Documents) and get rid of any mail “identities.”

• Pictures: If you have an old ALREADY CONVERTED iPhoto Library, you can trash that.

* Important safety tip: Don’t toss ANYTHING out if you don’t have a current backup!

Still nothing? Maybe it’s time to call in a pro to see if anything else can be done. There are a few non-user friendly things that can be done – RAM upgrades, swapping out the old hard drive for a slick, faster SSD or simply knowing which files in the LIBRARY are able to be safely deleted. Any technical pro with an ounce of integrity will tell you if shoveling more time and money into a dying computer is a bad idea.

Last month, I covered some basics in organizing your pictures using Photos on your Mac. This month, I’ll dig deeper into some of the most commonly-asked questions.

So – we covered ALBUMS, EVENTS and KEYWORDS last month. There are a couple of more ways to help with your massive collection of digital pictures – some which people think are great, while others think they’re a total invasion of privacy. These are PEOPLE and PLACES.

Want to read more how Apple learns more about you? Click here.

Apple allows you to “tag” faces in its Photos application. A good idea? It depends on how you feel about having a tech company being able to analyze your face. Where does this go? Part of a database that tracks your movements? Connected with kiosks in malls that that monitor your movements and shopping habits?

Whatever. Bottom line – you can tag a face in your Photos library, and that Apple, in its infinite wisdom, has the tech ability to scan your pictures and create a “People album” of familiar faces when enough photos are found. But personally, I know who is who in my Photos library, so I don’t need to go through that bother and help fill a tech giant’s servers.

Places is another way to sort, in a no less intrusive manner, your pictures. Unlike People, Places is configured on your iPhone (or iPad) to “drop a pin” on where you’ve taken the picture. Sounds like a good idea – but can result in a compromise of your privacy if you’re not careful, revealing exactly where and when it was taken.

That said, in order to disable (or enable it, if you dare), you need to configure it on your iPhone. Tap on SETTINGS > PRIVACY> LOCATION SERVICES > CAMERA and make sure it’s on Never. (Or WHEN USING THE APP if you want to use that feature.) Like I said, some people love this feature, and some loathe it. Have at it.

BONUS TIP!

Another neat trick: To find out which of your pictures is NOT contained in an album within your Photos library, do this:

Pull down on the EDIT menu and select NEW SMART ALBUM

Name the smart album ORPHAN PICS (or whatever you want)

Under “Match The Following Conditions,” configure the pulldowns as ALBUM > IS NOT >  ANY. Click OK.

Now, you’ll see a “smart album” named “Orphan Pics.” This is a group of photos that are not associated with any of your albums. Here, you can pull them into any album you choose (or no album at all, if that’s what you want.)

Once Apple forced us to ditch iPhoto and migrate to Photos, many users have been living in a state of confusion.

The first reaction to Photos – that it is a dumbed-down version of iPhoto.

Fair enough. Although there are a few iPhoto users out there, fighting technology until they can’t, most of us are stuck with having to use Photos (unless we look further afield and find a suitable third-party solution, which there isn’t a clear winner).

So – we’re stuck (for now, anyway) with Photos. But how do we maximize the features and organize things so they make sense?

First of all, let me clear up the most oft-asked question I’m asked about Photos: What is the difference between ALBUMS and EVENTS?

• EVENTS are a group pictures you import off your camera or iPhone at one time. Old school analogy: You go on vacation, you take pictures and have them developed. When you get the envelope of pictures from your trip, those pictures make up your EVENT.
• ALBUMS are a collection of photos you create yourself from your entire Photos library. Old school analogy: Your album is a book and your Photos library is a shoebox full of pictures. You put whatever pictures you want in your book, in any order. That collection of photos you have chosen to be in your book are your ALBUM.

Personally, I don’t care about EVENTS. I’m a date guy, so I like being organized by keeping my photos in chronological order. Also, I have multiple Photos libraries; one is my current library, one spans from 2000-2017, one is from scanned pictures from the previous century and the other contains scans of tickets from events I’ve attended.

Using KEYWORDS

Keywords are words that help you identify photos. If you to add a keyword to a group of photos (and note, they don’t have to be contiguous), perform the following:

• In PHOTOS, under the VIEW menu, select METADATA and confirm that KEYWORDS is enabled (you’ll see the checkmark – see below).
• In your Photos library, highlight (by dragging on a group or clicking single pictures) the pictures you want to assign keyword to.
• Once the pictures are selected (indicated by a highlighted band around them), type Command-I (I as in Info), or right-click (Control key and click) and select GET INFO.
• Enter your keyword in the KEYWORD field (see below).

Quick tip: Using the Command key (to left of spacebar) will allow you to select non-contiguous pictures.

Part II coming next month. Stay tuned!

Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome? Sounds pretty personal, doesn’t it?

After asking somebody what web browser they use, the next thing I usually hear is “which one is the best?” Or, “which one do YOU use?” Ah, you gotta love having a loaded question answered with a larger caliber loaded question.

Like many seemingly similar yet quite different choices in life (Coke or Pepsi, Mets or Yankees, Mary Ann or Ginger, etc.), the choice between browsers is a very personal one. Yet, people are often passionate about one of them for some particular reason. Or sometimes one is used as a matter of convenience. Sometimes even apathy plays a role, especially when users don’t realize that they have a choice in which one they use.

The Big Three – Chrome, Safari & Firefox

Although there are tech differences beneath the hood, all of the members of “The Big Three” are fairly similar. Google (of course) has the biggest share, somewhere around 2/3rds of the market, trailed by Safari (14%), Internet Explorer & Edge (though those are Windows-only products). Firefox and Opera have somewhere around 10% between the two. No stats are available for the anonymous Tor Browser, which allows users to surf stealthily.

Google Chrome

Pros:

• Rarely is there any issue about getting on to secure sites.
• Designed to work well (a little TOO well) with Google Docs.

Cons:

• You can be sure they’re analyzing (and then selling) your data.
• Allows add-ons (not always good ones) to be installed willy-nilly.

Safari

Pros:

• Comes preinstalled on your Mac – nothing to download!
• Updates are either through the App Store (pre-Mojave) or via Software Update in System Preferences (Mojave and beyond).

Cons:

• Some secure sites don’t play nicely with Safari.
• Using Safari on non-Mac OS/iOS devices is trouble.

Firefox

Pros:

• Tends to be the fastest-performing of them all.
• Is the most secure of all the browsers.

Cons:

• Can be a memory hog and slow down your Mac, especially if you’re using an older model.
• Updates are released about every 3.5 days, requiring restarting it.

The “others:”

Way down on the food chain, there are some obscure browsers that some swear by. (And others swear at.) These include Opera, Tor and UC Browser. Opera is built on the Chromium platform, which means nothing to 99.9999% of the world. Tor differentiates itself by running on the Tor Network, which maintains user anonymity. And then there’s UC Browser, a product of the Chinese company Alibaba Group, is the third most popular browser worldwide. Except for an iOS version, it’s of no interest to Mac users. And yes, you can forget about Internet Explorer (for the Mac, anyway) and Netscape Navigator. May they rest in peace.

Solid state drives (SSDs) are have no moving parts and are faster than traditional hard drives.

Here we go again – a question I am asked on a weekly basis – “Is it worth it to upgrade the RAM and internal hard drive in my old computer?”

My answer? It depends.

One issue is the age of the hardware. Some older Macs (I’m not going to get into tech specs and all that geekspeak here) simply are unable to run newer versions of the Mac OS (Mojave, High Sierra and Sierra), which can cause issues, such as not being able to support a browser that is secure enough to access certain sites – financial institutions, for example.

In the “good old days,” Apple was stingy when it came to RAM.

But if you have cleared that hurdle, you have the issue of your RAM and hard drive. Today, Apple has made it (for the most part) impossible to upgrade these items, so when you DO buy new, make sure you get what think you might need for the future.

Back in the day (probably pre-2012), Apple was notoriously Scrooge-like when it came to the amount RAM in your computer when you bought off the rack. But no harm, no foul, it was inexpensive (and simple) enough to buy from a third-party, and so for a few bucks and a few minutes of your time, you were all set. So, if an infusion of RAM might solve your issues, go for it. It’s dirt cheap these days (gone are the rumors of shortages) and it’s easy to install. Just go on YouTube or consult an expert. And that would be me.

The issue of replacing your standard hard disk drive (HDD) with a solid-state drive (SSD) will no doubt speed things up in your computing life. HDDs have moving parts (an arm that reads a spinning platter), as opposed to SSDs, which have no moving parts. BUT – there are a few things that you have consider before ripping out your old school HDD and popping in an SSD. These are:

• Cost. HDDs are dirt cheap in the big scheme of things, and SSD prices are going down. But in 2018, you’re not going to get the same capacity for the same price.
• Capacity vs cost. Today, a 1TB 2.5” internal HDD is just south of $50; plan on paying about three times that for a same capacity SSD. So, chances are that you will be less capacity when you upgrade. But then again, that gives you a chance to archive (or trash) unused data.
• Future plans. Are you planning on buying a new computer in the next six to twelve months? Then maybe don’t bother upgrading. But if you plan on sticking it out and fighting the inevitable until you can’t, then you might want to lay down the old credit card and go for new.
• More costs. Replacing the hard drive in a MacBook Pro is pretty simple; an iMac, not so much. Which means you’re going to have to pay somebody to perform the operation. Plus, you’ll have to buy an additional mounting bracket, which is under $20.
• Yet more costs. Finally, unless you can figure it out yourself, you’re going to need somebody to install the Mac OS on the new SSD and migrate your data over. And if you plan on performing a “clean installation,” i.e., not dragging old garbage system files over (recommended), then that’s even more professional time you have to pay for.

Bottom line: I use the old car and replacing the transmission analogy here; at what point is it better to forget the idea of putting money into the old as opposed to spending on the new? (Saying “throwing good money after bad” is an inexcusable cliché!) You’re going to have to do your cost analysis homework!

Apple has never been shy about informing you that there’s a new OS available for installation. Problem is, there is no gatekeeper that will let you know that you could easily get caught up into a tangled mess if you decide to do it on the day it’s released.

Now, most of us are smart enough to let somebody (like me) run interference and clear the way so nobody gets stuck with a big (or even small) problem. But once things have settled down, is it a good idea to upgrade to Mojave after all?

First things first: Let’s look at the requirements.

In most cases, unless your computer is from 2013 onward, forget about it. It requires a minimum of 2GB RAM, but nobody should have less than 4GB, and I recommend at least 8GB for any kind of work. Also, on standard hard drives, Mojave has been known to slow things down to a crawl.

Then there’s the little matter of software compatibility: Things I’ve noticed that haven’t worked well (or at all) with Mojave are some major software packages. These include:

• Microsoft Office 2008
• Adobe CS3 (CS5 works but is buggy)
• QuickBooks (as of today, there is no patch for Mojave compatibility)
• Aperture (Apple finally got its way and killed it!)
• Final Cut Pro & Logic Studio (Same answer)

And according to MacWorld UK, Microsoft Office 2011 also has issues, although I’ve haven’t noticed them.

Annoying Apple trick – once you DO upgrade, most applications you launch will give you a warning about “not being optimized for your Mac.” Click OK and move on with your life.

That’s all. A minor inconvenience.

Another annoying Apple trick – it seems that if you up you update your iPhone to the latest iOS, you MAY be forced to upgrade your Mac to Mojave in order to successfully sync your iPhone (or iPad). Beware!

Bottom line: Upgrade only after you’ve done your homework and are certain your computer is up for the task. If you have any doubts, then hold off. No shame in that.

A secure Wi-Fi network is a happyWi-Fi network.

Digital security is a big deal these days. Whether it’s the Russians meddling with your data, scammers lying to you in an attempt to share your screen or the kid next door illegally downloading current movies using your Wi-Fi, there are all sorts of threats out there. No solution is foolproof, but by using common sense and my checklist, you can eliminate the majority of threats that can compromise your data.

To help make your Mac use more secure, here a few tips that can help:

• Keep current with Mac OS software updates – especially security updates.
• Create a strong password on your wireless network.
• Maintain a secure admin password on your Mac.
• Disable all sharing preferences, especially if you use your Mac in public places.
• Don’t log on to secure sites (especially financial, etc.) on public Wi-Fi.
• Disable guest user access.
• Require a password to wake from sleep (not necessary in the home unless you want to keep others from using your computer.)
• Enable “Find My Mac” (if you’re a laptop user.)
• Download MalwareBytes.
• Turn on the firewall on your Mac.
• Encrypt the data in your home folder.

And obviously, NEVER allow somebody you don’t know gain access to your computer! Anybody you don’t know should NEVER tell you that something is wrong with your Mac!!!

Have you noticed that once you join Facebook, suddenly every other site you visit knows who you are? You surf onto CNN, and not only does the site know you, it tells you which articles your Facebook friends are reading.

Scary, isn’t it?

Welcome to the world of Web personalization, a place where Web marketers know your name. (And your surfing habits, browsing history and more.) Click the “Like” button on any non-Facebook page and suddenly Facebook turns into Big Brother and knows more about you (and your preferences) than just what’s on your profile. And then you see an ad on Facebook, and your first thought is “I was just thinking of something like that!” Really, it’s because you just were LOOKING for something like that online. Truth be told – Facebook is only one of many culprits that compromises your online privacy.

So exactly how do you keep every site from being linked to Facebook? There are a few different ways to keep other sites from accessing your Facebook profile, some more complex than others.

The easiest way is to use a dedicated browser for your Facebook purposes only. Even if you regularly use Safari and Firefox, you still have other browser options, namely Google Chrome and Opera, so it’s possible to keep your Facebook activity restricted to one browser. Cnet.com has a link to all of these browsers (and more) here.

There are more involved ways to disable the social plugins that Facebook integrates with your browser, including this great piece on ThoughtPick. For a more world-weary view, check out LifeHacker’s take on the situation.

Bottom line: Web privacy and tracking is a huge deal on both sides of the fence – both for marketers and privacy advocates, and neither faction has any intention of going away anytime soon.

High Sierra (Mac OS X.13) has arrived! Actually, it’s been in circulation for a few months – and, of course, Apple is hectoring all of us to install it. Sure, it seems like only the day before yesterday that Sierra was introduced, and now there’s a new one? Should you update it? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

As is Apple’s (fairly recent) position, High Sierra is a free update, so there’s no cost (other than your time) to upgrade. The installer will download directly to your Applications folder, so there is no fussing around trying to locate the installer program.

So how will your world be different if you elect to upgrade to High Sierra?

Pros:

• Improved Apple File System (APFS) – allows zippier access of file info (Command-I)
• Safari 11 delivers subtle improvements over previous versions
• Photos contains additional editing tools

Cons:

• Some legacy versions of software don’t work (FileMaker Pro and QuickBooks, to name two)
• Taking the time and effort of updating your OS
• If you don’t have enough hard drive space, you won’t find out until after the installation has started (Danger, Will Robinson!)

It’s a Wash:

• Different desktop picture (but then again, why would you stick with the default Apple picture?)
• Again, Apple tries to bully you into using iCloud Drive
• Notes – the new “Pinned Notes” feature allows you to access oft-used notes quicker

Bottom line: No problems with High Sierra, but check with developer if you have legacy versions of software. The hardware requirements for High Sierra are the same as Sierra, so if you have Sierra installed, you won’t have a problem with hardware compatibility.