• Ron Sharp will conduct a ZOOM meeting to include Q&A
• "Sharing Between Devices" by Robert Elphick
Location:
Online with Zoom - Contact for inclusion in the meeting.
Minutes for MAGIC July 2021 meeting
by Madelyn Van Der Hoogt, Secretary
President Harry Anderson called the meeting to order shortly after 4:00. Thirteen members attended.
Business
Harry Anderson announced the program (Apple Watch) presented as a video by Robert and Gary. He then brought up the issue that Magic is having with the Unitarian Church. We had planned an in-person meeting a the church for September, but although the rent is still $40, a $30 cleaning fee has been added. In addition, they are requiring an annual liability insurance policy that Gary reports will be about $500 a year. This would mean asking members to pay $8-12 per meeting. We may need to think of another venue.
The Deer Lagoon Grange in Langley was mentioned and the Pacific Rim Institute in Coupeville (at opposite ends of our membership area). Both places have wifi available. Trinity Lutheran in Freeland was also suggested (they had stopped renting to non-church groups for awhile but now may do so). Robert wanted to be sure they have wifi available and the capacity for using a projector. Gary has had trouble contacting the Grange and asked Prescott to see what she can find out (Robert also knows someone to contact). Robert suggested checking with Trinity Lutheran about their facilities. Gary suggested that the membership should be polled to see if they'd be willing to come to the Pacific Rim Institute (rental would be about $40 a meeting). Harry concluded that we make the September meeting a Zoom meeting rather than in person while we work this out.
Presentation
Harry then announced the 30-minute program on Apple Watch, made with iMovie. The video can be seen on this website at the Zoom page.
Q and A after the presentation
Question: Harry: do you need wifi for an Apple watch?
Answer: Robert: The Watch comes with Bluetooth and GPS, and optionally, a cellular connection. If you only have the GPS option then the watch gets to the internet through the associated iPhone if it is within range. With the cellular option you can connect to the internet. Robert also said that it is very important to use the Apple Watch app on your iPhone to set your watch up..
Question: Harry: Can you take photos with your watch?
Answer: Robert: You can use your watch to click the camera on the iPhone - either immediately or with a 3 seconds delay (useful when you are in the photo). The Watch itself does not have a camera.
Question: Harry: Can I look at all my photos on my watch?
Answer: Robert: Yes. You can show photos on your watch (I set up an album and set the watch to download all the pictures in that album. The number of photos you can put on your watch is only limited by the amount of memory available).
Question: Harry: What is the most common thing you do with your watch?
Answer: Gary: I use the activity apps a lot. It tells me after 50 minutes that I haven't stood up and should walk around. This is very self-motivating for physical activity. I also use the weather apps and the timer, especially with cooking. I use the calendar, which as you are finishing one event, it announces the next. The watch can show if you've been restless at night. It can also be with you all the time, where your phone might not be.
Robert added that there are a number of useful applications such as "Tide Alert" that are useful while out-and-about.
Question: Sam: My watch doesn't really work for monitoring my sleep.
Answer: Gary: There are a number of sleep apps. Take a look at the specific app. Also, make sure you have the watch on the wrist you've set it up for. A loose-fitting watchband also might give you some errors.
Robert showed his magnetic band so he can pull it as tight as he needs, highly adjustable.
Gary: Also, it's important to clean the band with Windex occasionally.
Brief business meeting
Gary announced that we have $8,698.52 in the treasury as of June 30th.
Question: What about spending that money on meetings?
Robert: We do need to keep money on hand for equipment updates.
Gary: Also, in the past the money has come mostly from mentoring and classes (which we haven't been holding).
Harry: During August, we should have a Board meeting to go over our meeting options and take a poll about the possibility of the Pacific Rim Institute. Gary will check out Trinity Lutheran. (Note: A board meeting was held 4 August)
Harry announced the next meeting will be August 18th, and the program will be about Sharing Devices by Robert Elphick.
Harry adjourned the meeting at 5:10.
MAGIC Musings
by Harry Anderson, MAGIC President
Our MAGIC board of directors met this month to discuss our hoped-for return to in-person meetings. It was a good, if challenging conversation since all of us want to meet again in person when we can, given the pandemic. As you know, the Unitarian Church in Freeland, where MAGIC has met for many years, has changed its policy on use by outside groups in light of Covid-19. In addition to a sterilized cleaning fee after each meeting, it also requires that each group carry a $1 million liability insurance policy to protect the church against lawsuits and injury claims.
After checking things out, our board decided that the cost of a liability insurance policy is just too expensive for a group our size to afford. Therefore, we have told the Unitarian Church that we will no longer use their space, and we thanked them for their hospitality through the years. We are now talking with two very promising sites on the Island that might host our meetings in the future. We should know more in coming weeks.
Also, because of the recent increase in Covid-19 cases of the delta variant on Whidbey, the board decided that all our meetings for the rest of this year will continue to be on Zoom, as we have done since January. Zoom also offers us the ability to record our presentations so members can watch them whenever they want on our MAGIC web site. The board decided that we will not have a Zoom meeting in December, which has traditionally been a social gathering in prior years.
In addition, the board came up with some great presentations for our Zoom meetings through November. Here's the rundown:
Aug. 18
Sharing Between Devices
Robert Elphick
Sept. 15
Updates
Gary McIntyre
Oct. 20
How to Search for Files (including those you deleted!)
Ron Sharp
Nov. 17
How to Stay Safe
Robert Elphick
Note: This Software Update section of the newsletter lists the most relevant Apple updates. Not all updates are listed for all products. Additionally, I'll add other pertinent updates on occasion.
Install these critical security patches for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch today [Updated]
by Ed Hardy, cult-of-mac
Three of Apple's biggest products received security patches Monday — and another got its version on Thursday. You should probably install them as soon as possible.
The company started with macOS Big Sur 11.5.1, iOS 14.7.1, and iPadOS 14.7.1 to fix a security hole reportedly used by at least one hacker already. That's why they are "recommended for all users," according to Apple.
Apple followed up Thursday by releasing watchOS 7.6.1 to patch the same bug on Apple Watch. It's also recommended.
Apple stops iOS 14.7 code signing following release of iOS 14.7.1
by Appleinsider staff
Following the release of a security-focused point update to iOS in July, Apple on Monday ceased signing code for iOS 14.7.
Apple pushed out iOS 14.7.1 just over a week ago to patch a security vulnerability that may have been exploited in the wild. The release also included a fix for a bug that prevented iPhones with Touch ID from unlocking a connected Apple Watch.
Today's end of iOS 14.7 code signing means users who upgraded to iOS 14.7.1 can no longer downgrade to the older operating system version.
Apple issued iOS 14.7 in mid July to enable hardware support for the new MagSafe Battery Pack and improve the Apple Card Family experience. The update also included performance enhancements and a variety of security fixes.
Apple routinely stops signing legacy code after the release of a new iOS build in part to protect customers from nefarious actors attempting to take advantage of newly discovered vulnerabilities. Preventing users from downloading older code also allows Apple to keep more iOS devices on the latest, feature-rich software.
As an expected iPhone hardware refresh approaches, Apple continues work on iOS 15, an update set to deliver major under-the-hood changes alongside fresh features for first party apps like FaceTime, Maps, Messages and Safari.
Apple has not issued an iOS 14.8 beta, though one could roll out prior to the launch of iOS 15 this fall.
Cable interface connections: USB 3.0, USB-C, Thunderbolt & Firewire
by Ed Hardy, Brian Levin, macsales
Cable interface connections can feel both like a blessing and a curse. For instance. How many tries does it take for you to plug in your USB cable? For me, it takes three tries - wrong the first time, flip it upside down, and it's still wrong, back to the first way, then it works. There's nothing wrong with the USB cable or your fingers - they are just notoriously hard to plug in. But despite that minor inconvenience, they are one of the most common cable connections we use today.
Let's explore all of those various cable interface connections you might have lying around your house. As a video editor, I have plenty!
Mac Finder: Tips & tricks to get you up and running quickly
by Brian Levin, rocketyard
If you are a Mac user, you already know just how easy it is to set up the Mac Finder from the moment you turn on your brand new computer. But did you know that there are a ton of setup options you can tweak and modify and plenty of helpful shortcut keys that will make working in the Mac Finder even better? We're going to break them all down for you here.
WIZARD SEZ: This is a great article to print out for newcomers who are still trying to master the Mac.
Master the MacOS Finder with these advanced settings tweaks
by Dennis Sellers, rocketyard
The macOS Finder has several advanced options that allow you to customize a variety of settings. Let's look at how you do this.
The Finder, not the Desktop
Don't confuse the Finder with the Desktop. The Finder is the first thing that you see when your Mac finishes starting up. It opens automatically and stays open as you use other apps. It includes the Finder menu bar at the top of the screen and the Desktop below that. The Desktop is the space where you see files, folders, and application windows.
Accessing the Finder's advanced preferences
Okay, now back to the Advanced settings. To open them, make sure you're "in" the Finder. Go to the top left of the menu bar, click Finder, then Preferences in the pop-up window.
Now click the Advanced item.
Now you can choose from a variety of options. Let's look at them one by one.
Show all filename extensions. A filename extension—the period followed by a few letters or words that you see at the end of some filenames (for example, .jpg)—identifies the type of file. This option affects most, but not all, filenames. When you select this option, all file extensions are shown, even for files that have "Hide extension" selected. When this option isn't selected, file extensions are shown or hidden based on their individual "Hide extension" settings.
Show warning before changing an extension. There's probably no reason why you'd want to change a filename extension. But if you enable this option, the Mac will warn you before you do.
Show warning before removing form iCloud Drive. Enable this to receive a warning to prevent you from accidentally deleting important files from your iCloud Drive.
Show warning before emptying the Trash. This one is self-explanatory.
Remove items from the Trash after 30 days. Enable this (and I do) and items will be permanently deleted from the Mac's Trash after 30 days.
Keep folders on top. You have two choices here. Pick the one that best suits your needs.
"In windows when sorting by name." In a Finder window, folders appear in alphabetical order first, and files appear alphabetically after folders when sorting by name
On Desktop. On the Desktop, folders appear in alphabetical order first; files appear alphabetically after folders.
When performing a search: You can choose what you want to search by default when you use the search field in Finder windows. You can search your entire Mac, the folder that's currently open, or the scope you specified the last time you searched in a Finder window.
How to use the Sticky and slow keys options in MacOS
by Dennis Sellers, rocketyard
If you or someone you know has accessibility issues when it comes to using computer keyboards, you might want to check out macOS' Sticky Keys and Slow Keys features.
When the Sticky Keys feature is on, you can press the keys for a shortcut in sequence instead of needing to hold them down at the same time. It allows you to enter key combinations by pressing keys in sequence rather than simultaneously.
The Slow Keys feature is designed for folks who have problems with repeated keystrokes and/or limited dexterity. This feature can be used to change how long a key has to be pressed to activate its features.
Sticky Keys
How to Enable Sticky Keys:
Chose "Apple menu > System Preferences", and click Accessibility.
Click on the Keyboard tab.
Check the box to "Enable Sticky Keys."
You're then offered three options:
Press the Shift key fives times to toggle Sticky Keys
Beep when a modifier key is set
Display pressed keys on screen in the top right, top left, bottom right, or bottom left
By default, macOS will play a sound when enabling or disabling Sticky Keys and when a modifier key is pressed. What's more, an overlay icon will be shown for each modifier key that you press.
How to Disable Sticky Keys:
Repeat the above steps, but uncheck the box to Enable Sticky Keys.
Slow Keys
How to Enable Slow Keys:
Chose "Apple menu > System Preferences", and click Accessibility.
Click on the Keyboard tab.
Check the box to "Enable Slow Keys." You can now choose whether to "use click sounds" and how long you want the "acceptance delay" to be in using slow keys.
You're then offered the option of whether or not to use click key sounds. You can also set the "acceptance delay" from short to long depending on how long a key should be pressed to activate its features.
How to Disable Slow Keys:
Repeat the above steps, but uncheck the box to Enable Slow Keys.
macOS 12 Monterey should arrive in September or October of 2021. We're featuring a series of articles titled "The Road to macOS Monterey" to not only introduce Rocket Yard readers to new or updated features of Monterey, but to be an online reference when Monterey arrives. Today, I start off The Road to macOS Monterey with a look at Focus.
Apple expanding child safety features across iMessage, Siri, iCloud Photos
by Mike Peterson, appleinsider
Apple is releasing a suite of features across its platforms aimed at protecting children online, including a system that can detect child abuse material in iCloud while preserving user privacy.
The Cupertino tech giant on Thursday announced new child safety features across three areas that it says will help protect children from predators and limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The official announcement closely follows reports that Apple would debut some type of system to curb CSAM on its platforms.
"At Apple, our goal is to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives — while helping them stay safe," the company wrote in a press release.
For example, Apple will implement new tools in Messages that will allow parents to be more informed about how their children communicate online. The company is also uses a new system that leverages cryptographic techniques to detect collections of CSAM stored in iCloud Photos to provide information to law enforcement. Apple is also working on new safety tools in Siri and Search.
"Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer," said John Clark, CEO and President of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
With so many people using Apple products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children who are being enticed online and whose horrific images are being circulated in child sexual abuse material. At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children we know this crime can only be combated if we are steadfast in our dedication to protecting children. We can only do this because technology partners, like Apple, step up and make their dedication known. The reality is that privacy and child protection can co-exist. We applaud Apple and look forward to working together to make this world a safer place for children.
All three features have also been optimized for privacy, ensuring that Apple can provide information about criminal activity to the proper authorities without threatening the private information of law-abiding users.
The new features will debut later in 2021 in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8.
CSAM detection in iCloud Photos
The most significant new child safety feature that Apple is planning on debuting focuses on detecting CSAM within iCloud Photos accounts.
If Apple detects collections of CSAM stored in iCloud, it'll flag that account and provide information to the NCMEC, which works as a reporting center for child abuse material and works with law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
Apple isn't actually scanning images here. Instead, it's using on-device intelligence to match CSAM to a known database of hashes provided by the NCMEC and other child safety organizations. This database is converted into an unreadable set of hashes that are stored securely on a user's device.
The actual method of detecting CSAM in iCloud Photos is complicated, and uses cryptographic techniques at every step to ensure accuracy while maintaining privacy for the average user.
Apple says a flagged account will be disabled after a manual review process to ensure that it's a true positive. After an account is disabled, the Cupertino company will send a message to NCMEC. Users will have the opportunity to appeal an account termination if they feel like they've been mistakenly targeted.
The company again reiterates that the feature only detects CSAM stored in iCloud Photos — it won't apply to photos stored strictly on-device. Additionally, Apple claims that the system has an error rate of less than one in one trillion accounts per year.
Rather than cloud-based scanning, the feature also only reports users who have a collection of known CSAM stored in iCloud. A single piece of abusive material isn't enough to trigger it, which helps to cut back the rate of false positives.
Again, Apple says that it will only learn about images that match known CSAM. It is not scanning every image stored in iCloud and won't obtain or view any images that aren't matched to known CSAM.
The CSAM detection system will only apply to U.S.-based iCloud accounts to start. Apple says it will likely roll the system out on a wider scale in the future.
Communication safety
One of the new updates focuses on increasing the safety of children communicating online using Apple's iMessage
For example, the iMessage app will now show warnings to children and parents when they are receiving or sending sexually explicit photos.
If a child under 17 years old receives a sensitive image, it will be automatically blurred and the child will be presented with helpful resources. Apple also included a mechanism that will let children under 13 years old know that a message will be sent to their parents if they do view it. Children between 13 and 17 years old will not be subject to parental notification when opening these images and Communication Safety cannot be enabled on accounts used by adults over the age of 18.
The system uses on-device machine learning to analyze images and determine if it's sexually explicit. It's specifically designed so that Apple does not obtain or receive a copy of the image.
Siri and Search updates
In addition to the iMessage safety features, Apple is also expanding the tools and resources it offers in Siri and Search when it comes to online child safety.
For example, iPhone and iPad users will be able to ask Siri how they can report CSAM or child exploitable. Siri will then provide the appropriate resources and guidance.
Siri and Search are also being updated to step in if users perform searches or queries for CSAM. As Apple notes, "these interventions will explain to users that interest in this topic is harmful and problematic, and provide resources from partners to get help with this issue."
Maintaining user privacy
Apple has long touted that it goes to great lengths to protect user privacy. The company has even gone toe-to-toe with law enforcement over user privacy rights. That's why the introduction of a system meant to provide information to law enforcement has some security experts worried.
However, Apple maintains that surveillance and abuse of the systems was a "primary concern" while developing them. It says it designed each feature to ensure privacy was preserved while countering CSAM or child exploitation online.
For example, the CSAM detection system was designed from the start to only detect CSAM — it doesn't contain mechanisms for analyzing or detecting any other type of photo. Furthermore, it only detects collections of CSAM over a specific threshold.
Apple says the system doesn't open the door to surveillance, and it doesn't do anything to weaken its encryption. The CSAM detection system, for example, only analyzes photos that are not end-to-end encrypted.
Security experts are still concerned about the ramifications. Matthew Green, a cryptography professor at Johns Hopkins University, notes that the hashes are based on a database that users can't review. More than that, there's the potential for hashes to be abused — like a harmless image shared a hash with known CSAM.
"The idea that Apple is a 'privacy' company has bought them a lot of good press. But it's important to remember the this is the same company that won't encrypt your iCloud backups because the FBI put pressure on them," Green wrote.
Ross Anderson, a professor of security engineering at the University of Cambridge, called the system "an absolutely appalling idea" in an interview with The Financial Times. He added that it could lead to "distributed bulk surveillance of... our phones and laptops."
Digital rights group The Electronic Frontier Foundation also penned a blog post about the feature, saying it is "opening the door to broader abuses."
"All it would take to widen the narrow backdoor that Apple is building is an expansion of the machine learning parameters to look for additional types of content, or a tweak of the configuration flags to scan, not just children's, but anyone's accounts. That's not a slippery slope; that's a fully built system just waiting for external pressure to make the slightest change,>" wrote EFF's India McKinney and Erica Portnoy.
WIZARD SEZ: This is a well meaning but controversial proposal that Apple has introduced and so MAGIC will be keeping an eye out for developments. Watch these pages.
Filter What's Showing in Photos to Focus on Specific Types
by Smalldog Electronics
You know you can make albums and smart albums in Photos, and do searches to find photos that contain particular objects. But what if you want to separate photos from videos, identify which images in an album have been edited, or pick out just the ones you've favorited? For that, use Photos' filters. On the Mac (below left), click the Showing menu in the upper-right corner, and in iOS and iPadOS (iPhone screens below right), tap the ••• button in the upper-right corner and tap Filter. Either way, you can choose Favorites, Edited, Photos, or Videos to limit the items showing to that type. When you're done, turn the filter off by choosing All Items.
How to reset iPhone's keyboard dictionary to fix autocorrect glitches
by Killian Bell, cultofmac
We all have our complaints and frustrations with autocorrect on iPhone and iPad, but there's no doubt it makes typing on a touchscreen quick and easy. Except when it suddenly decides to stop working properly.
If you've found that autocorrect is suddenly changing words it doesn't need to change, or offering up other strange glitches, you may need to reset your keyboard dictionary on iPhone and iPad. We'll show you how.
I was forced to reset my own keyboard dictionary on iPhone this week when autocorrect suddenly and inexplicably started replacing "it's" with "IT's." I have no idea why, but it was driving me crazy, so I needed to fix it.
The only method of preventing this was to reset my iPhone's keyboard dictionary. It wipes everything the dictionary has learned so that you can make a fresh start. And it couldn't be simpler.
How to reset your keyboard dictionary on iPhone and iPad
Resetting your keyboard dictionary on iPhone and iPad doesn't require a full device reset, so you don't lose anything (except your keyboard dictionary). It's an easy fix for autocorrect glitches, but it has its downsides, too.
If you've taught your iPhone a bunch of uncommon words — names, curse words, and other things it doesn't recognize out of the box — it will need to relearn them, which takes a bit of time … and plenty of patience.
If you're okay with that, here are the steps to follow to reset your keyboard dictionary on iPhone and iPad:
Open the Settings app.
Tap General, then tap Reset.
Select Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
Enter your device passcode.
Tap Reset to confirm.
Your keyboard dictionary has now been reset and any strange autocorrect behavior should be eliminated. You can now continue to use your keyboard as normal, and it will pick up any strange words you use frequently over time.
Don't Cook Your Digital Devices in the Summer Heat
by Smalldog Electronics
As climate change continues to wreak havoc on our weather, many areas are seeing record temperatures this summer—Seattle just recorded its hottest days ever. You may be able to trade your business suit for shorts or skirts to stay more comfortable, but your electronic gear can't do the same. Keeping your tech cool is about more than comfort—as temperatures rise, performance can suffer, charging may get slower or stop, various components might be disabled, and devices can become unreliable.
How Hot Is Too Hot?
You might be surprised by how low the recommended operating temperatures for Apple devices are—whether you're talking about an iPhone 12 or an M1-based MacBook Pro, the company recommends keeping them under 95° F (35° C).
Such temperatures happen regularly throughout the summer. Even in cooler climes, the temperature in a parked car in the sunshine can easily hit 130º F (54º C) in an hour and rise higher as time passes. And no, opening the windows a few inches won't make much difference. You know you shouldn't leave a kid or dog in a parked car for that reason, and now you can see that leaving your iPhone in the car during an afternoon at the beach might be problematic as well. Apple says its products shouldn't even be stored—turned off—at temperatures over 113º F (45º C).
It's not just cars you have to think about. Temperatures in homes and offices without air conditioning can also rise higher than electronics would prefer, and that's especially true for computers that stay on most of the time and aren't located in well-ventilated areas.
What's the Danger?
First off, remember that all electronic devices produce their own heat on top of the ambient heat in the environment, so the temperature inside a device can be much, much hotter than outside. The CPU in an iMac can hit 212º F (100º C) under heavy loads.
Temperatures that exceed component design specs can have the following detrimental effects:
Chips of all types can behave unpredictably as increased thermal noise (electrons vibrating more) causes a higher bit error rate. Because electrical resistance increases with heat, timing errors can also occur.
Lithium-ion batteries discharge well in high temperatures, but the increased rate of chemical reactions within the battery will result in a shorter overall lifespan.
As devices heat and cool, the uneven thermal expansion of different materials can cause microscopic cracks that can lead to a variety of failures over time.
Some heat-related problems are temporary, so when the device or component cools down, it will resume working correctly. But others are irreversible and worth avoiding.
When a Mac gets too hot, it will spin up its fans in an attempt to keep its internal components cool. (The M1-based MacBook Air doesn't have a fan, so it won't be able to provide the same level of advance warning.) If your Mac's fans ever run at full tilt for more than a few minutes, first quit apps you aren't using, particularly those that might be CPU-intensive, thus creating a lot of heat. If that doesn't make a difference, restart it to ensure the problem isn't some rogue process. If the fans come back on at full speed quickly, shut it down and let it cool off for a bit. In the worst case, an overheated Mac may start acting unpredictably or crash.
iOS devices don't have fans, so they employ other coping mechanisms. If your iPhone or iPad gets too hot, the device will alert you.
Apple says you might notice some of the following behaviors with an overheating iPhone or iPad:
Charging, including wireless charging, slows or stops.
The display dims or goes black.
Cellular radios enter a low-power state. The signal might weaken during this time.
The camera flash is temporarily disabled.
Performance slows with graphics-intensive apps or features.
If you're using Maps on an overheating iPhone for GPS navigation in the car, it may show a "Temperature: iPhone needs to cool down." screen instead of the map. You'll still get audible turn-by-turn directions, and the screen will wake up to guide you through turns,
How to Keep Your Tech Cool
For the most part, keeping Apple devices cool just requires common sense:
Avoid using devices when the temperature is over 95º F (35º C). If that's impossible, keep usage to a minimum.
Don't leave devices in cars parked in the sun for long periods of time. If it happens accidentally, let the device cool before using it.
Provide good ventilation so air can cool the device. Don't block ventilation ports in the back of desktop Macs, and don't use Mac laptops in bed, propped on a pillow, or under the covers. It can be worth blowing dust out of ventilation ports with compressed air every so often.
Never put anything on the keyboard of an open Mac laptop.
Avoid stacking things on top of a Mac mini.
Monitor the temperature of server closets. If they get too hot, keep the door open, add a fan, or run the air conditioning.
Luckily, the temperatures that cause problems for Apple hardware aren't terribly comfortable for people either, so if you're way too hot, that's a good sign your gear is as well.
Stop Your iPhone from Making Irrelevant Suggestions
by Jake Peterson, gadgethacks
Siri Suggestions is one way Apple makes your iPhone work better for you. These recommendations offer helpful actions and shortcuts based on how you use iOS. Still, they can frequently get things wrong, suggesting irrelevant shortcuts to apps, contacts, and other items repeatedly. Here's how to stop them.
You'll find these dismissable shortcuts and suggestions in three primary locations on iOS — in Spotlight Search below the suggested apps, as lock screen notifications, and as suggested contacts in the share sheet. We'll also discuss suggestions in Search later on, but these suggestions are not dismissable in the same way.
The quick and easy way to see less of the shortcuts and suggestions you don't like is to tell iOS yourself. Long-press on the suggestion, and you'll see "Suggest Shortcut Less." Tap that, and the suggestion will disappear, with the hope that iOS will learn not to share that action with you in the future.
You'll see that prompt for shortcuts on the home and lock screen. This trick works the same for contact suggestions in your share sheet, but the prompt here is "Share Less" since the suggested contacts aren't shortcuts. If you're really unhappy with all suggested contacts in the share sheet, you can go an extra step further and completely remove them.
How to Disable Suggestions Altogether
That said, iOS isn't perfect, and you might end up seeing the same annoying suggestions throughout your iPhone. If repeating "Suggest Shortcut Less" doesn't solve the problem, you could look into disabling Siri Suggestions altogether. Just head to Settings -> Siri & Search, then disable the toggles next to any of the relevant areas:
Suggestions while Searching: Removes Siri Suggestions from Spotlight searches.
Suggestions on Lock Screen: Removes Siri Suggestions from the lock screen.
Suggestions on Home Screen: Removes Siri Suggestions when swiping down on the home screen.
Suggestions when Sharing: Removes Siri Suggestions from the share sheet.
Nightstand Mode Makes Your Apple Watch a Helpful Bedroom Companion
by Smalldog Electronics
Most Apple Watch users charge their watch every night, putting it on a charger as part of a bedtime routine. If that's you, make sure you're not missing one of the Apple Watch's best features: nightstand mode. When you enable it in the iPhone's Watch app, in General > Nightstand Mode, a charging Apple Watch displays the charging status, current time and date (in a large, easily readable font), and the time of any alarm you've set. It uses a green color that won't shock your eyes in the middle of the night, and after a minute, the screen goes completely dark. To see it again, tap the watch or—even better!—the surface it's on. The screen lights up for 10 seconds before going dark again. (And yes, we love the little classic Mac stand.)
Apple TV+ Guide: Here are all the Apple TV shows and movies available now
by Benjamin Mayo, cultofmac
Apple TV+ offers exclusive Apple original TV shows and movies in 4K HDR quality. You can watch across all of your screens and pick up where you left off on any device. Apple TV+ costs $4.99 per month. Here's every Apple original television show and movie available now on Apple TV+, as well as the latest trailers …
Apple TV+ content is available exclusively through the Apple TV app. You can watch on your Apple TV set-top box, iPhone, or iPad as you might expect.
But you don't need the latest Apple TV 4K to enjoy Apple TV+. The TV app is also available on other platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Sony PlayStation, Xbox, and even the web at tv.apple.com.
Apple TV+ offers original comedies, dramas, thrillers, documentaries, and kids shows. However, unlike most other streaming services, Apple TV+ does not include a back catalog of any kind.
For your $4.99/month subscription (learn how to save money), you can watch all of Apple's originals — as listed below. You can download to watch offline too. Apple is adding new content every single month.
How to watch the free Apple TV+ shows
The TV app is the exclusive destination for Apple TV+, but the TV app is a little confusing because it blends together purchasable TV shows and movies from the iTunes Store, which you can buy or rent, the integration of content from other apps like Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer, and Apple TV Channels.
The Watch Now screen does not really distinguish between content that you own and can watch, and just Apple's general recommendations.
The easiest way to get started with Apple TV+ is to open the Apple TV app on your device, and tap on the Originals tab. (On some platforms, this tab is simply labelled using the 'tv+' logo.)
This tab takes you to the Apple TV+ channel page. This screen shows you all of the Apple TV+ shows and movies available to watch, separated into categories like comedy, drama and family fun.
Note that tv.apple.com is very stripped down compared to the native TV app on devices, and it only shows Apple original content. Both the website and the Mac TV app lack key features like the ability to skip intro or automatic next episode suggestions when you finish an episode.
What to watch on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ (Apple TV Plus, or as some erroneously call it Apple+ TV) is still in its infancy but has already seen breakout hits including comedy Ted Lasso and hard-hitting drama The Morning Show.
Apple aims for premium quality across its drama, comedy, and documentary TV shows and movies so everything should reach a reasonable level of quality and hopefully be worth your time. In terms of personal recommendations, I suggest starting with 'Defending Jacob', 'For All Mankind', 'The Morning Show', 'Trying', 'Ted Lasso' and the movie 'The Banker'.
Read on to see all of the TV shows, movies and specials streaming now on Apple TV+ as well as trailers for upcoming releases.
After spending a few days there, he realizes there are a lot of people he wants to talk to, and a lot of questions he wants to ask them. He walks up to an angel and asks, "So how come we don't have iPads up here? It would be really nice to have an iPad; that way I could jot down a note about something I want to ask someone, and when I meet them, I can look it up again."
The angel says, "Dear brother, in heaven we do not need iPads to remember things for us, for we have perfect memory."
The geek replies, "But I heard rumors that in hell they have iPads. Why would they have them down there if we don't up here?"
The angel says simply, "Here's a telescope. See for yourself."
So the geek looks through the telescope. "Huh," he exclaims. "It looks like they're all looking for chargers!"
Malware Examples
by Ron Sharp and Robert Elphick *
Someone pretending to be with Norton
Do not call the number - report it to FBI (see below) and then delete the email.
Internet Crime
Any one bothered by internet criminal activity should report it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at this web page. This includes phishing, malware, spoofing, any demand for money.
I'm concerned about privacy for my data for the obvious reasons. I, like most people, don't want to be followed around the web. I don't want to get advertising from every product web page I visit and have my data sold to other companies. I don't want to suddenly have apps on my computer that direct the browser to unwanted sites. And I particularly don't want my data to get into the hands of scammers and thieves. Many people also don't want websites to store their credit card data.
There are things you can do to help control your data and here are a few thoughts on it. To be safe you have to be proactive. You can start by using a browser that is safe. And whatever browser you use, check the settings. Right off I am going to recommend using Apple's Safari browser. There are a few privacy preferences to check. Browser Extensions should also be checked periodically to make sure a website has not nefariously added an extension to the browser.
In contrast Google's Chrome browser has many settings, not to mention also a bit confusing. Most people don't realize the extent of settings associated with Chrome. Some of the settings include turning off access to the microphone and camera. You can choose to Allow, Never Allow, or Ask. Most are set to Allow and should be changed to Ask. There are also settings like "Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed." That should definitely be turned off. There is another setting for "Chrome Sign In" that should be turned off, otherwise it'll sign you in to all other Google apps when you sign into Chrome. There are over 15 different Google services including gmail, Maps, Google Calendar, Google Desktop, Google Groups, Google AdWords, etc.
Another setting called Google Sync will sync all your settings and info to all your other devices. It may be convenient for some but if you get a malicious browser extension it will also be synced to your other devices.
Searches from your browser can use the search program/engine that you choose. Some of the choices are Google, Yahoo, Bing and DuckDuckGo. Google's search engine tracks you with every search. DuckDuckGo never tracks you. What I've chosen to do is avoid Google altogether. If you use a gmail address it will be hard to avoid the Google conglomerate, but you can change your email service.
Another choice for keeping your data safe is to avoid Facebook. There are so many ways to keep in touch with people that are safer as far as your personal data. With email, text messaging, and dozens of social media sites to choose from its easy to avoid Facebook.
A recent zero day exploit was discovered in iOS that collected cookies from some websites including Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Facebook and Yahoo. All the largest players. The exploit has been patched in a previous iOS update. (14.4.2)
And as you already know, using good passwords for sites is imperative. If you choose a password you can remember then its probably not a good password.
When browsing the internet, and of course I mean when clicking an article link from the MAGIC newsletter, it is really helpful to use the "Reader View." Click on the little icon in the left corner of the URL window and you get the Reader View. It eliminates the ads and banners and puts the article in a very readable format.
This image of the reader view icon is from the Safari browser. Other browsers may show the icon location differently. Not all websites enable this feature but if you don't see it try clicking in the URL window where is show the website address.
MAGIC, the Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County, serves people who use Macintosh computers, software and peripherals. Our goal is to share information and get answers to questions to make us more productive with our use of technology. Our monthly meetings give us a chance to discuss computer problems and share ideas with other Mac users, feature speakers on specific topics, and to keep apprised of Apple news.
