• Meeting and Q&A with Harry
• "Creating Presentations" by Robert Elphick
Minutes for Magic Zoom meeting, April 20, 2022
by Penny Holland, MAGIC Secretary
The April meeting of MAGIC was held via Zoom. There were approximately 17 people in attendance on line with us. President Harry Anderson called the meeting to order at 4:04.
BUSINESS MEETING
Harry announced upcoming meetings:
May 18- "Creating Presentations" by Robert Elphick
June - "Apple MAIL" by Robert Elphick
July - "Calendar" by Gary McIntyre
Our treasurer, Gary McIntyre, was absent today, so there was no report on our bank balance, but it is most likely not far from what was reported last month. Harry reminded us that that since we are not currently meeting in person, dues are not collected. But if anybody wants to make a donation, it can be done online.
ZOOM RULES: Getting ready for the presentation, Harry asked us all to put ourselves on MUTE. Please do not interrupt the speaker, but rather your questions can be sent via CHAT. The rest of the meeting will be recorded. People can turn off their own video if they do not wish their faces to be viewed. After the presentation you can ask more questions via Zoom.
PRESENTATION
Ron Sharp gave a very thorough presentation on PRINTERS. Following are a few important points he covered.
Printers can be categorized into 3 types: Ink jet, laser and Ink ReservoirTank printers. Ron explained the features of each, and pointed out options and features to check, ie. FAX and Air Print. Air Print allows you to print wirelessly from your iPhone and iPad. Apple has a web page listing all the printers that are Air Print compatible.
This presentation may be viewed by going to the MAGIC website and by watching the video presentation of the Zoom meeting of this date. (see this and previous zoom meetings.)
Q & A
Q: Ron mentioned the HP Envy 6055. Does it have a photo copy option?
A: Yes it copies and scans but doesn't fax.
Q: Does the HP printer have a cleaning option? My printer is an Epson about 4 years old. When the print gets fuzzy, I have to run it through a cleaning process. Now I have a newer Epson printer that does not have a clean Print Head function. I figured out a work around, where I use the Print head cleaning function from my old printer.
A: Be sure you check the printer's functions before buying.I don't think the HP has that function.
Q: Any suggestions for keeping ink cartridges from not drying out if you only use them occasionally?
A: There's not much you can do but just try to either do a print head cleaning process or just print a page occasionally, at least once a week.
Q: Do you know if any printer brand is best for Macs?
A: Formerly, HP printers were hard to work with Macs; recently they work better. But watch when you set up an HP because they try to sell you a bunch of things you may not want.
Harry commented that the latest printer he bought does not have automatic feeding. He emphasized that you make sure to look at the printer's specs before buying one.
Q: Does anyone have a printer they really like?
A: Samuel said he has a Canon that he really likes. It prints, scans and does fax and it has worked well for him.
Q: A company (Wirecutter) used to recommend Brother and now they like the HP Envy, which is great, but at least some do not have the ability to do multiple page loading.
Q: Maureen usually uses HP and says she hates and loves them.
This printer has the ability to print "Black Only", which doesn't use the color ink.
A: Ron said you can get printers that use just black, note that some printers will not work if one of the color cartridges is empty, even if you only want to print black. If you are mostly printing black text, this turns out to be a big waste of colored ink.
Q: Is anyone collecting cartridges these days for MAGIC?
A: No but there is a place at the recycling stations to drop off old printer cartridges. Also some charities will take used cartridges.
With no further questions being posed, Harry adjourned the meeting shortly after 4:20.
MAGIC Musings
by Harry Anderson, MAGIC President
I spent much of April on a paddlewheel steamboat cruising the Mississippi River from Memphis to New Orleans. To call it a trip of a lifetime almost understates it. Every day we disembarked to visit historical sites, mansions, plantations and swamps with alligators.
A friend on this trip remarked that cruising the Mississippi is about two things: the Civil War and music. We got plenty of both. The devastation of the Civil War and the horrendous legacy of slavery was apparent everywhere. One cemetery in Vicksburg has more than 10,000 Civil War graves, both Union and Confederate. Although all of us have studied this period in our nation's history in school, seeing up close how the entire economy of the South was built on the free labor of enslaved African people to enrich white masters was potent — and helped me better understand the racial inequality and unrest that we still have today.
But, on a more positive note, we also visited several sites where modern American music was born — both jazz and blues. We strolled Beale Street in Memphis and visited the monument to W.C. Handy, credited with popularizing blues music across the country. We toured Elvis Presley's home at Graceland and saw his pink Cadillac, motorcycles and Vegas outfits. We visited Dockery Farm in Cleveland, Mississippi, which was historically operated by poor black sharecroppers. It proudly proclaims itself the birthplace of the Delta Blues — first created, it's said, on a cheap guitar played by sharecropper Charley Patton. And, perhaps most impressive of all, we toured the B.B. King birthplace and museum in Indianola, Missipppi, where we were treated to a half hour set by a local blues musician doing honor to the great B.B. himself. They didn't call him the King of the Blues for nothing.
Of course, my iPhone camera was in near-constant use on the trip. I took almost 1,000 photographs in eight days. I am still sifting, sorting and deleting dupes. But what I really appreciate is that all my photos were automatically synched to my iPad and my iMac, and that was happening even as we toured. In the evening, I would open my iPad to make a journal entry or post something on Facebook, and presto! The day's photos were already synched to the iPad.
That, to me, is part of the genius of Apple products for which I am very grateful. But then I know I am preaching to the choir on that. I look forward to our May MAGIC meeting on May 18 at 4 p.m. on Zoom.
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.
Apple this week released a new AirTag firmware to users, but details about the update were unknown. However, the company has now confirmed that the latest AirTag firmware (version 1.0.301) enhances the unwanted tracking alert.
In a rare occasion, Apple has posted official notes of what has changed with the latest AirTag firmware update on its website (via MacRumors). There, the company revealed that AirTag Firmware Update 1.0.301 tunes the audible alert when an unwanted AirTag is detected, so that a person can easily locate it.
AirTag Firmware Update 1.0.301:
Tuning the unwanted tracking sound to more easily locate an unknown AirTag.
Requires iOS 14.5 or later.
Since the AirTag was introduced, we've seen some good and fun stories related to the product. Unfortunately, some malicious people have been using AirTag to track others without consent. As a result, Apple has announced new anti-stalking measures to prevent anyone from using AirTags to track people.
For instance, iPhone users now receive an alert if an unknown AirTag is detected moving with that person. The company has also introduced an Android app to allow more people to identify unknown AirTags. Then, users can trigger an audible alert on that AirTag to find and dispose of it, or take it to the authorities.
It's worth noting that AirTag firmware updates are rolled out to users in phases. To receive these updates, make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS and that your AirTag is in Bluetooth range of your phone.
Apple releases feature updates to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers with productivity improvements and more
by José Adorno, 9to5mac
Six months after the last update on the iWork suite, Apple is releasing a new version of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. Here's everything you need to know about version 12.0.
While version 11.2 brought lots of improvements for the three productivity apps Apple offer, version 12.0 seems more discreet.
For Numbers, Apple is bringing three new features:
Copy a snapshot of table cells without formulas, categories, or hidden values
Edit font size more precisely with up to two decimal places
Create formulas and quickly fill cells with autofill using VoiceOver
For Pages, Apple is bringing improvements for publishing books with larger file sizes and more:
Publish directly to Apple Books with larger file sizes up to 2 GB
Insert page numbers anywhere in your document
Edit font size more precisely with up to two decimal places
Quickly start writing a new document on iPhone — just touch and hold the Pages app icon on the Home Screen
Read comments and track changes using VoiceOver
Last but not least, Keynote also has two new features:
Enlarge slides to a maximum zoom level of 400%
Edit font size more precisely with up to two decimal places
Since Apple just released these updates, it might take a while for you to download them on your devices.
Thunderbolt adapter guide: How to connect anything to a USB-C Mac
by Roman Loyola, macworld
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to connect USB-C devices
How to connect USB-A devices
How to connect micro B SuperSpeed devices
How to connect an iPhone or iPad
How to connect the Lightning EarPods
How to connect headphones with a 3.5mm headphone plug
How to connect Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt 2 devices
How to connect an external display
How to connect to ethernet
How to connect FireWire devices
How to connect a printer with USB-B
How to add a classic MagSafe power connector to the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro
Apple equips its Macs with Thunderbolt ports that are compatible with USB-C. A new MacBook Pro comes with either two or three of these ports, depending on the model you pick. A new MacBook Air has a pair. A 24-inch iMac comes with two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports; some models also include two USB-C ports. A Mac Studio has four Thunderbolt 4 ports.
You probably have devices that use USB-A, Thunderbolt 1, Thunderbolt 2, DisplayPort, HDMI, or something else. How do you connect these devices? With an adapter.
If you're planning to buy a new 24-inch iMac, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, make sure you set aside a considerable amount of cash for the adapters you need. Apple doesn't include any in the box, except for a power adapter. Even if you are getting a Mac Studio or 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro that has a lot of ports other than Thunderbolt, you may need to turn to an adapter, dock, or hub if you have a lot of gear to connect.
Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter with Type-C Charging Port
Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter with Type-C Charging Port
Read our review
MSRP: $59.99
Best Prices Today: $59.99 at Amazon
Your best bet is to get a combination dock, like the Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter ($60/£60 on Amazon). It connects via USB-C, and includes a USB-C pass-through port, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port with 4K (30Hz) support. With this, you don't have to carry around multiple adapters.
There are larger docking stations with up to 18 ports; we've rounded up the best Thunderbolt docks for Mac.
If you don't want a dock, or you can't find a dock with the mix of connections you need, Apple or another company probably has an adapter for you. We've come up with this guide to help you sort out what you need, and we link to the appropriate adapter in the online Apple Store or on Amazon.
Be sure to check the return policies; sometimes adapters from third parties don't work. Read user reviews whenever possible, and read the specifications to make sure the adapter can do what you need it to do.
Apple, Google, and Microsoft to extend support for FIDO 'passwordless' sign-in
by Filipe Espositi, 9to5mac
In early 2020, Apple joined the FIDO Alliance, an open industry association created to increase the interoperability of authentication methods and reduce reliance on traditional passwords. Now Apple, Google, and Microsoft have committed to expanding support for the FIDO Standard, moving toward a universal "passwordless" sign-in method.
The new standard, which was created by FIDO and the World Wide Web Consortium, aims to allow apps and websites to offer a unified and secure login option across different devices and platforms. As the alliance pointed out, authentication that relies solely on passwords is more susceptible to security breaches, as many people have easy passwords or reuse them across services.
The three companies believe that while improvements in password management and two-factor authentication have made digital life safer, there's still more they can do to protect users.
Both Apple, Google, and Microsoft already provide support for the FIDO Standard, but the current implementation still requires the user to log into each app or website on each device before enabling a passwordless sign-in method. That's why they will now expand support for this new sign-in standard in their products.
Users will soon be able to access their FIDO credentials on all their devices without having to re-register for each account. Authentication will also work regardless of platform or web browser. More importantly, FIDO credentials will be offered as a single sign-in option, without the need for a password or recovery method.
Another addition to the standard is the ability to authenticate a new device using another nearby device that already has the credentials.
The benefits of FIDO
By replacing regular passwords, the new FIDO standard makes users less susceptible to phishing attacks, since authentication relies on biometrics stored on the user's device, rather than a shareable password. It also eliminates the need for authentication codes sent via SMS, which can be spoofed by hackers.
When it comes to Apple platforms, apps and websites can already let users authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID instead of using a regular password. It's worth noting that this technology is different from iCloud Keychain, which only uses biometrics to auto-fill your password and not replace it.
There are no details on when expanded FIDO support will arrive on Apple platforms, but we will likely hear more about it at WWDC 2022 in June. Google says it is working to make the technology available across Chrome, ChromeOS, and Android products, while Microsoft has said that it will build support across its apps and services.
Here's everything still to come from Apple in 2022
by Chance Miller, 9to5mac
Apple's already had a busy start to 2022 with the announcement of the new Mac Studio, the Studio Display, and more. There is still a lot more to come throughout the rest of the year, however, including the company's latest round of new Macs amid the Apple Silicon transition, the iPhone 14, and much more.
What is the difference between Mac Memory and Mac Storage?
by Aurther Ditner, rockeyard
Purchasing a new Mac can leave you with questions like "how much memory and storage should I get?" What happens when there is not enough RAM or drive space? What is the difference between Mac memory and Mac storage? Fear not, read on to discover the difference between the two and how to make the best decisions when purchasing a new Mac regardless if you are a casual user or a creative professional.
If you have a Mac that you're thinking of upgrading, be sure to check out our upgrade guide here! Enter your make and model and OWC filters down just the components guaranteed to work with your Mac.
Memory versus storage
When purchasing a new computer both memory and storage are important considerations. Often memory and storage are mentioned interchangeably but they are distinct components and perform different functions. This can be confusing as both memory and storage are places to manage data and are measured in bytes, typically gigabytes or GB for short. Which is more important?
The memory of a computer is referred to as RAM, an acronym for Random Access Memory. Memory or RAM is the space devoted to running your operating system and applications. To run multiple applications at once a Mac requires more memory. The more demanding those applications are, the more RAM you will be using.
Memory is continually holding information for functions all across the computer. However, all of this information is temporary, RAM is not needed when a computer is powered off. If you are noticing frequent slowdowns when opening more than a couple of web pages, or Apple Music slows down retrieving emails—the amount of free memory is a common culprit.
It can be helpful to visualize memory or RAM as the size of a desk. With a larger desk, you can fit more tools on your desktop and perform multiple tasks more effectively. With a smaller desk, only one or two tasks can be completed at a time.
If you have a hunch your computer needs more RAM, you can easily check your Mac's memory usage by opening the activity monitor in the memory tab. It shows all the live processes on your Mac and how much RAM each process is using.
Some Macs can easily upgrade RAM after the time of purchase, such as the 27" iMac. However, many Macs cannot be upgraded afterward. Check and see if your make and model are available on our Memory upgrade list.
How much memory do I need?
Casual user
8GB of memory is the starting point to consider when purchasing a new computer or upgrading an existing one. This amount of RAM works great for users of Safari, Mail, FaceTime, Facebook, and Netflix. All the things you'd expect anyone (including your parents) to do on a computer. Simpler video games will play as well such as my personal favorites: Sneaky Sasquatch, Alto's Odyssey, and Mini Metro will all run smoothly— just try not to do all these things at once!
Intermediate user
If you use your Mac for any graphic design, image editing, music production, or video editing— plan on investing in 16GB of memory. Creative production applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and even Garageband are memory-intensive applications as they have many components working simultaneously. In addition, large spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel, a dozen tabs in Google Chrome, or developing in Xcode will benefit from having 16GB of memory on your system. If you're the type of user that has a dozen applications open at a time, 16GB is for you.
Pro-user
If your full-time job involves creative work produced daily, then 32GB is the number to look at. Motion graphics artists using Adobe After Effects, and visual effects compositors using The Foundry Nuke can attest to the need for available memory as these programs create temporary files (called a cache), that are saved into RAM. If you are a musician, Avid Pro Tools now officially recommends 32GB of RAM, as does Fusion from Blackmagic Design.
What is storage?
Storage is the amount of space on a computer's hard drive (HD) or solid-state drive (SSD) available to store files. The more storage you have, the more files you can save including applications, documents (PDFs, Word, or Excel files), photos, videos, and music. Another analogy: storage space is similar to a filing cabinet. The larger the cabinet, the more documents and file folders you can organize and store.
In terms of measurement, drives are described in bytes—more specifically megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes. Here are a few benchmarks for storage sizes using common documents:
Most current-model Macs do not allow for the upgrading of storage after purchase. The good news is that external storage can be purchased and easily installed. Thanks to faster connection options like USB-C and Thunderbolt, external storage devices run substantially faster than the hard drives of yesteryear ever did. macOS understands how to work with external storage. Applications, games, and even the operating system can all be run from external storage.
Storage volumes are not designed to run at full capacity. If a MacBook Pro has 256GB of storage, at least 15% of that (39GB) should be left available so that temporary files can be created to manage the existing storage.
To quickly check how much storage is available on your Mac:
Click the Apple Logo menu bar
About This Mac
Click Storage
Manage
How much storage do I need?
Casual user - 256GB to 512GB
Most Macs ship with 256GB of storage which is enough to get started and is suitable for most families and younger students. You can save space by using Apple Music to stream rather than filling up a computer with music files. iCloud can also be a useful way to store documents such as a photo library to both save space on a computer, and to access content on all your devices. Still, 256GB can become depleted quickly and a 512GB storage upgrade will increase the longevity (and resale value) of any Mac.
Intermediate user - 1TB
For someone using their Mac to create short videos, edit photos, take to college, or play games, having 1TB (which is the same as 1000GB) would absolutely be beneficial. There will be a comfortable amount of storage to install many applications and not have to worry about cleaning up space to work. Video projects can be started on the computer locally, and moved to an external drive for backup upon completion. Again, Macs with higher storage capacities are generally worth more second-hand.
Expert users - 2TB and up
The biggest convenience of having 2TB of storage or more is the freedom to work with many large documents at once, such as 4k video, high-resolution photos, and uncompressed high-resolution audio. A large storage drive is useful for managing documents and organizing them in a single place before backing them up elsewhere. For casual users, however, this amount of storage would be redundant!
So, memory or storage?
If you are still unsure on how to best use an upgrade budget between memory or storage, I would suggest investing in more memory. Having more memory allows a Mac to multitask more effectively, enhances the resale value of the system, and overall will better futureproof the computer.
Storage, while convenient to have a lot of in one place, can be augmented by adding external drives such as hard drives or solid-state drives. Additionally, iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive can all assist with saving files online, freeing up space inside a computer. New technologies such as USB-C and Thunderbolt have allowed external storage to run faster and in smaller packages.
Apple Self Service Repair store now available, allowing customers to repair their own iPhones for the first time
by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5mac
Apple today launched the Self Service Repair Store, allowing iPhone customers in the United States access to parts and manual that they can use to repair their own devices.
The new store enables repairs of iPhone SE, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 components, including display, battery and camera replacements. Apple also said it will launch Mac self-service repairs later this year.
The tools and parts available through the Self Service Repair Store are the same as what Apple's own repair teams are given access to. A complete kit of tools can be rented for a week, priced at $49. These toolkits include the necessary press, screw bits, protective covers and other materials required to carry out the repair professionally. Individual tools can also be purchased separately, to keep.
Pricing of parts vary, depending on the repair and device type. For example, an iPhone 13 Pro display repair bundle is priced at $269. A battery bundle is $71. For context, you can actually get your iPhone battery serviced through Apple for slightly less money; only $69. An Apple screen replacement service of an iPhone 13 costs $279, only $10 more than the Self Service cost.
However, the numbers may make more sense when you account for the returned part credit. For most repairs, when you have completed the procedure, Apple invites you to return the old components back to Apple where they will be recycled. Customers receive a partial refund credit for doing this. For an iPhone 13 Pro screen and battery repair, that credit is worth about $33.60 and $24.15 respectively. This would bring total effective cost of the self-service battery repair to $46.85, below the price to get Apple to service it for you.
Here are Apple's instructions if you are interested in carrying out a self-service repair. Firstly, customers are indicated to read the repair manual for the corresponding product. Repair manuals are published for free on this page.
After reading the manual, visit the self-service website and order the necessary parts. Parts purchases are tied to the IMEI number of the device you intend to repair.
The Self Service Repair Store is operated by a third-party company, who is authenticated by Apple to sell only genuine Apple equipment.
Apple's self-service repair: A first step with plenty of room to improve [video]
by Derek Wise, 9to5mac
Apple has launched its self-service repair website, where you can order parts and tools for recent iPhones and access repair manuals. It's a nice move to see, and the ability to buy original parts is something right-to-repair advocates have been asking for for a while, but some users seem disappointed by the limited offerings and see it as too little, too late. Let's take a look at what's there, what isn't, and what it takes to get your iPhone fixed using genuine parts.
Apple Car self-driving could take cues from Siri and iPhone input
by Allison McDaniel, 9to5mac
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Apple has hired Desi Ujkashevic, a former Ford executive, to join the efforts of the Apple Car project. Since then, questions continue to arise on whether or not the 'Apple Car' will become a real thing.
Also referred to as 'Project Titan', the project is working to create Apple's first self-driving electric vehicle. It aims to launch as early as 2025, but reports propose that the goal is a bit too ambitious.
Apple Car may actually come to fruition
Reported by Patently Apple, the Cupertino company has published a new patent today regarding the Apple Car. The patent covers autonomous vehicles, specifically an advanced "Guidance System" that can refine the car's final destinations.
The patent notes that an "autonomous" or "self-driving" vehicle is "capable of sensing [its] environment and navigating to destinations with little or no ongoing input from occupants." However, driver input may be valuable to the motion control component of this self-driving vehicle.
Patently Apple suggests the Guidance System will be easy to use in areas where accurate mapping data may not be available. The patent includes various methods for guiding the vehicle using intent signals. It may use multiple computing devices to indicate the destination of the vehicle like a mall, office complex, etc.
A route towards the destination may be identified, and the vicinity of the destination may be reached. At this point, finer-grained guidance regarding the actual stopping point of the vehicle may be needed. The method may further comprise detecting, using one or more sensors, one or more signals generated by an individual authorized or permitted to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle.
Additionally, the patent shows the driver may use the touch-screen of an iPhone or iPad to make inputs. The devices could mark an intended stopping point, trace a path, or indicate an intended direction using a virtual joy-stick - it seems that Siri may also be another way to command the vehicle.
Individuals may also be able to gesture toward an intended parking space by using a voice command such as "park over there."
It's also noted that Apple has scrapped previous patents to replace with new ones to better represent this project.
How to check AirPods battery on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac
by Michael Potuck, 9to5mac
Want some quick ways to see how much power your AirPods and charging case have? Read along for how to check AirPods battery (AirPods Pro too) on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.
Table of contents
How to check AirPods battery
AirPods battery on iPhone and iPad
On Apple Watch
On Mac
More options
Siri
Check AirPods battery with case LED
AirPods low battery tone
AirPods and AirPods Pro feature between 4.5 and 6 hours of use when fully charged with the charging case featuring 20-24 additional hours of power - depending on which AirPods you have.
While it's easy to make sure the earbuds are usually charged up by storing them in the charging case, it can be easy to forget how much charge the case has since it needs to be juiced up less frequently. Below we'll look at a variety of ways to check AirPods battery.
How to Control+F Search on iPhone & iPad in Safari
from osxdaily
Many computer users associate Control+F with searching for text on a web page, and if you're coming to the iPhone or iPad from the Windows world, you may be wondering how you can use the equivalent to the Control+F search in the Safari browser on iPhone and iPad.
The Safari web browser on iPhone and iPad has a built in Find On Page search feature that easily allows you to search for matched text on a webpage, mimicking the behavior of Control+F search for users who are coming to the platform from Windows. And arguably, the iPhone and iPad method is even easier to search matched text for than using Ctrl+F, as you'll see in this walkthrough.
New AirTag firmware adjusts the unwanted tracking sound for easier detection
by Jason Cross, macworld
Apple has pushed out new firmware for its AirTags trackers, version 1.0.301. Apple's support document notes a single change: "Tuning the unwanted tracking sound to more easily locate an unknown AirTag."
This is one of several improvements to Find My and AirTags the company promised back in February, in response to a number of reports that the products were being used to stalk unwitting people. In iOS 15.4, Apple also added a new message during setup that warns people about using AirTag to track the people without consent, and other updates will presumably arrive later this year via future firmware updates and iOS software updates.
How to check the AirTag firmware version
Open the Find My app.
Tap the Items tab.
Select your AirTag in the list of items.
Tap the name of your AirTag, and the serial number and firmware version will appear.
How to update your AirTag
There is no way to force your AirTag to update to the latest firmware. Rather, the firmware will update periodically whenever they're within Bluetooth range of your iPhone. You must ensure that you're running iOS 14.5 or later (that was the first version to support AirTags) and simply keep your AirTag nearby, and be patient. If it's anything like updating AirPods, it could be several days before your devices receive the update.
Apple TV+ wins its first BAFTA TV Awards for these two documentaries
by Allison McDaniel, 9to5mac
Apple has won its first BAFTA TV Awards for its documentaries, 9/11: Inside the President's War Room and 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything. Each year the BAFTAs honor the best British programs and productions with its latest ceremony on Sunday.
Danny Collins and Mark Hammill won the award for Best Editing for 9/11: Inside the President's War Room. Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley, Nas Parkash, Dan Johnson, Tae Hak Kim, and Claire Ellis won Best Sound for 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything.
According to an Apple TV+ press release, Apple Original programs have already won 243 awards and earned 961 nominations. These BAFTA TV Awards follow the win of Apple TV+ film "CODA" for Best Picture at last month's Academy Awards. Apple has done well with its quality over quantity approach at content; it is currently the first and only streaming service to win an Academy Award for an original film.
Apple TV+ Guide: Every Apple TV show and movie available now
by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5mac
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.
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.
Q: Why did Eve want to leave the Garden of Eden and Move to New York?
A: She fell for the big Apple!
Malware Examples
by Ron Sharp and Robert Elphick, MAGIC *
Email Scam to look like it's from Geek Squad This is a scam - delete it.
This was sent by a MAGIC member who looked up the phone number and found that it originated in Russia! Also note that the From address has nothing to do with Norton.
The From address has nothing to do with UPSDo you suppose they were trying to deliver a coffin???!!! (it is to a cemetery)
I got this in Messages on my iPhone recently This is a SCAM - DO NOT CLICK - delete it.
Another Message on my iPhone This is a SCAM - DO NOT CLICK - delete it.
Yet another Message on my iPhone This is a SCAM - DO NOT CLICK - delete it.
Watch out for the ongoing scams about covid-19. We have learned of a number of spam emails and phone calls offering free covid testing kits that are just trying to get data from you. If in doubt, contact medicare.
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.
USB drives are handy external drives to store all kinds of data. You can use them for transferring files between your devices. You can also use them for backing up photos if you get a large enough USB drive. You can create new folders and you can drag all kinds of folders and data from your computer or device to the USB drive for storage.
They are sometimes referred to as Thumb drives, Flash drives, or USB drives. "Flash" drives because the data is "flashed" to electronic storage rather than a spinning hard drive. USB drives, obviously because they plug into the USB port on your device.
USB drives do not become obsolete however the new ones are faster than the older ones. Make sure when you buy a USB drive that you get the ones that say 3.0 which are considerably faster than than the ones that say 2.0. Also if you have a newer computer, make sure to get a USB drive that has the USB-C connector which is the newer standard.
If you have a newer computer and you have old USB drives you can use them but you have to get the adapter for USB to USB-C. The adapters are inexpensive and can be found at many stores beside Amazon like Best Buy and even at Walmart online.
The USB flash drives are generally not formatted to Mac computers, but as soon as you plug them in you can reformat them or often the computer will recognize it as incompatible and will reformat it automatically if you follow the prompts. You use the Disk Utility app to select the drive and reformat. The disk utility is in the folder called "Utilities" in the Applications folder.
USB drives can be encrypted when you reformat them but unless you have particularly sensitive information I wouldn't suggest encryption. Passwords can always be lost and then your data is irretrievable.
Because they are so small they can easily be misplaced. I like to connect something to them resembling a keychain if the drive has some type of loop connector. Hey, I just thought of a great idea! Apple should create an air Tag that is a USB drive. Wow, I'm a genius! You would be able to locate any lost drives!
There are a couple different ways to create email filters to get that huge list of junk email down to a very manageable amount. You have to manage the filter list but that may mean once a month rather than sorting through junk mail everyday. MAGIC may turn this into a presentation if we get input from you.
The main procedure is to log into your email server website, find the settings link and then look for email "Filters." Once you get to the page to create new filters you first create a title for the filter, then you have options on how to locate the particular spam email and what to do with it. You can use words indicating who the email is from or words found in the subject line. You can choose to use words found in the body of the email but be carful that you don't create a filter that is too general and filters out email that you need. Then choose what to do with the email which is to send it to the trash or to the spam folder. Be sure to click the "Save" button to finish creating the filter.
You have to create a filter like this for each email subject or sender that is most consistent. Sometimes a subject word will filter out more than one sender. Such as a filter subject that contains the word "sex" or a political term that might cover many email senders. Just glance down your email list and see what senders or subject words are most common and yet will isolate only the junk. I have over 100 filters set for my email.
Some servers, such as WhidbeyTel has their own automatic filtering system besides being able to create your own filters. With their automatic filtering you can adjust the strength of the filter, lowest number is the most filtering.
Now if you use Apple's Mail app, which means you click on the "Mail" icon in your dock to get your mail, then you have a choice to create filters with the "Rules" tab in the Mail Preferences. It works similar to the what I have described above. But the advantage of creating the filters on the servers website is that it will help to keep your account from becoming overfull where as creating them with the Mail program will only keep them out of your app and not affect the online storage count.
However, the Mail Rules option let's set other aspects of your mail too. You can set the text color or the background color of mail from specific senders or with specific words in the subject line. This helps to spot particluar mail more easily. I have some email subject text set to be a specific color and other emails to have a specific background color. You can also set specific emails to go to Folders of your choice. But then you have to remember to check those folders. So there you go. Use these procedure occasionally and you'll have to deal with very little spam email.
Here is some information for the very small number of you who might be using the iCloud option "My Photo Stream" without using "iCloud Photos" for all your photos. iCloud Photo Stream is for your last 30 days of photos stored on iCloud. When you take photos with your iPhone they will automatically sync to your other devices with iCloud Photos turned on. Once they are synced to your computer they will be saved while the iCloud Photo Stream will limit to the last 30 days. It makes for an easy way to have your photos automatically go to your computer.
I've been using iCloud Photo Stream option for years and it's great. However, lately my photos have not been syncing. I restarted devices, turned cloud options off and back on again, tried changing any option that might affect the syncing of the photos, all to no avail. So I called Apple Support. After passing me off to the next higher level of support five times and repeating my situation each time, I finally got an answer. It's a bug and they are working on it. It still doesn't work but hopefully there will be a fix for it soon.
So if you happen to use iCloud Photo Stream and find your photos not syncing, don't waste your time trying to figure it out yet. Not until Apple has corrected the issue.
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.
