When your previously blazing fast Mac is taking longer than usual to start up, launch applications, or open and save files, something’s clearly wrong. Some users think it’s due to the macOS Mojave update, but it could also be due to other issues. Regardless of what’s causing the slowdown, these tips can help. Clean up Learn More “How to speed up Macs running on Mojave”
In the IT industry, continuous improvement is the name of the game. Whatever makes a business work faster, smarter, and more effectively is a welcome competitive advantage. If you’re a Mac user, do you think you’re taking advantage of all of the best time-saving tips out there? Here’s a checklist you can use to find Learn More “Mac time-saving checklist for 2018”
If you’re a Mac user, data privacy and security should be your #1 priority. Without the right security measures, you’re inviting cybercriminals to steal your critical data. Are you willing to take the risk? Secure your computer and fortify your defenses with these six tips. The basics First, let’s start with the basics and head Learn More “Secure your Mac computer in 6 easy ways”
Apple had recently announced macOS Mojave, the successor to the current macOS High Sierra, and the new features that will arrive with the new operating system. Here are our top five picks.
Did you ever wish your computer windows were not just plain ole white? If yes, you’re in for a treat. The new Dark Mode feature changes the appearance of all your screen elements, such as the dock, taskbar, and windows, from deary shades of white to classier shades of black, making the screen much easier to view at night.
Are you having a hard time finding a specific file on your desktop because it’s cluttered with documents, pictures, and music files? Mojave’s new “Desktop Stacks” automatically organizes and stacks your documents in one pile based on the type of files. For instance, PDFs will be stacked in one pile while JPEGs will be stacked in another. When you want to find a specific file, simply open the pile and go through them until you find the right one.
Your dependable iPhone allows you to read current news, check how your stocks are performing, record voice notes, and control your home accessories. But what if you’re on your computer, your phone is out of reach, and you wanted to do all these things? You won’t need to get out of your seat anymore with MacOS Mojave as popular iOS apps like Voice Memos, Stocks, Home, and Apple News will now be available on Mac.
What’s more, third-party developers will soon be able to make iOS apps available on Mac as Apple plans to implement UIKit, a framework Mac programmers use when developing iOS applications, to macOS. This function is expected to roll out in 2019.
Markup, one of the most convenient tools in iOS, will soon be available for Mac users. This function allows you to write or draw over your screenshot, which is especially useful if you need to pinpoint a specific point on the image and send the file to someone else.
Remember the days when you had to email photographs to yourself, move them to iCloud, or sync your phone so it’s accessible on your computer? Say goodbye to this tedious process with macOS Mojave’s Continuity Camera. This new feature lets you capture images on your phone and have it appear on your Pages document instantly. It also allows you to scan documents on your phone and have it automatically sent to your Mac.
There are many more features that are new to macOS Mojave. If you wish to learn more about it, or understand how this update can benefit your business, call our Apple experts today.
Google Chrome currently marks HTTPS-encrypted sites with a green lock icon and “Secure” sign. And starting in July, Chrome will mark all HTTP sites as “not secure.” Google hopes this move will nudge users away from the unencrypted web. Read on to learn more about the forthcoming changes.
For several years, Google has moved toward a more secure web by strongly advocating that sites adopt the Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) encryption. And last year, Google began marking some HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) pages as “not secure” to help users comprehend risks of unencrypted websites. Beginning in July 2018 with the release of a Chrome update, Google’s browser will mark all HTTP sites as “not secure.”
Chrome’s move was mostly brought on by increased HTTPS adoption. Eighty-one of the top 100 sites on the web default to HTTPS, and the majority of Chrome traffic is already encrypted.
Here’s how the transition to security has progressed, so far:
HTTPS: The benefits and difference
What’s the difference between HTTP and HTTPS? With HTTP, information you type into a website is transmitted to the site’s owner with almost zero protection along the journey. Essentially, HTTP can establish basic web connections, but not much else.
When security is a must, HTTPS sends and receives encrypted internet data. This means that it uses a mathematical algorithm to make data unreadable to unauthorized parties.
#1 HTTPS protects a site’s integrity
HTTPS encryption protects the channel between your browser and the website you’re visiting, ensuring no one can tamper with the traffic or spy on what you’re doing.
Without encryption, someone with access to your router or internet service provider (ISP) could intercept (or hack) information sent to websites or inject malware into otherwise legitimate pages.
#2 HTTPS protects the privacy of your users
HTTPS prevents intruders from eavesdropping on communications between websites and their visitors. One common misconception about HTTPS is that only websites that handle sensitive communications need it. In reality, every unprotected HTTP request can reveal information about the behaviors and identities of users.
#3 HTTPS is the future of the web
HTTPS has become much easier to implement thanks to services that automate the conversion process, such as Let’s Encrypt and Google’s Lighthouse program. These tools make it easier for website owners to adopt HTTPS.
Chrome’s new notifications will help users understand that HTTP sites are less secure, and move the web toward a secure HTTPS web by default. HTTPS is easier to adopt than ever before, and it unlocks both performance improvements and powerful new features that aren’t possible with HTTP.
How can small-business owners implement and take advantage of this new interface? Call today for a quick chat with one of our experts to get started.
People who use iPhones, iPads, and Macs are at risk of encountering a Unicode attack that can cause the messaging app to crash and lock up the device. The good news is a workaround has been found which can restore the state of said Apple products.
What is going on?
A bug, known as “Black Dot,” is locking the messaging app on Apple devices running iOS 11.3 and 11.4 beta with Apple TVs and Apple Watches also at risk.
Black Dot is activated when an iOS user sends another user an iMessage (this is not an SMS) with an emoji of a black dot with a finger pointing at it. Loaded with plenty of invisible Unicode characters, this emoji will overwhelm the CPU and memory, forcing the messaging app to stop functioning and possibly lock up the device.
The affected user may be lucky enough to close the app, but the bug will remain when the program is opened again, causing everything to crash.
How do I squash this bug?
Apple’s development team is still working on a patch to address the issue, but you can apply a temporary remedy to keep your device going.
For devices that have Siri installed:
If your iPhone has 3D Touch installed:
If your Apple device does not have 3D Touch or Siri installed:
While this bug is a major issue, it has not infected many Apple products yet. Once the final version of iOS 11.4 is released, the problem should be resolved. If you need more information on properly maintaining your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, feel free to give us a call today!
Lately, Microsoft has given some love to Outlook — not just the desktop app, but also the web and app versions. In fact, they just released a bunch of new and improved features. Let’s take a look.
#1 RSVP
Outlook makes it fairly simple to invite people to a meeting, but now it will also keep tabs on who’s coming. Just click the new “Tracking” option under “Meeting Occurrence” and see who has committed to the meeting and who hasn’t. RSVP isn’t just available for the meeting organizer, but the attendees, too.
#2 Multiple time zones
Traveling internationally and trying to sync appointments on different continents? Not fun. But now you can set up event start times and end times across different zones.
Outlook now allows you to show multiple time zones – three within Windows, and one within Outlook for Mac. In Outlook for Windows, add one by clicking File > Options > Calendar Time Zones and clicking “Show a second time zone”. In Mac, add one additional time zone under Outlook > Preferences > Calendar Time Zones. For Outlook on the web, click the “Time Zone” drop-down arrow in your Calendar meeting invite to add an additional time zone.
#3 BCC warning
If you’re on the receiving end of a blind carbon copy (bcc) email, that means the other recipients didn’t know you were copied on it. In Outlook for Windows, you’ll now get an alert if you attempt to reply to that message, such as “You were bcc’d, so perhaps you should reply only to the sender?” That way you’ll remain anonymous.
#4 Office Lens for Android
If you use Outlook for Android, the app will integrate the Microsoft Office Lens feature.
When that happens, you can tap the photo icon while composing a message, then take a snapshot of a whiteboard, document, photo or the like. Outlook will optimize it and then embed it into the email.
#5 Bill-pay reminders
What about your bills? Outlook will identify them in your inbox, show you a summary card at the top of your email each day, send an email to remind you two days before the due date, and automatically add an event to your calendar so you don’t forget to pay on the actual day.
If you want to learn more about these new and improved features, with more on the way, just call us today for a quick chat with one of our Microsoft Office experts.
There’s a popular belief that Macs are the most reliable computer brand because they are less likely to get viruses or crash often – but they do. And like any other computer, Macs aren’t invulnerable to coffee spills, theft, and crashes. When these happen, the Time Machine is your friend to restore your data.
Time Machine is a backup system software for Macs that run on Mac OS X Leopard or later. It makes regular periodic backups in the following intervals:
If you’re concerned about storage space running out fast because of the frequent backups, don’t worry. These scheduled backups don’t replace previously saved files; rather, they only save the changes you’ve made to a file.
Let’s say you’ve been working on a file for five days: Time Machine has periodically created backups of the changes you made every day. So if you need to retrieve a version of a file with changes made on Day 2, you can do so even after you’ve made several changes on the file from Days 3-5 because Time Machine stores multiple copies of the file from Days 1-5.
In case you’re replacing a Mac, you can easily copy all your files from your old computer to the new one, with your settings, files, and folders intact. And if you’re backing up data from several Mac computers, there’s no need to use a separate device for each Mac, provided it has enough space for all files.
To use Time Machine, you only need an external storage drive such as a USB, an SSD card, or any storage device that can be plugged into your Mac. Then follow these steps:
Although there are various other backup systems for Mac, Time Machine is one of the more practical options for users who value simplicity, convenience, and reliability. What’s more, it’s free.
That said, similar backup systems like ChronoSync offer slightly more comprehensive backups. And since Time Machine only backs up data instead of the entire hard drive, restoring an entire system is relatively slower.
Despite this minor shortcoming, Time Machine is a reliable, user-friendly, and economical way to back up your files. Whether you’re backing up a device for personal or business use, using Time Machine ensures all your files are safe and can be recovered. If you need more comprehensive backup solutions, our experts are ready to help — call us today.
With evolving technology comes evolving threats. Recently, a researcher revealed that a new type of scam freezes Google Chrome and tricks users into believing that their network security has been compromised. Little did they know that following instructions listed on the screen will lead to an actual security breach.
The scam works by displaying an error message indicating a bogus security breach incident that renders a browser unusable. These scammers capitalize on the fact that a serious crash can’t be solved by simply closing the site, thereby sending the users into a panic. This encourages them to dial the number listed on the warning message.
On the other end of the line, the scammers would pose as Microsoft or Apple representatives to convince users into surrendering their credit card details to repair a non-existing security issue. The scams are generally carried out through legitimate sites or malicious ads that have been hacked.
This new scam operates against Chrome by corrupting the window.navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob programming interface, which basically uses it as a form of distraction. The hackers manipulate the browser and forces it to save a random document on a disk repeatedly at super fast intervals that are impossible to notice. After five to 10 seconds, Chrome will be completely unresponsive.
To recover, Windows users simply have to open Windows Task Manager (press ctrl + shift + esc keys) and stop the process there. On the other hand, macOS users just need to wait until a system message prompts them to close the unresponsive Chrome tab. Typically, the latter is a more appealing option since users would have the freedom to close only the corrupted page. Manually closing the whole browser means possibly losing unsaved files in any open Windows.
When faced with IT-related issues, you need to determine how you can approach them calmly. The threats in the digital world may be terrifying and intimidating, but causing a panic in your workplace isn’t the answer. Call us as soon as any problems arise, and we’ll help you as soon as we can. We can even hook you up with other security measures to beef up your network security.
Mac users follow certain steps to maintain privacy and protect company data. But if you’re too busy or short on resources, you might place security lower on your to-do list. Whatever your reason, the threat is real and you need to take steps to protect yourself.
Begin by making sure that your Mac settings are set up properly to keep your information safe. Click System Preferences (the gear icon along the bottom of your screen), then open the Security & Privacy pane, which contains four tabs that allow you to manage different security features. You should do this with an administrator account so the changes affect everyone who uses this computer.
One of the biggest steps you can take to protect your computer is to enable macOS’s built-in firewall to block unwelcome network connections. Just go to the Firewall tab in the Security & Privacy settings, click on the padlock at the bottom of the screen, and key in your username and password. Then enable firewall by clicking on Turn On Firewall.
To modify its settings, click on Firewall Options just below the Turn Off Firewall button. A dialog box will pop up and you can click on Enable Stealth Mode. Turning on Stealth Mode will make your Mac invisible on public networks (like an unsecured coffeeshop WiFi).
In the Firewall Options, you will also find a list of services and apps that are allowed to receive inbound connections. If you want to add an app or service to the list, just click the ‘+’ button below the list itself. However, we recommend keeping this list as short as possible because any app connected to the list can be exploited.
Nowadays, macOS/Mac OS X automatically turns on FileVault encryption. This means that it encrypts the hard drive by default, and the only way it can be accessed is by logging in. Keep in mind, though, that this feature won’t necessarily save your account in case someone reinstalls macOS/OS X, or when they use a USB memory stick to boot the Mac and possibly remove all data from your hard disk.
To increase protection, set up a firmware password. To do so, restart your computer, and then press and hold down Cmd+R before the Apple logo shows up on screen. You can let go of the keys once the progress bar pops up.
Choose your location and language when asked, then click on the Utilities>Firmware Password Utility menu. Simply follow the instructions here, and make sure to never forget or misplace your password. Forgetting your firmware password can be quite a hassle because only Apple technicians can recover it.
Ensure that your confidential data remains confidential simply by performing minor tweaks on the system settings. It takes only a few minutes of your time to ensure lasting online protection. If setting up a firewall or firmware password sounds a little too advanced for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts.