In the tech world, September brings the fruits of Apple’s harvest: new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods. At its recent Awe Dropping event, Apple introduced the new iPhone 17 lineup, the ultra-thin iPhone Air, the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and the AirPods Pro 3. Read More from “Apple Unveils New iPhone 17 Lineup, Updated Apple Watches, and AirPods Pro 3”
Pay for Apple TV+ Annually to Avoid the Recent Monthly Price Increase
Apple has raised the monthly subscription fee for Apple TV+ to $12.99, marking the third price increase since the streaming service launched at $4.99 in 2019. While the monthly cost has increased, Apple kept the annual subscription priced at $99, making it a more economical choice for those who plan to maintain their subscription throughout the year. Apple doesn’t put the annual billing option front and center on the Apple TV+ website, as you can see below, but you can easily switch to it in Settings > Your Name > Subscriptions on your iPhone or iPad or in System Settings > Your Name > Media & Purchases > Subscriptions > Manage on a Mac. Read More from “Pay for Apple TV+ Annually to Avoid the Recent Monthly Price Increase”
Basic Security Recommendations
Below are my current basic recommendations for protecting your data on your Mac, protecting your online accounts, and reducing the likelihood that you would fall for ever more sophisticated scams. I’ll update my recommendations over time so review this Tech Tip periodically. I expand on these security and privacy recommendations in an earlier Tech Tip.
Security is not solely achieved by installing a particular product or by signing up for some particular service or by configuring your Mac or iPhone in a particular way. Security can be partially achieved by doing these things, but a huge factor is your tech-savviness. In other words, you are often the weakest link in protecting your data and information. The bad guys know this. This is why most of the security-related questions that clients ask me are about bogus warnings in emails, bogus warnings in text messages, bogus warnings from websites or phone calls from scammers. Thus, a large component in security is personal education. However, even if you fall for a bogus email or text, if you have two factor authentication enabled on your accounts, then the bad guys shouldn’t be able to get into your account.
The focus of this Tech Tip is security, but security and privacy are intertwined. Security is about keeping out the bad guys. Privacy is about protecting (or “keeping in”) information about yourself. Thus, one goal of security is to keep your personal information private.
Secure Your Device – Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Upgrade your Mac to the most current version of the Mac operating system (macOS) if possible. Apple reportedly pledges to fix all known security issues in the most recent version of macOS. They also fix some security issues in the 2 prior versions of macOS. Thus, at a minimum, one needs to be on one should be on one of the three most recent versions of the Mac operating system, macOS. The same is true for iPhones and iPads. Upgrade your iPhone to the most current version of iOS and upgrade your iPad to the most current version of iPadOS.
- Backup your Mac on a daily basis. Backups allow us to help you recover for an accidentally deleted file, an overwritten file, or if your Mac were to get locked by ransomware. Backup your iPhone or iPad to iCloud.
- Enable FileVault on both your Mac’s internal storage and your external backup drive(s). FileVault encrypts all of the data stored on a drive. This makes it infinitely harder for the bad guys to get to your data if your Mac or your backup drives are ever stolen. By default, every iPhone and iPad has the equivalent of FileVault enabled.
- Install a good anti-virus or anti-malware application on your Mac such as Malwarebytes or BitDefender Anti-Virus for Mac or Intego VirusBarrier. Due to Apple’s operating system design for the iPhone and iPad, application developers can’t make an anti-virus app that can scan your iPhone or iPad. For iPhones and iPads, the best option I’ve seen is an application like iVerify Basic.
- While this falls slightly outside the scope of this tech tip, please don’t forget about the need to update the firmware on your router and periodically replace your router and any other network equipment you own, to ensure you’re embracing newer security protocols.
Secure Your Accounts
- Use unique, long and random but memorable passwords on each of your online accounts.
- Use a password manager like Apple’s Passwords or 1Password to store, secure and sync your account passwords.
- Enabled two factor authentication on all accounts that support it.
- Use passkeys on all websites that support it.
- Setup permanent freezes with all 3 credit bureaus.
- Create online accounts with the IRS and Social Security Administration.
Educate Yourself
- Know how to identify bogus emails. These are commonly called phishing emails since the bad guys use them to fish for information from you.
- Don’t fall victim to bogus warnings on websites on either your Mac, iPhone or iPad.
- Increase your street smarts and savviness by watching this video about the quality of AI-generated scams.
- If your employer offers training on how to identify phishing emails take advantage of this option to learn.
Dropbox Passwords Ending: Switch to 1Password Now
If you use Dropbox Passwords, it’s time to switch to a new password manager. Dropbox has announced it will discontinue the service on October 28, 2025, with key features being disabled in phases starting August 28. After the final shutdown date, all stored passwords will be permanently deleted. Dropbox recommends users switch to 1Password and has made that super easy. Read More from “Dropbox Passwords Ending: Switch to 1Password Now”
Press Control-Return in Sequoia to Open Contextual Menus
Those who prefer keeping their hands on the keyboard may appreciate Apple’s addition of a new shortcut in macOS 15 Sequoia. Instead of Control-clicking to open a contextual menu with commands to apply to the current selection, you can press Control-Return. Since it’s so new, it doesn’t work in some older apps or those that sidestep standard Apple frameworks, but it’s worth adding to your keyboard repertoire. Read More from “Press Control-Return in Sequoia to Open Contextual Menus”
Recovering from a Failed Update with a Nearby iPhone or iPad
We hope you never need a new recovery option that Apple has added to the iPhone 16 and current iPad mini (with an A17 Pro chip). If a device gets stuck during an iOS or iPadOS update, you may see an animation of devices being moved close together, indicating that it’s in recovery mode. Apple’s new solution to a failed update involves attaching the device in recovery mode to power and placing it next to another unlocked device that’s connected to Wi-Fi and running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. Read More from “Recovering from a Failed Update with a Nearby iPhone or iPad”
Advice for Good Office Ergonomics
Let’s look at how to keep your body comfortable and healthy when you interact physically with your Mac. In a word: ergonomics. You’ll find it easier to focus and be productive if nothing hurts. Plus, you want to avoid long-term problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic neck strain. Read More from “Advice for Good Office Ergonomics”
Watch Out for Modern Tech Support Scams
Although Apple’s products and services generally live up to Steve Jobs’s phrase “it just works,” problems do occur, opening the door to scams targeting users seeking tech support. As professional providers of technical support, we’ve seen firsthand how these frauds have evolved from simple pop-ups to disturbingly convincing operations and how easy it is to fall for them if you’re caught off guard. Here’s what to watch for and how to protect yourself. Read More from “Watch Out for Modern Tech Support Scams”
What Is Safe Mode, and When Should You Use It?
Although Macs are highly reliable, unusual problems can still rear their ugly heads. Often, these issues are caused by software you’ve installed or accessories you’ve connected. If you’re experiencing Mac misbehavior that isn’t easily fixed by restarting, updating software, or unplugging a dodgy device, try safe mode. (Seriously, before checking if safe mode will help with a problem, you should always restart, ensure you’re running the latest version of macOS and any involved apps, and unplug non-essential peripherals.) Read More from “What Is Safe Mode, and When Should You Use It?”
Heat Wave Survival Guide for Your Apple Devices
A massive heat dome earlier this summer exposed large swaths of the United States to heat index values approaching or exceeding 120ºF, underscoring the importance of protecting our devices from heat damage. Overheating can degrade performance, interrupt charging, disable features, and cause general device instability. Read More from “Heat Wave Survival Guide for Your Apple Devices”
Apple Introduces AppleCare One for Multi-Device Coverage
Apple has launched AppleCare One, a new device protection plan that consolidates coverage for multiple Apple devices into a single monthly subscription. For $19.99 per month, US customers can protect up to three devices, with any additional devices costing $5.99 each per month. The plan includes unlimited repairs of accidental damage, battery replacements when capacity drops below 80%, and up to three annual claims for theft or loss of an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. You can add most devices up to 4 years old to your plan, though older devices must be in good condition and may require a diagnostic check. Read More from “Apple Introduces AppleCare One for Multi-Device Coverage”
How To Save a Kernel Panic Report
Is your Mac abruptly restarting due to a kernel panic? A kernel panic is a very particular type of freeze or crash. The core of the Mac operating system (macOS) is called the kernel. When it gets confused it panics and the whole computer stops working. The computer then automatically restarts after a few seconds.
In our experience, kernel panics are often caused by outdated software installed on your Mac, a malfunctioning component in your Mac, or a malfunctioning device connected to your Mac. Sometimes useful clues about the root cause of a kernel panic can be found in the kernel panic report. Here are instructions that allow you to save a copy of the kernel panic report so you can send it to your computer consultant.
You can only follow these instructions immediately after a kernel panic has occurred and you’re alerted to the fact that your Mac restarted.
- An alert, like the one at the start of this article, will appear on your Mac. It informs you that your Mac was restarted because of a problem. The alert offers two choices: Ignore or Report.
- Click the button named Report….
- In the large window that appears, you’ll see what looks like a bunch of gibberish. This is the kernel panic report. Select all of the text in this window by first clicking on any part of the text in that window, then press Command-A.
- Copy the selected text by pressing Command-C.
- Open an application like Microsoft Word and create a new document. Then press Command-V to paste the copied text into your Word document.
- Save your Word document to save your own copy of the kernel panic report.
- If you’d like, you can then email that Word file to your computer consultant.
Never Paste Unknown Text into Terminal!
Here’s a new scam to watch for. A client reported running across a suspicious website masquerading as a human verification test. Instead of asking him to click pictures or solve a math equation, this one asked him to copy some text from the page and paste it into Terminal. The text was actually an encoded script that—if pasted into Terminal and executed—would have downloaded and installed malware designed to steal user data. Infected users could lose their login password, browser history and cookies, cryptocurrency wallet information, keychain data, Notes data, and a wide variety of personal files. The moral of the story: never paste unsolicited commands into Terminal. They may seem innocuous or even unintelligible, but they’re fully capable apps that can wreak havoc on your Mac. Read More from “Never Paste Unknown Text into Terminal!”
Upgrade Soon: Intel-based Macs and Apps Are On Their Way Out
In 2020, Apple introduced the M1 chip, the first of the family of Apple silicon chips that now power the entire Mac lineup. At the time, Apple said it would “continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come.”
Since then, it has become clear that Macs with Apple silicon are notably better than Intel-based Macs in nearly every way, and we’re now up to the impressive M4 chip family. Nonetheless, some people continue to hold onto their Intel-based Macs. Now we know precisely when those Macs will ride off into the sunset. Intel-based Macs had a good run, but it’s time to move on to Macs with Apple silicon. Read More from “Upgrade Soon: Intel-based Macs and Apps Are On Their Way Out”
Choosing the Best AI Chatbot for Your Needs
Questions about AI from our clients keep coming in, with many asking which tools to choose. It’s understandable confusion—the number of AI chatbots has skyrocketed, and lesser-known ones are often highlighted or promoted on social media as the next big thing. The rapid pace of change in the field can be overwhelming, with major announcements happening every month. Read More from “Choosing the Best AI Chatbot for Your Needs”
Audit How You Appear in Google Search
Google has created a free service that lets you see what of your personal and professional information has been published on the Web. Once you provide your name, address, phone numbers, and email addresses to Google’s Results About You website, Google will inform you if that info appears in search results. (Don’t worry, you’re not telling Google anything it doesn’t already know.) It may take a few days or weeks for the initial results to come back, and Google will keep adding more results over time. You can review each page with your information and, if it’s data you would prefer to keep private and it meets Google’s policy requirements, request its removal from the search results. This only removes your data from Google’s search results; to remove it from the Web entirely, you’ll need to contact the website hosting the information. Read More from “Audit How You Appear in Google Search”
Combat Smart TV Privacy Abuses with an Apple TV
If you own a smart TV or are shopping for a new one, you should be aware of a troubling trend: modern TVs have evolved from simple screens into sophisticated surveillance devices. You can protect your privacy by using an Apple TV as your streaming device rather than relying on built-in smart TV features. Read More from “Combat Smart TV Privacy Abuses with an Apple TV”
16 Billion Passwords Exposed in Recent Data Breach: Turn on 2FA!
Data breaches keep coming, and the latest one revealed by Cybernews involves 16 billion passwords. There’s no way to know for sure if your passwords are included, though it’s always worth checking Have I Been Pwned and paying attention to monitoring features in password managers. Some media reports claim that passwords from accounts at Apple, Facebook, and Google were leaked, but this is likely overblown. While some accounts at those companies were compromised by infostealers, there were no centralized breaches. Our advice remains the same: use a password manager to ensure that each of your accounts has a strong, unique password and turn on two-factor authentication whenever possible. Read More from “16 Billion Passwords Exposed in Recent Data Breach: Turn on 2FA!”
Scammers Have Access to Impressive Generative AI Tools
Check out this YouTube video generated by artificial intelligence to get a better understanding of how persuasive future scams will be. Scammers now have access to impressive artificial intelligence-based tools. They will use these tools to create high quality scams that you’ll receive via email, online or over the phone.
Read More from “Scammers Have Access to Impressive Generative AI Tools”Anker Recalls Millions of Power Banks: Check Yours Today
We recommend sticking with well-known brands when buying accessories, and a recent example illustrates why this is important. Anker, a highly regarded accessory manufacturer, has initiated voluntary recalls of power bank models sold from 2016 to the present due to the risk of overheating, melting, smoke, and fire. Read More from “Anker Recalls Millions of Power Banks: Check Yours Today”