Why I Setup iCloud On Apple Devices

I always turn on iCloud on clients devices ( computers , iPhones , iPads ) for the following reasons: 

Backup

iCloud will keep a copy of your contacts , calendar information , reminders , emails , photos and documents ( created with pages , numbers and keynote ) in the cloud  

Its All About The Sync

Get an iPhone and only ever had an iPad , iCloud will get and sync your information with your new device. 

Change a contact on one device , its changed on all devices  

Change an appointment on one device it's changed on all devices  

Access

Need to get into your iCloud account from another computer , just log into www.icloud.com with your Apple ID and password and you can access all your data.

Where Are My Devices? 

Want to know where your devices are ? Just log into iCloud and if you have turned on " Find My iPhone / iPad: you can see the location of your devices.  

Really handy if they have been stolen or misplaced. 

Virus / Malware On Tablets , Smartphones Should You Be Concerned

The following are some notes and personal thoughts on a discussion I gave last week. 

Antivirus companies used to be dominant a few years ago

Then tablets and smartphones came along , started to dominate and PC sales started to decline.

Microsoft bought an antivirus company in 2005 and labeled it theirs and it has developed into , Microsoft Security Essentials which in Windows 8 is called Windows Defender.

Antivirus companies sales went down even further as this was available free to consumers.

Then the hype started about virus / malware on tablets and smartphones as their sales began to rise

So what are virus / malware infections ? They are malicious software that are designed to damage / disable / the operating system of the device they are on.

Security Companies have been trying to capitalise on the " supposed " vulnerabilities of tablets and smartphones as their sales have declined.

Most security threats to tablets and smartphones are mentioned by the security companies advertising their products. 

So What Are My Chances Of An Infection On A Tablet  /  Smartphone ?

Apple Devices

Apple you have little to no chance due to the operating system design and Apps are bought from a secure site where they have been checked. 

Android Devices – ( Samsung etc )

Android devices people need to get their apps from the Google Play store , not from outside sources. Care should be taken when introducing files from usb sources.  

So what would happen if you had malware on your tablet / smartphone - may result in , can result in , accessing data , sharing phone details etc 

If you have " rooted " your android tablet or “jailbroken” your apple device , means you have bypassed the operating system , you are on your own 

So What Can You Do?

Keep checking for updates for your device

On an Android device you “may” want to put on one of the “ free “ solutions 

Read the terms and conditions of any app you install 

There is little need to be concerned " currently" as the cases of infection of a tablet / smartphone are remote when compared to the amount of computers that are currently infected around the world.

Stop Your Children Racking Up Huge Bills On iTunes

Are you having trouble with your children spending money through iTunes on your iPhone / iPad by buying games and then purchasing the in-app add ons to complete or enhance the game ?

First make sure you do not tell them your iTunes password.

Next you can set restrictions for In-App Purchases

First go into Settings and General

Then scroll down to Restrictions and press on Enable Restrictions 

Then put in a 4 digit password ( make sure you remember this !!!!!)

Then turn on In-App Purchases

Then change the Require Password to Immediately

Make And Save A Template For The iPad

Document creation on tablets is growing as they become more of a content creation device.

Do you have a document that you would like to use as a template for the iPad 

By using Dropbox or Skydrive you can achieve this.

First make your document / spreadsheet / presentation on your iPad and get it how you need it

Then open up the Share and Print icon from the Tools menu

From here select Open In Another App

Then choose the format of your document

Next choose your App

From here we will choose Dropbox

Press save to Dropbox 

This will then upload the file into your Dropbox account 

This will upload this file into your Dropbox account and now you can use this as a template

Flash - Time To Give It Up On Tablets

I am always asked about Flash on tablets.

Flash does not run on the iPad or the new Android tablets and Adobe will only allow access to Flash on Android devices that already had Flash Player installed and will not support Flash from Android 4.1 onwards.

Adobe implemented this from Aug 15th 2012 - you can read their press release HERE

If you are looking at watching TV or playing certain games , on your iPad or Android device, which on a computer you would watch or play through the internet browser , you will need to go to their app or download the game and not use the internet browser.

There are some ways to watch flash on these tablets but with the constant changes to software , they may not be a long term solution.

Erase Your Old iPad Or iPhone Before You Sell It Or Give It Away

If you have an old iPhone or iPad and you are updating to a new one , say the iPhone 5 or if rumours are to be believed a new iPad in April and want to sell it or give it away , how do you wipe your data and information.

1. To do this go to " Settings" , then "General"
2. Pan to the bottom and you will see " Reset"
3. Then tap " Erase All Content and Settings"

Your iPad or iPhone will restart after a while and be just like the day it came out the box.  

iTunes In A Family - All Have An Account

When there is more than one person in a household with an iPhone or iPad make sure they have a separate log in for each person so their iTunes account is distinctive to them alone.

This will put an end to music and or games from one persons iTunes account ending up on other household members accounts.

One person - one log in - one iTunes account

PowerFM Segment For 6th Feb

On this week in Technology

United States President Bill Clinton in 1994 signs the Communications Decency Act into law which tried to regulate pornographic content on the Internet. It was voted down as it was seen as trying to curtail free speech.

Discussion Points

Microsoft Office

There is a new version of Microsoft Office out Office 2013 

Only available for those that are running Windows 7 or Windows 8

There is also a subscription version - Office 365 - valid for a year and lets you install it on 5 computers – this is $119 a year 

The new Office is all about sharing and storing your documents online and on your computer with Skydrive

Click here to find out all about Microsoft Office 2013

Microsoft Surface

The new Microsoft Surface should be out this week which runs a full version of Windows 8 

Click here to find out all about the Surface

iPad News

A 128GB iPad has been released this week

Click here to find out details of the new iPad 

Apple v Android Security

Apple devices are safer due to the procedures Apple use to get apps added to the App store.

Android devices can represent a security risk due to the " open nature " of the platform and that apps can be installed from a variety of sources.

Click here for a report on Android Security

App Of The Week

The Chihuly App , glass blowing on the ipad / iphone

Click here for a link to the Chihuly App

PowerFm Segment For 30th Jan

On This Week In Technology

Steve Jobs announced the iPad in 2010

Just this morning we had the announcement of a 128GB capacity iPad

Apple sold nearly 23 million iPads in the Oct - Dec quarter

The iPad has changed the computer landscape forever with forecasts this year of more tablets being sold than laptops.

Talking Points

Printers

Buying a printer- Work out how much per page it will cost you

Look at the ink and printer and it should tell you how many pages you get per ink refill then do the maths.

Online Storage

Going back to school get your children a Dropbox account or a Skydrive account.

They can then save their homework in the cloud and can log-on from school and access their saved work.

The Dropbox folder and the Skydrive folder appear as a folder in their " My Documents"

Domain Names

If you have a domain name , make sure you own it , not your website designer , check today by going to Who Is ? 

App Of The Week 

The Mr T app , I pity the fool that doesn't download this app 

The iTunes Mr T App

FiveAA Segment For 30th Jan

Online Security  

Stems from a laptop I saw during the week that claimed all the documents had been locked by the Australian Federal police

They could not access their documents or files – asked for $300 to be paid to a Western Union account - do not do this and if you are the victim of this get your computer to someone who can help you.

How did his occur?

• Software and operating system was not up to date
• Then clicked a link in an email which was Infected with this ransom virus

How Do You Stop This Happening?

• Keeping the operating system up to date is your first line of defence
• Be suspicious of emails – do you positively know that the email is not fake 
• Do not respond to emails from banks , phone companies , parcel deliveries , claims of a lottery win ,ebay receipts ,western union messages , they do not send you emails
• Never enter your credit card details into a link from an email
• Never click on any link in an email that asks you to install software or open a word document or a PDF file
• Lastly keep your antivirus up to date

What is safer , Windows computers or Apple computers ?

Apple computers with Mountain Lion have a setting which will only allow software to run that has been downloaded from the Mac App store and identified developers

Windows computers will ask you if you want to run the software however people blindly just let this happen , when in doubt don't.

Both are safe its the user that has the issues.

What portable device is safer to use ?

Security experts advise that Apple devices are safer to use on the internet than Android devices - Experts Say Cyber Security Centre Well Overdue

Android devices have been known to share and transmit personal data

Is It Safe To Do Online banking on a portable device?

• Don’t do it on an open wifi network , internet café , coffee shops
• Use your phones data connection if you need to

Tip Of The Week

If you are buying a new Windows 8 computer do not be pressured into buying antivirus software before you leave the store , it is already built into the Windows 8 operating system

Transfer Photos & Videos From The iPad To A Computer

If you have filled your iPad or iPhone with photos and videos and want to transfer them to a computer without syncing through iTunes on a computer it is quiet easy.

In Windows if your iPad or iPhone does not appear when you plug it in then go to your Control Panel , Autoplay , find your device , then change the selection.

On a Mac , iPhoto should open but if you do not have iPhoto . open up Image Capture from the Applications menu 

More information can be found here

iOS Importing Personal Videos & Photos To Your Computer

Disable Digital Camera Notification In Windows

5AA Spot For 20th Nov

Cyber Monday

Today is Cyber Monday where up to 150 retailers are slashing their prices

It is called clickfrenzy

Go to clickfrenzy.com.au register and it starts at 6.30 tonite

Deals from Myer , Westfield , Charlie Brown , Jag , Noni B

Apple have a 1 day online event this Friday where all lines are discounted

Go to Apple 1 Day Event For More Details

3D Printing

To quote from Wikipedia

3D printing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using additive processes, where an object is created by laying down successive layers of material.3D printing is considered distinct from traditional machining techniques (subtractive processes) which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods such as cutting and drilling.

3D printing is usually performed by a materials printer using digital technology. Since the start of the twenty-first century there has been a large growth in the sales of these machines, and their price has dropped substantially.

The technology is used in the fields of jewelery, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, and many others items.

You can see this in action at the Grote St Library , give them a call and you can book a time 

Apple Maps Mistake Of The Week

Where is the Grote St Library ????

Victorian End Of Year Exams

Why checking a picture before including it in the exam might be a good idea

5AA Spot For 6th Nov

Tablet Sales

If you still need further proof that tablet computers are growing in popularity lets look at some facts 

Tablet sales grew in the last quarter July – Sept 

• 49% over last year 
• 6.7% over the last quarter Apr – June 

And 27.8 million tablets sold worldwide 

The 2 big players are Apple at 50% of the sales and Samsung at 18%

Apple sales dipped in that quarter but the iPad mini sales and the iPad sales in the first 3 days of their release ( 3 million ) will probably see there market share rise , however it is the Microsoft Surface sales that a lot will be interested in.

Halo 4 , Call Of Duty 

Halo 4 is out today and call Of Duty will be out next week , if you are buying any of these games as a present at Christmas time make sure you buy the correct one 

Internet Explorer

IE is an integral part of Windows and the way it works , if you have filled it with toolbars that are basically malware then Windows Update will not function correctly.

So what do you do ?

Uninstall the toolbars first , try the free version ( not the paid version of Geek Uninstaller ) and use the " Force Removal Mode " which gets rid of registry entries.

Geek Uninstaller

Then reset internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer

Then try Windows Update again , you may have to run a Microsoft Fixit if things do not work

Microsoft Fixit Windows Update

5AA Spot For 16th Oct

Stay Safe Online – A Free Solution To Online safety

Concerned about websites that your children may access from your home then try - Open DNS

Your internet traffic is routed through the Open DNS computers and checked against a master list depending on how you have setup Open DNS.

OpenDNS has divided the Internet's millions of websites neatly into 56 categories, like "adult," "games," and "social media."

Parents can block entire categories of content, or just choose to block individual websites.

Or you can choose a filtering level: low, medium or high. 

The low filtering level blocks just adult content, where the high filtering level blocks adult content, social networking sites, video-sharing sites and more.

If the kids try to access a site they shouldn’t they receive a personalized message which you can setup.

Will block computers , phones / tablets , gaming consoles that access the internet via wifi

Encourages discussion between parents and children

Easy to setup , sign up for an account and make one change to your router

Click here to try Open DNS

Microsoft v Android v Apple

They are all good choices , well made and well designed

You can use an Android phone / table with a Mac or a Windows computer , photos , music etc

You can use an iPhone / ipad with a Mac or a Windows computer

Windows Phone 7 can also be used with a Windows computer or a Mac

Our Apple Map Of The Week Mistake

Where did the Port River go?

5AA Spot For 2nd Oct

APPLE MAPS & IOS6 ISSUES

Tim Cook this week apologised for the Apple Maps fiasco and comments were made that this sort of error would not have happened while Steve Jobs was there are a bit inaccurate as under Steve Jobs we had :

• The Early MobileMe issues

• iPhone4 and the antenna gate issue

• The original iPhone had its price cut soon after release angering those that had already bought it 

This weeks Apple Maps mistake:

• The Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is situated at Dulwich Ave , Dulwich

iOS 6 ISSUES

For those that switched and updated their iPhones and iPads to the new operating system iOS 6 you maybe experiencing a couple of issues

• Wifi not connecting to the network – reset your network settings on your device and reenter your log on details and you can also change your network name.

• Battery life not lasting as long as it used to – reset all settings and stop all running apps and reboot your device

WINDOWS 8 WILL BE RELEASED OCT 26TH

Windows 8 is a tablet operating system on a desktop , works well with touch but the jury is well and truly out 

• The biggest change to Windows since 3.1 to Windows 95

• No start button 

• The touchpad is coming with companies making these instead of the computer mouse Exit The Mouse

Power FM Spot For 19th Sept

On This Week In Technology

in 1999 , An eBay member posts an online auction for two hundred kilos of marijuana. Bidding reaches US$10 million before eBay officials closed the auction down.

Discussion Points

iPhone 5 pre orders for the first 24 hours have passed 2 million for the iPhone 4s it was 1 million in 24 hours 

There is a major update for all iPhone , iPad  users this week with iOS6 expected on Thursday the 20th our time.

There are over 200 new features

Check out the new features here  iOS6 is coming

Make sure you check by plugging your device into your computer and checking updates through iTunes or check through Software Update on your device. 

The Woolworths scam email  , don't fall for it or you will have to cancel your credit card

Details of the woolworths email scam

Make sure you update your Adobe software as it is an ongoing security risk that constantly needs updating , make sure you have the latest version by going to adobe.com and downloading the latest versions.

App Of The Week

How To Paint Anything

This app will show you the correct way to paint numerous things 

Lock Down Your iPhone - iPad

I am always asked , how do i lock down my iPhone / iPad and make it more secure.

Well there are a few simple steps to take.

Passcode

First enable Passcode and switch simple Passcode off so you can protect your iPad with a longer passcode at the logon screen.  

Go to Settings - General - Passcode Lock - switch Simple Passcode from On to Off

Turn Passcode On

Enter The Passcode

Now whenever you turn on your iPad it will ask you for your Passcode

Turn on Erase data , that will mean that after 10 unsuccessful attempts your data will be wiped.

Restrictions

Let restrict what your iPad can do.  

Go to Settings - General - Restrictions - Enable Restrictions — enter a four numbers passcode 

Turn Camera from On to Off, and by doing this FaceTime will be turned off.

This will stop people ( hackers ) from spying on you with Facetime if your iPad is compromised ( that however is a long shot )

You can also just turn Facetime off and leave the camera on.

Switch Installing Apps from On to Off.  

Switch Deleting Apps from On to Off.  

Go into Location.

Turn off apps on which you don’t want Location Services to work, or just turn Location Services from On to Off so you can disable Location services.

Don’t forget highlight" Don’t Allow Changes " for Location so changes to location services can be made only by you.

Now go to Accounts inside Restrictions and put the tick in "Don’t Allow Changes" so settings for email accounts, calendar information etc can only be done by you.

Now switch In-App Purchases from On to Off , this will prevent purchases on your ipad or iPhone , unless you turn it on.

Stop Your iPhone & iPad From Interrupting Your Sleep

For those of us that get push notifications, email , SMS and phone calls from our iPad, iPhone during the night there is a quick way to stop this happening during the night.

You turn your iPhone , iPad Airplane Mode to on then all you will get is an alarm if you have set it to go off in the morning.

Airplane mode can be found in "Settings".

When you are ready in the morning turn Airplane Mode off and all your notifications will appear.

5AA Segment For 31st July

It’s Tablet Day

Choices :

The market leader is Apple and the difference between Apple and the other manufacturers is that Apple make the software and the hardware.

So what is the market share for tablets , last quarter Apr - June 12

• iPad   68%

• Android 29%

iPad share of the market grew 6% on last year 

Other manufacturers use Google’s operating system Android such as Samsung / Rim / Asus /Amazon

The market is changing traditional PC sales , desktop and laptop have slumped and are not growing and we have seen seven quarters of flat to single-digit growth and last quarter was down .1%.

Global tablet shipments reached 24.9 million units in Q2 2012, jumping 67 percent from 14.9 million in Q2 2011.

Apple shipped 17.0 million iPads worldwide and maintained its strong market leadership with 68 percent share during the second quarter of 2012.

Coming soon is the Microsoft Surface running Windows 8.

Will this be a game changer in the tablet market ?

Tablets used to be about content consumption but the content creation side has grown as tablets have evolved.

What are some of the things you do on the ipad / tablet

• Email / Internet

• Write a letter

• Read a book / magazine / newspaper

• Take photos / edit photos / make a movie / edit movie

• Make a phone call ( skype ) 

• Listen to music / watch movies

• Manage your diary / gaming

• Banking / invoicing 

Why a tablet

• Portability

• Instant on

• Safer than a traditional computer  

iPad - iPhone Issues - What To Do

So you are having issues with your iPhone or iPad or both.

• Apps not working or updating 
• Syncing issues 
• Feeling slow

Here are a few basic steps to go through.

1. Make sure iTunes is updated
2. Make sure your device (iPad or iPhone) is running the latest ios - you will see this when you sync with your computer or check in Settings - software update
3. Conduct a hard reset on the device - keep fingers on power button and home button and leave them there till you see the Apple logo appear then let go - do not release them when you see the turn off symbol
4. Reinstall the ios - this will wipe your device , reload your settings and apps , then reinstall your operating system (ios) on your device - this is done when you sync with your computer