Apple Announcements – Did They Excite Me ?

Adelaide Techguy Apple-iOS-OSX, Apps , , , , ,

At the Apple WWDC today Apple made some significant announcements as they do at the WWDC every year.

New operating systems are coming for Macs – High Sierra and iOS11 for mobile devices – iPhones and iPads but they will not arrive until later this year.

A new iMac Pro will arrive in December – this should be well received for those that need a top end powerful workstation and it is clear that Apple are listening to its users.

New iPads will be available – the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and an updated 12.9 inch iPad Pro – they are quicker , a lot quicker , brighter screen with improved colour , improved camera.

A redesigned app store

The HomePod a speaker with Siri integration and one that promises great sound – integrated with Apple music – which will be available in December.

I am looking forward to High Sierra and iOS11 – especially some of the features of iOS11 such as:

Do not disturb while driving  “iPhone can detect when you may be driving and automatically silence notifications to keep the screen dark. Users have the option of sending an auto reply to contacts listed in Favorites to let them know they are driving and cannot respond until they arrive at their destination.”

Will I buy a new iPad ? – Maybe , as an owner of an iPad Pro 12.9 , I have to weigh up the new features but maybe I will wait till iOS11 is out.

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Links In SMS – You Need To Stop Clicking Them

Adelaide Techguy Smartphones-Tablets , ,

Scams or variations of old scams offering you the world through an SMS link or that passwords need to be reset should be avoided at all costs.

Do not click that link.

In fact do not click SMS links in general that may take you to third party sites such as banking SMS links that say there is an issue with your account.

Banks will not use this and if you believe there is an issue with your account – phone the bank and if you believe there maybe an issue with your Apple ID , logon to check your Apple ID at Apple to check.

These scams are designed to get your personal details , passwords etc

Stop Opening & Clicking Links In These Sort Of Emails

Adelaide Techguy Computer Repair Adelaide, Computer Security, Tech Advice , ,


Clicking links in emails or answering these sort of emails is a recipe for disaster – they are Scams designed to get your details both personal and financial.

  • Parcel delivery confirm the details with Australia Post – you will get Cryptolocker
  • Paypal – your account has been limited
  • The domain name you own has a similar one in asia ,you need to buy this
  • Women / men are interested in you after seeing your profile on skype / google
  • Your free gadget is waiting for collection , click here
  • A supermarket voucher worth $35 – $50 is waiting for you by clicking and signing up
  • Tax refunds waiting for you / Money tailored for you / We have 30 million dollars waiting for you
  • Buying stocks in African mining companies
  • SEO experts with outlook/gmail addresses
  • Anything from the FBI or Western Union , anything to do with them
  • Complete the survey and get a $50 gift card ( if you give them your credit card details )
  • Your banking password has changed ,( no it has not ) Your ATM payment / transaction was wrong ,( no it is not )
  • Cheap drugs through the mail
  • A new banking system has been established , make more money , these will become more prolific as the interest rate stays down targeting retirees.
  • A new gambling on the horses system , buy this computer for $8000 ( Don’t )
  • Did you hear about Emma , she makes $7000 a month from home , click here ( Don’t )
  • 6 minutes a day to being skinny
  • I won $1 million dollars from Coca – Cola
  • Mystery shopper assignment , read this and get back to us – don’t
  • Travel at unbelievable prices / Handbags at unbelievable prices /Win an Apple watch
  • Inheritance of any amount of money
  • Your Apple ID , Microsoft ID , Google ID has been accessed / needs to be reset
  • You have a new voicemail , click in this email to here it – (no you don’t)

Entering Credit card details or banking details is a recipe for disaster and being asked to update your account information – anywhere , just say no , don’t do this

Java – If You Do Not Use It Get Rid Of It

Adelaide Techguy Computer Security ,

Many people have Java on their computers and will receive the reminders to update it on a regular basis which you should do.

However many people do not need it and will never miss it if you uninstall it.

Java has been used by some financial institutions including the ATO so if you submit your BAS online from your computer you will be stuck with it.

It is also used with some online games.

For everyone else go to programs in your control panel and uninstall it as outdated Java installs can lead to your computer becoming infected.

10 Steps To Follow For A Malware – Virus Free Computer

Adelaide Techguy Computer Repair Adelaide, Computer Security, Malware-Virus Prevention , , , , ,

How much time and money have you spent in having your computer repaired because you have become infected with viruses and malware ?

Infection from virus’s , malware can be avoided if you follow some simple BEHAVIOURAL rules.

Remember if you get infected it is YOUR fault not your computer’s.

The first point to remember is that running antivirus software will not prevent you getting a virus.

Antivirus software is only there in the hope that once you have a virus on your computer it maybe able to remove it.

Here are 10 points to follow that should mean an infection free computer.

NUMBER 1 – Update 

  • Update your operating system regularly.
  • Turn on Automatic Updates on Windows and apply all critical updates immediately
  • Check optional updates on a regular basis , they can in some cases trigger off critical updates.
  • Microsoft issue updates throughout the month so check on the third week – you can find Windows update in the control panel for pre-Windows 10 computers or in settings on Windows 10
  • Windows 10 will ensure that updates are done – updates not working , you maybe infected

NUMBER 2 – Software

  • Update your software
  • PDF readers , Office , Adobe Flash & Adobe Reader and Java are responsible for numerous infections unless patched
  • If you can uninstall , Java and Adobe

NUMBER 3 – Email 

  • Don’t open email attachments unless you know that the person sending it to you , really sent it.
  • Viruses and Malware will more often than not come from someone you know.
  • Email attachments are the number one way that viruses , trojan horses and malware can get onto your computer
  • Beware of zip files – do not open them unless you are 100% certain they have been sent from a known reliable source – these can spread cryptolocker
  • Don’t click links in e-mails.
  • You could be taken to a phishing site and this may lead you to install malicious software.You should copy and paste the link into your browser or type the link into your browser.
  • Make sure HTML in e-mail is turned off in Outlook as just by previewing these e-mails you can be infected especially if your computer is not fully patched.
  • HTML e-mail can hide the actual destination of that link so this is another reason to turn off HTML in your email.
  • Switch to a web based e-mail program such as G Mail / Outlook.com which will scan your emails before they arrive on your computer.
  • Gmail is probably the best solution on grabbing spam if you are having spam issues with your current email provider

NUMBER 4 – Browsing The Internet

  • You should browse the Internet with the latest editions of browsers Google Chrome , Internet Explorer or Firefox
  • Check that the updates for these browsers are being installed and learn how to check that you have the latest editions
  • I recommend Google Chrome

NUMBER 5 – Ads On Websites

  • Block ads when browsing the internet
  • Install Adblock from the Google Chrome store
  • Ads on websites have been known to infect visitors to those sites

NUMBER 6 – Downloading Files 

  • You should only download files from places you know are absolutely safe.
  • The use of file sharing software often means you will download Malware and Trojans without knowing.
  • If you download files you should quarantine them in a folder and then scan them a few days later with an updated antivirus software.
  • Beware of downloading ” Free ” software as most sites that host ” free ” software are a hotbed for malware infections

NUMBER 7 – Firewall 

  • Have a firewall , your broadband router is the best firewall and there is a built in firewall with Windows which is turned on by default – There is no need to buy an additional firewall solution

NUMBER 8 – The Antivirus 

  • Have an antivirus solution , the FREE one I recommend is Defender for Windows 10 which comes with Windows 10 and the PAID one I recommend is NOD32
  • However Norton , Kaspersky , Trend are just fine to use but you really do need to run one of the above.

Number 9 – What You Can Do 

  • Limit User Privileges
  • Many malware threats need full access to your PC to run properly.
  • Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7,  use User Account Control to limit what a program can do without your permission.
  • This means you will be notified if any software or application tries to make any changes to your system. It can also help stop malware and unwanted software from installing themselves or changing the way your PC works.

How Do You Do This ?

Change User Account Control

Number 10 – Behaviour

  • Look at what you are doing and when in doubt – think before you click
  • Remember if you get infected it really is your fault.