Have an iPhone? Time for a little paranoia

Just recently, an exploit was found for iPhones. It is pretty simple to pull off and it can kill your phone. The exploit involves getting in the way of your phone attaching to some public WiFi signal, like that of Starbucks. Basically, they send a signal back down to your phone telling it the wrong date. Once this is done, your phone is basically a high priced brick.

To protect yourself, do two things. One, make sure to keep your phone updated. Apple is pretty good about patching issues...mostly. Second, use a little caution about which WiFi you connect to. Use your friend's but maybe not one from McDonald's or anything public unless you're phone is current with updates..

And since we are on the subject of Apple issues, go ahead and delete the software QuickTime from your computer if it is a Windows machine. Apple has basically disowned that software and it already has exploitable holes. So, be proactive and head to control Panels>Programs and Features>remove QuickTime.

Via Gizmodo

"The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, sometimes one forgets which it is." E. F. Schumacher

I taught Microsoft Publisher the other day and a student, who uses a Mac at home, asked if there was a version out there he could use. It also had to be free he said. I guess I should take a second and mention what Publisher is for. It is a program that allows you to design and printout all sorts of paper goods like business cards, flyers, signs, brochure, etc. I did a lot of research on this topic and I did find one replacement called Scribus. But there are issues. First it seems slower than dirt. Second it is missing a lot of the templates that I go to Publisher for. It does have a few but mainly you are on your own. But what about the intricate brochures you designed in publisher a while back? Sorry, from what I read even Publisher has issues opening older documents made in an older version of Publisher. Also I read a lot of printer companies complaining about people who use Publisher because it has problems when trying to print professionally. So what are your choices? Unfortunately it looks like you will have to buy something like Adobe Indesign or QuarkXPress. But before you run out the door to buy you should know they are not cheap, upwards of $200 to $600. I had no luck with my usual places, Amazon and eBay. The only thing I can say is if you really need them you will have to pay a hefty price or have print shop take care of the project. I wish I had better news, sorry.

"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education." Mark Twain

I have many students that come to my classes that use Macs. They ask about classes on Apple products and I tell them realistically there is very little chance I could ever do it. The reason is simple. Apple is a minority in the computer world and Windows is the majority and to this we offer both computers and classes on windows machines. It does make sense. But what about the Apple people then? First off if a student is taking a class about something on the web or even some Microsoft products then it frankly doesn’t matter because they are basically the same. OK fine but what about learning the system and its applications? Well I have an answer but it is not free but still good nonetheless. Apple features a service called OnetoOne training. It is a $99 bucks for a year’s worth of training. What you get for you money is a once a week session with an Apple rep* for 52 weeks. You just make a reservation online and you walk in. They teach you pretty much anything you might have an interest in. They do have a curriculum if you want to follow it but it seems fine to go off topic at anytime. I have recommended this to both friends and family and it has really reduced the phone calls I get. The one joking question I get after a class is “Do you make house calls?” Training is so very necessary especially with programs becoming more and more powerful. People try earnestly to learn this stuff but when they go home they often feel they have been left on a raft to drift in the sea of computer problems. This is the reason why I have a “Ask a question feature on the site. I recommend this OnetoOne service because I believe the price is right for a solo tutorial when you want it. I should also mention they have free classes as well that have multiple students in them. So if you have a Mac and you don’t see the class you want for free then give this a try.

"Ziggy figures it’s just an … unscheduled stop." Al from Quantum Leap

The iPhone. Frankly what more can I add after countless magazines, papers, and blogs have reviewed it. I decided I could only review this product if I gave you a bit more about my thinking . I have always wanted to know stuff first. I don’t mean just the news I mean everything. As a kid I would bring a watch with a radio embedded in to so that on field trips I would be the first to know about problems with weather, traffic, plague…This never once helped and yes I was that geeky but I always believed that Luck does favor the prepared. Now that I am older I desire a device more like the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy or Ziggy from Quantum Leap. I know these are fake but a geek reads it in a book and says someday or he makes it himself. Now you know what I wanted from a device you should understand the review. When I got the iPhone I was on a new gadget high. You know the type of thing were all you do is going around saying how great it is and you haven’t even turned it on yet. I then was hit with the buyers remorse of I can’t believe I paid so much for a device (199 plus contract). This did not last long because once I started playing with the options and the features I started to be truly excited. Now let me say that they are on their second generation of the phone and second version of the software and they finally did it. When I say they I of course mean Apple. They truly came out with a superb product. The phone and iPod functions all work and are fairly standard but my true happiness with the device stems from the APP store. At any time I can add another function to the phone. I have to bring in another movie reference here. It is truly Matrix style. When in DC I wanted to know what was around me at any given moment. It took just minute or so to find a free application on the app store and download it. Once installed on the machine I can use the GPS to look through all Wikipedia files to see what is truly around my EXACT location. That is how I found I was close to the steps used in the Exorcist. It doesn’t have to be all monuments to history you know. The app store has tons and tons of software you can add to your phone for free or pay. Also I can add them without ever touching my computer at home. The ability to add new stuff to the iPhone is it’s true major capability for me anyway. Also the sleek design, gorgeous screen, and easy to use system helps as well. Now would I recommend this to everyone? The Answer is NO. If you are looking for a simple machine to do email and make phone calls or a more business specific machine I might say blackberry or the new set of Google’s phones instead. There are missing features that many people do need. To give you a small list of missing stuff. Cut, copy, paste, distribution lists, flash and few others are still in the works. So far I am willing to work around these shortcomings but I do recommend to anyone to read what it can do and decide by that instead of getting sucked into the Apple mystique. Buy a gadget because it suits your needs and not because it is a fashion accessory. I ask anyone to add any of their experiences they have had or have seen about the iPhone.

One last thing. If you already have a phone that you like or are hooked into a long contract but you still want the same experience pick up the iPod touch. It is cheaper and had has most of the capabilities of it’s big brother. It is just another option out there.

“If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.” Sam Levenson

Suddenly in a flash my buttons are gone. Everything is touch screen. Whether I am at an ATM or using my phone I am using buttons that are not truly there. There are different types of touch screens. Some are pressure sensitive meaning it knows where I pushed because the screen has a barely noticeable give. Most of the screens in a store are this way. Sometimes they require you to use a stylus to make the connection. Others use your magnetic field to tell the machine where you are touching. The iPhone works this way and it works well….for the most part. If you live in New England you know that gloves are an essential part of your standard going outside gear. I realized the other day I could not answer the phone with out taking them off. For those readers in the southern climes this seems dumb. Just take the gloves off you might say but it has been damn cold. The future is apparently a buttonless world and gloveless one too. Thankfully necessity is the mother of invention and Dots gloves were invented. They are those stretchy gloves that everyone seems to wear but with a slight change. Two dots have been added to the thumb and index finger. The dots are a combination of nickel and brass that allow for the connection to be made. They are rounded so they will not scratch. Seems just right for my cold issues. More and more items will be invented that will be touch screens from restaurants to your next cars. So if we are heading into a buttonless world you might as well be warm when you get there.

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie

Everywhere I go I see people with MP3 players. People are listening to more through their headphones than ever before and it is not just music. The listening public are listening to news, talk shows, radio programs, concerts, etc. Some are even having their RSS feeds and emails read to them. (Subject for another post) At this point the most popular player is the iPod. I get many questions about the Apple player. I usually refer students to the Apple store where they can ask questions with their iPod in hand and that seems to work out well. However what happens if you do not have a store near you or they cannot seem to answer your questions? Then it is time to head to iLounge. iLounge has been around for quite a while now and offers everything iPod. They have all the news you could want about the iPod. They also sell items related to the player but the real reason I send you here is the forums and help section. Every time I have a strange question about how to do something with my iPod I head to those sections and do a search. They have recommendations to find free legit music and video plus concerts and music blogs as well. I know I am mainly focused on music when it comes to iLounge but it is a music player after all. The site is very user friendly and helpful. Give it a try.

“Get your feet off my desk, get out of here, you [Steve Jobs] stink, and we're not going to buy your product [the Apple Computer].” Joe Keenan

Being a Mac user has always been a two edged sword. The positives usually outweigh the negatives by a large margin. I have been a Mac user since 92 and since then the question has always been should I buy a new model now. Historically the moment you purchase a new Mac a new cheaper one with extra stuff will be released and so you wait. The problem is that if you get into this mindset you will never purchase a new model ever for fear of making a poor choice. Generally there are a couple of rules that I live by for general sanity when it comes to the company that is Apple. One is never ever purchase anything the first year out from Apple no matter how cool it is. The early adopters will over pay and will find all the glitches. Once that period is done they will come out with a way better one. This goes for operating systems as well. The second rule is to understand that just because something is new does not mean I need to purchase it. A Mac has a long shelf life. This is why even an older one still fetches high prices while similarly aged products drop like a stone in price. Recently I came across a great site that helps to make Apple purchasing decisions a bit easier. Mactactic takes into account Apple’s replacement schedule plus anything going on in the Mac world and gives you advice on whether you should purchase. As an example the Mac Mini has not been replaced and is overdue for a new model so this is a good time to wait on that one while a new iMac is a recommended purchase. They do have a blog as well but it is not updated much because of the space between new official product info. If you are considering switching to a Mac definitely give this one a try.

“A fishing pole is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool on the other” Samuel Johnson

Alert! For those using iTunes the online music store, beware you are being targeted for phishing attacks. I have written here about phishing attacks and how they try to trick an individual into clicking a link and giving away important valued information about themselves and their account. You may get an email saying that you need to update your account info. Instead of clicking the link the best thing to do is go directly to the iTunes store through the application. If there is a problem they will let you know. Also I should mention this is not a Mac only issue. ITunes is the largest online seller of music so this covers a lot of people including those who use Windows. To read more is about the details click the link to head to Mac.Blorge blog.

“I worked with a wild leopard, who bit me. But I kept on working with him, because I have a wild side." Bai Ling

Recently a new operating system came out for Macintosh computers and it is entitled Leopard. I have heard great things about the new features like spaces and time machine and how long it takes to install However I will say what I said when Vista came out. WAIT! Give it several months to a year to let someone with multiple computers work out the bugs. No matter who puts out a new OS there are always glitches that need to be addressed right away. I know the desire is there for a whole new OS because it has new features and abilities but it is not worth losing your data because someone forgot to correct a small bug. This is one I have to say give it a try…um….eventually.

“You really can't beat that. Having some good friends and going out to eat some good barbecue.” Andrew Ray

So I am home and I am with a bunch of friends trying to decide where to eat. Nobody can remember all the places and we are just waiting for someone to make a decision. Enter Dine-o-Matic, my favorite widget. Widgets are small programs devoted to one specific action. Unfortunately they are only for the Mac operating system. Windows has something similar in the Vista OS. Dine-O-Matic is my personal favorite widget. You type in all the restaurants that you frequent and then choose the type of cuisine it is like Italian or Chinese. Once setup it is just a matter of clicking and it will randomly choose a place to go and show you with an accompanying picture specific to the cuisine. It is a beautiful design and simple and best of all it works. So if you have a hunger, indecision, and a Mac give it a try.