Newsflash: Flash is Dead…Well…Not Really

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em…sort of. That’s what Adobe is doing with Flash. With longstanding complaints about its stability and security vulnerabilities, Adobe has decided to rename its latest version Adobe Animate. While it’s an improvement over Flash, most of us in IT support will take a wary view of Animate as Adobe rolls it out.

Why are we skeptical? Flash has been a staple of online advertising, which continues to grow. Website developers have hated it for years, but it wasn’t until Steve Jobs slammed it in 2010 that Adobe began rewriting it. One of his major problems is that it was designed, as he said, for the PC era and did not work for touch screens – which is the staple of Apple’s mobile devices and everyone else’s.

At times, too, its security was so bad that we and other IT specialists regularly advised clients to uninstall it. Adobe’s rewrites have made it a better product, but it still has a bad reputation.

So, Adobe will release Animate next year, essentially rebranding the programming tool. It will enable developers to work with HTML5, a programming language widely used for the web and many other animation applications, and you won’t need download the Flash Player to make it work. While Adobe wants to put Flash out of mind, we’ll be on the watch for security vulnerabilities. We’ll be sure to let you know when we see problems that require action, ranging from installing updates to uninstalling it.

Be sure to keep an eye on email warnings from us or postings on our Facebook page for news on Animate. If you have any questions about Adobe Flash right now, call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for advice.

Rolling Out Windows 10…Rolling Up 7 & 8

If you haven’t chosen to install Windows 10, Microsoft will be making the decision for you – though you will still have the opportunity to roll back to Windows 7 or 8. If you still want to buy Windows 7 or 8 for your computer, Microsoft has set the final purchase dates. Here’s what you need to know.

When Microsoft began rolling out Windows 10, the company invited users to reserve the new operating system. As Microsoft got the new OS ready for computers based on each machine’s manufacturer, it sent each owner a notification that it was ready for download and installation. That’s changing, according to a post by Terry Myerson, executive vice president of windows and devices, Microsoft.

Before the year’s end – which is approaching fast – Microsoft will make Windows 10 an “optional update” for all Windows 7 and 8 users. The kicker comes in 2016.

“Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a ‘Recommended Update,’” Microsoft says. “Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device. Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue. And of course, if you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don’t love it.”

However, the move to Windows 10 is getting harder to avoid. You can read more thoughts by a couple of commentators, such as Gordon Kelly for Forbes and Mary Jo Foley for ZDNet. But here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

  1. Microsoft is proactively installing Windows 10 code on computers to make the process go faster. It won’t spring into action unless you complete the Windows 10 installation process, but it is there – and that could understandably bother some people.
  2. At some point, you will need to make the active decision NOT to install Windows 10.

In my opinion, Windows 10 is big upgrade over 7 and 8 with more speed, security and capability. I encourage all Windows users to install it on their computers. I am not happy about some of Microsoft’s tactics, but I understand the “big picture” strategy behind them. It becomes expensive for them to support outdated software.

With that in mind, Microsoft has set the final purchase dates for OEMs for Windows 7 and 8. For all intents and purposes, Windows 7 has not been available for computers purchased at retail stores, but as a reseller, we are able to get them. We are able to get computers with Windows 7 Professional, but Microsoft has set Oct. 31, 2016 as the cutoff date. For Windows 8, the cutoff date is sooner – June 30, 2016. The final sales day for Windows 8.1 is Oct. 31, 2016.

We have no problem with any client staying with Windows 7 and 8 or 8.1 operating systems – even though we intensely dislike the Windows 8 family. While we strongly urge home and SOHO users to go to Windows 10, we understand that larger business and professional users may have application software tied to 7 and 8. Migrating from those older systems will require planning to make the move efficiently and cost-effectively. We can help you map out a technology plan for the next 12 to 24 months. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up a strategy session

Technology and the Romance Novel

Back in the 19th century, parents feared their children reading romance novels and exposing themselves to things that they – the parents – weren’t ready to deal with. Today, we have technology. A recent seminar on raising kids in the digital age brought home a few time-tested ideas with a new twist.

We are raising our children in a radically different technological environment than we had growing up. My parents remember their families’ first television sets. I remember the first cable TV with the long wire and the clunky rows of buttons to push to change channels. The Internet has always been there for our kids; they’ve used tablets for several years.

In fact, as it was pointed out, how does a one-year-old relate to a magazine? In their eyes, it’s a tablet that doesn’t work. Think about it. It’s close to the same size. It has images, and some can look like icons. But when a one-year-old taps or swipes a page, nothing happens.

While I heard a lot of things I already knew, hearing them all at one time provided some perspective and context. The bottom line is that kids are growing up faster, and they learn things much earlier than we ever thought. For example, while most kids in the US start driving a car through lessons and under supervision by the age of 16, they have really learned about driving at the age of 5 – by watching you. That means they not only learn an attitude about driving and how to handle a car, they also learn about habits, such as talking on the phone or texting.

Technology needs to be viewed as a tool, not a treat. Today’s world holds a lot more risks than teens becoming more sexually active because of what they read in romance novels. Online activity exposes kids to risks of being lured into very dangerous health-and-safety situations, and it can expose entire families to health-and-safety and financial risks.

Further, the seminar speaker noted, helicopter parenting – now known as drone parenting – increases risk in the long run. Kids whose parents monitored all of their online activity, including texts, eventually exhibit riskier online behavior. And through their peer groups, they likely have the collective knowledge to make their technology capable of doing things you would never imagine.

With 74% of kids now having smartphones, putting smart technology use in perspective for kids is even more critical because they may be using channels that are not familiar to you, the parent. For example, texting – which grandparents do all the time – is down among teens, while the use of Instagram and Snapchat is up. What do you know about those apps?

Online safety and safer living require a great deal of common sense – both the common sense you exercise as a parent and the common sense you instill in your children. Step into your children’s digital lives without stepping on them. For example, don’t allow them to have phones and tablets in their bedrooms. Do have family discussions about living in a world that relies more and more on connectivity.

The world has always been an exhilarating place even though its context always changes. As the parents of two technologically adept children, my wife and I can relate to every concern any parent would have. As an IT professional, I make it a point to stay on top of every development and how it affects my family. So, call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us with any questions or concerns. Together, we can help your children stay safe online and learn the lessons that will help them avoid high-tech landmines.

Traditional Laptop or SSD

Where do you draw the line between speed and price for a new computer? While traditional, business laptops pack a lot of computing power for business applications, newer SSD-based technology, such as the MacBook and Surface families, are a lot, lot faster. They’re also a lot, lot more expensive. Here are some points to consider:

Cost – How much money do you really want to spend? The premium for speed and performance is considerable.

Patience or Impatience – In today’s on-demand world, many computer users are losing patience with their computer’s boot-up time, either when you power it up, restart it or awaken it from sleep mode. In some cases, your impatience can be justified. If you are making a sales presentation, for example, you just don’t want to waste time for your computer to go through its start-up routine, and you want to give the impression you and your technology are on top of your game.

You can manage the start-up time through Task Manager by deciding which applications to load, but that’s something you should do in advance of any presentations. Trying to do it seamlessly while standing in front of people you want to impress probably won’t come off as you’d like.

The difference between the technologies in start-up time can be a couple of interminable minutes, and patience may not be an option.

Physical – Consider a couple of physical points, especially if you will be traveling a lot with your computer. The MacBooks and Surfaces are a lot lighter than traditional laptops. Additionally, SSDs are much more resilient and better able to avoid damage if you drop your computer or if it gets jostled a little too vigorously.

Free Space on Drive – If you have a lot of free space on your hard drive, you may not need the faster SSD or MacBook just to improve performance. As we’ve pointed out, you need to leave room on your hard drive so that your applications have room to move files and do their work. Look at your drive’s capacity and at what you’re storing. Your hard drive should be a minimum of 256 GB, but 500 GB or 1 TB are much more realistic. If you need more space, you can always offload data files to the cloud. If you have a lot of free space and don’t anticipate needing a great deal of storage, you might not need the speed and performance – and expense – of SSD technology.

Flexibility – You don’t necessarily need to buy a new computer to get SSD technology. Depending on the age and RAM capacity of your existing computer, you could buy and install a new SSD hard drive, and that might a good investment to give you a performance boost for a year or two – maybe longer – if that’s what you need.

We are getting into the heavy buying season for electronics, so you can expect to see a lot of choices and price points. New products and ways to upgrade an existing computer will give you enough options to make your head spin. You can make your best decision after you gather all the facts, and that’s where we can help. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs and budgets for now and for the next few years, and we can guide you to the best options.

Smart Photo File Management

If you’re like one of our clients, you may have a huge number of photo and video files from your last vacation, and you may be getting ready to add more as your family gathers for the upcoming holidays. If you’re also like this client, you may be wondering where to safely store all your accumulated pictures and videos without paying an arm and a leg.

We can never recommend strongly enough that your precious memories are safest when stored on the cloud. Those large servers have built-in redundancies to protect your data, removing worries about crashing hard drives, whether they’re in your computer or external. Your storage on your own devices are suspect because:

  • Your computer’s hard drive can crash.
  • An external hard drive can crash.
  • Removable storage media (thumb drives and DVDs) can be damaged or lost.
  • Your smartphone can be lost.
  • Your camera, with its SD card, can be lost or damaged (which means you might want to find a way to upload photo and video files daily by one means or another).

In addition, photo and video files can take up a lot of space on your hard drive, and at some point, they will slow down your computer’s performance. If you have an iPhone, you can free up space by managing your storage; just go to Settings – iCloud – Storage, and you can delete files from your old phone. Android and Windows phones have similar capabilities.

So, let’s deal with all those photo and video files. Here are some options:

Free-storage sites all come with various limits, such as file size, types of files you can store and download and exposure to ads or privacy limitations. Some will allow you to upgrade to paid storage for more space and options.

Some of the more notable free-storage sites include:

  • Flickr
  • Shutterfly
  • Smugmug
  • Dropbox

While one of those sites may work for you, our mission here is to give you storage options that give you the same capability to store and retrieve files just as you would if they were stored on your hard drive.

Google gives you 15 GB of free storage, and you’ll always have it no matter how much additional storage you buy. Only monthly plans are available, and you have lots of flexibility. You can buy 100 GB for $1.99 per month or 1 TB (terabyte) for $9.99 per month. You can change your plan or cancel it before your next bill.

Google has apps for uploading and downloading image and video files from a computer, iPhone or Android phone. You can upload RAW files, which is critical for serious photographers who use SLR cameras, and high-quality j-peg files for equally serious photographers who use higher-end point-and-shoot cameras.

Apple gives you 5 GB of free storage and offers 50 GB for $0.99 per month, 200 GB for $2.99 per month or 1 TB for $9.99 per month. Again, you can upload all of your files in their original formats and can invite people to view selected files. You can edit files and still retain the originals, which gives you a Photoshop mulligan.

Apple also has apps for uploading from iPhones, Macs and PCs, and you can easily create photo books from your library.

Amazon gives you 5 GB to store “non-photo” files, such as videos and offers 5 GB for a free three-month trial. After that, it’s $11.99 per year. You can scale up to unlimited storage – also with a free three-month trial, and then you can pay $59.99 per year. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you already enjoy unlimited, secure photo storage plus 5GB of free storage for videos and files at no extra cost. You can upgrade to the Unlimited Everything plan at any time.

Again, you can view your files on a computer or mobile device through Amazon’s Cloud Drive.

We like the big three of Google, Apple and Amazon because they have well-earned reputations for safe, secure storage. The pricing is cheap – especially when you compare it to high value of photos and videos that are irreplaceable. Each site has its own peculiarities about setting up an account and uploading files. If you have any questions or need a hand to hold, contact us by email or by phone – 973-433-6676. And while I find them all device-neutral and platform-neutral, we can answer questions you may have about compatibility and raise your comfort level with your choice.

Jailbreaking Devices Makes You Easy Prey

Everyone who has ever played Monopoly covets the “Get Out of Jail Free” card. It’s instant freedom. Some people like to “jailbreak” their cellphones for the instant freedom of doing something a manufacturer or carrier never intended. But if you jailbreak a phone or other device, you’ll likely never pass go and collect $200 – nor will you find free parking. You and others are more likely to pay a lot of rent.

Here’s why, and it’s very simple. Most updates for phones, tablets and computers – if not all – revolve around security. With so many more hackers using more sophisticated tools to get inside of any system, security is a preoccupation. Whenever you jailbreak a device, you open a hole for someone to breach.

It wouldn’t be that bad if a security issued affected the owner who jailbroke a device. Unfortunately, this can go viral very fast. Let’s look at one possibility – and you may never look at your babysitter the same way after this.

People jailbreak devices to get application feature sets, among other reasons. It could be that a high school or college student jailbreaks a phone to download music. Now, let’s say you and your babysitter use smartphone apps so you can transfer funds to pay up at the end of the night. There is no way for you to know if someone has used that security breach in the download app to get into your babysitter’s financial information. If they have, they could use that information to trace your bank account that’s associated with your phone.

But it’s not just your babysitter. Anybody who uses the convenience of paperless money transfer can be vulnerable to a security breach if one of you has jailbroken your device. We recently saw an article in a British newspaper about 250,000 iPhones being hacked as the result of Apple Pay transactions. The article had a sensationalistic tone, but once you got past that, it was easy to see that all hacked phones had been jailbroken.

If you use Google Wallet, the Android platform, you face the same hacking risk if you jailbroke your phone. In our “tap-and-go” world of speed and convenience, it won’t matter how secure the payment system is if your phone is the weak link.

So, your safety is very simple. Don’t jailbreak your phone, and be very careful about where and with whom you do on-demand business. I, for one, have a pretty high level of understanding about what goes in the electronic netherworld where hackers play, and I would never be foolhardy enough to think I could beat them at their game.

If you have a jailbroken phone and want to relock it, we can walk you through a procedure. However, be aware that once you start the process, it’s irreversible, and you will delete all information, files and settings on your phone. If you want to re-lock a SIM card, it must be done by your carrier. Only they have the software to restore factory settings for their network. If you are buying a used cell phone, we can help you with the process to make it safe and secure. We can answer any questions you may have about cell phone security. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or send us an email

Connected Cars Have Blind Spots

As computers and connectivity become prevalent in the automotive industry, we’re finding more ways in which your “electronic tires” can be slashed. It goes beyond leaving your personal information footprints in a rental car – or even having a hacker stop you cold on an interstate highway – as we discussed earlier this year.

Technology is lapping the car companies’ capability to keep up with the latest developments. With Internet connectivity just about anywhere in the US, it’s easy for any automotive service provider to “talk” to your car. In fact, Tesla has made a point about that. Because their system is so software-driven, they can make repairs directly through an Internet connection while the car sits in a garage.

The manufacturers of more mainstream cars, though, are still increasing their use of the Internet to avoid you having to return to the dealer just for a software update. While your first thought is probably getting updated maps or upgrades for your factory-installed navigation system, it can go much farther than that.

According to an article in Auto Connected Car News by Brian Jonston, over-the-air (OTA) software updates can reduce warranty costs, potentially increase overall completion rates for software-related recalls, improve customer satisfaction by eliminating trips to the dealership for software upgrades or fixes, and provide the ability to upgrade functionality and add features to automotive infotainment systems over a vehicle’s lifetime. He cites a report from IHS Automotive that estimates auto manufacturers worldwide could save $35 billion in recall and update costs by 2022, mostly for telematics and infotainment system updates.

“Japanese OEMs have been pioneers in navigation map updates in Japan via their telematics systems. BMW, VW and Tesla have all recently announced OTA procedures for updating navigation maps,” Jonston writes. “Hyundai and Ford both have proof of concept systems for OTA map updates, and will also likely deploy such systems in the near term. Total vehicles in operations that are enabled with map OTA updates are projected to grow from approximately 1.2 million units in 2015 to nearly 32 million units by 2022, according to IHS forecasts.”

Jonston adds that Infotainment software OTA updates are much larger and more complex than software app updates and need to use Wi-Fi rather than LTE 4G service because of mobile network limitations. This category is emerging and will be a growth segment in the next five years, with players like Ford, Chrysler and GM expected to adopt these systems. Infotainment software updates, such as updates to the infotainment OS and user interface, will grow quickly over the next six years to more than 96.4 million enabled vehicles by 2022.

The OEMs that use software platforms most effectively will be able to save costs and improve sales and customer retention. But they need to get into the fast lane on the information superhighway. My car lease, for example, is up in the very near future, and the level of technology is stopping me from getting a new model. I’ve experienced numerous problems, especially with Bluetooth compatibility with my cell phones and infotainment systems.

It all makes me wonder if the auto manufacturers can catch up to companies such as Apple and Google, who seem to be able to do a much better job of integrating their systems. With the new model year for cars generating excitement (and generating deals for clearing out last year’s models), you might be thinking about a new car. We can help you look at the infotainment features of the cars you are considering and help you integrate your devices with the car – avoiding multiple trips to the dealer or an aftermarket systems provider. Knowing how you use technology, we can help you buy and install the technology you need to get full benefits and enjoyment from your system. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to answer your questions and get you on the road.

Public Beta Testing is Here to Stay

Today’s computing environment is making everyone a test pilot. IT support specialists are accustomed to getting early versions of new software, such as the new Windows 10 and Apple’s El Capitan operating systems, and putting it through its paces. It helps us learn about issues we can expect to affect our clients while offering feedback to the publishers. But now, we have testing partners: you, the user.

Here’s why it’s better for everyone.

IT specialists, developers and high-level power users all know enough to see some problems and sometimes work around them. We also know how to explain the problems to a software publisher’s tech staff to help them better pinpoint the issue and find the solution.

The vast majority of users, however, just know something isn’t working properly – as we’ve seen in the releases of Windows 10 and El Capitan. You likely don’t know why, and it’s even less likely that you care about why. You just want it to work so you can do what you need to do.

To me, that makes you highly valuable to software publishers. When a large number of you point out a problem with the software, it gets somebody’s attention. In our data-driven world, a manager can see the size and scope of a problem and set a priority for its solution.

Your public pressure on software publishers, too, moves them to publish the patch or update in a timelier manner. While some of us professionals can grouse in our various forums, the publishers know that thousands and thousands of paying customers can add a sense of urgency to solving the problem. Then, they can push out the fix as soon as it’s ready – or ready enough – to make sure it works or see what else they need to do.

In that respect, this is a benefit of our on-demand way of life – especially when our need for instant gratification or using software and devices in ways not intended create other problems. Regardless of fault, a software publisher’s reputation relies on its product being functional and safe. The faster the fix is delivered, the better it is for the publisher and its users.

That, in part, is one reason why Microsoft eliminated Patch Tuesday in favor of sending and installing updates as soon as they’re ready. You make huge investments in technology. If you make them for your business, you can lose a lot of money if your apps and drivers don’t work right. If you make them at home, you can get awfully upset when you can’t play with your newest toy.

IT support specialists like immediate updates, too. When you call with a problem that ultimately relates to a glitch, we either suffer the pain of not being able to fix it or we provide some sort of temporary fix that may require us to come back again – which also doesn’t make us happy.

Every new product in any industry goes through a shakeout period before it runs smoothly. But if you join the beta brigade and provide feedback, you do yourself and fellow users – and their service providers – a big favor. We check the discussion groups and forums and learn about problems and fixes so we can serve you better. You see faster improvements. That’s why public beta testing is here to stay.

Of course, if you have a problem with your technology, don’t sit back and wait. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us if you have a problem. We likely have the solution because people like you helped us find it faster.

Two Essentials to Take Care of Business

Backing up your data files and keeping them from prying electronic eyes are essential. We have the tools and tips you need to take care of business at the office and at home. Here are some things to keep in mind.

The first tip is: Backup your data offsite. We never like to consider the “unthinkable,” but bad things do happen. A story from a recent sales call, a non-profit organization, drives home the point.

Non-profits can get a lot of software free or at a greatly discounted price. So, our client wondered why they needed to spend money to back up software on the cloud. As we were talking, the client mentioned that they had considered buying the house across the street from their office and converting it into their own space. They didn’t do it, and at some time after they made their decision, that house burned down.

We never talked about the cause of the fire. If the house was old, some failure of its electrical wiring, for example, could have played a role, and all of our client’s “free” stuff would have been gone. The cost of replacing and reinstalling all of their hardware and software – especially when you add the value of their time and the cost of lost service to their clients – would have been huge.

We’re happy this is a “could-have-happened” story, and we can’t emphasize backing up data offsite enough, but we have a tool to keep your data safe.

Our managed backup program includes automatic backup to the cloud through local data centers and daily monitoring. It is far less costly than post-disaster recovery and much more reliable than putting all of your data and pictures on an external drive that can fail or be lost in a fire or flood. It’s a proactive form of insurance.

Our second tip is: Never sacrifice protection for performance. In today’s hack-happy world, you can’t protect your data and yourself too much, but you must understand one thing: Any system can be hacked by any hacker willing to spend the time and effort to do it.

Just as you need doors and windows to enjoy the world outside of your home, you need pathways from your computer to the Internet. And, just as you have locks on your windows and doors to keep out most bad people and just as you take safe routes on trips, you need to use firewalls and passwords to lock your computer and data access, and you need antivirus software, malware protection and common sense to travel safely on the Internet.

At a recent security seminar, a presenter pointed out that people are agreeing to take on more bandwidth from providers for a free or a small fee. (You know our feelings about free stuff.) You can face problems if your firewall or Wi-Fi devices can’t handle the increased performance, and that can leave your security vulnerable.

We get questions from time to time, for example about the safety of storing data on Dropbox. Our question back to that is: Who hasn’t been hacked? Yes, Dropbox is as safe as you can make it as long as you and Dropbox take all the precautions and safeguards you can.

So, in this day and age of hyperactive hackers, how are you protecting yourself? Are you reading emails carefully before clicking on any links or attachments? Are you careful about signing up for online offers that are almost too good to be true? What kind of antivirus are you using?

We’ll address that last question. We have our partners, but no matter whose system you use, make sure they give you regular updates and act with blinding speed to fix a problem as soon as it’s discovered. Subscription services generally offer you better protection and faster fixes, and they are more likely to automatically update your virus and malware definitions.

If you accidentally click on a site or open an attachment, our recommendation is to push the power button on your computer or device IMMEDIATELY. This will stop any activity right away, and hopefully limit any damage. Then, call us without delay to find and fix any problems.

We can help you with all of your backup and antivirus needs, including installation of valid software and setting up automated functions. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs and put a solution into action.

OS Updates from Apple

You can look for iOS 9 for your Apple devices later this month and OS X El Capitan for your Mac computers later this fall. Here’s what to look for when you see them.

iOS 9 has been in public beta testing, and the good-and-bad of that is that a lot of testers find lots of bugs. While it generates a lot of public complaining, the process gives Apple’s developers the chance to fix “real world” problems before the great masses of “real world” people start using it.

So, let’s get our technical issue out of the way. I had problems calling my wife cellphone-to-cellphone on the Verizon network. I got a weird message about circuits being busy, and other Verizon users had trouble with voice mail. When I called Verizon, they asked if I was using iOS 9. When I told them I was, they said they were working on the issue. That’s why I like public beta testing.

Now, for the features. A recent CNET review points to improvements in Siri, the Maps app, search tools and battery life. The new iOS will be available for devices as old as iPad 2 and iPhone 4S – which may correspond to the changing world of phone carrier contracts and data rates. Regardless, here some worthwhile features:

  • Siri will be able to answer questions that relate to locations and times, such as “Remind me to call Mom when I get home,” and she’ll deliver in seconds.
  • When you launch a Spotlight search by swiping right from the first home screen or swiping down, you’ll get your most common contacts, recently used apps and other info. It could tie Maps and your location to nearby places of interest.
  • Apple now has its own News app.
  • Maps now works with public transit. Touch a Transit tab at the top to see all sorts of options to get there via public transportation. You can even tap a train station or bus stop to see all of the lines that pass through that stop or what exit to take from a station.
  • The keyboard has a system-wide font change, and it shows letters in lowercase when shift is off. The display will shift to “caps” when you tap the shift key.
  • The Notes app allows you to quickly make check lists, add formatting to notes and add images. There’s a scribble pad to draw with your finger on screen, and you can select pen types and colors.
  • The new Low Power Mode could add up to 3 hours to battery life. Flip a switch in the settings, and you can reduce or disable functions like background app refresh and visual effects.

OS X El Capitan for Mac computers is also in public beta testing. Some items of interest include:

  • A split screen lets you view two apps side-by-side.
  • Wiggle your finger on the trackpad to find your cursor.
  • Spotlight pulls in search results for weather, sports, stocks and videos. You can also use natural language to find what you’re looking for.
  • Mail borrows some swipe actions from iOS 9 and ties better your calendar.
  • Maps also picks up the iOS 9 tricks, and you can sync app results between your Mac and iOS 9 iPhone.
  • Notes borrows from iOS 9, and Safari has three new features
  • The ability to hide the menu bar is now built in instead of being a separate app – giving you every last inch of your screen if you have a compact MacBook.

If you have any questions about installing the new Apple operating systems and synching devices and computers or need help getting your systems up and running, we can help. Call us – 973-433-6676 – to have us talk you through the process or email us to schedule help.