Armor for Your Mobile Wallet

The battle between Apple Pay and Current C is about to intensify as more shoppers start to use the mobile wallet functions in their smartphones and devices. We believe Apple Pay has better security, giving you more armor for your iPhone’s commercial capabilities.

The heavy-duty armor, as far as we are concerned, is the two-factor authentication that’s part of the Apple Pay system. The system keeps your credit card information separate from the transaction, and you need a fingerprint to complete the transaction. So, if somebody steals your iPhone, they’ll also need to cut off the finger with the print you’ve registered as your “signature.”

The banks and financial companies who back various credit cards have bought into Apple Pay, too, and it would likely behoove many merchants to go along with the idea. Banks and credit card companies are moving to the EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard, Visa) system that replaces the magnetic stripe with a chip, and they are shedding their responsibility for covering fraudulent charges. That responsibility will shift to the merchants.

The security benefits are enhanced by Apple Pay’s ease of use with Near Field Communication (NFC). A post on Tech Radar gives you a simple explanation, but we’ll simplify it a little more for those who don’t want to click through.

It’s a short-range, low power wireless link that essentially uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology (think EZ Pass) to transfer small amounts of data between two devices just a few inches apart. It doesn’t need any pairing code as with Bluetooth, and it’s so low-power, it doesn’t need a battery in the device being read. Tapping your phone on a contactless payment terminal in a shop, train station or coffee shop identifies your account and takes payment through the app on your phone.

Your phone’s SIM card is a smart card that identified your phone to a network, and phones besides iPhones have NFC capability.

We have some issues with one of Apple Pay’s major competitors, Current C. I don’t think it’s as easy to use, but more important, the system collects a lot of personal information, and it has been hacked. Current C, as we understand it, is linked to a consumer’s checking account, and we don’t use debit cards because of the risk associated with debit card security issues.

We also don’t like the customer-data collection aspects of Current C. It functions like a loyalty program, and we should all have the choice of deciding if we want to be part of any merchant’s loyalty program.

Finally, Current C is more cumbersome to use. You need to log in and pull up a QR code that the store reads. With Apple Pay, you just hold your phone close enough to the reader for it to read your fingerprint.

We think the finger is just scratching the surface. Because fingerprints are unique – even with identical twins – mobile wallets using the Apple Pay principles can spread to boarding passes, door locks or anything else requiring accurate identification.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and start a conversation. And if you have any questions about setting up an Apple Pay account on your iPhone, we’d be happy to help. A phone call – 973-433-6676 – or an email will get it started.

 

Shedding Light on the Flashlight App

A cable-based news network reported that flashlight apps on Android-based phones can steal data. It created a stir in the general and technical news media. Yes, somebody could write an app that can track some of your activity (and sell it to marketers) or could launch a virus. But there’s a bigger-picture lesson to be learned: Use common sense.

Let’s start with a few of “givens.”

First, there’s always someone out there trying to get your data and resell it – whether it’s your sensitive personal information or just some data to help a marketer target you. Ultimately, you have the responsibility to protect your data – though we can help you put systems in place.

Second, you have control over what gets installed on your device. You need to take time and care when you download and install apps to make sure they are safe and secure.

Third, if you have an iPhone or an iPad with a camera, you have no reason to download a third-party app for your flashlight. It’s been there since the release of iOS 7.

With that being said, what’s going on with the flashlight apps? You can dig into some of this yourself, starting with a report from Fast Company about the app Brightest Flash sharing location and device ID information. (Please note, most of you allow this information to be used with many other apps, such as those that provide directions while you drive somewhere.) The app’s developer was automatically sharing location and device information with advertisers and other third parties–even when users opted out. In fact, before they could accept or refuse the app’s terms, it was already collecting and sending information.

That got scaled up in a special report on a cable news channel, in which viewers were told this could be bigger than Ebola. What further rankles me is that the report on the How-To Geek website made specific references to the iPhone flashlight app, which is built into your device. It made a mountain out of a molehill.

However, the report noted: “The fact is that Android app permissions are a mess and you have very little control over what apps can do once you’ve agreed to install the application other than just trusting Google. Your best bet is to avoid installing apps that have permissions that look suspect, or only install apps from really reputable companies.”

All of this brings us back to why I like the iPhone and Apple apps. Apple may come across as control freaks, but the company vets all of its apps and app developers to give you better protection. Some device users find that restrictive; I find it comforting.

To be sure, hackers and virus writers are looking to invade Apple computers and devices, and it’s only a matter of time until they succeed often enough to create problems. For now, our advice is – as always – to look before you click and decline if you’re not sure. Also, as always, never hesitate to call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us if you have any questions about any apps you’d like to download.

Windows of Opportunity Opening for Microsoft?

Microsoft has announced Windows 10, and it can’t be coming to a computer near you soon enough if you have Windows 8. We believe Microsoft is finally on the right track with a new operating system that creates a cohesive environment across all platforms. Here’s what you can expect.

For home users, you’ll get a lot of the look and feel of Windows XP back – along with the ability to use the tiles of Windows 8 and 8.1. You will be able to upgrade to Windows 10.

Except for one business client, who had no option but to go to Windows 8 because of poor service from a previous support provider, all of our business clients are on Windows 7 – or are surviving with XP. If XP is making your business life intolerable – or difficult – you can upgrade to Windows 7 Professional, which is the version we provide.

We don’t know at this time what upgrades Microsoft will make available for Windows 7 users. We’re hoping they’ll be liberal in their policies because we believe they damaged their reputation and because we believe there are still a lot of Microsoft users out there.

Despite all you hear and read about Apple and the Mac, Windows is still the dominant operating system, but it is a fast-changing world. A lot of what you’ll see in Windows 10 is a refined version of the attempt Microsoft made with Windows 8 to better integrate with the iPhone and iPad worlds. The touchscreen capability was a big part of that strategy, and you can expect to see that continue in Windows-based tablets and phones. We believe many laptop users will migrate toward lighter-weight tablets as they make more use of the cloud and as habits change over time.

Accounting for the timing of habit changes is one reason for Microsoft to upgrade its OS so quickly. A vast majority of business users – as well as many home users – could not easily adapt to the tiles and the lack of the “start” button in the lower left corner of the screen. Windows 10 will restore the “start” button and other familiar navigation cues, and it will help Microsoft integrate with the “swipe” capabilities of device touchscreens. A lot of PC users have iPhones and iPads, but businesses have been reluctant to change complete office systems, and home users have been cost-sensitive. The argument that Macs are virus-free has lost steam as their infection rate has increased.

However, we caution you not to expect to be up and running immediately. Microsoft still needs to work out the bugs that plague any new system. As it stabilizes, we’ll start testing it and begin to formulate our recommendations.

In the meantime, we believe the new OS will be part of other upgrades from Microsoft. These could include a new version of Office – especially Office 365, which we continue to recommend – to remain up to date with software changes and changes in the way the world does business.

We hope Microsoft will push out a new Office for the Mac world, especially with the coming of Yosemite, Apple’s new OS for the Mac. Otherwise, Mac users could migrate to Pages, Keynote and Numbers, the Mac’s version of Word, PowerPoint and Excel. We usually see leaked images of changes such as this, and the rumor mill is churning. In addition to Yosemite, we expect to see a new iPad and the official rollout of Apple Pay.

With so many changes coming and so many possibilities, it’s critical to make sure you plan your technology acquisitions with great care. We can help you plan and budget for your business and home needs and help you phase in and integrate the systems you need to make business and home life efficient. Call us at 973-433-6676 or email us for answers to your questions or to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.

 

New iPhone Worth the All-Nighter

As you know, we waited on line all night at our local UPS depot to claim our new iPhone 6+ at 7:30 in the morning. Now that we’ve had the chance to use our new phone, we’re happy to say it was worth the effort to get it as soon as humanly possible. Here’s our report.

We like the new phone and the new iOS 8 features, especially the My Health app. We believe it can be a life saver. When you set up the data, it asks for your date of birth, blood type and other information about your medical condition as well as people to call in the case of an emergency. Anyone can use your phone without unlocking the screen to make an emergency call on your behalf, and whoever receives the call will have all of that vital information. You’ll also have your information handy whenever you visit a healthcare provider.

We also like the iPhone 6’s capability that allows you to add widgets to your home screen, and we’re anticipating Apple Pay’s rollout.

While many people will claim that Android phones have had these new iPhone capabilities, iPhone remains the dominant device in the cellular world. Most people who traded iPhones for Android phones did so because of the screen size. Apple addressed that marketplace demand, and the company sold 10 million phones in one weekend – and that’s without the Chinese market. The new phones will be released there Oct. 17, and two million reservations were made in the first hour they were made available.

The major bug we found right away was synching the Bluetooth capability with our car. The system dropped a lot of calls, and that is a pain. We’re confident Apple will fix this problem and the others that are sure to pop up as more new iPhones are in the field.

And now for a word of caution: As we continue to make more use of smartphones and devices, we’re loading more and more sensitive information on them. It’s more important than ever to protect that data because device hacking is on the rise. Just as with your computer, if you start to see a lot of new error messages or pop-ups, it could be a sign that something is happening.

Here are some safeguards you can take for all devices and computers:

  • Be very, very careful on public Wi-Fi networks. Don’t do any online banking, for example, or any other activities that involve sensitive information with passwords.
  • Make sure firewalls are in place.
  • Download and install reputable anti-virus, malware and spyware software
  • If you have a computer on a Wi-Fi network, disconnect it from the network when you’re not using it

While we are getting into our new iPhones and all of our new connectivity possibilities, we’re still keeping any eye on the horizon for new phones from Samsung and the major Android-powered devices. And, we’re also starting to think – just a little bit – about an iPhone 7. If there’s one thing we’ve all learned about technology, it gets better and – in terms of performance for the money you spend – cheaper.

We can help you decide on your next device purchase and help you get it set up and integrated with your existing technology. We’re a phone call away at 973-433-6676, and you can email us to set up a time to talk.

 

Diversify Your Data Backup

Two new clients came to us after experiencing data backup failures. While no single backup solution is guaranteed to work all the time, the odds are highly against every backup system failing at the same time. The best solution, in a word, is “diversification.” If you choose carefully, you can get the right backup systems for what you need to store and save yourself some money, too.

You have many options to backup and restore pictures, videos and other types of data files, but let’s look at three broad categories: the cloud, external drives and media such as DVDs and thumb drives. If you are highly concerned about the safety and recovery of your data, you can pick a system in each category and feel confident you can always get your data. If all systems fail, chances are your data will be a minor worry.

The cloud, otherwise known as a system of large, remote and redundant servers and storage facilities, is the foundation of most data backup and recovery systems. We now work with multiple cloud-based storage and recovery providers, giving you the ability to implement a system that meets your volume, data-sensitivity and pricing parameters. Despite the iCloud invasions, cloud-based systems remain safe places for your data, and for a relatively low cost, you can rest assured you can protect your data and get files whenever and wherever you need them.

External hard drives come in a variety of sizes and speeds. Home and SOHO users can buy them in sizes from 500 GB to 3 TB and connect them through USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports for up to a few hundred dollars. You can cross the $1,000 mark and get 12-to-20 TB units, but for most of you, that’s probably overkill. If you really want to protect your data, you should consider having multiple external hard drives to cover a unit failure, and you could keep external drives at another location and swap them on a regular basis. It all depends on what’s right for you.

External hard drives are essential add-ons for data-intensive applications. A client with a video editing business found this out soon after buying a new computer and running out of space shortly thereafter. In this case, the external drive provides easily accessible storage for files of work in progress, and it gives the computer’s hard drive room to do all the manipulation required for video editng.

Mac users have access to Time Machine, the built-in backup feature of OS X that works with your Mac and an external drive (sold separately) or AirPort Time Capsule. Time Machine automatically backs up your entire Mac and remembers how your system looked on any given day. It keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups until your backup drive is full.

Saving files to DVDs and thumb drives is inexpensive and relatively quick and easy to do. You can easily make multiple copies, and you can easily store them in multiple locations. We generally advise relying on them as a supplemental backup for important files.

Selecting your backup system or combination of systems is like buying insurance. The more you value your data, the more you’ll want to increase and diversify your backup capacity. And just as there is an insurance program that meets your economics and tolerance for risk, there’s a backup system that will work for you. Talk to us about your needs, and we’ll find the solution that best matches them. Call – 973-433-6676 – or email to start the process.

Security and Convenience

Major retailers have been vulnerable to security breaches because we want convenience. New credit card systems that rely on chips instead of magnetic strips will help solve the security issue and so will Apple’s new ApplePay, which uses NFC (Near Field Communications) technology.

There won’t be any need to open an app or even wake your display because of the combination of NFC and the antenna in iPhone 6. To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent. A subtle vibration and beep lets you know.

Instead of using your actual credit and debit card numbers the system assigns a unique Device Account Number that is encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element, a dedicated chip in iPhone. These numbers are never stored on Apple servers. When you make a purchase, the Device Account Number, along with a transaction-specific dynamic security code, is used to process your payment. So your actual credit or debit card numbers are never shared by Apple with merchants or transmitted with payment.

If your iPhone is ever lost or stolen, you can use Find My iPhone to quickly put your device in Lost Mode so nothing is accessible, or you can wipe your iPhone clean completely.

This is a major step toward convenience and security. Another step will be the replacement of that magnetic strip on your credit with chip technology already in use in most of the world. Again, it will separate your credit and debit card info from the info stored by retailers.

Retailers’ storage of your transactions and credit and debit card info has given you the convenience of being able to return merchandise without a receipt. It also presented a plump, juicy target for hackers. Banks, which bear the liability of covering the cost of fraud, are behind efforts to speed up the conversion to this new technology. Their goal, of course, is to minimize their risk, and they’ll minimize ours, too.

New credit and debit cards will be better for those of us who still carry them around in our wallets. Apple Pay and evolving technologies will help us get rid of our wallets all together – and probably our keys, too.

Millennials are driving device technology. They don’t like to bother with carrying wallets and keys and anything else they deem bulky. The changes are likely to trickle down to the rest of us, especially as we find them to be secure and convenient.

While the new technology looks great, there are other steps you can take now to protect your data. We’ve discussed these measures before:

  • Strengthen your password. The greater the combination you can use of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters, the longer it will take for hackers to crack your password.
  • Use two-factor authentication for Internet access to your data. It’s a second password, a reference to a graphic symbol or an answer to a question. Dropbox now offers it, and you can click here to learn more.
  • Look before you click. Use common sense when clicking on websites or opening attachments to email. If something doesn’t look right or feel right, leave it alone.
  • Make sure your protection is up to date and running. Anti-virus programs, malware programs and firewalls for home and office systems can prevent unwanted problems and intrusions. Make sure you have all systems up to date and turned on.

Now you can buy your new iPhone 6 or 6+ and enjoy the benefits of Apple Pay and NFC – whenever the technology is activated, most likely in October.

What your thoughts on this? How willing are you to embrace this new technology? Share your thoughts with us. And if you have any questions about buying an iPhone 6 or 6+ or any other phone, tablet or computer and getting them all to work together, drop us an email or give us a call at 973-433-6676.

New iPhone Puts More Tech in Play

Apple’s new iPhone has raised the bar for the device industry and for you, the business owner and consumer. You should consider upgrading to a smartphone and upgrading your tablet because more and more of everyday living will require it.

The new iPhone 6 and 6+ are going to improve your convenience and online security when Apple Pay and NFC (near field communications) technology kick in. As the technology expands, it will be possible to use it in more stores and for other payments such as electricians, plumbers, appliance repairs, landscaping, taxi cabs, etc. Train and bus riders with monthly passes may be able to use their cell phones more and more, eliminating the need to carry separate cards.

You might also find it possible to enter your home or place of work with your cell phone – and for owners to quickly reset access codes.

At home, smartphones and tablets can be integrated with computers to control home entertainment systems, lighting systems and your kids’ access to the internet. You can use your cell and home phones almost interchangeably to start a conversation on one device or system and continue it on another.

The possibilities to do more with smartphones and mobile devices seem to be unlimited. The only limiting factor may be the phone or device itself.

If you’re carrying a flip phone, for example, you likely don’t have access to the Internet for doing any kind of research, getting directions, making purchases or accessing email. You likely have SMS or texting capability, but it’s cumbersome. If all you want phone for is to talk, that’s fine.

If you have an older smartphone, you can still do the basics: find a nearby restaurant or gas station, purchase goods and services online, get your email and maybe watch streaming content. But your options will always be limited, and you’ll never get the performance that is driving so much of our online traffic.

Concurrent with the new iPhones, for example, Apple has released iOS 8, but it will only work with an iPhone 4S or newer model or with an iPad 2 or newer.

Apple is not alone. Samsung is already taking preorders for its new Galaxy Note 4, and you can bet that will raise the bar for performance and features.

On top of that, the major device manufacturers and OS developers will be keeping pace. Why? Because we not only want to be able to do more things online, we want to be able to do more of the things we already do, such as watch movies, play sophisticated games and make even more use of our Internet applications.

Within all of this, you will need to choose a device manufacturer, a cellular carrier and a phone and data plan. In addition to making technological choices, you’ll need to make financial choices and decide how long you actually want to keep your phone or tablet. Depending on what you need and what you want, you may need to replace your technology more often, and that will affect the device and carrier you choose.

Whether you’re a business with 20 computers and devices or a family, we can help. Once you get past the “ah” factor or the “OMG” moment, we can help you choose a technology that matches your needs and your budget as best as possible. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for answers to your questions and to set up an appointment.

The OS Outlook

Operating System updates are a way of life, but some of them can offer the means to change your technology life.

Apple’s iOS 8 is getting all the attention now because it coincides with the introduction of the iPhone 6 models and the Apple Watch. In our home, we’re using the new OS to monitor and control our kids’ use of their phones and devices, and we’re taking advantage of cool features, such as integrating with our iPads and computers.

Yosemite, the next OS for Apple computers will have similar ties. The net effect will be to put more pieces of the integration puzzle together.

Similarly, Google is looking for more integration with its Android OS for mobile devices and Chrome for laptop and desktop computers. Reports indicate that Android ???L devices will able to tell a Chromebook the user is nearby and have the laptop automatically login — doing away with the password once again. Chrome will also be able to display SMS messages and call details on a Chromebook and warn that your nearby phone is running low on battery.

On the Microsoft side, we’re working hard to get past our issues with Windows 8, which we believe fell short of integrating the tablet look and feel with laptop and desktop computers. We are looking forward to hearing about changes or seeing previews of the next Windows OS – hopefully a new Windows 9.

To counter the problems of Windows 8, we have encouraged clients to buy new computers capable of running Windows 7. We are now hearing rumors that Microsoft will end its support of Windows 7 in January 2015. What that means is that support options will change.

We believe Windows 7 will remain a strong OS. Many companies are still rolling out Windows 7 systems, and we still see more XP operating systems than we care to acknowledge. We continue to recommend migrating from XP to Windows 7 to get better performance and tighter security.

We can help you select and manage devices, computers and operating systems. Drop us an email or call us at 973-433-6676 to discuss your needs.

Spend More for Speed and Capacity

As we demand more performance from our IT systems, our choices can come down to balancing the speed to write files and the cost of storage media. You can have the best of both worlds if you combine planning and foresight.

A number of so-called “power users” have fallen in love with SSD (solid state) drives, which are totally electronic. They contain no moving parts and they can write data to memory with lightning speed. But they have their downsides, such as cost per gigabyte of storage and the lifetime of the data in flash memory. Data recovery is a much more complicated and labor-intensive process than if you have mechanical drives.

As a result, we think they’re better suited for users with higher levels of technical knowledge and corporations that have the technical capability to support the drives and their users. Most users and small businesses can get great system performance by buying the right drives for computers and servers and planning to replace systems after five years.

We find some basics have held true over our 20 years of IT service.

For individual computers, we recommend SATA drives. They are more than adequate in terms of storage size and speed and provide good cost value. Today’s desktop and laptop computers are available with hard drives having 1 terabyte or more of storage. Some bargain hunters think they’re saving money by buying a smaller 500 GB hard drive, but file sizes are growing larger, and they can eat up free space very quickly. If you’re planning to keep your computer five years – or even longer – you’ll likely exhaust the capacity sooner than you planned, and you’ll need to replace the hard drive (and restore files) or buy a larger external hard drive. As we’ve noted before, once you approach 60% to 75% of your hard drive’s capacity, you make it more difficult for your computer to write files to the drive, and that can severely limit performance. It’s much more cost-effective to buy a large-capacity drive with the computer, which is already set up with the right RAM (random access memory) capacity and motherboard to optimize performance.In addition to size, get a hard drive with enough speed. In general, SATA drives range up to 7200 RPM. When you combine the larger size and RAM with the higher speed, you’ll get better performance for a longer time, and that will keep you happier with your investment.

If you do find you need a new hard drive for your desktop, we may be able to walk you through the process of installing your new drive and recovering your data from an online backup site or an external drive.

For a server, we’ve found SAS drives running at 10,000 to 15,000 RPM offer the best performance. Again, your needs will grow as your business grows, and you’ll want to be able to add upgraded application software, more file storage capacity and more users without sacrificing performance. Whatever you save in buying under-performing technology can be eaten up very quickly in reduced production and unnecessary, unplanned downtime.

For us, the bottom line is getting our clients to think proactively about planning for a cost-effective technology purchase today and budgeting for the next purchase. Everyone has different needs and budget constraints, but everyone has the opportunity to take a smart approach. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your hard-drive and system needs for your computers and servers. Making the right decision today can save you money and give you peace of mind.