Who’s in Your Electronic Wallet?

Complacency is likely to be the greatest threat to your online security. The FBI recently reported that the padlock icon and HTTPS:// in a website cannot be trusted all the time in letting you know a site is safe. With the cost of SSL-TSL certificates falling, it’s cheap for crooks to set up malware sites and lure you in. We’ve discussed on-line shopping security and keeping other transactions secure, but the FBI’s warning compels us to revisit a few ideas.

First, what is an SSL-TSL certificate? The certificate is an acknowledgement that the owner of a website has installed SSL or TSL technology provide secure communications over a computer network. The certificates are granted by third-party providers, such as VeriSign, which is now owned by Symantec. The certificate shows us HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) in a secure website’s URL. You can view the certificate by clicking on the lock symbol on the browser bar.

What do SSL and TSL stand for? In short, SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, the standard technology for keeping an internet connection secure and safeguarding any sensitive data that is being sent between two systems. It’s designed to prevent criminals from reading and modifying any information transferred, including potential personal details. TLS (Transport Layer Security) is just an updated, more secure, version of SSL. Symantec still refers to security certificates as SSL because it is a more commonly used term. SSL certificates can also cover other internet- based communications, and they come in various levels. If you are curious, you can click here to read more from Symantec than you might want to know.

What you should know, the FBI reports, is that cybercriminals are more frequently incorporating website certificates when they send emails that imitate trustworthy companies or email contacts. They’re typically phishing schemes used to acquire sensitive logins or other information by luring potential victims to a malicious website that looks secure.

We’ve published many articles that call for the internet industry to provide more safeguards, but as we’ve always noted, cybercriminals are working just as a hard to defeat current and developing security tools. One industry executive hit the nail on the head by noting that cybercriminals can’t work around an aware user, who has been trained to look for misspellings in the URL of a web page and knows not to trust a padlock icon. Addressing her firm’s corporate business targets, the executive called on organizations to invest in solid, continuing training programs.

We echo the FBI, which says the following (familiar) steps can help reduce the likelihood of falling victim to HTTPS phishing:

  • Do not simply trust the name on an email: question the intent of the email content.
  • If you receive a suspicious email with a link from a known contact, confirm the email is legitimate by calling or emailing the contact; do not reply directly to a suspicious email.
  • Check for misspellings or wrong domains within a link (e.g., if an address that should end in “.gov” ends in “.com” instead).
  • Do not trust a website just because it has a lock icon or “https” in the browser address bar.

The FBI encourages victims to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local FBI field office, and file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. If your complaint pertains to HTTPS/SSL/TSL issues in a phishing expedition, write “HTTPS phishing” in the body of the complaint.

You can protect yourself by being prudent and deliberate when opening emails and clicking on links, and you can support your efforts by installing, updating and using anti-virus and anti-malware protection programs. We work with several trusted providers, including Symantec, and we can help you select and set up the programs that best meet your needs. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us if you think your security may have been compromised or if have any questions about online security verification.

New Technology Raises Bottom Line

Presenters at a recent conference we attended hammered home the economic benefits of upgrading your technology. Keeping old equipment running may far exceed the cost of investing in new systems, and here are some of the ways presenters quantified the costs.

In one analysis, the total cost of owning a PC that’s four years or older is $2,397, which is enough money to buy one or more newer PCs. The biggest factors in the cost are repairs and lost productivity, and here’s how they were broken down:

  • Total direct costs for PC repairs and upgrades for computers four years or older are $442. While this doesn’t seem like much at first glance, older computers experience problems nearly twice as frequently as newer ones – and they can drain employee productivity and IT resource efficiency.
  • Lost productivity costs can add up to $1,965 in the example we saw. They used an average of 98 lost hours and an hourly pay rate of $20 to come up with that number.

Your numbers may be higher or lower, but here’s the real question you must ask: What will it cost in lost business when you can’t close a transaction at the time your customer or client is ready to move? If your equipment is balky, your customer or client may balk. Four years seems to be the maximum service life for most technology these days, but your experience might be different.

What does a new computer cost? The range of variables is as wide as the sky, but let’s say $500 to $1,500. The numbers can give you some guidelines for determining how advanced you need your technology to be. In a world where time is money, you should be able to benefit from serving your customers and clients faster – because they benefit from it, too.

Companies that supply computers to businesses find customers want hardware-based features such as electronic pens, which essentially capture hand-written notations without the need for typing or retyping to increase productivity. Other features that increase productivity are faster multi-tasking capabilities – which can include the ability to run certain applications faster as well as switch apps fasters – and faster refresh rates. Businesses consider design (to aid productivity) and security as key factors, too, but performance is top of mind.

This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone in an organization should get a new, feature-filled computer. Today’s range of choices allows you to focus a computer’s capabilities on the needs of each job. A more basic set of tasks can still be accomplished faster with new equipment that doesn’t need all the bells and whistles. The same logic can apply to technology for printers/copiers. Those who need to print or copy more documents than others should have access to faster machines. If you’re the boss and you want to print or copy your own documents, you can tie your computer to a personal printer.

More than just computers and other office technology, your operating system makes a huge difference. And that’s why you should upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 if you haven’t done so already. In a business environment, you can select a level of sophistication to match the needs of groups of multiple users to keep your office workflow up to speed. Windows 10 OS software also keeps you up to date on system security. Microsoft has said many times that Windows 10 will be its last OS. All security and performance advances will come as updates of Windows 10.

Avoid the risk of falling behind because your systems are old, slow and prone to failure. We can help you plan equipment upgrades to maintain or improve your office productivity, especially if you haven’t moved up from Windows 7 – which Microsoft will no longer support after next February. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up an appointment to discuss how upgrades can improve your productivity.

More Companies Want Your Collaborative Efforts

Dropbox has entered the collaborative space by adding a host of new tools to help you and teams share files. We see it as a big leap for a company that started as a file-sharing provider, but we don’t see it as the equal to Microsoft OneDrive.

Two areas where we see OneDrive as far superior are cost and feature sets.

The cost of OneDrive is built into the cost of the monthly subscription of Office 365 for all but the most basic plans. For most of our clients, plans range from $5 to $12 per month, and the key benefits are access to the most widely used business and home applications, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The subscription provides updates for security patches and bug fixes and performance and feature updates. OneDrive almost comes across as a throw-in, but Microsoft has recognized the value of keeping its massive user base in the family. What was an extra-cost feature set is now a way to provide tools and features, such as collaboration and file backup tools and useful apps from other providers. We covered some of them last month.

Depending on your plan, the cost of Office 365 with OneDrive includes the ability to store terabytes of files, which can be set up as shared files when needed. Collaborators can make changes, and the files are immediately updated, so everyone knows they are working with the most recent file. This capability has been available through Google Documents and Dropbox, but by keeping it all within Office 365, it’s about as seamless as a process can get.

Dropbox has always made a limited amount of file storage free, now 1 terabyte, but you need to be on a plan if you need more. The cost of the additional storage, for most of our clients, is roughly the same cost as having Office 365 without having the applications and tools included. In effect, you pay twice for the same capabilities.

As for capabilities – and features and tools, Dropbox can argue that by teaming up with Google, Slack and others, you can benefit from a broader range of ideas. Yes, that may be true, but here are two considerations:

  1. In the course of all the things you do, what are the tools and features that matter most to you? If you have Office 365 and it does all that you need it to do, you might be better off keeping it in the family.
  2. For a business or network of volunteers, how much training and retraining do you want to do? Learning a system is a lot like learning a language. The more you use it (or speak it), the better you become. That translates to better productivity.

Yes, Microsoft can be a big, plodding giant, but we believe its standardization works best for consistency, and that’s a huge advantage for businesses and volunteer networks. It’s easier to keep everyone together.

Finally, we like OneDrive’s file transfer capabilities better. Prices for cloud-based services can change at any time, and it can be difficult to move and verify the transfer of large volumes of files. We share a concern that this could make it difficult to migrate from Dropbox because the transfer process is too complex. Part of this may stem from changes made to a computer’s registry, where Microsoft, Dropbox and other applications are waging a war for the limited number of overlay icons to show file status. Each app changes its name to claim a spot in your Registry Editor, which Microsoft allots in alphabetical order. This could potentially create registry problems, which are all difficult to resolve.

We can help you set up OneDrive and transfer files from your computer and Dropbox. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your options and begin the process.

Setting Up and Using Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive may be as close as we’ll get to finding a safe harbor in the perfect storm created by the end of Windows 7, chip shortages and trade wars. Even without the storm conditions, it can give you smoother sailing.

We’ve found that OneDrive fits several trends we’ve seen among many clients, including more mobile computing, more collaborative work, and the need to work with larger files across all platforms. For those of you with Microsoft Office 365 plans starting at $5 per month, you get 1 TB of storage as part of your plan. If you need to access a lot of large files, including huge spreadsheets as well as photos, music and movies, this a good place to keep them. You can send collaborators links to any files in your OneDrive folder, and they can make changes, just like people do with Dropbox. This eliminates the need to send emails with attachments back and forth. As an added bonus, files are automatically saved in real time when working with a file in a OneDrive. And, finally, you can get Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Office 365 apps for mobile devices, enabling you to view, edit and even create documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Granted, it may not be the same as on a computer, but it’s another tool at your disposal.

In addition to being free for Office 365 users, you also get a couple “blow-away” features. One of them is a version history, which is great for tracking financial reports on Excel spreadsheets or changes to Word documents. Instead of saving umpteen million versions, you can go back to a date and see the file as it was. It was meant as an autosave feature for data recovery, but it’s certainly not restricted to that.

We also like Mile IQ, which we discussed in our email for this newsletter. It works on your phone, and it senses motion when your car moves and starts to track miles. At the end of a trip, you swipe right for business use, and left for personal use. You can always go back and add details for each trip you track. It’s not a well-publicized feature, but it’s great. You can sign up through their website.

Installing OneDrive is not a particularly difficult process, but it has a few complexities in the setup. We recommend you have us help you with the setup so that you can work more easily with your file. The first two steps are:

  1. Select the Start button, search for “OneDrive”, and then open it. In Windows 10, select the OneDrive desktop app. In Windows 7, under Programs, select Microsoft OneDrive. 
  2. When OneDrive Setup starts, enter your personal account, or your work or school account, and then select Sign in.

At this point, we’ll help you configure OneDrive to match your needs and get you started on transferring your files. We recommend putting all of your files on OneDrive for two reasons: 1.) You’ll have them there for recovery in case your hard drive crashes, and 2.) you can always select files to put back onto your hard drive.

By having access to all of your files but only having a percentage of them residing on your hard drive, you’ll free up space that will allow a mechanical hard drive to work more efficiently, or you’ll be able to get by with a smaller hard drive.

In operation, you’ll access your files from your OneDrive folder instead of from your File Explorer and work on them through your application program. If you turn on AutoSave, everything you do will be saved in real time, and you’ll never lose data due to a power outage or hard drive crash. Yes, if you lose your internet connection, you’ll lose OneDrive, but you can continue to work on your files and save them. When OneDrive access is restored, the changes will be saved.

If you are getting a new hard drive or computer, we use OneDrive to transfer your files. We believe that if you have an Office 365 plan and if we’re doing the work already, you are better off keeping your OneDrive and using it. You’ll find more benefits as you go along.

Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to get your OneDrive set up. If you’re an Office 365 subscriber, it’s there for the taking. If you don’t have Office 365, let’s talk and see if it’s right for you.

DIY and a Scam

When one of our clients decided to add a Wi-Fi extender in a home office, she contacted a phone number that purported to be a helpline from the manufacturer. It wasn’t, and it opened up a door for someone to gain access to sensitive information.

We’re certainly not opposed to any of our clients buying and installing their own technology. It can save you money and give you a better understanding of how your technological systems all fit together to make your life better. But there are a few things everyone should be aware of when they start the process – because you may not discover a problem until some damage has been done.

In this case, our client bought and set up a network extender from Netgear. She needed to strengthen an in-home network to accommodate her mother’s computer, and this was a reasonable step. When she ran into a problem, she called the manufacturer for help – or thought she did, and this is where problems began.

She said she called the phone number on the extender’s box. We won’t quibble. It could have come with a Google search. The lesson is more important than any finger-pointing. One of the problems with a Google search is that companies can place advertisements to show up above the “natural search” results. In times of stress, it’s easy to mistake an ad for a search result, and you click it. Both the advertiser and Google benefit from the ad; you visit a website you wouldn’t have otherwise gone to, and Google gets paid for directing you there. That’s business.

But when the advertiser is, shall we say, shady, it’s an ideal way to lure somebody into a scam. That’s what happened here. Our client clicked on what she thought was Netgear customer service but went to a website called Trucept. They walked her through a setup and told her she had no virus protection. She paid $300 for a package that included five years of security protection. That’s likely how they got into her network and likely were able to hack her mother’s computer.

Unbeknownst at that time, her mother started to receive online banking messages about owing a lot of money. That’s when we got a call. We told our client to shutdown her mother’s computer immediately and to call the bank. Then, we went to the Trucept website together, and to our experienced – and skeptical – eye, it had the look of scam all over it. Some of the telltale signs we saw were:

  • An address for a residence in Queens Village, NY
  • Lots of misspelled words
  • A PC Max Ultra Prime package for $800 with no customer reviews
  • A policy that requires two days before you ask for a refund (which gives them time to access a computer)

We were able to clean up her system and her mother’s. Now let’s look at things going forward.

First, be very careful about what you find on the internet. In the heat of trying to get something done in our overstressed lives, it’s easy to overlook something – especially a Google ad that looks like a search result. Take a deep breath before you click.

Second, get help from someone you know. It doesn’t have to be us. Call a friend. Go on Nextdoor Neighbor or Facebook and ask for a recommendation. Just don’t call a stranger out of the blue.

Third, only pay with a credit card for an online service. Credit cards have a mechanism in place to reverse charges. Processors record an IP address for every transaction, and they can tell where it took place.

We can help you install new systems or devices in your home or office, either in person or – typically – by walking you through the process. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for an appointment or a walkthrough. 

Robocalls: The 50-Ton Elephant

If you’ve reached the breaking point in robocalls, you’re not alone. We tracked ours for the last three months just to see how bad a problem it’s become. Since Jan. 29, tracking only our landline at home, we received 583 robocalls – an average of 6.5 calls per day, 24/7/365. And that’s with Nomorobo installed on our landline. Thirty of those calls were identified by a single phone number.

While you can debate the effectiveness of Nomorobo and a host of other apps that try to block telephone scammers, they’ve likely done as good a job as they can. The apps use databases of known robocallers or scammer call centers to identify a scam call and disconnect “known” scam calls. Another entry into the field, Jolly Roger Telephone, claims it can carry out our revenge fantasies by engaging scammers and tying up their valuable time.

Unfortunately, the databases also lead to a growing number of false positives. They rely on customer feedback to some extent, and that can have negative side effects. There’s no way to know how many legitimate phone numbers get into a database for any number of reasons. A legitimate call center, including an outgoing “800” number from a bank, airline or insurance company, may get blocked, delaying vital communication between a business and a customer.

Some of us have turned to apps from our phone carriers – mobile and landline – to block calls, but we face the same problem of false positives in their databases. We can unblock specific numbers, which we had to do to take care of many of non-profit clients. We only find out about the block after a client tells us we couldn’t be reached.

Scammers have adapted to protect their income sources, and it’s a no-holds-barred world. Would it surprise you if they’ve compromised the databases? They’ve also become better at spoofing local phone numbers so that you think someone in your community is calling. Sure, it’s possible to trace a phone call back to its origin in many cases, but it’s time-consuming just to get the process started. In the meantime, the scammers don’t need a large volume of victims to make money.

But most of us increasingly don’t answer the phone unless we know the number. We put up with the incessant ringing and hope that a legitimate caller will leave a voice mail, or we wind up blocking legitimate callers.

Unfortunately, there are no prospects for a quick resolution to the problem. In the absence of any kind of international laws with enforcement teeth, it will be up to private industry to find a solution. They’ll need financial incentives to develop and maintain centralized databases and technology that can detect and block scam calls faster and more effectively.

There’s even no incentive for us to get rid of landlines. Almost every bundle from a cable or satellite provider is a “triple play” of TV, internet and telephone.

We can help you set up Nomorobo. Their service is $1.99 per month for mobile phones and devices and free for landlines. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us if you have any questions about how call blocking works and how to set up an app to meet your needs.

In the meantime, if you pick up the phone and it seems suspicious, don’t give any vital information. Hang up immediately. You can always get additional information by going online to research appropriate contact info and initiating communication.

Kohls and Amazon Starting a Trend?

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” is an old adage. It applies to today’s retail environment, in which we love ordering stuff online but hate the process to return the stuff we don’t love. Kohls and Amazon may solve our problem while they help themselves with a new program.

Beginning in July, the companies will roll out nationally a program that began two years ago at 100 selected stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and Milwaukee. It should be a win-win-win for consumers, Amazon and Kohls when the program goes operational in some 1,150 locations in 48 states.

We expect to be able to return merchandise that doesn’t work out or when we change our minds. It’s especially true when we buy online because we’re buying it sight-unseen or without having tried on or tried out the product. In a report in the publication Retail Dive, more shoppers than ever factor returns into their purchasing decisions. They cite a report from Stockholm-based payments company Klarna, which shows that 82% of shoppers consider returns a routine part of shopping, while 84% say they’re more likely to buy from a store offering free returns. Sixty-two percent say they wouldn’t purchase from a store that doesn’t offer free returns.

The numbers show online shoppers want a more seamless experience and will reward retailers who deliver it. Nearly half (44%) of respondents say slow returns are the most frustrating part of the returns process, as anyone will attest to. You have to put the product back in the box (a challenge of its own), seal it and bring it to a designated shipper. Still, 86% say they are more likely to return to a retailer that offers free returns.

Clearly, we demand mulligans, and that creates logistics issues for online retailers.

First, Amazon, which could handle 50% of online purchases by 2023, doesn’t have many retail outlets. Yes, you can pick up Amazon-ordered merchandise at Whole Foods, and the company is experimenting with cashless retail stores, which can be pick-up points. But those types of stores are not equipped to take back large volumes of clothing or household goods. The return program with Kohls gives Amazon customers a convenient place to bring back unwanted items, and Kohls must obviously have the logistics network capable of handling the returns.

Kohls can win by getting traffic into its stores. That’s a no-brainer. Just because you return something doesn’t always mean you don’t need the item. Who knows? You might find just what you need or want – in the right size or better style – while you walk through the store. And if you carried an item into a store, you can certainly carry it home.

The return policy covers “eligible” items, which may have something to do with size. You’ll be able to find out when you initiate the return process online, which is a requirement. You’ll need to take care of authorizations and paperwork through your Amazon account.

Our only advice: Make sure you maintain tight security for your network and account passwords. Any questions, call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us.

Intel’s Chip Shortage Impacts Computer Sales

If you’re wondering why it’s taking longer to deliver and install new computers, it’s because there’s a shortage of Intel chips. Intel has placed the blame on several factors, including a slower demand in China. According to reports, Intel can also cite sales to cloud customers, a weakening NAND flash market and weaker modem demand.

Some observers contend the shortage will worsen this spring, a traditionally high season for entry-level computers such as Chromebooks. Others say Intel simply didn’t anticipate the demand and didn’t put in enough manufacturing capacity to handle the volume. With priority going to data centers (the cloud), that means there are fewer chips available for PCs and laptops. PC processors are reportedly last on the company’s priority list.

As for us, we’ve seen a drastic increase in the lead time for new computers. We used to be able to get them in a day or two. In one instance, an order placed in January arrived at the end of March. One of the computer manufacturers affected by the shortage is Dell, one of our favorites for Windows-based units. Dell prefers Intel chips, and so do we. Dell said earlier this year it might look for other sources, but as it stands, we’re stuck for the moment. We don’t expect the situation to improve until the second half of 2019 – and nobody’s making sure-fire predictions.

Some industry sources predict the shortage will ease by the summer because the large data-center customers have made their required purchases. But with expected Chromebook sales still to be made, others are predicting the shortages will extend well into the summer and maybe beyond. The shortage may worsen before it gets better – because of the Chromebooks. We’ve seen reports that Intel will ramp up production facilities in Ireland and Israel, increasing capacity by 25 percent.

What can we do in the meantime to minimize the effects of the Intel shortage?

If you’re looking at new computers to improve business efficiencies, we can look at upgrading the efficiencies of other equipment, such as routers, servers and peripherals. Those are improvements you are likely to make down the road, anyway, so it could mean you’ll have a two-stage process. The computers will come later. We can also fine-tune your software and make sure that all your operating system and app software is up to date and in sync with your computers’ capabilities.

If you’re still using the Windows 7 operating system and planning to purchase new computers to work with Windows 10, we can place your orders now. Even though your new systems may be backlogged, they will be in the pipeline, and you should be able to plan your migration to your new systems before next February, when Microsoft ends its Windows 7 support.

We can also consider alternatives, such as computers with chips from other manufacturers. However, we urge you to consider the long-term effects of any alternative you select to solve a short-term problem.

If you are planning on buying new computers, let’s talk about your needs and explore possible solutions in light of the Intel chip shortage. Good planning can help you mitigate the effects of the current market conditions. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up an appointment.

Rule Your Email

We recently had to help a client resolve a rules-based email hack. It seems that hackers were able to change the rules in the email system to forward email to their own site and respond – and they could activate or deactivate the rule at will.

The problem showed up when our client’s clients were flooded with messages about sharing files. The client normally does share files – and so do we; it was the volume that grabbed their attention. Fortunately for everyone in this email chain, we were one of those who got caught up in the problem, and that helped us understand what was going on.

The hackers changed the rules for handling emails. They were able to intercept emails and then send new messages to the original senders with a request to share files. The requests, of course, looked like they were coming from our client. Sharing those files gave the hackers access to the computer systems of anyone who responded to that request.

We were able to go in and fix the rules that affected our client’s system. It wasn’t particularly difficult to do once we identified the problem. But what can you do solve the problem and/or prevent it? The answers won’t surprise you.

  1. Everyone who uses email should make sure you have strong, secure passwords for your email – and for your network, too. We find that in most cases, our clients who get hacked have simple passwords that are easy for hackers to figure out. So, the best thing you can do before anything else is to change your email password and make sure it’s strong – upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
  2. Make sure your anti-virus and malware software is up to date and running
  3. If you see something that looks just the slightest bit out of order – different writing or phrasing or spelling mistakes – don’t click on a link. Don’t reply to the email, either. If you have a question, pick up the phone. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, and the cell phone was introduced April 3, 1973. Telephones in any technology are proven to connect – and with rare exceptions, they’re private connections
  4. Forward the suspicious email to your IT provider. Those of us in the business share a lot of knowledge, and we have a good chance of determining if the request to share is legitimate or where there could be problems
  5. Call us to look at your email setup and see what rules might have been placed on your account without you knowing it. Even if you’ve changed your password, hackers still have ways of planting malware. We can see if you have malware or a virus and help you get rid of it.

In the final analysis, it’s up to you to rule your email inbox. We can help. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or mail us if you have any questions or need help.

Apple TV+ – Delicious or Wormy?

Apple has announced it will launch its own TV streaming service this fall, Apple TV+. Apple will join Netflix, Amazon and others in providing content. We don’t what it will cost, and we don’t know if the experience will be delicious or full of worms. But we can count on Apple disrupting the market and changing the game. It’s how they play it.

Let’s start with the promises. Apple claims its new stream will be “the new home for the world’s most creative storytellers featuring exclusive original shows, movies and documentaries.” If you want a hint about if they’ll be able to keep that promise, they will debut with a sneak peek through a new Apple TV app that works across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, smart TVs and streaming devices. You’ll be able to subscribe to Apple’s TV channels a la carte and watch them through the app.

You may want to look at Apple’s move as another reason to cut the cable cord, but we don’t see it that way. Even though increasing numbers of people are streaming programs through their TVs, in addition to computers and devices, cable companies are accommodating customers who want programming from “non-TV” providers. You can get Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Apple – in addition to premium content providers such as HBO and Showtime – through your cable system. And why not? As gatekeepers, they’re happy to pick off a few dollars in subscriber fees from any and all content providers.

And it’s as a gatekeeper and content provider that Apple may be trying to maximize its hold on content viewing. Apple has a big market share of smartphones and an even bigger share of tablets – all in addition to a large base of Mac computers. But it’s way behind Roku and Amazon for connected TVs with only 15 percent of the market. Further, more than half of the nation’s TV streamers use Roku or Fire TV, and some 30 percent use smart TVs. Apple gets only 15 percent of the streamers. Clearly, Apple will need to partner with those who deliver content just as much as it will need to provide strong content to make this venture work.

We don’t know what Apple TV+ will cost, but various sources figure it will fall somewhere in the range of $10 to $15 per month. Apple could undercut the market with attractive intro deals. They have the resources to do it if they wish. With a push based on low prices and innovative programming, Apple could disrupt the industries that create and deliver content, especially in the short term. But history tells us that other industry giants will react to meet their own needs – and that some upstart will find a way to step on the giants’ toes.

Whatever happens, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • High-definition streaming requires a fast internet connection and a powerful Wi-Fi network. If you have multiple high-def TVs and a slew of devices, you’ll need lots of speed and capacity.
  • Many consumers get their internet from cable providers, and there are some things you need to balance when figuring out how much content to get from cable or the internet. Cable companies are willing to give you good internet speed if you’re a cable TV customer. If you are an internet-only customer, you may pay more for your connection, and you may face caps on how much data you can download. For the cable companies, it’s all about profitability.
  • How and where do you want to watch your content? Cable is good for big TVs for large groups, but you can take your devices anywhere. Consider the price of what you watch on. You can get a really good, fairly big TV for $500 or less, and you can pay twice that much for a mobile device.

We can help you make smart decisions about how and where you’ll watch programming by looking at the technology currently in your home and recommending what you’ll need to have a system that works for your preferences. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for answers to your questions or to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.