Apple Special Event
We are going to talk about this first item at the SMUG meeting on Tuesday, September 17, 2024…
Apple will have an “Apple Event” on September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Exactly what they will talk about isn’t clear, since the event is called “Glowtime,” which is, as usual, ambiguous. But Apple is expected to announce new versions of iOS for iPhones, iPadOS for iPads, watchOS for Apple Watch, and possibly macOS for Macs. They may also announce and demonstrate new iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watch models. There is a rumor that they also might announce new M4-based Macs, but that isn’t what they normally talk about in September. Their ambiguous advertisement is here:
https://www.apple.com/apple-events
To watch the event, just go to the site at the appointed time, and it will be streamed to you. You can also watch it on AppleTV.
Privacy and Security
Apple has been running this commercial to emphasize the privacy (and security) features of running Safari on an iPhone. The iPhone (and iPad) are exceptionally secure, but you can still add a less secure browser to your device. Safari and iOS and iPadOS are exceptionally secure, and this advertisement does a nice job of illustrating exactly what it means to have the whole world peeping at what you do — if you aren’t using Safari:
This is the whole commercial; on TV, they tend to only show segments of it.
iPhone Photography
The iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) for 2024 were announced, and the results are subtle, profound, and spectacular:
https://www.ippawards.com/2024-winning-photographers/
Apple Maps
Apple Maps has, over the years, improved immensely, and is now my preferred mapping application when driving. One thing you couldn’t do, however, was send someone a link to bring up in a web browser on a computer. In Google Maps, this is easy, but Apple Maps? No. Until now.
Apple appears to be beta testing a web-based Apple Maps that works with any browser, Mac or Windows or whatever. You can see the beta site here, with a view of Sequim. Use the + and – buttons to zoom in or out. You can also select, in the upper right, a button that allows you to choose a map view, a satellite view, or a hybrid view:
Different versions of Wi-Fi
Intel has a nice page that explains, in a non-technical way, the difference between different versions of Wi-Fi. In the beginning, Wi-Fi was confined to the 2.4 GHz radio spectrum, which was also used by garage door openers, baby monitors, and all kinds of other things. Later, the 5 GHz spectrum was opened up, allowing for much faster Wi-Fi. Recently the 6 GHz spectrum was added, with even higher speed possibilities. But these additional spectrum additions also add for better privacy and security, and less interference from other devices. It is worth reading if you are thinking about purchasing a new Wi-Fi router:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/docs/wireless/2-4-vs-5ghz.html
Passwords
Hive Systems has an outstanding chart showing how password length and complexity result in increased security. Many people reuse passwords for multiple things, and many others choose simple passwords that are easy to remember and type, and most people do both. This page vividly shows why a passphrase, such as:
Geese honked at me todayis a better password than:
capricornWorth a read:
https://www.hivesystems.com/blog/are-your-passwords-in-the-green
Hard drive reliability
Backblaze, a company that will back up your computer over the Internet (I am a customer), publishes quarterly statistics on hard drive reliability. They use hundreds of thousands of drives, making their statistics worth a look if you are buying a hard drive:
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/backblaze-drive-stats-for-q2-2024
Scam
This is a scam. Apple doesn’t send out notices like this. It is just an attempt to steal your money, your identity, or both:
Strange pictures of Earth
Finally, this is just fun because it is strange. On this page, you will find photographs of Earth, culled from Google Earth, that are just — odd. A few of them are a bit lame, but most are worth a look: