HealthKit and Health.app

Posted on September 17, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

And what are these?

According to Matt Smith’s article on MakeUseOf:

HealthKit is an application programming interface (API) built to help iPhone developers access and manage the user’s health and fitness. This takes the form of data like heart rate, exercise, and level of activity. Your iPhone, when paired with an Apple Watch, will be able to monitor you with surprising detail.

and

…the Health app will be available only on iPhone. This may seem strange, but Apple has restricted apps to only its phone or tablet before. The company feels Health would be of little use on the iPad because it rarely leaves home.

Matt gets into understandable detail here: iOS 8 Turns Your iPhone Into A Personal Healthcare Monitor.

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It Wouldn’t Quite Be the End of the World

Posted on September 17, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

But neither should you be complacent about it, should it happen.

Businesses can’t seem to stop hackers looking to steal customer data. The list of companies preyed (ed.) on has grown long indeed and includes well known names like JP Morgan, Home Depot and Target. And that’s just what we know about. Every unexplained website outage is met with raised eyebrows. Was it a glitch? Was the site hacked? And when would they (tell) us if the latter was true?

Everyone seems to agree that companies should do more to protect the people who’ve entrusted them with valuable data, but the trend of high-profile hacks seems likely to continue in the near future. For now, consumers can do little but prepare and respond as threats occur. Here’s how you can protect yourself.

Matt Smith’ article on MakeUseOf continues with quite a few tips, hints, and pointers. PYBT and educate yourself: Store You Shop At Get Hacked? Here’s What To Do.

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If You Have a Smart House…

Posted on September 17, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

…surely it should have a smart doorbell, right??

Dave LeClair asks, and answers, What Is A Smart Doorbell, And Which Should You Buy? at MakeUseOf.

It does make sense, once you think about it; had it occurred to you?

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Upcoming Mac and iPad Classes at Di-No

Posted on September 16, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

Di-No LogoDi-No Computers, in Pasadena, hosts a rotating set of Mac classes on Tuesdays from 2:00p to 3:30p; and iPad classes on the first and third Mondays of each month, also from 2:00p to 3:30p. These classes are all no-cost; feel free to contribute to the tip jar, though, if you feel so moved! The schedule for the next five weeks is as follows:

22 September 2014 iPad basics This class will focus on Mail, Contacts, and Calendar
23 September 2014 Mac Work TBA
30 September 2014 Mac Play TBA
6 October 2014 iPad Basics This class will focus on the essentials of the iPad: gestures, settings, and using basic apps
7 October 2014 Intro to the Interface This class is an introduction to the Mac
14 October 2014 Navigating the Interface This class focuses mainly on organizing files and dealing with the Finder
20 October 2014 iPad Basics This class will focus on Mail, Contacts, and Calendar
21 October 2014 Mac Work TBA

Call Jordan at Di-No for further details, including what you should bring with you, etc. To subscribe to Di-No’s class-schedule calendar, click here.

Di-No Computers
2817 E. Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA  91107
(626) 795-6674

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Safety First for Bank Cards

Posted on September 16, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

As mentioned in Q&A last night, here are a couple of steps to use to add security and protection to your bank cards:

Last week, Kim Zetter posted, on Wired, a short-but-informative piece, How to Protect Yourself From Big Bank-Card Hacks. See what you think about her suggestions.

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Were You at the Meeting Last Night?

Posted on September 16, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

If not, you shoulda known better! Billy had a lot to say about the new Apple equipment, and Gautam bowled us over with home automation possibilities; wow!! The Apps & Traps lead-ins were beyond hysterical.

At Coco’s, we mulled over working mutiple voices for an audiobook in GarageBand, why you might want an Apple Watch, what to do with older equipment that still works just fine but is sooooo out of date, opera wars, and a certain somewhat-bawdy British drinking song (thank you, Mr Key).

That’s my story; I’m sticking to it!

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Some Do-It-Yourself Advice

Posted on September 15, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

Spotted in my inbox this morning: Common Fixes for Minor Mac Problems, tidbits from Edward C Baig’s Macs for Dummies. Amongst the topics:

  • A jumpy mouse
  • SOS for DNS
  • Kernel clink

For all the rest, PYB to the first link above. Enjoy!

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Who are you and what do you do?

Posted on September 15, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

At The Sweet Setup:

Every week we try to post a new interview with someone about what software they use on their Mac, iPhone, or iPad. We do these interviews because not only are they fun, but a glimpse into what tools someone uses and how they use those tools can spark our imagination and give us an idea or insight into how we can do things better.

Today’s victim, er, interviewee:

My name is Sruli Loewy. I am a student and run SrulTech Solutions, a general technology support and web design company I founded. When I’m not helping people pick out their next computer or fixing their broken laptop, I can be found designing websites or writing posts for my blog.

You can catch Sruli’s complete story here: Sruli Loewy’s sweet Mac setup.

“Back issues” can be found here: Sweet Setup Interviews.

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Reminder: Mac Class at Di-No

Posted on September 15, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

Tomorrow, at 2:00p, is the Navigating the Interface class at Di-No Computers.

Di-No Computers
2817 E. Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA  91107
(626) 795-6674

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Smart Homes

Posted on September 10, 2014 by SGVAUG BlogMaster

Smart what?!??! What will they think of next??

Actually, having computerized functions in your house can be pretty cool. You can automated the thermostat, lights, even the lawn sprinklers. Dann Albright has a great smart home summary, What Is a Smart Home?, at MakeUseOf, with a ton of links to other pages at MakeUseOf that get into some depth.

Conveniently enough, he mentions Belkin’s WeMo system, and, of course, we’ll be getting an up-close-and-personal presentation at the general meeting Monday.

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