Newsletter Archives

• Keeping your devices up to date

  Posted on November 13, 2023 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Are you monitoring your devices?

  Just the other day, I tried to update an app on my dad’s iPad. That didn’t work, instead messaging that the device itself needed to be upgraded first. Apparently, the iPad had not been left on continuously long enough for it to get the word from Apple that an update was needed.

  A simple solution is to connect to power and leave it on for an extended period, such as 24 hours. That should be enough time for the device to be notified about updates. It’s not different from Windows PCs in this respect — keep them offline long enough, and they will miss the notification, too.

  Of course, you can be proactive and check the device every so often to see whether the O/S is current. That’s my recommendation.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.46.0, 2023-11-13).

  Patch Watch Android, Apple, Backup, iCloud, Jamf, MaaS360, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, updates

• Wrapping up July’s updates

  Posted on August 7, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  We’re at the dividing line. We are working on getting July’s updates installed and reviewing whether we have Windows 10 22H2 installed. Meanwhile, that window of opportunity for installing updates is closing soon.

  But that’s just the Windows side of the patching world. On the Apple side, we’ve had to deal with zero-day patches this month. Not to be left out, Android is doing last-minute beta testing on Android 14 beta 4.1.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.32.0, 2023-08-07).

  Patch Watch Apple, Cloud services, CVE-2023-32019, InControl, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, WSUS, WuMgr, Zero Day

• May’s messy updates

  Posted on May 15, 2023 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Although the May releases for both Windows and Apple have not introduced side effects or hiccups so far, they haven’t been as problem-free as they should have been.

  Apple released the first of its “rapid response” updates, announced last June and supposedly allowing the company to deploy important security-only software updates without demanding a reboot.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.20.0, 2023-05-15).

  Patch Watch Apple, Exchange Server, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Rapid Security Responses, Secure Boot, Windows 10

• Choosing the right email program

  Posted on July 11, 2022 at 02:44 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  SOFTWARE

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Whether you use a Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, or Android device, there are a number of options for email clients other than the usual suspects.

  The email program you use depends to a large degree on the type of device or operating system you use. On a Windows PC, you may turn to the default Windows Mail client, or to Outlook if you subscribe to Microsoft 365. Those of you who own an iPhone or iPad will likely fire up the built-in Mail app. And most Android users probably stick with Gmail.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.28.0, 2022-07-11).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Software Android, Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Email Clients, Windows

• The Apple M2 arrives

  Posted on June 13, 2022 at 02:41 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  APPLE NEWS

  

  By Will Fastie

  This wasn’t quite the shoe everyone hoped would be dropping.

  As you know from previous Apple News installments, our focus has been on developments related to Apple silicon. Our oft-stated reason for this is that, for the first time in decades, Apple devices might be more interesting to our readers, especially the large number who already own an Apple device.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.24.0, 2022-06-13).

  Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter Apple, Apple M2, Apple News, Apple Silicon, AskWoody Plus Newsletter

• Look who’s stalking 2: Apple responds to AirTag security threats

  Posted on March 7, 2022 at 02:45 CST by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.10 • 2022-03-07

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  The Apple AirTag, a $29 tracker the company started selling last year, has been criticized by experts for its weak protections against criminals who use the device to stalk people and pinpoint vehicles to steal. In response, Apple posted last month a response that promises only minor upgrades to the gadgets’ software.

  Meanwhile, a developer announced recently that he had built — using a few dollars’ worth of electronic parts — an AirTag-like clone that takes full advantage of Apple’s free and worldwide Find My communication network. As an illustration of the weakness of AirTags, the clone easily defeats all of Apple’s existing security and detection systems, including the new features the corporation said last month it was planning to implement in the future.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.10.0 (2022-03-07).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Newsletter 19.10.F (2022-03-07).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender AirTags, Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Privacy, Public Defender, security

• Keeping an eye on Apple updates

  Posted on February 7, 2022 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  In 2022, we will start to pay a bit more attention to security and update issues related to Apple devices and possibly other environments, such as Android.

  Don’t worry — our focus will continue to be on our core mission, which is providing guidance for the huge installed base of Windows PCs and servers. What we’ve learned over the past year is that many in our audience use something other than a Windows PC as a secondary device, and that almost everyone carries a smartphone. Apple’s device lineup is an obvious choice for second devices. And it appears Apple’s efforts with its own silicon, especially the M1 chip, are increasing interest in Macintosh PCs and high-end iPads.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.06.0 (2022-02-07).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Watch Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Lady Posts, Patch Watch

• Look who’s stalking: Protect yourself from Apple AirTags

  Posted on January 10, 2022 at 02:44 CST by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  Ever since Apple started selling $29 tracking devices called AirTags last April, criminal types have used them to tail people, pinpoint and heist their cars, and worse — but warnings of planted devices were made available only to iPhone owners. Now, people who have more common phones can find out whether they’re being tracked, too.

  The AirTag is a small, plastic-encased device that’s approximately the size of three or four dollar coins stacked on top of each other. It competes with such trackers as the Bluetooth-based Tile Pro and the GPS-based Verizon Hum^x. But most Bluetooth devices connect only to phones within 50 meters or so, and GPS trackers require you to pay monthly fees.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.02.0 (2022-01-10).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender AirTags, Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Crime, Privacy, Public Defender

• Apple gives privacy one minute

  Posted on September 20, 2021 at 02:43 CDT by Silvia Eckert • Comment in the Forums

  APPLE NEWS

  

  By Silvia Eckert

  “California streaming” ducks the controversial CSAM issue at last week’s annual iPhone event.

  As reported by Brian Livingston in his column Apple plans to break its end-to-end encryption (AskWoody 2021-08-30), Apple announced about a month ago an initiative to limit the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) by looking for inappropriate imagery on its customers’ devices and reporting occurrences to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. But because the technology represented what amounted to surveillance that could be applied to virtually anything, an enormous amount of backlash against the initiative occurred.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.36.0 (2021-09-20).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.36.F (2021-09-20).

  Apple, AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter Apple, Apple News, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Privacy, security

• Apple plans to break its end-to-end encryption

  Posted on August 30, 2021 at 02:42 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  Apple Computer shocked computer-security experts when the Cupertino company announced on August 5 that it plans to circumvent end-to-end encryption in Mac and iOS software, reporting US users if more than a few photos in their iCloud account match a national database of child pornography.

  “We want to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM),” Apple said in its announcement. But people with experience in the subject said the technology would be used for everything other than that.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.33.0 (2021-08-30).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, encryption, Privacy, Public Defender, security, Surveillance

• Other Apple privacy practices

  Posted on May 17, 2021 at 01:03 CDT by Nathan Parker • Comment in the Forums

  ISSUE 18.18 • 2021-05-17

  APPLE

  

  By Nathan Parker

  Not all privacy settings are neatly contained in the main Settings app in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

  In my previous articles in this series on Apple’s privacy settings, I enumerated those found in what we might call the “usual places.” There are some others involving privacy that are found elsewhere. This final article in the series will help you find those “out of the box” controls.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.18.0 (2021-05-17).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.18.F (2021-05-17).

  Apple, AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Privacy Apple, Apple privacy, AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Privacy

• Take control of your Mac’s privacy

  Posted on May 3, 2021 at 01:08 CDT by Nathan Parker • Comment in the Forums

  ISSUE 18.16 • 2021-05-03

  APPLE

  

  By Nathan Parker

  Apple’s emphasis on privacy is focused on personal devices, such as iPads and iPhones. But Macs have privacy settings, too.

  In my recent article “Take control of your privacy — iPhone & iPad” (AskWoody 18.12, 2021-04-05), I discussed many of the settings provided by iOS and iPadOS to control the privacy and security of the device and the apps running on it. Although one might think all Apple systems would be in lockstep, I have noticed that the settings in macOS are not quite as granular, not quite as detailed, as those in iOS/iPadOS.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.16.0 (2021-05-03).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.16.F (2021-05-03).

  Apple, AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Privacy Apple, AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, MacOS, Privacy
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