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If received my newsletter, that means that today is the first of the month! Read on for:
• Password stuff!
• Handling junk mai!
• Thunderbolt or USB-C?
• Quiz of the Moment!
- and, of course -
• The Links Everybody Loves!
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Along comes November!
Here we go - November - the penultimate month that marks the beginning of the end of year, which contains a few important holidays, including my birthday...
This month, I’ll discuss passwords and the various ways users record them, something that we all can relate to. Plus, junk mail, which is yet another thing that people have a hard time dealing with.
And of course, a quick tip concerning the ever-confusing world of ports and connectivity, news tidbits, fun and/or useful (hopefully) links, and the quiz of the moment!
Thanks for reading, enjoy this great weather, for those of us in the northeast. Hopefully I’ll see you sometime this month, but if not, you'll hear from me on the first day of December, when I do this all over again!
-CC
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Passwords. Yes, Passwords. | |
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Passwords – the bane of many people’s existence. Sometimes it seems that clients spend 80% of their time chasing down passwords.
Funny thing, but a lot of people don’t even know they have passwords for important things. I often get “I don’t have a password!” when I ask a client to enter their password. (Sorry, but just about EVERYTHING requires a password these days!) And then there are rules about passwords – how many characters are required, whether it requires any caps, numbers, or special characters, and all that fun stuff.
And then how do you record your passwords? One guy I used to work with (back in the corporate days) used to have everybody’s password on a sheet of paper. Thumbtacked to the wall of his cube. Backwards, for extra security. (Don’t be that guy!)
But what are the different ways to record your passwords? Click here to learn more!
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Once again, I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about “junk mail” or “spam.” When I take a look, it’s usually a glut of missives from Land’s End, CVS, Yankee Candle, or one of the many other retailers that we’re all familiar with.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but those emails are NOT junk mail, my friends. They are legitimate marketing emails that you have opted in for, wittingly or not, at some point in the past. (OK, everybody receives “The Better Report” whether we signed up for it or not.) The “real” junk mail is stuff that you KNOW is bad news, such as warning that your Hulu subscription has lapsed, even though you’ve never been a subscriber. Or a final warning that you have a undeliverable package. Or stuff that polite people don’t put in in their newsletter.
How to handle this overflow? As far as the “legit” emails go, simply take time every day for a week and UNSUBSCRIBE to every marketing mail that came in that day. (Don’t unsubscribe to my newsletter, please!) As far as the real junk (or spam) messages go, you can tighten up your junk mail filters in your mail client. Just like mosquitos, you’re never going to be able to eliminate them – there’s no such thing as a perfect world. This will help make sure they go into “junk” in your email client, which you can empty on a regular basis, and get on with your life.
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This is the kind of junk mail I receive on an hourly basis! | |
November's Quick Tip: The Difference Between Thunderbolt and USB-C Ports | |
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Now that Apple has (almost) all but killed the Lightning connector (thanks a bunch, EU!), and standard USB has been relegated to legacy status, the “new” standard is USB-C connectivity. Now Macs (both laptop and desktop) have been equipped with USB-C and/or Thunderbolt ports for years.
But what’s the difference between the two?
Short answer – speed. Although the ports and connecting cables are identical, Thunderbolt (now up to Thunderbolt 5) is much faster. But you can interchange the cables, but understand that using a USB-C cable and device connected to a Thunderbolt port will only run at the speed of USB-C. And the reverse is true – a Thunderbolt cable and device connected to a USB-C port will step its speed down to that of USB-C.
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Pay attention. There will be a quiz on this later. | |
The iPhone 16 Chronicles Vol. 1: The Connection Crisis | |
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For the next few newsletter issues, I’ll run down my experience with the new AI (Apple Intelligence) equipped iPhones. Every month I’ll share what I’ve experienced with my new communication device.
OK, so I took the plunge and went for one of the new breed of iPhone – the 16 Pro, in this instance. (I’ve also tempted fate and stuck with AT&T, despite all the issues with its billing department I’ve experienced over the past 36 months.) Of course, this iPhone has a slightly different footprint than my previous model (13 Pro), which means a new case and belt clip was required (both of which I preordered in duplicate, because these things aren’t indestructible).
Today’s post: Connections
Due to the well-publicized EU hassle with Apple’s Lightning port, Cook & Co. has abandoned it and has gone all in on the regulation-friendly USB-C port in all its devices* moving forward. (This isn’t news – the iPhone 15 released in 2023 was the first that featured USB-C.) And since the standard headphone jack has been dead for many years, that means my wired earbuds aren’t going to be useful. (In fact, I have two sealed packages of Apple Lightning earbuds!) I still use a few pair of old Apple earbuds with the standard 3.5 mm audio jack, which I bought some 3.5 mm headphone to Lightning adapters, which now are also no use to me. (Look for both those items on my eBay page!)
And to add injury to insult, Apple doesn’t seem to (at least not yet) have a Lightning to USB-C adapter, something that allows users with Lightning earbuds to use them with newer iPhones. (It does have one for the computer, but it’s bulky and not suitable for headphone use. I did buy a third-party knockoff, details to follow.) There IS, however, a 3.5 mm audio to USB-C adapter, so I did pick that up, along with a pair of standard USB-C earbuds.
And then I had to buy a USB-C to USB-C cable to sync my iPhone to my Mac mini on my desk, and a USB-C to USB to continue to use CarPlay in my Jeep. Plus a few short USB-C to USB cables to charge my iPhone at a couple of stations around my home, plus redundant copies for my tech bag.
So, all is well as far as adapters go. Until a client handed me a credit card, and then I realized I had to get a new Square adapter for my new iPhone. Which Square sent me, gratis.
I’ve updated to iOS 18.1, which doesn’t give me Apple Intelligence. Yet. But that’s a story for my next post.
*Apparently the iPhone 14 and SE, both still in Apple’s lineup as of press time, are current products still using a Lightning connection.
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Happenings in the Apple and tech world that will no doubt impact you!
A week to remember: The “Mac Your Calendars" big events from our friends in Cupertino has occured this week, but for anyone interested in new Apple products certainly can celebrate. By the time you’re reading this, all of the products will have been announced. Visit Apple’s website for all the deets!
⚡️ Attention Tesla owners: If you also use an Apple Watch, you’re in luck! Word on the street is that Apple will include support for Tesla in a not-to-far-in-the-future update of the watch OS. Stay tuned!
💸 Here we go again: Just when you’ve settled in with the rechargeable Lightning Magic Mouse and Keyboard, the latest generation is now using the more universally accepted USB-C versions. Which means another “new” set of connecting cables. Don’t worry, you can still use your Lighting input devices for as long as they work. Fight ‘em ’til you can’t!
🥽 It sure looks like the bloom is off the rose as far as Apple’s Vision Pro headset is concerned. Production has been scaled back and any future versions would most likely be the long-rumored cheaper version. Read my original review of the Vision Pro (from March of this year) right here.
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Back before Thunderbolt, Lightning, USB, FireWire, and a host of other obsolete connectivity protocols, there was one that older computers used, as illustrated on the right. You were able to daisy chain them (up to seven devices) and often needed a “terminator’ at the end of the chain.
What was the name of this ancient protocol? Call now, operators are standing by!
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We have a winner!
Let’s go back to August 1993: Reggie Jackson is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; Howard Stern is fired from WLUP-AM in Chicago; the Dow reaches a record high of 3638 points; “The Late Show With David Letterman” debuts; and Apple releases its highly-touted PDA. What was the name of this (failed) Apple device?
The correct answer: “The Newton,” which Ginny Hull nailed right away!
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Who remembers ClubMac? Or this type of clunky, external CD-ROM drive? | |
Nine Helpful and (Hopefully) Fun Links for November 2024! | |
What The Crystal Ball Has In Store For Next Month | |
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Next month, I’ll discuss file orgazation, what to keep, and what to trash. Also I’ll talk about how to archive data - stuff you need to keep, but not necessarily on your computer. All that, plus my Quick Tip, as well as the quiz and fun and fascinating links!
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Not Dead Yet: Links to My Past Six Newsletters! (They're Not Impossibly Filed Away, They're Available Here…) | |
🦃 This month's background picture: Wild Turkeys, Norwalk, CT October 11, 2024 | | |
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Like what you're seeing here? (Or not?) Learning something new, or simply being entertained? Want to see more (or less) things here? Then send me your thoughts - the good, bad, and the ugly.
Also - I'm looking to expand my newsletter to new users - so, if you have any friends, family members, business associates, or anybody who might benefit from this gem delivered in your inbox on the first of every month, let me know.
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Chris Capelle
Macintosh Computer &
Apple Products Expert
P.O. Box 7512
Wilton, CT 06897
203.451.1377 (cell/text)
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Don't forget to follow me on the socials! | | | | |
