This coming week sees the last class that will be held at my home in Camberwell.

After the 'Introduction to iCloud' class that is scheduled for Wednesday 29th July 1-3pm, all future iTandCoffee classes will be run at the new iTandCoffee premises at 34 High Street Glen Iris.

We can fit in one or two more people at this last home-based class - book quickly if you want to grab this spot.

I promise not to rope those who are attending into helping me turn the 'classroom' back into our loungeroom!

More classes will be scheduled soon - just waiting on some furniture deliveries to ensure that everything will be in place for these classes.  

Private appointments can be made at any time if you need help with anything in the meantime.

In the article from last week's newsletter, titled Oh Telstra, you have really confused me about my excess mobile data!, I promised I would provide an update once I got my monthly Telstra bill.  

Well, the bill arrived this week and, just as feared, Telstra had charged me more than $10 for my excess data usage.  My excess data charge was over $25 when it should have only been the $10 charge.  Not a huge amount overcharged, but overcharged none the less.

I contacted Telstra this morning (using their 'Live Chat' service - which I prefer to calling, as it allows me to keep a record of the 'chat' with the customer service agent), and outlined the problem.

Initially the agent told me that the extra charge is still payable because I did not specify that I wanted to top up my data until well after I had already exceeded my limit.

It was only when I sent her my screenshot of the misleading message (thank goodness I had taken that screenshot) that she agreed that the extra charge needed to be removed.  She has now credited the amount over $10 to my account.

She also promised to bring the problem the attention of the 24x7 App development team.  

Here's hoping they fix this very soon, before others inadvetently incur excess 'excess data' charges.  Make sure you tell other Telstra mobile users about this one.

While I was travelling overseas recently, I became extremely frustrated that replies to SMS's that I would send to my kids at home would not appear on my iPhone until I was back on a WiFi network.

So often, I thought they had not seen my message or just not replied!  

It was especially frustrating if I needed the reply urgently, and often I would have to call instead of text to get around this issue (at a higher cost than SMS'ing).

Why did my messages get delayed?

Find out the answer to this question in this week's Handy Hint, available to all iTandCoffee Club members.  

It's time to Join The Club!

Have you joined The iTandCoffee Club yet?  It is only $30/year and gives you unlimited access to tips like this one, as well as exciting new offers.  

Starting in August 2015, iTandCoffee will be offering regular free 1-hour informations sessions for iTandCoffee Club members, on a variety of interesting topics.  

The first will be 'Understanding iCloud Photo Library', and following that will be 'Getting your head The Cloud'.  Dates will be published very soon, so stay tuned!  

Join today - click/tap here for more information or to join

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head, wondering what has happened to stop your screen from changing direction when you move it around?  

Is it stuck in 'portrait' or 'landscape' mode when you want it to be the other way around?  Perhaps it just seemed that this problem arose suddenly, and you can't work out what you did to cause it.

There is a simple solution to this problem. 
 
Control your Rotation Lock from the Control Center

You have inadvertently turned 'on' your 'rotation lock', and you most likely did this by accidentally tapping an option in your Control Center.

To view your Control Center, wipe up from BELOW the bottom of the screen.

Look for the symbol shown here - a lock with an arrowed circle around it.  This is your Rotation Lock. 

White Background = 'On';  Grey Background = 'Off'

For any of the symbols shown on this screen, a white circle in the background indicates that the corresponding feature is turned on.  A grey background indicates that the feature is turned off. 

Just tap on the symbol to switch it from on to off and vice-versa.

So, for your Rotation Lock symbol that is showing a white background, tap it once to make it show a grey background - thereby indicating it is off.  You will then find your screen is able to flip around as you change its orientation.

See the two images below for further explanation.

I visited a client today who was having difficulties sending a couple of large PDF files - files that would not send due to their size being around 12 or 13MB.

Fortunately, this client was running OS X Yosemite, which includes a new feature of Mac Mail which, if enabled, allows very large files to be sent as email attachments.  

Once this feature was enabled, her large emails could be sent without any issues.

Find out about this great Mail feature here - you probably didn't even know it was there!

This hint is available for viewing any times by iTandCoffee Club Members.  If you are not yet a member, you can find out more or 'join the club' here.

Other Handy Hints about Mail (for iTandCoffee Club members)

• Quick access to Drafts in Mail on iPad & iPhone 
  
• 'Save The Date' provided in an email or message
  
• iPhone, iPad Navigation - Get back to top of a list or a page really quickly
  
• A new email feature - 'Send Again'  
  
• Oops - I didn't mean to delete that!  How to undo.
  
• How can I save documents and photos that I get in emails?
  
• Getting rid of the 'Sent from my iPad' and 'Sent from my iPhone' 
  
• Saving PDFs to your iPad or iPhone
  
• A nifty trick for deleting all mail from a mailbox!
  
• Understanding Mailboxes in Mail
  
• My iPhone (or Mac) knows people's email addresses but my iPad doesn't!
  
• Why can't I send my emails when I am overseas or just away from home?
• Move a draft email out of the way to look at other mail
• New Swipe gestures when previewing mail

Previous Blog Articles about Mail (all readers)

• How to solve the problem with sending your Bigpond mail - before you travel!
  
• Where is the trash can for my Gmail emails!!??
  
• Sending a mail message to a group on your iPhone or iPad - is there a way?
  
• Are you finding it hard to control your 'Swipe' in Mail iOS 8?
  
• When non-junk mail is suddenly junk
  

Kids and their computers!

A person in this household (who I shall not name, and is not shown in the photo) has just suffered a hard drive failure on a 3 year old Macbook Pro computer.  

A visit to the Apple Genius Bar is booked for tomorrow, but it looks very much like the hard drive needs to be re-formatted or replaced - both of which mean the loss of all data on the hard drive.

Now, you would be forgiven for thinking that, in this particular household, the impact such a 'disaster' would be lessened by the knowledge that all important data on the computer has been safely backed up on a regular basis - as frequently recommended by the mother of the household.

Well, no - not exactly.  In fact, not at all!

No backup, no storage of important files in Dropbox or any other 'cloud-based' storage. Unbelievable!

Are your kids the same?  Do they just not GET that technology can fail, and take no precautions to ensure that their valuable work, photos and other files are protected?  Do they just assume that their tech-life is bulletproof, just like the rest of their life?

It can be so easy to protect their important school and uni work.  Why won't they do it?

I am still shaking my head is disbelief and frustration.

If your child (unlike mine) is interested in finding out about how they can protect all their valuable data, please call iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 or email enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au.

iTandCoffee will be hosting a couple of FREE members-only information sessions in August, with dates and times to be decided based on the level of interest from club members.

The August FREE sessions will be about 'iCloud Photo Library', and 'What is The Cloud' and will be held at the new iTandCoffee Premises at 34 High Street Glen Iris.

If you are a member of the iTandCoffee Club and are interested in attending the first of these free 1-hour sessions on iCloud Photo Library, register your interest below. 

Numbers will be strictly limited, so register early avoid disappointment.

If you are not yet an iTandCoffee Club member but would like to take advantage of great free sessions like this, why not join the club today. 

If you would like to attend but don't want to join our club, you can still come along - at a cost of $30, payable in advance.  

Register below and we will be in touch with date/time details and, for non-members, with payment instructions.

iTandCoffee often receives requests for assistance with slow home internet services.

The initial client query is often about how to speed up their very slow WiFi, thinking that the problem lies with their WiFi signal strength or an old device.

In many case though, it is not the WiFi that is the source of their speed issue.  It is actually that the ADSL broadband internet connection their home is very, very slow.  

This may be an issue with the location of their home - some locations get very poor speeds due to a number of factors, including distance from the exchange, and heavy internet traffic in their area at peak times of day.

Check the speed of your internet service

My first advice to anyone who is wondering why their internet is so slow is the run a 'speed test' to confirm the speed that they are getting.  

The website speedtest.net can be used to perform such a test.  (Note.  Please don't download any offered software from this webpage.  It may cause more problems that it solve.)

The client who contacted me yesterday had an ADSL Broadband internet connection through Optus.  

Using speedtest.net, she found that she had a speed of only about 2.5Mbps on WiFi (in the room where the router is located) and just over 3Mbps when connected to the router via an ethernet cable.  This is pretty slow in today's terms and would have meant a snail-paced service in other areas of the house.

What to do if your internet service is slow?

So my question to her was whether she had considered upgrading her internet service to Broadband Cable (or, if available, NBN)?   These forms of broadband connection provide much higher internet speeds of around 30Mbps (or, for the high-speed option from Telstra, or 1000Mbps) - a huge improvement on 2 or 3Mbps.

If your current service provider only provides ADSL, it might be time to investigate switching to a provider who provides one of these two alternatives.

In this client's case, I could visit the websites for iinet and Telstra, enter her home address, and confirm that 

• Optusnet does not offer NBN connections to her area at this stage so she is stuck with ADSL with iinet, but that 
• Optusnet does not show that is offers Cable at her address
• Telstra can offer her a cable internet connection at her address.

She will next week look at moving her internet from iinet to a provider that can supple a cable internet connection.

Need help?

If you need help to better understand all this internet mumbo-jumbo, why not call iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 or at enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au.

Even though Macs are a lot less prone to Malware and Adware attacks, it is still possible for your Mac to become 'infected' with some form of nasty.

So, it is good idea to download and install an application that can do a regular scan of your computer for any of these nasties, and remove them if any should be found.

One such product is Malwarebytes, a malware/adware detection and removal product that is new to Mac, and is FREE to download!

Check out this article about it from PC Magazine.  

I have downloaded it today to run a scan on my computer, and found it incredibly easy to use and extremely quick to run.

Distressingly, another iTandCoffee client was yesterday caught out by a scam call from someone purporting to be from Telstra.

The caller told her that Telstra had detected that her computer had a virus, one that puts the Telstra network at risk and that she must therefore have fixed.  She had been having trouble with passwords that morning, so the timing of the call seemed to fit in with her thinking that something was not quite right.

Credit Card details stolen

But before the caller would fix the 'virus' issue, my client was asked to pay a fee -  by providing her credit card details.  

The 'technician' then asked her to download a product called TeamViewer, which is a tool that allows someone to remotely access and manage your computer - a great product, when it is used for good not evil!

Computer remotely accessed & private information potentially stolen

With her permission (by providing a passcode shown on her TeamViewer screen), the 'technician' remotely accessed her Mac.  He showed her 'proof' of the 'problem' by bringing up some scary looking red error messages.  (These messages are normal messages that in no way prove the existence of a virus.)

With full access to her computer for a period of time, who knows what other information - identity information, account information, passwords, etc - he managed to access.

The Aftermath

Having realised too late that she had been scammed, the client disconnected her Mac from the Internet and contacted the bank and other financial institutions to put a hold on accounts.  She then called iTandCoffee late yesterday for assistance.

Her computer must now be cleaned of any 'nasties' that might have been planted by the scammers and all passwords (a long list) will need to be changed today.  A few really important ones were changed last night, just to be safe.

Only once she provides proof (from iTandCoffee) that her computer has been cleaned of problems and her passwords changed, will the bank re-activate her accounts and provide her with a new credit card account.

The Lesson to be Learned

HANG UP on callers telling you that you have a problem with your internet, computer or some other service - no matter how insistent and threatening they are.

NEVER giving your credit card or identity details or passwords to someone who calls you, unless it is something that you have initiated and are ABSOLUTELY sure the caller is legitimate.

NEVER give anyone remote access to your computer unless you are absolutely sure you know who they are.

ALWAYS be suspicious! 

These callers will often give you a phone number to call to confirm that they are legitimate.  Never use that number to confirm their legitimacy, as it will take you straight back to them.  

If you a concerned that the call might be legitimate, hang up and call the company using a phone number that you get from the REAL business website or from the top of one of your bills, and ask if there is any issue in relation to your account.  Guaranteed, there will be NO issue.

Need more information?

For more information about this scam, check out this article on the government's Scamwatch website.

If in doubt or in need of further advice about this or other scam calls or emails, call iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 or email enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au.

While with a client this week, I was showing the various things that Siri can do for you, and the sort of questions that Siri can answer in a flash.

Here are a couple that I thought I'd share with you - questions I hadn't thought to ask previously, but that will come in useful in future.

For when you are wanting to call someone overseas but need first to check their local time:

• What is the time in London

For when you are about to travel to somewhere, and wondering what the weather outlook is at your destination.

• What is the weather forecast for Sydney.

This is so much quicker than going into the Clock app and looking for the required city, or visiting the Weather app for the forecast.

Not sure how to use Siri?  Check out the below handy hints and articles about Siri to find out more.

Related Handy Hints (for iTandCoffee Club members only - join the club!)

• Handy Hint 5: Set alarms without typing
  
• Handy Hint 6: Quick Conversions with Siri
  
• Handy Hint 14: Tell Siri all who you are!
  
• Handy Hint 15: Tell Siri about your relationships
  
• Handy Hint 37: Control music tracks when walking without touching your phone 
  
• Handy Hint 94: My most frequently use Siri commands

Related Blog Articles (free for all readers)

• Making the most of Siri - an article from MacWorld!
  
• Siri has a new voice - and she no longer interrupts me!
  
• You need to get to know Siri!
  
• Well, I just learned something new about Siri!
  
• A heartwarming true story about Siri and a boy
  
• What to do when the tooth fairy keeps forgetting to visit!!
  

If you are travelling some time soon and thinking of taking any technology - or if you are wondering about the options for having phone and internet services while you travel - why not come along to this great iTandCoffee class.

We have two places left at this 2-hour class on Wednesday July 22nd at 9:30am.

We'll look at all sorts of great tips about preparing for your trip, and about using your technology while you travel.

Click/tap here for more details or to book>>

Yesterday, a client asked me why some of her Apps have a blue dot to the left of the app name on her iPad's home screen.

This means one of two things:  

1. the app is a new app that you haven't opened yet or 
   
2. the app has been recently updated, and you haven't opened it since the update occurred.
   

Here is a handy article published this week, with details of how to achieve the Home and End functions on the small Mac keyboard (which does not have dedicated keys for these functions).

• Ever wonder where the Home and End buttons are on a Mac? Wonder no more…

Related Handy Hints (for iTandCoffee Club members only - join the club!)

• Handy Hint 104: Finding those hidden symbols on your Mac keyboard
  
• Handy Hint 102 - Some more great Mac shortcuts  
  

Client Question:

I'm not hearing the tone of texts from one particular contact. Do you have an answer for that please? I have re done his contact completely and changed the text tone, everything.The Message app doesn't show that there is a sms from him either..I have to open it to look.!!! 

Answer:

When iOS 8 came into our lives late in 2014, it brought with it several new features relating to Notifications - the sounds and messages that occur whenever you get a message, email, call, or when certain 'events' happen on your device.

It sounds like it is one of these new features that is stopping any 'noises' from occurring when you receive texts from that contact.

Find out the solution to this problem here, in this iTandCoffee Handy Hint.  

This hint can be viewed by members of the iTandCoffee club any time.  Not yet a member?  Find out more about the iTandCoffee Club or join here.

I am currently doing lots of online purchasing for the new iTandCoffee shop, with several of deliveries scheduled for this week and the next few weeks.

So, when I received this email today, it would have been so easy to have been fooled by it - as it tells me that I had missed delivery of a parcel.

PLEASE be careful of emails like this.  They are not from Australia Post - they are scams, and should be deleted immediately.

I could be absolutely sure it was a scam by looking at the link's address to see where it was REALLY going to send me if I clicked on it - definitely not Australia Post.

Here is a previous blog post on how this scam:  Beware of emails saying you have a parcel for collection!   

And another that tells you how to check the link in an email to see if it is legitimate:  How to work out where an email link is really going to take you.         

If you are ever wondering if such an email is legitimate, but are not confident enough to check the link, call your local Australia Post to check, or forward it to iTandCoffee to get us to check if it is legitimate!   

Please do not click the link.

You may have noticed that I have not yet advertised classes for August/September this year.  

Well, this is because iTandCoffee is making an exciting change from August 1st.  

The business will move to new shop premises from that date!   Our new home from August 1st 2015 will be   34 High Street, Glen Iris.

This is not far from where we are now at my home in Camberwell, and will have parking at the rear and across the road for easy access.  There will also be street parking for shorter visits.

Once the arrangements for the move have been completed and iTandCoffee is settled into its new home, I will work out the new schedule of classes - which should be able to start again from later in August.

In the meantime, iTandCoffee is still available for private appointments and privately arranged classes, so please don't hesitate to call on 1300 885 420, email bookings @itandcoffee.com.au or book online if you need help.

More details will be published soon about exciting new services that we will now be able to offer in our new home.  Stay tuned...

With the upcoming move into shop premises in Glen Iris in August, iTandCoffee will be looking for tech-savvy women who are interested in getting involved with iTandCoffee, to help other women, seniors, families - anyone - who need help with iPad, iPhones, Macs, Windows, Android and other technology and applications.

We will be interested in people with a variety of technical skills, but the key attributes will be patience, friendliness, and a desire to help other people discover a new world through a better understanding of their technology.  We need people who really love their technology.

Don't worry if you feel you don't know 'enough'.  If you have are pretty au fait with iPad, iPhone or Mac (or perhaps Android or Windows, or a variety of applications ) and are willing and able to help others learn about these areas of technology, iTandCoffee would love to hear from you.

Hours will be quite flexible, so will suit mums who are looking for work during school hours.

Just send me your details at team@itandcoffee.com.au or give me a call on 1300 885 420.

If you know of anyone who might be interested, please feel free to forward this week's newsletter or this article to them.

Client question:  

"I have limited internet at home.  My iPhone is telling me that I need to do a backup to iCloud but I am nervous about how much data will my iCloud backup will use.  How can I find out just how much data it will need?

Answer:

You can approximate the size of your next iCloud backup by following these steps:

• On your iPhone, go to Settings -> iCloud -> Storage -> Manage Storage.

The 'Introduction to iCloud' class at iTandCoffee will help you better understand iCloud, and how you can be sure your data is safe 'in the cloud'.

Click/tap here to find out when this class is next running.