Blog Archives

21/9/2014 0 Comments

Client question: Do I have to back up both my iPad and iPhone? Can I do this by just plugging into my computer?

Sandy asks: If I back up the iPhone, do I also need to back up the iPad? AND when I do the backup, do I just plug the unit into the computer when it's on?

Answer: The iPhone and iPad need to each be backed up separately - backing up one does not back up the other.

You are correct that you can back up your devices by plugging in to your computer - by using iTunes. (I am assuming here that you are plugging in to the computer that you normally sync your devices with.) Just make sure that iTunes starts up and the message at the top shows that the device you have plugged in is backing up (as well as sync'ing) your device.

If it doesn't back up automatically, you can force the backup of the device by right-clicking on the device in the Sidebar, and choosing Backup. (If you don't see a sidebar, you can turn this back on from the View menu.)

The other option is to back up your devices to your iCloud rather than to a computer - something that can happen automatically each day without you having to remember to do it!

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21/9/2014 0 Comments

A funny ad about a husband and his iPad!

For those of you with a husband (or maybe wife!) who is more obsessed with their iPad than you are!

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15/9/2014 0 Comments

How to solve the problem with sending your Bigpond mail - before you travel!

In an article recently, I looked at a client's problem of not being able to send Bigpond (or email provider) emails while overseas.

I have today been in contact with Telstra today about this issue. After an online chat that went for about 45 minutes and that involved 'chatting' with 3 different people (as I was transferred from area to area), I finally got to 'chat' to someone who told me this is definitely a limitation of the old type of mail account. (It is amazing how little the consultants understood the problem that is faced by so many people who have had Bigpond email address since before 2012.)

The advice from one consultant was that, if you have this old style of account, you need to send your mail using a different SMTP server when you are not using a Telstra connection - which is something that the majority of people would not have a clue how to do, and is not really feasible when you are travelling.

Instead, the only way to effectively solve this problem for good is to update your 'old-style' Bigpond email account with Telstra to the 'new-style' email account that they now offer, which is hosted by Microsoft Outlook. This new style of account will allow you to send your mail from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection via WiFi or Cellular.

Here is the link to the web page that gives you the option to perform this Bigpond account upgrade.

You will find the 'Upgrade Email' option down below the other options and pictures - so scroll down (see the image on the right).
You will need to make sure you initiate the upgrade at a time when it is not critical for you to have access to your email, as it can take up to 24 hours for the upgrade to complete.

But just be warned that, after the upgrade, you will need to change your email setup on any computer, and install the new mail account on your tablet and mobile devices.

If it is important to you that you keep your old Bigpond account Inbox and Sent mail, make sure you just deactivate that account and install the upgraded mail account as a new email account.

Videos from Telstra are included below, showing you how to install your new type of Bigpond mail account on your computers and tablet/mobile devices.

It is well worth considering doing this upgrade if you are going to be travelling and want to be able to use your Bigpond email account to sent emails while away.

If you need help with this upgrade, or need further advice on this topic (or if the above just sounds like 'gobbledy-gook'), please don't hesitate to contact iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 or enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au.

Videos from Telstra
How to install your Bigpond mail on your iPhone and iPad (or iPod Touch)

How to install Bigpond Mail on your PC

How to install Bigpond Mail on your Mac

How to install Bigpond Mail on your Android device

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14/9/2014 4 Comments

Client Question: Is there a way to sort Notes into alphabetical order?

UPDATE TO THIS ARTICLE MARCH 2016:

IOS 9.3 NOW ALLOWS NOTES TO BE SORTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

For more details: You can now set a passcode on individual Notes, and sort by Note Title

Unfortunately, there is currently no way of sorting Notes into alphabetical order - only date last modified order.

In saying that, iOS 8 is due out in a week or so, so this may be a feature of that upgrade (although I have not seen such a feature mentioned anywhere).

For my Notes, I use an app called Evernote - it allows me to keep my notes more organised. You can set up ‘Notebooks’ on different topics, and then Notes within those notebooks.

I use if for planning trips, client notes, ideas, family information etc - all sorts of things!

You can install it on all your devices - mobile and computer - and see the same set of notes on all these devices.

I love this app - would be lost without it now!

Stay tuned until next week to find out if iOS 8 includes alpha sorting - I will be downloading and ‘test driving’ it as soon as it is available.

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7/9/2014 0 Comments

Is iCloud Safe?

There has been a lot of press lately about iCloud and the alleged 'hacking' of celebrity iCloud accounts - where nude photos of these celebrities were stolen and published.

This has caused many people to worry that iCloud may not be safe, and may be easily hacked.

Is this the case - should you be worried about using iCloud to sync your data and backup your iPad and iPhone?

The answer is - it depends!

The security of your information in any Cloud-based solution is only as good as the password you use, the security questions/answers you choose, and the level of security that you apply to the account.

Additionally, if someone was to steal your iPhone, iPad or computer, the security of your online accounts is very dependent on whether you have password protection on that device.

Here are some hints for ensuring that your online data is protected - especially if you store those nude selfies in the cloud, something I would never recommend!

1. Choose strong passwords and use different passwords for each online account

Consider your password as the key protecting your information assets - just like your house key protects your physical assets.

Using an obvious password is similar to leaving your key in an obvious location (e.g. under your doormat).

If you then use the same key for your home, your car, your office, your holiday house, etc, then all of these assets will be at risk if someone gets hold of your key (and knows your addresses). Most online accounts have the same address (i.e. your email address), making them easy to access once someone knows your email address and password combination.

There are many ways that someone could get hold of your password for a particular online account - through a Phishing email, perhaps if you use public WiFi to access an account in a manner that is not secure, perhaps if a site at which you have that email address/password combination registered is itself hacked and your details stolen (as has happened for eBay and other sites recently).

If you use different passwords for different online accounts, you minimise the potential impact of any theft of your login credentials for another online account.

How easy is it to crack into an Apple iCloud account? We tried to find out - The Guardian (blog)

2. Try to choose more obscure security questions and answers

Sometimes, the security questions and answers that you set up to deal with forgotten passwords are just too easy to guess if the person illegally accessing your account knows anything about you.

For the celebrities whose data was illegally accessed in the past week, this is most likely what happened. Given that these people are in the public limelight, answers to their 'secret' questions were probably not as secret as would apply to the average person.

If you are given a list of questions/answers to choose from, choose those that would be really difficult for anyone else to guess.

Apple celebrity nude photo hack shows risk in security questions | theage.com.au

3. Consider turning on 2-step verification for your Apple ID/s

This is something that has been covered in earlier articles, in relation to improving the security of your Gmail and Outlook/Live/Hotmail accounts.

Apple provides the same additional security setting for your Apple ID. If this is enabled, if a device is not listed as a 'trusted' device is used to access your Apple account, a four-digit verification code will be sent to your mobile phone - this could would need to be entered on that other device before access to your account is granted.

This would tell you if an un-authorised person is trying to access your account, and would prevent any such person from getting access to your account and its data.

Check out the below article 'Scooped' on theiTandCoffee Scoop.it page, to find out how to set up this 2-step verification.

How to set up two-factor authentication for your Apple ID

Apple has acknowledged a deficiency in its notifications for iCloud

While Apple's iCloud security was not actually compromised or the cause of the celebrity account hackings, Apple has acknowledged that there was a gap in their notification processes.

There was no notification sent to those celebrities of the fact that their accounts had been installed on, or restored to new devices (ie. the devices of the hackers).

This has now been rectified, so that you will in future receive a notification whenever your iCloud is installed on, or restored to a new device.

iCloud Login: Apple to Tighten Online Security After Hacking

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6/9/2014 0 Comments

Macs can catch viruses too!

I must say that, until recently, I didn't have any anti-virus products on the Macs that I use for my work. I am very careful about what sites I visit and what I click on if ads pop up. So I have never had any problems.

However, my recent visits to two clients have caused me to re-think my unprotected status, and I have now download a free virus scanning tool and run regular checks of my Mac.

Two iTandCoffee clients with Adware Trojans on their Macs in one week!

The first iTandCoffee client had a problem with Safari on her Mac.

When she visited the Webjet website and tried to book flights, her Webjet session seemed to be 'hijacked' and all sorts of advertisements would pop up on the screen, making it impossible to search for her flights.

Yontoo Adware Trojan causes strange Safari behaviour

Well, in this case the problem was that her computer had been infected with a Malware product known as Yontoo - in this case, most likely introduced by kids accessing illegal download sites.

The below information about Yontoo is extracted from an article on the cnet website ...

Security company Dr. Web is reporting on a new adware Trojan attack that is targeting Mac users, where malicious Web sites will trick users into installing a plugin that will track your browsing and display ads to you.
The malware, called "Yontoo," will be first encountered as a media player, download manager, or other plug-in requirement for viewing contents on some maliciously crafted Web sites disguised as sources for file sharing and movie trailers. When the plug-in prompt is clicked, you're redirected to a site that downloads the Trojan installer and requires you to run it. The installer is for a fake program called "Twit Tube," that when installed will place a Web plug-in or extension called "Yontoo" that will run in popular browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

When the malware is running, affected systems will be actively tracked for browsing behaviors, and legitimate Web sites will be hijacked with ad banners and other content that attempts to lure you into clicking it.
The malware appears to be an ad-revenue attempt by the criminals behind it.

If you have noticed similar strange behaviour in Safari (or any other web browser on your Mac), you too may have this Adware Trojan on your Mac. Check out this cnet article for details of what to do to remove the Yontoo trojan.

Genieo Adware Trojan replaces Google as search engine

A visit to a second client in the same week involved uninstalling a similar, but less obvious, Adware product that had installed itself on that client's computer.

This particular one was Genieo, which was causing every search that the client did using her Mac's Safari search bar to return results using something called Genieo - even though she had specified in her Safari Preferences that she wanted to use Google.

This was another case where a unwanted product - similar to Yontoo - had installed itself as part of the download of another legitimate product.

If you notice similar behaviour on your own Mac, check out this article for information about Genieo and how it appeared on your Mac, and of how to remove this Adware product.

Products for detecting and removing malware from your Mac

For an article that looks at various options for anti-malware products for Mac (many of which are free), check out the below article scooped on the iTandCoffee Scoop.it page recently.

Tests compare Mac OS X anti-malware products | ZDNet

Need Help?

Contact iTandCoffee if you need help with getting rid of malware or installing an anti-malware product on your Mac - call n1300 885 420 or email enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au.

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4/9/2014 0 Comments

Client Question: Where do I find my iPhoto photos when I want to add a photo to an email or upload to eBay or Facebook?

Wendy asks: "I am trying to sell something on Ebay and when I go to 'add photo' I then choose pictures, but the only things I can choose from are scanned jpeg and cannot click onto 'iPhoto library' and not sure why." How does Wendy find the photos that are in iPhoto.?

If you photos are in iPhoto on you Mac, you need to go down to the Media section in the Finder sidebar and click on Photos , then make sure you choose iPhoto from the selection box at the top.

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3/9/2014 0 Comments

Client Question: Why can't I send my Bigpond email when I am in Hong Kong?

This problem affects so many travellers I see: not always Bigpond (and of course not always in Hong Kong!); sometimes Optus, TPG, iPrimus, Netspace, etc.

Let's look at the Bigpond mail problem encountered by a client very recently.

In this scenario, we are talking about a Bigpond email addresses that was created before 2012, so is set up as a POP3 email account on this client's iPhone. (Note. Newer Bigpond Accounts are 'Windows Live'/'Outlook' accounts that are a type known as IMAP, so do not suffer the same problem.)

(If you are interested in understanding the difference between POP3 and IMAP email accounts, read this extract from the iTandCoffee Guide about the iOS 7 Mail app. For the full version of this guide, click here.)

Here's what can happen ...

When you are connected to your home Bigpond internet, you find there are no problems sending your emails. When you are out and about with your iPhone and on your Telstra cellular connection, there is also no problem.

But, when you are on someone else's internet connection that is not Bigpond - for example, at a friends house, or when you are overseas and using a different Internet Service Provider (ISP) - your emails won't seem to send.

You hit Send, perhaps even hear the Whoosh that seems to indicate it has sent successfully. But you then get a strange message that mentions 'relaying' and find your email sits in your Outbox until you are connected to Telstra again!

Well, the issue here is with the type of email account that you have with Bigpond, and with the way it is configured.

To send your Bigpond email via the 'foreign' (ie not Bigpond) Internet Service Provider (ISP), your email must use something called 'Relaying' - using this other ISP to send your email on behalf of Bigpond.

However, this relaying has been blocked by many ISPs, in an attempt to cut down on the amount of SPAM that was being sent.

So how do you get around this when you desperately need to send an email from overseas?

There are a few solutions to consider.

Option 1. Use a different email account to send the 'stuck' email/s

One is to use another IMAP email address that you have installed on your iPhone (or iPad) to send your mail that is 'stuck'.

If you use iCloud, you may already have a separate iCloud email address that will allow you to do this. Or, you may have a separate GMAIL or Outlook/Live/Hotmail account on your device.

If you do, follow these steps to clear your backlog of emails.

Go to your Mailboxes and touch on the Outbox.
Touch on one of the emails in the Outbox to open it.
Touch on the Cc/Bcc, From
This will give you a separate From field.
Touch on that From field, then choose the alternative email that you wish to use from the 'spinner' that appears at the bottom of the screen.
Then try hitting Send again!

Option 2. Use the Webmail version of your mail account in Safari

Before you travel, it is a good idea to Bookmark your ISP's webmail page in Safari, so that you have it readily available when needed.

For Bigpond, go to www.messaging.bigpond.com

Log into your Bigpond account (with your email address and email password.

You will then be logged into your Bigpond Mail and be able to view your received mail and, most importantly, to send email from this account.

(Note. Unfortunately, any emails you drafted in your Mail app and that are sitting in your Outbox on that device will not be visible here, so you will have to create them again.)

Option 3. Set up a new Gmail account that imports all your Bigpond email - then use that new email account on your i-Device, instead of your Bigpond account!

We won't go into how to do this here - keep an eye out for a future Handy Hint on this one. In the meantime, call iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 if you want help to set this up.

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YOUR CART

Tips, Tricks and News
about all sorts of technology in your life!

Client question: Do I have to back up both my iPad and iPhone? Can I do this by just plugging into my computer?

A funny ad about a husband and his iPad!

How to solve the problem with sending your Bigpond mail - before you travel!

Videos from Telstra
How to install your Bigpond mail on your iPhone and iPad (or iPod Touch)

How to install Bigpond Mail on your PC

How to install Bigpond Mail on your Mac

How to install Bigpond Mail on your Android device

Client Question: Is there a way to sort Notes into alphabetical order?

Is iCloud Safe?

1. Choose strong passwords and use different passwords for each online account

2. Try to choose more obscure security questions and answers

3. Consider turning on 2-step verification for your Apple ID/s

Apple has acknowledged a deficiency in its notifications for iCloud

Macs can catch viruses too!

Client Question: Where do I find my iPhoto photos when I want to add a photo to an email or upload to eBay or Facebook?

Client Question: Why can't I send my Bigpond email when I am in Hong Kong?

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Call 1300 885 420

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YOUR CART

Tips, Tricks and News about all sorts of technology in your life!

Videos from Telstra How to install your Bigpond mail on your iPhone and iPad (or iPod Touch)

How to install Bigpond Mail on your PC

How to install Bigpond Mail on your Mac

How to install Bigpond Mail on your Android device

1. Choose strong passwords and use different passwords for each online account

2. Try to choose more obscure security questions and answers

3. Consider turning on 2-step verification for your Apple ID/s

Apple has acknowledged a deficiency in its notifications for iCloud

Receive great articles like this fortnightly to your Inbox

Follow us on Facebook

Join the iTandCoffee Club ​for free content, tutorials, videos, classes, offers, discounts and more

What's on at iTandCoffee ?

Archives

Categories

​​Call 1300 885 420 ​to book an appointment or class, or to enquire about our services and products

Tips, Tricks and News
about all sorts of technology in your life!

Videos from Telstra
How to install your Bigpond mail on your iPhone and iPad (or iPod Touch)

Receive great articles like this
fortnightly to your Inbox

Join the iTandCoffee Club

for free content, tutorials, videos, classes, offers, discounts and more

Call 1300 885 420

to book an appointment or class, or to enquire about our services and products