Uncomfortable, but Do-able is My New Mantra

Passwords for kids — this has been one area where I’ve had to compromise & it’s been uncomfortable, but do-able. It’s part of my job to teach cyber security to people, yet schools insist —and subsist— on using terrible passwords, but I get it. I don’t like it and I don’t agree with it, but I get it and I accept it even though I’ve worked very hard to teach my family the value of digital security and password hygiene.

When they have to use a site or platform that doesn’t allow for password changes, I remind them that it’s not how we do things, but for the type of educational service and limitations, we can compromise.

My kids have been using a password manager app since they were very little. But when it comes to using school laptops where personal apps can’t be installed, and for when they were too young to have their own smartphone to use as a look-up tool, we devised a plan. 

Normally, I advise against re-using passwords, but as in this case of compromise, I allow it to a degree. For each child, we come up with a password that is something unique, hard to guess, but easy for them to remember and develop muscle memory for typing. Once we’ve picked & practiced the base password, for each new site or platform they register, we use an abbreviation or short name for the service or product and tack it into the end.

Example:

MyGr8password becomes: MyGr8passwordGoog

MyGr8passwordScoolgy

MyGr8passwordIC

MyGr8passwordOffice

MyGr8passwordCanv

I still have them keep these logged into their password managers then, when necessary, we can print out a screenshot instead of hand-writing them each time to save on guessing whether someone wrote a 1, l, i, 0 or O. A spreadsheet or word processed document could work too, if that’s an accessible tool for parents. Be sure to choose a font that makes letters and numbers distinguishable from each other. Courier font is a good choice.

Here are some really terrific tips I love to share from Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise. If you haven’t read her book already, I highly recommend it!

 

Geekiest Show Ever with Kevin & Mike - Episode 209

!! colorful language advisory !!
Talking smack with Kevin and Mike on
"Geekiest Show Ever 209 – Peanuts Cause Facebook Problems"

Check out original show notes here: https://geekiestshowever.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/geekiest-show-ever-209-peanuts-cause-facebook-problems/
explicit
Tap or click the play button in this player to listen to the show.

Guy Lets Me Vent On MyMac Podcast Episode 584-5

Getting it out of my system with Guy on
"MyMac Podcast 584-5: TheMacMommy is Angry"

Check out original show notes here: http://www.mymac.com/2015/12/mymac-podcast-584-5-themacmommy-is-angry/

Tap or click the play button in this player to listen to the show.

Don't Let Your iPhone Spill The Beans

I have experienced iPhone theft twice. The first time was with iOS 6 and we recovered it within 24 hours with police assistance. The second time on iOS 7, not so lucky. This is life. My hope in revealing this experience is that our loss will be your gain and maybe you'll have a better outcome.

Update: I published this piece in April when our second iPhone had been stolen by a student in a classroom several months prior. I am happy to report that I have successfully recovered the stolen iPhone! I did keep pinging it by using Lost Mode to send a message to the screen, and finally someone decided to text me and tell me they "found" it. Long story short, the iPhone was allegedly "purchased from a friend" and the person's girlfriend tried to restore it and discovered the message. We had to "pay off" this individual for a small sum of money, but we got the phone back and no data was lost or compromised. We had changed passwords just to be safe. I will write more about this story in another post because I learned a lot more about the recovery process, but I want to do some more penetration testing to document it properly. This will involve temporarily sacrificing one of the kid's iPhones then restoring it. Hey, drills are important though, right? It appears as though enabling Lost Mode removed the data from the phone, because when we got it back, it had been wiped with just my Lost Mode message on the screen. Did it get wiped when someone attempted to restore it using iTunes? It had been locked the whole time, so we're pretty sure data stayed safe as it passed between several middle-schoolers, but I still want to play hacker and see. Stay tuned!

Here are my experiences with the Find My iPhone process

I really, really wish Apple would require a passcode or fingerprint ID in order to disable connectivity from Control Center so that a thief can not do it by enabling Airplane Mode and/or disabling Wi-Fi, but sadly, that is not the case and it does not bode well for us.

I believe we were able to recover the first iPhone because the thief couldn't take it offline unless he powered it off, let the battery die or went to a location with no coverage. Control Center was not a feature in iOS 6 at that time. Lucky for us, he chose to plug it in and charge it so it remained locked and online. (We know he tried to hack it, because we got it back without its Otterbox case.)

When you suspect your iPhone has been stolen, you should immediately report the theft to police so you can be issued a police report number. Once you have that number, if you can track the phone to get a location on a map, you can call 911 (they told me it's ok) and a police officer will meet you at the location to offer assistance. They will ask you on the phone how accurate the GPS signal is and you can tell them within 10 feet of the suspect. You will need to tell them cross streets or landmarks. I found it helpful to take screen shots (command-shift-4) and note the location on the iCloud map then plug that information into Google Maps because from there, you can look up "what's here" and get local landmarks or businesses. We were able to meet the police officer at a nearby 7/11 to retrieve our phone. After this first incident, I realized how handy it was to have our family photo or something with a picture of the phone's owner on the lock screen because this way, the police officer took one look at us, knew the phone belonged to us and handed it over with no additional paperwork.

We should have more control over Control Center

While you'd think it's just as easy for a thief to power the phone off, where's the fun in that? Maybe they want an extra flashlight, timer or calculator in their pocket or they want to take selfies with the camera in case you do get your phone back so you can see all the fun you missed while your phone was away. All of those features are still available from iOS 7's Control Center while the phone is locked and offline so their friends will think they're cool. I think Apple should also make it so that the phone can not be powered off while in Lock Mode. Again, this is not currently the case, but I hope that changes in a future update!

Punks, thugs and middle-schoolers steal iPhones for the thrill of it. It's like a bug to a cat. First they pluck its legs off so it can't go anywhere and then they just bat at it to torture it.

All it takes is a quick swipe up from the bottom, a tap on the airplane icon and now you can probably get away with wiping it and restoring it if the owner wasn't smart enough to enable Find My iPhone. By the time you realize it's been stolen, it may be too late.

I think you should have a choice of what shows up in Control Center. I am not a frequent flyer and I'm fine with unlocking the phone and going to Settings to enable Airplane Mode. I mean, how hard is it? I get that it's a convenience and encourages more people on planes to disable connectivity easily, but leaving it available to disarm the wonderful security features of Find My iPhone? Is the convenience really worth the security risk? I'd like to see the ability to customize that area or disable the connectivity icons for Airplane and Wi-Fi altogether. Of course, having Bluetooth there has come in very handy for me, so I'd like to see that stay. I just think that disabling settings which compromise security should be passcode or fingerprint Touch ID protected. Make it a choice and I'll choose it.

If you swipe down from the top, you get the handy, dandy Notification Center. Check it out for yourself. What kinds of revealing information would your iPhone's thief be able to mine from the lock screen before it goes into Lock Mode? Saucy text messages? Your next appointments? Just something to keep in mind if you and your device become separated. I've heard people say they don't care much about their phone if it goes missing — it's just a thing, right? Ok, but this thing has a lot of bells and whistles turned on by default for your convenience and I'm here to tell you to take a closer look at this thing.

You may refer to me as Mistress Protector of The Experience and heed my advice or else pay the price. Muwahahahaha! (Ok, someone seriously needs to make me a new avatar now.)

Even though lack of connectivity creates a pressing problem, it's still incredibly important to set up Find My iPhone because of Activation Lock — available only in iOS 7. While your iPhone is offline, you will not be able to track it, but at least you'll know your data is safe. You can access this app by logging in on another trusted iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that has it installed or any computer where you can log in to www.icloud.com and click the Find My iPhone web app. I've even had a trusting family member on the other side of the country ask me to log in on their behalf to track their device when they had no other alternative at the time. The commands you issue will show as pending and if your lost or stolen iPhone ever resumes connectivity, it will receive the command and complete the action such as enabling Lost Mode or sounding a audible signal. Of course for ultimate, added protection, I encourage everyone to use a password manager and never store their passwords in the browser (Safari). I've said it before and I'll say it again, 1Password is good for this plus it even has a built-in browser.


Find My iPhone in the iOS App Store

It is crucial to get your iPhone into Lost Mode immediately

Siri from the lock screen is an awesome, awesome feature and I really miss using it that way, but there were some disturbing revelations during my testing. To see what I mean, try these little exercises while imagining you are the thief who has your iPhone in their hot little hands. While your screen is locked, press and hold the Home Button, wait for the 'beep beep' then ask,

"Siri, where do I live?"
If the thief gets a guilty conscience, they can always drive to your home in the middle of the night and put your phone in your mailbox, right? Um. Yeah.

If you use Find My Friends and have locations enabled:
"Siri, where is my spouse/husband/wife/child/_____?"
Now the thief knows both where you live AND that you may be home alone and for kicks, they can go stalk your spouse/child/other in the parking lot. at night.

Even if you don't use Find My Friends:
"Siri, who is my spouse/husband/wife/child/_____?"
Now the thief has the contact information for that individual if you've made the connections in your Contacts under Related Names. Of course it's not too hard once they figure out your name to start poking around in your Contacts using Siri to rat you out.

Siri will only work if there is an internet connection. Lost Mode disables Siri!

This means a thief has from the time they pilfer your phone until you initiate Lost Mode to mine your sensitive information by getting Siri to spill the beans on you. If the thief disables connectivity by enabling Airplane Mode or disabling Wi-Fi or both, then Siri from the lock screen will no longer work, but your iPhone will show as offline when you try to track it. At this point, you better hope the thief hasn't taken notes.

I still love using Siri for these features and I rely on Find My Friends a lot, but from now on I'll be doing so only after unlocking my iPhone with my fingerprint Touch ID! It's almost as fast anyhow on an iPhone 5s. (You'll still need a PIN or passcode on older models.)

Find Friends in the iOS App Store

A note on the audible signal

This Find My iPhone feature comes in really handy when you suspect your iOS device is lost somewhere near by like a sofa, under the bed or in a child's room. You can hear the sound even if the volume has been muted or turned all the way down. The signal will sound until one of two things happens: (1) someone presses the volume button to stop the sound or (2) you unlock your phone with your code. Um, you do have your iPhone locked with at least a PIN, right? Do it RIGHT NOW if not! Tsk. Tsk. I mention this because I don't want you to be under the impression that some thief could have your phone and it will just keep wailing and dinging because, unfortunately that's not the case! Again! It's easy to just press the sleep or volume button and it will silence the annoyance. I think the damn thing should just ding incessantly until it's been unlocked so that if a thief does have it, it's obvious like that dye in pools that follows you around if you pee in it! (so I've been told)

Remote Wipe

If you think your phone is just lost, you might want to give it a little time, but if you know it's been stolen and have no hope of getting it back, then you should probably wipe it remotely using Find My iPhone. Just know that if you do this, there's no hope of ever recovering your phone using the hi-tech methods currently at your disposal. Unless you are in clear and present danger, the police will not track your phone or trace phone numbers coming from people claiming to have your phone. (I asked when I filed the police report.) They will assist you to go retrieve the phone and it is ok to call 911 for that reason. I prefer to hold out hope and try to ping it every so often in hopes it will come back online at some point. Maybe, just maybe the message will get across while I'm obsessing over something else in life.

So, of course, the answer for now is to just disable all of this stuff from showing up on your lock screen or from being accessible from Notification Center or Control Center or Siri while locked. And welcome back to iOS version 6 something or other.

If you do choose to keep these features enabled for convenience, then you had better be the type of person who treats their iPhone as an appendage and never leave it out of your sight. Only you can decide where that balance between convenience and security lies and I hope my experience, time and report here helps you make a more informed decision.

Label It

One more tip and surprise, surprise, it's something low-tech. Get or borrow a label maker and label your devices — all of them! Of course it probably won't do much good to put your cell phone number on your iPhone's label if you lose it since you won't be able to answer it right away! Put a different phone number on that label, like your spouse's mobile or your landline or even a Google Voice number that will ring or text your replacement cell or that of a friend you trust. This way, if a good samaritan finds your dead iPhone months later, they can call you or text you on a number where you can be reached. I think cell phones are best because they can receive a text in case it's someone who can't figure out that they need to tap the green number on the screen.

Here's a label maker I love. You can get thin, transparent tape for it and it looks really nice on along the side of your iPhone or on the back of your iPad — almost as good as an engraving. You could even put it on the side that has the SIM card port to deter a thief from removing it. I chose to put mine along the side with the volume buttons in hopes someone will see it there. I keep a transparent case on my phone, so this is visible through it, but I removed it here for the photo to give you a better idea. The labels are pretty strong and hard to peel off.

Do yourself a favor: stalk yourself!

To test all of this, I simulated different scenarios with and without connectivity. I disabled my home router and enabled Airplane Mode. I was able to play around with the features in the lock screen before putting the phone into Lost Mode then I could see what would happen and what wouldn't. I encourage you to do the same with your own phone. Test out these features now so that if it ever happens to you, you'll be better prepared.

 #YaMightLearnSomethin #PSA #Rant #Security #LessonsLearnedTheHardWay

Bonus Points if you got Rickrolled by reading Apple's knowledge base article on Control Center

Interviewed for Chit Chat Across The Pond - Show 462 of NosillaCast Mac Podcast

Have a listen to yours truly interviewed by Allister Jenks discussing the topic of Teaching Technology to The Young and Old on this week's Chit Chat Across The Pond segment for Allison Sheridan's NosillaCast Mac Podcast show "#462 Watershot underwater iPhone case, IcyDock EZ-Dock, AnyFont, teaching technology to the young and old"

Of course you should listen to the whole episode because ya might learn somethin! (Click the link above to see the entire post for the full show content.)

Click on this audio player to listen to NosillaCast Mac Podcast

This is my written contribution to the show:

CCATP — Melissa Davis on Teaching Technology to The Young and Old: Hard or Just Scary?

I love to compare 7 year-olds with 77 year-olds. I happen to be the parent of a 7 year old (and a 4 year old). I’ve worked with people of all different ages helping them or teaching them how to use Apple tech and most of my clients these days are in the 60 to 80 year old age group.

A person’s life experiences work to shape their personality and vice-versa. Most small children, who presumably haven’t had much exposure to computers, who haven’t yet developed much of a fear for anything, will use and embrace technology because they naturally explore things in their environment. Nowadays babies are born to parents who capture their very first moments with their smart phones. They’re accustomed to this thing their parents tote around – in addition to them – that glows and makes noise and constantly gets shoved in their little faces. Of course there are also parents who are careful to keep their babies away from the exposure to backlit displays for their own reasons. There are inconclusive studies out there that suggest backlit screen exposure can be harmful to developing eyes. I can not confirm or deny any of it at this point so I’m working off of experience with a healthy dose of caution and practice of moderation. Of course the nature vs nurture debate will come up here as well.

Let’s think about the type of exposure. This could be a void of technology exposure in the home and limited to school or vice-versa. It could be a third-world country. Think of the documentaries you’ve watched where film crews go to these countries to document the lives of the people there. Watch how some react to having people moving about with these large and small cameras and computers. Some are cautious, others are curious.

Think about a generation of workers in the 80s and 90s who were introduced to computers in the workplace. So many times you’ll hear people say, “I use a computer at work all day, the last thing I want to do is stare at a screen for longer than I have to.” That generation is skeptical of computers. They’ve been taught computers and devices are for work, not play and that work could never be much fun. Work is not something to enjoy. Their exposure to computers has been, “if I press any other buttons besides the ones I’ve been instructed to press, I might blow up the computer and my boss will fire me.” That kind of exposure breeds fear so no wonder some people in their 50s and 60s can be somewhat apprehensive to computers. They’re also the generation that believes Big Brother is out to get them. We’re seeing that again now with NSA. We’re all very cautious about using devices because of how they infringe upon our privacy or how we might get into trouble by using them.

Lots of people either forget or don’t understand that you can operate software without being connected to the Internet! There are fun things you can do with computerized devices that don’t involve being “online.” This is where I have to teach clients about using the Mail app versus Gmail.

People both young and old may see learning how to use computerized devices as a chore or a task they need to learn and want to get it out of the way so they can go do something else. You could have children in which you’re trying to teach them something specific, say word processing, and you’re getting into the nitty-gritty of how to format a paragraph of text for a report. They may be daydreaming about the video game they want to play while you’re trying to teach them something fundamental.

Older folks have short attention spans also. They get “fried” or “OD” pretty quickly. It’s no secret to us that time practically evaporates when we’re working on something technical whether it’s troubleshooting a problem (that time seems to go the quickest because you’re under stress to work some magic to fix it) or teaching someone how to do something.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can offer is that everyone learns things a little differently. When you’re working with someone you need to find out how they learn best and adapt your method of teaching them.

Consistency also is key and hard to stick to when your working in a field where everything changes so rapidly. How do you keep consistent? Many people crave consistency. One way I try to achieve this is by drawing parallels across different apps. This is one of many things I love about the Mac OS. I can say things like, "Remember this last lesson we talked about how to search for things within an application and I told you to look for the little magnifying glass? Well, what do you see right here? Notice how the symbol is the same?"

Another way to achieve consistency is by modifying the interface preferences — make everything look the same, enlarge the fonts, and if you customize the toolbar for them, try to put similar tools in the same spots to reinforce muscle memory.

What have you learned by teaching the old and young? 

• Relating analog to digital examples helps.

• Do not take little things for granted. I cringe every time someone says, “Yeah, ya just hit enter.” There are people that don’t understand what it means to “Hit a key” and they don’t even know you meant a key on the keyboard for starters. Do not assume everyone understands all jargon. Look through their eyes and start slow and basic, then drop it down one more level lower because chances are you’re not aiming low enough. Ask them about their experiences first and try to gauge what terminology to use. Explain how you're trying to strike a balance of not insulting their intelligence but also not going way over their head, too.

• When you say “to your left” be prepared to say, “your other left.” People get nervous when they’re being instructed and fumble over basic things and it’s natural. Do not make fun of them for it. You’re no better!

• Don’t do it all for them, put them in the driver’s seat. If you always do it, they won’t learn it. Be gentle at times when you do need to do it first in order to understand it and tell them so. I explain, “In order for me to teach you this, let me do it first and then I’ll break it down for you.” Say things like, “Don’t feel pressured to remember this all at once. We will get there. I’ll go over it as many times as you need.”

• Explain as you go along – verbalize as much as you can while you're whizzing the pointer around the screen.

• Teach people to leave themselves a little breadcrumb along the way.

• Have a boat-load of patience and get used to repeating yourself, hearing the same stories and questions over and over.

Sometimes clients need to stop and tell you a story. It’s how they process information and deal with overload. It’s OK. They know the clock is ticking and you’re charging for it. It took me a while to learn this and I felt very guilty at first, but friendships develop at a deeper level and it’s incredibly important to for trust especially when you’re working with people who are showing you their online banking and other very personal information.

It’s all personal. Very personal. Emotional. This is the most true when teaching people how to work with digital photos or how to make a birthday card or calendar. Be sensitive to this.

Siri Still Has A Sense of Humor

Either Siri still has a sense of humor or she's just been trained by many a parent who use her to play the "Bad Cop" in setting a timer for Time Out. By the looks of it, she's capable of assisting even Jeffrey's Mother.

Who remembers this (one of my all-time favorites) comedy skit by Bill Cosby?

AirPlay or Apple Remote App Not Working? Try This

Are you looking for this:

AirPlay (double press on Home button then swipe twice to the right on Multitasking Bar)

Or this:

iOS Remote App

and not seeing one or either of these features on your iOS device?

Try this:

If you know how and are able, try changing the Channel setting on your router. This is what works for me! This is a screen shot of what it looks like on my Linksys router. Yours may or may not be similar but you're looking for this general area.

I posted this in part as a reminder to myself for figuring out how to fix this problem, but I thought you might find it useful as well. Let me know if it works for you.

The question I still have is why I need to keep changing this setting from time to time. I believe it has something to do with the fact that I now have more neighbors with routers and the channels are experiencing some kind of traffic or compromise. I don't yet know how else to explain it. One of these days I'd like to take a networking class because this stuff fascinates me. I wish I could fully understand all the ins and outs of my own router. For now, this is what I am comfortable tinkering with when it comes to my router settings and fixing the problem even if it's only temporary.

Back to School App Sale: 1Password

EDIT:
Unfortunately, this sale is now over, but that doesn't mean it won't happen again. Use AppShopper, put 1Password on your Wish List and you'll be notified when the next sale occurs! Until then, read on to learn more about this great app...

One of my most favorite-must-have apps, 1Password, is on sale right now in the App Store!

GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT! (normally it's twice the price)


It's Back to School here in the southwest and pretty soon for the rest of the country. You know what that means? More user names and passwords to store for our little Digital Natives!

I just remembered I need to add money to my son's school lunch account and, since it's not something I've done all summer long, all I have to do is open my 1Password, search for "lunch" and there it is. All I need to do then is tap the hyperlinked text and it will log me right into the website.

Another great thing is that this is a Universal app which means it will work on both your iPhone AND your iPad or iPod touch! If you have a shared family Apple ID like we do, then you could have 1Password installed and synced to all the devices in your family! It really is a small price to pay for keeping everyone organized and secure — and now, that price has been cut in half!

Go Ahead, Pitch Me

Almost daily I receive emails from marketers and app developers asking me if I'll review or write something about their product or app on my blog. Almost daily I need to turn down these offers. While it is a good problem to have, it's no small challenge trying to keep up with the onslaught of requests (good, bad and downright ugly) in addition to caring for myself, my family and running my own small consulting business! Darn those priorities!



So many times I regret having to turn down opportunities for product and app reviews because despite the work and time they take, I sincerely do enjoy reviewing apps and products. It's only too bad that there just aren't enough hours in the day to fit it all in. Don't tell anyone, but I'm a bit of an appaholic. Ok, so that's not exactly a secret and being a mom with a blog makes me a bit of a target when it comes to marketers looking for free or next-to-nothing advertising. The even sadder truth is that I know I'm not alone. There are so many great content creators out there whose expertise really benefit fledgling companies. There is real gold to be mined out there. Promotion and endorsement is an art that ought not be taken for granted, so you really need to make your requests shine.

That is why I am recommending this book to anyone who has come to my blog or visited my growing social graph hoping to get a review or recommendation from me. I really do want to review your app or product, but please, do your homework and make it your duty to read this book and heed the advice. Make it worth our time — yours, mine, my readers' and your consumers'!

Pitch Perfect: The Art of Promoting Your App on the Webcontains fantastic advice from many of my smart friends on the subject and then some! If you read carefully, you'll even find a thing or two in there from me! (That's my way of disclosing to you that I made some minor contributions to this book.)

This book is available in the iBookstore, on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback as well as from Pearson.

How Do I Watch Thee? Let Me Count The Ways

I just watched the last episode of Downton Abbey. sniff sniff. I need a hug now. damn show!!

I won't spoil it, don't worry.

Here is something cool though, in my opinion: I watched the first season through Netflix on my Apple TV. Season 2, I watched on my iPad in the Amazon Instant Video app. Season 3, I began watching on good ol fashioned over-the-air TV via PBS which is piped in from a big old mother of an antennae on our roof.

When my husband saw how devoted I was to watch it "straight from the tap" -as in- without a bathroom or ice cream break while watching it at its original air date and time, he became intrigued and started watching it too.

With my husband now hooked on it, I started watching it all a second time from Season 1 in Netflix. Then, since I no longer have an Amazon Prime membership, we were watching Season 2 on Hulu Plus on the Apple TV. Because of that I started to fall behind on Season 3 waiting for Hubby to catch up.

I just watched the last 3 episodes using the PBS iPad app with in-app AirPlay streamed to my Apple TV. The picture quality was wonderful with no lag and I could just set my iPad aside and lock the screen while it streamed the show - commercial free - with the ability to pause when Keagan came in the room (earlier than his usual clockwork 3:00 am)

App Link: http://www.pbs.org/services/mobile/

All this tech to watch a show in which the story is set in the 20th Century just as automobiles, rotary telephones and electricity were becoming standard.

Oh the irony!

In the words of Sh!t The Dowager Countess says, "Now I've seen everything!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs5_E1J_9hY&t=3m22s

Make A List and Tap It Twice

  ...gonna find out who's naughty or nice...

Need a last minute gift for a friend or relative who is also a parent to small children?

Here's an idea just in time for the holiday to help show children the importance of being good for goodness sake (and also for a cookie or extended game time with their new toys after Christmas Day!)

You can gift an app from the iOS App Store!

(I've been known to 'speak for the treeeees!')

Go to this link in the App Store or type "ireward chart" into the search box.

,

Then, after you've logged some good deeds, you can have your child email their iReportCard to Santa directly from within the Share feature of the app. Even Grandma on Facebook can see when they have earned a reward.

My kids love the sounds the stars make. Keagan calls them "good stars" (since he doesn't yet say 'gold' quite right)

When they hear a "red star" sound, it really gets their attention!

Ah Pavlov would be so proud!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/irewardchart-reward-tracker/id580042542?mt=8

The MacJury Has Spoken: Holiday Gift Ideas from The MacJury

I was a MacJuror last week. Watch to see what stocking stuffers my friends and I recommend for the geek in your life this Holiday Season!

View The MacJury post

iBank Puts the 'I' in Banking

If you're not already using iBank, I encourage you to check out this great financial management tool! I've looked at several different solutions, including the highly acclaimed Quicken for Windows on a Mac. It goes without saying, I enjoy using my Mac without Windows and I don't feel I should have to compromise on that just because I want financial management software with a slick user interface and elegant reporting features. If you're a Mac user, you simply don't need to compromise with iBank.

Feature set is important if not the most important consideration when reviewing software. iBank has it covered. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the attention to detail they put into every pixel of their apps. Ever since the developer gave me a review license, I still have yet to explore all it has to offer!

You had me at color.

Here is just one of my favorite features: customized and color-coded transaction categories! Money may be green, but maybe I feel just a little bit better when my mortgage payment transactions are a pleasing shade of cantaloup!

It's the little things like adding color to your categories that can really add to the already incredible reporting features the Mac application offers. A CPA would be happy to have you for a client using this software. (So I've been told.)

Another important factor for me in selecting a personal financial management tool — or most any other software tool for that matter — is how well its supported. IGG Software is constantly updating iBank and making improvements. They don't leave you feeling abandoned like other product developers who take years in between to release half-baked updates. They pay attention to their customers and offer a community of support.

Case in point, they've released yet another update to their already great iBank application for the Mac. (I like to think of it as "polish.") Here is one of their many press releases for your immediate review:

September 19, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 IBANK 4.6 DELIVERS NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES FOR BETTER BUDGETINGMajor Update Offers Superior Tools For Tracking Expenses And Saving Money  

(PUTNEY, VT) — IGG Software today announced the release iBank 4.6, the market-leading personal finance application for Mac. This new version of iBank delivers a brand new set of tools for managing budgets, support for Retina Display Macs, and many other fixes and enhancements.  

“This is the update many of iBank’s users were asking for,” says IGG president Ian Gillespie. “With so much economic uncertainty, families especially want to see where their money is going, and these new tools provide better insight into spending habits, ways to save, and day-to-day financial management. For a lot of people, this is the value proposition in iBank.”

iBank 4.6’s budgeting enhancements include the following: 

• Budget vs. Actual report view. Among the most popular feature requests for iBank 4, this new report view gives users a fast, easy way to visualize and compare their budgets with actual spending totals. The report view can be customized for specific time periods, and users can drill down by category to see transactions that make up their expenditures. 
• Improved budget view. Now users have the ability to view and compare different periods (from the past, or future projections) in the main budget view window, to better see at a glance how spending has changed over time or how closely they are following their own budget goals.
• Faster performance and more. Besides significant speed improvements within budget functions, users can now edit the accounts used for a given budget, among other changes. Related fixes include correct updating to Actual Income and Actual Expense totals after changes to period or category.

iBank 4.6 also adds support for Apple’s new Retina Display. Rounding out the update are additional fixes and improvements to performance, exports, bank downloads, reports, Smart Accounts and more. iBank 4.6 is free to current users of iBank 4, and is available immediately via the IGG website. It has been submitted to the Mac App Store for approval. 
IGG offers unlimited 30-day free trial downloads of iBank, free support (including Live Chat) and a 90-day unconditional guarantee on direct purchases from the IGG web store. The regular retail price of iBank 4 is $59.99; licensed users of iBank 3 can upgrade for $29.99. iBank 4.6 requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. The latest version can be downloaded at http://www.iggsoftware.com/ibank, where there is also access to a library of iBank 4 video tutorials. 

IGG Software, Inc., was founded in 2003 by developer Ian Gillespie to offer intuitive, elegant and powerful applications for individuals and small businesses. Based in Putney, Vermont, its flagship products are iBank, for personal finance management, and iBiz, for time-tracking and billing. For further information, review licenses, or to schedule interviews with Ian Gillespie or CTO James Gillespie, please contact IGG Marketing Director Scott Marc Becker: scott@iggsoftware.com.

Does Your Mac Have Companions?

Mine does. So does my Husband's Mac. (as does our children's Mac!) We have a whole family of gadgets that like to play together and guess what, they have apps for them too!

"iBank Mobile is an essential app for iOS devices that lets you keep track of your day-to-day spending and account balances on the go. The best iPhone finance app now includes search, multi-tasking, Retina Display support, data export and more new features! iBank for Mac users can sync transactions, accounts and categories automatically and seamlessly - via Wi-Fi (Bonjour) or any WebDAV server - for perfect personal finance management." — [source http://www.iggsoftware.com/ibankmobile/index.php]

Managing family finances can be a daunting task and cause stress. Install and synchronize your iBank data on multiple devices with iBank Mobile and iBank for iPad and now each able and willing family member can contribute some order to the chaos of mounding transactions. (Ok, but it sounds good, right?)

"Honey, what was the name of that restaurant we went to last month? Want to have dinner there again?" 

"I can't remember, let me check my iBank Mobile app and look at last month's dining out transactions. Oh, here it is, yes, the price of that meal was fairly reasonable and we have a coupon in our Passbook." (coming soon to an iPhone near you!)

There are times when you don't want to be tethered to your desktop or really want a smaller form factor than a laptop but more features than an iPhone app. That's where iBank for iPad comes in. Just take a look at the gorgeous interface it offers. They even provide an interactive tutorial. That's a class act.

In conclusion, IGG Software, Inc. has created a suite of products for the consumer and small business that puts you in charge of managing your finances with helpful tools that are secure, easy to use and even easier on the eyes. The apps run on all of your devices while the most personal of information is not shared with advertisers like some of the web-based apps on the market. You control how your own information is used and there are incredibly flexible reporting features built in. The developers support and promote their product with great enthusiasm and attention to detail.

If you don't believe me, just ask this kitten.

What did you do 1 year ago today?

Timehop: What did you do 1 year ago today?

Ever thought about time travel? Moms think about this stuff ALL THE TIME. What did I do one year ago? I can't even remember what I did one hour ago. We also think about cloning ourselves so we can get more done and get more sleep too.

Well, since cloning humans hasn't quite caught on yet, how about we just focus on time travel for a moment? Check out this service. It's a fun way to take a peek back into your recent history and reflect. Timehop makes it as easy as checking your email. If you know how to create an email rule or filter, you can just make yourself a folder called Journal, for example, and have your email service automatically deliver messages from Timehop to that folder. Then, when ever you're feeling like you need to reflect on the previous year, just click on that folder and see an archive of your previous posts. If you micro-journal your life in 140 like I do, this can be a useful way to look back and remind yourself of projects you may  have left slide. Tweets are archived with links which can come in real handy when you want to revisit a project.

They just added support for archiving your texts from your mobile phone and I'm looking forward to trying that out. Many times I get questions about how to save texts and I think this service may just fit that bill.

Just think of all those kinky little love messages you've sent to your special someone over the course of a year. When you look back on those messages, do you think you'll say to yourself, "Yeah, rock on!" or "Ew. Seriously? So gross."

I think it's an especially great service for scatter-brained moms like me who juggle so many things that a lot can happen in the course of a year. I can read a Timehop message and think, wow, seems like just yesterday when I tweeted about my kiddo's first day of school and awww, look at the snapshot I posted! Cool!

Review: Generic 5 in 1 Card Reader for iPad

Protecting Your Identity: Some Observations

A client of mine forwarded to me a message she had gotten with tips for how to protect your identity and that is what has inspired this post. Below is an edited version of what I wrote back to her. I hope you find it useful.

I just finished getting all 3 of my free credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com

I won't lie, obtaining your credit report is TRICKY!! All these sites out there try their very best to get you to purchase a credit report or a credit score report using their service. They say in big, bold letters that this is all FREE but then in teeny, tiny letters elsewhere, it's only free for the first month and then if you don't cancel the membership they rope you in to, they charge your card seventeen bucks each month and for what I really don't know nor care to know!!

Just for fun, I dipped my finger into the ordering process to see where and when they ask for my credit card. I didn't get past the Terms of Service Agreement. I first wanted to know how to cancel the membership. The only instructions I could find is that you have to either go to another site and work with an "interactive" customer service representative online OR you can call a phone number. They have limited hours of operation in both cases.

Bottom line is DO NOT BITE!! You will just end up with a hole in your lip - and - wallet!

The only reason I would ever try to get and then weasel out of this is if I were looking to buy a house and I really needed to know my credit score. It may happen in the near future, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Here are some notes I copied and pasted from the website as I was going through the process. Be prepared to be perplexed by the questions they ask to verify your identity. They use a combination of trick questions and questions that you will probably easily know the answer to. For example, they stated that I may have applied for a mortgage and wanted to know which bank secured the loan. It was a trick question so I answered None of the Above. Then they tried to ask me how much the monthly payments were. Again the answer was None of the Above. So, you need to understand that they are trying to trick a thief, not you, so they can verify your identity. Take a deep breath and try to remember what the answers might be. Try to answer them quickly though before the website session times out! From what I experienced, the questions they ask are relevant to the past few years, not like who was your best friend when you were five years old.

The first on my list was TransUnion. This is their welcome message:

Thank you for selecting TransUnion for your FREE Personal Credit Report.

Your credit report is just moments away.

To protect your privacy, we'll ask you a few questions to verify your identity.

To complete the next section, you may need to refer to information including, but not limited to, your credit cards, loans and mortgages. Please have any statements or documents available.

Please make sure you have the ability to print if you would like to retain your credit report.

To receive your free credit report online, you must complete the identity verification process. If you don't wish to complete the process online or you can't complete it online, you may obtain your free credit report by phone or mail. You can only go through the online identity verification process once per year.

Please Note: Before continuing, you'll need to verify that the information displayed below is accurate. To make changes, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

But….but…..it's FREE, FREE, FREE!!!!
(maybe, but you'll have to work for it! Sorry, my anxiety isn't free. It costs a dollar a pill for Zoloft!!)

"Start your 7-day risk-free trial, $16.95/month thereafter!  Cancel anytime during the trial period free of charge, or do nothing to have your membership continue without interruption. "

A member may cancel at any time. To cancel your membership please contact our Customer Service Team. For contact information and hours of service go to https://tui.transunion.com/contact.jsp.

Yeah, uh huh. Suuuuuure. Oh, how convenient it is that the website is currently closed! Gee, I wonder what language the phone operator will speak when I call? What's YOUR guess?

Here is a screen shot of what it looked like as I completed printing to PDF the first of the three reports.

One mistake I made was not changing the Print to PDF settings to make it print in color. I ended up with a greyscale version which isn't as easy on the eyes. Oh bother! At the end of getting the Experian report, they told me this:

To return to your Experian report in the near future, log on to www.experian.com/consumer and select "View your report again" or "Dispute" and enter your Report Number.

So, I tried doing something similar on the TransUnion site, but no luck! Bummer. Oh well, at least I have the report now.

This next section I copied and pasted from one of the websites regarding your rights to this information. I thought it was pretty important.

Remedying the Effects of Identity Theft

• Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, Social Security number, date of birth, or other identifying information, without authority, to commit fraud. For example, someone may have committed identity theft by using your personal information to open a credit card account or get a loan in your name. For more information, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft or write to: FTC, Consumer Response Center, Room 130-B, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C., 20580.
• The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you specific rights when you are, or believe that you are, the victim of identity theft. Here is a brief summary of the rights designed to help you recover from identity theft.
• You have the right to ask that nationwide consumer reporting agencies place "fraud alerts" in your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft. A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you. It also may delay your ability to obtain credit. You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling just one of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies. As soon as that agency processes your fraud alert, it will notify the other two, which then also must place fraud alerts in your file.
• An initial fraud alert stays in your file for at least 90 days. An extended alert stays in your file for seven years. To place either of these alerts, a consumer reporting agency will require you to provide appropriate proof of your identity, which may include your Social Security number. If you ask for an extended alert, you will have to provide an identity theft report. An identity theft report includes a copy of a report you have filed with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, and additional information a consumer reporting agency may require you to submit. For more detailed information about the identity theft report, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com
• You have the right to free copies of the information in your file (your "file disclosure"). An initial fraud alert entitles you to a copy of all the information in your file at each of the three nationwide agencies, and an extended alert entitles you to two free file disclosures in a 12-month period following the placing of the alert. These additional disclosures may help you detect signs of fraud, for example, whether fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or whether someone has reported a change in your address. Once a year, you also have the right to a free copy of the information in your file at any consumer reporting agency, if you believe it has inaccurate information due to fraud, such as identity theft. You also have the ability to obtain additional free file disclosures under other provisions of the FCRA. See www.ftc.gov/credit.
• You have the right to obtain documents relating to fraudulent transactions made or accounts opened using your personal information. A creditor or other business must give you copies of applications and other business records relating to transactions and accounts that resulted from the theft of your identity, if you ask for them in writing. A business may ask you for proof of your identity, a police report, and an affidavit before giving you the documents. It also may specify an address for you to send your request. Under certain circumstances, a business can refuse to provide you with these documents. See www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
• You have the right to obtain information from a debt collector. If you ask, a debt collector must provide you with certain information about the debt you believe was incurred in your name by an identity thief - like the name of the creditor and the amount of the debt.
• If you believe information in your file results from identity theft, you have the right to ask that a consumer reporting agency block that information from your file. An identity thief may run up bills in your name and not pay them. Information about the unpaid bills may appear on your consumer report. Should you decide to ask a consumer reporting agency to block the reporting of this information, you must identify the information to block, and provide the consumer reporting agency with proof of your identity and a copy of your identity theft report. The consumer reporting agency can refuse or cancel your request for a block if, for example, you don't provide the necessary documentation, or where the block results from an error or a material misrepresentation of fact made by you. If the agency declines or rescinds the block, it must notify you. Once a debt resulting from identity theft has been blocked, a person or business with notice of the block may not sell, transfer, or place the debt for collection.
• You also may prevent businesses from reporting information about you to consumer reporting agencies if you believe the information is a result of identity theft. To do so, you must send your request to the address specified by the business that reports the information to the consumer reporting agency. The business will expect you to identify what information you do not want reported and to provide an identity theft report.

To learn more about identity theft and how to deal with its consequences, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or write to the FTC. You may have additional rights under state law. For more information, contact your local consumer protection agency or your state attorney general.
In addition to the new rights and procedures to help consumers deal with the effects of identity theft, the FCRA has many other important consumer protections. They are described in more detail at www.ftc.gov/credit.

Here is the supposed advice that was doled out by an attorney and emailed around the internet for free: (MY comments and advice are bullet points after the initial claim from the originally circulated email.)

Claim 1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'

• I don't understand the point of this! Here is an article that explains why it's just bad advice:
• http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php 

Claim 2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

• Even safer yet, don't write out paper checks to pay bills, reduce the amount of human eyeballs on your digits. Pay bills online.

Claim 3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.

• Second verse, same as the first! Even safer yet, don't write out paper checks to pay bills, reduce the amount of human eyeballs on your digits. Pay bills online, shop online (you'll save on tax and many times shipping plus it's delivered to your door and then you save on gas in your car. When purchasing goods or services at a store, use your check or debit card. Using the card is just like writing a check but it's quicker, more secure, plus it gives you a digital bread crumb trail that you can track and search when need be to file your taxes or keep an eye on your account

Claim 4. Place the contents of your wallet on photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

• Forget the copy machine and especially one at a public facility like a Kinkos — not safe — your information could be stolen from the imprints left behind. Use your scanner. The ultimate for this method of securing your identity is to scan all your wallet contents then file the images with corresponding database entries in 1Password. Once you have all of that information entered, you can print out a hard copy to be filed away in a fire-proof safe. Also, make backups of that digital data and keep it encrypted. This way, if the need ever arises, you can actually READ the information because it will be printed out in crisp text, not some blurry photocopy. If your wallet has been stolen, chances are you'll be in such a panic that your eyes might not work as well and you'll be stressed about locating that information quickly. Why not make it easier on yourself and just print out a 1Password report that is easier to read and understand!

Claim 5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

• Using the information above that you gather for contacts, it's essential to report your missing or stolen identity to the proper authorities where usually THEY will issue the cancellation and get you set up with a new card. Follow the proper channels for the least amount of headache. Reclaiming your identity can become a full time job! Sad, but true.

Claim 6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

• Most definitely! Look for your local police department or identity theft department and include those numbers on the list of those to call in the case of a stolen identity emergency.

Claim 7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

• You can do this online and it is relatively easy and not too time consuming. You are granted one FREE credit report per year. If you've been a victim of identity theft then you get more than one.

Claim 8. Numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
                   Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
                   Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
                   Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
                   Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271 

• I double-checked these numbers against the ones I obtained while completing the process and they are the same with the websites added on for another contact method

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com

I know this is a boatload of information, but I've been the victim of identity theft and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy! (well, except for the people who have stolen my identity!) I hope this helps!