When things go pear-shaped, AppleCare+ comes to the rescue. It provides you with the peace of mind knowing that help is available at any Apple store around the world.
Not many people have heard of AppleCare+ and that is because Apple has not made a big announcement like it does for every other major product.
AppleCare+ was initially released for iPhones, iPads and the Apple Watch. It now has been extended to include the entire Mac range, including the iMac Pro. In a nutshell, it has a similar coverage to the AppleCare Protection Plan, but it has an added feature. It has added:
Up to two incidents of accidental damage, each subject to a service fee of $149 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $429 for other damage.
Once the two incidents have been used, the out-of-warranty replacement rates are applied.
Just like the AppleCare Protection Plan, the AppleCare+ coverage begins at date of original purchase and is valid for up to three years.
The AppleCare Protection Plan is no longer available for sale. If you currently have AppleCare Protection Plan, your coverage remains the same for the remainder of its life.
Whenever you purchase your Mac through us (or any other Apple Authorised Reseller), AppleCare+ must be purchased at the same time. If you change your mind and decide to buy it afterwards, then it needs to be purchased directly from Apple within the first 60 days. You will also need to present your original proof of purchase.
The prices vary according to the model of the Mac that you want to buy.
On a side note: Apple does provide its customers with some free support when purchasing a new Apple device. This includes up to one year of the warranty and 90 days of phone support.
If you are needing to use AppleCare+, the simplest way is to take it directly to an Apple store. No Apple store near you? Contact Apple to arrange direct mail or to discuss any other available options. It only covers defects and accidental damage. For loss or theft coverage, you will need to go through a third-party insurance company or possibly your mobile carrier.
AppleCare+ will not cover excessive or catastrophic physical damage to Covered Equipment (e.g. products that have been crushed or bent) or excessive or catastrophic damage to Covered Equipment caused by Liquid contact (e.g. products that have been partially or wholly submerged in liquid.
Edit: 05/02/2018. Please note that this does not impact your own computer. Features such as Calendar and Contacts will continue working as normal.
Apple is changing how its network managing app macOS Server will operate. Apple is now trying to place a heavier focus on the management of computers, devices and storage on the network. This means that there will be a number of features that will be deprecated as a result of this change.
According to information currently available from Apple, this is due to take effect sometime in 2018.
With little time left before these changes take place, Apple advises that those users who rely on the below features to begin seeking alternative solutions.
“These deprecated services will be removed in a future release of macOS Server, so those depending on them should consider alternatives, including hosted services.”
But don’t stress out, Apple has also stated the following:
‘If you’ve already configured one of these services, you’ll still be able to use it in the spring (autumn) 2018 macOS Server update.’
A list of the deprecated services, listed below:
Not sure if you are going to be affected? Contact us for a consultation to find out. We can also provide you with some great alternative solutions.
Phishing scams aim to trick you into providing personal and sensitive information by clicking on links and attachments.
It occurs when an attacker pretends to act as a trusted entity and dupes a victim into opening an email or other electronic messages.
Phishing messages are designed to look genuine and will often copy the format used by the entity the attacker is pretending to represent. It will contain links that take you to a fake website that looks authentic but will have slight differences, such as spelling.
Spear Phishing. Attackers specifically target high-value victims and organisations. This is done via the use of personal details and is often gathered via social engineering.
Whaling. This attack targets organisation’s top executives. The victim is considered high-value and the stolen information is more valuable than that of a regular employee.
Vishing. This is simply ‘voice phishing’, typically a voicemail disguised as a communication from a financial institution/technology support. It may ask the victim to call a number and enter their account information.
Pharming. Occurs when a scammer redirects you to a bogus site of a legitimate website you were intending to visit.
Think you have been phished? Contact Mac Aid and your financial institution immediately.
In November 2017:
1983 reports of phishing
34.8% via emails and 21.3% via text messages.
In December 2017:
1344 reports of phishing
38.7% via emails and 18.7% via text messages.
Imagine how many have gone unreported!
This month has seen a couple of changes in the Mac Aid team of engineers and technicians.
After almost eight years of great service, Stuart F has left the Mac Aid building taking this opportunity to move onto different things.
Stuart has been a great team player in Mac Aid. He has been assisting our technicians and engineers remotely as well as joining them onsite to provide that extra bit of support.
Stuart has been a main contact when it came to handling specialist software such as Genie and MacPractice for our many medical clients. Now handing over his knowledge to our other engineers.
We wish Stuart F all the best in his next adventure.
Stuart G has begun working with Mac Aid at the start of this year. Off to a running start, our latest recruit has been busily helping our many clients in solving their IT issues.
His connection with Macs began with the purchase of the original Mac 128k for school many years ago.
Since then, he has spent many years designing, building and running networks for businesses of all sizes. Looking to solve a networking issue? Or are you itching to get one started, but don’t know how? Then look no further. Stuart is the perfect IT guy for the job!
Being an aviation enthusiast, Stuart enjoys being involved in projects as well as being a spectator in any man-made flying carrier.
Over the past month or so, you would have seen the news about a forced degradation in the performance of many iPhone batteries.
This is the result of Apple admitting that it was deliberately slowing down the processor via updates in iOS. According to Apple, this was necessary to prevent ageing iPhone batteries from failing whilst at the same time to help maintain a smooth performance.
“Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 and plan to add support for other products in the future.”
Battery degradation is one issue that is faced by all mobile technology manufacturers, but many experts are arguing that Apple should have been more transparent with their customers.
Since the release of this news, Apple has announced that it will be replacing batteries for iPhone 6 and later for $39. This is down from $118 and only available through to December 2018. You can either hand your device directly to an Apple store or alternatively, you can simply mail your devices to an Apple store.
If you are wanting to pay less for the battery replacement, you will need to be using an iPhone 6 or above.
For those with the iPhone 6, 6s or SE, this was introduced in iOS version 10.2.1. It has also affected iPhone 7 from version 11.2.
If you have any of these models and any of these versions, it is possible that you may have been affected.
If you are unsure, you can read more about this on the Apple website
Here are a few quick tips that can help extend the life of the battery.
Then why not read a previous article of ours: 4 ways to speed up your iPhone.
