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If you’re working in a mixed computer environment, you should be aware that there are usually some nasty things out there that can affect a pc. The latest ‘big bad’ to be circulating is called ‘Cryptolocker’, a ‘ransomware’ Malware heard to be delivered by email that aims to infect and encrypt all of the files a particular computer has access to. In order to unlock your files, a fee of $300 (or similar depending on currency) in Bitcoins must be paid within 72 hours. If you choose not to pay, you can wave goodbye to your files for good!
Reports have shown that the threat is very real and businesses without security in place, educated staff and a reliable back up solution can be at serious risk.
There are things you can do to protect yourself and your users from such things, especially so if you run your own mail server. We can help and/or give advice on this topic and we’re happy to do so. If you don’t host your own mail, then talk to your mail provider about what they can do to help.
We haven’t heard of it affecting Mac computers as of yet, but with something this nasty, there is the potential for it to affect anyone.
For the entire article on ‘Cryptolocker’ you can visit Ars Technica here
If you want any more information or would like assistance with this then get in touch – support@macaid.com.au or call the office.
Apple have held a special keynote event today (Tuesday 10am California time) in which they unveiled updated iPad models, Macbook Pro’s and have officially released OSX Mavericks. Read on for a brief account of the updates and availability.
iPads
Apple have updated both the larger and the mini iPads today;
The iPad 5th generation has been dubbed the iPad Air and boasts a faster CPU, better graphical performance, a smaller bezel and comes in at 500grams. It will have the A7 chip–the same chip that powers the new iPhone 5s–along with a few new hardware improvements, like dual microphones.
iPad Mini
The iPad mini line has been updated to include Retina Display models with similar specs to the iPad Air above and the existing iPad mini models have dropped some in price.
The iPad Airs are said to be available early November with the iPad minis arriving later that month and will both be available in Black and White.
Apple have made specific websites for most of their products, see below for the links:
The iPad Air:
http://www.apple.com/au/ipad-air/
The iPad mini:
http://www.apple.com/au/ipad-mini/
Additionally, here some are fun hands-on videos as cumulated by news source Cult of Mac:
http://www.cultofmac.com/250776/hands-on-with-the-ipad-air-and-ipad-mini-video-roundup/
Any questions, expressions of interest and if you would like to kept up to date of availability, then let us know.
Macbook Pros
Apple have updated the Macbook Pro with Retina Display line today by including the new generation Haswell CPU’s in the machines which allow for a much greater battery life even though it offers slightly better performance, Intel Iris Pro Graphics and altered storage options.
The storage has been noted to be PCIe-based flash memory meaning it’s performance should be outstanding, even compared to the most recent generation.
The Macbook Pro’s with optical drive (and the standard spinning platter HDD’s) are all seemingly retired except for the entry level 13″ model which remain present and at the same config as before.
The Macbook Pro with Retina Display models in standard configurations are all available immediately and config to order models are expected to hold the same ETA as usual; 2-3 weeks.
Macbook Pro:
http://www.apple.com/au/macbook-pro/
OSX Mavericks
Mavericks has been released and is available today. For free!
The latest incarnation of Apple OSX brings some new features to the table including mulit-monitor support, App Nap which is said to reduce the battery drain for those apps that aren’t in use, and updates to Finder, Safari, Maps and iBooks.
Much like we said in this newsletters tip though we suggest waiting until the first batch of bugs etc are dealt with. Please wait for version 10.9.1 or.2 and if you do decide to upgrade – Back up first!!
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro’s have finally, sort of, released today with Apple stating that the machines should be available in December. Boasting impressive Quad, 6 and 8-core Intel Xeon E5 CPUs options, RAM starting at 12GB and configurable up to 64GB of 1866Mhz RAM (four slots) and Dual AMD FirePro D300 graphical processors starting at 2GB RAM configurable to 3 and 6GB of GDDR5VRAM the machines are expected to fly. Anyone operating in the graphical field should be particularly happy.
Much like the Macbook Pro with Retina Display machines the Mac Pro have PCIe-based flash storage for incredible performance. They start at 256GB and are configurable to 512GB and 1TB (at a cost yet unknown). With the rise in availability and decline in price of powerful storage options from 3rd party vendors, there are easy and reliable go-to solutions out there (let us know if you would like to know more) that no doubt Apple have in mind for users as the Mac Pro’s include various I/O including Six Thunderbolt 2 and Four USB 3 ports.
The machine will ship with OSX Mavericks, 802.11ac WIFI wireless networking and be available in December.
Let us know if you would like to be updated as to availability or pre-order.
For more information click here for Apple’s Mac Pro site:
http://www.apple.com/au/mac-pro/
Any questions, expressions of interest and if you would like to kept up to date of availability of any of the above products, then let us know by email or simply call the office.
Mac Aid are unveiling a Monitoring program and service so we can proactively deal with any issues your system may be having. It’s non-invasive, reports on things far and wide and has a neat icon that we’re a little proud of.
Take a read of the copy below and of course get in touch if it’s something you would like to discuss or pursue.
Our simple, non-invasive software reports issues to our tech team as soon as they are detected (in many cases before you even realize something is going wrong).
Nobody likes surprises from their computer.
Monitoring lets us know when problems occur, allowing us to proactively resolve issues before they become critical, rather than waiting for the failure to cause downtime.
How does it work?
We install our Monitoring software on your computer. It runs in the background and scans for errors and other common issues that can lead to larger failures, and lets us know it’s findings.
When you enroll your computer in our monitoring program, you get peace of mind and we get up-to-the-minute status reports on numerous factors relating to your computer’s general health.
What does it monitor?
There is a large range of metrics reported on, and in some cases it depends on the software you are running on your computer. Just a few examples of the systems and resources we monitor include:
• Available free space
• Memory & machine configuration
• Hard drive health
• Hard drive capacity
• RAM health
• RAID status
• Server status
• AppleCare warranty status
• Time Machine backup status
• and more!
How much does it cost?
Pricing starts from as little as $10 per month.
How do I get started?
Simply contact us, and we will do the rest.
Avoid surprises by getting in touch today!
Hot corners are great for those that enjoy simplicity. After it’s set up, you don’t require the various clicks of the mouse to get the desired result. Instead it’s just a smooth glide of the mouse. Down to the screen corner of your choice.
It can be a bit disrupting for those that tend to have cursors that grace the corners of their screens often, but for most, it’s a quick, easy way to jump to certain screens. All with a flick of a finger.
For those who would like to know how to set up their ‘Hot Corners’ on their Mac, we have chosen to demonstrate how to make your computer put itself to sleep. This works as an energy saving option, as well as a convenient option for when you need to walk away from the screen and perhaps make it secure.
Here’s how:
– Navigate your way to the ‘System Preferences’ panel on your Mac. This can easily be done by clicking on the apple icon in the top left hand side of the screen and selecting ‘System Preferences’ from there.
– Once the window opens, select the ‘Mission Control’ icon. (it’s also available within the Screensaver tab of Desktop and ScreenSaver)
– From the ‘Mission Control’ window click on the ‘Hot Corners’ button in the bottom left corner.
– From here, you can select any options that you may require. For this demonstration, we’ll use the bottom left corner to put the computer to sleep.
Now all you have to do is move the mouse cursor down to the bottom left corner of the screen and your display will go to sleep. Great for energy saving purposes.
Secure Sleep
For those who would like a password
You can choose that the mac asks for a password after the display sleeps or goes to screen saver, here’s how:
– From ‘System Preferences’ click on the ‘Security & Privacy’ icon
– From here, tick the first box in the window. This will enable the use of a password to be entered after sleep or screen saver begins.
Now, in our example, when you use your ‘Hot Corners’ to send your computer to sleep, upon waking a password is required to be able to proceed past the login screen and continue to use the computer.
Nathan J has chosen this opportune moment to leave the cold Melbourne winter behind, and enjoy a European Summer. Hopefully it’s much nicer than the cold we’re currently getting here.
Starting the trip in London, we at Mac Aid aren’t so sure, but are positive it’ll warm up towards the Greece/Italy portion of the venture.
We wish Nathan all the best on his travels, and hope he doesn’t get too lost in his overseas adventure.
Oh, did we mention this trip is for his honeymoon?
