June 2015 – MikeRisner.com

Prediction: iPhone 6s

June 29, 2015 by Mike

It’s a little earlier than usual, but I’m calling my predictions for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6s.

Name. There has been some silliness that Apple would call this iteration of the phone iPhone 7. I don’t see why the Cupertino folks would break tradition, so I say it will be called iPhone 6s.

Force Touch. Yes. It’s on everything else (Watch, Mac, etc.).

Camera. 12 megapixel minimum on back and full HD for the front camera.

Processor and RAM. The processor will be a 64-bit A9 with better performance. The RAM will jump from 1 GB to 2 GB. The additional RAM should really make a performance difference.

Storage. Apple will drop 16 GB and offer 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB. Because 16 GB nowadays is dumb.

Design. The 6s and 6s Plus will look just like the iPhone 6 models. The hardware-based Force Touch might require a hair more depth to the phone. And Apple will make the casing from 7000 series aluminium. This will help reduce the bend-gate drama. The Rose Gold color will probably be added to the black, white, and gold colors.

Release date. Even though there are reports that the iPhone 6s is entering early production, I bet the phone will be announced and released in September 2015.

Bonus: I think the new Apple TV will also be released during September. The iPad Pro will be released in October 2015.

I think these are all safe predictions, because (truth be told) Apple is a company that usually plays it safe when it comes to product iterations.

Back Up Apple Health Data (and Other Settings)

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015 by Mike

If you’re backing up your iPhone to iCloud Backup, then those backups are encrypted and include the Health app’s data.

If you’re backing up your iPhone to iTunes on your computer and you are not encrypting that backup, then your Health app data is not being backed up. And neither are your saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, or Web site history.

While Apple doesn’t make this clear enough in my opinion, the fix is fairly simple.

Connect your iPhone to your computer
Start iTunes if it isn’t running already.
Select your iPhone in the iTunes interface.
In the Summary panel for that iPhone, located the Backups section.
Ensure that This Computer is selected.
Click to place a checkmark in Encrypt iPhone Backup.
Click Sync to initiate the backup.

IMPORTANT: During the sync process, you will be prompted for a password for your encrypted backup. Do not forget this password. You cannot recover the backup without the password.

Now check that your backup completed successfully.

Click the Edit pull-down menu.
Click Preferences…
Click the Devices tab.
Look for the entry with your iPhone’s name. Check that the date coincides with the most recent backup. And ensure that a lock icon is present on that line entry. The lock means that backup is encrypted.

LastPass is Still Safe

June 23, 2015 by Mike

According to security expert Steve Gibson, LastPass is still safe … after you take one action. And a further testament: Gibson still uses the service himself.

What action? Change your master LastPass password. And two-factor authentication does not exclude your need to do this. Two-factor authentication is still important and prudent, but it won’t protect you from this potential breach.

And about this breach. Apparently, LastPass representatives have only detected anomolous network traffic on a network when they did not expect it. Reportedly, they detected activity overnight on one of their networks when no employees were present. There is no confirmation that data was actually breached or stolen. LastPass is prescribing changing LastPass passwords out of prudence.

Oh, and make sure you have a complex and random password that is NOT stored in LastPass or used at any other site. Take this advice seriously! Be sure to record this password and store it in a truly safe place. And it would be a good idea to not record this password 100% accurately. Make a mental note of your modification. When your recorded password doesn’t work, then you’ll remember you modification. Re-enter this password and you’ll be in.

Security is not always convenient, but a breach or identity theft is a way bigger headache.