Writings by Kirk McElhearn
Can malware use AI to modify itself after it’s been installed on a computer? Can AI help you in daily productivity tasks? And will passkeys replace passwords?
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
When Apple released iOS 16 and macOS Ventura in late 2022, they introduced support for passkeys. Passkeys are an authentication technology designed to replace passwords. There are many advantages to using passkeys instead of passwords.
In this article, I will explain what passkeys are, how they work, and why they may be the future of secure authentication on websites and in apps.
Read the rest of the article on The Mac Security Blog.
Back in the analog days, many writers would use index cards to brainstorm and outline books. You would write some text about each chapter or scene on a card, then you could move them around and rearrange them on a corkboard or whiteboard, using pins or magnets. The free and flexible nature of index cards allowed you to arrange them any way you wanted, to rearrange them at will, and you could stack related cards to group them.
Scrivener’s Corkboard is an innovative feature that lets you outline a project using the visual metaphor of index cards but on a computer screen. In Organize Your Scrivener Project with the Corkboard, we looked at the basics of using the Corkboard; in this article, I show you 5 tips that will help you get the most out of this feature.
Read the rest of the article on The L&L Blog.
To learn how to use Scrivener for Mac, Windows, and iOS, check out my book Take Control of Scrivener 3.
Apple has finally stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 3, which can no longer get security updates. The FBI shuts down 11-year old malware. And a $300 hacking tool enables phishers to defeat two-factor authentication using automated man-in-the-middle attacks.
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
AI has been in the news in recent weeks, since the release of several AI text generation tools that have shown both the benefits and pitfalls of using this sort of program. AI can write coherent prose, yet sometimes it produces results that are clearly false. Even so, as long as care is taken to check their output, these tools can provide factual information that can be helpful to anyone doing research.
Should writers use these tools? What do they offer?
Read the rest of the article on The L&L Blog.
To learn how to use Scrivener for Mac, Windows, and iOS, check out my book Take Control of Scrivener 3.
ChatGPT is helping scammers create phishing emails that don’t sound phony, and Amazon sells plenty of items that are scams. Scammers are using AI-generated voices to scam elderly people, and the EU wants messaging apps – including Apple’s iMessage – to be interoperable.
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
Modern computers are designed to go to sleep when you’re not using them. When you put your Mac to sleep, the display turns off and most of the computer’s activity ceases. This standby mode is designed to save power. However, your Mac is a light sleeper; a lot goes on when your Mac is not awake.
In this article, I will explain what happens when a Mac goes to sleep, what different types of sleep modes exist, and how you can find out precisely what is happening on your Mac when it isn’t awake. Then we’ll take a look at some security implications to keep in mind regarding sleeping Macs.
Read the rest of the article on The Mac Security Blog.
One of the cleverest things Apple did when it released the Apple Watch in 2015 was to develop a system that allows users to quickly change watch bands (or straps, in the UK). Changing normal watch bands, using little spring bars, is difficult and delicate, so most people rarely change them unless they’re worn out. With the Apple Watch, you can change your band in seconds, so you can use a different band according to your mood or activity, or to match your outfit. This is especially useful if you want a waterproof band for swimming or working out, and a leather band for when you go out on the town.
To date, Apple has released more than 640 bands in more than a dozen different styles. Here’s a complete guide to all the Apple Watch bands that are currently available.
Read the rest of the article on The Mac Security Blog.
Mac malware is again found in pirated applications, LastPass was hacked via an employee’s home computer running Plex, and hackers may be able to get into a bank account with an AI-generated voice. Microsoft makes a step toward supporting iMessage on Windows, and we look at a new Nokia phone that is easily repairable.
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
On speaker placement and triangles.
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