The Official Newsletter of the Chico Apple User Group November 2019

Mac and IOS Special Interest GroupsOn Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 6:30 PM at the Veterans Memorial Hall, located at 554 Rio Lindo Avenue, Chico, CA 95926

Come to the Special Interest Groups for iOS and Mac to learn more about your Apple devices. ç

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Our October meeting was well attended and fruitful for all you iPhone and iPad folks who attended our training classes for those devices.

Additionally, Myron Flindt’s presentation of scams and phishing methods will, I believe, help many of us avoid those nasty pitfalls.

By popular request, we also started an Apple Watch discussion group that was very productive for all of us. I learned some significant features of my Watch and was able to help us see the differences implemented in the new Watch OS…which is currently 6.1. Because it was well attended in October, I plan to host it again at the November meeting. If you’d like to sit in on this session…even if you don’t have an Apple Watch…please join us at 6:30.

I also announced (and sent out an email) about The Mac U and the special deal we’ve received from their tutorial company. We now have 39 people signed up for their All-Access Pass and I will be sending the company a payment for a bulk purchase.

So it will be important that you reimburse us for your pass if you’ve decided you want to participate.

As we get closer to the Christmas holiday, we plan to discuss online shopping and, if we have time, demo some of the features of The Mac U.

I hope to see you there, and if you have friends or relatives that are new to the Mac or iPhone and iPad, be sure to tell them about Macchug and the benefits of our group.

Ron Brooks, MacChUG President

The best external hard drives

Including some portable options.

Wirecutter, @wirecutter 11.03.19 in Gadgetry

By Justin Krajeski

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to external hard drives.

We've spent hundreds of hours researching and testing external drives to find the best options for any use and budget. If you want a dependable external drive that has plenty of storage space for documents and photos and is easy to take on the go, get the 2 TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim. But we also have recommendations if you want more storage space, if you want something more reliable or even faster, or if you need to regularly move large amounts of data from one computer to another with an external drive.

The most convenient drive for backups: Portable hard drive

Who this is for: People who frequently move between locations and want a hard drive to back up important documents and photos from their laptop.

November’s program will look at the new features in macOS Catalina. Using video clips from TheMacU and input from MacChUG members already using Catalina attendees will come away with a good understanding of what’s new with this latest upgrade. Specific topics include: No more iTunes, the music app, hover text, voice control, sidecar and changes to mail, photos, and notes.

mac OS

Catalina

Presentation

Chico Apple Users Group General Meeting begins at 8:00 PM

Kyle Fitzgerald/Wirecutter

AnnouncementsIf you have not renewed for 2019, your membership has expired. Please renew now. Thank you for being a member and supporting MacChUG.

MembershipPlease mail your $30.00

renewal dues check, payable to MacChUG to:

Bob Huss2874 Bancroft Dr Chico, CA 95928

You can also pay by check, cash or credit card at the meeting. We also have a PayPal account and it may be paid there. You can log onto PayPal.com and send a payment to macchug.org. For those members who joined recently, your year is up and dues payable in the month you joined the following year. For example, if you joined September of 2018, your dues are not due until September of 2019.

★ Best Buy Discount card for 10% off Apple accessories

★ Beetstech offers a hefty 15% discount on all repairs

★ Sponsor supported discounts on their products

★ Four (4) Special Interest Groups to meet your learning needs each month

★ Monthly presentations from knowledgeable, experienced individuals with Apple product and other technical knowledge

★ Social media and web identity (Facebook, web, newsletter, etc.). Opportunity to meet and share with others with the same interests

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Benefits of MacChUG Membership

MacChUG offers four Special Interest Groups to meet your iOS and Mac needs.

Groups include: iPhone (from beginners to beyond), iPad, new Apple Watch group and Mac novice classes.

Be sure to review the Special Interest Group (SIG) articles in this week’s newsletter. Also, visit us on the web at: macchug.org.

Apple Reviews

Click here for more

IOS

MAC Apple WatchHow to Use the Apple Watch App StoreDownload WatchOS apps right from your wrist by Robert M LeFebvreUpdated November 06, 2019

Until watchOS 6, Apple Watch owners have had to find their apps on their iOS devices, like the iPhone and iPad. Now, there’s an Apple WatchStore right on their wrist, making it super easy to find apps specifically for the watch on the go. 

Here’s how to get the Apple Watch version of the app store, and how to use it once you do

How to clone your Mac so you can use it as a backupYou can create a bootable copy of your hard drive by cloning it. If you've never done it before, we've got you covered.

LORY GIL 22 Jan 2019

It is vitally important that you back up your Mac. Whether you do so locally using Time Machine, sending it to a cloud service, or installing a duplicate

creation program (or all three). There is nothing more important than backing up your computer in case an unfortunate event happens so you don't lose your precious data.

Apple's Audio Sharing feature on iPhone and iPad lets you share your device's Bluetooth audio with a second pair of wireless headphones, allowing two of you to listen to the same music together while running, or enjoy a movie on a plane without disturbing those around you, for example.

Compatibility CheckTo get started with Audio Sharing, first make sure that the headphones and iOS device that you plan to use are compatible with the feature. According to Apple, Audio Sharing is supported by the following models:

How to Use Audio Sharing on iPhone and iPadNovember 8, 2019 by Tim Hardwick

Click here for more

Click here for more

iPad Sig GroupBy Myron Flindt

November’s iPad SiG will continue working with iPadOS. We will revisit many of the features introduced last month like using multiple windows, slide over, side by side documents, swiping to switch apps and finger gestures. We will also look at accessibility in Settings. Accessibility gives users many shortcuts and easier ways to move around the iPad.

Before jumping into any of these topics, participants can share favorite apps and ask questions about problems they may be having with the iPad. If any of you use the Apple Pencil we would like to learn about your experiences with it. Everyone is welcome to join our group.

“24 Hidden Settings that can maximize your Mac”These are System Preference settings that are easily accessible and can customize your appearance and functions while you are working with your computer. Change the size of your cursor (that thing on your screen that you use to select and activate programs and functions), have a different screen background each time you start up, quiet down Siri’s voice, all sorts of actions that can make your Mac an individual and personal machine.

Mac SIG GroupBy Ron Steinke

iPhone SIG Group

Hello BASIC iPhone Lovers…..

This is going to be a brief article, because I know you are all busy with your day and the upcoming holiday planning. Or should I say that we need to start our holiday planning. It comes so quickly.

This month at our table we will have a handout that has only major topic sections, and we will go to each App to practice them. There many tasks you already know, so we will scoot on to those that you are unsure of. Some of the topics will be: Mail, Contact, Calendar, Notes, and Reminders. Plus, I have a few tips and tricks that iOS 13 has allowed us to do.

As usual we will be open and fluid about our discussed topics. We don’t have to “finish” any of the topics, but we want to help you become more aware of what your iPhone can do for you. I’m hoping you will bring that friend or family member who should come and learn with us. Make sure they want to learn before you drag them to class. Please call or email me, if you have questions at 514-8099 or http://chicopair@comcast.net. See you at 6:30 pm at the Vets Hall on November 21st.

By Kathy Brooks

Basic Apple Watch Tricks and TipsBy: Kathy Brooks

As you might know, we have a new Special Interest Group: Apple Watch. We thought it would be a good place for those who have watches to come together and discuss what they know about their watch and share it with the others. Ron Brooks will have a simple handout to guide your discussions, such as customizing your control center, using digital crown to control volume, replying to texts, etc.

Be ready to teach other what you like the most about your watch and we can all learn together.

App Review

• If you're into classical music, but feel under-served by Apple Music's approach to the genre, Concertino is a website integrated with Apple Music that makes it easy to browse various artist recordings of different famous classical works. (Link)

• Bleak Sword is a terrific new title that’s part of Apple’s Arcade service. Gamasutra interviews Luis Jimenez about the game’s unique combination of pixelated graphics and 3D effects. (Link)

• Rosemary Orchard walks readers through the myriad of options available for setting up a writing workspace in Drafts on The Sweet Setup. (Link)

INTERESTING LINKS

• Jason Snell explains on Six Colors why his podcast workflow still includes a Mac, despite doing much of his editing work on an iPad Pro. (Link)

ThirsticThirstic is a water tracker with an interesting twist. The app adapts to your activity throughout the day to suggest the best times to drink water, such as the time you typically exercise. Thirstic also accounts for the weather, suggesting additional water intake on hot days. As the devices we use get more powerful, this sort of context awareness has become more prevalent in apps and promises to provide more valuable insights and suggested courses of action.

WelcomeWelcome is an automated, AI-powered activity planner. You can use it to show activities around you or search for other destinations. When you pick a location, the app opens into a ‘My Day’ view that includes a map with a route from one activity to the next, with activities arrayed horizontally along the bottom of the screen on a timeline. Tap any of activity and it expands with additional details and reviews powered by Foursquare and Google data.

The Discover tab includes tips about the location you’re visiting from other users on cards that can be swiped left and right, Tinder-style, to reject them or bookmark them for later consideration. It’s a quick way to find additional activities that the My Day tab might not suggest. Finally, there’s a Wishlist tab that displays the tips you’ve saved from the Discover tab. What I like best about Welcome is its ability to find activities that are within easy walking distance of each other and surface places that other visitors have enjoyed.

Click here for more

Use Your Apple Watch to Unlock Your Mac and AuthenticateKirkvilleWritings by Kirk McElhearn Nov 1, 2019

You’ve been able to unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch for some time now. If your Mac is asleep, and you wake it up, if you’ve activated this feature, the Mac confirms your identity via your Apple Watch and wakes up.

This is an interesting chain of identification. It requires that you have two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple ID, and having authenticated on your iPhone by entering your passcode, your Apple Watch then inherits this authentication (or you can authenticate on the Apple Watch by entering its passcode), and the Mac then accepts this as proof that the watch belongs to you.

To activate this feature, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General and check Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.

How to change icons and colors for Reminders Lists on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Michael Potuck - Oct. 17th 2019

Among the subtle changes that have arrived with iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina, Reminders Lists can now be customized with 60 different icons and a choice of 12 colors. Read on for how to change icons and colors for Reminders Lists on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The 60 new icons paired with the 12 colors give Apple users 720 ways to make their Reminders Lists unique and perfectly fit their own needs.

We’ll cover a couple of ways to change icons and colors in Reminders on iPhone and iPad first, then detail how the process looks on Mac.

How to change icons and colors for Reminders Lists on iPhone, iPad, and MacOn iPhone and iPad (option 1):

1. Open Reminders2. When looking at a List, tap the … icon in the top

right corner3. Choose Name & Appearance4. Pick from the 12 color choices and 60 icon

options5. Tap Done

Click here for more

Click here for more

Here’s how to get your free year of Apple TV+Michael Potuck Nov. 1st 2019

After years in the making, Apple TV+ with new original content has launched. Ready to check it out? Read on for how to get your free year of Apple TV+ on iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, and more.

Apple TV+ has officially arrived with The Morning Show and SEE as the two headlining original shows at launch. We’ve already got a breakdown of all of the shows that are available on the streaming service.Any Apple customers who have purchased a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV since September 10, 2019, that can run the latest operating systems will get a free year of Apple TV+. The deal will automatically show up for those eligible (check out the full terms and conditions here).If you’re not eligible for the free year trial, you’ll still get Apple TV+ free for 7 days.Here’s how to get your free year of Apple TV+

1. Open the TV app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV (running the latest software)2. Tap or click on a new Apple original like The Morning Show or SEE3. Choose Enjoy 1 Year Free (7-day free trial for those who haven’t purchased a new device)4. Tap or Click Continue, then Confirm the free year5. Alternately, head to tv.apple.com on a Mac or PC, sign in in the top right corner, then activate your

free trial

If you have a discounted Apple Music student plan, you won’t see a button for the free trial, Apple TV+ will just be unlocked.

See here for more

iPhone 11 and 11 Pro: 12 tips for shooting better videosHere are a dozen tips to make filming video with your iPhone 11 and 11 Pro easier and better -- plus a bonus round.

The iPhone 11 ($699 at Apple) and 11 Pro are two of the best phones you can buy today for recording video. The iPhone has a strong history of shooting good-looking videos. While other phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 ($950 at Amazon), Huawei P30 Pro ($708 at Amazon) and Google Pixel 4 can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone in regards to photos, Apple's video prowess is largely unmatched by any other phone-maker in terms of recording options, image quality and color accuracy.

Yes, a dedicated camera like a Sony RX100 or a mirrorless camera like the Panasonic GH5 or Sony A7 III will capture better-quality video and allow you more native customizations, and yet none is as convenient as your phone. The size of an iPhone and the ease of use allow you to capture authentic and personal moments on the fly.

With new dual and triple rear cameras, respectively, the 11 and 11 Pro add more versatility to an already solid video setup. You can switch cameras to get closer or farther away from your subject even while you're recording. And the new iPhones shoot sharper video with colors that are truer to life compared with video from previous-generation Apple phones like the iPhone X ($550 at Amazon) and iPhone XS. 

All that being said, here are dozen-plus tips to make filming on your iPhone easier and on how you can capture results that look and sound better.

Always make sure your phone has storage space before recording any new videos. Patrick Holland/CNET

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Disclaimer: Images in this newsletter are a representation of books, products, and devices may or may not reflect actual item. Tips and Reviews are gathered from members, various websites, books and personal training. Some articles may be edited from their original sources to emphasis the pros and cons of the article.