Christmas Hours
CES 2024
Dates for 2024 – Tuesday, January 9 until Friday, January 12, 2024.
CES is the world’s largest tech show that is held annually in Las Vegas and showcases the latest in gadgets, tech, innovations and sometimes things a little strange.
Some of the big companies showcasing this year include Samsung, LG, Sony, Intel, Nvidia, and AMD.
Highlights
(please not these are links to other sites. as much as we’d love to be at CES, it’s not within our small budget)
Something exciting is coming…..
Changes are coming in 2024.
Stay tuned to our socials for all the latest information.
Just a reminder that we are closed for the Christmas/New Year break as of close of business today and will be reopening on 16th January 2024.
Apple’s WWDC pt 2.
Today we’re looking at the upcoming Apple Operating Systems announced at WWDC.
“iOS 16 enhances iPhone with all-new personalisation features, deeper intelligence, and more seamless ways to communicate and share.” It should be available in Fall 2022 (Spring 2002 for Australia)
A brief overview of the updates includes:
- Personalisation of the lock screen. Introducing Widgets for Lock screen. Multiple lock screens. Changes to lock screen notifications.
- Changes to Focus. Connect your lock screen to your selected Focus.
- Photos. iCloud Shared Photo Library.
- Messages. Edit a message you just sent. Unsend a recent message. Mark a message as unread to reply to later. SharePlay via Messages. Richer collaboration.
- Mail app. Improved mail search. New mailbox features – Undo send. Schedule send. Follow up. Add rich links.
- Safari and Passkeys. More sign in security. Shared tab groups.
- Lift subject from background.
- Live text for video.
- Smarter dictation
- Maps. Multi stop routing.
- Apple Pay and Wallet. Order tracking in Wallet.
- Home app updates.
- Health and Fitness app updates.
- Family Sharing. Improvements to child accounts. Family checklist.
- CarPlay updates.
- Privacy, Security and Accessibility updates.
Compatibility
- iPhone 13 (mini, Pro, Pro Max)
- iPhone 12 (mini, Pro, Pro Max)
- Phone 11 (Pro,ProMax)
- iPhone XS & XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8 & 8 Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
” iPadOS 16 gives you powerful new ways to do more than ever. Share and communicate with the people who matter. Level up your productivity. Apps all across the system are more intuitive, more customisable and more capable.” It should be available in Fall 2022 (Spring 2002 for Australia)
A brief overview of the updates includes:
- Photos. iCloud Shared Photo Library.
- Messages. Edit a message you just sent. Unsend a recent message. Mark a message as unread to reply to later. SharePlay via Messages. Richer collaboration.
- Mail app. Improved mail search. New mailbox features – Undo send. Schedule send. Follow up. Add rich links.
- Safari and Passkeys. More sign in security. Shared tab groups.
- Stage Manager. “A new way to multitask and get things done with ease. Resize apps to look the way you want. And for the first time on iPad, see multiple overlapping windows in a single view.” External display support.
- New display modes. Display scaling mode.
- Weather app updates.
- Games. Updated Game Centre. Play together with SharePlay.
- Lift subject from background.
- Live text for video.
- Home app updates.
- Family Sharing. Improvements to child accounts. Family checklist.
- Desktop-class apps.
- Freeform. Collaborate in real time. Coming later in 2022.
- Privacy, Security and Accessibility updates.
Compatibility
- iPad Pro (all models)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (5th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
Visit the iPadOS16 preview page.
“watchOS 9 gives you even more to go on. A Workout app packed with more features than ever. A new Medications app, along with greater insights into your sleep health. And more watch faces with more personalisation to keep everything that’s close to your heart close at hand. “ It should be available in Fall 2022 (Spring 2002 for Australia)
A brief overview of the updates includes:
- Workout updates.
- Medications. Track your medications on your watch.
- Sleep tracking updates.
- New Watch faces
- Family Setup
- Accessibility updates
- Productivity updates
- Apple Fitness + updates
Compatibility
watchOS 9 requires iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or
later, and one of the following Apple Watch models:
- Apple Watch Series 4
- Apple Watch Series 5
- Apple Watch SE
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
Not all features are available on all devices, regions or languages.
Visit the WatchOS 9 preview page.
Apple’s WWDC
It’s June so time for Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (aka WWDC). This event is primarily aimed at Apple app developers but the keynote event that kicks of the event is used to announce the upcoming Operating Systems (OS) for iPhone, iPad, Watch, AppleTV and Mac. Occasionally there is a hardware announcement as well.
This year the keynote introduced the latest versions of the OS as well as a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13”. I’m splitting this post in two – Hardware and software.
First up was the new MacBook Air.
Redesigned around the next-gen M2 chip allowing for a thin design (1.13cm) and light weight (1.24kg). Featuring a 13.6-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina Display. 18 hours of battery life (Apple TV app movie playback). Magsafe charger. Headphone jack. Two Thunderbolt ports.
There are 4 colour choices – Silver, Starlight, Space Grey and Midnight.
Both variations come with the M2 8-core chip, either 8 or 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM (configurable to 16GB or 24GB), solid state storage of 256GB (upgradable to 512GB, 1Tb or 2Tb) or 512GB (upgradable to 1Tb or 2TB)
Pricing
8-Core CPU; 8-Core GPU; 8GB Unified Memory; 256GB SSD Storage $A1899
8-Core CPU; 10-Core GPU; 8GB Unified Memory; 512GB SSD Storage $A2349
Available from July 2022
The new MacBook Pro 13” features similar design to the previous model but using the M2 chip. It comes in two colour choices of Silver and Space Grey
Both variations come with the M2 8-Core CPU; 10-Core GPU and 8GB Unified Memory. Storage options are 256Gb or 512GB.
Pricing
256GB version $A1999
512GB version $A2299
Available from July 2022
Both these machines will run the next MacOS update known as Ventura. This OS update brings changes to…
Mail – improved searches. Improvements to your mailbox – undo send, scheduled send, follow up, adding rich links.
Spotlight – find photos in a variety of different apps.
Passkey and Safari – the ability to sign in more securely.
Messages – edit recently sent messages or unsend them. SharePlay via Message.
Photos – iCloud Shared Photo Library.
Stage Manager – “Stage Manager automatically organises your apps and windows in a single view on any Mac, so you can stay focused while easily moving between tasks.”
FaceTime – Handoff comes to FaceTime, switch between devices with a single click.
Continuity Camera – use your iPhone as a webcam
Improvements to Games.
Freeform – coming soon. Collaborate in real time
plus the usual security and system updates
Click on over toe the Venture preview page to learn more about the above and other changes.
Tomorrow we’ll look at the upcoming updates for the iPhone, Watch & iPad OS
Would your loved ones know what to do if you died? Part 2
In the second part of this series we’ll look at what you can do if someone close to you dies and they don’t have a Digital Asset document.
Mobile phones – if the plan is in your name, the process would be to ring your provider and cancel the number. If it is not, check the provider website and search for Deceased Support.
Telstra (this form can be used for all Telstra services as well as to transfer a Telstra Service to someone else (ie partner or child). You can also ask for a copy of any voice mail to be downloaded and sent to you.)
Optus
Next step will be to get any information you may want to keep off the phone. There are methods to bypass passwords but not all guarantee to keep the information. Some will wipe the phone completely. This is why we recommend keeping a file of passwords and important IT related information (see part one of this series).
Tablets – If the tablet has a data sim, the process is the same as above. Saving information is also the same.
Internet Services – again, if the account is in your name there is nothing to change. If not, get in touch with your service provider to discuss deceased support.
Computers (Windows Desktop/Laptop, Apple Desktop/Laptop) – If you know their login details, you can login and save what you want. If it is a shared computer, you can copy the information to your profile, then delete the deceased person’s profile. If this all sounds too much or you don’t know the login information, contact your local computer store to see if they can remove the password or access the data for you and create a backup on DVD or USB flash drive.
You also need to decide what you will be doing with the computer and all the extra bits. Will you be keeping it for yourself, someone in the family or do you wish to sell it all?
We advise that before selling, get your local computer store to back up data, securely wipe the hard drives and reinstall the operating system (Windows or MacOS) in preparation for the sale. If the computer is over 5 years old it may not be worth selling and your local computer store should be able to advise you how to dispose of your old computer, or offer to do it for you.
Online accounts
Emails. Each email company is different but if you have their login details, you can login and close their account for them. Remember you may want to save some special or important emails or photos they have been sent. You can find a list of the main email providers (ie Gmail, Yahoo) and how you can close the account even if you don’t have the deceased’s login details at this link.
Each website you access is different and will have different ways they deal with deceased estates. Everplan have a comprehensive list of websites that you can find here. Some websites will close inactive accounts after a specified period of time.
For online banking you can contact the bank the person banked with. Add it to the list of things to discuss with the bank when closing their bank account.
Services offered by George Town IT
- backing up information to DVD or USB from mobile phones, tablets or PCs (including Apple desktops and laptops) if passwords are provided
- removal of passwords, if possible. We cannot guarantee this process will allow us access to information.
- wiping devices if you plan to give the device to someone else or sell it
- free disposal if you don’t wish to keep the hardware.
Would your loved ones know what to do if you died?
Death isn’t a topic we like to discuss but would you or your loved ones know what to do if you or a loved one suddenly passed away.
We’re not here to discuss the usual topics like organising end of life events like funerals or wills but what happens to your digital assets. Would your loved ones know what digital assets you have, know how to access them and what your wishes were for them after you pass?
Photo by Rhodi Lopez on Unsplash
Being Prepared.
Set aside some time to create a Digital Asset document. In this document you should list
- computer hardware & software (including, but not limited to, desktop/laptops, printers, scanners, external hard drives, USB drives, CD/DVD backups of information, software on USB/CD/DVD)
- Tablets, mobile phones, portable music players, ebook readers
- Digital cameras
- Online accounts (emails, social media, online storage, Microsoft account, Apple account, online banking, gaming accounts, blogs etc)
- Mobile phone and Internet plans – account name, account number and any password related to the account.
- Domain names if you have a website
Next think about what you’d like done with these assets? Do you want all your accounts closed? Hardware wiped? Pictures and documents saved to an external hard drive? Assets passed on to someone else or sold? If you have any rewards, can they be redeemed after passing?
Another thing to think about is naming a Digital Executor in your will.This person will know the wishes for your digital assets and where to access the document containing all your important digital information like logins. They will also be able to inform the executor of your will, your wishes in relation to physical digital assets.
Now that you have created that document, what should you do with it?
Store copies of this document in secure locations.
- A sealed envelope given to your attorney to be given to your digital executor (named in your will) after your death.
- Secure online storage.
- In locked cabinet or safe.
Tell one or two people you trust (ideally one would be your Digital Executor) the location of this document and how to access it, ie the name of your attorney, the name of the online storage company (& any related login information) or the location of the cabinet/safe and location of the key. This way they will know, when the time comes, where your Digital Asset document is and how to access it
We’ve created a sample document for you to download and fill in, or use it to create your own file.
In part 2 we’ll look at what to do if a loved one passes suddenly.
National Scam Awareness Week – NBN Co Webinars
As part of nbn’s commitment to helping communities stay safe online and be scam aware, a series of education and information sessions will be hosted during National Scams Awareness Week (8 – 12 November 2021).
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Session title |
Date |
Time |
Registration |
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Let’s Talk Scams |
Monday 8 November |
2-3pm AEDST |
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“Let’s Talk Scams” with Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher, nbn Chief Security Officer Darren Kane and The Good Things Foundation’s Jess Wilson. |
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Tuesday Tips and Tricks |
Tuesday 9 November |
11am-12noon AEDST |
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Join nbn’s Security and Privacy Cyber Safety Outreach Manager Rebecca Moonen and ACCAN Acting CEO Andrew Williams to learn some valuable tips and trick on how to spot and avoid a scam |
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Lunchtime Lure |
Tuesday 9 November |
1pm-2pm AEDST |
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Attention Business Owners! Join our virtual session to learn how to identify scams and protect your business. |
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ScamsFit Workout. |
Tuesday 9 November |
2-3pm AEDST |
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Join this 60-minute ScamFit “Workout” to learn how to identify a scam and protect yourself from becoming a victim with nbn and Australia Seniors Computer Clubs Association’s Nan Bosler AM |
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ScamFit Workout |
Wednesday 10 November |
10.30am-11.30am AEDST |
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Join this 60-minute ScamFit “Workout” to get scams fit – and learn how to identify a scam and protect yourself from becoming a victim |
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Let’s Talk Scams – over lunch |
Wednesday 10 November |
1pm-2pm AEDST |
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How to be cyber safe for all community members. Learn some top tips and tricks and ask anything at this session. |
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Thursday Tips and Tricks for Business |
Thursday 11 November |
10.30-11.30am AEDST |
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How to make your business more cyber secure. |
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Stay safe online + ask anything |
Thursday 11 November |
7pm-8pm AEDST |
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Join an interactive session where no question is off limits – you are welcome to ask anything about cyber safety and protecting yourself online. |
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Business Cyber Safety and Scams |
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3pm-4pm AEDST |
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Business Scams and Cyber Safety with Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard, Alexi Boyd, CEO of Council of Small Business Australia and nbn’s Chief Security Officer Darren Kane. |
Welcome
Welcome to the George Town IT blog.
We’ve dusted it back off and are giving it a facelift.
What can you expect to find here?
- Tech news – Windows updates, Apple updates and more
- Reviews – we try it out and let you know what think
- How to’s – simple things you can do at home to keep your tech running.