How to rid an Apple of Heartbleed bug

Apple Releases Heartbleed Patch

If you are one of the many Apple users with the latest Time Capsule or AirPort Extreme base station, you may want to update it to remove a vulnerability Apple found relating to the infamous Heartbleed bug.

To update your Apple base station, click on the magnifying glass at the top right of your MacBook or iMac; type “airport utility”; press “enter”; right-click on your base station and choose “update”. Do not power off your Apple equipment while this update is in progress.

The update fixes a flaw whereby an attacker could intercept data travelling between your Apple devices via the base station.

iOS 7.1.1

Apple has released the latest version of its operating system for mobile devices. Version 7.1.1 fixes inconsistencies with the iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor, improves Bluetooth keyboard responsiveness and addresses several security issues detected by Apple.

The update is for iPhones 4 and up as well as the iPad 2 and up and the fifth-generation iPod Touch.

To update your device, go to “settings” -> “general” and click “software update”.

Keep Your Samsung S5 Private

The Samsung S5 has a neat new trick up its sleeve, which should help allay fears of your private data being compromised.

Turn on private mode (via quick settings bar at the top of your Samsung's screen);

Provide your Samsung with your fingerprints;

Choose an alternate password in case you lose your fingers;

It is recommended that you enable the SIM pin feature for extra security;

Select and move files (eg make photos private) by selecting the photos in photo gallery, pressing the menu button and then select ‘move to private’;

View the complete list of everything you have made private by opening the “my files” folder in the app tray and scroll down to an icon for ‘private’ and tap on it;

Remember to turn “private mode” off when you are done viewing your private data – otherwise others will still see it!

Three Quick and Easy Ways to Boost PC Performance

Windows machines get bogged down with unnecessary waste very quickly. All that waste can slow your computer to a crawl when it starts affecting background processes or hard drive space.

If your aging computer shows no signs of lasting as long as you would like try the following:

1. Get a professional to install more RAM for you. It is the cheapest and easiest way to breathe new life into your PC. RAM is responsible for handling all the background tasks. Too little RAM means your PC starts using the hard drive as a RAM replacement with the downside being that a traditional hard drive performs memory-intensive tasks a lot slower than RAM does. You will be amazed at just how much extra speed you can get out of your system with a RAM upgrade.

2. Clean out old files. Empty the trashcan and delete old and large e-mails. If you want to know where all your hard drive space is going to, download CCleaner for Windows or DaisyDisk for Mac.

3. Remove unnecessary startup programs. The apps in step 2 will help with this.

Apps of the Week

Learnist for Android and Apple is an amazing little app that promises the world’s knowledge at your fingertips. Learnist is a crowd-sourced collection of works from the world’s experts in almost anything. If there is something you want to gain knowledge on very quickly, then Learnist is the app to download.

Craftsy Classes for iPhone and iPad offers more than 350 online classes in photography, cake decorating, cooking, painting, drawing, quilting, embroidery, jewellery making, etc. Classes never expire and the world’s leading authorities in their respective fields provide them. Creative folk will love this app. Bradley Millar is a technology adviser and founder of futureTECH – offering personal support in Port Elizabeth and

abroad. Visit www.bradleymillar.com for the latest tech news or to make an appointment.