I’ve received a few old Macs lately. Most recently I got a 2009 iMac with a whopping 27” screen. Apple only allows the operating system (OS) to go to High Sierra (10.13) but I have a modified version of Catalina (10.15) that works. While Catalina is still new enough that Chrome works fine on it, that won’t likely last forever.
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The problem with older Macs is that Apple doesn’t support them and, at some point, the apps aren’t upgradable and stop working for some sites. This is true for Windows as well. So I know a couple of folks out there that have old Macs and are having some problems browsing sites that used to work fine. Yes, that is what happens. Site security gets updated but the browser can’t keep up because the OS can’t keep up.

I’ve been upgrading the OS of some Macs (and PCs) with ‘hacked’ or modified OS’s that allow for the upgrade to more current software. The Mac OS’s have been developed by reputable software engineers and have a stable and reliable history, so I’m comfortable using this method. I recently came across a process that allows for upgrading the aforementioned 2009 iMac to Ventura (13). I did NOT go to Ventura though, as Monterey (12.6) seemed a huge jump and I thought Monterey would be a good enough OS. Monterey also seemed a bit safer for a 2009.

The iMac has an Core i7 processor and 8Gb of ram, so the specs are good. The graphics processor is the weak part but I was assured that this model would work. In fact, the author stated he was upgrading a 2007 model. So I went through the instructions, which are many, 26 steps in all, and the thing works. I’m buying 16Gb of ram for it, as it deserves that now. After the memory gets installed I'll be giving this behemoth away. ​

This process did an upgrade from Catalina, which was nice. I didn’t have anything on it anyway, but it was good to know that it would keep my data in this process, assuming everything works. The process wants you to make a backup and if I had anything on there, that would be a requirement. If you feel daring or interested, you can read about the process HERE. 

If you have an old Mac, some time on your hands and nothing to lose, you should definitely give it a try. You’ll need a 16Gb flash drive, minimum, or another external storage device. A good internet connection will make things go faster.  

Most folks, of a certain age, have actual pictures…. On photo paper, called photographs.

Sometimes they are on little tiny squares of transparent plastic, called slides. I have to say all this in case somebody under 30 is reading this. Phones used to hang on the wall with an attached cord, no less.

Anyway, there are many ways to convert photographs and slides to digital. All of them fairly tedious, except for having someone else do it. That said, it probably still needs doing. There are devices that can scan slides, photographs, and even convert VHS to DVD or other digital media. Some are expensive, others not so much.

Your phone is one way to convert photos and slides to digital. I’ve used it for photos before, using a Scanning App, but I was just reading about how to use a phone to convert a slide to digital. I’ve purchased a small device for that, which may work better than your phone, but if you don’t have a lot of slides to ‘scan’ the phone may be a great option.
Read about that HERE: 

Looking for tech tips, I scour the internet day in and day out, trying to find fantastic info for your reading pleasure. I sometimes don’t find much, and sometimes, I find something pretty good.

Today’s has some good tips. I already knew about #5, very useful: Google an equation like 12 x 12  and it gives the answer, however, you can also Google a conversion. For instance, "1 ounce to grams" yields the answer even before you hit enter.

​The Bonus tip at the end, open PDF’s in Word, I didn’t know you could do that. After it’s open you can save it as an editable Word doc.
The link to this website is HERE. https://www.premworx.com/10-quick-and-easy-tech-tips/

This one goes under the heading, do as I say not as I do.  This week, while cleaning up my email box, I came across an email from an insurance company that I don't do business with.  The correct response would have been to block it.  Instead I hit unsubscribe and since then I've been getting 5-10 different emails from various insurance companies.  A coincidence?  I don't think so.  I came across this timely article to deal with unwanted emails and texts from our friends at AARP​

Simple steps you can take to block spam and declutter your inbox
by Marc Saltzman, AARP, May 2, 2022
Stop me if this sounds familiar: You sit down at your computer to get some work done, but it takes you three-quarters of an hour just to delete all the junk mail clogging up your inbox.
You’re not alone. Nearly 85 percent of all emails are spam, according to a 2019 study from Cisco-owned Talos Intelligence. It’s a miracle we get anything done.

But these messages can be more than a mere annoyance. Sure, manually reading and deleting unsolicited offers can seriously eat away at your time, but the emails can also do damage if they contain a phishing attempt, spyware or a virus.

Sometimes we’re the ones to blame for unwanted emails — and text messages — because we gave out our email address or phone number at some point, whether it was to a store to get a 10 percent discount on a purchase, signing into a public Wi-Fi hot spot at a coffee shop or perhaps entering a contest. Or maybe you were into a certain band in 2015 and signed up for its free newsletter.

Regardless of the scenario, now you’ve had enough. And you want to unsubscribe or block emails and texts, but you’re not sure how to go about it.

Read Full article on AARP's Website

~ Brian Bondy

​I’ve written before about smart watches and how I think they enhance the smartphone experience. I switched to to the iPhone from an Android for FaceTime. That was the only reason. I have grown to appreciate the iPhone well enough, but I think Android phones can be just as good. Same thing with smartwatches.
 
One of the features I appreciate about my Apple watch is the health app and what comes with it. Smart watch manufacturers are working hard to get more technology packed into these things. The newer smartwatches can read your heart rate, take your blood pressure and tell you your blood oxygen level. I know Apple is working on telling you your blood glucose level.
 
We were at the Monterey Aquarium recently with my mother and she tripped and fell somehow. When I got to her she was just trying to get up, but she fell pretty hard. He Apple watch had detected the fall and was beeping and asking if she fell. It offers a choice that you fell or didn’t fall. If you fell, it then asks if you need help. If you don’t respond, it will automatically place a 911 call.  IF you have set up emergency contacts, it will also notify them.
 
My mom was okay, though a bit banged up. I pressed that she had fallen, and then that she didn’t need emergency services. There was a very nice ER Doctor that happened to be there which was gratifying. The point is, the watch can be used for health emergencies, which is handy for our aging population at the very least. I’ve fallen a number of times and had my watch go off. I’ve not needed help but it could happen.
 
The iPhone has a Health app which should have some info put into it too. In an emergency, this information could be helpful. The app has basic personal info, height, weight, blood type, etc., but also it can have emergency contacts in case something happens. While trying to figure out how to add that to my mother’s phone, several days after her fall, I looked for some helpful websites.
 
A great page to get all the “how-to” info on this subject is HERE.