At the October SEAL meeting, held on Friday the 9th, we talked about our first impressions of Apple’s updated operating systems, iOS 9 and Mac OS El Capitan. Robert then gave a presentation on protecting your important on-line accounts with 2 Factor Authentication.
iOS 9
The new version of Apples mobile OS was released a few weeks ago and several members had upgraded their iPhones and iPads. We talked about keyboard improvements, iPad multitasking and the updated Notes app amongst other new features.
One member found she was accidentally activating the new slide-over multitasking feature on iPad when scrolling. We explained that it is activated when you slide your finger in from the right of the screen. In case she can’t get used to it, we found the following video showing how it can be disabled:
El Capitan
We talked about some of the new features in Mac OS 10.11 El Capitan including changes to Mission Control, the new handy split view that lets you view two apps side by side in full screen and behind the scenes changes like System Integrity Protection (SIP).
For more information about El Capitan, Ars Technica has their usual in-depth review of the new operating system.
2 Factor Authentication
Robert’s presentation highlighted how important on-line accounts such as e-mail, financial services and your Apple ID are often protected by only a password that could compromised by an attacker in a number of ways. 2 Factor Authentication (also called 2-step verification and a number of other names) adds an additional layer of security, usually by requiring you to enter a code sent via text message or via an app, making the account much more secure.
If you’re interested in setting up 2 factor authentication, here are links to instructions for popular services:
- Apple’s FAQ on 2-step verification.
- Google’s 2-step verification page with instructions.
- PayPal’s security page, their service is called Security Key.
Q&A
How can I change the information entered in a web form by Safari’s AutoFill feature? This is controlled by the AutoFill page in Safari Preferences. We advised the member who asked this question to use the edit buttons on this page to check the information on his contact card was correct and, if so, to remove the AutoFill information for the problem site under “Other forms”. Apple have a support page about AutoFill with more details on the feature.