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Heartbleed and you

Heartbleed: What does it mean to you.

These are scary times, but we have some advice, and have compiled places below where you can go for more info.

By now you have seen the news, probably had people ask you if you were changing all your passwords, and are wondering if you should be freaking out.

We try to keep people from freaking out, but we do think you should changes some passwords, and in general follow some of our password advice.

 

There are a couple of really important things to keep in mind.

  • While the Heartbleed vulnerability has gone undetected for a very long time, there are no known exploits or data losses. However, by the nature of the exploit, it is impossible to tell so its good be careful and vigilant.
  • Changing your password on unpatched servers does not make you safe. Its important to wait until a server has been patched before you change your password.
  • If you get a legit message from a service that you use asking you to change your password, please heed their advice. But also, beware of phishing scams. Bad people are out there and they will try to exploit your confusion. Be sure you are making changes on the legit site and not being scammed.

Below is a quick list of common services many of our clients use that have been patched that require password changes. If you use these services, go now and change your password. And, if you us that same login and password someplace else, you need to change your password there as well for safety.

  1. Dropbox
  2. Google Apps
  3. Facebook
  4. Instagram
  5. Pintrest
  6. Yahoo/Yahoo Mail
  7. Rackspace Mail
  8. Media Temple
  9. GoDaddy
  10. GitHub

Creativetechs Password Advice

Use a Password Manager (Keychain, 1Password, etc.)
Use different passwords everywhere. Yes this is difficult, but that is why we recommend a password manager.
Use complicated passwords. There is a ton of advice about how to create a complex password. (See links below) Just know that the longer the better, mix in Upper/lower case, add in some numbers or other characters.

 

Some useful links.

Heartbleed checker. Drop a url in here and see if the site you are visiting is safe.

The Heartbleed Hit List. Passwords you need to change right now.

Heartbleed explained in a video.

April 17, 2014
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Updated: Convert InDesign Documents to Word Files

INDD-to-Word.png

 

 Here’s an update to a tip we originally posted in 2009.

Every graphic designer eventually finds themselves facing this client request. You’ve designed a newsletter layout in Adobe InDesign. The client loves it, but they want a template in Microsoft Word they can edit themselves.

 

Creativetechs happens to be located in Seattle, just across the lake from the Redmond campus of Microsoft. Needless to say, we get this question a LOT from various graphic designers in our area. There isn’t a perfect solution, but here is a technique that does a surprisingly good job.

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November 14, 2013
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Tips and Tricks for iOS 7

Here are a few of our favorite tips, in no particular order, for optimizing and using iOS 7.

iPad_mini_WHT_3UP_PF_PRINT

1. Reduce Motion.

It doesn’t look as cool, but it makes the interface feel even a bit quicker. Best of all, it doesn’t make you dizzy. Settings / General / Accessibility / Reduce Motion.

 

2. Larger Type / Bold Type.

Many people have complained that its a bit more difficult to read with the narrow typeface. Did you know you can make it all larger? Or even just make it bold. Super handy for when you are looking at your phone on the go. Settings / General / Accessibility / Larger Type.  Then you can adjust the slider to decide just how much larger you want it. Feel like that isn’t quite enough? Bold Type is right there too. Settings / General / Accessibility / Bold Type.

Note Bold Type setting requires a restart to take effect.

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November 6, 2013
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How To: Restart in Safe Mode

Oftentimes, your Creative Techie will ask you to “Safe Boot” your computer.

Safe booting is an invaluable diagnostic tool that Apple has included in their computers since 2002. Specifically, it can allow your computer to get up and running at times when the occurrences of corrupt files would otherwise impede this action. This makes the job of any tech consultant easier, as it determines if the problems with your computer reside somewhere in the necessary workings of your Mac, or are just caused by that glitchy Sudoku app that you just downloaded.

 

How To Restart In Safe Mode:

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Press the power button.

3. After hearing the startup tone, hold down the Shift Key. This should not be done prior to the sounding of the tone.

4. Let go of the Shift Key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator.

Now What?

Most often, we just want you to restart your computer this time without the shift key, and see if the problem has gone away.

 

 

 

February 21, 2013
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Using Search Tokens In Mail

Have you lost track of that important email? Can you only remember part of the necessary information for a successful search? Don’t worry, Apple has included a valuable and intuitive new way to search in the newest version of mail.

The Problem:

The modern Mail user is in need of more and more email accounts. It is commonplace to have a work, personal, gmail, and any number of other accounts at a single time. This means that it is easier than ever before to lose track of essential emails.

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January 30, 2013
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Creativetechs is Hiring!

HelpWanted-iPhone.pngCreativetechs is looking for a Mac Consultant to join our team.

We’ve been continuing to grow over the last year. We are (frankly) somewhat desperate for a talented Mac IT person who can hit the ground running and continue to help our team grow to the next level.

Over the last decade, Creativetechs has grown into the Pacific Northwest’s premiere team of Macintosh experts. Our Mac IT consultants support some of the best Mac-based creative teams in the greater Seattle area, including design firms, ad agencies, photographers, video studios, and in-house creative departments.

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November 1, 2011
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Producing eBooks with InDesign.

Adobe EPUB Books

The acceptance of mainstream eBooks is just getting started, and publishers are very interested in the future of digital books. Apple’s new iPad will use the open EPUB format for selling and distributing electronic books (iBooks) on their new tablet.

If you work in the publishing industry, it’s time to learn what the EPUB format is all about. A good place to start is with a series of three new how-to guides from Adobe on producing and exporting EPUB eBooks from InDesign:

PDF: How to export EPUB eBooks from InDesign.

PDF: Working with images in InDesign for export to EPUB.

PDF: Common questions about exporting EPUB files from InDesign.

Link: Adobe How-To Guides: Producing EPUB eBooks from InDesign.

Source: This tip inspired by a post by Anne-Marie Concepcion on InDesign Secrets. Designer’s in Seattle may be interested in The InDesignSecrets Print and ePublishing Conference May 12–14, 2010.

February 14, 2010
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Sneak Peek of Photoshop CS5 Selections.

PSCS5-SneakPeak.pngHere is a great little treat.

Photoshop Product Manager, Bryan O’Neil Hughes, shared a glimpse of new selection technology that offers better edge detection and masking results in less time—even with the trickiest images, like hair.

Video: Photoshop Selections Sneak Peek.

The video is only about a minute long, but it reveals that Adobe has some powerful tools slated for future versions of Photoshop.

Source: We don’t know when CS5 will ship (or even if that’s what it will be called) — but rest assured that as soon as the new tools are unveiled, you can expect a slate of live worldwide classes exploring the latest features in our online classroom.

February 8, 2010
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Resources for designing on the 960 grid.

960Grid-520px.gif

I love the solid feel of a clean grid-based layout. Get started with this handy collection of resources for working with the 960 pixel grid system many web designers use to streamline web development.

Link: 960 Gridder Overlay. (shown above)

Link: 960 Grid System – Resources and Links.

Link: The Grid System – Grid systems for designers (print & web).

Link: Typogridphy – Working the 960 grid with Type.

Source: I’d been thinking a lot about grids lately. This tip inspired by an upcoming website redesign for the Creativetechs Training site.

February 8, 2010
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Problems with MailChimp Interest Groups.

MailChimpGroups.pngThis is an open letter to the MailChimp team:

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE the MailChimp service for handling email newsletters. We’ve been MailChimp clients for over years, and MailChimp has been my product of choice for most of the email marketing classes I’ve led over the years.

But the Interest Groups feature in MailChimp is broken. I’m hoping that by demonstrating our problems with the current Interest Groups implementation, those issues will be addressed, and I’ll be able to continue using MailChimp for many years to come. As it stands today, I’m seriously considering moving to another service for our training classes. And I’d really prefer to stay with MailChimp.

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February 4, 2010
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