By default, Siri likes to chat, confirming what you say and speaking the results of your commands when appropriate. If you don’t like that, go to Settings > Siri > Voice Feedback and select either Control with Ring Switch (the iPhone’s physical switch) or Control with Mute Setting (iPad) to make Siri be quiet when the device is muted. Alternatively, choose Hands-Free Only to silence Siri except when connected to Bluetooth, headphones or CarPlay. Or set Siri to whisper—hold the Home button to invoke Siri and then reduce the volume, which applies only to Siri’s voice.

iBooks in iOS has a built-in sleep timer that can automatically pause playback after a specified amount of time, which is great for listening to an audiobook as you go to sleep (tap the Moon button below the volume slider). What if you prefer listening to content that’s not in iBooks, like music or a college lecture? To set a sleep timer that works for Music, iTunes U, or any other app that plays audio, open the Clock app and tap the Timer button. Next, tap When Timer Ends (iPhone) or the selected sound (iPad), scroll to the end of the list of sounds, and select Stop Playing. When you’re ready to listen as you drift off to sleep, start the timer just before or right after you press Play in your audio app.

Even if you already know this tip, you may not have realized all the places where it works. When you find yourself in a list on the Mac, as in a Finder window, an Open dialog, or a set of auto-completion options, you can usually press keys on the keyboard to navigate within the list. Press M, and you’ll select the first item whose initial letter is M. If multiple items start with M, use the Up and Down arrow keys to move one item at a time. And rather than clicking an Open or OK button, try pressing Return to activate the selected item. So if you assumed you had to use the pointer to scroll through lists and click list items, try the keyboard—it’s faster to type W than to scroll all the way down to Wyoming in a list of states.

The Hidden Dangers of Shadow IT to Your Business

We all know that using information technology — programs, apps, or internet browsing — carries a certain amount of risk. Nobody wants to have their secure data compromised, but technology brings enough benefits that the risk is worth it. So you vet certain systems, you establish protocols, you update and patch your software, and you keep track of the technology used at work.

But what about the technology your employees are using that isn’t part of your official plan? We’re talking about messaging apps, Excel macros, cloud data storage, collaboration spaces, and even hardware like USB drives, smartphone storage, and personal laptops that you don’t control.

We call this “shadow IT,” and that’s a whole lot of potential holes to cover!

Even if you ignore the dangers of having accounts hacked, data stolen, and websites vandalized, shadow IT can be very inefficient. You don’t control it, so you don’t know where important information is or what work is being done. It makes it hard to avoid duplication of efforts and even harder to manage employee productivity. What are you to do?

Well, your gut reflex might be to “crack down” on using unauthorized technology for work purposes. Swallow that reaction, though — you can’t stop it, and you’ll just harm morale. You’ll also drive usage even further underground; your people won’t be honest with you for fear of reprisal. That means that if a compromise occurs, you’ll be the last to know.

Instead, keep an eye on the situation. Make it clear that you support employees using the tools they need to get the job done, as long as they let you know what those tools are. If your people start using cloud storage apps, that’s fine — but have them explain how they’ll keep that data secure. Just as you empower them to find their own tools, empower them to keep things secure.

You probably can’t come up with a list of all the shadow IT that’s being used at your work, but you can keep an eye on the trends as they develop. Research the technology that’s being used and watch the headlines for data breaches or other compromises.

In some cases, you will have to crack down on specific apps, programs, or devices being used at your work; they’re just too risky. If you’ve worked with employees and fostered good communication, this shouldn’t be an issue. Remember to avoid blaming employees when shadow IT becomes a problem — especially if they bring the issue to your attention themselves. There’s nothing wrong with asking your people to stop using a specific program or device, as long as you’re transparent and have good reasons.

Last, but not least, try to look on the bright side. Shadow IT may be a little risky, but it also presents opportunities for employees to drive productivity and try out new best practices. If they’re using a piece of technology, it’s probably doing something that the currently “approved” tech is not. They’re also showing self-starter tendencies and trying to do their job better. And that’s always something you should support!

Photo by 卡晨 on Unsplash

More tips just for you…

More great tips from the archives…

• Two Secret Key Combos for Forward Delete on the Magic and MacBook Keyboards
• iCloud Photo Library Users: Do NOT Turn Off iCloud
• Ever Wondered Which Words to Capitalize in a Title? Use Capitalize My Title!
• Tips for Setting Up a Comfortable and Effective Home Work Space
• Tips for Better Videoconferencing
• Set Your Preferred Name and Photo for Messages on iOS
• The Fastest Way to Change Wi-Fi Networks in iOS
• What to Put at the End of Your Emails
• Apple Business Manager Is a Win for Apple-Driven Workplaces

• Find Wasted Space with Storage Management
• Forrester Research and IBM Studies Show Macs Are Cheaper than PCs
• Being an Apple User Means You’re Not the Product
• How to Ask for Tech Support So You Get Good Answers Quickly
• Apple Business Manager Is a Win for Apple-Driven Workplaces

• Spring Loaded: Apple Announces New M1-Based 24-inch iMac, iPad Pro, AirTag, Apple TV 4K, and More
• Customize What Appears in New Finder Windows with This Tip
• Here’s Why You Should Always Keep the Find My iPhone Feature Enabled
• Find Files in the Finder Better by Specifying a Search Scope
• Use This Trick to Find a Missing App Window

• The Hidden Dangers of Shadow IT on your business
• Need to Stay in Touch? Try One of These Videoconferencing Apps
• Never Send Someone a Password in Mail or Messages: Do This Instead!
• What Are All These New Privacy Request Dialogs in Mojave?
• The Importance of Productivity Tech for Your Road Warriors

Harley-Davidson managed to turn their fortunes around by making use of predictive analytics. Here is a detailed analysis of how they made it work.  

Asaf Jacobi was selling one or two Harley-Davidson motorcycles a week at his New York dealership. One day during winter, he decided to take a walk in Riverside Park and came upon OR Shani, the CEO of Adgorithms. After talking about his low sales numbers, Shani suggested that Jacobi tries Albert. This AI developed by Adgorithms is designed for marketing purposes. It works on various platforms such as Google and Facebook to optimize ad campaigns.

Impressive Results.

When Jacobi gave it a trial, he sold over 15 motorcycles that week. It was almost double, what he had sold all summer. Jacobi kept at it. He went from getting a qualified lead a day to more than 40. In the first month, 15% of the new leads were similar to past high-value customers and were thus likely to purchase. By the third month, leads had grown by 29-30%. Out of those leads, 50% were similar to past high-value customers. Jacobi had to expand the call center to handle all the new business.

How the AI did that.

Today, Facebook, Google, and Amazon are leading in the use of AI. This has given them a major advantage over customers by enabling them to target them with highly personalized marketing campaigns. However, other companies are also starting to join the AI race.

In the case of the Harley-Davidson dealership, Albert the Ai helped to grow store traffic by generating leads, which were simply customers who filled out a form expressing interest.

Making Data work for you.

Albert was given creative content from Harley-Davidson and some performance targets. The AI began to analyze existing data from the dealership. It was able to find characteristics and behaviors of high-value customers within New York. The Ai targeted those who completed purchases, added an item to their online cart, or were among the top 25% of people who spent time on the site.

With this data, Albert went after people on the internet that had similar characteristics. The AI ran tests on a few sample groups and collected data from the tests. It then conducted further tests with more variables. At the end of it all, it had gathered enough data to develop what a high-value customer would look like. It then scaled up the campaigns to reach out to these people.

The Benefits of AI in Predictive Analytics.

For Harley-Davidson, the AI analyzed what was working and what was a waste of money. The AI used what it gathered from these tests to create opportunities that were likely to lead to successful conversions. In short, it allocated resources to what had worked, which helped to improve the ROI for digital marketing campaigns.

The traditional method used by marketers is to create buyer personas. The personas are based partly on historical data, the marketer’s experiences, guesswork, and gut feelings. When a company decides to use personas, it has to rely on guesswork to determine what worked and what failed.

An Ai does need to come up with personas. They find real opportunities by checking the behaviors of online profiles and determining who has behaviors that are indicative of a high degree of conversion.

AI Could Help to Save Time.

Even when equipped with the most complex digital tools, humans can only manage a few tasks at a time. They will also have a hard time making an unbiased application of any insights that they gather. On the other hand, an AI can process millions of interactions a minute. They can also run more than thousands of tests at the same time and make predictions at the same time.

Another advantage of an AI is that it never gets tired. While humans can only manage a few hours of analysis, the AI can work all the time all year round. In addition, the AI modifies its marketing strategy in real time, which means that no money is wasted at any time.

Making Use of AI.

Since AI is still quite new, and since marketers may be wary of relinquishing control to a device, it is wise to adopt AI incrementally. At first, it can be used to run small and short experiments. As the results trickle in, the AI can then be modified.

When carrying out experiments, it is important to define goals. For instance, the goals can be increased leads or better ROI.

When choosing the tool to use with AI, you need to know what you want. Some tools can focus on a single task such as optimizing web content. Other complex tools offer more capabilities. Still, others can produce results but will not act on them without being prompted.

However, you should not be afraid to take the plunge. You will be able to have an edge over the competition that is still not sure whether they should use the technology.

How You Can Ensure Success.

If you decide to use AI for Predictive Analytics, some best practices will help you to succeed. Here are some of them:

1. Have Accurate CRM.

The AI will work with your current CRM. Thus, if it is full of garbage, it will generate garbage. The predictions will only be as good as the underlying data. It is better to have less data, which is accurate than to have silos of data that is full of errors.

2. Take Your Time.

Although the AI is fast, you do not have to be. A good example is Harley Davidson that started with micro-segments and numerous tests. This helped them to adjust the campaign accurately before they ever went full scale.

3. Let the AI do its Magic.

It can be difficult for business owners to wrap their minds around the concept of a program controlling their marketing campaign. However, they will have to learn how to let go and let the AI work. The AI will work based on proven data and not personal insights. It will allow you to make predictions that are more accurate.

Conclusion.

Although the AI will take away some of the decision-making power, it can help to motivate the sales team and keep the business moving forward. You will also have more time to make other decisions about your business.

Our focus on lifelong learning ensures your business stays ahead; learn how automation is impacting jobs and why education matters so much in a variety of industries, from finance to healthcare.  

Apple announced a slew of new hardware (HomePod!) and software at WWDC yesterday, and we have the rundown

This white paper details what additional steps IT pros need to take to safeguard their networks and systems and why they should leave the newer versions of SMBs alone.  

With the recent appearance of the “WannaCry” ransomware cyber attacks, the vulnerability of the 30-year old SMB1 protocol was finally laid bare. Through the use of an exploit tool called “ETERNALBLUE” and leaked from the NSA by the “Shadow Brokers” hacker group, the vulnerabilities in the Server Message Bock (SMB) services were successfully exploited to spread its malicious denial-of-service mayhem.

Most of the hacks affected those with older, less-secure systems, as with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, which are so old that they are no longer even supported. Security bulletin MS16-114 detailed the vulnerabilities of the protocol implementations in those (mostly older) Windows versions.

The Microsoft Corporation hurriedly issued a “critical” security bulletin release to be installed in networks as a safety measure but even Microsoft’s engineers are in agreement that the only reliable way to stop the spread of the virus is to disable the SMB1 protocol completely.

The problem

But, you say, I have a newer version as well as SMBv2 or 3 and besides, aren’t the Microsoft protections enough to stop the ransomware’s infestation? Why bother with tinkering with the SMB at all – isn’t that a bit of overkill?
That’s only part of the story: even with a patch or other protective installations and newer versions of the SMB, there is remains the very real problem of interaction with other devices that may need to continue to connect with SMB1, such as printers or other peripherals. The real problem is, according to Microsoft field engineer Ralph Kyttle, that SMB1 is still lurking in your computer’s innards or those of your clients, who can unwittingly act as SMB servers by ‘talking’ to devices using SMB1, including printers or NAS or anything else that might be running Windows or Samba/Linux. This is why even those at Microsoft highly recommend getting rid of SMB1 as soon as you download their version-specific instructions.

Solution #1: Follow Microsoft’s instructions for disabling the SMB feature

If you want to remove the possibility of a future hack or another SMB1-related security issue, the best – really, the only – way, according to Microsoft’s Principal Program Manager and engineer Ned Pyle, is to remove it completely. Microsoft gives somewhat differing instructions according to this link depending on which OS you are using. Be sure to backup your data before trying to follow their advice as there is a possibility there may be a change to the Windows Registry – and not following the steps as set forth by Microsoft could result in your machine crashing altogether.

Solution #2: Banishing SMB1 “zombies”

Like a zombie rising from the grave, even a disabled SMB1 has a way of coming back to haunt users all over again. Because of the real possibility of post-removal SMB1 interactions, Kyttle recommends that IT pros use one of more of the following methods to detect SMB1 network dependencies, such as network capture and other software and tools to detect and remove any noncompliant configuration.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft offers tools for IT pros to detect whether SMB1 is being used within a network. One is the Microsoft Message Analyzer, a tool which displays logs of inbound and outbound traffic which can be subject to filtering for SMB1 activity.

Another useful tool is PowerShell’s Desired State Configuration Environment Analyzer (DSCEA) module. Requiring PowerShell version 5.0, DSCEA shows compliance information via Power BI or HTML, allowing IT pros to use the scans to repair problematic configurations.

Finally, users should be aware that depending on an individual computer’s configuration as well as other variables, there have been reports that SMB1 had to be reinstalled at least temporarily, in order to authenticate domains and access shares.

Solution #3: SMB2 and SMB3: Love ‘em or leave ‘em?

Most experts say to leave them because unlike with SMB1, they’re there for some pretty good reasons. Microsoft warns that disabling them should be viewed only as a temporary measure – be sure to enable them once done with troubleshooting tasks.

Here’s what you stand to lose if you leave these two important SMB protocols disabled:

In Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2:

Disabling SMB v2 deactivates the following:

• Caching of folder and file properties allowing clients to retain file copies
• Improved use of faster networks through larger reads and writes
• Durable handles which permit transparently reconnection to the server in case of a temporary disconnection
• Request compounding which allows the user to send multiple SMB2 requests as a single request
• Improved scalability for sharing files, increasing the number of users, shares and open files per server
• Improved message signing with MD5 hashing algorithm replaced by HMAC SHA-256
• Better support for symbolic links
• Client oplcock leasing model which limits transferred data between client and server, resulting in improved SMB server scalability and performance with high-latency networks

In Windows 8, Win 8.1, Win 10, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016:

Disabling SMBv3 deactivates the following (as well as previously-described SMB2 functions):

• Concurrent access of shared data on file cluster nodes via Scale Out
• End-to-end encryption and protection from eavesdropping by untrustworthy networks
• Transparent failover allowing clients to reconnect to cluster nodes without interruption during failover or maintenance
• Directory leasing which improves branch offices’ application response times via caching
• Multichannel aggregation of fault tolerance and network bandwidth if multiple paths are available between client and server

Summary

In the aftermath of this hacking, taking steps for immediately removing SMB1 should be a no-brainer. Removal, however, is only part of the solution: doing so can bring in other, possibly unwelcome consequences. Thanks to the sheer pervasiveness of SMB1, IT pros can’t let down their guard even after disabling the pesky protocol. So, while it may at first seem like overkill, in today’s cyber environment it’s better to be safe than sorry.

When Apple releases macOS 10.13 High Sierra this fall, it will include big behind-the-scenes improvements and a few upfront changes in core Apple apps like Safari, Mail, and Photos. The upgrade will be free, and High Sierra will run on all Macs that can run 10.12 Sierra now.

The most important change under the hood is a new file system called APFS (Apple File system), which is designed for modern needs like fast backups of massive amounts of data and optimal behavior when storing files on solid-state drives. The file system is the smarts beneath the Mac’s Finder, helping your Mac to keep track of all its data. The Finder itself won’t change much, but certain tasks like duplicating lots of data will be much faster.

Other low-level technology changes will enable developers to bring faster video streaming and playback to the Mac. Plus, they’ll be able to create graphically demanding apps that have even more realistic images, which is important for the fields of virtual reality and gaming.

More obviously, you can look forward to Safari providing a more enjoyable Web browsing experience, with fewer ads, articles opening in the less-cluttered Reader view, and no more auto-playing audio. You can customize all these settings, as well as the text zoom percentage, on a per-site basis.

Searching in Mail will be significantly faster, with a Top Hits area that Apple says will learn from you over time and get smarter about suggesting ideal results. Mail will also feature a redesigned split screen option that puts the compose window next to your messages, and your Mail archive will consume less drive space than before, thanks to better compression.

Photos gets a lot of attention from Apple in High Sierra, with a refined interface that should make it easier to find tools, syncing of facial recognition training between your Apple devices, new editing tools for fine-tuning and saturation, and fun choices for enhancing Live Photos. Also, Photos will finally allow integration with third-party editing apps like Photoshop and Pixelmator, along with support for printing projects to non-Apple print services, so you’ll have more choices in that area.

Overall, High Sierra looks like it will be a solid refinement on Sierra, with some core improvements for pro users and a nice collection of enhancements to apps that the rest of us use every day.

The wait is over!

Although these days Apple is putting more emphasis on the Mac, particularly for professional use, the company certainly isn’t ignoring pro iPad users. If you’ve been holding off on an iPad Pro purchase, there’s no reason to wait any longer. Apple introduced a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro that’s just a hair taller and wider than the 9.7-inch iPad Pro it replaces, despite having a larger screen that’s 20% larger. The company also enhanced the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a variety of new hardware capabilities.

All motion on the screens of both iPad Pros will be smoother and more responsive, thanks to a previously unheard of 120 Hz refresh rate. It will make drawing with the Apple Pencil even more fluid. The screens are also brighter, can display more colors, and have low reflectivity. Both models get new cameras that match those in the iPhone 7: a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization and True Tone flash, plus a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera on the front.

Since professionals care about performance, the new iPad Pros rely on Apple’s new processor, the A10X Fusion chip. Apple claims that the A10X is 30% faster than the A9X used by the previous generation of iPad Pros, and it also delivers 40% faster graphics rendering.

You can buy an iPad Pro with 64 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB of storage, significantly more than last year’s models. The 64 GB 10.5-inch iPad Pro with Wi-Fi costs $649; jumping to 256 GB increases the price to $749, and going to 512 GB raises it to $949. For the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a 64 GB configuration starts at $799, with 256 GB at $899 and 512 GB at $1099. Add $130 to any configuration to get cellular connectivity as well.

Although the iPad Pros are available starting this month, you can look forward to them becoming significantly more useful when Apple releases iOS 11 in the fall. That’s because iOS 11 promises to bring a number of iPad-specific features, including:

• A customizable Dock that holds more than six apps
• A new App Switcher that includes split-screen app combinations
• A new Files app for managing documents
• Drag-and-drop capability for moving data between apps
• Instant Notes, which opens the Notes app with an Apple Pencil tap on the Lock screen
• Inline drawing with the Apple Pencil in Notes and Mail
• Handwritten text recognition so you can search what you write