FPCUG Notes for October 2019 Editor: Frank Fota ([email protected]) SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (7:00 PM - Falmouth Firehouse, Butler Road): -- Tues, Oct 1: Technology Workshop (Josh Cockey) -- Tues, Oct 8: Board of Directors (BoD) Meeting (Patty Davis, Presiding) -- Thu, Oct 10: General Meeting. The FPCUG plans to facilitate a discussion following three TED Talks: TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. We will begin with computer scientist Supasorn Suwajanakorn, who will present “Fake videos of real people -- and how to spot them.” Artificial Intelligence and 3D modeling are used to create photorealistic fake videos of people synced to audio. Learn about the ethical implications and creative possibilities of this tech -- and the steps being taken to fight against its misuse. Next, we will hear from the professor of physics at TU Delft, Leo Kouwenhoven. Professor Kouwenhoven will discuss quantum computing, “Can we make quantum technology work?” His team at the QU Tech Lab designs experiments to place electrons in superpositions. Why? Because we need computers that can process information as quickly and efficiently as nature does (i.e., using quantum mechanics). Superposition is essentially being in two separate places and in both places at the same time. Electrons can circle different atoms at the same time and this is the glue that keeps molecules together and stops them from falling apart. It's the molecular machinery that allows a green leaf to "process" light into oxygen in the fastest and most efficient way possible. If a plant can process (i.e., “think”) that way, why can't a computer? Finally, Navin Reddy, CEO of the distance learning company Telusko, will discuss, “Blockchain: The Underrated Technology.” Blockchain is a buzzword that you may have heard about but don’t understand. Some people think it’s just a fad (e.g., cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin use it). Mr. Reddy suggests that blockchain can solve problems which we think have no solutions. He asks if blockchain will change the way we use the Internet. He asks if we are ready for such changes. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. -- Tues, Oct 15: All About Your Computer (Robert Monroe) – NEW !!! -- Thu, Oct 17: Experimac Workshop 1865-106 Carl D. Silver Parkway -- Thu, Oct 24: Windows All Workshop (Jim Hopkins) SEPTEMBER GENERAL MEETING RECAP Caroline Family YMCA Health and Wellness Director, Angela Bush, discussed many of the ongoing family, fitness and educational programs at the Caroline Family YMCA and throughout the community. Ms. Bush said that the Caroline Family YMCA is more than a fitness center, they are a lifelong learning center focused on health, fitness and helping youth achieve their goals. https://family- ymca.org/ APPLE iOS 13 Apple released iOS 13 on September 19th to enthusiastic reviews. Tom’s Guide Editor-in- Chief Mark Spoonauer says, “The focus this time around is on much improved 1 performance, a new Dark Mode and overhauled apps including Maps, Photos and Reminders.” Mr. Spoonauer provided a long list of improvements and features including: Loading apps up to 2x faster A Dark Mode that improves the contrast in photos A swipe typing option with a Quick Path keyboard Smarter reminders that automatically recognize dates and times A “Sign in With Apple” feature that’s more secure and makes it easier to sign into apps An improved Maps app that has more detail and new features (e.g., frequently used locations) Improved sorting options that make it easier to find photos Improved text-to-speech ( Siri ) Memoji – A more personal, more customizable, more accessible emoji Selectable Wi-Fi network in Control Center iOS 13 will run on the iPhone 6s and later. If you haven’t upgraded to iOS 13, you may wish to wait as many bugs have been reported (see “Apple iOS 13 Warnings Issued For Millions Of iPhone Users” or “A New iOS Arrives, Along With a Few Bugs”). An update to iOS 13 is expected to address these bugs by the time you read this article . THE iPhone 11 AND 11 PRO The iPhone 11 promises much and at $699, is actually $50 cheaper than the iPhone XR. Tom’s Guide Editor-in- Chief Mark Spoonauer provides an informative 5½ minute video review here. A “spatial audio” feature provides deeper and richer sound including support for Dolby Atmos. The iPhone 11 sports dual cameras that offer wide focus and improved low light photos. The A13 Bionic processor is the fastest offered in modern cell phones. Apple claims the glass used is more durable. Drop tests, however, are needed to verify this. Apple also claims that the phone is more water-resistant. The battery was tested to last over 11 hours on their web surfing test. A fast charger works with but is not included with the iPhone 11. The fast charger is part of the more expensive iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max packages. The differences between the phones are available on the Apple website. Editor’s Note: September was a huge month for Apple, Inc. Apple released iOS 13, the iPhone 11, the seventh-generation iPad, and the Apple Watch Series 5. SEARCH ENGINE TIPS I am certain you have become as frustrated as me when an internet search results in hundreds of thousands of results that have little if anything to do with the item you were searching for. I often see meaningless returns when searching for computer parts (e.g., old laptop batteries) and find myself refining or excluding search terms. Bob Rankin (askbobrankin.com) provides useful tips for refining your search terms to improve results. Using quotation marks around keywords or phrases limits 2 search results to those with the exact words or phrases as quoted. Results are also limited to the phrase in the exact order specified (e.g., “Four score and seven years ago”). You can also exclude search terms by using a hyphen (e.g., -lithium batteries will return results for batteries that do not contain lithium). You can also exclude an exact phrase (e.g., -“Hewlett-Packard”). However, excluding the exact phrase -“Hewlett-Packard” would not exclude HP so you would need to add -HP (i.e., -“Hewlett-Packard” -HP). Bob also recommends using Wildcards when you are uncertain of the spelling. This is especially useful with regard to foreign names and places (e.g., George Steph*nop*l*s or Chernob*l*). You can also limit searches by time/date. In Google Chrome, perform the search and then select the tools button and Any time. You can then select current results from the drop-down menu or older results. You can also set a custom date range. To search within a specific website, Bob suggests, “you can search just that one site by specifying its name immediately after the operator site: – i.e., site:askbobrankin.com faxing will return only articles on my site that mention faxing. This is especially useful on sites that don't have an integrated search feature.” If you are searching for a spreadsheet template or a PDF document, you can specify the file type (e.g., batteries filetype:xls or batteries filetype:pdf). QUANTUM SUPREMACY? Google claims to have attained quantum supremacy. In other words, their quantum computer has performed a task that the most powerful supercomputer could not. Since Google had an agreement with NASA to use its supercomputer as a benchmark, the claim initially appeared in a paper posted on NASA’s website. Google claimed its 72-qubit quantum computer performed a calculation in three minutes and 20 seconds that would take the most advanced supercomputer (i.e., Summit) approximately 10,000 years to complete. San Francisco bureau chief of MIT Technology Review Martin Giles describes the speed of quantum computers saying, “Quantum machines are so powerful because they harness quantum bits or qubits. Unlike classical bits, which represent either a 1 or a 0, qubits can be in a kind of combination of both at the same time. Thanks to other quantum phenomena, which are described in our explainer here, quantum computers can crunch large amounts of data in parallel that conventional machines have to work through sequentially.” It is not clear what calculation Google’s quantum computer performed. The achievement will spark additional research and development of quantum computers. At present, quantum processors are prone to errors. Minute changes in conditions (e.g., temperature or vibration) are typically to blame. Researchers believe that quantum computers will soon solve difficult problems that classical computers struggle to solve (e.g., designing drugs to treat disease, improving supply chain management, and advancing artificial intelligence). If you are desperate to solve the climate crisis, eradicate world hunger, cure cancer, or activate the neural network-based conscious group mind (i.e., Skynet), IBM will allow the public to use its 53-qubit quantum computer when it is brought online in October 2019. 3 ANDROID APPS (FLEECEWARE) OVERCHARGING USERS The cybersecurity company SophosLabs discovered a number of Android applications on Google’s Play Market that charge users high fees for services that can be obtained from free apps. Because these apps are not overtly malware or potentially unwanted apps, Sophos has coined them “fleeceware.” Sophos asked Google if such apps violate their terms and conditions. Writing for Sohos News, Jagadeesh Chandraiah says, “We have not received a response from Google representatives about whether high-value monthly subscriptions to apps with very basic functionality violates their in-app purchasing policies.” However, Google has removed 14 of 15 apps they were informed about. When the apps are run, they prompt users to sign up for a very short trial period. Payment information is needed before the app will run.