. . . Almost!
Everyone hates passwords, and everyone’s passwords are a mess (mine included). They multiply like weeds and are as much fun to manage.
The good news is that their days are numbered; but like all changes, it will take some time and involves a learning curve. Here’s a quick take on their replacement: passKEYS.
What are Passkeys?
When you walk into one of your regular haunts, you are immediately recognized and admitted. Passkeys work like that: your face or fingerprint is recognized, and *POOF!*, in you go to your account on an app or website. It’s pretty magical, very safe, and there’s nothing for you to remember. Of course, you have to set them up first.
Apple has added Passkey support in the new iOS 16, and you’ll find it in MacOS Ventura in October (see important update news below). Apple has a good video demonstration here (it’s long; the useful part is from 1:48 – 3:37).
But Passkeys are not just for Apple; Google and Microsoft have already begun implementing them. More on how this works: Microsoft, Android, Apple
If you want to give passkeys a try, the Kayak app for iOS lets you use a passkey–plus it’s one of my favorite travel apps, and free.
‘Tis the (Update) Season
Carry an Umbrella to Prevent Rain
Updates rarely go badly, but rarely is not never. Best practices before you do any update on ANY device:
- Make sure you have plenty of free space.
- Make sure you have a recent backup (here’s how: for Mac, for Windows, for iPhones/iPads)
- Don’t update instantly when the update becomes available; wait a week or two in case any major bugs surface.
- Allow plenty of time, especially for major updates–some take hours to complete.
If you cannot update your device anymore, it’s probably time to replace it. The one exception is Windows 10, which will continue to be supported until 2025.
Here’s a rundown of the latest updates.
Macs
The next major version of the Mac operating system, MacOS 13 (Ventura), arrives in October, bringing a bunch of cool features including passkey support and the ability to use your iPhone as a webcam. Consider updating to 12.6 and then TURNING OFF AUTOMATIC UPDATES until Ventura has been out for a few weeks (here’s how). We’ll remind you to turn them back on a few weeks later when things have settled down.
iPhones and iPads
iOS/iPadOS 16 added some very cool new features (read more here), but some users have reported that battery drain accelerates in iOS 16.
As of today, 16.0.2 is the latest version, but keep an eye out for 16.1.
Windows
Not sure which version of Windows you have? Here’s how to tell.
The first major update to Windows 11 (22H2) is out, and it’s getting good reviews. The equivalent big update for Windows 10 (22H2) will be available in October.
If you’re still running Windows 7 or 8 (which you shouldn’t be!), there’s an important update you should install immediately (more about that here).
It’s Not Even
Hallowe’en yet!
Black Friday, traditionally the Friday after Thanksgiving, seems to be creeping earlier.
Amazon announced a Prime member sale October 11-12. Other retailers are moving to compete: Walmart is offering some early discounts and, notably, purchases made from October 1 can be returned through January 31, 2023.
(A Costco employee once told me that they get a lot of Christmas trees returned on the 26th. With tinsel).
