Our priority continues to be your well-being and safety.

Although we're not making onsite visits right now, MacAtoZ continues to provide remote support appointments for existing Sentinel and Sentinel+ clients. If yours is an issue of setting up or troubleshooting a video conferencing program (like FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc.) we'll do that for free. If you're having email issues and you've waited a bit and rebooted the Mac, we'll do a free remote support session to fix that that too. We want you to be able to stay connected. 

These next couple months are going to be grim. If it doesn't already, it will feel like a constant barrage of awful news.

But life will not stay this way. This is a short-term cataclysm. It will not be forever. We have the best scientific and medical minds in the world racing to create vaccines, mitigate symptoms, improve acute care medical capacity, and so forth. I have every confidence in the intelligence, capability, and drive of the human race. I firmly believe that we will defeat this virus given time. 

I want to share with you a few reasons for my optimism:

• Abbott Labs will have a 15 minute test widely scaled by May. In fact the first testing machines are already in use. This will be a game changer in testing, tracing, and isolating—the things we need to do to start suppressing the virus.
• There is increasing evidence that plasma transfusions from people who have recovered from COVID-19 save lives. This concept, known as convalescent plasma or convalescent sera, has been used in previous epidemics. Here, we'd be putting COVID-19 antibodies to fight the virus directly into someone who's ill. See https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-03-30/more-evidence-covid-19-survivors-blood-could-help-very-ill-patients
• As more people recover from COVID-19—and roughly 80% recover without hospitalization—we collectively start to develop herd immunity. That is, the virus is no longer able to infect these people, and the spread of the virus will start to be contained as a result. 
• COVID-19 vaccines are in the works. Johnson & Johnson hopes to begin clinical trials in September. Getting immunity is better when you don't have to get COVID-19 first! 
• Antibody testing for people who've had COVID-19 and are now immune means that we'll have people who can return to work. Right now our lack of testing means we're not always sure who's had it and is now immune. In Germany, they test like crazy, and they're issuing "antibody certificates" to allow people to head back to work.
• As masks become more widely available, many industries will have an option of restarting while still keeping the transmission rate low. The CDC and the WHO have both had guidance that recommends against wearing masks; this is very likely to change soon. They've been wrong. Masks make a difference in slowing transmission. Yes, we need to get an adequate supply of masks to healthcare workers first, but ultimately, this may be one way we can start to safely get out of the house again. 

Again, in the short-term (April and May), the situation here in the United States and in many parts of the world will be dire. We must steel ourselves for this eventuality. We must resolve to do what is within our power, however small it may seem, to help others in this crisis. We must resolve to stay safe for our friends, family, and society. This pandemic is the challenge of our era, and we must meet it with the same determination our forefathers brought to the struggles of their times.   
 

Apple releases COVID-19 screening tool

In partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control, Apple has released a free COVID-19 Screening Tool iOS app and nearly identical Web site.

The interactive screening tool poses a series of questions about symptoms, risk factors, and recent exposure. Then it offers customized CDC recommendations, including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to monitor symptoms, whether or not a test is recommended, and when to contact a medical provider.

In addition, the app and Web site provide useful information about COVID-19, advice about how to keep yourself safe, and details on what to expect from testing. There’s nothing here that the CDC and other health agencies haven’t published elsewhere, but the screening tool can provide some peace of mind and reduce unnecessary load on overworked healthcare providers.

 

Apple software updates

Apple has released macOS 10.15.4 Catalina and iOS/iPadOS 13.4. All upgrades are a bad idea at this time.

macOS 10.15.4 Catalina is still, unbelievably, not something we can recommend. Continued reports of lost mail messages and messages that disappear when moved. We have never had a macOS where we couldn't recommended it by the .4 release. 

iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 are both bug-laden. There are VPN, keyboard, Bluetooth, and FaceTime issues among others. Do NOT update to 13.4. 
 

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Software Recommendations

macOS 10.14.6 Mojave. macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra is acceptable. Earlier versions should be upgraded ASAP. You can see your Mac's operating system version by going to the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choosing "About This Mac." Don't even think about macOS 10.15 Catalina yet.

iOS 13.3.1. iOS 12.4.1 (or 12.4.2 for some models) acceptable. Any device that can run iOS 11 should be upgraded to 12.4.2. You can see your iPhone or iPad's operating system version by going to Settings > General > About > Version.

iPadOS 13.3.1. iPadOS 12.4.1 (12.4.2 for some models) also acceptable. 

watchOS 6.1.3. Older versions of WatchOS acceptable if necessary; upgrade if your devices (iPhone and Apple Watch) support it. You can see your Apple Watch's operating system version by going to Settings > General > About > Version. 

tvOS 13.3.1. tvOS 12 also acceptable. Note that earlier models of Apple TV do not run tvOS and are fine for what they do; not all channels, features, or apps will be available. You can see if there's a software update available for your Apple TV by going to Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software.

Third-Party Software
Backblaze. Off-site backup remains important in mitigating the risk of fire or theft. We use and recommend Backblaze. At a cost of $6 a month per Mac, Backblaze will encrypt then backup an unlimited amount of data from your Mac. Data has a 30-day retention window, though longer time periods are possible for an additional couple bucks. 

Private Internet Access. A Virtual Private Network (or VPN) creates an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the VPN company's computers. From there, you surf the internet as you regularly do. Using a VPN means that anyone who might be spying on your at the hotel, Starbucks, etc. won't be able to see what you're doing. All they'll see if encrypted internet traffic. Private Internet Access (PIA) costs about $75 a year—a cost that covers 5 or 6 devices including Mac, iPhone, and iPad. 
 

Hardware Recommendations

Macintosh

• iMac: iMac10,1 (Late 2009) or newer
• Mac mini: Macmini4,1 (Mid 2010) or newer
• Mac Pro: MacPro5,1 (Mid 2010) or newer
• MacBook: MacBook6,1 (Late 2009) or newer
• MacBook Air: MacBookAir3,1 (Late 2010) or newer
• MacBook Pro: MacBookPro7,1 (Mid 2010) or newer
  • Note that 2016-2019 MacBook Pro models have a higher than usual keyboard failure rate. Used 2015 models, which use a different style keyboard, may be a more reliable option. The new 2019 MacBook Pro 16" model uses a new keyboard mechanism and should be fine.

These are minimum hardware recommendations based on what is necessary to run a secure operating system (macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra). 

The following are the macOS 10.14 Mojave/10.15 Catalina system requirements. If your Mac does not meet these specifications, it will need to be replaced by fall of 2020, when High Sierra will no longer be secure.

macOS 10.14 Mojave/10.15 Catalina system requirements

• MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
• MacBook Air (Mid-2012 or later)
• MacBook Pro (Mid-2012 or later)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac Pro (all models)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013 or newer)

macOS 10.15 Catalina was released in October 2019 and has the same system requirements as Mojave. 

iPhone and iPad

• iPhone 6S or newer. Older iPhones cannot run iOS 13. 
  • iPhone 7 models have a higher than normal failure rate over time. Given the choice, we would recommend iPhone 8 models as a strong alternative to iPhone 7 models. 
• iPad Air 2 or newer will be needed for the new iPadOS coming this fall
• iPad mini 4 or newer will be needed for the new iPadOS coming this fall
• iPad Pro (all models)
• iPad 5th generation or newer

The iPad line is made confusing by the multitude of model names and types (Air, mini, Pro, and just plain iPad). Generally speaking, devices introduced in October 2014 and later will run iPadOS. iPads that will not run iPadOS and should be replaced unless they will not be used on the internet. 

Apple Watch

• Apple Watch Series 5 is highly recommended.
• All versions are secure and acceptable though Apple Watch Series 0 will not run the latest version of WatchOS and therefore lacks both the speed and features of later Apple Watches.  

Apple TV

• Apple TV 4K is recommended. Apple TV (4th generation) is fine as well.
• Older models of Apple TV do not support tvOS and cannot run Apple TV Store apps, though we are unaware of any major security issues.