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The GABer
The Newsletter of the Greater Albany Apple Byters

Volume 34, Number 2 - October 2017

macOS High Sierra Now October 2017 GAAB Meeting

Available as a Free Update The next GAAB meeting will be Tuesday, October 10,
2017.
Apple announced macOS High Sierra, the latest release of
the worlds most advanced desktop operating system, is now
available as a free update. Meeting: Tuesday, October 10, 2017
7:00 PM
With macOS High Sierra, Mac users gain powerful new Panera Bread
core storage, video and graphics technologies. A new file
system ensures more efficient and reliable storage, and 161 Washington Ave. Ext., Albany, NY
support for High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) brings
stunning 4K video at lower file sizes. Metal 2 powers virtual A map can be found at the GAAB website at
reality content creation, faster performance and more. The
Core ML developer framework makes it easy to create http://applebyters.com/index.php/meeting-
apps with powerful machine learning that predict, learn and information/meeting_map/
become more intelligent. macOS High Sierra also includes a
number of refinements to the apps Mac users enjoy everyday,
including Photos and Safari.

GAAB Meeting Agenda:

Discussion: Topics to be presented by members
News from Apple including MacOS and iOS Updates
The GAAB Help Desk: Bring your questions to the
meeting

Featured in this Issue

Next GAAB Meeting
Apple Event............................................................................... 1
October 10, 2017 Apple Ambassador..................................................................... 2
7:00 p.m. Internet SIG................................................................................ 3
Education SIG............................................................................ 4
Panera Bread
161 Washington Ave. Ext. Do Macs Need Anitvirus Software............................................ 8
Albany, NY

Serving the Apple ComputerGABer

October 2017 User Community Since May 1984
The
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Apple 20 Essential Mac Keyboard

Shortcits to Save You a Click
Ambassador by David Nield, Popular Science

by John Buckley Power to your Fingertips

Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Cmd+Q: Quit apps

Who needs a mouse? When you click the red x in the top-left corner of an
application window, macOS wont actually close the
The right keyboard shortcuts can save you a huge amount program completely. Instead, it will minimize the app to
of time. Whether youre browsing the web or editing a the dock. If youre accustomed to Windows machines,
document, these commands will cut the precious moments you may have to adjust to this quirkand to the fact that,
you spend reaching for the mouse and sifting through because it leaves programs running, it can slow down your
menus. Over hours, days, and weeks, that saved time processor speed. To properly shut down an application,
really adds up. Here are 20 of the most useful shortcuts choose Quit from its menuor better yet, employ this
for Apple computers. keyboard shortcut.

Cmd+F: Search

No matter what youre doing on the computer, you can

start a search from just about anywhere by hitting Cmd+F.
In your browser, you can search the current webpage;
in Finder, you search the contents of your hard drive; in
iTunes, you search your music library or the store; and
so on.

Return: Rename

The basic Cmd+Z: Undo If you spend a lot of time renaming files, this shortcut
will really come in handy. Once youve selected the file
Perhaps the most useful keyboard shortcut ever invented, in Finder, you hit the Return key, type out the new name,
Cmd+Z (like Ctrl+Z on a Windows machine) undoes your and hit Return again when youve finished. Then move on
very last action. This works across multiple programs, to the next file by moving the cursor.
whether youve accidentally deleted a file, applied an
image filter you dont like, or erased pages of carefully Better macOS navigation Cmd+number: Change the
crafted prose. Finder view

Cmd+W: Close Finder offers several different ways to view your files. You
can switch between these options by pressing CMD and
Cmd+W is the universal keyboard shortcut for closing then a number. Cmd+1 lets you view each file as an icon,
whatever window or file you currently have open. It works Cmd+2 as a list, Cmd+3 shows the contents of a set of
for just about anything, from open documents to browser folders as a series of columns, and Cmd+4 gives you the
tabs. This one really proves its worth when you need to cover flow perspective. Whichever view you end up using,
close down a lot of windows, images, or anything else in the arrow keys will let you navigate through lists, columns,
quick succession. and filesall without having to reach for the mouse.

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Internet SIG
How to Check if Someone
Has Read Your Email
by Kim Komando, Komoando.com

You write an email. No reply. You send Request a Return Receipt

another email. No reply. Youre halfway
through a third email and you stop. What Read receipts are much more common than most people
happened to the first two? Junk folder? realize. Most major email platforms will give you the
Were the messages just ignored? option to request return/read receipts with email that you
send. Some will also let you specify these receipts for every
In the 21st Century, our inboxes are email youre composing.
flooded. According to the technology
market research company The Radicati Group, the average Keep in mind, these requests only do half the job; the
adult will receive 92 email messages per day in 2017. That recipient can still decline, and youll never receive the
doesnt even count the spam that pours into our accounts. receipt youre hoping for. Some email platforms, like the
The longer we wait for an answer, the more we wonder version of Gmail and Apple Mail, for example, do not
whether the message was seen at all. officially support the sending of read receipt requests.

The communications stream is compounded by text Related: Can you spot a fake email? Take my phishing
messages. You send a text and you expect an immediate IQ test.
reply. But what if you dont get a reply? Click here to
learn how you can tell when someone is seeing your text As an alternative, you can use invisible email tracking
messages. and read receipts, but here youll have to rely on third-party
tracking software. (More on that in a minute.)
Thats why read receipts were invented. This tool will
tell you the exact time that your message is read. Better For the other major email platforms, heres how you set
yet, read receipts nudge the recipient into writing back as them up:
soon as possible. This is especially helpful for tracking
urgent and time-sensitive messages. Outlook

Related: Ever wished that you could unsend an email? To request a return receipt in Microsoft Outlook,
Tap here for the steps. clickOptionson the top menu bar tobring up its sub-menu.

There is a drawback: privacy. Read receipts are great for Now, just check Request a Read Receipt to receive a
you, because you have an idea of what is taking place in notification when your message is opened. Additionally,
the recipients inbox. But some people find receipt requests you can also get notifications when your message is
intrusive and never send them back. There are ways to turn successfully delivered by checking Request a Delivery
to invisible third-party email trackers, which will send Receipt.
you a receipt without the recipient ever knowing.
Mozilla Thunderbird
Depending on your platform, here are various ways to
know if someone has opened and read your email. H e r e s h o w t o t u r n o n r e t u r n r e c e i p t s
i n M o z i l l a s e m a i l c l i e n t T h u n d e r b i r d :

Continued on page 7.

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Education SIG
Schools Bridge the Digital Divide
by Ray Benedici, District Administration

Open-Ended Resources, new software and business partnerships can connect all students with
educational technology
Students work on assignments in a Huntsville ISD They can also recruit local businesses to become
classroom. The Texas district built its curriculum with homework helpers by setting up free Wi-Fi hotspots as
open-educational resources, and the money saved on a community service.
textbooks funded the installation of Wi-Fi on buses and
other digital equity initiatives. The good news is that the ever-growing flexibility of
technology creates many options when it comes district
efforts to create digital equity.

CoSNs district approaches to achieving digital equity:

Partner with local businesses on Wi-Fi accessSeek

mobile hotspot programs and affordable LTE options Take
advantage of special broadband offeringsRepurpose the
educational broadband service (EBS) spectrum Create a
wireless community-based mesh network

Ensuring all students have equal access to educational

technologyboth in the classroom and at homeoften
requires innovation. Educators can find cost- effective
solutions in new technologies such as open-educational
resources and by partnering with the business community.

The vast majority of superintendents agree with the

premise that digital equity is a problem, but when we ask
them if theyre doing anything about it, the alarming thing
is that 70 percent say they arent, says Keith R. Krueger,
CEO of CoSN, a nonprofit professional organization of Cost-conscious tech solutions
K12 technology leaders.
Lack of funding often presents the biggest impediment.
CoSN has developed a free Digital Equity Action Toolkit The federal E-rate program provides support for broadband
that offers examples of how district leaders are narrowing access, but many districts have found other ways to
the digital divide. maximize tech resources.

Superintendents should first assess their districts to identify Putnam City Schools, an economically diverse district of
what devices students have access to, where students use 27 schools covering parts of Oklahoma City and two other
those devices and the available connection speeds, says municipalities, has 17,000 tablets available for 20,000
Krueger. Once limitations are known, districts can first students as it transitions to a 1-to-1 program. The district
consider low-cost, simple efforts to assist low-income purchased the devices with school bonds and has saved
families, such as creating maps of where free Wi-Fi is money by developing its own digital curriculum.
available.

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We can write our own digital textbooks so much cheaper The initial capital expenditure was $1.3 million, but the
than it actually costs to purchase textbooks, says Cory entire cost is being recouped through the savings on
Boggs, Putnams executive director of information drastically lower electricitya reduction of more than 25
technology. percentrequired by the Chromebooks and zero clients.
The district also leases equipment to spread the cost over
The districts teachers use open-educational resources a few years.
to write all content, to align it to state standards and to
update it annually. The textbooks contain references to The beauty of this solution is that we can instantly scale
local topics and interactive elements such as video snippets and were extremely agile, says Brown.
demonstrating math problems.
Together were better
The savings allows the district to continue purchasing
tablets for every student. In Putnam City Schools, Connect2Competea program
from internet provider Cox Communicationsoffers high-
Huntsville ISD in Texas also developed a digital curriculum speed internet access for $9.95 per month to families of
using OER to stretch funds. The sprawling, 640-square- students who are on free or reduced-price lunch.
mile district has 6,300 students in eight schools, and
another 1,000 students online. About 67 percent of students We are focused on a digital curriculum that is interactive
have been classified as low socio-economic status. and aligned to what we need to teach, so we need all of our
students to have the same opportunities going forward,
The districts five-year technology plan includes 1-to-1 says Boggs, who estimates nearly 200 families participate.
access. It leases 3,000 Chromebooks to spread the cost over
three years and to free up funds for other equity- related In a similar initiative, the Hamilton County Department
measures. For example, the district is testing bus-based of Education in Tennessee invites local internet providers
Wi-Fi on 15 vehicles, with plans to expand to the full to back-to-school nights to sign up qualified families for
fleet of 100. discount programs.
Albemarle County Public Schools in Virginia, meanwhile,
Virtual agility collaborates with the city of Charlottesville to install free
Wi-Fi in laundromats. The district is also adapting its
Hutto ISD in Texas is one of the fastest-growing districts Education Broadcast Spectrum (which formerly showed
in the state, having gone from 6,800 students to 7,500 in show educational TV programs) to provide basic internet
the last year alone. Its a minority-majority district with connectivity in rural mountain communities.
nine schools; 42 percent of students are designated low
socio-economic status and nearly 10 percent are ELLs. In North Carolina, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reaches
out to municipalities to close Wi-Fi desertshigh-
Over the past three years, the district has developed a poverty neighborhoods with no broadband. So far, it has
virtualized desktop. Every student can now access Huttos enlisted more than 80 organizations to provide home
network with any devices internet browser and will internet to nearly 700 low- income families.
experience the equivalent of a full PC with the speed and
power of the districts resources. And in California, the vast Coachella Valley USDa
socio-economically challenged district where some
Students can connect to the network with Chromebooks students spend 45 minutes per day commuting to school
and lightweight zero-client deviceswhich dont have outfitted more than 100 school buses with Wi-Fi.
hard drives and require substantially less power than full
computers. Following the ride home, some buses are parked in mobile
home communities to create a Wi-Fi hotspot, which gives
Its pretty massive because we can accommodate parentsmany of whom are learning Englisha chance
students who dont have a computer or a device at home to work on homework with their children.
to access school-supplied software, such as Photoshop or
animation software, says Travis Brown, Huttos director I dont know if a school district can solve the problems
of technology. It levels the playing field without having of every low-income family, says CoSNs Krueger. But
to take on the financial burden of providing every student by working together with the community, it can do really
with a $2,000 laptop. creative partnerships.

October 2017 GABer

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Empowering parents using immediately before; another tap will take you back
again. Hold down the Cmd key even after you press Tab,
The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District just outside and youll see icons for all your open apps: Hit Tab to
of Minneapoliswhere 55 percent of students qualify for cycle through them.
free or reduced-price lunchworks with its local internet
providers to increase awareness about low-cost access Space: Quick Look
availability.
The Quick Look shortcut is perfect for looking at a series
The district recently joined T-Mobiles EmpowerEd, a of images or other files without fully opening them in an
program for Title I schools where at least 40 percent of application. Just select the file you want to preview in
students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. It enabled Finder and hit Space. To close this view, tap Space one
the district to equip 250 families, or about 5 percent of its more time. You can also select a list of several files and
student population, with portable hotspots. press Cmd+Opt+Y to access a Quick Look slideshow.

The district also partners with public libraries to ensure Cmd+Opt+D: Show or hide the dock
secondary students have a library card to access print and
digital research resources. And the districts efforts to As useful as a Macs dock of app shortcuts is, it can eat up
bridge the equity gap go beyond simply providing more some valuable screen space. On the occasions when you
access. want to quickly hide it from view, just hit Cmd+Opt+D.
Press the shortcut again to reveal the dock once more. If
Johnson leads tech classes for parents that focus on digital you find that you prefer the dock-free look, go to System
citizenship, home device management and setting limits Preferences, where the Dock entry lets you automatically
on student use, among other subjects. Classes include hide it when its not in use.
interpreters for the communitys large Spanish-speaking
and Somali populations. Advanced tricks Cmd+Space: Launch Siri

Its great to have thousands of educational resources to You can call on Siri, Apples smart digital assistant, in
access, says Johnson. But if the parents arent aware or macOS. So take advantage of this feature and launch it
know how to use them with their kids at home, youre still with the Cmd+Space shortcut. You need to press and hold
experiencing a digital divide thats perhaps more profound these keys to access Siria quick tap will instead launch
than with hardware or connectivity. the macOS search tool Spotlight. When Siri pops up, you
can voice a variety of commands, from searching local
files to preparing for the days weather.
Apple Ambassador
Continued from page 2. Cmd+Opt+Delete: Immediately delete a file

When you delete a file, it goes into the Trash for a set period
Cmd+H: Hide applications of time before the system makes it completely inaccessible.
This can be a great safety net if you need to restore a
Need to cut down on on-screen clutter? Simple but trashed filebut if you can get the file back, so can any
effective, Cmd+H hides all the open windows of the snoop with access to your computer. To make sure a file
application you currently are using, and switches the is securely gone, or simply prevent the Trash folder from
foremost application to the most recent one. Keep on hiding taking up too much hard drive room, hit Cmd+Opt+Delete
each application, and youll wind up with a clear view of to immediately delete a file for good.
the desktop. Try adding the Option key for the opposite
effect: Cmd+Opt+H hides all the open windows of all the Cmd+Opt+3: Take a screenshot
open applications, except the one youre using right now.
These macOS shortcuts let you get specific with your
Cmd+Tab: Switch apps screenshots. Hit Cmd+Opt+3 to save your entire screen
as a PNG file on the desktop. With Cmd+Opt+4, you can
A quick tap on the Cmd+Tab keyboard shortcut will switch draw a rectangle over an area to screenshot just that region.
you from your currently- foremost app to the app you were And you can hit Cmd+Opt+4 and then press the space bar

Continued on page 8.

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Internet SIG
Most of these are paid services with monthly subscriptions,
but some have free basic plans, too. These third-party
Continued from page 5. trackers offer more features than your regular free email
client.

ClickTools(on the top menu bar) then clickOptions. Now, Get Notify
on theGeneraltab click on Return Receipts.
One basic way to track your emails and get read receipts
Here you can expect Thunderbird to always include return is Get Notify. For each message read, youll receive a
receipts with your emails. You can also send your own notification. You will be notified of the exact date and time
return receipts and the location of your receipts. When the email was read. Youll also receive the recipients IP
done, just clickOK. address, geographical location, operating system and which
web browser they are using.
You can also configure Thunderbird return receipts on
individual emails. While writing a new email just click GetNotifys free version caps your tracked emails to a
on Options on the top menu bar then select Return maximum of five per day and a total of 150 a month but
Receipts and or Delivery Status Notification to configure you can give a small donation to remove the daily limit
its return receipt setting. and increase your monthly limit.
Again, as usual, the recipient can choose whether to send
a return receipt reply or not. Mailtrack

Gmail Mailtrack is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and

Opera thats designed to work with Gmail. Mailtracks free
In the free version of Gmail, you cant request a read version offers unlimited email tracking, but your emails
receipt. But the feature is available via Googles paid will be tagged with a Mailtrack Signature. This is typical
business cloud software G Suite. for individual non-business use.

If you are a G Suite subscriber, you can turn on read receipt For about $5 a month, you can get its Pro version to remove
requests via the G Suite Admin Console. Go toApps>>G the Mailtrack signature. The Pro version also provides
Suite >>Settings for Gmail >> then clickAdvanced tech support, notifications, and usage for three different
Settings. Here, you can scroll down to the Email Read email addresses. Finally, small companies can sign up for
Receipts section, where youll find this wordy option: the Teams plan, and large companies can sign up for
Allow email read receipts to be sent to all addresses in Enterprise.
my organization as well as the following email addresses.
Switch it to on. Streak

With this option on, you can click on the lower right down Streak is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
arrow on your Compose window to request a read receipt add-on for Gmail. Their free version has basic CRM
for the particular email youre writing. features and email power tools. You can track 200 emails
a month, which should be plenty for personal use.
Related: Take control of your Gmail account with these
five tips to get a better handle of your inbox. Streak also has a Corporate Plan ($39/month) and an
Enterprise Plan ($89/month) meant for small to large
Use Email Tracking Software businesses. Aside from full CRM features, these paid plans
also include unlimited email tracking.
Maybe you have a small business. Maybe youre doing
research, and you just need to know which emails were
opened and which were untouched. In this case, you might
turn to third-party email tracking solutions.

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Cmd+Shift+?: Get help
Apple Ambassador
Continued from page 6. In macOS, help is only a keyboard shortcut away. Hit
Cmd+Shift+? to open the help window for whatever app
youre running. Then start typing search terms to see a list
before clicking on a window to nab a shot of that window of matches appear. Keep this shortcut in mind on those
on its own. occasions when you need to troubleshoot problems.

Cmd+Opt+Esc: Force quit applications Cmd+Shift+I: Open iCloud Drive

If the spinny wheel of death pops up, you may need to With each macOS update, iCloud Drive becomes a bigger
Force Quit an application, applying brute force to make and bigger part of the operating system. And if youre
it shut down. The Cmd+Opt+Esc shortcut will bring regularly storing files in iCloud Drive, youll want to open
up the Force Quit dialogue box, with a list of currently it as quickly as possible. Lean on Cmd+Shift+I to directly
running programs. Select the problematic app and hit access your cloud files in Finder.
Force quit. To skip the dialogue box and immediately
shut down the program youre currently using, press
Shift+Cmd+Opt+Esc.
Do Macs NeedAntivirusSoft-
ware?
Cmd+comma: Open preferences
by Alexander Fox, Apple Gazette
You want each macOS application to work in the way that
suits you best. And that means adjusting the programs
settings. Press Cmd+comma to open the Preferences pane Do Macs Needs Antivirus Software?
for whatever program youre using.
Applehas frequently said that Macs dont get infected by
Cmd+period: Cancel an operation viruses. This is true, but not becausemacOSis inherently
better than Windows. While the operating system does
The comma isnt the only piece of punctuation you can have some protections that can make viruses less powerful,
harness for a keyboard shortcut. Hit Cmd+period to cancel that doesnt meanmacOSis airtight. And while Macs are
whatever operation is currently in motion. For example, rarely targeted by viruses, it pays to be careful. Reputable
when the system moves a high volume of files between malware scanningsoftwareorantivirussoftwareis a good
folders or saves an oversize file, it can take a long timeor addition to any secure system.
even time out. The Cmd+period shortcut lets you stop the
operation so you can try it again when your computer is Macs arent immune to viruses, but they also arent
less laggy. Its essentially the same operation as clicking typically targeted by attackers. The platform simply
Cancel in the dialogue box. doesnt have a large enough user base to make it worth
the time for attackers to custom-build specific attack
Cmd+Shift+Q: Log out packages for the operation systems unique features. The
Unix-based macOS operating system is fundamentally
If youre planning to step away from your Mac machine different fromWindowsin a number of ways, meaning that
for a while and want to make sure no one else can access any attacker hoping to infect Macs would need to create
itor at least not without your passwordyou can exit custom code tailored specifically to the operating system.
your account without bothering to shut down the computer. Furthermore,macOSruns in a sand-boxed environment,
Hit Cmd+Shift+Q to start the log out process. making it more difficult for errant programs to take control
of your system.
Cmd+T: Open a new tab
Since Macs still represent only a sliver of market share,
In a web browser like Google Chrome, this shortcut lets you an enterprising hacker would get more bang for their buck
open a new tab. And browsers arent alonesince macOS by focusing on the most popular operating systems. Like
Sierra, any computer application can take advantage of spam and phishing attacks, virus distribution relies on the
multiple tabs in a single window. For example, Cmd+T law of large numbers. Without a specific target, attackers
will open new tabs in Maps and Finder.

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will get the greatest benefit by distributing compatible What Antivirus Software Should I Get?
malicious code to as many computers as possible. This
increases the likelihood that theyll encounter a vulnerable For security-conscious users, there are several reliable
system, improving the odds that their attack will succeed. options formacOSantivirussoftware. Its not mandatory,
but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
While any computer can benefit from the protection of well-
made and updatedantivirussoftware, its not an essential Bitdefender: this antivirus software stands at the top
operating requirement for Macs. This has lead toa couple ofAV Testsantivirus rankings, blocking 100% of threats
of insufferably smug adsfromAppleon the topic, which in those tests. It also has little impact on your system, so
is sort of ironic. If theMacwas more popular, the machines you wont see slowdowns while scanning or during real-
would likely need more robustantivirusprotection. time protection. Its also not cheap, clocking in at $40 for
a license.
Do Mac Viruses Exist?
ClamAV:Windowsor Linux users might be familiar with
Mac viruses definitely exist. Back in 2014 a hacker used this open-source, multi-platform suite for detecting viruses
the iWorm malware to create a nearly 20,000-member and malware. Its long-lived, well-respectedsoftware, and
botnet. The Flashback vulnerability in Java of 2012 it has a greatMacversion. This is definitely the choice of
affected more than 500,000 Macs, so many that Applewas system managers, programmers and power users.
forced to issue a security update to OS X Lion and
patch the vulnerability. More recently, the KeRanger Sophos Home: This free consumer version of the Sophos
encryption malware was distributed inside a popular enterprisesecuritysoftwareworks inWindowsandmacOS.
BitTorrent client formacOS. And according to antivirus In addition to detecting viruses and malware, it also
vendor Malwarebytes, Mac malware has increased protects against web-based attacks in real time. Its a
by230%over 2016. Macs certainly can get viruses, and stepped-down version of enterprise software, so it might
Mac-specific viruses do exist. Theyre just less common not run perfectly on a home environment.
than theWindowsequivalent.
Malewarebytes: Another much-loved malware detection
Are Macs Vulnerable to Other Attacks? tool forWindows, Malwarebytes also offers aMacversion.
Its fast, with a focus on real-time protection rather than
The thing with viruses is that theyre probably the least scheduled scans. It sports a great reputation for removing
popular form of computer attack vector these days. Far more PUPs, but it wont scan macOS for Windows viruses.
common are things like phishing attacks to crack email This makes it less of an antivirus program and more of
accounts and siphon password resets. And while Macs an anti-annoyance program, and its great for home or
dont requireantivirussoftware, theyre still vulnerable to individual users.
these attack vectors. This includes email-based phishing
attacks or browser-based cross-site scripting or man-in- Avast: Avasts freesoftwaredetects viruses and malware.
the-middle attacks. And potentially unwanted programs It also proactively protects against web-based threats like
(PUPs) like Mac Defender are voluntarily installed by unsafe websites and email attachments. Unfortunately, its
the user but include malicious features and cant be easily also known for imposing a heavy load on system resources
removed. Even if theyre unlikely to get viruses, Macusers to offer these real-time features. Youll probably want to
must still practice safe browsing habits. avoid this one, but its worth mentioning because its so
widespread.

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