440: A Link Of Confusion In The Chain Of Trust

Topics:

-Jerry finds a great deal with AT&T where you can turn in an older iPhone, only to find that it’s not so great. 

-To top it off, the iPhone he returns gets “lost” in the mail.

-1Password recently released a very welcomed new feature to share credentials with users, even if they do not have a 1Password account themselves.
https://support.1password.com/share-items/

-One of Sam’s clients also used 1Password and he describes how to invite people and share vaults.

-A big win for Daylite (daylitemac.com) as Sam had to retrieve an important email communication with a client in order to show the onus was on the client to make a key decision.

-Both 1Password and Daylite by Market Circle are very friendly to the ACN community.

-Jerry has a good iOS 15 Control Center tip.

-What is Apple Music Voice Plan?

-Sam signed up for AppleOne Premier, since he was already paying for a variety of Apple services  that equalled the same price.

-Jerry is frustrated about how Apple News notifies you about an interesting article, only to show a service he needs to subscribe to.

-One of Jerry’s clients had lost access to their iCloud account. He describes the painstaking steps he had to take to try to have his client remember their iPhone unlock code.

-Joe has almost the exact same story with one of his clients.

439: Managed Services discussion with Luis Giraldo

438: Interview With Adam Engst Of the TidBITS Content Network

Topics:

-This week we welcome back Adam Engst of TidBITS Content Network.

-The supply chain issues are hitting many areas hard.

-Finding people to hire is no easy task of late. Adam gives us his thoughts based on recent research.

-Quality of life is affecting people’s decisions to go back to work.

-Adam uses Keyboard Maestro to automate specific tasks: https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/

-Sam is seeing customers that would rather pick up in store, even if the specifications are not exactly what they want, rather than wait for the supply chain delays.

-Joe & Jerry were comparing new models but didn’t quite pull the trigger.

-Not just increased processing power and unified memory, but faster SSDs.

-The 1080p HD FaceTime camera is still weak but better than the 720p camera in previous models.

-Adam talks about ergonomics like desktop height and keyboard/trackpads.

-He recommends a roller mouse from Contour Designs: https://www.contourdesign.com

-Does virtualization change anything for people on Apple Silicon?

-Gamers are still staying away from the Mac platform.

-Monterey appears to be an easier upgrade process in comparison to the issues that have plagued Big Sur.

-Upgrading from Mojave is still troublesome: https://mrmacintosh.com/macos-upgrade-to-big-sur-failed-stuck-progress-bar-fix-prevention/

-Get your Apple gifts on the early side as supply chain issues could affect timing.

-If you aren’t already a subscriber, get well written, professional Apple Content for you to use with your customers with TidBITS Content Network.

437: Interview With Dan Monge Of Mac IT Pros

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Topics:

-This week we welcome Dan Monge of Monge IT Consulting / Mac IT Pros

-In addition to running his business, Dan works with Watchman Monitoring in a variety of capacities.

-We have our usual Watchman discussion where we discuss use cases and helpful tips.

-Joe installs Watchman on his company computers as well, to keep tabs on the health of his equipment.

-Dan adds “Connect to Server” shares to make it easier for users to mount network volumes.

-Dan focuses on businesses only and refers any residential referrals to a fellow consultant.

Dan & Jerry talk about the fall of Google Ads and being mistaken for Apple.

-Another hat tip to our friends at TidBITS Content Network.

-smith.ai chat feature has really helped Jerry for no additional cost.

-Zendesk has a chat feature that Sam has put to use.

-What is chaff? Is it champing or chomping at the bit?

-The group discusses failed (or were they?) marketing ideas.

-Do you still use business cards?

-Company shirts and branded equipment gets noticed.

-Dan tries to convince Joe to move away from hourly to monthly plans.

-In Dan’s parting words, he encourages listeners to become patrons.

435: Less Than A Minute Remaining

Topics:

-Joe has to troubleshoot his own internet connection with the ISP.

-GoNetSpeed appears to be a new provider in the Fairfield County area in CT. https://gonetspeed.com

-Jerry has some challenges connecting routers that auto config to an Altice modem/router from Optimum Online.

-One of Sam’s clients decided to upgrade their ISP service without involving his team.

-Changing the all in one modem/router solutions can be extremely frustrating.

-Another one of Sam’s clients was down after the wiring consultant installed new equipment. It turned out to be oversight but it required a Saturday visit.

-Upgrading from Mojave to Big Sur is enough of an issue where there is a MacAdmins channel dedicated to it. (Channel: Mojave-Upgrade-Problem).

-Jerry has joined the Apple Silicon bandwagon.

-Has anybody else seen performance issues on Apple Silicon that requires a restart?

434: Interview With Jon Brown CEO of Grove Technologies

Topics:

-We welcome Jon Brown of Grove Technologies. Jon is a long time VIP supporter of the show.

-Jon recalls attending a WWE even with the CCP crew, thanks to Joe’s sister.

-Starting a new business proved to be challenging initially. He talks about his learning curve and experiences building his current business.

-Jon has a concept like Uber for Tech Support.

-Grove Technologies is going to offer its internal SaaS based tool for other businesses and industries. There are integrations built for other tools like Addigy, Watchman, Jamf, etc.

-Working with others as a sub contractor can help broaden your area of expertise as a company.

-Hiring remote technicians has proven to be useful to Jon’s business model.

-Should you increase your onsite rate vs remote?

-Do your clients care if you or your staff make onsite visits to their offices?

-Grove Technologies has put their stake in the ground about being a remote only support company.

-People still don’t seem to grasp the concept of password management or Multi-Factor Authentication.

-Cybersecurity training for end users can be incredibly useful. It can also provide some discounts with insurance.

-Malwarebytes for Mac proves to be less powerful than the Windows version. 

-Hook Security and Breach Secure Now are two big services to help with employee training.

-Jerry has some recommended security methods for his clients.

-Customers have a tendency to conflate security terms like VPN vs firewall.

-Jon wants you to become a sponsor of the show!

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