LOTS of news from Apple, Microsoft, and Google lately.

Sooo Many Apple Upgrades! 

A little background…

Until this week, Apple devices came in two basic flavors:  iPhones and iPads had one set 

of abilities, and Macs had different ones.  Now iPads are evolving separately from iPhones and will have their own operating system (the built-in software that makes them work), making them closer to laptop replacements.

Thus, there are three separate new updates (technically upGRADES, a bigger deal) to your Apple devices: 

• iOS 13.1.2 for iPhones

• MacOS X 10.15 (Catalina) for Macs

• iPadOS 13.1.2 for iPads 

The upgrades offer cool new features. . . that you may not be able to use.

These upgrades bring new superpowers to your existing devices. Your iPad can be a second monitor for your Mac (for example, show your calendar on one screen and your email on another) or a drawing tablet. You can run iPhone Apps on your Mac, or use a wireless mouse with your iPad.  But even if your device is ABLE to upgrade, you won’t be able to use ALL of the new features unless your Mac and iPad are fairly recent. Details here.

Can you? Should you? When?

For all upgrades, same advice as always:

• There’s no rush to install the upgrades. Waiting a few weeks is safer.

• Make sure you are able to upgrade your device before you start (here’s what to check).

• Back up, back up, back up! before you upgrade. (Here’s how for iPhone/iPad, Mac).

• Allow plenty of time. The Mac upgrade (download + install) took over an hour in our tests.

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Meanwhile, In the World Beyond Apple

Microsoft just announced the superlight, long battery life Surface Pro X (from $999) which would be a very attractive travel laptop/tablet—but there are some catches. More info here. 

Sympathy for Melinda Gates 

Remember when there were Palms Pilots, Blackberries, iPhones, Androids, and Windows Phones? (Melinda and the Gates children were famously not allowed to have iPhones, back in the day). With the new Surface Duo two-screen folding Phone-ish thing (due in December), Microsoft has officially joined the Android camp,  so there are now effectively only two types of cell phones:  iPhones or Android.

(Yes, some people still cling to their Blackberries. Bless their hearts). 

That’s kind of a big deal. 

Android Backup and other Google Stuff

If you’re an Android person and have a Google One membership (from $20/year), it now includes automatic backup for your Android phone. Details here.  Also, look for the Google Pixel 4 and (rumor has it) a compatible watch to be announced October 15th. 

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It. . .

Concerned about online privacy? You can now set your Google data to self-destruct automatically. (Thanks, Molly!).

And there are techies who believe that the Chrome browser is too invasive of your privacy, and recommend switching to Firefox (download here, and switching is easy; it can import your bookmarks, passwords, etc. with a few clicks).