iOS 7: THE GOOD & BAD

Swiping from left to right to go back is starting to get my attention. It's a natural way to navigate around virtually, especially in Safari. But the new motion has some side effects -- you can't swipe from left to right any longer to delete an email message. I almost cried when I realized this. Seriously. A grown man sobbing over his iPhone. Ok, I don't do tears, but I did swear.

I am simultaneously excited and saddened by iOS 7 on my iPhone 5. My first impression? All over the freaking map. iOS 7 is at once a fantastic and fresh update, while it's also full of maddeningly stupid icons, buttons and colors. It has better customization, a more intimate and lively feel -- and yet, you're stuck with a palette of soft-but-too-bright pastel-ish colors.

The red? That's not red. It's a travesty, and I'm not color blind. Imagine the color palette applied to your car. If you like that idea, iOS 7 is for you. For the rest of us, we're stuck with it, and we have to look at Apple's new colors every day we remain iOS users.

This represents a fundamental flaw in Apple's vision of iOS -- an inability to tone down stupid colors or change them altogether. You would think Apple would know this -- after all, Steve Jobs started the whole thing with the first iMacs. The tradeoff is device-to-device usability. I can look at anyone else's iPhone and immediately know how to navigate, how to use it, and how to show them how to do something. That's important, and I get that there's a trade-off between customization and cohesion among all iOS users -- but Apple is not hitting the sweet spot with iOS 7 customization. Sorry. Not even close.

So what would be welcome? The ability to saturate or desaturate the color palette, to tone it up or even make it all black and white -- just as if you were editing a photo. This kind of setting would give consumers a better sense of control while maintaining a consistent look and feel. Instead of a neonish green color for your Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps, you could adjust the color to make it use a darker, richer green for your Phone app, for example.

Instead, we get a very slight ability to change the tone of your phone through background images. If you set your wallpaper to a photo of a green lawn, a green tone will bleed into the transparent layer above -- the background color for your bottom row of apps will appear greenish. Use blue sky, you get a blue tone. iOS 7 takes the dominant color from your home screen photo and uses it for you. That's cool, but it's just a start.

Still, Awesomeness Abounds

Despite the lackluster controls for color and customization, there's a lot to like about iOS 7. The sense of layers and animated transitions does make your iPhone feel a little more alive. In fact, in some cases the new transitions make my iPhone 5 seem faster and snappier. Mail, for instance, seems much faster than before -- and I'm not sure if this is truly the case or if it's just an illusion based on the transitions among my various in-boxes and messages. Either way, I like it.

Overall, I like the new airy and modern feel of the new font, which seems to be some variation of Helvetica Neue. But then again, this sense of airiness gets taken too far in some places so that "buttons" are now simply text with maybe a thin < or > to indicate direction. Understandable? Pretty much always -- but not always at a glance. The button motifs were cues for your eye to recognize the activity you wanted, and clearly, iOS 7 will force you to pay more attention to your iPhone than you have in years -- and retrain your brain in the process.

The question is, will I learn to recognize the flashlight icon in Control Center? The funky little clock icon in Control Center that doesn't match the Clock app icon? Yes. But I can tell you this: It's going to take more than 48 hours before I can work my phone with the autopilot ease I enjoyed with iOS 6.

So what are the best new features?

Control Center. If you swipe from the bottom of your screen up, you'll bring up the Control Center layer, which sports frequently used controls like Airplane mode, the clock, camera, screen brightness, and WiFi, among others. The basic feature is not new to other smartphones, but it's new to iOS users.

Multitasking. Multitasking in the new iOS 7 is really a hidden gem -- you don't realize how much improved it is until you use it. Double-tap the home button and you'll get a row of active app icons as well a horizontal scrollable thumbnail view of your open apps. Swipe an app thumbnail up, and boom, you close the running app. Tap the thumbnail or the app icon and you'll rise up into the app in full screen. Not only does it look fantastic, it works fantastically well, too.

Camera App. The new Camera app lets you swipe between modes across the full main screen of the app -- so, to switch from photo mode to video mode, all you have to do is swipe. That's right, there's no painfully small little toggle switch to find and mess with while you're trying to capture a moment. You can also swipe to a square photo frame or a panoramic mode. If you want to look at a scene through a filter while you decide to capture it, you can apply a handful of filters with a new button option. All goodness here.

Photos. The new Photos app is one of my favorites now. Before, I used it all the time but found it a clunky pain. The iOS 7 Photos app breaks up all your photos into Years, Collections and Moments. It makes it so much easier to find your photos and videos to edit them, share them -- everything. Plus, you can share an entire moment -- a whole set of photos and videos.

Tap a "share" word (not a button anymore) and you can AirDrop them via WiFi or Bluetooth (cool) or message them or even copy them to the clipboard to paste them into email or elsewhere. Very nice. Oh, and you can create Albums, too, if you so desire. The bottom line is, the Camera app received a massive redesign that simply sings.

iTunes Radio. Built into the Music app, iTunes Radio is a free streaming music service that lets you listen to channels by genre or create your own via artists that you like. It rocks. It's easy to use, works great, and if you hear a song you want to buy, you can snap it up from iTunes super fast. The interface isn't particularly amazing, but the functionality? Love it so far. Groundbreaking? Not so much. But it's a good implementation that's built into your iOS experience.

Safari. While you don't get tabbed browsing on an iPhone 5 -- no horizontal room -- you do get a new page option that stacks the open and recent Web pages that you have visited in a sort of file-folder sort of way. At first glance, it looks clunky and dumb, but after using it, it feels alive and handy. I'm sold.

Plus, when you scroll down through a Web page, the top control bar shrinks and the bottom bar disappears. The quick animation of the move is perfect. And you can now swipe to go back. And use a unified URL/search field. It all adds up to a Safari that will continue to be the most-used mobile browser around.

Features That Will Get Better With Time

There's lots of little goodies tucked away into iOS 7 -- for instance, time stamps for each message in the Message app. If you slide your finger to the left -- a grab and pull, really -- you'll pull the text messages to the left to reveal a list of time stamps along the right side. Teenagers, take note. Sometimes you need a better sense of time than what was shown in iOS 6.

AirDrop may very well turn out to be quite useful with your colleagues, friends and family. Instead of bumping phones, iOS 7 lets you see other nearby phones via WiFi or Bluetooth, and lets you send and receive files. Pretty cool. But you have to remember to use it -- otherwise, you'll just be emailing or messaging through your old-school habits.

Swiping from left to right to go back is starting to get my attention. It's a natural way to navigate around virtually, especially in Safari. I expect to see it used more frequently throughout iOS in the future, as well as in more apps. But the new motion has some side effects -- you can't swipe from left to right any longer to delete an email message. I almost cried when I realized this. Seriously. A grown man sobbing over his iPhone. Ok, I don't do tears, but I did swear.

Then I remembered that you can now swipe from right to left, which gives you a big red Trash button, along with a More button that lets you do things like forward, reply, or move a message. This feature is actually really cool -- I'll just have to retain my brainstem over the next few days to learn to take advantage of it.

Things That Will Take Some Getting Used To

The new Reminders app lost its old leather-bound notebook paper skin, and while the new iOS 7 version is snappy fast, it's full of Apple's new color palette, and the main set of lists seems too bulky vertically. My question is, will I learn to love it? Or ditch it for a third-party app? It's 50-50 right now.

The Calendar app is much whiter -- with smaller text -- and hard to follow and read at first, but it's getting progressively better for me. I'll probably stick with it. The Notes app? No more yellow-lined paper. The new Notes app is white, fast and tidy, but I sort of miss the horizontal lines for lists. I like the blank canvas for notes in paragraph form, though. Win some, lose some.

All-in-all, I've got other quibbles and have found other little delights, too, but the point is this: iOS 7 is a great leap forward. It's free and easy to install, but there's no easy way to go back to iOS 6 if you don't like it. This is one of the sacrifices you make as an Apple enthusiast -- keep up, get left behind or walk away. No matter what, though, when you run into the inevitable misses in color, customization and icons, just know that you're not alone. There are other Apple-loving iPhone-toting enthusiasts out there experiencing some cringe moments, too, even as we enjoy new benefits of iOS 7.

7 Computer-Security Fixes to Make Right Now

Introduction

Practicing good security on your computer is important. It's how you prevent identity theft, financial theft or damage to your hard drive with malware.

Luckily, practicing good security isn't difficult to do. Here are seven basic and easy security fixes to make to your computer right now.

Make your passwords stronger

This seems like the ultimate no-brainer security fix, but many people still don't follow it.As Ronnie Flathers, associate security consultant for Chicago-based Neohapsis pointed out, passwords are and will continue to be the weakest form of authentication, but they are also the most common.

Your passwords should be complex (including uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers), unique to each site and changed periodically. While you are at it, change the password on your home wireless network — you don't want to make it too easy for the neighbors.

Install all software patches

Outdated software often has vulnerabilities that are easily exploited. A good example of this is the Java software environment, which had a reported 40 vulnerabilities as late as July 2013, said Benjamin Caudill, co-founder and principal consultant of Rhino Security Labs in Seattle.

Internet Explorer, Firefox, Adobe Flash and other frequently used Web-facing applications are in the same boat, with new exploits being released all the time.

By simply ensuring your operating system and applications are patched to the newest version, you can prevent many attacks against your system, Caudill said.

Install anti-virus software and set it to auto-update

Cybercriminals often go after the weakest prey, and those computer systems without installed and updated anti-virus software make the easiest targets.

"However, anti-virus is only as good as its signatures," said Caudill. "Similar to a wanted poster of a known criminal, anti-virus [software] most regularly updates its list of 'wanted posters' to look for the latest viruses and other malware. Without these updates, new attacks may go by undetected. This is why allowing the anti-virus to auto-update its signatures is also important."

Don't forget that Macs and Linux boxes can get malware just as easily as Windows PCs. Users of those platforms should install anti-virus software as well.

Run frequent anti-virus scans

Because today's sophisticated malware is designed to remain undetected, many users don't know their computers are infected until something catastrophic happens.

Dodi Glenn, director of AV Labs at ThreatTrack Security in Clearwater, Fla., recommended periodically running an anti-virus scan on your PC.

The results will tell you whether your computer is clean. If it's not, you'll see what kind of malware is running on it.

Lock your computer

Anonymous, remote hackers aren't the only threats to your computer security. People you know can be threats as well.

Whenever anyone accesses your computer without your permission, you risk being infected by malicious downloads or someone snooping into your personal records.

To avoid unauthorized access, set up a password to lock your computer's screen.

If other family members use your computer, set up a personal user profile with a password, and also set up administrator access so that only you can download software and applications from the Internet.

Create a separate administrator account

Speaking of administrator access, it's best to set up a limited-user account that can't install or remove software for your day-to-day use, even if you're the primary or sole user of a computer.

That way, any malware that infects your regular account, and borrows your user privileges, can't do much damage.

Create a separate administrator account with full user capabilities, but use it ONLY when modifying software. Log out of it when done and return to your regular, less powerful account.

Set up your computer's firewall

All modern personal-computer operating systems have a software-based firewall that screens network traffic and blocks unwanted applications, but the firewalls are often not turned on by default. (You can turn the Windows firewall on in Control Panel.)

In Windows 7, for example, the built-in firewall will allow you to customize settings for home, office and public environments, as well as govern the behavior of each application that connects to a network.

5 Best Weather Apps for Google Chrome

Weather has a bigger impact on our daily lives than many of us would care to admit. Luckily, there's no shortage of Chrome apps to help you stay on top of things. Our favorites in this domain include Full Screen Weather, Rain Alarm, WeatherBug, Uber Weather and YoWindow Weather. Next step: Choose one, download it onto your device and proceed with life.

Fall is just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, and at least for those of us in some locales, outdoor activities can now ramp up with the milder temperatures.

This week's All Things Appy takes a look at the top five free Chrome apps in the weather department.

About the Ecosystem: Download a Chrome browser for your operating system. Google's Chrome apps and extensions for its browser are found in the Chrome Web Store. Click on a new tab in the browser, choose the Chrome Web Store link in the lower right corner of the page and use the on-page Search text box to find the required app.

Within Google's Chrome, apps are generally self-contained, whereas extensions can provide pop-up functions or interact with the Web page. A lot of the apps and extensions are merely bookmarks.

No. 1: Full Screen Weather

Full Screen Weather has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from 2,533 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 952,524 users.Without a doubt, this app offers the best-looking weather maps out there for desktop, even if it is a little peculiar to navigate.

This Wunderground crowdsourced app is simply a straight mash-up of Google Maps along with satellite or terrain detail -- and superimposed radar, satellite weather or reporting weather station data. Thousands of data sources are included, such as hobbyist stations and remote automated stations perched on mountaintops. Drill-down for super-local observations.

No. 2: Rain Alarm

Rain Alarm has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from 304 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 81,331 users.This app warns you of precipitation headed your way. Set your location and some parameters, like a search radius, and the app will alert you. You may have to adjust sensitivity and search interval, but it does usually work.

Alternatives include looking out of the window.

No. 3: WeatherBug

WeatherBug has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from 3,016 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 608,449 users.A good, solid, all-round weather extension with animated graphics. A close-by weather cam will display in the animated window if available. An additional add-on for Windows gives you severe weather alerts in your taskbar.

Detailed observations include must-haves like humidity, monthly rain and an interesting rain rate for the day. All useful stuff.

No. 4: Uber Weather

Uber Weather has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from six reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 3,490 users.Here's a Google-driven weather map that includes layers like ski resorts, driving directions and traffic. It's not quite as elegant as the other apps we've included, hence its runner's-up position. Still, it is remarkably interesting to see traffic snarl-ups created by weather, and it's a tool you can use to pick alternate freeway commute routes based on rain-dumping weather cells.

No. 5: YoWindow Weather

YoWindow Weather has 5 stars out of a possible 5 from 4,467 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 190,747 users."Quirky" would be a good one-word description for this very popular extension. Clicking on a button adjacent to the address bar creates an animated "living landscape" that reflects the weather.

Choose from weather layer-superimposed pastoral scenes, cityscapes and other scenes -- or make your own with any photo -- and the weather animates in real-time, a bit like looking out of a virtual window. A time scroll lets you project a forecast graphically. Fun, if you've got time on your hands.

Symptom checker: What does your hair say about your health?

Healthy hair should appear shiny and thick. If your diet is lacking certain nutrients, your hair may reflect this by appearing dry, brittle or thin. Making improvements to your diet and adding nutritional supplements can help to provide your body with the essential nutrients and improve the health of your hair.

Dry hair
If your hair is dry, it may be a sign that you are not getting enough essential fatty acids (EFAs) in your diet. Omega 3 fatty acids are important for hair growth, and are found in the cells of the scalp. 
Omega 3s form a part of the natural oils that keep the scalp and hair hydrated, so a lack of these can result in dry hair.

Steps to take: Try to increase your intake of omega 3-rich foods, such as oily fish. Also consider taking an omega 3 fish oil supplement to increase your intake of these EFAs.

Thinning hair
A loss or thinning of the hair may point to an iron deficiency. Iron is important for carrying oxygen to the hair follicles; a vital part of the hair growth process. A lack of iron may therefore result in a thinning of the hair. This can happen to anyone, although it is most common in women; A third of women are deficient in iron, with this rising to 40% of women under the age of 34.

Steps to take: Try to eat more foods that are rich in iron. These include green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, and meats such as beef and turkey. Iron supplements can also help to increase your intake.

Dull, limp hair
If your hair is dull or lifeless, it could be a sign that you don’t get enough zinc through your diet. A deficiency in zinc may cause hair loss or early greying of the hair in some cases. Zinc is an important mineral for skin repair and health, and is therefore vital for the scalp. A lack of zinc may also cause a flaking of the scalp (dandruff).

Steps to take: Shellfish such as oysters are a rich source of zinc. Zinc supplements are also useful for boosting levels.

Brittle or broken hair
If your hair is prone to breakage, then your diet may be low on vitamin C. This is a vital nutrient for circulation to the scalp, and helps the blood vessels feed supply the hair follicles. Having inadequate levels of vitamin C can mean that your hair becomes brittle and breaks easily.

Steps to take: Increase your intake of vitamin C food sources, such as citrus fruits. If you are struggling to get enough, try adding a vitamin C supplement.

What does your hair say about you?

How to lose weight

More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. In fact, the furor over obesity, which some have termed an “epidemic,” has reached such proportions that one big-city mayor has gone about banning large-sized, sugary soft drinks and the First Lady has been on a crusade to control the dietary offerings in public schools.
 Even many adults who do not fit the clinic definition of obese are still overweight, and a large percentage are looking for the best ways to lose weight.

Shedding pounds largely comes down to the two-pronged factors of diet and exercise. Not modifying the first one enough, and not getting enough of the second one, ends up giving the individual a recipe for being overweight. 
 Conditions related to obesity include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Counseling someone to eat less and exercise more might be the simplest advice possible, but it’s also, partially, an oversimplification. When it comes to diet, no one needs to starve themselves in order to lose weight. It has more to do with the types of food you eat than how much you eat.

Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet. If you don’t want to eliminate red meat altogether, choose cuts of meat with less fat content. Limit your intake of salt and starches. If you’ve got to have potato chips alongside your sandwich at lunch, opt for the baked potato chips that are less greasy and contain less fat than the deep-fried chips. You might find you’re really not sacrificing that much in terms of taste.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, egg whites, skinless poultry, fish and nonfat dairy products will certainly aid in the mission of losing weight. Drink more water and less sugary drinks. If you have to have a soda, a diet soda is a better option, but seltzer is an even better choice than that.

In terms of exercise, it’s important—if not always easy—to make sure you get at least some physical activity each and every day. Cardio and strength training burn lots of calories. If your feet or your stamina level won’t allow for a regular jogging regimen, then make sure you take lots of walks. Next time you need to mail a letter, walk to the mailbox instead of driving. Try to work in a daily walk in your neighborhood. And if you intend on more rigorous, formal exercising at the gym or fitness center, be sure to pace yourself and don’t build up to an overly ambitious workout agenda too quickly.

There are thousands of diet fads among us.  However, sometimes the best advice is common sense.  Work towards a healthy diet and integrate regular exercise.  You would be surprised at the results small changes can make.