WEEKLY WHEATIES #2420
Passwords, AI, Apple, Cars
In this newsletter:
Post: Why You Need a Password Manager
In Case You Missed It: AI Updates
In Case You Missed It: Apple Spring Event
Pick of the Week: Car Designs
Featured Product: RainPoint Sprinkler Timer
Why You Need a Password Manager
Early last year, I talked about the LastPass hack and shared Bitwarden as my Pick of the Week. To this day, I still use Bitwarden, and still suggest it. However, I know it’s not the only Password Manager available, nor one that may be easily used if sharing across families or businesses. That said, I highly suggest you use something to store your passwords. Not only do they give a centralized location to store your passwords, but they also help with security.
Before getting into password management, there’s one other level of security that needs a mention: two-factor authentication. You may have seen this term, or another wording of multi-factor authentication (MFA). Essentially, this means you have one or more ways to verify you are who you say you are. This is done by way of having or knowing something (that others do not).
Typically, access can be granted to a website or application through a username and password, biometric data (face or fingerprint scan for example), a physical key (in the digital world, this can be a keycard or USB stick), and can even include another piece of hardware or software (a smart watch or mobile device are popular here). More common examples include a one-time generated key proved through an email, phone call, or text message. This can be numeric but may include letters and special characters, too.
The last type of MFA method includes downloading an Authenticator app for your mobile device. Microsoft and Google both make one, but there are many third-party options. You can search your app store of choice and see which one you prefer.
I will always suggest turning on MFA anywhere applicable. This is a very easy way to lock down your accounts and make it all but impossible to hack your account. Remember, everything can be hacked. What keeps some people from being hacked compared to others typically boils down to one of two decisions made by these bad actors. First, is there someone for some reason they want to hack that person’s account. Whether for personal reasons or not, these types are sought after.
Which means the second type of hacks are by way of ease of access. To start, make sure you aren’t a target by checking to see, “Have I Been Pwned.” This website will let you know if your account has been breached, and on what site. The first plan of action would be to change your password and turn on MFA. But… not so fast. We now need to see How Secure is My Password? And to make sure it’s not a password we’re using somewhere else.
I want to pause for a second and restate that last sentence another way. Do not use the same password for more than one login. Or for that matter, do not use the same password more than once! Easier said than done, yes. But how do you do that easily?
This is where Password Managers come into play. You only need to remember one very secure password and it will store all of your other passwords. I will give you permission to write this main password down and store in a safe until you do remember it, but don’t write it and leave it anywhere obvious or carry it on your person.
This main password should be 12-15 characters, have upper- and lower-case letters, a special character or two, and one or more numbers. It may include common words, but please not a word that would be something important to you. The beauty here is simple: you no longer have to create or remember tons of different passwords, that’s what the Password Manager is for.
The next question may be, how can I make every password different? Well, believe it or not, many Password Managers may generate new secure passwords you can use. On the other hand, you could use some common practices. For example, most of my passwords include one of maybe 5 words or phrases, one of 5 or so special characters, and the date I am creating the password on. For example, a new password of creation may be “Roundabout#051324.” In case you didn’t know, I’m a fan of roundabouts, but that would never be my password - sorry!
Moving on, what Password Manager should you use? I honestly don’t care which one you choose to use, only that you use one. I haven’t tried them all, only going by reviews and what I’ve heard from friends and family. But others I suggest include:
Something else I’d like to add. I would not count on your web browser to store your passwords. They are easily accessed sometimes, and worse - if you are logged into a browser on another computer, it may have saved them locally on that machine. They also are not easily available across devices. This includes not using iCloud Keychain, too. There are things Apple does well, but Keychain is not one of those things. It will only work across Apple devices (which is part of the security factor here), but I’ve heard and seen too many issues when needing access if a device is lost or damaged. This is one of those times when I would not put all of my eggs in the same basket.
Lastly, please don’t store all your passwords in a password or FaceID protected note on your mobile device. These are also not as secure, easily accessible, or convenient in editing or searching for your login information. It may also have transcription errors when copy/pasting or editing.
What Password Manager do you use?
ICYMI: AI Updates
As AI is heating up across the web, search engines are taking a hit. On Monday, May 13, OpenAI is set to share updates to ChatGPT. While they say it is “not a search engine,” they can’t dictate how users interact with the chatbot. There are also rumors of Apple developing an AI-powered Intelligence Search for updates to iOS and MacOS for the fall. However, the behemoth of search, Google, also has their own chatbot - Gemini. Even from the day it was released, it was announced it would be embedded in search at some point.
Until generative AI chatbots can keep from making things up, search engines will still reign. However, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has already been making changes to account for AI. Not to mention, one can imagine the web designers using AI to help with their site’s SEO. Meaning that AI knows what works and knows how to gain the system. Until those changes are widespread, Google will probably continue to pay Apple to be the default search engine. Let’s not forget, before Google, people asked public librarians their questions.
In other AI news, the first major music video generated by OpenAI’s Sora was shared by the artist Washed Out. It was sometimes confusing as things didn’t always make sense physically or logically, but it still showed promise. If you happen to see this video on TikTok, it may be accompanied by a digital watermark as TikTok will start labeling AI-generated content. This comes after a filing showing TikTok sues to block U.S. ban. This is interesting as US laws and courts will either ban or allow the continuation of a non-US company.
ICYMI: Apple Spring Event
In their most recent event, Apple announced updates to their iPad lineup. This included a thinner and more powerful iPad Pro with the M4 chip (a jump from the M2), a redesigned iPad Air (which now comes in two sizes), an updated Magic Keyboard, and the new Pencil Pro (with features like squeeze, barrel roll, haptic feedback, and the long-awaited Find My capability). Watch the 38-minute “Let Loose” keynote online here.
POTW: Car Designs
The vehicle someone picks to drive could be for many different reasons. Cost, size, safety, availability, and much more. Some may choose one based on looks while others strictly on utility. And a plethora of other reasons all culminating into possibly the second most expensive purchase of one's life. If you are in the market and want to compare the size of two or more vehicles, check out Carsized. Otherwise, two cars lost in time that are pretty unique include the Citroen Karin and the Opel GT. For some interesting concept cars, check out this post on Hagerty.com.
Featured Product
Starting this week, I will be sharing one or more items at the end of each newsletter, highlighting items I’ve purchased and recommend. They will each be added to an ongoing blog post here, with a future goal of having them linked on an Amazon Store.
With the spring in full swing and summer coming in hot, consider the WiFi-enabled RainPoint Sprinkler Timer. Setup was a breeze, and a schedule can be set from your phone, along with manually turning it on when wanted, or delaying the schedule due to weather.
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases of products suggested above.
