HappyMac Digital Electronics

10/05/2026

Do you scan QR codes with your phone without thinking about it? Use caution. It's pretty easy for anyone to print one and direct you to whatever website they want. Sometimes it's a harmless joke, but in many cases it could be a phishing attempt to steal your data and money.

If the QR code doesn't include the website that it's supposed to be sending you to in human readable text so you can verify where you are being directed to, we advise NOT scanning that code.

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04/17/2026

Due to the heavy storm forecasts for this evening, we will be closing early so our staff can get home safe and not have to drive in the weather.

We will be closing at about 4:00PM today.

04/14/2026

Should you save your passwords?

This is a common question we get. Is it safe to save your passwords when your web broser asks?

With anything on computers, it's always a quesstion of compromise. Saving passwords creates convenience but at the same time creates (or shifts) risks involved.

When it comes to saving passwords on your Apple devices, we generally recommend YES. This saves passwords in the passwords app, which syncs across your devices.

This has some obvious advantages.

1. Saved passwords are automatically filled in when you go to a website. Obviously, this is more convenient, as you don't need to remember your password, or need to type it in every time you visit a site.

2. When you save your passwords, the Password app on the mac will check those passwords and recommend action if there are securtiy concerns. The most common is the saved password has been part of a security leak. That's a clue for you to change your password IMMEDIATELY. It will also check if you re-use passwords on multiple websites. This is a risk because if a password compromised on a single website, scammers that have access will try it on other sites. A different password for each site limits the potential damage. Of course, remembering different passwords is challenging, so having them saved is easier.

3. Using saved passwords exclusively prevents you from typing in your password on a fake website. These days it's relatively easy to create fake websites that might look legitimate. For example, a scammer could make a fake website that looks exactly like your bank website. If you type in your password manually, you can easily be fooled into giving out your password. The password app won't be fooled, and will not fill in the password. 2 factor authentication helps, but that too can be fooled, as if you put in your password, it can trick you into putting in the 2 factor code to proceed.

The risk of saving your passwords is if your device does get compromsied. Fortunately, this is relatively rare compared to other risks. The best bet is to make sure you have 2 factor authentication enabled whenever you can and make sure your Apple Account password is unique and secure.

03/31/2026

The FCC recently has announced that it will ban all foreign made routers due to concerns that they could be used to route traffic and information to foreign countries.

All future routers must be made in the USA, or get a special exemption to use foreign components with enhanced scruity to make sure they can't be used by foreign actors to compomise personal networks.

This is pretty interesting, and will certainly cause a shakeup in the products available in the next couple of years.

This doesn't mean your existing router will immediately stop working, but it also means your existing router won't get any more firmware updates, and as such if any security flaws are discovered, your only option will be to replace the device.

It has long been suspected that some routers have built in secret back doors that can be accessed by the vendors. Obviously, this is quite a major concern, especially in the home market where most people don't have the skillset to see what data is being sent to where.

Since your router is such an important piece of your home network's security, it's a good idea to regularly make sure that you update your device. We recommend replacing routers as soon as the vendor drops support for your existing model. (Usually every 3-5 years)

What is the FCC's Covered List? What restrictions does it impose on "covered" equipment on the List?The FCC’s Covered List is a list of communications equipment and services that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the U.S. or the safety and security of U.S. persons...