Four things worth knowing from the past fortnight, and one worth doing something about.
Computer shipments fell by a fifth, and memory prices are the reason
Analysts IDC and Omdia both report that global PC shipments dropped by roughly 20 per cent in the September quarter compared with a year earlier. IDC puts the figure at 62.7 million machines and says it is the biggest fall it has recorded for a third quarter. The cause is the price of memory and storage, which AI data centres are absorbing, and IDC says PC prices will stay elevated.
Fake Claude download ads are tricking Mac users into running malicious commands
Security firm Push Security found a Google search ad for "claude mac" that showed a trusted-looking bing.com address but passed the visitor through a hacked website to a fake download page. The page displays the genuine install command, yet the copy button quietly places a different one on the clipboard, which downloads and runs the attacker's script. BleepingComputer reported on 9 October that the final payload was not known.
Windows computers that miss updates will lose Windows Update in 2027
On 8 October Microsoft announced that the certificates which Windows uses to trust Windows Update expire on 17 May and 19 June 2027. Computers on a supported version of Windows that are up to date with monthly updates need to do nothing, because the replacements are already delivered. Machines on versions Microsoft no longer supports, or that have been left unpatched, will stop receiving updates after those dates.
macOS 27 makes iPhone Mirroring more useful
Since the macOS 27 and iOS 27 releases in September, iPhone Mirroring on the Mac has gained three things. The mirrored window can be resized, though for now that works only with Apple's own apps until other developers update theirs. Control Center can be opened with Command and 4, and protected video now plays instead of showing a black screen.
Write down who decides if you lose customer data
Under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, an organisation covered by the Privacy Act must tell affected people and the OAIC when a breach of personal information is likely to result in serious harm. The OAIC's examples include a lost or stolen device, a hacked database and information sent to the wrong person, which are everyday events rather than dramatic ones.
6 Signs Your Business Needs Managed IT
Our checklist of six signs that an owner has outgrown ad hoc IT support, or that a current provider has stopped keeping up, with a plain question to ask for each. It is written for owners who suspect something is off but cannot yet say what, and it sets out how many signs mean it is time to act.
Three ways to stay informed
Take the ones you want, leave the ones you don't. Free resources for your SMB.
- The IT Essentials Digest (monthly) A single business focus, four of our best articles, condensed into a four-minute read: the key insight from each, what you might be missing, and how to apply it to your own business.
- InTech News (every second Wednesday) This one. Five things worth two minutes of your time. Something interesting, something on security, Microsoft, Apple, and one practical thing a Melbourne business owner can act on.
- Blog posts (every 2-3 weeks) An email whenever we publish. Longer pieces, one subject at a time, written for owners rather than IT departments.
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Something here you want to talk through? Email helpdesk@1300intech.com.au or call 1300 468 324.
