President’s Message

As your incoming President, I look forward to working with our Board and Committee volunteers to help “untangle technology” for our members.  I am not a Geek nor a power user but this stuff has become so woven into my daily routine that I sometimes need help navigating through or out of the rough waters.  Now for some updates:

First Level Support

Year after year, our FLS team has been quickly responding to an average of 90+ calls a month to provide our members with the help needed to keep our digital lives connected and going. As we use our devices more and more for staying in touch with family, finances, interests as well as streaming for relaxation, FLS is here to offer you help.

Tap

While the total number of systems we have been providing to those youths that cannot afford computers has been down from previous years, we remain committed to helping keep those in need from falling behind a world that grows more reliant on technology.

Tours

Over the years, more than 1600 TVCUC members participated in the tours Bob Kutschera put together.  In February, three tours are being offered – MasterCraft Boat Manufacturing, the Proton Therapy Center in Knoxville, and the Loudon County 911 Center.  Please sign up through the Tellico Life website.  I will guarantee you will enjoy each one.

Membership

If you have not renewed your membership, please go to Tellico Life and do so.  TVCUC yearly paid membership runs from January 1 – December 31.  We still have those who sign up or renew on or after October 1st membership for that current year and the next. This is easy to overlook and we will be sure to send out reminders during the October – December time frame for 2026. To join or renew click here: https://tvlife.memberclicks.net/tvcuc-membership

Security

Karen Brown, our MAC Special Interest Group (SIG) leader has provided the below link for distribution to the entire club.  This information is critically useful to both Apple and Windows users.

Phishing attacks come into our email inboxes almost every day. Learn what they are, how they work and how to protect yourself. Learn how AI may be making phishing attacks even worse. Click here for the article: Phishing Attacks: How They Work and How To Protect Yourself

Volunteers Needed

We’re on the lookout for two volunteers from the general membership to serve as Trustees to provide financial oversight with the Treasurer. It’d be awesome if you had a background in finance or accounting, but it’s not a strict requirement. All you need is 4-6 hours (annually) of your time.  This is a fantastic chance to get a closer look at how our club works. If you’re interested, just send an email to [email protected] with your contact info.

Looking Ahead in 2025

The end of Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, will have several key impacts on PC users:

• Security Risks: PCs running Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates, leaving them vulnerable to malware and cyberattacks.
• Compatibility Issues: New software and hardware may not work with Windows 10, limiting functionality over time.
• Upgrade Options: Users with compatible hardware can upgrade to Windows 11 for free. Older PCs may need replacement.
• Offline Use: Some users may opt to keep Windows 10 PCs offline to avoid risks, but this limits functionality.

Members helping members,

Buddy Holt, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

Year End President’s Message

Approaching the end of 2024 is bittersweet for me, as it signifies the end of a one-year term that somehow turned into four years. During this time, we went from a full-on pandemic back to a somewhat normal state, but we didn’t arrive here without learning a lot of lessons…many of them about ourselves, and our character as an organization.

Our First Level Support (FLS) team went from making house calls to using remote-control software during the pandemic, and we increased from 40 to over 100 calls per month. We are so blessed to have this group of technical experts untangling our members’ technology problems. Huge props to each member of this team!

Our Technology Access Program (TAP) was a savior in terms of providing computer systems for underprivileged children and families, local schools, and many nonprofit organizations. They not only reached an unbelievable milestone of repurposing over 11,000 computers, but these systems also provided technology access to over 16,000 children. These numbers continue to boggle my mind.

Our membership is over 1200 people strong, and I want to thank each of you. Thank you for your continued support – thank you for helping us provide computers to so many underprivileged children and families – thank you for allowing us to fix your technology problems – and most importantly, thank you for being the best part of the Tellico Village Computer Users Club. We couldn’t fulfill our mission without you.

On January 1st, Buddy Holt will assume the role of presiding over this amazing organization, and I couldn’t be happier that Buddy will be our next president. He has been a board officer (Secretary) for the past two years and has been a major contributor to our decision-making process.

I will remain on the board as Past President, and I’ll continue to help our Mac/Apple members as part of our FLS team. It has been an honor and pleasure working with our board, core group, and many of you for the past four years. I look forward to supporting Buddy and our club for many years to come.

Happy Holidays!

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

Apple Intelligence Overview

If you use an iPhone, iPad or Mac computer, this newsletter contains some of the most important information you’ll ever read regarding these devices. In the most recent releases of iOS & iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1, Apple has started rolling out Apple Intelligence, which is AI for Apple devices. In my 25 years of using Apple devices, the recent Apple Intelligence features released for iOS & iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 are the biggest game changers I’ve ever seen. Period! Though Apple has only begun introducing Apple Intelligence (with much more planned during 2025 & 2026), if this is only the start, I can’t wait to see what else is coming.

Apple’s new “Apple Intelligence” suite of features for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 introduces enhancements in writing, photo management, and personal assistant capabilities, powered by on-device AI for privacy-focused processing.

• Enhanced Writing Tools: Integrated across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple Intelligence offers advanced writing support tools, including text rewriting for different tones, proofreading with grammatical suggestions, and summarization. These tools are designed to be accessible in various apps, like Mail and Messages, enabling users to adjust their communication based on the context, with privacy preserved through on-device processing.
• Smarter Siri: Apple has upgraded Siri to be more conversational, with improved natural language understanding. Siri now retains context across multiple requests, can be seamlessly used in both voice and text formats, and has an updated look with a soft glow around the screen edge. Siri also gains more integration across apps, helping users with specific tasks like scheduling emails or finding details in Messages.
• Intelligent Photos and Memories: The Photos app now supports natural language search, allowing users to locate specific moments by describing the scene. The Clean Up tool lets users remove unwanted objects from photos without affecting the main subject, and a new Memories feature can create movies from images based on simple text descriptions, using AI to arrange content into a story-line.

Apple Intelligence is initially available in U.S. English on recent Apple devices (iPhone 15 Pro and newer, iPad with A17 Pro or M1, and Macs with M1 or later). These updates reflect Apple’s focus on privacy by keeping AI processing on-device or within a secure private cloud environment.

Below are three Apple Support articles to help you learn more about Apple Intelligence and show you how to install Apple Intelligence on your Apple devices. I’ve been using Apple Intelligence for the few days during which it has been available, and I am amazed at how much productivity has been added to my day.

• Getting Started with Apple Intelligence on iPhone
  (https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/get-started-with-apple-intelligence-iphc28624b81/ios)
• Getting Started with Apple Intelligence on iPad
  (https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-started-with-apple-intelligence-ipade5045bb1/ipados)
• Use Apple Intelligence in Mail on Mac
  (https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-apple-intelligence-in-mail-mchlb2dbea8f/15.0/mac/15.0)

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club

Windows Includes Ransomware Protection

(Here’s how to turn it on)

Ransomware is nasty stuff. This type of malware encrypts files on your PC so you can’t access them unless you pay the attacker to unlock the data. Basically, your files are held hostage until you cough up the demanded ransom, or you’re able to survive the ransomware attack using other means.

The #1 defense against ransomware is avoiding sites and downloads riddled with it, but some of the tricks bad actors use to lure you to these places are all too realistic, making it easy to take the bait.

Our FLS team highly recommends using Microsoft Defender as your first line of malware defense (even over a 3rd party antivirus app). Microsoft Defender is built into Windows, made by Microsoft, and it can take care of all your malware protection needs. (Microsoft changed the name from Windows Defender several years ago, but it’s the same program.)

The catch? Ransom protection is not turned on by default in Microsoft Defender. You have to enable it yourself.

How to turn on ransomware protection in Windows

Step One: Open the Windows Security app on your PC. You can access it in one of several ways:

• Press Alt + Spacebar on your keyboard, type in windows security, then press Enter 
• Open your Start Menu and type in windows security, then press Enter 
• Open your Settings app, then choose Windows Security in the left pane 

Step Two: Find your ransomware settings. In the Windows Security app, click on Virus & Threat Protection. Then click Manage ransomware protection at the bottom of the screen.

Next, turn on Controlled folder access. This setting restricts app access to your PC’s default OneDrive, Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, and Favorites folders. (You can also manually add other folders to the list).

Not all apps will be barred from these areas in Windows – Microsoft Office programs are automatically allowed to open and alter files. But if an app is not on Microsoft’s internal list of trusted apps, it can’t see anything in those folders until explicit permission is granted in Windows Security.

Step Three: Make sure you’re logged into OneDrive

Limiting access to files and folders won’t completely protect them. An additional method of defense is to have good backups, which Windows automatically does if you’re logged into OneDrive. (You can either connect a Microsoft account to your whole Windows PC, or just the OneDrive app specifically.)

To confirm that this protection is on, you can look at Ransomware protection > Ransomware data recovery. 

For the purpose of warding off ransomware’s worst effects, the safest backup of your files is the one you keep offline. You should make a backup in addition to anything stored in the cloud. If you only have one copy of your data, you’re not properly backed up.

Should you turn on ransomware protection in Windows?

Security and convenience live on opposite ends of a spectrum, and that’s the case here, too. Controlling folder access in Windows can keep attackers out of your important folders, but it can also be slightly inconvenient. My suggestion is to live with that little bit of inconvenience and stay protected. The choice is yours.

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club