I love my junk folder. It’s that part on my computer that is filled with the bullshit stories. Some examples:

• I won a price, click on the link to receive it;
• A widow of some death dictator in Africa with a cashflow problem. She wants to share this money with me;
• Buy extra cheap bitcoins with a special friend price;
• Some Russian lady with big boobs that feels lonely and want to becomes penpals with me;

Every e-mail is carefully designed to scam me. To rip me off my money.

Every day smart algorithms (or maybe even machine learning) are separating the chaff from the wheat. All the e-mails with a slice of bullshit are moved to my junk folder. Sometimes I take a look in the junk folder to see if the software is not making any mistakes. It’s still software that is making the decision if an e-mail is a spam. So it happens that sometimes that I find an important e-mail in the junk folder. Lucky for me I have 30 days time to save important e-mails before they are sent in oblivion.

Last months I started to receive new gems. A story that my password is leaked from some dating site. That password is used to gain control over some parts of my digital life. I need to pay a big amount of money within 48 hours if I don’t want my personal information to be leaked. To be honest with you. That’s not a lie. I had an account on a dating site and that password is leaked in a big breach. But I’m not that stupid to use the same password everywhere. For every website where I have an account, I use a unique password.

For days now I’m waiting that some compromising pictures and videos to show up. Yes, of course, I’m not going to pay. Like everyone on this planet, I’m naked under my clothes. So if we were recorded. What would it change? We will be just another thumbnail on Youporn. Forgotten in a couple of days after you gave some boys an orgasm. But that’s not the case. I know this e-mail is just another piece of bullshit. But written in a style I like.

You have to admit. This person really put some effort into the story. If I want some proof. No problem. The scammer will send the proof straight to my friends and family. I like this style of writing. Like a person who doesn’t care. But really wants to put some pressure on you. Pay and I won’t ruin your life.

The problem is that everybody can make emails like this. In the last years, data collectors started to collect all the leaked accounts in big databases. You can test yourself if your information was collected in a breach. Type in your e-mail on https://haveibeenpwned.com to check. I can download those lists and start sending random people with the messages that I hacked them and if they don’t pay me I will share their private information. A total bullshit story. But you don’t want to know how many people fall for this.

Believe me. I won’t share that person his Bitcoin address with the world. I changed their bitcoin address.

The scammer is getting a little bit desperate. Every e-mail he sends the money amount he is claiming is lowered. 

First e-mail

I do know one of your passwords. Let’s get directly to purpose. Neither anyone has paid me to check you. You don’t know me and you are probably thinking why you are getting this email?

Actually, I actually installed a software on the adult video clips (sexually graphic) website and do you know what, you visited this website to experience fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing videos, your web browser initiated working as a Remote Desktop with a keylogger which provided me access to your display screen as well a cam. after that, my software program gathered your complete contacts from your Messenger, social networks, as well as your email account. Next, I created a double-screen video. 1st part shows the video you were watching (you’ve got a nice taste lmao), and next part displays the recording of your cam, yea its u.

You do have just two solutions. We should explore the solutions in details:

The first choice is to skip this email message. in this scenario, I most certainly will send out your actual video to every single one of your contacts and you can easily imagine about the embarrassment you can get. Not to forget if you happen to be in a relationship, exactly how it would affect?

Another choice should be to compensate me 7000 USD. We are going to think of it as a donation. In such a case, I will instantaneously delete your video footage. You can carry on everyday life like this never occurred and you will not ever hear back again from me.

You will make the payment by Bitcoin (if you don’t know this, search for ‘how to buy bitcoin’ in Google search engine). BTC address to send to https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate-amnesty/
[CaSe-SeNSiTiVe copy & paste it]

Should you are looking at going to the law enforcement, good, this email cannot be traced back to me. I have dealt with my moves. I am just not attempting to demand a whole lot, I just like to be compensated. You now have two days in order to pay. I have a special pixel in this email message, and right now I know that you have read through this e-mail.

if I don’t get the Bitcoins, I will, no doubt send out your video to all of your contacts including members of your family, colleagues, and so on. Having said that, if I do get paid, I will erase the recording right away. This is a non-negotiable offer, and thus please do not waste my personal time and yours by replying to this email message. if you want to have evidence, reply Yes and I definitely will send out your video to your 13 friends.

Second e-mail

Hi

So I am a hacker who broke your email address and device several months ago. You typed in your pwd on one of the websites you visited, and I intercepted that. This is the password from rjs@gmx.li upon the time of compromise: some dating site. Clearly one can change it. or already changed it. Then again this won’t really make a difference, my malware updated it each and every time. Do not consider to make contact with me personally or find me. By way of your own email, I uploaded malicious code to your Operation System. I saved all of your current contacts with buddies, acquaintances, relatives plus the comprehensive record of visits to the Web resources. Additionally, I installed a Virus on your system.

You aren’t my only prey. I usually lock computers and ask for a ransom. But I ended up being struck through the websites of passionate content that you frequently visit. I am in the impact of your current fantasies! I’ve never ever observed anything at all like this! Consequently, when you had fun on piquant web pages (you know what I mean!) I created a screenshot with utilizing my program by the camera of your system. After that, I put together them to the content of the particular currently seen website. Now there is going to be giggling when I send these pictures to your friends!

Nonetheless, I know you do not need that. Hence, I expect payment from you for my quiet. I think $6,392 is a satisfactory cost with regard to this! Pay with Bitcoin. My Bitcoin wallet: https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate-amnesty/

If you do not know how to do this – enter into Google ‘how to transfer money to the bitcoin wallet’. It is easy. Right, after receiving the specified amount, all your details will be right away eliminated automatically. My malware will also get rid of itself from your operating system. My Computer virus possesses an auto alert, so I know when this particular email is read. I give you 2 days (Forty-eight hrs) in order to make the payment. In case this does not occur – all of your contacts will get crazy images from your darkish secret life and your system will be blocked as well after 48 hours. Do not end up being silly! Cops or pals won’t assist you for certain … PS I can offer you advice with regard to the future. Do not key in your passwords on risky internet sites. I wish for your wisdom.

Goodbye.

Third e-mail.

I know welcome123 is your passwords. Let’s get right to the point. Nobody has compensated me to investigate you. You do not know me and you’re probably wondering why you are getting this e-mail? Well, I set up a software on the 18+ video clips (pornographic material) website and guess what, you visited this website to have fun (you know what I mean).

When you were viewing videos, your browser began working as an RDP having a keylogger which gave me access to your display screen and also a webcam. Right, after that, my software program collected every one of your contacts from your Messenger, FB, and email accounts. Next, I created a double video. The first part shows the video you were watching (you have a nice taste haha . . .), and the next part displays the view of your web camera. yeah, it is u.

You got two different choices. Let’s understand the options in details: Very first solution is to just ignore this email. Consequently, I will send your videotape to every bit of your personal contacts and you can easily imagine concerning the embarrassment you will get. and consequently, if you are in an important relationship, exactly how it is going to affect?

The latter alternative should be to compensate me USD 878. Let’s regard it as a donation. in such a case, I most certainly will instantaneously remove your video recording. You could keep your daily routine like this never took place and you will not hear back again from me.

You will make the payment through Bitcoin (if you don’t know this, search for ‘how to buy bitcoin’ in Google). BTC address: https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate-amnesty/

if you have been looking at going to the law enforcement officials, anyway, this message cannot be traced back to me. I have dealt with my moves. I am just not trying to ask you for a lot, I prefer to be compensated. You have two days to pay. I’ve got a specific pixel in this e-mail, and now I know that you have read this email message. if I don’t get the BitCoins, I will, no doubt send out your video to all of your contacts including friends and family, coworkers, and so forth. Nonetheless, if I do get paid, I’ll destroy the video right away. This is a non-negotiable offer, and so don’t waste my time & yours by replying to this e-mail. if you want to have evidence, reply Yup! and I will send your video to your 7 friends.

I was running out of space on my hard drive if I didn’t use Apple’s iCloud. But do I trust Apple’s iCloud enough? Or should I upgrade to a bigger SSD?

Since the spring of 2006, I’m a happy user of Apple products. I always tried to keep my machines fast. You don’t have any profit if you have a fast CPU and a lot of memory in your computer when your hard drive is the bottleneck. So I always tried to install the fastest hard drive I could find. In the last decennia, this was the Western Digital Black 7200RPM hard drives. But slowly a new revolution was entering the market. The SSD. Sort for Solid State Disk. No more mechanical pieces with a moving head that only could cover one section of the disk at the time, but flash-memory chips that instant can access every part of information without hardly any wait time.

In 2009 I bought for my MacBook Pro an Intel SSD with the size of 160GB. Wow. Wow. My machine felt so fast and snappy. I was infected with the SSD virus. From now on I will never have a computer again with a conventional hard drive. Every time I touched a normal computer with a mechanical hard drive it felt old fashion and nail-biting slow. After the MacBook Pro, I used a MacBook Air for years. This machine was built around a fast SSD. The slow CPU and low amount of memory didn’t matter because the SSD pushed the machine through the years.

In 2014 I bought the machine I still use today. A MacBook Pro retina with an Intel I5 CPU, 8GB of ram and a 256GB SSD. I’m not a hardcore graphic designer. Otherwise, I should choose for the I7 with 16GB of ram. In 2018 the machine still feels fast. But I can sense it has some problems to keep up when I’m doing video editing (O really). In 2014 I was storing my media on my NAS (Network Attached Storage). But the introduction of Apple Photos decided to collect all my digital memories together in one program.

Apple Photos offers a great solution for bringing all my memories in one place. Videos and photos are stored in a chronically ordered timeline. The software is doing face recognizing on every face it can find and is using the GPS metadata in the photos and videos to put it on a map. It improved the way of finding pictures back. No more searching in folders on a NAS. But I just type in the name or a location. Looking back at old memories is fun again.

Slowly my Apple Photos Library was growing. But on my small 256Gb SSD, this was not a problem. Apple offers iCloud so you can synchronize all your photos and videos to the cloud. The original pictures and videos are stored in the iCloud. When you want to watch the high-quality version Apple Photos quickly downloads this file from the iCloud. My local Photos Library is really small. So why do I need more hard drive space?

Because I already paid every month for my iCloud storage I also start using the iCloud Drive to store my normal files. I couldn’t fit all my files anymore in my free account of Dropbox. paying for both iCloud and for Dropbox sound a little overkill. In iCloud I can also choose to optimize Mac storage. So more free space on my hard drive when needed.

The first problem I encounter is that Apple’s optimize storage algorithm is way too aggressive and unpredictable. You can read in the above screenshot “The full content of iCloud Drive will be stored on this Mac if you have enough space. Older Documents will be stored only in iCloud when space is needed”. This is not true. I had enough free space. But the algorithm already removed the original pictures from my hard drive that I imported one day before. I could not quickly edit my vacation photos because the originals were already removed from my hard drive. For every edit, I had to wait seconds (or even minutes) when iCloud was downloading the picture in the background. I can tell you that the internet in Asia can suck big time. The same problem also happened with my files. Some files I worked on a couple days ago where already removed. I had to wait till iCloud had downloaded the files again. But some other files I hadn’t touched in months where still on the hard drive. Apple’s iCloud algorithm doesn’t make any sense.

The second problem was with Time Machine. I realized that Time Machine only makes a backup of my files that are psychical on your disk. Every file that’s in the cloud isn’t stored in your Time Machine backup. I have to give Apple my trust that they are taking care of my digital life. This is a big problem. I don’t trust Apple. I trust them that they are capable of respecting my privacy. But with their hardware, software, and management I have a hard time to trust them. The last year to many things happened that give me a feeling in my gut that I have to take care for my own data. I can already hear Apple’s mantra to their customers “You are doing it wrong”.

1. What do we know about Apple Datacenter? How are they secured and how do they keep my data backed-up?
2. What happens if Apple disagrees with a customer and disable their account. We now live in a world where big companies with a finger snap disable accounts. Even in the country of the free speech.
3. What happens if my monthly iCloud payment to Apple has a hiccup and Apple deletes your extra storage space.
4. What happens if I die and my family asks Apple access to my digital memories?
5. What happens if the country where I live is blocking all Apple services?
   

So I decided that I want to take care of my whole complete digital life. I still will use Apple iCloud. But I need and want a complete (offline) backup of my data on my hard drive and on my Time Machine backup. But those last years I’m so spoiled with iCloud optimize storage that I never can store all my data on my hard drive. I need a bigger hard drive in my MacBook Pro.

Apple’s SSD’s are that fast because they use their own proprietary connection. The advantage is that they can offer their customers higher read and write speeds. But the disadvantaged is that you can only use Apple SSD’s with this connector. This article can tell you more in details about the connectors. I can’t go to a normal computer store and buy a M2 SSD. I could use a converter that makes it possible to install a M2 form SSD in an Apple computer. But this gives a lot of compatibility problems. I can’t use the sleep-mode for example. So I want to install an original Apple SSD. But that’s something you can’t buy straight from Apple.

On Ebay a lot of sellers are offering secondhand SSD’s for the MacBook Pro. But they are too expensive. I don’t want to buy a secondhand SSD from the other side of the world without knowing if it’s working and I have a good return policy. It turns out that in Saigon is a shop specialized in solid state drives. So I visited this shop lagihitech. They had a box filled with secondhand SSD’s for every kind of Apple computer. They offer two things that decided in deciding to buy an SSD from this shop. They offer a warranty and they want to buy my old 256GB SSD.

To be ready for the future I choose a 1TB SSD. The shop offers two edition of this SSD. A fast one and a really faster one. I choose the fast one. Back home I could not get this one to run. It was detected by OSX and by Windows. But after a couple minutes, it disappeared. This is exactly the reason I didn’t want to buy an SSD online. Can you imagine the work I have to do if this SSD had to be sent back and I had to wait to get my money back? If you get your money back at all. The next day I returned to the shop. Without any problems, I could swap the failed SSD for another one. This time I choose the really fast one. It works without any problems. And it’s fast. Really fast. Take a look at the benchmark.

The SSD is secondhand. In the SMART health information table, I could read that this SSD in his lifetime had written 40TB of data. This is nothing. Basically, the SSD was almost brand new. Six months later the SSD is still running fast.

For my daily workflow I have now enough free space on my hard drive. I don’t need to wait anymore for iCloud to download files that were removed because the Apple algorithm decided I didn’t have enough space.  I can work and stay in my flow. What I really like. I have enough space left that I don’t need an external drive again for my virtual machines.

In my opinion this was a good investment for my computer. I’m also super glad about the fact that I can still upgrade the SSD in this machine. The latest MacBook Pro’s from 2017 and 2018 have there SSD soldered to the mainboard. You can’t upgrade it anymore. So when you buy your MacBook Pro you have to decide the amount of space you need. You can’t change this in the future.