SELECTED Q&A from the OCTOBER MEETING

Q: I use several different browsers. Some of them won't open PDFs automatically and I don't know why. I use Adobe Acrobat as my default reader, and am running Snow Leopard.

A: This sounds like a browser-specific problem. Each browser has a command for clearing the browser cache; search for that. (The commands are also version-specific, so it's not necessarily in the same place in different versions of Chrome or Safari.) Then clear the browser cache. This may fix the problem. Rest assured that clearing the browser cache is not the same as clearing the history.

Q: On my iPad I have doubled calendars. They are identical; it's like I've got two copies of the same calendars displaying on my iPad. It's terribly annoying! How do I get rid of the doubles?

A: You may be syncing to your iPad from iTunes on your main computer. Check and make sure. If so, then uncheck "Sync Calendars" in iTunes so you aren't sending two sets of calendars to the iPad (that is, so that your computer via iTunes and iCloud aren't both sending the same calendars to your iPad).

Q: Really, how secure is iCloud?

A: Storage of documents is very safe. Transferring of data is only as safe as you've made it setting the preferences for the type of connection between your machine and the internet, the level of file encryption you're using, and other "housekeeping" precautions. A free coffeehouse wi-fi network is simply not going to give you the same security as your firewalled home network, so you shouldn't plan on doing secure work like banking on a public network. It is highly recommended that you make a backup on your local machine. And evaluate how you feel about whatever document or data you're considering putting on iCloud. If you are truly paranoid, don't put it anywhere on the web.