appleJAC Macintosh Users

Plastic Bottles for IC School

appleJAC MUGH holds its monthly meeting at Immaculate Conception School in Jefferson City. IC School is collecting plastic bottles.

They can recycle non-alcoholic plastic bottles with a "1" in the recycle icon, and "Pete" under it, like water, soda, iced tea, fruit juice bottles. (NO milk bottles)  They also recycle aluminum cans.

They may be left in the front of school on the bench, or behind the Sisters' convent at 1205 East McCarty (red brick house with the awnings). 

The school is competing -- trying to get enough of these to receive $25,000. We appreciate IC School allowing us to use Kennedy Hall, so when you come to the next appleJAC meeting, be sure to bring your empty plastic bottles for the school.

Proposal to Update appleJAC Bylaws

The appleJAC Macintosh Users Group Board of Directors is proposing to update the corporate Bylaws by removing the Board position of "Librarian".

A vote of the membership will be taken at the December 4, 2012, Annual Meeting to confirm and accept these changes.

The motivation for this change is because the physical contents of our Library has become very dated. No members have requested access to any of its contents for the past several years. Thus, without a viable library, a Librarian is no longer needed to administer its contents.

If a need emerges for this task, or any others, a Member-at-Large position will be assigned that function in the future.

To view the specific changes being proposed, click on appleJAC Bylaws ver 9 which will download the 4-page PDF file with all deletions as overstrikes and new language underlined (all in red).

Qmadix: Amazing Products in Paradise

a review by Tom Piper

My life thrives on cool gadgets, and I am constantly striving to find reputable companies with reliable, resourceful and effective devices at reasonable prices. The iOS world with my iPhone 4S, iPod touch (first gen) and iPad 3 have provided me many hours of joy, a few times of grief, and many opportunities for new adventures.

Recently, I have been working with a great company called Qmadix which offers a wide array of products that fit neatly into my gadget world. In this review, I am sharing my impressions and descriptions about a few items from their online store (www.qmadix.com). The picture above shows some of the products which accompanied me to the Secrets Resort in Huatulco, Mexico, and helped enhance my visit there with music and power. 

Docking Station Adapter for Apple iPhone 4S/4 is a great little connector that allows me to dock my iOS devices while using my favorite protective case. The thicker protective cases usually require removal prior to using them with most docking devices. To avoid this inconvenience, this slim 30-pin adapter extends my connector height, providing a convenient docking solution without removing the case. It is lightweight, compact one-piece design that is easy to use, small for transport, and a necessity in my gadget bag. An excellent accessory at only $19.99. 

Protective cases are very important for my iPhone 4S, and I am very impressed with the Metalix Snap-On Covers for Apple iPhone 4S/4 (I tested both the black and gray accent versions). As advertised, these cases are stylish, sophisticated and protective for my device. They are durable, but lightweight, textured polycarbonate border helps to keep a firm grip on your device.  Aluminum alloy accents enhance the look of your device without adding bulk or unwanted weight. The form-fitted design allows access to all buttons, cameras and ports which protects from scratches and bumps, is easy to install, and available in black, gray, blue, purple and red. These are priced at $29.99. 

For truly rugged protection, the Qmadix Xtreme Protective Case integrates innovative design and engineering to provide maximum armor around my iPhone 4S/4. This shielded portable solution offers a dynamic blend of shock absorption material with a revolutionary Duro-Vest Protector to give me the ultimate defense against drops and jars. It includes a double layer, impact-resistant protection with an integrated kickstand, raised silicone edges to protect the screen, and durable ratcheting swivel belt clip on holster. At $34.99, this case is well worth the price.

Portable power is a travel necessity as provided by Boostpac Battery Solutions. For quick backup energy, I use the Qmadix boostpac quick shot Rechargeable Auxiliary Battery Pack. It is conveniently equipped with iPod, iPhone and Micro USB connectors which are compatible with many small portable devices. This nifty box includes LED indicator displays for estimated remaining battery life, smart technology that prevents overcharging, a compact design with collapsible connectors, and a standard USB to micro USB Cable. It uses a 1000 mAh rechargeable lithium-polymer battery with rated input/output of DC 5V, and measures 2" x 1.4" x 1". This can be a lifesaver at $39.99. 

As an alternative for night charging and backup energy, I took with me the Qmadix boostpac eclipse Rechargeable Auxiliary Battery Pack. It is also equipped with iPod/iPhone and Micro USB connectors, a standard USB to micro USB Cable. and is compatible with most devices including iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, Motorola, HTC, LG, and Samsung. It too is small, smart, and cool blue LED indicators to display estimated remaining charging power. It pops open to become a desktop stand for iPod or iPhone, and charges from any Mac, PC or laptop. This unit boasts a 1500mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with rated input/output of DC 5V, and measures 2.7" x 2" x 0.9". The price for this battery pack is $49.99.

 Portable power when I’m driving is also important where I use the Qmadix USB Twin Tablet Charging Kit 4.2 which gives me maximum power on the go when charging my tablet or other mobile device. This hub allows you to simultaneously charge two different devices in your vehicle. It includes a dual-port system with 10W (2.1 amps) for quick mobile charging, compatible with most standard USB charging cables, sonically sealed for seamless appearance, and advanced smart circuitry prevents over-heating or over-charging. It includes a 4 foot long USB charging-data sync cable which is made for all iPod, iPhone and iPad devices (an additional cable can also be used). This is a travel essential for my car and motorcycle which sells for only $39.99.

Keeping the screens clean on my devices is always important (just like the glasses I wear), so I use Qmadix Smudge-Free Dry-Foam Cleaning Kit which is formulated to safely clean my devices from smudges, dirt, grime and makeup. This dry foam formula utilizes smudge-resistant properties that help minimize the transfer of most smudges. It is safe for mobile devices, computer monitors, televisions (Plasma, LCD and LED), E-readers, tablets, keyboards, household electronics and more (it works great on my glasses). The cloths included are anti-microbial micro-fiber cloths treated with DURABAN EPA No. 85798-4, and are machine washable up to 50 times without losing the effectiveness of this anti-microbial treatment. As expected, this cleaning does not leave any residue or streaks, and is anti-Static and dust resistant. The package includes one 3oz can and two cleaning cloths measuring about 10” x 10” (one fluffy and the other satiny smooth). At only $14.99, this is a big improvement over my other cleaners. 

Being somewhat hearing challenged (I wear hearing aids), good sound is vitally important to me. My new companion has become the iharmonix Q-i-7 Extreme-Performance Mobile Earphones. These wonderful earbuds include noise canceling, inline mobile microphone with controller, extreme dynamic performance for superior sound accuracy, double-flanged silicone ear gels (three pairs, S-M-L) improved noise isolation, lightweight alloy micro design with high gloss black finish, gold-plated 3.5mm music/voice audio DC jack (L-shaped for minimum projection), and leather storage pouch. I used these on the airplane with my iPad 3 to watch movies with great success. They were louder and better at noise exclusion than any I’ve previously used (including my over-the-ear Bose noise-canceling headphones). I also used them at the resort hotel for Skype and iChat (now iMessage) discussions with my family back home. These are well worth the $79.99 list price. 

At the resort, I enjoyed wireless music from my iPhone through the marvelous iharmonix Q-i-sound Stereo Bluetooth Speakers by Qmadix which are compact and lightweight delivering true stereo sound for an optimal listening experience. Amazingly, a full duplex microphone is included for two-way wireless cell phone communication. This pair of untethered speakers have rechargeable lithium-polymer batteries, will play up to 8 hours of continuously, has up to 240 hours standby time (10 days), a full charge takes only 3.5 hours, the speakers can be up to 33 feet away from paired device (left and right speakers may be separated up to 15 feet), the AC wall charger includes custom Y-split USB cable, and the carrying case neatly cups the speakers (it would have been nice to also have an attachable case for the charger and cable). These speakers now go with me everywhere with their cool blinking blue lights, and excellent button controls (power, volume, and song forward/reverse). With a price tag of $149.99, they are for the discriminating listener (that’s me, and I fully recommend them). 

This has just been a sampling of the wide array of products available at www.qmadixonline.com. There are additional cases, chargers, cables, bluetooth accessories, and much more for Apple products and many other phone manufacturers. From my review, I am convinced that they have excellent products at reasonable prices. They also have a strong interest in supporting Apple user groups.

President's Place

Wow, have the first five months of this year flown by! It’s nearly June and time for the annual appleJAC Group barbecue and picnic. We look forward to this time to meet and get to know each other on a different level. 

I want to thank Peggy and John Landwehr in advance for hosting this year’s event. Hopefully the rain will hold off until after the evening’s festivities, and we can go home dry, unless that is, you decide to go in the pool.

Oh yes, there is a pool, so if you choose to, you can bring a swimming suit and quench the exterior thirst. The club will provide the hot dogs and hamburgers. 

Doorprizes won at the previous May 1 appleJAC MUG meeting include:

• iTunes card.......................Zack Fletcher
• iKlick..............................Julie Smith
• Photoshop book.................. Larry Garvin
• USB hub............................Charlie Bland
• Designing Software for iPad.....Greg Perry
• MobileMe for Small Business.....Dr. Tom M.

This month, we will enjoy the Annual appleJAC MUG Picnic (see agenda below). Friends and family are all invited to attend (bring a beverage, side disk and lawn chair). This is an opportunity to relax at the poolside home of Peggy and John Landwehr, and enjoy food, fun and friends. RSVP is requested (if you haven’t already). Directions below to their house (east side of Jefferson City off Eastland Drive) show that they are easily accessible.

You bring something to drink and a side dish. We’ll dine with friends ... and I’m quite sure, we’ll have a ball.

President's Place

by Julie Smith

Harken back only a few short years ago to when, if you wanted a new software program, you either had to go to an electronics store (and hope they carried Apple/Mac software), or purchase a disk off your favorite online site and wait a few days to receive it in the mail.

Well, fellow Mac users, no longer. With the popularity of the iOS devices and instant downloads, you can now purchase your computer software or apps the same way. Keep in mind, "app" is short for application, and an application is software. It’s all the same thing, just different branding. As long as you have high-speed internet connection or access to wi-fi, it is an efficient delivery system.

Doorprizes won at the previous April 3 appleJAC MUG meeting include:

• iTunes card......Brian Fuller
• Flashlight........Todd ?
• Pen...............Ann Lane
• Apple cloth......Jenice Taggart
• Lion Tutorial....Bill Krause
• Apple cloth......Gale Fuller
• Stress apple......Ron Hansen
• appleJAC cloth..Mathias
• appleJAC cloth..Peggy Landwehr
• appleJAC clip...Jim Stevenson
• Stress apple.....Joe Mertzlufft
• Stress apple.....Dan Watson
• Stress apple.....Jan Watson

With the popularity of portable devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, we had focused on apps for those devices, but this month we get back to the computer that made it all possible, the Apple Mac. Whether you have an iMac, Mac mini, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Pro, you are now able to download your software directly to your computer and start using it right away. And, with the availability of gift cards at nearly any store, gifting software is as easy as ever.

A few of our members will show some of their favorite Mac Apps and demonstrate them for us Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at the May appleJAC Mac User Group meeting beginning at 7:00 pm in Kennedy Hall below the Immaculate Conception School gym.

Hope to see you Tuesday, and bring along a few friends.

Recent Malware: What To Do About It

by Randy B. Singer (see attribution at bottom)

There are a couple of new Trojan Horses going around that are quite nasty. The one that is receiving the most press is called Flashback.

Article: Mac Flashback Trojan: Find Out If You’re One of the 600,000 Infected <http://gizmodo.com/5899352/mac-flashback-trojan-find-out-if-youre-one-of-the-600000-infected> Find out if you are already infected by the Flashback Trojan, and it tells where to go to find instructions on how to eliminate this malware if you are. (Don't be too upset by the title of that article. I've yet to hear a single firsthand account of someone being infected by Flashback.)

A simpler method (i.e. non-command line) than the F-Secure steps to check to see if you are infected by Flashback is this little app that runs the test for you. It just posts a dialog that says whether or not you're infected. It does not make any attempt to remove the trojan. You can download it here: <http://rsdeveloper.com/downloads/test4flashback.zip>

Apple has already pushed out an update to Java that includes a patch to make your Mac immune to Flashback. Once you either find out that you aren't infected with Flashback, or you find out that you are infected with Flashback and you eliminate it, it would be a very good idea to go ahead and update Java to acquire immunity to Flashback.<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5228?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US>

There is another Trojan Horse going around that is carried via a Microsoft Office document. Don't confuse this with the Flashback Trojan. Apple has already pushed out a patch to protect you against this Trojan also. Apple updated XProtect with a definition to catch the Office vulnerability. They refer to it as "OSX/Mdropper.i." This should have happened automatically in the background on your Mac if your are running OS X 10.6 or higher (i.e. Snow Leopard or Lion).<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT465> (There is no version of XProtect included in versions of OS X prior to OS X 10.6/Snow Leopard.)

In addition, if you have Microsoft Office installed, it's a good idea to install the Microsoft updaters for Office. These include a patch against this Trojan also:<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads>

Now, the question that always comes up is: Do I need to install anti-virus (AV) software at this point? Most ordinary Mac users do completely without any AV software, and yet you just about never hear about a Mac user being infected with Malware. There are still no actual viruses (defined as self-propogating software) for the Macintosh. I’ve told you, above, how to deal with the latest malware threats without the need for AV software. So not much has changed that would require that we all run out and purchase AV software.

I’ve run what is usually the most highly rated (in magazine comparison tests) AV software program for the Mac for over a decade: Intego’s VirusBarrier ($50) <http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier> just to be able to tell clients that I am running AV software. (Clients don’t understand that a Macintosh isn’t the same thing as a Windows computer. And I don’t want to bother to try explaining the difference to them.) In all that time VirusBarrier has never actually protected me from anything of any consequence. While VirusBarrier is excellent, some users have (rarely) reported that it can cause nasty software conflicts (as can any AV software that runs constantly in the background). And since VirusBarrier always running in the background on your Mac, even though it is mostly unnoticable, there is some (minor) level of performance degridation (and once again, this is true of any AV software that is always running in the background).

So, instead, you may want to download and regularly use this free product: ClamXav (free) http://www.clamxav.com/. ClamXav doesn’t run constantly in the background like most other AV programs. (So it shouldn’t cause any software conflicts or slowdowns.) It can, however, be set to run on a schedule. It is easy to use, and it is comprehensive. So it is a good choice to install on your Mac, even if AV software really isn’t necessary for your Mac.

___________________________________________
Randy B. Singer (via Apple User Group Digest)
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html
___________________________________________

appleJAC MUG on KWOS Open Air Saturday

Peggy Landwehr, George Kopp and Tom Piper were interviewed by Hal Dulle and Warren Krech during the KWOS Open Air Saturday, January 14, 2012, episode.

A variety of topics were covered from Apple products to appleJAC activities. It is an entertaining and educational half hour of radio fun.

You can listen in by clicking on OpenAirSaturday (this file might take a minute to load, then it should start automatically so you can hear all of the show without commercials).

E-waste event set for Jan. 7, 2012

What: E-waste event

When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Midwest Recycling Center, 1327 Missouri Hwy. 179

Who is the collection open to? Everyone

Is there a charge? $15 per TV, $5 per monitor; EVERYTHING ELSE IS RECYCLED FOR FREE!

What kind of material is accepted?

WE CAN RECYCLE ANYTHING WITH A CORD OR A BATTERY GOING TO IT, including TVs; computer monitors; refrigerators; air conditioners; dehumidifiers; microwaves; treadmills; water heaters; furnaces; lawn and garden equipment if the gas is removed; cell phones; 8-track players; VCRs; telephones; copiers; printers; radio equipment of any kind; satellite receivers; telecom equipment; ham radios; video games and all accessories including the games; corded or cordless power tools including the batteries and charger; computers; faxes; car, boat and tractor batteries; re-chargeable batteries, etc.

NO: smoke alarms, thermostats and alkaline batteries

Who do I contact if I have questions? Please contact the City of Jefferson Recycling Coordinator at 573-634-6410. 

Once Wary, Apple Warms Up to Business Market

By NICK WINGFIELD -- THE NEW YORK TIMES

Steven P. Jobs never cared much for selling Apple products to big businesses.

The late Apple chief executive so disliked the process of catering to the needs of business, rather than those of consumers, that he called chief information officers in corporations “orifices” at a conference in 2005. “There are 500 men and women in the Fortune 500 — C.I.O.’s — that you have to go through,” Mr. Jobs said then.

A funny thing happened, though, in the last few years. Big companies started buying Apple products — a lot of them — for their employees. The iPad and iPhone have given the Apple symbol a presence in workplaces that Apple never enjoyed when it was strictly focused on selling Macintosh computers.

For the rest of the story, download NYTimes Apple article by clicking on this title.

Parting iThoughts on a Legend . . .

President's Place

Workarounds for "SAVE AS" in Apple Pages

by Ken Zindle

Though I like Lion, one of the features that has been cast into the dim mists of history in this OS is the "Save As" function. It's one that I used pretty frequently for various reasons. The descriptions in the manuals and "how to" books have not really been very clear about how to work around this omission.

Let me do this, then, in two steps: first, simply create a version of the file, for any reason, with a different name (a former "Save As" function). Next, there are a few workarounds to allow you to "Save" a file "As" a different type. 

Doing a Basic "Save As" Function . . . 

• In the finder window, go to the file that you wish to save as a different file.
• Right-click the file (a two-fingered click on the trackpad).
• Select "Duplicate" (the file will be duplicated with the addition of the word "copy" to its name).
• With the duplicated file highlighted, click the "return" button, and type in the new name for the file. 

Saving a file as a different type:

• Open the file to be saved in Pages.
• Under the file menu, click "export".
• The dialogue box will allow you to save the file as a Word, ePub, Plain Text, PDF or RTF file.
• Once you've selected the type of file you want, the dialogue box that appears will let you put the newly-designated file in another location. 

 

 

 

Electronic waste disposal dates and locations

Saturday, October 8, 2011: Jefferson CIty 
Parking Lot of City Hall, 320 E. McCarty
 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Saturday, October 29, 2011: Columbia 
Boone County Fairgrounds, 5212 N. Oakland Gravel Rd.
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  

Collection Rules:

• Printable version - http://www.mmswmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ewaste-flyer.pdf
• Computers from businesses are not accepted at these events. 
• A $5.00 fee is charged for each television, computer monitor, copy machine, and microwave collected.
• There is no fee for: Adding Machines, Answering Machines, Calculators, Camcorders, Cameras (film & digital), CBs/Two-Way Radios, CD ROM/Zip/Tape drives, Cellular phones, Cords & Cables (power, USB, etc.), Desktop PCs (CPU), Fax Machines, Handheld electronic organizers/games, Hard Drives, Joysticks/Game Controls, Keyboards, Laptop PC’s, Main Frames, Mice, Modems, Pagers, Portable CD players, Postage Machines, Printers (laser, ink jet), Radios/Stereos, Scanners, Speakers, Telephones, Typewriters/Word Processors, VCRs/DVD players, Video game players. 

Griffin Stylus+Pen+Laser: an Amazing iOS Accessory

a review by Tom Piper

I’m a self-avowed gadget freak who jumps at new and interesting devices, particularly those which relate to my portable technology. I’ve found another one which brought a big smile to my face when first seen, and much enjoyment during use.

Griffin Technology offers a stylus, pen, and laser pointer all in one. This stylus is equally at home on touchscreen or projection screen using its built-in laser pointer. With its built-in refillable ballpoint pen, it even works with old-fashioned paper.

For my touchscreen, Griffin's Stylus is a balanced pointer with a soft rubber tip custom-designed to mimic my finger. It keeps the touchscreen free of fingerprints and smudges as it gives increased control over any touchscreen operation. It's perfect for sketching, drawing, photography, flight simulator apps and any other use where I need a finer degree of control than your finger. This super-handy stylus includes an integrated clip for my pocket or pencil loop.

This device has a solid weighty feel of durable quality that is very comfortable to use. Whether on my iPhone or iPad, the soft end has a surprisingly precise feel. The red laser is a nice complement to my new Epson digital projector when directing audience attention to a specific spot on the screen. I only wish it had a protective collar that would guard the button from being accidentally turned on when in my travel case. The ink pen is very convenient when writing is required.

This Griffin cool gadget is available for $49.99 at http://store.griffintechnology.com/stylus-pen-laser-pointer. Many other Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod and other accessories are also available at this store. Please note that I have received this product for free from Griffin Technology in exchange for an honest review; for more information, visit the link http://bit.ly/griffinreview.

Lion is here, but Rosetta is NOT: What no longer works?

by Tom Piper

On July 20, 2011, Mac OS 10.7 Lion became available for $29 as a huge (3.79 GB) install from the App Store. Many have rejoiced at over 250 major and minor improvements over its 10.6 Snow Leopard predecessor, but others have cried over the loss of legacy programs.

A number of previous features not only won’t be updated, they’re being dropped entirely. One of the OS X features getting dropped in Lion is Rosetta, Apple’s PowerPC software compatibility layer which originally shipped with OS X 10.5 Leopard. The simple angle here is that Lion will be native 64-bit and Rosetta supported 32-bit Universal and PPC code.

What programs will be affected? AppleWorks stands out first, and other notables like Quicken 7, Contribute, AOL, FilmLoop, Internet Explorer, MacLink Plus, MacTheRipper, OmniWeb, ReadySetGo, Thunderbird and others. For a complete list of the programs on your computer that would not work in Lion, follow these steps:

• Under the Apple at upper left of screen, click on “About This Mac”,
• Click on the “More Info...” button to get the System Profiler,
• In the left sidebar under “Software”, click on “Applications”, 
• Wait for the report of application titles (could take several minutes),
• In the “Kind” column, look for “Classic” and “PowerPC” designations . . . these programs will NOT work with Mac OS 10.7 Lion!!!

Once you have upgraded to Lion, it will show you which files no longer work by placing a white “circle slash” over the icon. If you double-click on one of these applications, it will report “You can’t open the application _________ because PowerPC applications are no longer supported.” I’ve grouped all of my old Classic and PowerPC applications into a single “Incompatible” folder for easy identification (and to avoid unnecessary errors).

What to do if you still need these old programs? Some would suggest dividing your hard drive into two partitions, one of which would boot from Snow Leopard, and the other from Lion. Another quick solution is to duplicate your old hard drive using a free program like Carbon Copy Cloner to a new external hard drive from which you could boot whenever needed, then upgrade the internal hard drive to Lion. It is even possible to install Snow Leopard to a bootable USB flash drive as a convenient alternative.

As for AppleWork 6, the word processing files will easily import into Pages, and spreadsheet files into Numbers. The draw files will easily import into EasyDraw 4. AppleWorks database files cannot be imported into anything else which retains their format; the only solution is to export the contents as an ASCII text file, then import into Bento, FileMakerPro, Numbers or something else.

Progress oftentimes comes at a price, so it is best to be prepared before you take the next step. We will discuss this much more at our September 6 meeting when we focus on Lion. We will even do a poll to see if a special class will be needed.

President's Place

by George Kopp

Back to School . . . a Different School this time

With summer comes our appleJAC Meetings hitting the road from our normal home base of Lewis and Clark Middle School. This month we will be heading to Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson City. Calvary Lutheran is located at 2525 Route B just south of Jefferson City (see map at right). The easiest way to get there is to continue through Jefferson City toward the Lake of the Ozarks on Highway 54, then take the exit onto Rte 179 toward Wardsville. Continue south onto Rte B (at the Tanner Bridge Road stop light), and on to the school a half mile beyond. The school is marked on the map with the letter "A".

This month's theme will be computer and hardware maintenance. We will cover some good tips for maintaining your Mac including routine service and backup. We will also address the options when it comes to backup, and why you may need more than a single backup method to ensure you are safe. We are also planning to touch on printer maintenance and maintaining your iPhone and iPad devices. It definitely promises to be a great set of presentations.

Traditionally at this meeting, we also offer to assist people with minor Mac upgrades. So, if you have an interest in adding memory, replacing a harddisk, or just adding software to your machine, feel free to email us at applejac@mac.com, and we will talk with you about parts you may need to bring with you to ensure you have what is necessary to accomplish your goal.

iPad Class a Great Success

This last month, appleJAC held it's first ever iPad class with a full house of over 30 participants. This class covered the basics of iPad use and delved into the settings of the device to help users customize their iPad's to meet their needs.  

The class continues a long line of appleJAC classes. As your Board of Directors plans for the fall, we would like some input on what additional classes might be worthwhile to offer. Feel free to send us your interests and ideas at applejac@mac.com, and we will see what topics have a critical mass.

Upcoming Meetings

In August we continue with our coverage of iOS devices when we address iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch applications. This regular meeting will be held August 2 at 7:00 pm at Yanis Coffee Zone in Jefferson City. Since many of our Mac-Challenged (ie... windows users) friends use iOS devices, so feel free to bring them along to this meeting. We promise to be "operating system agnostic" and only talk about our handheld devices that evening.

Then in September . . . hold on to your hats . . . MacOS 10.7 Lion will be featured. Learn about the new possibilities in Lion, and if Lion is your next step in Macintosh nirvana.

And, one last thought . . . those of you running AppleWorks may want to reconsider Lion seriously before an update. Lion is reported to finally kill Appleworks (it won't work anymore without Rosetta), so a move forward may be a setback to you. But, your appleJAC leadership warned you of Appleworks demise over 2 years ago . . .

Be sure to join us for a skyrocketing time on July 5 at 7:00pm.

 

 

Sticker Squad (Animated) Ep 32

by Dan Walsh

Back in 2010, at a local newspaper, two outstanding young gentlemen came up with an interesting idea. How did it start? 

When incompetent morons would park in a parking lot where they did not have permission to. Darin was not very pleased with his job. So from time to time, he would take a required break and stroll through the newspaper's parking lot looking for cars that did not belong. 

One day, while standing in the basement looking out of the window, he watched two ladies pull up in an over-sized truck and take up two parking spaces that belonged to employees. As soon as they walked around the corner, Darin grabbed an orange sticker, made his way to the truck like some sort of Special Forces Agent, slapped the sticker on the windshield and ran back inside. 

Then it hit him! This would be a pretty funny skit to make with his buddy Dan. They could wear orange T-shirts, grow mustaches, wear sunglasses and an eye patch and could be called Sticker Squad. 

Dan loved the idea, so they made the sketch a week later in 100 degree temperatures. After a few days of editing it was finished. People who were blessed to view the Sticker Squad sketch loved it and started requesting a sequel. Sadly that did not happen, but something else did. 

Dan's wife, Melanie, suggested that he draw the Sticker Squad characters as cartoon caricatures. He sketched out a Herb and Walt in his notepad, and Darin went nuts for them! Darin told Dan to draw him a few different mouths, scan them into his MAC computer and Darin would begin to animate them. (also on a MAC computer) They spent a few nights doing voice over work and then Herb and Walt came to life. 

At this point there are 31 cartoon episodes and more on the way. The best way to describe them would be "edgy", "immature" and "stereotypical". But if you have a sense of humor, they are pretty good. 

If you are so inclined, you can check them out on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/stickersquad. We made a stupid sketch. Then we made stupid caricatures of our characters. Now we make stupid cartoon shorts. Stupid huh?

To see this clip, you can click on my name in the officer list, or go directly to the link above. To learn more about our efforts, go to http://www.zazzle.com/stickersquad.

July Vendor Offers for Apple User Groups

by Tom Piper

The following is a complete list of the current short-term discount offers that are available exclusively to Apple user groups:

• The Innovative Audioglove: 50% Off Clearance Sale
• Apress ebooks: 25% Discount
• MacTech Boot Camp: $200 Discount
• Micromat TechTool Pro 6: 40% Off
• IDAPT Universal Chargers: 20% Discount
• Hand-e-holder for iPad: 20% Discount
• Texting Dots Touch Screen Pads: 20% Discount
• Dolly Drive: 20% Off the Time Machine in the Cloud
• ASSERO Defender iPad protector: 20% Discount
• Boom Volume Booster: 45% Discount
• Disk Drill data recovery: 30% Off

The vendor offers below are the ongoing discounts:

• Agile 1Password and more: 25% Discount
• Take Control Books: 30% Discount on All eBooks
• RadTech: 20% Off All Products
• Softpress Freeway: 25% Discount
• Eltima Software multimedia products: Pay 20% less
• MacAddict Reborn: 75% Off New Mac|Life
• O'Reilly: New Discounts for User Group Members
• Peachpit: 35% off all books

All of these offers were the best prices that could be found anywhere at the time I negotiated them with the vendors. Color and descriptive details are available by:

1. Going to https://public.me.com/applejac, 
2. Entering the password you were previously emailed in meeting notices (send a request to applejac@me.com if you forgot), and 
3. Downloading the VendorOfferGuide070311.pdf file.

Jefferson City Electronic Waste Recycling

Apple Pulls a Microsoft: Delays Leopard Until October

Getting the iPhone ready for its June launch has had an unintended consequence, however: QA and “some key software engineering” resources allocated to Mac OS X needed to be diverted from their work to finish the iPhone. As a result, Apple won’t release Leopard at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, as it had first planned.

“While Leopard’s features will be complete by then, we cannot deliver the quality release that we and our customers expect from us. We now plan to show our developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship Leopard in October. We think it will be well worth the wait. Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we’re sure we’ve made the right ones,” reads the statement.