appleJAC Users Group

President's Place: August 2015

by Joe Mertzlufft

 

Business has been so good that I haven’t had time to do my duty as an appleJAC officer. I’ve been really wrapped up fixing and upgrading computers, which has taken a lot of time.

Several people told me at our last meeting that  “Essential Apps” really hit the spot for them. That’s when we covered lots of new Apple announcements and talked about several of the applications preinstalled on all new Macintosh computers. 

The following people won door prizes in July:

Bonnie Culley          iTunes card

Jan Watson             Photo Keychain

Todd McCluskey       Apple Coaster

Judy Mayor             Apple Coaster

Shubha Miller          Flashlight

Rita Kallal               Stylus

Our upcoming August 4, 2015, meeting (see agenda below) will be our "Diagnostic Questions" meeting. We will start with Apple announcements and Tips & Tricks, then George will cover some basic usage and specialized apps for the Apple Watch and iOS devices. 

 

After the Great Break, we will conduct our members' Prize Drawing plus a new segment: “Member Spot Light”. We will have the winner of the iTunes card share with us how they use their Apple equipment. This will be followed by my presentation about MacOS utilities, specialized apps, types of passwords, and common issues. 

 

As always, there will be time for everyone to ask questions and share your tips and tricks to the group. Continue to visit our website for more updates, product reviews and fresh information. Special Note: due to pre-school wax preparations in Kennedy Hall, our meeting have been moved to Kertz Hall, which is off the same parking lot we usually use, but closer to Clark Avenue -- see aerial view at bottom.

        

President's Place: July 2015

by Joe Mertzlufft

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Don and Shubha Miller . . . you were great hosts for our Annual appleJAC Picnic. We had a scenic lake side view, inside a wooded lot, inside a beautiful building, with plenty of room to spread out. Everyone appeared to have a great time, and the weather was perfect. Julie took numerous pictures and immediately produced an impromptu slideshow on the big television in the main room.

 

I measured 8” of rain over the last week, so I have not been able to work in our yard. I am sure that, come late July or August, we will want (or need) some moisture, but I am also sure the farmers agree we need the fields to dry up so the crops can be planted.

 

Apple Pay has More Ways to Pay, and there will be a new Watch OS2, OS X El Capitan, News App for iPhone and iPad, iOS 9, Apple Music, and more. This is just a sampling of the Apple announcements we will discuss at our next meeting.

This upcoming July 7, 2015, meeting is titled "Essential Apps & Games (MacOS/iOS)" where we will talk about Applications we all use, and even see some demos of Apps you may not know about (see agenda below). 

 

As always, there will be time for everyone to ask questions and share your tips and tricks with the group. Continue to visit our website for more updates and fresh information.

President's Place: June 2015

by Joe Mertzlufft

I had a chance to watch the video from the May Meeting held at The Crossing Church. I was pleased to see how they use AppleTV, iPads and Macintosh computers to help with the services and their classrooms. They stream all three services and keep one on archives that you can view at your leisure.

 

I have seen a few Apple Watchs, and I look forward to hearing reports from those of you wearing them. One day one might replace my Activity tracker.

Our upcoming June  2, 2015, meeting is our Annual Picnic (see agenda below) which will be hosted by Don and Shubha Miller. If you haven't registered for the appleJAC Picnic yet, do so now at: docs.google.com/forms.

Continue to visit our website for more updates and fresh information.

Highlights of 05/05/15 aJ Meeting at The Crossing

On May 5, 2015, a small group of appleJAC members met at The Crossing in Columbia. Although the attendance was disappointing, the presentations were terrific featuring our annual Apple@Work. The featured speakers presented (their slideshow links are included for download):

• The Crossing Technology Systems (Chris Walters, IT Director) IT pres
• The Crossing Audio/Visual Systems (Gerik Parmele, Multimedia Director) AV pres

This was followed by an Apple Watch demo by Tom Piper (page with links Apple Watch). A video recording of the entire meeting is available from Tom if you provide him with a flash drive or hard drive that is 8 Gigabytes or larger (the movie file is very large).

 

President's Place: May 2015

 

President’s Place

by Joe Mertzlufft

 

As the April rains bring May flowers, I am getting my share of mowing. We have been getting plenty of rain on my side of the river. 

 

I know a few of you ordered the Apple Watch, and I had a brief moment to see Tom wearing one. There is even a YouTube video telling you how it pays to get an Apple Watch because it takes less time to look at your wrist than unlocking your iPhone to check the time. They have gone on to tell you how many seconds of time you save, and based on the average salary, you can pay for the Watch with the time you save.

 

I think “Bring a Guest" was a success.  Several of the guests told me that we had a very informative program. They plan to attend again in the future and will likely join our Club. Sue said some even joined that night.

 

The following people won door prizes:

Ann Lane iTunes card

Larry Garvin Apple back pack

Todd McCluskey Apple water bottle

Shubha Miller iPad cover

Mel Kallal Apple stylus pen

Ken Zindle Red iPhone case

Bill Webb Blue iPhone case

Bonnie Culley Stylus

 

Our upcoming May 5, 2015, meeting (see agenda below) will be our Apple@Work meeting to be held at "The Crossing" in Columbia (see driving directions below). Tom, being a member of the Crossing, will host this meeting. Chris Walters, IT Director, and Gerik Parmele, Multimedia Director, will enlighten the group with Technology and Audio Visual Systems used at The Crossing. 

 

After the Break, if all things go as planned, Tom has an Apple Watch to discuss, display and demo. As always, there will be time for everyone to ask questions and share your tips and tricks to the group. Continue to visit our website for more updates and fresh information.

 

 

 

 

President's Place: January 2015

President’s Place

by Joe Mertzlufft

 

This is a transition message as appleJAC leadership passes from Tom Piper to myself. I want to take this opportunity to recognize all those that volunteer their time and knowledge to help keep this club going and growing for over 30 years. Its because members are willing to step up and help with things like picking up the snacks for the great break, presenting a new gadget or software program during the meeting and contributing during open discussion that makes everyone feel welcome.  Please let me know if you would like to be more involved.  We are working on a survey that you will receive in the coming weeks.  Please answer to the best of your ability so I can help lead the club to serve as many as we can.  

 

I was not able to make the last meeting, it was our Annual Business meeting when Tom reported on the past year’s topics and activities, Sue Snell reported on the state of the Treasury, and the group elected (and re-elected) Officers for 2015. Welcome to Shubha Miller as a new Member at Large.  Much appreciation to those continuing to serve including Peggy Landwehr (Vice-President), Sue Snell (Treasurer), Tom Piper (Secretary), Greg Breuer (WebMaster),also serving as Member’s at Large George Kopp, Ann Lane and Larry Garvin. Many thanks to outgoing officers Dustin Stark, Dan Walsh and Marian Petrides. I missed the numerous “All I Want for Christmas” wishes, hopefully Santa was listening.

The following people won door prizes:

 

Tom Vaughn iPad rotary holder

Alice Kopp $10 iTunes card

Peggy Landwehr Apple water bottle

George Kopp Apple green back pack

 

Our upcoming January 6, 2015, meeting (see agenda below) will kick-off the new year with a variety of MacOS and iOS Tips and Tricks that George and I will share (we also encourage you to tell us about your favorites). Be sure to visit our website for more updates and fresh information.

 

I wish you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

 

 

 

President's Place: December 2014

by Tom Piper

Winter seems to have arrived, with freezing temperatures, early snow, and Christmas decorations. I'm preparing for Thanksgiving (and Black Friday sales) and doing my best to stay warm and cozy.

Our last meeting featured Yosemite 10.10 and 20 Gadgets in 40 Minutes, with presentations from George Kopp, Peggy Landwehr, Joe Mertzlufft, Sue Snell, Larry Garvin, Greg Breuer, Winifred Krause, and me. See a recap of their information by clicking on presentations. The evening's door prizes were won by:

• Bonnie Friehling      $10 iTunes gift card
• Tom Vaughn            "iPad at Work" book
• Peggy Landwehr      computer bag
• Todd McCluskey       water bottle
• Terry Larkin             computer bag
• Jim Springs              iPad keyboard
• Margie Stevenson      iPhone 5 case
• Jim Mayor                homemade bread
• Alice Kopp                silver stylus
• Larry Garvin             carabiner

The next meeting will be the Annual Membership Meeting, Elections, and All I Want for Christmas, with some out-takes for MacOS and iOS Tips and Tricks, and various annual reports. This meeting is particularly important since we will be electing officers for 2015, with the following nominees so far:

• President                Joe Mertzlufft
• Vice-President         Peggy Landwehr
• Secretary                Tom Piper
• Treasurer                 Sue Snell
• Webmaster              Greg Breuer
• Member at Large      George Kopp
• Member at Large      Ann Lane
• Member at Large      Shubba Miller
• Member at Large      Larry Garvin
• Member at Large      (none)
• Member at Large      (none)

These are the first nominations (most are incumbents willing to serve again). We are also hopeful that more members will step forward to add new blood, ideas and energy to our efforts. You may also know someone who would be a good addition, so talk to them and submit their names. 

Presentations from 11/04/14 20 Gadgets in 40 Minutes

The following information is a brief recap of the "gadgets" presented during the second half of our appleJAC meeting, in the order of their presentation by the person who showed it (it turned out to be 16 Gadgets in 30 Minutes):

Peggy Landwehr . . . 

Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 64GB Storage Expansion Card . . . $39.99

for more info, click on this link: amazon.com/Transcend-JetDrive

  Monster MP Outlets To Go Power Strip . . . $11.12

for more info, click on this link: amazon.com/monster+power+outlet+to+go

 

Joe Mertzlufft  . . .

Wintec FileMate 16GB Micro Card-It-All HC Memory Card . . . $17.41

for more info, click on this link: amazon.com/Wintec-Filemate-Class-microSD

OWC Express Black 0GB USB 2.0 2.5" Hard Drive Kit . . . $15.99

for more info, click on this link: eshop.macsales.com/expresskit

NewerTech NuScribe 2-in-1 touch screen stylus . . . $19.95

                    for more info, click on this link: newertech.com/products/nuscribe

 

Sue Snell . . .

Universal European power cord adapter . . . $13.21

for more info, click on this link: cablesandkits.com/european-universal-power-plug-adapter

 

 Larry Garvin . . . 

Poweradd Pilot 2GS Portable Dual USB Charger Power Bank . . . $21.99

for more info, click on this link: amazon.com/Poweradd-Pilot-2GS-10000mAh-Smartphones

 

 

Greg Breuer . . .

Elgato Video Capture - VHS tapes to DVDs . . . $99.95

for more info, click on this link: elgato.com/video   elgato.com/capture

 

Tom Piper . . .

53 Pencil & Paper . . . $59.95 & free

                      for more info, click on this link: shop.fiftythree.com  www.fiftythree.com/paper

1U Facial Security . . .$29.99/year

for more info, click on this link: www.1uapps.com

OWC Wireless Keypad . . . $49.00

for more info, click on this link: eshop.macsales.com/wirelesskeypad

4TB Seagate Hard Drive . . . $249.00

for more info, click on this link: www.seagate.com/backup-plus-fast-hdd

Grip&Shoot iPhone photo accessory (and iPole) . . . $99.95

for more info, click on this link: www.gripandshoot.com   www.amazon.com/ipoleoptions

 

 Winifred Krause . . . 

iOgrapher Mobile Media Case for iPad minis . . . $65.00

for more info, click on this link: www.iographer.com/mini-mobile-media-case

 

President's Place: Dec 2014

by Tom Piper

President's Place: December 2014

Winter seems to have arrived, with freezing temperatures, early snow, and Christmas decorations. I'm preparing for Thanksgiving (and Black Friday sales) and doing my best to stay warm and cozy.

Our last meeting featured Yosemite 10.10 and 20 Gadgets in 40 Minutes, with presentations from George Kopp, Peggy Landwehr, Joe Mertzlufft, Sue Snell, Larry Garvin, Greg Breuer, Winifred Krause, and me. See a recap of their information by clicking on presentations. The evening's door prizes were won by:

• Bonnie Friehling      $10 iTunes gift card
• Tom Vaughn            "iPad at Work" book
• Peggy Landwehr      computer bag
• Todd McCluskey       water bottle
• Terry Larkin             computer bag
• Jim Springs              iPad keyboard
• Margie Stevenson      iPhone 5 case
• Jim Mayor                homemade bread
• Alice Kopp                silver stylus
• Larry Garvin             carabiner

The next meeting will be the Annual Membership Meeting, Elections, and All I Want for Christmas, with some out-takes for MacOS and iOS Tips and Tricks, and various annual reports. This meeting is particularly important since we will be electing officers for 2015, with the following nominees so far:

• President                Joe Mertzlufft
• Vice-President         Peggy Landwehr
• Secretary                Tom Piper
• Treasurer                 Sue Snell
• Webmaster              Greg Breuer
• Member at Large      George Kopp
• Member at Large      Ann Lane
• Member at Large      Shubba Miller
• Member at Large      Larry Garvin
• Member at Large      (none)
• Member at Large      (none)

These are the first nominations (most are incumbents willing to serve again). We are also hopeful that more members will step forward to add new blood, ideas and energy to our efforts. You may also know someone who would be a good addition, so talk to them and submit their names. 

 

 

Presentations from 10/07/14 New Apple Products & Operating Systems

A pair of great presentations was delivered at the October 7 appleJAC meeting by Joe Mertzlufft and George Kopp. You can view the contents of these by clicking on and visiting the following links:

iPhone 6 & 6 plus                    Apple Watch

    

New iOS 8 Operating System

 

 

President's Place: October 2014

by Tom Piper

This has been an exciting month as we've witnessed the introduction of Apple's new products. Of course, this will probably put a little dent in many of our budgets, but what great joy, functionality and utility most of them will bring. Meanwhile, we mourn the loss of Macworld Magazine which helped debut the new Mac 30 years ago, and had been a steadfast reporter of all related progress since then.

Many of our members joined us for our last meeting in Fulton's Callaway Rural Electric administration building for "Magic Pix and Officer Opportunities". Dan Walsh revealed many little-known features of Apple's Previews and Adobe's Photoshop which helped him create a "layered" image of himself in multiple poses on a single photo -- cool stuff, indeed. Many of our officers shared their descriptions, experiences and enthusiasm for time they've volunteered . . . we encourage others to also participate to diversify our leadership and enjoy the rewards of serving (its fun and not very time-consuming). Door prize winners included:

    * Charlie Bland     $10 iTunes card
    • Winnie Krause    Keychain photo display
    • Dan Walsh          Belkin Bluetooth iPad keyboard

Our next meeting is all about "New Apple Products & Operating Systems" with presentations by Joe Mertzlufft and George Kopp. You will have an opportunity to learn much about features of the new iPhone 6, 6+ and Apple Watch, plus the innovations of the new iOS 8 for our iPhones, iPads and iPods. This promises to be an exciting introduction to Apple's newest advances.

We will also describe the latest changes being proposed in appleJAC's Bylaws to reflect the streamlining of many officer duties. You can review this 4-page PDF by clicking on Download appleJAC Bylaws. As we seek nominations for officer elections in December, you are welcome to review their duties by clicking on Download aJ Officer Job Descriptions.

Based on the success of the last two MacBasics Classes, we will describe the upcoming iWorks classes featuring the new Pages and Numbers on the iPad (and computer) on October 22 and November 12. A minimum of 8 pre-registrations are needed, so you are welcome to signup at our next meeting.

appleJAC continues to offer educational and entertaining sessions for our members. We look forward to seeing you (and your friends and family) on October 7 . . . 

 

President's Place: September 2014

by Tom Piper

Where has the summer gone? School has started, Labor Day is just around the corner and my summer projects aren't done yet . . . it seems like the time has just flashed by so quickly! I hope that you have taken every opportunity to enjoy the fine weather, and got in some relaxation.

Our last meeting at the Jefferson City Public School's Dix Education Center was a great success with the presentation of Tammy Ferry (we provided her a one-year membership to appleJAC in appreciation for her terrific work). We learned a great deal about iPad use, GripCases, AirServer, Splashtop and more (see the blog below for Tammy's presentation). Winners of the door prizes were:

Jim Stevenson    iPad case
Ron Hanson         $10 iTunes card

Next month, Dan Walsh will present "Magic Pix" where he will show us how to easily manipulate photo images using free tools (like Preview) and more sophisticated programs (like Photoshop). We will also be sharing information about new stuff from Apple, new tips and tricks, and a discussion of volunteer opportunities for the near future (see agenda below, no more paper copies at meetings).

The aJ Board of Directors has also been busy with debates about our future activities and images. As you can see from the top of the agenda, we have dropped the "Macintosh Users Group" part of our name since appleJAC now addresses Mac, iPad, iPod, iPhone, AppleTV and all other Apple and related products. We continue to be Mid-Missouri's Premiere Apple Users Group, here to serve you.

As such, be sure to take advantage of the "MacBasics Productivity Apps Training Class" being presented by George Kopp on September 17 (see announcement in an earlier blog) . . . you can email your registration to us, or sign up and invest in this great class at our upcoming September 2 meeting. Additional MacBasics classes are under development (by me) for iWorks: Pages & Numbers (on the iPad and Mac) scheduled for October 15 and November 12, respectively. We want you to get more out of your Apple products!

Be sure to join us on Tuesday night, September 2, at Callaway Rural Electric in Fulton (see map at bottom for directions) for a great time. A PDF copy of the officer opportunities we will be discussing can also be downloaded by clicking on aJ Job Descriptions.

 

 

Apple @ Work presentations from 08/05/14 meeting

We had some great information shared at this meeting which focused on Jefferson City Public Schools and "How Technology is Used in Education" in their 13 buildings.

Joe Mertzlufft shared new tips and tricks at https://www.facebook.com/MMCSinfo.

George Kopp has new information about UPS power and Mac cleanups at http://askgeorgekopp.com.

Tammy Ferry (our JCPS presenter) shared a PDF of her presentation which you can download JCPS iPad User Guide (PDF) (just click on the title, its big at about 23MB and will take a few minutes), or you can download and view the iBook version by using your iPad and clicking on JCPS iPad User Guide iBook.

All of this is great information, well worth viewing again, or seeing if you couldn't attend!!!

President's Place: August 2014

by Tom Piper

Here we are, squarely in the middle of summer, when the heat has returned (loved that spring-like weather for awhile), and its time to think about our club activities. If you are like me, its hard to stay indoors when there is so much to enjoy outside (okay, there are some choirs there too).

Our last meeting was great fun with information about new operating systems to be released in the Fall, a variety of tips and tricks, how to prepare to resell your technology, all types of storage devices, and the dimensions of data clouds. Winners of the doorprize drawing included:

    Rosalind Moulton    $10 iTunes card
    Bonnie Culley         Caribiner appleJAC pen
    Ken Zindle              appleJAC pen
    Dustin Stark            Caribiner appleJAC pen
    Julie Smith             appleJAC keyring
    Ann Lane                Apple card holder

Our next meeting promises to be new and different with its focus on Apple@Work: How Technology is Used in Education at the Jefferson City Public Schools (JCPS). With a host of Macs, over 3,500 iPads and much more, this will be an interesting display and discussion of how kids are benefitting from technology (see agenda below). Their Technology Instruction Coordinator will be our principal presenter, with the Director of Technology also available for questions.

The meeting location has moved to the JCPS Dix Education Center, located at 204 Dix Road in Jefferson City (see map at bottom for easy directions to get there).

 

Mac Maintenance Presentations from 07/01/14 Meeting

Just double-click on the title of your choice of any of the following three presentations (contents shown below the title) to download that PDF version to your computer:

 

Download AppleJAC Prep for Resale (by Joe Mertzlufft)

 

Download External Storage presentation (by Tom Piper)

 

Download Cloud Storage Presentation (by George Kopp)

President's Place: July 2014

by Tom Piper

We had a terrific annual picnic this past month at the Landwehr's residence (many thanks to Peggy and John) with over 40 people in attendance. Special thanks also go to Mark Snell and George Kopp for cooking again this year (and their wives, Sue and Alice, for gathering all the supplies necessary to support this effort).

Our next meeting is titled "Mac Maintenance: Prepping for Resale, External Storage and Clouds" (in the future, we will undoubtedly change this to "Apple Maintenance" since we discuss iOS and MacOS devices). The meeting will actually kickoff with a quick overview of the cool announcements about the new features of MaOS 10.10 Yosemite and iOS 8 described at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference including iCloud Photos, Continuity, Health, iCloud Drive, and much more, albeit briefly. This will be followed by interesting presentations about Prepping for Resale (cleaning your devices inside and out), External Storage (including Backup, RAIDs, SSDs, iOS/MacOS devices), and Clouds (iCloud, DropBox, Transporter, SkyDrive, more).

The agenda for this meeting is shown below and will be emailed to members. This will be the last meeting at which we handout a printed paper copy. More and more, we are going all electronic . . .

President's Place: June 2014

 

appleJAC Macintosh Users Group

2014 Annual Picnic

 

 

 

Tuesday Evening, June 3, 2014, at 6:00 pm

John and Peggy Landwehr's house

2103 Scenic Drive, Jefferson City 65101

appleJAC will provide hamburgers and hotdogs, buns, table service and condiments. You can bring a beverage and something else of your choice (enter on the survey) . . . please respond to a few simple questions illustrated on the survey which was emailed (twice) to members to help us better plan for the picnic.

 

Click on the link at the end of your email to bring up the quick survey.

President's Place: May 2014

by Tom Piper

Each month I wonder what you, as an appleJAC member, might find interesting and rewarding about Apple products, and related accessories, software and apps. As a lifelong gadget admirer and collector, my attention is drawn to the unusual, but not always practical devices, some of which I write about in my new product reviews, and others I bring to meetings. I always hope that this information is at least entertaining to you, if not useful. And so goes the opening ramblings of my morning ...

Due to a 4,000 mile driving trip to Santa Fe/Tucson/San Diego/Anaheim/Flagstaff, I was not able to attend the last meeting which focused on Smart Home and Remote Access devices and apps. By all reports, it was educational and entertaining, with the following door prize winners:

Greg Breuer    iTunes card $10
Gale Fuller      Apple logo pen/carabiner
George Kopp   Apple logo carabiner/keychain

Our next meeting on May 6 is all about "A/V Apps: iMessage, FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts" as described in the agenda displayed below. There will be special information about the latest security threat called Heartbleed, and how we might respond, as well as a few tips and tricks to improve your technlogy's performance. You will also be asked about whether you would like a more advanced MacBasics class before summer starts.

We hope to see you at the next meeting. As always, we welcome visitors and new members who would like to learn more and enjoy the company of other devoted Apple and related product users.

President's Place: April 2014

by Tom Piper

FINALLY, we were able to deliver our presentations about 20+ Gadgets in 60 Minutes, after two monthly delays due to bad weather (it almost got us a third time too). But, all went well, we had great attendance, and lots was learned about many things. Door prizes were won by:

• Jim Springs     VIP Orbit Styles Pen
• Sue Snell        $10 iTunes card

The next meeting (see agenda below) will focus on "Smart Home & Remote Access", presenting a variety of products to remotely control your heat, cooling, lights, lamps, kitchen, survellance, alarms, doors and more. This has been asked for by many, and should be both educational and entertaining. Not only that, but you will also be able to learn about the new iPad 4 and iOS 7.1 updates and changes.

SPRING IS HERE, and we hope that you will be able to attend, and bring family and friends on April 1 (no fooling) . . . 

President's Place: March 2014

by Tom Piper

IS IT SPRING YET??? ... it sure feels like it with these wonderfully warm temperatives this week. I hope you are also making the best of it (don't get used to it, the cold will soon return).

"Third time is a charm", a motto we are hoping will help us deliver on March 4 our prior January and February promises of 20+ Gadgets in 60 Minutes. We've lost a few items that were previously planned (Marian can't be here on March 4), but Joe, George, Dustin and I (and perhaps Marian) are ready with our presentations. Since the Holidays are well behind us, we've taken "what you got for Christmas" off the agenda, but you can still tell us about any special items, if we have time.

As earlier announced in a special email, MacBasics Training Class will be held at 7:00pm on March 12, 2014. If you want to pre-register and/or pay the $15.00 fee ($25 for non-members) at the March 4 meeting, our Treasurer (Sue Snell) will be pleased to serve you (this will reduce waiting the night of the class).

As always, we look forward to seeing you at our next meetings. Family and friends are always welcome to join us for the fun, knowledge and rapport.