appleJAC Users Group

Presidents Corner

by Tom Piper, aJ MUG President

As I write this, the news is flooded with news of President Obama coming to Mesa High School, just a few miles from my mother-in-law’s residence where Diane and I have been enjoying a week of vacation. It is amazing how excited everyone is in this suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, with people getting in line days ahead of time just to get tickets (does that have a familiar ring to iPhone early-adopters?).

BUT, I also have experienced intense Internet and email withdrawal due to a lack of an ISP, wireless too far away, and low signal strength for AT&T. My only alternative was to go to the community computer room (five shared PCs, a printer and wireless access) where there was a regular parade of retirees shuffling through (bring your own paper if you want hardcopy). This is a retirement village where Diane’s mother lives, which could greatly benefit from a strong wide-area Wi-Fi service. Who can live without the Internet, particularly in this land where “Kokopelli” reigns as the symbol of fun and mischievousness?

Next meeting we will experience the first of three iLife ’09 presentations, focusing on the Pictures aspect with iPhoto, iWeb and cameras. Some great new additions have been made with Faces, Places, and other cool features. If you want to get more out of your photographs and sharing them with family and friends, this is a meeting well worth your attendance.

Last month, we enjoyed a review of iWork, with George delighting the crowd with Keynote wonders, while I introduced new features in Pages and Numbers. We also welcomed three new members, in addition to the three new members from our last meeting. The full schedule of topics for 2009 was also announced. Winners of the January door prizes were as follows:

• Sharon Hanson    20” monitor cover
• Kathel Cooper    Mac for Dummies (book)
• Peggy Landwehr    Tiger Screen Saver
• Charlotte Hubbard    iWork’05 (program & book)
• Ken Zindle    Silver Apple-logo Flask
• Julie Smith    Au Coeur De Lascaux (video game)

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the regularly-scheduled aJ meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. And, a reminder, during Missouri’s winter season, if the Jefferson City Public Schools are canceled or dismissed early due to inclement weather on our meeting date, then our meeting will also be canceled.

See you next Tuesday in 6th Grade Commons at Lewis and Clark Middle School!

March 2009 Meeting Agenda

February 2009 New User Group Offers

"Secret of the Lost Cavern" Adventure: Half Price

Coladia's game plunges the player into an inspiring adventure that takes place during the Paleolithic period in prehistoric times. Arok, a young hunter, discovers an entry to a cavern and his quest begins. During his
journey, he must survive the rugged wilderness, brave wild animals, traverse raging rivers and much more.

With a regular street price of $39.90 (US), Apple user group members can buy this adventure for $19.90 (US). A demo version is available.

Learn more: http://www.coladiagames.com
Start your adventure: http://www.coladiagames.com/store    
This worldwide offer is valid through May 31, 2009.

TheMacU.com: 33% Off

You love your computer, but you are only getting a small percentage of its potential use. The Mac U was created to help you tap your Mac's full potential by assisting you with Mac OS X, iLife and other applications. A membership to TheMacU.com provides downloadable Mac video training courses, online video tips and tutorials, news and reviews and Q&A. Try it free for 15 days.

The regular price is $6 (US) per month after the 15-day free trial; user group members take 33% off with this special user group price. The training is in English only.

Sign up now: http://www.themacu.com/mugmembers.html
This worldwide offer is valid through May 31, 2009.

Tech 2000, Inc. Authorized Apple Training Center (AATC): 30% Off

Tech 2000 is the world's leading source of high quality IT training. Courses are available for Leopard (101, 201, 301, 302, 401), Apple Certifications (ACSP, ACSA, ACTC, ProApps), Cisco (CCENT, CCNA, CCIE), custom-developed courses, introduction to iPhone SDK Development (ILT and E-Learning) and educators iPhone SDK training kit
(K-12, Higher Education).

Tech 2000, Inc. offers a special 30% discount to user group members on all courses, exams and e-learning.  Prices range from $595 (US) to $2,299 (US).

Improve your technical knowledge: http://www.t2000inc.com/apple/index.html      
This worldwide offer is valid through May 31, 2009.

My Tribe Paradise: 50% Off

Create a perfect island paradise with My Tribe from Grubby Games. Shipwrecked on a beautiful tropical island, your brave little tribespeople must build a new home. With your guidance, the tribe will uncover mysterious secrets, research new technologies and construct massive wonders. Return often to feed your tribe, clothe them and look after the babies and children.

The regular price is $19.95 (US), but Apple user group members are offered this exclusive 50% discount, which also applies to any bundled applications.

Join the adventure: http://tinyurl.com/bvtztu   
This worldwide offer is valid through June 30, 2009.

Transition: From the MUG Store to PowerMax.com

PowerMax.com, the engine behind The Apple MUG Store, is pleased to announce a new process for Apple user group members. Instead of going to www.applemugstore.com to view a limited selection of items, members can now go directly to www.powermax.com to peruse and purchase (rewrap) almost 50,000 products. By identifying the user group you belong to (either on an online order or over the phone), PowerMax will continue to accumulate points for your user group to use.

As a special bonus, for one month only, starting February 20, 2009, those points will double to 2% of the total purchase. So if a user group member buys a $2,000 (US) computer, $40 (US) will be added to your user group's account, good toward anything PowerMax sells. In addition to great deals, free UPS shipping is offered on any order over $50 (US)!

Be sure to take advantage of this win/win deal: http://PowerMax.com
This worldwide offer is ongoing.

MacSpeech Dictate: Seeing What You’re Saying

 a review by Tom Piper

When the original Mac 128KB was released in 1984, you heard this new computer speak to us. Haven’t you since wanted to be able control the Mac by voice, and have it transcribe what you are saying? I have a great voice recognition program now; but first, a brief history of such software for the Mac.

In 1993, Apple introduced PlainTalk which thereafter evolved into Speakable Items which has been integrated into Mac operating systems ever since (pseudo voice recognition). Twelve years ago, Dragon PowerSecretary ($700) was one of the first speech recognition programs (my first for OS9), followed by Dragon NaturallySpeaking for the Mac (became PC only shortly after), and IBM ViaVoice for Mac (Best of Show at Macworld NYC 2001 -- my second voice program for OSX). It was about that same time that MacSpeech came out with iListen (my third such program for OSX) which was a significant step forward. Then, at Macworld 2008, MacSpeech announced that iListen would be replaced by Dictate (a new Mac solution built using the recognition engine from Dragon NaturallySpeaking on Windows). As my fourth voice recognition program, this one is by far the best and most advanced such product yet.

According to early reports, MacSpeech claimed that MacSpeech Dictate was a great improvement on iListen. "Now for the first time, Mac users can begin dictating straight into their applications with very little time spent training the software to recognise their voice." They claimed that training MacSpeech Dictate up to a 99 percent accuracy level, generally takes less than five minutes and that the product "...performs at the highest accuracy level on the market today...Using the new MacSpeech Dictate, user-spoken commands are recognized separately from dictation, liberating the user from the need to tell the software to change modes, simplifying the experience." The product is targeted not only at those who for whatever reason find keyboard use difficult. MacSpeech Dictate is "designed to simply make computer input easier for anyone. Whether composing email, writing a report or even a novel, MacSpeech Dictate makes the computing experience more comfortable," the company claimed.

Quite simply, I can verify that the promotional language is true. No more hours and hours of reading text to “condition” the software for my voice, but rather a few minutes of selecting preferences, and reading some paragraphs of text. Not only that, other users of your computer can also be setup to use Dictate, customized to their voice and preferences. Voice recognition really does start right out of the box with easy-to-following instructions and immediate feedback. And, you won’t believe the accuracy, which actually gets better and better over time (yes, some mistakes still do happen, but it remembers corrections).

Here is a summary listing of features and benefits:

• Minimal Training Required: provides astounding accuracy and productivity;
• Essential Command Capabilities: instead of using your mouse to select menu commands or your keyboard to type shortcuts, just speak a command;
• Uses the Legendary Dragon Speech Recognition Engine: the core is the world-renowned Dragon® speech recognition engine by Nuance;
• Works With The Applications You Already Have: iChat, Mail, iPhoto, Keynote, Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and more;
• Spelling A World Of Words: spelling mode lets you easily spell words, names, and acronyms with either natural language or the International Radio Alphabet;
• Make Your Move: a keyboard or mouse is not needed to move around in your documents because your voice moves your cursor forwards, backwards, and more;
• Even Greater Recognition: includes robust Phrase Training capabilities allowing it to learn as it goes based on your voice input;
• Built Especially For The Mac: MacSpeech Dictate was built from the ground up to ensure the ultimate experience on Mac OS X;.
• Comes With Everything You Need: instantly productive as soon as you start using it, including a high quality headset microphone;
• Document Freedom: works great with almost any text document, even those created with other applications;
• Exceptional Online Help: boasts a complete online, searchable help book; and
• Key Command Savviness: it understands key commands where you can enter specific keys and even keyboard modifiers like Command, Option, Shift, and Control.

This program is easy to use, but if needed, “How To” instructional videos can be accessed on their website to Install MacSpeech Dictate, Create a Profile, Use Phrase Training, Create a Voice Command for a Text Macro and Editing a Document. Additional assistance is also available through the MacSpeech Forums, their Facebook site, following them on Twitter, and using their Support Center Knowledge Base. To their credit, they believe in communication and support for their product.

From its inception, MacSpeech has always believed speech should be ubiquitous on the Macintosh. This vision originates with the company’s founder, CEO, and the Chief Architect, Andrew Taylor. There is a terrific story about Andrew’s experience and influence from the early fledgling days of speech recognition in the mid-90s all the way through today’s leading-edge Dictate product (see: http://www.macspeech.com/pages.php?cID=4&pID=24). Persistance and patience has paid off in a great product.
For more information, visit www.macspeech.com, where Macspeech Dictate can be purchsed for $199. The program requires an Intel-based Mac, Mac OS X 10.5.2 or greater ("Leopard") or Mac OS X 10.4.11 ("Tiger"). An Internet connection is also required for product registration, plus a MacSpeech-certified noise-cancelling microphone (included in box). A variety of optional microphones is also available, depending on your needs (wireless, iPod-mounted, desktop, alternate earphone/mic combos). If you are looking for a quick and reliable way to convert speech-to-text, and/or verbally control many commands on your Mac, this is the product to buy.

NewerTech: The Right Tools for Mac Entry

a review by Tom Piper

Being a gadget guy, the right tools for the job make the work simpler and more effective. This is particularly true in the electronic world where various screwdriver types and sizes are vital to success, not to mention levers and grabbers (tech terms all).

At Macworld I found an excellent 11-piece computer tool kit this is just perfect for the majority of small repair work I do, such as replacement of the hard drive in laptop computers. This kit includes Torx T6, T8, & T10; Phillips PH00 & PH2; Straight 1.8 mm & 3.0 mm; tweezers; hemostat (scissor clamp); two plastic pry tools (spudgers); and a rugged, zippered, woven nylon carrying case. This is just about everything you need to open up most computers, iPods and other devices for repairs and upgrades. Each piece is nicely shaped for effective handling of small pieces and parts.

I’ve also used mine on a small clock, several electronic pieces and a MacBook Pro 17”, all with the greatest success. These are quality tools that can be used again and again. The case holds the tools with properly shaped insert molds to store each tool in a dense foam material that holds everything in place snugly.

Its very nice to have everything in one convenient package that is easy to carry. This great kit from Newer Technology is available for only $17.95. For more information, go to http://www.newertech.com. I highly recommend this tool for techs and do-it-yourselfers.

MAXPower: Adding Wireless Access with Ease

a review by Tom and Jason Piper

What do you do to add wireless capability to your computer if it didn’t come with the right parts? It can be as easy as a USB plug-in dongle.

Newer Technology has produced the NewerTech MAXPower 802.11 g/b Wireless USB 2.0 Stick Adapter for just this purpose. The package comes with an installer CD that puts the right enabling software on PC or Mac laptops or desktop computers. You can then plug in this dongle, and have access to the Internet up to 300 feet away (line-of-sight).

This USB Adapter is a quick and easy addition to any Mac OS X running computer. We installed this on our older Mac G5 tower. The software installation was a simple installation and then a restart of the computer. The provided NewerTech software left something to be desired and didn’t carry over the simple and effortless methods that are achieved with the built-in Apple Wireless Manager. It requires you to first create a profile, then join a wireless network using their software.

In System Preferences, the wireless adaptor shows up at “USB Ethernet”, although without launching their software, you have no quick idea of what your signal strength is. Once established, the Wireless Adaptor worked flawlessly and easily allowed for continuous streaming from a Media Server or File Server. The unit itself worked very well, particularly since it was unimpeded by a computer case.

This is an efficient way to quickly add Wi-Fi to almost any computer. It is available for only $24.99. For more information, go to http://www.newertech.com. This could be your solution to Internet access.

Pop-up Convenience: Evouni Cardreader & USB Hub

by Tom Piper

There are many removable memory cards on the market for photo and video cameras, and a variety of other uses. I have an ExpressCard/34 media reader inserted into my MacBook Pro 17” for convenient access to my Sony Memory Sticks, but have also been looking for a portable solution that can read all formats and expand my number of USB ports. At a Macworld booth, I found a very neat little device that does just that.

The Evouni Push-push Card Reader+ USB HUB was one of several items being demonstrated at one of the small booths in Moscone North Hall. This unit is 3” square by 1” thick, comes in black or white, has a retractable 18” cord with USB connector, features a pop-up box inside an aluminum housing with two USB 2.0 ports, and has a cute light that makes its name glow when plugged in. The non-skid feet also keeps it very solid on most surfaces.

It reads almost all types of memory cards on the market, except SmartMedia (SM) and small partial types which must use a card adaptor (the adaptor works). I would suggest a spring-loaded slot for easier ejection, particularly of very small memory cards. The two USB ports can be used for almost any connection . . . I like for my flash drive and portable scanner, where an extra port is always helpful.

Everything worked with ease, just as expected. More information is available about this Push-Push Card Reader at www.evouni.com. The price is $45 from sales@evouni.com. This has been a nice addition to my travel bag.

Tweakers: A Lot of Sound in a Little Package

a review by Tom Piper

Whenever I travel, at least three iPods and an iPhone go with me for audio and visual education and entertainment. Several sets of earphones accompany me, but I would also prefer a set of speakers for my room. A delightful and colorful unit caught my attention at Macworld that were exactly what I needed.

The Tweakers Mini-Boom Speakers from Grandmax are known as Pull-n-Play because of their cute and very functional retractable connecting cords. The ad says “pocket size speakers with room-filling sound” which is a big promise. With a built-in 430mA rechargeable lithium ion battery, a frequency-tuned amplifier, and a pair of twist-and-popup 2” speakers, it does deliver crystal clear sound, even if the bass is a bit muted (a lot to expect of something so small).

I plugged it into my 8GB iPod nano at the office, and played music for six hours without depleting the Tweakers battery. It was easy to setup by pulling out the mini-USB retractable cable and plugging it into the other speaker (this is also the charger cable when a mini-to-fullsize USB adapter is plugged into it, which can be plugged into a computer or iPod charger). Then the 1/8” stereo plug was attached to my iPod (or iPhone or MacBook Pro), and a twist on the top of each speaker popped it up for a better sound chamber. Finally, a press of the on/off switch on the side of the speaker turns it on, and a separate volume wheel adds more volume in addition to your sound source. Disassembly is even easier with the retractable cables, and magnetic bases to conveniently hold them together (yes, these same magnetics could be used to attach them to any iron-based metal).

Update: See the video of how these work by appleJAC Member, Steve Mays:

All in all, these are a real attention getter, and a lot of fun to use. They meet my need for a set of travel speakers. More information can be found at www.grandmax.com where these Tweakers can be purchased for $44.95 (with a 20% discount and free shipping through Feb. 8, maybe longer). They are available in black or red to match your style.

First appleJAC Meeting Movie Posted to the Web

The January appleJAC meeting video is available for you to watch.  Just click on the image below and the movie page will load.  Please be aware, the movie is very large and only appropriate for broadband (DSL/Cable) internet users.

Graphic Secrets for MUGs: Printing Borderless Photos in Photoshop and Elements

A User Group Feature Article by Lesa Snider King

Resizing your images to print borderless can be an exercise in frustration. Unless you know the trick, you'll end up with a nasty white border. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to do it quickly and painlessly in both Photoshop Elements and Photoshop CS. The best part is that both programs will figure the resolution for you automatically!

Read the article here.

Bio: Lesa Snider King is the author of "Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual" (O'Reilly), chief evangelist of iStockphoto.com, and founder of GraphicReporter.com. She's a proud member of DACS, NCMUG, and WAP. You can catch her graphic tips live each Wednesday night on YourMacLifeShow.com.

End of March 2009 Digest