appleJAC Users Group

President's Corner: Where do we go from here?

by Tom Piper

Spring has arrived (admittedly with cold blustery rain), and with promises that April will be abnormally warm. This is also the end of the cold and flu season when it seems like there is always at least one last round of sneezing/coughing/headaches/bodyaches/more to remind us that we are still human. With flowers blossoming, new baby creatures emerging, flocks winging northward, and new life popping up everywhere, we are also welcoming the arrival of the long-anticipated iPad, which could be the launching of a new generation of fun and fascination with technology.
At our last meeting, our focus was on a broad range of terms and expressions which we often talk about, but seldom explain: the Mac Dictionary of Terms. After I presented my favorite new gadget (HoverCam scanner) and great iPhone app (Gorillacam by Joby), Mayor John Landwehr (by entertaining video) told all about social media like Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, and YouTube. Joe Mertzlufft followed with a presentation ports of all types (USB, FireWire, Ethernet, video, more) plus a revealing description of how Size Matters for hard disks, storage memory and RAM. Next, Julie Smith described here experience and knowledge of photo terms. George Kopp wrapped up with overviews of firewalls, networks, wireless and more. It was very educational, and all presentations have been posted to our website for download (it was too much to remember in one setting). The audience was also able to ask about additional terms. The evening’s door prize winners included:

iWork ’08.....................Charlie Bland     
iLife ’08 program............Margie Stevenson
Apple Bus Card Holder......Charlotte Hubbard
                                        Mark Snell
Apple Cube Clip...............Paul Van Horn
                                        Julie Smith
Apple Identification Clip...Ken Zindle

iPhone Fully Loaded (bk)....Jim Stevenson

The next meeting was originally scheduled to be all About Printers and Printing. With so many of our members receiving their iPads on April 3 (or shortly thereafter), this topic will be covered early in the meeting right after introductions, favorite gadget (Steve Mays with his new “book” case), and favorite iPhone app (Joe Mertzlufft with Sudoku puzzles). After break Roman Griffith from Staples will tell us about Printers and Printing (have your questions ready for a quick Q&A).

Just a quick note . . . your officers and others work hard to prepare entertaining and informative presentations for every meeting, which is often quite challenging. Your assistance is fundamental to our success, and volunteering for any task just makes us stronger and more interesting. Please offer to help whenever possible, including showing a favorite app or gadget, providing refreshments, bringing new members, presenting topics, and serving as officers. After 25 years of services, appleJAC MUG is a valuable asset! Visit our website (www.applejac.org) often to get the most out of your membership.

Mark your calendar NOW for this next appleJAC Macintosh Users Group meeting on the first Tuesday, April 6, 2010, at 7:00 pm. Bring family, friends and new members back to Lewis and Clark Middle School to get the most out of your Mac and Apple products.

April 2010 Meeting Agenda

 

 

  

Jefferson City Electronic Waste Recycling

Let us now praise.....The "Genius Bar" by Ken Zindle

"LET US NOW PRAISE  . . .THE GENIUS BAR"

I will begin by assuring you that I realize that I am damaging here both James Agee's book of the  almost same title and Apocryphal Scripture from Ecclesiasticus 44. 'Thin ice' you say but 'so be it,' is my response. So, on with my tale.

I recently purchased, a week ago, "O Frabjous Day, Callooh, Callay!", a new MacBook Pro! After getting it home and unwrapping my beauty, I found it chock full of new features and goodies. (I will refrain from another outburst like the one above but will refer you back to it now!) I mean it has backlit keys, it's bigger, faster than my old, trusty MacBook 13. It has a battery that doesn't cause me constant worries. It's, in brief,----and yes, I can be brief now and then-----wonderful.

I began using it with new features right away. There was a feature called 'tap to click' that I selected, since it made the trackpad so blazing fast.

Time passes, only about three days but it passes. I now notice that every now and then the cursor selects files on its own, with no consulting me at all.  Next I notice that the cursor now and then will highlight a whole row of text or items in a group and, before I realize it has done it, my next key stroke simply does away with them.  (Cancel the "O Frabjous Day, Callooh, Callay!")

Finally, after watching these dazzling events, I started to write a sermon with it, using pages. Every half minute or so, the cursor jumped to another position. 

Patience is now gone and I called Apple Care. Got a gal who tried to help me by suggesting a few things that could be reset. No good! She then made an appointment for me with the Genius Bar in Kansas City, in the Plaza.

I go to the Apple store not a happy man, having gotten a 'lemon' from Apple out of the box.

Break in the action of the story now:

I am a fast but sloppy and inaccurate typist. Any typing virtues I have are due to Miss Henrietta Littiri! When I was a senior in high school, Miss Littiri presided over the only true debacle of my entire academic career: Typing. The first quarter she took off one point for each typing mistake. By the fourth quarter, now it was five points per mistake, I owed Miss Littiri points! I made a trip to her room toward the end of the year to ask it she would pass me for that quarter, after all, I was Vice President of the National Honor Society. Her words ring down the ages still as a testimony of the confidence that I inspire in people: "Zindle, get out; I never want to see you again!"Yes, friends, for that quarter, she flunked me. (My one and only!)

Back to the story now:

The MacBook Pro problem was due to my having selected 'tap to click' and my sloppy typing style. You see, now the trackpad is soooooooo sensitive that every time my fat hand bounces on it, it sends the cursor off on an errand that I never imagined or intended!

So, here I am at the Genius Bar with my genius. Folks, mark this, write it down, send it as a message to future generations!  It took him 10 seconds to discover what was wrong!  10 SECONDS, I say.

It makes you want to start burning incense to the "Genius Bar" and the Geniuses it contains.

I'm typing this on my new MacBook Pro, and the cursor is only doing what I tell it to. And you know what that means:

"O FRABJOUS DAY, CALLOOH, CALLAY!"  (There, I did it again.)

 Ken Zindle

April User Group Offers

PDF2Office for iWork v1.0: 15% Discount

Your PDF files can now easily be converted to editable iWork formats with the new PDF2Office for iWork. It converts PDF documents into editable Keynote and Pages ‘08/’09 files allowing for an efficient and transparent process in recovering and reusing PDF content with in iWork. PDF2Office for iWork has been designed specifically for the iWork user providing a simple and straightforward interface to convert PDF files to the iWork format while offering options to fine-tune the conversion results. This special converter eliminates the need to acquire and install additional PDF editing software and tools resulting in huge cost savings in both time and expense.

This exclusive Apple user group member offer for PDF2Office for iWork is $49.99 (USD), a great savings from the usual MSRP of $59.00 (USD).

For more information and download purchasing:
http://www.recosoft.com/specialoffer.htm

This worldwide offer is valid through April 30, 2010.

iTravel Alarm Clock: 50% Discount

iTravel Alarm Clock is a customizable screen saver with alarm and fade-in effect, and a sleep assistant feature playing five high-quality stereo nature sounds (Lake Shore, Ocean Waves, Rain Forest, Mountain Stream, and Tropical Forest) and White Noise. It is fully configurable displaying a moving clock. iTravel provides a large, low-light clock for your notebook screen that can be seen from across the room. It is great for travelers.

Apple user group members can buy iTravel for only $4.99 (USD), half of the regular price. More information is available at http://www.desktop-control.com/mac/itravel/, where you can even download a free trial version.

This worldwide offer is valid through June 15, 2010.

Mac Help Tutorials: 25% Discount

The easy way to learn about your Mac. Four large-view Mac tutorials in QuickTime video format cover Operating System/Finder/Desktop basics, preferences and application basics, Pages word processor; and Apple Mail. You will learn how to:
  • save documents in other formats,
  • change which application opens particular files,
  • add hyperlinks, photos, attachments to emails,
  • change file permissions,
  • search and find techniques, and much more.
Even if you’ve been using a Mac for a while, you’ll gain valuable tips.

With a regular price of $20.00 (US), this special Apple user group member offer is $15.00 (US).

Learn more, and purchase at:       http://www.machelptech.com     
This worldwide offer is valid through July 30, 2010.

MacSpeech Scribe: Tutorials

a review by Tom Piper

Tired of typing? Need a break from the mouse? Want to step away from touching the screen? Want to just talk to your computer and have it transcribe every word at normal talking speed? Better yet, how about if you record your voice on the iPhone or mike-equipped iPod, or other digital recorder, then feed it to the computer for conversion to written text? There is a terrific product to give you this freedom.

MacSpeech Scribe is the world’s most advanced personal transcription solution for the Macintosh. MacSpeech Scribe lets you forget about the painstaking task of typing, and instead create text documents directly from spoken-word audio files. Just imagine it … no more irritating and frustrating stopping, rewinding, re-starting, and typing at a snail’s pace.

MacSpeech Scribe transcribes everything for you, and does it easily, quickly, and accurately. And it couldn’t be simpler. Just open your spoken-word audio file with MacSpeech Scribe, click the ‘Transcribe’ button, and MacSpeech Scribe does the transcription work for you. Right before your eyes, you’ll see your file transcribed into text on your screen.

A single MacSpeech Scribe license can create and use up to six individual voice profiles, each compatible with all accepted audio file formats, including .wav, .aif, .aiff, .m4v, .mp4, or .m4a formats. When composing a letter or other document by voice, users can include spoken punctuation, and MacSpeech Scribe will automatically include the punctuation marks in the transcribed text. Audio file quality directly impacts transcription accuracy achieved, and MacSpeech Scribe customers are encouraged to minimize background noise and use a high-quality recording device

This dynamic tool is the next step in the MacSpeech family of products driven by the Dragon Naturally Speaking Engine. Having recently teamed with Nuance, MacSpeech also creates speech recognition solutions for the Macintosh, including MacSpeech Dictate, MacSpeech Dictate Legal, MacSpeech Dictate Medical, and MacSpeech Dictate International. With a focus on quality, innovation, and value, MacSpeech’s products provide accuracy of up to 99%, dramatically enhance productivity, and are as intuitive to use as the Mac itself.

MacSpeech Scribe can be acquired for $149 by going to http://www.macspeech.com/extensions/store/ where any of the other products can also be considered. MacSpeech Scribe requires an Intel-based Macintosh and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. With a long history of dependable performance, MacSpeech also provide Forums to acquire and exchange information, plus social network interfaces for Facebook, Twitter and others.

I have used MacSpeech products for number of years with great success. In addition to the regular tethered headset that came with Dictate, I have also purchased the high-quality Plantronics Calisto bluetooth headset that allows me to walk up to 30 feet away from my computer (wandering improves my thinking). This has really helped me achieve my goal of getting away from traditional computer tools to be more creative, and have fun doing it. I highly recommend this tool for your productivity and enjoyment.

MacHelpTech: Tutorials to Improve Your Mac Experience

a review by Tom Piper

Even though you know the basics of the Mac, ever have the feeling that you are missing a lot too? What about those tips and tricks that make your experience more pleasurable and your work more productive?

Tutorials are a great way to learn how to use your Mac better. If you’re new to Mac or want to improve your understanding of the Mac operating system and applications, these MacHelpTech video tutorials are an easy way to get to know how programs work. You learn about basics, preferences, Mail, Pages and more in four excellent QuickTime videos.

Just double-click on any of the four files to immediately jump into a learning session that visually moves you through a guided tour of all the features and how they link together. Full-page mode makes it easy to view, and quick to learn (and you can jump back at any point to review key items that you want to focus on). This was built by user group members for user group members in a self-paced environment with no pressure.

At $20, this is a great value for any of us. Its even better with the special offer for user group members shown below. I believe this could benefit many of our members.

Mac Help Tutorials: 25% Discount

The easy way to learn about your Mac. Four large-view Mac tutorials in QuickTime video format cover Operating System/Finder/Desktop basics, preferences and application basics, Pages word processor; and Apple Mail. You will learn how to:
  • save documents in other formats,
  • change which application opens particular files,
  • add hyperlinks, photos, attachments to emails,
  • change file permissions,
  • search and find techniques, and
  • much more.
Even if you’ve been using a Mac for a while, you’ll gain valuable tips.

With a regular price of $20.00 (US), this special Apple user group member offer is $15.00 (US).

Learn more, and purchase at:       http://www.machelptech.com   
This worldwide offer is valid through July 30, 2010.

iTravel Alarm: Tutorials

a review by Tom Piper

So, you’ve got an alarm clock, and your iPhone has a multi-function alarm . . . but do they also help you nod off to sleep, and provide a large easy-to-see view across the room?

I recently found a nifty little Mac clock application that fits nicely with my MacBook Pro 17”. It seemed like a good price at only $10, then I was able to work with the developer to get a special 50% discount just for Mac user group members (see below). You can even download a free trial version just to try it out first. It always makes me feel good to find useful tools at bargain prices, and put a smile on your face when you use it . . . the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

iTravel Alarm Clock: 50% Discount

iTravel Alarm Clock is a customizable screen saver with alarm and fade-in effect, and a sleep assistant feature playing five high-quality stereo nature sounds (Lake Shore, Ocean Waves, Rain Forest, Mountain Stream, and Tropical Forest) and White Noise. It is fully configurable displaying a moving clock. iTravel provides a large, low-light clock for your notebook screen that can be seen from across the room. It is great for travelers.

Apple user group members can buy iTravel for only $4.99 (USD), half of the regular price. More information is available at http://www.desktop-control.com/mac/itravel/, where you can even download a free trial version.

The iTravel purchase link is:
https://secure.plimus.com/jsp/buynow.jsp?contractId=2599146&couponCode=50PERCENT&currency=USD
This worldwide offer is valid through June 15, 2010.

PDF2Office for iWork v1.0: 15% Discount

Your PDF files can now easily be converted to editable iWork formats with the new PDF2Office for iWork. It converts PDF documents into editable Keynote and Pages ‘08/’09 files allowing for an efficient and transparent process in recovering and reusing PDF content with in iWork. PDF2Office for iWork has been designed specifically for the iWork user providing a simple and straightforward interface to convert PDF files to the iWork format while offering options to fine-tune the conversion results. This special converter eliminates the need to acquire and install additional PDF editing software and tools resulting in huge cost savings in both time and expense.

This exclusive Apple user group member offer for PDF2Office for iWork is $49.99 (USD), a great savings from the usual MSRP of $59.00 (USD).

For more information and download purchasing:
http://www.recosoft.com/specialoffer.htm
This worldwide offer is valid through April 30, 2010.

Mac Dictionary of Terms Presentations

 

Social Networking

 

Photographic Terms Presentation

 

Ports Size and Speed

Network Terms and Network Setup

End of the April 2010 Digest