appleJAC Users Group

President's Corner: A Chill in the Air . . . Exciting Meetings

by Tom Piper, aJMUG President

Autumn has arrived, school is well underway, and there seems to be so much to do. As I write this, there is a brisk mid-afternoon breeze outside with a cool temperature of 60 degrees. The leaves are beginning to turn, and Apple is gearing up for the Christmas Season (less than three months away) . . . where has the time gone?

At our last meeting returned us to Lewis and Clark Middle School where we focused on Mac Fun and Leisure. We started out describing the new iPod touch, nano and shuffle, plus the second generation Apple TV (I just set mine up, and it is so cool), and the new features of iTunes 10. I finally showed the benefits of the Point2View camera (which I will use at each meeting), and George described the new Magic Pad. Everyone got involved with examples of great things they had done with social networking, reading, games, music, photos, videos and many other things. We really enjoyed sharing our experiences and delights. Alice Kopp again provided another interesting perspective on our website. Over 45 members were in attendance. The evening's door prize winners included:

•     Apple pen                           Gale Fuller
•     iPad book                            Bill Krause
•     appleJAC flashlight              Brian Fuller
•     $10 iTunes card                    Dan Walsh
•     Flashdrive                           Greg Breuer
•     Fabric monitor cover           Robert Williams
•     appleJAC stress ball            Trish Alexander
•     iPhone no-peek screen         Robert Williams
•     Smart Home Hacks (book)    John Knapp
•     appleJAC chip clip/cutter    Neal Hubbard

       
Our next meeting will focus on handheld Apple devices including the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, including the software that supports them. This will be a great time to answer your questions if you have one (or all) of these, or are thinking of getting one. Joe Mertzlufft will be showing his AirCurve iPhone stand, and we will be asking you about your favorite apps.

SPECIAL NOTE: I've been getting a number of complaints from members about the noise level at our meetings (murmuring, whispered discussions, hushed comments). This is distracting and makes it difficult to hear. We have purchased a new sound system to help you hear the presenters better, which includes a pass-around audience microphone which will help us hear you better, and ensure only one speaker at a time. We also want to get as many people involved as possible, and ensure that no one person dominates the conversation. Please wait to be recognized because interrupting presentations or other speaking makes it difficult to communicate effectively. Your patience and participation makes for an enjoyable and rewarding meeting.

George is doing final preparation for the iMovie MacClass to be held on October 7 and 14 at the Learfield Communications offices. Registration is still open for this two-night 7-9pm series is $25, and can be made by emailing applejac@mac.com. See the ad on our website for details.

Our next meeting will be take us back to Conference Room 600 at Lewis and Clark Middle School. Mark your calendar NOW for the appleJAC "iPhone/iPodtouch/iPad Event" meeting on Tuesday, October 5, 2010, at 7:00 pm. Bring family, friends and new members to get the most out of your Mac and other Apple products.

October Meeting Agenda

Mirror Back Protector: A Positive Reflection on You

by Tom Piper

Do you remember when the first “mirror” app came out that would let you see yourself on the iPhone screen (sort of, that is)? There is even one that uses the built-in camera on the iPhone 4 to see yourself . . . all are mirror simulations.

Green Onions Supply now provides a protective back for your iPhone 4 that is a real crystal-clear mirror which features:

• -The mirror finish with the functionality of a pocket mirror and great for self-portraits
• -Scratch and smudge resistant coating protects your iPhone 4's back surface
• -New silicone adhesive makes installation easier than ever, attaching to the iPhone quickly and efficiently
• -The Protector is thin enough to maintain compatibility with most cases and accessories.

At only $15, this is a great buy at http://www.greenonionssupply.com/. You will see yourself in a new light!

Eco-Vue for iPad: One-Handed Quality Protection

iPad cases are all the rage now, so its really hard to find one that fits your lifestyle and personal taste. I’m already on my fourth case, but will now stop looking since I’ve found a terrific leather case with features I really like.

The Eco-Vue is a very nice looking eco-leather folio case for iPad. It has a unique and innovative hand strap design that allows me to fold back the cover and securely grip the device during usage (I don’t know of this feature on any other case or cover). This case opens like a book, and the front cover can be used as a horizontal stand. The elastic strap keeps the case securely closed or opened while the fold-over tab inside helps keep the iPad from slipping out. The built-in fold-away display stand is ideal for lower-angled typing or viewing, and rounds out a broad array of features provided in a single case solution.

I have been using this case to protect my iPad for several weeks now, and find it both utilitarian, as well as handsome. Its an attention-getter as a number of people have asked about it. It has a very nice feel both while carrying it, as well as during use. The interior of the case has a comfortable suede look and feel, and the stitching is of excellent quality.

At $54.99, this is one of the higher priced cases, and well worth the investment to protect my iPad which cost well over ten times that amount. It comes only in black, but I can’t imagine this professional appearance coming in any other color. A visit to www.marware.com/products/iPad will get you to the right spot. MARWARE makes a wide variety of cases for the iPad, as well as for the iPhone, iPad and portable Mac. These folks have been in the business for a long time, and have an excellent line of products.

Class on Demand: Training for Media and Video Fans

by Tom Piper

New products, new opportunities, new challenges . . . new and more powerful software comes out, you want to take advantage of it, but how to learn quickly and effectively? Books are good (both paper and ebooks), but time-consuming. I respond best to visual and audio presentation of instructional materials.

Adobe’s Creative Suite 5 (CS5) is a product of tremendous potential, but daunting in its capabilities and features, with a potentially steep learning curve. In response, and working closely with Avid, “Class on Demand” recently announced that they are pushing out a new series of comprehensive training titles centered around the CS5 family. The first training, which was recently released, is titled: “Getting Started with CS5 Production Premium.” The training helps new users efficiently become comfortable with the CS5 workflow and learn to leverage its creative tools to produce highly engaging media for any project. It covers CS5 features ranging from Illustrator and Photoshop to Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Media Encoder.

Available in both online and DVD formats, these training courses are sponsored by a variety of industry giants including Borix FX, NVIDIA, Tiffen, and Suite Imagery. I was provided an opportunity to use this service, and viewing the first training package online. Getting started couldn’t be simpler with a quick creation of an account, the redemption of my token, and I was immediately presented with “click on a video below to begin” screen.

One click on the Getting Started title took me to a listing of 19 items ranging from Introduction of Adobe Illustrator to Conclusion showing individual times for each segment (total training time is almost 6 hours). My click on Watch Video yielded a colorful animated illustration of Adobe components followed by a talking head (articulate instructor with excellent resolution and sound). The instructor became a part of the overall screen as he began to explain all of the adjustments that are possible (pretty cool, actually) including quality control, monitor color calibration, audio fidelity and much more.

The setup instruction was followed by individual (extensive) overviews of each of the ten programs and support functions within CS5 plus descriptions of the five partners with Adobe. This is a very detailed and well-thought-out presentation delivered in a colorful and effective manner throughout. I haven’t watched all segments yet, but have been very impressed with what I’ve learned so far.

The next release will be “Complete Training for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5,” followed by “Complete Training for Adobe Photoshop CS5,” and concluding with “Complete Training for Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.” These training packages list for $149.95, while others in their catalog are as low as $39.95. This pricing certainly seems very consistent with the quality of the training materials.

Class on Demand is the definitive authority in training materials covering the creative and media industry. You can choose from their wide selection of award-winning tutorials conducted by industry experts. Packed full of tips and techniques, their hands-on approach provides you with everything you need to know to be successful. Learn more at www.classondemand.net.

7 Port USB 2.0 Hub: You Can Never Have Enough Power

by Tom Piper

With all the attention to portable devices, we sometimes overlook the basics. Power to my desktop computer peripherals has always been important, but usually taken for granted UNTIL something stops working. Since most connections are now USB, a strong and reliable hub is vital to uninterrupted operations.

I have worked for several years with NewerTechnology who produces a fine line of products. They have a 7-port USB 2.0 Hub (1.0 is so old school and slow) that fits my needs very nicely. With a 3.5 amp power supply that pumps 500mA to each port, it can power everything I plug into it. Here is a list of feature that it boasts:

•  Plug and Play‚...no drivers to install!
•  One USB 2.0 Uplink Type ‚"B"port for connecting to Mac or PC and seven USB 2.0/1.1 ports.
•  Seven type ‚"A" ports for connecting devices.
•  Over-current detection and protection.
•  Supports "hot swapping" of USB devices.
•  User-friendly and ergonomic design.
•  Durable aluminum enclosure for rugged mobile use.

The hub itself measures just over 0.8" x 1.8" x 3.1" (small footprint), and weighs in at just over  11 ounces (lightweight). The package also includes a power supply that is only slightly larger than the hub, and a one meter USB cable. It works with almost every device and computer that handles USB 1.1 and 2.0.

For only $27.95, this is a pretty good investment in reliability and peace of mind. A visit to www.newertech.com/products/7_port_powered_usb2_hub.php could be beneficial you your needs too. NewerTechnology has lots of other cool and helpful products too.

End of September 2010 appleJAC Digest/Blog