appleJAC Users Group

President's Place

by Julie Smith

Many thanks to our gracious hosts at September’s meeting in Fulton at the Callaway Electric Co-op Building. The location and amenities were awesome and thanks to Charlie Bland and Gale Fuller for securing the room and providing additional attendance prizes, and of course, the buffet of snacks. Thanks to Alice Kopp and Sue Snell for serving those to us.

The following members were winners at the last meeting's doorprize drawing:

• George Kopp           iTune Card ($10)
• Greg Perry              Photoshop for Dummie (book)
• Tim Springs            Thermome
• Mark Snell              Atlas
• Charlie Bland          Speaker
• Julie Smith             Callaway Bank Mug
• Bill Webb                MacBook Pro (book)
• Ed Brandt               Callaway Bank Mug
• Caryn Giarratano    aJ microfiber cloth

Now that the hot, dry summer is behind us and having visited several meeting locations, the onset of fall brings us back to a familiar location in Jefferson City at Kennedy Hall in the lower level Immaculate Conception School.

The upcoming meeting is at Kennedy Hall at which OS 10.8, Mountain Lion, will be the subject of an in depth presentation by George Kopp. After the break, Tom Piper will inform us of the new and wonderful features of iOS 6, the newest operating system for the iPad, iPhone and iPod.

Join us Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 7:00PM for an informative evening hearing about the latest offerings from Apple. There will also be discussion of the newest iPhone 5, revamped nanos, iPod touch, upgraded iTunes Store, cool new Apple Earpods, and more.


We continue our quest to find a permanent home. If you know of a facility that would fulfill our needs (chairs and table space, projection area, internet access, etc.), please don’t hesitate to let us know. Lewis and Clark Middle School, IC Church, Calvary Lutheran High School, Trinity Lutheran School and others have hosted our meetings in the past at no additional charge to appleJAC, a tradition we would like to continue.

From a personal perspective, I want to thank those who arrive early and help to set up tables and chairs, plus those who stay afterwards to return them to where we found them. Your help is certainly appreciated.

I also wish to extend an overdue “thanks” to our regular presenters, the ones who come through time after time every month. We welcome other members who would also like to share their knowledge and experience with the rest of us.

Come out Tuesday, Oct. 2, to see what’s shakin’ from the Apple tree.

From Where I Sit

An IT perspective by Greg Breuer

The "cloud" is really just the mainframe revisited. Everything was on the mainframe. You ran a dumb terminal that was nothing but an output via the screen, and input via the attached keyboard. I did my assignments in a room full of green screens. This was 20 years ago. I compiled Fortran and submitted my work to the mainframe at night.

When I heard about the cloud it did not feel right from the beginning because I knew there are computer people out there we call hackers that are smart guys that write code which exploit software. They write code to take advantage of operating systems, software that people use and security systems keep data secure. That is what worries me. That is what makes me question the validity of the cloud. What I see is in ten years somebody being arrested because they for ten years have been stealing people's private data. Having my data being stored on a computer in Florida through the Internet causes me concern.

A PRO of the cloud is that people will share resources. You will not have to have an IT staff because your Data Center will be maintained by a vendor in a faraway place via the Internet. If the bottom dollar is the goal then moving to the cloud is is a smart choice. The biggest cost of any enterprise is hardware and software used to run a business. With someone else doing it, then you are going to save money, and the profit margin is what you are after.

I see the cloud again as a possible way for someone bad to get to my personal data. I don't have any data that is going to cause me any trouble, but the fact that my data is not private and personal causes me issues. This may turn out to be a Ford/Chevy thing or a Coke/Pepsi thing, but 20 years down the road I think a little bit different about my data. I want control of my data. The fact that some software may take my data without me knowing it, and putting it on the Internet bothers me. If I indeed have control of my data, then the issue is moot. There is no issue. There is a savings because someone else is buying the hard drive that I use to store my data.

Another thing I worry about is the fact that vendors who have software stored on the hardware they own may start charging exorbitant prices for the hardware for the storage that you could get yourself a whole lot cheaper. If the cloud could be private, then I probably would not have any problem; but the fact is vendors have been caught storing data that they have no right to have. It was done in the past, and they may do it again.

Perhaps I am paranoid. Perhaps this is a moot point. Maybe this will never happen, but it still causes me concern. When a vendor decides for me what is best, that is when I question the why.

Newer Technology Gems: NuScribe Stylus Pen , iFolio iPad Case, NuTouch Glove

a review by Tom Piper

I love gadgets, particularly those related to my iOS devices. This month I'm evaluating a cool leather case for my iPad, plus a stylus/pen for pad or phone, and a pair of gloves for use in the approaching colder times. Life just got better with these great products from New Technology . . .

The iFolio iPad case is handcrafted in the US from premium imported Brazilian leather, and is the ultimate in luxury and craftsmanship for the protection and transportation for your treasure. A variety of carrying options are offered thanks to a collapsible, elastic-backed, double-stitched leather handle and removable, double-stitched leather shoulder strap (adjustable from 24" to 42"). Both are affixed to the outer body via precision-crafted, sturdy, nickel-plated hardware.

This case opens with a single motion using the genuine YKK pull tab equipped, soft-touch nylon zipper, revealing an elastic-backed, double-stitched, expandable leather loop designed to hold a variable-sized writing or pointing device. The left compartment contains a single 7" W x 10" H hard-backed, taffeta lined document sleeve for fingertip easy-glide insertion and removal of passports, notes and other important paper/personal effects. The right compartment features four elastic-backed, non-marring, double-stitched, leather retaining straps to securely hold and pamper your iPad while allowing full access to all iPad ports and functions. The straps can expand to hold a Newer Technology NuGuard-equipped iPad for users who take the iPad out of the iFolio for less formal uses.

Keeping the case and your iPad looking like new is a sewn-in hard shell, surrounded by soft padding and enveloped in top grade Brazilian leather. As a result of such meticulous attention to quality and finish, the Newer Technology iFolio comes backed by a Lifetime Warranty. You can learn more at http://www.newertech.com/products/ifolio.php, and purchase from Other World Computing where the price was $179.99, but is now reduced to $129.99. This is a beautiful case, extremely functional, and very durable.

The NuTouch Gloves are a great cold-weather solution for using touch screen devices outdoors where you can type, tap, swipe, and scroll in ease. These gloves offer maximum comfort without diminishing your ability to use device. They are available in classic charcoal color makes them perfect in any setting, and you can wear them as liners with heavier cold weather gloves.

NuTouch Gloves are the stylish and functional solution to keep your hands warm while using an iPhone, iPad or other touch screen device in cold weather. They're perfect when waiting for the bus, commuting on the train, attending outdoor events, running errands, and more. A special conductive fiber woven into all 10 fingertips allows you to tap, swipe, and scroll on all touch screen devices—even type on full-size touch screen keyboards. You can learn more at http://www.newertech.com/products/nutouchgloves.php, and purchase from Other World Computing where the price was $19.99, but is now reduced to $11.99.

The NuScribe stylus and pen provide an ideal 2-in-1 companion for touch screen products with a combination twist-barrel pen and touch screen. It will keep your touch screen smudge free and easier to view while the soft rubber nib delivers smooth touch screen surface glide. It gives you the best of digital and traditional writing tools in one convenient design. The NuScribe has precision-formed, soft rubber nib which glides effortlessly across touch screens, so you can navigate, draw, sketch, take digital notes, even turn pages in iBooks.

When the setting calls for traditional pen and paper, the NuScribe's twist barrel operation reveals a smooth ball point tip with fluid ink coverage comparable to business class writing instruments. Versatile and convenient, the NuScribe is the "write" option for touch screens and paper. You can learn more at http://www.newertech.com/products/nuscribe.php, and purchase from Other World Computing where the price was $19.99, but is now reduced to $11.99.

All in all, these are very nice enhancements for my iOS devices which protect my investments on one hand, while making them more functional on the other. These are just a few more additions to a long line of great products from Newer Technology which make our lives better in many ways. I think they will work great for you too.

Qmadix: Amazing iPhone 5 Covers Released

Qmadix is immediately shipping iPhone 5 accessories now including covers, screen protection and a number of other products before launch.

Product sheets are attached as a zip file including 5 categories of cover ready as you receive your new iPhone 5s. Download Qmadix_iPhone5_Covers

To take advantage of this early offer, just go to www.qmadix.com, use the Coupon Code "Apple30" during checkout to get 30% off, and enjoy the new protection.

President's Place

by Julie Smith

Wow, how the month has quickly passed since our most recent meeting, a wonderful “Macs in Business” meeting at TRYPS Theater in Columbia. Many thanks to our gracious host, Jill Womack, who delivered a very passionate presentation about what they do and hope to bring out of the children with which they work. We had a great turnout. Thank you to those of you who made the trip.

Winners in the August drawing for iTunes cards were:
Julie Smith, Dan Walsh and Dustin Stark.

Our next adventure takes us to Callaway Rural Electric, 1313 Cooperative Dr, Fulton, MO 65251. At this meeting, Joe Mertzlufft and Dan Walsh will show us a couple of their favorite Mac Apps. Then, George Kopp will highlight for us some of the new features of Mac’s newest operating system, Mountain Lion; and later in the evening, Tom Piper will let us know how to capture and save images (still and video) from your computer screen.

It promises to be an informative evening, and we look forward to the meeting location. Thanks to Charlie Bland for making it a possibility. I look forward to seeing a good crowd and new faces.

Enjoy your Labor Day holiday, and come on out and see us Tuesday evening (see map below agenda). By 6:20 pm, shared rides will leave the Commuter Parking Lot at the Jefferson City Airport exit of Hwy 54 (on the airport side, turn left onto frontage road to access it).

 

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