appleJAC Users Group

CES 2019: appleJAC Presentations

by Tom Piper

On February 5, 2019, I provided a variety of information to attendees at our monthly appleJAC meeting as a followup to my January 7-12, 2019, trip to the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV. If you missed this gathering, or would like to see the videos captured of the meeting, just click on the following links:

• First half (before break): https://www.facebook.com/appleJAC.org/videos/351315942375633/
• Second half (after break): https://www.facebook.com/appleJAC.org/videos/2220203394919858/

All of the 331 pictures and 19 videos depicted during my slideshow presentation (before the break), can be viewed (with sound on the videos) by clicking on this link: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0aGIcgc2GIe2I3.

In addition, most of the gadgets brought back from CES were shown during the second half of the meeting, as well as predictions of what has yet to come. The PDF slideshow illustrating these items can be downloaded and viewed by clicking here: Gadgets to Show.

To learn about other perspectives and views of CES 2019 by various news sources, I also provided these links:

• macrumors.com/roundup/ces-2019
• cnet.com/pictures/all-the-cool-new-gadgets
• iphonelife.com/best-ces-2019-award-winners
• iphonelife.com/best-new-ios-gadgets-you-can-buy

If you liked what you saw here, consider attending CES 2020 in Las Vegas next January 7-10, 2020.

 

Macstock & Chicago Adventures

Letha and I have a great time July 13-17, 2016, as we travelled to Chicago for a few days of vacation, followed by a terrific Macstock (second edition) in Woodstock, IL.

To see a few of our photo memories at Macstock, just visit: icloud.com/macstock.

To see a few of the pictures we captured in Chicago, just click on: icloud.com/chicgomemories.

To see the presentation about Apple user groups that I delivered, you can download the PDF version (it will take a minute to appear) by clicking on Macstock pres.

 

Letha and I have a great time July 13-17, 2016, as we travelled to Chicago for a few days of vacation, followed by a terrific Macstock (second edition) in Woodstock, IL.

To see a few of our photo memories at Macstock, just visit: icloud.com/macstock.

To see a few of the pictures we captured in Chicago, just click on: icloud.com/chicgomemories.

To see the presentation about Apple user groups that I delivered, you can download the PDF version (it will take a minute to appear) by clicking on Macstock pres.

 

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).

 

Where are our members?

appleJAC Macintosh Users Group now has over 80 members, mostly in central Missouri (and one in Chicago). A frequently asked question is "where do they all live?".

A new feature has been added to the left-hand sidebar that is updated monthly (below the Swap Shop). When you click on that link, you will see a map with all locations shown (see sample at right). Names pop-up if you click on a location, but addresses and other information is not provided here.

Isn't it fun to see that you are in such good company?

NAVIGON MobileNavigator iPhone: GPS at its Best

a review by Tom Piper

GPS (Global Positioning System) is an accurate worldwide navigational and surveying facility based on the reception of signals from an array of orbiting satellites. It was a revolution when the iPhone came out with GPS capabilities using Google downloaded maps which even did approximate positioning based on the location of known Wi-Fi networks. Technology has leapfrogged forward to now offer much more powerful GPS service on the same iPhone.

A couple of months ago, I transformed my iPhone4 into an incredible mobile navigation device with a bunch of very useful functions. The NAVIGON MobileNavigator 1.8 is easy to use and provides information not only on my current location, but also on route distance, time of arrival, motorway services, filling stations, speed limits and border crossings. What’s more, special destinations such as theaters, hotels, shopping centers and other sights are already integrated. 

I have used it extensively during two long trips from the middle of Missouri to the middle of Nebraska, taking several alternate routes due to many inaccessible bridges resulting from the huge Missouri River floods. Thanks to smart address input and realistic map display, I never lost track and always reached intended destination safely (even with numerous scenic detours). This pocket navigation system is a terrific companion (not only in the car), and it is also ideal for optimum route planning and navigation for cyclists and pedestrians. 

I was able to choose one of three different map cuttings that suited me best: U.S. West, U.S. Central  or U.S. East map region. When needed, I can activate the other map regions easily through In App Purchase right from my iPhone for an even lower price and no additional download is required. It is wonderful to have current Traffic Checks, Safety Camera alerts, Reality Scanner for instant points-of-interest, the latest NAVTEQ maps, and other marvelous features, all immediately accessible (maps are loaded on the iPhone), and almost instant route corrections when I’ve changed my mind or missed a turn. I particularly like the heads-up view.

This is the best new route guide for my iPhone, and it would be an excellent companion for all frequent travelers. I own multiple Garmin dedicated GPS units, an Atlas GPS app on the iPhone, and a Kenwood GPS/sound head unit in my car . . . I believe that this MobileNavigator app now outperforms all of them. My only disappointment is that I can only use it for reference on my iPad 2 since it only has Wi-Fi (no built-in GPS), and cannot (yet) use an external Bluetooth GPS antenna (which I have). MobileNavigator 1.8 is compatible with iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. The app also runs on first generation iPhone and iPod Touch, but third-party accessories for GPS reception are required for these devices (iOS multitasking is supported by the iPhone 4 and 3GS only). The view is crisp and clear, very informative, and announces turn-by-turn guidance through my car’s speaker system (using an iPhone cable or Bluetooth). You can learn more at http://www.navigon.com/portal/int/produkte/navigationssoftware/mobile_navigator_iphone_eu.html.

NAVIGON’s North American apps are available for MobileNavigator North America ($59.99), MobileNavigator USA ($49.99), MobileNavigator Canada ($59.99), MobileNavigator US MyRegion East, Central or West ($29.99, with additional regions $14.99). In App Purchases are available for Safety Cameras ($4.99), Traffic Live ($19.99), ZAGAT Survey® Ratings and Reviews ($7.99), and Panorama View 3D ($9.99). Accessories are also available like the NAVIGON Design Car Kit for iPhone ($49.95). 

NAVIGON AG is a world-leading manufacturer of high-quality navigation systems. Innovative technologies and exciting design characterize each of their products. They also produce GPS software for reputable consumer electronics manufacturers, and professional, highly flexible navigation solutions for the commercial market and the automotive OEM market. 

I can’t say enough good things about this iPhone-based GPS app. NAVIGON has accuracy, efficiency, clarity, speed, and flexibility built-in at a very reasonable price. I used it side-by-side with my Kenwood (Garmin-based) car unit and Apple’s Maps app, and got as good or better results in virtually every aspect of its use from routing to points of interest to speed alerts (even reminding me if I wandered more than 5 miles over the posted speed limit). I’m sold on it, and highly recommend it.

Prosoft Data Rescue: Do-It-Yourself Data Recovery Software

a review by Tom Piper

Your computer won’t boot -- all you see is a flashing question mark -- you did not back up your hard drive -- what, oh what, do you do? There are products to help you recover from this awful situation.

Data Rescue 3 is the best digital data recovery software on the market for recovering files from a problem hard drive or that have been previously deleted. It is specifically designed for computer data recovery and works where other tools often fail.

As described on their website (http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php), Data Rescue 3 is completely safe to use since it does not attempt any risky repairs to the drive it's scanning. It is the same software used by many data recovery services, law enforcement, all major branches of the U.S. Military and major intelligence agencies.

As I experienced when I recently worked on a 160 GB damaged hard drive, you will need to save your recovered files to either an internal or external hard drive (USB or FireWire), removable media device, or a networked drive. It comes with a bootable Emergency DVD, so there is no need to disassemble your computer, and you can even get free technical support via phone or email.

Data Rescue 3 focuses on data recovery, instead of hard drive repair, so it will work in more cases, recover more effectively, and deliver your files in better condition than other utilities you may have tried in the past. Data Rescue 3 analyzes your entire hard drive looking for your data, then it meticulously re-assembles your files and stores them to a different location. This is very time-consuming (over 8 hours in my cases), but very effective.

If a drive is reformatted, usually the original file catalog is permanently lost and thus recovering files by their original name and directory location is not possible and thus files are recovered by content. If the file types you are looking for are among the supported types, there is a good chance that Data Rescue 3 will be able to find it. In addition to all of this is FileIQ which allows you to add your own file type to Data Rescue 3 to further increase it's capacity to recover your important files. 

Data Rescue 3 will recover pictures from a digital camera media card, that have been deleted, reformatted or a corrupt media card, as well as hard drives. It also allows you to preview a single file before recovering it, and you can select the individual files without recovering the whole drive. In the worst case of a physically-damaged hard drive, Prosoft has a new Data Rescue Center that can provide you with a free diagnosis (including free shipping to our facility). This is their full-service drive recovery service where they can do hard drive failure recovery (find out more at www.TheDataRescueCenter.com).

Prosoft Data Rescue 3 is a $99 investment that is well worth it if you need to recover lost data, and most technical professionals keep it in their tool chest. A special Data Rescue 3 LE version is also available for $59.99 at http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data-rescue-le.php. It is important to backup your precious hard drives, but even backups will occasionally fail, so it is good to be prepared. This is an excellent tool in the hands of an experienced computer user.

 

Great On-Line Video Training

lynda.com is an award-winning provider of educational materials, including Hands-On Training™ instructional books, the Online Training Library™, CD- and DVD-based video training, and events for creative designers, instructors, students, and hobbyists.

The lynda.com Online Training Library™ and CD-ROM titles include such subjects as Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Office, digital photography, Web design, digital video, and many others. lynda.com's all-star team of trainers and teachers provides comprehensive and unbiased movie-based training to an international membership of tens of thousands of subscribers. Considering the speed at which technology evolves, the Online Training Library™ is a great solution for keeping your skills current. Library subscriptions begin as low as $25 a month, with no long-term commitment required.

I ran across this site from a free month Adobe provided as a n upgrader to Creative Suite CS3 and I am glad I did.

What Is ATPM?

What Is ATPM?
About This Particular Macintosh (ATPM) is, among other things, a monthly Internet magazine or “e-zine.” ATPM was created to celebrate the personal computing experience. For us this means the most personal of all personal computers—the Apple Macintosh. About This Particular Macintosh is intended to be about your Macintosh, our Macintoshes, and the creative, personal ideas and experiences of everyone who uses a Mac.

Give it a look and see some great Macintosh information.

Great Websites: Digital Camera Resource Page

The Digital Camera Resource Page was the first of the "big four" digital camera sites, founded in November 1997. The DCRP is designed to be an unofficial resource for current and future owners of digital cameras. It is aimed more towards the consumer end, rather than the high end (read: $5,000) professional cameras. The mission of this site is to:

1. To provide honest reviews of digital cameras, with no sugar coating. If I think a camera isn't a good choice, you'll know it. Reviews are written without a lot of technical jargon, so everyone can understand them.

2. Do #1 without shoving ads down the throats of our readers. That means no pop-ups, pop-unders, interstitials, or any other annoying ads.

The DCRP has been featured in many publications, most notably the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Money Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and the San Diego Union-Tribune, plus several books.

Great Websites: Palm InfoCenter

Do you use a Palm Device?  Perhaps a Treo phone.  This website is for you.

Palm Infocenter is a single point of information for the use of Palm devices and the news about what is new in the Palm community.  In addition to daily news updates, there are reviews of devices and forms for you to search out your problems and find solutions. 

The site also has software reviews of many palm software products.  It's worth a look if youuse one of these handy devices.