| Meeting | Time and Date | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Photo Special Interest Group | Second Wednesday of each month, excluding July, August and December. The meetings are held at The Esso YMCA Learning and Career Centre, 660 Oakdale Avenue, Sarnia |
Digital SIG Leader |
| Windows Special Interest Group | Windows SIG meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month, excluding July, August and December. Meetings start at 7 p.m. The meetings are held at The Esso YMCA Learning and Career Centre, 660 Oakdale Avenue, Sarnia Visitors are always welcome at our meetings. |
Leader Windows SIG |
| General Meeting | General meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month, excluding July, August and December. The meetings are held at The Esso YMCA Learning and Career Centre, 660 Oakdale Avenue, Sarnia. The meetings start at 6:45 to talk, register and pick up newsletter. The meeting is called to order at 7:15 pm. |
The President |
| Executive Meeting | Meetings of the Executive are held on the Monday following the General meeting (Occasionally Tuesday when Monday is a holiday.). There is no July, August or December meeting. Location is TBA for each meeting. | The President |
President's Perspective April 2010
In my article last month I mentioned that the club is at a crossroads. We are trying to find our place in the present computing climate. Other user groups are facing similar challenges with membership numbers plummeting. I will continue to explore our options and work to find our "niche" . But I need your input. Please let me know how we can serve you, the membership, better.
Tonight, we will see a pre-recorded presentation called a "Presentation in a Box" procured through APCUG. Lapworks is a company specializing in Laptop accessories designed to make laptop use more ergonomic. Some of the statistics quoted in the presentation are alarming. I didn't realize that improper posture when using a laptop can result in so many painful and debilitating conditions. The presentation will be followed by a draw for several of their "Lapdesks". I hope you find this presentation informative.
Finally, I need to remind everyone that elections are coming up shortly. We need fresh blood! Many of us have been on the executive for years and wish to step down. The club cannot function without a full executive. Please consider nominating someone you know or ask to be nominated. You don't have to be a computer whiz...just be interested in organizing! An executive position is very rewarding and fulfilling. It's your turn.
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective March 2010
I have been a member of SCUG for 14 years. Many things have changed in that time.
In 1996 Windows 95 was the rage, operating on computers that ran a blazing 60 Mhz, 256 megs of RAM and a 120 megabyte hard drive. A modem was a hot item because it allowed you to connect to something called the Internet. Club activities were based on learning DOS commands, upgrading computers and teaching about CorelDraw and playing Majong. The membership was comprised of mostly men. Many of the members were interested in optimizing their machines and customizing their memory by editing their config.sys files.
Today, computers are many times faster. Windows takes care of almost all aspects of configuration. The Internet has become so pervasive that I would characterize most computers as Internet appliances.
So where does leave SCUG? Is there a need for computer user groups when computers are so simple?
Our membership is declining. We seem to have lost our way. When do you want out of this club? I want your input! Please let me know what you think. Contact me any way you wish.
Tonight we are fortunate to have a member of the Sarnia Police Service, Kathy Wallace, attending to talk to us about the 911 system. I'm sure computers and the Internet are an integral part of the system. Please make her welcome.
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective February 2010
Silly Questions that Need to be Asked
by Pierre Houle
These are not really silly questions. They are questions that I feel silly asking because they shouldn't have to be asked.
1) Did you back up your computer today?
2) Is your computer anti-virus up to date?
3) Have you scanned your computer for viruses today?
4) Do you use a spyware scanner regularly?
5) Do you open email from unknown sources?
6) Do you click on pop-ups?
7) Do you download anything form the internet?
8) After downloading do you scan the file for viruses/malware?
If you answered no to any of the above, you are putting your computer and your personal information at risk. I would be willing to bet that your computer is infected right now. I have helped many people with their machines. The most common complaint I get is of a slow computer. Sometimes the solution lies in a hardware problem but most of the time the computer is infected by spyware, malware, trojans, bots, keyloggers and viruses. Please do yourself (and your computer) a favour by following safe computing practices. If you do, the above answers should be "YES".
Tonight I will give a talk about one small aspect of online security: Pop-up Scams. I think we all have been fooled by a fake virus alert or a free registry scan or a promise to speed up your computer...only to find that you need to spend $29.95 (or more) to fix the problem. You find that the product doesn't work, or worse, causes more problems. I will attempt to show you how to spot a fake alert or a fake ad and how to have the proper safeguards in place to protect your system from scammers.
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective January 2010
First of all I would like to wish all of you a safe, joyous and prosperous new year. 2009 was a year of recovery for the financial sector. In technology, the trend continued to smaller and faster with Netbooks, iPhones capable of navigation, 3D movies, and Windows 7.
For SCUG it was a year of change with myself becoming president again and a shuffle of the executive. Thanks to everyone who participates in club activities. Remember this is your club and the executive expect everyone to get involved and learn. Speaking of membership, we want this club to grow and to that end we are once again offering a membership drive. Stay tuned for more information.
It is with sadness that I announce that our founding member, Jim Verdon has passed away. Jim started this club at his store, Verdon Computers two decades ago. He will be missed.
Tonight Joe Black form Digital Friends is back. Joe gave us a presentation last season on e-waste recycling which was very informative. This time, his topic is “Computer Basics” as well as a “Question and Answer” session.
Suggestions are welcome for future meeting topics. Please contact me with your ideas.
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective November 2009
I would like to start by thanking everyone who participates in our club's activities: The executive who help guide club as well as members who come out to meetings, ask questions, make recommendations and participate! Thank you all! Remember this is your club. What you get out of it is directly linked to what you put into it. Participate and learn.
A special thank you to some special individuals who work be-hind the scenes: Bill Colotelo for his unwavering quest for a perfect sound system. He has spent hours of his time and gas. I think he has finally succeeded with the current system. Good work, Bill! To Paul Witheridge who once again audited SCUG's books, a thankless and tedious job. Thanks Paul for keeping us honest! To Ed Ginn our treasurer who has kept the books up to date and drafted our current budget despite having hip surgery. Thank you Ed!
With the explosion in availability of affordable digital cameras, it's no wonder there is such a surge of interest in photography and photo printing. To address this interest I have asked Antony Chodas from Forest City Imaging in London to talk to us about the latest trends in digital photography and printing technology. Welcome Antony!
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective October 2009
Computers Do The Darndest Things
As a computer repair technician I'm continually surprised by the strange behaviour exhibited by computers. I would guess that 75% of the problems are brought on by the user. The other 25% are related to poorly written programs and hardware mal-function.
What problems does the user bring upon him/her self? Installing questionable soft-ware, opening questionable e-mails, going to questionable websites like file sharing sites, power-clicking (click 20 times when two will do), shutting down the computer incorrectly, to name a few.
How to alleviate user induced problems? Become educated! know the dangers of the Internet and learn proper computer use! Education is what this club is all about, so take advantage of club resources and learn!
Tonight, Mitch Garvis, a Microsoft MVP is sharing his knowledge of Windows 7. Please welcome him and learn!
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective September 2009
Welcome everyone to a new SCUG year! Now you will have to put up with my rantings on the
cover page of the newsletter for at least the next year. First of all I would like to thank Dorothy
Alexander for her hard work over the past three years as president. I have her example to follow.
She will still be on the executive but in a different capacity. Secondly I would like to welcome the
rest of the executive and applaud their willingness help guide the club to new adventures.
SCUG has been in existence for many years and we have lost some of our purpose. I hope we
can get back on track this year with interesting speakers and demonstrations.
Tonight's speaker is Andrew from Datatek. He is going to give up a sneak preview of the latest
version of Windows, Windows 7. He is very enthusiastic about the latest Microsoft operating system
and says it's far superior to Vista.
If you have any suggestions for meeting topics or anything else please contact
me at president@scug.ca
With your help, we can make this year a year to remember!
PIERRE HOULE
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective June 2009
TIME FOR A CHANGE
This will be my last President's Perspective. As I write this I reflect on the changes that I have seen happen in the past four years that I have been your president, as well as the five years before that when I was treasurer. Some happenings were good for the club. We celebrated the 25th Anniversary of SCUG, moved to a new location, more accessible for anyone with a disability, and received awards from APCUG for both the newsletter and the website. These are but a few.
This year, for the first time in many years, SCUG will be losing several executive members.…..all for a variety of reasons. It is indeed unfortunate that more members didn't step forward to run for an executive position. You gain valuable knowledge when you participate!
As I have stated in previous President Perspectives I feel it is time to get some new blood into the executive. It is my hope that our new executive will work as a team, weighing the merits of the old versus the new and then making informed decisions. While they explore new ideas they will also have the benefit of SCUG's Constitution (that was amended and approved February 28, 2007) to help them follow the policies, definitions and guidelines that are so important to keep SCUG moving in the right direction.
Speaking of changes have any of you tried BING, the new Microsoft search engine? This will replace MS Live Search. When you search with BING, for a camera as an example, it will bring prices, images, and reviews on a single screen and help you make decisions easier and faster than going from screen to screen. It no doubt will challenge GOOGLE, our old standby.
At our last General Meeting of this season we have as our guest STAPLES who will show you the new HP touch smart computer, a small mini net book, JVC Camcorder and some other new items of interest.
Hopefully all of you will have a great and safe summer.
Dorothy Alexander,
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective May 2009
WE LOVE BIG, BUT GET SMALL
Until recently we craved bigger, faster, gas guzzling cars. We ate triple bacon burgers with extra cheese. We wanted the biggest and best house. Computers got bigger, wages were up, people had jobs. But, oops we started to run out of money, the planet warmed up and people lost their homes and jobs.
Now we have tiny laptops, tiny meal portions, and tiny cars. WE ARE "WEE".
We crave the biggest, best, but small is the new reality.
All of this was evident in a recent holiday in the U.S.A. People were on street corners holding signs asking for work or food or telling the passing motorist they were homeless. A block later you encounter two Hummer vehicles. Signs on lawns showing foreclosures of homes were common place. In 1927 history states miniature golf was created; smaller, affordable cars appeared; and new smaller packaging was normal but that did not stop the great depression in 1930.
Let's hope that history taught us something and we can avoid a repeat of 1930.
For our May General Meeting we will have a live hookup with Pamela Tabak, the Computer Tutor, direct from Toronto. If you have a pressing question why not ask her for a solution?
In only four short weeks we will be having our election for the executive for the upcoming year. To date no one has approached Ian Hunt to volunteer. Remember if there are no volunteers there will be no SCUG. Do you part and step forward.
Until next time,
Dorothy Alexander,
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective April 2009
DO WE STOP GROWING OLDER BECAUSE WE USE THE COMPUTER?
Recently I went to a birthday party for a lady who was celebrating her 100th birthday. Her mind was amazing, recalling dates that ever her daughter did not remember. After dinner, each evening this lady plays mahjong on her computer for an hour, then she does crossword puzzles for yet another hour followed by reading one of the new current novels and turns in for the night between 11 and 11:30. Is she sharp - yes? She credits her fabulous memory to the fact that she keeps active doing the above things.
There is nothing that we cannot learn from using our computers. And at no age does this stop. The proportion of adults online tripled between 1995 (9%) and 1997 (30%), and kept on climbing rapidly to 63% in 2000. Since then growth has been slower, reading 73% in 2004 and 81% now. Senior citizen population may be near max for Internet use; 4 of 5 adults of all ages are now online. 184 Million U.S. adults are online from their homes, offices, schools or other locations.
A new Harris Poll, done on November 18, 2008 found the U.S. citizens Online are beginning to look more like the population of the country. Although senior citizens age 65 and older still lag, they are catching up and the difference is not so dramatic. While Baby Boomers (age 50 through 64) make up 24 percent of the population, they are 23 percent of the online audience.
Seniors who become adept at and use a computer appear to have fewer depressive symptoms than those older adults who aren't so technologically connected. That's the findings of a research study, "Depression and Social Support among Older Adult Computer Users", presented August 18 at the 113th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.
So SCUG members keep on using your computer, even if it is just a game of mahjong!
For our April presentation we have as our guest, Larry Mobbs, president of COMP. He will show us Apple MobileMe and how it works to allow access to your computer worldwide.
Until next time,
Dorothy Alexander,
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective March 2009
Recently in the USA they held their presidential election. Both candidates were making promises on topics involving green-collar jobs. From the meeting with Prime Minister Steven Harper and President Barack Obama they both seem to be thinking along the same lines. These jobs would come about by harnessing renewable energy sources like wind and solar, ethanol production, green building, hazardous waste removal, recycling and consumer goods. The Americans even signed a Green Job Act in 2007 to accomplish this. Here in Canada there are wind farms being constructed, in spite of some people saying that they are hazardous to their health. In the Sarnia area there is a proposed ethanol plant on Huron Blvd. and currently there is an ethanol plant in Chatham and St. Clair Ethanol, on Hwy 40 at Rockaby Line which is owned Sun Oil. We have a solar farm under construction on Churchill here in Sarnia. All these things will make work on all skill levels. We all do our little part by recycling our waste products each week. Here is Canada the government has introduced a Home Renovation Tax Credit allowing you to improve your home, installing a new high efficiency furnace for example or new windows to maintain heat/cooling. For any amount over $1000.00 you get a 15% credit on your 2009 taxes to a maximum of $1350.00.
So what could be more appropriate for our presentation in March than to have Digital Friends as our guest. They are very involved in the computer recycling field.
As you are all aware we hold our elections in June - three months from now. Most of your current executive has held their positions for several years. Do you not think that it is time we had a change? Perhaps we do things you do not agree with or you think that you can make a difference. Please step up to the plate and run for an office. You will learn more by being involved.
Until next time,
Dorothy Alexander,
President.
President's Perspective February 2009
DO WE NEED THESE TOYS?
Jumping off the news pages in past weeks is some interesting new technology. Although, some are impressive and some not. We have all seen drivers talking on their cell phones and using their computer while driving. Is there a safer way?
A Canadian company (www.iland.com) has produced "iLane". This is a portable black box referred to as "car secretary". It connects wirelessly to your Blackberry, iphone, etc. and reads your email out loud; notifying you of pending appointments thus, allowing you to make hands free calls. This technology is controlled by voice commands. The cost for this feature is $599.00 + $7.99 month fee + $39.99 activation fee. Is this How to Work More? Do we really need to use these toys 24/7?
Ok, so you missed the last episode of your favourite TV program. No problem, you can view it on your computer. Right?.....Wrong! You go to a content provider such as hulu.com, CTV or Global only to find that these programs are only fed to the USA. This is called Geo-blocking or Geo-gating and protects their rights of distribution. This can be overcome by a grey or black market satellite dish, which is illegal. BUT - you can download "Hot spot Shield". The CEO, David Gorodyansky, and founder of the California-based Anchor-Free informs us that this will override this blocking and allow you to view the Geo-blocked content without them knowing that you are not in the USA.
At the General Meeting in February we welcome Pat Voegelin, Online Coordinator at Lambton College on Continuing Education.
Until next time,
Dorothy Alexander,
President, SCUG.
President's Perspective January 2009
Happy New Year. I hope that all your hopes and dreams will be fulfilled this year. There is so much talk of doom and gloom, in the world as we have known it, that we need to set reasonable goals to sustain us.
This is the time of year also to drop old habits that no longer work for us, and strive to make new ones. You should start by backing up your computer files before disaster hits and you loose them. You can either purchase an external backup, such as the Western Digital "My Book" that I bought, or store 2 GB with MOSY for free. (http://mozy.com/home). I am confident that there are many others that you can check out. Just do not wait for a power outage before doing something about it!
Unfortunately there have been mix-ups with SIG meeting times this past month. We apologize. Please take time to check the web site (www.scug.ca) as accurate dates are posted there. Last minute cancellations, due to weather or otherwise, are sent you via an email. Perhaps it is time for some new blood on the executive. Please give this some serious thought before the election process starts – WE NEED YOU!
On that note we will have Ian Hunt as our Vice President for the remainder of 2008 -2009. Unfortunately Bill Colotelo has stepped down due to family commitments. We wish him well. He will be missed.
The mild winter predicted by our weather forecasters couldn't have been farther off the mark. Maybe they need new computers! This winter will no doubt go down with several records being set for low temperatures.
Even if you are not planning a trip you will enjoy the demo at the January General Meeting. Pierre Houle will show you how PhotoFinder GPS works to keep a log of everywhere you go; time, date and geographical information that embeds into the photos you take with your digital camera. This new phenomenon is called Geo-tagging. Pierre utilized this when he took over 9000 photos on his recent western trip.
Until next time,
Dorothy Alexander,
President, SCUG.
| Here are some benefits of joining SCUG | |
|---|---|
| Since 1982 members of the Sarnia Computer Users' Group have been expanding their computer knowledge by networking with other people who share their enthusiasm for solving their computer problems and learning more about the fast growing computer technology. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user you can benefit from the following: | |
| General Meetings: | Members learn from presentations, sharing ideas and networking with others with the same interests. |
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