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 The following presentations are currently scheduled for the indicated meeting:
May 19, 2008: Vice President Larry Bennett is working on finding us a speaker.
Apr 28, 2008: Mr. Todd Reed of the Ingenious Technology Computer Store in Rockledge gave a very informative presentation on Malware, Spyware and Virus Proliferation. He discussed how one gets these types of programs, what they to, and how to avoid them. Todd also outlined how Ingenious Technology goes about cleaning computers of difficult infections. In a handout he presented a list of some free safe security programs and discussed which he found most useful. The list included Avast, AVG, Hijack-This, Windows Defender, Spybot Search & Destroy, and C Cleaner among others. There was much audience participation with all questions easily answered. All present received a Tech CD from Ingenious Technology loaded with free programs to help keep their computer safe and secure. Mar 24, 2008: Ms. Stacey Kile of Simply Seniors Computer Tutor Facility gave a very dynamic and fast paced presentation on Advancements of Digital Photography Technology. This was a shortened version of her 3 hour class on Digital Photography using Windows XP and Vista. Stacey discussed how digital cameras work, dots per inch (DPI) for monitor images versus printing photos, quality and life expectancy of printed photos, archiving digital photos, etc. Mar 3, 2008: Gene Barlow of User Group Relations presented The Perfect Backup Approach. He recommended using an external hard drive and Acronis True Image 11 Home software for doing backups. Gene demonstrated how easy it is to use the program to do an incremental backup and subsequently to restore a file from a backup image. He discussed the three types of backup: full, incremental, and differential. The proper times and frequency to use each type was mentioned. Gene also demonstrated how to partition a hard drive use Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0. Jan 28, 2008: Brent Dietz of AuthenTec Corp gave an informative overview of Fingerprint Access Control for PC's, eliminating the need for passwords. Brent gave a brief history of AuthenTec. It was spun off from Harris Semiconductor in 1998 and is now the world’s leading provider of fingerprint authentication sensors for PC, wireless device, and access control markets, with more than 25 million sensors in use worldwide. He explained the unique patented sub-surface technology their sensors use that images below the surface layer of the skin to the live layer where the true print resides. Keyless door locks were also discussed. Nov 26, 2007: A Question & Answer session was held when our Guest Speaker failed to appear. A number of door prizes were awarded. Oct 22, 2007: Mr. Kirolos "CJ" Tadrous of Ingenious Technology in Rockledge, Florida gave a presentation on Why Upgrade to WindowsVista. He explained what makes Vista different from Windows XP, pointed out Vista's unique features, and described the differences between the various Vista versions. CJ explained Vista's hardware requirements and what one needs to know prior to upgrading. According to CJ, the best reason for upgrading is because Vista has much better security than previous Windows Operating Systems. CJ also demonstrated his detailed technical knowledge by easily answering many questions from the audience. Sep 24, 2007: Ms. Stacey Kile of the Computer Care Clinic Training Facility gave a presentation on their Classroom Computer Training Capabilities & Net Technologies. Stacey presented an overview of what classes are available and a quick look at some of the class material such as comparing Win XP to Vista and how IrfanView is used in the Digital Photography class. She also answered a variety of technical questions from the audience. Aug 27, 2007: James Thompson, President of the Florida Association of Computer User Groups (FACUG), presented the New World of Cyber-Society and Social Networking. He showed us how to open an account on craigslist to sell personal items for free vrs the costs involved on eBay. Using Photobucket or Picasa to include a photo of the item for sale was demonstrated. James then discussed the social aspects of sites like MySpace and Facebook. Jul 23, 2007: Chris Crisafulli of the Brevard Users Group in Melbourne, Florida gave a presentation on Linux Basics. Chris introduced us to the Linux Operating System and showed us a number of web sites that provide Linux information and free downloads of Linux programs like Ubuntu. He took us to Ubuntu Guide, Wine HQ, and CodeWeavers among others. Jun 25, 2007: Mr. James R. (JR) Staal of Azure Group Inc. gave a presentation on the capabilities of the new emerging Macintosh Computer and Multimedia Technologies. He went through the top 10 reasons for owning a Mac, gave a preview of the highly anticipated Leopard Operating System for Macs, and showed us the Safari browser for Windows. He also demonstrated how one can run the Mac OS X and Windows XP Operating systems side-by-side on a Mac computer without rebooting by using the Parallels Desktop program. May 29, 2007: Joe Hurston, President/CEO of Cartridge Source of America in Titusville gave a very dynamic, informative, and entertaining presentation on CSA's History, Products & Printer Technology. He explained how a laser printer works and how CSA has grown from a company that initially remanufactured printer cartridges to a company that now also offers printing services, refurbished computer systems, and a cutting edge water purification system deployed world-wide after catastrophic events. Joe then fielded questions from the audience. All in attendance received a discount coupon and free pair of sunglasses. Apr 23, 2007: Hitech Hi-Fi representative Archie Struthers discussed the latest technologies in Ipod Stereo Integration and GPS Navigation for automobiles. Many questions from the audience were expertly answer by Mr Struthers. Bluetooth, Hi-Definition Radio, On-Star, and various GPS systems are just a few of the many topics covered. Mar 26, 2007: SCPCUG Journal Editor & Resource Center Manager Ron Ingraham demonstrated U3 Flash Drives and compared the available U3 programs vs. free Portable Apps programs available at PortableApps.com for use with ordinary Flash Drives. Feb 26, 2007: Jen Clausen and Marcy Kremer, Marketing Representatives for Smart Computing Magazine, a monthly computer magazine "in plain English." They walked us through all the current issue has to offer and then took us on a tour of the Smart Computing website with it's thousands of articles and many invaluable tools. A subscription entitles one to free computer Tech Support and complete access to the website which also includes online editions of several other magazines they publish. All present received a complimentary issue of Smart Computing, a pen, and a mouse pad. Jan 22. 2007: David B. Whittle of Webworking Services presented "Whittle’s Picks for the Digital Home - Quality Technologies and Products Anyone Can Use." He demonstrated or introduced products of general appeal to computer users, including Zip*Linq Retractable Cable Kits, Lenovo Customized ThinkPad Laptops, muvee autoProducer 6,and the Invisus PC Security Service. Nov 27, 2006: Serre Murphy, President of Net Fulfillment Technologies presented "Building a Website for Fun & Profit." He discussed and gave examples of what good and bad web pages look like. Serre next demonstrated their product, WebBuild Express, by actually building a web site and placing it on the Internet. WebBuild Express is a Windows-based development tool that enables users, especially those with little or no computer experience, to design and build powerful and graphically-rich web sites. All present received a CD-ROM with a 30-day fully functional free trial of WebBuild Express. Net Fulfillment Technologies, Inc. is located in Melbourne FL. Oct 23, 2006: James R. (JR) Staal of Apple Computer, Inc. presented an overview of the new Intel CPU based Mac's and the Mac OS X Operating System and it's many capabilities. A comparison was made to the Windows Operating Systems. Then Charles F. (Chuck) Grosvenor of CompUSA showed us how we could have a Mac computer with dual boot capability to boot into either Windows or the Mac OS X Operating System. Sep 25, 2006: SCPCUG Journal Editor & Resource Center Manager Ron Ingraham demonstrated Speech Recognition and Text-to-Speech programs built into Office 2003 & some OEM versions of Windows XP. Ron showed us how to check for these programs in Control Panel and how to install them. He also demonstrated the set-up and training process for speech recognition. We got to hear "Microsoft Anna," the new "natural sounding" default voice for Windows Vista. Ron concluded by demonstrating a free Text-to-Speech program called SayPad which can read e-books or any text document to you. Aug 28, 2006: Walter Brown & Robert Bearden from Best Buy in Melbourne, along with Jared Hunt from Magnolia Home Theater gave a short presentation on incorporating the Media Center PC into your Home Theater to create a Digital Multimedia System. Then, for over an hour, the team fielded many questions from the audience which covered a variety of tech subjects including HDTV capabilities, HDTV signal reception, widescreen computer monitors, recording CDs & DVDs onto a multimedia PC hard drive for transmission to all TVs in the house, etc. July 24, 2006: Will Wright of Rex TV in Titusville gave a very comprehensive talk on the Pros and Cons of the new Digital TV Technologies. The various types of TVs (LCD, Plasma, CRT, DLP) for High Definition Broadcasts were compared. Mr Wright was amazing in his knowledge of these technologies and fielded many questions from the audience ranging from the need for a maintenance agreement for projection TVs to the format war of Blue-Ray versus HD-DVD for new High Definition DVDs. June 26, 2006: Ronna & Scott McDonald of Treasure Boutique Gifts in Melbourne, a "power" eBay consignment business, gave a very informative and enlightening presentation on the Good, Bad, and Ugly of Buying/Selling on eBay type sites. Various scams and how this couple identifies them were discussed. The presentation covered the "in's and out's" of selling on eBay and how Ronna & Scott's 10 years of expertise can help those who wish to market their possessions on eBay. Ronna & Scott fielded many questions from the audience both during and after the presentation. May 22, 2006: Elgon Williams, Sales Manager for CompUSA in Melbourne gave a presentation on the new "Dual Core Processors." He discussed the history of AMD and Intel processors and the problems limiting processor speed which make it necessary to go to Dual Core. Elgon told us the speed of a single computer event could be increased by up to 70% with a second processor. Reference page 33 of the Feb 2006 issue of our Space Coast PC Journal for more information on Dual Core Processors. April 24, 2006: SCPCUG Web Master Curt Potsic demonstrated the latest version (3.98) of IrfanView, a very popular "free for personal use" image viewer/converter program with multimedia capabilities. Curt walked the audience through, Resize/Resample, Custom Crop, the Effects Browser, Inserting Text, and Panorama Creation for images. He also showed how to create a Slideshow with music and how to use IrfanView in conjuction with gathering information from web pages. IrfanView's multimedia capabilities were demonstrated by playing various audio and video files. Curt's favorite way of using Irfanview is to Drag & Drop a file on to Irfanview's Desktop Shortcut icon. The file loading speed of using this technique makes IrfanView the top choice as compared to other graphic viewers and music playing programs. March 27, 2006: SCPCUG Journal Editor & Resource Center Manager Ron Ingraham presented Performance Trouble Zappers. This very informative Powerpoint presentation was originally given at the FACUG 2006 Spring Conference by Carl Loftstrom of the South Walton Computer Club, Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Some of the best diagnostic tips and tricks for solving computer problems were included in this presentation. Numerous Microsoft utilities and a variety of third party programs were discussed. These included PC Pit Stop, Toni Arts Registry Cleaner, manufacturer FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), PC Mechanic, and McAfee AVERT Stinger to name a few. Ron made copies of this 2.3MB Powerpoint file on member thumbdrives at the meeting. Members can also request a copy from Ron via e-mail. February 27, 2006: Gene Barlow of User Group Relations presented Internet Security and Hard Drive Protection. Internet Security focused on the many problems that end users face by connecting to the Internet. We learned about four main tools that every user should be running on their computer: Virus Protection, Spyware/Hacker Tool Protection, a Firewall, and Security Patches. For Spyware/Hacker Tool Protection Gene demonstrated Acronis Privacy Expert Suite 9.0. He also demonstrated WhiteCanyon MySecurityVault Pro which allows you to safely save ID and Password sets. Hard Drive Protection focused on how to organize your computer's hard drive for maximum protection. Gene explained the best way to backup hard drives to prevent serious loss of important files and demonstrated Acronis True Image 9.0. January 23, 2006: SCPCUG President Steve Rosenthal presided over a 45 minute presentation on How to Build Your Own PC. All of the various components: Motherboard, Processor, RAM, Hard Drive, etc. were discussed and it was shown how they all fit together to build a PC. A display table was available for members to see the Intel Pentium 4 Processor and Motherboard along with other components that will be used to build the Club's computer. November 28, 2005: Sergeant Jerry Goodyear from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force spoke on Internet Exploitation. His excellent and informative presentation covered the many aspects of his job ranging from Risks to Children (Exposure to Inappropriate Material, Sexual Explotation, Harrassment & Bullying) to information on Identity Theft. He cited a number of alarming statistics such as in 2003 there were 4.2 million pornography websites and 35% of downloads were pornographic in nature. Sgt Goodyear also recommended several websites for further information on Internet Safety: isafe.org, netsmartz.org, webwisekids.com, and missingkids.com. October 24, 2005: Meeting and Presentation cancelled. Library Closed because of Hurricane Wilma. Presentation by Tanya Lux, Product Specialist from Corel on Paint Shop Pro X and Photo Album 6 will be rescheduled. September 26, 2005: SCPCUG Librarian, Resource Center Manager, and Journal Editor Ron Ingraham gave a 41 minute presentation on Adobe Photoshop CS2 using a DVD supplied by Adobe which illustrated some of the unique new features now available. Adobe Photoshop CS2 software is the professional image-editing standard. Its groundbreaking creative tools such as "Vanishing Point" and "Spot Healing"help the user achieve extraordinary results. Unprecedented adaptability lets the user custom-fit Photoshop to the way the user works. Door prizes included an HTML Editor, several SCPCUG Tee-shirts, and a subscription to Smart Computing Magazine. August 22, 2005: Eric Christie, Sales Manager of Staples Office Supply in Melbourne with assistance by Catherine Melville, Staples Copy Center Manager discussed New Computer Technologies. They showed the new HP 8250 Photo Printer, a Acer Laptop, and a 5 Megapixel Kodak Digital Camera. Photos taken of attendees with the camera were printed on both HP & Staples Photo Paper and then compared. Staples Services and Customer Benefits were also talked about. All attendees received a Staples canvas tote bag full of a generous sampling of office supply products. July 25, 2005: Larry Junker & Christian Hurston of Cartridge Source of America (CSA) in Titusville presented Practical Printer Technology covering the field of ink jets, toner cartridges, dye-sublimation, thermal transfer and their applications in printing, copying, plotting, & faxing. The remanufacturing process was explained and security measures that should be considered prior to procuring a printing device were discussed. A water filtration system was also demonstrated. CSA gave away 10% discount coupons good on a next order to all attendees. One lucky person won a $25 gift certificate toward an order. June 27, 2005: Elgon Williams, Sales Manager for CompUSA in Melbourne discussed Technology Trends in Spyware/Adware & Viruses plus the newest technologies to combat both. The advantages/disadvantages of software & hardware firewalls was covered along with the effectiveness of detection & removal software for Viruses and Spyware/Adware. May 23, 2005: SCPCUG Journal Editor & Resource Center Manager Ron Ingraham demonstrated how to use the Space Coast PC Journal Archive CD-ROM, discussed the Library Wi-Fi System, and showed various features of the SCPCUG website. April 25, 2005: Office Depot of Merritt Island presented information on the three categories of their hottest selling items. Terry Blackman discussed Wireless Networking, Carl Drury discussed Digital Photography, and Matt Hyde discussed Cellular Phones & Systems. The discussions were informal and consisted mainly of questions from the audience and answers from the presenters. March 28, 2005: Carlos Del Campo and Jim Booth of Brevard Computer & Technology Services discussed the Latest Trends in Hardware -- CPU's, Hard Drives, Memory, Thumb Drives, LCD monitors, and the convertible Tablet PC which they used for their demonstration. They also discussed Wireless Networks & Security. Brevard Computer & Technology specializes in Small Business Support but also handles residential support. They are located in Melbourne and Suntree/Viera. February 28, 2005: Gene Barlow of User Group Relations discussed The Perfect Backup Approach, backing up your hard drive with True Image, a drive-imaging utility from Acronis Software. Gene also discussed a clever utility from Spearit Software called MoveMe. It helps users easily transfer all of their application programs, settings and data files from an old computer to a new computer. Finally, Gene talked about three wiping utilities from WhiteCanyon Software. SecureClean, WipeDrive, and MediaWiper permanently remove personal and private information from a hard drive. January 24, 2005: SCPCUG Club Photographer Robin Mills demonstrated Microsoft's free Windows XP Slideshow Program Photo Story 3 by walking us through how to put together a simple slideshow. Photo Story 3 is a easy wizard driven program with powerful panning and zooming controls that supports up to 300 photos per story. It provides for basic photo editing, text captions, 48 transitions, and soundtrack creation with both music and narration. Robin next showed us several finished slideshows, one of which he had burned on to a DVD. He also provided a handout with links for additional help. November 22, 2004: SCPCUG President Steve Rosenthal held an expanded Question & Answer Session. October 25, 2004: Marvin Lange of Comtek Computers II in Cocoa showed us a SOHO Appliance Server and Roll-Up Keyboard. The remainder of the time was a very informative Q&A session in which Marvin fielded questions relating to Broadband, Networking, Routers, Firewalls, Antivirus programs, Spyware, etc. Comtek Computers specializes in new & used systems, repairs, upgrades, and parts. September 27, 2004: There was no meeting and hence no presentation due to Hurricane Jeanne. August 23, 2004: SCPCUG President Steve Rosenthal held a Question & Answer Session and then gave a short presentation on Kim Komando's Book /CD-ROM "The 50 Greatest Secrets of Digital Photography." July 24, 2004: Michael Boonstra of the Brevard Library Genealogy Department gave an excellent informative presentation on Genealogical Research. He first discussed what the Brevard Library System has to offer. There are over 400 CDs and patron access is available to the two prime database subscription services, Ancestry and Heritage Quest. Michael then took us online for a tour of the USGenWeb Project. This is a free Genealogy Research website staffed by volunteers. It is structured to cover every state and county in the USA. Michael gave us a tour of the Brevard County GenWeb pages which have been up only two weeks and also showed us a number of the national projects available in the USGenWeb Archives. The USGenWeb Project website is certainly an important resource for anyone interested in genealogy. After this most fascinating presentation a Microsoft Learning Package which included a T-shirt was handed out to all attendees. June 28, 2004:
SCPCUG President Steve Rosenthal May 24, 2004: Ms Terry Edwards, founder of Auction Swap World Trade, and her partner Chuck Schuerger discussed ASWT.com, a new online trading forum. Their goal is to provide clientele with a website that has impeccable standards and affordable pricing, as well as being a caring arena to conduct business -- a place "Where people matter more than the bottom-line!" Terry and Chuck understand that the customer is the most valuable asset, and that customer participation will insure the success or the failure of this new online trading, buying, and selling forum. April 26, 2004: Mr Serre Murphy, President of Net Fulfillment Technologies, discussed "Spam: Why We All Get So Much and What to Do about It" and "Building Your Own Website: Why and How." Serre also demonstrated two of their products: BamSpam, a Web-based anti-spam service that enables parents to ensure that their children do not receive objectionable or inappropriate email and WebBuild Express, a Windows-based, WYSIWYG development tool that enables users, especially those with little or no computer experience, to design and build powerful and graphically-rich Web sites. CD-ROM's with a 30-day fully functional free trial of WebBuild Express were given out. Net Fulfillment Technologies, Inc. is located in Melbourne FL. March 22, 2004: Gene Barlow of User Group Relations discussed Approaches to Backing Up Your Hard Drive by using a well thought out backup plan and explored the many backup options available. Gene explained the advantages and disadvantages of various methods and favors using an External Hard Drive with a baseline full backup followed by incremental backups. For accomplishing this the program V2i Protector Desktop Edition v2 was demonstrated. Gene also spend a few minutes talking about hard drive security when replacing a hard drive, wiping a hard drive or giving away one of your old computers. In covering these security issues he talked about the programs Wipe Drive v3 and SecureClean v4. February 23, 2004: Steve Short and Ralph Bond, Consumer Education Managers for Intel Corporation, showed us how to use a powerful Personal Computer to preserve/digitize analog VHS and Hi8 home movie tapes. A variety of options, from external USB 2.0 connected capture boxes to PCI cards was discussed. Pinnacle's Studio 9 program for Video Capture/Edit/Burning was demonstrated. A display table highlighted other software programs and some hardware that can be used for Video Editing. January 26, 2004: David B. Whittle, author of "Cyberspace: The Human Dimension" and named by Working Woman Magazine as "one of America's most original technological thinkers," presented "Whittle's Picks - Quality Software Products Anyone Can Use." Mr. Whittle first discussed the new Intel Centrino processor, now being used in Laptops. He then demonstrated several software programs including 3D-Album DVD Suite, muvee autoProducer 3, PhotoVista Panorama 3.0, PhotoVista Virtual Tour 3.0, and activePDF Composer. Special User Group prices were available for these programs. November 24, 2003: SCPCUG member Ken Marple gave a presentation on "Genealogical Research" with emphasis on understanding the history of the period in which you are searching. He showed how the roles of Politics and Religion come into play. Ken also touched on the use of Internet based Search Engines like Google and local hard drive based Search Engine Programs for doing Genealogical Research. October 27, 2003: Aaron Gee, Senior
Network Engineer for Atlantic.Net
September 22, 2003: SCPCUG First Vice
President, Dave Nottingham demonstrated a new gadget, a Blue
Tooth headset for cell phones. Additionally, Dave gave a
presentation on Chemical Hazards E-Waste. His very interesting
and informative talk covered the rapidly expanding e-waste chemical
exposer hazards. August 25, 2003: Keith Ennis from Voice Factor/PCS, Inc.
presented July 28, 2003: Tammy Randolph and her
staff from Staples gave
an June 23, 2003: SCPCUG First Vice President, Dave Nottingham demonstrated some of his favorite gadgets including Roomba the intelligent floor cleaner, Lexar media, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed card bus, the optical I Pen and more. He also gave a presentation on Arena simulation software and Mathcad software. The real hit was Roomba the IROBOT vacuum. April 28, 2003: SCPCUG Librarian, Resource Center Manager, and Journal Editor Ron Ingraham gave an informative presentation about the Kim Komando book "The 50 Biggest Computer Mistakes." Ron demonstrated the CD-ROM version and the Komando book was offered as a door prize. Details on the book's content are available at, http://www.komando.com/kk_estore_40/details.asp?prodID=41. SCPCUG Web Master elect Catherine Hall demonstrated how easy it is to manipulate pixels in Photoshop. Her presentation demonstrated how to move pixels, adjusting color, fix flaws, and cleaning up edges. Mar 24, 2003: SCPCUG member Jack Davidson demonstrated PowerDesk Pro 5.0, a powerful Windows Explorer alternative that provides a simple, fast, and fun way to organize and manage files, digital photos, MP3 music files and web images. Jack showed us PowerDesk's convenience and how it saves time. With very few clicks, Jack copied and moved files, color coded folders, viewed data files for which he did not have the source program, viewed graphics in several different ways, and explored the contents of compressed (zip) files without unzipping. PowerDesk gave Jack the power to customize his PC file management. View or download a four-page Comparison Chart of PowerDesk 5 vs Windows Explorer. This is a 21 KB PDF file. Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed to view this file. Feb 24, 2003: SCPCUG Guru David Nottingham briefly discussed the STS-107 Columbia Accident Investigation from an insider's point of view. A web site about Columbia mentioned by Dave can be found at http://www.usatoday.com/graphics/news/gra/gshuttle_disaster/flash.htm. David then hosted an Extended Q & A Session. Examples of How to Find Help Online were presented by using the Google Search Engine and by going to the web sites of HP, Microsoft, and Roxio. Jan 27, 2003: In view of Tax Season this presentation was about Tax Preparation Software. First, SCPCUG Treasurer Bill McCabe told us about the Tax Law changes for this year. Next, SCPCUG First Vice President David Nottingham compared the ratings of TurboTax, TaxACT, and TaxCut by CNet. The major portion of this presentation was given by SCPCUG Librarian, Resource Center Manager, and Journal Editor Ron Ingraham who demonstrated the free program TaxACT Standard 2002. Ron walked us through downloading, installing, and actually using the program by filling out a sample return. Ron also mentioned available online services like the IRS E-file program. TaxACT has an exclusive offer for User Group members. For members requiring only a Federal Return, get TaxACT Deluxe Edition for $6 (normally $9.95). For members requiring both Federal and State Returns, get TaxACT 2002 Ultimate bundle for $16 (normally $19.95). Note that these prices apply to downloads only. For a CD-ROM via mail, add an additional $5.95 for shipping & handling. Dec 23, 2002: SCPCUG Guru David Nottingham gave a very informative presentation on Digital Camera Basics. David started by discussing hardware (Camera Features and different types of Flash Memory for onboard Photo Storage). He then went into Transfer of Photos from the Camera, Photo Edit/Enhancing software, Photo Placement in Logical Folders, Copying Photos to CD-R, and Attaching Photos to E-Mail. Nov 25, 2002: Cartridge Source of America is a local Titusville company performing Toner Cartridge Recycling. Larry Junker told us a little history of the company and then Christian Hurston gave a very informative presentation, walking us through how Laser Printers work and all that is involved in the Toner Cartridge Recycling process. Oct 28, 2002: Microsoft representative Dr. Rita Oates showed us several of the latest products for the Holiday shopping season. Demos included Picture It! Digital Image Pro, Tablet PC, Pocket PC, and Age of Mythology game. Sep 23, 2002: SCPCUG Guru David Nottingham and wife Louise were back to discuss and demonstrate more of Adobe Premier 6.0 video editing software for creating Video Movie Memories. Aug 26, 2002: First, SCPCUG Guru David Nottingham gave us a technical rundown of the equipment used. Then, David's wife Louise gave an excellent presentation and demonstration on how to create Video Photo Montages (a video from a series of JPEG photos). Louise showed us the difference between a very basic video editing program like Windows Movie Maker (which only allows jump cuts or a dissolve for transitions) and a professional program like Adobe Premier 6.0 which offers titling, a large variety of transitions, adds motion to still images with zoom and rotation effects, and much more. Louise also showed us the many export options available for sharing of a montage. The presentation sample below only hints at the many possibilities.
Jul 22, 2002: SCPCUG Guru Dave Nottingham will gave us a presentation and demo on Digital Photography using a Sony Palm with a 100 K pixels sensor, a Sony 3.3 Megapixel Digital Camera, and a Sony Digital 8 Camcorder. Dave showed us the roll Windows XP plays in making Digital Photography easier. The various formats of flash memory for storing digital photos were also discussed. Jun 24, 2002: Joel Martin and Nick Drake of our local Merritt Island Office Depot gave a presentation, complete with a 17-page handout, on Networking. They walked us through the steps for setting up a Home or Small Office Network with Windows XP. The handout included a Club Members only "$15 off a $75 Purchase" coupon. May 27, 2002: Frances Peake of Peake Database Associates demonstrated Alpha Software's Alpha Five, an award winning windows database software program that is in the same market as MS Access or FileMaker. Frances showed us some of the advantages of Alpha Five, such as ease of use and the ability to quickly build customized database solutions. Apr 22, 2002: SCPCUG President Mark Kirschner will gave a presentation on Smart Computing, a monthly computer magazine "in plain English," the Smart Computing website, and their new publication Computer Power User magazine. Subscription to either publication entitles the subscriber to complete access to the Smart Computing website with nearly 14,000 articles and invaluable tools. For every five SCPCUG members that subscribe to either Smart Computing or Computer Power User the SCPCUG gets a free subscription. You must enter the following codes when subscribing for the SCPCUG to get credit. Smart Computing: 11642; Computer Power User: 307. Mar 25, 2002: Microsoft representative Mary Sue Halligan presented Windows XP and showed us how XP gives us the freedom to do what we want at home and at work--simply, reliably, and securely. Some areas covered in the presentation were Digital Photos, Entertainment, Communication, Connected Home, and Help & Support. Feb 25, 2002: Gregory Rhoads, Branch Sales Manager of the Melbourne Gateway Country Store told us about Gateway Computers and showed the Profile 3, a all-in-one space saving PC that features a 15" flat panel display. A Gateway laptop was also available for inspection. In keeping with a renewed effort to help those new to computing SCPCUG Guru Dave Nottingham went "back to basics" in demonstrating the many types of connectors a PC uses. Also many door prizes were won by lucky members as Dave cleaned out his closet of accumulated vendor software. Jan 28, 2002: SCPCUG Web Master Curt Potsic demonstrated EasyOffice 2001 and SCPCUG Journal Editor Ron Ingraham demonstrated PowerDesk 4 and using the Space Coast PC Journal Archive CD-ROM with Acrobat Reader's search capability. The free programs EasyOffice 2001 and PowerDesk 4 are featured in the February issue of the Space Coast PC Journal. |
presided over Intel's Presentation
in a Box on the Intel Pentium 4 Processor with Hyperthreading
Technology. This 20 minute multimedia CD presentation demonstrated
how Hyperthreading works and provided performance comparisons
of the Pentium 4 Processor with and without Hyperthreading and
between old and new processors. SCPCUG Journal Editor
Ron Ingraham then presented a 15 minute video showing
the process he follows each month for printing, stapling,
folding, labeling, and bundling the Journals ready for mailing.
A Intel blue LED key chain flashlight and a CD of the Hyperthreading
presentation were provided to all attendees. Also a Intel backpack
was the door prize.
gave a
fascinating and entertaining presentation about the Internet
and the services Atlantic.Net provides. Aaron's approach
was unique in that it came from a "Geek" that favored
the technical (rather than sales) side. Thus, we were treated
to an inside look at the Internet Service Provider that provides
complimentary Web Hosting for this SCPCUG website. In addition
to briefly touching on the history of Atlantic.Net, Aaron explained
how things like SPAM and Dial-Up connection problems are handled.
Atlantic.Net was started in 1994 by two University of Florida
students. With headquarters in Gainsville, today Atlantic.Net
provides residential services and high-speed Internet access,
Web site services, and telecommunications to small and medium-sized
businesses throughout the Southeast.
The Voice Factor Bundle, the ultimate software package
including Dragon Naturally Speaking Version 7 Preferred Plus,
and an upgraded high quality noise canceling microphone, as well
as another program called Text Aloud.
informative presentation of Staples services.
SCPCUG members learned about Staples Business Rewards, frequent
discounts, copy/printing services and more. In addition, Tammy
Randolph brought a wide array of equipment including digital
cameras and printers. Her staff gave an informative presentation
of the equipment. Everyone at the meeting received a complimentary
Staples box full of pens, markers, paper, clips, CDs and more.