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Practical Ideas for PMUG

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Keeping in Touch:    If you’re on the PMUG mailing list you’ve received some attractive, attention-getting emails from Bobbie Pastor, our secretary.  My curiosity inquired, “Oh, busy gal.  What email writing program are you using these days for those attractive emails you sent out to PMUG?”
And so quickly came her reply, “I use Stationery Pack from Equinux.  I think they are in the Netherlands.  http://www.equinux.com/us/products/stationery/index.html   I bought the family pack so I can use them for PMUG as well.  I don't have all the different programs in their line.  But, I want to.  I just love  them.”
So a quick click and Mac found the site and brought it up.  WOW.  This site offers a lot of very professional-looking stationery:  Here’s the list from the home page: 
Birthday Cards 2 has 38 designs
Team & Business Communication has more than 40 templates.
Stationery Pack Business Edition offers over 200 templates for Apple Mail.
Stationery Pack 1 brings 111 templates in Mail OS X.
Stationery Pack 2 features 122 stationery templates for 660 designs
Birthday Cards give you 32 “humorous and heartfelt” designs. 
Summer Spirit Cards let you share your vacation pics and stories about them.
Love & Romance has 7 email templates.
Season’s Greetings offers more than 100 greeting cards. 
New is Holiday Motion Cards with more than 20 animated greetings. 
At the side you’ll find the notice: “Works with OS X Mavericks.” 
  What is this?  Grillmeister announces you can turn your iPhone into the hottest gadget as you show your friends how you grill and serve, via twitter, facebook and of course, email. It provides lifelike sound effects, graphics, and effects. 

Time to check out How It Works to the right-hand side of home page. 
Right away you notice that most-appreciated word FREE.  Click “Try for Free.” 

Farther down the page it tells some of the possibilities.  How to insert your own photos, make any picture fit. 

You’ll need to enable Cookies to go to the prices page. Now you can go to Buy Now and see the full list with prices.  A “Family Version is for 5 Macs.”  Pay by Visa, Master Card, American Express, PayPal, your check, or Amazon Payments which is labeled New. 

So, now we know where Bobbie gets her email templates! 
You already heard that postage is going up, and you’ve socked in a supply of Forever stamps at today’s prices?  

Here’s some info: 
https://www.usps.com       Prices as of January 26.  

  • Letters (1 oz.) — 3-cent increase to 49 cents
  • Letters additional ounces —  1-cent increase to 21 cents for each ounce
  • Letters to all international destinations (1 oz.) — $1.15
  • Postcards — 1-cent increase to 34 cents
  • http://www.stamps.com/usps/postage-rate-increase/  priority mail small flat rate box is still 5.80. Medium flat rate box is still 12.35.  Large flat rate box increases to 17.45

Fascinating!  What’s Happening Now: 
   How the MacPro is built and assembled.  Video 2 minutes http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/video/#assembly 

   iMac   What features does it have http://www.apple.com/imac/performance/ 

   iPad Air  http://www.apple.com/ipad-air/videos/#video-air   3 min. Video 

   Events from the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2014 in Las Vegas. http://ces.cnet.com 

   What’s inside the “hottest new gadgets”  http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown
   Multimedia at Macworld.com  http://www.macworld.com/column/mwvodcast/  There are 30 entries for 2013 from illustrated articles, videos, comments. 
    Here’s about Mac Apps:   http://www.macworld.com/category/mac-apps/  


January is the month to get organized.  I told about Jacquielawson and their 271 animated greeting cards in my last January’s handout, but let’s take another look today. Click to open it here http://www.jacquielawson.com/  I open Firefox, open Preferences. I need to unclick Block Pop-up windows in Firefox Content, and then click Accept Third-party Cookies from sites visited.  As soon as I’m finished with jacquielawson site I go back and undo both.  
Note: price for one year is $12.00 and for two years it’s $18.00.  Membership allows me to send any cards to anyone, as many times as I like for the duration of membership.  
I went through the collection of cards and have ordered 79 cards for my extended family for the coming year. I can open the Cards Pending and see Date to Be Sent, Date Ordered, Recipient, Card Name, and Options.  Here in Options I can view the card, cancel or edit it. Under Address Book I can save names and email addresses, so it’s quick to order again for each person.  You can have a maximum of 500 names on this Address List!  

So have yourself a Happy Apple New Year.  May your computer and printer be good to you.  May your iThis and iThat all bring you a big smile and be totally dependable! 
See you at the next PMUG meeting.  Check out our newsblog and keep up with the www.pmug.us site.      This was the handout at today's PMUG meeting,  from Elaine Hardt

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Box App for iPhone & iPad

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        Here's that word, FREE, as Prez Art Gorski tells about an app named Box. "Box is an alternative to DropBox for storing files in the 'cloud.' They’ve just released new iPhone and iPad apps and, if you install one of these and sign up now, you’ll get 50GB of free on-line storage."  http://blog.box.com/2014/01/get-the-all-new-box-for-iphone-and-ipad-50bg-free/  

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That New MacPro Looks Like . . .

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        Surprised to see the shape of the new Mac Pro?  Someone took it as a challenge.  He built a "Hackintosh" inside a real bathroom trashcan.  See three photos here.  http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/01/intrepid-modder-builds-hackintosh-mac-pro-replica-inside-a-real-trashcan/#p3 
        Now see 26 photos here and read the explanation.  http://www.tonymacx86.com/mac-pro-mods/120757-mac-pro-late-2013-replica.html    
        While you're still laughing might as well see this model, made in Japan, for sale at amazon for $79.00.  Humorous comments! 

Here's the Answers

        Saturday you'll hear the answers!  It's time for the Genius Bar at PMUG.  Hopefully, you've already got this event on your Calendar and are planning to come. Bobbie Pastor emailed the members.  Questions have been submitted, ideas are ready to share!  Art Gorski is ready to greet you.  It's 10 am in the Founders' Room at Prescott Public Library. 

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Macs Are Safer

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        David Passell starts off his New Year with, "Here is an article that should make Mac users happy or unhappy depending on which OS they are running:). http://www.zdnet.com/why-mac-users-are-safer-7000024694/?s_cid=e539&ttag=e539  
        Some controversial comments provide food for thought. One person said, “A 10 year old Mac should be safer than the latest Windows 8 with all securty patches, the best anti-virus and malware fighter installed.” 

        Another informs, “the main vulnerability on Mac is the user. . . “
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CopyLess Clipboard Manager

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       " Here is a short blurb about the CopyLess Clipboard Manager," states Jim Hamm.  He goes on with more details, " I've used this app for over a year now and can recommend it if you need/want to keep a history of items you've copied to the clipboard handy for future reference. It is simple to use and takes only about 8MB of memory when it's running. I have it open at startup and leave it running all the time." He found it for $6.99.
        Today iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id416439303?mt=8  has it listed for $1.99. 

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Got a New Apple Product?

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         If you — or a friend of yours — received a new Mac computer or iPad, iPod, iPhone for a holiday gift  (Congratulations!)  you'll want to mark your calendar now. You can learn more and make friends at the Prescott Mac User Group. 
         Bobbie Pastor, PMUG secretary has just reminded us of the January events.  John Carter and Bobbie hold SIGS (Special Interest Groups) on the first and fourth Fridays each month. 
         Our monthly meetings are practical and fun. January 18, 10 am to 12 starts us off.  Prez Art Gorski has plans for the year to announce, and Ginger Carlson, our cookie lady, will have some yum-yums for us.  Other board members, David Rothgery and David Passell will be happy to shake your hand.  And you'll meet the other Chairs, Mary Ann Clark, Ward Stanke, Sharon Lampert, Howard Reider, and Elaine Hardt.  http://pmug.us/about-us/ 
        So come and bring a friend! 

Mobile Phone Magic

        "Did you know -- or even care -- that your mobile phone has two operating systems? I didn't either, but here is an interesting article that explains the two systems," Jim Hamm announces this morning.  He continues with, "The little mobile phone that we use to casually talk to one another, check emails and surf the net, is one complex piece of equipment."  Check out that article from Macworld, "The Hidden Magic: A Look at the Secret Operating System Inside the iPhone." 

Apple Store Coming to San Francisco

Jim Hamm sent us the article about the 27 year-old Mac computer — and he's also sent this info on a snazzy new Apple store coming to San Francisco. (Jim keeps up with the old and the new!)         "Take a look at these renderings of Apple's new store coming in San Francisco. Hope all that glass front doesn't face west where the sun would be an irritant every afternoon. Well, maybe in SF the fog or other tall buildings might block the sun, though. Still, an impressive-looking store."

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Some FREE AntiVirus Programs for Mac

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        Jim Hamm started off with a link http://www.slashgear.com/avg-antivirus-for-mac-launches-with-triple-protection-12308577/ about AVG AntiVirus protection,  but that raised a few questions.  Have you used this?  Will it run on Mac running an earlier system?  Jim obliged with more info,  "I haven't used AVG, but it's been around for a long time and has a good reputation. It will run on Mavericks and Mountain Lion. Here's some more info on AVG."  
        But Jim, what antivirus program are you now using?  "I use Avast AV, which is also free."
        So, there you have it.  Any more questions from anybody?  Any recommendations?  Let's keep up on what works!