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Free Webinar

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        Ruth Davis of Mac2School is offering a free webinar.  (Note that word FREE.)  Her email announces that the live seats are filled, but you can sign up for the recording that she'll send so people can watch at their convenience. www.mac2school.com/webinar   Ruth spoke to PMUG a few years ago.  See about her 6 week online class here:  http://www.mac2school.com/biz/   

Happy Birthday, Mac

     Go to www.apple.com  and see the "Happy Birthday, Mac" and a video of celebration.  Maybe you saw ABC World News tonight with David Muir interviewing Tim Cook.  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2014/01/exclusive-apples-tim-cook-on-nsa-whats-next-as-mac-turns-30/  And following that there was a look at the Mavericks Invitational in Half Moon Bay, California.  http://abcnews.go.com/US/slideshow/mavericks-invitational-surfs-giant-wave-competition-21659953

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Obsolescence by Smartphone

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        Maybe you grew up with a telephone on the wall?  A party line?  A "dial"phone?  
        Look what Jim Hamm found. " Here's an interesting article about how technology moves along and replaces a variety of devices. In this article the author shows how a smartphone replaces 20 gadgets one could buy at Radio Shack about 20 years ago -- and carry their replacement in a shirt pocket or purse.

        "As another example, the mobile phone has virtually replaced public telephones -- the ones you used to see on street corners around town, but are now practically gone."

        And Jim's pronouncement:  "Technology is wonderful, unless you happen to be on the receiving end of technological obsolescence."

What Do They Know?

        "Here is an article from one blogger explaining what he believes the NSA knows about you," begins Jim Hamm.   "It's interesting to note that on January 17 President Obama apparently gave a green light to the NSA to continue doing exactly what they have been doing -- snooping. 
        "What do you think? Is it proper for the NSA to do and continue doing their snooping? Me? I have mixed emotions about this. I understand they are trying to find and stop terrorist activity -- which is good. 
        "On the other hand, I would hope they would not crack passwords I might have stored in, say, Amazon, Apple or in the 'Cloud.' One can't help but wonder what NSA is doing with all that computing power."

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Apple In-App Purchases

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          Jim Hamm finds some interesting info.  "Here is an article summarizing the recent FTC ruling on children being able to make in-app purchases and perhaps ringing up a big $ cost. And here is an article by Consumer Reports wherein Google's Play Store allows the same thing, but no FTC involvement there. One wonders why?
        "If, say, you log in to Apple or Google to purchase an app or two, and enter your password, you want the password to remain open for a period of time so you can browse and make purchases without having to constantly reentering your password.

         When you're done, log out so your children -- or anyone else -- can't pick up your device and start making purchases. However, it seems the password remained in cache for a period of time after logging out, and would be available to anyone."
        Jim concludes with, "It seems to me Apple should have corrected this cache problem much quicker, and that the FTC should also look into Google Play store as well, and not just Apple."

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How to Find It

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        "The easiest way to find anything on your computer is to use Spotlight," John Carter informs us.  "A better way to find something specific is to first go to the top level folder in Finder where you think the file might be, such as 'Dropbox/PMUG Documents,' and put a keyword in the search box of Finder, then select that folder in the tool bar.  

The path to the file is shown in  the status bar.  You don't need to know anything other than how to find something."   (Click to enlarge the illustration, then click in the black background to go back to this page.) 

Recognition for the Top Four in 2013

Our PMUG members are a talented bunch,
   Each one with some claim to fame,
But there are other determined people
   Who we will soon mention by name. 

These are members who can’t keep still,
   They find out something new to say;
They email Elaine with newsletter info,
   Keeping her busy most every day.

They read, and try something, and learn!
   They can’t keep quiet! They want to share!
We celebrate these determined souls;
   We are glad they are the kind who care!

When you go to the Newsletter Blog 
   These are the names you’ve seen the most;
Because of this they care and share,
   Today it is our turn to boast:

Here are the Top Four: 
Jim Hamm, submitted 175 posts 
John Carter, with 40
Art Gorski, with 28
David Passell, with 25 

Others who submitted posts to the newsblog in 2013 were
Mary Ann Clark, Bobbie Pastor, Ward Stanke, Ginger Carlson.

                Starting in 2008 with 70 entries, here’s how helpful members have been: 

2009 = 307;     2010 = 378   2011 = 339;  
2012 = 390;      2013 there were 326 postings. 

                 The total so far is 1,810.  So, you see we are a group of thinkers and doers! 

Hope you find useful help from the blog:
            With our great appreciation, 
Art Gorski, PMUG President
January 18, 2014 
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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/