(ongoing) If you're having trouble with your computer or applications, Jim
Dinkey encourages you to
make a reservation at his Saturday morning clinic
. If you're
not
having problems with yours because you fixed it, you can volunteer to help out
at the Clinic. Your fellow members need your help. Jim and his volunteers can
help with many hardware and software problems, and if they can't help you, will
refer you up to Hank Skawinski.
Thanks to a suggestion by Nat Landes, the club has
a Security reference page
. There was so much there that it had to be split into several pages! This is
member supported, and has not been updated in a while, so
to report your experiences with virus software and infection, spam blockers,
security software and hardware, and any other security-related experiences or
advice, good and bad.
(ongoing) The Web SIG has been evaluating the Club website, trying to make
improvements in layout, usability, and looks. Let us know if you like it or
hate it,
on how we can improve it. You might also check out the
fun pages, our favorite examples of interesting web programming.
(May '08) The
2008 SPAUG CD
is still available. It is on sale for $20 at General Meetings or directly from Jim Dinkey. Don't
discard your old Club CDs! Many of the "oldie but goodie" programs were dropped
from the new version to make room for new programs! The CD creation is done by
volunteers, so if you would like to create a new CD, contact Jim Dinkey.
General Meeting Schedule -
Second Wednesday of the Month at the Los Altos Post 558 American Legion Hall
5:45 pm -
optional pre-meeting dinner.
If you have a suggestion for a dinner location, especially if you are one of
the usual attendees, let Jim Dinkey know.
Possibilities for 2010 and beyond -
What do
you
want to hear about? Make a suggestion, or invite someone; then let Jim know
how to contact them so he can make the arrangements.
Several Special Interest Groups are co-sponsored by SVCS and SPAUG under the
new combined
Silicon Valley User Group Alliance (SVUGA)
. Each meets Monday at the Santa Clara Micro Center from 7 to 9 pm. Please
confirm the date and program, and check for any changes on the website before
you go - all meetings are subject to change. The presentations will be
of general interest for Wannabes to Newbies to Old Pros.
First Monday of the month, 7pm at Micro Center.
The Build-it-yourself SIG helps members to build their own computers, or upgrade existing. Its ambit overlaps with Jim Dinkey's Saturday clinics and classes.
Second Monday of the month, 7pm at Micro Center.
Led by Kevin Lynn, the
Windows SIG
is for those people interested in the Windows Operating System, and the
Hardware and Software used with it.
Third Monday of the month, 7pm at Micro Center.
The
Digital Imaging SIG combined with the Multimedia SIG
is for those interested in using digital cameras and camcorders, and transferring
the photos to their PC. The SIG covers
digital photography, scanning, image editing, image management & printing.
Fourth Monday of the month, 7pm at Micro Center.
The Web Design SIG, led by Maury Green, is for those interested in learning
about websites and HTML. The emphasis is more on designing and supporting websites for business than
for personal sites, but the techniques are similar for both. The
content management system Drupal is primarily used.
If any member is interested in organizing and leading a SIG, contact the
SPAUG President
at . You can also poll member interest at the General Meeting.
If any members would like to suggest a SIG, bring it up at the General Meeting,
and try to get an organizer/leader.
If any member is interested in suggesting an outing or trip, contact the
SPAUG President at
. He is thinking about possible trips for this coming year.
SPAUG has organized a number of popular field trips in the past, and more are
possible. We welcome suggestions for trips; please pass on your ideas to Jim.
LAN Wiring, Audio/Video Consulting, Home Theater Video and Audio Installation
from Alan Hutchings Installation
For a discount for SPAUG members, ask for the SPAUG Special Deal. Although
their main business is Home Theater and Audio/Video Consulting and
Installation,
Palo Alto-located Alan Hutchings Installation
also has the tools and expertise to run Local Area Network (LAN) cables
throughout your house with CAT-5 or -6 LAN cables hidden between walls, beneath
the floor or in the attic/crawl space, check the wiring to ensure it meets the
specification requrements, and will install neat outlets available for quick
connection. Now
you really can network your computers
! Share Internet access among several computers, share printers, scanners,
storage devices, and other networkable devices. You can also wire a central
server to act as a back-up storage device for all your networked computers,
digital files, photos, and digital music files. You can control music playback
all over your home with a Sonos controller. Don't risk losing everything from a
hard-drive failure, install a Network Attached Storage with automatic backup of
files as they are modified. You can start the transition to a "converged" media
center, uniting TV, VCR, DVR, DVD, CD, PC, iPod, Wii, XBox, etc.
Phone Alan at 650-646-8090 for a free consultation to discuss your needs and
dreams.
There is a photo album here
that can give you an idea of what is available. Alan recently gave
a presentation at the SPAUG General meeting following Gary Sasaki's discussion of HDTV decisions available here
. Alan has installed many flat screen TVs of many sizes and models; after
installation, he can tune the color using a “Spyder”. If you have
surround sound installed, he'll tune the audio output to put the “sweet
spot” right where you usually sit. If you (or your spouse) want further
work to make the system blend in with your room decor, he can help with that,
too. [N.B. - disclaimer: Alan Hutchings is the son of Webmaster Stan Hutchings.
Alan gained lots of experience installing home theater equipment for his dad,
who would be glad to show you his system.]
Get Windows Secrets Online magazine
Windows Secrets Home Page
includes articles by Fred Langa, Brian Livingston, Ian "Gizmo" Richards, Scott
Dunn, Susan Bradley, Woody Leonhard, and others. It is a valuable resource for
many aspects of PCs and peripherals. You can get a free version, but the paid
version is highly recommended by Jim Dinkey and Stan Hutchings.
Smart Computing Magazine offer
Smart Computing
will give SPAUG a free flyer for every 5 subscriptions from SPAUG members. Be
sure to specify SPAUG from the drop-down list. Or you can call
(800) 334-7458
to subscribe or renew and say you would like SPAUG (Stanford Palo Alto User
Group) to get credit for your subscription or renewal.
Smart Computing (www.smartcomputing.com)
, formerly called PC Novice, is a publication rich with useful, how-to
articles, honest reviews, and a plain-English format that answers questions for
everyone from the novice to the expert. There you'll find a searchable Index of
Articles, along with a Hardware Reviews & Comparison Charts section, a
Computing Dictionary, and a Directory of Web Sites.
Sandhills Publishing now offers FREE Tech Support to subscribers
and non-subscribers
. If you can' style="list-style-type: none"t find the answer to your computing
question in the magazine or on the website, call
(800) 368-8304
with your computing questions and our representatives will do their best find
the answers you need!
Here's the current (April 2007) advice: “To ensure your group receives
credit for new subscriptions and renewals, ALWAYS subscribe and renew using the
Subscribe or Renew Today!
feature available within the User Group portion of the Smart Computing Web
site. From here your members can
select your user group
from the drop-down list provided to give your group credit for the order. Your
members can also call (800) 733-3809 to subscribe or renew and inform the
representative they would like to give your group credit for the order.
Following these simple instructions will ensure that your group is getting as
many FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS as it possibly can!”
Important!
Subscribe to Smart Computing online here through the User Group section
, and be sure to select Stanford Palo Alto User Group from the list. Or, if you
subscribe to Smart Computing Magazine by phone
(800) 334-7458
or mail, be sure to say you would like SPAUG (Stanford Palo Alto User Group)
to get credit for your subscription or renewal. If you are asked,
8592 is the SPAUG code
.
Smart Computing Magazine
120 West Harvest Drive
Lincoln, NE 68521
User Group Store - Gene Barlow
Need software, like Hard Drive Backup Products (Acronis True Image), Hard Drive
Security Products, or Hard Drive Organization Products? Try Gene Barlow's
User Group Store
. To get the best price, use the special order code, contact Gene at
or phone 435-652-3005, and tell him you're a SPAUG member who wants to buy
with the SPAUG discount. He'll let you know what the current code is. Even
better, he distributes a monthly newsletter to those that have subscribers, and
includes the current code. You can subscribe at
www.ugr.com/newsletters.html
.
Smart Computing
will give SPAUG a free flyer for every 5 subscriptions from SPAUG members. Be
sure to specify SPAUG from the drop-down list. Or you can call
(800) 334-7458
to subscribe or renew and say you would like SPAUG (Stanford Palo Alto User
Group) to get credit for your subscription or renewal.
Smart Computing (www.smartcomputing.com)
, formerly called PC Novice, is a publication rich with useful, how-to
articles, honest reviews, and a plain-English format that answers questions for
everyone from the novice to the expert. There you'll find a searchable Index of
Articles, along with a Hardware Reviews & Comparison Charts section, a
Computing Dictionary, and a Directory of Web Sites.
