The SPAUG meeting is still the second Wednesday of the month at the Los Altos Post 558 American Legion Hall, Click here for a map (it's across from Draegers Grocery Store, about a block off Foothill Expressway). The Planning Meeting is the third Wednesday of the month.
(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.
(May 2009) A long-time SPAUG member and former officer, Dick Delp, passed away suddenly on 31 March. His memorial service at the Computer History Museum was attended by several SPAUG members, and many other people who belonged to the other clubs that Dick also belonged to. We will miss him, and extend our deepest sympathy to his widow.
Reported by Jim Dinkey
General Meeting Schedule - Second Wednesday of the Month
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. With our move to Los Altos, we'll continue using Aldo Los Altos as we explore the local alternatives.
Possibilities for 2009 and beyond - topics or presenters being considered or invited include: Gilman Louie of In-Q-Tel, Dan Gillmor, Mike Langberg, David Einstein, voice recognition software, Apple Quicktime and iTunes, Adobe, someone to talk about technology in the medical field (perhaps from Stanford), Hardware, OpenOffice.org, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Uses (if we have a significant number interested and can find an appropriate speaker); Linux; Database capabilities compared and contrasted with Spreadsheet capabilities; Blogs and Blogging; Wi-Fi; and Really Simple Syndication (RSS). John Sleeman will try to get a speaker on some futuristic topics, possibly the singularity, nanotechnology, life extension.
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. As of June 2009, the Multimedia SIG meets the first Monday, the WinSIG meets the second Monday, the Web Design SIG meets the fourth Monday; the Digital Imaging SIG is in recess.
Web Design SIG - Fourth Monday of each month. If you are interested in learning about websites and HTML, the Web Design SIG, led by Maury Green, is for you. For more information, visit SVUGA. The emphasis is more on designing and supporting websites for business than for personal sites, but the techniques are similar for both applications. The web creation application Druple is primarily used.
Digital Imaging SIG (DISIG). A Digital Imaging SIG is recommended for those interested in using digital cameras and transferring the photos to their PC for storage, editing or sharing. Details are on the Internet. Please check it out at SVUGA if you're interested in any aspects of digital photography. The SIG covers digital photography, scanning, image editing, image management & printing, including recommendations for hardware and software. The presentation will be of general interest for Wannabes to Newbies to Old Pros.
More information about DISIG can be found at: www.svcs.net/disig/
WinSIG (Windows Special Interest Group - Second Monday of the month
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.
If any member is interested in organizing and leading a SIG, contact our 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.
SPAUG has run a number of SIGs during the past year or so, and they have been well received. If you have any suggestions, or would like to organize a SIG, we would very much like to hear from you.
If any member is interested in suggesting an outing or trip, contact our 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.
