Activities:

Special Announcements

• The Web SIG has been evaluating the Club website, trying to improve layout, usability, and looks. Let us know your opinion and suggestions on how we can improve it. You might also check out the fun pages , our favorite examples of interesting web programming.
• The SPAUG CD was last produced in 2008. Most people now have high speed Internet connections and the CD is losing its relevance. But don't discard your old Club CDs! Many of the "oldie but goodie" programs are still useful.
• (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.

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Meetings

General Meeting Schedule - Second Wednesday of the Month at the Palo Alto Elks Lodge 4249 El Camino Real  (subject to change)

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.

7:15 pm - General Meeting Palo Alto Elks Lodge , Click here for a map and directions to the Elks Lodge

• Possibilities for 2011 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.
• Link to Roster of Previous Speakers

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Info for General Meeting Presenters

Here is some of the information that speakers like to receive prior to a meeting:

• Contact information (email and phone number for program chair, president, other responsible persons);
• SPAUG URL (www.pa-spaug.org)
• address where product, brochures, etc. can be sent;
• day-of-meeting contact information and cell phone numbers;
• meeting agenda, start and end time, how long they have for their presentation;
• directions to the meeting location;
• equipment available for the speaker to use;
• average number of attendees;
• is it OK to sell their product;
• is it OK to video-record them? Are they willing to sign a release? Would they like to receive a copy?
• hotels/motels/restaurants near meeting location (address/phone/directions). www.paloaltoonline.com is a good reference.

And, of course, don't forget to send that very important thank you e-mail after the meeting (and copy the presenter's supervisor, if possible).

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Planning Meeting

Planning Meeting Schedule - Third Wednesday of the Month at 7:15 PM
   (All SPAUG members are invited)

Contact SPAUG President at to confirm location, time and to get directions.

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Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Several Special Interest Groups are sponsored by SVCS, and SPAUG members are encouraged to join - information is at Silicon Valley User Group Activities (SVUGA). Each SIG 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.

Trips & Outings

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.

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Special Deals for Members

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 based Alan Hutchings Installation can also run Local Area Network (LAN) cables throughout your house, discreetly and neatly hidden; check the wiring, and install neat plug-in outlets for quick connections and easy disconnect.

Now you really can network your computers! Share Internet access among all your computers, share printers, scanners, storage devices, and other networkable devices. You can also install a Network Attached Storage (NAS) 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 remote controller, such as Sonos or iPod Touch.

You can create 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.

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 sells, installs and guarantees 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) is recommended by the club as a useful resource.
If you are asked, 8592 is the SPAUG code .

User Group Store - Gene Barlow

For software such as Hard Drive Backup Products (Acronis True Image), Hard Drive Security Products, or Hard Drive Organization Products go to Gene Barlow's User Group Store. To get the best prices, 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.

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