We still cannot have in-person meetings at the library. So we will use Zoom.

Date: Monday January 26, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88679316878?pwd=bNAGDbcYcsb7caHNHKVIjXHKg51xgj.1
Meeting ID:   886 7931 6878
Passcode:      728506

0 - Group chin-wag during log on                                                                                                  7:20 - 7:30
                                                                     
1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals                                                                          7:30 - 7:40

2 - Mailmaven app to soup-up your email                                with Graham Fawcett                     7:40 - 8:20

3 - How's your 26 so far?  The good and bad of Apple's
      new OS's ...MacOS 26, iOS 26, iPadOS 26 etc                          group discussion                         8:20 - 9:00

Although Zoom works in many browsers we STRONGLY recommend using the dedicated app on your device with the largest screen for the best experience.
You do NOT need a Zoom account to join a meeting!
If you need instructions, go here: https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/UsingZOOM

**** agenda TBA  *********

Unfortunately, no after meeting wings or desserts at the Royal Oak, but feel free to prepare your own snacks and share them with us on screen!

Did you miss a meeting?
Sign up for emailed meeting notices! https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders

Don't forget the Ottawa Public Library!
Even though we are unable to meet in person at the library, the OPL still offers a wealth of services you can access online. Go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en

This was our annual show and tell event, where members have an opportunity share projects they have been working on.

Heavy Metal - a video project by Peter Koelbleitner
Peter presented a video project created on an iMac. He explained that he has moved from photo books to slideshows, which the family can watch on a big screen. The video is a collection of industrial images taken at a Nicholson Brothers manufacturing facility in Sydney, which he captured over a few hours while exploring the site. The group discussed the various manufacturing processes depicted in the photos, with Peter confirming they were general machinery for industries like pulp and paper and lumber. Peter mentioned the challenge of finding appropriate music for his slideshows and indeed Verdi's Anvil Chorus was an excellent choice. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3ih95l2jqpwag7zu081l7/Heavy-Metal.mp4?rlkey=w0hcz0830p3g55lknd2nsch94&e=1&st=btmn7a92&dl=0

Peter explained he used DXO Photo Lab for photo editing and Photo Stage for creating the final presentation, having switched from Lightroom due to its subscription model. The group then discussed various photo editing software options. Charles recommended Graphic Converter as an alternative photo editing tool, noting its versatility and ability to handle file format conversions and resizing. Jamie recommended Affinity's free photo editing software as a Photoshop alternative, while Neil shared his experience using GIMP and Wally mentioned using Seashore for its simplicity. The conversation then shifted to Adobe's business model. Despite their transition to a subscription pricing, Adobe reported record profits, primarily from their Creative Suite including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

reprise of Photography Camping Course - a video project by Ferriss High
Ferris shared his collage of photos and videos from a pre-COVID camping trip in Georgian Bay where he tested his DJI Mavic drone in challenging wind conditions. This included a dramatic aerial rescue operation involving a capsized boat. Again, there was an excellent match of music to the visuals. https://vimeo.com/357459745

overview of MailMaven app - by Graham Fawcett
As a teaser for a fuller presentation in the new year, Graham introduced MailMaven, an "information rich" email client for macOS that combines functionality of previous Apple Mail extensions. https://mailmaven.app

The group then discussed email clients and their experiences with various platforms, including Gmail, Bell Sympatico, and Apple Mail. Graham mentioned he prefers apps that focus on security and privacy, staying out of the Google universe. The participants expressed concerns about email privacy and advertising, with Wally sharing his experience of receiving contextually relevant ads while using Gmail. Graham advised Charles on using smart mailboxes in Apple Mail to address his synchronization issues.

Some Interesting Things - by Jamie Johnson
Jamie shared his experiences with several ongoing projects.

First, he has a new camera, the Insta360, which allows for 360-degree recording and post-processing flexibility ... everything, everywhere, all at once. Two cameras record 360 degrees horizontally and vertically so you don't have to worry about which way the camera is pointing. https://www.insta360.com/product/insta360-x5 Insta360 Studio is like iMovie except you have choice of where you want to look. He demonstrated its capabilities using a video taken at the Purdon Conservatory in Lanark County. With a three-metre selfie stick, some of the footage looks like it was taken from drone. https://itsallaboutthelight.ca/videos/purdon2025

Jamie also discussed his use of Notebook LM https://notebooklm.google to plan sports photography activities, resulting in coverage of 20 events with 3 terabytes of content this past summer. He highlighted the tools he uses for editing, including Capture One, Final Cut, and Insta Studio 360. https://itsallaboutthelight.ca/videos/an-action-packed-summer?rq=Summer

Jamie then moved to managing and sharing family photos, including his recent inheritance of 10,000 slides and 50 reels of video. He discussed various methods of photo sharing, such as printing photos, creating canvas prints, using fridge magnets, and designing iPhone cases. Jamie also explained his process of creating photo collages and year-end books using PrestoPhoto.com, which he finds to be the most user-friendly option.

Lastly, he mentioned his interest in setting up a home battery system with a UPS, motivated by past power outages. Jamie explained how he chose the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra to provide power for essential appliances during outages, with a 13 kilowatt hour capacity and modular expandability. https://ca.ecoflow.com/pages/delta-pro-ultra He detailed the system's features including multiple power inputs, smart home panel, and app-based monitoring, noting it cost $12,500 including installation and ran for 8 hours during a recent test at 80% capacity. The discussion included questions about battery maintenance, heat production, and the system's advantages over traditional generators, with Jamie explaining his choice was motivated by environmental considerations and the ability to use time-of-use pricing for cost savings.

You can view Jamie's presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2025-12-15-Jamie_J.pdf

We still cannot have in-person meetings at the library. So we will use Zoom.

Date: Monday December 15, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/expired
Meeting ID:  expired
Passcode:      expired

Although Zoom works in many browsers we STRONGLY recommend using the dedicated app on your device with the largest screen for the best experience.
You do NOT need a Zoom account to join a meeting!
If you need instructions, go here: https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/UsingZOOM

This meeting will be the Zoom annual Show-n-Tell on Monday December 15th at 7:30.  We invite you to show off the things you've been doing using Apple hardware, software, services and Apple-related websites.  This includes but is not limited to ...

- photo slideshows
- video projects
- audio/music projects
- interesting use of applications
- how you manage your life and entertain yourself using Apple technology

Please email your presentation offers to show@mugoo.com

Presentations on the Agenda so far ...

Peter Koelbleitner - Heavy Metal - a video project
Ferriss High          - reprise of Photography Camping Course - a video project
Graham Fawcett    - overview of MailMaven app
Jamie Johnson      - some interesting things

Cheers,

Prez Wally

Unfortunately, no after meeting wings or desserts at the Royal Oak, but feel free to prepare your own snacks and share them with us on screen!

Did you miss a meeting?
Sign up for emailed meeting notices! https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders

Don't forget the Ottawa Public Library!
Even though we are unable to meet in person at the library, the OPL still offers a wealth of services you can access online. Go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en

1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals
John and his wife are purchasing iPhone 17 Pro phones, primarily for the enhanced camera capability https://www.apple.com/ca/iphone-17-pro/. Charles also acquired an iPhone 17 and Wally is considering. We should plan to talk about our iPhone 17 experience in the new year. Laurence mentioned that Apple Care now allows you to add multiple Apple devices to your plan.

Our experiences with iOS 26 and MacOS 26 Tahoe and iOS 26 - Group Discussion
The new 26 series of operating systems were released on September 15th and we thought it would be helpful to discuss our collective impressions so far. There are brief overviews of iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe included in the attachments below, courtesy of ChatGPT.

Laurence is still on the Apple Developer Program, and moved to iOS 26 and iPadOP 26 when the public betas became available. A number of other meeting participants have also adopted the OS 26 upgrades. Ian has transferred everything over, even his Apple Watch and TV.

Laurence and Keith share that they initially had some iOS issues with the Volkswagen app that were eventually resolved. Charles mentioned similar problems with his Volvo app. Ian's Glucose monitor no longer works and is awaiting a fix. It seems that some third party plug-ins need to be updated for compatibillity with the new operating systems. Wally's comment - more validation for being a late adopter.

LeRoy shared his positive experience with organizing photos, finding it much faster and more manageable after updating to Tahoe, and recommended a series of tutorials on photo management from ScreencastsONLINE.com.

David observed that iPadOS 16 was becoming more similar to macOS in terms of user interface, with features like multiple windows and improved file management. It's now possible to have several windows open on an iPad with red, yellow and green buttons in the upper left corner, similar to the Mac. Rumour has it that the Macbook next year may be a touch screen, a further coming together of the UI's.

Wally discussed his frustration with the limited one-at-a-time clipboard functionality in macOS and expressed interest in trying out the new clipboard history feature. Graham stated that the Apple app Freeform allows users to save past clipboard items and collaborate with others. John also mentioned that the third party CloudClip app https://www.thinkbitz.com/cloudclip/ allows you to save your clipboard history and share it between your Mac and iOS devices.
                                                                 
3 - What's happening with Artificial Intelligence - Group Discussion
The group discussed their experiences with AI tools, particularly ChatGPT and Perplexity. David noted improvements in ChatGPT, including better context retention and the ability to maintain a conversation. ChatGPT has now has 4 billion monthly visits, much bigger than everyone else, perhaps because it is embedded in many iPhones.

Discourse then moved to Apple's AI capabilities, particularly in photo editing features that automatically remove unwanted elements and allow searching for images based on text descriptions. We also discussed Tim Cook's potential retirement and his leadership style compared to Steve Jobs, with general agreement that while Cook may be less innovative than Jobs, he has successfully maintained Apple's position as a tech giant.

Wally has been testing AI by asking orthodontic questions and has been impressed by the credible responses. We viewed some images of Tilly Norwood's teeth ... which are "properly imperfect". There was some variation in different images, which could be a mistake or a clever calculation. Overall, it's very impressive and only going to get better. Wally expressed optimism about AI's potential for creating realistic age transformations in film, though with some trepidation about the technology's implications.

Laurence shared insights from a professional photographer who claimed that generative AI has made traditional product photography obsolete, as AI can create high-quality images in minutes that would take days to set up manually. David explained that AI systems like OpenAI Sora can modify existing content through text prompts, allowing for incremental changes to create new visuals, and confirmed that multimedia inputs are possible beyond just text.

The discussion concluded with Peter sharing an example from a photo club competition where AI-generated content was discovered, leading to new rules requiring photographers to maintain original raw images and document their workflow. There is also the potential for new competition categories. After the meeting, Laurence shared a link to guidelines published by CAPA (Canadian Association for Photographic Arts) on the use of AI tools in competitions https://capacanada.ca/ai-summary-safe-flagged-tools/

There is again no MUGOO election this year and by consensus, we'll keep going with what we have. The conversation ended with plans for the next show and tell event on December 15th, where members will present projects or slide shows using Apple-related technology.

We still cannot have in-person meetings at the library. So we will use Zoom.

Date: Monday November 24, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89566231130?pwd=XsqTSMeK7I3xhtPFHmCrFUj8SCUWeQ.1

Meeting ID:   895 6623 1130
Passcode:      524282

Although Zoom works in many browsers we STRONGLY recommend using the dedicated app on your device with the largest screen for the best experience.
You do NOT need a Zoom account to join a meeting!
If you need instructions, go here: https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/UsingZOOM

Agenda:

0 - Group chin-wag during log on                                                                                                  7:20 - 7:30
                                                                     
1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals                                                                          7:30 - 7:40

2 - Our experiences with MacOS 26 Tahoe and iOS 26   -   Group Discussion                                7:40 - 8:20
                                                                   
3 - What's happening with Artificial Intelligence             -   Group Discussion                                8:20 - 9:00
                                                             

Unfortunately, no after meeting wings or desserts at the Royal Oak, but feel free to prepare your own snacks and share them with us on screen!

Did you miss a meeting?
Sign up for emailed meeting notices! https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders

Don't forget the Ottawa Public Library!
Even though we are unable to meet in person at the library, the OPL still offers a wealth of services you can access online. Go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en

0 - Group chin-wag during log on
Charles shared his experience with a knee operation that became infected, highlighting the importance of prompt medical attention and the need for pre-operative physiotherapy. He recommended having physio three or months ahead of time to get as much mobility as possible before any such procedure.

Laurence provided an update on his move to Galiano Island, discussing challenges with building plans and what he has been doing for internet connectivity. Their five month cabin rental is being extended for another five months.
                                                                     
1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals
The group briefly discussed personal technology upgrades, with Charles being the only participant who made a recent notable purchase, an iPhone 17. He also mentioned upgrading his home internet setup, which has significantly improved performance.

2 - OpenAI Sora and Tilly Norwood ... What's Now Happening with AI Video - with David Rhynas
David gave an overview presentation on Sora, OpenAI's video generation tool that creates photorealistic video content from text descriptions. He demonstrated Sora's capabilities, including its ability to create continuous 3D video sequences with natural camera motion and lighting changes. He discussed the technical aspects of how Sora works, including its use of diffusion modeling and transformer-based architectures, and showed examples of its video creations. He also mentioned that ChatGPT Pro users can access a higher resolution version of Sora 2 as part of their subscription.

David then moved to ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated content, including potential misuse and deep fakes, as well as OpenAI's safety measures like watermarking and restrictions on generating human faces.

He also introduced Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by Elaine van der Welden's company Particle 6, sparking debate about the future of human performance in media. He noted concerns from the acting community about AI replacing human performers, as well as questions about digital authenticity and transparency. David concluded by showcasing a demonstration video featuring AI actors, suggesting that such technology is a harbinger of future developments in the entertainment industry.

You can view David's presentation deck, commentary and links to videos at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2025-10-27_Sora_&_Tilly_Norwood.pdf

Graham observed that in some cases, the video voice and mouth motions didn't seem to be quite synchronized. David suggested that the shared screen Zoom intermediary might have some impact and you should view the videos directly.

As a retired orthodontist, Wally indicated that he would go back and closely check Tilly's teeth. "Perfect" teeth are unnatural; the goal is "perfectly imperfect."

In the group discussion that followed there was genuine concern as to how are we going to discern what's real and what's not real? Will people even want to tell the difference?

Graham observed that product photography has gone out the window. AI can make perfect renditions in minutes. He also raised concerns about the lack of controls on the internet compared to traditional media, while the group agreed on the broader need to educate young people and their parents about digital media.

3 - archive.org -  source of MacOS installers and much more - with Wally Kuzmicz
Wally shared his experience using the Internet Archive https://archive.org/ to download old macOS operating systems and access historical website archives. Apple only makes available the prior two or three prior OS releases, so this is an invaluable resource for maintaining older equiment and apps. He demonstrated how to find and download content from the archive, including CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes and movie scripts, and how to access archived versions of no longer existing websites.

The meeting wrapped up just after 9:00 pm so participants could cheer on the Blue Jays in game 3 of the World Series.

We still cannot have in-person meetings at the library. So we will use Zoom.

Date: Monday October 27, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/expired
Meeting ID:   expired
Passcode:     expired

Although Zoom works in many browsers we STRONGLY recommend using the dedicated app on your device with the largest screen for the best experience.
You do NOT need a Zoom account to join a meeting!
If you need instructions, go here: https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/UsingZOOM

Agenda:

0 - Group chin-wag during log on                                                                                                  7:20 - 7:30
                                                                     
1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals                                                                          7:30 - 7:40

2 - OpenAI Sora and Tilly Norwood ...
      What's Now Happening with AI Video                                   with David Rhynas                     7:40 - 8:30

3 - archive.org -  source of MacOS installers
      and much more                                                         time permitting - with Wally Kuzmicz     8:30 - 9:00
                                                             
   

Unfortunately, no after meeting wings or desserts at the Royal Oak, but feel free to prepare your own snacks and share them with us on screen!

Did you miss a meeting?
Sign up for emailed meeting notices! https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders

Don't forget the Ottawa Public Library!
Even though we are unable to meet in person at the library, the OPL still offers a wealth of services you can access online. Go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en

0 - Group chin-wag during log on
Charles discussed his recent cataract surgery and the need for specialized glasses, while also showing us and sharing details about his Bengal cat, which is a rare, hypoallergenic breed. Keith joined the call briefly, mentioning he was walking home for dinner ... our first mobile participant!

John described he and his wife's upcoming expedition cruise to Antarctica with Viking including the health screening requirements, and plans for a future cruise in the Northwest Passage. The conversation ended with a brief discussion about upgrading to an iPhone 17 Pro with better camera capabilities, particularly for his trip to Antarctica.

1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals
LeRoy shared his recent experience upgrading to the new iPhone 17 Pro Max https://www.apple.com/ca/iphone-17-pro/. He made the purchase while lying in bed at 8 am and picked it up the next day. He highlighted some of the improved features like a larger screen, better camera with 8x optical zoom, and the transition to eSIM-only technology. While the direct old to new phone transfer did not work, it was quite straight forward transferring data using his iCloud backup. There is a fairly easy process to update wallet and credit card details. He also pointed out some differences with the CarPlay setup. His new iPhone is Cosmic Orange and overall, most things worked correctly and it is faster/smoother. Judging by Apple's share price, the new iPhone lineup has been well received.

John inquired about the availability of physical SIM trays and eSIM costs for international travel, which David and LeRoy discussed, noting that there are now a number of eSIM international service providers.

2 - Making  AI Work for You: asking it good questions, and lots more - with Leroy Lees
LeRoy gave his presentation on using ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com, emphasizing the importance of phrasing questions effectively and treating the AI as a computer rather than a person. He shared his experience with accessing and using ChatGPT, highlighting the benefits of sticking to one app before exploring others. LeRoy also demonstrated the utility of the sidebar feature for reviewing previous questions and answers, and shared a real-world example of using ChatGPT to assist an elderly client with keyboard issues on a new iMac.

He also described using ChatGPT to locate a friend's location on Find My Friends after six months of unsuccessful attempts, and to research his birth parents' background in Edmonton. LeRoy emphasized the importance of proper prompt phrasing and highlighted how ChatGPT provided quick solutions to various challenges, from finding jokes to suggesting gifts for palliative care patients. You can view LeRoy's presentation slides below.

David demonstrated how ChatGPT can create personalized birthday images, while Stephen and others noted that while ChatGPT provides a useful starting point, users should verify the information and cross-reference with other sources like Ancestry.ca or Wikipedia.org. The conversation concluded with Lynda raising a technical question about potential conflicts between Apple's built-in ChatGPT functionality and the standalone ChatGPT app. Preliminary research indicates that there can indeed be conflicts and privacy concerns, which could be a future meeting topic.

The group discussed various AI chat tools and their experiences with them, including ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity. Neil shared his experiences with Copilot's impressive coding capabilities and accuracy issues with ChatGPT.

3 - Apple's September 9th Event - group chat
The conversation then shifted to Apple's recent product announcements, including the iPhone 17 lineup, AirPods Pro 3, and new Apple Watch features. You can view a summary of the new features in the second attachment below. The group also discussed durability concerns with the new iPhone models and potential accessories for professional use https://postperspective.com/blackmagic-camera-prodock-for-iphone-17-prores-raw-to-resolve/. John recommended the Pocket Tripod, which is a credit card size, foldable tripod for smartphones https://geometrical-inc.com

Below is a list of books that I have which need a new home.

I consider all of these books to be in mint to near-mint condition.

• Apple branded books
• Inside Macintosh Volumes 1 - 6
• Inside Macintosh X-Ref
• Guide to the Machintosh Family Hardware
• MacsBugs (loose sheets in a binder)
• Inside AppleTalk
• Inside AppleTalk, Second Edition
• Macintosh Designing Cards and Drivers for Macintosh II and Macintosh SE
• Motorola databooks
• M68000 User's Manual
• MC68020 User's Manual
• M68000 Family Programmer's Reference Manual
• MC68307 User's Manual
• Other books
• Macintosh Revealed Volumes 1-4
• Macintosh Programming Secrets

We still cannot have in-person meetings at the library. So we will use Zoom.

Date: Monday September 22, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/expired
Meeting ID:   expired
Passcode:    expired

Although Zoom works in many browsers we STRONGLY recommend using the dedicated app on your device with the largest screen for the best experience.
You do NOT need a Zoom account to join a meeting!
If you need instructions, go here: https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/UsingZOOM

Agenda:

0 - Group chin-wag during log on                                                                                                  7:20 - 7:30
                                                                     
1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals                                                                          7:30 - 7:40

2 - Making  AI work for you
     - Asking it good questions, and lots more                                      with Leroy Lees                   7:40 - 8:30

3 - Apple's September 9th event                                                          group chat                          8:30 - 9:00
   

Unfortunately, no after meeting wings or desserts at the Royal Oak, but feel free to prepare your own snacks and share them with us on screen!

Did you miss a meeting?
Sign up for emailed meeting notices! https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders

Don't forget the Ottawa Public Library!
Even though we are unable to meet in person at the library, the OPL still offers a wealth of services you can access online. Go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en