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#61
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-11-27 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - November 16, 2023, 11:47:04 AMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library. So we will use Zoom.
Date: Monday November 27, 2023
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
Agenda:
0 - Group chin-wag during log on 7:20 - 7:30
1 - News and Views - members' new tech
arrivals to chat about 7:30 - 7:40
2 - JustPressRecord.app with LeRoy Lees 7:40 - 8:15
3 - Notes.app - dictation and other features group discussion 8:15 - 8:45
4 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
Date: Monday November 27, 2023
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
Agenda:
0 - Group chin-wag during log on 7:20 - 7:30
1 - News and Views - members' new tech
arrivals to chat about 7:30 - 7:40
2 - JustPressRecord.app with LeRoy Lees 7:40 - 8:15
3 - Notes.app - dictation and other features group discussion 8:15 - 8:45
4 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
#62
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-10-23 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - October 24, 2023, 05:08:01 PM1 - News and Views
David got an iPhone 15 Pro this week, primarily for the enhanced camera capabilities. It's all set up as his primary phone but he has not yet had a chance to try out the new features. He prefers the smaller format over the Pro Max version because it fits in his pocket.
Wally recently restored his iPhone 14 Pro Max to factory settings, which resolved a problem with cell phone reception at home. He has been gradually restoring his apps one by one. He wondered if anyone has come across a "CleanMyMac" sort of app for the iPhone. Several participants agreed that the manual one by one restoration was probably the best approach.
Keith mentioned that he has been quite happy with his iPhone 14 Pro Max. Against his better judgment, he used the digital zoom for a distant subject. While producing a usable image, it was noisier than you would want. David observed that digital zoom is essentially cropping the image so that it becomes more pixelated. Laurence recommended using a tripod or something steady to lean on to improve the image quality. Graham also suggested switching to RAW format. But there will always be limitations with digital zoom.
2 - Fjorden grip for iPhone - with Laurence Head
Both Ross and Laurence have received their Fjorden Grips. This product and associated app was launched as a Kickstarter project in Norway and gives you a better hold on your iPhone, as well as physical controls for shutter, zoom, and exposure, making it feel more like a DSLR camera. It works with Moment lenses, which so far are among the best for iPhones. https://shop.fjorden.co/en-ca
Ross had prepared a presentation deck for this evening, but because of logistic challenges with his annual move from Italy to Australia, was unable to join us. Instead, Laurence gave the presentation and shared his own experience in using the product.
Fjorden offers a variety of cases, depending on your model of iPhone, and the grip attachment is then locked in place. There are also fairly inexpensive lens mounts which will accommodate Moment lenses: wide angle, fish eye, telephoto (perhaps less necessary with the iPhone 15 Pro Max). The software has been updated to also support video and zoom with the dial. The app continues to improve.
Laurence uses his Fjorden case for everyday use and really likes the form factor of the grip. He had been concerned that the app was not taking advantage of some of the Apple capabilities such as image stabilization, but this seems to be getting better. You can view the presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-10-23_Fjorden.pdf
The presentation includes other photographic products that attach to an iPhone such as an earlier SLR lens from Sony and an alternate grip from Pictarworld.
Charles has a compact camera from Canon, with decent wide angle and telephoto lenses. He will stay with what he has. In his opinion, the iPhone is not quite there.
3 - iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 - with David Rhynas
David gave a high level overview of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, which were released last month. There are a number of compelling features and there is consensus that you should upgrade to this latest release, if indeed your device is still capable. You can view David's presentation deck and associated remarks at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-10-23_iOS_17.pdf
Apple has also published a comprehensive list of the new features, which is included at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-10-23_iOS_All_New_Features.pdf
David got an iPhone 15 Pro this week, primarily for the enhanced camera capabilities. It's all set up as his primary phone but he has not yet had a chance to try out the new features. He prefers the smaller format over the Pro Max version because it fits in his pocket.
Wally recently restored his iPhone 14 Pro Max to factory settings, which resolved a problem with cell phone reception at home. He has been gradually restoring his apps one by one. He wondered if anyone has come across a "CleanMyMac" sort of app for the iPhone. Several participants agreed that the manual one by one restoration was probably the best approach.
Keith mentioned that he has been quite happy with his iPhone 14 Pro Max. Against his better judgment, he used the digital zoom for a distant subject. While producing a usable image, it was noisier than you would want. David observed that digital zoom is essentially cropping the image so that it becomes more pixelated. Laurence recommended using a tripod or something steady to lean on to improve the image quality. Graham also suggested switching to RAW format. But there will always be limitations with digital zoom.
2 - Fjorden grip for iPhone - with Laurence Head
Both Ross and Laurence have received their Fjorden Grips. This product and associated app was launched as a Kickstarter project in Norway and gives you a better hold on your iPhone, as well as physical controls for shutter, zoom, and exposure, making it feel more like a DSLR camera. It works with Moment lenses, which so far are among the best for iPhones. https://shop.fjorden.co/en-ca
Ross had prepared a presentation deck for this evening, but because of logistic challenges with his annual move from Italy to Australia, was unable to join us. Instead, Laurence gave the presentation and shared his own experience in using the product.
Fjorden offers a variety of cases, depending on your model of iPhone, and the grip attachment is then locked in place. There are also fairly inexpensive lens mounts which will accommodate Moment lenses: wide angle, fish eye, telephoto (perhaps less necessary with the iPhone 15 Pro Max). The software has been updated to also support video and zoom with the dial. The app continues to improve.
Laurence uses his Fjorden case for everyday use and really likes the form factor of the grip. He had been concerned that the app was not taking advantage of some of the Apple capabilities such as image stabilization, but this seems to be getting better. You can view the presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-10-23_Fjorden.pdf
The presentation includes other photographic products that attach to an iPhone such as an earlier SLR lens from Sony and an alternate grip from Pictarworld.
Charles has a compact camera from Canon, with decent wide angle and telephoto lenses. He will stay with what he has. In his opinion, the iPhone is not quite there.
3 - iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 - with David Rhynas
David gave a high level overview of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, which were released last month. There are a number of compelling features and there is consensus that you should upgrade to this latest release, if indeed your device is still capable. You can view David's presentation deck and associated remarks at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-10-23_iOS_17.pdf
Apple has also published a comprehensive list of the new features, which is included at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-10-23_iOS_All_New_Features.pdf
#63
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-10-23 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - October 09, 2023, 01:44:57 PMWe may not be able to have in-person meetings at the library. If so, we will use Zoom.
Date: Monday October 23, 2023
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 to chat about 7:30 - 7:40
2 - Fjorden grip for iPhone - with Laurence Head 7:40 - 8:15
3 - iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 - with David Rhynas 8:15 - 9:00
4 - Presidential Sign Off - with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
Date: Monday October 23, 2023
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 to chat about 7:30 - 7:40
2 - Fjorden grip for iPhone - with Laurence Head 7:40 - 8:15
3 - iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 - with David Rhynas 8:15 - 9:00
4 - Presidential Sign Off - with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
#64
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-09-25 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - September 26, 2023, 03:07:58 PM1 - News and Views - members' new tech arrivals to share with the group
Marc recently purchased the Series 9 Apple Watch. He went with base model since these products tend to become dated within several years. It's a little bigger and the screen is noticeably brighter, now easy to read on the golf course. This model has better swing detection; his golf app is able to keep a record of where and when every stroke was made and which club was used.
John mentioned that he had looked at Apple for golf several years ago and it wasn't quite there so he purchased a Garmin. David had the same experience. The Garmin also has the stroke analysis features and comes preloaded with 30,000 courses. But of course, it is a specialty watch and Apple may well overtake since since their product can do golf and so many other things.
John is a serious amateur photographer and mentioned that he just returned from a month in Europe and used just his iPhone 14 rather than his regular cameras. The lenses and editing software have so much improved. With the Live Photo feature, the phone captures a group of photos and which you can select from, blend or play back as a short video. Wally and David experienced the same good results during their recent road trips. "The best camera is the one you have with you."
That is true to a point, but there are still situations where a DSLR is the preferred solution. Marc is planning a two-week photo shoot of rocket launches at Cape Canaveral. He'll be using a Canon camera with the 100 to 400mm as his primary telephoto zoom lens. Mark is also looking at renting a 600mm zoom for this trip.
2 - Highlights from Apple's September 12th Event - with Chris Duguid
Chris provided a good cut-to-the-chase summary of what was announced at the September 12th Apple event. Although low key compared to some, there were a number of enhancements in latest watch and iPhone product lines. These include:
- USB-C charging cable can now be used for all new Apple devices with faster data transfer
- Apple Watch Series 9, a better upgrade than you may think
- Apple Watch Ultra, which is water proof and suitable for diving
- iPhone 15, with improved processing and camera capabilities
- iPhone 15 Pro Max with 5x optical zoom and 3D shooting for the coming Apple Vision Pro
- Apple's environmental messaging
You can view Chris' presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-09-25_wonderlust_apple.pdf
3 - Medical Apps Using Apple Technology - with Graham Fawcett
Graham next gave a presentation on Heath apps he has been using with his Apple Watch and other technology. This interested was prompted by an unexpected learning experience where watch alerted him of a potential medical issue that was addressed in hospital. Graham has more recently been focusing on improving the quality of his sleep and the attributes of several sleep apps were reviewed. There are other monitoring products for those who do not own an Apple Watch or prefer not to wear one to bed. Graham's presentation deck is included at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-09-25_MUGOO_Health_Apps.pdf Note especially his observations on the last slide.
Also, Graham used a Keynote template which included the video of him speaking within the frame of the slide ... a very engaging means of presentation!
4 - Future Proofing the MUGOO Website - with Neil Herber
Neil framed his discussion as Protecting MUGOO Digital Assets. The previous MUGOO website setup had been in Neil's office with Neil as the only resource contact ... too many potential single points of failure. Over the past months all MUGOO assets have been migrated to Web Hosting Canada, with Neil, Wally and David as points of contact ... a far more robust structure. You can view Neil's very clear tutorial comments in the attachment below.
Marc recently purchased the Series 9 Apple Watch. He went with base model since these products tend to become dated within several years. It's a little bigger and the screen is noticeably brighter, now easy to read on the golf course. This model has better swing detection; his golf app is able to keep a record of where and when every stroke was made and which club was used.
John mentioned that he had looked at Apple for golf several years ago and it wasn't quite there so he purchased a Garmin. David had the same experience. The Garmin also has the stroke analysis features and comes preloaded with 30,000 courses. But of course, it is a specialty watch and Apple may well overtake since since their product can do golf and so many other things.
John is a serious amateur photographer and mentioned that he just returned from a month in Europe and used just his iPhone 14 rather than his regular cameras. The lenses and editing software have so much improved. With the Live Photo feature, the phone captures a group of photos and which you can select from, blend or play back as a short video. Wally and David experienced the same good results during their recent road trips. "The best camera is the one you have with you."
That is true to a point, but there are still situations where a DSLR is the preferred solution. Marc is planning a two-week photo shoot of rocket launches at Cape Canaveral. He'll be using a Canon camera with the 100 to 400mm as his primary telephoto zoom lens. Mark is also looking at renting a 600mm zoom for this trip.
2 - Highlights from Apple's September 12th Event - with Chris Duguid
Chris provided a good cut-to-the-chase summary of what was announced at the September 12th Apple event. Although low key compared to some, there were a number of enhancements in latest watch and iPhone product lines. These include:
- USB-C charging cable can now be used for all new Apple devices with faster data transfer
- Apple Watch Series 9, a better upgrade than you may think
- Apple Watch Ultra, which is water proof and suitable for diving
- iPhone 15, with improved processing and camera capabilities
- iPhone 15 Pro Max with 5x optical zoom and 3D shooting for the coming Apple Vision Pro
- Apple's environmental messaging
You can view Chris' presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-09-25_wonderlust_apple.pdf
3 - Medical Apps Using Apple Technology - with Graham Fawcett
Graham next gave a presentation on Heath apps he has been using with his Apple Watch and other technology. This interested was prompted by an unexpected learning experience where watch alerted him of a potential medical issue that was addressed in hospital. Graham has more recently been focusing on improving the quality of his sleep and the attributes of several sleep apps were reviewed. There are other monitoring products for those who do not own an Apple Watch or prefer not to wear one to bed. Graham's presentation deck is included at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-09-25_MUGOO_Health_Apps.pdf Note especially his observations on the last slide.
Also, Graham used a Keynote template which included the video of him speaking within the frame of the slide ... a very engaging means of presentation!
4 - Future Proofing the MUGOO Website - with Neil Herber
Neil framed his discussion as Protecting MUGOO Digital Assets. The previous MUGOO website setup had been in Neil's office with Neil as the only resource contact ... too many potential single points of failure. Over the past months all MUGOO assets have been migrated to Web Hosting Canada, with Neil, Wally and David as points of contact ... a far more robust structure. You can view Neil's very clear tutorial comments in the attachment below.
#65
Buy, Sell, Swap, Give ... / For Sale: iPhone 14 ProMax w/ ...
Last post by Keith - September 26, 2023, 01:47:22 AMiPhone 14 ProMax with 1TB memory, Belkin UltraGlass, Tech-21 FlexMax case with sliding lens cover and wrist strap. SpaceBlack. Almost $3k invested. 60% = $1800. Available for $1,500 or better offer. Has AppleCare.
#66
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-09-25 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting...
Last post by AdminMan - July 06, 2023, 02:59:31 PMWe may not be able to have in-person meetings at the library. If so, we will use Zoom.
Date: Monday September 25, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM ET You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.
Venue: The library OR a Zoom meeting that you can join on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
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 to share with the group 7:30 - 7:40
2 - Highlights from Apple's September 12th Event with Chris Duguid 7:40 - 8:10
3 - Medical Apps Using Apple Technology with Graham Fawcett 8:10 - 8:40
4 - Future Proofing the MUGOO Website with Neil Herber 8:40 - 9:10
5 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
Date: Monday September 25, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM ET You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.
Venue: The library OR a Zoom meeting that you can join on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
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 to share with the group 7:30 - 7:40
2 - Highlights from Apple's September 12th Event with Chris Duguid 7:40 - 8:10
3 - Medical Apps Using Apple Technology with Graham Fawcett 8:10 - 8:40
4 - Future Proofing the MUGOO Website with Neil Herber 8:40 - 9:10
5 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
#67
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-06-26 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by wallykuz - July 06, 2023, 01:39:14 AMiMeeting Summary June 26, 2023
Ross was the sole presenter. There was was very brief News and Views and Ross got right into presenting Part 2 of his non-Apple mini app series. He presented...
Mactracker
Calcbot
Itsycal
Copy Me That
This pdf shows these four apps and also the apps he presented in Part 1 previously
https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-06-26-OtherApps.pdf
Ross then presented Photoshop Generative Fill, which uses AI methods to add or fill in missing content in photographs. See https://photoshopcafe.com/generative-fill-vs-remove-tool-ai-in-photoshop-when-to-use-each-tool/
Wally
Ross was the sole presenter. There was was very brief News and Views and Ross got right into presenting Part 2 of his non-Apple mini app series. He presented...
Mactracker
Calcbot
Itsycal
Copy Me That
This pdf shows these four apps and also the apps he presented in Part 1 previously
https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-06-26-OtherApps.pdf
Ross then presented Photoshop Generative Fill, which uses AI methods to add or fill in missing content in photographs. See https://photoshopcafe.com/generative-fill-vs-remove-tool-ai-in-photoshop-when-to-use-each-tool/
Wally
#68
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-06-26 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting...
Last post by AdminMan - June 09, 2023, 02:19:20 PMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday June 26, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM ET You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.
Venue: A Zoom meeting that you can join on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
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 to share with the group 7:30 -7:40
2 - More Apps and Stuff from Ross...
Itsycal, Mactracker, Netshade, Paste, Wondershare
PLUS... the "magic" of Generative Fill in Photoshop Beta with Ross Slade 7:40 - 8:45
3 - Apple WWDC 2023 - our impressions group discussion 8:45 - 9:00
4 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
Date: Monday June 26, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM ET You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.
Venue: A Zoom meeting that you can join on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
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 to share with the group 7:30 -7:40
2 - More Apps and Stuff from Ross...
Itsycal, Mactracker, Netshade, Paste, Wondershare
PLUS... the "magic" of Generative Fill in Photoshop Beta with Ross Slade 7:40 - 8:45
3 - Apple WWDC 2023 - our impressions group discussion 8:45 - 9:00
4 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 25 seconds
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
#69
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-05-29 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting...
Last post by AdminMan - April 27, 2023, 02:33:15 PM** The May 29, 2023 iMeeting is cancelled **
Our major presenter had to cancel on short notice.
The next iMeeting will be on Monday June 26th at 7:30 PM.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Prez Wally
Our major presenter had to cancel on short notice.
The next iMeeting will be on Monday June 26th at 7:30 PM.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Prez Wally
#70
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-04-24 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - April 25, 2023, 03:19:34 PM1 - News and Views - new tech arrivals to share with the group
Marc recently upgraded to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and has noticed a significant performance boost across his entire system.
David has ordered a Mac Mini M2 Pro, to be delivered on May 1st. He currently has two other Mac Minis on his desk (2007 with macOS 10.6.8 and late 2014 with 10.14.6), each running older programs no longer available in the newer Apple silicon environments. Marc pointed out that it's possible to run such older versions of macOS on separate virtual machines in emulation mode using a program such as Parallels, without having to reboot and no perceptible lag at all.
Graham mentioned that he has a 40 year old portable Sony shortwave radio which is still better than anything that you can buy today. Newer is not necessarily better.
2 - AI Update - with David Rhynas
At the January meeting David had provided a presentation on several significant developments in the realm of Artificial Intelligence:
ChatGPT, chatbot built on top of a family of OpenAI's large language models;
VALL-E, language model that can clone your voice from a 3 second audio clip;
DALL-E, that can generate digital images from natural language prompts.
Because things are moving so quickly, we thought it would be appropriate to provide a few headline updates since that time. These include refinement of the grandparent scam where fraudsters can now mimic family member voices, the introduction of OpenAI's much enhanced GPT4, Elon Musk's open letter to pause development while regulations catch up, an AI image winning the Sony World Photograhy Competition and novel ways that you can use ChatGPT for work. You can view David's presentation deck and remarks here[https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-04-24_AI_Update.pdf].
In the post discussion, Marc mentioned that he has used ChatGPT to come up with a first draft of Executive summaries for 20 of his technical papers. Not always spot on but still a time saver. A good technical writer is still worth his or her weight in gold, but some such jobs are now in jeopardy.
Ian used to work for Volleyball Canada and ChatGPT came back with some nonsense when asked to write his biography, an example of so-called hallucination.
When asked whether ChatGPT works in in other languages, Neil remarked that ChatGPT has been able to teach itself Bengali!
ChatGPT has mined a lot of personal data and is still banned in Italy due to privacy concerns.
Graham has been watching an interesting TV series The Capture on Amazon Prime. Part of the premise is that Cambridge Analytics and ChatGPT "take over the world." AI is becoming part of our pop culture.
3 - This-and-that on my Mac - with Ross Slade
Ross presented Part 1 of useful, inexpensive non-Apple apps that can make everyday tasks more efficient.
Bartender is an award-winning app for macOS that enhances your menu bar, giving you better control over your menu bar items, what's displayed, and when, with menu bar items only showing when you need them. It improves workflow with quick reveal, search, custom hotkeys and triggers, and more. https://www.macbartender.com
Paste is like a time machine for your clipboard. It makes it easy to instantly find and access any text, link, image, or file you've ever copied on any of your macOS or iOS devices via iCloud; essentially the clipboard as it should be. https://pasteapp.io
Shottr is screenshot tool for those who care about pixels. It enables scrolling screenshots your on mac, marking up a screenshot, picking a colour, zooming in on your pixels, bluring things. As an example, a 15 page scrolling book preview on Amazon can be captured with a single click. https://shottr.cc
AppCleaner is a small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps. Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using space across your Hard Drive. AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them. Smart Delete will remind you about the other hidden bits when you drag an app to the trash. https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ There was some discussion on whether this app is able to locate stuff that CleanMyMac does not ... to be determined.
You can view his presentation deck here[https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023_04_25_Ross_Apps_Part_1.pdf].
Marc recently upgraded to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and has noticed a significant performance boost across his entire system.
David has ordered a Mac Mini M2 Pro, to be delivered on May 1st. He currently has two other Mac Minis on his desk (2007 with macOS 10.6.8 and late 2014 with 10.14.6), each running older programs no longer available in the newer Apple silicon environments. Marc pointed out that it's possible to run such older versions of macOS on separate virtual machines in emulation mode using a program such as Parallels, without having to reboot and no perceptible lag at all.
Graham mentioned that he has a 40 year old portable Sony shortwave radio which is still better than anything that you can buy today. Newer is not necessarily better.
2 - AI Update - with David Rhynas
At the January meeting David had provided a presentation on several significant developments in the realm of Artificial Intelligence:
ChatGPT, chatbot built on top of a family of OpenAI's large language models;
VALL-E, language model that can clone your voice from a 3 second audio clip;
DALL-E, that can generate digital images from natural language prompts.
Because things are moving so quickly, we thought it would be appropriate to provide a few headline updates since that time. These include refinement of the grandparent scam where fraudsters can now mimic family member voices, the introduction of OpenAI's much enhanced GPT4, Elon Musk's open letter to pause development while regulations catch up, an AI image winning the Sony World Photograhy Competition and novel ways that you can use ChatGPT for work. You can view David's presentation deck and remarks here[https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-04-24_AI_Update.pdf].
In the post discussion, Marc mentioned that he has used ChatGPT to come up with a first draft of Executive summaries for 20 of his technical papers. Not always spot on but still a time saver. A good technical writer is still worth his or her weight in gold, but some such jobs are now in jeopardy.
Ian used to work for Volleyball Canada and ChatGPT came back with some nonsense when asked to write his biography, an example of so-called hallucination.
When asked whether ChatGPT works in in other languages, Neil remarked that ChatGPT has been able to teach itself Bengali!
ChatGPT has mined a lot of personal data and is still banned in Italy due to privacy concerns.
Graham has been watching an interesting TV series The Capture on Amazon Prime. Part of the premise is that Cambridge Analytics and ChatGPT "take over the world." AI is becoming part of our pop culture.
3 - This-and-that on my Mac - with Ross Slade
Ross presented Part 1 of useful, inexpensive non-Apple apps that can make everyday tasks more efficient.
Bartender is an award-winning app for macOS that enhances your menu bar, giving you better control over your menu bar items, what's displayed, and when, with menu bar items only showing when you need them. It improves workflow with quick reveal, search, custom hotkeys and triggers, and more. https://www.macbartender.com
Paste is like a time machine for your clipboard. It makes it easy to instantly find and access any text, link, image, or file you've ever copied on any of your macOS or iOS devices via iCloud; essentially the clipboard as it should be. https://pasteapp.io
Shottr is screenshot tool for those who care about pixels. It enables scrolling screenshots your on mac, marking up a screenshot, picking a colour, zooming in on your pixels, bluring things. As an example, a 15 page scrolling book preview on Amazon can be captured with a single click. https://shottr.cc
AppCleaner is a small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps. Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using space across your Hard Drive. AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them. Smart Delete will remind you about the other hidden bits when you drag an app to the trash. https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ There was some discussion on whether this app is able to locate stuff that CleanMyMac does not ... to be determined.
You can view his presentation deck here[https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023_04_25_Ross_Apps_Part_1.pdf].