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#71
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-04-24 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - March 30, 2023, 06:14:51 PMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday April 24, 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 - new tech arrivals to share with the group 7:30-7:45
2 - AI Update with David Rhynas 7:45 - 8:05
3 - This-and-that on my Mac - 4 mini-presentations
Bartender, Paste, Shottr, AppCleaner with Ross Slade 8:05 - 9:10
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 April 24, 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 - new tech arrivals to share with the group 7:30-7:45
2 - AI Update with David Rhynas 7:45 - 8:05
3 - This-and-that on my Mac - 4 mini-presentations
Bartender, Paste, Shottr, AppCleaner with Ross Slade 8:05 - 9:10
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
#72
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-03-27 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - March 28, 2023, 04:27:32 PM1 - News and Views - interesting products/services that members recently bought or discovered
Apple has just launched the Apple Music Classical app which provides enhanced searching capability and higher fidelity/spatial audio. You can even compare every recording made of a particular piece. The app requires iOS 15.4 or later and any Apple Music subscription. https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/03/09/apple-launches-apple-music-classical-app
Amazon will be shutting down DPReview, the trusted and comprehensive camera reviews website, as part of the layoffs announced in January. https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/21/23650286/amazon-dpreview-camera-site-shutdown-layoffs. As a friendly competitor alternative, Ross prefers Petapixel. https://petapixel.com
Both Ross and Laurence have received their Fjorden Grips. David has one on order. This product and associated app was launched as a Kickstarter project 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 There will be a presentation on both the hardware and software at a future meeting. The product is a good way there, but Ross feels that there are still some kinks to be ironed out.
2 - I prefer my iPad Pro to my Mac - A journey with Lynda Matsumoto
Lynda has recently upgraded to an M2 chip iPad Pro, a big performance improvement over the fourth generation. It has a single Thunderbolt / USB 4 port with support for Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, USB 4 and USB 3.1.
At the same time she is becoming a "MacGyver" in the Apple universe. MacGyver is a verb meaning "to make, form, or repair (something) with what is conveniently on hand."
Lynda has a large Cintiq monitor but prefers the flexibility and portability that she can get with the iPad Pro. By means of a D-link hub she has been able to transform her iPad into a "desktop computer" with an old wired mouse and wired keyboard. This can be moved to anywhere in the house and can also connect to the large Cintiq monitor and an associated sound system. You can view Lynda's setup in her presentation https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-03-27_Journey.pdf.
Lynda no longer uses PhotoShop and prefers ClipStudio Pro. You can rent or purchase the software outright at a reasonable price. Originally aimed at comic artists, it's great for illustrations with excellent layer capability and animation.
Lynda uses Apple Stage Manager to share the much larger Cintiq screen with her adjacent iPad screen, keeping some apps on one screen and the rest on the other. She even uses this setup for Zoom meetings.
This may be the way that Apple is evolving ... from desktop computer to iPad Pro with accessories!
3 - New Features we've discovered accidentally - round-table discussion
This was a roundtable discussion with various iOS and macOS features that you may have stumbled across by accident. Here are some of the items that came up.
LeRoy has always been impressed by Apple Notes. As a professional engineer, he used to employ outline programs in his consulting practice. Notes can do similar outlining with bullet formats and sub-headings. Apple Mail now has this capability as well.
If you are typing in a message and pick up your iPhone from the bottom corner it activates the microphone button and and records all spoken audio from the room. It's quick way of putting audio into a message. Siri is actually very good at dictation. Ross switches between English and Italian keyboards, with the appropriate spell check.
Wally mentioned that he is sometimes annoyed when all of the tab items in a program suddenly flip to small window overview mode (likely caused by a three finger gesture going upward on the trackpad). The fastest way out of this view is by pressing the upper left escape (esc) key.
Wally recently rediscovered how to activate the Character Viewer with his M1 computer. This is sometimes useful for currency and math symbols. Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space.
David likes the new ability to insert rich links within the text of an email. Rich links provide a preview of the URL you'll including, so instead of a string of text, your recipients get a thumbnail of the website and a short description. That way, the people you're messaging will have a better idea of what awaits them when they click on a link.
He is also a fan of Notes. Both macOS and iPadOS now offer a Quick Note feature for quickly jotting down thoughts as they occur. You can start a Quick Note through an icon on the Command Center screen of your iPhone. Or when you're in another app like Safari or Photos, you can tap the Share icon. On the subsequent Share Sheet, a new Add to Quick Note command appears, which lets you create a new note or amend an existing one.
Maybe you've saved the same photo multiple times or downloaded a video more than once, resulting in duplicates littering up your photo album. It may not be a problem if you've got storage to spare, but you're running out of space, you can now remove every single duplicate easily with iOS 16. In Photos > Albums, you should see a new Duplicates album under Utilities. Apple scans through all of your photos and shows you any photo or video you've saved more than once in that album. From there, you can either delete any duplicates, or simply press Merge, which will keep the photo with the highest quality (and relevant data) and then move the others to the trash. Although you'll probably want to go through each set of duplicates, to ensure that they're actually exact copies and not similar photos, you can also hit Select > Select All > Merge to remove every single photo and video that Apple thinks is a duplicate, all at once.
Gilian's flashlight has been turning on "by itself." The ever-present flashlight icon is located at the bottom left-hand corner of your iPhone lock screen, so when you grip the phone face-up with your right hand, your thumb can easily come in contact with the shortcut, whether intentionally or not. If this happens you can say "Hey Siri, turn off the flashlight", half swipe left on the lock screen, or hold down the icon until the flashlight turns itself off.
Ian walks around the house with his AirPods. He was quite surprised and impressed when prompted "Would you like to play this on your Home Pod?" when walking by. It will do the same thing in your car.
Ferriss likes the Bluetooth feature of his hearing aids which allows a direct wireless connection to audio equipment that is quite satisfying.
Apple has just launched the Apple Music Classical app which provides enhanced searching capability and higher fidelity/spatial audio. You can even compare every recording made of a particular piece. The app requires iOS 15.4 or later and any Apple Music subscription. https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/03/09/apple-launches-apple-music-classical-app
Amazon will be shutting down DPReview, the trusted and comprehensive camera reviews website, as part of the layoffs announced in January. https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/21/23650286/amazon-dpreview-camera-site-shutdown-layoffs. As a friendly competitor alternative, Ross prefers Petapixel. https://petapixel.com
Both Ross and Laurence have received their Fjorden Grips. David has one on order. This product and associated app was launched as a Kickstarter project 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 There will be a presentation on both the hardware and software at a future meeting. The product is a good way there, but Ross feels that there are still some kinks to be ironed out.
2 - I prefer my iPad Pro to my Mac - A journey with Lynda Matsumoto
Lynda has recently upgraded to an M2 chip iPad Pro, a big performance improvement over the fourth generation. It has a single Thunderbolt / USB 4 port with support for Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, USB 4 and USB 3.1.
At the same time she is becoming a "MacGyver" in the Apple universe. MacGyver is a verb meaning "to make, form, or repair (something) with what is conveniently on hand."
Lynda has a large Cintiq monitor but prefers the flexibility and portability that she can get with the iPad Pro. By means of a D-link hub she has been able to transform her iPad into a "desktop computer" with an old wired mouse and wired keyboard. This can be moved to anywhere in the house and can also connect to the large Cintiq monitor and an associated sound system. You can view Lynda's setup in her presentation https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-03-27_Journey.pdf.
Lynda no longer uses PhotoShop and prefers ClipStudio Pro. You can rent or purchase the software outright at a reasonable price. Originally aimed at comic artists, it's great for illustrations with excellent layer capability and animation.
Lynda uses Apple Stage Manager to share the much larger Cintiq screen with her adjacent iPad screen, keeping some apps on one screen and the rest on the other. She even uses this setup for Zoom meetings.
This may be the way that Apple is evolving ... from desktop computer to iPad Pro with accessories!
3 - New Features we've discovered accidentally - round-table discussion
This was a roundtable discussion with various iOS and macOS features that you may have stumbled across by accident. Here are some of the items that came up.
LeRoy has always been impressed by Apple Notes. As a professional engineer, he used to employ outline programs in his consulting practice. Notes can do similar outlining with bullet formats and sub-headings. Apple Mail now has this capability as well.
If you are typing in a message and pick up your iPhone from the bottom corner it activates the microphone button and and records all spoken audio from the room. It's quick way of putting audio into a message. Siri is actually very good at dictation. Ross switches between English and Italian keyboards, with the appropriate spell check.
Wally mentioned that he is sometimes annoyed when all of the tab items in a program suddenly flip to small window overview mode (likely caused by a three finger gesture going upward on the trackpad). The fastest way out of this view is by pressing the upper left escape (esc) key.
Wally recently rediscovered how to activate the Character Viewer with his M1 computer. This is sometimes useful for currency and math symbols. Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space.
David likes the new ability to insert rich links within the text of an email. Rich links provide a preview of the URL you'll including, so instead of a string of text, your recipients get a thumbnail of the website and a short description. That way, the people you're messaging will have a better idea of what awaits them when they click on a link.
He is also a fan of Notes. Both macOS and iPadOS now offer a Quick Note feature for quickly jotting down thoughts as they occur. You can start a Quick Note through an icon on the Command Center screen of your iPhone. Or when you're in another app like Safari or Photos, you can tap the Share icon. On the subsequent Share Sheet, a new Add to Quick Note command appears, which lets you create a new note or amend an existing one.
Maybe you've saved the same photo multiple times or downloaded a video more than once, resulting in duplicates littering up your photo album. It may not be a problem if you've got storage to spare, but you're running out of space, you can now remove every single duplicate easily with iOS 16. In Photos > Albums, you should see a new Duplicates album under Utilities. Apple scans through all of your photos and shows you any photo or video you've saved more than once in that album. From there, you can either delete any duplicates, or simply press Merge, which will keep the photo with the highest quality (and relevant data) and then move the others to the trash. Although you'll probably want to go through each set of duplicates, to ensure that they're actually exact copies and not similar photos, you can also hit Select > Select All > Merge to remove every single photo and video that Apple thinks is a duplicate, all at once.
Gilian's flashlight has been turning on "by itself." The ever-present flashlight icon is located at the bottom left-hand corner of your iPhone lock screen, so when you grip the phone face-up with your right hand, your thumb can easily come in contact with the shortcut, whether intentionally or not. If this happens you can say "Hey Siri, turn off the flashlight", half swipe left on the lock screen, or hold down the icon until the flashlight turns itself off.
Ian walks around the house with his AirPods. He was quite surprised and impressed when prompted "Would you like to play this on your Home Pod?" when walking by. It will do the same thing in your car.
Ferriss likes the Bluetooth feature of his hearing aids which allows a direct wireless connection to audio equipment that is quite satisfying.
#73
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-03-27 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - March 05, 2023, 03:04:50 PMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday March 27, 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 - interesting products/services that members
recently bought or discovered 15 minutes
2 - I prefer my iPad Pro to my Mac - A journey with Lynda Matsumoto 30 minutes
3 - "What the f***!!! - I only touched the corner of my
iPhone screen and now I'm dictating into Messages?"
New Features we've discovered accidentally round-table discussion 30 minutes
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 March 27, 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 - interesting products/services that members
recently bought or discovered 15 minutes
2 - I prefer my iPad Pro to my Mac - A journey with Lynda Matsumoto 30 minutes
3 - "What the f***!!! - I only touched the corner of my
iPhone screen and now I'm dictating into Messages?"
New Features we've discovered accidentally round-table discussion 30 minutes
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
#74
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-02-27 MUGOO Zoom iMe...
Last post by DavidR - February 28, 2023, 02:57:47 PM1 - Topaz suite of image software - with Ross Slade
Ross provided an overview and demonstration of Topaz photo editing software. The company originally started with plug-ins for Lightroom and Photoshop and has expanded their suite to include stand-alone products. Ross stepped through three of these: DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI, and Sharpen AI. These products can dramatically improve the perceived image resolution, particularly if an image is being enlarged. It can do all the changes automatically or allow you specific manual control over the sharpening changes.
https://www.topazlabs.com
Topaz Photo AI bundles the three into one program. If you don't need all three you are probably best to buy individually. These plug-ins can improve sharpening for motion blur and out-of-focus as well as enlargement. They can also handle Nikon and Canon raw files, with a complete list on the website.
ON1, which Ross has presented at prior MUGOO sessions, provides all of these capabilities to some degree and is a good way to go in general. However, the Topaz stand-alone products deliver better results for specific instances. Ross will sometimes run both and choose the best.
Marc also really likes the Topaz Video AI product.
You can view the presentation deck: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-02-27-Topaz_Products_for_Mugoo.pdf .
2 - A slideshow plus photo insights - with Graham Fawcett
Graham presented an extraordinary sequence of photos and anecdotes from his travels around the world, as executive VP of an international non-competitive sports federation. The sports include swimming, cycling and mostly walking. Since 2007 he has visited 22 countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia.
A number of the photos were taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max camera, with excellent image resolution and remarkable performance in low light situations. All of the iPhone photos were hand-held, no tripod. Many would previously have not been possible with a hand-held camera. You can download some iPhone 14 Pro Max samples from: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-02-28_Grahams_Sample_Photos_iPhone_14_Pro_Max.zip Here are the captions:
Dawn_DominicanRepublic: "Early morning dawn, Samaná, DR"
Lunch_AshtonBrewPub: "Fish and chips at the Ashton Brew Pub, Ashton, ON"
Folkloric Dancers_SanAntonio: "Folkloric dancers at Magik Theatre, San Antonio, TX"
RiverWalk_Statue_SanAntonio: "Night along the Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX"
Into_the_Sun_DominicanRepublic: "Sunrise looking into the sun, Samaná, DR"
Magik_Theatre_SanAntonio: "Restored Community Theatre, San Antonio, TX"
3 - Roundtable - streaming services - Group Forum
There was very brief discussion on Streaming Services. LeRoy recently gave up his Netflix service after 13 years due to the new sharing charge; he couldn't justify the $40 per month. Graham prefers Britbox, Acorn, and Showcase over Netflix ... each less than $10 per month.
Ross provided an overview and demonstration of Topaz photo editing software. The company originally started with plug-ins for Lightroom and Photoshop and has expanded their suite to include stand-alone products. Ross stepped through three of these: DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI, and Sharpen AI. These products can dramatically improve the perceived image resolution, particularly if an image is being enlarged. It can do all the changes automatically or allow you specific manual control over the sharpening changes.
https://www.topazlabs.com
Topaz Photo AI bundles the three into one program. If you don't need all three you are probably best to buy individually. These plug-ins can improve sharpening for motion blur and out-of-focus as well as enlargement. They can also handle Nikon and Canon raw files, with a complete list on the website.
ON1, which Ross has presented at prior MUGOO sessions, provides all of these capabilities to some degree and is a good way to go in general. However, the Topaz stand-alone products deliver better results for specific instances. Ross will sometimes run both and choose the best.
Marc also really likes the Topaz Video AI product.
You can view the presentation deck: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-02-27-Topaz_Products_for_Mugoo.pdf .
2 - A slideshow plus photo insights - with Graham Fawcett
Graham presented an extraordinary sequence of photos and anecdotes from his travels around the world, as executive VP of an international non-competitive sports federation. The sports include swimming, cycling and mostly walking. Since 2007 he has visited 22 countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia.
A number of the photos were taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max camera, with excellent image resolution and remarkable performance in low light situations. All of the iPhone photos were hand-held, no tripod. Many would previously have not been possible with a hand-held camera. You can download some iPhone 14 Pro Max samples from: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-02-28_Grahams_Sample_Photos_iPhone_14_Pro_Max.zip Here are the captions:
Dawn_DominicanRepublic: "Early morning dawn, Samaná, DR"
Lunch_AshtonBrewPub: "Fish and chips at the Ashton Brew Pub, Ashton, ON"
Folkloric Dancers_SanAntonio: "Folkloric dancers at Magik Theatre, San Antonio, TX"
RiverWalk_Statue_SanAntonio: "Night along the Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX"
Into_the_Sun_DominicanRepublic: "Sunrise looking into the sun, Samaná, DR"
Magik_Theatre_SanAntonio: "Restored Community Theatre, San Antonio, TX"
3 - Roundtable - streaming services - Group Forum
There was very brief discussion on Streaming Services. LeRoy recently gave up his Netflix service after 13 years due to the new sharing charge; he couldn't justify the $40 per month. Graham prefers Britbox, Acorn, and Showcase over Netflix ... each less than $10 per month.
#75
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-02-27 MUGOO Zoom iMeetin...
Last post by AdminMan - January 25, 2023, 12:46:20 PMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday February 27, 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 - Topaz suite of image software with Ross Slade 7:30 - 8:15
2 - A slideshow plus photo insights with Graham Fawcett 8:15 - 8:40
3 - Roundtable - streaming services group forum 8:40 - 9:00
4 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 0.5 minutes
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 February 27, 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 - Topaz suite of image software with Ross Slade 7:30 - 8:15
2 - A slideshow plus photo insights with Graham Fawcett 8:15 - 8:40
3 - Roundtable - streaming services group forum 8:40 - 9:00
4 - Presidential Sign Off with Wally Kuzmicz 0.5 minutes
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
#76
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2023-01-23 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - January 24, 2023, 04:07:56 PM0 - Group chin-wag during log on
Marc was recently able to upgrade his Internet service with Bell from 500 Mbps to 1.5 Gbps for $15 per month less than what he was previously paying! But only after "doing the dance" with Customer Retention. The stance of most Telcos seems to be why should we do anything if the customer is not complaining?
Ross mentioned that Neil sent him an article about monopolistic practices in Canada. It was looking at airfares, Internet and mobile phone service where Canada seems to be one of the most expensive places in the world. No competition.
Wally described some issues he was having in partioning discs, which Marc was able to help clarify.
1 - Update on Recent AI Breakthroughs: - with David Rhynas
OpenAI ChatGPT Text Generator and
Microsoft VALL-E Voice Cloning
David provided an update on two recent and significant announcements in the domain of Artificial Intelligence.
ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI that is trained to generate human-like text. It can be used for a variety of natural language processing tasks, such as language translation, text summarization, question answering, and text generation. Marc has used the ChatGPT service for programming and has been amazed at the accuracy and how much time it saved.
Microsoft researchers have presented an impressive new text-to-speech AI model, called Vall-E, which can listen to a voice for just a few seconds, then mimic that voice – including the emotional tone and acoustics – to say whatever you like.
Both of these services offer compelling benefits and major concerns. Despite some misgivings, the genie is already out of the bottle. You can view David's presentation deck and commentary here https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-01-23-ai_breakthroughs.key
2 - SMS Text Messaging Scams - with Laurence Head
Laurence described several instances where he almost, but not quite, got scammed; the ruses are becoming more and more sophisticated. Most recently there was a bogus but very convincing SMS text message which led him to prompts for his banking sign-on. In iOS 16, there is an easy setting to filter messages from senders not in your list of contacts. The filter can be turned off and all messages are still there. Two-factor authentication is a further safeguard that we should now all be using for our financial services. You can view Laurence's presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-01-23-sms_filter.pdf .
3 - Some Cool iOS 16 Features - with Wally Kuzmicz
Wally gave a real-time demo of one of the slick features in iOS 16: how to instantly lift a subject out of a photo and then do something else with it. The first example was horse and it was remarkable how the hairs in the mane were so precisely extracted. Not so long ago this would have been a very tedious process. The extraction is in .png format which allows placement of an irregularly shaped object. Furthermore, iOS 16 can identify many of the extracted subjects. You view this tip and others in the attachment below.
4 - Post Meeting Discussion
The after chit chat lasted longer than usual and covered a broad range of subjects: more spam stories; phishing attempts; Marc has ordered a new M2 Pro Mac Mini; advantages and risks in using some of the new Zoom-based apps; Ross is still waiting for his Fjorden grip that make your iPhone more like a DSLR camera. We still miss getting together afterwards at the Royal Oak.
Marc was recently able to upgrade his Internet service with Bell from 500 Mbps to 1.5 Gbps for $15 per month less than what he was previously paying! But only after "doing the dance" with Customer Retention. The stance of most Telcos seems to be why should we do anything if the customer is not complaining?
Ross mentioned that Neil sent him an article about monopolistic practices in Canada. It was looking at airfares, Internet and mobile phone service where Canada seems to be one of the most expensive places in the world. No competition.
Wally described some issues he was having in partioning discs, which Marc was able to help clarify.
1 - Update on Recent AI Breakthroughs: - with David Rhynas
OpenAI ChatGPT Text Generator and
Microsoft VALL-E Voice Cloning
David provided an update on two recent and significant announcements in the domain of Artificial Intelligence.
ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI that is trained to generate human-like text. It can be used for a variety of natural language processing tasks, such as language translation, text summarization, question answering, and text generation. Marc has used the ChatGPT service for programming and has been amazed at the accuracy and how much time it saved.
Microsoft researchers have presented an impressive new text-to-speech AI model, called Vall-E, which can listen to a voice for just a few seconds, then mimic that voice – including the emotional tone and acoustics – to say whatever you like.
Both of these services offer compelling benefits and major concerns. Despite some misgivings, the genie is already out of the bottle. You can view David's presentation deck and commentary here https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-01-23-ai_breakthroughs.key
2 - SMS Text Messaging Scams - with Laurence Head
Laurence described several instances where he almost, but not quite, got scammed; the ruses are becoming more and more sophisticated. Most recently there was a bogus but very convincing SMS text message which led him to prompts for his banking sign-on. In iOS 16, there is an easy setting to filter messages from senders not in your list of contacts. The filter can be turned off and all messages are still there. Two-factor authentication is a further safeguard that we should now all be using for our financial services. You can view Laurence's presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2023-01-23-sms_filter.pdf .
3 - Some Cool iOS 16 Features - with Wally Kuzmicz
Wally gave a real-time demo of one of the slick features in iOS 16: how to instantly lift a subject out of a photo and then do something else with it. The first example was horse and it was remarkable how the hairs in the mane were so precisely extracted. Not so long ago this would have been a very tedious process. The extraction is in .png format which allows placement of an irregularly shaped object. Furthermore, iOS 16 can identify many of the extracted subjects. You view this tip and others in the attachment below.
4 - Post Meeting Discussion
The after chit chat lasted longer than usual and covered a broad range of subjects: more spam stories; phishing attempts; Marc has ordered a new M2 Pro Mac Mini; advantages and risks in using some of the new Zoom-based apps; Ross is still waiting for his Fjorden grip that make your iPhone more like a DSLR camera. We still miss getting together afterwards at the Royal Oak.
#77
MUGOO Meetings / 2023-01-23 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - December 13, 2022, 09:37:08 PMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday January 23, 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 - Update on Recent AI Breakthroughs:
OpenAI ChatGPT Text Generator and
Microsoft VALL-E Voice Cloning - with David Rhynas 7:30 - 8:10
2 - SMS Text Messaging Scams - with Laurence Head 8:10 - 8:30
3 - Some Cool iOS 16 Features - with Wally Kuzmicz 8:30 - 8:50
4 - Presidential Sign Off - with Wally Kuzmicz 0.5 minutes
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 January 23, 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 - Update on Recent AI Breakthroughs:
OpenAI ChatGPT Text Generator and
Microsoft VALL-E Voice Cloning - with David Rhynas 7:30 - 8:10
2 - SMS Text Messaging Scams - with Laurence Head 8:10 - 8:30
3 - Some Cool iOS 16 Features - with Wally Kuzmicz 8:30 - 8:50
4 - Presidential Sign Off - with Wally Kuzmicz 0.5 minutes
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
#78
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2022-12-12 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - December 13, 2022, 07:27:31 PMShow-n-Tell Presentations
This was our annual session where members get to present various projects they are working on with their macs or iOS devices.
A Look at Some Home Automation - John Wilson
John provided an overview of his home sound and lighting control systems.
The heart of the sound system is a multi-room controller product from Russound. He has 900 CD's in several CD carousels. These can be independently accessed and delivered to six zones within his house. Different high fidelity music can be selected for different zones at the same time, using either an in-wall remote or iOS app. It is also possible to stream audio channels to all zones.
John maintains all his CD artwork in plastic sleeves. There is also a catalogue on his mac for online searching.
There was a brief discussion on playlists. John does not use playlists per se, but each CD is in fact a mini playlist, a sequence that the artist intended. Playlists have become a form of social currency for younger people, whereas older folks tend to look at book collections.
ADT Pulse is the heart of John's home lighting control system. It is completely wireless, and communicates with in-wall switches and outlets. He can select random times and random lights to make the house look occupied. John can view stats on both macOS and iOS products, and it is integrated with his home alarm system.
The programming is not lost during a power outage, and will "self fix" after a longer outage if the house is unoccupied for an extended period of time. Telus bought the company ADT and unfortunately, service quality has gone downhill although the products are still good.
You can view John's presentation deck here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-12-12-Some-Home-Automation.pdf
Graffiti and Wall Art in Various Places - Peter Koelbleitner
Peter screened an edgy video with various graffiti photos he has captured over the years, to the accompaniment of O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. The video was developed using a now discontinued product, Social Gold. You can rewatch Peter's presentation here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-12-12-Graffiti.mp4
A Camcorder Team Manual for Windows People Using a Mac - Wally Kuzmicz
Since the onset of Covid-19, Wally has been providing technical support to record and upload Sunday services to YouTube for his church St. James the Apostle Anglican in Perth, Ontario. The hardware setup consists of a high quality camcorder, hydraulic tripod, and 5 to 10 microphones on any given day connected to a mixer. Wally has been very effective in "dumpster diving" and refurbishing mac computer equipment that otherwise would have been thrown out.
Since there is a small team of other volunteers who must use the setup on rotating basis, it became necessary to develop a simple step-by-step manual and label each to of the A/V controls. You can view Wally's presentation deck here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-12-12-CamTeam-Manual.pdf
Greenland and Wild Labrador - David Rhynas
David screened some highlight photos from a recent and amazing expedition trip. The focus was on Greenland and Torngat Mountains National Park on the north east coast of Labrador.
Greenland is the world's largest island and part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is roughly the size of Ontario and Quebec combined. If the Greenland ice sheet were to entirely melt, sea level would rise by 7 meters.
Greenland has a population of 56,000 making it the least densely populated country in the world. 90% of the citizens are Inuit, as is the case for most northerners in Canada, Nordic countries, Alaska and Russia. They generally speak the same language with different dialects.
Torngat Mountains National Park encompasses 9,700 square km of mountainous terrain between Northern Quebec and the Labrador Sea. It is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada and contains the highest mountains in Mainland Canada east of the Rockies.
This was our annual session where members get to present various projects they are working on with their macs or iOS devices.
A Look at Some Home Automation - John Wilson
John provided an overview of his home sound and lighting control systems.
The heart of the sound system is a multi-room controller product from Russound. He has 900 CD's in several CD carousels. These can be independently accessed and delivered to six zones within his house. Different high fidelity music can be selected for different zones at the same time, using either an in-wall remote or iOS app. It is also possible to stream audio channels to all zones.
John maintains all his CD artwork in plastic sleeves. There is also a catalogue on his mac for online searching.
There was a brief discussion on playlists. John does not use playlists per se, but each CD is in fact a mini playlist, a sequence that the artist intended. Playlists have become a form of social currency for younger people, whereas older folks tend to look at book collections.
ADT Pulse is the heart of John's home lighting control system. It is completely wireless, and communicates with in-wall switches and outlets. He can select random times and random lights to make the house look occupied. John can view stats on both macOS and iOS products, and it is integrated with his home alarm system.
The programming is not lost during a power outage, and will "self fix" after a longer outage if the house is unoccupied for an extended period of time. Telus bought the company ADT and unfortunately, service quality has gone downhill although the products are still good.
You can view John's presentation deck here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-12-12-Some-Home-Automation.pdf
Graffiti and Wall Art in Various Places - Peter Koelbleitner
Peter screened an edgy video with various graffiti photos he has captured over the years, to the accompaniment of O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. The video was developed using a now discontinued product, Social Gold. You can rewatch Peter's presentation here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-12-12-Graffiti.mp4
A Camcorder Team Manual for Windows People Using a Mac - Wally Kuzmicz
Since the onset of Covid-19, Wally has been providing technical support to record and upload Sunday services to YouTube for his church St. James the Apostle Anglican in Perth, Ontario. The hardware setup consists of a high quality camcorder, hydraulic tripod, and 5 to 10 microphones on any given day connected to a mixer. Wally has been very effective in "dumpster diving" and refurbishing mac computer equipment that otherwise would have been thrown out.
Since there is a small team of other volunteers who must use the setup on rotating basis, it became necessary to develop a simple step-by-step manual and label each to of the A/V controls. You can view Wally's presentation deck here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-12-12-CamTeam-Manual.pdf
Greenland and Wild Labrador - David Rhynas
David screened some highlight photos from a recent and amazing expedition trip. The focus was on Greenland and Torngat Mountains National Park on the north east coast of Labrador.
Greenland is the world's largest island and part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is roughly the size of Ontario and Quebec combined. If the Greenland ice sheet were to entirely melt, sea level would rise by 7 meters.
Greenland has a population of 56,000 making it the least densely populated country in the world. 90% of the citizens are Inuit, as is the case for most northerners in Canada, Nordic countries, Alaska and Russia. They generally speak the same language with different dialects.
Torngat Mountains National Park encompasses 9,700 square km of mountainous terrain between Northern Quebec and the Labrador Sea. It is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada and contains the highest mountains in Mainland Canada east of the Rockies.
#79
MUGOO Meetings / 2022-12-12 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting...
Last post by AdminMan - November 29, 2022, 04:59:26 PMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday December 12, 2022 ( 2 weeks early!!!)
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.
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 - Show-n-Tell - 4 presentations 7:30 - ~8:50
- A Look at Some Home Automation - John Wilson
- Graffiti and Wall Art in Various Places - Peter Koelbleitner
- A Camcorder Team Manual for Windows People Using a Mac - Wally Kuzmicz
- Greenland and Wild Labrador - David Rhynas
2 - Presidential Sign Off - with Wally Kuzmicz 0.5 minutes
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 December 12, 2022 ( 2 weeks early!!!)
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.
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 - Show-n-Tell - 4 presentations 7:30 - ~8:50
- A Look at Some Home Automation - John Wilson
- Graffiti and Wall Art in Various Places - Peter Koelbleitner
- A Camcorder Team Manual for Windows People Using a Mac - Wally Kuzmicz
- Greenland and Wild Labrador - David Rhynas
2 - Presidential Sign Off - with Wally Kuzmicz 0.5 minutes
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
#80
MUGOO Meetings / Re: 2022-11-28 MUGOO Zoom iMee...
Last post by DavidR - November 29, 2022, 03:24:50 PM1 - iOS 16 what's new - with David Rhynas
David provided an overview of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. These were announced at the Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with public versions released this fall. You can view David's slide and commentary here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-11-28-iOS_16.pdf
In the post discussion, Graham mentioned that he really likes the ongoing improvements in Apple Maps. He is also a bit alarmed by Shareplay that potentially introduces a whole level of distraction that could get some people into trouble.
Lynda finds Universal Control to be very useful (running macOS Monterey 12.4 or later, iPadOS 15.4 or later). This allows you use the keyboard and mouse of your Mac to control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices and work seamlessly between them.
2 - iPhone 14 Pro Max - initial impressions
with LeRoy Lees, Graham Fawcett and Laurence Head
LeRoy has had his iPhone 14 Pro Max for about a month. For those folks thinking of ordering one now, the delivery time may be delayed since this model is produced at the Foxconn factory in China which is experiencing labour unrest.
He immediately noticed that it has much longer battery life ... 26 hours of video playback! The larger screen is fine for reading newspapers and is now being used more than his iPad. He's not sure that the ability to grab the subject from a photo serves any useful purpose but is quite impressive and fun to play with. LeRoy also recommended the app Just Press Record https://apps.apple.com/us/app/just-press-record/id1033342465
For Graham, this is his first Pro level iPhone/camera. The purchase was triggered by a contract expiration with Bell. In the end, he accepted a replacement offer from Bell because of a decent rebate on his iPhone 12 and that fact that he could obtain his new phone two days later. His phone has much more memory (256 MB) with noticeably quicker loading of apps and screens. He has adapted well to the larger format.
The photo capabilities and image quality are supreme. He is impressed by the image stabilization for video, and as clarified in the meeting discussion, there is also image stabilization for still photography. The camera is very good in low light situations, almost akin to studio lighting. You can review Graham's assessment comments in the attachment below.
Laurence observed that the best camera is the one you have with you. He has hardly touched his Sony mirrorless in several years.
He finds the new phone to be more responsive and quick. It has better selfie capability, with automatic change of focus, which is quite remarkable. All three presenters are still getting their head around the new Dynamic Island capability.
The magnetic back attaches to a holder with his Driver's License and Health Card. Laurence seldom needs to carry his wallet anymore.
Laurence provided an overview of the SOS capability which connects to satellite for emergency search and rescue services when you are beyond the reach of cell towers. Crash Detection automatically notifies 911 and loved ones.
He uses his iPhone all the time for Dictation, which is so much easier. Triple tapping the back turns on the camera, double tapping turns on the flashlight.
Laurence clarified that the new video Action Mode captures ultra-wide angle footage, zooms in a bit on it – thus cropping out the edges of the video (which are usually the space of the video that has the most shakiness), and then apply algorithms to further digitally stabilize the shaky video. In most cases this replaces the need for a dedicated hardware gimble.
Lawrence has taken photographs on a moonless night with incredible detail. There is magic happening behind the scenes.
Ross mentioned that he has ordered a Fjorden grip that gives your iPhone a two-stage shutter button, exposure dials, a zoom lever, and a more comfortable grip - so you can leave your DSLR at home more often. https://shop.fjorden.co
3 - our MUGOO website - a walk-through - with Neil Herber
Neil provided a demo of our comprehensive MUGOO website. It has been set up as a wiki that anyone with privileges can edit. He clarified that the MUGOO message board is a separate website. So searching the website will not search the message board and vice versa.
There is a vast amount of information here, with meeting notes from as far back as 2005. MUGOO was founded in 1984 and some of our members may still have copies of the older newsletters.
Since there is now a Fibe connection to the MUGOO server, we can easily serve videos from the site without having to rely on third-party services, as we did before.
The site also has a "Big File" capability which makes it easy to include larger presentations and videos in our meeting records.
Based on a test this month, Neil will be dropping Twitter as a means of distributing meeting notices. Meeting notices will still appear here on the message board and will be sent out via the email reminder robot. To sign up for reminders, go to https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders
David provided an overview of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. These were announced at the Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with public versions released this fall. You can view David's slide and commentary here: https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-11-28-iOS_16.pdf
In the post discussion, Graham mentioned that he really likes the ongoing improvements in Apple Maps. He is also a bit alarmed by Shareplay that potentially introduces a whole level of distraction that could get some people into trouble.
Lynda finds Universal Control to be very useful (running macOS Monterey 12.4 or later, iPadOS 15.4 or later). This allows you use the keyboard and mouse of your Mac to control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices and work seamlessly between them.
2 - iPhone 14 Pro Max - initial impressions
with LeRoy Lees, Graham Fawcett and Laurence Head
LeRoy has had his iPhone 14 Pro Max for about a month. For those folks thinking of ordering one now, the delivery time may be delayed since this model is produced at the Foxconn factory in China which is experiencing labour unrest.
He immediately noticed that it has much longer battery life ... 26 hours of video playback! The larger screen is fine for reading newspapers and is now being used more than his iPad. He's not sure that the ability to grab the subject from a photo serves any useful purpose but is quite impressive and fun to play with. LeRoy also recommended the app Just Press Record https://apps.apple.com/us/app/just-press-record/id1033342465
For Graham, this is his first Pro level iPhone/camera. The purchase was triggered by a contract expiration with Bell. In the end, he accepted a replacement offer from Bell because of a decent rebate on his iPhone 12 and that fact that he could obtain his new phone two days later. His phone has much more memory (256 MB) with noticeably quicker loading of apps and screens. He has adapted well to the larger format.
The photo capabilities and image quality are supreme. He is impressed by the image stabilization for video, and as clarified in the meeting discussion, there is also image stabilization for still photography. The camera is very good in low light situations, almost akin to studio lighting. You can review Graham's assessment comments in the attachment below.
Laurence observed that the best camera is the one you have with you. He has hardly touched his Sony mirrorless in several years.
He finds the new phone to be more responsive and quick. It has better selfie capability, with automatic change of focus, which is quite remarkable. All three presenters are still getting their head around the new Dynamic Island capability.
The magnetic back attaches to a holder with his Driver's License and Health Card. Laurence seldom needs to carry his wallet anymore.
Laurence provided an overview of the SOS capability which connects to satellite for emergency search and rescue services when you are beyond the reach of cell towers. Crash Detection automatically notifies 911 and loved ones.
He uses his iPhone all the time for Dictation, which is so much easier. Triple tapping the back turns on the camera, double tapping turns on the flashlight.
Laurence clarified that the new video Action Mode captures ultra-wide angle footage, zooms in a bit on it – thus cropping out the edges of the video (which are usually the space of the video that has the most shakiness), and then apply algorithms to further digitally stabilize the shaky video. In most cases this replaces the need for a dedicated hardware gimble.
Lawrence has taken photographs on a moonless night with incredible detail. There is magic happening behind the scenes.
Ross mentioned that he has ordered a Fjorden grip that gives your iPhone a two-stage shutter button, exposure dials, a zoom lever, and a more comfortable grip - so you can leave your DSLR at home more often. https://shop.fjorden.co
3 - our MUGOO website - a walk-through - with Neil Herber
Neil provided a demo of our comprehensive MUGOO website. It has been set up as a wiki that anyone with privileges can edit. He clarified that the MUGOO message board is a separate website. So searching the website will not search the message board and vice versa.
There is a vast amount of information here, with meeting notes from as far back as 2005. MUGOO was founded in 1984 and some of our members may still have copies of the older newsletters.
Since there is now a Fibe connection to the MUGOO server, we can easily serve videos from the site without having to rely on third-party services, as we did before.
The site also has a "Big File" capability which makes it easy to include larger presentations and videos in our meeting records.
Based on a test this month, Neil will be dropping Twitter as a means of distributing meeting notices. Meeting notices will still appear here on the message board and will be sent out via the email reminder robot. To sign up for reminders, go to https://mugoo.com/index.php/Main/MeetingReminders