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#71
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
#72
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.
#73
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
#74
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.
#75
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
#76
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
#77
MUGOO Meetings / 2022-11-28 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - November 10, 2022, 11:08:34 AMWe still cannot have in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details apply.
Date: Monday November 28, 2022
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 - iOS 16 what's new - with David Rhynas 7:35 - 8:15
2 - iPhone 14 Pro Max - initial impressions
with LeRoy Lees, Graham Fawcett and Laurence Head 8:15 - 8:40
3 - our MUGOO website - a walk-through - with Neil Herber 8:40 - 8:55
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 November 28, 2022
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 - iOS 16 what's new - with David Rhynas 7:35 - 8:15
2 - iPhone 14 Pro Max - initial impressions
with LeRoy Lees, Graham Fawcett and Laurence Head 8:15 - 8:40
3 - our MUGOO website - a walk-through - with Neil Herber 8:40 - 8:55
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: 2022-10-24 MUGOO iMeeting
Last post by DavidR - October 25, 2022, 01:44:57 PM0 - Group chin-wag during log on
The pre-meeting chit chat included some of the challenges with Australian visas, recent election results and climate change.
1 - ON1 photo editor 2023 update - with Ross Slade
In January of this year, Ross provided a comprehensive overview of ON1 Photo Raw, "the ultimate photo editor." It is essentially a combination of Photoshop and Lightroom, by a skilled developer other than Adobe. ON1 is regularly improved and version 2023 just came out, a major update.
This release includes significant enhancements to the program's Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, greatly improving its ease of use. For example, Super Select AI allows the user to tap on an area of an image and the shape is automatically recognized. This sophisticated masking tool then allows you to make adjustments, apply filters to that part, without impacting the rest of the image.
As an illustration, Ross applied a lightened mask to just the "flora" component of his image. It's also easy to modify the automatically created mask and then apply this to another similar image.
In another example, a person had been backlit which initially came across as a silhouette. Ross was able to select the face and brighten, and then select the background and darken. This could then be saved as a one step process for similar images. At any time you can press Preview to see the before and after impact of your changes.
The Bird and Wildlife button can automatically find any birds in an image for selective editing. After these enhancements have been implemented, you can then with a single click make enhancements to everything else except the birds.
Tack Sharp AI includes a single solution for removing noise, motion blur and help compensate for any slight lack of focus. The changes are often subtle but can really make an image "pop."
Content-Aware Crop allows you to overcrop your image and use AI to fill in the added part to be consistent with the rest. This is helpful in restoring lost edges that sometimes arise with keystoning (when the initial image appears to lean away from the viewer).
Keyword AI automatically suggests keywords for your image based on scans for hundreds of similar objects and locations. These keywords are searchable and can help you find your photos faster.
Sky Swap AI has been improved. There are more options for adjusting the angle of the sky and inclusion of more sky choices, either ON1 presets or your own creations. Note that such modifications are typically not allowed in photo competitions.
ON1 Photo Raw can also automatically correct for colour aberrations and is good for resizing photos say to add space for text, which may be required for commercial brochures. Everything you do in the program is non-destructive, so you can always revert back to your original image.
Question: With all of such automatic AI changes at what point is your photo no longer your photo, say for a competition?
Discussion: Photo editing has become a whole new art form in itself. Some people just like to play with the editing process. Others use such programs to compensate for limitations in their camera. Ross uses his iPhone for most of his photography. Most "photo purists" do all their work in camera. There is also the question of honesty in photography, which gained some notoriety when certain National Geographic images were disputed as being real or not. In some cases, it has even become a legal issue.
Most of the ON1 pricing options are less than $100 US and Ross highly recommends this particular release.
You can view his presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-10-25-ON1-2023.pdf and view the screen share recording at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-10-25-ON1-2023-Video.mp4
2 - New Google search features - with Wally Kuzmicz
Some of us have been using the Google Lens feature, first introduced in 2017. This allows you to click and drag an image to the Google search bar which will then list similar images and associated links.
Wally gave a presentation on Multisearch, a further enhancement which came out in April of this year. Google Lens allows you to point at an image but not ask. With Multisearch, you can now point and ask. While not perfect, adding a few context words to an image search can really improve the relevance of your results.
Later this fall, we can expect to see Multisearch Near Me, for people wanting to shop close by.
Wally demonstrated Multisearch using several examples. The first was a photo of a garlic press taken from different angles. With the press screen facing up, it worked well. With the press screen facing down not so much. The second was an oil change nipple from a jet ski; Wally has found Multisearch to be very helpful in identifying "mystery parts". The third was an office chair with the text bar allowing a change to the colour. An image from his church last Sunday took him to the website for his church and a video recording of that particular service. Ross has used this search capability to find a specific high resolution version of a low res image.
All and all, quite impressive!
You can view Wally's presentation deck below.
The pre-meeting chit chat included some of the challenges with Australian visas, recent election results and climate change.
1 - ON1 photo editor 2023 update - with Ross Slade
In January of this year, Ross provided a comprehensive overview of ON1 Photo Raw, "the ultimate photo editor." It is essentially a combination of Photoshop and Lightroom, by a skilled developer other than Adobe. ON1 is regularly improved and version 2023 just came out, a major update.
This release includes significant enhancements to the program's Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, greatly improving its ease of use. For example, Super Select AI allows the user to tap on an area of an image and the shape is automatically recognized. This sophisticated masking tool then allows you to make adjustments, apply filters to that part, without impacting the rest of the image.
As an illustration, Ross applied a lightened mask to just the "flora" component of his image. It's also easy to modify the automatically created mask and then apply this to another similar image.
In another example, a person had been backlit which initially came across as a silhouette. Ross was able to select the face and brighten, and then select the background and darken. This could then be saved as a one step process for similar images. At any time you can press Preview to see the before and after impact of your changes.
The Bird and Wildlife button can automatically find any birds in an image for selective editing. After these enhancements have been implemented, you can then with a single click make enhancements to everything else except the birds.
Tack Sharp AI includes a single solution for removing noise, motion blur and help compensate for any slight lack of focus. The changes are often subtle but can really make an image "pop."
Content-Aware Crop allows you to overcrop your image and use AI to fill in the added part to be consistent with the rest. This is helpful in restoring lost edges that sometimes arise with keystoning (when the initial image appears to lean away from the viewer).
Keyword AI automatically suggests keywords for your image based on scans for hundreds of similar objects and locations. These keywords are searchable and can help you find your photos faster.
Sky Swap AI has been improved. There are more options for adjusting the angle of the sky and inclusion of more sky choices, either ON1 presets or your own creations. Note that such modifications are typically not allowed in photo competitions.
ON1 Photo Raw can also automatically correct for colour aberrations and is good for resizing photos say to add space for text, which may be required for commercial brochures. Everything you do in the program is non-destructive, so you can always revert back to your original image.
Question: With all of such automatic AI changes at what point is your photo no longer your photo, say for a competition?
Discussion: Photo editing has become a whole new art form in itself. Some people just like to play with the editing process. Others use such programs to compensate for limitations in their camera. Ross uses his iPhone for most of his photography. Most "photo purists" do all their work in camera. There is also the question of honesty in photography, which gained some notoriety when certain National Geographic images were disputed as being real or not. In some cases, it has even become a legal issue.
Most of the ON1 pricing options are less than $100 US and Ross highly recommends this particular release.
You can view his presentation deck at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-10-25-ON1-2023.pdf and view the screen share recording at https://mugoo.com/bigfiles/2022-10-25-ON1-2023-Video.mp4
2 - New Google search features - with Wally Kuzmicz
Some of us have been using the Google Lens feature, first introduced in 2017. This allows you to click and drag an image to the Google search bar which will then list similar images and associated links.
Wally gave a presentation on Multisearch, a further enhancement which came out in April of this year. Google Lens allows you to point at an image but not ask. With Multisearch, you can now point and ask. While not perfect, adding a few context words to an image search can really improve the relevance of your results.
Later this fall, we can expect to see Multisearch Near Me, for people wanting to shop close by.
Wally demonstrated Multisearch using several examples. The first was a photo of a garlic press taken from different angles. With the press screen facing up, it worked well. With the press screen facing down not so much. The second was an oil change nipple from a jet ski; Wally has found Multisearch to be very helpful in identifying "mystery parts". The third was an office chair with the text bar allowing a change to the colour. An image from his church last Sunday took him to the website for his church and a video recording of that particular service. Ross has used this search capability to find a specific high resolution version of a low res image.
All and all, quite impressive!
You can view Wally's presentation deck below.
#79
MUGOO Meetings / 2022-10-24 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting
Last post by AdminMan - October 19, 2022, 10:12:27 PMWe are still discussing resuming in-person meetings at the library, so the following Zoom details may apply.
Date: Monday October 24, 2022
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
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 - ON1 photo editor
lots of new features - with Ross Slade 7:35 - 8:30
2 - New Google search features - with Wally Kuzmicz 8:30 - 8:45
3 - 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 October 24, 2022
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
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 - ON1 photo editor
lots of new features - with Ross Slade 7:35 - 8:30
2 - New Google search features - with Wally Kuzmicz 8:30 - 8:45
3 - 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 / Post-Meeting Summary - Re: 202...
Last post by wallykuz - September 27, 2022, 04:07:29 PMPOST-MEETING SUMMARY
We had good participation in this round-table meeting to start a new season of MUGOO.
Video Downloading...
Wally did a screen-share demo of Allavsoft video downloader allavsoft.com
Allavsoft is a simple and intuitive app that downloads videos from Youtube and almost any site. Wally has not yet found a website with a video that he was unable to download. The demo showed the download of an entire 6:00 PM newscast from CTV News Ottawa. The download consisted of 6 separate video segments, without commercials. Those segments are normally interspersed with commercials on-air. Allavsoft also does video conversion and merging. $20 US
Marc mentioned that Wondershare as an alternative to Allavsoft https://www.wondershare.com/products-solutions/all-products.html
"Reading Things Later" ...
LeRoy discussed Matter, a FREE iOS app with MacOS plugins, for "reading things later" https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matter-reader/id1501592184
LeRoy saves news articles and other content he wants to read later by exporting them to the app.
Collecting Recipes...
Gillian asked if people collect recipes.
Ross described CopyMeThat, a recipe clipper/manager
https://www.copymethat.com
Tracking Flight Information...
Stephen spoke about FlightAware https://flightaware.com and the FREE FlightAware iOS app. He also uses the FREE iOS app FlightRadar24 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flightradar24-flight-tracker/id382233851. He can track an abundance of information about flights and flight traffic in real time, and historic flight traffic information too. How cool is that!
Solving Text Problems ...
Mary Sue and the group discussed problems with editing and formatting documents in Pages and other apps that manage text. When text content is copied/pasted from one app to another, the previous formatting can cause difficulty with editing and formatting in the other app. A simple solution is to convert the original formatted text to "plain text", in textedit for example, and then paste the plain text into the problematic app. The previous text formatting and its interfering effects are lost and the new app usually works properly with the plain text content. This can solve problems in numerous text apps including Pages, and also in iMovie when adding titles, lyrics and other text content.
Marc and Ross explained that in a formatted text document the actual text content is small. The formatting code can be very large, and it often translates poorly from app to app.
Photo Editing ...
Ross recently acquired, and is excited about, a new photo editing app "RadiantPhoto" https://radiantimaginglabs.com. He may be doing do a MUGOO presentation about it soon.
Thank You to all participants. See you again on October 24th.
Prez Wally
We had good participation in this round-table meeting to start a new season of MUGOO.
Video Downloading...
Wally did a screen-share demo of Allavsoft video downloader allavsoft.com
Allavsoft is a simple and intuitive app that downloads videos from Youtube and almost any site. Wally has not yet found a website with a video that he was unable to download. The demo showed the download of an entire 6:00 PM newscast from CTV News Ottawa. The download consisted of 6 separate video segments, without commercials. Those segments are normally interspersed with commercials on-air. Allavsoft also does video conversion and merging. $20 US
Marc mentioned that Wondershare as an alternative to Allavsoft https://www.wondershare.com/products-solutions/all-products.html
"Reading Things Later" ...
LeRoy discussed Matter, a FREE iOS app with MacOS plugins, for "reading things later" https://apps.apple.com/us/app/matter-reader/id1501592184
LeRoy saves news articles and other content he wants to read later by exporting them to the app.
Collecting Recipes...
Gillian asked if people collect recipes.
Ross described CopyMeThat, a recipe clipper/manager
https://www.copymethat.com
Tracking Flight Information...
Stephen spoke about FlightAware https://flightaware.com and the FREE FlightAware iOS app. He also uses the FREE iOS app FlightRadar24 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flightradar24-flight-tracker/id382233851. He can track an abundance of information about flights and flight traffic in real time, and historic flight traffic information too. How cool is that!
Solving Text Problems ...
Mary Sue and the group discussed problems with editing and formatting documents in Pages and other apps that manage text. When text content is copied/pasted from one app to another, the previous formatting can cause difficulty with editing and formatting in the other app. A simple solution is to convert the original formatted text to "plain text", in textedit for example, and then paste the plain text into the problematic app. The previous text formatting and its interfering effects are lost and the new app usually works properly with the plain text content. This can solve problems in numerous text apps including Pages, and also in iMovie when adding titles, lyrics and other text content.
Marc and Ross explained that in a formatted text document the actual text content is small. The formatting code can be very large, and it often translates poorly from app to app.
Photo Editing ...
Ross recently acquired, and is excited about, a new photo editing app "RadiantPhoto" https://radiantimaginglabs.com. He may be doing do a MUGOO presentation about it soon.
Thank You to all participants. See you again on October 24th.
Prez Wally