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

Date: Monday May 26, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

https://us02web.zoom.us/expired

Meeting ID:   expired
Passcode:     expired

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

Agenda:

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

2 - How I Cook My Spam                                                  with Gillian Villeneuve                            7:40 - 8:20                                 

3 - De-Confusing the Universal Serial Bus (USB)              with Wally Kuzmicz                                 8:20 - 9:00


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

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

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

0 - Group chin-wag during log on
Wally welcomed Ram to his first meeting and discussed our MUGOO organizational structure. Charles joined the meeting while recovering from knee surgery and shared his experience with physiotherapy, which led to a casual conversation about joint replacements and recovery experiences.

1 - News and Views - Members' new tech arrivals
Charles highly recommended the MeteoBlue weather app https://www.meteoblue.com This was developed at University of Basel, Switzerlandand. It combines over 40 weather models and uses proprietary artificial intelligence to generate weather forecasts. You can access it using a Safari window or an iPhone app.

Peter shared information about an app called id.me that allows users to store their driver's license and passport securely on their phone. The information is encrypted and stored locally on your device, not in the cloud. Bioscan and GPS home location are used during the setup for additional security.

2 - How I Cook My Spam - with Gillian Villeneuve and Neil Herber                             
Gillian has been a long-time member of National Capital Freenet, a Canadian nonprofit internet service provider that offers affordable email and Internet services https://www.ncf.ca/en/ She demonstrated the use of Zimbra, highlighting its Yellow Mail feature which allows her to preview incoming emails before they are allowed through to her email client. Gillian explained how she uses the program to identify suspicious emails by examining IP addresses and website links, and showed how to manage and delete unwanted emails through the system's filtering and sorting capabilities. You can view Gillian's presentation deck in the attachment below.

Neil then went on to provide a detailed walkthrough of the Freenet platform and its features. He further demonstrated NCF's Yellow Mail service, explaining how it acts as a pre-filter for Zimbra email with the additional option of creating disposable email addresses. He showed how to create and manage aliases, including the process of getting approval for custom addresses. Participants discussed the service's spam filtering capabilities, with Neil demonstrating how even self-forwarded spam emails were correctly identified.

NCF is especially good for "throw away" email accounts and well worth the annual $12. Such disposable addresses will continue working as long as you need them.

The group then discussed email storage and management, with Charles sharing his experience in archiving important emails, though he noted a limitation where locally managed mailboxes were not always visible across different computers. Neil explained the differences between POP3 and IMAP protocols and provided guidance on managing large email archives, including saving emails as text files and using indexing software for searching.

3 - De-Confusing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) - with Wally Kuzmicz
Wally explained the different types of ports on Mac computers, focusing on USB and Thunderbolt. He clarified the differences between USB-A, USB-C, and Thunderbolt ports, as well as the various USB speeds. Wally then discussed how to connect displays, Thunderbolt devices, and USB devices to Macs, emphasizing the priority of using Thunderbolt ports for displays and high-speed devices. He advised checking the tech specs on Apple's website to confirm port types and capabilities. Wally also recommended using https://mactracker.ca to identify port types on older Mac models.

Wally then shared a short tutorial video from https://macmost.com/how-to-use-the-ports-on-your-mac-correctly.html?awt_a=2P.a&awt_l=v2z4tn&awt_m=J77NMh7_bh8I.a&nlclx, pausing along the way for certain clarifications. You can view Wally's port and cable images in the attachment below.

Neil shared an interesting finding about the asymmetry in USB-C cables, which can affect functionality when plugged in upside down. Charles raised concerns about the lack of labeling on cables, and Wally clarified that unmarked cables on modern Macs are likely Thunderbolt, while marked ones are USB-C. The group discussed the importance of investing in well-marked, high-quality cables to avoid confusion.

The meeting ended with Wally's announcement about our upcoming MUGOO annual lunch on June 17th 1:00 pm at the Royal Oak, across from Nepean Centrepointe Library.