2024-04-22 MUGOO Zoom iMeeting

[AdminMan]

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

Date: Monday April 22, 2024
Time: 7:30 PM ET  You can join the Zoom meeting starting at 7:20.

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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 - 7:45

2 - Apple's Legal woes plus $150 windfall for
     some iPhone owners                                             with Wally Kuzmicz                7:45 - 8:25

3 - Feeling Blue-in-the Tooth? - Bluetooth
     problems plus car theft using Air Tags                 with Lynda Matsumoto           8:25 - 9:00
     
4 - Presidential Sign Off                                            with Wally Kuzmicz                 25.5  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!

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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

[DavidR]

1 - News and Views
Mark has been running a model for 48 hours on his Mac Mini M2 Pro.  The job is now almost complete, temperature stable at below 90 degrees, and apart from several Finder crashes, has been going well.  Hydro rates were kept at the low tier during Covid;  the rates are now three times as much during the day, something he now has to be aware of.  Marc also mentioned that there is rumour that Apple may be introducing a Mac Mini M4 Pro this fall, skipping the M3 generation ... stay tuned. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/04/report-mac-mini-could-skip-the-apple-m3-jump-right-to-the-m4-in-2024-or-2025/

Lynda D is considering an iPad Air with the laminated screen, which has better readability for musical scores.  Rumour is that there will be 12.5 inch iPad Air in the Fall, with mini-LED Technology.  The iPad Pros may be going OLED.

Graham is still very pleased with his Fujifilm X-T5 mirrorless camera, more powerful and flexible than it's predecessors with the ability to focus on the eye of a distant bird.  He is also impressed that the Mac Photos app offers searching for attributes in pictures, whether they are objects, things, people, animals, birds, descriptions of locations, places or places.  It can now find a bird and identify it!

Ross mentioned that Affinity Photo https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/ has a good alternative to Adobe Photoshop, with a reasonable one-time purchase cost and no annual subscription fee.

He also recommends Downie 4 https://software.charliemonroe.net/downie/ , a YouTube or other source video downloader, which offers more flexibility than Wondershare.  His other new program, Lossless Cut https://medevel.com/losslesscut/#google_vignette, does not re-encode video when you edit such files and is exceedingly fast in comparison to tools that transcode or re-render.

2 - Apple's Recent Legal Woes - with Wally Kuzmicz
Wally stepped through his presentation deck on Apple's recent legal and tax woes (prepared with just one hand since he is recovering from rotator cuff surgery!) You can view his presentation deck in the attachment below.  For further reference, the links within the presentation are active.

To set the context, he started off with a brief rant of "things that bug me": elimination of the headphone jack, MacBook ports reduced to USB-C only, lightening charge cords often don't work, can't buy Apple OEM parts to do a repair myself, bait and switch with iPhone 6 and 7 that reduced performance, green bubble issue with Android users (and associated functional limitations), Apple now uses proprietary 5-star screws on MacBooks.  Even though there are many benefits to the Apple Ecosystem, Wally feels that he is being controlled more than he wants. 

Apple is accused of using Ireland as a tax haven that artificially reduced its tax burden.  Apple appealed and won the appeal, but the case is being appealed again by the EU.  $14B has been but aside in escrow.

Battery life was an issue with iPhones 6 and 7; surreptitiously resolved by throttling the speed.  People instead upgraded to a newer iPhone.  Without admitting any guilt, users of these older devices can get a $150 cheque if they still have the serial number.  "People are tied to the Apple ecosystem ... like a bad marriage.  Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

The sleeping giant is the recent U.S. Department of Justice anti-trust case which is similar in many respects to the Microsoft anti-trust case in the late 1990s, where it turned out that Apple was a significant beneficiary.  The DOJ claims that Apple blocks super apps and that their anti-competitive behaviour discourages developers.  They are going after exclusionary content and also balking at the 30% commission.  The case may take years to resolve.

Ross pointed out that Google (Alphabet) could be sued for the same issues.  Because of legislation in the EU he can now download apps in Italy directly to his iPhone, even though he does not.  The other stores in Europe are charging the same 30% or more commission.  The DOJ complaints are not valid anywhere other than the United States.  He believes they are not being honest with the public.

The Android texting green bubble is only an issue in North America.  Marc believes that Google initiated this case because of Apple's security/privacy stance.  Messaging in Europe is 20 years ahead of North America.  WeChat has 50% of the market worldwide.  People in North America are generally lazy, why change what generally works.

A super app is a combo of mini apps e.g. Door Dash.  Twitter may become a super app.  We Chat is a super app.  Uber is a super app.  Such micro apps are outside of the Apple ecosystem.  If the App Store commission structure is altered, there may be unintended consequencses ... Apple will get their money one way or another.

3 - AirTag Blue in the Tooth - with Lynda Matsumoto
Lynda provided an overview of Apple's popular AirTag technology and associated Find My app.  To locate lost items, AirTags use Apple's crowdsourced Find My network, estimated in early 2021 to consist of approximately one billion devices worldwide that detect and anonymously report emitted Bluetooth signals.  You can view her presentation deck and associated remarks in the attachments below.

There was some interesting post discussion.  In Apple Maps you can designate your home location where air tag alerts will not be initiated.

Nomad sells a credit card tracker that will fit in your wallet.

Hiding two AirTags in your vehicle is a good idea since thieves may stop looking after finding one.

Find My will notify you of an anonymous AirTag if one is detected for 30 minutes, to prevent stalking.