Facilitating learning and networking within the local Macintosh User Community since 1984

Previous Mac2MUG Meeting Highlights

Our meetings generate lots of discussion and shared information! On this page we post meeting highlights, links and other information which members in attendance found helpful.

January 2012 Mac2Mug Meeting: Lion Operating SystemJanuary 2012 Meeting: Lion

  • Apple has let the cat out of the bag, and it’s a Lion. If you have been debating whether to upgrade to Lion, or already have but would like a great tour of its features, Tuesday’s meeting was the perfect place to be. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it will not kill this one. Some shameless name-dropping: Lion sports Mission Control, Launchpad, Resume, Autosave, AirDrop, access to iCloud, full-screen apps, and much more. In short, this operating system is the cat’s pajamas. If you have been Lion low, Lion in wait, curious about what the new operating system can do, we think you may be pleasantly surprised. And we certainly are not Lion through our teeth.
  • View Roger’s Keynote Presentation on Lion. (Or see the Lion Presentation in PDF.)
  • View Rob’s January 2012 Lion Meeting Announcement

December 2011 Mac2Mug Meeting: E-Books and E-ReadersDecember 2011 Meeting: E-Books and E-Readers

  • If the twelve days of Christmas leave you frazzled, what could be more therapeutic than curling up by the fire with a good book? That good book could be an electronic book, for e-books and e-readers make perfect Christmas gifts, including presents for yourself. On Tuesday, we took a good look at standalone e-book readers, including the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and others. And for those who prefer to curl up with something already at hand, we looked at various apps available for reading e-books on other devices, including the iPad, iPhone and your Macintosh. We also discussed where to find e-books, including free sources and public libraries.
  • View Rob’s December 2011 E-Books/E-Readers Meeting Announcement

November 2011 Mac2Mug Meeting - Email on your MacNovember 2011 Meeting: How to Search for Stuff

  • Each time you send an email into the ether, on its way to join the millions of email messages whizzing through cyberspace, does the process leave you pleased, or instead feeling tempted to smash your precious Apple-branded device? To help you find an email solution that will leave both you and your Apple gear unscathed, on Tuesday, Tom, Roger and Rob presented several choices, including Apple Mail, Microsoft Entourage, Thunderbird, web-based mail such as Yahoo, and mail in Safari.
  • View Rob’s November 2011 Email on your Mac Meeting Announcement

October 2011 Mac2Mug Meeting on the iPadOctober 2011 Meeting: The iPad Revisited - Music:
How to create and record your own music, find music, and listen to music, all on the iPad

  • The touch interface and roomy screen of the iPad have changed many things, and one of them is music. On Tuesday, Roger showed how to record your own music in GarageBand on the iPad and iPad 2. Using virtual instruments such as piano, organ, guitar, drums and synthesizers, and even your own luscious singing if you like, you can create a jingle or a symphony by recording each part into the 8-track recorder. Rock on, or waltz on, but if we may offer a piece of essential advice, never, ever smash your virtual guitar and set it on fire in order to impress onlookers, for your beloved iPad will be nuked as well.
  • View Rob’s October 2011 iPad Meeting Announcement

August 2011 Mac2 meeting - Turning Photos into MultimediaSeptember 2011 Meeting: How to Search for Stuff

  • Tom first showed how to better organize our Macs using folders, file names, the documents folder and users documents
  • We learned a number of Mac Search tools, such as Find File, Spotlight, Apple > Recent Files, Under the Disk and various third party search tools (shareware). Also covered were Google and Bing.
  • Also reviewed was Roaring Apps - a website that provides a list of which software apps will (and which ones that won’t) run in Lion OS.
  • View Rob’s September 2011 How to Search Meeting Announcement

August 2011 Mac2 meeting - Turning Photos into MultimediaAugust 2011 Meeting: Turning Photos into Multimedia

  • Remember your Uncle Stanley’s slide shows? Remember how he gleefully projected one tedious slide after another, while his audience stifled yawns and worried whether the evening might end with their being hospitalized for acute boredom? It is easy to recreate your uncle’s horrid slide shows on any computer, but on Tuesday, Al showed how to create fascinating, moving, entertaining, colorful slide shows on your Mac. Build engaging multimedia presentations with your own photos, using music, motion, transitions and effects.
  • View Rob’s August 2011 Photos to Multimedia Meeting Announcement

June 2011 Mac2 meeting - iPad2June 2011 Meeting: The iPad2

  • The brand-new iPad 2 is remarkable technology: lighter, faster, sleeker, more powerful, and two-thirds the thickness of the already-thin original iPad, with two built-in cameras and over 65,000 apps waiting in the wings. Roger demonstrated his beloved wife’s beloved iPad 2, from its touch-screen interface to its guts and glory. Even if your job requires wearing bulky space gloves, you probably decided that you have got to have one. (Original image credit: NASA. Please note that Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin did not actually utilize an iPad 2 on the moon in 1969, though he may have spent much of the mission cursing his luck that it had not yet been invented. Timing is everything.)
  • View Rob’s June 2011 iPad 2 Meeting Announcement

May 2011 Mac2 meeting - SecurityMay 2011 Meeting: Mac Security

April 2011 Mac2 meeting - SynchronizationApril 2011 Meeting: Synchronization

  • If your calendar is up to date on your Mac, how do you transfer those dates to your iPad, without manually adding everything twice? If you need to re-read that urgent email from the President, how do you see it on your iPhone? Or on your other Mac? Or on the Windows PC at work? What if you could arrange things so everything automatically appears exactly where you need it? Roger showed one of the simplest, most automated ways to keep everything synchronized, using Apple’s MobileMe. Easily access all your information, appointments, and emails, virtually anywhere in the world.
  • View Rob’s April 2011 The Mac App Store Meeting Announcement

January 2011 Mac2 Mug meeting - iPod vs iPodFebruary 2011 Meeting: The Mac App Store

  • Tom Davis showed us the wonderful new features of the Mac App Store. Sporting a wide selection of Apps that may be purchased (along with a great selection of free apps!) the App Store is full of everything from Games to Graphics to Financial Utilities. One note: you will need the latest version of Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.6.) to use the store.
  • Our Back to Mac Basics session featured Smart Folders. Rob Ellis showed how easy it is to organize and find any files on our Macs with these easy saved searches.
  • View Rob’s February 2011 The Mac App Store Meeting Announcement

January 2011 Mac2 Mug meeting - iPod vs iPodJanuary 2011 Meeting: iPod vs iPod

  • Rob Ellis presented a short course on iPods, specifically the iPod 5th Generation vs the iPod 6th Generation. We discovered that there are many differences between the two models, and newer is not always better. Much depends upon how you plan to use the iPod.
  • And for our graphic designers in the crowd, Rob played this delightful video, comparing the genius of Apple package design with its infamous competitor: The Redesigned iPod Package.
  • View Rob’s January 2011 iPod vs iPod Meeting Announcement

December 2010 Mac2Mug meeting print on demandDecember 2010 Meeting: Print-on-Demand Websites

  • Kelli Swan presented a short course in getting our favorite pictures or designs printed onto products like mugs and t-shirts using the free internet websites cafepress.com and zazzle.com. Her presentation included a Back-to-Mac Basics primer on image resolution and dpi so that everyone understood the importance of high quality images in getting the best results.
  • Cafepress and Zazzle both have helpful information on image preparation and how to create the best products:
    - Cafepress information on image preparation: Beginner’s Image Workshop.
    - Zazzle information on image preparation: Frequently Asked Questions.
  • View Rob’s December 2010 Thunderbird Meeting Announcement

November 2010 meeting Mac2Mug Mint and QuickenNovember 2010 Meeting: Managing Finances on a Mac

  • Tom Davis presented the personal finance application Quicken, which is now known as Quicken Essentials for the Mac. Tom showed us the ease of Quicken’s user interface, and the many ways to categorize and track personal finances.
  • Kelli Swan presented the free internet website mint.com and showed us a little about QuickBooks Pro for business finances. Mint.com is a read-only site that allows one to track many different types of financial information in one place: checking, savings, investments, loans, property and more. QuickBooks Pro is an ideal, full-powered application for managing small business finances.
  • View Rob’s November 2010 Thunderbird Meeting Announcement

October 2010 Mac2Mug Thunderbird meetingOctober 2010 Meeting: Thunderbird

September 2010 Mac2Mug Skype MeetingSeptember 2010 Meeting: Skype

  • Tom Davis and Kelli Swan presented the communications software Skype.
  • A test call to Canada by Tom showed us just how easy it is to make a FREE phone call using a computer and Skype. Kelli then talked about the various other features available through skype, including the iPhone App, free conferencing, chatting and more. With the App (and an appropriate headset), one can even make a phone call with an iPod Touch or an iPad!
  • Our Back to Mac Basics presentation by Rob Ellis was all about mice! We learned about the features of a two-button mouse, the advantages of optical mice and the importance of fit/comfort for daily use.
  • View Rob’s September 2010 Skype Meeting Announcement

August 2010 Mac2Mug Garage Band meetingAugust 2010 Meeting: GarageBand

  • Musician Michael Quick showed us how to make music using this great software that comes free with every Mac!
  • We learned that no musical background is required! GarageBand comes with many pre-recorded “loops” and rhythms, and you can mix & match these at will. You can also record your own voice and combine it with music.
  • While those without musical inclinations can create a whole host of melodies and fun sounds with GarageBand, professional bands and musical groups also use this great software to make their recordings.
  • View Rob’s August 2010 GarageBand Meeting Announcement

July non-meeting notice for Mac2MugJuly 2010 was Our Annual Non-Meeting Meeting Month

  • Mac2Mug members vacationed, grilled out, rested up and enjoyed assorted other activities associated with summer! MAC2MUG is for people who want to learn from and interact with other Macintosh computer users. We welcome visitors at our monthly meeting and hope that you will become a member
  • View Rob’s July 2010 Non-Meeting Meeting Announcement

Dave Marra presents at Mac2MugJune 2010 Meeting Featured: Dave Marra from Apple Computer

  • Our June meeting was quite an exciting event. We hosted Dave Marra from Apple Computer! Dave gave us a dynamite presentation on Snow Leopard and the iPad. The only downside to the meeting was that it wasn’t long enough as we could have listened to Dave speak all day!
  • View Rob’s June 2010 Meeting Announcement for Dave Marra
  • Dave Marra
  • Dave Marra

May 2010 Meeting Topic: Avery DesignPro

  • Our May meeting featured a presentation by Rob Ellis on how to use Avery DesignPro software to make labels, dividers, CD inserts and even business cards and T-shirt transfers. A free raffle was part of the presentation, and several Mac2MUG members were happy to take home their very own Avery products. Each person attending the meeting also received a free Avery software installation CD!
  • View Rob’s May 2010 Meeting Announcement for Avery DesignPro

April 2010 Meeting Topic: Running a Business Using Macs

  • Our April meeting featured a presentation by Michael Vahila on how he uses Macintosh computers and Mac software to run his business. Michael showed us how he uses templates in Pages and Keynote to make marketing his business and presenting to groups a breeze. We talked about using iCal for schedules, and when doing things the old fashioned way (i.e. pencil & paper) is sometimes more efficient than using a computer! Michael also shared a variety of great tips and philosophies about how to start a business and make it successful.
  • View Rob’s April 2010 Meeting Announcement for Running a Business Using Macs

March 2010 Meeting Topic: Make Your Web Browser Soar

Our March meeting featured the Browsers Firefox and Chrome. We were treated to numerous great add-ons and extensions - all ways to enhance the browing experience.

Featured Firefox Add-Ons:

  • Answers - Allows you to option-click any word on a web page for a definition or information
  • CoLT - Allows you to copy the text of a link, a page title and its link, and more
  • Adblock Plus - Successfully blocks most ads from websites. Ads that do get through can be added so that they will also be blocked
  • Video DownloadHelper - allows you to download "non-downloadable" multimedia such as YouTube videos, and optionally convert them to other formats
  • ColorfulTabs - Makes it easy to differentiate among open tabs by coloring the tabs in different colors
  • Check4Change - Periodically checks a web page for changes or updates
  • Screengrab - Saves or copies an entire web page or a selected area, as a graphic
  • gTranslator - Status bar icon which simplifies the Google translation of entire webpages, in the same way as the Chrome add-on, Google Translate
  • TinEye - Amazing add-on which uses cutting-edge image recognition technology to find other versions of a web image.
  • Cooliris - Allows you to view the results of searches of Google Images, YouTube, Flickr, and others, in a dazzling “3D wal” of images
  • Firefox add-ons main page

Featured Chrome Add-Ons:

February 2010 Meeting Topic: Graphic Design 101

  • Our February meeting featured Graphic Design 101 presented by Janet Kullman. Janet showed us the difference between vector and raster graphics and their importance in print and web applications. We saw some great design tricks as Janet did her magic in Freehand, Illustrator and Photoshop. In addition, we learned about two lower-end vector graphic editing applications for everyday use: DrawIt ($38) and Inkscape (free.)
  • If you would like to obtain FreeHand MX (demonstrated by Janet) and a free license, here is a forum link which discusses how to do that. (Thanks to Mac2MUG member Andy Pyle for finding the Freehand link!)
  • Mac2Mug Feb 2010 meetingRob Ellis Bellied Up to the Sidebar and showed us some great routes to speedy navigation on our Macs. Do you find yourself continually digging through folders to find that special file? Dig no more - put it on the Sidebar! Adding folders to your sidebar is as easy as using the Finder Preferences or simply dragging them on and off. You can then find folders easily from virtually any window you open.
  • View Rob’s February 2010 Meeting Announcement for Graphic Design 101

January 2010 Meeting Topic: Disk Utilities

  • Our January meeting featured some great Disk Utilities to keep your Mac running smoothly. Tom Davis showed us: Disk Utility, Macaroni, TechTool Deluxe and Drive Genius. Disk Utility, which comes with every Mac, is a valuable tool and should be part of any user’s regular computer maintenance routine. Macaroni (from www.atomicbird.com) performs many unix clean-up functions automatically. Tech Tool runs hardware diagnostics and is often used by Apple to help you diagnose computer problems over the phone. Drive Genius (www.prosoftengineering.com) performs many clean-up and optimization tasks including disk defragmentation.
  • Mike Schott showed us Disk Warrior and a free download called Onyx. Disk Warrier (www.alsoft.com) performs permission repairs and rebuilds system directories. Onyx is a many-featured utility that performs clean-up tasks and permissions repair among other options. One great feature of Onyx is geared towards environments where Macs and PCs share disk or server space. Onyx allows Mac users to hide those annoying additional little DS_ files which show up when PC users look up Mac files.
  • View Rob’s January 2010 Meeting Announcement for Disk Utilities

December 2009 Meeting Topic: TextEdit - Hotrodded

  • Our December meeting topic was the The Hidden Features of TextEdit, by Rob Ellis. And believe us - there are many more features to TextEdit than you imagined!
  • We learned that with TextEdit, you can perform many of the word processing functions of other, costly applications. One can add hot links, images, do text formatting (including drop shadows!) and much more. Rob also showed us how to download free Service software that adds yet another dimension of functionality to TextEdit. Word Service is a free download, and also works in other applications which make use of Apple’s Services Menu option (under the TextEdit menu).
  • View Rob’s December 2009 Meeting Announcement for TextEdit

November 2009 Meeting Topic: Savvy Social Networking

  • Our November meeting featured the Social Networking sites of Twitter and Facebook. We learned about Tweetdeck - a great application to manage both Twitter and Facebook exchanges. We also talked about the differences between these two approaches to social connections on the web.
  • In our Back to Mac Basics Rob Ellis taught us all about icons - the history of icons on the Mac, how to make them, how to change them and how much more efficient better icons can make using a computer for work or fun. Rob’s presentation featured three links to free icons: Iconfactory, interfacelift, and Pixelgirl.
  • View Rob’s November 2009 Meeting Announcement for Social Networking

October 2009 Meeting Topic: Snow Leopard

September 2009 Meeting Topic: Widget World

August 2009 Meeting Topic: Brand Yourself on the Web

  • Our August meeting was all about Branding Yourself on the Web - How to Get a Web Presence for Free! Topics covered included blogs, with the two main free blog services being blogger.com and wordpress.com. We also looked at Squidoo Lens which are free web pages anyone can use. At the end of meeting several more places to create a free website were mentioned: weebly.com, webs.com and yola.com.
  • Raffle tickets will be on sale again at our next meeting - Win a 5-user iLife package! Tickets are $5 each, or 3 for $10.
  • View Rob’s August 2009 Meeting Announcement for Web Branding

June 2009 Meeting Topic: It’s a Wonderful iLife - Part II

  • Another super presentation - this time on iWeb and iPhoto! Publishing your own website has never been easier or more fun! And our Back to Mac Basics session on System Preferences was a real eye opener for beginners and seasoned Mac users alike.
  • Congratulations to the winners of our June Raffle! The winner received the book “YouTube: An Insider’s Guide to Climbing the Charts”, by Alan Lastufka and Michael W. Dean. Photo coming soon!
  • View Rob’s June 2009 Meeting Announcement for iLife, Part 2

May 2009 Meeting Topic: It’s a Wonderful iLife - Part I

  • This was a great presentation on iMovie and iDVD! Who'd have thought it could be so easy to make home movies now? And our Back to Mac Basics session, What’s Up Dock, was a big hit for all things obvious and not so obvious on the Mac Dock.
  • may 09 raffle winnersAnd congratulations to the winners of our May Raffle! Mac2MUG members Bill and Sandy Stark won “Switching to the Mac, Leopard Edition - The Missing Manual”, by David Pogue. Published by O’Reilly and written by one of the most popular authors of Macintosh help books, Switching to the Mac guides one through every step in the journey from Windows to Mac.
  • View Rob’s May 2009 Meeting Announcement for iLife, Part 1

April 2009 Meeting Topic: Automator

  • From Apple - Doing small tasks over and over again can really bog down your productivity. Mac OS X comes with Automator, your own personal robotic assistant that will take care of whatever task you give it.

Mar 2009 Meeting Topic: Picasa

  • From Google - Organize, edit and share photoe and albums: Picasa

Feb 2009 Meeting Topic: Planning your Summer Vacation

Dec 2008 Meeting Topic: Member’s Favorite Links

Nov 2008 Meeting Topic: Hotrodding on Ebay

Sept 2008 Meeting Topic: Shareware Gems

  • Creating, collecting, and organizing information: OmniOutliner
  • Great painting software: ArtRage2
  • Save web pages as graphics without tiling or multiple pages: Paparazzi
  • Password manager for security and convenience: 1Password
  • Capture, sync and find your files on multiple devices: Evernote

May 2008 Meeting Topic: Reunion

  • Reunion received the highest rating for genealogy software in MacWorld, MacAddict, and Mac Home Journal magazines. Reunion also received a MacWorld Editor's Choice award for 2007.

Early 2008 Meeting Topic: Fusion by VMWare

  • Fusion is a new entry in the MAC application arena. It provides you with the ability to run a virtual machine having another operating system (Windows XP, Vista, Unix, etc.) within the MAC OS.

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