2012 Presentations / Biographies
Microsoft Presentation - Video
MAC for Newbies
Greg West, VP, Sarnia PCUG, Canada
Why a Mac? Learn what an Apple computer can do. After 50 minutes in
this Mac seminar, you will be rushing out to get your first Mac. See
why more people are switching from Windows to Macs in this Basic Mac
seminar.
Greg West
“Why
a Mac?”, you may ask. Find out what an Apple computer can do. After
60 minutes in this Mac seminar, you will be rushing out to get your
first Mac. See why more people are switching from Windows to Macs in
this Basic Mac presentation. Greg is the VP of the Sarnia Computer
User Group, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. He is an affiliate member of
COMP, in Port Huron, MI. For the past 10 years, he has reviewed tech
books for O’Reilly Media. For many years he has also written a
monthly tech column for a local newspaper. Greg created two free
computer centers in his community: one has 30 PCs which is now run
by church volunteers and the president of SCUG, his computer users
group. Another church gives him a room for free tech workshops to
run separately.
Mac and PC seminars. He is designing a free website (alternatecloud.
com) to assist seniors with a variety of tech topics. In his spare
time, Greg volunteers as a TV camera operator and studio tech for
TVCogeco, a local cable TV company. He taught Mac computer courses
at his home town college for three years. The first home computer he
owned was in 1984 was a Mackintosh 128k and he has worked with all
Windows OS since 3.0. Today he has a Mac laptop with Windows 7.
Latest Printing Developments
Don & Kay Baker, Klassic Specialties
Don will address areas of significance, as related to Inkjet printing and today’s marketplace. The topics to be addressed will include:
- An update of the current development trends and marketing scenarios, of various printer manufacturers, and the related impact.
- An overview of the various digital printing techniques and technologies, including;
- Laser Printers
- Thermal Bubble-Jet Inkjets
- Piezo-Electric Inkjets
- Various ink alternatives including Continuous Ink Systems
- Selecting media, what to look for in photo papers, and how
they differ, also a sampling of various media and the resulting
impacts.
Klassic
Specialties, based in Cerritos, CA was established in 1998. Klassic
was established based upon the premise of providing the BEST
Customer Service and Highest Quality Imaging Products available at
affordable pricing. To this end, they have attained a position as
one of the primary suppliers for such events as: the Academy Awards,
Miss Universe and Miss USA contests and many other significant
activities. Don has attained BSIT and MBA degrees; his career has
included over 25 years as General Manager, Director of Program
Management and other Engineering-related functions with various
computer manufacturers and power supply companies. Since the
inception of Klassic Specialties, Don has spoken at various national
conventions including the National Desktop Publishing Convention
held in Hilton Head, NC. Various articles have been written about
the company, including Paper, Paper, Paper (Peter Skye), mentioned
in Design News and many other publications and handbooks. Don has
made over 300 presentations at various computer user groups in
California, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon, including the Southwest
Conference.
System Mechanic
Karen Sorenson, iolo technologies’ Public Relations Manager
All of us know that every PC, regardless of your usage patterns,
slows down with time. But not many computer users know that the
slowdown can be reversed and your computer could work like new
again. iolo technologies, the PC performance software experts since
1998, will talk about PC tune-up and demonstrate the newest version
10.8 of their flagship software, System Mechanic.
If you are not familiar with the concept of computer maintenance and
#1 best-selling PC tune-up product in the US, the session will be a
perfect introduction – explaining the need for and performance
benefits of PC tune-up and demonstrating System Mechanic’s more than
50 tools, one-click repair capabilities and patented ActiveCare
automatic settings.
If you are familiar with PC maintenance or have used System Mechanic
before, the session will show you some tips and tricks on how to get
the most out of this in-depth program and get under the hood to fix
all the nine root causes of PC slowdown discovered by iolo Labs,
bringing your machine back to its like-new, optimal condition. It’ll
also highlight some of the brand-new and very compelling features of
the new System Mechanic 10.8, which works on Windows 8, Windows 7,
Vista and XP, as well as netbooks, notebooks and desktops.
Join us for this informative session, bring any questions and
prepare to enjoy that new PC feeling again! Copies of System
Mechanic will be available for purchase at the Expo.
Karen was recently selected finalist for PR Professional of the
Year by the American Business Awards, Karen is public relations
manager at iolo technologies, a 14-year-old PC tune-up company with
more than 40 million users and presence in 40 countries worldwide.
She represents iolo as the company’s official spokesperson at user
group events and conferences.
Sorenson previously worked at top-tier PR agencies such as Cohn &
Wolfe and Porter Novelli, with clients such as Ubisoft and Hilton,
and participated in lobbying campaigns for the California Assembly.
Born and raised in San Diego, California, Karen Sorenson holds a BA
in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations from Brigham
Young University
SendOutCards
Arnie Kazdoy, Senior Distributor & Glenn Thornton, Executive,
SendOutCards
Come learn what SendOutCards is all about. Take advantage of this
opportunity to learn how SendOutCards is an inexpensive, convenient,
exciting way to send greeting cards and gifts through your computer.
We will give away three SendOutCards accounts valued at $20 each.
Winners have to be present to collect their prize.
To learn more about SendOutCards go to
www.threefreecards.com
There you can watch a three minute video and also send up to three
free cards.
Arnie
has been a distributor with SendOutCards for 18 months. Prior to his
move to the Chicago area, he was a long-time member and officer of
the SCV Computer Club in California. His frequent presentations were
enjoyed by the members and, as requested by the members, he is going
to give presentations to the group via Skype
Glenn has been with SendOutCards for five years.
Protecting yourself and your identity online
Bob Gosticha, avast!
It’s common wisdom that avoiding suspicious web-based content and
especially ‘dodgy’ websites will keep you safe on the Internet.
Unfortunately, that sort of information is ‘old and outdated
technology’. Internet security (protecting both your computer and
your identity online) can, however, be demystified. This
presentation focuses on normal computer users, rather than “IT
geeks,” and clearly explains security myths, Internet dos and
don’ts, the evolution of computer threats, and more. Join presenter
Bob Gostischa, as he simplifies, clarifies, and demystifies your
computer, making your Internet experience a safe one and explaining
why even AARP recommends avast!
Norbert
“Bob” Gostischa, after a successful career in banking, enjoys his
retirement as an enthusiast IT security expert, most notably for
Avast Software. Avast is the creator of avast! antivirus software.
The avast! website has a discussion and help forum, where Bob has
been helping with security-related issues since 2004, having
contributed over 17,000 forum interactions. avast! is one of the
most popular antivirus programs in the world. Avast has been making
security software for over 20 years and has more than 160 million
users worldwide.
Jim Evans, Program Coordinator, Greater Cleveland PCUG; APCUG
Director
Facebook Timeline 101
PDF Presentation
Whether you like it or not, Timeline is here. You can't get rid of it. Why did Facebook do this? How can you adjust it to better protect your privacy and not expose what you did when you were young and foolish? You may end up liking it.
Facebook Annoyances
PDF Presentation
The news ticker got you down? You been tagged in a picture of Nike shoes? You are tired of all that Facebook email? You only want certain people to see some pictures? These and other annoyances will be discussed, along with their solutions.
Jim
has been involved in technology & computers for 30+ years and has
written and presented on technology around the country. He maintains
a tech page at www.facebook.com/GeekClean. Currently he serves as a
Director of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups and the
Program Coordinator of the Greater Cleveland PC Users Group.
Organizing, Protecting, and Synchronizing your Hard Drive
Gene Barlow, User Group Relations
This presentation is actually three short presentations in one.
The first subtopic is Organizing your Hard Drive which describes
what partitions are on a hard drive and why you may want to add new
partitions to your computer’s hard drive. In the past, this was a
difficult thing to do, but with the right tools, even a novice
computer user can successfully better organize their hard drive. The
second subtopic is Protecting your Hard Drive from crashes and
failure. Regular backups are the ultimate protection an end-user can
employ against the loss of all of their important files. However,
doing backups the right way can make a big difference in how well
protected your computer is. This part of the presentation will
explain how to do the best type of backups for the most protection
and still be very easy to use. The final subtopic of the
presentation is Synchronizing files between yours and other computer
users. For example, an easy way to share photographs between your
computer and the computers of other family members or friends will
be explored. Once a Sync Group is setup, all it takes to share your
recent photos (or other files) is to place them in a folder on your
computer and they will be automatically replicated on folders in the
other computers in your Synch Group. These are three very important
topics that all computer users need to be aware of today. This
presentation will inform your members in a manner that all can
understand and still learn in a pleasant way. Don’t miss this
presentation.
Gene
has been an avid photographer since he got his first 35mm camera at
age 15. In the following years, he built his own darkroom to process
his photographs. A color darkroom followed with a collection of
system cameras and lens to maximize his readiness to take any type
of pictures. He avidly attended classes and lectures of famous
photographers such as Ansel Adams and George Lepp. When digital
photography came in, he was one of the first to combine his passion
for photography with his career of computers. He and his wife,
Linda, spend lots of their free time hiking the trails in the west
in search of wild flowers. If you are interested in photography,
this is a session you will not want to miss.
See it Now!
Roger Radcliffe
A
light review of the video options available to us today including:
Video cards, standards, LCD and LED panels, connections, video
mounts, Blu-ray, dual monitors, integrated browsers, etc., and how
they can work together for you. A special demonstration will show
how to setup and use your High Definition TV Screen as a stunning
display for your computer’s output.
File Recovery – Can you?
Terry Currier, President, WINNERS (WINdows usERS), CA
PPT or
DOC
Presentation
Have you ever deleted a file from your computer, or camera media
only to say “oh no, I needed that one.” Terry has reviewed many
different programs that at least say they will help you get them
back – but can they? He’ll tell you about some very good free
programs that work. At the very least pay attention when you install
the program, Terry will tell you why.
Terry
has been a computer user group member since 1984 (6 months before he
brought his first computer.) At the present time, Terry is
President, Program Chair, and Webmaster for WINNERS.
Terry was previously president and a director (five years) for the
North Orange County Computer Club. In his spare time, he was also a
director for four years, vice president for a year, program chair
for three years, and membership chair for one year for the Orange
Coast College IBM PC User Group. One of the highlights of his life
now is being Grandpa.
Kindle Fire
Wil Wakely, Past President, Seniors Computer Group, CA
The Kindle Fire is the latest model of Amazon’s popular e-Book
readers, and boasts many additional features that the earlier models
lacked. If you are considering acquiring an e-Book reader, this
session may help you decide which one is best for you.
Wil’s
love affair with Personal Computers began in the days of Commodore
and Atari, well before the PC was born. Since then, he has served as
President of several computer clubs in San Diego including the now
defunct San Diego Computer Society, UCHUG (still active after 30
plus years), and Seniors Computer Group, where he is immediate
Past-President. He dreamed of e-books 30 years ago and is delighted
that they are now ubiquitous. His household now contains four models
of Amazon Kindles, all in current use.
How to Navigate the Ever Changing Landscape of Technology
Abby Stokes, Author, “Is This Thing On?”
Video Presentation
The digital divide widens with the rapid pace of new innovations
and gadgets. What is out there and how it might benefit you can be
lost in all the tech talk. Abby helps "digital immigrants" (those
baby boomers and beyond not born with a keyboard and mouse in hand)
understand what everyone is talking about and how to decide what
might work best for them.
Abby
has taken on the role of the Johnny Appleseed of Technology
crisscrossing the country (to more than 18 states) to help Digital
Immigrants conquer their fear of technology. She’s visited over 81
public libraries, 90 senior centers/computer clubs and hosted 13
webinars in the past 2 1/12 years to personally take the Digitally
Challenged by the hand and help them across the Digital Divide. She
has single-handedly helped 180,000 people online. Abby has taught
courses in basic computing at both Cooper Union and NYU’s School of
Lifelong Learning, as well as computer skills to private and
corporate clients.
From Free to Fee Image Management Software
Jim Glass, Program Chair, Glendora’s Computer Club, CA
Once your image is in the computer from your camera, scanner or
art work, what do you want to do with it? Fix it, print it,
save it, find it, publish it to the web or social networks. All the
programs we discuss will have a different way to accomplish this.
Group participation is welcome.
Jim
is the Program Chairman for the Glendoras Computer Club. He has been
dealing with computers since college and his first pc was a
“Sinclair.” He has used Macs and PCs. His interest in photography
began in high school where he had a home darkroom. (The computer
makes it so much easier and much less smelly).
One Note
Dick Lennon, President, Seniors Computer Group, CA
Learn the basics of creating and opening notebooks, sections,
groups and pages. Also, the advantages to One Note over other
methods and forms of creating and using notebooks. It is a place to
gather notes, pictures, screen clippings, web sites, attach files,
and audio and video notes. It also provides for side notes which are
a form of sticky notes. It provides one location to gather
everything you may wish to view and gather on a project. Dick uses
it for travel data, class notes and presentation notes.
Dick is in his third term as President of the Seniors Computer Group
and have been a member since 1998. He have a law degree from Western
State University and was a Speech and Drama Major at San Diego
University. Dick has taught for four years at OASIS, a St.
Louis-based educational group that concentrates on older adult
education.
The Future of Computing is Here! The Cloud
Judy Taylour, President, Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club, CA
PDF Presentation
Everyone is talking about the Cloud, but they don’t mean the
fluffy white variety you find in the sky. The Cloud is the future of
computing. This session will show you the many ways you can use the
Cloud relative to your technology gadgets….from computers to
communication and more.
Judy
has been involved with computers for over 25 years. She has been a
member of the SCV Computer Club for 24 years; serving as editor and
president for eons. She has also taken on the role of Webmaster. She
has given many presentations at the SW conference, APCUG’s annual
conference, the Florida Association of UG At-Sea conference as well
as Southern California user groups. Her latest presentation was an
online presentation for APCUG’s quarterly Virtual Conference.
Along with Marian Radcliffe, she facilitates the quarterly SCRUGS
(Southern California Regional User Group Summit) meetings held to
share ideas, problems, and anything else the group of clubs want to
discuss. Out of this sharing has come several groups that meet on
consecutive nights being part of a ‘tour’ to ensure the vendors are
getting more bang for their buck when they come to Southern
California to make a presentation.
Her APCUG responsibilities include Chair, Board of Advisors,
Benefits Committee and PUSH Committee.
She has taught technology classes for the Golden Oak Adult School in
the Santa Clarita Valley for 18 years.
Linux – Your Key to Safe, Secure (and fun!) Computing
Orv Beach - Training Chair, Southern California Linux Expo
PDF Presentation
Linux has become the most widely-used operating system in the
world. It's used in everything from supercomputers to
smartphones. There are many reasons why that's happened and
Orv Beach will briefly discuss them.
The last remaining frontier for Linux remains the desktop computer.
Orv will discuss why you might want to take a look at it now.
(Can you say “Flame”?) He'll show how easy it is to administer a
Linux computer, why Linux puts the fun
back in computing, and demonstrate a few programs.
There also may be some goodies handed out to those who pay attention
during his presentation!
Orv
has been messing around with computers for over 30 years. He started
with CP/M, worked his way up through DOS, OS/2, Windows, and settled
on Linux about 15 years ago. He's been actively involved with the
Open Source community ever since. He's a principal member of the
Simi Conejo Linux Users Group, and is now the Training Chair of the
Southern California Linux Expo.
Professionally, he now works for St. Jude Medical in Sylmar,
California as a Linux system administrator, and helps ride herd on
more than 500 Linux servers scattered all across the globe.
Learn to Love your iPhone
Cheryl Wester, Program Chair, Temecula Valley CUG, CA
PDF Presentation
Cheryl is a long-time gadget and mobile devise user and loves her
iPhone. The iPhone is not the first machine to be loved—cars, gaming
systems, televisions, Tickle-Me Elmos—none of them are capable of
giving us love in return but oh what the iPhone can do! Come and
share the apps you can’t live without with others who attend this
session…..you’ll probably go home with new ones that will make your
life easier.
Cheryl
is a high school computer and math teacher in Corona, California.
She’s a people oriented individual and has done numerous
presentations on Windows Mobile devices, Outlook, Google, What to do
if the speaker doesn’t show, and Applian products to various
computer clubs as well as the Southwest and APCUG conferences. She
currently serves as the Temecula Valley Computer User Group Program
Chair.
She is also Technical Support for Applian Technologies. If you call
Applian for support and a woman answers….say hi to Cheryl
Tomorrows Technology
Cathy & George Margolin and Terry Currier
Do you want to see the latest and greatest? Do you want to see what you have to look forward to in computer land? Are you one that always likes to see what is coming up or is being researched? This is the presentation to see. We are eager to share what we found at CES (Consumer Electronics Show).
How to Succeed at Close-up Photography
Gene Barlow, User Group Relations
PDF Presentation
Close-up or macro photography is an exciting area of digital photography. Since the pictures you get are usually ones you would not see in normal life, they are very interesting to the viewer. Seeing things close-up is something you don’t always enjoy seeing. There are many ways you can do close-up photography and we will explore the most popular ways that are used and give information about why one approach works better than others. My personal favorite close-up photography is wild flowers. I will try to cover some of the challenges of shooting excellent close-up photos of wild flowers so that you can control the shot to get the very best possible pictures. Throughout the presentation, I will use my wife and my wild flower photos to demonstrate the do’s and the don’ts of close-up photography. Hopefully, you will learn some techniques by attending this session that will improve your own close-up photography.
Have FUN With Digital Photography
Helaine Cummins, Member, TUGNET, CA
Photography used to be taking photographs with your camera,
having them developed, sticking them in frames and/or albums and
sharing them. Now you can do soooo much more! I'm going to
share with you some of fun things that I do using my digital camera
and computer. Hopefully, I'll inspire you to use your digital
camera and computer for more than "just" sharing photos.
I'm
Helaine Cummins, Sooooooo Just Who AM I ?
I'm someone who fell in love with photography as a kid and became
totally hooked after a photography class in college!!! I got
my first real PC in 1995 and could now put photography and computing
together!!! I joined TUGNET over 10 years ago and learned much
more about computers and digital imaging! I’m retired now and
can be on be on my computer all day long doing whatever I want to
do!
Outsmarting Your Smartphone
Learn to Love Your Android
by Geeks On Tour
Everybody’s getting them, but do you understand what they are? So much more than phones – these are actually computers. We will be demonstrating on Motorola Droids, but iPhones and other Droids all have similar features. We will project the phone onto the big seminar screen and show you the basic operations, settings, voice search, camera settings, web-browsing, and photo uploading. All while explaining exactly how to do it. Your smartphone may be the only computer you need as you travel.
Outsmarting your Smartphone
Gil and Chris Guld, GeeksOnTour.com
Everybody’s getting them, but do you understand what they are? So much more than phones – these are actually computers. We will be demonstrating on Motorola Droids, but iPhones and other Droids all have similar features. We will project the phone onto the big seminar screen and show you the basic operations, settings, voice search, camera settings, web-browsing, and photo uploading. All while explaining exactly how to do it. Your smartphone may be the only computer you need as you travel
Guld, Jim and Chris both love computers and built
their careers around them. In addition to many other
computer-related activities, Chris was the owner of a
computer-training center for 13 years and Jim was a network
administrator managing more than 100 computers and is a Microsoft
Certified instructor. They also share a passion for people and
travel. They now live in a motorhome and tour the country giving
computer seminars to RV Rallies and computer clubs as they travel.
All their training is available on their website, www.geeksontour.tv
in tutorial video format. Chris wrote the book "Beginner's
Guide to Picasa" available on Amazon as well as their website.
www.geeksontour.tv
All presentations are subject to change without notice.
