Meetings

Richard Jackson, vice president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using zoom for this meeting. This link will be active on day of meeting.

Click here to be connected to this meeting. Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

Members will also receive an e mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log on to the meeting.

When: Sunday, Sept 12, 2021, at 1:15 P.M. Detroit Time
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: Google From 30,000 Feet

Presented by Rob Truman

Learn about Google products. This presentation will be an overview of some of the more popular Google products (Gmail, Search, Google Drive, and Google Docs) and will also include a discussion on Google tracking and how to minimize your exposure when you are online.

Rob is a member of APCUG’s Speakers Bureau, he frequently gives presentations to member groups on various topics.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, Sept 12, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic: No meeting this month

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

No meeting this month.

Also: Questions and Answers after the presentation.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, Sept 12, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

When: Sunday, September 19, 2021, at 2 PM.

Rick Fink will continue the discussion adding new tables and working with them in his game program.

All are welcome to attend.

Where: Richard Jackson’s home. Call Richard Jackson at 248-546-3694 for directions.

Sharan Kalwani, president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using zoom for this meeting. This link will be active on day of meeting.

Click here to be connected to this meeting. Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

Members will also receive an e mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log on to the meeting.

When: Sunday, Aug 8, 2021, at 1:15 P.M. Detroit Time
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: Using Android Apps and Your Smartphone

Presented by Bill James

The smartphone is a device that can do a multitude of tasks that you have traditionally done on your PC. It just takes the right apps and a different mindset in making the device work for you. From adjusting to using a smaller screen and keyboard, you can do many things you did not think possible. Countless individuals have been able to adapt to using a smartphone where other devices are impossible to use due to some physical handicap. This presentation will demonstrate a few things possible that makes the smartphone more than just a telephone.

            Microsoft Mobile Apps, Online Banking,

Controlling other devices within your home, GPS

            Using printers from Your Smartphone

            Viewing files using Cloud Storage, Google Play Store (Finding Apps).

Bill first became involved in a PC user’s group in 1992 when he joined the Oklahoma PC User’s Group now known as the Computer Club of Oklahoma City. He has been a member of the clubs’ Board of Directors since 1998. Bill served two terms as president and is currently the Vice President of Operations. He has recently gotten more involved with home automation using Google Home to automate his own home.

As a member of APCUG’s Speakers Bureau, he frequently gives presentations to member groups on Windows 10, Chromebook, Android devices, home automation, and synchronizing devices.

Bill attended his first APCUG Fall Conference in 2003. He is a past APCUG Region 6 Advisor and Treasurer and served on the APCUG Board of Directors from 2006 to 2009.

Bill also belongs to the Windows Insider Program and is the go-to person on everything Android. He is broadening his knowledge base with learning the Chromebook OS, the MacOS, and iOS for Apple products.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, Aug 8, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic: new command – ss (Scan Sockets)

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

This month we will take a look at a new command – ss.
SS is short for scan sockets, and is designed to be more human readable and easier than the venerable ‘netstat’ command  – which has been with us since the 1980s, when TCP/IP was first integrated into UNIX.
Several simple commands will be explored.

Also: Questions and Answers after the presentation.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, Aug 8, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

Sharan Kalwani, president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using zoom for this meeting. This link will be active on day of meeting.

Click here to be connected to this meeting. Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

Members will also receive an e mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log on to the meeting.

When: Sunday, July 11, 2021, at 1:15 P.M. Detroit Time
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: Security/Privacy Settings for Windows 10

Presented by Jere Minich

Important security info and staying protected is a smart move for Windows 10 users. SmartScreen, App& browser control, privacy Updates and settings are all covered with screenshots from Windows 10.

Jere served for more than 20 years as a computer operator and instructor in the Navy. After retirement, he moved with Joyce to Leesburg, Florida.

Currently, he teaches classes in Windows 10, iPad, and iPhone, at the Leesburg Library, and at the college for the Lake-Sumter Computer Society. He holds numerous Technical Webinars for User Groups across the country.

He is a member of the APCUG Speakers Bureau, APCUG Advisor for Region 5, (jminich@apcug.org), and is a frequent presenter for APCUG Virtual Technology Conferences. (VTCs)

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, July 11, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic: Role of Linux in Embedded Systems

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

It may astonish you that the volume of microprocessors sold for embedded systems is 10x times that sold for servers & desktops. Embedded systems have come to dominate almost every facet of our life: “appliances, network devices, medical devices, IoT, etc.”. In the past proprietary OS were used, but these days, various forms of Linux trimmed specially for embedded systems are now widespread. This talk will give a vast and sweeping overview of Embedded Linux and the needs of embedded systems that Linux has been adapted to fulfill.
Hopefully this will give a greater appreciation for Linux in this domain.

Also: Questions and Answers after the presentation.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, July 11, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

Sharan Kalwani, president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using zoom for this meeting. This link will be active on day of meeting.

Click here to be connected to this meeting. Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

Members will also receive an e mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log on to the meeting.

When: Sunday, June 13, 2021, at 1:15 P.M. Detroit Time
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: Digital Asset Estate Planning: Even After You’ve Died Your Identity Isn’t Safe

Presented by Judy Taylour

The year after somebody dies is one of the most vulnerable times for identity theft. It’s a terrible crime but, because death is a public record, criminals comb through recently deceased records and create fake identities. This presentation covers many ways your identity can be stolen and ways to prevent it from being stolen after you are no longer here. There are also many tips to make it easier for your digital executor to close your accounts and how we can help.

Judy Taylour is a member of the APCUG Speakers Bureau and a 33-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club where she serves as President, Editor, and Webmaster. She was co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of computer clubs in Southern California that met together quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. She spent 23 years involved with the Southwest Technology Conference held in San Diego for 20 years and three additional years at Cal Poly Pomona, serving as co-chair and chair. Judy taught adult education tech classes for 22 years through her local high school district and is a member of the Pierce College Computer Applications and Office Technologies Advisory Committee that meets annually to suggest courses and hardware for the next school year. Judy is a firm believer in life-long learning.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic: A Taxonomy of Linux performance tools

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

Beginning with good old UNIX and it’s many incantations (& devilish incarnations), tools to observe performance have grown, some may argue in too wild a manner. A few years ago Brendan Gregg, a well-known Linux performance engineer shared a birds-eye view of the various tools out there, in order to provide some structure to the collection. In this talk, we will briefly visit some of the tools (it is impossible to do all of them in-depth) and the general areas/domains they excel in, in order to get a better feel for which tools do what and where they may be best applied/explored..

Also: Questions and Answers after the presentation.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

When: Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 2 PM. CANCELLED

Rick Fink had to cancel.

All are welcome to attend.

Where: Richard Jackson’s home. Call Richard Jackson at 248-546-3694 for directions.

Richard Jackson, vice-president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using zoom for this meeting. This link will be active on day of meeting.

Click here to be connected to this meeting. Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

Members will also receive an e mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log on to the meeting.

When: Sunday, May 9, 2021, at 1:15 P.M. Detroit Time
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: Password Managers

Presented by Judy Taylour

What is a Password Manager and why we Should use one? How does it work? Why should I have one? Why am I so resistant to using one? How safe are they in the Cloud? Will a password manager sync between my devices? Free vs. yearly fee. Can I use it as a source for my digital asset manager to close my accounts?

Judy Taylour is a member of the APCUG Speakers Bureau and a 33-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club where she serves as President, Editor, and Webmaster. She was co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of computer clubs in Southern California that met together quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. She spent 23 years involved with the Southwest Technology Conference held in San Diego for 20 years and three additional years at Cal Poly Pomona, serving as co-chair and chair. Judy taught adult education tech classes for 22 years through her local high school district and is a member of the Pierce College Computer Applications and Office Technologies Advisory Committee that meets annually to suggest courses and hardware for the next school year. Judy is a firm believer in life-long learning.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic: Cancelled for this month

Presented by

This portion of the program is cancelled for this month.

Also: Questions and Answers cancelled.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

Sharan Kalwani, president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using Zoom for this meeting. Register in advance for this meeting using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvce6grz8qGdyZenMWbknhMmKkQP8Rq01-

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Zoom doors open at 1 PM. Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

This will be a joint meeting starting at 1:30pm ET, with SEMCO and CFCS (Central Florida Computer Society) sharing the same time slot. After introductions by both clubs, Hewie will start his Evernote presentation

When: Sunday, Apr 11, 2021, at 1:30 P.M.
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: “Evernote – What it is & how I use it for 2021”

Presented by Hewie Poplock

Evernote is a note-taking application that allows you to quickly capture your notes in different formats, whether is audio, images, or simple text. Its structured system of notebooks and tags makes it easier to safely store your information and find them later again through a powerful synchronization across your devices.

Best features include: the web clipper to save snippets or whole pages from the web, a powerful handwriting search, rich editor, templates, document scanning & much more.  Evernote works on Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, Chromebooks, and the Web. 

Hewie Poplock of the CFCS Windows SIG (WinSIG) is a member the APCUG Speakers Bureau.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, Apr11, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

After Hewie’s presentation competes, between 2:45 & 3:00 PM ET, the meeting will shift to the SEMCO Linux SIG

SIG-Linux Topic: Testing the AV Linux Distro

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

For April we will try something more ambitious – testing the AV Linux distro on a retired MacBook. Sharan will present the results of his efforts – good and bad.

From distrowatch.com: “AV Linux is a versatile, Debian-based distribution featuring a large collection of audio and video production software. Additionally, it also includes a custom kernel with IRQ threading enabled for low-latency audio performance.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, Apr 11, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.

When: Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 2 PM. CANCELLED

Rick Fink will talk about the Host Pres SQL database that will be used with his game program.

All are welcome to attend.

Where: Richard Jackson’s home. Call Richard Jackson at 248-546-3694 for directions.

Sharan Kalwani, president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

We will be using zoom for this meeting. This link will be active on day of meeting.

Click here to register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will also receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please join the meeting about 1:00 PM or later.

Members will also receive an e mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log on to the meeting.

Election of the Chairperson for SIG Computing and SIG Linux will be conducted by voice vote. All members are eligible to nominate suitable candidates. If you are interested, please let us know at the meeting.

When: Sunday, Mar 14, 2021, at 1:15 P.M. (Daylight Saving Time Today!)
Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice.

SIG-Computing Topic: Is Cyber Security Really Important?

Presented by Norbert “Bob” Gostischa

Join Bob Gostischa as he guides us towards secure Cyber Security practices. 

Paying attention to Cyber Security is more important today than it has ever been. COVID-19 has exposed many more vulnerabilities than in prior years. More of us are now working from home, many children are learning from home, and many of us have added more IoT devices to make our lives easier. These devices present their own dangers which need to be addressed. 

Bob points out the dangers and offers suggestions that will aid in keeping you secure. Using the right programs and apps can help keep you safe and secure as well as reduce your privacy exposure. Using free programs and apps whenever possible to accomplish this goal is an added bonus and this presentation includes information on many recommended free programs.  

Norbert “Bob” Gostischa, after a successful career in banking, enjoys his retirement as an enthusiastic IT security expert, most notably for Avast; the creator of Avast Antivirus software. Bob has been helping with security-related and general computer issues since 2004. He has contributed over 44,000 forum interactions.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, Mar14, 2021 at 1:30 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic: AntiX and Puppy Linux Distros

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

Sharan will share details of AntiX and Puppy Linux distros this month.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

Where: Meetings will be on line until further notice. Click on link shown above.

When: Sunday, Mar 14, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.