January 12, 2006 - Thursday
Data Recovery
Our January meeting was on the topic of Data Recovery with John Trask, General Manager of Excalibur Data Recovery, Inc., who discussed how Excalibur performs recovery work on media where prevention and back-up procedures have failed. Their professional recovery service can return your most valuable asset - your data - from any number of causes for data loss, including head crashes, power failures, computer viruses, tape overwrites, employee sabotage, natural disasters, or mechanical failures.
As requested by some members, we were also using our new format this month: In order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation each month, we will limit our announcements and Tech Talk Time. If there is time, we will continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
February 9, 2006 - Thursday
Purchasing a Computer in 2006
Are you in the market for a new computer? Do the overwhelming number of different manufacturers and models leave you baffled? Should you buy a PC or a Mac? A desktop or a laptop? How much memory? How big a disk? What additional software packages are necessary? Are there free alternatives available and are they any good?
This month we held a discussion of the current state of the computer market. Whether you are about to buy a computer or you already have one and are thinking of upgrading, we tried to answer your questions, offer advice and take suggestions from you about what has worked for you.
As requested by some members, we were also using our new format this month: In order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation each month, we will limit our announcements and Tech Talk Time. If there is time, we will continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
March 9, 2006 - Thursday
Blogging and Social Networking
If you want to know what a blog is or how to set one up, join us at our March meeting which will feature a presentation by Alyssa Bushey and Kerrie O'Mara, of Lycos Marketing. They will discuss blogging and social networking using Lycos' popular Planet and blog builder products.
Lycos is a leading media destination for creators and consumers of quality content and Alyssa and Kerrie will address everything from defining a blog, to setting up a blog, and get you blogging before the end of the presentation.
As requested by some members, we were also using our new format this month: In order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation each month, we will limit our announcements and Tech Talk Time. If there is time, we will continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
April 13, 2006 - Thursday
Smart Computing in 2006: The Magazine
Jen Clausen of Sandhills Publishing joined us to talk about Smart Computing. The presentation touched on Sandhills Publishing's magazines and the Smart Computing User Group Program.
Jen walked members through an issue of Smart Computing, demonstrated the value of SmartComputing.com through an online tour, and introduced attendees to Smart Computing's sister publications - PC Today, Computer Power User, and PC Novice Reference Series. Every attendee received a packet of Smart Computing goodies and was eligible to win other Smart Computing merchandise.
As requested by some members, we were also using our new format this month: In order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation each month, we will limit our announcements and Tech Talk Time. If there is time, we will continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
May 11, 2006 - Thursday
Comcast: Broadband and Digital Voice Phone Service
Our May meeting featured Comcast. They told us about their broadband services and their new home phone service, Comcast Digital Voice, which uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to provide flat rate phone service with more features than traditional phone services.
As requested by some members, we were also using our new format this month: In order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation each month, we will limit our announcements and Tech Talk Time. If there is time, we will continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
June 8, 2006 - Thursday
Using Spreadsheets to Get Organized
Our June meeting featured Brian Curtis, Principal of Wakefield, MA based Edgewater Technology, Inc., who helped us to improve our spreadsheet skills.
Do you have financial records (bank accounts, CD's, investments, etc.) that you need to keep track of? Do you have a collection of coins, stamps, magazines, recordings, collectibles, that you want to manage more effectively? Have you always wondered how to use a spreadsheet to be more organized?
If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, then Mr. Curtis would have had a solution for you at our June meeting. His presentation covered common problems that organization through a spreadsheet could help solve and demonstrated the creation of various solutions as well as how to use spreadsheet functions to find information in the spreadsheet quickly.
In addition to Tech Talk Time, your chance to share your technical questions and answers, this was the last meeting of the season, which means we were giving away all of the prizes left over from the past year. Software, books, calendars, neon pens, alarm clocks, rubber balls and more - something for every member to win.
As requested by members, we were also using our new format this month: In order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation each month, we will limit our announcements and Tech Talk Time. If there is time, we continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
September 14, 2006 - Thursday
Internet Safety, the Law, and Your Child
At our September meeting, Danvers Police Officer Roland Levasseur gave a presentation entitled "Internet Safety, the Law, and Your Child." Do you know what dangers threaten your child when she/he uses the Internet? Did you know there are threats from instant messaging? What are the laws regarding abuse on the Internet? How can you protect your child when she/he uses the Internet?
Officer Levasseur also touched on how email works and how it can be traced, as well as reasons NOT to put your real name or other personal information on the Internet. The presentation included slides for parents focusing on myspace.com, craigslist, and Yahoo!, and what our children have access to without any restrictions.
Using our revised meeting format: in order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation, we limited our announcements and Tech Talk Time at the beginning of the program. When there is time, we continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
October 12, 2006 - Thursday
Using Picasa to Organize and Edit Your Digital Pictures
Are you confused, irritated or just plain frustrated when trying to use the software that came with your digital camera? Do you wish there was a program that was easy to use for editing your pictures as well as for printing or emailing them?
At this month's meeting, professional photographer Bob DiNatale gave a presentation entitled "Using Picasa to Organize and Edit Your Digital Pictures". Mr. DiNatale demonstrate why "Picasa" is the answer.
Producer and consultant for corporate digital media programs, Mr. DiNatale conducts workshops, lectures and private instruction in the area of digital photography. Since presenting his first digital media production in 1984, he has continued to work at the leading edge of digital technology, blending his knowledge of conventional photography with his extensive experience in the digital world.
Using our revised meeting format: in order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation, we limited our announcements and Tech Talk Time at the beginning of the program. When there is time, we continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
November 9, 2006 - Thursday
Intel Processors Revealed
With the release of the new Windows Vista operating system for PCs from
Microsoft just around the corner and Apple aggressively pursuing PC users
with their new Intel based product line, the purchase of a new computer is
right around the corner for many folks. Learn from Intel which
processor(s) should be on your shopping list and why.
Tom Murphy, Field Sales Engineer with Intel's Computer Sales Group,
talked about Intel's current and future Multicore Desktop and Mobile CPUs,
including their newest Core2Duo products. He discussed how Intel's
new CPUs and supporting chipsets and technologies improve the overall user
experience with your computer. He also briefly covered Intel's Xeon
server processor family.
Using our revised meeting format: in order to make sure we have enough time for our main presentation, we limited our announcements and Tech Talk Time at the beginning of the program. When there is time, we continue to take questions after the main presentation is complete.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
December 14, 2006 - Thursday
Finding the Right Digital Camera
What's the best camera to buy for the holidays? At our December meeting, Tony Owens of Hunt Photo and Video in Melrose spoke about "Finding the Right Digital Camera to Fit Your Needs and Budget".
Mr. Owens' presentation covered such topics as "How many megapixels do you need?", "What peripheral products might you need?", "How much will you really end up spending?", and "What developments are on the horizon for digital cameras?"
Tony Owens is a portrait, event and documentary photographer, who operates his own studio in Boston.
As usual, the meeting is always free of charge and open to the general public, but remember any door prizes offered are available to members only.
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