GENERAL MEETING
JULY 10
Topic: Google Apps at Home and on the Go
Speaker: Phil Sorrentino, Secretary and Contributing Editor, The Sun City Computer Club, Florida
Most of us know Google as a website we visit to get answers to all kinds of questions, but 
there is a lot more behind the company and the term Google. Google is a company, a website, a number, and a verb. Phil’s presentation will cover many Google apps. New ones are developed from time to time for computers, tablets and Android cell phones. Our speaker will discuss a selection of these apps, and you can also ask questions.
About Our Presenter:
Phil Sorrentino is a member of the Sun City Center Computer Club in western Florida 24 miles south of Tampa, a past president of the Sarasota Computer Users Group, and a founding member of the Long Island Computer Club. He teaches a variety of beginner and advanced computer and smartphone classes and writes a monthly “Technical Thoughts” article for the club’s newsletter. He is an electrical engineer and has worked at developing computer hardware and software for his entire career.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
SEPTEMBER 11 GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Social Media: What the Heck are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram?
Speaker: Abigail Stokes, APCUG Speaker’s Bureau Speaker and Author
Abby Stokes will explain what everyone’s talking about when they bring up Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. Learn what a hashtag is vs. a gif and how to responsibly determine what is factual before passing it on. She’ll also share how you can enjoy the benefits of social media without risking the loss of your privacy.
About Our Presenter:
Author of Is This Thing On? A Friendly Guide to Everything Digital for Newbies, Technophobes and the Kicking & Screaming, Abby has single-handedly helped a quarter million digitally challenged people cross the Digital Divide and get online. Over the past 20 years, she’s visited more than 22 states, 120 public libraries, over 100 senior centers and computer clubs and has hosted webinars across the country. Abby has taught courses in basic computing at Cooper Union and New York University’s School of Lifelong Learning, as well as computer skills to private and corporate clients. She has lectured on this and other topics across the country and as part of APCUG’s Virtual Technology Conferences. Website: www.AskAbbyStokes.com
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
AUGUST 2018
GENERAL MEETING
Backups: New Developments and Best Strategies
Speaker: Gene Barlow
User Group Relations
www.ugr7.com
Gene Barlow will explain the easiest and best methods to create and maintain backups that will both save your data and make it much easier to restore your system if your hard drive crashes or your computer or device is wrecked or stolen. The 2019 version of Acronis True Image will be released soon, so Gene will bring us up-to-date on its
new features.
Gene has been providing Acronis backup software at a
discount to user group members for many years.
Gene will give us a software prize for a lucky
LACS member who attends.
Meet Our Presenter
Gene Barlow has worked with computer systems for over 50 years and has specialized in backup technology and hard drive utilities for the past 20 years. He can make a complex topic easy for everyone to understand, yet still provide lots of details that you need to know.
He is one of the most popular presenters to user groups and has presented to thousands of user group
audiences. You will find his presentations easy to
understand and very interesting.
OCTOBER 9 GENERAL MEETING
Cyber Threats and How We Can Handle Them
Speaker: Boeing Shih, Special Agent, FBI
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists. Cyber intrusions are becoming more commonplace, more dangerous and more sophisticated. Adversaries target our nation’s critical infrastructure, including private and public sector networks. Companies are targeted for trade secrets and other sensitive corporate data. Universities are targeted for their cutting-edge research and development. Citizens are targeted by fraudsters and identity thieves, and children are targeted by online predators. This presentation will discuss how cyber criminals seek to victimize you and your country and what we can do about it.
Boeing Shih, FBI Special Agent, has investigated a variety of cyber cases including computer intrusions, internet fraud, and intellectual property rights violations over the last thirteen years including four years as a cyber squad supervisor. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from U.C. Berkeley.
October 9 2018
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
NOVEMBER 13 GENERAL MEETING
The Connected Car
Speaker: John Hayes, Vice President, Al & Ed’s Autosound
Most people who live in Southern California depend on a car, truck or SUV to get around. Many people spend hours every day in their vehicle. They do not know that their vehicle can be adapted to be safer, more convenient, and more fun to drive. Technological advances available in new cars today can be added to older vehicles, bringing them up to speed with the newest advances. John Haynes will inform you of the key things you can do to any vehicle to make it safer, to connect to your smartphone, and to make it more enjoyable to drive. From accident-avoidance systems to reverse cameras to parking assist sensors to Apple CarPlay, and to wireless charging: everything new in cars can be yours.
Meet Our Presenter
John Haynes has been in the mobile electronics industry for 28 years, and he is an expert on aftermarket mobile electronics technology. John has been a featured speaker at many industry events and training. He has been a resource to local television, radio, and other media providers, and was featured for four seasons on NBC’s “Whipnotic” television series with host, Mario Solis. As the Vice President of Al & Ed’s corporation, John is responsible for product selection, company operations, and marketing for their 15-store retail chain, as well as overseeing their wholesale distribution company.
Al & Ed’s Autosound, established in 1954. is the longest running mobile electronics specialist in the world, and has brought many new products and technologies to market. With fifteen stores serving Southern California, Al & Ed’s has a multi-generational relationship with thousands of SoCal clients. www.Al-Eds.com
JANUARY 8 GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Digital Literacy with Techboomers
Speaker: Kay Fleury, Content Manager & SEO Specialist, Techboomers.com
This presentation is about Techboomers.com, a free educational website that teaches casual technology users, older adults, tech teachers, and other internet users how to enjoy using websites, apps, and devices. We aim to improve everyday life by teaching people about the great new sites and services online that they should start using. We focus on how to how to recognize the ever-changing dangers of the internet and how to be safe online. You learn about digital literacy, best practices, and many good websites.
We love sharing this knowledge with as many people as possible. So, our tutorials and articles are 100% free to use and distribute in any way you like! For example, you can use them for SIG or general meetings, to teach classes at your work place or institution, or even turn our tutorials into PowerPoint presentations.
Meet Our Presenter
Kay Fleury is the Content Manager for Techboomers. She earned Masters degrees in both English and History from Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. She joined this organization in 2016.Then it mostly offered free online courses for popular websites and apps. She has written numerous individual articles, guides and tutorials that teach everything one needs to know about a topic. Kay works closely with founder and CEO Steve Black to ensure the materials available are up-to-date and of the highest quality. Using Search Engine Optimization and other online marketing strategies, Kay helps make Techboomers a place where any level of learner can arrive and learn digital literacy, online safety, and how the websites and apps they want to use work.
When she’s not working for Techboomers, Kay often plays her guitar, tries a new video game, or plans her next 20 trips around the world.
FEBRUARY 12 GENERAL MEETING
Creating a Videogame
Our speaker, game designer Tracy Fullerton, has spent the last decade translating Henry David Thoreau’s classic text Walden, or Life in the Woods into a videogame about Thoreau’s experiment in living at Walden Pond. The result, Walden, a game, is an open world experience that immerses players in Thoreau’s writings and ideas through its system, world and narrative design. It provides an open-ended experience where players make their own choices about how to live a life of simplicity and balance. The game is based in a faithful digital reproduction of Walden Pond and its surroundings circa 1845, including the political, social and natural environments that are reflected in Thoreau’s works. In this discussion of the project and how the game was created, Fullerton explores the ways in which experimental games like Walden point the way to a rich potential for the future of play.
Meet Our Presenter
Tracy Fullerton is an experimental game designer, professor and director of the USC Games program. Her research center, the Game Innovation Lab, has produced many influential independent games, including Cloud, flOw, Darfur is Dying, Reality Ends Here and The Night Journey with artist Bill Viola. Her recently released project, Walden, a game, was awarded Game of the Year and Most Significant Impact by Games for Change. It has been on exhibit around the world including at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Sundance, the Museum of the Moving Image, and the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.
MARCH 12 2019
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
“Google Searching with Better Results.”
Speaker: Hewie Poplock,
Sarasota (Florida) Technology User Group and APCUG Speaker
The presentation will show various ways to get better results quicker when using Google. You will learn many tips and tricks to help you in your Google searches. There will also be numerous ways demonstrated to get information quickly without even having to go to websites: the answer can be in your search results. Learn many of the shortcuts and become a Google-It expert.
Meet Our Presenter
Hewie Poplock joined the Tampa Bay Osborne User Group and was amazed at how computer users helped each other. In 1987, he joined the Central Florida Computer Society (CFCS) and served as its President for four terms. He was also its Program Chair for many years. He is chair of the Windows SIG (Special Interest Group) and gives a remote Windows SIG presentation to the CFCS members each month even though he has moved to the Sarasota area. The presentations are held live, on the Internet and open to all user group members from around the country. There is a monthly newsletter that contains the meeting links and Windows news. You can sign up for it at https://hewie.net/winsig/ . He recently joined the Sarasota Technology User Group. Hewie also served as Vice President for the Association of PC User Groups (APCUG) and was webmaster for APCUG’s Drupal website.
Professionally, Hewie is a former teacher, college instructor, business owner and manager, IT Manager and website designer. He is semi-retired, but he is active in technology user groups and frequently speaks to and teaches groups whose members are mostly seniors. Hewie has several tutorial videos on YouTube, as well as recorded Windows meetings on his website. As an advocate for Chromebooks, Hewie maintains a Chromebooks 4 Seniors website, http://cb4s.net/ .
APRIL 9 2019
Topic: Technology and Interesting Birds of the World
Speaker: Dave Weeshoff, Conservation Chair and former President of the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society
Dave Weeshoff will present a visual summary of the numerous technologies, historical and current, ornithologists, paleontologists and climate scientists employ to study the history, behavior and destiny of wild birds throughout the world. Examples include satellite tracking, genomic DNA studies, ultra-high-speed photography, and sophisticated real-time data analysis.
Dave earned a B.S.in Experimental Psychology in1968 from Utah State University and immediately joined IBM. He retired in 2004 after enjoying his 35 year career with IBM. Dave is a frequent public and classroom speaker on environmental issues including wild bird protection, climate change, ocean plastic pollution, urban runoff and oil spills. He has spoken on behalf of Audubon, Heal the Bay, 5-Gyres, the Climate Reality Project, and International Bird Rescue. He is quite familiar with the Audubon Society’s Climate Change Initiatives.
Dave has traveled extensively in Alaska, Arctic Canada, the Antarctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Galapagos, Chile/ Easter Island, the Midway Atoll, New Zealand, Madagascar and various U.S. destinations to further his knowledge and photograph the state of our oceans, wildlife, and their habitats. If desired, any contribution to International Bird Rescue would be appreciated. Its website is: https://www.bird-rescue.org/.
Topic: Digital Asset Estate Planning:
Your Identity Isn’t Safe, Even After You’ve Died
Speaker: Judy Taylour,
Member of APCUG’s Speakers Bureau and Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club President
Each year the identities of nearly 2.5 million deceased Americans are used to fraudulently open credit card accounts, apply for loans and get cellphone or other services, according to the fraud prevention firm ID Analytics. (Source: AARP)
The complexity of our digital lives has resulted in many different types of accounts, logins and passwords. The year after somebody dies is one of the most at-risk times for identity theft. Because death certificates are public records and obituaries are posted in newspapers, it is easy for criminals to search through the recently deceased’s records and create fake identities. This presentation covers many ways your identity can be stolen and ways to prevent it from being stolen when you are no longer here. You will also learn how to make it easier for your Digital Asset Executor to close your accounts and perhaps use one of them as a Memorial page for you.
Meet Our Presenter
Judy Taylour, a 31-year member of the SCV Computer Club, serves as President, Editor, and Webmaster. She is Chair of several APCUG (an international organization of technology and computer clubs) committees and a member of APCUG’s Speakers Bureau. She is also co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of representatives of computer clubs in Southern California that have met quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. Judy taught adult education computer classes for 22 years through her local high school district. She is a member of the Pierce College Computer Applications and Office Technologies Advisory Committee that meets annually to suggest courses for the next school year. Judy is a firm believer in life-long learning.
“You, Your Tech Devices and Ergonomics.”
Judy Taylour,
President, SCV Computer Club; Chair of several APCUG
(an international organization of technology
and computer clubs) committees
Sit straight! Arms relaxed! Feet on floor! Wrists/hands floating! Cumulative trauma! Repetitive stress syndrome!
We have all been using technology for many years; are we still practicing good ergonomics? Or, are we stressing our bodies every day without realizing it by extending our wrists, slouching, sitting without foot support and bending our head to look at poorly placed monitors?
Along the way we started using tablets and smartphones which have a different set of ergonomic issues.
This presentation will take us down memory lane on computer ergonomics and give us ideas on proper use of our tablets and smartphones.
Judy is a 31-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club where she serves as President, Editor, and Webmaster. She is also co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of computer clubs in Southern California that have gotten together quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. Judy taught adult education computer 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.
How To Buy and Sell on the Internet Sept 2019
Speakers: Mark Presky and Marsha Saltman
Mark Presky and Marsha Saltman will speak
to us regarding buying and selling online. Almost everyone has things, large and small, very valuable and not, that they would like to turn into cash. Mark and Marsha bring their several years of experience selling via eBay, Craigslist, Nextdoor, and OfferUp. They will take us through the process of listing ads, and point out
important dos and don’ts.
Meet Our Presenters
Mark, an LACS director, has a Master’s Degree in Microbiology from UC Davis, and he has a professional designation in Personal Financial Planning from the
Anderson School of Management at UCLA. He became a Certified Financial Planner in 2005 and continues to retain that designation. He recently retired after 43 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, and he retired from professional tax preparation in 2016.
Marsha graduated from Portland State University in
Oregon and became Director of Human Resources for some of the largest hotels in Los Angeles, including
the Hollywood Roosevelt, the Beverly Hilton, and the Ambassador Hotel before retiring from that line of work. She is a Certified Human Resources Executive through the American Hotel and Motel Association.
OCTOBER 15 GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Cyber Security for All of Your Devices
Speaker: Bob Gostischa, Avast Software & APCUG Speaker’s Bureau
Our security and privacy are constantly in danger of being attacked from many sources. Between ransomware, data breaches, cryptojacking, supply chain attacks and mobile malware, staying secure and guarding as much of our privacy as possible is a constant challenge. This presentation will cover how we can protect our computers (Windows and Mac), tablets, smart phones, and other smart and connected Internet of Things devices.
About the Presenter:
Norbert “Bob” Gostischa, after a successful career in banking, enjoys his retirement as an enthusiastic IT security expert, most notably for Avast Software, a global leader in cybersecurity products.
Avast has made security software for over 30 years and has more than 400 million users worldwide. Avast prevents 2 billion malware attacks every month. In 2016, Avast purchased AVG Technologies. In 2017, Avast bought Piriform (thus acquiring these products: Ccleaner, Defraggler, Recuva, and Speccy). Its best-known product is Avast Antivirus, the most often used antivirus software in the world.
Bob is a proud member of the APCUG Speakers Bureau. He has also helped to answer tens of thousands of questions and problems at Avast website’s discussion and help forum since 2004. Bob’s presentations are not a sales pitch for Avast. You can learn more about Bob’s presentations and passions by going to his Blog and YouTube Channel.
November 12 general meeting
Speaker: Jere Minich. APCUG Speaker’s Bureau presenter and Program Chair, Lake-Sumter [Florida] Computer Society
Topic: Windows 10 Tips and Q & A
Meet Our Speaker
Jere Minich is the Program Director for the Lake-Sumter Computer Society in Florida which meets weekly when the Lake Sumter Community College is in session. He is a computer systems analyst who teaches basic computer classes at the college. He retired from the U. S. Navy where he served on submarines and instructed on the Polaris and Trident class submarines. He frequently gives presentations at his club’s meetings, and he has given many online presentations to APCUG-member groups via its Speakers Bureau.
Topics
Jere will cover three topics, with Q & A on them and, if time permits, other Win 10 issues such as upgrading to it. The main topics are:
(1) How to configure Windows 10’s Storage Sense and the Free Up Space Tool.
(2) A Better Readers View on the Internet: How can I read an article on the internet and skip all of the ads?
(3) Security/Privacy Settings: how to be sure your Security and Privacy settings are what you want them to be under Windows 10.
NOVEMBER 12 GENERAL MEETING
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.2019
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
Speaker: Jere Minich. APCUG Speaker’s Bureau presenter and
Program Chair, Lake-Sumter [Florida] Computer Society
Topic: Windows 10 Tips and Q & A
Jere will cover three topics, with Q & A on them and, if time permits, other Win 10 issues such as upgrading to it. The main topics are:
(1) How to configure Windows 10’s Storage Sense and the Free Up Space Tool.
(2) A Better Readers View on the Internet: How can I read an article on the internet and skip all of the ads?
(3) Security/Privacy Settings: how to be sure your Security and Privacy settings are what you want them to be under Windows 10.
Meet Our Speaker
Jere Minich is the Program Director for the Lake-Sumter Computer Society in Florida which meets weekly when the Lake Sumter Community College is in session. He is a computer systems analyst who teaches basic computer classes at the college. He retired from the U. S. Navy where he served on submarines and instructed on the Polaris and Trident class submarines. He frequently gives presentations at his club’s meetings, and he has given many online presentations to APCUG-member groups via its Speakers Bureau.
FEBRUARY 11 2020 GENERAL MEETING
7:30 to 9:00 P.M.
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
Speaker: Jim McKnight, LACS
Topic: Windows 10 Intro & Walk-throughJim will do a live demonstration of setting up a new Windows 10 system and how to understand its parts and make it look more like Windows 7.
Among other items, he will demonstrate and explain (no PowerPoint presentation!):
- The Start Icon, the Start Menu, the Taskbar, the Desktop, and the Action Center.
- How to create and set up a new LOCAL User Account (thus avoiding the notorious Microsoft LIVE Account)
- How to do a Manual Windows Update and pause Windows Updates.
- How to set up the Mouse and Track-pad
- How to avoid using the infamous EDGE browser by setting up FIREFOX or CHROME as an alternative browser.
- How to set up optional views in the File Explorer Windows.
- Privacy Settings
- ..If time allows, Jim will demo two free utilities that make Windows 10 easier to see and use: Winaero Tweaker Utility and UltraFileSearch Standard.
Meet Our Presenter
Jim McKnight is a PC hobbyist who freely shares his expert knowledge and skills with others. Jim worked for the IBM Corporation for 38 years before retiring in 2003. For most of his career he specialized in Large Computer Systems and Large Laser Printer Support. He installed, diagnosed and repaired a variety of room size data center computer systems and high-speed printers. Before joining IBM, Jim worked on aircraft radios in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command and on mobile radios for Los Angeles county’s Sheriff and Fire Departments.
Trained on computers by IBM starting in 1966, Jim grew up alongside several generations of computer technologies (many of which are now in the Smithsonian Institution). As a result of IBM’s cycle of releasing a completely new generation of computers every 5 years or so, Jim developed learning and diagnostic skills that enabled him to assimilate and communicate knowledge about new computer systems very quickly, giving him a solid reputation with both management and his peers.
After retirement, Jim felt his experience, diagnostic skills and writing talents were going to waste, so he started playing around with PC’s. He joined the Los Angeles Computer Society (LACS, a local PC Users Group) where he taught and assisted members, ultimately resulting in his website, www.jimopi.net . This website is a depository for all that he has learned about PCs written so that users can print his self-help guides and use them to help solve their problems. Jim offers all his articles, tips, and guides free of charge. He also provides many free PC diagnostic, tune-up, repair, and malware removal services to members of LACS. Jim is an expert in PC security, system recovery, malware detection/removal, XP and Windows 7 repair and Windows 10. He is a long-time former member of the LACS’s Board of Directors.
MARCH 9 2020 GENERAL MEETING
7:30 to 9:00 P.M. 2020
Westchester United Methodist Church
Fellowship Hall
8065 Emerson Ave.
Westchester, CA 90045
Speaker: Stephanie Nordlinger,
LACS Vice President and a long-time user of TurboTax and Quicken.
Topics: Financial Software: TurboTax and Quicken
Being organized about your finances is essential.
These two inexpensive programs can be very helpful. There are different versions depending on your needs –even free online simple TT tax returns.
You can save money on accountants and tax preparers if you have properly re-corded, organized data. You can look at alternatives (budgeting, taxable transactions, etc.), plan for expenditures, write checks, pay bills, calculate your net worth, and create numerous reports.
Quicken can quickly go to your broker’s website to update your records of transactions and prices. You can search for past purchases or expenses for any reason. .
On Tuesday, April 14, we plan to discuss Quick Books, Money, and using a spreadsheet to keep track of your finances.
Later in the year, we plan to discuss purchasing and banking online and investment information on the Web.
Meet Our Presenter:
Stephanie has been in LACS from its incorporation in 1991.She has been its President, Editor of User Friendly, and is now its Vice President.A retired attorney, she has used Quicken since 1988 for business and personal purposes and TurboTax for a number of years.
MAY 12 GENERAL MEETING
6:30 to 9:00 P.M.
Because of restrictions due to corona virus we will be meeting “virtually”
via ZOOM.
Please look for the email sent out by our president the day before the meeting with the link to the ZOOM meeting.
TUESDAY MAY 12, 2020
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
PLACE: Your Home
TIME: 7:30 – 9 PM Meeting, Speaker, Q&A
6:30 to 7:30: Socializing , Questions, and Practice Using Zoom
Speaker: CHRISTIAN KNUDSEN, Independent I.T. Consultant
Topic: Operating Systems Showdown
Which operating system is the right one for you!? We will compare and contrast Windows 10, Mac OS, and Chrome OS by outlining some of the best features (and biggest issues) of these operating systems. What are the advantages of buying products that are designed to work together? Is the Apple ecosystems really worth the extra cost? We will discuss how mobile operating systems like iOS and Android are redefining what we currently refer to as a “computer” and how the cloud, smartphones and tablets devices are making computing easier and more accessible than it has ever been before.
Meet Your Presenter:
Christian Knudsen 
grew up in Pacific Palisades, CA. By his mid-teens, he got a job at a local computer educational center where taught other kids and adults basic computer skills. He also started doing “Personal IT” – providing technical support and educational services in people’s homes. In his 20s, he used his computer skills working in motion graphics and video editing. In his 30s, he started his own company, DGT Creative, that specializes in IT, post production, social media management, marketing, and web development, all of which he continues to this day. Recently, Christian has been subcontracted to help out with another IT expert’s A-list celebrity clientele. He is now living, working, and creating art out of his home in Los Angeles, keeping busy helping his clients with their technological needs. We are happy to have Christian back again, sharing his knowledge with us.
June 9 2020 General Meeting – Online
Speaker: JUDY TAYLOUR, PRESIDENT, SCV COMPUTER CLUB
Topic: The Cloud is Here – Don’t Get Left Behind
Are you using the Cloud? Many people still answer, no. We seem to need buzz words to define anything related to computers, and this is one that sometimes mystifies people. To some degree, we are all using the Cloud, but there can be more out there that we can take advantage of.
Where is the Cloud? Is it safe? We all have more than one device. How can we keep our data files in sync on all of them? We want to be able to share files with family, friends, and associates, but emailing them is not very efficient. Is there a better way?
About Our Presenter:
Judy Taylour, President, SCV Computer Club and Chair of several APCUG (an international organization of technology and computer clubs) committees. Judy has spoken to us several times including on Ergonomics and Digital Asset Estate Planning.
Judy is a 32-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club where she serves as President, Editor, and Webmaster. She is also co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of computer clubs in Southern California that have met quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. Judy taught adult education computer classes for 22 years through her local high school district. She 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. She is a firm believer in life-long learning.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY JULY 14, 2020
Topic: Saving Your Life with Technology
Speaker: RON BROWN, M.D., and Program Chair,
SILVERCOM COMPUTER & TECHNOLOGY CLUB, Mesa, AZ
In this presentation, Ron wears both his Doctor and Technology hats. We start with a fictitious patient who lives alone in an RV Resort in Mesa and develops some medical issues that nearly cause a death. We look at common medical problems in the elderly that can be helped by wearable devices. The Internet of Things (IoT) can also play a big role in helping seniors with isolation and communication.
Meet Our Presenter
Ron Brown would is a retired technologist. After he graduated in Medicine at the University of Alberta in 1976, he became a Flight Surgeon. In 1981, he left the military to start a Family Practice in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. PC’s were just being produced and Microsoft Windows was going to integrate everything. He wanted an electronic office and bought an interest in a start-up software company in Calgary, Alberta that made an Electronic Patient Record. As his Family Practice grew, so did his software company. Over the next 20 years it became an international company. He traveled across Canada and the U.S. giving papers at many conferences. The topics included patient management, lab integration, security, and data input.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY AUG 11, 2020
TOPIC: BEST SMARTPHONE APPS
Speaker: Bill James, Computer Club of Oklahoma
and APCUG Director and Speaker’s Bureau Member
Life is made easier with apps. Bill will share his must-have apps during this presentation. Smartphone apps allow you to work, play and use your smartphone to do virtually everything. Although the Android phone will be the primary instrument used in this presentation, the concepts can be applied to both Apple and Android products. He spoke to us in September 2016 on “Smartphones: Swiss Army Knifes for Keeping Data Handy.” Since hardware and apps constantly change, an update of this topic is due or overdue.
About Our Presenter:
Bill joined the Oklahoma PC User’s Group now known as the Computer Club of Oklahoma City in 1992 and later became its President. He is now VP of Operations and newsletter editor, and frequently gives presentations on new software to his club. Bill is the APCUG Region 8 Director and Advisor (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX) and a frequent APCUG Speakers Bureau speaker.
Bill’s other activities include the Oklahoma Mustang Club and a Toastmasters International Club. He retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2007. He was a Supply Systems Analyst for the FAA Logistics Center in Oklahoma City OK, where he worked for 38 years.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY SEPT 8, 2020
TOPIC: How the Internet Has Changed Real Estate
Not that long ago, real estate agents and brokers, with their thick property listing books that were more or less out of date as soon as they were published, were the exclusive gatekeepers of real estate information. If you wanted to learn about a property or to buy or sell a house, you were totally dependent on them. But then came the Internet. And all that changed.
Now home buyers and sellers can be better connected and informed and no longer at the mercy of their real estate agent. It’s now easy to get information about a property and its neighborhood on your personal computer or mobile phone without even going there.
So will real estate websites eventually replace the human connection in buying and selling a house? Will real estate agents find new ways to help clients understand their options, or will they go the way of the travel agent, the video store, and the classified ad?
Wade will cover the changes in the home buying and selling process and speculate about future trends. Which websites are the most reliable? Which ones should you beware of? How has the pandemic affected the local market, and how are Realtors trying to cope?
Meet Our Presenter
Wade Huie of Power Brokers International Inc. was introduced to LACS by the late Charles Mahan. He is a battle-scarred “Realtor-Warrior” in the ultra-competitive L.A. real estate market. Since 2003, Wade has been helping buyers and sellers do real estate transactions throughout Southern California. His motto: “The best time to buy real estate is … NOW.”
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY OCT 13, 2020
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
Topic: Cybersecurity and Understanding Resilience
The ability to recover from difficulties in our life varies from our routine personal everyday tasks to those tasks we encounter in our workspace environments. As the advancements of technology have exponentially increased, so has the ability of adversaries to exploit those technologies. Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? Are we positioned to recover effectively? Are we winning or losing the cyber wars?
Working from Laguna Niguel, he supports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission of strengthening the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure. His program coordinates cyber preparedness, risk mitigation, and incident response. It also provides cybersecurity resources, including assessments, to the nation’s sixteen critical infrastructure sectors and to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. He will discuss cyber and physical risks and resiliency at the federal level.
About Our Presenter
Joseph Oregon serves as the Cybersecurity Advisor, Region IX (California), for the Cybersecurity Division, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Oregon is a U.S. Army Veteran who has spent over 22 years working in the Department of Defense and Information Technology/Information Security communities.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY NOV 10, 2020
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
Topic: Saving Your Life with Wearable Technology, Part II
Speaker: Ron Brown, M.D., APCUG Speakers Bureau, Silvercom Computer and Technology Club, AZ
Ron Brown spoke to us in July on Part I of this topic including smart watches and other devices that can get help quickly for a person who has a medical emergency and cannot reach a phone or other help. These devices can make records that will help a doctor diagnose and treat the patient. Some detect that your heart is beating too fast (A-Fib – atrial fibrillation) or too slow (you need a pacemaker). Even one EKG shows a lot about the history of the cardiovascular system. This technology is constantly changing. What’s new? How should you plan for a medical emergency? What hardware and software are important? How should you connect your devices? Use smart phones and computers? Fast and reliable internet connection? Stay connected to people? Planning ahead to get and effectively use the right devices could save your life or that of a loved one.
Meet Our Presenter
Ron Brown is a retired technologist. He graduated in Medicine at the University of Alberta in 1976 and then became a Flight Surgeon. In 1981, he left the military to start a Family Practice on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. PC’s were just being produced and Microsoft Windows was going to integrate everything. He wanted an electronic office, so he bought an interest in a start-up software company in Calgary, Alberta that made an Electronic Patient Record. As his Family Practice grew, so did his software company, becoming an international company. He traveled across Canada and the U.S. giving papers at many conferences on patient management, lab integration, security, and data input.
Start 2021 by Decluttering Your Digital Life
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Speaker: Judy Taylour
Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to de-clutter all things digital? You spend a lot of money on your devices–take care of them, and they will last longer. Digital clutter slows down your devices, your computer runs slow, and it takes you too long to find a document. You are overloaded with emails, and your phone has a gazillion apps; you can’t find anything. Judy’s presentation will show how you can de-clutter your digital life and be more organized to work faster and smarter.
Judy Taylour is President, Editor, Webmaster and a 32-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) Computer Club. She chairs several APCUG committees and is a member of its Speaker’s Bureau. She has taught adult education computer classes for 22 years.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY Feb 9, 2021
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
How and Why To Backup Your Hard Drive
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Speaker: Judy Taylour
How and Why To Backup Your Hard Drive
Don’t lose any or all of your important data: documents, photos, music, or videos.
- Your computer could be hit by a virus.
- Ransomware could hold your files hostage.
- You should be prepared for a natural disaster.
- Hard drives sometimes fail.
We will look at the ins and outs of backing up your hard drive and your smartphones during this presentation.
Judy Taylour is a 33-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club. She is chair of several APCUG (an international organization of technology and computer user groups) committees, and she is a member of their Speaker’s Bureau. She has taught adult education computer classes for 22 years. She’s a firm believer in life-long learning.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY March 9, 2021
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
What Will 5G Mean for You in 2021?
Speaker: Ron Brown, APCUG Speakers Bureau, Silvercom Computer and Technology Club, Mesa AZ.
In 2021 5G phones and fixed base 5G will roll out across the USA and Canada. All major cell phone carriers are upgrading their services to 5G. What does this mean for you? Is 5G ready and should you consider upgrading your phone? What are the advantages and limitations of 5G? The wireless companies are also promoting services called Fixed Base 5G for Television service and the Internet. How does this compare to existing technology and should you sign up? Q & A.
Ron is a retired technologist. He was a Canadian Flight Surgeon and then started a family medical practice on Vancouver Island. Ron wanted an electronic office and bought an interest in a start-up software company in Calgary that made an Electronic Patient Record.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY April 13, 2021
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
Microsoft 365
Speaker: Rob Truman
Learn about the many useful apps included in the Microsoft 365 subscription. Rob will present a comparison of Microsoft’s subscription service along with its prices and features to its stand-alone products. He will also examine Microsoft’s cloud services such as OneDrive and the online Office apps available with your Microsoft account. Then he will describe some free alternative software suites and answer your questions.
Rob Truman has over 40 years of experience in Information Technology and internet-related fields. He has worked as a Technical Support professional for Microsoft for years.
GENERAL MEETING Via Zoom
TUESDAY May 11, 2021
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
Topic: Audiobooks
Speaker: Hewie Poplock, APCUG Speakers Bureau
Many people, especially seniors, are finding more free time while confined to their homes. One technology that is not often considered is audiobooks. Reading becomes more difficult as we age. Listening to someone read has become very accessible. There are many ways to get professionally read books for free, inexpensively, or by subscription. Hewie Poplock gives a brief background and then provides ways to find thousands of audiobooks. He will also provide a few sample excerpts of books to illustrate the quality of audiobooks.
Meet Our Presenter
Hewie Poplock is a member of two computer and technology user groups in Florida. He attended his first user group meeting in 1982 and has been active in the user group movement ever since. He likes to help computer users, especially seniors, and he gives back much of what he has learned. You might want to check out his website and the Tech for Seniors classes at www.hewie.net.
TUESDAY JUNE 8, 2021
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
PLACE: Your Home
TIME: 7:00 Meeting, Speaker, Q&A
6:30 to 7:00: Socializing , Questions, and Practice Using Zoom
Topic: A Guide to Synchronizing Your PC
Speaker: Bill James, APCUG Speakers Bureau Member
There are numerous ways to sync desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones. This presentation will cover sharing over a network, local file sync programs, LANs, Cloud services, and more from the complex to relatively simple solutions. He will also cover selective syncing, like deleting some things on your phone but leaving them on your PC.
Meet Our Presenter
In 1992, Bill James joined the Oklahoma PC User’s Group (now the Computer Club of Oklahoma City) to learn more about the computer he had purchased. He has been a member of the club’s Board of Directors since 1998. Bill was elected President of the CCOKC in 2000 and served two terms. He is now VP of Operations and newsletter editor. He frequently gives presentations on new software to his club.
He retired from the Federal Aviation Administration as a Supply Systems Analyst for the FAA Logistics Center in Oklahoma City, OK, in 2007.
JULY 13 GENERAL MEETING
7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
Speaker: JUDY TAYLOUR
APCUG Speakers Bureau Member,
President, Santa Clarita Valley, CA Computer Club, and
APCUG Region 10 advisor.
Topic: All Things Google – There is more to Google than ‘Google It.’
This presentation will explore Google’s apps and hardware. Google strives to have the most comprehensive and diverse suite of apps and hardware that work together and would like to be your go-to ecosystem. All its apps are web-based and are designed to work seamlessly with each other. The core Google app is the Chrome browser and is the foundation of their platform.
Meet Our Presenter
Judy Taylour is a 33-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) Computer Club where she serves as President, Editor and Webmaster. She chairs several APCUG committees, an international organization of technology and computer clubs. For over 20 years, she was the co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of Southern California computer club leaders have met quarterly to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. Judy taught adult education computer classes for over 20 years for her local high school district. She 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. A firm believer in life-long learning, Judy has spoken to us on The Cloud, Ergonomics, Digital Asset Estate Planning, Decluttering Your Digital Life, and other topics.
AUGUST 10 GENERAL MEETING
7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
Topic: EVERNOTE FOR 2021
Speaker: Hewie Poplock
APCUG Speakers Bureau, Central Florida Computer Society
and Sarasota Technology Users Club
EVERNOTE gives you everything you need to keep life organized—great note taking, project planning, and easy ways to find what you need, when you need it. You can capture anything by adding your notes, photos, files, and to-do lists. You can keep it together by creating a personal space for all of your most important ideas and information. You can find it fast and get the right note, right away with its powerful search and keyword tags. You are able to sync your notes to all your devices so they stay with you, even if you are offline.
Hewie has used EVERNOTE since 2008 and has almost 17,000 notes. He talks about the differences in the free and premium plans and also demonstrates EVERNOTE’S search speed and accuracy. He will show you some of the differences between version 6 and version 10. Q & A at the end.
Meet Our Presenter
Hewie Poplock is a former APCUG Vice President. He leads the Central Florida Computer Society’s online Windows SIG and is the CFCS’s APCUG Representative. He is also on the board of directors of the Sarasota Technology Users Club. Hewie has been active in computer user groups since 1982. He likes to help computer users. You can attend his free monthly Win(dows) SIG meetings online.
TUESDAY SEPT 14, 2021
L.A. Computer Society (LACS) MEETING
PLACE: Your Home
TIME: 7:00 Meeting, Speaker, Q&A
6:30 to 7:00: Socializing , Questions, and Practice Using Zoom
STREAMING, A THING OF THE TIME
RAY BAXTER
Remember when it was so “cool” to have a push-button AM radio in the car? This presentation will review how to use your existing Compact Disc collection, now that many new cars no longer have a CD player, by streaming from an online service, using Bluetooth, flash drives, smartphones, etc. Q and A.
Ray Baxter’s first introduction to personal computers was a Radio Shack purchase in 1986. It has been a constant learning experience since then to stay current with changes in technology. Ray joined APCUG as the Region 9 Advisor in 2013. He was then elected director and served as treasurer. In 2021 Ray also became APCUG’s President.
Before retiring, Ray had a 40+-year career in international banking. He worked for three major money center banks in New York and Los Angeles in operations, business development, and administration.
He then moved to Arizona. As the long-time President of the Payson Area Computer Association, he changed PACA into a “Meet-up” computer and technology club using Zoom for its monthly meetings. He spoke to LACS on “How Technology Has Changed the Way We Listen to Music.” You can see a version of this talk at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VDABuf8epk
OCTOBER 12 GENERAL MEETING
7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
Topic: New Security Issues & Solutions:
Keyless Cars and Safe Power Sources
Speaker: JOHN KRAUT, APCUG Speaker’s Bureau
Our speaker will cover several distinct but unusual security topics in this order:
- Theft of Keyless Entry Cars including Q&A.
- More Power To You in three parts, with Q&A after each part. The parts are:
- Power Bank Batteries,
- Inverters, and
- Small power strips and charger blocks for use at airports and on airplanes.
While observing Cybersecurity month, by popular demand we are not rehashing the old stuff. If you have other security questions or problems, you might read this issue of User Friendly and/or join this meeting between 6:30 and 6:50 to discuss them.
About Our Presenter
John Krout is a former Software Engineer with considerable experience in C and C++. He worked primarily on large computer systems development for federal government agencies in the Washington D.C. region. Now retired, he is free to speak and write about anything he wants. He lives in Arlington VA with his son, many computers and digital cameras, and too many cats.
November 9 GENERAL MEETING
7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
6:30-7:00: Socializing and Questions and Answers
Topic: ENCRYPTION
Speaker: Mark Schulman,
Computer Instructor, Software Designer, and Small Business Owner. He uses software encryption to protect medical records for a family medical practice and for a company that does small clinical drug trials.
Losing a laptop, smartphone, or flash drive might mean you’re out some money, but it doesn’t have to mean that your confidential data leaks out into the world. Learn how to use encryption software to protect your personal data on PCs, laptops, external hard drives, USB flash drives, and smartphones. Topics include:
– single-file encryption
– encrypted containers
– whole-drive encryption
– smartphone encryption
The presentation demonstrates several free software apps that make encryption easy to use for anyone. His office uses this software to protect medical records.
About Our Presenter
Mark Schulman has taught various programming courses for major corporations and worked on large software development projects. He uses encryption while managing the IT department for a group of family practice physicians and a small company that does clinical drug trials. His major geek interest is the computer technology that made moon landings possible in the 1960s. He lives near Orlando, Florida.
January 11 2022 GENERAL MEETING
MEETING TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 PM – Via Zoom
6:30 – 7:00 Socializing and Member’s Questions
Topics: Two Factor Authentication; My Tips for Using YouTube
Speaker: Ron Brown, APCUG Speakers Bureau, Silvercom Computer and Technology Club, Mesa AZ.
Google is now auto-enrolling 150M (Gmail? Chromebook? Other?) accounts for Two Factor Authentication. 2FA is much more secure than passwords. Ron Brown will talk about why you should turn on Two Factor Authentication and five things to do before enabling Two Factor Authentication. Q & A. Then he will discuss how he uses YouTube with Q & A. Members who have other subjects or problems they want us to discuss can ask questions before 6:50 and at the end of the program (c. 8:30 – 9).
Meet Our Presenter
Ron is a retired technologist. He started as a Canadian Flight Surgeon and then started a family medical practice on Vancouver Island. Ron wanted an electronic office and bought an interest in a start-up software company in Calgary that made an Electronic Patient Record. As his family practice grew, so did his software company. For 20 years, he traveled across Canada and the U.S. giving papers at many conferences.
Ron retired, sold his medical practice and other business interests, and he and his wife traveled for two years. They bought a home in Mesa Arizona. Ron loves technology and spends his spare time doing presentations for Tech for Seniors and computer clubs. He spoke to us on Saving Your Life with Wearable Technology I and II (2020) and What Will 5 G Mean for You in 2021.
February 8 2022 GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Ccleaner’s Numerous Uses
Speaker: Norbert (Bob) Gostischa, APCUG Speaker Bureau speaker, consultant.
Ccleaner is a well-known free program with many useful utilities. Bob G. will do a hands-on presentation of the various tools that are parts of Ccleaner that many users do not even know are there. He will also show us how to use Ccleaner’s cleaning software. There are PC, Mac, Android, and paid business versions.
Meet Our Presenter
Bob Gostischa retired years ago as a Vice President from what is now the Dime Community Bank. He has been an APCUG Speaker for years. He traveled all over the U.S. to speak to computer and other clubs (including LACS) where people were interested in learning more about “Cyber and Personal Security.” Avast did not employ him, but it paid his expenses when he represented its products, especially Avast Free Antivirus. For nearly two years, he has been doing Zoom meetings on computer security. He also created a weekly Security News Roundup video blog (vlog). Eighty-eight short vlogs were on YouTube today. See the playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1_9cbkt8g234vgMwj9ZVuEENx9XdI1oO. Bob lives in Meadow Lake, New Mexico.
March 8 2022
Time: 7:00 – 9 PM – Via Zoom
6:30 – 7:00 Socializing and Questions & Answers
Topic: Take Control of Your Passwords
Speaker: Joe Kissell, Technical Writer and APCUG Speakers’ Bureau
Password overload has driven many of us to take dangerous shortcuts. If you think ZombieCat12 is a secure password, that you can safely reuse a password on multiple sites, or that no one would try to steal your password, think again! In this presentation, Joe Kissell explains how to overcome password frustration while keeping your data safe. He provides a clear, user-friendly introduction to password security so you understand the problem you are trying to solve and why common approaches are problematic. Then he walks you through a simple process to put password agony behind you.
A password manager app (such as 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, LastPass, or RoboForm among many others) can be an important part of your password strategy, but they are not all created equal. You will learn what to look for, how they work, what the security implications are, and how you can get past the initial learning curve. You will also learn what to do when you reach the limits of a password manager’s capabilities.
Meet Our Presenter
Joe Kissell has written more than sixty books about technology, and he is also the publisher of Take Control Books. He formerly wrote for publications such as Macworld, Wirecutter, and TidBITS. A member of the APCUG Speaker’s Bureau, he now lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada with his wife and children.
GENERAL MEETING
APRIL 12 2022
Meeting Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM — via Zoom
Socializing and Q & A: 6:30 – 7:00
Topic: Trouble Shooting Your Computer 101
Speaker: Judy Taylour, President
Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club, APCUG Speaker,
Consultant, and Chair of several APCUG committees
Before you make that $99 tech support call, you can do many easy things to troubleshoot problems you encounter with your computer. Can’t start your computer? Does your hard drive make grinding noises? Is it taking forever to start? Does it randomly turn off and restart? Has your printer stopped working? This presentation covers problems and solutions that might help if and when you have issues with your computer.
Meet Our Presenter
Judy Taylour served as chair or co-chair for 21 years of the Southwest Technology Conference held in San Diego and later Cal Poly Pomona. Judy was co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of computer club leaders who met quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information, solve problems, etc. This work helped two groups to remain active.
Judy taught adult education technology classes for over 20 years through her local high school district. She 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 believes in life-long learning and enjoys giving presentations via APCUG’s Speakers Bureau. She has spoken to us several times in the past.
GENERAL MEETING
MAY 10 2022
Topic: Windows 10 Topics
Speaker: Bill James
VP of Operations, Computer Club of Oklahoma City; APCUG Board of Advisors Secretary, Region 8 Advisor, and APCUG Speakers Bureau Member
This is the first of two LACS programs by Bill James on Windows 10 and Windows 11 (June 14). To use a computer well, you need to know how its operating system works. You need to make choices (e.g., about privacy and security issues). How do you get Win 10 free? Is it better than earlier versions of Windows? Subtopics might include File Explorer, Admin vs. Standard User accounts, Storage and the Free Up Space Tool, and How to Create a Restore Point. He can answer almost any Win 10 question in the Q&A period.
About Our Presenter
In 1992 Bill joined the Oklahoma PC User’s Group, now known as the Computer Club of Oklahoma City, to learn about the computer he purchased. A member of the club’s Board of Directors since 1998, he was elected President in 2000 and served two terms. Bill is now VP of Operations and newsletter editor and often gives presentations on new software to his club.
Bill attended his first APCUG conference in 2003. Bill now is the APCUG Region 8 Advisor (AL, AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TN, TX). and Secretary for the APCUG Board of Advisors. He retired from the Federal Aviation Administration as a Supply Systems Analyst at the FAA Logistics Center in Oklahoma City in 2007 where he worked for 38 years.
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GENERAL MEETING Meeting Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM — via Zoom Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89020943720?pwd=cnlvZGpuYU9Ta1UvSVQzK2hMdCtmZz09If you click on the above link, you won’t need to key in the Meeting ID or Passcode. Topic: A Guide to Windows 11 Speaker: Bill James VP of Operations, Computer Club of Oklahoma City; APCUG Board of Advisors Secretary, Region 8 Advisor, and APCUG Speakers Bureau Member The newest version of Windows, Windows 11, became generally available in early October of 2021. We will discuss the differences and similarities between Windows 10 and 11. There have been design changes, interface changes, and nuanced changes that differentiate the two versions. We are going to look at the pros and cons, what changes have been made since Windows 10, and what features have been added. There will be a live demo of features of Windows 11 that will help people decide whether they want to upgrade to Windows 11. The program will end with our usual Q & A. About Our Presenter
Bill attended his first APCUG conference in 2003. Bill now is the APCUG Region 8 Advisor (AL, AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TN, TX). and Secretary for the APCUG Board of Advisors. He retired from the Federal Aviation Administration as a Supply Systems Analyst at the FAA Logistics Center in Oklahoma City in 2007 where he worked for 38 years. |
GENERAL MEETING
JULY 12 2022
Topic: Social Media for Seniors
Speaker: Judy Taylour,
President, SCV Computer Club and APCUG Speaker and Regional Advisor
What is social media? Do you want to find old friends, make new friends, and keep up with what your children and grandchildren are doing? What should you share or not share? How often should you post, and more will be covered in this presentation. Plus, social media, doctors say, is also healthy—it keeps seniors mentally and socially vital.
About Our Presenter
Judy Taylour is President of the SCV Computer Club and Chair of several APCUG (an international organization of technology and computer clubs) committees. Judy has spoken to us on Ergonomics, Digital Asset Estate Planning, The Cloud, and Troubleshooting Your Computer 101.
Judy is a 33-year member of the Santa Clarita Valley (now SCV) Computer Club where she serves as President, Editor and Webmaster. She is also co-facilitator for the Southern California Regional User Group Summit (SCRUGS), a group of local computer clubs that met quarterly for over 20 years to share ideas and presenter information and solve problems. Judy taught adult education computer classes for 22 years through her local high school district. She 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. She is a firm believer in life-long learning
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GENERAL MEETING Meeting Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM — via Zoom Our LACS August 9 general meeting will be different from our usual ones. Instead of a single speaker, you can meet more of our members and participate more. We hope to have mini-presentations by members, and lots of questions and answers about any PC or smartphone hardware and software technical issues. You can share about things you like or dislike, what you might try or purchase next, how to get help, etc. We are looking for members who might like to introduce others to an interesting program or website(s). We may do some online surveys. You may meet members who share your hobby or interest – and be able to continue to pursue your interest with them as we did in our SIGs. If you want to make a significant presentation with screenshots, please let us know via email or phone. Stephanie and Leah will try to do a practice talk with you the previous week so that we can time it, avoid technical issues and organize the meeting somewhat. Everyone: Please calendar the meeting and THINK now about what you might say, however briefly, or in response to a survey. What are your favorite programs? Websites? Computer-related publications? Organizations? Companies? Technical problems we might help you to solve? Computer-related pet peeves? If enough of you like this kind of meeting, we could do it again or on a schedule. Feel free to invite your friends and relatives to this meeting. Guests may ask for the link to the meeting by sending an email before August 7 to Or you may use the Google Voice number 1-424-261-6251. |
GENERAL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 13 2022
Topic: Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) and Alternatives to Free Software
Speaker: John Kennedy,
Member of the East-Central Ohio Technology User Club and the APCUG Speakers Bureau; APCUG Advisor for Regions 3 and 6.
As a retired school teacher on a fixed income, “Free John” learned about many alternative free, high quality and available programs that do your everyday computing tasks. Many free programs are cross-platform: they have versions for Windows, Macs, and Linux. So, it is easy to share files with almost anyone. John does almost everything on the computer with free and open source software including Linux. He says, “If you don’t come away from this presentation with a number of programs to check out, you must have snoozed or stepped away during the meeting.” He will provide a page of links to get this free software.
About Our Presenter:
John taught elementary school for 25 years and then computer skills to middle school students for 10 years. During those years, he learned about and taught the Linux operating system. Since retiring he has spent his time teaching local senior citizen computer classes and speaking to many internet, conference and APCUG audiences. John spends many hours trying to help Windows and Linux users with their computer problems. He manages the APCUG Zoom Account, hosting many of the APCUG’s Wednesday Workshops and Saturday Safaris. John got his feet wet with computers in the early 80’s with the purchase of his first Atari 400 personal computer. It was followed by more Ataris, mainline Windows computers and three PCs using Linux that he built after his retirement.
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GENERAL MEETING Meeting Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM — via Zoom Topic: Digital Video Editing Fundamentals Plus Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society and APCUG Speaker’s Bureau member. Have you ever wanted to edit a video to share it with others? Learn the fundamental concepts of digital video editing on a personal computer. This includes a demonstration of Vegas Movie Studio 2022 published by MAGIX and some short sample videos our speaker produced for the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society’s (PATACS) monthly pre-meeting slide show. Meet Our Presenter
LACS members on the PC groups.IO list will receive the Zoom link before or on October 9. Guests may ask for the link by emailing More information about LACS is at www.lacspc.org. |
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GENERAL MEETING NOVEMBER 15, 2022 Two Speakers and Two Topics
Speaker: Adi Hacker, Owner of Computer Concepts
Speaker: J.B. Burke, President, Prescott [Arizona] Computer Club, Member, APCUG Speakers Bureau The World Wide Web is immense: about 4.2 billion indexed pages. Some are interesting, informative, educational or entertaining, and some are weird. I look for all of these whenever I can and save some of them to create a program of web pages, videos, images, and other tidbits that will, I hope, keep you entertained. Meet Our Presenter
JANUARY 10, 2023 GENERAL MEETING Topic: Cyber-Security in the Digital Age – Part I Speaker: Norbert (Bob) Gostischa, APCUG Speaker’s Bureau (Video) Stephanie Nordlinger will play excerpts from Mr. Gostischa’s November 12, 2022 APCUG talk from YouTube and give members an opportunity to discuss their experiences and ask questions about each subject he covers. The topics: (1) The most dangerous threats, especially Phishing and how to avoid it, (2) Your Digital Footprint, and (3) Tools (mostly free software) to make your computer or smartphone more secure and faster operating. Some members might want to try some of these programs and tell us your opinions: Ccleaner, Recuva, Patch My PC, Complete Internet Repair (for non-ISP problems), Speccy, Unchecky and password managers. Our February 14 meeting will cover additional security topics (with slides from another presenter). Meet Our Presenter
Stephanie is a former president and the current vice president of LACS. FEBRUARY 14, 2023 GENERAL MEETING Topic: Making Your TV Smart Speaker: Hewie Poplock, member of APCUG’s Speakers Bureau Anyone who has a fairly fast internet connection and a TV can have Smart TV streaming channels that provide lots of entertainment and information. Newer TVs have built-in smartness. Older TVs need inexpensive hardware like a Roku device or an Amazon firestick. Then you create accounts (free or not) with companies that provide the TV or movies you want to see. You can use cable or satellite TV services and other providers on the same TV. He will introduce you to the websites of various channels. Their software helps you to find the programs you want. You can watch programs on many devices –computers, iPads, smartphones, etc. You can create watchlists and use a DVR. Hewie will tell you how this works and answer your questions. After his Smart TV talk, Hewie will show you other free ways you can learn about computers online. Meet Our Presenter
MARCH 14, 2023 GENERAL MEETING Topic: Everything Google Speaker: Bill James, APCUG Speakers Bureau You may use Google daily, but there is a lot you probably don’t know about the company, its operations, and its hardware and software. We will explore the vast world of Google hardware and software. Google strives to have the most comprehensive and diverse suite of apps and hardware that work together on various operating systems. Its Chrome browser is the foundation of its platform and the Chromebook Operating System. All Google software is web-based and free; none resides on your computer. Each app is designed to work seamlessly with the others to make a cohesive system. We will look at Google hardware and some popular and some more obscure apps and how they interact. Bill will show us how to use Google’s products and software better. You can ask questions at the end of the program.
APRIL 11, 2023 GENERAL MEETING Speaker: Judy Taylour, APCUG Speakers Bureau Topic: What’s cooking? Home Automation in your Kitchen. Turn your kitchen into one that works for you and makes it fun to do everyday kitchen tasks. Meet Our Presenter
She spent 23 years volunteering with the Southwest Technology Conference held in San Diego for 20 years and three years at Cal Poly Pomona. In addition, Judy served as chair or co-chair for 21 years. Her responsibilities included registration, scheduling speakers, and working with the volunteers. Judy taught adult education technology classes for over 20 years through her local high school district; she is a member of the Pierce College Computer Applications and Office Technologies Advisory Committee. They meet annually to suggest courses and hardware for the next school year. She strongly believes in life-long learning and enjoys giving presentations via APCUG’s Speakers Bureau. Judy has spoken to us on many topics, including Home Automation, Ergonomics, Digital Asset Estate Planning, How and Why to Backup Your Hard Drive, and Trouble-Shooting Your Computer 101 (2022). In addition, she can answer your questions on many topics if there is enough time after the on-topic questions or comments. MAY 9, 2023 GENERAL MEETING Speaker: Mark Schulman, APCUG Speakers Bureau Topic: Computers to the Moon How did the United States manage to get humans to the moon in the 1960s at a time when PCs didn’t exist and computers were the size of a small warehouse? “Computers to the Moon” tells the story of computers aboard early U.S. spacecraft, leading to the monumental and little-known effort to create a computer capable of landing a spacecraft on the moon. From our highly-technical society today, it’s easy to look back half a century and believe that a real spacecraft computer was impossible. But the history of the pioneering Apollo Guidance Computer demonstrates that ingenious, motivated, dedicated engineers and software developers, even half a century ago, could accomplish amazing things. In this talk, you will learn what they created, how it worked, and get a glimpse of what a real moon landing looked like. Meet Our Presenter
Mark is now the IT manager for a group of family practice physicians and for a company that runs clinical drug trials.. He lives in Central Florida, not far from the Kennedy Space Center and has been a space enthusiast all his life. He is on the board of the Central Florida Computer Society. JUNE 13, 2023 GENERAL MEETING Speakers: Judy Taylour will give us an overview of Artificial Intelligence with ChatGPT, inluding the history of AI, what it is, what you can do with it, and ChatGPT schemes to look out for. After Q&A, Stephanie will show us four short ChatGPT videos.
Judy taught adult education technology classes for over 20 years through her local high school district. She firmly believes in life-long learning and enjoys giving presentations via APCUG’s Speakers Bureau. She is a member of the Los Angeles FBI Senior Scams Working Group. In addition, Judy is a Pierce College Computer Applications and Technologies Department Advisory Committee member. They meet annually to suggest courses and hardware for the next school year. JULY 11 2023 GENERAL MEETING Topic: AnyDesk, remote desktop software Speaker: John Kennedy A “picture is worth a thousand words” as we are told. The same goes for being able to see a person’s computer problems. AnyDesk lets you see someone else’s computer screen and talk to them about their problems. And when they are having trouble trying to do what you tell them, you can take over their keyboard and their mouse with your mouse. John can solve a computer problem with AnyDesk in about 10 minutes that he could not solve after 25 minutes over the phone. He will also briefly compare AnyDesk with TeamViewer and Microsoft’s program in Windows 10 and 11. The free version of AnyDesk is fine for our purposes. A Help desk for a business or a large organization might need a paid version. Both AnyDesk and TeamViewer are very easy to learn. About the speaker:
AUGUST 8 2023 GENERAL MEETING Former LACS Vice President and Webmaster Adobe has a full line of picture and video editing programs. Gilbert will show Adobe Photoshop Elements, the family and student versions of Photoshop. He will show a picture before and after editing it and discuss what has to be done to get the final version. Then he will focus on some features of Elements. Finally, he will apply those learned skills to edit a picture and
SEPTEMBER 12 2023 GENERAL MEETING TOPIC: Practicing Safe Computing in the Time of Artificial Intelligence (AI) We all depend on reliable computing, data storage, and access across the Internet. Cyber crime and cyber terrorism have caused service disruptions, personal data being exposed, and millions of dollars in ransoms being paid. As the sophistication of cyber riminals grows, this will likely get worse. Scams can also challenge us, and Artificial Intelligence will make current scams more dangerous and will introduce new ones. Even in the absence of bad actors, computers become corrupt and storage devices fail resulting in the potential loss of years of work. This talk discusses the risks, the myths, ways to reduce the likelihood of being hacked, and how to minimize the impact of data breaches, network and computing failures that occur.
Hal retired from UCLA Health in 2020. During his 25 years at UCLA, he directed all aspects of IT. As Director of IT Strategic Finance, he led efforts to reimagine IT, resulting in over $50 million in savings, while speeding quality solutions delivery. He continues to teach at the university level. In his avocation of family research, he has identified over 4,000 relatives and traced two lines into the 1700s. Hal publishes a series of monthly articles on safe computing which are freely available at http://www.tinyurl.com/SafeComputingArticles. Hal earned a BA in Math and Physics and an MS in Operations Research from New York University, an MA in Business from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. OCTOBER 10 2023 GENERAL MEETING Speakers: LACS Members and Guests Our members and their guests have lots of experience using computers and smartphones. Let’s share that knowledge. Let’s discuss good and bad programs, apps and websites. No one has to make a long presentation, but Stephanie will start the program with some of her Everyone may participate when called upon (click on “Raise Your Hand” in Zoom’s task line). If you want to talk for more than a few minutes, please let Stephanie know in advance what you will present and how much time you may need. Advance planning will make it a better organized program. If you want help in preparing your presentation including using Zoom, Leah or Stephanie can help. Or a few of you can ask for help in the 6:30-7:00 period. The more you want to say, the more it helps to plan it and try it out in advance. To make things easier for attendees to hear, it helps to share a page with the names of products and /or the internet URLs, or to put it in Chat. A Florida computer user group has a monthly meeting (SIG) for technical help for members. We could consider doing that. The meeting will be recorded, so you will be able to review anything that NOVEMBER 14, 2023, GENERAL MEETING Topic: Useful Utilities and Accessibility Speaker: Judy Taylour, APCUG Regional X Advisor and Speakers Bureau, Useful Utilities − A utility is an app that performs a specific task and adds functionality to your computer or helps your computer perform better. We all have our favorites: system monitoring, backing up, system maintenance, password management, virus protection, and more. Judy shares some of her favorite apps. Please plan to share one or two of your favorites during the Q&A part of the meeting. Hopefully, we will all learn about at least one new utility we want to try. Accessibility – Help! Can’t see, can’t hear, can’t touch. Accessible and assistive technology has been designed for the needs of many different users. To the extent there is enough time, we will explore software, hardware, peripherals, and accessible and assistive technology to help make the computer, phone, or tablet easier to use.
JANUARY 9, 2024 GENERAL MEETING Topic: Recommended Websites Speakers: Stephanie Nordlinger, LACS Vice President, YOU and any attendee Most of us have visited the internet often for years, but you probably have not found all of the great websites. All of us will discuss places where you can learn about using your computer, mobile phone, etc. The second half will cover websites for shopping, science, politics, hobbies, sports, music, entertainment, medicine, travel, recipes, etc. I intend to email LACS members a page list of some of the topics and websites we should discuss. Joining organizations and getting on email lists and podcast sites that discuss the things you care about is helpful. Much is free, and digital subscriptions are often less expensive than paper ones. Many websites offer free or nearly free events, webinars, publications, tech support, etc. Consumer Reports and National Geographic give more information to digital members than to paper subscribers or non-subscribers.. Washington Post Live has numerous free interviews each week live and on its website. The New York Times sends emails on recent developments on science and many other subjects. Meet Our Presenter
FEBRUARY 13, 2024 Speaker: Bill James, APCUG Speakers Bureau
Meet Our Presenter
He retired in 2007 from the Federal Aviation Administration as a Supply Systems Analyst for the FAA Logistics Center in Oklahoma City, OK. He worked there for 38 years. Bill spoke to us in March 2023 on “Everything Google.”
April 9, 2024 GENERAL MEETING Topic: Preserving Digital Photographs and Backup Tips Speaker: Mark Schulman, APCUG Speakers Bureau; IT expert and member, Central Florida Computer Society Preserving Digital Photos. Digital photos ought to last forever. Digital photos don’t fade with time and can protect against natural disasters like fire and floods. That’s the theory, anyway. And yet, if you’re one of the millions of people with a digital camera, the chances of your great-grandchildren ever seeing your digital photos are very slim. Find out why the odds are stacked against you and Backups in a Busy World. Eventually every hard drive fails, and often all of your photos, documents, and video — everything! — are lost. Backups are the only defense against serious data loss, yet most people don’t bother. So come and discover essential strategies to be sure your data is safe with the least amount of trouble. About Our Presenter
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