APCUG 2017 Summer Virtual Technology Conference (VTC25)
A BIG THANK YOU to all of the APCUG officers for your dedication and hard work toward this effort! Rose Conley, Director – CAMUG, Ohio
Groups Sponsor VTC ‘Watch Party’
The OLLI PC User Group and Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society held a ‘watch party’ for the APCUG Virtual Technology Conference on August 19th. The groups, which meet jointly at the Fairfax, Virginia location of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University, had 34 attendees for the session, which included a light lunch. Some images of the event are available here: http://patacs.org/patacsphotos.html
Two classrooms were utilized, so both tracks of the VTC were available simultaneously for the groups’ members to enjoy.
Home Automation Security
Bill James of the Computer Club of Oklahoma City said there is a lot that a hacker can do with IoT devices. It is very important to keep everything updated, including your router. Bill gave suggestions for setting up and securing your router. Passphrases are more secure than passwords. Smart home devices include thermostats, doorbells, locks, light bulbs and plugs, refrigerators, security systems, etc. A hub can connect all devices. Bill pointed out a lot of the vulnerabilities. Before purchasing any smart devices, do your research. YouTube videos are a good resource.
Leah Clark, Editor
Los Angeles Computer Society
Finding Tech Information on Medium.com
Kathy Jacobs, APCUG Director (past APCUG president and LACS member) introduced the basics of Medium’s app and website. This is a site for readers and writers who want to learn and respond. You can customize your interests and connect with authors and editors. Kathy took us through the website, showing the many ways to take control of the content you get.
Leah Clark, Editor
Los Angeles Computer Society
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
Bill Hobbs of the Modesto, CA PCUG gave a fascinating presentation. He started with the history of navigation. He gave much detail about how GNSS works, going over GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. GPS tells where the Satellite is, not where you are. Bill explained many mathematical formulas and equations to show location and time. Much was above my head, but I enjoyed learning that all this exists. He said it was just high school algebra, but it wasn’t anything like I had in high school! These systems are very expensive, but they give a very great return to taxpayers.
Leah Clark, Editor
Los Angeles Computer Society
Chromebooks Are for Seniors
Ron Brown, Silvercom CTC
I attended the Chromebook for Seniors presentation and was very impressed with Ron Brown’s clear and concise explanation of how easy it is to use. My 8-year-old laptop is non-functional now, and I have been shopping around for a replacement. I will definitely look at Chromebooks.
Rose Conley, Director
Canton Alliance Massillon User Group, OH
Ideas for Revitalizing Your Technology Club
Judy Taylour, SCV Computer Club
Like many Technology groups, we are trying to keep alive and thriving even though some of our key volunteers have been doing the same job for years and our membership numbers are gradually declining. I attended the presentation by Judy Taylour at the Summer 2017 VTC called “Ideas for Revitalizing Your Technology Club” with a paper and pen, just in case I found any interesting ideas. I couldn’t write fast enough! As an officer in APCUG, Judy has the advantage of knowing what goes on in tech clubs all over the country and beyond, which makes her the perfect presenter on this topic. But how she managed to include so many ideas in a 50-minute presentation is amazing.
I was pleased to find out that in some areas our Florida tech group is already doing things she recommended, which gives me hope. At the same time, I can see that there are a lot more sources for presentations out there than we have been tapping and a basket of ideas we haven’t tried in other areas. This presentation was well worth my time.
Nancy DeMarte, Vice President and Education Chair
Sarasota Technology Users Group, FL
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm ET | 12 noon – 12:50 pm CT
11:00am – 11:50 am MT | 10:00 am – 10:50 am PT
VTC Track: 1
[wc_accordion collapse=”1″ leaveopen=”0″ layout=”box”] [wc_accordion_section title=”Pi-holePresenter: Don Arrowsmith, President, Philadelphia Area Computer society
“]
Pi-hole is a LAN-wide ad blocker that runs on a Raspberry-pi. If you’re sick of ads all over the web pages you look at, tired of auto-starting audio and video ads, and disgusted at pop-up and pop-under ads every time you click a link, then you need a Pi-hole. It will eliminate all of those annoyances from every device on your LAN without having to make any configuration changes to those devices. The software is free and runs on a Raspberry Pi, a small, inexpensive system about the size of a deck of cards. If you have been wanting to learn more about hardware like this, it’ll also be an educational tool. I’ll run through the entire process of getting the software and hardware, installing everything, integrating it into your network, and maintaining it.
Pi-hole_Ad_Blocker_DonArrowsmith_8-19-2017_VTC
[/wc_accordion_section]VTC Track: 2
[wc_accordion_section title=”GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) – Why You Shouldn’t Get Lost!Presenter: Bill Hobbs, Member, Modesto PC Users Group
“] This presentation includes information about GPS and other systems. He goes over GLONASS, Galileo, etc., history, signals, accuracy, and errors involved in the global navigation systems. In addition, he will demonstrate how to calculate location and time using a very simplified system.
Satellite_Navigation_BillHobbs_8-19-2017_VTC
[/wc_accordion_section] [/wc_accordion]2:00 pm – 2:50 pm Eastern | 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Central
12:00 noon – 12:50 pm Mountain | 11:00 am – 11:50 am Pacific
VTC Track: 1
[wc_accordion collapse=”1″ leaveopen=”0″ layout=”box”] [wc_accordion_section title=”Home Automation SecurityPresenter: Bill James, Vice President, Computer Club of Oklahoma City
“] Are you worried about home automation devices listening in on your conversations? Wonder if your devices can be hacked and don’t know how to keep them from being hacked? Many smarthome devices are designed to be easy to use but don’t come with a ton of security features – what should you do? Bill will answer these questions and more in this presentation, maybe making it a little bit easier to take the first step to automate your home and get a better price for it when you sell.
Home_Automation_Security_BillJames_8-19-2017_VTC
[/wc_accordion_section]VTC Track: 2
[wc_accordion_section title=”Chromebooks are for SeniorsPresenter: Ron Brown, Program Coordinator, Silvercom Computer & Technology Club
“] Are you looking for a computer that isn’t complicated to use? How about one you can’t ruin by making a mistake from the keyboard? No maintenance, malware, trojans, and viruses, no subscription cost and it’s always up-to-date with web technology? The Chromebook is for you!
Chromebooks_ Are_ For_ Seniors_RonBrown_8-19-17_VTC
[/wc_accordion_section] [/wc_accordion]3:00 pm – 3:50 pm Eastern | 2:00 pm – 2:50 pm Central
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Mountain | 12 noon – 12:50 pm Pacific
VTC Track: 1
[wc_accordion collapse=”1″ leaveopen=”0″ layout=”box”] [wc_accordion_section title=”Finding Tech Information on Medium.comPresenter: Kathy Jacobs, President, Pasco Area Computer User Group
“] Medium is a large site for writers and readers. The platform is built to make it easy to share stories about almost anything. This presentation will introduce you to the basics of Medium’s interfaces (app and website) via the introduction to some of the best tech publications on the site. You will also learn:
- How to search for publications, articles, and writers on topics of interest to your club
- Navigating the 3 basic kinds of articles in the Medium universe: Stories, responses, and series
- Tagging on Medium
- Writing responses that will get read
- Connecting with authors and publication editors
Medium-the_content_source_you_dont_know_you_need _KathyJacobs_8-19-17_VTC
[/wc_accordion_section]VTC Track: 2
[wc_accordion_section title=”Ideas for Revitalizing Your Computer ClubPresenter: Judy Taylour, President, SCV Computer Club
“] Is your group suffering from?
- Officer / leader burnout
- One, two, or three officers are in charge of everything
- They have done everything for years
- Lack of volunteers
- Reduced membership
- Same person / people always give presentations
- Presentations don’t meet members’ needs
- Newsletter editor retired – no one wants to learn a desktop publishing program
- Webmaster moved away – no one knows how the website works
This presentation offers ideas you might want to try to revitalize your group.
Ideas_for_Revitalizing_Your_Tech_Club_JudyTaylour_8-19-17_VTC
Ideas for Revitalizing Your Technology Club
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