Newsletter to Members
August 2009
Monday 3rd August 6.30pm
(Annual General Meeting)
Election of Committee for 2009-2010 – Volunteers welcome!
We would like to see some new faces on the AMUG committee. Can you help out?
Come along to the AGM, support your club, and join us for a sumptuous supper in the break.
Fantastic Prizes this month:
- An 8GB iPod nano valued at $199
- A 1TB external USB 2 Hard Drive worth US$150 (AUD$184) more info
- iLife '09 install DVD worth $129
- VueScan Pro software worth US$79.95 (AUD$102)
- Plus 4GB USB Thumb drives, iTunes Vouchers, recordable CD/DVD media, and more.
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** HAVE YOU PAID YOUR ANNUAL FEES?** |
New Disc-of-the-Month CD
Internet Alternatives
Here is a collection of sixty applications that allow you to download files, images and movies; chat instantly with people from around the globe; socialise with friends; purchase and sell goods and services online; play games; catch up on news and events; and even talk on the telephone!
More info (4-page PDF 644K). DISC ORDER FORM.
Our Disc-of-the-Month software compilation CDs are provided courtesy of Nicholas Pyers and Australian Macworld. Normally $10 for other user groups, they are on sale at our meetings for the specially reduced AMUG member price of just $5 each (or $10 for DVDs, plus $2 postage if required).
Various license types apply to applications supplied on compilation CDs. Some titles require further payment direct to the application publisher to enable full feature sets and continued use.
New magazine for Apple User Group Members
Nicholas Pyers - founder of AppleUsers.org - officially launched his
new 'Spotlight' magazine on Tuesday evening 28 July at iMug's monthly meeting in Melbourne. This first issue is a massive bumper edition with
50 pages, with future editions expected to be around the 30 page mark. The digital-only magazine is delivered in PDF format via participating Apple user groups around Australia for their members.
Editor Trish Ho says, "This 50-page degustation of Mac cuisine is now available for all members of the Australian Apple user groups. I hope you’ll enjoy our creation as much as we enjoyed creating it".
You can download 'Spotlight' from our web site each month from this address:
homepage.mac.com/sydamug/downloads/spotlight (this one is 4.5MB).
Check out our AMUG ad on page 17!
iMulch: Genealogy with FileMaker Pro
If you missed the July meeting, guest presenter Ron Lombardo – a former president of our user group in the 1980s and currently a commercial FileMaker Pro developer – demonstrated iMulch, his own Genealogy application built in FileMaker Pro.
Rather than trying to depict the traditional family tree with ever-increasing branches, Ron's unique approach is to display just 3 tiers of names. Based on the fact that everyone had a mother and father, the application uses FileMaker's relational database capabilities to display, for any given record, the name of the person in question, their parents, and their grandparents on both sides. Siblings and children are listed in separate tabbed panels, and selecting another name from the list makes that person the focus of the 3-tiered 'inverted pyramid' display. Simple!
Ron has been developing the concept over some years and eventually hopes to market the application to genealogy enthusiasts. In the meantime, while it is still in beta, he is offering it free for anyone to try – you need Filemaker Pro v7.0 or later.
To get your free copy, email Ron at <ronlom@me.com> and mention which version of FMP you have.
Q&A Archive
We try to keep a record of relevant Questions and Answers from our monthly meetings as a service to members (thanks to Barbara Watson and, on occasion, Diane Pattinson, for taking and deciphering notes). These are published on the AMUG site in an archive that can be searched by keyword or from the monthly index.
Before being published, the answers are checked, researched and often expanded upon for a more comprehensive resource. For example, at the May 09 meeting, a question was asked about typesetting foreign language characters – the published answer includes detailed descriptions with illustrations of three ways to achieve that.
You might want to look up something that was discussed at a previous meeting but you can't remember when (the archive goes back to March 2006); or you may be unable to attend meetings and just want an answer about a particular topic.
To access our Q&A archive, login in to Members area from the home page, or go direct to this URL.
News from Apple
New iPhone apps
MobileMe iDisk app
If you subscribe to MobileMe, you can now use your iPhone or
iPod touch to view and share Pages documents, Keynote presentations, Microsoft
Office documents, PDFs and more. To view documents, simply select them. To
share them with others, just tap the share icon and choose your recipients.
iDisk will send them an email with a download link. Get the free MobileMe iDisk
app from the iTunes App Store.
Documents to Go for iPhone
Use Microsoft Word on your Mac or PC? Now you can take your
documents with you on iPhone. Documents to Go from DavaViz offers a mobile
productivity suite. Using it, you can view, edit, and create Word documents on
the road. Documents to Go also supports iPhone OS 3.0, allowing you to cut,
copy, and paste among documents, email files, work full screen, and much more.
And Excel support is coming soon, too. Read more…
Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid
The seques to the iPhone game of the year has arrived. Rolando 2 breaks new ground, taking you underwater and up in the sky, offering new vehicles and weapons, and featuring a new 3D look and 45 levels of play. Like the original, it encourages you to touch, tilt, and slide your Rolandos to new levels of achievement. You can let friends know about your high scores, or challenge them via Facebook or email. Will you be able to discover the Golden Orchid? Read more…
Apple Updates pro Video & Audio Apps
Apple recently announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio with more than 100 new features. The suite includes new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor. Apple also unveiled the next version of Logic Studio with major upgrades to Logic Pro and MainStage and more than 200 new features.
Final Cut Studio
Final Cut Pro 7 includes Easy Export that allows users to continue working on projects while encoding is done in the background and the sequence is exported to YouTube, MobileMe™, iPhone™, iPod, Apple TV, DVD or Blu-ray.
Motion 4 extends award-winning, easy to use animation tools so video editors can quickly create everything from basic titles to animated credit rolls to stunning motion graphics.
Soundtrack Pro 3 adds Voice Level Match and powerful new audio editing tools to make sophisticated edits and fine tune volume adjustments by targeting specific frequencies such as the rustle of a paper or the bump of a desk without affecting dialogue.
Color 1.5 – Apple’s professional grading application – now works with a greater range of sequences and effects from Final Cut Pro and an integrated workflow allows editors to complete projects entirely within Final Cut Studio.
Compressor 3.5 makes encoding and delivering in multiple formats easier than ever. New, customisable sharing options make it easy to publish to YouTube and MobileMe, or export for iPhone, iPod, Apple TV and mobile phones. For the highest quality HD material, menu templates and encoding presets make it fast and easy to create Blu-ray discs.
Final Cut Studio also includes DVD Studio Pro 4, a powerful DVD authoring environment with drag and drop tools, on screen editing and real time previews.
Logic Studio
“The new Logic Studio is ideal for professional musicians, live performers and GarageBand enthusiasts who want to take their music to the next level,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Guitar players are going to love Amp Designer and Pedalboard and the new Flex Time tools allow you to quickly improve your recordings and create tighter performances.”
MainStage 2 lets musicians use all the instruments and effects from Logic Studio to turn their Mac into the ultimate live performance rig. The new Playback plug-in provides musicians with a backing band, allowing them to perform with pre-recorded audio, like drums, sound effects and other accompaniments that can be triggered to play while they are performing live.
Soundtrack Pro and Compressor, part of the new Final Cut Studio, are also included with Logic Studio.
Pricing & Availability
Both Final Cut Studio ($1499 new, $449 upgrade) and Logic Studio ($749 new, $299 upgrade) are available now through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. Prices are RRP AUD incl GST.
Full system requirements and more information:
Logic Express
Logic Express, a streamlined and even more affordable version of Logic for GarageBand users who want more power and control, will ship in August for RRP A$299 inc GST.
News from the Net
Adobe Warns of Critical Flash Vulnerability
Adapted from an extract from TidBITS#988/27-Jul-09 by Doug McLean
Adobe has announced that a critical security vulnerability exists in Flash Player versions 9.0.x and 10.0.x for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, as well as in Adobe Reader and Acrobat v9.x.
The vulnerability could cause a crash that could be exploited by an attacker to gain control of the affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing users to visit a Web site that hosts a malicious SWF file, or by creating a PDF document that contains an embedded SWF file.
Adobe has just released updates to fix the vulnerability for both Flash Player (v9 and v10), and for Adobe Reader and Acrobat Standard and Pro.
Extract from TidBITS#985/06-Jul-09 by Adam C. Engst
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has returned to work on schedule after his six month medical leave of absence. According to spokesperson Katie Cotton, for the time being he will work several days a week at Apple's Cupertino campus, and from his home office the remaining days. Apple's COO Tim Cook has been handling day-to-day operations in Jobs's absence.
Jobs's medical leave was, according to him, necessary to deal with an unspecified hormone imbalance that left him physically gaunt. It has now has come to light that he received a liver transplant.
Read the full TidBITS article here.
Macworld iPhone & iPod touch Superguide, Third Edition
Covers iPhone OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3GS. Learn the ins and outs of your iPhone or iPod touch in this 172-page guide. Whether you need help getting started with almost any aspect of your device, you want to work more efficiently and learn insider tips, or you want to solve a common problem, the experts at Macworld have you covered.
PDF 8.6MB. Normally US$12.95, you get 30% MUG discount using this link. Consider also the bundled offers for even more savings.
Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac
Whether you're just getting started podcasting or want to take it to the next level, long-time podcaster Andy Affleck has the start-to-finish guidance you need! Learn how plan your podcast, choose the right mic, record and edit like a pro, and publish your podcast to the world. Updated for the latest software and techniques!
This new ebook (PDF 6.3MB) is available for US$7 after the 30% MUG discount via this link. Bundle with Recording with Garageband for the full package.
Take Control of MobileMeUpdated for iLife '09, iPhone
Apple's MobileMe offers a wide range of services that can easily justify its A$119-per-year price tag, but only if you are clued-in enough to take advantage of everything it provides. The new version 1.1 of Take Control of MobileMe, by Joe Kissell, provides 124 pages of MobileMe goodness, teaching you about core features such as email, sharing photos and movies online, managing contacts, tracking your calendar, sharing files via your iDisk, and more.
This new ebook (PDF 3.5MB) is available for US$7 after the 30% MUG discount via this link.
If you own Joe's older Take Control of .Mac, you can update for free from the second edition (from page 1, click Check for Updates; then click the Blog tab and look for your download). If you have only the first edition of Take Control of .Mac, look for a discount update offer on your Check for Updates Web page (in the Downloads tab).
Set Effective, Low-Hassle Passwords with
Take Control of Passwords in Mac OS X
You can hardly turn on a computer or surf a Web page these days without being asked for a password, and choosing and managing passwords has become a pain for many Mac users. Fortunately, it is possible to avoid headaches while using sensible and secure passwords, and for the many people who are stumped on this topic, TidBITS Publishing has just released the second edition of Take Control of Passwords in Mac OS X, by Mac expert Joe Kissell. In this 120-page ebook, you can learn the ins and outs of choosing appropriate passwords, smart ways to store passwords, and how to solve password-related problems.
You'll find advice on these password-related issues:
- Coming up with secure passwords that are easily remembered and typed
- Keeping track of impossible-to-remember passwords
- Setting up sensible passwords that control access to your Mac
- Reducing hassle by making your Mac automatically log you in to Web sites
- Finding a balance between security and the annoyance of frequent password entry
- Understanding the purpose of the common Mac keychains
- Finding and viewing the passwords that your Mac has tracked for you
- Syncing passwords between different Macs (or with an iPhone/iPod touch)
- Planning for disaster – what if you're injured and someone else needs your passwords?
- Deciding whether you should memorize your passwords, write them down, or have your Mac store them.
The ebook (PDF 3MB) is available for US$7 after the 30% MUG discount via this link.
The ebook includes a coupon for a 20% saving on 1Password (Joe's top pick for a third-party password management utility).
Microsoft to open retail stores near Apple's
Extract from an Australian Macworld article posted online July 17 2009 by J R Raphael
Microsoft’s upcoming retail stores won’t just be similar in concept to Apple’s – they’ll also be similar in location. Microsoft will open its retail stores near Apple’s existing locations, a company spokesperson confirms, possibly even as close as right next door in some instances.
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates
Extracts from information compiled by Doug McLean for TidBITS
- Safari 4.0.2 from Apple is a minor security and stability update to its latest web browser (40.2MB)
- Firefox 3.5.1 improves performance, privacy, and standards support. The tagline for the new browser is "Faster, Safer, Smarter, Better" (17.6MB). Mozilla posted this comparison between Firefox 3.5 and Safari 4:
- iPhoto 8.0.4 Update from Apple is recommended for all users of iPhoto '09. Download via Software Update or from the Apple Support Downloads page (102.3MB)
- MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update 1.2 from Apple "adds compatibility for the latest service replacement batteries." SMC stands for System Management Controller, a micro-controller located on the logic board that's responsible for the computer's power functions (623 KB).
- Default Folder X 4.2.1 from St. Clair Software is a minor update to the Open and Save dialog-enhancement utility (11.1MB)
- PDFpen 4.1.4 and PDFpenPro 4.1.4, the PDF editing tools from SmileOnMyMac, have improved performance speeds for larger PDF documents and added an OCR AppleScript document property that enables users to write scripts for paperless workflows (12 MB/12.2 MB).
Saturday Workshop
Saturday August 8, commencing 10am. Room 136C (Computer Lab), Ground Floor, Webster Building, UNSW Kensington.
One-on-one Mac Help from AMUG Committee members in a friendly, sharing environment. Bring your own Notebook or use one of the Uni's iMacs.
Enquiries and bookings, phone Rob on 9387 2069 or email
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