SGVMUG

Apple Releases OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” Early!Apple has announced that the new OS version 10.6, known as “Snow Leopard,” will be released on Friday, August 28th, about a month earlier than previously expected. As a result, the SGVMUG has rescheduled our meeting plans to provide a timely, in-depth review of the new Operating System at our September 21st meeting. Read the rest of this entry »

Please join us at 7pm on October 19th, 2009 for our monthly general meeting. Topic: Incorporating Your Computer Into Your Home Entertainment System Presenters: David Whitby and Ron Streicher.Your Macintosh computer is ideally suited to become the center of your home entertainment system. You know that it already can play music from your iTunes library, movies from your iMovie library, commercial and personally produced CDs and DVDs, and a host of other audio and video material downloaded from the Internet. But did you also know that there are several applications specifically created to enable you to access multi-media entertainment programming that heretofore has been available only via Cable, Satellite, or DVD sources? Read the rest of this entry »

Apple Inc released a press release August 24th that Mac OS X 10.6 aka Snow Leopard will be available on Friday, August 28th. It had been stated at the 2009 WWDC that it would be available “in September” and this allows them to hit that target.

While implied previously, it was clearly stated that Snow Leopard would be intel only at the same Developers Conference. Pricing and requirements follow…

if you bought a new Mac AFTER June 9th and before December 26th, 2009 and you didn’t get 10.6 with your machine then you qualify for the Apple Up-to-Date program http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/ which gets you Snow Leopard through the mail for $ 9.95.

Price for intel Leopard users -
$ 29 for single user license
$ 49 for family pack (up to five users in same household)

Snow Leopard is available to intel Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4) users through the Mac Box set only. The Mac Box Set includes Mac OS X 10.6, iLife 09, and iWork 09.
Price for intel Tiger users -
$ 169 for single user license
$ 229 for family pack (up to five users in same household)

How to find out what system you have -

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/popups/upgrade-requirements-overlay.html

OS X Snow Leopard Feature-Specific requirements are available at the following link -

http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html

OS X 10.6 general requirements -

General Requirements
* Mac computer with an Intel processor
* 1GB of memory
* 5GB of available disk space
* DVD drive for installation
* Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
* Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.

Mac Box Set requirements -

System Requirements

* Mac computer with an Intel processor
* 1GB of memory
* 11GB of available disk space
* DVD drive for installation
* Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
* Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.

Additional requirements for the Mac Box Set http://www.apple.com/macboxset/requirements.html

Please join us at 7pm on September 21st, 2009 for our monthly general meeting.

- Manufacturer’s Showcase: “HeatShift” laptop computer cooling pad

- Presenters: Wayne Wang and Anthony Blair of “ThermaPak” Inc.

“HeatShift” laptop cooling pad:

A device that transfers heat by conduction AND convection provides the maximum amount of heat exchange. Conduction is heat transferred directly from one object to another by physically touching. Convection is heat transferred by the movement of liquid molecules from warmer areas to cooler ones. ThermaPak’s exclusive HeatShift Technology™ pads utilize both conduction and convection to cool your laptop - and your lap! For more information about the use and effectiveness of HeatShift Technology™, please refer to www.thermapak.com.

ThermaPak has generously offered a special discount to all SGVMUG members and also will be providing one unit for our drawing. Come to the meeting and maybe you’ll be the lucky winner!

- Main Topic: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

- Presenters: Billy Chang, Scott Harrell, Andrew Zima, Gautam Goodse

The meeting will be held at the Pasadena Public Library Main Branch Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

Don’t forget, members receive one free ticket for our drawing. When you bring guests you get another free ticket for each guest you bring.

Following the general meeting, we have our informal “Meeting after the Meeting” at Coco’s Restaurant, 77 North Lake Avenue (between Colorado Blvd. and Holly Street).

Here are the URL’s for some of the apps/tools mentioned in today’s meeting:

Readability: - makes your reading experience much better

lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability 

FluidApp: - Allows you to create applications from websites

www.fluidapp.com

CosmoPod: Allows you to capture flash video and convert it to many formats

cocoamug.com/cosmopod/ 

Vixy.net - Allows you to capture flash video and convert it to many formats

We welcome our newest Board of Director’s member, David Whitby as this month’s presenter for our main topic which is -http://www.sgvmug.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/safari.pngBrowser Enhancements! Add some excitement to your browsing experience with:1. 8 Awesome Safari plugins to Enhance your Browsing Experience | Smoking Apples ClicktoFlash also….2. http://cooliris.com/ (This can even be the best way to browse ALL your Local photos)3. http://www.stumbleupon.com/ (Can find Websites you would otherwise have a great difficulty finding for FireFox and Safari now)HD Digital TV on the Cheap!4. EyeTV - from Elgato -http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/hybrid09/product1$150 USB Device that allows reception of all ATSC HD Digital TV Channels over the Air from Mt. Wilson!! FM Radio thrown in as a bonus.(Dump your Cable or Dish provider if you don’t use the specialized packages and save a bundle.)The meeting will be held at the Pasadena Public Library Main Branch Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.Don’t forget, members receive one free ticket for our drawing. When you bring guests you get another free ticket for each guest you bring.Following the general meeting, we have our informal “Meeting after the Meeting” at Coco’s Restaurant, 77 North Lake Avenue (between Colorado Blvd. and Holly Street).

Please join us August 3rd, 2009 for our monthly general meeting.

Yes, you did read that right. Our monthly meeting for August will be on the FIRST Monday due to the fact that the Main Branch of the Pasadena Public Library will be closed to remodeling. This was mentioned originally in the May President’s message - http://www.sgvmug.org/2009/05/20/presidents-message-may-2009/ .

Our August Meeting will be on Skype and web-based communication. It will be presented by Andrew Zima.

The meeting will be held at the Pasadena Public Library Main Branch Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

Don’t forget, members receive one free ticket for our drawing. When you bring guests you get another free ticket for each guest you bring.

Following the general meeting, we have our informal “Meeting after the Meeting” at Coco’s Restaurant, 77 North Lake Avenue (between Colorado Blvd. and Holly Street).

Please join us June 15th, 2009 for our monthly general meeting.

This month we will have two presenters -

Ben Ritter will be discussing the iPhone 3.0 OS update that will be released on June 17th. This major update arrives just 2 days before the new iPhone 3G S arrives at an Apple Store or ATT dealer near you.

Billy Chang will finish his presentation on the hot and slightly taboo topic of Hackintosh. What is it, How do you do it, and Why should you care?

The meeting will be held at the Pasadena Public Library Main Branch Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

Don’t forget, members receive one free ticket for our drawing. When you bring guests you get another free ticket for each guest you bring.

Following the general meeting, we have our informal “Meeting after the Meeting” at Coco’s Restaurant, 77 North Lake Avenue (between Colorado Blvd. and Holly Street).

The SGVMUG has contracted with the Pasadena Library to continue holding our regular meetings in the Auditorium for the coming year. With three exceptions due the Library’s operating schedule, we will be holding our meetings at our regular date and time: 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of the month.

The first exception will be in August, 2009, when we will meet on the first Monday, August 3rd, because the Library will be undergoing renovations later in the month. In January, we will meet on the 11th (second Monday) and in February, we will meet on the 8th (also second Monday) because the Library will be closed for the Martin Luther King and Presidents Day holidays respectively.

Thus, here is the meeting schedule for the coming year:
2009: June 15, July 20, August 3, September 21, October 19, November 16, and December 21
2010: January 11, February 8, March 15, April 19, May 17, and June 21

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us at our regular meetings, and watch the website for detailed information about each.
Please also let us know what topics you would like us to cover in our meeting presentations. Just send us an e-mail at sgvmug@sgvmug.org with your suggestions.

Best regards,
Ron Streicher, President
San Gabriel Valley Macintosh Users Group

For those who haven’t noticed, Apple is about to hit 1,000,000,000 downloads from its App Store. To commemorate this Apple is holding a celebration and you’re invited. Just download any free or paid app from the App Store in iTunes, on your iPhone or iPod Touch and get entered into a drawing for the following items -

$10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro

Highlights of the fine points are you can only enter 25 times a day and yes you can enter with having to download anything.
To enter without purchase or download, please go here - http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-app-countdown/entryform/

To check out how close they are and to find the link for the official rules, please go here - http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-app-countdown/