User Group Network News for March 2002
In this issue:
01 MUG of the Month: The Rest of Us,
02 Free downloadable "Custom" Photoshop plug-in, 16-bits/channel
03 This Old Mouse: The old beige box gets a new Optical Mouse
04 The MUG Help Files: Dealing with Difficult People
05 Symantec Knows Good Security
06 Put Spam in its place with Email Magician and FileMaker
07 ConceptDraw boosts the juice
08 InfoManager Update
09 Association News: 2nd Annual Meeting
The Designer's Bookshelf: featuring Robin Williams, Kathleen Ziegler and "Designing Women" month * http://www.design-bookshelf.com/
01 MUG of the Month: The Rest of Us,
The Rest of Us (TROU) is a long time standing Mac User Group with it's feet
on the ground and it's sites on the future! They've
won numerous awards, including the User Group Academy Award, and continue as a strong service
organization for Mac users in and around
02 Free downloadable "Custom" Photoshop plug-in, 16-bits/channel
Reindeer Graphics has written a very much enhanced version of Photoshop's "custom" filter, which , like the Photoshop one has an interactive preview, and is recordable in Actions. In addition, the plug-in:
1. supports both 8 and 16 bit per channel grey and RGB images
2. works on the intensity channel leaving hue and saturation unchanged
3. accepts up to a 7x7 array of floating point (real number) values, for much greater precision
4. can scale the results with a floating point number, or automatically for maximum unclipped contrast
5. reads Photoshop format files AND ALSO plain ascii text files
6. works in Photoshop and all compatible programs on both Mac and Windows computers. Encouraged by the recent response from readers of the UG TALK list, Reindeer Graphics is offering this plug-in for free download and use. It is one of nearly 200 plug-ins in the widely used Fovea Pro package, but can be used without installing or owning that package. The plug-in, along with instructions and some example filter files, can be downloaded as a .sit file for Macintosh or a .zip file for Windows. While you are there, please take a look at the full range of Fovea Pro capabilities, which include comprehensive tools for image processing and analysis. Also, check out some of the other free downloads that are available. Thanks to Cafe reader Chris Russ - for sending in this offer! It's always great to get new stuff for Photoshop Image Processing: graphics, illustration, photography Download and enjoy... * http://www.reindeergraphics.com/free.html#custom _________________ Do you believe in Macintosh? _____________________ * Association of Apple Computer User Groups - http://www.AACUG.org/ * Mac Users Against Spam - http://www.AACUG.org/advocacy.html
Updating your beige box to a fancy new optical mouse is as easy as saying "cheese" with a little help from "This Old Mouse"
03 This Old Mouse: The old beige box gets a new Optical Mouse
It all started when I got totally fed up with the rubber roller ball in my mouse giving me fits all the time. I use the optical mouse on the new G4s in my computer lab at James Madison U, and have become quite fond of it's quick, smooth and reliable accuracy.
In the fall I had purchased a Kensington "Pocket Mouse" for my daughter's new iBook, and briefly enjoyed it before she whisked it off to college. I had to have one.
Before I could use an optical mouse however, I need a USB slot for this old box. I went to numerous web sites looking for USB cards for my trusty beige monster.
Everywhere I went there were conflicting reports. I asked around the group, and my brother pointed me to Sonnett's Tango card. He had just finished installing one in another member's machine, and his report was all thumbs up.
If you've read any of my Mug columns over the past dozen years, you'll know I can talk a good thread, but when it comes time to actually stick my hands into the machine, I'm a bit squeamish. The guy at Sonnett said "it's a piece of cake, Fred, my kids can do it."
What could I say? Ship it.
When the card came in, it looked like any other Mac PCI card, and since I've upgraded memory several times, I already knew how to get the box open. I located the four empty PCI slots, unscrewed one retainer screw and removed its port cover. That was easy enough. I then nervously but firmly rocked the business end of the card down into the matching female pinned slot. There were no other wires or anything to hook up, and the card doesn't take any specialized software. After replacing the original screw into the card's holder (which fit perfectly,) I folded the component racks back into their seats and closed the box.
At this point I was feeling quite proud of myself until I realized I had no USB devices to test the card with. The sweet thing about the Sonnett Tango card is it also has two FireWire ports in addition to its two USB ports. I had gotten all dressed up, but had no party to go to. A quick call to MacWarehouse had a Kensington "Mouse In The Box" at my doorstep the next morning. I plugged it in, and voila, nothing. I unplugged it, then plugged it in again, and presto -- nothing.
I picked up the phone and called Kensington. Once I got over the shock of hearing a live human's voice at Kensington, the young lady gave me the exact link into the Version Tracker web site where I downloaded the latest Apple USB Card Support drivers. Within moments of unstuffing the utilities, and installing them -- voila -- the red light came on, and the optical mouse worked like a champ.
I knew immediately it would be a great day for this old (ahem, NEW) mouse!
Fred Showker Send your questions for "This Old Mouse" Follow along the procedure with pictures: http://www.user-groups.net/Mac/usbaby/index.html ... including complete information, photos of the CPU, and links to related products and vendors. Pictures: Sonnett's USB/Firewire PCI card http://www.user-groups.net/Mac/usbaby/tangot.jpg Kensington's "Mouse in a Box" http://www.user-groups.net/Mac/usbaby/mouse.jpg MUG Talk .. <http://www.user-groups.net/UGCommunity/subscribe.html
04 The MUG Help Files: Dealing with Difficult People
Dealing with difficult people takes a careful tact and a soft 'hand' -- a difficult task for most of us. Sometimes you can't avoid hostile and aggressive people, particularly in a service oriented group. They put us on the defensive, cause us anxiety, and frustrates our efforts to provide a useful and enjoyable service to our membership. Always remember the three "Cs" when dealing with difficult people.
This month UGN presents a two-part essay originally published (by yours truly) in the User Group Forum Help Files, and brought up to date with (Part II) comments from prominent MUG leaders during an online discussion. * http://www.user-groups.net/UGNetwork/UGHelp/difficult.html
Last month: Favorite MUG Meetings
Favorite Mug Meetings A collection of meeting ideas as gathered from more than 12 years of experience in working with groups, online chats, and discussion lists. It's a five page library of great ideas: * http://www.user-groups.net/UGNetwork/UGHelp/Meetings/index.html
05 Symantec Knows Good Security
Symantec has announced their new Norton Internet Security for Macintosh 2.0 includes Open Door Networks' acclaimed "Who's There? Firewall Advisor". Who's There? helps users understand, analyze and react to attacks detected by the Norton Personal Firewall component of Norton Internet Security.
With an ever-growing number of computers connected to the Internet through "always on" connections, there has been a significant increase in the number of hackers attempting to infiltrate those computers. Norton Personal Firewall was developed to thwart and log those intrusion attempts. Who's There? Firewall Advisor works with Norton Personal Firewall to provide in-depth information that helps users determine the degree to which they should be concerned about particular intrusion attempts, and what they can do in response.
But you don't have to buy Norton in order to get this protection. Open Door will also continue to distribute Who's There? independently. Details of Who's There? and free evaluation versions of the product for both Mac OS 9 and X are available at Open Door web site. Information about Symantec's Internet security products is available at http://www.symantec.com. Thanks to Alan Oppenheimer - for sending this info. File it under Home, Business, Personal Privacy, Security Get all the details at: * http://www.opendoor.com/whosthere/
06 Put Spam in its place with Email Magician and FileMaker
If you happen to use Eudora (like me) and FileMaker (like me) then YAV Interactive Media has answered our prayers! Email Magician, their popular utility for Eudora Mac (new version 1.4) has added options to export Eudora mailboxes to FileMaker Pro. Not only do you get the "Spammer Address Collection" and four new types of spam filters -- but now you get nearly 200 existing subject-based spam filters included with Email Magician.
Besides automatically creating filters, mailboxes, and address book entries for Eudora, Email Magician automates many tasks related to archiving mailboxes and messages, and optimizing your Eudora folder. The program includes an intelligent Urgent Filter note-pad, where you jot down phrases that tell Email Magician to override existing filters and, for example, gather all your "to do" items together for quick disposition.
Never make filters, mailboxes, or nicknames in Eudora again! Put spam in its proper place. Let Email Magician keep your inbox and outbox clean -- or any other boxes that you tell it to monitor. View screenshots, and download a trial copy of Email Magician. The price remains at $35 and registered users can upgrade for no charge. Thanks to Christopher Yavelow - this is exactly what we've been looking for. File this one under Online: email, networking, web, internet, html, ftp Download the evaluation copy, or purchase at: * http://www.yav.com/emailmagician.html
07 ConceptDraw boosts the juice
ConceptDraw is a cross-platform flowcharting and diagramming software package for Mac OS, Mac OS X and Windows -- ConceptDraw 1.7.5 adds a variety of new and improved features and content to help users to fully utilize the potential of their brain. Enhancements include export to PDF, improved work of DXF and EPS. The current version also features enhanced OS X compatibility, such as working with wheel mouse and interface changes. More flexibility can be found in the Outline format and the Stamp tool has been improved. This update is free to the current users of ConceptDraw Standard and Professional. Just download the updater at the web site. Thanks to Irina Nazarova - for sending this info in to our graphic art, design and CAD department. You can see complete rundown on this new version at: *http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/resources/versionch/vers171ch175.shtml
08 InfoManager Update
Each week the Info Manager digests the best and most interesting stories from all around the world and brings it to you complete with links.
For UG Newsletter Editors it's a real pick-up because you can utilize any part or all, and be assured you're getting the latest thing for your members -- or pick and choose all month long!
*
MWNY, About burning CD-ROMS and Desktop Files, OSX, MacRadio, Test Drive Office v.X, UGN on Meeting Topics,
Web Site #1 of the Week: Comics
Web Site #2 of the Week: Reseller Ratings
Web Site #3 of the Week: ISBN User Group Site of the Week: AMug
Quote of the week: Postman, Favorite Sig: Stand Still..., VOM (Vendor of the Month): Deneba Software. . . Special Offers and Deals... * http://www.user-groups.net/InfoManager/
09 Association News: 2nd Annual Meeting
The Association of Apple Computer Users & Groups held their second annual
meeting last weekend at the Best Western BWI, in
Topics discussed among others were * local chapter dues and requirements; * order slate for collateral materials; * nominations of National Advisory Board members; * Regulations for starting local chapters; * certification of existing MUGs as local chapters, and an approval for the acquisition of online commerce services for accepting membership dues and donations online.
While Executive Director Dan Sailers was not at liberty to publish the specifics of upcoming programs, he assured UGN that good news would be forthcoming at the AACUG.org web site. * http://www.AACUG.org/
