:: TCMUG Newsletter Archive ::

Vol 4 Iss 1 January 2005
*January Meeting
*Web Site Links of Interest
*Shareware Features - Ecto
*The MUG Center Store - Free Freight To Members
*Tip of the Month - Apple Rescue
*OS X Tip of the Month - Troubleshooting
*Mac Software Spotlight - Micromat - PodLock
*TCMUG Membership Structure for 2005

========== JANUARY MEETING ==========
We will be meeting on Saturday, January 15th from 2:00PM to 4:00PM at the TCH Educational Service Center in New Philadelphia for our first meeting of the new year! We will be having three topics at this meeting. Kevin will be covering using Mac OS Keychain application as part of securing your Mac, Scott will be presenting "which new mac is right for you? How do you choose a new computer system? What's important to have, what's not?" and Hayley will be demonstrating the online tool PhotoBucket.

========== WEB SITE LINKS OF INTEREST ==========
If you love Apple's Mail.app, you will love this directory of plug-ins to make the powerful mail software from Apple even more productive.
http://www.tikouka.net/mailapp/
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O'Reilly - Get a free "iPod Fan Book" with the purchase of any two books from O'Reilly. Apple UG Members can receive a 20 percent discount and a free "iPod Fan Book." Purchase directly from O'Reilly and use the code below to get the discount, and add the "iPod Fan Book" to your shopping cart along with your two book choices. Free ground shipping is available for online orders of at least $29.95 that go to a single US address.
User Group Code: On the TCMUG Members Web Site
Online at http://www.oreilly.com/
By phone 800-998-9938
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MacMentor Founder Jen Segrest helped a friend switch from PC to Mac. The experience of walking her through the ropes over internet chat was so fun and rewarding for both of them, Jen founded MacMentor as a mailing list in October of 2002. In February of 2003 the online forums were born. By the end of the month Macmentor had achieved approval as a Mac User Group (MUG). MacMentor's fast growth is due to a very rabid and devoted membership in the forums. In Late 2003 PCtoMac.com, another popular Switcher site, merged with MacMentor after technical problems ran them offline. MacMentor as you seee it now came about December 2004 with the installation of Geeklog to allow all MM's many members to participate in it's continuation as a content driven site with many new features such as the chatroom to accompany our popular support forums. Take a look at the latest version of the site at:
http://www.macmentor.org/switch/
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Favorite articles for Mac users - Here are online articles which are actually excerpts from Peachpit books... Includes: Dock vs. Sidebar: Which To Use?; Creating Audio CDs from Any Source; Faxing with Mac OS X Panther; Securing Mac OS X; Creating a Custom Screen Saver with iPhoto; and Wireless Networking with a Macintosh ... all in the UGN Library.
http://www.user-groups.net/articles/mac_articles.html
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I've got a suggestion. Google Suggest has launched , a new Labs project that provides you with search suggestions, in real time, while you type. We've found that Google Suggest not only makes it easier to type in your favorite searches (let's face it -- we're all a little lazy), but also gives you a playground to explore what others are searching about, and learn about things you haven't dreamt of. Go ahead, give it a spin .
http://labs.google.com/suggest
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en

========== SHAREWARE FEATURES - ECTO ==========
For those who have joined the weblogging revolution (also known as blogging) -- Ecto is the answer. Ecto allows users to post to a multitude of online blogs from their Macintosh desktop. The program can work in offline mode as well when an Internet connection may not be available - but your writing inspiration is!
ecto is a feature-rich desktop blogging client for MacOSX and Windows, supporting a wide range of weblog systems, such as Blogger ,Blojsom ,Drupal ,MovableType ,Nucleus ,TypePad ,WordPress , and more. ecto is the successor of the wildly popular Kung-Log , which has been in use by thousands of Mac users and which earned a 4.5 mice rating in the MacWorld July 2003 issue as well as high ratings at VersionTracker.com and MacUpdate.com . You can get all of the Mac OS X features online at the web site at: http://ecto.kung-foo.tv/archives/000991.php
With ecto you can write and manage entries for your weblog(s). The advantage over using your weblog's control panel is that you can compose entries offline and use the extra features ecto offers, such as spellcheck, creating links, attachments, and much more. ecto is designed to make blogging much more easier and yet give the users as much power as possible to manage their weblogs.
http://ecto.kung-foo.tv/

========== MUG CENTER STORE ==========
Is there something the MUG store can do to help your group?
Just let us know. Groups get 1 percent back on everything members purchase, so if you encourage your members to buy from the MUG store you can get everything from software to new computers for your club for FREE.
The MUG store has free freight to members, RAM rebates, aggressive pricing on new (and reconditioned) Macs and the largest selection of pre-owned Macs on the planet.
December 1 - March 30, 2005 - User ID: / Password: - See the TCMUG members web site
Place your orders at http://www.applemugstore.com

========== TIP OF THE MONTH: APPLE RESCUE ==========
AppleRescue is dedicated to providing access to Mac operating system versions long retired, from System 7 through the most recent and final release of OS 9. In addition, the company sells technical manuals on CD as well as archives legacy operating system and firmware updates.
http://www.applerescue.com/

========== OS X TIP OF THE MONTH - TROUBLESHOOTING ==========
While Apple's OS X operating system is reliable and powerful, it, like any other software, can have its breakdowns. If you get into a jam in OS X, some of the repair work is not for the slight of heart. However, Apple has posted a comprehensive troubleshooting sheet for users to step through one by one. I can vouch for it as I had to use it just this past month - with success!
http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn2004/tn2124.html

========== MAC SOFTWARE SPOTLIGHT ==========
Micromat - PodLock
Podlock is a unique new Macintosh application that works in conjunction with your iPod. With PodLock you will be able to create an invisible password-protected partition on your iPod to hide important files, learn detailed technical information about your iPod, examine the contents of your iPod (including music, pictures and voice recordings), backup and restore the entire contents of your primary iPod volume and defragment the files stored on your iPod.
TCMUG members pay $24.97 a discount off the $39.97 retail price. The web site URL is available online at the TCMUG Members web site to access this special price.
Visit the Micromat web site to get all of the details.
http://www.micromat.com/podlock/podlock_introduction.html

========== TCMUG MEMBERSHIP FOR 2005 - TIME TO RENEW!! ==========
We are working very hard to make it another exciting year for all local Mac users. We had a small dues structure for 2004. Membership in the TCMUG will cost $20.00 annually for a regular membership and will include a monthly newsletter, a special "members only" section of the web site, monthly meetings, a lending library, discounts on software, hardware and books and much, much more! You can visit our web site to get all of the features and benefits at http://www.tcmug.org/aboutus.html
We are offering three membership levels for 2005. There will be a regular membership at $20 per year and we will have student membership (K-12 & College) at $15 per year and a senior citizen (60+ years old) at $15 per year. All levels of membership will enjoy the benefits of belonging to the TCMUG.
Please contact any of the officers if you would have any questions regarding membership and the associated dues. http://www.tcmug.org/contactus.html
We have an online membership form that you are able to download. You can download the form at: http://www.tcmug.org/tcmug_memberapp.pdf

========== SUBMITTING INFORMATION ==========
Have a software tidbit to share, a Mac related web site to suggest or a news piece to submit? Email me with all the information at kwarrene@mac.com
To unsubscribe from this newsletter: Reply to this email with the subject line of REMOVE.
Forward this message to all of your family, friends and associates so that they can join the TCMUG and receive the monthly newsletter. Get all of the details at http://www.tcmug.org/aboutus.html
If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to contact any of the officers at http://www.tcmug.org/contactus.html