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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20231101T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20231101T124500
DTSTAMP:20260525T125356
CREATED:20230807T203338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231103T144941Z
UID:10000070-1698838200-1698842700@naplesmug.com
SUMMARY:Preview: The Mac’s Swiss Army Knife
DESCRIPTION:The Preview app has been a part of the Mac for over 20 years\, but many folks don’t even know of its existence. You can use it to view and manipulate PDF files\, mark up documents\, fill out forms\, view images and change their file formats\, and more. \n\n\n \nAre you a member? Log in to view the full presentation. Not a member? Join today!\n\nSummary\nSummary was created by ai and may contain inaccuracies. \nIdentifying Participants and Board Election Preparations \nMike Kwasniak introduced the attendees and highlighted Chita’s role as the moderator. Eckart took over\, discussing official matters such as the annual meeting for their membership in January 2024 and the need for board members to be reelected or newly elected. He also announced the necessity of a nominating committee for the upcoming board election and suggested that three members be nominated from the floor at the next meeting for this purpose. Mike Kwasniak expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the impromptu beginners’ message board meeting on Saturday\, which saw around 130 people in attendance. Next week\, Chita is scheduled to present a preview of the instructors and classes for the 2024 classes program. Mike Matthews was introduced to discuss the preview app on the Mac\, which he referred to as a Swiss army knife of sorts. Mike Matthews has attended several meetings over the past months. \nOverview of Preview App’s PDF Features \nMike Matthews provided a detailed overview of the Preview app\, which has been part of Mac OS since 2001. He explained that it initially functioned as a simple PDF and image viewer\, but has since gained additional features. Mike discussed the purpose of PDFs as a way to share documents across different platforms and software\, and highlighted Preview’s capabilities with PDFs and images\, such as viewing\, printing\, converting\, annotating\, filling out forms\, combining files\, and protecting files. He also mentioned that Preview is free\, faster to use than some other products\, and has advanced significantly over time. Towards the end of the meeting\, Mike opened a PDF file to demonstrate its features. Chita did not have any questions at this point. \nPDF Interface and Troubleshooting \nMike Matthews provided a detailed tour of a PDF file’s interface\, highlighting various features such as the thumbnail view\, continuous scroll\, table of contents\, highlighting and note-taking options\, and bookmarking. He also discussed the use of a contact sheet for viewing the layout of a document with many graphics. The team also assisted in troubleshooting closed captioning issues and controlling the screen share. \nProxy Icon and PDF Sharing Instruction \nMike Matthews instructed Chita and Eckart on how to use the proxy icon to send a PDF file through the mail app. Chita suggested that Mike should share the app instead of his desktop to avoid editing out unnecessary content in the recording. Mike agreed and demonstrated how to share the document window. Eckart provided a workaround to hide the participant panel in the recording by adjusting the zoom view. Mike continued his presentation\, discussing the Inspector Button and the Inspector Panel. He explained how to search for keywords within the document\, adjust permissions settings\, change the size of the document\, navigate through pages\, add notes and highlights\, and rotate images. However\, he did not provide an in-depth demonstration of the markup feature. \nIntroducing Document Creator’s Tool for PDF Editing \nIn the meeting\, Mike Matthews introduced the document creator’s tool that allows users to fill in forms and search for text in word processing documents. He also clarified how to use the search function in traditional word processing documents and PDFs. Questions were raised about the file storage location after making edits in Preview\, the possibility of reordering and deleting individual pages in PDFs\, and the ability to extract pages from a PDF. Mike suggested using the Sidebar to select pages and dragging them to the desktop to create a new PDF. He also touched on the topic of combining multiple PDFs into one. Finally\, Mike demonstrated how to search for words within images in a PDF\, explaining that OCR technology can recognize and attach text to the document in the background\, making it searchable. \nPreview App Demonstration: Image Editing and Conversion Techniques \nMike Matthews gave a demonstration on how to work with different file formats and convert images using the Preview application. He explained how to open various file formats and export files into different formats using the file menu. Mike also highlighted the app’s editing capabilities\, such as editing text within an image and recognizing objects within the image. He further introduced the magnifier tool for a closer look at specific parts of an image. Additionally\, he discussed the features of the app for adjusting photo colors\, exposure\, contrast\, saturation\, and temperature. Mike also mentioned the ability to change the dimensions of photos\, select specific areas\, and use annotation tools like adding rectangles and speech bubbles. Lastly\, he demonstrated how to add a signature to a photo and use other tools like rotating and flipping the photo. \nPreview and PDF Editing Discussion \nIn the meeting\, the team discussed photo editing in Preview and PDF files. Mike Matthews clarified that changes made in Preview\, when saving\, are generally destructive to the original image. Chita mentioned that when using the ‘revert to’ command in the file menu\, it saves different versions of the file\, allowing users to resurrect previous versions. The team also touched on the issue of adding whitespace to images for annotation without writing on top of the image\, which Mike admitted was not possible using the standard tools. Lastly\, Billy Mckee raised a question about the difference in file size between a scanned PDF and an Apple version of the same book\, which Mike suggested could be due to the indexing process. \nApple Preview Features Discussion \nMike Matthews discussed the functionalities of Apple’s Preview application with Karen Lewis\, Don Peacock\, Jane Wood\, A.W.\, and Chita. The group inquired about highlighting and annotating text\, extracting signatures from PDFs\, image manipulation\, undo actions\, markup tools\, and creating a single PDF from multiple files. Mike clarified the features and answered the questions to the best of his ability. He also demonstrated the use of the lasso selection tool\, the magnifier\, and the addition of pages to the sidebar. However\, there was a minor issue with a file crash during the demonstration. \nMac Application Features and Issues Discussion \nChita\, Mike Matthews\, and Bob Jacobs discussed issues and features related to a Mac application. Mike provided guidance to Bob on how to fix the toolbar and customize the application. He also explained how to set a default app for opening specific files like PDFs\, noting that Preview was generally faster for this task. Mike also highlighted the redact feature\, which permanently deletes selected text in a PDF document. Mike Matthews led a discussion on how to add notes to a document using markup tools. He explained that a button in the document opens up a note that appears in yellow and can be used to add reminders or comments. Mike demonstrated how to view and edit these notes in the sidebar\, and how to navigate back to them from different parts of the document. He also introduced the use of a form-filling button for documents created by the IRS. \nDigital Signatures and Redaction Tool in Preview \nMike Matthews and Bob Jacobs discussed the challenges of digital signatures and a redaction tool in Preview\, as raised by James. Mike suggested a workaround for creating a signature file using a Mac’s camera feature. Mike also clarified that Preview doesn’t have specific controls for scanner management and recommended using printer software or a separate scanner software for scanning. Later\, EdieG sought Mike’s help in adding text via Preview and moving it around. Mike guided her through the process. Keith Kaiser inquired about the availability of Preview on the iPad\, which Mike confirmed hasn’t been developed yet. Chita thanked Mike for his presentation\, and the attendees expressed their appreciation in the Q&A session.
URL:https://naplesmug.com/event/preview-the-macs-swiss-army-knife/
CATEGORIES:Weekly Meetings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://naplesmug.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/bffxwwcx4g8.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20231108T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20231108T124500
DTSTAMP:20260525T125356
CREATED:20230807T203646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231110T030411Z
UID:10000071-1699443000-1699447500@naplesmug.com
SUMMARY:2024 Class Introduction
DESCRIPTION:An upcoming preview of the instructors and class for the 2024 NMUG Class Season. \n\n\n\nAre you a member? Log in to view the Zoom Meeting ID and Link. Not a member? Join today!\n\nSummary\nSummary was created by ai and may contain inaccuracies. \n2024 Classes for Members: Schedule\, Speakers\, Topics \nChita led a discussion about the classes for 2024\, emphasizing their importance for members and the benefits they offer\, such as expert instructors\, recordings\, and PDFs. The schedule for the classes was announced\, with 10 classes each costing $25\, held on Saturdays from January to March. Speakers for the season were introduced\, including Jeff Gore\, Christian Voice\, David Mcguire\, and Joe Kassell\, who will cover topics such as Mac OS 14\, iPhone 15 models and iOS 17\, iPad\, iCloud\, and iCloud Drive updates\, and iCloud and iCloud Drive updates. Chita also introduced the topics to be covered in their meetings\, including Apple Watch Series 9 and iPhone 15 updates\, health and fitness features\, accessibility\, Apple TV\, imazing app\, digital legacy planning\, and professional photography using photos. Registration for the classes starts on December 1st. \nWebsite Classes and Registration Process \nChita\, Mike\, and Dan discussed the new classes added to their website and the registration process. Dan demonstrated how to navigate the site\, including using Apple Pay for registration and joining separate Zoom meetings for each class. The team clarified that members could register directly on the platform and bundle classes together for a discounted rate. They also confirmed that not all classes come with handouts\, particularly those taught by Joe Kassel\, who provides a book instead. The team decided to add all classes as an add-on during registration and to make class descriptions visible to non-members to incentivize membership. Audio issues affected the meeting\, but it was eventually resolved. \nClass Materials and Accessibility Discussed \nChita\, Dan\, and others discussed the details of a class\, emphasizing the benefits of early registration. They confirmed that participants would receive all class materials\, including books\, three days prior to the class\, and in some cases\, an updated version of the book would be provided. Participants raised concerns about accessing materials and videos while out of the country\, which Dan clarified could be done on the website with no expiration for reviewing the materials. Furthermore\, Chita and Dan confirmed that the class materials could be reviewed for at least two years. The possibility of purchasing classes after they have taken place was also discussed\, with Gill expressing interest in future relevant classes. Chita confirmed that past classes have been made available for purchase\, and Dan began looking for ways to show the available classes. \nPricing\, Website\, and Calendar Discussions \nChita answered two questions\, one about a price break for Tate control books and another from an anonymous individual about the pricing strategy for classes. She explained that they try to keep the prices low for the classes\, which are a significant source of funding for Inmugmug. Chita also discussed the website’s improvement\, acknowledging Bob Mackenzie’s comment and noting the complexity of the design process. Bob then questioned Dan about the functionality of the calendar subscription for classes\, which Dan clarified\, emphasizing that the calendar is a single calendar\, and individual class subscriptions were removed due to confusion. He advised participants to use Apple Calendar and explained how to refresh the calendar daily for updates. Bob confirmed that his Nmug Calendar was already set up to refresh daily\, and Dan confirmed this was correct. \nApple Classes\, Spam Issues\, and SpamSieve Advice \nChita addressed Michael Tolby’s question about the process of deciding which classes to offer\, explaining their strategy of offering classes on the latest updates for Apple products and other important ones. Chita also clarified why it’s difficult to combine classes on two different apps developed by two different developers and why they avoid sharing personal information in their classes. Furthermore\, Michael shared an issue with his wife’s spam\, which led to a considerable charge. Chita acknowledged this problem and suggested ways to handle it\, such as marking the emails as junk. Michael sought advice from Chita about using SpamSieve\, a spam filtering software\, on his wife’s computer\, which is about to upgrade to Sonoma. Chita advised that SpamSieve would be beneficial in dealing with existing spam and training it to recognize spam in old emails. She also recommended it for future emails. Michael expressed concern about potential issues with upgrading to Sonoma while having existing spam\, but Chita reassured him that this wouldn’t be a problem. They also briefly discussed malwarebytes\, which Chita doesn’t have personal experience with but recommended as reliable. \nApple TV Class Discussion \nChita led a discussion about the upcoming classes\, with a focus on the Apple TV device. David confirmed that he would cover the Apple TV device and streamlining\, but also offered to include information about other streaming devices if there was interest. James asked about the inclusion of other devices\, specifically Roku. Gill asked about automated calendar refreshing\, which Dan clarified through a demonstration. Mike asked about the opening of registration for the classes\, which Dan had not been aware would open in December. Eckart reminded the members about the non-profit nature of the organization and the importance of the instructors’ fees. The group also discussed the membership period\, with Chita clarifying that it is from the time of joining until the next year. Nancy and Heidi had questions regarding their profiles and membership information\, which were clarified by Dan. \nApple Calendar Subscription Guidance \nHeidi received guidance from Dan on how to subscribe to the Nmug calendar from Apple Calendar. Dan also addressed Mary’s issue of having two entries for each Nmug meeting on her calendar\, suggesting she delete one of them. James noted a discrepancy in his subscription\, which Dan promised to investigate. Ward asked for a method to modify events in a subscribed calendar\, to which Dan admitted he was unsure. Dan further informed Debby that Apple only allows subscriptions to be made on a single device and not all devices\, suggesting she provide feedback about this limitation. Finally\, David and Dan discussed the process of adding a calendar to an iCloud account from an iPad\, which Dan found could now be done following recent changes made by Apple. \nStorage\, Classes\, Accessibility: Family Account Issues & Future Topics \nDon faced storage issues with his family account that includes two email accounts. Dan clarified that the accounts need to be confirmed to be added to the family plan. Chita reminded everyone to ask questions related to the class lineup. The tradition of holding classes between January and March was explained by Chita due to winter constraints in other states and limited space in Naples. Eckart stated that extending the class period might lead to loss of momentum and focus. Heidi suggested a future class on accessibility\, which Chita agreed to consider. Carol Bunch received guidance from Hank and Chita on how to delete contacts from her desktop.
URL:https://naplesmug.com/event/2024-class-introduction/
CATEGORIES:Weekly Meetings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://naplesmug.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2fpjlaymqta.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20231115T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20231115T124500
DTSTAMP:20260525T125356
CREATED:20230808T232532Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231116T012456Z
UID:10000098-1700047800-1700052300@naplesmug.com
SUMMARY:Speed up your Mac!
DESCRIPTION:Christian Boyce will be showing various techniques\, and apps\, that will help you get more done\, in less time\, and with less effort. \n\n\n \nAre you a member? Log in to view the Zoom Meeting ID and Link. Not a member? Join today!\n\nSummary:\nSummary was created by ai and may contain inaccuracies. \nNew Website Launch and Product Introductions\nMike announced that NMUG’s new website is now operational and classes are available for booking. Chita will lead the next meeting and introduce products she has purchased\, while Mike\, Michael\, David\, and Dave will also be introducing products. The group also discussed the cold weather in Santa Monica\, with Christian rejoining the discussion. \nExplanation of Command P and Keyboard Shortcuts\nChristian provided an explanation of the origin and functionality of the command P\, which is commonly associated with paste\, but was originally designed for print. He also demonstrated how various functions such as ‘undo’\, ‘cut’\, ‘copy’\, and ‘paste’ work across different applications. Christian highlighted the importance of keyboard shortcuts\, showing how to use the command Z for undoing actions\, and the command N\, O\, S\, and P for new\, open\, save\, and print operations respectively. He also demonstrated keyboard shortcuts for navigating and executing commands in various applications\, emphasizing the command key in conjunction with other keys to quickly access features. Christian stressed the importance of knowing these shortcuts to save time when using a computer. \nWord and Mac Shortcuts and Tips\nChristian discussed various shortcuts and tips for using Word and the Mac operating system. He emphasized the importance of double and triple clicking for selecting text\, especially in smaller fonts. Christian also cautioned against potential bugs in the latest system\, Sonoma\, and advised waiting for version 14.2 before upgrading important machines. Moreover\, he demonstrated techniques for quickly selecting lines or paragraphs on a Mac\, using special shortcuts in Word\, and efficiently moving windows on the computer. He recommended the three-finger drag technique for moving items on the screen and zooming in or out. Christian also showed how to adjust the setting for the new window moving method in the system settings. \nStreamlining Mac App Access With Hot Key \nChristian emphasized the importance of streamlining the access to apps on a Mac to save time. He introduced a free app\, Hot Key\, and shared his personal method of using stickers on the keyboard to quickly access desired apps. Christian also demonstrated how to set up hotkeys for commonly used apps and explained the benefits of using them over a mouse. He further discussed the efficiency of using full-screen apps and buttons. Christian offered the app for free and hinted at a possibility of a class on how to extract icons from apps in the future. \nRectangle Program and Workflow Efficiency\nChristian shared his workflow using stickers and the Rectangle program to arrange windows on his computer screen. He explained his preference for having multiple applications open side by side\, particularly for researching and note-taking. Christian also demonstrated how to use the Rectangle program to resize and position windows accurately\, despite some visibility issues in the program’s menu bar. He highlighted the use of built-in shortcuts to manipulate windows efficiently. Nancy Garrison asked about how to change the function of her keyboard’s F keys\, and Christian clarified the use of the function key while pressing another key for another purpose. Fred also inquired about how to return to the original function after overriding it\, to which Christian confirmed the use of control up arrow as an alternative shortcut. \nCustomizing Toolbars in Apps\nChita and Christian discussed the customization of toolbars in various apps\, focusing on the Preview app. Christian demonstrated how to hide unused buttons\, add new ones\, and rearrange the toolbar layout. He also explained two methods to access the customized toolbar function. This method can also be applied in the Finder\, Mail\, and Safari\, Christian stated. The discussion ended with Christian showing how to explore apps and discover the functionality of their buttons. \nFile Rename\, PIN Tabs\, Share Button Features Demo\nChristian demonstrated how to rename multiple files using a built-in finder feature in the system. He also introduced the ‘PIN Tabs’ feature\, which allows users to save and quickly access their most frequently visited websites. Lastly\, Christian emphasized the importance of using the share button when wanting to share a webpage or a file\, instead of printing and scanning it. Chita confirmed that she had seen these features in action before. \nComputer Typing Techniques and Scanning Tips\nChristian shared various techniques to save time while typing on a computer\, including using the ‘paste and match style’ shortcut and adjusting the cursor size for better visibility. He underscored the importance of exploring system settings through the search function and encouraged others to experiment with different options. Additionally\, Christian demonstrated how to use Apple’s built-in software for scanning using the Brother scanner’s Image Capture feature in the Preview app\, emphasizing its simplicity and advising against using the scanner’s own software. \nMacOS Efficiency Tools\nChristian provided useful tips on navigating the Mac operating system\, including quick access to the applications folder and the use of a paid tool\, Rectangle Pro\, for efficient window arrangement. He also introduced Keyboard Maestro\, a tool offering advanced keyboard shortcuts for a one-time fee. Christian emphasized that these tools could significantly improve productivity and recommended their use. In the discussion\, Christian also demonstrated triggers in Keyboard Maestro to automate tasks and improve efficiency on a Mac. He and Chita also discussed changes in Apple menu keyboard shortcuts with the Mac OS Big Sur update\, with which they expressed dissatisfaction. Finally\, Christian demonstrated how to move windows between displays\, addressing a question from Billy. The attendees expressed their appreciation for Christian’s presentation.
URL:https://naplesmug.com/event/christian-boyce-joins-is-with-a-topic-yet-to-be-determined/
CATEGORIES:Weekly Meetings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://naplesmug.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ke0nc8-58mq.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20231122T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20231122T124500
DTSTAMP:20260525T125356
CREATED:20230807T212854Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231124T163734Z
UID:10000073-1700652600-1700657100@naplesmug.com
SUMMARY:Holiday Gift Guide
DESCRIPTION:What’s on your list of goodies to buy this Holiday Season? No idea? We give you a list of useful and fun gifts and gadgets to consider. \n\n\n\nAre you a member? Log in to view the Zoom Meeting ID and Link. Not a member? Join today!\n\nSummary:\nSummaries are generated by ai and may have inaccuracies. \nMacBook Pros\, OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub\, and Phone Mounting Systems \nThe meeting commenced with Mike introducing Chita and Eckart\, the latter who clarified an upcoming event was not a Board meeting but an annual one. Mike urged everyone to visit their website for updates and announced a guest for the next meeting. Chita then took over\, discussing his experience with the new MacBook Pros and his decision to purchase an OWC Thunderbolt 4 hub for connecting multiple external drives. He also introduced a wireless charging station for his Apple devices and a two-part mounting system for phones that could accommodate various brands. Chita highlighted the importance of this system for safer driving and shared her personal experience with other mounting systems. She also mentioned a unique mounting system for vehicles\, praising its durability and versatility. \nMike’s Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones Review \nMike discussed his recent purchase of the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones. He highlighted the strong\, durable case that allows the headphones to easily fit into a suitcase\, the noise-canceling capabilities\, and the ability to switch off noise cancellation when needed. He also mentioned the included cable for traditional audio use. Mike also shared his past experience with other Bose products\, including a pair of noise-canceling headphones he used for his iPhone. \nGraphics Tablets and Editing Software \nMike discussed the importance and benefits of using graphics tablets for digital editing\, sharing his personal experience and demonstrating how it has improved his work efficiency and precision. He also mentioned a special discount offer on Affinity Photo\, a high-end editing software that he recommends. However\, there were technical difficulties with sharing his screen using Ecamm\, leading to a temporary interruption in the meeting. \nTechnology Products: Spark and AirFly \nDavid introduced two technology products. The first was a guitar amplifier called Spark\, which is small\, portable\, and pairs with a mobile app. The app allows users to learn songs\, pick up different patches from various artists\, and play along with a backing band. David mentioned that his daughter was very pleased with this product. The second product was the AirFly\, a device that allows users to connect their wireless headphones to an airplane’s entertainment system or a car’s audio jack. The AirFly comes in various models\, some of which can even pair with two sets of headphones for a shared viewing experience. \nSLNT Sling Bag for Device Protection \nDavid introduced a sling bag from the company SLNT which is designed to protect devices from potential hackers in large crowds or conferences. The bag features a Faraday cage pocket that blocks any reading signal from reaching your phone. David also mentioned that the company offers smaller wallet-sized products for privacy protection. He highlighted that the bag retails for about $1.40 and occasionally goes on sale. \nAffordable Apple TV Accessories Recommended \ndavidmcguire shared his recommendations for affordable and practical Apple TV accessories. He praised the Total Mount\, which can both clean up the appearance of the TV and hide the Apple TV behind the TV set. He also suggested the use of the remote cover\, which not only provides a better grip but also allows users to attach an Air Tag for easier tracking. He expected these items to go on sale on Amazon in the coming days. \nApple Gift Card Versatility and Savings Tips \ndavidmcguire discussed the versatility and convenience of Apple gift cards\, suggesting they make ideal gifts for anyone who uses Apple products. He explained that the cards can be used in various ways\, such as buying something in an Apple store\, on the Apple online store\, or towards subscriptions like Apple TV\, iCloud\, or Apple Music. David also warned against redeeming the card on a device as it cannot be used in the store afterwards. He suggested that Apple gift cards can be found on the Apple website and can be purchased at a discount during seasonal sales. Finally\, he recommended buying Apple gift cards through grocery stores with loyalty programs to save money. \nProduct Presentation and Feedback Meeting \ndavidmcguire presented and responded to questions about various products. Mary asked about hiding wires with the Total Mount for the Apple TV\, to which David responded affirmatively. Chita and others shared their positive experiences with the Total Mount. Joan informed the group about a discounted price for the OW Hub. Gill asked if the Spark Go guitar device was compatible with Android phones\, to which David confirmed it was. Ann inquired about the compatibility of the charging station with the new standby mode\, but a definitive answer was not provided. Robert shared his positive experience with the Back Tab template. Rick praised the Pro Clip mount for its sturdiness and perfect fit. \nCybersecurity and Faraday Bags in Crowded Areas \nBilly and David discussed the potential need for Faraday bags in protecting against information theft in crowded areas. David\, a cybersecurity professional\, suggested carrying such bags\, especially when in areas with high foot traffic. They also addressed the safety of using Apple Pay and credit cards in grocery stores and other similar venues. David explained the potential risks of having credit cards in a wallet while in crowded areas\, and the importance of using Faraday bags for protection. They also touched on the vulnerability of key fobs to attack. The discussion concluded with a reminder about next week’s meeting on the current state of AI.
URL:https://naplesmug.com/event/holiday-gift-guide/
CATEGORIES:Weekly Meetings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://naplesmug.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-NMUG-Holiday-Gift-Guide.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20231129T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20231129T124500
DTSTAMP:20260525T125356
CREATED:20230807T213057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231201T012511Z
UID:10000074-1701257400-1701261900@naplesmug.com
SUMMARY:AI a year later
DESCRIPTION:There are a plethora of opinions and discussions about the impact of AI on humankind and various work industries. Is the impact positive\, destructive\, negative\, helpful\, beneficial? Tech guru Jeff Gamet gives positive and negative examples and discusses the impacts AI has had a year after the floodgates opened. \n\n\n\nAre you a member? Log in to view the Zoom Meeting ID and Link. Not a member? Join today!\n\n  \nLinks Mentioned:\n\nhttps://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper\nhttps://setapp.com/apps/plus\nhttps://lmstudio.ai/\nhttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/draw-things-ai-generation/id6444050820\nhttps://zapier.com/blog/ai-art-prompts/\nhttps://huggingface.co/\nhttps://kagi.com/\nhttps://www.geeky-gadgets.com/how-to-easily-run-ai-models-locally/\n\nSummary:\nSummary was created by AI and may contain inaccuracies. \nZoom\, AI\, and Membership Renewal Concerns \nEckart\, Chita\, and other participants discussed their experiences and concerns with using Zoom for meetings. Eckart shared his past experience of an unexpected internet disruption that led to an automatic transfer of the host function to a co-host\, raising questions about the system’s continuity. The group also discussed the potential need for a different plan\, such as the business plan\, and the possibility of using a webinar program. Eckart decided to further investigate what happens if a host loses internet connection. The discussion also touched on the use of artificial intelligence for legal inquiries\, with Eckart sharing his experience of receiving an incorrect answer from an AI. Furthermore\, Melissa raised concerns about the confusion regarding her membership’s renewal status. Eckart clarified that there were some inconsistencies with the renewal system\, but assured that Dan\, who was yet to join the meeting\, would provide the best explanation. Dan later explained that the system prorates the membership based on the actual expiration date\, ensuring members don’t lose any benefits. \nApple Fighters User Group Meeting \nThe team acknowledged the passing of a founding member of the Albany New York Apple Fighters User Group\, John Buckley. The group also discussed the status of their weekly meetings\, noting that they are recorded in the Zoom cloud and made available after the meeting. There was also a discussion about pacing oneself\, with Chita sharing her personal approach to tennis and self-care. The team also noted that they need to be mindful of their microphones being on during the meeting. \nAI Progress and Podcast Updates \nJeff and Chita discussed their podcast and recent developments in the AI world. Chita announced that Jeff would have an hour to present these topics. Mike Kwasiak\, a member of the Naples Board and a UK-based theater photographer\, hosted the session with Chita as the moderator. Eckart\, the president\, emphasized the significance of AI in their model. Mike reminded attendees about the new website and encouraged class bookings for the upcoming session. Jeff Gamet\, a long-time tech journalist and podcaster\, was introduced as an interim host for the British Tech Network. The main topic of the meeting was the state of AI\, with a focus on its progress over the past year. \nAI: Current State and Future Potential \nJeff Gamet discussed the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) and its various applications. He explained that AI is a broad term encompassing technologies such as machine learning\, where computers learn and adapt based on new information. Jeff highlighted the popularity of large language models like Chat GPT\, which use statistical probability and math to generate responses based on prompts. However\, he cautioned that these models should not be blindly trusted and their outputs should always be verified. Jeff also touched on the concept of artificial general intelligence (AGI)\, a system that can learn and respond outside of its core programming. He clarified that achieving AGI does not necessarily mean creating sentient or self-aware computers. Jeff concluded by noting that while AI is widely used and appreciated in certain sectors\, it is not yet at the AGI level. \nAI’s Growing Role in Cybersecurity \nJeff Gamet emphasized the increasing significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity. He explained that AI systems can serve as sentries\, monitoring data access and detecting suspicious activity\, thereby preventing security breaches. Jeff highlighted the ongoing AI security war\, where bad actors use AI to attack company networks and the good guys use AI to repel these attacks and learn from them. He stressed that the protection task has exceeded human capabilities due to the speed of computer operations and reassured the audience that it’s okay to be concerned about this\, as it’s a sign of companies’ commitment to protecting information. \nAI in Biopharma and OpenAI’s CEO Change \nJeff Gamet discussed the application of AI in the Biopharma industry\, emphasizing its ability to streamline the drug development process. He explained that the traditional process is lengthy and prone to redundancy\, but AI can monitor tests continuously\, cross-reference previous research\, and potentially reduce the process from months or years to a few weeks. Jeff also mentioned the use of AI in astronomy\, weather forecasting\, and earthquake tracking. He then shifted the discussion to OpenAI\, revealing that the company’s founder and CEO\, Sam Altman\, was fired by the board due to a lack of trust in his truthfulness. However\, following employee backlash\, Sam was reinstated as CEO. The board was also replaced\, which led to concerns about a lack of diversity in perspectives. \nOpenAI’s Internal Changes and Microsoft’s AI Ambitions \nJeff Gamet discussed the recent developments at OpenAI\, including the firing of Sam and the hiring of Microsoft employees\, and speculated that these changes might be linked to an internal project called Q and concerns about artificial intelligence. Jeff suggested that Sam’s dismissal was due to poor management and dishonesty with the board\, but noted that Sam has since returned and the board is now dominated by his supporters. Jeff also discussed Microsoft’s heavy reliance on OpenAI’s technology and the potential for Microsoft to gain control of the for-profit company handling AI tools\, which he believes is the ultimate aim of the situation. \nAI Content Ethics and Regulation Discussion \nJeff and Chita discussed the progress of Chat Gpt models\, with Jeff explaining the transition from Gpt 3 to Gpt 4. They also touched on the issue of data theft and plagiarism by Chat Gpt. Jeff shared his concern about the ethics of using AI to create content and suggested joining a class action lawsuit against Chat Gpt and Openai. Jeff also highlighted the need for legislation to regulate how information is collected and used in large language models. Finally\, Jeff discussed President Biden’s executive order regarding AI\, emphasizing the need for government oversight of large language model initiatives to ensure safety. \nEthics\, AI\, and Mac Safety Discussion \nChita and Jeff discussed the ethical issues surrounding a company\, with a particular focus on the role of Sam Altman. Jeff expressed concern over the company’s trajectory and potential negative outcomes. The conversation then shifted to the use of AI tools on the Mac\, with Jeff explaining the need for a high-end machine and the usefulness of a tool called Mac Whisper. Jeff also discussed other AI tools available through a monthly subscription service and addressed concerns about ethical sourcing of data. Melissa raised a question about the safety of using AI tools on her Mac\, to which Jeff reassured her and recommended creating a separate user account. \nAI Image Creation and Ethics Discussed \nJeff Gamet discussed the use of generative AI models for creating images and the importance of ethical sourcing. He highlighted Adobe’s work in this field and suggested that Mid Journey provides better results than Stable Diffusion. Jeff also mentioned the potential for users to craft their own AI prompts using platforms like Zapier. Chita added that Adobe’s images are ethically sourced. Jeff then discussed the challenges of validating the accuracy of data used in AI models and the importance of experimenting with different models to find the best one. A question about Claude AI was raised\, to which Jeff responded that it’s a viable option but recommended experimenting with different models to find the best fit. \nData Accuracy and Search Engine Reliability Discussed \nJeff and Chita discussed the issue of data accuracy from internet scraping\, highlighting the problem of ‘garbage in\, garbage out’ and the potential for misleading information due to the use of AI. Jeff shared his experience with misleading Google search results and introduced Kaggi\, a search engine that provides more accurate and relevant results based on content ranking\, as an alternative. He also noted the influence of paid results and generative AI on Google’s search results. Chita expressed concern about the trustworthiness of these data pulls. Jeff also mentioned that he still uses Google for some searches due to its extensive database of crawled content. The discussion sparked a conversation about the use of different search engines and their respective advantages and drawbacks. Lastly\, it was announced that Mike Matthews would be back next week for a deep dive on an essential app and that class bookings are open on their website.
URL:https://naplesmug.com/event/ai-a-year-later/
CATEGORIES:Weekly Meetings
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