Hello All,
Here are my Notes for the SLO Bytes Photo Group Meeting that took place on 02/12/2023
TOPIC: Water; Bring images of water and explain the what, where, when, why and how of your creative process.
Ralph Sutter opened the meeting, calling attention to changes made to the Photography Group Links Page, https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html Ralph simplified the Links Page, replacing some content on the page with links to that content on sub pages.  Given Sutter’s interest in the Video Editing Program, Davinci Resolve https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve, the first section on the Links Page now lists content related to that video editor.

Ralph then shared images of recent floods in Arroyo Grande followed by a tour of the Oceano Lagoon.

Alan Raul pointed his camera to the flooded Pismo Beach Campground and high water at Avila and Port San Luis piers and nearby creeks.

Stanford Brown followed swollen streams in Paso Robles, showed water damage in the area, frost on local vegetation and high water at the 13th Street Bridge.

Kaye Raul presented storm damage south of Nipomo before experimenting with motion blur at Pismo and Port San Luis.

John Waller walked his rural property showing flooded gopher holes, rising creeks and stormy skies.

Connie Sutter captured drenching rain rolling off the roof at her Arroyo Grande home as well a more tranquil water scenes at the Oceano Lagoon.

The next meeting will take place on March 12th beginning at 2:00 pm. The topic for the meeting is once again Water.  Members are encouraged to offer images that the topic suggests.
The meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at 2:00pm.  An invitation will be e-mailed to Photo Group members shortly before the meeting.
The schedule for 2023 is as follows
    April 16                                           
    May 21                                                 
    June 11                                 
    July 9
    August 13
    September 10
    October 8
    November 12
    December 10                                   
See the Links page; https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html for tutorials and other resources
Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
I purchased an iBUYPOWER Slate 5 MR Gaming Mid-Tower Computer from B and H Photo.  It was ordered on Monday, 01/09/23 and delivered from New Jersey on 01/11/2023
Here is the link to the PC  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1728613-REG/ibuypower_slatemr300a_slate_5_mr_gaming.html

At the urging of Alan Raul, I am posting the specs between the lines
-----------------------------------------------------------
IBUYPOWER Slate 5 MR Specs
Operating System   Windows 11 Home (64-Bit)
Model Year   Late 2022

Performance
Chipset   AMD X670
Motherboard   Asus Prime x670-P WIFI
Processor   AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
CPU Socket   AM5
CPU   4.7 to 5.3 GHz 6-Core
L3 Cache   32 MB
Graphics Type   Dedicated
GPU   NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM
Memory Type   5200 MHz DDR5
Total Installed Memory   32 GB
Memory Configuration   2 x 16 GB (User-Replaceable)
Maximum Memory Capacity   128 GB
Memory Slot Type   288-Pin DIMM
Memory Slots   4 (2 Available)
Buffered Memory   No
ECC Memory   No
vPro Support   No

Storage and Expansion
Total Drive Bays   None
SSD Slots   None
Total Installed Capacity   1500 GB
Solid State Storage   1 x 500 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe
Hard Disk Storage   1 x 1 TB 3.5" SATA (rpm Unspecified)
PCI Expansion   1 x PCIe 4.0 x16
2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 [x4 Mechanical]
1 x PCIe 3.0 x1
Optical Drive   None

I/O
Ports   3 x USB-A 3.1/3.2 Gen 2
4 x USB-A 3.0 / 3.1/3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB-A 2.0
1 x PS/2
USB Type-C   1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
Display   1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI
Audio I/O   3 x 1/8" / 3.5 mm Line Input/Output
Built-In Speakers   None
Built-In Microphones   None
Media/Memory Card Slot   None
Communications
Ethernet   1 x RJ45 (2.5GbE)
Wi-Fi   Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
MU-MIMO Support   None
Bluetooth   None
NFC   No

Keyboard & Mouse
Keyboard   USB Full-Size Keyboard
Pointing Device   USB Mouse

General
Power Supply   600 W with IEC
Dimensions   19.3 x 18.9 x 8.66" / 49 x 48 x 22 cm
Weight   35 lb / 15.9 kg

Packaging Info
Package Weight   37.935 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)   24.1 x 22.1 x 12.7"
-----------------------------------------------------------
I ordered an additional 32Gb of DDR5 ram for a total of 64Gb and upgraded to Windows 11 Pro  (See below)
The tower has 3 m.2 slots.  One was already filled with the OS.  In the remaining 2, I installed 1Tb sticks.
I will probably add several SSD drives just because I already have them but they're not being used.

In a speed test, I rendered a video in Davinci Resolve with my new PC and the one that it replaced, a Dell i7 with 32Gb of ram.  The new machine rendered the footage twice as fast as the older one.

After I added the additional 32GB of identical RAM, I got no video out of the computer.  In troubleshooting, I first removed the 2 NVMe drives and rebooted.  No cigar
Next I removed the new RAM and rebooted.  Still no video output
I then began swapping out RAM, inserting two at a time.
After going through a few combinations, I finally got video.
Suspecting that I initially hadn't seated the added RAM completely, I installed all four sticks of RAM.
This time, I got video back and have had no further video issues.

Note to Self
In the future, when I add components, make sure that they seat completely before troubleshooting further.

Update of 01/30/2023
Today I added a Samsung 860 EVO 500Gb SSD drive to the PC.  Initially, I couldn't figure out how to access a cable to power the drive.  All of the unused power cables were beneath a plate at the bottom of the computer tower but when I removed the solid metal side of the case, I could see all of the unused cables neatly stored beneath the plate.
I connected one of the power cables to the new drive and plugged a data cable into one of the 6 available SSD headers.  I then initialized the new drive, formatting it as GPT with cluster size set to Default.

Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
Here is my Photo Group Report for the meeting of 01/08/2023

TOPIC: Things That I Learned with My Camera/Software

Ralph Sutter opened the meeting, calling attention to the Links Page https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html of the Photo Group website There, Sutter posted the following links
    Add an audio track with Davinci Resolve https://youtu.be/zrA7WW73lVg; video by Ralph Sutter
    For a more complete explanation by another author, see
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nR5fNrGPH8
    My Notes on Luminar Neo https://www.slobytes.org/digital/tutorials/Sutter-Luminar-Neo-Notes.docx
    Luminar Neo Keyboard Shortcuts https://manual.skylum.com/neo/en/topic/windows-keyboard-shortcuts
    Luminar Neo Keyboard Shortcuts on Two Pages https://www.slobytes.org/digital/documents/Luminar-Neo-Keyboard-Shortcuts.docx
    Sutter Notes Photo Group Meeting 01/08/2023 https://www.slobytes.org/digital/documents/sutter-notes-01-08-23.pdf
Ralph continued, sharing images of garden plants that he enhanced with Luminar Neo, his image editor of choice.
His most often used tool was the Supersharp extension

Alan Raul showed various manipulations of a King Tide image using different image editing programs.
He then took a gray dismal color picture and changed it to B&W using different image editing programs for a variety of effects.

Stanford Brown, trying to get the best images from his Samsung Galaxy phone, played a podcast that recommended always shooting in Portrait mode rather than Photo mode.
Further recommendations were to turn off the flash and avoid the digital zoom.
When shooting groups, tell everyone to close their eyes, opening them on the count of 3.
The final suggestion was to compose portraits leaving minimal space above the subjects' head

John Waller apologized for having few images to share. Sadly, he had an attic fire at his home and the only pictures that he could offer were shots of firetrucks and water damage.

During the Second Session, Kaye Raul pointed out resources for setting up a Sony A7IV camera, the camera used by three members of our photo group. Kay also called attention to the Nicolsy Challenge, https://community.nicolesy.com/s/52-photo-challenge consisting of 52 subjects to photograph, one for each week of the year.

Ralph Sutter attempted to show some of the features of the free version of the video editor, Davinci Resolve, but the cybergods did not allow that to happen.
Instead, Ralph directed the attention of the group to his YouTube video that illustrates what Sutter couldn't do during the Zoom Session  See Add an audio track with Davinci Resolve https://youtu.be/zrA7WW73lVg
Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
This is a re-post of an e-mail received from SLO Bytes Parent organization, APCUG
Ralph Sutter

JANUARY 11, 2023
WEDNESDAY 2 HOUR WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
DNA for Genealogy with Sue Mueller
Genealogy Group Leader, Computer Users of Erie
 
AND
 
Did you buy a new Smart TV this past holiday season
and aren’t sure how to set it up?
Hewie Poplock, Director
The Sarasota Technology Users Group
Host of the monthly online CFCS-STUG Windows SIG
 
1/11/23 – DNA for Genealogy and Smart TVs
 
Register for this workshop here -- https://forms.gle/5CxnBEbTEAXwE1kv8
You will receive an acknowledgment of your registration and will receive the workshop encrypted Zoom link on Tuesday, 1/10 after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.
***************
DNA for Genealogy. What you can and cannot learn and why. Choosing your test: explore differences among testinganies. Sue will also talk about the importance of adding a tree to your results and extending your results with gedmatch.
 
***************
 
 Did you buy a new Smart TV this past holiday season and aren’t sure how to set it up?
On the other hand, do you have one you never set up? Hewie’s presentation will help us do both and how to turn a not-so-smart TV into one that is.
You have a Smart TV and use a cable service.
You have never explored any of the free or paid services available on your TV
Many friends and neighbors are in the same category
 
Hewie will show us how to add and use many free services. He will also describe many services you can use to view free movies and TV shows. You might eventually “cut the cable” by firing your cable company and only using streaming services once you experience how easy it is. All that is needed is a Smart TV and an Internet connection. While many services are free, you can get local, national, and ad-free programming and most sporting events with fee-based services.
 

Hello All,
Here are my Notes for the SLO Bytes General Meeting of 01/01/2023

Avila Polar Bear Plunge:  http://avilabeachpolarbearplunge.com/

Here’s Why Your AirTag Battery Replacement Is Not Working
https://slobytes.org/smf/index.php?topic=788.0
Started by Alan J. Raul

Do a Google Search by Image at images.google.com

Duplicate tab – All browsers

Wacom One:  https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Graphic-Drawing-Tablet-Beginners/dp/B07S1RR3FR/ref=sr_1_3

Google Advanced Search:  https://www.google.com/advanced_search

Change case in Word https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-capitalization-or-case-of-text-1d86cf80-fbef-4380-8d6f-59a6b77db749

USB Connectors  https://www.techdim.com/types-of-usb-connectors/

USB Video  https://youtu.be/8SHEnaV1SYA

Converters
Multi Port USB Hubs https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-USB-Hubs/zgbs/pc/17387627011
Look for powered hubs

Docking Station  https://www.amazon.com/Docking-Multiport-DisplayPort-Ethernet-Compatible/dp/B0B9BG7K1Z/ref=sr_1_8
Look for powered hubs
 FALWEDI 14 in 1 docking station
 2 x HDMI
 1 x Display Port
 1 x RJ45 Ethernet
 1 x USB-C Data transfer
 1 x PD3.0 charging
 2 x USB3.0
 3 x USB2.0
 1 x 3.5mm Audio and Mic
 1 x Micro SD card reader
 1 x SD card reader
Look for powered hubs

Keyboard Navigation
Home – Go to beginning of line  Ctrl + Home – Go to beginning of page
End – Go to end of line  Ctrl + End – Go to end of page

Wi-Fi Adapter  https://www.amazon.com/wifi-adapter/s?k=wifi+adapter

Bluetooth Adapter  https://www.amazon.com/bluetooth-adapter-Electronics/s?k=bluetooth+adapter&rh=n%3A172282

Luci Light  https://www.amazon.com/MPOWERD-Luci-Original-Solar-Inflatable/dp/B00DQ1RDWS?th=1

Luci Light with USB Charging Capability https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0794WJ2ST/ref=emc_b_5_t  ($27.96)
     https://www.amazon.com/MPOWERD-Luci-Original-Inflatable-Features/dp/B074NMPPVK/ref=sr_1_5  ($16.00)

20 volt DeWalt battery adapter with USB ports  https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-USB-CHARGING-KIT-DCB094K/dp/B09YY1WTHJ

Ifixit.com https://www.ifixit.com

Manuals On Line  http://www.manualsonline.com/

Garden Planting Schedule
 https://attachments.convertkitcdnm.com/117323/b1050f9d-8f90-48e1-808d-ea23d46c1fc7/Vegetable-Planting-Schedule-AudreysLittleFarm.pdf

Frostdate – Another Garden Planting Schedule - https://frostdate.com/

20 volt 8 amp hour battery replacement for Dewalt battery Two Pack $58.98 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/314175184937?epid=21057519645&hash=item49264ce029:g:cewAAOSwxEFjjU2J 
Dewalt 20 volt  Battery 2 pack 20 volt 5 amp hour  $149.00 https://www.homedepot.com/s/dewalt%2020%20volt%20replacement%20battery?NCNI-5

If you insist on original equipment Dewalt batteries, buy this  from Ace Hardware What's Included: (2) 20V MAX Lithium Ion Batteries, (1) DCB107 Charger, (1) Carrying Bag and (1) Belt Clip $119
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/tools/power-tools/cordless-drills/2493427

Twisty Ties -  Use Pipe Cleaners  Walmart Creativity Street Chenille Stems, Regular, Assorted Colors 100/Pkg.  $3.85
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Creativity-Street-Chenille-Stems-Regular-Assorted-Colors-100-Pkg/14867688?athbdg=L1600

Show choices when pasting into Word  https://it.nmu.edu/docs/paste-options-microsoft-office-word

Islapedia: a Wiki for the California Channel Islands https://www.islapedia.com/index.php?title=Welcome_to_Islapedia

LastPass Security Follow-up:  https://blog.lastpass.com/2022/12/notice-of-recent-security-incident/
Ask Leo on LastPass Breach:  https://askleo.com/lastpass-breach/ 

Bypass Show More Options:  Open the Terminal as an Administrator (Right click on Start Menu) and paste in the command below
 reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
NOTE:  You must restart the computer to enable this change

Weather Station Data
https://www.fullbean.com/weather/weather.html
https://www.rainwise.net/weather/Sutter93420

Lopez Lake Link
https://wr.slocountywater.org/site/?site_id=16&site=ad5cdb23-3e46-41f0-98a9-b169a505c0f4

Sutter YouTube Content;  Add audio voiceover to Davinci Resolve:  https://youtu.be/zrA7WW73lVg
    Coffee Roasting at Home with a Kaldi Roaster:  https://youtu.be/PcvFqW_IfxU

Fake E-mail Primer by Theo Joe  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF1bIT1ym4g


Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
To learn details of the LastPass data breach, I have provided a link to their blog
View it at https://blog.lastpass.com/2022/12/notice-of-recent-security-incident/
Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
This is a re-posting of an e-mail initiated by Judy Taylour, APCUG Representative of SLO Bytes parent organization, APCUG
Ralph Sutter

DECEMBER 2022
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
December 14, 2022
'Tis the season for taking pictures & videos
 
Preserving your digital photos
Mark Schulman
and
Record 4k resolution videos with your smartphone
John Krout
 
December 28, 2022
Learning Linux
We want to hear from you at the end of '22
New through more experienced Linux users
The Linux Team
 
December 14 – Preserving Digital Photos and Record 4k resolution videos with your smartphone
 
Register for this workshop - https://forms.gle/oHcBYCiVYZZetnXF7
 
Preserving Digital Photos with Mark Schulman. Digital photos ought to last forever. Digital photos don't fade with time and can protect against natural disasters like fire and floods. That's the theory, anyway. And yet, if you're one of the millions of people with a digital camera, the chances of your great-grandchildren ever seeing your digital photos are very slim. Find out why the odds are stacked against you and what you can do to increase the chances that your family historian 200 years from now will be able to enjoy the photos you're taking now.
 
Record 4K resolution Video with your smartphone or tablet with John Krout. Modern top-of-the-line smartphones can shoot 4K resolution videos, meaning 8.3 megapixels resolution. However, suppose your slightly older smartphone or tablet has a camera with an 8.3-megapixel resolution. In that case, this presentation will show you a free app to shoot 4K resolution videos on your Apple or Android phone. In addition, you will see a comparison of file sizes by different 4K video apps. Finally, decide for yourself which app does the best recording for your needs.
**********
December 28 - Learning Linux
We want to hear from you at the end of 22, new through more experienced users.
The Linux Team: Orv Beach, Cal Esneault, John Kennedy, and Dave Melton
 
Register for this workshop - https://forms.gle/812YiZZmBb9NEED36
 
Due to the holidays, we've moved the December Linux workshop to the 4th Wednesday. We hope you have a very Happy Holiday season. As we wrap things up, we want to hear from you at the end of '22. The team is sure there are some lingering questions you might want to ask or topics you might want to clarify. Is there something you would like to see again, or do you want to share some great news about Linux? We want to hear from anyone and everyone. Whether you are new to Linux, someone giving it a try from what you've learned in these workshops, or a more experienced user that wants to share information with the group or be there to help answer questions. We are also looking for suggestions for what the Learning Linux Workshops should be in '23. If you want to get your questions or things you'd like to see on the agenda (so you are guaranteed to get an answer), please email the "Host" at jkennedy@apcug.org so the team can prepare the response or demo. See everyone at the end of the month.
 
Bill James will tell us about his first-time experience with Linux.

Here are my Notes for the SLO Bytes Photo Group Meeting held on 11/13/2022

TOPIC: Images of the Fall
Ralph Sutter opened the meeting with photos of pumpkins, Autumn leaves and a campfire.

Alan Raul followed showing persimmons and changing leaves along the Bob Jones Trail, Avila, and the surrounding area.

Stanford Brown proceeded with the evolution of Fall colors. We saw persimmons, a Heron, acorns and leaves turning progressively more from green to many shades of brown.

Kaye Raul offered a video of changing leaves on trees and grape vines, backed by appropriate music.

John Waller, in addition to Fall colors, also shared sharp images from the Santa Maria Air Show with low flying P38s, c17s A 35s and a C130 fire suppression aircraft. He then visited a local winery with an impressive collection of steam-powered engines. John explained how he enhanced the image of a stunt plane flying in the mist through photo manipulation in Adobe Lightroom.

In the Second Session, Alan raved about the quality of the B and H Photo Optic West Convention in Monterey that he attended. Raul created a video of his experience quickly using an iPhone 14 Pro Max and iMovie on a 2022 iPad Pro 12.9 inch. View it at "http://slolug.com/bb347652/

Additional information:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/promotion/17247/optic-west.html
https://www.youtube.com/c/BandH/streams

Ralph touted the power of Davinci Resolve 18, a powerful free video editor. Sutter created a download link for the program and a detailed third-party tutorial. Links follow
Davinci Resolve 18 https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

YouTube Video Tutorial for Davinci Resolve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEksPdEc7aI

This information also appears on the Links Page;
https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html

Our final meeting of 2022 will take place on December 11th beginning at 2:00pm. The topic will be Holidays

Ralph Sutter