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Topics - rsutter

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16
General Discussion / Win Key Stops Working - Solution
« on: January 09, 2024, 04:36:45 PM »
Hello All,

I generally use a RedDragon S101W wired keyboard on my PC. 
See https://www.amazon.com/Redragon-S101-Keyboard-Ergonomic-Programmable/dp/B00NLZUM36
Two things happened recently.

First, I noted that a red light appeared in the upper right hand corner of the keyboard right above the WinLock key.

Second, one of my favorite Windows keyboard shortcuts, Win + m (Show Desktop) stopped working.

Unsure of how to turn off the WinLock light, I resorted to actually reading the RedDragon Manual.
The manual explained that with the WinLock light illuminated, the Win key was disabled.
I learned that I could re-enable it by holding down the FN key and then pressing the Win key.
That turned off the red light and restored the functionality of the Win key.
Sometimes it is useful to read the manual.

Ralph Sutter

17
Hello All,
This is a re-post of the message that I received from SLO Bytes' parent organization, APCUG
Ralph Sutter

January 10, 2024
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
EV's with Mike Ungerman
 
Register here – https://forms.gle/xUBKyhCh7z1U9fon8
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on January 9 after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.
 
 
Electric Vehicles (EV's). Mike will be discussing electric vehicles, how to research them online, and what to consider when purchasing one. He will also share the results of the EV survey that was sent out on January 7. If we have time at the conclusion of Mike's presentation, John, Judy, Bill, and Ray will discuss upcoming APCUG events that enhance our member benefits.
 
Following this Workshop we will send out Mike's presentation.


 

18
Hello All,
When I attempted to reformat an SD card, the process failed.  The drive claimed to be write protected.
Usually, when this happens, I take out the SD card and verify the position of the little tab on the left edge of the SD card.  In this case, it was not in write protect (slid to the lower position). 
To make sure, I slid it to the forward position and got the same result.
Googling the problem, I learned that sometimes covering with Scotch tape the little notch on the right edge of the card would solve the problem.  It didn't

Since I was actually using a full size SD adapter to hold a microSD, I moved the microSD to several other adapters but ran into the same problem.
Finally, I bypassed the SD Card Reader built in to my Dell Tower PC and inserted the card in a removable USB SD card reader.  That solved the problem
Using a different SD Card Reader, I was able to successfully reformat the microSD.  It worked on all the SD Card Adapters that I tested.

I decided to give the faithless Dell Tower one last opportunity to successfully reformat an SD card.  This time I inserted a full-size SD card, not a full-size SD Card Adapter carrying a microSD card.
Sadly, the build-in Dell SD Card Reader failed again.

Ralph Sutter

19
General Discussion / SLO Bytes Photo Group Report for 12/10/2023
« on: December 11, 2023, 02:22:20 PM »
Hello All,
Here is my SLO Bytes Photo Group Report for Sunday, 12/10/2023

TOPIC: Things for which I am grateful
Ralph Sutter opened the meeting by playing two video clips that he recently uploaded to the group’s Links website.
They are Where are the paid extensions in Skylum Luminar Neo?; https://youtu.be/JG4oJK4lHY4 and
That's Why Your Photos Aren't Sharp; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzPqYc8z_a8

Ralph then shared images of things for which he is grateful.  These include family, the great area in which he lives and the time to pursue activities of interest to him; among them are cooking, woodworking and coffee roasting.

Alan Raul shot a variety of images along Pismo Beach. He’s thankful that he lives in this area and can still walk and enjoy the beauty. He used ON1 HDR 2023 to creatively adjust the color on some images. He showed the last few persimmons with some green leaves still on the tree. He’s thankful fall has finally arrived.

Kaye Raul mentioned the lure of bougainvilleas, stunning seascapes, ducks on the water and visual treasures found along the roads.

Stanford Brown  cited family and friends, coffee shop cronies and daily walks in a beautiful setting.

John Waller  was glad for family and the dogs in his life.  Computer glitches kept him from expanding into other areas.

The next meeting will take place on January 14th via Zoom beginning at 2:00 pm.  The topic is Textures
The meeting schedule for 2024 is as follows
   February 11
   March 10
   April 14
   May 19 (May 12th is Mothers’ Day)
   June 9
   July 14
   August 11
   September 8 
   October 13
   November 10
   December 8
See the Links page; https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html for tutorials and other resources

Ralph Sutter

20
General Discussion / APCUG Free Wednesday Webinar for 12/13/2023
« on: December 11, 2023, 01:01:31 PM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post from APCIG, SLO Bytes' parent organization
December 13, 2023
Ralph Sutter

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Games People Play
By Bill Crowe, The STUG Program Chair, iProducts Forum Leader, and Newsletter Contributor
 
Should I Buy a Chromebook For Christmas?
By Jolyn Bowler, HHIC Resource Center
 
Register here - https://forms.gle/HD4F9891tui5V2Ds6
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on December 12 after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.

Games People Play. Video or computer games are electronic entertainment requiring user interaction via devices like joysticks, keyboards, or motion sensors.
 
Visual feedback is displayed on TVs, monitors, handheld screens, or even
virtual reality headsets. Games are audiovisual, often involving sound and
sometimes tactile feedback. They may support a microphone and webcam
for in-game conversation and live streaming. The 2022 global gaming market
revenue nearly reached $347 billion.
 
Bill's presentation will delve into diverse video games, from single-player Wordle and Lumosity to multiplayer Minecraft and Call of Duty. These games, enjoyable and potentially addictive, cater to all ages. Whether a player or not, the presentation will highlight the various games available today.
 
Bill Crowe has extensive experience and knowledge, with a BS in Mathematics
Education and a 34-year career at IBM. He's completed IBM-certified coursework from
top institutions and taught computer-related classes at several colleges and institutions,
including Sarasota Adult and Community Enrichment (ACE). As an active member of the Sarasota Technology Users Group "STUG," Bill's passion for teaching shines in the classroom, where he promotes knowledge transfer. His students confirm a lot of learning happens in his classes.
 
Should I Buy a Chromebook For Christmas?
Chromebooks are a good option for users who:
•Spend most of their time online
•Use cloud-based software
•Don't need to install traditional software
•Are looking for a secure and easy-to-use laptop
•Are on a budget
 
Jolyn was first introduced to technology and computers through Madeleine L’Engle’s book “A Wrinkle in Time.” In 9th grade, she visited the IBM offices in White Plains, NY. After graduating from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Manhattan, she found her first job at Children’s Television Workshop as Secretary to the Assistant Director of Operations, Bob Dahl. When the Telex or TWX was down or a video or film reel wouldn’t load, she was the one folks came to. In 1973, Jolyn moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and worked as a Camera Operator at the local SCETV station. In 1982, she took two classes: An Introduction to Computer Concepts and a Word processing class on a dedicated DecMate system.
 
She worked as a “temp” during the 80s and could help any office with their computer needs. Jolyn discovered the Hilton Head Island Computer Club in 1991 and immediately volunteered at the monthly meetings. Through the years, she has held the position of Membership Director, Webmistress, Vice President, and President. She is now the Resource Center Director for the Club.
 
When Covid shut down the club, Jolyn took to Zoom, and they could communicate with members through the shutdown. Good presentations, even if they couldn’t meet in person. Jolyn often gives presentations and has been the Zoom Queen, helping all the Volunteers do their Zoom presentations.
 
Jolyn is also a singer and guitarist and has jammed and played with the same group of friends for 30+ years—something about the mathematics of computers and music that fits.

21
General Discussion / Where are the Paid Extensions in Skylum Luminar Neo?
« on: December 08, 2023, 11:19:19 AM »
Hello All,
Skylum Luminar Neo is a graphics editor; think Adobe Photoshop.  Neo sells extensions that add additional features to the product.
They are
   Noiseless
   Supersharp
   Magic Light
   Background Removal
   HDR Merge
   Focus Stacking
   Upscale AI and
   Panoramic Stitching
It wasn't immediately apparent to me how to access these extensions once that I purchased them.  Primarily as a note-to-self, I created a short video that shows where to find them. 
I uploaded that video to YouTube.  View it at https://youtu.be/JG4oJK4lHY4

Ralph Sutter

22
General Discussion / SLO Bytes Photo Group Meeting of 11/12/23
« on: November 18, 2023, 01:08:15 PM »
Hello All,
Here are my SLO Bytes Photo Group Notes for 11/12/2023
TOPIC: Images of the Fall
Kaye Raul couldn't attend the Photo Session but thoughtfully sent some Fall images of grape vines and bushes changing colors.

Ralph Sutter continued with an off-topic video that he created on Microsoft's Format Painter, a feature found in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. View it at
https://youtu.be/bLvC3an_Es0
Then Ralph shared images of Fall leaves, pumpkins and orange garden implements. Finally, using a 16mm closeup ring and a 50mm f2.0 lens on his Sony A7iv camera, he showed closeups of Goji berries.

Alan Raul shot a variety of images using focus bracketing which is in the camera. He then used focus stacking in his post processing using Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. His subjects included pumpkins, etc. at the Avila Valley Barn. He then showed a variety of persimmons shots.

John Waller showed images of a stately dead tree and the same tree several years later after it collapsed. He then took his camera to the Santa Maria Air Fair and captured numerous planes in flight. John then demonstrated selective blurring and masking in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Stanford Brown commented that Fall was slow in coming this year. He then made his point by showing the same tree lined streets from a previous year and those trees this year. Like others in the group, he included a shot of ripe persimmons and shared a story of a failed third-party attempt to scam him when he mailed boxes of that fruit to friends far away.

The last meeting of this year will take place on December 10th, 2023 beginning at 2:00 pm via Zoom The topic will be Things for which we are grateful.

See the Links page for tutorials and other resources; https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html

Ralph Sutter

23
General Discussion / APCUG Wednesday Webinars - Free
« on: November 13, 2023, 12:53:36 PM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of an e-mail from APCUG announcing their Wednesday Workshop for November 15th, 2023.
Ralph Sutter
November 15, 2023
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Learning Linux with John Kennedy
 
Register here – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEHC1bGRPq-wjngmD0tAstZJKfejKVeUjyqrdJkWwcQ37DNg/viewform?usp=sf_link
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on November 14 after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.

 
Learning Linux. The first hour of this workshop will be specifically for new users or Windows users interested in learning more about Linux. John will assume the role of an “average Windows user” checking out Linux for the first time. He will take his “Windows understanding” and see if he can apply it to the Linux operating system. He wants to find out if switching to Linux is as easy as he’s been told. He’ll also want to know if he can do almost everything he did in Windows on the Linux platform. Experienced Linux users may find this presentation too basic.
 
Following this presentation for Total Beginners, John will have some things for the more experienced users. He will talk about becoming more of a “power user” through keyboard shortcuts and how to set them up. Finally, he will show how he uses “aliases” to speed up his command line activities. Join him to see how easy it is to create and use aliases.

24
General Discussion / Demo of Microsoft Format Painter
« on: November 07, 2023, 06:47:04 PM »
Hello All,
I just created a short video that shows how I use Microsoft Format Painter in Word 365.
View it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/bLvC3an_Es0
Ralph Sutter

25
Hello All,
I am a big fan of the Official Raspberry Pi wired keyboard.
See https://www.canakit.com/official-raspberry-pi-keyboard-mouse.html
The 78 key keyboard includes 3 USB A 2.0 ports.  I usually connect a wired mouse to one of them.
Recently, in updating my Raspberry Pi 4 computer, I discovered that the labels on the keys didn't match the characters being typed.  When I typed sudo , the screen displayed s4d6.
From the Terminal, (using a different keyboard), I typed raspi-config but found no listing for a 78 key keyboard.
Undaunted, I googled the problem and found a solution at
https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/28462/how-do-i-specify-the-layout-for-my-78-key-keyboard#28489

The solution was as follows
" using sudo raspi-config I have set the keyboard layout to Microsoft Office and US-English"

I did that and it did correct the issue when the keyboard was connected to my Raspberry Pi.
If I connected the Official Raspberry Pi keyboard to a PC, the previous problems returned.

At that point, I noticed a red LED light was illuminated.  I learned that it indicated that the Num Lock was turned on.
When I pressed the Num Lock key to turn that feature off, the keyboard worked properly both on the Raspberry Pi as well as on my PC
Lesson learned, Remember, a light should go off in my mind if the Num Lock light is on on my Raspberry Pi keyboard.

Ralph Sutter

26
General Discussion / APCUG Saturday Safari- 11/04/23
« on: November 01, 2023, 09:59:45 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of information that I received today from SLO Bytes' parent organization concerning their Saturday Safari webinars
Ralph Sutter

SATURDAY SAFARI
November 4, 2023
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
CYBERSECURITY FROM A TO Z - 2023
Bob Gostischa, Enthusiastic IT Security Expert
 
STARLINK
Phil Sorrentino, Secretary
Sun City Center Computer Club
 
ANNUAL MEETING
11:30 pm PT, 12:30 pm MT, 1:30 pm CT, 2:30 pm ET
 
eBOOK DRAWING - Would your group like a Take Control Books Windows/General or Apple eBook to give away at a meeting? The drawing will be held at the Annual Meeting. Your group can participate by completing the first question on the registration form.
 
Registration link -- https://forms.gle/27jEUhUr9j3utUc88
 
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on Friday, November 3, after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.

 Cybersecurity from A to Z – 2023. Cybersecurity ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and systems. This means protecting against unauthorized access or modification of data, ensuring that systems are available for use when needed, and maintaining the privacy of information.
 
Sit back and let Bob provide you with the information needed so you can use best practices to stay secure. The 24 slides and videos will give you all the information you need to become a Cybersecurity guru. A to Z should be 26 slides, except nothing is interesting or important for the letters x and y. By the time we finish this journey, that's probably good.

Starlink. Starlink is a constellation of satellites operated by Spacex that provides Internet access. Like Wi-Fi and cell phone towers, Starlink allows you to connect your device, phone, or computer to the Internet to take advantage of the many servers available. Starlink is relatively net, in the future, may play a big part in connecting users to servers.

Annual Meeting - Learn about what APCUG has been doing in 2023, election results for 2024 officers, Digital Photo contest winners, and more. Any suggestions for what APCUG can offer in 2024?
 

27
General Discussion / APCUG Free Webinars
« on: October 23, 2023, 09:15:02 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of the message that I received today from SLO Bytes' parent organization, APCUG, regarding their free Wednesday webinars.
Ralph Sutter

October 25, 2023
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Securing Your Android Phone
Bill James, Vice President
Computer Club of Oklahoma City
 
Consumer Protection Issues in Online Bill Payment
Chuck Bell, Programs Director, Advocacy
Consumer Reports
 
iPhone Security
Jerry Rogan, Past President
Sunland Springs Village Technology Group
 
Register here:  https://forms.gle/k1J8jRhC4NLhXjZ68
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them. Be aware of autofill.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on October 24 after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time.

Securing your Android Phone. In a world increasingly reliant on mobile devices, ensuring the security of your Android phone has never been more critical. It is essential to protect our personal information and data. Join Bill as he gives us tips on how to be more secure when using our Android phones.
 
Consumer Protection Issues in Online Bill Payment. Consumers pay the majority of their bills automatically and/or online now. Still, they can face various risks to the privacy and security of payments, including scams, hacking, and identity theft.
 
New technologies such as encryption and multi-factor authentication have been deployed, but they are not easy for consumers, especially the digitally disconnected. In addition, many companies are starting to charge "junk fees" just to make a bill payment.
 
What are the trends and friction points for improving consumer protection in this challenging new landscape?
 
iPhone Security. Apple does a tremendous job of keeping us as safe as possible, but many settings on the iPhone are left up to us, as users, to set up. This presentation covers many of those settings with step-by-step instructions. Don't be a victim; be proactive; it's easier than you think.
 

28
General Discussion / APCUG Wednesday Workshop 10/18/23
« on: October 16, 2023, 06:54:05 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of an announcement from SLO Bytes parent organization, APCUG regarding their latest free webinar
Ralph Sutter

October 18, 2023
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Orv Beach, Taming the Terminal #6
Flatpak Security Issues, Cal Esneault
Linux and Security, John Kennedy
 
Register here – https://forms.gle/u3sT1M9WPd4ywQ8J8
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on October 17 after registration closes at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

 
Join Orv Beach as he finishes his beginner's series on Taming the Terminal #6.  With October being National CyberSecurity Month, Cal Esneault will do a presentation on the Flatpak Security Issue, and John Kennedy will present information on Linux and Security.
 
We will also announce the winners of the Linux survey ebooks.

29
General Discussion / APCUG Wednesday Workshop - 10/11/23
« on: October 09, 2023, 08:22:35 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of an e-mail received today from SLO Bytes' parent organization, APCUG
Ralph Sutter
----
October 11, 2023
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
OUR NEED TO RETHINK FRAUD IN AMERICA
A webinar by Kathy Stokes, Director
Fraud Prevention Programs, AARP
 
SECURING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS, EVENTS, FILES, AND ONLINE ACTIVITIES
WITH PROTON
John Kennedy, Webmaster
East Central Ohio Technology User Club (ECOTUC)
 
Register here – https://forms.gle/r4xc3KpnEjgxKyMRA
 
APCUG values your privacy. We only collect and store the personal data needed to give you the best service and will not share that information. Please read the registration form questions carefully before answering them. Be aware of autofill.
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment (see below) of your registration; you will receive the encrypted Zoom link on October 10 after registration closes at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

 Our Need to Rethink Fraud in America. The October 11 presentations had been confirmed, but you never know what will happen. On Friday, at 6:47 ET, I received this email from Chuck Bell from Consumer Reports: “I am so sorry, but believe it or not, I just got invited to attend an event at the White House at this same time.”  What a hoot to be bumped by the White House.;-) Chuck will be with us at our October 25 WW.
I attended the Fraud Watch AARP webinar on rethinking fraud in America; at APCUG’s September board meeting, I mentioned it was a video I thought all groups should use for a meeting. Since the alternates on my Cybersecurity Awareness Month contact list weren’t working at almost 5:00 Friday night my time (Chuck and I had exchanged another email and had a phone conversation). I sent John and Bill the link to the webinar video and suggested we use it for the first presentation. They agreed. I know you will enjoy it and learn a lot of interesting and important information regarding fraud victims. I recently gave my Cybercriminals are out to get us presentation, and after a statement, I remembered I should rephrase it.
 
Fraud has reached a crisis level in the US. Millions of victims are losing billions of dollars every year to the hands of transnational criminal enterprises. As a society, our tendency to blame the fraud victim for experiencing the crime has led to us deprioritizing it. In this webinar, AARP will discuss the nature of victim-blaming in our country and how changing this narrative could lead to a fundamental transformation in how we combat fraud.
 
Securing your Communications, Events, Files, and On-line Activities with Proton.  And you can too, with no cost to you. Join John Kennedy as he shares information about what everyone gets with the free versions of Proton’s family of protection software. This includes protecting your email with Mail, scheduled events with Calendar, files with Drive, Internet traffic with VPN, and all your passwords with Pass. And all for free.  You’ll also learn about upgrade options if you need additional services.

30
General Discussion / Photo Group Notes for the Meeting of 10/08/2023
« on: October 08, 2023, 05:54:04 PM »
Hello All,
Here are my Notes for the SLO Bytes Photo Group Meeting of 10/08/2023
TOPIC: Learn a New Technique and Demonstrate It

Ralph Sutter opened the meeting with images of objects that he turned on his wood lathe. To achieve sharper focus, Ralph set his camera on a tripod and placed the objects one by one in a 24" lighted photo stage. By connecting the camera to a 55" monitor helped him see if the images were in focus. He experimented by shooting at f8/manual focus for maximum sharpness and depth of field.

Alan Raul shot a variety of images with his Sony 70 - 200 F/4.0 macro zoom lens with and without his Sony 2x teleconverter. His goal was to learn more about the lens and the many controls on the lens.
Those images included surfers at the Pismo Beach Pier, Shell Beach, flower closeups, some people and pumpkins at the Avila Valley Barn.

John Waller shot long exposure astrophotography. Next, he used the free Microsoft video program, Microsoft's ClipChamp https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/clipchamp to create a series of images of waterfalls in Yosemite.

Kaye Raul set a goal of achieving maximum sharpness. She stopped down the aperture of her camera and steadied herself on stationary objects and held her breath while shooting.

Stanford Brown demonstrated how easy it was to use Microsoft's ClipChamp https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/clipchamp;  for quick video edits.

The next meeting will take place on November 12th, 2023, beginning at 2:00 pm via Zoom The topic will be Images of the Fall

The final meeting of 2023 will take place on December 10

See the Links Page; https://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html for tutorials and other resources

Ralph Sutter


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