Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - rsutter

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 8
1
General Discussion / Notes from the SLO Bytes Photography Group Meeting of 03/10/19
« on: March 10, 2019, 05:21:14 PM »
Hello All,
Here are my notes from the SLO Bytes Photography Group Meeting of 03/10/19
TOPIC:  Shadows
Ralph Sutter began the meeting by pointing out the recently added inclusion on the Links page to the iPhone app, ProCamera
 https://www.procamera-app.com/en/.  It is an iPhone photo app - $3.99; additional add ons available;

Sutter then offered his slide show of shadows from objects illuminated by different light sources.

Alan Raul showed some footage from the 2019 Avila Polar Bear Plunge pointing out how he extracted some stills from video.  Then, forsaking his trusty iPhone Alan showed images shot with his digital camera. One striking image was that of a ring placed on the crease of an open Bible.  With overhead lighting, the shadow of the ring projected the image of a heart on the open pages.

Bob Styerwalt focused on the shadows found close to home; screws from his workshop, silverware and landscape features from outside his door.

John Waller shared photos of his dogs and a striking image of a family member on a horse entering a dimly lit barn.

Connie Sutter used her iPhone to capture the shadows of patio furniture

The tentative schedule for the remainder of 2019 is as follows
  April 14th
  May 12th
  June 9th
  July 14th
  August 11th
  September 8th
  October 13th
  November 10th
  December  8th

MAP at www.slobytes.org/digital/sutter-map.html

Ralph Sutter

2
General Discussion / SCALE 17x - The Southern California Linux Exposition
« on: March 09, 2019, 05:28:42 PM »
SCALE Write-up
I had been looking forward to the 17th Southern California Linux Expo ever since I purchased a ticket in early December 2018.  I made reservations at a modest motel shortly to avoid the inevitable price surge as March 7-10 date approached. 

Sadly, my efforts in frugality failed miserably when my faithful 2002 Toyota Tacoma died three days before my projected departure.  Initially, I rented a car to make the trip but later bought a new Honda Ridgeline truck 12 hours before I headed for the Pasadena Convention Center.  That decision added substantially to the overall cost of the experience.

Alan Raul and I met in Ballroom A where the two day Ubicon track took place.

The first speaker on Thursday was Dr. Samuel Coleman, a Southern California teacher.  He explained how he created a 35 station computer lab with no budget using donated vintage 32 bit laptops, a Linux operating system and many hours of his time.

In the second session, Der Hans spoke on Software Management for Debian and Ubuntu using common software management tools and Snaps to simplify the process.

Next up Dave Chiluk presented the roadmap that a software developer should follow in order to have his or her project accepted for inclusion in the official Ubuntu repository.

Lyn Perrine, who volunteers to help write the users’ manual for Lubuntu, explained how she goes about that task, the software that she uses and the steps that she takes to make sure that she and other collaborators can work together without one over-writing the work of other volunteers.

Richard Gaskin and Nathan Haines closed out the Thursday sessions with a lively Questions and Answers session in which many of the attendees shared their Ubuntu experiences, challenges and solutions.

Friday opened with a historical overview of the Snappy Ecosystem, from patchwork early models to the current model in which the properly created Snap automatically installs the target program along with all of its required dependencies.

Ted Gould illustrated the Snappy process as it applies to Inkscape giving practical examples of how a developer should design a program so that it has full access to the processes that it requires but does not have access to areas beyond its needs.

In s similar vein, Jose Antonio Rey explained Identity Management, the steps taken to validate user credentials and the safeguards in place to enhance security.

The final session opened with Richard Gaskin inviting the audience to come up with suggestions for raising the adoption of the Ubuntu/Linux desktop OS from the current 3% market share to 6%.  We offered many suggestions, some practical, some whimsical.

In addition to attending these talks, Alan and I also talked with a variety of vendors in the Exhibit Hall, drank a lot of coffee and revisited some favorite restaurants. 

The two of us only scratched the surface in the workshops that we attended.  We followed the Ubicon track.  It focuses on Ubuntu and runs for 2 days.  The overall SCALE convention runs for four days and includes 14 additional tracks for a total of 219 presentations and 125 vendor booths.  I’ll be back next year.

Ralph Sutter

3
General Discussion / RIITOP M.2 NVMe to USB C Enclosure External USB 3.1 to PCI-e
« on: March 05, 2019, 08:49:14 AM »
Hello All,
I recently purchased from New Egg a RIITOP NVME to USB C Gen2 10Gb Adapter Enclosure;
PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD to USB 3.1 Type C Converter Case in Black (Thunderbolt 3 Compatible)
My goal was to be able to add an external M.2 SSD to my Lenovo X1 Yoga laptop. 

I inserted a 512Gb Samsung 950 PRO M.2 V-NAND SSD in the enclosure and then transferred a 2.20Gb .mp4 file from the Lenovo desktop to this device.  The transfer took 5.0 seconds.

For comparison of this transfer rate with other media, see my post, http://slobytes.org/smf/index.php?topic=257.0

The device currently sells for $46.95 at https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6V882E8294
The price is good through 3/14/19

One caveat.  The enclosure is held together by 4 very very small Phillips screws.  The drive comes with a screwdriver for removing the screws in order to insert the M.2 drive.  I found it extremely difficult to remove the screws.  Not wanting to strip the tiny Phillips heads, I used a minuscule amount of Liquid Wrench, I was able to remove 3 of them.  I doubt that Superman's big brother could remove the fourth screw.
 
Fortunately, I only needed to remove the two screws on the end of the enclosure with the USB-C connection in order to access the carrier.
I had no difficulty in re-inserting the screws. 

Ralph Sutter


4
General Discussion / 16Gb Flash Drive Won't Accept 9Gb of Data -- Solved
« on: February 12, 2019, 08:17:42 AM »
Hello All,
As the Secretary our computer group, SLO Bytes, I maintain an archive of files relating to that organization.  I copy them to a 16Gb flash drive and give a copy to each member of our Board of Directors.

Over time, the archives have grown.  At some point, they will be too large to fit on 16Gb flash drives.  I decided to compress the content into a 9Gb .zip file.   

When I tried to copy that file to a flash drive, I got an error message indicating that the file was too large to fit on the drive.  It puzzled me why a 9Gb file wouldn't fit on a 16Gb flash drive.  I tried various flash drives with the same results.  In order to make sure that the supposedly empty drives didn't have hidden files that put me over the 16Gb limit, I reformatted them.  That didn't help.

It finally occurred to me that the problem might be due to the inherent limitations of the FAT32 file format.  Using the formatter built in to Windows 10 and other Windows versions, I reformatted in EXFAT and tried again to copy the large .zip file.

That solved the problem.  The large .zip file copied successfully to the 16Gb flash drive when formatted in EXFAT.  The EXFAT format has the advantage of being read writeable across multiple operating systems, a feature not found in some other formats.

Lesson learned

Ralph Sutter

5
General Discussion / Notes from the SLO Bytes Photo Group Meeting of 02/10/2019
« on: February 11, 2019, 09:07:14 AM »
Hello All,
Here are my notes from the latest meeting of the SLO Bytes Photo Group
TOPIC: Motion
Ralph Sutter began the meeting by pointing out the latest additions to the links page; http://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html.

The first one pointed to Shotcut https://www.shotcut.org/; a freeware open source, cross platform video editor. Sutter confessed that he was unlikely to use this very capable editor because he already has equally powerful tools. Though paid programs, Ralph has already purchased them and is hesitant to invest the time required to learn a new program with redundant features.

The second link was to the movie, High Flying Bird; https://www.netflix.com/title/80991400. This excellent film about professional basketball agents was shot completely on an iPhone 8.

Sutter then offered his slide show of running dogs, running water and bouncing balls.

Connie Sutter followed with her take on motion; She created a presentation with images of kinetic grandkids shot on her iPhone and edited in Adobe Rremiere Elements.

Alan Raul, using both his iPhone and a Hero camera attached to his chest, explored the shoreline near Shell Beach, showing the same rocky cove over time with changing sea conditions.

Bob Styerwalt achieved interesting effects by photographing spinning objects at different shutter speeds thus freezing or adding blur to the images.

John Waller presented long-exposure night shots and curious seascapes created with multiple color channels in Photoshop.

The topic for our next meeting will be Shadows; images that aren't quite there.

See the Links page, http://www.slobytes.org/digital/links.html,  for tutorials and other resources
Ralph Sutter

6
General Discussion / Transfer Speeds across Different Media Types
« on: February 04, 2019, 05:03:34 PM »
Hello All,
At the SLO Bytes meeting of 02/03/19, I mentioned that I had purchased a high speed SD card that I planned to leave inserted in the micro SD slot of my Lenovo Yoga X1 laptop in order to expand storage without any bulky external drives.
Curious as to the relative speed of sending and retrieving data from the SD card versus other media, I performed a test.  I have posted the results below
     
Transfer Rates Across Different Media
In all cases, I transferred a 2.2Gb .mp4 file

The laptop is a Lenovo Yoga X1 running Windows 10 Pro version 10.0.17763 Build 17763 with the following specs
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8650U CPU @ 1.90GHz, 2112 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s) and 16GB of RAM
The transfer times from fastest to slowest are as follows

Yoga Desktop to another file on the computer:  2.3 seconds
Yoga Desktop to external Crucial M500 2.5 240GB SSD 6Gb/s over USB 3 using a Stockplop case:  15.9 seconds
Yoga Desktop to external Sandisk 1Tb6Gb/s SSD over USB 3 using Stockplop case:  16.5 seconds
Yoga Desktop to Mushkin Ventura Ultra 120Gb USB 3 Flash Drive:  17.9 seconds
Yoga Desktop to Sandisk Extreme PRO micro SDXC UHS-II 128Gb Card:  22.8 seconds
Yoga Desktop to Sandisk 64Gb USB-C Flash Drive:  1 minute 12.3 seconds
Yoga Desktop to 16Gb Mushkin Atom USB 3 Flash Drive:  3 minutes 44.8 seconds

When I transferred files from the Sandisk Extreme micro SDXC to the Yoga Desktop, the results were identical to the transfer speed from the laptop to the SD card
Sandisk Extreme PRO micro SDXC UHS-II 128Gb Card to Yoga Desktop:  22.8 seconds

I plan to use the SD card for data files that I don't access very often.  Since I will remove the SD card when I want to import photos and videos from my camera, I will not have any essential files on the removable drive.
Ralph Sutter

7
General Discussion / Notes from the Photo Group Meeting of 01/20/2019
« on: January 20, 2019, 05:49:42 PM »
Hello All,
Here are my notes from the SLO Bytes Photo Group meeting of 01/20/2019

TOPIC: Doors and Other Portals
The meeting opened with Ralph Sutter calling attention to some recent links on the SLO Bytes Photography web site.
The links were
   www.audionautix.com/html/free_music.html
   www.freeplaymusic.com/
   www.incompetech.com/static/music/
   Suggested by John Waller
   Windows 10 Photos Application Tutorial;  http://www.fullbean.com/tutorials/windows-10-photos.mp4 by Ralph Sutter

Connie Sutter, unable to attend, nevertheless provided a series of door images taken at home as well as a poem about door.
Ralph followed with doors seen at his sister's Redding Alpaca farm, the town of San Luis Obispo and his own home.
Kaye Raul focused on doors and houses seen in Halcyon.
Alan Raul offered images of portals; the sea caves and shore lines of Shell Beach.
John Waller showed doors from Disneyland as well as entrances to native American structures and other historical buildings.
Bob Styerwalt chose doors from his neighborhood as well as many from England and Scotland.
Monica Tarzier shared images of doors and private spaces inside her San Luis Obispo home.
Due to a technical glitch, Bob Grover couldn't display his presentation of doors and entrances from around the world. The group looks forward to seeing his work at the February meeting.

Our next meeting will take place on Sunday, February 10th beginning at 2:00pm in the home of Connie and Ralph Sutter
The topic is Motion.  Please share images that capture or suggest movement.

Ralph Sutter


8
General Discussion / Sutter Second Session Presentation 2/3/19; Slideshows
« on: January 19, 2019, 07:43:28 PM »
Hello All,
I'm developing a presentation for the February 3, 2019 Second Session Presentation at SLO Bytes General Meeting.
My tentative presentation notes can be found at http://www.slobytes.org/presentations/sutter-0219/slideshows.docx
I will demonstrate how to create video slide shows with still and moving images.
So far, I've included the following programs

   Irfanview - freeware -
       Fullbean tutorial at https://youtu.be/1IT5lZHSV18

   Microsoft Windows 10 Photos - included in Windows 10
       Fullbean tutorial at http://www.slobytes.org/digital/tutorials/windows-10-photos.mp4

   Microsoft Windows PowerPoint - included in Microsoft Office Suites -
        Fullbean tutorial at http://www.fullbean.com/tutorials/powerpoint-slide-show.mp4

    Shotcut; https://www.shotcut.org/;  open source, cross platform video editor
    Fullbean tutorial at http://www.fullbean.com/tutorials/shotcut.mp4
    View the Developers tutorial at https://www.shotcut.org/tutorials/     

    Adobe Premiere Elements 19 - about $99

   Photodex ProShow Producer - about $249

I look forward to learning what programs SLO Bytes members use when they make slide shows.

Ralph Sutter

   

9
General Discussion / Creating a Slide Show with Windows 10 Photos Application
« on: January 18, 2019, 02:44:39 PM »
Hello All,
I have created a tutorial showing how I made a video slide show with Photos, a program included in Windows 10.
You will find it at http://www.slobytes.org/digital/tutorials/windows-10-photos.mp4
Ralph Sutter

10
General Discussion / Winter APCUG Virtual Technology Conference 2/9/19 10:00 AM
« on: January 17, 2019, 12:02:43 PM »
Hello All,
SLO Bytes' parent organization, APCUG, is holding the Winter Virtual Technology Conference on
Saturday, February 9, 2019 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Register for this free event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-winter-virtual-technology-conference-tickets-54994757801
More information at:  https://www.apcug2.org
         Program
TRACK 1
10:00 AM PT
3 mini-presentations
Microsoft Security Center Windows 10
New Privacy Updates Windows 10
Password Managers for all devices
Jere Minich, Program Chair, Lake Sumter Computer Society

11:00 AM PT
Staying Connected While You Travel
Ron Brown, Program Chair, Program Coordinator, Silvercom Computer & Technology Club

NOON
(Join us on Track 2 for a Roundtable discussion.)

TRACK 2
10:00 AM PT
Unusual Sources on the Web for Family History Research
Jeri J. Steele, President, BGAMUG Computer Club

11:00 AM PT
The Future of Windows
Michael Shalkey, Computer Tutor and Troubleshooter
Channel Islands PCUG

NOON PT
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Let’s talk. Share your thoughts and hear from others on programs ideas, successes and lessons learned. Let us know how we at APCUG can help you help your members get the most out of our user groups! We’ll use Zoom and be able to see each other.

Ralph Sutter

11
General Discussion / SLO Bytes First Session - Sutter Notes – 01/06/2019
« on: January 04, 2019, 04:05:31 PM »
Hello All,
These are the topics that I intend to present at the SLO Bytes General Session of January 6th, 2019
They are also posted on the SLO Bytes web site at these locations
     http://www.slobytes.org/presentations/sutter-0119/Sutter%20Frequently%20Used%20Programs.docx
     http://www.slobytes.org/presenters/index.html
     http://www.slobytes.org/presentations/table.html

Icon replacement – on Bulletin Board at  http://slobytes.org/smf/index.php?topic=245.0
YouTube -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM_fDpSqmls&feature=youtu.be

Parted Magic version 2019_01_03  - https://partedmagic.com/downloads/

How to find where an e-mail message is located in Microsoft Outlook - http://www.fullbean.com/tutorials/outlook-find-folder.mp4

How to speak with a Microsoft representative via phone
Go to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus/
This will bring up Microsoft’s Virtual Assistant
Type a description of the problem.
Every time that the Virtual Assistant proposes a solution, try it before indicating that the suggestion didn’t solve the issue.  After you have done that repeatedly, the Virtual Assistant will ask if you want to speak to a representative over the phone.  Respond YES and supply the information requested at
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contact/virtual-agent/?flowId=smc-contactus&partnerId=smc&referrer=support.office.com
Upon conclusion, the Virtual Assistant will inform you that someone will contact you at the phone number that you provided and give you an estimated wait time.  Do not rely on the accuracy of this estimate.  A representative will eventually call.

Alpaca Project – Use Microsoft Paint to expand an image so that it prints across multiple pages
https://youtu.be/xKge3PXiHAw

Microsoft Mail Merge in Word - https://youtu.be/bd2bPQBvac4
----
Windows 10 Update to version 1809 -
https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/fix-potential-windows-update-database-error-detected-in-windows-10/

Second Session - My Most Often Used Applications
http://www.slobytes.org/presentations/sutter-0119/sutter-first-and-2nd-session.docx

Ralph Sutter

12
General Discussion / Parted Magic 2019_01_03 Released
« on: January 03, 2019, 12:05:51 PM »
Hello All,
Parted Magic just released a new version of its Linux based software.  Read more at https://partedmagic.com/downloads/
I find this product very useful in troubleshooting non-Linux operating systems.
At $11, it is a tool well worth having.
Ralph Sutter

13
General Discussion / New PUSH Articles Available
« on: December 13, 2018, 04:02:38 PM »
Hello All,

Our APCUG Representative, Judy Taylour, often provides tech articles to supplement the newsletter of its member groups.
I never include any of them in the SLO Bytes newsletter, HardCopy.  Instead, I upload all of them to the SLO Bytes web site.
Judy just forwarded a new batch.
View all of them archived  at www.slobytes.org/push and http://www.slobytes.org/push/push-condensed.html
The latest ones can be found at http://www.slobytes.org/push/1218/index.html

Ralph Sutter

14
General Discussion / Change a default icon in the Windows 10 taskbar
« on: December 13, 2018, 03:51:51 PM »
Hello All,
I place numerous icons in the Windows 10 taskbar, that area at the bottom of the screen.  I group the most often used icons to the left.  Icons for lesser used programs are on the right.

Two frequently used programs are Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word.  Since the two icons are quite similar, I sometimes click on one when I really wanted the other. 

One obvious solution would be to separate them, placing several other icons between them.  What is the fun in that?
I decided to create my own icon for Word and substitute it for the default icon.
I then created a short video reminding me and others of the steps that I took.

View the tutorial at www.fullbean.com/tutorials/icon.mp4. 
It is also available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM_fDpSqmls&feature=youtu.be

Ralph Sutter

15
General Discussion / Windows 10 Update to 1809 - Not Offered to Me through Windows Updates
« on: December 09, 2018, 09:14:40 PM »
Hello All,
I have several computers running Windows 10 Professional. I have automatic updates enabled and check for updates regularly.
I am running 1803 version KB 4023057.  I have not been offered 1809.
I believe that I can manually download and install updates from the Windows Update Catalog at http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=windows%2010%20version%201809
Questions:  If this is correct, can I just download the latest version of 1809 or do I have to download and install all of the earlier 1809 versions sequentially instead of skipping all but the latest one?
or
Should I wait for Microsoft to offer 1809 to me through automatic updates?

Please advise.
Thanks,
Ralph Sutter

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 8