Recent Posts

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1
General Discussion / Free APCUG Wednesday Workshops Windows VM in Linux, more
« Last post by rsutter on September 08, 2025, 08:10:18 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of an APCUG announcement
Ralph Sutter

APCUG
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
September 10, 2025
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Using KVM/QEMU to Create a Windows 10 VM in Linux
Joel Ewing, President
 Bella Vista Computer Club
 
Butt, Neck, Eyes, Oh My! Surviving Screen Time
Judy Taylour, President
SCV Computer Club

Registration Link:  https://forms.gle/8NQEiEMSkE3WheteA
 
 After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment of your registration. (see below). You only need to register once. On September 9, 2025, after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time, you will receive the encrypted Zoom link.
 
 
 
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
KVM/QEMU Virtual Machines Under Linux by Joel Ewing. How do you run multiple different PC operating systems at the same time if you don't have multiple computers? PC hardware today includes support for efficiently running an independent instance of an operating system as a "virtual machine" under another operating system. Virtual machines help try out different operating systems, supporting apps that only run under a specific operating system, and for testing potentially dangerous things in an isolated environment without exposing your primary system to security risks. The virtual machine appears much like a separate hardware platform to the guest operating system installed on it. Still, when running, it is merely an app executing on the host operating system. A guest operating system can only see and modify those host resources that have been explicitly granted to it. Guest virtual machines are supported under Linux, Windows, and macOS.
There are multiple ways to run virtual machines under Linux. This presentation will take a detailed examination of utilizing the "Virtual Manager" interface to define and manage a Windows 10 VM that leverages Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) and Quick EMUlator (QEMU) support.
Suppose you avoid using a Windows 10 VM for higher-risk Internet activities, such as email or browsing the web, and instead use it only for running reliably tested local apps. In that case, it should be relatively safe to use that instance of Windows 10 well past its end-of-service date. On hardware that doesn't support Windows 11, this could provide an alternative migration path to Linux as your primary system, while continuing to use some favorite and essential Windows-only local apps in a restricted-use virtual machine that can be isolated from the Internet.
 
Butt, Neck, Eyes. Oh My! Surviving Screen Time by Judy Taylour. In our increasingly digital world, our bodies are paying the price for long hours spent in front of screens. This presentation explores the hidden toll of modern technology on physical health, focusing on common but often overlooked conditions, including Computer Neck Syndrome, Tech-Related Eye Strain, Mouse Shoulder Syndrome, Computer Back Issues, Butt Syndrome, and Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
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General Discussion / USB Color Code Chart
« Last post by rsutter on September 05, 2025, 08:40:10 AM »
Hello All
Here is a USB Color Code Chart 

I took a screen shot from here
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5cYeYnAepWA
Ralph Sutter
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General Discussion / Alan Raul - September 7, 2025 Meeting Notes
« Last post by Alan J. Raul on September 02, 2025, 07:52:47 PM »
Why is my 1TB Drive 931GB? File Sizes & Transfer Speeds Explained
https://www.2brightsparks.com/resources/articles/file-sizes-and-transfer-speeds.html

How to Save or Recover Your BitLocker Recovery Key
https://youtu.be/ktPiFWBoIU0

https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Do I Need a Spare Computer?
https://youtu.be/rz6Th5UyeoI

Alan's Computers
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bxh62xhkyz73mxmovxtsi/Computers.pdf?rlkey=l1dqxvjscl4j83apylqu3tmy4&st=emzat5id&dl=0

Fotopro Sherpa Summit Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with FPH-63Q Arca-Type Ball Head (Black)
https://www.fotoprousa.com/product/sherpa-summit/
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1763858-REG/fotopro_sherpa_summit_black_sherpa_summit_carbon_fiber.html

Sherpa Summit Introduction
https://youtu.be/9soLioaBYrE
 
Jellyfin is the volunteer-built media solution that puts you in control of your media. Stream to any device from your own server, with no strings attached. Your media, your server, your way.
https://jellyfin.org/

Alan's updated computer hardware
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/c04bq4vbprfh1yvo4vdfm/ALknbLUGXCje3s7yjrHZdMc?rlkey=ntz9m33xqo79l84kxt5sfequc&st=br2cn9kv&dl=0
 
Introducing Proton Authenticator ? secure 2FA, your way - Secure passwords are the first layer of security for your online accounts, but they?re not enough on their own to keep you safe from data leaks and hackers.
That?s where your 2FA app comes in. Two-factor authentication adds a second layer of defense when logging in to your accounts. It?s a universally recommended way to keep your accounts secure.
https://proton.me/blog/authenticator-app
https://proton.me/support/authenticator

How to Safely Change Two-factor Authentication
https://youtu.be/aVb036AjU-Y

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General Discussion / Google Lens - Use It on a PC with No Camera
« Last post by rsutter on August 31, 2025, 07:34:22 PM »
Hello All,
I just created a tutorial that shows how I use the Google Lens app on my PC.  Google Lens is usually run from a smart phone
However, by using Windows Snipping Tool on my PC or any other image capturing program, under a PC, MAC or Linux OS, you can use Google Lens to
Identify objects
Capture text
and many other operations

My tutorial can be viewed on my website at https://www.fullbean.com/tutorials/google-lens.html

Ralph Sutter
5
General Discussion / Rasbperry Pi Imager
« Last post by rsutter on August 27, 2025, 05:37:35 PM »
Hello All,
I recently discovered the Raspberry Pi Imager
While the utility has been around for quite a while, this was the first time that I used it.
Use it to format the SD card that becomes the Paspberry Pi OS

This software works for PCs, MACs and Linux OSs as well as all generations of the Raspberry Pi

To format the SD from the Linux Terminal, use use the command sudo apt install rpi-installer

After formatting the SD card, whether inside a PC, MAC or Linux machine,  simply insert it in your Raspberry Pi and turn the Pi on.

Learn more here
Information Page https://fleetstack.io/blog/access-pi-imager-from-terminal
YouTube demo:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntaXWS8Lk34

Ralph Sutter

6
General Discussion / APCUG Saturday Safari Workshop -Windows 10 EOL
« Last post by rsutter on August 20, 2025, 08:34:08 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of an APCUG announcement
Ralph Sutter

SATURDAY SAFARI WORKSHOP
August 23, 2025
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET

Windows 10 EOL, What?s Next?
Alan German, Meeting Coordinator
Ottawa PCUG
 
We took a quick poll at the 8/13 WW and
many attendees were interested in getting answers to their
EOL questions.
Ask your questions.
Attendees will have the answers.
 
REGISTER HERE ? https://forms.gle/66oqJdiTbmpoGkNW7
 
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment of your registration. (see below). You only need to register once.
 
 On August 22, after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time, you will receive the encrypted Zoom link.
 
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
Windows 10 EOL, What?s Next? Windows 10 will reach End-of-Life, and hence the end of all support, on October 14, 2025. So, if you have a computer that is currently running Windows 10, what are you going to do?
In this presentation, we will discuss the various options, including carrying on using Windows 10, upgrading to Windows 11, and buying a new computer. However, there is another option. Move up to Linux. It?s free, it?s easy to use, and it works! We will look at Linux and see how it can be used, in conjunction with Windows 10, to keep older machines running for the foreseeable future.
 
Windows 10 EOL Q&A.
Ask your questions, attendees will have the answers.
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Alan Raul opened the meeting with interior and exterior pictures of Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Santa Maria. He then drove to Santa Maria Airport showing interior shots of the airport. Parked on the tarmac was a DC10 Tanker, truck and trailer with Phos-Chek fire retardant and people watching all the various tanker activities.

Kaye Raul took us first to Casmalia, relaying the history of the town, including home prices, population, The Hitching Post restaurant and more. She then took us to Guadalupe highlighting some old architecture. Using her Lightroom skills she demonstrated before and after shots of removing unwanted items in her pictures.

Stanford Brown took us into the past with pictures from around the world.

John Waller took us to the Renaissance Fair. He then traveled on Stagecoach Road and shot pictures with his Samsung smartphone. He then shared pictures of boats and paddleboarders at Avila Beach.

The next meeting will take place on September 14th, 2025, beginning at 2:00 pm. The topic will be Images shot at least 5 miles from home within the last 30 days.
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General Discussion / Free APCUG Webinar - KVM Switches and Password Security
« Last post by rsutter on August 11, 2025, 07:38:47 AM »
Hello All,
This is a re-post of an APCUG announcement
Ralph Sutter

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
August 13, 2025
9 am PT, 10 am MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Use a KVM Switch to Share Speakers
John Krout, Member, Author, and Presenter
Potomac Area And Technology Society
 
Are your Passwords Really Complex?
Why they don?t need to be ? and other stories.
JB Burke, President
Prescott Computer Society
 
Register here ? https://forms.gle/gJ3yNM7btgwnK61z6
 
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment of your registration (see below). You only need to register once. On August 12, 2025, after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time, you will receive the encrypted Zoom link.

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
John Krout - Use a KVM Switch to Share Speakers. This presentation introduces the KVM switch concept for connecting a keyboard, video monitor, and mouse to any of two or more computers on a desk, its practical applications, and how the presenter figured out how to switch his powered analog speakers using his new KVM switch. Even if only one computer is on a desk or table, sometimes you want to use the keyboard, monitor, and mouse with a laptop. You can use a KVM switch to connect the laptop to those devices.

JB Burke - Online Security Secrets - Are your Passwords Really Complex?
Why they don?t need to be ? and other stories.
By now we are all aware of the online threats ? phishing, smishing, malware & viruses, identity theft, fake websites, tech support scams, fake shopping sites ? the list goes on and on. And we know that an important protection is strong passwords. But do you know what makes passwords strong? It isn?t necessarily caps or numbers or special characters, though they play a part as well. This program will tell you the real story of strong passwords and beyond.
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General Discussion / Alan Raul - August 3, 2025 Meeting Notes
« Last post by Alan J. Raul on July 30, 2025, 10:43:01 PM »
Magnetic Wireless Charger 15W Mag Safe Charger
https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Wireless-Charger-Fast-Compatible-Replacement%EF%BC%88White%EF%BC%89/dp/B0DK4MTXD1?th=1

Private Internet Access VPN 3.6.2
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/private_internet_access_vpn.html

Flightradar24 Subscription plans
https://www.flightradar24.com/premium
 
Brother printer bug in 689 models exposes default admin password
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/brother-printer-bug-in-689-models-exposes-default-admin-passwords/

Hundreds of printer models with weak password algorithms exposed, no firmware patch possible
https://www.neowin.net/news/hundreds-of-printer-models-with-weak-password-algorithms-exposed-no-firmware-patch-possible/
 
WARNING Brother printers vulnerable to attacks update firmware NOW
https://youtu.be/Smm-j6gIX2Y

Brother Printer Firmware Update Tool 1.21
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/brother_printer_firmware_update_tool.html
 
Advanced IP Scanner
https://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/advanced_ip_scanner.html
 
NirSoft Wireless Network Watcher
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_watcher.html
 
SSD vs HDD vs NVMe vs SATA vs mSATA vs M2: Storage Devices EXPLAINED!
https://youtu.be/r3Jy5dHOj3g

Approaching The Scene 365 Thunderbolt 5 + New Hard Drive Performance Tests
https://youtu.be/SvMGZOMchSs
 
Ralph's new computer...Cooler Master NR W9 Mini Desktop Workstation
https://www.fullbean.com/computer/cooler-master/cooler-master.html
https://www.fullbean.com/computer/cooler-master/cooler-master-specs.pdf
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1887392-REG/cooler_master_ayg_m2c7_n67gii62_n1_nr_w9_mini_desktop.html

Inside China's Mini PC Production: How Tiny Computers Are Made
https://youtu.be/ohwI3V207Ts

Display P3 Color Space
https://asktimgrey.com/2025/07/21/display-p3-color-space/

Microsoft Drops China-Based Engineers From Pentagon Cloud Work - Microsoft on Friday announced it will no longer allow engineers based in China to provide technical support for US Department of Defense (DoD) cloud systems, following concerns about foreign involvement in sensitive Pentagon systems.
https://www.techworm.net/2025/07/microsoft-drops-china-based-engineers-pentagon-cloud-work.html
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=microsoft+chinese+propublica&start=1&t=h_&ia=web


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Can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC? You have 5 options and 3 months to act - before EOS.

Ed Bott, Senior Contributing Editor for ZDNet.com: https://www.zdnet.com/article/cant-upgrade-your-windows-10-pc-you-have-5-options-and-3-months-to-act-before-eos/

Ed Bott, Senior Contributing Editor for ZDNet.com: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-get-free-windows-10-security-updates-through-october-2026-two-ways
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