Hello All,
What follows is an early draft of the resources about which I will be speaking at the SLO Bytes General Session of 01/04/2026. On that day, I will be subbing for our usual presenter, Alan Raul

SLO Bytes General Session Resources

Caltopo; Freeware Mapping Software:  www.caltopo.com
Caltopo Tutorials:  https://training.caltopo.com/all_users/getting-started

Using Irfanview, Place your GPS enabled images on a Google Earth Pro Map
Download Irfanview from https://www.irfanview.com/64bit.htm
Download Google Earth Pro from https://www.google.com/earth/about/versions/
You take pictures with your smartphone and you have not turned off location, Press the letter e in Irfanview.  You can then choose to upload that picture to Google Earth Pro

Adam Savage compares Apple Thunderbolt cable to cheap USB C cables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD5aAd8Oy84  Worthwhile for Interesting details on Thunderbolt cable but it?s a flawed comparison akin to matching a bicycle against a car

Kevin Stratvert Free Movies on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxtAfpi4Ow
Kevin Stratvert Top 20 Google Maps Tips & Tricks: All the best features you should know!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beeNMoXuxPg

Every SSD Type Explained In 8 Minutes  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or-RheltPrc

Ways to Add Storage to Your Computer
Leave an SD card in your computer?s card reader slot. A 128 GB SD card stays in my Lenovo laptop

Attach external drives via USB C/Thunderbolt

Sutter Storage on Coolermaster Computer https://www.fullbean.com/computer/sutter-drives.pdf

Add Docking Stations
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock - 18 Ports, 98W Charging, 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 4, USB-A/C, 2.5GbE, 8K/6K Displays, Mac/PC/Chrome Compatible $379.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GK8LBWS/

OWC Thunderbolt Hub https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1603440-REG/owc_owctb4hub5p_thunderbolt_hub_adds_3_thunderbolt.html  $128.99

ZikeDrive Z666 USB4 40Gbps NVMe M.2 SSD Enclosure $119.99
https://ziketech.com/products/zikedrive-usb4-40gbps-nvme-m-2-ssd-enclosure-z666 

StarTech USB 3.1 Dual-Bay Dock for 2.5"/3.5" SATA SSDs/HDDs $90.00
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-10Gbps-Dual-ay-Dock-SATA/dp/B00XLAZ9KC

Powered USB Hubs
Arcodot 9 in 1 USB C  Adapter
https://www.amazon.com/USB-Hub-Acodot-Multiport-Adapter/dp/B0BKPYY8BC?th=1  $16.99

External Device for mounting NVME m.2 Drives
Riitop NVME to USB Enclosure Adapter  (Out of stock)
https://www.newegg.com/riitop-nvm2c-sl-enclosure/p/0VN-006F-00033

USB Adapters
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-USB-to-USB-Adapters/zgbs/pc/3015402011

Plugable 3-Port USB 3.0 Hub with Gigabit Ethernet Port (not powered) $34.95
https://plugable.com/products/usb3-hub3me

Not Computer Related
Alpenflow Fuel Transfer Valve for Propane Canisters  $11.95
https://www.garagegrowngear.com/products/alpenflow-fuel-transfer-device-by-alpenglow-gear

Ralph Sutter

Hello All,
This is a re-post of an announcement from APCUG
Ralph Sutter
---
Tune up your security for 2026
Protect Yourself and Your Community From Scams and Identity Theft
Gema de las Heras, FTC Consumer Education Specialist
and
Test Driving Linux
John Krout, Member, Presenter, and Author
Potomac Area Technology And Computer Society
 
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/jMjDYARZtg3H8utGA
 
 After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment of your registration. You only need to register once. On December 9, 2025, after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time, you will receive the encrypted Zoom link.
 
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS:
Protect Yourself and Your Community From Scams and Identity Theft
Join the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to learn how to spot and stop the scams going after retirees? life savings. Gema De las Heras will offer easy, practical tips and introduce new free tools you can use and pass along to help protect your friends, family, and community.
 
Test Driving Linux
This presentation is for anyone who wants to prepare for a hard drive (HD) or solid-state drive (SSD) failure, and for anyone who wants to try Linux as an operating system without installing it on their HD or SSD.
 
You will see that the Linux version John chose, Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop, closely resembles Windows, which reduces the learning challenge quite a bit. You will learn how to prepare your Windows computer to start Linux from a USB device, how to obtain Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop, and how to install it on a USB drive. You will also learn what the term desktop means in Linux.
 
The Linux Mint Files app, the equivalent of Windows File Explorer, can read your computer's HD or SSD and let you copy files from it, even if Windows itself can no longer start up.

Private Internet Access VPN 3.7.0
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/private_internet_access_vpn.html

How It's Made: A Miniature Network-Attached Storage (NAS) Device
https://youtu.be/12lqrpUwgNc

Inside Intel?s $20 Billion Chip Factory in the US
https://youtu.be/UDmW-pGzsWs

Leica Camera AG
https://youtu.be/UDmW-pGzsWs?si=1gpEyE0mDTFNAoKm&t=721

Frame - When business meets engineering, FRAME is your new source of information. Designing, prototyping, building, or even destroying, our daily life is surrounded by processes of all kinds, each more interesting than the next.
https://www.youtube.com/@TheFrame

Ubuntu 24.04 Flavours: Kubuntu, Budgie, MATE, Cinnamon & More
https://youtu.be/4pXKqCVijOw

Building the PERFECT Linux PC with Linus Torvalds
https://youtu.be/mfv0V1SxbNA

Rechargeable LED Headlamp, 230? Illumination Headlight with Motion Sensor, Lightweight, Weatherproof, 2 Light Source Head Lamp Flashlight
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096M68534?th=1

Synology DiskStation DS1525+ 5-Bay NAS Enclosure
https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS1525+
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1903687-REG/synology_diskstation_ds1525_5_bay_nas.html

Alan's current hardware in use. You can click an item of particular interest or download all the files as a single ZIP file (recommended).
http://tinyurl.com/5n7ywhx5
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/c04bq4vbprfh1yvo4vdfm/h?rlkey=xxcr2i3oh2j3xggxhxb5yjw6q&dl=0

Ralph's LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 14"
https://www.fullbean.com/computer/linux-lenovo/linux-lenovo.html

Hello All,
This is an announcement that I received today from APCUG
Ralph Sutter

APCUG
WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP
November 19, 2025
9 am PT, 10 am, MT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET
 
Artificial Intelligence (AI): fun and helpful tips
Chris Taylor, President
Ottawa PC Users? Group
 
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/Fu3F86M4vVz4xGpP9
 
 After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment of your registration. You only need to register once. On November 18, 2025, after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time, you will receive the encrypted Zoom link.
 
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): fun and helpful tips.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have exploded over the last few years. They can supercharge your web searches & help you find the most relevant information, generate images & videos from text prompts, summarize web pages, meetings, YouTube videos, & PDF files, assist with tasks in your programs, and help with creative writing, among other things. Chris Taylor from the Ottawa PC Users' Group will demonstrate how easily it can be done and how to avoid the dreaded "AI hallucinations." And you can do it all (well, most of it) for free.

Hello All,
This is a repost of an announcement from APCUG
Ralph Sutter

ANNUAL MEETING
11:30 am PT, 12:30 pm MT, 1:30 pm CT, 2:30 pm ET
 
Registration link -- https://forms.gle/n3F7rLA1dkVWb5dA6
 
After you click Submit, you will receive a pop-up acknowledgment of your registration. You will receive the encrypted Zoom link after registration closes at 6 pm Pacific Time on Friday, November 7.
 
DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU?RE AGREEING TO? UNPACKING PRIVACY POLICIES AND PROTECTING YOUR DIGITAL AUTONOMY, Al Williams
Every time we click ?I agree,? we may be handing over more than we realize. This presentation explores how privacy policies?often overlooked or misunderstood?can quietly compromise our personal information, safety, and autonomy.
We all want to protect our data, yet many of us unknowingly consent to its collection and use in ways that can lead to unwanted exposure. When our personal details are misused, it can erode our sense of privacy, limit our choices, and even influence our behavior.
By understanding what we?re agreeing to, we can take back control. This session will highlight the importance of managing what?s known about us, maintaining personal boundaries, and making informed decisions free from manipulation.
 
A WALK-THROUGH OF THE LATEST CHROMEOS, Bill James
Chrome OS has steadily evolved from a browser-centric lightweight platform into a full-fledged computing environment that blends web app agility, native app support, powerful cloud sync, and sleek device management. This latest version of ChromeOS continues that trajectory, with a focus on making your Chromebook feel faster, smarter, and more in tune with how you work, play, and connect.
 
While official public-release notes for this exact version are still sparse, we know from Chrome OS update tables that version 141.0.7390.134 has rolled out across a broad range of hardware platforms, signaling Google?s confidence in this build.
 
During our live walkthrough, you will see a very mature OS and how closely ChromeOS resembles and functions like a Windows computer.
 
USING GEMINI'S STORYBOOK TO ATTRACT PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS TO YOUR MEETINGS, Bob Gosticha
What a novel idea, creating storybooks to tell the story of your tech group or information about your typical general meetings, SIGs, etc., and uploading them to your home page. Joe Nowak demonstrated how easy it is to create a storybook at his AI-Assisted Storytelling workshop, "Discover a whole new way to create," on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Perhaps you would like to feature a series of storybooks on senior scams, or a series about the browsers that now incorporate AI? Bob will share his "Arthur and the Pesky Fly" storybook, which addresses pop-ups and Malware for seniors.
 
ANNUAL MEETING
11:30 am PT, 12:30 pm MT, 1:30 pm CT, 2:30 pm ET
 
Annual Meeting.
President?s report
Treasurer?s report
Election results for 2025 officers.
Member benefits
Discussion about member benefits
We will take a short Zoom survey about how APCUG can assist your group in 2026 and what its three major problems are.