Diablo Blue
The Newsletter of the Diablo Valley PC Users Group
An Introduction to the Apple iPod Family
Presenter: Nick Chase, DVPC
DVPC's own Nick Chase will tell us everything that's important to know about the Apple iPod product line. Nick describes himself as "a daily iPod user", so we're sure to get the real scoop about what it's like for someone with a PC (not a Mac) to use an iPod and iTunes.
Nick will discuss:
- The current and legacy product line, basic differences with capacity and video and / or audio files.
- USB or FireWire options for your iPod.
- How you set-up iTunes with your iPod to import and export audio and video files, create play-lists of music or videos appropriate to working or resting, and installing entire albums on your iPod.
- How you can automatically 'Sync' your ipod with new music, or manage multiple iPods on one computer by manually synchronizing separate libraries of music.
- How you can now record multi-track audio mixed down to stereo tracks on your iPod with a third-party mixer from Alesis, the iMultiMix 8.
Nick will have his laptop to demonstrate iTunes and his 30GB iPod.
Alan will share his expertise about downloading, podcasts, and photos on the iPod.
Whether you have an iPod or not, or are considering an iPod for yourself or as a gift for lucky person you know, or are just curious about the iPod hype, this month's meeting will be fun, interesting, and informative. We'll see you on Thursday, August 7, at Diablo Valley College.
SPECIAL NOTICE #1: There are no classes at Diablo Valley College the first two week of August, you will not need to purchase a parking permit for the DVPC August 7 meeting. Parking that evening will be free.
SPECIAL NOTICE #2: We've been assured that we will have access to our meeting room on Thursday, August 7. Ron has personally talked to both Stephanie in the Campus Police office and Laurie Vickers who coordinates public use of DVC facilities, and he has the telephone number of the Pleasant Hill Police Department dispatcher who will have a DVC police officer unlock the building and/or room if it's locked when we arrive.
Where and When We Meet
DVPC monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Diablo Valley College In Pleasant Hill, California, on the Main Campus located at 321 Golf Club Road. We meet in room H109 in the Humanities Building. See the campus map on the About DVPC page for driving directions, parking information, and how to get to room H109. Remember: there's a $2.00 parking fee, payable at the ticket machines in each lot. These ticket machines take dollar bills and quarters, but do not give change so be sure to bring correct bills and/or quarters to buy your parking ticket. Place the ticket face up on the driver's side of your dashboard.
We have a Networking Table from 6:30 to 7:00; if you have something to sell or trade, need technical help, or just want to exchange views, visit the Networking Table. The regular monthly meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with Random Access where you can ask questions or report on technical problems, followed by a presentation by our guest speaker. Also, as usual, we'll have SIG news and some of our usual great door prizes.
Driving Directions:
680 Northbound:
Exit at Willow Pass Road
At the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Willow Pass Road
Continue on Willow Pass Road to the second signal and
turn right onto Contra Costa Blvd.
680 Southbound:
Exit at Concord Ave.
At the end of the exit ramp turn left on Contra Costa Blvd.
Direction into the Campus:
Continue on Contra Costa Blvd. to the signal at Golf Club Road and turn into Golf Club Road. At the second entrance into the campus turn left then immediately right to parking lot 7. Turn left into lot 7. Park (but don't use parking spaces that are reserved for faculty and staff only), then purchase a parking permit (see Parking Fees below) and put it on your dashboard. Click on this link (www.dvpc.org/about.html) to see:
> a detailed DVC map showing parking and our meeting room
> a map for driving to DVC
> an aerial view of the DVC campus
Parking fees:
You will usually need to pay for parking DVC parking lots. On the Pleasant Hill campus parking permits are $2.00 per day for short-term parking. You can purchase permits at the parking permit machines marked with a red star on the maps above and below. Be sure to bring sufficient change! Parking permit machines take nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change. DVC parking permits are required Monday through Friday at all times that classes are in session. That includes most times that DVPC meetings are held. Check Meeting Information above; it will advise if will not be needed.
Do not park in metered or faculty/staff spaces. You will be ticketed if you do.
You need to purchase a parking permit and place it face up on your dashboard so it is clearly visible through the windshield. If you attend classes at DVC and have a campus parking permit, you can use it when you attend DVPC meetings.
Some members park (for free) in the College Park High School lot across Viking Drive from the DVC campus. Do so at your own risk!
Parking violations:
Be sure to purchase a parking permit! Fines range from $35 for parking in a regular space without a permit, to over $275 for illegally parking in a space reserved for the handicapped.
Parking alternatives:
Some members carpool and share the parking fee; they park at Sun Valley Mall, have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the mall, then take one car to the meeting. Some members park in the lots in front of College Park High School, which is across Viking Drive from DVC. Remember: if you decide to use any of these parking alternatives, you do so at your own risk!
Diablo Blue Password Access
by Ron Ogg, DVPC
Starting with the December, 2007 issue of Diablo Blue, you will need the monthly password to access the current issue of the newsletter. If you are a paid-up member of DVPC you'll receive an email message, usually on the Weekend prior to the meeting, with the password.
As each month's issue is uploaded, it's placed in a password protected folder on dvpc.org. When you click on the link to go to the newsletter, a dialog box will be displayed asking for the password from the email message. The password is case-sensitive; either copy it from the email message or make sure you type it correctly.
As we add the current month's newsletter, the password on the prior month's newsletter will be removed so anyone coming to the DVPC website can access older issues of Diablo Blue.
If you have any problems accessing a password protected newsletter, please email webbie@dvpc.org.
Watch for Updates!
by Ron Ogg, DVPC
With our new method of producing and publishing the monthly Diablo Blue newsletter, we can easily add updates to each month's issue. For example, we added an update to the October issue, a news article about Barry Brown demonstrating the new version 6 of Photoshop Elements at the PE SIG meeting.
When we add a new article "mid-month" it will be shown in red in and will be at the bottom of the Table of Contents.
Nicholas Chase, Published Web Author
by Nick Chase, DVPC
Nicholas Chase is now officially a published web author!
My article is on the front page of a blog that has thousands of readers:
http://acampaignfornonviolenceontv.blogspot.com/
She has paid me in EntreCard credits, which is a vast network of bloggers who link to each others blogs, and sell stuff to each other eventually? It's Part of my Web 2.0 (3.0?) marketing strategies..
Curmudgeon’s Corner
by Walt Parsons, DVPC’s Official Curmudgeon. Accept no substitutes.
Automatic Subscription Renewals – A Follow up.
A couple of issues ago I wrote about the new nasty trick some magazines and subscription software has been playing. They trick you into signing up for automatic renewal of your subscription and the first thing you know you find a charge on your credit card account for a renewal which you may or may not have wanted.
In the August issue of PC World in the PCW Forum, Bill Runkle suggest that people use one of these onetime use credit card numbers for your renewals. Then if the magazine or software tries to charge your credit card for an automatic renewal they’ll find that the number is no longer good. Then when they contact you about not being able to charge your credit card you can either give them a new credit card number or decline to renew. Problem solved.
Electronic Waste — Where to Dispose of It
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC
Here's a list of ewaste donation sites in Central Contra County County. If you know or learn of others, please let me know with the location, hours, and website URL. Be sure to check the websites to determine what they will accept.
Hauling Pros Recycling Center
www.dumpmytv.com
73A South Buchanan Circle
(on the left behind S&S Roofing)
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-682-8987
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rapid Recycle
www.rapidrecycle.net
110 Second Ave., South B-1
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-671-8008
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
E-Waste Events
www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/e-waste.htm
See website for dates, times, and locations of events
Recycle for Breast Cancer
www.recycleforbreastcancer.org/dropoffanytime.htm
31 Beta Court, Suite C
San Ramon, CA 94583
800-315-9580
7 days a week excluding holidays 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A completed donation form is requested at the time of donation; this form can be downloaded from their website
e-Recycle OnUs
www.erecycleonus.com
1271 Boulevard Way
(at back left corner past East Bay Art and CTA)
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-934-1515
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Electronic Waste Management
www.noewaste.com
E-Waste recycling events at Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Road
(in DVC overflow parking lot across from north side of main campus)
Pleasant Hill, CA
866-335-3373
First Saturday of every month (except holidays)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Photoshop Elements SIG Meeting Program
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC
NOTE: Change in meeting day!
The Adobe Photoshop Elements SIG meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the home of Peggy Johnson in Concord, CA.
As usual, checkout the Elements SIG pages at www.bkbrown.net for all the latest news, information and tutorials.
The Photoshop Elements SIG meets on the third Thursday of each month.
Please email Peggy for further information and/or directions.
Windows SIG Meeting Program
by Walt Parsons, DVPC
The August Windows SIG meeting was held on Monday, August 1, prior to the release of this issue of Diablo Blue.
The next Windows SIG meeting will be held on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. There will be no meeting in September since the first Monday is the Labor Day holiday.
The Windows SIG meetings are held in the Community Room at the Concord Police Station. See the detailed directions on the DVPC SIG News page.