GarageBand Introduction: Macworld 2004

On January 6, 2004, the Macintosh was a few days over 20 years old and Steve Jobs had exciting news: Apple had a new type of software, called GarageBand, and a new format for the iPod, an iPod Mini with a huge 4GB of storage. How would we ever fill all that space? With this month’s release of the newest version of GarageBand, it seems like a great time to remember its introduction, with John Mayer performing and Steve Jobs explaining the ways that it would open a world of possibilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2jq4iRyULg

Interested in seeing the whole Macworld 2004 Keynote?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvpD3FlHZeM

Interested in stats and information for every Apple Keynote, from 1997 through 2016? Read more below.

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How To: Delisting a Disbanded Group

The number of Apple User Groups worldwide is amazing, especially considering that many groups have been in existence for decades. Still, as new groups form, some groups cease to exist, often because key members retire or membership numbers drop. This article offers the the quick and simple, step-by-step process for delisting a group with the User Group Locator and the User Group Program.

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Meeting Ideas: Apple AirPods, tvOS, and TV app

Need a presentation for your group’s next meeting? Ask your group’s ambassador about Apple Sales Web (ASW). From prepackaged demos to Apple materials that you can use to create customized presentations, ASW has it all.

Interested in the new Apple AirPods? Be sure to check out ASW’s AirPods – First Look posted on December 13 (L547674A-en_US). Curious about the new TV app and tvOS check out tvOS – First Look and TV app – First Look (L546871A-en_US and L549055A-en_US), both published on December 12.

Ambassadors: December is a great month to check out ASW!

 

November’s Featured Vendor: Gumdrop Cases

gumdropcasesGumdrop Cases provides stylish, heavy-duty, and incredibly protective ruggedized cases for iPads, MacBooks, iPhones, and more. Designed with durable protection that can withstand repeated 6-foot falls, Gumdrop’s cases are rapidly becoming one of the leading solutions to keep your tech safe from damage at home, school, and work. With over 1,600 certified case reviews from satisfied users, Gumdrop cases has a selection of cases types to fit your device, from DropTech type cases, to Hideaway, Sleeve Series, SoftShell, and more.

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How To: Presenting Hidden Features of iOS

Many times at User Group meetings, the presenter may take time to let members ask questions or seek out tech tips or support. User Group Ambassador Rick Lantz of the Maui Apple User Society took a new view on the Q&A sessions, and decided to do a “How did they do that?” session at his meeting and show some hidden and unknown features of macOS and iOS. Below is his presentation material regarding iOS. User Group Leaders, feel free to use this material and demonstrate at your meetings. Click more to see video and meeting material:

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Pyers Presents: Software Freedom Day Resources

auo-logo-full-steel-greySeptember 17 marks the 13th annual Software Freedom Day celebration, with over 300 planned events worldwide. The day calls attention to software that is free to distribute, modify, access, share, study and use.

As part of the celebrations of Software Freedom Day 2016, AppleUsers.org has compiled a selection of some of the best, yet totally free, software that’s available for the Mac, collected together on a single DVD, called Spotlight on FOSS 2016 plus a bonus video and a copy of The AppleUsers Spotlight Software Freedom Day 2016 Special Edition. Fans of Stephen Fry will especially enjoy his Happy Birthday to GNU video.

Thanks as always to Mr. Pyers for these wonderful resources! See below for more information.

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Pyers Presents: Finding Guest Presenters

auo-logo-full-steel-greyGroups are always looking for a great presentation and this month Nicholas Pyers of AppleUsers.org offers valuable insights into ways to find guest presenters. His recent article, the fifth installment in his “Working with Presenters” series can help you reconceptualize the process and increase your ability to organize great meetings. Want to know more? Check out all five articles in the series.

Thanks as always to Mr. Pyers for these wonderful resources!

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Apple User Group Leader’s Survey: The Results

Thanks for the interesting and informative responses to the Apple User Group Leader’s survey. It is clear that groups in our community face similar problems, including finding good meeting topics and speakers. Too, groups would like more discounts offers on popular items. As one writer noted, it is hard to find fresh topics for 10 meetings a year for when their group has been meeting for 9 years, and a good speaker can have a real impact on how many people show up for a meeting. Groups large and small, long time or new, echoed that comment.

Here are the results from the survey:

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How To: Raising Money With Patreon For Your User Group

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Raising Money With Patreon For Your User Group by Rex Covington

Last month we talked about raising money for your User Group on YouTube. This month we’re going to talk about raising money with Patreon and YouTube. Patreon Is a subscription-based crowd funding platform that helps creators collect financial support from their fans. You can use Patreon to fund your projects, Special Interest Group (SIG), or just to support your User Group by uploading YouTube videos. https://www.patreon.com

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Pyers Presents: Does your User Group have a website?

auo-logo-full-steel-greyNicholas Pyers of AppleUsers.org offers us two great articles on ways to make leading your group easier and more efficient. In this article he examines group website essentials: why every group should have a website, how to create and name your group’s site, how hosting works, and what information should be covered on your group’s pages.

Check it out!

http://www.appleusers.org/ugr/apple-user-group-website/