Kachemacs Mac User Group

New site!

Ryan — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:09:13 +0000

We’re in the process of migrating to a new site for kachemacs.net. In the meantime, please visit us at kachemacs.posterous.com for the latest group information!

March Meeting: iPad 2

Ryan — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:53:26 +0000

Apple announced a new iPad on March 2. We’ll watch the announcement and discuss the new iPad, as well as answer questions and provide technical help for Apple products.

When: Thursday, March 3, 6:00pm
Where: Bigwoofs Technology Classroom, next to the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (708 Smoky Bay Way)

January Meeting: Office 2011

Ryan — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:18:48 +0000

Diane will be giving an overview of the latest and greatest Office Suite from Microsoft!

When: Thursday, Jan 6, 6:00pm
Where: Bigwoofs Technology Classroom, in the Coastal Studies building

December Meeting: Gift ideas and gear swap

Ryan — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:31:52 +0000

The December meeting will be on Thursday the 2nd, 6:00pm, at the Bigwoofs Technology Classroom (708 Smoky Bay Way). We will be showing off holiday gift ideas for the technology-inclined. Also, bring your unused gear and see if anyone else has something you want to trade for!

November Meeting: iPad!

Ryan — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:12:50 +0000

Hey, nothing like updating the website on the day of the meeting!

Come to the Bigwoofs Technology Classroom (in the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies building) tonight to check out Apple’s little (or big, depending on your perspective) tablet computer. We’ll demonstrate some of it’s features and everyone can play with it.

6:00 – 8:00pm.

August meeting

Ryan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:45:38 +0000

The August meeting will be Thursday, August 5th from 6 to 8pm, in the Bigwoofs Technology Classroom, next to The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies on Smoky Bay Way.

Our topic will be “Free Software,” with demonstrations of some of the free software packages people use.

If you have free software you use and would like to tell the group about it, please use the contact page to let us know and we’ll make sure to have it on the display computer for the meeting!

What Tyra made for us

Ryan — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:01:02 +0000

Last month’s guest speaker, Tyra Robertson, sent me a few of the icons she demonstrated making during her presentation on Illustrator and Inkspace.

Thanks, Tyra!

Picnic: June 26

Ryan — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:45:18 +0000

Everyone is invited to the group picnic, happening Saturday, June 26th. The festivities start at noon at the shelter on Bishop’s Beach.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP using the contact form.

See you there!

June meeting: Illustration software and show & tell

Ryan — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:00:15 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that we have a guest speaker for the June meeting! My good friend Tyra Robertson is visiting from Chicago, and has agreed to give a demonstration of some illustration software for us.

Topic Synopsis
Overview of Adobe Illustrator CS4 and it’s (free) alternative, Inkscape. Illustrator can be considered a hybrid software because it includes features from both Photoshop and InDesign as well as having its own tool set. Inkscape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator and CorelDraw.

Speaker Bio
Tyra Robertson has been a multimedia technologist for 5 years. Her skill set encompasses all of the software and hardware needed for graphic and web design, still and video photography, and sound recording and editing.

She has been working with, and ripping the guts out of, Macs for 15 years. She has been lucky enough to work with Apple as a Campus Rep and at an Apple flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Currently, Tyra works at Roosevelt University in Chicago. She manages 70 Macs spread across three labs, the student internet radio station, and the student newspaper. Tyra has been a graphic designer for 15 years and in her spare time runs a freelance design business, the design function.

After Tyra’s presentation, we will open up the floor for anyone who wants to share tips and tricks they have learned. Diane will do some upgrade and repair tips, and anyone else is welcome to bring something to share.

Affordable Image Editors

Ryan — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:47:34 +0000

If you missed the May meeting, or didn’t get a chance to write down the editors we looked at, here’s the list and links to their corresponding websites:

Pixelmator – $59 (this was the group favorite)
Acorn – $49.95
Graphic Converter – $34.95 (this one is like Paint Shop and MacPaint)
GIMP – Free

Congratulations to the members who took home copies of Graphic Converter and Pixelmator!

We also held our annual officer election, with the incumbents making a surprising sweep at the polls. Your officers for the next year are:

President: Diane Petersen
Vice President: Ole Anderson
Treasurer: Ginger Bryant
Secretary: Ryan Ridge

We all look forward to serving the club for another year.