Ten members came to Warsash this month, and we started with a postscript. Or rather, we started with a talk on vector graphics and PostScript, Adobe PostScript in fact, the page description language that was and is a vital component of the desktop publishing world. Euan's presentation was a gentle introduction to a complex subject, including more recent developments like Quartz (the graphics layer of OS X/macOS) and PDF, and showing what can be…
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Eleanor started the meeting by passing on some very useful and unknown to me tips when using Finder - ways to customise the toolbar and sidebar and very novel ways of using the search function. David P, responding to a request, demonstrated various aspects of Contacts and with help from the audience, finally managed to change the format of just one card so that if you have a friend in a far country you can configure…
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This meeting was devoted to reviews of some of the new hardware and software recently introduced. David Moon listed the similarities and differences between the numerous iPhones now available and also described the latest additions to the range of Apple Watches. The cameras on the latest iPhone models can now rival professional equipment in their standard of photography.
Euan Williams, with the aid of some detailed graphics and short video clips, explained how…
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Mick gave us a run through on Chronosync, an app that he has used for many years which allows you to synchronise selected files and folders between Macs. Chronosync Express is available from the App Store £21.99, the full version at $49.99 is available from Econtechnologies. Chronosync will also work with IOS devices with a free IOS app, Interconnex, also supplied Econtechnologies.
Mick showed that the two devices to be…
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Ten members came to Warsash. This month's topic was favourite apps- whether for Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, what free or low cost software people use and would recommend. Much discourse was had, and we all learnt something useful. A full list follows. There was time to address Chris's issue where a (clone with SuperDuper) backup had failed and seemingly corrupted both hard drives. Practical help wasn't possible (the equipment wasn't at hand), but…
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Mick continued his series on Mail this time covering: how to set up Groups (in Contacts) and where to place the Group name in the To or BCC section (preferably in BCC so the addresses are not seen by all members of the Group); set up protection against Spam using your ISP and the Mail options; and how to set up Signatures to append to your emails. David P demonstrated various ways to add sketches…
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Eight members attended this meeting where Barry attempted to demonstrate how Mac-specific software (Sparkle) could be used to create a working website in an hour. Having spent several years and a good deal of funds trying out software oriented towards other operating systems, this programme has proved revelatory. Websites created with Sparkle were shown "live"on the internet, but the attempt to make a copy of some pages of one of the…
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Euan showed us how to remove an image from its background, highlighting the importance of horses for courses, starting at the basic level using instant alpha included in most Apple standard apps and progressing to features available in Affinity and other high end programs. He demonstrated the flexibility of the selection brush using a wide brush for basic selection and then refining, varying the brush diameter, adding to the selection or subtracting by holding down…
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Mick showed us how to do various things in Mail: switch 'conversations' or 'threads' on/off, adopt the correct etiquette and delete those email addresses which the system finds for us but which don't reside in Contacts. David P demo'd OS Maps for use by walkers. Other maps were mentioned but one that was brought to our attention at the meeting was: https://footpathmap.co.uk. Whatever electronic mapping aid you use, if you are…
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With a number of members having travel plans disrupted or other matters requiring attention, this meeting had a smaller than usual attendance. A group of 6 of us were present as Brian gave a fascinating insight into how he could use Keynote to produce animated and layered effects that gave a unique insight into how this application could be used to produce not just presentations but also enhanced videos with animation of inanimate objects, birthday…
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