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The User Group Report Archives - 2005

Edition
Guests & Summary
535 Mac Networker's Retreat with Paul Kent, GarageBand and Podcasting Focus Group with Sue Arment, Mac News Braintrust with Dennis Sellers and the Evolution of The User Group Report

A professional Mac conference of a different kind, a focus group where you can get paid, and the latest in Mac news commentary are all included in this week's show, along with news of the User Group Report's evolution.

Paul Kent of Mactivity profiles the upcoming Mac Networkers Retreat, summarizing the intense, professional-level sessions that attendees will benefit from. Paul tells us why this conference is different than just about anything out there by design, and why you might want to consider joining them on Monterey Bay.
Paul Kent
Sue Arment
Sue Arment of Digital Life Discoveries tells us about her company, how they assist technology vendors who want to connect with real users, and fills you in on how, if you use GarageBand or are a music podcaster, you can share your opinions and get paid for it.
Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News is back to discuss recent, and upcoming, developments in Mac news, including the iPod nano, Apple's stock price, the breakneck pace of product development at Apple and more.

534 The User Group Report: Podcasting with Jack Herrington, 3D Animation with Kinemac, Mac News Braintrust with Bryan Chaffin and Macworld Expo Update

Interested in podcasting? Get information on both the basics and the state of the online broadcasting phenomenon from the author of a new book on the subject. Want a new graphics challenge? Learn about a 3D animation tool that delivers professional results and sports user group pricing. What do all the iPod headlines mean? Find out in the Mac News Braintrust. Want to help make the show better? Take the User Group Report Survey.

Jack Herrington, the author of Podcasting Hacks from O'Reilly, gives us a feature-length look at the world of podcasting. This isn't just another "podcasting is cool" interview, but a discussion of some of the trends and recent developments in podcasts, plus a little practical advice for those considering joining the fray.
Lorenzo Puleoof Kinemac discusses his sophisticated yet easy to use 3D animation software, what you can do with it, and the user group discount you can enjoy when purchasing it.
Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer and The iPod Observer provides his thoughts and analysis on the the Motorola CEO's nano outburst, the cost of online music downloads, cracking iPod nano screens and more in the Mac News Braintrust segment.

533 The User Group Report: Personal Development with LearnOutLoud.com, Free Software with FreeMacWare.Com, Apple Expo Paris Wrap-Up with Benjamin Stanley, Mac News Braintrust with Jim Dalrymple and The UGR Survey

iTunes and podcasts aren't the only thing to put in your iPod. Find out how you can improve and educate yourself through audio programming from a wide variety of sources. We'll also help you find cool new Mac software that is free, wrap up Apple Expo in Paris and get the stories behind the stories in the Mac news for the week. While you're listening, take the User Group Report Survey and help us improve the show.

Jon Bischke of LearnOutLoud.com discusses his site and what it delivers for those interested in personal development and education audio programming, their plans for original content creation and where podcasts fit into the mix.
Richard Miller of FreeMacWare.com outlines how this new web site differes from other software sites, why they decided to focus on free software, and how they add a personal touch to each listing by creating a mini-review for each entry.
Benjamin Stanley of the Midlands Macintosh Users Group, The MUG Center's correspondent to Apple Expo in Paris, is back to wrap up the show with some final thoughts and talk about the photos he sent us. Benjamin Stanley
Jim Dalrymple
Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral is in the Mac News Braintrust pilot's seat this week to talk about the new enhancements to .Mac, the cancellation of Macworld Expo in Boston and other stories from the week's Mac headlines.
532 The User Group Report: Upgrading Your Mac with Larry O'Connor of Other World Computing, Editing Photos in iPhoto 5 with Kevin Wolfe and Mac News Braintrust with Bryan Chaffin

To upgrade your existing Mac or buy a new one: that's the question, and we get answers from an expert. We also learn that you don't have to be a graphics wiz to make your digital photos look better with the tools in Apple's iPhoto 5, and find out what's important in the week's Mac headlines.

Larry O'Connor of Other World Computing, one of the most respected Mac vendors around, delivers information and insight into the age-old question of whether upgrading an older Mac is money well spent. Larry covers processor upgrades, RAM, hard drives and more in this in-depth interview that you'll want to hear before you spend another dollar on your Mac.
J. Kevin Wolfe, the author of Serious Editing in iPhoto 5, talks about what can be accomplished in the latest version of Apple's digital picture software, and how you can make your photos look good without having to invest the time or money in a separate image editing program.
Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer and The iPod Observer provides his thoughts and analysis on the week's Apple headlines in the Mac News Braintrust segment.

531 The User Group Report: Winn Schwartau Isn't "Mad as Hell" Any More, Campus MovieFest Update with David Roemer and Mac News Braintrust with Jim Dalrymple

We follow up with a high-profile, real-world, outspoken switcher to learn his conclusions after a few months on the Mac, get the latest on moviemaking on campus and learn what one of the most influential names in Mac news thinks about last week's announcements.

Winn Schwartau
Winn Schwartau, PC security expert, author and columnist, after several months of using Macs as his productivity platform of choice, tells us why he's no longer "Mad as Hell." Winn's insights into the Mac platform from his unique perspective are required listening for any Mac advocate and anyone who is evaluating their computing choices.
David Roemer of Campus MovieFest is back with information on the largest student moviemaking event yet, how they've attracted new corporate sponsors, and their plans to visit twenty more universities in the next few months.
Jim Dalrymple
This week's Mac News Braintrust panelist is Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral. Jim delivers thoughts on Apple's announcements from last week, including some personal observations based on first-hand experience.
530 Vodcasting with Christopher Breen, In-Depth with iStockPhoto.com, Mac News Braintrust with Dennis Sellers and Thanks to an Apple Regional Liaison

What's a vodcast? What can you learn from one? What can the internet's #1 stock photography web site offer you, the iLife-loving Mac user? How can you share your very best digital photos and make some money doing it? What's the hottest Mac news and why? All these and more questions are answered in this week's show.

Christopher Breen, the editor of Playlistmag.com talks about his new vodcast, why he's jumping back into the world of video, the challenges of producing a vodcast and how you can learn from his experience to make your own videos better.
Christopher Breen
Patrick Lor
Kelly Thompson
Patrick Lor and Kelly Thompson of iStockPhoto.com profile their amazing web site, go in-depth on how it works, deliver some hints on how to find what you're looking for and outline their growing community of contributing photographers in a bonus-length interview.
Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News discusses the recent Macintosh news and what it can mean to you. The pulling of the Mac mini promotion, HP dropping the iPod, the future of the tower Mac form factor and more are all on Dennis' mind this week.
529 The User Group Report: Getting Scientific On Your Mac with George Storm, Matching Your Colors with ColorIQ and Mac News Braintrust with Brian Chaffin

Want to do scientific data input on your Mac? Find out what the hot new product was at the ADHOC/MacHack Conference, learn how you can keep your digital photos' colors more consistent and get the latest commentary on the Mac news headlines.

George Storm, an associate of Perfectly Scientific, Inc. and founder of the Seattle XCoders, talks about the bTop-1 interface board that gets data from the physical world into your Mac, his group's focus on programming, and how you might be able to borrow his robot.
George Storm
Erik Rogers of ColorIQ explains how his company's flagship product, IQ Match, can help you keep your images looking both good and consistent as they move from digital camera to screen, screen to printer, and beyond, and how they made an early connection with user groups.
Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer and The iPod Observer delivers this week's Mac News Braintrust segment.

528 The User Group Report: Mac Annoyances and Macs and Windows with John Rizzo, Virginia MUG at Digital Edge Expo, Twenty Years of North Coast Mac Users Group, Mac News Braintrust with Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral, Vendor Offers for MUGs and More

Dealing with Mac and other technology annoyances, Macs working with Windows networks, a user group going out of their way to participate in an Expo, another celebrating 20 years, Mac news commentary, vendor offers and more are all included in this week's show.

John Rizzo, author of Mac Annoyances from O'Reilly, talks about those little things that bother every Mac user and how to deal with them, the AnnoyancesCentral.com web site where you can find all sorts of good information on dealing with annoying technology issues (not just on the Mac), making Macs and Windows play nice together nicely on networks and much more in our in-depth interview.
John Rizzo
Judy Morse of The Virginia Macintosh Users Group talks about her group's upcoming participation in Digital Edge Expo, a new technology event in Washington D.C., why this is a stretch for them, and why they're doing it anyway.
Larry Hrusovsky of The North Coast Macintosh Users Group of Ohio talks about his group, what makes it special, and how they will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a special pic and raffle of a Mac mini.
Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral is this week's Mac News Braintrust commentator, discussing what's important in the Mac headlines and why.
527 Lynda Weinman of lynda.com, Hawaii Mac Nuts' Latest Project, Mac News Braintrust with Dennis Sellers of Macsimum Perspective, Backing Up Your Mac Part 4 and More

This week we look at a vendor-user group project from both sides, get the details on one of the premier training sites on the internet and what they offer on- and offline, talk about the week's Mac news, discuss the importance of off-site backups and more. (#527)

Lynda Weinman, the founder of lynda.com, talks about her start in the user group community, how her site has grown into on of the largest and most diverse providers of computer training, how they maintain their quality while contining to expand, and more.
Margaret Strubel
Margaret Strubel of Hawaii Mac Nuts discusses their new series of Mac training seminars for both their members and their community, and their partnership with lynda.com as the supplier of some of the materials being presented.
Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News covers some of the most important Mac news of the week and peers into his crystal ball to discuss what may be coming later this year.

526 Adam & Tonya Engst of TidBITS, Scott Knaster on the Ad-Hoc/MacHack Conference and Mac News Braintrust with Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer

Our bonus-length show this week includes a visit from two of the most informed and influential people in the Mac industry, a report on what may be the last Ad-Hoc/MacHack Conference, and commentary on the most recent Mac headlines by a member of our Mac News Braintrust. (#526)

Adam and Tony Engst of TidBITS talk about Macworld Boston, podcasting (and Tonya adds two new terms to the lexicon), the evolution of Macintosh computing and more in this week's feature-length interview.
Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer is this week's Mac News Braintrust guest, and discusses Mighty Mouse, the iTunes Music Store's opening in Japan and other timely topics from the Mac headlines.
Scott Knaster, the author of Hacking Mac OS X Tiger is back to give us his take on the recent Ad-Hoc/MacHack Conference. Scott explains why this conference is different than any other, describes some of the cool hacks, and talks about the future (or lack thereof) for Ad-Hoc/MacHack.

525 Swift Publisher from BeLight Software, Peachpit Authors Cynthia Baron and Dan Peck, Hacking Tiger with Scott Knaster, Voting for Podcasts and August MUG Events

Hacking Apple's latest operating in ways both simple and advanced, a cool new publishing product from a user group-supporting vendor, and some practical thoughts on digital photography, digital asset presentation, Filemaker Pro, why podcast voting doesn't matter to us and highlights of the month's MUG Events are all here waiting for you in this weeks' show. (#525)
Irina Nasarova of Belight Software is back to discuss their brand new page layout product, Swift Publisher. Irina tells us why Swift Publisher is a viable contender to Pages, outlines some of the key features, reveals where Belight got their name and corporate mascot, and announces a contest so you can win a free copy of a Belight Product.
Cynthia Baron and Dan Peck, the authors of The Digital Photography Field Guide, FileMaker Pro 7 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh : Visual QuickPro Guide, and more, all from Peachpit, talk about digital photography, Filemaker Pro 7, defining yourself in the digital age and more.
Author Scott Knaster talks about his latest project, the just-released Hacking Mac OS X Tiger from Wiley, how it differs from other Tiger books by forcing the reader to get involved, poking around under the hood of the newest version of the Mac OS regardless of whether you are a novice or a programmer, and why doing so is something you should try.

524 CapMac's Recognition of Local Mac Excellence, ETCHamac, MUG Center and User Group News and "Alegria Percusiva"

Customizing your Mac in a new and unique way, a user group awards program focusing on their local Mac community, catching up on MUG Center announcements and Mac user group news, and music from two young Mac performers are all on tap for this week's show. (#524)

Nancy Gravley
Brian Georges of MacMedia talks about one of the most striking products we saw at Macworld Expo, ETCHaMac. Brian tells us about their service to customize your iPod or PowerBook with custom images or text, how it works, where they want to take it next, and why it may be more affordable than you might think.
Nancy Gravley of Capitol Macintosh talks about her group's "Best of Austin" Awards, and a notable winner of "Best Presenter," as well as why they feel it is important to recognize the Mac players in their home town, how their group maintains their standard of success, and her own column, Computing with Bifocals, on The Mac Observer.
Nancy Gravley
Dahiana Rosenblatt and Joakin Eskasan
Dahiana Rosenblatt and Joakin Eskasan from the Berklee College of Music performed "Alegria Percusiva" for the crowd at the Geeks and Gadgets Stage at Macworld Expo, and now you can hear it too.

Macworld
Boston
Day 4
Day 4 at Macworld Expo - David Pogue, Jason Snell of Macworld, MacKiev, Digital Lifestyle Outfitters, Harman Kardon, ThinkFree, Lowel-Light and MacTeens

Our fourth and final show from Macworld Expo rounds out a terrific series of on-the-floor interviews. Among today's guests are David Pogue talking about his brand new book, Mac OS X : The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition, Jack Minsky of MacKiev, Jason Snell, editor of Macworld Magazine, Andrew Green of Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO), Andy Wehmeyer of Harman/Kardon, T. J. Kang of ThinkFree, Eric Druker of Lowel-Light Manufacturing, and Dan Pourhadi of MacTeens.

Macworld
Boston
Day 3
Day 3 at Macworld Expo: Bob LeVitus, Mac News Braintrust with Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral, CZ Robertson, STM, Cableyoyo, RadTech, CompanyStuff, Brigadoon Software, NisisUSA, techtracker and Parliant

Today's Macworld Expo podcast is our most ambitious live remote effort yet and includes conversations with Mac News Braintrust member Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral, a chat with "Dr. Mac" Bob LeVitus, Carmela Robertson discusses the Adobe Event and more exhibitor interviews from the show floor. Today, we talk to Adina Jacobs of Standard Technical Merchandise (STM), Dominic Symons of Cableyoyo, John Grzeskowiak of RadTech, Steve Lindland of CompanyStuff.com, Martin Moran of Brigadoon Software, Mark Leonard of NisisUSA, Ben Wilson of techtracker and Kevin Ford of Parliant.

Macworld
Boston
Day 2
Day 2 at Macworld Expo: Initial Show Floor Walk-Through, Invisible Shield, Old Friends and Two Berklee Students Perform Live

Our second podcast from Boston, and the first day on the Expo floor, features interviews with Phillip Chipping of invisible SHIELD, Ben and Jen Waldie from Automated Workflows, our old friend Pekka Helos, a freelance journalist who covers the world of Apple from Finland, and Dahiana Rosenblatt and Joakin Eskansan from the Berklee College of Music who knocked out the crowd at a Geeks & Gadgets Stage presentation. While listening, get a feel for the look of the show in our Photo Gallery from the first day of Expo.

Macworld
Boston
Day 1
Day 1 at Macworld with Warren Williams & Cathy Merritt of the Appleworks Users Group and iWork Users Group

We kick off Macworld Expo week in Boston with the first of our live remote podcasts from the show. Unlike our weekly show, we'll be adopting a more traditional podcast format, uploading interviews as time, connectivity and bandwidth allow.

We start the week off talking to our friends Warren Williams & Cathy Merritt of the Appleworks Users Group and iWork Users Group. Warren gives us an update on the transition their group is going through, and turns the tables to be come the interviewer.

523 Talking Dashboard and Widgets with Dori Smith, Custom Postage Stamps with Endicia Software, the New Southwest United States Apple Regional Liaison, Mac News Braintrust Commentary by Dennis Sellers and More

Talking Dashboard and widgets with an expert, creating postage stamps with your photos, a new Apple Regional Liaison, Mac Braintrust thinking, a new user group discount, MUG Center activities at Macworld Expo and more are all in this edition of the show that delivers more signal and less noise for real Mac users. This week's edition is sponsored by Brigadoon Software. (#523)

Dori Smith, the author of the upcoming Dashboard Widgets for Mac OS X Tiger : Visual QuickStart Guide from Peachpit talks about the world of widgets and where the Dashboard is going as a new platform for these mini-applications.
Pat Castaldo of Endicia Software discusses his company's new product and service, PictureItPostage, that lets you create real custom U.S. Postage stamps from your photos and images, as well as their postage product, Endicia for Mac.
Alex Podressoff of The Arizona Macintosh Users Group and the new Apple Regional Liaison for the Southwest United states profiles his group and talks about the challenges and opportunities of being an RL.
Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News is our Mac News Braintrust correspondent for this edition, and will tell you about some stories he things are important that you might have missed, and why.

522 Troubleshooting Tiger with Ted Landau, Garr Reynolds on UGs and Presentations, Going on Photo Safari with Ann Lesnik, Braintrust Commentary with Bryan Chaffin, Talk Back to the UGR and More

Tiger troubleshooting with an expert, views on Mac user groups and presentations from a unique perspective, a fun activity for your user group (or any group), a Mac News Braintrust member on one of the week's headlines and much more are all on this week's bonus-length show. (#522)

Ted Landau
Ted Landau, one of the most respected names in Mac troubleshooting and the author of the upcoming Mac OS X Help Line - Tiger Edition from Peachpit discusses how to solve Tiger problems and keep the big cat purring.
Garr Reynolds of Design Matters and the former Apple Manger for Worldwide User Group Relations talks about his days at the Mothership, the concept of an Apple Pro Group and approaching the art of presentation from a Zen perspective.
Garr Reynolds
Ann Lesnik
Ann Lesnik of Washington Apple Pi outlines the Photo Safari that was one of the things that make this past weekend's Washington Apple Pi picnic so much fun.
Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer and a member of our Mac News Braintrust talks about an overlooked but important development from the headlines of the week.

521 The Mac News Braintrust Roundtable Discussion, Brigadoon Software Lets Your Mac Phone Home If Stolen, Upcoming MUG Events & More

The editors of three of the most respected news sites on the Mac Web join the User Group Report for the first "Mac News Braintrust" roundtable discussion, and software that let's your Mac tell you where it is if it gets stolen are included in this special edition. (#521)

Jim Dalrymple Dennis Sellers Bryan Chaffin
Jim Dalrymple
Dennis Sellers
Bryan Chaffin

The members of the Mac News Braintrust, Jim Dalrymple of MacCentral, Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News, and Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer discuss the hottest news story in years, Apple's Intel announcement, podcasting and more in our feature-length interview.This event kicks off a new User Group Report segment that will bring you more than just news from the most recognized names in Apple reporting.

Martin Moran of Brigadoon Software discusses MacPhoneHome, the software that can help your Mac if it is stolen. Brigadoon boasts and impressive recovery rate, and Martin talks about their interaction with law enforcement agencies around the world to achieve that rate, as well as how the software works and why it isn't just for mobile Macs.
Brigadoon Security Group

520 Letting Widgets Run Wild with Amnesty, Protecting Your Mac with MacShield, A Programmer's-Eye View of the Apple/Intel Announcement and More
Liberating your Widgets from Dashboard, making your Mac invulnerable to malicious and inadvertent activities, the real story on programming for the upcoming Mactels and common sense views on the Apple-Intel merger are all covered in this week's show. (#520)

Danny Espinoza
Danny Espinoza of Mesa Dynamics talks about his new product, Amnesty, that lets Mac OS X Widgets run free of both the Dashboard, and of Tiger itself. Want your widgets on-screen at all times? Haven't made the move to Tiger but want to get in on the widget craze. Find out how with Amnesty.
Keith Rickman and Mark Eaton of Centurion Technologies introduce us to a product that you've been exposed to if you've visited any Apple Store and fawned over a new Macintosh. You didn't even know it, but MacShield was running on that Mac, protecting it from anything you might intentionally or unintentionally do to it. Find out how your Mac can enjoy the same protection that Apple selects for their display machines.
Keith Rickman
Keith Rickman
Mark Eaton
Mark Eaton
Mark Dalrymple
Mark Dalrymple of Cocoa Heads and author of Core Mac OS X and Unix Programming delivers perspective on Apple's announcement to move the Mac to the Intel chip architecture. You've heard all the hype, now get the straight story from someone with real programming credentials.
More editions of The User Group Report

519 The "Mad as Hell, Switching to Mac" PC Security Expert, the Rogue Valley Mac Expo, User Group Best Practices and A New Resource

Recently, a noted computer security expert and columnist surprised readers and colleagues by announcing he was switching to the Mac. We find out why and how the move is progressing, get the story on the third annual Rogue Valley Mac Expo, review a UG best practice and a new TMC resource in this edition. (#519)

Winn Schwartau
Winn Schwartau, PC security expert, author and columnist joins us for an in-depth interview on how Windows pushed him to the edge, his methodology for evaluating the Mac platform and his agenda for this switching experiment.
Chris Kiltz of the Josephine County Macintosh Users Group talks about her group's upcoming regional event, the third annual Rogue Valley Mac Expo, how they have involved both national vendors and local businesses to create a unique event that suits their area, and delivers some ideas that your group can use to do the same thing.

518

Talking Keynote 2 and Presentations with Tom Negrino, A New Apple Regional Liaison Team Member and Five Years of The MUG Center
A noted author talks about his latest projects, Keynote 2, presentation quality and upgrading to Tiger, a new Apple Regional Liaison discusses his goals for the groups in his territory, and The MUG Center's five year anniversary is reviewed. (#518)

Tom Negrino, the author of Creating Keynote Presentations with iWork : Visual QuickProject Guide from Peachipt, talks about his recent projects, Keynote 2 and its new features, delivers tips on designing an effective Keynote presentation and how to safely upgrade to Tiger, all in a feature length interview.
George Kopp of AppleJAC profiles his group, how much fun user group leadership can be, and what he hopes to accomplish as one of the newest members of the Apple Regional Liaison Team, covering the north central United States.

517

MacValley MUG at Twenty, Online Data Backup with BackJack and More Backup Discussions

A user group celebrates twenty active years, an online backup option for your critical information, and more backup discussions from the TMC Blog are included in this edition. (#517)

Julie Hetherington of BackJack discusses her company's options for online backup of your data, why online backup is now a more viable option than ever before, and special user group offer available exclusively through The MUG Center.
Ken Gruberman of the MacValley Users Group joins us to discuss his group's twentieth anniversary some of the changes they've experienced, and how treating their MUG like a small business has helped them thrive.

516 Going Mobile and Global with Fred Johnson, The AppleWorks' Users Group Evolution, iWire Broadcast, MUG Center News & Updates and More

The evolution of the world's largest Macintosh User Group, going global with (and without) your Mac, a new internet audio browser with an unusual development story, MUG Center news and updates and more are all included in this week's UGR.

Christopher Stadler, the lead Macintosh developer for East Bay Technologies talks about their internet audio browser, iWire Broadcast, how it was developed, and his surprising story of how he got into Macintosh software development.
Warren Williams of The AppleWorks Users Group makes the first in a series of appearances to talk about how the world's largest Mac user group is evolving with the advent of iWork as the successor to AppleWorks.
Fred Johnson, the author of Global Mobile: Connecting without Walls, Wires or Borders from Peachpit, discusses the best hardware and services for being on the go and staying connected in an increasingly wireless world, why he is a BlueTooth enthusiast and more in an in-depth interview.

515 Chuck Toporek on .Mac, MacBUS, A Tiger Upgrade Option and More

An expert covers the Apple .Mac service, the genre of business groups is profiled, we cover a new user group offer on internet audio software and tell you how to do a "test upgrade" to Tiger, just to be safe.

Chuck Toporek, the author of Inside .Mac from O'Reilly, discusses the evolution and usefulness of Apple's online service, how it integrates into Tiger, the value of the new family pack, the "extras" .Mac offers to its members and more.
Chuck Toporek
Chris Urban of the The Macintosh Business Users Society of Greater Philadelphia (MacBUS) talks about his group's involvement with a local educational institution, how they are getting young people involved in their group, and how their business focus differs from their community group counterparts.

514 Adam Engst of TidBITS, Default Folder X, North Pittsburgh Macintosh Users Group & Adobe User Group Program News

We talk new Tiger eBooks, a must-have utility to help you manage your files, a Mac donation program and news about the Adobe User Group Program in this week's edition of The User Group Report.

Adam Engst of TidBITS discusses the four Tiger additions to the Take Control ebook series, some of the coolest features in the new version of the Mac OS, provides some tips on upgrading to the new Mac OS and reveals his browser of choice in a feature-length interview.
Adam Engst
John Gotow
John Gotow of St. Clair Software talks about the latest, Tiger-friendly version of one of our all-time favorite utilities, Default Folder, their special user group discount and why being a small software company has advantages he isn't interested in giving up.
Dave Sevick of the North Pittsburgh Macintosh Users Group tells us about his group's Computer Donation Program and how they have donated almost 300 Macs to those in need and one way his group built up enthusiasm for the release of Tiger.
Dave Sevick

513 Jim Heid on iLife '05, New User Group Advisory Board Members, TMC Improvement Survey & More

A prominent author talks about the latest version of Apple's iLife suite, the two new members of the Apple User Group Advisory Board join us for their first interviews since their appointments, the results of our recent TMC Survey question and more are all in this edition.

Jim Heid, the author of The Macintosh iLife '05 from Peachpit, discusses what's new and cool in the latest edition of Apple's suite of apps, how his book is only one of three "legs" of support that he offers to readers, how iLife fits with novices and professionals alike, and more in our feature-length interview.
Jim Heid
Tom Piper
Tom Piper of appleJAC and one of the new members of the User Group Advisory Board talks about being appointed to Apple's premier volunteer team, his responsibilities for the Board, and what he hopes to accomplish as part of UGAB.
Lynn Poos of the Silicon Mountain Macintosh Users Group is the other new member of the User Group Advisory Board, and talks about how his experience as a senior member of the Regional Liaison Team will benefit him in his new post, ways to get youth involved in user groups, and the challenges of producing organized events.
Lynn Poos
512 Circus Ponies, Hacking Firefox, SmartSound Software, Special Guests at MUG Events, Vendor Offers & More

How a utility program has gotten even better, how you can customize one of the new age browswers and make it your very own, and how to create perfect audio tracks for any projects are all included in this edition, along with user group events, vendor offers and more.
Elizabeth Statmore of Circus Ponies is back to update us on all the changes that make the latest revision in their flagship product, NoteBook 2.0, the best yet and her busy user group appearance schedule.
Elizabeth Statmore
Nigel McFarlane, the author of Firefox Hacks: Tips & Tools for Next-Generation Web Browsing (O'Reilly) tells us what is cool about the open source web browser "out of the box" and how it can be even better with a few hacks that you don't have to be a geek to install.
Brian Dickman of SmartSound Software introduces us to Sonicfire Pro, the solution to creating perfectly timed music tracks for your Keynote, iMovie or Final Cut Pro projects, and a new training option to help you get more out of the program.
Brian Dickman
511 Final Cut Pro User Group Events at NAB and Beyond, Midnight Mage's User Group Program and User Group Best Practices

One of the largest Final Cut Pro User Group events of the year is coming up in Las Vegas and we have the lowdown for you, as well as an interview with a new user group-supporting vendor and our new user group best practices series.
Steve Sheets of Midnight Mage Software tells us about his company's user group program, what they provide to help MUGs demonstrate their product, RollCall Directory, and the many not-so-obvious results that can be achieved. Steve also shares his thoughts on being a small software developer, and what is on the horizon for Midnight Mage.
Steve Sheets
Michael Horton
Michael Horton of the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group previews, in super-secret mode, the big FCP event at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, two of his group's upcoming events, and discusses UG leadership responsibilities, the future of digital video and more in a feature-length interview.
510 In-Depth with XtraLean Software, Hawaii Mac Nuts on Pure User Group-ism, Meeting Topics & More

In this edition we profile a user group who is organized around the purest form of user group enthusiasm, and go in-depth with a "switcher-based" software company, their Mac products and their user group offer.
Dawn Hurwitz of Hawaii Mac Nuts talks about the fun she and the rest of their Organization Committee have in running their young group. They may not be as large or sophisiticated as many MUGs, but there are lessons to be learned here for user group leaders of all experience levels.
Dawn Hurwitz
Hagen Kaye
Hagen Kaye of XtraLean Software discusses being a "switcher" Mac software developer and how much code is saved by working on the Mac platform, their current products Shutterbug and ImageWell, their upcoming Paradise, and their first foray into user group support.
509 Mac-in-Awe MUG at Twenty, Efficiency in UG Operations with ClubMac of Hampton & Cool New Products from PocketMac

User groups everywhere are trying to do more, sometimes with less. In this edition we talk two two groups who have met different types of challenges to their organizations and are succeeding with different approaches to problems that many MUG leaders face. We also talk to a vendor who gives us an exclusive look at a new utility, released yesterday.
Marianne Young of The Mac-in-Awe MUG discusses their upcoming 20th anniversary celebration, the changes their group has gone through over that time period, and how their group thrives while drawing little outside support because of their geography.
Marianne Young
Jack Dolby
Jack Dolby of of Club Mac of Hampton outlines how he addresses some of the challenges that face many user group leaders, including limited resources and assistance, yet successfully delivers value to their small membership and maintains a current, professional face to the outside world.
Tim Goggin of Pocket Mac is here with an exclusive first look at the brand new PocketMac for Playstation Portables, along with their other products PocketMac for Blackberry, Safari Scrapbook and more.
Tim Goggin

508 Thomas Avalone of the Shreveport Macintosh Users Group, Vendor Offers & an Invitation to Get Involved with The MUG Center

We talk to an the enthusiastic founder of a new user group, review news, feature updates and vendor offers, and extend an invitation for you to get involved in new MUG Center initiative.
Thomas Avalone of the Shreveport Macintosh Users Group discusses the formation of his group, now it got started, and how they are planning for the future.
Thomas Avalone

507 Vendor Focus with BeLight Software, In-Depth with Design Tools Monthly and Tropical Software's User Group Tour

With more and more vendors getting involved with user groups, this edition focuses on different perspectives on user group interaction, as well as an in-depth discussion on the state of desktop publishing. (#507)
Irina Nazarova of BeLight Software covers her company's commitment to Mac user groups, their recently announced formal user group program, and how they support it with copies of their Business Card Composer and Mail Factory software.
Irina Nazarova
Jay Nelson Jay Nelson of Design Tools Monthly discusses the state of the desktop publishing market, Quark vs. InDesign, how to select the tool that is right for you, the user group offer on his publication and more.
James Lee of Tropical Software talks about his company's new TopXNotes software, his presentations to user groups and how he has been received, and his plans for an upcoming tour of California MUGs.
James Lee

506 KeynoteUser.com In-Depth, MacSpringFest in Honolulu and Evan Ziolkowski of the Apple Campus Group Advisory Board

We've got an in-depth interview with the publisher of one of the best resource sites on the Web for Apple's presentation program, a spotlight on a regional MUG event in Honolulu, talk with the newest member of Apple's Campus Group Advisory Board and run down a number of upcoming user group events. (#506)

Brian Peat of KeynoteUser.com goes in-depth on his site and what makes it different from other Keynote-oriented web sites. How taking advantage of the themes that Brian produces can improve your presentations, where to get more Keynote information, and the details of Brian's special user group offer are all covered in this week's in-depth interview.
Brian Peat
Jeff Cadavona Jeff Cadavona of the Hawaii Macintosh & Apple Users' Society provides a look at his group's upcoming regional event, MacSpringFest and what it will offer to the Honolulu Mac community.
Evan Ziolkowski of University of Wisconson - Madison Macintosh Users Group and the newest member of Apple's Campus Group Advisory Board talks about Apple on campus, his group, and being appointed to Apple's volunteer team.
Evan Ziolkowski

505 Dr. Mac Direct with Bob LeVitus, In-Depth with Mesa Dynamics on Tickershock, Twenty Years of MacCamp and the MUG Center Redesign

This time around we find out about the latest and most innovative tech support service available for the Mac, look at twenty years of a Mac community institution and go in-depth on an RSS newsreader that has some unusual features to offer. We also talk about The MUG Center's new design and solicit your feedback. (#505)

Bob LeVitus
Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus introduces the new tech support service that bears his name, Dr. Mac Direct, and tells us how their team of experienced Mac consultants, including some user group enthusiasts, can solve your technical problems by taking control of your Mac remotely, with guaranteed results or your money back.
Danny Espinoza of Mesa Dynamics talks in-depth about his company's RSS newsreader, Tickershock. What makes Tickershock different and compelling on a web that is increasingly crowded with newsreaders? Find out how they incorporate the best of several different interface styles and customization options to deliver what may be your new favorite way to view newsfeeds.
Danny Espinoza
Charles DeVore Charles DeVore of the Portland Macintosh Users Group discusses the production of his group's fortieth MacCamp, the seminar that is held twice each year in the Oregon rain forest, what it takes to put on the event, what this year's attendees can expect in the way of courses, and how they can win a Mac mini or two iPod shuffles.

504 Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News, In-Depth with Dan de Grandpre of dealmac, Cocoa Heads & User Group News Updates

We take a look at the hottest new Mac news site, talk in detail about how the #1 deal site on the Mac web continues to grow and improve and how they are interacting with their readers, profile a Mac programming user group and catch up on the latest MUG deals and news. (#504)

Dennis Sellers of Macsimum News discusses his latest project, how it grew from a part time idea into the latest news site on the Mac web, what differentiates it from its competitors and the unique resources it offers, including the new Macsimum Newscast. Dennis Sellers
Dan de Grandpre Dan de Grandpre of dealmac takes us behind the scenes of the original Mac deal web site, the services they have added to make it even more valuable and how their readers responded to a Southeast Asia tsunami charity project. With almost a year of user group visits under his belt, Dan also provides some thoughts on what MUGs can do to help guest speakers deliver the kind of presentation that everyone wants.
Mark Dalrymple of Cocoa Heads and author of Core Mac Osx And Unix Programming takes us inside a Mac programming group, what they do, and how they interact and mix with a local mainstream community MUG. Mark Dalrymple

503 Internet TV with iTube, In-Depth with Mariner Software's President and Campus MovieFest Update

We look at a cool new utility from a small developer who recently joined the Mac market to bring hundreds of video channels to your Mac, have an in-depth discussion with a software company who survive and thrive in two of the most dominated software markets there are (word processing and spreadsheets) and get an update on the premier student movie-making event. (#503)


Michael Wray
Michael Wray, president of Mariner Software, discusses his company, their MarinerWrite and MarinerCalc products and how they compete with Microsoft Office, their newest offering, MacJournal and how blogging has changed the way everyone looks at keeping a diary, why Mariner is still around when so many others have lost the fight in word processing and spreadsheets, their lifetime upgrade plan and more.
David Roemer of Campus MovieFest returns with an update on how this student moviemaking event has grown and grown, details on the southeast colleges and universities who are participating in this spring's event, what this year's premier event at the Fox Theater in Atlanta will feature, and he sees Campus MovieFest becoming even bigger and better in the future.
Craig Stadler
Craig Stadler of East Bay Technologies introduces his company's two Mac products, iTube and the upcoming iWire Broadcast, what they offer in the way of audio and video media delivery from the Internet, and why they could provide you with topics for your user group's upcoming meetings.

502 iWork Focus with the AppleWorks Users Group & Author Scott Knaster

iWork was the hottest software introduced at Macworld Conference & Expo last month. We take a detailed look at where it is, where it is going, and how the world's largest user group will support their members during the transition. We also talk to a noted author who has various Apple and MUG roots, find out about his projects and how he wants to become more involved with user groups. (#502)


Warren Williams
Cathy Merritt
Warren Williams and Cathy Merritt of The AppleWorks Users Group (AWUG) join us to talk about Apple's introduction of iWork, the building of, "...the successor to AppleWorks," and how they are already looking at adapting their group and their extensive resources to meet the needs of their members and all the opportunities that the new products offer. AWUG offers resources and benefits that local user groups can take advantage of. Find out about those and more in this in-depth interview with two experts on one of Apple's most enduring software products.
Scott Knaster, author of Hacking iPod + iTunes and MacToys: 12 Cool Projects for Home, Office, and Entertainment talks about his books and what they offer user groups, his latest project, Hacking Mac OS X Tiger, his unsual collection of URLs, and how your group can invite him to be a speaker at an upcoming meeting.

501 Chris Breen of PlaylistMag.com and Robin Rowe of the Linux Movies, Apple Shake & Apple Motion User Groups

Our first show of 2005 kicks off with updates on user group resources from a major contributor, a profile of three different user groups from their founder, updates on vendor offers and more. (#501)


Christoper Breen, Editior-in-Chief of Playlistmag.com and author of Secrets of the iPod and iTunes (5th Edition) talks about his latest music and iPod-focused activities, the newest edition of his book, and some changes to his popular Breen's Bungalow' user group resource.
Robin Rowe, the founder of Apple Motion Users Group, Apple Shake Users Group, and the Linux Movies Group discusses the three user groups he founded, how their structures differ from other user group models but work for them, the expertise level of his membership, and why the time for these groups has come.





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