Mac Brunch Special Interest Group (formerly Meet, Eat and Talk apple)

The fourth Wednesday MacBrunch (formerly Meet, Eat and Talk Apple, META) Special Interest Group has returned to in-person meetings at Zeke's Eatin' Place in Frontier Village Center, 1781 AZ-69 #35, Prescott, AZ 86301 (928) 776-4602. We will meet at 10 am. Hope to see you there. Contact Bobbie to make a reservation.

November SIG (Special interest Group) Cancelled

Future SIG Meetings:

December: Cancelled

January: Apple AI presented by Frank C., Jeff B., Art G. and others

February: Find My (Air Tags Everything) devices, people, presented by Jeff B

March: New Safari Features, including hiding distracting information, Reader, Find, Zoom, Settings, and More by Art G.

Previous Meetings

October 28 How to use Shortcuts by Jeff Bailey

September 23 SIG (Special interest Group)

Vision Pro by Marty Jenicus

AUGUST 26 SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) CANCELLED

July 22 SIG (Special interest Group)
Topic Sharing Files and Folders for Collaborative purposes

Sharing Files and Folders for Collaborative purposes, presented by John Carter. Outline.

June 24 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic One Password vs Keychain

Have you ever wanted to learn more about password managers?  Would you like to learn more about Apple’s built-in password manager called Keychain, and 1Password, one of the leading password managers?  Then, join us at our next PMUG SIG.   Keychain vs. Keychain Access.

May 27 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic File Management

File Management by Frank Croft, John Acquavella, and Mary Ann Clark

Apple File Management Presentation (iCloud). MacOS File Management.

April 22 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic

Everything Watch, including setup, accessories, tips/tricks, stacks, health presented by Jim Romaine and Frank Croft. Presentation.

March 25 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic

MacOS Photos App for Editing presented by Bobbie Pastor. Presentation.

FEBRUARY 26 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic

Meaning of iPhone status icons and Using iPhone for Medical Apps presented by Jim Romaine and John Carter. iPhone Icon Presentation.

JANUARY 22 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic

Using Preview instead of Adobe Reader, presented by John Carter. Presentation. Speaker Notes.

December SIG Cancelled

November 27 SIG (Special interest Group) Topic Grab Bag with John Carter

The topics for the SIG includes Pages Templates, Keyboard shortcuts, Messages tips, Photos tips, Gmail issues, accessing Passwords in iOS, ECG tips (Apple Watch), and syncing apps across devices. Updated Presentation. Keyboard Shortcuts. Meeting Video.October 25 SIG (Special interest Group) All about Chatgpt

ChatGPT, which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a large language model-based a chatbot developed by OpenAI and launched on November 30, 2022, which enables users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired length, format, style, level of detail, and language (definition courtesy of Wikipedia).  

John Carter will provide enough information about ChatGPT to give you sufficient reason to either use ChatGPT or leave it alone. There are many pros and cons, so it helps to know what they are to guide you in your choice. Also covered will be the potential future of ChatGPT and how it might affect every aspect of human activity. Presentation. Using ChatGPT.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Mac- and iOs-specific Security

The September 25 Special Interest Group meeting (SIG) is going to feature John Carter and Frank Croft again teaming up to give you a whirlwind tour of some fascinating things you can do with your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. And maybe even something about the Apple Watch. For starters, John will demonstrate (in slow motion) how to create a folder on the Mac that can be password protected (it’s a neat trick). Then we’ll cover how to access files that are on the Mac from an iPhone or iPad even when the files aren’t in the iCloud Drive. We will also go over some basic folder organization tips on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The SIG is scheduled to take two hours, so lots of interesting tips and techniques will be covered, and we’ll also take time to answer any questions you may have. See you there!

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Creating Mac and iOS apps

On Monday, May 22, at 1 pm, Art Gorski will discuss How to create graphics with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Smart Home Products and the Homekit app

On Monday, June 26, at 1 pm, Craig Wright and Deborah Neff will discuss smart home products and the HomeKit app.

Zoom meeting registration will be sent out to members. Guests are welcomed to attend.

Please share the registration link with a friend who would benefit from learning more about PMUG.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Creating Mac and iOS apps

On Monday, May 22, at 1 pm, Art Gorski will discuss How to create graphics with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Managing Your Dock

On Monday, March 27, at 1 pm, John Acquavella will discuss Managing Your Dock. Presentation.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Ventura Operation System

On Monday, February 27, at 1 pm, Jim Romaine will demonstrate the new Ventura Operating System "Settings."

Zoom meeting registration will be sent out to members. Guests are welcomed to attend.

Please share the registration link with a friend who would benefit from learning more about PMUG.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Health apps on the Watch

On Monday, January 23, at 1 pm, Frank Croft will share information about the Health app on the Apple Watch. Presentation. See also Apple Watch Complications Guide and the Watch OS9 User Guide.

Cancelled for November and December.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Using and Modifying the iOS16 Lock Screen on the iPhone

Note: this meeting has been moved to Tuesday, September 27.

On Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 1 pm, John Acquavella will share what he learned setting up his iPhone Lock Screen. The topic of the SIG is "Using and Modifying the iOS 16 Lock Screen on the iPhone”. This is a new feature introduced in the latest version of the iPhone iOS. Please note: You must upgrade your iPhone to iOS 16 in order to take advantage of this meeting. iPads do not currently have this feature.

To update your iPhone, go to Settings, General, Software Update. At the bottom of the update screen should be a link to the iOS software update. If you do not see the link, your phone may not be capable of installing the new iOS.

This SIG is geared to introductory users, though seasoned users should find it fun and we welcome their helpful insights during the SIG. The only requirement for the SIG is that you update your iPhone to iOS 16. The update is available for iPhones 8 or later. To update your iPhone, go to Settings, General, Software Update. At the bottom of the update screen there should be a link to the iOS software update. If there are two choices, choose iOS 16 (not iOS 15.7). If you have trouble updating, send John Acquavella a note and he’ll Zoom with you to help. Participants will have a chance to set up their own iPhone and learn about other new Lock Screen capabilities.

Frank Croft has prepared a very useful handout with screenshots in case you want to experiment in advance of the call. Please see the attachment to this email. Handout.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Common iPhone Problems

On August 22, 2022, John Carter will moderate a discussion about iPhone problems and give some ideas on how to solve them. What iPhone problems have you had and how did you resolve them? 

This will be a conversation between John and the members. He will be soliciting the attendees for the problems they have had or are having and what approaches they took to resolve the problems. He will inject, where appropriate, his own ideas of problem solving. This approach should get the juices flowing in everyone's brains. Screen Recording in iPhone.

Here are two websites containing tips on troubleshooting iPhone problems:


SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Ins and Outs of Meteorology Apps

The June 27, 2022 Special Topics SIG was Ins and Outs of Meteorology app by Frank Croft. There are hundreds of weather apps for iOS and a couple hundred for the Mac. So, which ones are best?? I will look at what weather is, what the apps report vs what the National Weather Service collects and reports, and talk about the ones I use (and why) as well as a few others that have been highly rated. Lastly, we will discuss how to choose the best one for you. Presentation.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) APPLE MUSIC

The May 24, 2022 Special Topics SIG from 1 PM to 3 PM is Apple Music. Presentation

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Air Tags: Pluses and Minuses

The April 25 Special Topics SIG from 1 PM to 3 PM is Air Tags: Pluses and Minuses

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Apple Fitness +

The March 28 Special Topics SIG from 1 PM to 3 PM is all about apple Fitness+ with Frank Croft.

Apple Fitness+ is a fitness service powered by Apple Watch. You can choose from a catalog of 11 different workouts and meditations led by a wide variety of expert trainers. Each workout has 2-3 different intensities to fit a range of personal conditioning. In-session metrics, like heart rate and calories burned, are synced to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, so you don't have to take your eyes away from your workout or meditation to see how you're doing. Workouts range from 5 to 45 minutes, and include sessions for the beginner, seniors and pregnant women. Come join Frank as he describes this service and outlines the costs. Presentation.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Best apps for Your new Mac/ipad/iphone

The February 28, 2022 was all about the best apps for your new Mac/iPad/iPhone with Frank Croft.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Finder, Focus, Migration Assistant+

The January 24, 2022 Special Topics SIG from 1 PM to 3 PM is all about Finder, Focus, and Migration Assistant with John Carter and Frank Croft. Notes from meeting.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) Apple Watch Series 7 & Apple Watch OS 8

Monday, November 22, 2021 from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch)OS 8

Frank Croft is going to focus on the latest Apple watch (series 7) and WatchOS 8. At this stage of development the Apple Watch there is so much functionality that keeping time is the least of what the watch can do. Come watch and learn (groan). Presentation.

SIG (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP) PREVIEW VS ADOBE ACROBAT

Monday, October 25, 2021 from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Apple Preview vs. Adobe Acrobat

Pages is the default text document app in macOS. It is also available for ipadOS and iOS. Some people feel a need to be using MS Word because it is what is being used by friends or by a company they work for. LibreOffice has been available as a free app and is touted to be virtually the same as MS Word. Let’s find out. This Special Topics SIG talk by John Carter will cover some (not all) of the differences between these apps. Hopefully, you’ll get a good feeling about why you would use one over the other for the purpose you use it for. Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Apple’s Word vs Pages vs LibreOffice

Monday, September 27, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Word Processing Options: Word vs Pages vs LibreOffice with John Carter

Pages is the default text document app in macOS. It is also available for ipadOS and iOS. Some people feel a need to be using MS Word because it is what is being used by friends or by a company they work for. LibreOffice has been available as a free app and is touted to be virtually the same as MS Word. Let’s find out. This Special Topics SIG talk by John Carter will cover some (not all) of the differences between these apps. Hopefully, you’ll get a good feeling about why you would use one over the other for the purpose you use it for.

Presentation Notes, Presentation Slides.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Apple’s WWDC

Monday, August 23, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Announcements at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) by Art Gorski. Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Photos Editing and Scanning

Monday, July 26, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Photos editing and Scanning by John Carter. Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Apple One Subscriptions

Monday, June 28, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Apple One Subscriptions by John Carter and Frank Croft. Presentation.

This is a member-only event, but you can invite one friend whom you think would like to know more about our club. Members are sent an email with a link.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Apple Home App Devices

Join us on Monday, May 24, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Apple Home App Devices by John Carter and Frank Croft. HomeKit. iOT Presentation. Additional Information.

SIG (Special Interest Group) favorite iOS and iPadOs Apps

Join us on Monday, April 26, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG.

Topic: Favorite iOS and iPadOs Apps.

In this special edition of the Special Topics SIG, we are asking members to submit the name and a short description of their favorite iPhone/iPad app. You will be invited to share a short demo or at least talk about it briefly. If you don’t know how to share your iPhone or iPad in Zoom, you will be given personal training. If sharing isn’t your thing, we’ll do our best to talk it up for you.

SIG (Special Interest Group) DSLR CAmeras

Join us on Monday, March 22, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG on DSLR Cameras with Frank Croft. This is an introduction to Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras. It is geared toward people looking to buy a DSLR, new to DSLRs, beginners with their DSLRs and the occasional user of a DSLR. It will provide basic ground works and background for understanding how a DSLR works, and how best to use some of the basic features that are common to them all, regardless of the brand. Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) iOS and iPadOS Files and Folders

Join us on Monday, February 22, 2021, from 1 to 3 pm for PMUG Special Topic SIG on iOS and iPadOS with John Carter. All About iOS and iPadOS Files.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Apple Watch

Join us on Monday, January 25, 2021, 10:00 for PMUG Special Topic SIG: Frank Croft talks about the Apple Watch face sharing plus 7.0 tips. This is a member-only event, but you can invite one friend whom you think would like to know more about our club. Just email this invitation. Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Music App

On December 28, 2020, the Special Topics SIG starts at 1 PM. Topic: Frank Croft will be showing the Music App Library on MacOS and how to move music to the iPhone, and Jim Romaine will be doing Music streaming to the iPhone and Mac. Frank’s Presentation. Jim’s Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) Apple Hardware for holiday gifts

On Monday November 23, 2020, at 1 pm you are invited to attend a virtual Special Interest Group. Frank Croft says, I will be talking about all of Apple's new hardware plus a few other new things from Apple. I will be using several Keynote slides to introduce the products, then going live to Apples web site for additional information. This will include their announcement made this month on the new M1 chip (which replaces the Intel chips) and the 3 computers that have been released based on that chip. When I do the iPhone 12, I will also talk about what 5G Cellular is and what it really provides. Then at the end, I will talk about Apple One, what is included and for how much, and finish with Apple’s new App Privacy Labels. Perfect timing for getting a great holiday gift from Apple!!

SIG (Special Interest Group) All ABout Book Readers

On Monday October 26, 2020, at 1 pm you are invited to attend a virtual Special Interest Group workshop “All About Book Readers” with John Carter. You will discover many ways can you read a digital book or magazine, and with what app, and where can you get the books. How many are free? How can the Prescott Library help? Let's explore the possibilities and figure out if we have the time to read all the books in our bucket list. Presentation.

SIG (Special Interest Group) iPhone Health Apps

On Monday, September 28, 2020, at 1 pm Frank Croft is holding a special topics meeting (SIG) on the Apple’s Health App on the iPhone which has received several improvements in iOS 14, as well as a few other health apps on the App store. This will be done by sharing his Health App during the talk. He recommends you use a computer to join so you can follow along with your iPhone.

Register for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcOGoqTkjHtE8buKKLc9F5p4l59wgMuJ1 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.SIG (Special Interest Group) All About Safari

On Monday, August 24, 2020, at 1 pm John Carter is holding a special topics meeting (SIG) on the Safari browser — and anything else the might come up. Presentation.

Register for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

NO SIG (Special Interest Group) in July

SIG (Special Interest Group) Photos to Movies

On Monday, June 22, 2020, at 1 pm John Carter is holding a special topics meeting (SIG) on how to turn your photos into a movie using Photos, Keynote, and iMovie. Attached is a document that will give you a good idea of what will be covered.

Register for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

SIg (Special Interest Group) Photo Editing

On Monday, May 11, 2020, from 1 to 3 pm John Carter will demonstrate some particular features of photo editing using the Mac Photos app, the Affinity Photo application, and some more tips on organizing your photos and finding duplicates.

Register for Monday, May 11, 2020, 1:00 PM - Special Topics SIG

SIG (Special Interest Group) iWatch April 20, 2020

Apple Watch SIG is for people who HAVE an Apple Watch. The Frank will be going over features so the participants to follow along with their Apple Watch.

Keynote Presentation

Pages Outline so you can take notes