December 12, 2002
Alpha Software
Alpha Software and Databases
Our main feature this month was Alpha Software of Burlington, MA, demonstrating their award winning Alpha Five database software package.
Alpha Software says their mission is to build cutting edge database software that enables customers to build breakthrough applications and solve database management problems rapidly and easily. With well over one million units of software sold, their products are used in a wide range of settings, including government departments and small to medium sized businesses. Our speaker will present Alpha Five Version 5, the newest release of their award winning database product that is the ultimate combination of speed, ease of use and power.
Ask the Experts
A regular feature of our monthly meetings is our Ask the Experts segment. Bring your questions and problems. But please, no hardware.
Are you frustrated and having trouble with your computer. Wouldn't you like your own computer expert to help you resolve it? Want advice on what hardware or software to buy, or where to buy it. Trying to decide whether to upgrade? Did you already do that and now your computer isn't quite working as well?
Want to understand search engines or change or improve your e-mail? Come bring your questions and your own experiences. Ask the Experts!
November 14, 2002
Microsoft for the Holidays
Microsoft for the Holidays
Our main feature this month was Microsoft representative Matt McCann,
who demonstrated several of Microsoft's latest products for the Holiday 2002
shopping season. Live demos included Picture It!, Digital Image
Pro, Tablet PC, Pocket PC and several games such as Links 2003 and Age of
Mythology.
In addition, we'll saw some tips and tricks about Windows XP and
heard briefly about the rest of the products in the Microsoft holiday lineup.
Ask the Experts
A regular feature of our monthly meetings is our "Ask the Experts" segment. Bring your questions and problems. But please, no hardware.
Are you frustrated and having trouble with your computer. Wouldn't you like your own computer expert to help you resolve it? Want advice on what hardware or software to buy, or where to buy it. Trying to decide whether to upgrade? Did you already do that and now your computer isn't quite working as well?
Want to understand search engines or change or improve your e-mail? Come bring your questions and your own experiences. "Ask the Experts"!.
October 10, 2002
Inside Intel
Ask the Experts
An ongoing feature of our monthly meetings is our "Ask the Experts" feature. Bring your questions and problems. But please, no hardware.
Are you frustrated and having trouble with your computer. Wouldn't you like your own computer expert to help you resolve it? Want advice on what hardware or software to buy, or where to buy it. Trying to decide whether to upgrade? Did you already do that and now your computer isn't quite working as well?
Want to understand search engines or change or improve your e-mail? Come bring your questions and your own experiences. "Ask the Experts"!.
Inside Intel
Also this month, we were learning about computer processors/chips. Tom Murphy of Intel, you remember those, "Intel Inside" adds, provided us with an overview of the Intel Corporation and their processors. With this information we can hopefully be a more informed user and now know what to look for when buying a PC. Tom also addressed the issue of wireless networking and answered quite a few questions about Intel, processors and new tecnologies.
September 12, 2002
Seagate Technology Storage Review!
Our September speaker was Tim McDonald of Seagate Technology LLC. Tim is a Channel Sales Representative and works out of his home office located in Amesbury, MA and a Seagate office located in Westford, MA. He represents Seagate to customers in the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Tim represents both hard disk drives and tape backup products (Seagate Removable Storage Solutions LLC).
His presentation included three new
disk drive product lines: the U Series X, the Barracuda ATA V, and Cheetah 10K.6. The first two products are part of their "Desktop" line and the Cheetah 10K.6 is an "Enterprise" class disk drive. The presentation included information about Seagate's different market segments (Consumer Electronics, Performance PCs, Enterprise, SAN) and new interface technologies such as Serial ATA and U320.
August 8, 2002
Eighth Annual Non-Meeting Meeting!
A Little History...
Many years ago, even before there was a North Shore
Computer Society, when we were still a part of the Boston
Computer Society, the word got out that we were
meeting on our regularly scheduled second Thursday that
August. But we hadn't actually scheduled anything, since
we generally took the summer off for vacationing and
preparing for the next year.
And since we didn't plan for
it, our regular meeting place, the McCarthy Auditorium
at the Peabody Municipal Light Plant was unavailable
and we didn't have any speakers lined up. Fortunately,
some quick thinking and even quicker planning saved the
day.
If we couldn't meet in the auditorium, we would meet
outside. And if there wasn't a speaker, we would just sit
around, have a few soft drinks and chips and socialize. And so began the tradition known as the Non-Meeting
Meeting.
And This Year...
Held each year on our regularly scheduled second
Thursday meeting night in August (the 8th this year),
we continue to meet with no agenda and no speaker, just
a group of people sitting around, eating and socializing.
But we have improved the location a bit.
Where...
This year, the
location remains the same as last year at the Peabody Historical
Society barn next to Brooksby Farm at the end of
Felton Street in Peabody.
Bring On The Food...
The refreshments have improved
since that first meeting as well. Plan on pizza, hot
hors d'oeuvres, giant subs, ice cold soft drinks, other light
munchies and home cooked goodies. Food contributions
are welcome, just call ahead and let us know what you are
going to bring so that we don't have too many dishes of
potato salad and not enough brownies.
When...
The fun begins around 6:00 PM and continues until the
bugs win. Volunteers are needed for set up and clean up.
If you can help us out, let us know by email at
nmm@northshore.org or by phone at 888-955-NSCS.
So, bring a lawn chair, a friend or just yourself. Enjoy a summer evening with old and new friends alike. Swap stories, ask questions or just relax and unwind. But leave the computers at home. You deserve a break.
Do you have some ideas of your own for upcoming monthly meetings? Please,
let us know!
June 13, 2002
Wireless Information in Your Home!
Our June speaker will be Ms Diana V. Jones, the President and CEO of VASE. VASE is a Massachusetts company that has a vision - that the technology changes of the past two decades can allow us to have access to any source of information in the home, at any point in time, by any user.
Ms Jones will talk about having a distributed network in the home. This network consists of wireless interconnected systems that surround the user and satisfy the need for information, communication, and entertainment. It promises to be a most informative meeting.
May 9, 2002
Mobile Computing!
Do you ever have trouble remembering peoples' names and personal details, remembering appointments, getting to where you should be on time, or tracking items on your "to-do" list ?
It might be time to get a Personal Digital Assistant. Our own Don Orifice showed us how a PDA can help organize your life.
April 11, 2002
Linux Revealed & Team In Focus!
Linux Revealed:
We have heard the term Linux but many of us have no idea what it is or what it does. Our speaker Christoph Doebeck will give us an insight or as he says a 10,000 foot view of what Linux is, what it is all about, and what is the current motivation for installing/deploying Linux.
Christoph is a UNIX System Administrator, Red Hat Certified Engineer, has worked in virtually every industry sector teaching, conducting Research and Development and is an active member of the Boston Linux & UNIX user’s group.
Team In Focus:
Our other speaker this month is Richard Lockridge of Team In Focus, a company that represents the people side of the Internet and builds highly directed consumer teams who partner with selected Internet companies. Team in Focus provides partnership and mentorship programs to assist consumer teams in building a well-balanced and profitable business.
Team In Focus operates a multi-faceted educational system in which anyone can participate, regardless of his or her technical background or experience. High-tech, Low-tech and No-tech options are available. Richard is also a North Shore Computer Society member
March 14, 2002
BlackICE Internet Security!
Do you think you are the only one reading the files that are on your computer? Hackers are out there. Do you use a DSL or cable modem to get online? Store confidential information on your computer, such as credit card numbers or bank account numbers? Trade stocks or purchase items from online retailers like Amazon.com or Ebay.com? Download files off the Internet? Play online games like Quake or Half-Life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are a prime target for hackers. Todd Humphreys from Internet Security Systems was our March speaker. He sopke to us about personal firewall products including their BlackICE package.
BlackICE is a sophisticated new way to spot, track, and stop hackers before they stop you. Even if you use a traditional dial-up modem and only surf the web, you are still at risk. Hackers can plant remotely controlled viruses on your computer creating havoc on or offline. BlackICE monitors, detects and stops hackers cold.
February 13, 2002
The Brick Computer Company and
Streaming Audio Media from InteleCom!
The Brick Computer Company:
David Dion of The Brick Computer Company (located in Topsfield, MA) will be
our first speaker, presenting their newest line of computers. Brick released the latest version of their popular small form factor computer, the Brick PC Platinum, in the first week of December and sold out their first production run in less than two weeks.
Come see this and their other lines of portable and desktop computers. Who knows? Maybe we can convince them to give away a computer for a door prize.
Streaming Audio Media from InteleCom:
Do you know what streaming is or have you done it? Had problems or unhappy with how long it took to download audio files? Want to learn more about it?
This month's second speaker is Bruce Spaulding from InteleCom. Their latest offering is an audio-streaming product called InteleStreams. They also offer other telecommunications related products and services.
With InteleStreams you no longer have to wait 6-10 minutes for a .wav file to download to hear an audio message. In most cases, you can hear an InteleStreams message instantly as soon as you open your email.
You can also attach these InteleStreams messages to you Web page. You can even assign a different InteleStream message to each person in a image, causing that person to speak as you move the mouse over the image.
Bruce will explain the product, and demonstrate how to attach these audio-streams to your email messages.
January 10, 2002
Microsoft: Product Questions & Answers on Windows XP!
Have you been trying to decide whether to install Windows XP? Or have you had a question about
any of Microsoft's products? Our Speaker this month was John Stroiney, a Channel Marketing Representative with Microsoft's Home & Retail Division Field Sales Team.
John coverd Windows XP in depth, talked about several of Microsoft's products and answered our questions. John was with us last year about this time as well.
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