Sponsor Spotlight:
Join our Announcements List
Former club president, Terry McKenna, will take a break from his
Information Systems Management master’s degree studies to give this
month’s presentation. The presentation will cover two topics....
online distance learning and the IT job market.
Terry is currently enrolled in the University of Liverpool online
master’s program, and will introduce a selection of IT degree
programs, discuss their merits, and share his experience of
juggling work and studies while trying to live a normal life.
A demonstration of Blackboard software will also be given,
which will offer an in-depth look at what is to be expected from
this type of learning environment. The discussion will be informal,
encouraging questions during the presentation.
PowerPoint slides will not be used, so bring a notebook if required.
Links:
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/richard_baraniuk_on_open_source_learning.html
http://online-degree.dyndns.org/
TIME: Doors open at 6:30, with the meeting getting underway at 7 pm.
COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.
VENUE: The meetings are held in the basement of the Tokyo Union Church
(map)on Omotesando Dori, a short walk from the A-1 exit of the
Omotesando subway station on the Ginza, Hanzomon, and Chiyoda Lines.
We hope you can make it to the meeting. For those who can’t, please
join us at Shakey’s down the street after 9 pm.
What’s in the making of a logo?
Some creativity to give the viewer a powerful image
and effective tools to render the image. The software
package that Michael Buma introduced to those attending
this meeting is called GB Logos . For a modest purchase
price the user gets a focused application that offers the
support and speed necessary for the design process.
There is a large library of images, objects and
fonts included along with plug-ins to create special effects
such as color gradients, text jitter and watery looking surfaces.
Using the GB Logos software Michael aptly produced many
examples of logos that were suitable for maps, business card and
letter heads. In short, if logos are what you need, this software
enables the creation of logo designs without the need for
high priced packages with feature over-load.
The meeting was promoted on the TPC website “Upcoming Events”
and on the TPC mailing list with the following description :
Mastering programs like Photoshop and Illustrator can literally take hours
or even days of time, so thank goodness for easier software options specifically
designed with only the minimum functions you need and with a user-friendly interface.
One such program is GB Logos, an innovative and easy to use product that makes
it possible for any business owner to design professional business logos, create
advertisements, design nice page headers for a website and other identifying
graphics in just minutes. The easy-to-use features of GB Logos include hundreds
of fully modifiable logo templates and objects categorized by industry and interest,
high quality graphical engine, creative tools and special effects.
TPC member Michael Buma will share his knowledge and experience with GB Logos and
answer your questions regarding logo design techniques. He is originally from
Salt Lake City, Utah and has over 10 years experience in applications and network
engineering, including having worked for both Intel and Toyo Engineering.
Michael is a recognized expert in ASP.NET, and is presently involved in CAD software
marketing and IT consulting services, as well as serving our TPC club in the capacity
of corporate liaison and assisting with the website redesign efforts.
Last time Mike focused on how to process digital photographs
and made some suggestions on how to store and where to present them.
For this month’s meeting he drew upon his academic training and
years of experience to provide some insight as to what makes a photo
interesting. As he touched upon the key points of perspective ,
angle, balance, subliminal lead in, isolating topics, etc.
he was able to illustrate the concepts by presenting photos from
from his own collection. Mike’s Flickr photo sets can be found at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtokue/sets/ .
The presentation was followed by a wide ranging question and answer
session that covered everything from lens protectors and filters to
photo file organization.
The meeting was promoted on the TPC website “Upcoming Events”
and on the TPC mailing list with the following description :
In April Mike Tokue barely got started on his presentation on
Basic Digital Photography before running out of time. For the
May meeting he will continue to expand on his recommendations
of how to enhance the final version of your photos.
The audience is encouraged to participate and to bring their
camera for some hands on case studies.
This well attended meeting included many new participants
at the TPC monthly meeting. Everyone wanted to hear, and
in some cases share, advice on how to get the most out of
their digital photography experience.
Mike’s first recommendation was a practical use for the
digital camera. Since today’s models are capable of such
high resolution, document everything! Use the camera to make
a copy of important documents and to make a record
identifying valuables and property. It takes just a
little time and can potentially reduce the hassles when
things are lost or stolen.
Mike stressed the flexibility of working with the
digital format. What the camera captures is often
not presentable right out of the box. However with
an off-the-shelf digital photo editing program it
is possible to make dramatic improvements to the
picture by making adjustments to the brightness,
saturation, contrast, etc.. Mike was able to
demonstrate the use of many of the tools with
a photo taken of an audience member.
There was a lively discussion on the pros and cons
of some of the popular photo hosting services on
the web , such as , flickr and google.
Mike’s closing recommendation:
The more pictures you take the better you get at
developing a critical eye for what makes a good
picture.
The meeting was promoted on the TPC website “Upcoming Events”
and on the TPC mailing list with the following description :
Our dynamic club VIVP (very important VP) Mr. Mike Tokue will share his expertise in digital photography
covering the basics, shooting, manipulation, storage, & web galleries.
Time: Thurs. March 12, 2009 from 7pm to 10pm
Location: The Pink Cow (http://www.thepinkcow.com)
Organized By: Mobile in Japan, Tokyo PC Users Group, Digital Eve
Event Description:
Join the Tokyo PC Users Group, Digital Eve Japan and the Mobile in Japan Community
for an evening of debate on the merits and demerits of the increasing array of smart phone
choices available to us.
You’ll learn:
- What are the benefits of a smart phone over a regular Japanese keitai?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various smart phone offerings
(iPhone, Windows Mobile, Nokia, Blackberry, Palm and Android)
- What should you consider before buying a smart phone and what choices do we have in Japan
- What developments can we expect to see over the coming months and years
Panelists:
- Steve Nagata
- Mike Tokue
- Paul Papadimitriou
Moderator: Andrew Shuttleworth - Long time mobile power user and blogger
=== Event Details ===
DATE: Thursday 12 March
TIME:
Doors open - 6.30pm
TPC Club biz - 7.00-7.30
Presentation - 7.30-8.30
Networking - 8.30-late
VENUE: The Pink Cow, Shibuya (http://www.thepinkcow.com)
COST: 1,000 yen (Includes light snacks, Regular TPC member rates apply)
For more information about the particpating groups see:
Tokyo PC Users Group : http://www.tokyopc.org
Digital Eve Japan : http://www.digitalevejapan.org
Mobile in Japan : http://www.mobileinjapan.com
Reservations are necessary. Please RSVP at:
See more details about the event and Mobile in Japan here:
http://www.mobileinjapan.com/events/smartphone-showdown
Looking for information about older TPC events?
Between meetings, you can keep up with what is happening with TPC by participating in the club newsgroups and mailing lists This is a handy way to stay informed, look for information, or share your knowledge and tips.
