Cryptography--the practice and study of hiding information--is
a technology that we depend on for the safety of our computer
accounts as well as our bank accounts.  We are all familiar
with the representative lock icon presented to us in our web
browsers, but do you know how it actually works?  Travis
Cardwell, a software architect with LINC Media, Inc. and
mathematics fanatic, will give an introduction to how
cryptography works.  Topics will include terminology, popular
algorithms, snake oil, applications, passwords, and attacks.

Software covered will include GPG and TrueCrypt, as well as
cryptographic software included in various operating systems.
There will also be a demonstration of IronKey, “the world’s
most secure flash drive,” which is now available in Japan.

Related links:
http://www.gnupg.org/
http://www.truecrypt.org/
http://www.biosjp.com/ironkey.html

LINC Media, Inc.
http://www.lincmedia.co.jp/

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,
you can catch us at Shakey’s nearby after 9pm. 

Aspiring musicians, and the rest of us, who are curious to know how to create and record music on a PC are invited to TPC May meeting to be presented by Dan Lindholm.  Dan is a professional musician/composer with a major in Music & Computer technology and is accomplished in both synthesized and natural instruments.  He hails from Sweden and is currently based in Japan.

For his presentation he will demonstrate how to make any computer into a music-machine explaining minimum requirements, problem solving to make things work properly, and various steps in the production process.  Topics will include Midi vs. Sound, music software such as Virtual Instruments and Virtual Orchestra, Time Stretching for movies, and Mastering etc.

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Bellow is additional post event commentsby Dan:

Cubase Le (comes like a freeware if you buy a certain soundcard etc.)

Cubase SX 2 (todays version is 4, but I guess 2 is now down in price.)

Cakewalk

Pro-Tools

Reason (standalone or “re-wire” program that works with Cubase)

Logic Audio Silver/Gold/Platinum (last version for windows was 5.5.) Logic Audio 4 should work fine. (The Gold version)

(Tracker Skaletracker. (also can utlize VSTi instruments and synthezisers.)

Freeware
The older the programs are, less “memory” consuming for an older PC.

Softsynthezisers: VSTi

A good beginner synth (with all the sounds you might need at the first glance)

“Hypersonic”

Sample-Tank

or

“Edirol Virtual Soundcanvas”.

For music, atleast 5400 rpm drive. For music AND motionpicture, 7200 rpm. Memory, more the better. Processor, INTEL is recommended for it’s stability.

Make the computer as efficient as possible, not having it hooked up against the internet. keep it clean as a music workstation. 2 drives. (C-driver for program & drivers, D-drive for recording and sound-library storage.)

Free as much uneccessary “sub-programs” like virus-check. (For an internet computer it’s ok, for a music computer, no. It steals memory making the system unstable.) Firewall, no. You can configure this in the “run” menu with the command:msconfig.exe. boot-up the computer with only the necessary drivers required.

If you soundcard doesn’t support ASIO. Download the “software” driver called ASIO4ALL on the internet. It’s beware and should atleast make your music-making software to behave quicker.

Hope this will inspire the music creativity.

Organizational skills have a profound affect on our productivity, but
they are difficult to teach because we are all different and have varied
organizational preferences. Travis Cardwell, a software architect with
LINC Media, Inc. and organizational expert, will present digital organization
techniques as well as applications of these techniques in the organization
of general data, digital photos, email, schedules, bookmarks, and contacts.

The presentation will cover the use of organization software, including
outliners, mindmapping utilities, spreadsheet applications, and online
applications. BasKet Note Pads, Freemind, and Gnumeric will be
used during the presentation, but alternative software for various
platforms will be introduced as well.

Travis will lead a discussion at the end, so come prepared to explain
your most challenging organizational problems!

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Related links:
http://basket.kde.org/
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/
http://projects.gnome.org/gnumeric/

LINC Media, Inc.
http://www.lincmedia.co.jp

TIME: Doors open at 6:30 with the meeting getting underway at 7pm.

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.

COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.

We hope you can make it to the meeting. For those who can’t, you can catch us at Shakey’s nearby after 9pm.
Note: Remember to sign up to the mailing list to receive the monthly announcements.

Have you ever imagined operating a PC without using a mouse or any other pointing device? The debut of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) was a big breakthrough for most computer users but for blind people, it presented yet another big challenge.  Tonight’s presenters who have both been totally blind since soon after birth, have met that challenge and in the course of their work, are helping other visually handicapped people to use and be able to benefit from computers.

Takashi Kobayashi, Customer Support Manager at Techno Tool K.K. (http://www.ttools.co.jp/index.html), a provider of equipment and devices for use by the handicapped, and Kazuya Hosoda, a Program Manager at Microsoft Japan (http://www.microsoft.com/enable/), will explain their jobs, and the importance of accessibility, while demonstrating how, with the use of special reading software, blind people can use a PC.

Come along to this meeting to see, hear and learn about this fascinating, but largely unknown, aspect of computing.

TIME: Doors open at 6:30 with the meeting getting underway at 7pm.

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.

COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.

We hope you can make it to the meeting. For those who can’t you can catch us at Shakey’s nearby after 9pm.

The meeting at TPC this month will be of particular interest to those who hosting their web pages with a web host other than their ISP.  Most web hosting services offer a browser control panel that gives the user access to a plethora of nifty tools that, unfortunately, barely get used as they seem more of a hassle than help!  Tonight TPC president, Terry McKenna, will demonstrate how to get the most out of such a control panel. Aspects that will be covered will include Security and Accessibility: keeping bad guys out, and keeping the good guys in. Terry will also demonstrate some tricks he uses to frustrate the efforts of those who would otherwise harvest his email address or photos. Since cPanel is the most popular this will be used.

TIME: Doors open about 6:30, the meeting starts at 7PM

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.

COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.