http://www.tokyopc.net/index.php/events/ en M.Wright Copyright 2012 2012-04-24T06:57:02+09:00 http://www.tokyopc.org/index.php/events/sat_may_19th_2012_tpc_tlug_sawanoi_sake_brewery/ The May 2012 meeting for TPC is an outing to Sawanoi Sake Brewery. This will be a joint activity between the Tokyo PC Users group (TPC) and the Tokyo Linux Users Group (TLUG). Members of these groups and their sake-loving friends are welcome to participate. Founded in 1702, Sawanoi is one of Tokyo’s most famous sake breweries. It is located in the scenic Oku-Tama region, west of Tokyo, where there are plenty of sources of mineral water that is used in the brewing process. Itinerary: * 12:45 Meet at Ome Station, around the waiting room in the platform http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Waiting_room_of_Ome_station.jpg * 12:51 Take train on Ome Line bound to Oku-Tama * 13:05 Arrive at Sawai Station * 13:10 Walk to Sawanoi-En (Sawanoi Garden) * 13:15 Tour of the brewery * 14:15 Sake tasting * 15:00 Move to a restaurant nearby * 15:15 Eat, drink and chat with the brewery’s president, Ozawa-san * 16:00 Head back to Sawai Station Those from the TPC wishing to participate are requested to register at: http://tlug.doorkeeper.jp/ The number of participants is limited so register soon ! Individual cost between 4500 - 5000 yen You can get to Ome Station by taking the Chuo Line west from Shinjuku. If you’re lucky enough to catch the occasional Chuo Line Ome Special Rapid, it will take you directly to Ome. Otherwise you can change to the Ome Line or wait for a Chuo Line Ome Special Rapid at Tachikawa Station. If you find yourself at Toyoda or Takao on the Chuo line then you have gone too far and need to backtrack to Tachikawa for a transfer.  ************************************************************************************** Review:  TPC April 19th , 2012 monthly meeting. Joe Moross and Kalin Kozhuharov from Safecast gave a highly engaging presentation for the April meeting. They talked at length on Safecast activities over the last year, their experiences and then give an introduction to the theory and practicalities of radiation measurement. This meeting was designed to prepare TPC meeting participants who choose to build their own geiger counters at an upcoming SIG session in May. The presentation covered the ABCs of isotopes; alpha, beta and gamma. There were extensive explanations on units of measurements and examples of how they are often used in ways that muddle radiation readings reporting. Joe and Kalin reviewed numerous measuring devices that are used at Safecast and even some devices that are prohibitively expensive.  Lastly participants got a hands on introduction (Don’t touch the power source !) to the type of geiger counter they would be assembling (some sodering required). DIY geiger counter meeting at Tokyo Hacker Space Tokyo Hacker Space will provide the venue, equipment and supervision for the participants to work on their geiger counter project. Kalin estimates that it will take about 2 hours for the assembly session. He will order the parts and post a suggested meeting date on the THS website, http://tokyohackerspace.org . The time frame is tentatively a week after Golden week on a weekend day. Once Kalin has posted the details on the THS website, those interested can sign up for the session. The April meeting provided important background information so attendance at that meeting is a prerequisite to continuing with the build phase. There is a Calendar on the right side of the THS home page. Under the Calendar there will be a title related to TPC DIY geiger counter . Selecting this title will access a section where sign-up information can be entered. Alternatively, those interested in the build phase of the DIY geiger counter can send an e-mail to programs [AT] the TPC domain name and Michael, the TPC Program Director, will keep you up-to-date with meeting developments by e-mail. Upcoming 2012-04-24T06:57:02+09:00 http://www.tokyopc.org/index.php/events/september_3rd_2009_online_distance_learning/ Presenter: Terry McKenna 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.blackboard.com/ http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/ http://www.oreillyschool.com/ http://cnx.org/ http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/richard_baraniuk_on_open_source_learning.html http://www.zotero.org/ 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. Past 2009-08-23T14:52:01+09:00 http://www.tokyopc.org/index.php/events/thursday_june_4_2009_logo_design_techniques/ Presenter:  Michael Buma 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 : Thursday June 4, 2009 - Logo Design Techniques Presenter:  Michael Buma 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. Past 2009-05-29T04:40:01+09:00 http://www.tokyopc.org/index.php/events/thursday_may_7_2009_basic_digital_photography_part_ii/ Presenter: Mike Tokue 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 : Thursday May 7, 2009 - Basic Digital Photography - Part II Presenter: Mike Tokue 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. Past 2009-04-29T08:10:01+09:00 http://www.tokyopc.org/index.php/events/basic_digital_photography/ Presenter: Mike Tokue 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. Topics will include: What to Shoot, Why shoot, How to shoot. How to make that Photo Pop! Having Fun with your Photos. How best to make use of free web galleries. Please come with all your digital photo questions for Mike, who obviously has a real passion for this field. Mike’s Flickr photo sets: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtokue/sets/ Past 2009-03-26T05:00:00+09:00