http://www.tokyopc.net/index.php/events/ en M.Wright Copyright 2012 2012-01-30T08:56:01+09:00 http://www.tokyopc.org/index.php/events/thurs_feb_2nd_2012_datos_pc_repair/ Speaker:  Daniel Vogel Daniel Vogel runs a PC repair business at a local airbase. He and his partner, Darrick Hayes, attended the TPC meeting last December and did a brief introduction to their thriving business. At Thurday’s meeting Daniel will go into more detail about the services offered by Datos including the types of systems tackled, the SW and HW tools used, their pet project of a monster gaming machine, and some of hard to believe stories of experiences troubleshooting ailing machines. This meeting will also feature The TPC help desk. Those attending can bring their misbehaving PCs, laptop or desktop, for a check-up or diagnosis. Daniel will take on these challenges as part of a case study demonstration for the audience. If the machine can be repaired within the constraints of the meeting environment, it’s your luck day. If the problems are extensive requiring service in a computer repair lab, Daniel may be able to provide an estimate for repairs and make arrangements to do the repairs at the Datos facility. This of course will be at the discretion of the computer owner. For desktops just bring the box, a cart with wheels will be convenient. The club will provide a monitor, keyboard, mouse and internet connection for the examination. Time permitting toward the end of the meeting lightning talks from the audience on a topic of their choice will be invited , if time runs short presentations can be given at the March 1st meeting planned for the Black Lion venue. TIME: Doors open at 6:30, with the meeting getting under-way 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) http://www.tokyopc.org/venue/omote_map.html , 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming 2012-01-30T08:56:01+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