Smart Technology Club
This is the successor to the Computer Club. Still hosted by Al Moldon and Brian Freedman, it will continue to focus on latest Smart Technologies including computers. It meets at the Rec Centre on third Tuesday of every month from 7:30 – 9:00 pm.
Smart Technology Club – Backing up your electronic devices (Nov 21, 2023)
Our next meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday Nov 21 in our Rec Centre Card Room from 7:30PM until 9:00PM. Ask yourself this question: If any of my electronic devices got dropped or stopped working, would I be in a position to recover my valuable information from it so I can get back online quickly?
This will be a special meeting focusing on how to back up your desktop, laptop, iPhone and iPad devices so you won’t lose your personal information like photos, documents, contacts, emails and favourite websites when your device has a failure. As Brian is not available to attend, Al will take you through the process in a step by step fashion. You will want to take notes during the meeting so bring appropriate writing materials.
The choir is using the larger room for rehearsals so we will be in the smaller Card Room and early arrival is suggested for best seating near the front. The Smart Technology Club is open at no charge to all BGCC residents and their accompanied friends. Please pass this note along to your neighbours that may be interested in attending.
There will be no meeting in December due to the holidays.
Looking forward to seeing everyone next Tuesday.
Al (PC Doctor)
Smart Technology Club – Voice, Text, Data (Sep 19th 2023)
After a 1 month hiatus, the Smart Technology Club meetings resume next Tuesday in the Rec Centre Card Room (the choir is using the Centre Room) from 7:30PM until 9:00PM. This month’s agenda includes the following:
- Voice..Text..Data – if these concepts alone are enough to make your head spin you’re not alone. However, having a good handle on these aspects of mobile phone use also means having a good hold on your wallet as well! This is especially so at this time of year when many of us are preparing for or planning our winter destinations. So let’s dig in so that we all come away with a clear understanding of each and how to best manage your mobile phone usage and utilize a number of free apps and tools to avoid costly surprises, especially when travelling out of the country with your mobile devices.
- On September 12, Apple announced a bevy of new products. This session will review the main features so you can make informed decisions on whether now is the time to consider upgrading your devices.
The Smart technology Club is free for all BGCC residents and their accompanying friends. Please join us and come early if you wish to sit near the front as we are expecting a large turnout.
Al (PC Doctor)
Brian (Ballantrae Geek)
Smart Technology Club – Dark Web (July 18th 7:30 pm)
Whether you refer to it as the dark web or something else, we all need to acknowledge that there is the high likelihood that our personal information is “out there”, meaning in the hands of those it shouldn’t be. And through no fault of our own! But more likely as a result of the seemingly countless number of organizations and businesses whose systems have been compromised over the years. Those same businesses and organizations that are holding your personal information; everything from your driver’s license, health card, banking and credit card information and, quite possibly, your social insurance number as well!
Thankfully, there are a host of free apps and tools available and have been enhanced to help us stay on top of activity that might be taking place under our names, especially those that can have a financial impact! For our next Smart Technology Club session, we will focus solely on this important subject. As Al is away for this session, Brian will step us through several key tools and apps we can all use to help us keep on top of changes, transactions and activities taking place that we might otherwise be unaware of. Detection is absolutely key when one has so little control over the prevention side of things. So, let’s get at it this coming Tuesday July 18th, 7:30PM at the Rec Centre.
Please forward this Agenda on to your neighbours that may not be on our distribution list and might be interested in this topic. Attendance is free to all BGCC residents and their accompanied friends. There is no membership required; just come out and enjoy meeting those with similar interests. Bring your phone and/or tablet if you want to download any apps presented using the new Rec Centre Wi-Fi network.
Brian (Ballantrae Geek)
Al (PC Doctor)
Smart Technology Club – June 20, 2023
Our next Smart Technology Club meeting will be held at our Rec Centre next Tuesday June 20 in the Middle Room from 7:30PM until 9:00PM. Planned topics include:
- Last meeting we covered many of the features of the Rogers Ignite TV service but ran out of time for a very useful facility: namely the Ignite TV app for cell phones & tablets and the Ignite TV website for laptops and PC’s. This session will show you how to set it up and use it. If you bring along your device, you will be able to set yours up too. Note that you will need to be able to sign in to your My Rogers account with your email address and corresponding My Rogers password. (You can test your sign-in by going to www.rogers.com/myrogers website and signing in successfully). This is the same website that will show you your billing info.
- Last week, Apple held a huge conference and announced significant changes to their product offerings that will affect anyone with Apple devices. They also announced a brand new product called Apple Vision Pro. This session will highlight those aspects of the announcement that should be of interest to Smart Technology Club attendees.
As Brian will be away, Al will present both topics. Early arrival is recommended for best seating as we had over 65 attendees last meeting. Please forward this agenda on to your neighbours who might be interested in attending and may not yet be on our distribution list.
Hope to see you on Tuesday.
Al (PC & Ignite Doctor)
Smart Technology Club meeting – May 16, 2023
Our next meeting is going to be held in the Centre Room at the Rec Centre from 7:30PM until 9:00PM on Tuesday May 16. We will be focusing on a variety of Television topics.
I’ll bet you remember the days when watching TV involved only one rather simple decision: which channel to watch! But fast forward to today and the concept of watching TV takes on a whole new meaning! With the explosion of streaming services and utility apps coupled with the array of inexpensive devices available for accessing them, your TV today has become the central entertainment hub for your home and more versatile than ever. Brian will help us take a closer look at today’s most popular streaming devices like the Roku, the Firestick, the Apple TV and Android box to see what they are, how they work and what additional features and functionality you can add using them for your TV watching pleasure whether you have a “smart” TV or otherwise.
Rogers have recently been encouraging customers to switch from Bell satellite and Rogers older cable TV services to their Ignite bundle by offering significant discounts of up to $1,320 over 2 years. The result is that we now have some new Ignite customers in BGCC joining our large group of existing Ignite users. Since the theme of this evening is Television, Al will have a review of some of the new Ignite features and include some tips on how to make the most of the Ignite service.
We both just LOVE questions so be sure to bring yours! Attendance at the meeting is free for all BGCC residents and their friends. No membership is required: just show up and enjoy! Early arrival is recommended if you want to sit near the front of the room as we are expecting a large turnout (over 60 at the last meeting).
PS: Please forward this announcement to your neighbours who may not be on our distribution list. This information is also on the www.hotg.ca community website.
Al (PC & Ignite Doctor)
Brian (Ballantrae Geek)