Toledo PC Users’ Group
A Forum for Personal-Computer Users — January, 2007
January Program: teaching
Monday, January 1, 2007 at 7:30 PM, UAW-Local-14 Hall, Jackman & Northover (between Laskey & Alexis Rd), Toledo, Ohio.
In
This Issue ...
TPCUG Data
From the Prez
Minutes
Treasurer’s Report
Membership Expirations
Computer-Investing-Group Meeting
APCUG conference, in Las Vegas
TOLTBBS Information
TPCUG’s
Website:
http://www.toledopcug.org
Coming Meeting: Monday,
February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, August 27, October 1, November 5, December 3.
The Toledo PC Users’ Group
P.O. Box 13085
Toledo, OH 43613
Officers
President: Floyd Miller
Vice-President: Rick Snyder
Treasurer: Steve Tryc
Secretary: Sándor Halász
Standing Committees
Computer Shows: Steve
Tryc
Librarian: Open
Membership: Roy Ballogg
Programs:
Lester Miller
Public Relations: Lavern & Eugene
Curtis
Complaint Dept.: Helen Waite
SIG Leaders
Internet SIG: Jim Bell ............ 419-877-1109
Statement of Intent: The Toledo PC Users’ Group is a not-for-profit corporation, formed to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information regarding the use and enjoyment of personal computers.
Affiliations: TPCUG is a member of APCUG (Association of Personal Computer User Groups), which provided the APCUG logo.
Meetings:
Meetings are generally held the first Monday of each month, at
UAW-Local-14-Hall, 5411 Jackman Rd., Toledo, OH. In the event of
emergency, members may be reached during meetings at a pay phone in
the hall, 419-473-9571.
Visitors are always welcome at monthly
meetings!
Executive-Board meetings are generally held
after the regular monthly meetings.
Membership: Dues are $25. per year. To obtain an application, call any officer or member.
Moving? Notify the Membership Chair to redirect your newsletters.
Copyright 2007: The Toledo PC Users’ Group, the publisher of this newsletter, is a not-for-profit organization. Although it asserts a copyright for the newsletter, permission is granted to reprint this publication in whole or in part for any noncommercial use, with credits acknowledged.
Newsletter Deadline is the 15th of each month. All members are encouraged to contribute articles and reviews for this newsletter. Submissions may be made by email to the editor.
Advertizing: Business cards (2”×3½”) will be run in three issues for $5. Commercial ads: $10 for ¼ page; $20 for ½ page; $30 for ¾ page; $40 for full page. Larger ads are run in two issues from a graphics format, JPEG or GIF or … Members may place free ads for the sale of computer-related personal items on a space-available basis. Contact editor for details.
Production Notes: This newsletter was compiled with Microsoft Word 6 for Windows, Open Office 1.1.5, Brief, and Notepad.
TPCUG Mailing List: If you are on the Internet, keep in touch with club doings by subscribing to the TPCUG mailing list: Send e-mail to “tpcug-request@toltbbs.com” with only “subscribe tpcug@toltbbs.com” in the body of the message. You will then receive communications sent to the list through e-mail.
The Presidents Message
We share the following information about B.P.L. (broadband over the power line) from a different perspective. I'm sure we have read articles about the broadband aspect of power lines, but this deals with the subject from the aspect of the power companies. I think you will find it informative. We quote:
IF some new technologies take hold, the grid that carries America’s electricity from one state to another and into the home will soon be much more efficient, says James E. Rogers, president and chief executive of Duke Energy. Here are excerpts from an interview:
Q. How advanced is the grid that carries American electricity right now?
A. It’s a technology we’ve been using for many decades. But as the technology evolves, we’re going to be able to move it from an analog grid to more of a digital grid, almost from a “dumb” grid to a smart one.
Digital will allow us to monitor a lot of points in the system from a central point, which you can’t today. It’s kind of like fine-tuning or focusing in on a spot or a target. That’s better than how the grid operates today. And we lose somewhere between 8 and 9 percent of the electricity we produce on the grid. That’s called line loss. As we develop our capability to operate the grid, it will be a step in the direction of allowing us to try to reduce the amount of line loss. That’s a lot of energy.
Q. How would new technology that enables Internet access over power lines—broadband over the power line, or B.P.L.,—improve the quality of the grid?
A. It could increase our ability to detect faults in the system. It could allow us to have greater security at substations because we could detect things with real-time cameras and other security devices even if there were no personnel there. So there is an energy security benefit. There is also the ability to restore service after outages because we can detect problems more clearly. Ultimately, we want the capability to use electricity meters in conjunction with B.P.L. and convert the meter into the gateway for information rather than using it just for billing. The smarter the grid, the smarter the consumer and the more efficiency you’ll have over all. The consumer could control his or her usage.
Q. Could a smarter system monitor energy use in homes to avoid blackouts or brownouts?
A. The ability to remotely control things like air-conditioners and refrigerators would give us the ability to manage that and curtail use, or “shave the peak”, during peak periods and use less energy. That means you don’t have to build as many power plants to serve the peak load. The way I think of it is, the most efficient plant you ever build is the one you don’t build. And the most environmentally friendly plant is the one you don’t build.
Q. How does broadband over the power line give consumers an Internet connection?
A. The signal moves down the copper in the line. The technological challenge has been, how do you get the signal around the transformer, which is the device that converts the electricity to a different voltage. But now it has evolved to the point that you can use radio signals to bypass a transformer. You can get the information back on the wire. Then it goes into the home and then you can access it from any room where you have an electrical outlet.
Q. Would electricity companies be in position to compete against phone and cable companies?
A. We’d have the ability to compete with cable and telecom companies to provide Internet service. But the primary reason we’re doing this is not to compete with them. The more important goal is to use this technology to create a smarter grid.
Q. Many companies, including your own, are beginning to deploy broadband over power line technology in limited areas. Where are you using it?
A. We’re in the process of testing it. We are deploying a technology in Ohio, in the Cincinnati area, that comes from Current Communications. And we’re using another B.P.L. technology in the Carolinas because each has a slightly different capability. That comes from a company called the Ambient Corporation.
Q. When will average consumers throughout the country start feeling the impact of this technology?
A. I think over the next three to five years. It’s evolving around the country at a different pace.
Q. If this worked out as planned, what would this mean for overall American energy consumption?
A. It means we’ll build fewer power plants. That will reduce costs. Secondly, it means our environmental footprint will be smaller. So consumers benefit from a cost standpoint and from an environmental perspective.
Q. What are other implications?
A. One of our greater challenges is providing reliability. Secondly, we need to reduce costs because we’re in a period of rising prices. For the first time in a decade and a half, the cost of electricity is going up in real terms, not just nominal. The third thing is that as we look out into the future, we see more demand for electricity. Plasma televisions, for example, use two and a half times more electricity than a regular TV. Our society is becoming more electrified. We need to find a way to manage the growth in demand for electricity.
Q. Would a smarter grid mean that when storms hit and power is knocked out, service could be restored faster?
A. It could translate into being able to restore service faster. Sometimes you don’t know exactly where the outage is. Once you have a digital system, you can identify it right away. That will help.
William J. Holstein is editor-in-chief of Directorship magazine.
One thing is abundantly apparent that in the area of electronics and computers there is always something new coming over the horizon that makes it faster, more diverse, more efficient. So it is necessary for many of us to keep up as best we can and within the parameters of our abilities and funds available. So it is that the Toledo PCUG has a part to play and therefore a reason to exist. Won't you share the message with friends, neighbors and relatives so that a larger organization can provide for more fexability in programs and outreach.
See you January 1st in the NEW YEAR at 7:30.
As always—Visitors are welcome—Members are expected.
Your Prez. Floyd L. Miller
Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 19:33 by Floyd Miller, pres.
The domain name is yet expired, and the minutes were read aloud by the secretary, accepted aside from clarification that Jim Bell had not paid for advertizing in 2006.
S Tryc reported that the balance is $1169.32. He said also that expenses are due, for the website, rent, food-tray, …. Roy Ballogg suggested a 6-month projection, Tryc was willing but said that it depends on many assumptions. The report was accepted, subject to audit.
The cider arrived.
Roy Ballogg said that there are 14 members and Ann Summers; 14 were present, not all members.
Lester Miller said that for January he has a teaching program in mind, from tape or CD, for February maybe he will get someone to show Vista. S Tryc mentioned an Adobe-Suite tape.
The Internet SIG as per usual on the third Monday, a week ere Christmas, on the 18th meets. To this there was no objection, no complaint of conflict, and the SIG will go ahead, as per usual at Jim Bell s place in Whitehouse on Maumee St in the middle of town around the corner from Main St. Those who are close to Reynolds and Dorr may join other riders from the Asbury-church parking lot beside Inverness across the street from Dana at 6:30pm. The agenda is fluid, one may bring minor problems, leave major ones for examination.
Old bizness:
The domain-name expiration was brought up.
F. Miller: the club missed the renewal date.
S Tryc: Get a domain-name from Jim Bell s website.
Halász: Easier if the club is willind that it end “.tbbs.net”.
F. Miller: Now that it has expired, it costs $150 to reïnstate the name,
after 60 days it is void, after 14-day while it is available.
To pick up after all this is cheaper than to reïnstate.
The regular yearly fee runs around ~$14.95.
S. Tryc: It was at first $10/year.
There is no $35 fee to apply.
F. Miller: Shall this be settled with Jim Bell at the SIG meeting, when the name
is almost fully expired?
The consensus seems yes.
New bizness:
Bob Thomas introduced Jim Fowler who wishes to be member. Yes, that is all right, if he gives his name and address and so on and pays the dues.
F. Miller asked the group whether first to discuss, or forthwith eat. Noöne answered.
S Tryc mentioned the scanner that he brought, L. Miller his CDs.
F. Miller said I lost all my e-mail, not on purpose
, but there was no help.
Mack showed an article from Toledo Free Press about a firm that helps outfit a website for the disabled.
Bob Thomas said that in a flea market in Ottawa Lake, reached from Consear Rd, there is used-computer dealer, maybe Computer Dave?
At around 20:20 the meeting broke up into eating, and around an hour later wholly broke up.
Respectfully submitted by Sándor Halász, secretary
Treasurer’s Report
Balance Ending 11/15/06
Balance Ending 12/15/06
Steve Tryc, treasurer
Expired & Expiring Memberships
Computer Investing Group
APCUG-matters
APCUG conference, in Las Vegas
Excerpts from the web-page:
Our 2007 Annual Conference is off and running. Registration is open, and our schedule of events is almost complete. The conference starts on late Thursday afternoon, January 4th and ends on Sunday afternoon, January 7th.
Registration:
After Nov 30th