Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Monthly meetings

MONDAY

Apple Mac SIG meetings

Apple Mac SIG meetings
When: Third Monday of each month starting at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Anvil House, Level 1,  Room 2
​Facilitator: Bruce Ralph.
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost: This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

Are you new to Mac? Thinking of purchasing an Apple Mac?  Come along to observe or ask questions. This user group is suitable for all experience levels including those who are new to Apple Mac computers.

Each month we will be looking at a special topic, followed by a Q&A session where you can share your knowledge and experiences with or learn from other Apple Mac Computer users.

Topics covered during recent meeting included:

  • Started the session with a overview of the Calendar app, the Reminder app and the FreeForm app
  • Demonstrated features of the Calendar app – whilst there are 17 feature, this session I explained the first seven.
  • With the Reminder app, this demonstration was of a temple designed to use for a Rental to be dressed up ready to show to prospective tenants.
  • The FreeForm app is basically a whiteboard onto which you can create or drag images or documents. Presentation was completed using 7 different examples of one particular persons very creative use of the FreeForm app.
  • At 11am we stopped, and got the coffee and teas sorted, This allowed time for everyone to stand and converse..
  • Afterwards it was time to be a little more casual and do stuff like a (almost) live presentation of Find my Devise, which in this case, was my lost iPhone, my lost backpack and attempting to use my Apple Watch to find my iPhone – Fun
  • After every meeting I prepare and email out a Tip Sheet, covering what had been demonstrated during the meeting. Sometimes the Tip sheet includes Important Tips that I forgot to show, sometimes a short video, usually though I provide a Link to a short YouTube video that may have been used. Always Interesting !!

Windows-users

Thursday

Windows Users Group meetings

Windows SIG Group meetings
When:  Thursday 12th September, starting at 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Where: Anvil House, Level 1, Room 2
​Facilitator:  Pete Grant
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost:  This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

Do you use a Windows computer? If yes, then please come along to the next session of a Window Special Interest Group (SIG) at Anvil House on 12 September.

Link to previous presentations

Previous sessions have covered understanding Microsoft Onedrive, File Explorer, backing up your important files, adding a Google Drive to your PC, and a brief look at Microsoft PowerToys. At the next session we will take a look at Search on your PC, and some of the options under the Personalisation and Accessibility settings. We will also have time for an open Q&A, and hopefully some time to discuss some of your individual issues with help from the tutors.

TUESDAY

Android Users Group meetings

Android Smartphones & Tablets SIG Group
When:  Fourth Tuesday of each month, starting at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Anvil House, Level 1, Room 2
​Facilitator:  Graeme Munro
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost:  This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

If you want to get the most out of your Android device, come to this user group. These sessions are specifically designed to help the beginner and new members are particularly welcome. Come along and ask your questions or maybe provide the answer to someone else’s question. One-on-one help may be available if time allows.

Topics covered during at the 27 August 2024 meeting included:

Subjects discussed:

  • Googles new find my device notice
  • Electronic tags to find property
  • Do I need a 5G phone
  • How to review phones
  • Redmi 12 5G phone vs Samsung and iPhone
  • Google tools shortcut on Chrome an Gmail screen
  • Turn on auto rotate phone screen
  • Paper on how to decide what are my broadband needs
  • Am I paying for broadband that I don’t need
  • Tethering a phone
  • Skinny Jump costs
  • Compare online shopping sites and products
  • Setup Messenger
  • Play store apps for free books and audiobooks
  • ANKO brand products at Kmart and good reviews by Consumer
  • Rapid refunds by Temu

WEDNESDAY

Questions and Answers Group – with Ray meetings

(Question & Answers SIG Group – with Ray
When:  Second Wednesday of each month, starting at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where:  Anvil House, Level 1, Room 2
Facilitator:  Ray Heenan
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost:  This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

This group is for computer users at all levels of experience. Come along and contribute, enjoy yourself and learn something new.

The format is primarily a question and answer session, where we can all help each other to solve problems, simple or complex. New members will find this very helpful, as we also show you how to go about solving issues that we may not be able to fix at the session. Scroll down to the Computer Owners Group section on Newsletters to see Magazine Reviews prepared by COG attendees

Topics covered during the October 2024 meeting included:

  • Receive a phone call starting with  +44 ……………………  It is a Scam. 
  •  Get:
  • Provider to block
  • Netsafe will probably be interested.
  • ———————-
  • Bitcoin a pyramid scheme… discussion.  Some folks have lost it all. Others get rich on their backs.
  • Overseas purchases… (suggest) only use a debit card with limited cash on board.
  • Flybuys finish at end of this month!!!     – BNZ
  • Noises/Sounds on cell phone… what do they mean???
  • Use AI on cellphone… Get Gemini from Playstore.  Can Type, Talk , or Take a pic then get Gemini to search for you.
  • Google search takes you to sites, Gemini searches for info and will respond with print info or spoken info.

THURSDAY

Photography Group meetings

Photography SIG Group
When:  Second Thursday of each month, starting at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where:  Anvil House, Level, 1 Room 2
Facilitator:  Ray Heenan
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost:  This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

This group is all about learning and sharing information relevant to the digital camera world, including all smartphones with cameras.  Each month there is a special topic of interest to members. If you have a camera operational problem do bring it as we will have time for questions and answers. And, as always, if  you have captured something you are really proud of bring it along to share with the group.

The meeting Thursday August 8th 2024 included,

  • Topics/Viewing/Discussions
  • Video and pics of bird, Spoonbill, probing and grabbing food with bill in Hutt River; and in flight.
  • Selecting the best pic for display
  • The end of a bus route… Colour or Greyscale, crop for effect… etc
  • Slide show of a holiday in the steam-driven paddle steamer, Emmy Lou,  on the Murray river, OZ.
  • Pics on and off the water

THURSDAY

Questions and Answers Group – with Alan meetings

Questions and Answers (Q&A) SIG Group with Alan
When: Fourth Thursday of each month, starting at 12:30 – 2:30
Where:  Anvil House, Level 1, Room 2
Facilitator:  Alan Royal
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost:  This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

The group welcomes new and experienced computer users. Come along and contribute, enjoy yourself and learn something new.

The format will be a quick run down on present and future technology developments of interest to Senior​Net members followed by a question and answer session, where we can all help each other to solve​ problems, simple or complex. New members will find this very helpful, as we ​also show you how to go about solving issues that we may not be able to fix​ ​at the session.

Topics covered during the last meeting (Q&A session 22.8.24) including:

Questions:

  • Alternatives to Whats App
  • Do I need a 5G phone?
  • Buy last years iPhone?
  • Lost Google search app in Android
  • WCC library site issues
  • Get rid of Avast antivirus tool
  • Is Windows Defender an adequate antivirus
  • Do I need Malwarebytes (free)
  • Printer ink buying
  • Temu refund
  • Online product reviews
  • Accuracy of Gmail social, updates, forum and promotion tools
  • AI tools to create tutorials
  • Press reader problems
  • Does Office 2003 need upgrading
  • Is CCleaner OK
  • Use file history in Windows for external storage
  • External hard drives and DVD players from Temu

Discussion points:

  • Preamble
  • The aim of this part of the Q&A session is:
    • to help you to help yourself
    • how to use today’s technology to know what you don’t know.
  • SeniorNet website and calendar
  • The 12 Best Ways to Share Files With Anyone Over the Web
  • Find Google apps in Chrome and Gmail
  • What is Windows God mode
  • Convert speech to text using AI tools
  • SeniorNet Hangouts-Android discussions
  • How to Use Your Smartphone as a Windows Microphone
  • The famous 100 Cookie Recipe made with just 4 ingredients
  • How (and When) to Use Gemini AI in Gmail and Google Docs

FRIDAY

Apple IOS Users Group meetings

Apple IOS Users Group
When: First Friday of each month, starting at 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where:  Anvil House, Level 1,  Room 2
​Facilitator: Allan Chee and Peter Chik
​Register:  Pre-registration is not required.  
Cost: This meeting is free for SeniorNet members

IOS is the operating system on Apple mobile devices, iPhones and iPads

Are you having problems with your iPhone, iPad or iPod device or just interested in learning more about it? If so, you are welcome to come along & ask questions. Don’t be shy.

These sessions are specifically designed to help the beginner. Come and ask your questions so that we can help you get the most out of your Apple phone or tablet. Even if you don’t have any questions yourself, still please come along as you may have the answer to someone else’s question.

At a previous session Allan discussed sharing to all Devices. This session will focus on to a general conversation with attendees about their own issues (if any) using their iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touch devices. Helpers will contribute a couple of new features as well.