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SLVCC Presentations 2023 / 24

October 18th - Danger In Disguise  Today we are looking at the ever growing threat of Scamming.  It's a global threat and very lucrative for those that are experienced fraudsters.  $2.7B lost in the USA in the last 2 1/2 years.  Don't let yourself be part of the statistics.

October 25th - Geocache Anyone ??  This is a repeat of a presentation from Oct 26, 2022.  Geocache is a fun way to hunt for treasures hidden by others.  This is a GLOBAL activity and once you try it in AZ, it's the same anywhere in the world. 

November 1st - Organizing Your Apps  Today we will have another look at how to organize the apps on your devices so you are able to find them faster and much easier.  Let's organize !!!

November 8th - Google Meet   Today we will prepare for "next" week's Virtual Amazon Fulfillment Center Tour by getting familiar with Google Meet.  The Amazon Tour will be on Monday, Nov 13th at Capri Hall (1pm).  Google Meet is the current video chat software offering from Google (previously Google Duo, Google Hangouts and now Meet).  It's very flexible and fun to use in our everyday communications. 

November 15th - Scamming Tactics   Techniques used by Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated.  They are pretending to be representatives of financial institutions, credit card companies, investment corps, retail stores and pharmacies.  The list is forever growing.  They are getting very good at this.  Let's look at what's going on and educate ourselves to be more aware.

November 22nd - Smart or Bluetooth Speakers   Let's have a look at what the difference is between Smart Speakers and Bluetooth Speakers.  They each have their own functionalities.  Some uses found on both, but others not.  We will look at the benefits of both.

November 29th - Smart Watches   Now that we know about Smartphones and Smart Speakers, how about we take a look at Smart Watches.  These gems can operate independent of your smartphone or paired to provide broader functionalities.  Smart Watches have evolved significantly over the past years and they are getting to be SO much more than just a watch...  Want to know your heart rate, blood oxygen content, how you slept last night, wake up at the right time, and much much more?  Today's the day to learn.

December 6th - Selling (and Buying) on the Internet   Today Daniel Edlen (Techwize) will give us some insight into selling (and buying) on the internet.  Many of us have items we would like to part with (for one reason or another), this is an opportunity to see how to get visibility on the internet, bring in some additional cash, and clear up some room at home.

January 3rd - Looking Back, Moving Forward - The Joy and Challenges of building a Family Tree.   The Technology Club's own Ann Sheehan will present her involvement with genealogy.  Ann has an impressive and extensive 67 years of experience in genealogical research. 

January 17th - Truth or Dare.   We will look at they many ways to tell if you are connected to a secure website vs a non-secure site.  There are different devices and different browsers that offer that information, but they can be slightly different in what they show you.  Ultimately, it's up to you to know your software and what it's saying.  

January 24th - "Today's" Bird Feeders - Not Just a Dish.   Bird Feeders are getting very sophisticated. They have wireless video cameras and solar panels now. We can watch our backyard friends without scaring them. Our video apps can identify the birds - and the microphones allow us to listen to them interacting with each other.  Let's have a look.  The prices range from around $70.00 to over $200.00.  

January 31th - Simple Settings; Simple Life - Part 1.   We all run into incoming irritations on our smartphones.  Whether unwanted phone calls, text messages or emails.  There are ways that we can try to manage / disregard these and help us to enjoy our days.  In Part 1 of this series we will look at how to manage your incoming phone calls on your device.  Some are valid but yet many are bothersome and unwanted.  There are settings and apps that we can use to help us in this.

February 7th - Simple Settings; Simple Life - Part 2.   We all run into incoming irritations on our smartphone.  This week we look at managing unwanted "text messages".  There are ways that we can try to manage / disregard these and help us to enjoy our days.  There are settings and apps that we can use to help us in this.  Join Us.

February 21st & 28th - Simple Settings; Simple Life - Part 3.   We have now progressed to managing our "emails".  For some, these can be the worst.  We "Block", "Unsubscribe", and "Report Spam"; BUT they still seem to come through.  We have one hidden (and powerful) approach to dealing with the remainder.  In Gmail and Yahoo Mail it's called "Filters"; in Hotmail, MSN and Outlook it's called "Rules".  We will look at HOW to identify Spam to these email providers, and WHAT to do when they are identified.  These are PERSONAL email spam filters.  Everyone's could be different, but the approach to setting them up is pretty much the same. 

March 6th - Today's Mobile Banking Apps.   Many of us still go directly to our bank branch to do our regular banking.  Other's go online to the bank's website.  Some download the bank's new smart device app to do our banking, and a few of us are proceeding into person-to-person (p2p) banking (as in Zelle, Venmo, etc).  Let's have a look at all of these and see where the best security lies and what we can do to improve our communication security.

March 27th - Simple Settings; Simple Life (Home Screens).   iOS and Android devices are loaded with applications you may never use or find interesting (this is referred to as "BloatWare").  Also, as we age - we are sometimes finding that it's getting more difficult to see the items on our screen or read the text.  iOS and Android each offer ways to help hide unwanted apps and to increase the size and simplicity of text.  Let's look at these options today.

April 3rd - Gift Card & QR Code Scams.   Gift Cards are everywhere these days and they are a great option when your not sure what to buy someone.  They are also used by scammers who can alter the card so as "they" receive the $$$s spent on a gift card and not your intended recipient.  As well scammers continue to use gift cards and QR codes to scare you into giving them your cash.  Here is a presentation on how to identify fake cards and what to do when you come across them.  Is it a scam or not !!!!!  Be aware .....

May 29th - 10 Top Smartphone Issues.   We all have different smartphones, but we all seem to encounter similar issues.  This meeting we will discuss problems we encounter and how to hopefully rectify these issues.  We have Android and iOS smart devices.  We will try to cover both.  Tune in and lets see if we can become a little more informed about troubleshooting common smartphone problems.

June 26th - Android Tablets -vs- iPads vs- Chromebooks -vs- MS Surface.   These days have more selections than just Home Computers and Laptops.  Other devices are getting more powerful and coming with more features.  Can these devices do what we need?  We each use technology differently.  Let's have a look at these feature rich devices and discuss if (and how) they could possibly replace our home computers or laptops.  We will also look at NEW vs USED costs.  

July 31st - Introduction to eBay and Facebook Marketplace.   Are you looking for items and wondering if you can purchased used online?  We will look at eBay and FB Marketplace this week.  There is really no end to what you can find on these two sites.  We will look at searching for items on each, what things to be careful of, how to pay, warranties, etc.  Note:  We have left our Zoom account and will stream using Google Meet (same as our Amazon Tour).  Review our November 8th, 2024 session to re-aquaint yourself with Google Meet if you plan to stream this session. 

Last Updated: July 19, 2024

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