CapMac@20 Picnic, May 11th -- REGISTER NOW

Submitted by Michael Sidoric on

 

CapMac members and their VIP guests are invited to a special 20th Anniversary celebration of CapMac.
 
Register now to attend at this EventBrite link. The picnic is free, and open to all CapMac members and VIP Guests.
 
The picnic honors all CapMac members, and our special guests as we celebrate our twenty amazing years.
 
Join us on Saturday, May 11th as we feast, visit, enjoy and share memories of CapMac, Apple, and our special friends who have helped make our success possible.
 
Pok-E-Jo's is again catering an amazing feast – you need bring nothing except a healthy appetite. And fear not, we even have delicious alternatives for our Vegan friends, and those with special dietary needs.
 
As always, we'll have a bunch of great doorprizes for members and our special guests alike, plus music, games, video treats, and who knows – maybe several 'One More Thing....' surprises.
 
We hope you can join us to celebrate Twenty Years and the amazing things yet to come...
 
 
Nancy Gravley
President, CapMac Users Group

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Gigabit Google Fiber coming to Austin?

Submitted by Michael Sidoric on

North Korea isn't the only global power targeting Austin these days.

Google and the City of Austin have sent out invites for a press conference for 'a very important announcement' for this Tuesday, April 9th at 11:00am.

The joint news event is expected to announce that Austin will be the next to receive Google Fiber, Google's highly sought-after gigabit internet service.

You may remember a high-profile campaign waged by city fathers and tech leaders proposing Austin as a Google Fiber test city. And while, ultimately, Kansas City received that nod -- Austin's bid for attention wasn't ignored.

Austin's powerful core of tech giants like Apple, Texas Instruments, Samsung, IBM, AMD, Intel, Dell, and as home to hosts of other startups, evidently make Austin an attractive target for leading-edge internet connectivty.

Eric Schmidt has made it clear that Google Fiber 'is a real business', with plans to expand the service to cities beyond Kansas City. Just last month, Google announced plans to initiate servce in Olathe, KS just 25 miles distant from Kansas City.

The expected announcement will bring a whole new level of connectivity to the Austin area long-dominated by Time-Warner's RoadRunner, AT&T's Uverse and DSL offerings, and limited-area franchise, Grande Communications high-speed internet.

What can we expect from Google Fiber?  

According to the Google Fiber website, the speeds and pricing offered in Kansas City might prove attractive for many in Austin:

  • Gigabit + TV: $120/month ($300 construction fee waived)
  • Gigabit Internet: $70/month ($300 construction fee waived)
  • Free Internet: $0/month (for at least seven years) + $300 construction fee

Kansas City customers who choose our Free Internet plan pay the construction fee ($300)—either in one lump sum or $25/month for the first 12 months of service. The construction fee is waived for customers who choose Gigabit Internet and Gigabit + TV packages.

[from the Google Fiber website, 05 April 2013]

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Yes, the Internet is broken...

Submitted by Michael Sidoric on

If your internet connection seems unusually slow -- don't blame Time-Warner, AT&T, or GrandeCom.

Since March 15th, a cyberwar has been raging on the internet between two formidible forces. And while the 'Good Guys' are holding their own, all internet users are feeling the effects:

  • Web pages may be slow to load or stall completely
  • Email messages may be delayed for hours, or even days
  • Routine syncing between computers or iOS devices may be slow or even fail

At the heart of the issue is SpamHaus, a global non-profit cooperative that maintains so-called 'block-lists' often used by servers to prevent users from receiving malicious, offensive or unsolicited emails.

Here at CapMac we often use SpamHaus, and several other Realtime Black-Lists, to block illegal or objectionable traffic.

These blacklists work by maintaining a comprehensive DNS list for offending servers. That allows server administrators to block offending connections. Usually the scheme works extremely well.

Unfortunately, the Bad Guys are waging a cyberwar against SpamHaus' eighty global DNS servers with such ferocity that it has actually slowed many nodes of the entire internet

We are monitoring the situation closely to avoid any service disruptions for CapMac.

BBC News offers an excellent in-depth story on the issues and affects of this unprecidented attack. A detailed feature in ArsTechica also sheds light on the feuding factions.

'Social Media 101' at April General Meeting

Social media is a big deal these days -- for many folks its a way to share, and stay in touch. 

But social media is also a great way to promote businesses, organizations, and even reach out to constituents and taxpayers.

Our April meeting will feature Mike Castellon, E-Communications Coordinator with the TX Comptroller of Public Accounts.

His presentation will give you a big picture view of social media and its practices. He’ll discuss how popular social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter can help you connect with others, and how to best protect your privacy.

Nancy will have an update on CapMac's new 300 Club, and the impressive turnout for the new Apple Store Barton Creek opening, plus our usual member drawing for amazing doorprizes.

Come early to visit and enjoy Sherlock's excellent selection of food and beverage specials. 

 

Michael Castellon serves as e-communications coordinator and social media strategist for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. A native of Urbana, Illinois, he holds a master’s degree in Technical Communication from Texas Tech University and is a licensed pilot. He has spoken extensively to professional groups and conferences about the role of digital media and new technology in civic engagement and government transparency.

The Texas Comptroller provides web content supporting more than 25 million page views each month from taxpayers seeking information and conducting business, and manages two million subscribers to agency newsletters.

 

 
Date: 
Tuesday, 9 April 2013 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Address: 
9012 Research Blvd; Austin, TX 78757
Location: 
Sherlock's Baker Street Pub

Grand Opening of The Remodeled Barton Creek Apple Store

Nancy Gravley's picture
Submitted by Nancy Gravley on

More than 1,000 people visited the store within the first couple of hours and if you were among them, or visit anytime during this first day wearing your CapMac T-shirt, you earn 15 points in the 300 club. There is a list in the Members Only section of the Wikis. If your name should be there and it isn't let me know, with proof please.

Michael and John took some great pictures and they should be posted shortly. It was great fun.

Nancy

March General Meeting: Bryan Chaffin from TMO

Our March General Meeting is this coming Tuesday, March 12, from 7 - 9 at Sherlock's Baker Street Pub.

This is our chance to take a look at what the future holds -- Google Now is a compelling example of how our smartphones can take an active role today in organizing our lives, but Apple's Siri shows the potential to be a big player, too.

 
The presentation is by Bryan Chaffin, the co-founder and afternoon editor of The Mac Observer who will be speaking to us live from San Jose, California via Skype. He'll be discussing the new Google Now service: what it covers and how it works. And, he'll compare it with Apple's own personal assistant, Siri.
 
Bring your friends, this a meeting you won't want to miss -- and unlike SxSW -- it's free, with no wristbands required.
 
Arrive early to visit, and enjoy Sherlock's superb food and beverage specials.
 
Date: 
Tuesday, 12 March 2013 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Address: 
9012 Research Blvd; Austin, TX 78758
Location: 
Sherlock's Baker Street Pub

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