OldNews: Difference between revisions

From K-LUG Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(187 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:




=== Technical Meeting:  Thursday April 10th ===
Dennis DeLorme, on Beaglebone Black.


--
=== Litter Bit Better outside social, Monday October 5th ===
6:00 - 7:30 pm


Small scale computing is becoming more affordable as technology
Fall opportunity to take care of our community by picking up trash and getting some geocaching credit while we're at it.  Bring your own gloves, but no water edge to deal with this time.
advances. For low cost simple 8 (or occasionally 16) bit micocontrollers
were the norm. This trend lead to the Arduino microcontroller on a
board. The low cost and popular support have made it a very popular system.


A few years ago the Raspberry Pi project was started to bring the cost
As usual, [https://coord.info/GCBXZE7 teaming up with the geocachers]. McQuillin Field in SE Rochester, we've got the 7 ball fields and two parking lots, there's a Litter Bit Better map [https://img.geocaching.com/7a2cf0b0-a808-4769-9eda-8efeeb11a235.jpg here].
of a full computer on a board into the Arduino price range. This was
followed by the Beaglebone Black, a lower cost version of the Beaglebone
family. These new systems, which have price points under $50, are
significantly different than the Arduino level systems. They have
similar I/O capabilities but much more computational power than the
Arduino. They are also more complex to use effectively.


In this presentation I will briefly compare the differences and than
discuss some Beaglebone Black features. Unlike the Arduino, development
can be done directly on the Beaglebone as a stand alone system. I will
also talk about VNC which allows a PC to remotely control the Beaglebone
GUI.


Dennis' slides are [http://k-lug.org/images/d/de/Beaglbone.pdf here].


--
=== Virtual Technical Presentation: Thursday October 8th ===
Tim Massaro will do a trip report on his attendance at the Bay Area Maker Faire. It's the 20th anniversary of the mother of all Maker Faires originally started by Make Magazine.


6 pm, in or near RCTC Heintz Center's '''HA109'''.  Please note we're going to try meeting in the computer lab just across the bigger hallway (to the west) from our usual room, due to hardware differences between the two rooms. 
6 pm


[http://www.roch.edu/html-spectrum/getting_to_ucr.html  Directions to Campus]
Meeting link removed.


[http://www.rctc.edu/campustour/maps/heintzA.html  Heintz Center Building Map]


Also a reminder that Tim will be running this meeting, along with all things K-LUG for May-August (thanks Tim!).  If you have any agenda items to add, please make sure Tim knows about them in advance.


=== Outside Social:  Thursday September 17th ===


Disc golf! This time we're going to Byron.  The [https://udisc.com/courses/byron-links-dgc-421X course] is just south of the Byron west stoplight.  We waited until fall to let the wild parsnip flower heads (reported location of the 2nd half of the course) quit shedding pollen everywhere; but you still don't want to touch the plant.  If the course turns out to still be too unenjoyable, we'll shift a few blocks NW to [https://udisc.com/courses/klingvall-park-kXgO Kingvall Park], and try their disc golf course instead.


6 pm


=== Planned Social:  March 2014 TBD ===
<strike> Ideas can be found [http://www.k-lug.org/SocialMeeting here] or invent your own.  What would you like to do?  Tell Tim or Tina.  We've got lots of potential indoor activities at the bottom of this page, speak up if you have preferences.</strike>


Tina didn't get anything organized, sorry.
=== Virtual Technical Presentation: Thursday September 10th ===
David Davis on TalkBoard VR — a virtual reality language classroom, and the server behind it.


6 pm


=== Lunch:  Thursday March 20th  ===
Meeting link removed.
11:30 am, Apache Mall food court, near B&N.




=== Technical Meeting:  Thursday March 13th, 2014 ===
Mark Diez will be coordinating an audience-driven "Andriod devices, apps, and accesories".


--
=== Outside Social:  Thursday August 20th ===


ALL THINGS ANDROID – BYO – SHOW ‘N’ TELL
Disc golf! Meet outside the RCTC field house, 6 pm.  Here is [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217033483939111930234.0004a3795f42da701ae0b&msa=0&ll=44.015742,-92.422206&spn=0.003541,0.006942&iwloc=0004a37962daae4746296 a map].


K-LUG/PCIG members and guests will demo favorite and interesting Android stuff – including devices (phones, tablets, other?), apps, accessories, and tips/techniques. Attendees are invited to bring their own or just come to see what others have brought in a wide-ranging demo and discussion of EVERYTHING ANDROID.


BRING YOUR FAVORITE ANDROID DEVICES, APPS, and ACCESSORIES.


• Devices: Android phones and tablets, direct-attached hardware, Bluetooth-attached hardware, …
=== Technical Presentation: Thursday August 13th ===
Updates on the Med City Makerspace, by Tim Massaro.  Tim's slides can be found [https://k-lug.org/images/6/62/PcigAug13MedCityMakerspace_3.pdf here].


• Apps: backup, anti-virus/firewall, VPN, productivity, utilities, development, fun stuff, …
6 pm


• Accessories: covers, stands, …
Meeting link removed.


• Tips/techniques


Here are some items that are likely to arrive. Mark Diez and Mo Holahan will be hosting the show’n’tell.


• Devices discussion:  Nook HD+, Nook HD, Samsung cricket SCH-R720


• Android For Nook  (AFN): putting Cyanogenmod Android on your Nook HD and HD+ device via commercial microSD card.


• Non-traditional keyboard input apps:  Dasher, Dvorak, GKOS, Hacker's, Messagease
=== Outside Social:  Friday July 24th ===


• Handwritten text input app: MyScript Stylus
Disc golf! Meet outside the RCTC field house, 6 pm.  Here is [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217033483939111930234.0004a3795f42da701ae0b&msa=0&ll=44.015742,-92.422206&spn=0.003541,0.006942&iwloc=0004a37962daae4746296 a map].


• Editor: Jota+
(I was going to have us go to the Byron disc golf course for something different, but they've apparently got wild parsnip on half the course)


• Office apps: Kingsoft Office, OfficeSuite Pro 7.2


• File and task managers:  ES File Manager, ES Task Manager


• Cloud file management: Dropbox (including offline access of files)
=== Virtual Social: Thursday July 9th ===
6 pm


• Chromecast – YouTube
Meeting link removed.


• Skype – audio only, video and audio


• E-book readers:  Moon+ Pro (paid), EBookDroid (free), FBReader(free)


• Miscellaneous favorites: Stopwatch, Yukon Gold Solitaire


• Other interesting apps:   Google My Tracks (GPS/mapping),  Physics Toolbox (sensor, accelerometer readers), Autodesk Force Effect, Force Effect Motion, simulation of mechanical linkages
=== Outdoor Social: Rochesterfest lunch, Thursday June 25th, 11:30 am ===
   
Lunch at RochesterFest. We'll be sitting at a picnic table on the far side of the tent from the music, to hopefully lower the decibel level enough to still talk. Gather around our organizer Mark.


Contact Mark Diez for further info or if you have questions or suggestions.
[https://www.rochesterfest.com/faq Rochesterfest FAQs] has some transportation & parking suggestions & miscellaneous information.


--


6 pm, in or near RCTC Heintz Center's HA107.


[http://www.roch.edu/html-spectrum/getting_to_ucr.html  Directions to Campus]
=== Virtual Social: Thursday June 11th ===
6 pm


[http://www.rctc.edu/campustour/maps/heintzA.html  Heintz Center Building Map]
Meeting link removed.


Other items on the agenda include pie to celebrate Pi day, PCIG elections and potentially a PCIG future discussion, and a request for March/April/May social ideas.


=== Outside Social:  Geocaching, Thursday May 21st ===
6 pm


Park and walk a park in NE Rochester, where [https://kroc.com/northern-heights-trail-new-hiking-trail-rochester-mn/ new trails went in] last year.


=== Lunch:  Thursday February 20th  ===
Park east of [https://k-lug.org/images/3/32/Northern_Heights_geocaching_parking_202605.jpg Churchill Elementary School] on Northern Heights Drive NE, looks like it might just be a curbside instead of a lot. We'll walk from there through the two stages of [https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCANZKD_northern-heights-park-technetium GCANZKD] in Northern Heights Park, and decide on the fly if we're taking a path out of the NE side of the park to also grab [https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9W5MG_two-of-a-kind GC9W5MG].
11:30 am, Apache Mall food court, near B&N.




=== Virtual Social: Thursday May 14th ===
6 pm


Meeting link removed.


=== Technical Meeting:  Thursday February 13th, 2014 ===
Matt Bruzek will present on Juju.


--


Juju is an open source cloud orchestration tool that allows you to configure, manage and deploy on a public or private cloud environments.  The presentation will describe what Juju does and what Charms are, and a live demo of the tools.
=== Litter Bit Better in-person social (outside), Tuesday April 28th ===
6:00 - 7:30 pm


--
Summit Pointe Park, in NW Rochester.  [https://k-lug.org/images/3/38/Summit_Pointe_Park_parking_and_trash_cleanup_boundaries.jpg Park on Shetland Drive NW, and observe the north/south boundaries in the linked map].


A copy of Matt's slides are [http://prezi.com/7xgiezaajjek/juju/ here].
Bags provided. You bring your own gloves, grabbers, and sense of civic duty. Some pond shoreline.  Unlike our fall CITOs, in the spring we've got plenty of daylight.


As usual we are [https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCBM2PG teaming up with the geocachers] to avoid being overwhelmed by garbage.


6 pm, in or near RCTC Heintz Center's HA107.


[http://www.roch.edu/html-spectrum/getting_to_ucr.html  Directions to Campus]
=== Outdoor Social:  Saturday April 25  ===
In celebration of [https://nationalkitemonth.org/ National Kite Month], bring your kites and come join us as we try to fly them.


[http://www.rctc.edu/campustour/maps/heintzA.html  Heintz Center Building Map]
Saturday April 25th


2 pm


Location:  [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Redwood+Ln+SW,+Rochester,+MN+55902/@43.989365,-92.4843012,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x87f758cbe6ddd805:0xcbd56f452d52bbef That park by Steve Fox's house], officially known as Pine Ridge Estates Park, on Redwood Lane SW.


=== Social: Saturday February 1st ===
This park has a nice playground for the littles, picnic tables, and room to fly kites, as well as usually being unpopulated. The lack of trees and being on top of a hill mean it's pretty bug free (not that we should hopefully have to worry about that in April) even when there's not enough breeze to fly the kites.
As a part of [http://www.rochestermn.gov/departments/park/activities/winter/WinterFest/days/2_saturday.asp Rochester's WinterFest], there's free admission and a free snow globe making session at the Art Center (which is on the south side of the Civic Center downtown).


Please bring your family and friends who might want to hang out.  Bring your own kites.  If you don't want to sit at the picnic tables or on the playground equipment, bring your own folding chair.  And bring your own beverage.  Since it's April, we're skipping the traditional ice cream.


Meet at 12:30 at the Rochester Art Center.  Saturday February 1st.


=== Virtual Social: Thursday April 9th ===
6 pm


The admission to exhibits is open and free from 10-5.  The snow globe making activity runs from 1-4.  So those who want to participate in snow globes will have a half an hour to browse the exhibits before showing up for the first round of instructions at 1 pm, in the 3rd floor studios.  Anyone wanting to avoid snow globes can continue to browse the exhibits.  I'm having a hard time with the exhibit schedule on the [http://rochesterartcenter.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.html art center's website], as it looks like most of the current exhibits ended recently and they haven't updated their website with what's new.  So if what they're exhibiting matters to you, keep an eye on their website or give them a call, and let the rest of us know what you find out.
Meeting link [https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72423514673?pwd=nxbyWzSz7nbG2J2n2KMtfIUFaGVHaz.1 here].






=== Lunch: Thursday January 16th  ===
=== Outdoor Social: TBD, Friday March 13th - Sunday March 15th ===
11:30 am, Apache Mall food court, near B&N.
Plan to do some [https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2026/02/pi-day-2026-3-14-sweet-ways-to-celebrate-with-three-new-souvenirs-to-earn/ puzzle solving geocaching over the weekend of March 13-15th].  Tim will be leading this one.






=== Social: Saturday January 11th, 2014 ===
=== Virtual Social: Thursday March 12th ===
We're off to the [http://rochester.mcm.org/ Children's Museum]!  The one here in Rochester, so no need for a big trip.  Event 10 am - __, with plans to stay at least through 11:30 for the 11-11:30 special event physical activity since the kids need to burn off some extra energy.
6 pm


Always felt too awkward to go to a Children's Museum without a kid of your own in tow, or your kids were "too old" to want to be used that way?  Come hang out with the group, and feel better that at least some of us are bringing kids.  Do be aware that the MCM-Rochester's policy on adults attending without kids is that you will be required to show photo ID.
Meeting link removed.


$5.50/person for ages >=1. $1 discount with proof of AAA or AARP membership, or military ID.
Anything else you want to see on the agenda? Aaron is running this meeting for us, so let him know. Also, plan to do some [https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2026/02/pi-day-2026-3-14-sweet-ways-to-celebrate-with-three-new-souvenirs-to-earn/ puzzle solving geocaching over the weekend of March 13-15th] with the crew, bring your calendar and your solved or stuck puzzles to share.


1643 North Broadway Street, Suite A


River Center Plaza


Rochester, MN 55906
=== Virtual Social: Thursday February 12th, 2026 ===
6 pm


That's across the street from Silver Lake Foods, in the same strip mall as La Fiesta, and across the parking lot from Wendy's.
Meeting link removed.


Anything else you want to see on the agenda? Let us know.




Afterwards, anyone interested can walk next door for lunch at Kingdom Buffet (Chinese).  Prices here:  http://www.kingdombuffetofrochester.com/rochester-mn-chinese-buffet.htm
Their re-designed website doesn't seem to have the discount coupon any more, let me know if you spot one.


=== Virtual Technical Meeting or Social: Thursday January 8th, 2026 ===
6 pm


Meeting link removed.


KLUG officer elections.


=== Technical Meeting:  Thursday January 9th, 2014 ===
Anything else you want to see on the agenda? Let us know.
Kyle Jervis will talk to us about bitcoin, including a lot of time for Q&A.


--
Bitcoin is decentralized peer to peer money.  There will be a
brief overview of the system in the context of previous electronic money
systems and show how bitcoin solves the problems encountered by them. 
There will also be a technical introduction to the inner workings of the
system (cryptography, network, transactions, scripts, etc.)  The
remainder of the session will be Q&A/discussion.  Questions on virtually
any bitcoin-related topic are welcome.
--
Here are the [http://k-lug.org/images/8/89/Bitcoin.pdf slides] from his presentation.
6 pm, in or near RCTC Heintz Center's HA107.
[http://www.roch.edu/html-spectrum/getting_to_ucr.html  Directions to Campus]
[http://www.rctc.edu/campustour/maps/heintzA.html  Heintz Center Building Map]
Also on the agenda:  The annual K-LUG coup attempt (ie officer elections), and round 1 of PCIG officer nominations.  Anything else you want to see on the agenda?  Let Tim or Tina know.
I'm sure we'll have something eventually....  ;)






=== Older News ===
=== Older News ===
 
* [[OldNews2025]]
* [[OldNews2024]]
* [[OldNews2023]]
* [[OldNews2022]]
* [[OldNews2021]]
* [[OldNews2020]]
* [[OldNews2019]]
* [[OldNews2018]]
* [[OldNews2017]]
* [[OldNews2016]]
* [[OldNews2015]]
* [[OldNews2014]]
* [[OldNews2013]]
* [[OldNews2013]]
* [[OldNews2012]]
* [[OldNews2012]]

Latest revision as of 23:58, 8 October 2026



Litter Bit Better outside social, Monday October 5th

6:00 - 7:30 pm

Fall opportunity to take care of our community by picking up trash and getting some geocaching credit while we're at it. Bring your own gloves, but no water edge to deal with this time.

As usual, teaming up with the geocachers. McQuillin Field in SE Rochester, we've got the 7 ball fields and two parking lots, there's a Litter Bit Better map here.


Virtual Technical Presentation: Thursday October 8th

Tim Massaro will do a trip report on his attendance at the Bay Area Maker Faire. It's the 20th anniversary of the mother of all Maker Faires originally started by Make Magazine.

6 pm

Meeting link removed.


Outside Social: Thursday September 17th

Disc golf! This time we're going to Byron. The course is just south of the Byron west stoplight. We waited until fall to let the wild parsnip flower heads (reported location of the 2nd half of the course) quit shedding pollen everywhere; but you still don't want to touch the plant. If the course turns out to still be too unenjoyable, we'll shift a few blocks NW to Kingvall Park, and try their disc golf course instead.

6 pm


Virtual Technical Presentation: Thursday September 10th

David Davis on TalkBoard VR — a virtual reality language classroom, and the server behind it.

6 pm

Meeting link removed.


Outside Social: Thursday August 20th

Disc golf! Meet outside the RCTC field house, 6 pm. Here is a map.


Technical Presentation: Thursday August 13th

Updates on the Med City Makerspace, by Tim Massaro. Tim's slides can be found here.

6 pm

Meeting link removed.



Outside Social: Friday July 24th

Disc golf! Meet outside the RCTC field house, 6 pm. Here is a map.

(I was going to have us go to the Byron disc golf course for something different, but they've apparently got wild parsnip on half the course)


Virtual Social: Thursday July 9th

6 pm

Meeting link removed.



Outdoor Social: Rochesterfest lunch, Thursday June 25th, 11:30 am

Lunch at RochesterFest. We'll be sitting at a picnic table on the far side of the tent from the music, to hopefully lower the decibel level enough to still talk. Gather around our organizer Mark.

Rochesterfest FAQs has some transportation & parking suggestions & miscellaneous information.


Virtual Social: Thursday June 11th

6 pm

Meeting link removed.


Outside Social: Geocaching, Thursday May 21st

6 pm

Park and walk a park in NE Rochester, where new trails went in last year.

Park east of Churchill Elementary School on Northern Heights Drive NE, looks like it might just be a curbside instead of a lot. We'll walk from there through the two stages of GCANZKD in Northern Heights Park, and decide on the fly if we're taking a path out of the NE side of the park to also grab GC9W5MG.


Virtual Social: Thursday May 14th

6 pm

Meeting link removed.


Litter Bit Better in-person social (outside), Tuesday April 28th

6:00 - 7:30 pm

Summit Pointe Park, in NW Rochester. Park on Shetland Drive NW, and observe the north/south boundaries in the linked map.

Bags provided. You bring your own gloves, grabbers, and sense of civic duty. Some pond shoreline. Unlike our fall CITOs, in the spring we've got plenty of daylight.

As usual we are teaming up with the geocachers to avoid being overwhelmed by garbage.


Outdoor Social: Saturday April 25

In celebration of National Kite Month, bring your kites and come join us as we try to fly them.

Saturday April 25th

2 pm

Location: That park by Steve Fox's house, officially known as Pine Ridge Estates Park, on Redwood Lane SW.

This park has a nice playground for the littles, picnic tables, and room to fly kites, as well as usually being unpopulated. The lack of trees and being on top of a hill mean it's pretty bug free (not that we should hopefully have to worry about that in April) even when there's not enough breeze to fly the kites.

Please bring your family and friends who might want to hang out. Bring your own kites. If you don't want to sit at the picnic tables or on the playground equipment, bring your own folding chair. And bring your own beverage. Since it's April, we're skipping the traditional ice cream.


Virtual Social: Thursday April 9th

6 pm

Meeting link here.


Outdoor Social: TBD, Friday March 13th - Sunday March 15th

Plan to do some puzzle solving geocaching over the weekend of March 13-15th. Tim will be leading this one.


Virtual Social: Thursday March 12th

6 pm

Meeting link removed.

Anything else you want to see on the agenda? Aaron is running this meeting for us, so let him know. Also, plan to do some puzzle solving geocaching over the weekend of March 13-15th with the crew, bring your calendar and your solved or stuck puzzles to share.


Virtual Social: Thursday February 12th, 2026

6 pm

Meeting link removed.

Anything else you want to see on the agenda? Let us know.


Virtual Technical Meeting or Social: Thursday January 8th, 2026

6 pm

Meeting link removed.

KLUG officer elections.

Anything else you want to see on the agenda? Let us know.



Older News

OLD SITE

Content from our old website can be accessed here.