The Philadelphia Area Computer Society

The Arduino was originally created as an educational tool to teach students interactive design using electronic circuits and computer programming. The goals of this project were keeping it in an open environment (open source hardware and software), and keeping it accessible to many, in terms of cost and ease of use. Since 2005, this project has blossomed into a thriving community of artists, engineers, and curious "noobs" alike. It's effects are rippling into other communities of "do-it-yourself-ers," hobbyists, and educators. Hate it, or love it, it's influence can't be ignored. We're finding the Arduino in more and more high profile projects such as being the brains for the RepRap 3D printers, the workhorse behind the Android Accessory Development Kit, and the microcontroller of choice for the DIYDrones projects. Technology is getting smaller and more energy efficient. "Smart" appliances and devices are shoeing their way in to every market and many of them are Internet-enabled. With such a low barrier of entry, the Arduino is a force to be reckoned with. The September meeting coincides with Software Freedom Day.

PJ Santoro is currently studying Electrical Engineering as an undergraduate student. He recently left the field of land surveying after being active in it for 10 years. He is a member of Hive76, a Philadelphia-based hackerspace of equal-or-lesser value, sits on their board of directors, and also acts as the Events Coordinator. He is the unofficial keeper of the Arduinos at Hive76. When not programming, he enjoys riding his bike, listening to, or creating music, hiking, and gardening.

Alan will talk about how he got into his career and why he can't get out. For the past 30 years, single-handedly he has been writing Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, now the longest running technology reference on the market. He will describe his experience with developing his Windows, iPhone, and Android apps plus the mobile space in general. He will cover what it's like developing mobile apps, which is better to develop for: Apple or Android, free or paid? which way to go, and Windows 8 phones and tablets (possibly a make or break for MS).

Alan Freedman started in the industry in 1960 wiring plugboards for IBM tabulating machines. He dropped out of college to get into the field much like Bill Gates did to start writing software. Only Freedman wasn't much of a marketing guy, so he's had to work the past 52 years, 35 of which are in his own company because nobody could stand him as an employee. And, that worked out very well. Freedman is world famous in a niche that is so small, it defies gravity, but nevertheless, he thinks he has helped millions of people and that keeps him going (a legend in his own mind if you know what I'm getting at). Unfortunately, he picked a subject that changes as fast as these keys are being punched. He should have written a trashy novel that would have kept the royalties going for decades. But, alas, hindsight is perfect.

This Session will give an overview of the new Windows 8 Platform. We will cover using the new Window 8 UI, what makes a good Windows App, what has changed in the development platform and the new Windows Store.

Dave Isbitski is a Technology Evangelist with Microsoft covering Windows 8. He enjoys talking about technology and has taught full-day courses on numerous Microsoft topics as well as being a presenter at VSLive!,ReMix, XAMLFest, CodeCamps and other community events. He posts frequently to his blog blogs.msdn.com/davedev and can be found on twitter at @TheDaveDev.

Hear about the DuckDuckGo search engine (DuckDuckGo.com). Hear why it is better than Google and why it getting better every day. Learn about the search tracking that Google enables (DontTrack.us). Learn about the Google search bubble that "tailors" search responses (DontBubble.us). Hear about our !bang terms and directed searches. Get some sense of the technologies involved. Last but not least learn about the way we are working with the user community to build out new features. Plus, challenge us with searches you like to do and we'll see how we perform, live and in technicolor.

Chris has a BSEE from Drexel University. He has been developing software for 35+ years - mostly small systems software at companies such as NSA, Singer-Kearfott, Schlumberger, Ford Aerospace, QVC, etc. Currently a consultant, he has about 90 apps in the iTunes app store and is an iOS & Macintosh software developer. His current fun activities include "technoidalism", fatherhood & cycling.

Dave will cover how ECOvanta helps the planet by facilitating responsible electronics recycling. His talk will cover the following: E-Waste Basics (What is E-Waste, Electronics Consumption in the U.S., E-Waste and the municipal waste stream); About ECOvanta (Its genesis, its mission); The Value we Bring (Customer Service Regulatory updates, capitalization); Our Plant (Accepted and Prohibited Materials); Our Process (Demanufacturing, Shredding, Assured Destruction, Downstream). Drop off of recyclables at the plant is available and visits to their plant in South Philadelphia may be scheduled.

Dave is an Account Executive at ECOvanta, Covanta Energy's electronic waste and recycling division, based in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to joining ECOvanta, Dave spent over 15 years with Waste Management, Inc., in sales and marketing. Dave holds an MS in Environmental Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a BS in Biology (minor in Chemistry) from William Paterson University.

Apple TV offers access to Movies, TV shows, music, photos, and more. Apple TV gives you anytime access to endless entertainment. Thousands of HD movies and TV shows from iTunes - many in stunning 1080p - play through Apple TV on your HDTV, and music and photos stream from your computer. You just click and watch. With AirPlay, it's simple to play content from your Mobile Devices on your TV.

iTunes U - part of iTunes, offers educational multimedia content featuring free lectures, language lessons, audiobooks, and more, that you can enjoy on your Mobile, Laptop and Desktop devices. Explore over 350,000 educational audio and video files from top universities, museums and public media organizations from around the world. iTunes U brings a vast library of content - textbooks, videos, web links and more into a single application for interactive learning whether you are a student or life-long learner.

Ben is a member of the Macs@PACS SIG and several other Apple User Groups as well as an Elder and Family lawyer. Ben has over 30 years of experience as a Technical Consultant and Systems Analyst for several private consulting firms as well as NCR, WordPerfect, and Novell designing and implementing custom software systems integrating mainframe, mini and personal computers.

The advent of e-readers and digital distribution of books is changing the way people read, changing how publishers do business, and changing how libraries are meeting the needs of users.

So, how are e-books created, stored, and distributed? Who actually owns e-book? Will print materials disappear? What do libraries think about e-books? Won't libraries become obsolete in this digital age?

These questions will be explored in an attempt to lead to a better understanding of the issues surrounding e-books and libraries. Some of the questions have straightforward answers, but more often than not there is no exact answer. Publishers have different rules for e-books and have started to see libraries as competition; library e-books distributers provide access in different ways; and libraries (and consumers on the whole), are left to weigh through these issues riddled with gray areas.

Katie Fitzpatrick is a librarian at the Upper Moreland Free Public Library. She began her career at UMFPL five years ago as a Public Services Librarian. She is now the Head of Technical Services, supervising the cataloging and processing department, maintaining library computers and technology, and working at the reference desk. Katie received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Montana State University - Bozeman, and earned her Master of Library and Information Science at Drexel University.

The National Cristina Foundation is a non-profit organization created nearly 30 years ago with the sole mission of promoting the reuse of technology from its first life to its second life with non-profits and schools. Over the years the approach to the mission has changed considerably, but the basic mandate is the same. NCF operates a national system of technology donations and provides its partner organizations with the necessary technology to operate their own online donation system from their respective websites all through support of the NCF servers. While NCF does not necessarily require technology assistance, the many partners of the foundation throughout the country do require various types of assistance. It is a goal of this presentation to increase awareness of possibilities for assisting non-profits and schools in the communities.

Bud Rizer has been involved with the technology and disability field for over 30 years. He has experience as a researcher, clinician, project manager and teacher at several universities throughout the country including The Johns Hopkins University where he earned his doctoral degree. His primary focus has been on the use of alternative computer control devices used by persons with very severe disabilities. Bud was invited to be a member of the Board of Directors for the National Cristina Foundation upon its founding in 1984. In 2008 Bud was recruited to join the Foundation full time as Executive Director and later assumed the duties of CEO.

Discover new ways Apple is making exciting technology available to all learners as part of its ongoing commitment to accessibility. For over 20 years, the Mac has shipped with dozens of accessibility features built in, at no additional cost, allowing it to be used right out of the box by people with disabilities. Now, with the innovative new iPod and iPad, Apple continues to set the standard by taking accessibility and learning to a whole new level.

As a Senior Systems Engineer for Apple, Dave Marra has conducted hundreds of technology presentations, keynote addresses and workshops for schools, Mac and PC user groups, businesses and other professional organizations across the United States and Canada. Certified as both an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator and an Apple Certified Systems Administrator, his specialty areas include digital multimedia, internet technologies, accessibility and Mac/PC integration. Dave's web site is www.marrathon.com. More information about Apple can be found at: www.apple.com

Audacity is a free, open source program for processing sound files. Versions are available for Mac, Linux and Windows machines. It's many features will be described and several practical uses will be detailed such as Converting between audio formats, Editing sound clips, Generating a ring tone file, and more.

Don is a PACS Director and past PACS President. He has worked with computers since 1961 and retired from civilian work with the US Navy. His BS degree is from Lehigh University in Electrical Engineering. He has taught college math and done consulting work. He currently leads PACS' PHP SIG.