Featured Speakers of TCF 2006
Alfred Poor Abstract : 15 years ago, buying a personal computer was a confusing challenge. You were confronted by bewildering jargon and acronyms, misinformed sales staff, conflicting claims, unfamiliar brands, and rapidly-changing technology, which made it difficult to make a knowledgeable decision about an expensive investment that had to last five to 10 years. These same circumstances describe the HDTV market today. High-definition and digital television are about to dramatically alter what we watch for entertainment and education, as well as when and where we watch it. The personal computer revolution has made an entertainment revolution possible, as processing power has become nearly "too cheap to matter." We have "personal computers" all over the house: personal video recorders, large-screen displays, home networks for entertainment content, and even fascinating new uses for the Internet. This fast-paced presentation will explore everything from current and near-future display technologies to IPTV - Internet Protocol television - that will forever change our home entertainment landscape. Bio : Alfred Poor is editor and publisher of "Alfred Poor's HDTV Resource Center" at where he writes a daily "HDTV Almanac." He is also author of the self-published "Professor Poor's Guide to Buying HDTV," which explains and compares HDTV display technologies. He is also Senior Research Associate with Pacific Media Associates, specializing in HDTV market research, and is Chairman of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Society for Information Display. He is co-host of the Personal Computer Show, heard Wednesday evenings on WBAI in New York, and online and via podcast at www.pcradioshow.org. He is also author of "Alfred Poor's Computer Cures", a question and answer column that has run in Computer Shopper for more than 12 years. He is a former Contributing Editor and Lead Analyst for Business Displays for PC Magazine, where he was a freelance writer for more than 20 years. |
Joel May Abstract : Google is arguably the most popular as well as the most powerful search engine available. But did you know that, in addition to searching the web, Google can do calculations, provide dictionary definitions, check airport and flight status, track FedEx and UPS packages, scan L.L. Bean catalogs and more? This presentation will show you how to use all the powerful features of this great search engine. Bio : Joel has spent most of his adult life teaching, first the University of Chicago and, subsequently, at UMDNJ. He?s been using computers since 1961, the Internet since 1974, PCs since 1979, and the World Wide Web since 1994. |
Sol Libes Abstract : Podcasts are radio-like programs. and vidcasts are video programs automatically distributed over the Internet by publishers to subscribers. They are time-shifted so that you can listen and view them when you want at your convenience. They are free and one of the best free programs for listening and viewing them is Apple?s free iTunes program. They can be heard and viewed on your computer. They can also be transferred to portable devices such as the Apple iPod, an MP3 or video player. This presentation will show you how to find podcasts and vidcasts, how to subscribe to them, and how to view them with Apple iTunes. Bio : Sol a retired Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Programmin. He has a BA from the City University of New York and an MS from Rutgers University. Sol is the author of 16 books, most on Personal Computer hardware and software design. Many have been translated into foreign languages. He has authored over 300 magazine articles that have appeared in more than 30 different magazines and journals. From 1975-1981 he was a monthly columnist in Byte magazine (for many years the leading Personal Computer magazine). From 1979-1987 he was the Editor of Microsystems Journal (a publication for computer hardware and software designers). For many years he was a member of the IEEE Computer Standards Committee developing PC hardware interface standards. He also served as a consultant to several companies on PC hardware and software design. Sol founded the Amateur Computer Group of New Jersey in early 1975. It is the oldest Personal Computer Club in the world. Sol served as ACGNJ President for many years. In 1976 Sol, together with Allen Katz, founded the Trenton Computer Festival. Sol is currently an instructor at Ewing SeniorNet teaching seniors how to get the most out of their personal computers. |