Macintosh User Groups (MUGs) around the world feature a wide variety of special guests and topics at their meetings, which are typically held monthly. Portland Mac Filmmakers Users Group leads off the MUG news this week with a rundown of its Aug. 25 meeting, during which Apple engineer Paul Pashibin will cover his employer’s latest release, Motion, a real-time motion graphics package that integrates with Final Cut Pro HD. Visit the group’s Web site for the meeting time and location.
Another Apple employee, Don Peebles, will visit the Boston Final Cut Pro Users Group (BOSFCPUG) meeting on Aug. 24 in the Billy Bordy Theater at Emerson College. The group will also screen short films created by some of its members. BOSFCPUG notes that the agenda has not been finalized, but attendance is free and a US$5 donation allows you to participate in the Big Dig Raffle. You must register for the event on Apple’s seminars Web site.
If you can’t wait that long for your MUG fix, stop by Capital Macintosh Users Group (CapMac) on Aug. 12 for a presentation by member Michael Sidoric, who will cover the vast array of shareware available online. The proceedings will start at 7:30 PM in the University of Texas Pharmacy Building in Austin. CapMac will also hold its next Board of Directors meeting, which is open to all members, on Aug. 5 at the Schlotzsky’s Deli on South Lamar in Austin. Visit the CapMac Web site for more details about both events.
Meanwhile, Chuck Joiner has updated his MUG Center Web site with the latest news from groups around the world. He reports this week that audio files and session handouts from the User Group Leadership Conference held at last month’s Macworld Conference & Expo Boston are now available. Joiner also says that Adobe is currently in the middle of its “Creative Suite Tour for Creative and Print Professionals,” two-day seminars that are hitting various cities around the United States, and has invited all user group members and leaders to attend. Admission is free, but you must register on the company’s Web site.
Finally, the MUG Center lists a stop at the Cowtown MUG in Ft. Worth, Texas for Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who will present a GarageBand overview and preside over a raffle that will include copies of his new GarageBand book among the prizes. On the other side of the world, Nicholas Pyers will show off his collection of Apple commercials, “Twenty Mac Years: The History of the Macintosh Through the Advertisements of Apple Computer, Inc.,” at Australia’s Apple Mac Users Society of Melbourne on Aug. 7 and at New Zealand’s Wellington MUG sometime in September.
Macintosh User Groups interested in seeing their events listed on MacCentral are welcome to send us their news. We post roundups of MUG events and gatherings each week.
If you’re wondering what user group events are happening in your area, visit the MUG Center’s online calendar. Apple also hosts a user group site where you can look for a MUG near you or find out how to start your own group.