Seeing isn't just believing -- it's also a great way to understand and learn.

In case you weren't one of the lucky ones at Nancy's New-To-Mac SIG on Saturday, she has posted her helpful Pages video tutorials online.

Pages is Apple's amazing page layout program. It's a Swiss Army knife of features and capabilities that can make anything from brochures, letters, invoices, and even greeting cards more attractive and easier to create.

Nancy shares her insights and shortcuts in six video tutorials, now available in the Podcast section of the CapMac Wiki.

For over a year we've known that MobileMe's days were numbered.

Apple's move to iCloud, would mean that some services and features we've enjoyed for years would transition to iCloud. While others would simply fade away.

With the June 30th deadline fast approaching, many MobileMe fans are confused by conflicting suggestions and information on the best way to make the move to iCloud.

Don't worry, CapMac has you covered. Our new CapMac Portal features a 'How-To Wiki' with links to the best resources available on how to successfully transition to iCloud -- including Q&A, and links to step-by-step pictorial guides.

We've even got information on how to move your MobileMe-hosted website to Dropbox, or move the content to your own personal webspace on the new CapMac server.

Want to know even more? Take Control Books author Joe Kissels' timely new eBook 'Take Control of iCloud' offers a comprehensive look at iCloud and maps out the best way to transition your MobileMe account over to the new service

UPDATE - Apple has just announced that MobileMe subscribers may receive 20GB of free storage through September 2012. 

Got questions?  Send a note to helpdesk@capmac.org.  We'll post answers and help on our HelpDesk WiKi.

The Travis County Commissioners Court this morning gave official approval to a package of tax incentives to secure Apple's expansion of their Austin campus, and add over 3,600 new jobs.

Only Precinct 2 Commissoner Sarah Eckhardt voted against the incentives for Apple.

Last week it was reported that additional restrictions from the Commissioners had put the project 'at risk', including language requiring Apple to pay the lowest-salaried 10% of its new employees at the site an average of $35,000 per year. Contractors, which may comprise up to 25% of the new hires, will be paid a minimum of $11 per hour. 

Apple's Governmental Affairs Laision Jason Lundgaard was on hand for today's session and responded to questions from county commissioners. 

Travis County is the final governmental entity to approve its portion of the total tax incentive plan, which is estimated to yield $35-36 million for Apple in exchange for adding the jobs and facilities. The State of Texas and the City of Austin previously approved their pieces of the deal.

CapMac's Board had gone on record favoring the incentives:

"As many students near graduation and begin to look at career choices - Apple's Austin expansion could provide many of them the training, pay, benefits, and upward mobility that could enable them to take greater pride and stake in the Austin community."  "CapMac members are proud to welcome the entire Apple family, and we are pleased that Travis County has voted to embrace them as well."

The Austin-American Statesman's Editorial Board had also favored Apple's proposed tax-rebate plan.

If you haven't already transitioned from MobileMe to iCloud now's the time.  On June 30th, Apple's MobileMe service will go dark - and any photos, documents, websites, and email addresses that haven't been migrated to iCloud or another service will vanish.

Don't say you haven't been warned. Apple's launch of iCloud allowed users over a year to transition to the free, new iCloud sevice. And now that the final days are ticking by, it's time to get a move on...

CapMac has prepared a special 'Transitioning to iCloud' WiKi page that provides details on the migration, and a step-by-step guide on how its done.

Still have questions?  Arrive early for our May 8th meeting and chat with a member of CapMac's Server Team, or email us at   helpdesk@capmac.org

On the heels of Earth Day, Apple openly contested claims from Greenpeace that its Maiden, North Carolina data center is mostly powered by 'dirty fuels' like coal.  Greenpeace's accusation came as part of the environmental organization’s critical look at data centers.

According to an Apple media specialist:

“Our data center in North Carolina will draw about 20 megawatts at full capacity, and we are on track to supply more than 60% of that power on-site from renewable sources including a solar farm and fuel cell installation which will each be the largest of their kind in the country,” Apple said in a statement. “We believe this industry-leading project will make Maiden the greenest data center ever built, and it will be joined next year by our new facility in Oregon running on 100% renewable energy.”

Apple is one of several companies given poor marks in a new Greenpeace report released on Tuesday called “How Clean Is Your Cloud,” which analyzed electricity consumption by data centers.

Greenpeace criticized Apple’s Maiden, North Carolina, facility, alleging that renewable energy sources such as fuel cells and solar arrays will only generate 10 percent of its electricity needs, with the rest generated by coal.

Apple contested that claim, saying 60 percent of the power will be eventually delivered on-site from a solar farm and fuel-cell installation “which will each be the largest in the country.”

“We believe this industry-leading project will make Maiden the greenest data center ever built,” it added.

For years, National Association of Broadcasters Convention is been the launching pad for many great new technologies -- and this year is no different.

Join CapMac's own Jim Wynn of channelAustin, and Lloyd Swartz from the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures, as they cover the massive convention floor and report back on the lastest in computer, storage and video technology.

You can follow their exploits in the SIG News Wiki.

Microsoft Word documents have become the lastest vector for trojan attacks on Mac OS X.

A vulnerability in many versions of Word can allow a malformed document with embedded content to initiate the opening of a backdoor to the users Mac, allowing unauthoriozed users access to your computer and documents. Since an Admin password is not required for most Word operations, a targeted user would have no idea that the attack is taking place.

There have been confirmed reports of infected user machines going unnoticed for over a month, before the attacker copied and deleted user documents.

Complete details and updates can be found in the CapMac Wiki.

Apple today released a dedicated tool for detecting and removing the Flashback virus from Macs.

Full information and links are available in the CapMac Wiki  

Apple has also released its third Java Update this month, promising to block future variants, and remove existing infections.

Details and links are in our Wiki, along with detailed information on the Flashbank vulnerability.

Just as you've gotten over not being a PowerBall Lottery winner -- you get an SMS message telling you that you've been selected... 

Well, what are the chances?  ZERO.

It's a complete scam to gain links to your email address, mobile number, address, and maybe more if you you're gullible enough.

Several CapMac members have received the urgent text messages this week.  Want to save others the trouble? Report them to your mobile carrier. In the case of AT&T you can even use the free Mark the Spot app to banish them from sending more.

[Source:  Snopes / debunking one urban legend at a time]