TUG Buzz!
Sept. 28, 2010

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The Toronto Users Group  
 for Power Systems (TUG) is a user group/forum for the exchange  
 of ideas, and specializes  
 in providing affordable 
  education relating to the  
 IBM iSeries, AS/400,  
 System i, and Power Systems platforms.  

 TUG is in its 26th year of operation.

Welcome to TUG's eNewsletter: "TUG Buzz!"

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. TUG Night School in the Zone!
2. Zend PHP Workshop for i
3. TUG's 25th Anniversary Celebration
4. TEC Blog - In the Power Zone

Hello:

We want to make you aware of some unique, high value, non-profit technical education we have planned for Fall 2010. The dates are coming up fast. The education is done in conjunction with Seneca@York. We have focused on what we believe are the hottest and most critical new technologies for System i users, namely Web technology for dynamic and/or mobile websites. Thus, we have HTML, PHP, iPhone, and Blackberry classes to offer, along with new Rational Dev tools.

There are two types...

1. TUG Night School in the Zone!

First are a series of  “night school” offerings where you devote 1 night per week per class for a period of 3-6 weeks depending on the class. You learn new technology, face to face and  hands-on with highly skilled and respected instructors such as Vic Metcalfe, Claus Weiss, and Garry Kipfer.

                TUG Night School Fall 2010 Schedule: Seneca@York. (Start time 7:00pm)

Register at www.tug.ca

2. Zend PHP Workshop for i

Second is an exclusive 3-day workshop done in conjunction with Zend (the PHP company whose Zend Server is bundled with i5)

This is an exclusive offer for hands-on, interactive training offered by Zend for i5 system programmers who currently utilize RPG (or COBOL) and want to explore using PHP to create web-based application front ends for existing RPG applications.

If you prefer face-to-face training over Web-learning, this is your only opportunity in North America to attend formal Zend PHP i foundations training… and do it at a price less than that of distance learning. This unique, non-profit offering is only available through the cooperation of Zend, the Toronto Users Group for POWER Systems (TUG),  Seneca College, and the Free Software and Open Source Symposium (FSOSS). Your fee includes a full registration for FSOSS at Seneca@York.

Details:
•     Location: Seneca @ York University Keele Street Campus (visit TUG Blog for maps)
•     Dates: Oct 25-27 (Monday – Wednesday).  FSOSS is Oct 28-29 Thursday-Friday
•     Class Time 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (Monday – Wednesday)
•     TUG Member rates: $995. The rate includes catered breaks and lunch for the three-day class as well as a full 2-day FSOSS conference registration. HST and parking are extra.

Register at www.tug.ca

Mark Buchner
Executive Director, Toronto Users Group for Power Systems
mark@tug.ca

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TUG's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Let’s party! TUG will hold a celebration of 25 years at the Sky Club in Mississauga. (www.skyrestaurantlounge.com/contact.html)

For only $25 per person you can have a meal out with your spouse and be entertained by a top quality act on Friday, October 1, 2010.

Dinner is at 7:00 pm and the band starts at 9:00 pm. The show will feature Roger Trueman, who has been performing for many years. He will also be playing the main showroom at the Old Mill on October 19th. In the past he has opened up for Ronnie Hawkins, Freddy Cannon, the Platters, and Bobby Curtola. He has played the Leows Westbury, most of the Toronto area Nags Head clubs and many other clubs in the GTA. Roger has also played the Bandshell in Ontario Place and played to about 3,000 people in Maple Leaf Gardens. In addition, TUG Board member Russell Pangborn will be up on stage with Roger.

Along with the food and show we will have lots of activities to support one of TUG’s favourite charities. Some of you may want to try your luck as “doo wap” backup singers to a song for five dollars a pop. The more creative of you may want to try an Al Yankovic type of thing where either you, or our singer gets up to vocalize on your adapted words to Hooked on a Feeling. Get your licks in about our beloved platform, IBM’s marketing of it, or anything else that you can make rhyme and fit in with the melody. We can select the best one or two of the entries and either sing it for you or let you try it.

One of Roger’s sets features Elvis Presely tunes. Any of you who would like to try your luck can get up for $10 each. If you are a little nervous we won’t mind three or four Elvis’s singing at one time. (As long as you can agree on the same song…)

There is limited seating so let us know ASAP how many tickets you want and we will accommodate as many people as possible. Make your reservation online at www.tug.ca/forms/anniv-25/reservation.html or call and leave a message at 905-607-2546, or email admin@tug.ca. Happy 25th!

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TEC Blog - In the Power Zone

Welcome to the Power Zone! Our TEC committee's approach for 2010 and 2011 is to build on our relationship with Seneca and help the TUG membership to upgrade your skills and technical vitality. This is particularly important in the shifting IBM iSeries market as well as the tough economy. Our choices in topics are very heavily influenced by extensive market research we have conducted with the TUG membership base. We see plenty of interest in all things Web and Open Source, BlackBerry and other Mobile development as well as upgrading and modernization of base System i skills.

Please visit our blog (www.tugtec.ca) and look carefully at the TUG Night School offering. This provides an easy, non-intrusive way for TUG members to dramatically upgrade skills and prepare themselves for new challenges without upsetting day-to-day operations. Its like “going back to college”. Attendees will also find the learning capacity significantly higher than “on-line” or “do it yourself” Web training. Because of our non-profit nature, the price is a FRACTION of what you would pay commercially. Finally, we are fortunate to have some world-renowned, top-level experts be your “professors”.

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