Volume 1

July 8, 2009 - Summer Edition, Volume 1, No. 7

I hope you are having an enjoyable and productive summer. The Information Technology Services staff is working through our list of summer projects and upgrades to get ready for the upcoming academic year. The most exciting one is setting up our new home in the Harris Center, which is one of the stories you will read about in today’s edition of TechTips. You will also learn about the new iPhone and, in the Quick Tips section, some of the things you should do to make your computing transition back to campus smoother.

I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy TechTips and find it useful.

Regards,

Jon Enos, CIO

• iPhone OS 3.0 & 3G S:

  With so many threes floating around, the latest iPhone buzz can be a little hard to follow. Here, we'll do our best to clarify what's what and provide an overview of the new features available.

• Moving into the Harris Center:

  An overview on the move from Martin and Stager into the new Harris Center.

• Quick Tips - 7/8/09:

  We've got a few suggestions on how to minimize computing frustrations during time away from campus, and when you return.

May 4, 2009, Volume 1, No. 6

This week, we examine some of the features provided by ITS that ensure a safe computing environment for our College community. Our feature on virus definitions explains how to be sure that your antivirus software is always updated and working effectively. Additionally, we're pleased to be outlining some of the improvements in the new Campus Manager software that we'll be implementing this summer. In short, the newer version of the software will result in more robust network security and increased ease in registration.

We hope you enjoy this issue of TechTips, and, as always, we'd love to hear any comments or questions you might have.

-Christopher Silansky '05, Desktop Support Specialist

• Computers Need Booster Shots Too:

  Antivirus definition updates are necessary for protecting your computer from viruses and other malware. Find out how to make sure your computer's antivirus software is up to date.

• Campus Manager - 5/2/09:

  An overview of the new and improved Campus Manager software that will be helping to keep the College network safe, and what it means to you.

• Quick Tips - 5/2/09:

  Information on file extensions (those strange letters at the end of filenames) and how to keep tabs on the overall safety of the Internet.

Apr 21, 2009, Volume 1, No. 5

Today’s edition highlights ways to improve your Google searches, information about burning a CD or DVD to save important data files, and more information on Franklin & Marshall's recently launched iTunes U site. iTunes U is a part of the Apple iTunes Store featuring free lectures, language lessons, audiobooks, and more, that you can enjoy on your iPod, iPhone, Mac, or PC. We have decided to use iTunes as the mechanism to deliver audio and video "podcasts" of public lectures and events that happen on campus. For now, Franklin & Marshall's site is private to the F&M Community, but it will soon join the public portion of the Apple iTunes Store so that we can share our events with everyone. For a short tutorial on what iTunes U is and how to use it, click here.

I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy TechTips and find it useful.

Regards,
Jon Enos, CIO

• Burning Optical Media:

  How and why you'd want to burn a CD or DVD to make your data portable.

• Making Google Work for You: n/a
• iTunes U - 4/21/09:

  F&M has joined iTunes U to deliver lectures and other publications online.

• Quick Tips - 4/21/09:

  This week, how to make sure that your filenames don't cause problems when moving them around, and some lesser-known, alternate ways to use Google.

Apr 6, 2009, Volume 1, No. 4

This week's edition of TechTips is a potpourri that picks up some of the threads we started in earlier issues. This time, we:

• continue our discussion of the capabilities of eDisk
• present our disaster recovery strategy
• discuss all you wanted to know about Twitter
• explore FAQs on file compression and Microsoft Word templates

Enjoy!

Chris Swisher,
Director of Desktop Integration & Support

• Sharing Files with eDisk:

  eDisk isn't just a place to store files when you run out of ink on your home printer and need to use the campus facilities. Find out how to share files across the globe and become a more savvy eDisk user in general!

• Twitter: What does it do? And is it for me?
• Disaster Recovery - 4/6/09:

  Here's an overview of how ITS is prepared to handle any sort of disaster that might affect College systems, and how we can avoid disruption should that occur.

• Quick Tips - 4/6/09:

  Learn how to more efficiently send files to others, and how to save yourself some time when working in Word!

Mar 23, 2009, Volume 1, No. 3

Today’s edition focuses on ways to make your computer and the data that is on it both more secure and easier to recover if you have an equipment failure. One of the most important things you can do right now is to change your F&M unified password. This is something you should do every six months as a precaution against someone being able to guess your password and gain access to your data. Unfortunately our system logs reveal that too many of us have not changed our passwords in quite some time. So, please take a minute and visit http://password.fandm.edu, log in, and change your password. I would also encourage you to visit http://its.fandm.edu/security to learn more about our IT security policies and how to practice "safe computing."

I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy TechTips and find it useful.

Regards,
Jon Enos, CIO

• Don't Lose Your Data – Back It Up!: n/a
• Email Protocol - Why You Should IMAP Instead of POP:

  Information about the two major email protocols and what they mean to you.

• iTunes U - 3/23/09:

  This week in ITS, a preview of iTunes U and its implementation at F&M, and a summary of South by Southwest Interactive 2009.

• Quick Tips - 3/23/09:

  Tips on how to keep your computer (and the information it contains) secure, and news on the brand-new Internet Explorer 8.

Mar 9, 2009, Volume 1, No. 2

Welcome to the new TechTips Newsletter from Information Technology Services.

TechTips is designed to give members of the Franklin & Marshall Community a quick and easy way to get timely information from ITS. News items will range from quick tips on using ITS supported software in your work at the College to updates about current services and future projects. TechTips will also include timely discussions about larger IT issues in Higher Education as well as provide a mechanism for input and feedback to ITS.

I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy TechTips and find it useful.
Regards,
Jon Enos, CIO

• A to Z on PDFs:

  Learn about PDF files - what they are, why they're useful, and how to create them.

• Frequently Asked Questions- Microsoft Office 2008 for Macintosh, 2007 for Windows:

  Learn about the newest versions of Microsoft Office for both the Mac and Windows, about new file formats, and their compatibility with older versions of Office.

• Wireless Network Updates - 3/9/2009:

  Updates on the renovation of F&M's wireless network, and new training resources from Desktop Integration & Support.

• Quick Tips - 3/9/09:

  Quick Look, and how to recover from strange display maladies.

Feb 23, 2009, Volume 1, No. 1

Welcome to the new TechTips Newsletter from Information Technology Services.

TechTips is designed to give members of the Franklin & Marshall Community a quick and easy way to get timely information from ITS. News items will range from quick tips on using ITS supported software in your work at the College to updates about current services and future projects. TechTips will also include timely discussions about larger IT issues in Higher Education as well as provide a mechanism for input and feedback to ITS.

I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy TechTips and find it useful.
Regards,
Jon Enos, CIO

• Safe Computing: Avoiding Viruses:

  Learn about computer viruses, why they're harmful, and what you can do to protect yourself from them.

• ITS Updates - 2/23/09: n/a
• Quick Tips - 2/23/09:

  How to take screenshots on any platform; How to get your iPhone/iPod Touch on F&M's wireless network.