news from the world of ict - syracuse university 1 - news from the world of ict news from the world...
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Page 1 - News From the World of ICT http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
News From the World of ICT
Welcome to another issue of the ICT newsletter!
News From the World of ICT is our way of sharing with the
Maxwell community who we are, and what we do.
From events in the Global Collaboratory, to computing tips and tricks to make your
day a little easier, you’ll learn something new in every issue!
Issue 6 August 2010
Contents:A Word from the Director... .....2
Staff Focus ...............................3
Faculty Focus ...........................5
Emerging Technology ..............7
The Global Collaboratory ........9
Ektron Update ........................11
Tips and Tricks .......................13
Summertime Fun ....................15
Additional Information ..........17
Help Info ................................18
Page 2 - A Word from the Director... http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
A Word from the Director...
The migration from Windows Vista to Windows 7 began in May and will be completed sometime
in August. So far, it’s been a great success and well received by the faculty, staff and students! Faculty outside of department suites will be contacted individually to schedule a convenient time to upgrade. Windows 7 is just the operating system so the learning curve is very low for this upgrade. All of the application software (Office, Adobe, etc.) remain the
same versions. If you are a faculty member and wish to schedule an upgrade, please send an email to [email protected]. Windows 7 training is also available by contacting [email protected].
Microsoft released Office 2010 in May, a full month earlier than expected. This is not surprising because Office 2010 has received extremely positive feedback, even with the early beta releases. ICT, along with the other IT groups on campus, are in the final stages of testing the deployment process. Office 2010 should start appearing on desktops all over campus, including the Maxwell School, starting sometime this summer. ICT will notify the departments when a timetable for Maxwell has been developed. Office 2010 workshops are already available. If you would like to participate, please email [email protected].
The Maxwell School, in collaboration with schools across campus, will participate in the adoption of a unified digital signage software system. This new system will give each school better options and more flexibility with the content that is displayed on the screens. One of the biggest benefits is that the new software will be tied directly to the Department of Public Safety who can push important information to all the displays on campus simultaneously, should an emergency occur. The new system will be deployed sometime in the fall semester.
Page 3 - Staff Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Did you know this about the Maxwell ICT Staff?More on the business side:
Pete recently spoke at a NYCHES conference regarding SU’s video “from • camera to web” workflow and technology. NYCHES (New York Computing and Higher Education Symposium) was formed to gather together schools and universities to share like experiences, exchange ideas, and to learn from one another in a friendly atmosphere. For more information, visit the NYCHES web site: http://nyches.syr.edu/index.html.
Tammy ran a Staff 2 Staff PowerPoint session in the Hall of Languages in July.•
David migrated two of the Office of Research web sites (• http://research.syr.edu/ and http://techtransfer.syr.edu/ ) into the Cascade content management system and will soon be migrating two more.
Stan and Pete will be attending the 2010 Educause Annual Conference in • October.
More on the personal side:In June, Holly and her husband went camping for the first time with Delilah. A • feat probably not to be repeated this year. Camping with a very busy 1-year old who still likes to eat everything in sight is no fun!
Brian ran his first 5k at the Utica Boilermaker in July as part of a goal he set to • lose weight.
Matt has two daughters who are active lacrosse players. They have participated • in summer tournaments in Rochester, Sacket’s Harbor and Baldwinsville.
Staff Focus
Continued on page 4.
Page 4 - Staff Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Staff FocusEddie recently upgraded his CarPC platform to Centrafuse 3.1, due to a • hardware malfunction. To see his CarPC project in its entirety, visit: http://forums.fluxmedia.net/project-forums/7806-rangofuse.html. He used its GPS navigation on trips to Lumberton, NC, and to Fair Haven State Park where he took a majority of his immediate family camping.
David really enjoys the outdoors - he has been spending his summer hiking and • kayaking in the Adirondacks.
Mike actively goes hiking/backpacking in the Catskills and Adirondacks. He • also enjoys going fishing on a regular basis.
Tammy has had a love for colored glass for as long as she can remember and • recently set up her own glass fusing studio in her home.
Holly’s husband, Brian, recently branched out on his own and is now part owner • of GreenSavers Windows and Doors!
Tom keeps busy on the summer weekends shooting fireworks professionally. Of • course, Independence Day weekend was extra busy - he had 4 shows in 5 days. Often, you can see his shows after the Syracuse Chiefs games and at many area field days. He’s looking forward to the giant grand finale on Saturday, August 21st, at the Solvay Summer Fest. Each shell during a main show is usually lit by hand with a standard road flare. If you’ve never seen this up close, check out this video of Tom shooting the Manlius show this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoh_SggFrzw.
Continued from page 3.
Page 5 - Faculty Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Faculty Focus
John McPeak Associate Professor of Public Administration
How long have you been at 1. Maxwell? I began teaching at Maxwell in the fall of 2002.
What is your field of study? 2. I am an applied agricultural economist who works mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
How do you use technology in your research and/or teaching? 3. In my research, we have used ICT support to develop a computer network and supporting software that allows livestock producers in Kenya to play a game we designed to illustrate how insurance works. As insurance is a private sector product, we are seeking to educate potential customers about what insurance does, how it could help them, and what the limits are of what it can do for them. You can learn more about the Kenya livestock project by visiting this web site: http://www.ilri.org/ibli/, and viewing a video found on this web page: http://www.blip.tv/file/3105262. In another Mali project I’ve worked on, we are developing a web based livestock market information system. Potential buyers and sellers can monitor market price information for (currently) 27 markets in Mali to identify where prices are highest using SMS messages. The messages would be delivered to a server in Bamako. I also have worked with ICT to develop a web site where I post all of my lecture notes and other course material for students to access and prepare for my courses. You can view the site by clicking this link: http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/jomcpeak/.
Continued on page 6.
Page 6 - Faculty Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Faculty FocusJohn McPeak, Associate Professor of Public Administration, continued from page 5. What new or emerging technologies are you looking forward to? 4. We are trying to develop voice prompts and protocols for the Mali market system, as the literacy rate is low and the ability to discover market information using local languages would make the product more accessible. I have also been following developments in the ‘pico projector’ market to see if we can identify battery powered projectors that can be used in extension efforts in villages that don’t have electricity. In our Mali work, we are starting to use Near Infrared Spectrometers to obtain measures of the nutritional quality of animal feeds in order to identify the least cost rations for feeding animals in the rural context.
The following pictures, and more, can be found on John McPeak’s web site: http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/jomcpeak/.
Game to illustrate insurance, Karare Kenya, August 2008.
Photo by Sommarat ChantaratGL-CRSP Mali Livestock Pastoralist Initiative
(MLPI) Adamou Kalilou’s photo. Senna, Mali near Gao
Many thanks to Professor McPeak for contributing to our newsletter!
Page 7 - Emerging Technology http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Emerging Technology
Technology name:1. LTE TechnologyProduct description:2. You may have heard of “3G” or “4G” cellular coverage - LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the latest standard in the mobile network technology tree. LTE basically means increased capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks. Currently, cellular network technology is fragmented between different technologies. One of the goals of developing LTE technology was to set an industry standard. So far, LTE has been accepted by global cellular standardization organizations. Both Verizon and AT&T announced plans to convert their networks to LTE beginning in 2009. We’ll likely see cellular devices such as USB and internal laptop/netbook modems with this technology first, probably sometime this year. Look for LTE technology for cell phones next year.
Links for more information: 3. Learn more about LTE Technology by visiting these sites:
http://www.3gamericas.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page§ionid=24• 9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GPP_Long_Term_Evolutio• n
This page will introduce you to emerging technology we’ve found interesting. For more information regarding technology presented, please click a link provided.
Emerging Technology continued on page 8.
Page 8 - Emerging Technology http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Emerging Technology
Technology name:1. Eye-FiProduct description: 2. Eye-Fi is a memory card with built in Wi-Fi.Cool Features: 3. Ever run out of room on your camera’s memory card just when you want to take a picture of something happening right in front of you? Do you forget to upload the photos to your computer - and, when you finally remember to do it, the pictures are months or years old? Well no more! The Eye-Fi memory card will wirelessly, and automatically, upload photos and videos to your computer and even to your favorite site including: Flickr, Facebook, Picasa and more! The Eye-Fi card comes ready to be configured in a USB reader. The software you’ll need to get started is included - just pop the Eye-Fi card and the USB reader into your computer. During setup you can add up to 32 networks that the Eye-Fi card will use to upload your media. You can customize where you want your photos stored on your computer, as well as which sites you want your photos uploaded to. Once this process is complete, just insert the Eye-Fi card into your camera and start taking pictures. As soon as your camera is turned on and within range of the wireless network it was set up to recognize, it will automatically upload your photos!
Links for more information: 4. For more information on Eye-Fi, visit: http://www.eye.fi/.
Emerging Technology, continued from page 7.
Page 9 - The Global Collaboratory http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
The Global Collaboratory
Portable Video Production with NewTek TriCaster
We are pleased to share with you a recent upgrade. Our portable video production cart is used to switch between multiple cameras while webcasting
and recording events outside the GC. Earlier this year, we completely overhauled the cart based around a NewTek TriCaster. This streamlines the amount of equipment to maintain, and makes our setups easier. Plus, the TriCaster now gives us high-definition video, on-screen graphics, and direct-to-web Flash encoding.
The TriCaster we have is also used by Fox News Strategy Room, the NBA Development League, the Winter X Games, and many high schools, colleges, and universities.
This spring we used the new cart to record interviews for Moynihan Institute’s Transnational NGO Initiative. These videos can be seen at: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan/tngo/interview_series/Interview_Series/.
Online Collaboration with our Web Conference Cart
In past newsletters, Tom has written a lot about the conferencing, collaboration options, and support offered by ICT. At the end of the Spring 2010 semester, we
put the finishing touches on a web conference cart. One rolling cabinet contains all of the components needed for a small group web conference. Now, you can host Skype video conferences in groups of 8-10 people! This cart has already been used in a handful of dissertation defenses and research project meetings.
Web conferencing doesn’t quite replace the full capabilities of dedicated video conference equipment like we have in the Global Collaboratory, but Skype is nearly ubiquitous among the online community, and now the mainstream media. Skype is the primary purpose for the web conference cart, however, you can use any conference web application. You may also ask us to test and install any tools that are not already available.
We’ve included a picture of the Web Conference Cart on the next page:
Continued on page 10.
and Video Conferencing
Page 10 - The Global Collaboratory http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
The Global Collaboratory
Fun Stuff
When SU’s ITS needed to host 2 days of training sessions for techs who are spread all around the campus, they came to Maxwell specifically to use
the GC. All sessions were video recorded and distributed on the ITS SharePoint intranet for later reference.
Incoming International Relations graduate students were invited to the school in March for a Welcome Weekend. Some sessions in the GC included separate panel discussions with faculty, students, the career center staff, and researchers. Those sessions were video recorded and placed online for the incoming students who were unable to attend.
A group of MPA students and others enjoyed the FIFA World Cup as they watched a USA match in the GC. We also had a second match showing so that the fans could keep up-to-the-minute with the all of the action.
Continued from page 9.
The New Web Conference Cart
Page 11 - Ektron Update http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Ektron UpdateEktron update (code-name ORANGE)
Approximately 15 months after launching the current version of the Maxwell School’s web site, ICT is planning its first major upgrade to the Ektron Content
Management System. While this update will not affect the “look-and-feel” visible to our site visitors, under the hood there are some noticeable changes!
It’s orange!The most striking change Ektron site editors will see is the color scheme change in the workarea. The current Ektron version 7.6.6 workarea looks like this:
While the Ektron version 8.0.1 workarea looks like this:
It’s more readableOnce you get accustomed to all the orange (which should not take Syracusans long), you will notice: workarea text is a bit larger, the most commonly used buttons to navigate between the Library and Content area of the site are placed more prominently on the page, and background colors have been changed to enhance contrast and make everything a bit more readable.
It’s customizableIn Ektron’s version 8 you are also introduced to “PageBuilder” technology which allows you as editor to control what information you see on your Ektron desktop. (The Ektron desktop was previously called the “SmartDesktop” in version 7.6.6.)
Continued on page 12.
Page 12 - Ektron Update http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Ektron Update
When logging into the workarea, PageBuilder allows editors to customize the initial screen so that just the information you need is in view. “Widgets” can be dragged from the ribbon down onto the desktop, as shown in the screenshot below. In similar fashion, editors can also remove unwanted widgets from their desktop.
More details were discussed and a demo of Ektron version 8 took place the end of July. The expected deployment on our www.maxwell.syr.edu server is mid to late September. For more information regarding this change please email: [email protected].
Continued from page 11.
Page 13 - Tips and Tricks http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Tips and TricksThe installation of Microsoft Office 2010 is coming soon.
Here are a couple of new features you can look forward to!
Screenshot: You can quickly and easily add a screenshot to your Office file to enhance the readability or capture information without leaving the program that you are working in. Use the Screenshot tool to insert an image of any window that has not been minimized (or use the Screen Clipping tool to select part of a window).
For example, there may be a web site page (or part of the page) you’d like to insert into a Word document. As long as the web page is opened, just click the Screenshot button in Word. You will see an image of any window that has not been minimized under “Available Windows”. Once you click an image, it is automatically inserted into the document you were working in when you clicked the button.
Or, maybe you received an error message while working on something. You are not sure what it means and would like to ask ICT about it. You no longer have to type out what the message says in your email (or use the Snipping Tool to make a copy of the image of the dialog box). Simply open a new message in Outlook and click the Screenshot tool. As long as the dialog box has not been closed, you will see an image of it. Click the image, and it is automatically added to your Outlook message.
You will find the Screenshot tool on the Ribbon, under the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group. This feature is available in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word (2010).
Continued on page 14.
Page 14 - Tips and Tricks http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Tips and Tricks
Get ready to use the Ribbon in Outlook 2010! The menu bar and toolbars no longer exist in the 2010 version of Outlook. Although you’ve gotten used to using the Ribbon when creating items such as a new email message, or calendar item, the main interface still incorporates the menu bar and toolbars in 2007. Now, the main interface also includes the Ribbon. Ribbon choices change depending on the folder selected (Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, etc.).
When you have your Inbox selected, you will find a new feature called “Quick Steps” on the Home tab, in the new Quick Steps group. This feature allows you to apply multiple actions to email messages at once.
Outlook 2010 comes with default Quick Steps (which you can remove if you don’t want to use them), and you can create your own Quick Steps to automate actions, giving them a unique name.
For example, you may have folders that you move specific types of email messages to - create a quick step that moves whatever you have selected in your Inbox to that folder with the click of a button. You can even move messages between different mailbox accounts using Quick Steps.
Another example: there is probably a group of people that you often send messages to. You may have a distribution list set up, and you just add that name to the “To” field of your message. You can create a Quick Step that (1) creates a new message and (2) fills in the “To” field automatically for you - simply by clicking the Quick Step button on the Ribbon.
Office 2010 offers some great new features, but is still very similar to Office 2007. Maxwell faculty, staff and students will have an easy time making the transition from Office 2007 to Office 2010.
Continued from page 13.
Page 15 - Summertime Fun http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Eddie’s son and daughter (Logan and Brianna) Fair Haven Beach State Park
Summertime Fun
Stan’s daughter, Emily St. Lawrence River
Holly’s Daughter, Delilah
Continued on page 16.
Matt’s daughter, Rachel, and her friend Seneca Lake
Page 16 - Summertime Fun http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Summertime FunContinued from page 15.
Holly’s Daughter, Delilah
Matt’s wife, Ellen, and their daughter, Maggie Watkins Glen
Stan’s son, Stanley, Jr. St. Lawrence River
Tom’s niece, Shannon, watches the fire Lorton Lake
Eddie’s son (left), Logan, with his cousins Fair Haven Beach State Park
Page 17 - Additional Information http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Additional Information
►Reserving the GCEvents hosted by groups with a Maxwell School affiliation may request use of the room up to 12 months ahead; others may make requests 2 months ahead. Room availability may be checked by calling 315-443-9003, or by emailing [email protected] – an online request form must be submitted before confirmation is made. The reservation process will involve a discussion of technology and staffing needs during the event.
►Interactive Media Lab (IML) - Access Student access: • See Holly Johnson in 034E for form. Please bring your SUID!
Faculty & Staff access:• IML access for faculty and staff should be requested by the individuals’ department. Please have your department send an email to Holly Johnson at: [email protected]. No form is necessary!
►IML Coverage for this semesterPlease contact • [email protected]
The IML is closed during ICT training sessions. Please check the ICT Training site for details on upcoming training sessions.
Page 18 - Help Info http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/
Help Info
Service [email protected]
(315) 443-3847
Global Collaboratory [email protected]
(315) 443-4742
Training [email protected]
ICT Web site http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict.aspx
ICT Training http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/icttraining/
ICT Training Sessions: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict_pages.aspx?id=6442451614
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/news.aspx?id=6442451675
ICT Newsletter http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ictnewsletters/
Help Desk Hours (Room 034A)
Mon-Fri. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm