Link to An Academic Technologist’s Toolbox
Mathematica 8 Now Available
Last month, Wolfram Research released Mathematica 8. Swarthmore ITS has the new edition available for download for faculty, staff, and students here:Download Mathematica 8 (Swarthmore username and password required). We have versions for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. From Wolfram’s website, here are the top 8 reasons to upgrade: Enter your queries in plain English using new free-form linguistic input Access more than 10 trillion sets of curated, up-to-date, and ready-to-use data Import all your data using a wider array of import/export formats Use the broadest statistics and data visualization capabilities on the market Choose from a full suite of engineering … Continue reading Mathematica 8 Now Available
Recommended iPad Apps from The New York Times
Whether you’re new to using an iPad or an early adopter of the technology, we suggest you take a look at The New York Times top 10 favorite apps. The list includes everything from productivity apps that will change the way you work, to games that will change the way you look at the device itself. For more recommended apps check out our previous entry on the subject: 5 ITS Recommendations for the iPad Swarthmore College community members wishing to take an iPad for a test drive can stop by Media Services in Beardsley 115. Continue reading Recommended iPad Apps from The New York Times
Freshen up your Java!
Ok, I’m not talking about coffee but rather the software that permeates most of our computers. Sun’s (now Oracle’s) Java is ubiquitous in today’s computing environment. Unfortunately, as is often the case with widely installed software, it is a major target for attackers and malware writers. Add to this the fact that Java often has numerous security holes and you’ve got a formula for mass infection. (Frankly, Java makes it very difficult to keep a computer secure.) What can you do to help the situation? 1) Make sure you’re always running the latest version. You can find what version you’re … Continue reading Freshen up your Java!
Office Hours and Advising Scheduler
Do you want to schedule office hours, advising appointments, or interview slots? Swarthmore’s Office Hours Scheduler lets you set up blocks of time for people to schedule appointments. Continue reading Office Hours and Advising Scheduler
Reading Your Email the Plain Ol’ (Safer!) Way
Many of us receive our email in what’s known as HTML format. In other words, when you receive an email, it can display multiple fonts, colors, pictures, etc. It’s nice to look at. Unfortunately, the technology that allows your email to be formatted in an aesthetically pleasing way also provides holes for malicious attackers to abuse. So, to make your email safer to read, it needs to be uglier! This is simply accomplished by reading your email in plain text format. Below is an example of an email (supposedly from Facebook) in HTML format followed by the same exact email … Continue reading Reading Your Email the Plain Ol’ (Safer!) Way
Introduction to Moodle Class
ITS will be holding two “Introduction to Moodle” training sessions to help new users transition from Blackboard to our new learning management system. In the first half of the class, we will cover logging in, navigation, and adding materials and online assignments to courses. During the second half, participants will have to time to work on their course or explore additional features in Moodle. This is a great opportunity to get started if you are thinking of using Moodle for a spring semester course. Additional training will also be held in early January. The course will be offered at the … Continue reading Introduction to Moodle Class