Link to An Academic Technologist’s Toolbox
Avoid IRS Phishing Attempts!
All you need to know is: the IRS does NOT initiate taxpayer communications through email. So, if you receive an unsolicited email from the IRS, it’s not from them!! Discard it. In addition, if you do email the IRS directly and then receive a response, keep in mind that they will – NEVER request detailed personal information through email – NEVER request information like PIN numbers, passwords, credit card numbers or other account information The IRS has a simple but informative web page with additional information about identifying and reporting phishing attempts, fake IRS web sites, etc. You can find … Continue reading Avoid IRS Phishing Attempts!
Serious Unpatched Security Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
UPDATE #2: Adobe has now released patches for versions 7, 8 and 9 of Acrobat and Reader for both Windows and Mac platforms. Please refer to the links below. Click here for Windows Click here for Mac UPDATE #1: Adobe has released version 9.1 for Windows and Mac platforms. A patch for older versions is expected on or around March 25th. If you’re running version 9, you can open your existing Adobe application and then click on ‘Check for Updates’ in the Help menu. You can also get the update directly from their website (you must already be at version … Continue reading Serious Unpatched Security Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
Useful Links for Graphics, Video, and Photo Editing
Maybe Final Cut scares you… or maybe you think Adobe is something you make bricks out of. Either way, the links I have pulled together will help anyone get ahead with Final Cut Studio and Adobe CS3 and CS4 applications. The links are organized by category. Enjoy! If you ever want to know how to do something with a particular piece of software, check out Lynda.com first for handy video tutorials. Be advised, you can only watch the first few episodes of each entry without signing up for an account. If you’re on campus, be sure not to forget about … Continue reading Useful Links for Graphics, Video, and Photo Editing
1/16 – Meeting Maker Upgrade 8.7.1
On Friday, January 16, 2009 Meeting Maker will be unavailable from approximately 5:00 AM until 9:00 AM for an upgrade. After the Meeting Maker server is upgraded, the client software that you use to access it will also need to be upgraded. For Windows users, this process will be initiated automatically when you attempt to log once the server is back online. Macintosh users can proceed with upgrading their clients manually. Links to documentation are available on the ITS website to walk you through these processes. It covers both Windows and Macintosh as well as Palm installations. If you have … Continue reading 1/16 – Meeting Maker Upgrade 8.7.1
Save Energy and Cut Costs: Use Sleep Mode on Your Computer
Together we can save money and reduce our energy footprint! FACT 1: Flat screen monitors use less power than CRTs. FACT 2: Laptops use less power than desktops. FACT 3: There is no longer any technical reason to be concerned about turning your computer off. FACT 4: Computers that are in sleep mode use a tiny fraction of the power used by computers which are on but sitting idle. Scenario 1: A 17″ iMac uses 78 watts/hour when sitting idle and only 2 watts/hour when in “sleep” mode. Leaving it on all day, every day, costs $67/year more than leaving … Continue reading Save Energy and Cut Costs: Use Sleep Mode on Your Computer
Important (but easy) Tips for Office Computer Security
Hackers especially love the holidays because there are lots of new, unprotected computers to compromise and silently take over. Even without new computers to exploit, there has been an alarming increase in the amount of malware (viruses, spyware, etc.) being installed recently on Swarthmore community systems. The following tips will help keep your existing computer (regardless of operating system), and especially new out-of-the-box systems, more resistant to viruses, spyware and other malware. These tips are crucial to protecting the contents and integrity of your office computer. Of course, these tips also apply to your home computer. For more security tips, … Continue reading Important (but easy) Tips for Office Computer Security