• Oct. 23, 2007

Enrollment started Monday, Oct 22; be prepared for slowdowns

by Marietta Milligan, Information Systems Office
published Oct. 23, 2007

Enrollment for spring semester began Oct. 22, and once again demand for the K-State computing mainframe is expected to be heavy. Departments on campus are working to minimize the daily processing by moving or delaying non-essential processes, but K-Staters may still experience some delays when accessing the mainframe system.

The mainframe will continue to be the production system for the 2008 spring and summer semesters, and the move to the New Student Information System (iSIS) will begin with enrollment for fall 2008. For more information or if you have questions concerning the mainframe, call 785-532-5473 or e-mail mrm2@k-state.edu.

Leopard OS X 10.5 release parties Friday, Oct. 26

by Chris Loehr, K-State Student Union Computer Store,
and Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

Apple is releasing OS X 10.5 Leopard at 6 p.m. Friday Oct. 26, and you are invited to attend two parties sponsored by the K-State Student Union Computer Store.

  1. Leopard Pre-Release Party
    4:45-5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, Union Little Theater
    Free pizza, cake, and punch. Everyone is invited, but you must RSVP by noon Wednesday, Oct. 24, if you plan to attend (computerstore@k-state.edu, 785-532-7319). RSVP early because attendance is limited and we need to know how much food to order.
  2. Leopard Release Party
    6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, Union Computer Store
    Register to win an iPod and other prizes. The drawing is at 7 p.m., and you must be present to win. See the store's event flyer (PDF) for details.

Can't attend the event but want the special $79 release-night price on Leopard 10.5? Simply come in to the store by Friday, prepay the $79, and pick the software up at your leisure anytime after the release. An education ID is required for purchase, and the limit is two per education ID.

As an added bonus, at the release party (6-9 p.m.) we are taking $10 off iWork '08 and/or iLife '08 with the purchase of Leopard. This is available to Leopard pre-payers as well.

Seaton 22 computing lab reopened last Friday

by Ernie Perez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

The Seaton 22 university computing lab re-opened ahead of schedule on Friday, Oct. 19, and provides more efficient use of space. The lab contains 20 computers and a laser printer, which are now in one room. As a result of this move, four computers were relocated to the Dickens 1 computing lab to maintain the same number of computers available to the campus. For more about computers available on campus, see the university computing labs webpage.

HyperSnap 6.2 not covered by K-State licensing agreement

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

Some K-Staters have reported that when trying to install the latest version of HyperSnap (6.2 or higher), they only get a 30-day trial version. This is happening because K-State's volume purchase of HyperSnap only covers versions 5.x-6.13. The older versions can still be downloaded and will work with K-State's existing license.

Faculty/staff who have a license for HyperSnap 5.x can get a free upgrade to version 6.13 by going to www.hyperionics.com and downloading the latest version. If version 5.x is installed on your computer, it will automatically update your license to let you run the new version.

Free HyperSnap copies are still available for K-State faculty/staff on a first-come, first-served basis through a volume-purchase agreement. To request a copy, e-mail itac@k-state.edu. An e-mail response will provide instructions on downloading and installing HyperSnap. HyperSnap runs on any computer running Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, or newer. According to the manufacturer's website, 10 megabytes of free disk space is needed to install the program, with about 5 MB actually used after installation is complete.

HyperSnap is a software program used to capture screenshots of Windows programs. Screen captures can be copied into your favorite graphics program or saved to popular graphics file formats: BMP (Windows bitmap), GIF, JPG, TIFF, EPS (Encapsulated Postscript), PCT (Macintosh Picture), and more. For more about HyperSnap, see the manufacturer's website at www.hyperionics.com and select the "HyperSnap 6" link.

TechBytes Oct. 25: Tips and Tricks for InDesign Users

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

Pat Hackenberg and Mark Stadtlander will present "Hangin' with the 'In' Crowd -- Tips and Tricks for InDesign Users" at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in 501 Hale Library (Hemisphere Room). Want to learn a few tips and tricks about InDesign? This intermediate session will be of use to all InDesign users, but the material will be drawn from InDesign Creative Suite 2. This session will cover:

  • Preferences -- program settings including automatic spelling, correction, and hyphenation
  • Typography -- covering glyphs, OpenType, and good rules of typesetting
  • Page layout -- document settings, styles, and general appearance
  • Questions and answers -- Attendees are encouraged to bring questions

TechBytes seminars are free and open to the K-State community. The series is also video streamed live for off-campus viewers and those who wish to view it from their desktop. See the TechBytes site for handouts, videos, and resources from previous seminars, plus a link to the next live video.

Oct. 26 last chance to request software for labs, InfoCommons

by Eric Dover, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

This is the last chance for faculty and students to recommend software they would like added to the university computing labs and K-State InfoCommons computers for spring 2008 semester. Review the guidelines on the Software Addition Policy page and submit software requests to softwarerequest@k-state.edu by Friday, Oct. 26.

eTips Oct. 31: HyperSnap Tips

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

Cathy Rodriguez will present an eTips session on "HyperSnap Tips" at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31. HyperSnap is a great tool for capturing screenshots. You can capture images that can then be included in webpages, procedural manuals, help systems, presentations, handouts, and more! According to HyperSnap Help, "Use HyperSnap to quickly share a picture-perfect representation of anything on your screen."

The session will be presented via K-State Online's Wimba tool, which allows online collaboration and sharing through any networked or wireless computer. Topics in this eTip include:

  • Basics of screen-capturing (full screen, window, region)
  • Advanced capturing techniques (multi-screen, auto-scroll)

eTips registration is required at least 24 hours in advance to allow time to add you to the session and ensure your workstation is configured properly for accessing the session.

Course accessibility

ADA electronic curb cuts in cyberspace

by Andrea Blair, Disability Support Services
published Oct. 23, 2007

K-State's Disability Support Services provides assistance to an average of 500 students with disabilities each year. These students are represented in all colleges, include both on-campus and distance students, and have a range of disabilities that need to be accommodated. For example, K-State has had:

  • A Rhodes Scholar who was totally deaf
  • An "English as a second language" learner who
    was unable to move his arms or grip objects
  • A student who lost his vision just out of high school

Many students need adaptive technology -- screen-reading and voice-recognition software, alternate input devices, closed-captioning videos, etc. -- in order to access information presented electronically. This may include webpages, e-mail, K-State Online, PowerPoint, Tegrity, and videos. The Course Accessibility Standards Policy was created to ensure that faculty and staff are aware that electronic barriers exist for individuals with disabilities, and that information presented electronically must allow access for all. The growth in distance education, as well as an increase in electronic delivery of course content, makes this policy quite timely.

K-State already has an accessible course management system, and all university computing labs are equipped with specialized text-enlargement software. K-State faculty and staff have already taken steps to address course accessibility. Professors Sanjay Rubello in physics and John Harrington in geography are two examples of K-State faculty who are improving content accessibility by providing text descriptions of images in their PowerPoint presentations.

DSS has developed a K-Access website with many tools to assist faculty in making their courses accessible. In the coming weeks, InfoTech Tuesday will include simple tips for making course content and webpages more accessible. If you have questions, contact DSS or the IT Help Desk for assistance.

Security tip of the week

Oct. 28 registration deadline for IT Security Training Event

by Harvard Townsend, IT security
published Oct. 23, 2007

The deadline for registering for K-State's annual IT Security Training Event is Sunday, Oct. 28. Please register by that date so final plans can be made and an accurate lunch count can be given to the Union. Review the program schedule to choose your breakout sessions before registering online.

The training event will be 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the K-State Student Union and is open to anyone at K-State. There is no charge for the event, and lunch is included. There will be two general sessions plus two sets of breakout sessions, with more technical and less technical options during the latter. Questions about the event can be sent to Harvard Townsend, harv@k-state.edu, 785-532-2985.

K-State Online

Wait time is useful on Message Board

by K-State IT staff
published Oct. 23, 2007

When conducting discussions on the K-State Online message board, instructors should give students time to answer each other's questions. This encourages students to work collaboratively. Don't hesitate to step in when they drift from the topic. Balancing guidance with self-reliance fosters a learning community.

SAS updates, Facebook blocking?

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

How do I get the SAS update once I've paid the license cost?

As soon as SAS receives K-State's site-license payment, it sends the update process to Jim Olson, K-State's SAS technical support. He then e-mails everyone who's paid for a SAS license and gives them the instructions and website for retrieving the data for their particular SAS version. For more information, see K-State's SAS/PC site license webpage or e-mail sasadmin@k-state.edu.

Can you block Facebook from the computers in the K-State InfoCommons?

That's possible, but not a good idea. K-State InfoCommons users are primarily students, and students want access to Facebook.

Spotlight

Pecha-kucha for your next PowerPoint?

by Aimee Hagedorn, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Oct. 23, 2007

Before you get started on your next PowerPoint presentation, consider pecha-kucha, the latest practice started by Tokyo-based architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein. Pecha-kucha, meaning "chatter" in Japanese, calls for "20 slides displayed for 20 seconds each."

If executed properly, your presentation will be completed in exactly six minutes and 40 seconds. Not sure if this works? Check out Emotionally intelligent signage: A pecha-kucha presentation created by Wired magazine writer Daniel Pink.

For more information about pecha-kucha, see the Aug. 21 complete Wired magazine article: "Pecha Kucha: Get to the PowerPoint in 20 Slides Then Sit the Hell Down".