eNews Volume 95 - 5/22/2008

Thanks to all of you that are using this process we began in Spring 2007. Here's a reminder for everyone:

With the arrival of summer, we receive many account requests for temporary employees in Extension offices, e.g. summer assistants and interns. We will create individual AG accounts for these employees - including e-mail if needed. They can then be setup as a user on an Enterprise computer in your office, to use Exchange mail and calendaring, and to connect to the appropriate shared folders on the server in your office. To be in compliance with Penn State policies, these individuals need their own unique UserID and password.

STEP 1 - Extension Office
Ensure that the summer assistant/intern has a Penn State account. If he or she is a PSU student, their current Penn State UserID can be used. If they have no association with Penn State, they must apply for a "Friends of Penn State" or FPS account. This will generate a unique Penn State UserID for your temporary employee.

To get a Friends of Penn State (FPS) account you and/or the summer assistant/intern should go to this web site: https://fps.psu.edu/ then click on the Create an Account tab in the upper left (under the image of Old Main). Complete this form and then click Submit.

Note: This form will ask for an * E-mail Address. The email address you enter here will be the one to receive the FPS information after the request is processed. If you are completing the form, you can enter your PSU email address. If the temporary employee is completing the form, they can use a home or other email address of their choice.

STEP 2 - Extension Office
Once the FPS form is processed and the Penn State assigned UserID is created, you will submit a Help Desk Submission Form request that includes the following details:

1. Indicate that you're requesting an AG account for a temporary employee and include your Office name
   (Examples: summer assistant, intern, etc.)
2. Include the temporary employee's First and Last name
3. Include their Penn State UserID
   --This could be a FPS UserID or an existing PSU student/employee UserID. For example (abc5555).
   -- We do not need the nine-digit Penn State Employee ID number if they have one.
4. Include the Starting and Ending dates for the temporary employee
5. Will they need an Outlook Exchange account created (for Email and Calendaring)?
   If yes, please list (if any) staff UserID's who will need access to this employee's calendar.
6. What is the Service tag number of the Enterprise computer this employee will use?
   -- If they will be using more than one, please include those tag numbers also.
7. If your office has a server, we will allow this account to have access to all the "County Share" folders except the Administration folder. Please let us know if their access to folders should be more restrictive. Otherwise, please list 'Default OK' below.

The following text block may be copied and pasted into the Problem Details field on the form. You can then add the needed information in the form. You should send in this information in a separate request for each person.

RE: Temp AG employee in xxxxx extension office
First and Last Name:
PSU UserID:
Start Date:
End Date:
Create Exchange Account: Yes or No
-- If yes, list any UserID's who need calendar access:
Service Tag:
Restrict Server Access to these Shared folders (list):

STEP 3 - Ag IT
Once we have this information, Ag IT staff will create the AG account, set activate and deactivate dates, and grant the needed permissions.

STEP 4 - Extension Office (If needed, Ag IT)
Support will send an email that the account is active along with a temporary password to the staff person who requested the account and to the County office account. This email will include a listing of the How To's that the summer assistant or intern can follow to login and complete the setup of an Enterprise machine. At this point, the process should be done. As needed, we may schedule a time through Support to setup the temporary employee on an EN machine. Hopefully this will be the exception to the rule.

Final Note: As indicated above, to be in compliance with Penn State security policies, Ag IT will be required to phase out "generic" AG accounts in the future. All accounts that access Penn State network resources must be linked to individuals. This change will impact other generic AG accounts used for Master Gardeners, West Nile Virus staff, etc. We are discussing the requirements of the Penn State policies and how best to minimize the impact these changes will have on Extension offices.

These steps can also be found on our How To page under Forms. You can also use this link: How To Request Summer Assistant and/or Intern Accounts.

Tom Weber, EN Coordinator

Today’s tip is about Instant Messenger (IM) programs. Some examples are AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo Messenger, and Windows Messenger. Even if you don’t use IM, this tip can help to clean up your computer. Instant messaging can be a handy tool in the workplace. But, unfortunately it comes with a few settings that aren’t very good for your computer.  For example, all of these programs, by default, are set to start up with Windows. This places an extra burden on Windows while it is trying to boot the entire system, and adds to the slowness at startup.

Most of us install our own IM program(s), but there is also one that is included with Windows. Even if you’ve never used it, Windows Messenger still tries to run when you start your computer.

For steps to change your settings so IM programs will not load with Windows, check out the new post in the Spring Cleaning blog.

http://cas-pc-maint.blogspot.com/

Lori Pudliner, IT Specialist

There are new lower prices in effect for the EN program computers from May 16 through July 31, 2008. Penn State has negotiated lower prices with Dell for certain configurations during this time period and we are able to pass those savings along to the EN program. There are very minor adjustments to the configurations.

EN Desktop, Optiplex 755 w/ 19" flat panel monitor - $1400 one-time or $350/yr for 4 years
EN Notebook, Latitude D630 - $1740 one-time or $435/yr for 4 years
EN High End Notebook, Latitude D830 - $1780 one-time or $445/yr for 4 years

More details about the EN program, specific configurations for the EN computers, and an order form can be found at http://it.cas.psu.edu/EN.htm.

The Enterprise Network (EN) program is a standards-based purchasing program for College computers and services. Please contact Tom Weber at thw@psu.edu or 814-863-3509 if you have questions about the program or Sharon Spicer at sspicer@psu.edu or 814-865-0505 if you have ordering questions.

Tom Weber, EN Coordinator

In one of our previous eNews Tech Spotlight articles, we told you about Adobe Presenter and what it can do for you. NOW we are ready to show you how you can use it to turn your presentations into captivating multimedia experiences and e-learning opportunities for your users. Bring your computer with Adobe Presenter installed, a headset with microphone, and a completed PowerPoint presentation. We will show you the rest!

Online Learning Tool using Adobe Presenter

• June 11, 9 to 11 via Adobe Connect
• June 18, 1:30 to 3:30 via Adobe Connect
• June 26, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. in 110 ASI, University Park

Jacki Weikert, Ron Matason, Peg Shuffstall, and Sherry Crum
The Educational Technologist Team

The four counties that comprise rural north-central Pennsylvania, Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter have many human service agencies. These agencies provide services beyond county boundaries but may not have a physical presence in each county that they serve. All four counties have collaborative boards that meet routinely to share resources but often the attendees are agency executives and not frontline case managers so they may not be familiar with all the other services available to meet clients needs. Additionally, each collaborative board has assembled a printed agency resource directory which details some of the services available but clientele may not be aware of its existence.

The NCPAHELPS wiki is designed as a one-stop-shop for clientele and agency personnel  to locate resources in the 4-county area. I designed it so that no one other than myself has permission to make changes in order to maintain the integrity of content and overall visual appeal. It is still a work in progress as I find the time to add content. When completed, it will be a static site with changes only to the front page to feature upcoming events and any changes to addresses, phone numbers, services etc. Where agencies have their own websites I just link out to them so wiki visitors get accurate details about current info on the agency rather than trying to always update the wiki.

http://ncpahelps.pbwiki.com/

Robin Kuleck, Extension Educator, Elk County

One way to make your PowerPoint presentations a little more interesting is to add a short video clip.

To add a movie, you can insert it onto a slide and then specify how the movie will start. There are two ways to start the movie: automatically when the slide is displayed or by clicking it. You can also keep the movie playing over several slides or have it play continuously throughout your presentation.

For complete steps see Inserting Movies into PowerPoint 2007.
 

Please note: Unlike pictures or drawings, movie files are always linked to your presentation, rather than embedded in it. When you insert a linked movie file, PowerPoint creates a link to the movie file's current location. If you later move the movie file to a different location, PowerPoint cannot locate it when you want the file to play.

This MS page will provide even more information on adding a movie to your presentation.

Add and play a movie in a presentation

Jacki Weikert, Educational Technologist

When renaming a folder or a file in Windows, you might select it once, pause a second, then click it again. Or, you can rename it by right clicking on it and choosing Rename.

Did you know that there is a third method? If you're a keyboard junkie, this will be right up your avenue.

Highlight the folder or file, then press the F2 key. The name becomes editable right away. Then, press any of the arrow keys to place the cursor in the name and edit as needed.

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Administrative assistants who read office email accounts often ask if there is a way to "redirect" messages to staff. In other words, when a message is forwarded, they want the recipient to be able to reply directly to the original sender. While Outlook doesn't support a true redirect, Outlook does have a Forward as attachment feature that serves the same purpose. This method also allows the person sending the Forward as attachment to add comments without editing the original message.

Sender - Sending a Forward as attachment

1. There are several methods to forward a message as an attachment.
   
   
   1. Highlight a message in any mailbox. From the Actions menu choose Forward as attachment.
   2. Highlight a message in any mailbox. Press Ctrl + Alt + F.
   3. Open a message. From the Other Actions menu choose Forward as attachment.
      
      Note: If the original message is a Text or HTML message, it will appear in the Attached line. If the original message is a Rich Text message, it will appear in the body of the message you are sending to the recipient.
      
      
2. Enter the Recipient for the message. If needed, add any comments.
3. Click Send.

Recipient - Reading a Forward as attachment

1. Open the message. You will see that you have an attached message. There are several methods to deal with the message.
   
   
   1. Click once on the attachment. This allows you to read the attached message. If you don't need to take any further action, click Delete. This deletes the forwarded message and the attached message.
   2. If you need to keep/file the attached message, you can drag the attachment from the forwarded message and drop it into another folder (e.g. the Inbox). Once there you can open and reply normally.
      
      Tip: the message will appear as a read message, since you've viewed it.
      
      
   3. Double click on the attachment. This opens the message in its own window. You can reply normally at this point.
      
      Tip: the Move to Folder is grayed out at this point. If you need to keep/file the message, close the attached message. Then drag and drop it into a folder as in B.
      

These same steps are in How To Use Outlook 2007's Forward as Attachment.

These steps will work as expected when sending to College of Ag Science faculty and staff who use the College's Outlook Exchange email. You should become familiar with these steps by sending yourself a message or two. Offices that plan to use these steps should also discuss and test before putting them into general use. If you need to use these steps with outside partners, discuss the feature and test to see if their email client will support this feature.

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Drop.io (pronounced 'drop I O') enables you to create simple private exchange points for your data. Here is a bit about drops from their FAQ.

"A drop is a chunk of space you can use to store and share anything privately (pictures, videos, audio, documents, etc.), without accounts, registration, or an email address. Drops are not "searchable" and not "networked;" they just exist online as private points for exchange between individuals or groups.

Create as many drops as you want in as little as two clicks and set things like a password, whether others can add to the drop, and how long you want it to exist (you can renew later). Drops can be flexibly used in a range of ways from sharing family photos and videos to collaborating on group projects."
 

In looking through their Privacy Policy & Terms of Use I could not see any hidden tricks. They don't ask you for personally identifiable information and they do not monitor content or drops. The fact that you can password protect and set an expiration date for your drop also protects your data.

Drop.io has a 100mb upload limit for a single drop. There are other file sharing sites out there that give you more. But this should be plenty to share that large PowerPoint presentation with a client.

Home - http://www.drop.io/
Tutorial - http://snipurl.com/29ksi

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

In this April 22, 2008 Network World article entitled Have good penmanship? You'll like this digital pen, Keith Shaw describes the Mobile Digital Scribe by Iogear. This digital pen retails for around $130.

What it is: Like the company's earlier Digital Scribe device, this is a digital pen that uses a base station to record a user's handwriting on any sheet of paper, using normal ink. The base station, connected to a PC via USB cable, then converts the writing into digital format, which can then be saved as an image, sent in an e-mail, or even converted to text through the optional handwriting recognition software.

The "mobile" part of the pen means the base station can record writing or drawings without the USB cable attached, allowing users to go away from their computer in order to take notes or draw. The pen also includes a mouse mode that lets you use the pen as a mouse when attached to the PC (some people prefer using a pen-based device for navigation instead of a mouse).

Why it's cool: Previous attempts at digital pens have meant things like special paper, bulkier pens and other obstacles toward the goal of having your handwriting automatically appear in a digital format once you wrote it down. The pen itself is a normal-sized pen, and uses standard ink refills. The small size of the base station means you can record writing on any size paper, and I like the ability to record notes in the mobile mode without having to be attached to a PC.

Read the remain article at http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2008/042208-cool-tools.html

This link will take you to the Mobile Digital Scribe page at Iogear. I always like to check out the Support & FAQ page. This allows you to check out any issues a new product may be having.

And I just LOVE how Keith closes the article: "For handwriting-to-text conversion, your enjoyment of the device will depend a lot on how well you paid attention to the teacher when learning cursive writing." In my case, this would be the Sisters of St. Joseph. And the answer would be, not well.

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Disclaimer: Information presented here is provided as a general information resource. IT won't be able to support this software if installed.

From What is WWT page: "The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a Web 2.0 visualization software environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope—bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe. Choose from a growing number of guided tours of the sky by astronomers and educators from some of the most famous observatories and planetariums in the country. Feel free at any time to pause the tour, explore on your own (with multiple information sources for objects at your fingertips), and rejoin the tour where you left off. Join Harvard Astronomer Alyssa Goodman on a journey showing how dust in the Milky Way Galaxy condenses into stars and planets. Take a tour with University of Chicago Cosmologist Mike Gladders two billion years into the past to see a gravitational lens bending the light from galaxies allowing you to see billions more years into the past."

The Experience It page has steps to download and system requirements. You will find more info on their World Wide Telescope forum as well.

Lastly, astronomy is not one of my things. I did not download and install this software as a test. If you're into astronomy, you might find this useful. Be sure that your machine can handle it though. The minimum system requirements for a PC, as listed on the Experience It page, are steep. They list a minimum of 1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM with 2 GB of RAM recommended for starters. Wow.

Robert Scoble from FastCompany.tv has a thirty minute video on the project as well. If you watch this, you'll see why you need so much RAM to run the WWT.
http://www.fastcompany.tv/video/exclusive-first-look-worldwide-telescope.

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Wikipedia articles and Panoramio photos have been added to Google Maps. Look for the 'More' button in the upper right. When you select the Wikipedia tick box small 'W' tags appear on the map indicating that Wikipedia articles are available. Click the 'W' tag to open the Wikipedia article. Panoramio photos display as thumbnails.

This link will take you to University Park PA with the Wikipedia and Panoramio boxes checked.

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

This product is still in beta. Many of the features shown in the tour and in the demo movies are just very exciting. See what you think. Would it make you give up PowerPoint for good?

"SlideRocket is a web application that provides everything you need to design professional quality presentations, manage and share libraries of slides and assets, and to deliver presentations in person or remotely over the web."

Tour:
http://www.sliderocket.com/productTour.html

Demo Movies:
http://www.sliderocket.com/demos.html

Sliderocket: cool presentation tool
http://qik.com/video/78012

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

This article lists over 90 websites that have tweaked their site for viewing over a mobile device. Categories include Business, Entertainment, News, Reference, Travel and more. So if you have a mobile device, you might check this out.

A good list of mobile optimised websites

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Using GroupTweet is simple: create a separate account on Twitter for your group, and have everyone in your group follow that account. Then whenever that account gets a direct message, it pushes it back out for everyone to see.

http://grouptweet.com/

To learn more about direct messages in Twitter, see this Twitter help page.

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Disclaimer: Information presented here is provided as a general information resource. If this program is installed on a College Enterprise (EN) computer it will not be supported.

This program will work in Windows XP, even though its name is Vista Start Menu. You can watch the demo on their home page to see how it works. One "large" benefit is the option to enlarge Start Menu items. If you need items bigger, this program may be a big help.

http://www.vistastartmenu.com/index.html

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist

Disclaimer: Information presented here is provided as a general information resource. Any mention of commercial products is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement.

Panoramic view: Beichuan earthquake
You can spin the image as well as zoom in and out by using the scroll wheel on your mouse.
Panorama of Beichuan earthquake
 

[Video] Teaching Density
Don't break my heart.
Teaching Density

Packing Your ONE Bag
From NPR, make a big list of small things.
How to Pack Everything You Own in One Bag

Beetlemania at Pennsylvania post office
Mohnton is in Berks county.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24631558/

60 Photography Links You Can’t Live Without
This article is for those addicted to photography.
60 Photography Links You Can’t Live Without

[Video] Cute Kittens Bop Their Head
Cute.
http://www.flixxy.com/malric-kittens.htm

[Video] Indiana Jones theme - with Lyrics
This is just silly. But if you're a fan, it's worth 1:33 of your life. I suppose.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=1ei2Ha64te4

Large Sand Sofa
Come on over and sit down.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2411400635_f6da20ca11_o.jpg

What not to eat!
Newsweek's list of eight items that have "been restricted or deemed socially unpalatable."
Eight Forbidden Delicacies

Vince Verbeke, IT Specialist