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iPad 3

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

The iPad 3 is here for sale!!

 

Apple’s newest iPad with the new A5X Chip with Quad-Core Graphics has arrived!! All that technical talk actually means better graphics with more pixels and a little “power brain” (the A5X chip) that drives power to all of the 3.1 million pixels to deliver outstanding graphics.  The response time of using your finger-tips to control everything is faster because of the Quad-Care graphics processing power.  Our Demo Models should be arriving by the end of the week so you can try them out for yourself to see the difference. until then, i am including a link below that shows a close up of just how beautiful the graphics are.

iPad 3 Graphics link

Mac 101

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

We recently had a Switching to Mac Workshop for those Mac users who needed to brush up on their Mac skills and for others who needed help from the bottom up, the beginners or the want-to-be Mac owners looking for some lessons before they entered into the new frontier of the Mac OS X simplicity.  We were told it was very informative.

The next day however, I was approached by an attendee who needed more in-depth help.  I showed some basics with our Mac’s at the Apple Desk in the Bookstore and then sent the individual to Mac 101- the Grand Tour Introduction.  You can actually start with Mac 101 which is a Getting Started with Mac tutorial assistance link provided by Apple. There is also a Mac 101- Mac Essentials which includes helpful pictures.

After you’re more comfortable with the basics, you can visit Mac 101- All Work and Play for help with different applications like TextEdit, Safari, File sharing, iChat, VoiceOver and many other fun apps.  So for those of you out there, who would like more tutorial instructional assistance, just follow the links provided for a look into the other world, allusive to some, the world of Mac OS X.

Mac KeyBoard Shortcuts

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

Have you ever noticed some people can open or close a window really quickly or perform quick tasks with a touch of the keyboard?

Some quick shortcuts that Mac provides are on the link you can click below.  For instance to minimize a window, hold down the command key while clicking M. To minimize all windows, use option, command and M. If you want to log out quick, it’s  shift, command and Q. Use command E to eject a CD/DVD, or command C to copy selected items/text to a clipboard, and option, command and  esc to force quit.

The trick is to allow yourself to enjoy your Mac and everything will seem easier. Have fun trying some of these keyboard shortcuts in the link below.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343

Tech Notes

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

Tech Note: from Ark Lemal, our Apple Authorized Certified Tech

 How should I protect my Mac?

The two most expensive kinds of damage I see are spills and drops. Even Apple’s extended Applecare service doesn’t cover “customer damage” so when this most common occurrence happens to you, will you be ready?

Many small spills won’t get down to the fragile interior parts if you have a keyboard cover*. These are cheaper than having me open your Mac, say nothing of having to replace parts.

A laptop case may help for small drops (not setting Mac down softly), as long as it’s not when it falls (falls are bad for Mac). The neoprene cases* are nice and protective, but usually are taken off when in use. The hard shell cases* are fun and colorful, but don’t help much when your Mac hits the floor (nothing does).

You should also check your (or your parent’s) homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it covers accidental damage to laptops. Often damage is done to the logic board, which cost almost as much to replace as buying a whole new Mac. If your deductible is close to the price of a new Mac, it won’t do you much good either.

An alternative if the homeowners option isn’t available to you is a SquareTrade warrantee. This is typically around $160 to cover equipment up to $1200. See details at squaretrade.com, and read reviews before buying.

Next time, we’ll talk about what to do immediately if a spill happens to minimize damage.

-Ark Lemal
VTMacIT.com
802-318-4657
Vermont’s On-Demand IT Department
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator  • Apple Consultants Network

*Keyboard covers, Neoprene Cases and Hard Shell Cases are sold in the College Bookstore located next to Apple Desk in a variety of colors.

An Update on the All-Gender Restroom Project

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

As Tim mentioned in two of his posts last week, the campus’ physical plant went under the proverbial knife this summer, both inside and out. One project that has chugged along steadily this summer is the all-gender restroom project, which Tim and Dean of the College Shirley Collado announced earlier this spring.

The first phase of the project, in which single-stall restrooms with gender designations are converted to all-gender, is nearly complete. Facilities Services Project Manager Mark Gleason has surveyed the single-stall restrooms for accessibility, and Space Manager Mary Stanley is about to place the order for signs. (It should be noted that Mark and Mary have been excellent resources throughout this project, offering advice and getting us the information we need.) In the coming weeks, the following restrooms will be converted through a sign change:

Adirondack House, 2nd Floor

Armstrong Library, 1st Floor

Axinn, Basement, ADA Accessible

Hillcrest, 1st Floor

Old Chapel, 3rd & 4th Floors

Service Building, 1st Floor

Warner, Basement & 3rd Floor

The second phase of the project is moving forward, too. This summer, Jennifer Herrera and I met with the academic department chairs, office heads, and facilities liaisons in Axinn, BiHall, and McCullough to discuss the conversion of one pair of multi-stall restrooms in each building. These meetings were very productive. Attendees asked questions, shared their concerns and their support, and offered many ideas for potential outcomes. Other faculty and staff members who work in these buildings will have the opportunity to do the same during a series of open meetings coming up next week.

Questions? Please feel free to leave a comment, or email Jennifer or me.

Road Map to Student Services recap

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

Yesterday Pij and I represented LIS at the Road Map to Student Services event; part of First Year Orientation, which was held concurrently with the Academic Forum in Kenyon. Half of the incoming First Year class attended the Forum while the other half were given “Passports” and asked to collect stickers from each Student Services station they visited (after which they were rewarded with a “frozen novelty”). Then they switched, and the students who had already attended the Forum attended the Road Map event. Since Pij and I handed out a sticker to every student with whom we spoke during the 2.5 hour event, it was easy to keep track of how many we’d spoken with—over 80! No wonder my voice is a little hoarse today.

What kinds of questions did we field? Pij may have heard other questions, but I think by far the most common questions were relating to connecting to Wireless, installing Microsoft Office, and followed by general questions about how to find/check out books and other materials from the Library. Other questions I heard ranged from “What is LIS”, to “Do you have any job openings?”, to “Can you help me set up email on my smartphone?”. Quite a few students stopped by without specific questions, and Pij’s go-to prompt, “Have you been able to set up your computer okay?” was great at drawing out other concerns and questions. I copied her and used that question quite a few times, and also tried asking about their First Year Seminar courses, which gave me a chance to let them know that a Librarian was assigned to each course, as well as a Peer Mentor and explain about CTLR and how it was related to the Library.

All in all it was a great chance to meet new students, hear how things were going for them, and also learn (from Pij) what to say about some of the most common tech-troubleshooting questions. It also underscored for me how essential it was for Pij and I (as LIS representatives) to be fully up-to-speed on recent and forthcoming changes in technology infrastructure and research tools.

More on Turf Battle

Categories: Midd Blogosphere

We were happy to see the front-page story in today’s Campus on the plan to improve the landscape around Atwater.  The Campus had asked for an exclusive on the story, and we gave it to them.

However, we were disappointed that the article did not say more–or even mention–the students who generated the designs for the plan: Jesse Catalano ’11, Bente Madson ’11, and Jake Moritz ’11; Jaeun Lee ’11 and Molly Rosenblatt ’12; and Leah Webster ’11, Christine Hsieh ’11, and Jack P. Maher ’12.

They deserve credit for their work on this project. As we told The Campus, we plan to install a sign that acknowledges their contribution to the College community’s enjoyment of our outdoor environment.

For more information about the site plans and how the students’ visions were incorporated, visit the Turf Battle blog.