Outlook Blog - Your Outlook calendar: Would you exist without it?
Great tips on expanding your usage of Outlook's calendar functionality! There are tips for the calendar novice to heavy user. --Stuart
7.28.2011
June Nielsen numbers show Android atop OS heap
Android is the top operating system in the United States, according to June data just released by Nielsen. Android hold a 39 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market, with iOS coming in second with 28 percent and Blackberry in third with 20 percent. Bringing up the rear is WP7 with nine percent, and Symbian and WebOS with 2 percent each.
Though Android is the OS to beat, Apple still holds the title of top smartphone manufacturer, claiming all 28 percent of iOS's market share. Among the devices running Android, HTC holds a slim lead with 14 percent market share, followed by Motorola at 10 percent, Samsung at 8 percent, and all other manufacturers accounting for the remaining 6 percent.
5.16.2011
Report: Windows 7 almost five times more secure than XP
Report: Windows 7 almost five times more secure than XP: "Infection rates for Windows 7 is about four to five times less than for Windows XP, according to Microsoft's latest Security Intelligence Report."
Important for those thinking that Windows XP is adiquate in 2011.
-Stuart
Important for those thinking that Windows XP is adiquate in 2011.
-Stuart
4.28.2011
How Dropbox sacrifices user privacy for cost savings
Must read for anyone considering DropBox for cloud storage...what is the real cost of free? -Stuart
How Dropbox sacrifices user privacy for cost savings:
Summary
Dropbox, the popular cloud based backup service deduplicates the files that its users have stored online. This means that if two different users store the same file in their respective accounts, Dropbox will only actually store a single copy of the file on its servers.
The service tells users that it 'uses the same secure methods as banks and the military to send and store your data' and that '[a]ll files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.' However, the company does in fact have access to the unencrypted data (if it didn't, it wouldn't be able to detect duplicate data across different accounts).
This bandwidth and disk storage design tweak creates an easily observable side channel through which a single bit of data (whether any particular file is already stored by one or more users) can be observed.
If you value your privacy or are worried about what might happen if Dropbox were compelled by a court order to disclose which of its users have stored a particular file, you should encrypt your data yourself with a tool like truecrypt or switch to one of several cloud based backup services that encrypt data with a key only known to the user.
How Dropbox sacrifices user privacy for cost savings:
Summary
Dropbox, the popular cloud based backup service deduplicates the files that its users have stored online. This means that if two different users store the same file in their respective accounts, Dropbox will only actually store a single copy of the file on its servers.
The service tells users that it 'uses the same secure methods as banks and the military to send and store your data' and that '[a]ll files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.' However, the company does in fact have access to the unencrypted data (if it didn't, it wouldn't be able to detect duplicate data across different accounts).
This bandwidth and disk storage design tweak creates an easily observable side channel through which a single bit of data (whether any particular file is already stored by one or more users) can be observed.
If you value your privacy or are worried about what might happen if Dropbox were compelled by a court order to disclose which of its users have stored a particular file, you should encrypt your data yourself with a tool like truecrypt or switch to one of several cloud based backup services that encrypt data with a key only known to the user.
3.17.2011
Whats thinner than a MacBook Air?
Samsung Series 9 arrives: lighter, thinner than MacBook Air
Wonderful to see some of these great versitile Windows based notebooks being released!
Wonderful to see some of these great versitile Windows based notebooks being released!
3.07.2011
Google Responds To Android Malware, Will Fix Infected Devices And ‘Remote Kill’ Malicious Apps
Google has now confirmed that 58 malicious applications were uploaded to Android Market, and that they were downloaded onto around 260,000 devices before Google removed the apps Tuesday evening. That number sounds alarmingly high, but Google believes that only device-specific information, namely the phone’s IMEI number, was compromised — and that no personal data or account information was ever transferred. Given that these apps were getting root access, this could have been a lot worse. Now the cleanup begins.
Something to think about as smart phones becoming common place. Be careful what you install on your phone!
-Stuart
3.03.2011
2.16.2011
IE9 and Tracking Protection: Microsoft disrupts the online ad business
IE9 and Tracking Protection: Microsoft disrupts the online ad business: "
As indicated by Ed Bot in this report there are some really great features coming in the next version of Internet Explorer (IE9). If you have not done so already I encourage all our users to download the IE9 Release Client to see what improvements have been made - Download from Microsoft's Beauty of the Web HTML5 test site.
Microsoft has just launched a remarkably effective tool to protect your privacy on the web. Using the IE9 RC, it takes exactly two clicks to begin blocking cookies, web beacons, and other third-party tools that track your movements and activities on the web. Here’s how it works.
"As indicated by Ed Bot in this report there are some really great features coming in the next version of Internet Explorer (IE9). If you have not done so already I encourage all our users to download the IE9 Release Client to see what improvements have been made - Download from Microsoft's Beauty of the Web HTML5 test site.
2.08.2011
How to Avoid the Most Common and Dangerous Passwords
In a recent survey conducted by ZoneAlarm, 79% of consumers were found to use risky password construction practices, such as using personal information and common words. The graphic below illustrates some of the most commonly made mistakes people make when selecting a password, as well as some tips on how to make your password more secure - read further at the Zonealarm Blog.
1.28.2011
Full Drive Encryption Now Available
At last we have access to full disk encryption tools for all University owned notebook computers. Once we have complete details available notification of our roll out strategy will be made to Staff/Faculty. This is a great tool in securing the important academic work done by our users in the event of notebook loss or theft.
Implementation will be seamless for users of our recommended Windows 7 notebook/docking station computing environment – for a full demo or to inquire about swapping your current desktop or desktop/notebook please send an email to wsmhelp@syr.edu.
Full disk encryption is a SU campus initiative and will be required for all Windows, OSX and Linux notebooks owned by the University. For details on how this may be implemented on your existing notebook please contact Stuart for more information.
Implementation will be seamless for users of our recommended Windows 7 notebook/docking station computing environment – for a full demo or to inquire about swapping your current desktop or desktop/notebook please send an email to wsmhelp@syr.edu.
Full disk encryption is a SU campus initiative and will be required for all Windows, OSX and Linux notebooks owned by the University. For details on how this may be implemented on your existing notebook please contact Stuart for more information.
12.22.2010
Upgraded Microsoft Security Essentials Released
Recently version 2 of Microsoft's very good anti-virus/malware product was released. This product has been expanded with the following new features:
New Features in 2.0
Here’s all of the new features in the latest release, which make it even more of a must-download:
* Network Traffic Inspection integrates into the network system and monitors the traffic at a low level without slowing down your PC, so it can actually detect threats before they get to your PC.
* Internet Explorer Integration blocks malicious scripts before IE even starts running them—clearly a big security advantage.
* Heuristic Scanning Engine finds malware that hasn’t been previously detected by scanning for certain types of attacks. This provides even more protection than just through virus definitions.
Whitman IT strongly recommends users of Security Essentials 1 and those who are approaching the expiration of their paid software upgrade now!
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx
New Features in 2.0
Here’s all of the new features in the latest release, which make it even more of a must-download:
* Network Traffic Inspection integrates into the network system and monitors the traffic at a low level without slowing down your PC, so it can actually detect threats before they get to your PC.
* Internet Explorer Integration blocks malicious scripts before IE even starts running them—clearly a big security advantage.
* Heuristic Scanning Engine finds malware that hasn’t been previously detected by scanning for certain types of attacks. This provides even more protection than just through virus definitions.
Whitman IT strongly recommends users of Security Essentials 1 and those who are approaching the expiration of their paid software upgrade now!
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx
11.12.2010
Can’t find that email message? These three tips can help.
Click here to read the full tip outlines.
In this posting a member of the Outlook product team provides 3 quick ways to quickly find information within your mailbox. Included are tips for the Instant Search, Search Tools ribbon and how to Create a Search Folder for repeated searches.
Now its a great time to highlight how some of these features are accomplished in Outlook 2010 with our impending optional deployment to all Whitman staff and faculty.
In this posting a member of the Outlook product team provides 3 quick ways to quickly find information within your mailbox. Included are tips for the Instant Search, Search Tools ribbon and how to Create a Search Folder for repeated searches.
Now its a great time to highlight how some of these features are accomplished in Outlook 2010 with our impending optional deployment to all Whitman staff and faculty.
10.16.2010
Find your lost of stolen phone!
Just found a pretty cool app. Its a backup/antivirus/location app.
Take a look. Its available for all mobile platforms.
https://www.mylookout.com/
Take a look. Its available for all mobile platforms.
https://www.mylookout.com/
9.02.2010
8.24.2010
8.22.2010
Will it be still nessisary to buy MathType?
In typical Microsoft fashion they have released a MS Office Word/OneNote add-in called Microsoft Mathematics without fanfare. Microsoft Mathematics appears to fill the gap many Whitman faculty are looking to fill in regards to including mathematical equations complete with symbols and graphing in MS Word documents.
PR overview of Microsoft Mathematics:
With the Microsoft Mathematics Add-in for Word and OneNote, you can perform mathematical calculations and plot graphs in your Word documents and OneNote notebooks. The add-in also provides an extensive collection of mathematical symbols and structures to display clearly formatted mathematical expressions. You can also quickly insert commonly used expressions and math structures by using the Equation gallery. The Microsoft Mathematics Add-in can help you with the following tasks:
• Compute standard mathematical functions, such as roots and logarithms
• Compute trigonometric functions, such as sine and cosine
• Find derivatives and integrals, limits, and sums and products of series
• Perform matrix operations, such as inverses, addition, and multiplication
• Perform operations on complex numbers
• Plot 2-D graphs in Cartesian and polar coordinates
• Plot 3-D graphs in Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates
• Solve equations and inequalities
• Calculate statistical functions, such as mode and variance, on lists of numbers
• Factor polynomials or integers
• Simplify or expand algebraic expressions
Whitman Faculty who would like to see the add-in in action can stop by suite 114 for a demo. Anyone looking to test on their own can click here: Direct Download Link, Microsoft Mathematics FAQ. At this time the add-in is only compatible with MS Word 2007/2010 and OneNote 2010.
PR overview of Microsoft Mathematics:
With the Microsoft Mathematics Add-in for Word and OneNote, you can perform mathematical calculations and plot graphs in your Word documents and OneNote notebooks. The add-in also provides an extensive collection of mathematical symbols and structures to display clearly formatted mathematical expressions. You can also quickly insert commonly used expressions and math structures by using the Equation gallery. The Microsoft Mathematics Add-in can help you with the following tasks:
• Compute standard mathematical functions, such as roots and logarithms
• Compute trigonometric functions, such as sine and cosine
• Find derivatives and integrals, limits, and sums and products of series
• Perform matrix operations, such as inverses, addition, and multiplication
• Perform operations on complex numbers
• Plot 2-D graphs in Cartesian and polar coordinates
• Plot 3-D graphs in Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates
• Solve equations and inequalities
• Calculate statistical functions, such as mode and variance, on lists of numbers
• Factor polynomials or integers
• Simplify or expand algebraic expressions
Whitman Faculty who would like to see the add-in in action can stop by suite 114 for a demo. Anyone looking to test on their own can click here: Direct Download Link, Microsoft Mathematics FAQ. At this time the add-in is only compatible with MS Word 2007/2010 and OneNote 2010.
8.11.2010
Free Microsoft Office WebApps!
If you have a Windows Live account, you can take advantage of the Office 2010 WebApps for free. Take a look!
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/web-apps/
Glenn
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/web-apps/
Glenn
7.20.2010
Dell Streak
Dell is going into the PDA/Cell phone business. Take a look at the Dell Streak. Its supposed to be released sometime in July.
Glenn
Glenn
7.12.2010
HTML5 & Video
As we all know the web is constantly evolving. New and innovative websites are being produced daily and they are expanding the boundaries of HTML is several directions. Unfortunately the HTML4 standard has been around for nearly 10 years and web designers want new functionality and techniques, but they held back by the constraints of the HTML4 (and browsers).
The Next Major Version of HTML = HTML5
To give authors more flexibility and interoperability while enabling more interactive and exciting websites and applications, HTML5 introduces a wide range of features including form controls, APIs, multimedia, structure and semantics.
HTML5 + Video
Anyone who has spent some time online in the past couple years understand that video can be embedded into a webpage with little effort. But before HTML5, there was not a standards-based way to do this. Pretty much all the video you’ve ever viewed “on the web” has been delivered through a third-party plug-in like Flash. Luckily the plug-ins can integrate with your browser of choice (most of the time). And that is the issue, there still are platforms that do not support third-party plug-ins and there is no standard way to do it.
HTML5 defines a standard way to embed video into a web page, using the video element. While the video element is not fully supported, we decided to experiment with HTML5. Why? HTML5 helps web publishers like Whitman harness open standards to deliver video content to popular consumer devices, such as the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
Unfortunately, some organizations attempting to deliver HTML5 video experiences are struggling with knowledge gaps, technical limitations, and additional development costs that can make it prohibitive to deliver HTML5 video experiences in parallel with other approaches. We decided to experiment a bit and find out for ourselves. Here are some uses of the video element and a variety of output formats.
Auto-Detect Example View Now
Depending on your browser and, you should see either an HTML5 or a Flash Video compatible player/codec. http://whit-webman.ad.syr.edu/whitmanvideo_v2/html5/autodetect.htm
Browser & Platform Example View Now
Depending on your browser and platform, you should see video examples and the appropriate code. http://whit-webman.ad.syr.edu/whitmanvideo_v2/html5/browser.htm
Compatibility (Browser --- Format)
Firefox 3.5+ --- OGG, FLV
Safari (Mac) --- MP4/h.264 Codec, FLV
Safari (iPad, iPhone, iTouch) --- MP4/h.264 Codec
Internet Explorer --- MP4/h.264 Codec, FLV
THE FORMAT WARS HAVE BEGUN!!!
The Next Major Version of HTML = HTML5
To give authors more flexibility and interoperability while enabling more interactive and exciting websites and applications, HTML5 introduces a wide range of features including form controls, APIs, multimedia, structure and semantics.
HTML5 + Video
Anyone who has spent some time online in the past couple years understand that video can be embedded into a webpage with little effort. But before HTML5, there was not a standards-based way to do this. Pretty much all the video you’ve ever viewed “on the web” has been delivered through a third-party plug-in like Flash. Luckily the plug-ins can integrate with your browser of choice (most of the time). And that is the issue, there still are platforms that do not support third-party plug-ins and there is no standard way to do it.
HTML5 defines a standard way to embed video into a web page, using the video element. While the video element is not fully supported, we decided to experiment with HTML5. Why? HTML5 helps web publishers like Whitman harness open standards to deliver video content to popular consumer devices, such as the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
Unfortunately, some organizations attempting to deliver HTML5 video experiences are struggling with knowledge gaps, technical limitations, and additional development costs that can make it prohibitive to deliver HTML5 video experiences in parallel with other approaches. We decided to experiment a bit and find out for ourselves. Here are some uses of the video element and a variety of output formats.
Auto-Detect Example View Now
Depending on your browser and, you should see either an HTML5 or a Flash Video compatible player/codec. http://whit-webman.ad.syr.edu/whitmanvideo_v2/html5/autodetect.htm
Browser & Platform Example View Now
Depending on your browser and platform, you should see video examples and the appropriate code. http://whit-webman.ad.syr.edu/whitmanvideo_v2/html5/browser.htm
Compatibility (Browser --- Format)
Firefox 3.5+ --- OGG, FLV
Safari (Mac) --- MP4/h.264 Codec, FLV
Safari (iPad, iPhone, iTouch) --- MP4/h.264 Codec
Internet Explorer --- MP4/h.264 Codec, FLV
THE FORMAT WARS HAVE BEGUN!!!
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