Monday, November 13, 2006

Podcast notes from Nov. 9, 2006

Podcast for November 9, 2006 - Episode 40

» Direct mp3 download |  » Streamed version [wma]  |  Subscribe

Play time 56 minutes  - Program Notes

"The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do...in a sense it is all about potential.     ~Steve Ballmer

We have, as usual, a lot of technology and download news.  There are several items from Microsoft, as they ramp up to officially deliver Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange 2007.  This week we also have news about Microsoft giving away free accounting software; Windows Defender is out of beta; there is a new Office Online web site; a new Compatibility Pack which allows older versions of Office to read/write the new file formats; and a new 3D Virtual Earth.  We also report on a new StudyMate beta; what's happening with the new version of Horizon Wimba voice tools; Photoshop Lightroom beta; new MacBooks; an initiative on electronic voting from the EFF; and a special CCC Confer webinar coming up.  David's Blackboard Feature of the Week is titled "The Deep End of the Pool," having to do with a problem with publishers' question pools.  Haydn's Teaching with Technology segment is titled "Stimulating Discussion."  He will recommend a couple of ways to get students more involved in discussions, both in-person and online.  My Tech Talk Topic will recommend three IE7 extenders.  Our gizmo this week solves the world's greatest work-related problem.

Palomar Tech and Download News

  • Windows Defender, the free anti-spyware program from Microsoft, is out of Beta and is available for free download.  Click here for information and download link.  If you are currently using a Beta copy of Windows Defender it will expire on December 31 of this year.  Windows genuine validation is required to download.
  • Windows Vista was released to manufacturing this week.  It will be available to business customers November 30, and to general consumers in January.  If you are planning an update to Vista, Microsoft has provided a site where you can evaluate your PC for Vista readiness, read the system requirements for Vista, download the RC1 Beta, and find out all you might want to know about the new operating system.  Click here to access the site.  Microsoft Office and Exchange 2007 were also released to manufacturing, and Microsoft will be conducting a worldwide release event on November 30.  To go with the Office release the Office Online web site has been redesigned with over 50,000 new help articles, 35 new demos, online training and 400 new templates.
  • Microsoft is also giving away free accounting software.  Click here to find out about and download Office Accounting Express 2007.  According to the product FAQ, "...Accounting Express 2007, financial management software is designed for millions of starting businesses and home based businesses that currently use pen & paper or spreadsheets to run their business. It provides a single place to manage the company’s business finances with the familiar look and feel of Microsoft Office system programs."
  • The MS Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats was released this week.  "By installing the Compatibility Pack in addition to Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003, you will be able open, edit, and save files using the file formats new to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007. The Compatibility Pack can also be used in conjunction with the Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003, Excel Viewer 2003, and PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view files saved in these new formats. For more information about the Compatibility Pack, see Knowledge Base article 923505."
  • Microsoft has also made available a free download from maps.live.com which presents 3D maps from the Windows Live Local map service (also free).  The product is called "Virtual Earth 3D," and is in beta now.  Windows Live Local for Outlook was also updated to version 2.1 to incorporate the 3D mapping features presented in Virtual Earth.
  • A beta version of StudyMate is now available at our Respondus/StudyMate download site (Palomar authentication required).  Be warned that this is still a beta product, but we wanted to get it out there to let faculty members test it, if they so desire.  The new version contains a publish to iPod option, new template for “calculated” questions, the ability to embed audio clips, SCORM enhancements, and some other features.
  • We reported last week that we had anticipated upgrading our Horizon Wimba voice tools to version 5.1 on November 9th, that date has been moved to November 17th.  We will place an announcement in Blackboard once the tools have been installed and are ready for use.
  • Via Jill Hurst-Wahl's Digitization 101 blog:  The report Using Digital Images in Teaching and Learning has been released to the public. It focuses on "the pedagogical implications of the widespread use of the digital format." The information presented in the report was formed from hundreds of survey results. The web page for the report provides access to the Full Report and Executive Summary.
  • Adobe has released a beta of Photoshop Lightroom 4.1, a Photoshop companion program made for professional photographers who want to keep their photo shoot libraries organized, to make photo modifications/corrections in a simple, automated way, to create a slideshow, and send photos for printing.  Watch the tutorial video to find out what it's all about.
  • Apple this week released their new line of MacBook consumer notebooks with Intel Core 2 Duo processors.  According to Apple, "...Just one inch thin, the new MacBooks are up to 25% faster than the previous generation and feature a built-in iSight video camera, the MagSafe Power Adapter, and iLife ‘06."
  • According to the Electronic Frontiers Foundation, "Many Virginians were among the millions of voters nationwide that cast their votes on electronic voting machines which lack paper trails. Voters thus could not verify that their votes were accurately recorded, and election officials will not be able to conduct a full and thorough recount."  The EFF is militating for passage of HR 550, Rep. Rush Holt's Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (HR 550).
  • CCC Confer will be hosting a Webinar on Tuesday, November 14 at noon featuring Patricia Heusner, the Education Specialist for the National Park Service. In addition to a virtual introduction to the old Point Loma Lighthouse (celebrating its 151st anniversary) and the Cabrillo National Monument, she will be providing valuable information about FREE resources from the NPS for educators! With budget cutbacks and limited funding available it is especially beneficial to learn about these programs available in the areas of the Sciences, History and Humanities.  Click here to find out more and register.

Listen to the news [mp3 - 13:31]

Training Opportunities

  • Academic Technology Training

    We will be presenting the following workshops next week:

    Register for all Academic Technology workshops through the Professional Development web site. 

  • Blackboard has announced their first Blackboard Beyond Service, "...a social bookmarking service, customized for education, and integrated with all of the Blackboard's Learning System products . It will provide you with the tools to evaluate and find educationally valuable resources, and share them within the validated network of Blackboard faculty and students."  To register for this Webex webinar to be held Tuesday, November 28 at 9am PT, click the following link:  Introducing the First Blackboard Beyond Service.
  • As a reminder, the @ONE in-person Winter Institute will be held at MiraCosta college January 17-19.  Click here for information and registration.  Online Teaching, Podcasting, Flash and Voice Over IP, are among the workshop tracks for which you may register.
  • Horizon Wimba has published their November desktop lecture schedule.  Next week:
  • Microsoft is offering free, limited time access to their excellent e-Learning products on Office 2007.  Click here to access a gateway to sign-up for training in the new Office interface, Access 2007, Excel 2007, Infopath 2007, OneNote 2007, Outlook 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Word 2007, Visio 2007, and Groove 2007.  You may also download a free e-book from this site titled First Look 2007 Microsoft Office System in PDF format.
  • Also from Microsoft, next Thursday, November 16, they will be conductinga webcast titled "Microsoft Office System Webcast: A First Look at Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 (Level 100)."  The webcast will be held from 9-10am PT.

Blackboard Feature of the Week - David Gray

The Deep End of the Pool

Dave addresses an issue with publishers' question pools that has surfaced several times this semester.  The problem relates to questions imported from publishers' pools that have a value of 0 points for the question.  When the questions are added to Blackboard tests, they retain the point value (0) assigned by the publisher, rather than the default question value for each question set when creating the test.  This annoying situation has a laborious fix and a slightly less laborious, but more complex workaround.


Listen to this segment only [mp3 - play time = 7:36]


See the index of Dave's previous "Blackboard Feature of the Week" segments.

Note:  To get to David's vodcast site, click here.

Teaching with Technology - Dr. Haydn Davis

Stimulating Discussion

About this time in the semester motivation seems to be waning and getting students (both online and on-campus students) involved in discussions is proving to be challenging. I thought today’s teaching tip could center on the pesky problem of getting students more involved in class discussions. Many of the simple tips contained in the web sites listed below are geared to the in-person environment while others will be applicable to both online and on-campus settings.

 All the suggestions listed are simple ones but remember, they have all worked well for other instructors. I’ll choose just a couple representative samples to mention in this podcast and anyone interested can view the rest at the web sites referenced in the program notes page.

University of Montana  -  http://www.umt.edu/cte/tips/discussion.htm

  1. Ask: “How does this information relate to what we’ve already covered,” or “How is this information relevant to you?”
  2. When asking questions, wait enough time for students to respond – if that doesn’t work, ask them to write their answers, and then try again.
  3. Ask students to evaluate their own behavior – in terms of motivation, commitment, willingness to participate; we evaluate instructors’ performance in the classroom, and we should, but we don’t do anything similar for student behavior.

University of California – Berkeley -   http://teaching.berkeley.edu/compendium/

I almost didn’t include this resource as it is so dated – some tips going back to 1983. But as I reviewed the site I decided that maybe, teaching tips are timeless – anyway here are just a couple from an extensive list.

  1. Begin each lecture with a short summary of the previous day’s content. "Students crave both continuity and a sense of closure," an instructor explains. "They do not like unfinished presentations. At the same time, because none of us likes repetition, I try hard to use different words and examples in each summary. The best way I have found to avoid redundancy is to note on an index card the exact words I have used at the end of a lecture, so that I am reminded to vary them in the brief recapitulation I give at the beginning of the next class meeting."
  2. Another instructor divides the class period into blocks of time – the first block is spent presenting information, building an argument; during the next block the students are asked to generate possible explanations or interpretations of the facts or topic presented, and the last part of the class is devoted to analyzing the discussion and bringing the lecture topic to a conclusion. Before class is dismissed students are given a question which will be the focus of the next class.

 University of Hawaii site – many good ideas here.


Listen to this segment only [mp3 - play time = 9:05]


See the index of Haydn's previous "Teaching with Technology" segments.

Tech-Talk-Topic - Terry Gray

IE 7 Extenders

This week, continuing to investigate IE7, I would like to bring you three IE7 extenders which enhance its feature set.  To see others, click here for a long list.  (Be careful of for-pay products you may find among the free gems).

The three I would like to discuss today are "Inline Search" by Core Systems, "ieSpell" by RedEgg Software, and "1-Click Answers" by answers.com.  All are free, and add very useful touches to the already superior IE7 interface.

Inline Search "...turns searching into a Web page into a non modal research experience coupled with a search as you type facility."  What it really is is an unobtrusive little search box that replaces the clunky, page-obscuring Ctrl-F search box provided by Microsoft for searching within the current web page.  Inline Search hijacks the Ctrl-F keystroke and places its elegant little search box at the bottom of the page. 

 

As you type, Inline Search will jump to matches.  If you type enough of a word for it to determine that the search term does not exist on the page, the search box will turn red.  Clicking the "Highlight all" button will highlight all instances of the search term on the page.

The latest version is 1.3, so if you previously downloaded an earlier version from the Microsoft website, click the download page link below to get the latest. 

Shortcuts:  the Esc key quickly puts away the search bar, F3 finds next instance of search term on page, and Shift-F3 finds previous instance.

This is the way the inline search works in Firefox, now it can work that way in IE7 too.

ieSpell  "...is a free Internet Explorer browser extension that spell-checks text-input boxes on a Web page."  After filling in form input boxes on a web page, you can activate ieSpell in one of three ways:

  • Click the ieSpell button in the IE7 toolbar ();
  • Choose it from the Tools menu;
  • Right-click the web page and choose "check spelling" from the context menu.

You do not need to own MS Office to use it, but if you do, ieSpell can share the same custom dictionary.  It also has a nice look up word feature.  If you come across a word with which you are unfamiliar (whether or not it is in an input field) you can look up in Merriam Webster, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, Cambridge Advanced Learner Dictionary, or Yahoo! Education Dictionary.   All are provided as look-up sources.   This is the perfect tool for those web apps that do not yet have spell-check.  The latest version is 2.5.1 (build 106).

1-Click Answers "...provides instant access to almost four million topics from any program, without interrupting your work. Just alt-click on any word or phrase on your screen (e-mail, browser, any Office program) and get instant answers, facts and explanations in a concise AnswerTip information bubble. Click the 'more' button and access Answers.com, a completely free online reference library, offering over 100 authoritative encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and other trusted sources."

 

Clicking the Continue button at the foot of this answer, or the More button at the top, takes you to Answers.com where you will find a very thorough set of articles on Wikipedia, including links to other important resources (see http://www.answers.com/topic/wikipedia?method=26&initiator=answertip:more).  It is true Answers.com contains ads.  They are prominent, but  not overly obtrusive as web ads go, and the content can be very useful.  Answers.com bills itself as the "world's greatest encyclodictionalmanacapedia."  (And yes, alt-clicking on  encyclodictionalmanacapedia brings up a complete definition of this term).

"1-Click Answers™ also includes a pop-out desktop AnswerBar that docks conveniently at the side of your screen. Click the arrow to open or close AnswerBar; then just type a word to submit your query directly to Answers.com. 1-Click Answers™ also includes the Answers IE toolbar, which makes it easy to access Answers.com in Internet Explorer."  Now, the toolbar is fine.  In fact it installs disabled, which earns my respect.  Unfortunately the annoying "AnswerBar that docks conveniently" is a nuisance.  The good news is it is easily turned off.  Just alt-click a term, wait for the Answers box to pop up, then select Options.  Click the AnswerBar tab and disable it:

 

It is also easy to modify the activation key on the Activation tab.  While described by Microsoft as an IE7 enhancement, it will work from any program if you permit it to install on system startup.  The current version is 2.1.0.502.

In all, these are three excellent tools that extend the usability of IE7 in important and convenient ways.  I would highly recommend them.


Listen to this segment only [mp3 - play time = 5:39]

URLs


See an index of previous "Tech Talk Topics" segments.

Posted by Terry A. Gray at 11:12 AM

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

IE7 Extenders

IE 7 Extenders

This week, continuing to investigate IE7, I would like to bring you three IE7 add-ins which enhance its feature set.  To see others, click here for a long list.  (Be careful of for-pay products you may find among the free gems.)

The three I would like to discuss today are "Inline Search" by Core Systems, "ieSpell" by RedEgg Software, and "1-Click Answers" by answers.com.  All are free, and add very useful touches to the already superior IE7 interface.

Inline Search "...turns searching into a Web page into a non modal research experience coupled with a search as you type facility."  What it really is is an unobtrusive little search box that replaces the clunky, page-obscuring Ctrl-F search box provided by Microsoft for searching within the current web page.  Inline Search hijacks the Ctrl-F keystroke and places its elegant little search box at the bottom of the page. 

As you type, Inline Search will jump to matches.  If you type enough of a word for it to determine that the search term does not exist on the page, the search box will turn red.  Clicking the "Highlight all" button will highlight all instances of the search term on the page.

The latest version is 1.3, so if you previously downloaded an earlier version from the Microsoft website, click the download page link below to get the latest. 

Shortcuts:  the Esc key quickly puts away the search bar, F3 finds next instance of search term on page, and Shift-F3 finds previous instance.

This is the way the inline search works in Firefox, now it can work that way in IE7 too.

ieSpell  "...is a free Internet Explorer browser extension that spell-checks text-input boxes on a Web page."  After filling in form input boxes on a web page, you can activate ieSpell in one of three ways:

  • Click the ieSpell button in the IE7 toolbar ();
  • Choose it from the Tools menu;
  • Right-click the web page and choose "check spelling" from the context menu.

You do not need to own MS Office to use it, but if you do, ieSpell can share the same custom dictionary.  It also has a nice look up word feature.  If you come across a word with which you are unfamiliar (whether or not it is in an input field) you can look up in Merriam Webster, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, Cambridge Advanced Learner Dictionary, or Yahoo! Education Dictionary.   All are provided as look-up sources.   This is the perfect tool for those web apps that do not yet have spell-check.  The latest version is 2.5.1 (build 106).

1-Click Answers "...provides instant access to almost four million topics from any program, without interrupting your work. Just alt-click on any word or phrase on your screen (e-mail, browser, any Office program) and get instant answers, facts and explanations in a concise AnswerTip information bubble. Click the 'more' button and access Answers.com, a completely free online reference library, offering over 100 authoritative encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and other trusted sources."

Clicking the Continue button at the foot of this answer, or the More button at the top, takes you to Answers.com where you will find a very thorough set of articles on Wikipedia, including links to other important resources (see http://www.answers.com/topic/wikipedia?method=26&initiator=answertip:more).  It is true Answers.com contains ads.  They are prominent, but  not overly obtrusive as web ads go, and the content can be very useful.  Answers.com bills itself as the "world's greatest encyclodictionalmanacapedia."  (And yes, alt-clicking on  encyclodictionalmanacapedia brings up a complete definition of this term).

"1-Click Answers™ also includes a pop-out desktop AnswerBar that docks conveniently at the side of your screen. Click the arrow to open or close AnswerBar; then just type a word to submit your query directly to Answers.com. 1-Click Answers™ also includes the Answers IE toolbar, which makes it easy to access Answers.com in Internet Explorer."  Now, the toolbar is fine.  In fact it installs disabled, which earns my respect.  Unfortunately the annoying "AnswerBar that docks conveniently" is a nuisance.  The good news is it is easily turned off.  Just alt-click a term, wait for the Answers box to pop up, then select Options.  Click the AnswerBar tab and disable it:

It is also easy to modify the activation key on the Activation tab.  While described by Microsoft as an IE7 enhancement, it will work from any program if you permit it to install on system startup.  The current version is 2.1.0.502.

In all, these are three excellent tools that extend the usability of IE7 in important and convenient ways.  I would highly recommend them.

Posted by Terry A. Gray at 8:49 PM

Friday, November 03, 2006

Podcast notes from Friday, Nov. 3

Direct mp3 download |  » Streamed version [wma]  |  Subscribe

Play time 50 minutes  - Program Notes

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
     ~Guy Fawkes day nursery rhyme

Nor has Guy Fawkes day been forgot, from November 5, 1605 down to today.  Our tech news briefs include new versions of Windows media player (11) and Sun java runtime (9), a new episode of PCOnline Exposed, new voice tools from Horizon Wimba,   several announcements from Apple, including a fix for the unexpected MacBook shutdown problem, awards for best online classes from Blackboard and ITC, another Google acquisition, and new resources from the Electronic Frontiers Foundation.  David's Blackboard Feature of the Week explains adaptive release of materials.  Haydn is off this week, so there will not be a Teaching with Technology segment.  My Tech Talk Topic deals with shortcut keys in IE7.  Our gizmo this week is a high-tech bun warmer, with a difference.

Palomar Tech and Download News

  • Spring enrollment begins Nov. 14. The enrollment fee for spring classes has been reduced to $20 per unit! Sign in to eServices and click on the Enroll in Classes tab to see your enrollment appointment displayed. Contact Admissions at (760) 744-1150, ext. 2164 if you do not see your appointment or if you have any questions.
  • Windows Media Player 11 was officially released this week.  Click here to download.  Click here for the set of tutorials that Microsoft has developed on using WMP 11.
  • Also from Microsoft, they have announced that Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007 will all become available for business clients on November 30, a day Microsoft is calling the "New Day for Business."  The "mainstream" launch of these products will be delayed until January.
  • Sun also updated the Java runtime platform this week.  The new version is Java 2 Platform, version 1.5.0, build 1.5.0_09-b03.  If you do not have automatic updates already turned on for your Java runtime platform, click here to get the update.  (This one is also known as Java 5 update 9).  Do the custom update to be sure you do not get the Google toolbar if you don't want it.
  • Episode 6 of David's PCOnline Exposed vodcast has been published.  It deals with allowing guest access in a Blackboard course.  Click here to access the vodcast site, here to visit the episode's blog posting, and here to view the vodcast in mp4 for4mat.
  • Horizon Wimba announced this week the imminent availability of two new voice tools, the Wimba podcaster and the voice presenter.  The podcaster is an extension of the voice board tool, and the presenter allows audible comments while reviewing a web page.  Both tools will be available to Palomar College Blackboard users as soon as our license is upgraded, which will be on, or shortly after November 8, according to Steve Montano, our Horizon Wimba product representative.  Visit the H-W demo site to see both tools in action.
  • Apple announced this week the opening of iTunes Latino, "featuring top Latin music, music videos, television shows, audiobooks and podcasts." 
  • Apple also released (unannounced) this week a fix for the sudden, unexpected shutdown problem that has been plaguing the MacBook for a long time.  Go to http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/ to download the MacBook SMC Firmware Update version 1.1.  Or just click here, to get it.  To find out more about this rather serious problem from a non-Apple perspective, go to www.macbookrandomshutdown.com. 
  • Also from Apple, the new iPod Shuffle (1GB, $79) is available today, Friday Nov. 3.  Click here for the product promotional page.
  • Blackboard released its official "call for proposals" this week for the 2007 Blackboard Greenhouse Grant Program.  Winners will receive a $25,000 Greenhouse Grant:  "These $25,000 grants are designed to help build a collective body of knowledge, and rewards clients who have successfully developed and deployed initiatives that promote best practices in the adoption of Internet technology in the educational environment."  Click here [PDF] to get the official rules and call for proposals.  Click here for an explanatory web page with links to the 2006 winners.  Filing deadline is February 16, 2007.
  • On the subject of awards, the 2007 Instructional Technology Council  Awards for Excellence in Distance Education nominating process is now open.  Nomination deadline is Friday, November 10, 2006.  Click here for details, and to get the nomination form.
  • Google announced this week that they have acquired JotSpot, a web wiki site.  New JotSpot accounts are temporarily disabled (though you can sign up for the waitlist).  Jotspot was originally conceived as "...a way to bring the power of wikis to a much broader audience."  For the time being, the JotSpot/Google programmers are busily moving "...JotSpot to Google's software architecture."  Watch for Google's wiki tool in the near future.
  • The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has released their "Bloggers' FAQ on the Freedom of Information Act" and the "Legal Guide for Bloggers" so that you too, Mr. Smith, can be a frontline investigator of government agencies.  According to the EFF, "Online journalism makes a unique contribution to America's vibrant culture of free speech," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "Using the Freedom of Information Act is a powerful way to shed light on government activities and foster critical public debate about the discoveries."

Training Opportunities

  • Academic Technology Training

    We will be presenting the following workshops next week:

    Register for all Academic Technology workshops through the Professional Development web site.  Click here to access our entire training schedule, here to access the new "competencies" approach to our workshops, and other training information.

  • @ONE will be hosting a lunch'n'learn seminar on "Two approaches to strengthen computer literacy skills," Nov. 6 from 12-1pm.  Click here for information and to register.
  • Horizon Wimba has published their November desktop lecture schedule.  Next week:
    •  on Monday, November 6 at 11am PST they will be presenting "Connecting the Blackboard Community," (click here to register);
    • on Thursday, November 9 at 11am PST they will be presenting "Examining Students' Learning Processes Through Their Cllaborative Dialogs"  (click here to register).

Blackboard Feature of the Week - David Gray

Adaptive Release in Blackboard

Dave defines and describes the use of adaptive release in Blackboard.


Listen to this segment only [mp3 - play time = 14:50]


See the index of Dave's previous "Blackboard Feature of the Week" segments.

Note:  To get to David's vodcast site, click here.

Teaching with Technology - Dr. Haydn Davis

Haydn is off this week, but should be back next.


See an index of previous "Teaching with Technology" segments.

Tech-Talk-Topic - Terry Gray

IE 7 Shortcuts

There comes a time when clicking around is just too slow.  You need to start using keyboard shortcuts.  That's when you know you've crossed the frontier between casual and serious user.  Today I would like to review a few of the keyboard shortcuts available in IE7.

Page zoom.  We all know the standard shortcut keys, F11 for full screen, F5 to refresh the page, Crtl-F to find a term on a page, Ctrl-N to open page in a new window, Crtl-A to select all, Ctrl-X, C and V to cut, copy or paste, and so on.  But new in IE7 you can zoom in the page view by pressing Ctrl-+, zoom out by pressing Ctrl--, and return to 100% view by pressing Ctrl-0?  (Holding down Ctrl and moving the mouse wheel up or down (if you have one) will zoom the page in or out in 10% increments).

Return Home.  We all know that pressing Alt-right arrow and Alt-left arrow will move us forward or backward in our browse history, but did you know that pressing Alt-Home will return you to your home page (or pages, if you have defined multiple home pages on your tabs)?

Favorites Center.  Ctrl-D still bookmarks a page, but now Ctrl-I will open the "favorites center," that area of the screen to the left of the browser window that used to hold favorites or history.  Now it holds favorites and history and RSS feeds.  When it is opened, it is a little inset box, to open it in what is called pinned mode (where it becomes a resizable panel in the browser window) press Ctrl-Shift-I.  Ctrl-J opens your feed, Ctrl-Shift-J feeds in pinned mode; and Ctrl-H history and Ctrl-Shift-H history in pinned mode.  Ctrl-B opens the dialog that permits organizing favorites.

Tabs.  What about the new tabs?  Hover over a link on a page, hold down Ctrl and left-click (Ctrl-Left click or just click the middle mouse button (wheel) if you have one) to open the link in a new background tab; Ctrl-Shift-Left click to open the link in a new foreground tab.  Ctrl-W closes a tab; Ctrl-T opens a new, blank tab;  Ctrl-Q opens quick tab view (the thumbnails of all open tabs); Ctrl-Shift-Q opens a list of open tabs; Ctrl-Alt-F4 closes all but the current tab.

Address bar.  There are also cool things you can do with the address bar using keyboard shortcuts:  Alt-D selects the address bar (as in, select and copy a URL); type a company name in the address bar, like "microsoft" then press Ctrl-Enter and it will add "http://www." before and ".com" after what you have typed and go to that URL; pressing F4 drops down a list of all previously typed addresses.

Search box.  Finally, in the new search window, Ctrl-E will select the search window; Ctrl-Down arrow will drop down the list of search providers; Alt-Enter will open search results in a new tab.


Listen to this segment only [mp3 - play time = 8:03]

URLs


See an index of previous "Tech Talk Topics" segments.

 

 

Posted by Terry A. Gray at 2:58 PM

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Apple releases MacBook unexpected shutdown fix

The MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1 has been released by Apple to address the issue of MacBook unexpected shutdowns.  "This update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair."

Apple description: 

 "MacBook: Shuts down intermittently

If your MacBook shuts down randomly during use, a downloadable firmware update is now available that resolves this issue.

The MacBook SMC Firmware Update v1.1 improves the MacBook's internal monitoring system and addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns. This update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair. "

Use the following URL to get the fix.

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macbooksmcfirmwareupdate11.html

Posted by Terry A. Gray at 11:23 AM

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Horizon Wimba desktop lectures for November

The Horizon Wimba Desktop Lecture Series is a free, online presentation series that brings experts from the education and technology industries LIVE to the desktops of people throughout the world.  The workshops listed below should be of interest to Palomar faculty and staff.

Connecting the Blackboard Community

Adrian Alleyne, Manager of Blackboard Communities, will discuss the ways Blackboard has built out Blackboard Connections – a hub for building communities of practice. Adrian will talk about how the site has evolved over time, and will show how Horizon Wimba has been integral in providing Web 2.0 functionality to bring clients together with Pronto and its other collaborative tools.

Date and Time:  Monday, November 6, 2006 at 11am PST

Presented by:  Adrian Alleyne, Blackboard

>> Register for this Desktop Lecture

Examining Students' Learning Processes Through Their Collaborative Dialogues

The benefits of online chats have been widely studied. Research has found that online chats increase students’ motivation to participate in target language discussions as opposed to regular in-class oral discussions, provide a non-stressful environment that benefits most of the students in the classroom, and increase students’ participation. Join Ana Oscoz as she closely examines collaborative dialogues.

Date and Time:  Thursday, November 9, 2006 at 11am PST

Presented by:  Ana Oscoz, University of Maryland Baltimore County

>> Register for this Desktop Lecture

Pronto: The Nitty Gritty

By now you know the basics of Pronto. You know it's an instant messaging and voice chat tool. You know it automatically populates each student's contact list based on enrollment information provided by CMS's such as Blackboard and WebCT. You know it will help communication among students in online courses. But there are some things you still don't know... This presentation will address the technical nitty-gritty of Pronto such as: *What controls Sys admins have *what controls instructors have *How to deploy Pronto *How to install Pronto within your CMS *PLEASE NOTE that by signing up for this presentation that you will also automatically reserve your school's Pronto license.

Date and Time:  Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 11am PST

Presented by:  Annie Chechitelli, Horizon Wimba

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Blending Emerging Technologies in Online Courses
Explore what combination of emerging technologies will enable “The Next Big Thing” in education technology. Learn how UCF supports faculty when integrating new technologies and explore how to design a scalable faculty support model that allows for innovation in online teaching and learning. The presenters will encourage an open discussion regarding emerging technologies, as well as the possibilities and appropriateness of their use in higher education.

Date and Time:  Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at 11am PST

Presented by:  Debbie Kirkley & Sue Bauer; University of Central Florida

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Posted by Terry A. Gray at 10:50 AM
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