Mac OS X "Secrets"

Ever wanted to make Mac OS X work just the way you want it?  Were you ever certain that, given Apple's exacting standards, there had to be a way to make x do y?  Well, you were probably right.  Lots of the software settings that were deemed too specific or potentially confusing are lying dormant in your install of OS X right now - and a new Preference Pane can enable them for you.

Secrets is a free download from Blacktree that allows you to turn on numerous hidden options and settings in Mac OS X versions 10.5 and 10.6.  Once its installed, Secrets will live in your System Preferences as its own pane, and will allow you to do things like changing the appearance of the Dock, behavior of Labels and more.  Pretty handy, eh?

(Thanks, Gizmodo.)

Got a New OS? Lynda.com Has Great Training!

With the recent launch of both Mac OS X 10.6 and Windows 7, many of you might be thinking about upgrading your operating system - or already have!  If you fall into either camp, Lynda.com has video introductions that will walk you through the new features of each OS.  To view previews of these videos, visit the links below:

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard New Features
Windows 7 Essential Training

To view the full training modules, request a free Lynda.com account from the HelpDesk at 410-778-7777.

To learn more about Lynda.com, visit oit.washcoll.edu/lynda.

iTunes U Turns 300 (Pieces of Content)

With the posting of Annette Gordon-Reeds celebratory talk and Dr. Richard DeProspo's presentation to the American Corner in Baia Mare, Romania today, iTunes U has officially hit 300 pieces of audio and video content.  If you haven't visited iTunes U or haven't been in awhile, definitely make a point of checking out this unique repository of Washington College materials.

To get to iTunes U, visit itunesu.washcoll.edu or type "itunesu" into any browser on campus.  Don't forget, you can visit iTunes U from your iPhone or iPod Touch, too!

Zimbra Tip: Exchange Set Up on Wireless

Are you using an Exchange account with your mail client - like Thunderbird, Mail, Outlook, etc. - to access Zimbra email? If you are, you may have noticed that sending on the wireless network does not always work properly. To ensure that your account is configured properly for wireless sending, be sure to set the sending port to be 465, ignoring all others.

An example from Apple's Mail application follows:

In this case, note Use custom port: is selected and I've keyed in 465 in the blank.

Windows 7 Tip: Upgrade from Release Candidate

Have you been running the Windows 7 Release Candidate and want to upgrade to the full retail version?

If you've bought yourself a retail copy of Windows 7, you can avoid doing a clean install and instead upgrade your existing RC1 installation by following the steps that Maximum PC outlines in the following article:

Windows 7 Upgrade Guide for RC (Release Candidate) Users

As with any "hack," attempt this at your own risk and definitely back up your data first!

Gadget Tune Ups - Every Tech Tuesday in Beck

Keeping your computer and gadgets current can be a real challenge, even with all the time in the world.  With a busy teaching schedule, it becomes next to impossible.  That's why Instructional Technology within OIT has scheduled every Tuesday from 1:30 - 3:30 as a "Tech Tuesday."  During these two hour timeslots, Beck Lab (on the Lower Level of the Miller Library) will be open for computer tune ups, gadget overhauls and digital lifestyle consultations with Instructional Technologists Nancy Cross and Nick Smerker.  Stop by to have you browsers buffed, word processors polished, phones finessed, etc.  Our experts can also consult with you on the best tech tools to complete your tasks.

There's no need to schedule an appointment but we are happy to talk with you before you drop in.  You can reach Nancy at ncross2@washcoll.edu or Nick at nsmerker2@washcoll.edu.

Learn more at mellon.washcoll.edu

See you on Tuesday!

Zimbra Tip: Vacation Auto Reply

Much like your telephone has a toll-saver feature, Zimbra cuts down on the number of vacation auto replies that your friends and colleagues will receive while you are out of the office. To quote the Zimbra online help system:

You can set a vacation message that automatically replies to people who send you messages when you are out of the office for an extended period of time. That message is sent to each recipient only once every seven days, regardless of how many messages that person sends you during the week.

iTunes U Content - On the Go!

Did you know that you can access all of Washington College's iTunes U content while you are out and about?

If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you can browse iTunes U materials anywhere you have a data connection.  Just tap the iTunes Store app, then choose More.  Tap iTunes U and browse the list of Universities to find Washington College.  It's that easy.

If you haven't visited iTunes U before or want to check in with what's been going on recently, visit itunesu.washcoll.edu from your computer (or type "itunesu" into any browser on campus!)

Don't Get Bitten by this Snow Leopard Bug

From Neowin.net:

Reports have been cropping up on the Apple Support forums that users have been losing all their data due to a nasty bug in Snow Leopard, Apple's latest OperatingSystem. Many users are reporting that all settings are being reset and most data is gone, according to iTWire.

The problem, can easily be reproduced when a user logs into the 'guest' account, either on purpose or by accident, and when they log back out of the account and back into their normal one, they find that their account has been fully reset with all data wiped and lost - the account is like a brand new one. The home directory still exists under "/Users/username" but is completely empty. 

Users are reporting that the data is unrecoverable and cannot be found anywhere on the hard drive, and the only way to restore it is if the user has been performing backups on a separate hard-drive. Apparently the problem has been present since a few days after launch, as the forum post dates back to 12th September, but as of yet, Apple has been silent.

It seems the only work around at this stage is to disable the Guest account, or at least disable it and then re-enabling it so that it's a native Snow Leopard account. Another suggestion is to create a new account and enforce parental controls, if you really need a temporary account.

It's not clear how many users are affected, but it seems like any user who had Leopard before the upgrade, and had the guest account enabled are affected and are at risk.

Yikes!  If you have upgraded to Snow Leopard and are a guest account user, contact the HelpDesk today at 410-778-7777 for help with protecting your data.

Expanded Speakers Series Content on iTunes U

Instructional Technology just completed an expansion on the Speakers Series section on iTunes U. Now its own category in the left hand navigation, Speakers Series content is even easier to find with more in-depth description of each item than ever before.

More content has been (and is constantly being) added to iTunes U, so if you haven't been in awhile, why not pay a visit. Just type "itunesu" into any browser on campus or visit itunesu.washcoll.edu from anywhere in the world to get started.

To learn more about iTunes U and how you can get involved, visit oit.washcoll.edu/itunesu.