Archive
Archive for the ‘e-infrastructure’ Category
Checklist for microphone booms
2013/12/23
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- Model:
- Parts:
- 3 segments (1,2,3),
- 2 segment connecting screws (4,5)
- 1 top screw (6) allows for attaching part “small”from shotgun mics (but “large” does not fit):
- 1 top screw plastic cap(not pictured)
- Functionality:
- Note that these parts are supposed to be assembled,
- and the plastic rings to be loosened,
- for the boom to extend, like so:
Firefox and Chrome – Enterprise version in computer lab image?
2013/12/19
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- The tension between having to update the platform while not leaving the ecosystem behind seems one of the oldest issues IT – does the web browser platform add something fundamentally new to the mix?
- My understanding has always been that campus computer labs should run the “enterprise versions” of the Chrome and Firefox web browser, especially if they advertise the non-default web browsers to students on the start menu right next to Internet Explorer (which IT, with the help of the Windows Update tools that allow to shut out forced Internet Explorer’s upgrade, upgrades very conservatively, in order to not break applications).
- Reason for installing enterprise versions in the (ahem!) enterprise is that – I believe to know this for Firefox ESR – the enterprise version:
- is kept up to date with security patches, but
- is feature-stable (as opposed to the consumer version which gets updated every few weeks) which allows our software vendors – textbook websites etc. – to make sure their software works on a mainstream, non-cutting edge version of the web browser. Case in point which would likely cause havoc when trying to use online language textbooks in the LRC over the next term: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/10/firefox_26_blocks_java/
- Running the enterprise version of the software should also relieve
- IT departments of constant updates and testing, and
- students using deep-frozen lab computers to – every time they log in on a computer – having to wait for the auto update of the web browser to go through.
- E.g. you can see from this Firefox ESR version history graphic, that it has been on version 17 since November 2012, and that version 17, after an overlap of a few weeks, is now (December 3) deprecated, in favor of version 24.
- That means: with Firefox ESR, we were spared from having to deal with (test application software compatibility, like online textbooks) the 7 individual upgrades in between. If we upgrade to ESR version 24 now, we will likely for another full year receive security patches, but not have to deal with features that break instructional websites.
- Given this, I assume we should upgrade to Firefox ESR (and the Chrome equivalent, if it is one, i.e. works like Firefox ESR) in the LRC image
First steps with MS-Lync 2013 screen sharing and remote control during support calls
2013/12/12
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- Start a meeting, by double-clicking on somebody who shows as available in your contact list:
- If you then hover over the monitor item at the bottom, you get the option to “present”, i.e. show your screen to the other person your are meeting with. (Multi-monitor support seems good, if you have multiple monitors like we do):
- If you accept the sharing:
- Voilà, there is your colleague’s screen in a window on your desktop, watch her mouse actions:
- The presenter
- receives a visual reminder:
- can also give you control to remote control her mouse:
, the result of which looks like that: 
- can stop the presentation at any time.
- receives a visual reminder:
- Finally, the presentations can be recorded which could be extremely useful in a support call for later reuse/review either by the presenter or audience. Click on the 3 dots in the lower right of the “stage”window.
- It looks like a basic, easy workplace-wide screen sharing software that integrates with the local accounts could be extremely productive during daily collaboration. To make such a solution a system-wide service for calling support, one would probably need a queue and pool of supporters and call forwarding.
Checklist for light-kits
2013/12/11
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- Parts: 25 each, .i.e.:
- 4 plates (1)
- 2 more plates (2)
- 3 extension power cables (3)
- 3 lamps (4), containing 3 bulbs (not pictured)
- 2 thingamabobs (5)
- 8 clamps (6)
- 2 stands (7)
- Functionality: plug them in and turn them on, like so:
Request to download the digital audio lab classroom audio configuration on the fly, program and source for Windows 7
2013/12/09
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Managing responses when organizing workshops with meeting requests
2013/11/25
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You can use “copy status to clipboard”
to move to and manage in excel:
Use an excel table autofilter to drill down to the actual participants:
and paste them right back into an outlook message:
Outlook can handle that (“check names”):
Categories: e-infrastructure, office-software
calendaring, live@edu, meeting-requests, ms-exchange, office365, outlook, scheduling
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