Have you ever found it annoying that you can only download apps for your iPhone from Apple's app store?
A number of people have complained about Apple's restrictive policy when it comes to applications. Even though there are thousands of apps available in Apple's store, all of those have met Apple's acceptance criteria. (Meanwhile Google has trumpeted its Android operating system as a more open alternative.)
Yesterday, however, the U.S. Copyright Office added new exceptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that protect iPhone owners who "hack" their phones in order to install non-Apple approved acts. Previously, Apple could have requested a $2500 fine be levied against iPhone jailbreakers. (Has anyone heard of them doing this?)
While this will be an encouragement to at least the law-conscious jailbreakers out there, be careful. Apple can still void your warranty if you install non-Apple approved apps.
Also on Monday, the Copyright Office allowed an exemption to the DMCA allowing users to circumnavigate DVD copyright controls in order to burn parts of movies to use in their own artistic creations (like video montages). Of course, this doesn't mean it's legal to burn and distribute entire movies. This exception only applies to "fair use" of copyrighted materials. (Read Wikipedia's article about the legal meaning of fair use.)
Read CNN's report on the Copyright Office's decision for more information.
Does this ruling and the possibility of more openness when it comes to iPhone apps make buying an iPhone more appealing to you? Or do you agree with Apple about their store being the sole distribution point for iPhone apps?
The go-to place for Hopkins students to catch up on new technology developments, helpful hints, and interesting science research.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Facebook Settings 101: Privacy Settings
This is the second of three posts about the basics of Facebook settings. If you didn't read it, you might want to go back and look at the first post, which talks about Facebook's Account Settings.
Before you start looking at your privacy settings on Facebook, it's probably a good idea to click on Account (at the top of the page) and go to "Edit Friends". One of the really useful things about this page is that it allows you to organize your friends in different lists. A default list will be friends who belong to your network. You can set up additional lists, though, which is a good idea since it will help you control who can see what on your profile (you might not want your great aunt to see the same things your best friend can see). We're used to giving out information freely, but it's safer and wiser to think about what people really need to know about you and to tell people only what you really want them to know. So, I'd recommend setting up at least one additional list to help you control who can see what.
Now, if you click on "Account" and then select "Privacy Settings" you can start setting things up. The first screen you see gives you a quick glance at your privacy settings and allows you to choose from several preset options for controlling your privacy. It is a bad idea to use the "Everyone" preset as that will allow anyone to access all of your information posted on Facebook. The best option is probably to choose the "Recommended" preset and then customize it from there.
Clicking on "Customize settings"brings up a page where you can create settings for each category of information. I won't go into detail about what each category of personal information means (it's mostly self-explanatory); instead, I want to focus on the button with a padlock on it to the right of each category (except "Allow friends to post on my wall"). Clicking that button lets you choose from five options for who can see that category of information: Everyone, Friends and Networks, Friends of Friends, Only Friends, and Custom.
You can see the role that Networks (we talked about them in the post about Account Settings) play in privacy settings. You can imagine the privacy setting options as a set of concentric rings. At the center is you, then your friends, then your friends' friends, then your network(s), then everyone. As you go farther out there are more people. So, if you don't want a lot of people to see your information, you have to set your privacy settings accordingly.
You might have some friends who you don't want to let see as much as other friends are able to see. If this is the case, you should use the "Custom" option. Clicking "Custom" brings up a window with two parts: "Make this visible to:" and "Hide this from:". This allows you to control who can see or not see that category of information down to the levels of individuals. Here you can also use the lists of people you have set up to control your privacy. It's a lot easier than selecting people one at a time.
Just a couple of notes about the rest of these settings:
Before you start looking at your privacy settings on Facebook, it's probably a good idea to click on Account (at the top of the page) and go to "Edit Friends". One of the really useful things about this page is that it allows you to organize your friends in different lists. A default list will be friends who belong to your network. You can set up additional lists, though, which is a good idea since it will help you control who can see what on your profile (you might not want your great aunt to see the same things your best friend can see). We're used to giving out information freely, but it's safer and wiser to think about what people really need to know about you and to tell people only what you really want them to know. So, I'd recommend setting up at least one additional list to help you control who can see what.
Now, if you click on "Account" and then select "Privacy Settings" you can start setting things up. The first screen you see gives you a quick glance at your privacy settings and allows you to choose from several preset options for controlling your privacy. It is a bad idea to use the "Everyone" preset as that will allow anyone to access all of your information posted on Facebook. The best option is probably to choose the "Recommended" preset and then customize it from there.
Clicking on "Customize settings"brings up a page where you can create settings for each category of information. I won't go into detail about what each category of personal information means (it's mostly self-explanatory); instead, I want to focus on the button with a padlock on it to the right of each category (except "Allow friends to post on my wall"). Clicking that button lets you choose from five options for who can see that category of information: Everyone, Friends and Networks, Friends of Friends, Only Friends, and Custom.
You can see the role that Networks (we talked about them in the post about Account Settings) play in privacy settings. You can imagine the privacy setting options as a set of concentric rings. At the center is you, then your friends, then your friends' friends, then your network(s), then everyone. As you go farther out there are more people. So, if you don't want a lot of people to see your information, you have to set your privacy settings accordingly.
You might have some friends who you don't want to let see as much as other friends are able to see. If this is the case, you should use the "Custom" option. Clicking "Custom" brings up a window with two parts: "Make this visible to:" and "Hide this from:". This allows you to control who can see or not see that category of information down to the levels of individuals. Here you can also use the lists of people you have set up to control your privacy. It's a lot easier than selecting people one at a time.
Just a couple of notes about the rest of these settings:
- Facebook recently simplified the privacy settings so it's a good idea to look at them if you haven't in a while.
- You can set the privacy options for your photo albums by clicking "Edit album privacy." It's important to do this because the default settings for your photo albums may not be what you want them to be.
- It's not a good idea to let everyone see your contact information. Remember that everyone means everyone, not just your friends, not just your networks, and not even just people on Facebook.
- You can see what your Facebook profile looks like to different people by clicking on "Preview my Profile".
Monday, July 19, 2010
Facebook Settings 101: Account Settings
You probably already use Facebook, or you've at least heard about it and considered joining. More and more people are spending more and more time and sharing more and more personal information on Facebook. At some point, it just seems natural and safe to post whatever you want to your profile. The fact is, though, that if you don't spend some time familiarizing yourself with your account, privacy, and application settings, you could wind up with big regrets.
Let's take a look at these three kinds of settings and see how they can help keep social networking safe and fun.
Account Settings
The first thing is knowing how to access your settings. At the top of each Facebook page, there is an "Account" button (to the right of the search bar and right next to "Home" and "Profile"). If you click on "Account", it expands to show several other options, including your account, privacy, and application settings. Click on "Account Settings", and notice the tabs at the top of the page...a lot of settings to look over.
Your first account setting is your name. This is pretty straightforward, but it raises the issue of fake names. Some people like to use fake names for their Facebook profile so they can't be easily found (e.g. by prospective employers). This, however, violates Facebook's "Statement of Rights and Responsibilities". By setting up a Facebook profile, you agree to "not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission." That means that not only should you not use a fake name, but you should also not create a Facebook profile in the name of someone else, like a celebrity. If you use a fake name, your profile may be deleted. Instead of hiding behind a fake name, it's better to only share information and content that you don't mind others seeing and to effectively use your privacy settings to control who can see information about you.
I actually forgot I had a user name until I looked. Your user name defines the URL of your Facebook profile, which means that searches for your user name could turn up your profile.
Your Facebook password is very, very important. I know it's tempting to get careless with passwords, but having a strong password for any website is important, especially Facebook. People's Facebook accounts do get hacked into, and cleaning up afterward is more than a minor nuisance.
I don't have a linked account set up, so if anyone has experience with that, let me know. I imagine it could make life a little more convenient. We'll leave Privacy Settings for another day. Account Security provides the option for Facebook to send you an email when you log in from a device you've never logged in before. That can be a good idea; if you log in from different devices (like lab computers) you should make sure you logout and close the browser window when you're done with Facebook. That's the best way to keep your account safe.
Note that deactivating your account does not permanently delete your information. It only makes it invisible to the rest of the world, and you can reactivate your account whenever you want. If you want to permanently delete your account (I applaud your strength), you have to submit a request here.
Next, if you click on the "Networks" tab, you can see which networks you belong to. Networks are important when it comes to privacy because your privacy settings will set different rules based on whether someone is inside or outside of your network. People who may know you (who go to the same school or work at the same place) will generally be able to see more information about you than people who do not.
The "Notifications" tab lets you determine when you want email or mobile Facebook alerts. I used to get emails when practically anything happened to my Facebook, but that got really annoying quickly. If you don't check your Facebook account regularly, it might be a good idea to set up some notifications to let you know when someone sends you a message or friends you.
If you have a mobile device, the "Mobile" tab will help you set it up to use with Facebook. The "Language" tab is where you set up your default language. People are buying more and more stuff on Facebook these days, so the "Payments" tab is where you set up how you want to pay for purchases. Like any site, use some common sense when giving out your credit card information. You should also be careful with spending your money on Facebook: avoid scams and don't spend money you don't have.
Finally, the "Facebook Ads" tab is where you can allow or disallow Facebook and third party applications from using your personal information in your ads. The most common use of your information in advertising is that if you "like" something, then an ad your friends may see will indicated that you have "liked" it. Facebook ads may also contain your profile picture.
Well, that's all for now. We'll pick up next time with Facebook's Privacy Settings.
Let's take a look at these three kinds of settings and see how they can help keep social networking safe and fun.
Account Settings
The first thing is knowing how to access your settings. At the top of each Facebook page, there is an "Account" button (to the right of the search bar and right next to "Home" and "Profile"). If you click on "Account", it expands to show several other options, including your account, privacy, and application settings. Click on "Account Settings", and notice the tabs at the top of the page...a lot of settings to look over.
Your first account setting is your name. This is pretty straightforward, but it raises the issue of fake names. Some people like to use fake names for their Facebook profile so they can't be easily found (e.g. by prospective employers). This, however, violates Facebook's "Statement of Rights and Responsibilities". By setting up a Facebook profile, you agree to "not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission." That means that not only should you not use a fake name, but you should also not create a Facebook profile in the name of someone else, like a celebrity. If you use a fake name, your profile may be deleted. Instead of hiding behind a fake name, it's better to only share information and content that you don't mind others seeing and to effectively use your privacy settings to control who can see information about you.
I actually forgot I had a user name until I looked. Your user name defines the URL of your Facebook profile, which means that searches for your user name could turn up your profile.
Your Facebook password is very, very important. I know it's tempting to get careless with passwords, but having a strong password for any website is important, especially Facebook. People's Facebook accounts do get hacked into, and cleaning up afterward is more than a minor nuisance.
I don't have a linked account set up, so if anyone has experience with that, let me know. I imagine it could make life a little more convenient. We'll leave Privacy Settings for another day. Account Security provides the option for Facebook to send you an email when you log in from a device you've never logged in before. That can be a good idea; if you log in from different devices (like lab computers) you should make sure you logout and close the browser window when you're done with Facebook. That's the best way to keep your account safe.
Note that deactivating your account does not permanently delete your information. It only makes it invisible to the rest of the world, and you can reactivate your account whenever you want. If you want to permanently delete your account (I applaud your strength), you have to submit a request here.
Next, if you click on the "Networks" tab, you can see which networks you belong to. Networks are important when it comes to privacy because your privacy settings will set different rules based on whether someone is inside or outside of your network. People who may know you (who go to the same school or work at the same place) will generally be able to see more information about you than people who do not.
The "Notifications" tab lets you determine when you want email or mobile Facebook alerts. I used to get emails when practically anything happened to my Facebook, but that got really annoying quickly. If you don't check your Facebook account regularly, it might be a good idea to set up some notifications to let you know when someone sends you a message or friends you.
If you have a mobile device, the "Mobile" tab will help you set it up to use with Facebook. The "Language" tab is where you set up your default language. People are buying more and more stuff on Facebook these days, so the "Payments" tab is where you set up how you want to pay for purchases. Like any site, use some common sense when giving out your credit card information. You should also be careful with spending your money on Facebook: avoid scams and don't spend money you don't have.
Finally, the "Facebook Ads" tab is where you can allow or disallow Facebook and third party applications from using your personal information in your ads. The most common use of your information in advertising is that if you "like" something, then an ad your friends may see will indicated that you have "liked" it. Facebook ads may also contain your profile picture.
Well, that's all for now. We'll pick up next time with Facebook's Privacy Settings.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Switching to Blackboard
If you've been at Hopkins for a while, you've probably become at least a little familiar with WebCT, which allows professors to post course content online. Well, get ready for change. According to the Center for Educational Resources, no courses will be offered in WebCT after the 2010 summer session. Fall courses were made available on Blackboard this week.
At the end of the Fall 2010 semester WebCT will be "turned off", but that doesn't mean that all the content you have on WebCT have to be lost. CER has provided instructions for downloading content from WebCT and videos for downloading files and folders, quizzes, and grades.
For faculty, CER is offering the ability to set up "sandbox" Blackboard sites so you can experiment with the new system. Instructions for setting up a sandbox site can be downloaded here. You can keep up to date about the new changes coming with the switch to Blackboard by checking CER's Blackboard 9 Project Updates page.
You can also check out the JHU Gazette's article on the switch to Blackboard.
UPDATE: This website provides detailed instructions for many tasks in Blackboard.
At the end of the Fall 2010 semester WebCT will be "turned off", but that doesn't mean that all the content you have on WebCT have to be lost. CER has provided instructions for downloading content from WebCT and videos for downloading files and folders, quizzes, and grades.
For faculty, CER is offering the ability to set up "sandbox" Blackboard sites so you can experiment with the new system. Instructions for setting up a sandbox site can be downloaded here. You can keep up to date about the new changes coming with the switch to Blackboard by checking CER's Blackboard 9 Project Updates page.
You can also check out the JHU Gazette's article on the switch to Blackboard.
UPDATE: This website provides detailed instructions for many tasks in Blackboard.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Virtual JHU 2.0 Released!
Today we released version 2.0 of Virtual JHU, which contains a lot of new features. Keep reading for more information.
We are happy to announce the release of Virtual JHU 2.0. We have made a lot of changes and added many new features for this release. The most obvious change is the new website design, for which we can thank STS’s team of web designers: Allison Tse, Lia Cefalu, Steve Han, and Lavanya Sivakumar.
Depending on the speed of your internet connection and your computer's graphics card, you may experience performance difficulties. We are working to decrease the amount of time it takes to load Virtual JHU and hope you will be a little patient. One thing to note is that once you have loaded Virtual JHU, it will load quicker within the same browser session.
Here is the full list of new features:
1. Google Earth Browser Plugin
For the first version of Virtual JHU, the models were contained in a Google Earth file (kmz) that users downloaded and then opened in Google Earth. Version 2.0 utilizes the Google Earth browser plugin to display the Virtual JHU models inside the user’s browser window.
2. Realistic Terrain
If you have ever visited the Homewood Campus, you know that the terrain there is unique, to say the least. Virtual JHU now includes a realistic representation of the terrain and accurately places buildings in the terrain.
3. New Models – Including Interiors!
Almost all of the Homewood Campus buildings have been remodeled for version 2.0. Why? Because we wanted to include the interiors of the buildings as well as the exteriors. Now you can look inside a building and see its individual rooms. This is great for locating classrooms, offices, and many other relevant places on campus.
4. New Levels of Data
As mentioned, you can now view individual rooms by clicking on their icon inside the Earth viewer. When you do this, you will get information associated with that room: if it’s an office, you will see a description of the office, a link to its website, and maybe a video talking about what goes on there. Classrooms contain a list of classes that meet there, and dining locations around campus are tagged, showing hours, payment options (Dining Dollars, J Cash, etc.), and more. In the coming months we will be adding more kinds of data as well as extending our coverage of tagged data. If you would like input in what data is included in Virtual JHU, email us. We need your help!
We are happy to announce the release of Virtual JHU 2.0. We have made a lot of changes and added many new features for this release. The most obvious change is the new website design, for which we can thank STS’s team of web designers: Allison Tse, Lia Cefalu, Steve Han, and Lavanya Sivakumar.
Depending on the speed of your internet connection and your computer's graphics card, you may experience performance difficulties. We are working to decrease the amount of time it takes to load Virtual JHU and hope you will be a little patient. One thing to note is that once you have loaded Virtual JHU, it will load quicker within the same browser session.
Here is the full list of new features:
1. Google Earth Browser Plugin
For the first version of Virtual JHU, the models were contained in a Google Earth file (kmz) that users downloaded and then opened in Google Earth. Version 2.0 utilizes the Google Earth browser plugin to display the Virtual JHU models inside the user’s browser window.
2. Realistic Terrain
If you have ever visited the Homewood Campus, you know that the terrain there is unique, to say the least. Virtual JHU now includes a realistic representation of the terrain and accurately places buildings in the terrain.
3. New Models – Including Interiors!
Almost all of the Homewood Campus buildings have been remodeled for version 2.0. Why? Because we wanted to include the interiors of the buildings as well as the exteriors. Now you can look inside a building and see its individual rooms. This is great for locating classrooms, offices, and many other relevant places on campus.
4. New Levels of Data
As mentioned, you can now view individual rooms by clicking on their icon inside the Earth viewer. When you do this, you will get information associated with that room: if it’s an office, you will see a description of the office, a link to its website, and maybe a video talking about what goes on there. Classrooms contain a list of classes that meet there, and dining locations around campus are tagged, showing hours, payment options (Dining Dollars, J Cash, etc.), and more. In the coming months we will be adding more kinds of data as well as extending our coverage of tagged data. If you would like input in what data is included in Virtual JHU, email us. We need your help!
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