LifeHacks (at the Library)

It's Reading Period at Hopkins, and that means studying. A lot of it. Yes the weather outside is frightful, and with 24/7 quiet hours now in effect in the undergraduate dorms, staying in to work can actually be tempting. But should you venture out into the snow to visit the MSE Library or Brody, here are a few helpful tips to streamline your whole experience. Oh, and get some coffee before you start.

That ought to do it.
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/w-Giant-Coffee-Cup75917.jpg

If you like peace and quiet when you study, or need space for your study group, reserving a room is the first thing you should learn how to do. Start by going to https://rooms.library.jhu.edu/reservations/ctrlpnl.php and signing in with your usual JHED and password. You may have to register if it's your first time; just follow the on-screen instructions. Once registration is complete, click on "Reservations" on the left, under Quick Links. You can check availability in the BLC or MSEL by choosing them under "View schedule". Filled slots are orange, white ones are available. You can reserve rooms for as long as 4 hours, up to 24 hrs in advance. Once you've found a slot you want, click on its box and adjust the start/end times if you want. To finalize reservation, click "save", and then you're done!

Oh, boy! All these books, just for me!
http://img.talkandroid.com/uploads/2013/11/stack_of_books.jpg

Another thing EVERYONE should know how to do is send print jobs to the MSEL printers straight from your laptop. This will help you save time not only during reading period, but also anytime you need to print something for the rest of your Hopkins career. First, follow this link, and download the appropriate software for your operating system (OS). Unzip the files and run the one called "EditHosts.exe". If necessary, run as administrator and/or accept changes to your computer. Then, double-click the MSELPrinters file, which will look slightly different depending on your OS. Follow the on-screen directions and finish installation of the printers. Once that's done, go to printer properties for MSEPrint on AIR. On the Device Settings tab, check "2-sided Printing". Next, go to printer properties for MSE Color A Level on AIR. On the Device Settings tab, change “Device Type” to "Color [A4]" and (once again) check "2-sided Printing". Now you can print from your laptop just like you do at the print station computers! Never again will you have to deal with the lines that congregate between classes.

Studies show that lines suck the joy out of your day. Science.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/Pictures/web/l/w/o/getty_chinese_student_450.jpg

Lastly, if you find yourself writing long papers, chances are you're going to have to make a bibliography for it. There's a variety of standards, from APA to MLA or even CSE, but thankfully the Sheridan Libraries Website has a tool for keeping your citations straight. Introducing RefWorks:

No one said research was sexy.

If it's your first time using RefWorks, select the appropriate box and then then follow the on-screen directions. Otherwise, click on "Your individual account", which will prompt you to enter your JHED and password if you haven't seen the Portal in a while. To add references manually, click the "New Reference" button, and choose the style you need. The form will automatically adapt to the style, so fill as many fields as you can and then click "save". To add references from a database, click on the "Online catalog or database" link under the "Search" tab. Select a database from the drop-down menu, and then enter your search terms. From the list of results, check as many as you want to add to your bibliography and then click "Import". When you have saved all the sources you need, click "Create bibliography". Then choose output style and file format in the pop-up window, and click "Create bibliography". If your bibliography doesn't appear at first, click the link that pops up in the bottom-right corner.

That's it for now. Keep an eye out for future installments of LifeHacks, and go study efficiently!

Happy Cyber Monday!

Today is Cyber Monday, not nearly as famous as the warm embrace of Thanksgiving, nor as infamous as Black Friday. (On that note, we at STS hope that everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving and enjoyable weekend!) So what is Cyber Monday, where did it come from, and what does it mean?

As you might guess, Cyber Monday is a relatively new pseudo-holiday that has been around in concept for a while. Many people will spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on Black Friday searching for deals on electronics, toys, clothing, cars...basically anything anyone could ever ask for as a Christmas gift. But Cyber Monday is a special day for all the people who are not able to shop around for gifts on Black Friday in person, whether it's from lack of transportation, health reasons, or you just don't want to deal with the crazy people at the stores. It was first used in a press release from Shop.org on November 28, 2005. The title was "Cyber Monday Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year." How right that was! It's now the #1 single day of online shopping during the year.

Cyber Monday is a special day for anyone who has ever shopped online. Sales have steadily been increasing by 16-22% each year since 2006, excepting the year 2009 (sales then increased only by 5%, most likely a result of the recession from the year before). In 2012, the sales from Cyber Monday alone were almost $1.5 billion! Online retailers like Amazon have taken advantage of the cyber trend, and now offer special Cyber Monday deals to tempt even more shoppers to their webpages instead of the physical stores. As much as I love to window shop and find the perfect gift, it's a lot less effort, time, and money to look it up online.

Of course these numbers are not without consequence. Since Cyber Monday is the Monday after a long Thanksgiving weekend, the idea is that workers come back to a high-speed internet at their workplaces and buy what they like, usually for cheaper. In 2009, more than half of the dollars spent online originated from work computers. This is becoming more and more dangerous for the average employee to do, however. 22% of employers asked said that they had terminated an employee for using the internet for non-work related activities (though the activities in question were not specified, and could have been Facebook), 7% had fired an employee for holiday shopping, and 54% of employers were blocking certain websites. Talk about buyer beware!

Cyber Monday is not just for Americans anymore either; Canada adopted its own Cyber Monday in 2008, mostly to discourage Canadian money from being spent on US retailers. Other countries that participate in Cyber Monday (origin year) include the United Kingdom (2012), Germany (2010), Portugal (2009), France (2008), Chile (2011), New Zealand (2010), Colombia (2012), Australia (2012), Japan (2012), and India (2012). Not all these countries call it Cyber Monday, but the intent is the same: buy items online, save money, have a good holiday season.

That just about wraps up not only this blog post, but the Fall 2013 semester at Hopkins as well. This is the last week of classes, and soon Reading Period and Finals will start. This may not be the last post before break, but just in case:

JHU Student Technology Services student employees and staff wish all of our readers a very happy holiday season and a special, bright new year in 2014! Thank you for reading our blog.

Our Heads are in the Clouds

Cloud-based file storage is particularly helpful to students for several reasons. It allows you to remotely back up files and collaborate with other students. Most of you have used Google Drive and/or Dropbox, both great services that meet this need. But what if you need more space than Google Drive’s 15GB and don’t want to pay more to extend Dropbox’s free 2GB? Or if you want to host your own website? Well, Hopkins has got you covered.

Introducing: JShare

JShare is not a new application, but it is an obscure one. You can access it from your my.jhu.edu homepage after logging in. Hovering over the “Cloud” Quicklink brings up the “Cloud Apps” and “JShare” icons, as shown below:

Bonus Description Pop-up!

Clicking on JShare will open up a tab similar to the one shown here:

You say 'bland', I say 'functional layout'

As you can see, I’m using my JShare space to host my own websites. For all students, but especially those considering doing Web development after graduation, having a website with your resume information is a great way to show off your skills and put yourself on the job market. By default, there is a public_html folder designated for html files, but you can add, remove, and rename folders to your heart’s content by right-clicking. In addition, JShare gives you a fair amount of control over who else can see what is on your space. Right-click on a folder and then select Manage from the drop-down menu. This brings up the settings for that particular folder. On the left is the tab navigator, and after pressing “Permissions” your screen should look something like this:

So much power!

Users are listed under "Name" and their permissions can be set to Viewer or Contributor mode. If you want to remove privileges from a user (or Public), first select the user with the checkbox, and then press the "Remove Access" button. The Add User/Group button allows you to add anyone in the Hopkins network (from what I can tell) to your permitted user list; if the email is not recognized by JShare, it will automatically create a “ticket” for that user that allows them to be given viewing or contributing privileges until it expires. The default lifetime of a ticket is 30 days, but this can be changed or even set to unlimited. You can also assign a password for the ticket, but a password won’t improve security. In order to send the ticket link through JShare, you must first choose to use Mircrosoft Outlook or some other mail client. All ticket-related activities can be done from the “Tickets” tab on the left.

You can also copy/paste the ticket link into any e-mail or FB message.

You’ll also notice Logging and Versioning tabs, but I’ll discuss how to use those in a future post about Online Collaboration. Feel free to leave comments below!

JHU Pulse

Hopkins has long had a VPN (virtual private network) system in place for access to the Hopkins internet from a computer or mobile device, even when the device in question is displaced from the immediate Hopkins campuses. A user could download either an Apple or and Android app from the appropriate store, and through use of this app could access the internal Hopkins network. The name of this app is Juniper Junos Pulse. If you've never heard of it before, you are not alone. Soon everyone on campus is going to know of JHU Pulse, so consider yourself one of the most up-to-date people at Hopkins for reading this blog post!

Some of you may have noticed a small notice on the My.JHU.edu dashboard that looks like this:

You may have seen this before, but let's explore what it means.

I first saw this a couple of days ago, so it is a recent development on the Johns Hopkins campus. Let's explore a bit deeper. Clicking on the link it offers take you to a spartan page with minimal information about the new system. The home page of this gives you the option to connect now, assuming that you've already downloaded the new software that's required. If you're partial to the old VPN system (JHUConnect), you are able to access the legacy item through a link at the bottom. 

At the top is a link to the standard Acceptable Use Policies,  also accessible on the IT@JH homepage. In fact, that's where this new website will redirect you. Another link native to the JHU Pulse page is a list of all the systems with which the new Pulse will be compatible. It includes most OS's and browsers, but if you see something listed below, Pulse is incompatible:

1. Windows 8.1 OS
2. OSX Mavericks
3. Windows Phone
4. Windows XPe (although who uses XP now that Microsoft is officially shutting down tech support for that product?)
5. Chrome
6. Internet Explorer 64-bit
7. Blackberry
8. Linux (Ubuntu 9.10, 10.x, 11.x and 12.04 LTS, OpenSUSe 10.x, 11.x and 12.1, Red Hat Enterprise 5)
9. Solaris 10 32-bit (note: 64-bit is supported)

I'm most upset that Chrome isn't a supported browser, given that it's extremely user friendly, but seeing as it operates on the Linux kernel it does make sense. I've also noticed other JHU sites going a bit haywire on Chrome, so maybe it's a recurring theme.

Anyway, clicking the last link on the header of the page will take you to a page that has more links to PDF instructions on how to install the software needed for JHU Pulse on your computer, whatever your operating system is. The pictures displayed in these manuals are from before the summer, which is evident from the login portal screen shot used. This just shows how long this project has been underway, so it's exciting to see it finally come to light!

The installation is very similar to any other installation you've ever done, only this one may ask you to also install something called Juniper ActiveX Control. Juniper is the company that made these products, and the ActiveX Control will allow the VPN to communicate with the interface on your computer. It's critical that this is installed along with the other software or the VPN connection will not stick!

Finally, the page will automatically redirect you to the installation center for the JHU Pulse software. Jump through the installation hoops one more time and then you're done. Congratulations! You are now able to access all of the Hopkins on-site internet resources, including library searches, virtual textbooks, and cloud software from the comfort of your apartment or your distant home, wherever that could be!

JHU Pulse will go into full effect on November 14, after which it is unclear if JHUConnect will be completely removed from the JHU system. I've never had much success with JHUConnect; it was clunky and I could never figure out if I was truly connected or not. This new system promises to be more streamlined and user-intuitive, so I for one am very much looking forward to it. I have to admit: it will be nice to be able to access Web of Science from home over Thanksgiving Break!

That's it from the TechBlog for this week. As always, good luck on exams and leave your comments in the space below.

Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection

Throughout the day, we are constantly under attack from malware. An email attachment from an unknown source, a hidden file on a flash drive, or a download from a less-than-reputable website can all give your computer malware. Malware – viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, etc. – makes your computer behave strangely; they can slow down your computer or steal personal information. In the worst cases, they can destroy your precious data and even “brick” your computer. According to IT at Johns Hopkins, “Even careful and conscientious users can have malware on their computers.” So what steps can you take to avoid losing your homework, notes, and other valuable data?

I would wash my hands after using the computer if I were you.
http://www3.pcmag.com/media/images/317665-computer-malware.jpg

In the past, IT @ JH has provided Symantec Endpoint Protection to students as a way to protect against malware, but this has changed recently. Hopkins students are encouraged to uninstall Symantec and download Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection instead. The links for downloading the proper anti-virus software can be found here. Simply click on the option that applies to you, and when you are prompted, enter your JHED and the password you use for the Portal. I use Windows, so the next steps may or may not apply to you. Once the download is complete, unzip the file and run “SCEPInstall.exe”. The installation wizard should pop up, and will give you other instructions. Make sure to check the box that turns on Windows Firewall if you don’t have a firewall already turned on. Finally, click “Install”, and then “Finish”. At this point System Center will begin its first scan of your computer. This can take a while, so do some homework while it runs.

Or go watch a movie. It takes A WHILE.

Once that is done, you should make sure that Symantec is uninstalled. The Windows version automatically removes prior Symantec, McAfee, and TrendMicro products, as well as Microsoft Forefront Client Security / Endpoint Protection AV agents, but if you are having trouble, or installed System Center for a different OS, you can find help here.

IT @ JH also suggests further steps to protect your computer, such as updating Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash, Java, and Microsoft Office. Updates patch up weaknesses that can be exploited by newer forms of malware. You should also consider using a second anti-malware tool, since some threats may get ignored by the first one. There are many options, but my personal favorites are AVG, HitmanPro and MalwareBytes. HitmanPro is unique in that it is specifically geared towards being a “second opinion” anti-malware tool. And according to their website, “If nothing is found (and we sincerely hope so), then you will never need a license. When a virus is found, then you will receive a free 30-day license to remove the threat.” MalwareBytes, on the other hand, is critically acclaimed for its ability to find deeply entrenched malware and remove them for you. However, its free version is not great as a stand-alone anti-virus software, which is where AVG Free excels. Downloading and running it is easy, and two scans are better than one.

Nowhere is safe for viruses now

For the most part, the switch from Symantec to System Center won’t affect your daily life. Both are powerful, fast solutions for endpoint protection. From Microsoft’s website, System Center “protects against both known and unknown threats with a combination of highly accurate signatures and behavioral detection techniques. It has been highly ranked in independent third-party tests, such as those by AV-Comparatives and VirusBulletin, with special distinction for its low false positive rate.” According to Symantec’s data sheet for version 12.1.2, “Endpoint Protection detects more threats then [sic] do products from McAfee®, Trend Micro™ or Microsoft®¹ […][and outperforms] all products in its class in scan speed and total performance impact.²”

System Center was most likely chosen because of its superior support for management of a large enterprise like Johns Hopkins. The System Center website also claims to reduce “IT management and operating costs” by using a single integrated infrastructure. While Symantec may have been a slightly faster and more dependable anti-virus solution, I can understand why the choice was made. Beggars can’t be choosers; I’ll take my free endpoint protection without complaints.

¹AV-Test.org, “Real World Testing.” For Endpoint Protection, August 2012

²Enterprise Endpoint Protection Performance Benchmarks, PassMark Software, August 2012

Hopkins Hosts a Hackathon

Last weekend the Johns Hopkins University hosted its first Hackathon, a 36 hour long competition where teams of 1-4 students were asked to create a smartphone app and present it. The winning prize of $1024, or the equivalent of the number bytes in a kilobyte (2^10), went to a sophomore team of Brian Ho, Ben Lu, Willis Wang, and Miles Zhan. Their app, called "DropMe," is a play on a picture and message sharing application like "Bump." This new app is location-aware, meaning that it can be dropped into a different on-screen location based on the GPS reading of the mobile phone.

The competition began with opening ceremonies on Friday night, but the real work started at 9 pm and lasted until 9 am on Sunday morning. The contestants were supplied with Red Bull energy drinks, ice cream, pizza, Mountain Dew, coffee, bagels, and anything else they needed to keep themselves awake. As if that wasn't hard enough, the teams that completed a project were then expected to present them to a panel of expert judges. This panel was made of three Hopkins CS professors, Devon O'Dell from content delivery network Fastly, and John Bienko of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Alex Monroe, a junior at Hopkins, worked on a app called "Riffmaster," which used sound frequency signals from a guitar to control computer programs. In essence, they made the instrument a keyboard! From http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/blog/bs-md-jhu-hackathon-20130922,0,1736133.story

The sponsors of the program ranged from internet giant Facebook, for which student organizer Nate Schloss worked as an intern last summer, to alumnus Michael Bloomberg's company, Bloomberg L.P., to GitHub, EPIC, and the Social Innovation Lab right here at Hopkins. Facebook had a separate prize that went to a graduate student team which created an app that would allow event organizers to sell tickets to the event over Facebook. This Facebook Concerts app, created by Rahil Arora, Ankit Sharma, Nishikant Deshmukh, and Saramjeet Prasad, also took 3rd place overall. 2nd place was secured by team of Farhan Damani, Blaine Muri, and Jason Albalah for "SuperScale," an app that turns an iPhone into a scale.

Daniel Swann, an employee right here at Student Technology Services, was one of the students who worked tirelessly over the summer to organize and execute this event. He, along with Ben Glickman, Nathan Schloss, and Tyler Cloutier, believe the event went so well, they'll be repeating it again next semester.

"The winning hacks were extremely creative and well polished, and I felt that the winners definitely deserved their prizes. It was amazing to see so many innovative ideas developed over this short 36-hour period. I could even see some of the projects possibly being spun off into startups or independent studies," said Swann.

Some of these focused on the homeless population in cities across the country by allowing smartphone users to look up shelters and soup kitchens based on their current locations. Another allowed a user to get a reading on how safe an area of Baltimore is based on location and time of day. Given the increase in crime in Baltimore this summer, it's not a bad idea. A third, more academic app allowed a user to take pictures of old maps and automatically tie them together into a large mosaic. Matthew Petroff worked as an individual and produced a 1915 map of Hopkins' Homewood campus for his presentation, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Nate Schloss, one of the student coordinators for the Hackathon, worked at Facebook as an intern last summer. Facebook was one of the major sponsors of the event. Congratulations, Nate!

This is an amazing example on the Hopkins campus of the initiative and collaboration that is a key feature of the Hopkins atmosphere. Hopkins is known for challenging its students, and there is nothing more challenging than producing excellent work in a short span of time with hardly any rest. Then again, that's the reality for many students on a day to day basis.

Over 130 students on 50 teams participated in the success of this event, and only 25 teams were able to present a finished product after 36 hours. That's an amazing accomplishment against incredible odds, and each student who was in some way connected to HopHacks should be very proud of themselves.

Special thanks to the Johns Hopkins HUB, The Baltimore Sun article written by Luke Broadwater, and Nate Schloss for their quotes and information. Best of luck for the next event, and thanks for reading!

New JHU Outlook Email Format

Hello Hopkins!

The TechBlog is going to take a short break from the FrontDoor Software to talk about a topic that has captured the attention of most students on campus. I'm talking about the new Outlook email layout, which hit our corner of the internet over the weekend. It's actually more accurate to call it a new Web App, since the Outlook we use is not the same as the Outlook software.

The new layout mirrors the changes that Microsoft made over the entire Office 2013 Suite. The top bar is blue, instead of the soft orange design that doodled its way around our screens before, and the design is more angular and sharp. The old dinging sound of receiving a new email has been changed to a two-tone quip that sounds more soothing and melodic than the old one. Overall it fits better with the new JHU layout that came into play on September 3, and since the main features are the same, it shouldn't be a major switch.

Still, there are some features that have been getting mixed reviews from the students. One student commented that it looked too plain, and another had an issue scrolling to the stop of the screen to hit the send button. She ended up having to delete the email she was writing because Outlook had some kind of glitch. It could just be the web browser she was using, but it's worth noting that particular issue.

Color is noticeably absent on this version of Outlook; the old version had the buttons for Reply, Reply to All, and Forward colored differently. They are all gray now. There also used to be a way to group your emails according to a small color bar on the right hand side of the email preview box, which has been removed from this version. It's also more difficult to tell which email is new and which has already been read, because the only thing distinguishing the two is the color of the (small) subject line. The new ones are blue, and the read ones are gray. Not the most exciting or eye-catching item, but at least there is a new option on the top to look at "Unread" emails, which separates them for you. Emails that have drafts associated with them say "Draft" in orange letters, and that stands out.

The options appear when multiple emails are selected.

Now onto the good features. A feature I accidentally stumbled upon was that it has a built in "smart" calendar system, which reads through your emails and puts events that you make through the Starfish scheduler in your calendar for you. This was especially helpful to me today, because I had totally forgotten about a meeting I had scheduled. I'm glad the email remembered. If anyone sends you a meeting request, there is an option within the email that allows you to schedule a meeting with one click. It will check your availability for you and report back before making any changes. This is a seamless feature that will actually come in handy if the Calendar function is used often.

It's also possible to delete multiple emails at the same time, although there is still no way to click your entire Inbox and delete everything at once (Outlook developers: take note of Gmail's features to isolate certain emails and perform mass actions on them). Just move the mouse to the upper left corner of the email preview box and click the box. Clicking on one email allows you to view it in the large window, but unchecking the box just clears the entire screen, a new feature. Clicking on multiple emails brings up a new option window in the main part of the screen, and here there are options to delete the selected conversation.

The personal information page for a user on Outlook 2013. The mail button allows you to send an email, and the calendar logo schedules a meeting with the contact

 Finally, there is an easy feature to view basic information about an email contact. Simply click on the name and a window will pop up, with small symbols that allow you to email them or schedule a meeting. It's a nice integration of different Outlook features all compiled into a simple arrangement.

Most of the other features are pretty self-explanatory and located in the same places as the old version. It doesn't take long to get used to the new features and layout, so don't be afraid to use it more often. Leave your comments below for what you think of the new design, and we'll see you next week!

FrontDoor Anti-theft Protection Software: Windows Edition

Every Hopkins student receives the daily Incident Reports from Campus Security, and somehow the addition of these emails made crime more noticeable in our lives. Despite the warnings to be vigilant and reminders to keep personal belongings with you at all times, it is a sad truth that our cash, debit and credit cards, and phones are still stolen on an almost quotidian basis. A laptop is, perhaps, the most devastating item to lose because it undoubtedly is home to irreplaceable pictures, essays, and research data. This can sometimes result in a loss of years of work.

It is impossible to know when you will be the victim of a crime, and it can happen to anyone. Hopkins Security knows this, so they have discovered a way for students, faculty, and staff to maximize the chance that stolen computers will be returned to their rightful owners. In fact, if you have read the Daily Incident Reports this week, Monday's mentioned something called FrontDoor Software. To download a free copy of the software and protect your computer, go to frontdoorsoftware.com/jhu right away. Make sure to use your @jhu.edu email! Having this software increases your chances of recovering your laptop from 3% to as much as 95%. For free, it's worth having.

This is the FrontDoor logo. I think the dog is a Newfoundland. 

FrontDoor Software Security is a program that uses a registered computer's wireless connectivity to track its movements, which is similar to other recovery programs. FrontDoor allows an owner of a stolen computer to log in to another computer to report the stolen laptop. At this point, FrontDoor will turn on its arsenal of unique features and start the recovery process. Once the computer is connected to a wireless network, the Skyhook Location SDK will quickly obtain the location of the laptop, and you can actually see the last known location of the computer on the user interface screen at FrontDoorSoftware.com.

The list of locations where FrontDoor has registered my computer.

Skyhook Location SDK is able to obtain the location within 4 seconds, a fact that I have verified through my own experimenting with FrontDoor. It's also accurate to within 10 meters, but this accuracy is diminished when inside a large building (of which there are many around the Hopkins campus). Finally, Skyhook boasts a 99.8% availability, which means it can work at almost any time. The coverage around Baltimore is very high, as expected, but this is not the case everywhere, so check availability at your permanent residence. 

The features of FrontDoor are pretty simple to enable; simply go to the user interface login page, go to the directory, and hit the "Stolen and Lock" tab. Click the edit button to mark the stolen and lock boxes, depending on what you prefer to do. By remotely locking the stolen computer, you protect your information from the thief. By reporting it stolen, on the other hand, you set off a series of events. First the computer will display a message with your contact information, just in case it was all an honest mistake, and Campus Security picked up what they thought was an abandoned device.

The Stolen and Lock screen. Don't forget to hit the Update button!

To deter a real thief, the computer equipped with FrontDoor Software will then actually start to make loud noises, shouting phrases such as: "Help! This computer has been reported as stolen or lost!" and "You are not my owner! Return me now!" If the culprit has taken the computer to a public place, this will certainly attract attention, and the suspect will most likely flee the scene without the laptop. An honest person can then come up, view your contact information, and alert you to the location of the laptop.

Once a computer is reported as stolen, Campus Security is also informed of the situation and will be notified.

Overall my review is that FrontDoor software has a few kinks in it, and whether that stems from design flaws, incorrect installation, or lack of knowledge regarding the software itself has yet to be determined. It would be a good idea for Hopkins security and IT Services to both become more acquainted with the software so they can help students use the software effectively. Considering that this service is free for students and faculty, and that the location services are very impressive and accurate, every student should install this on his or her computer. It could make a difference one day, and that's a chance I'm willing to take.

Free Stuff for Students!

Welcome to the first week of classes, fellow students! I hope your summers were relaxing and/or productive, and that your class schedules are not too hectic and stressful. Just in case they are, however, the TechBlog has some shortcuts so you have a fewer number of items to juggle in your life.

Most people on campus have known about the Hopkins Technology Store for a while, unless you're a new freshman (for the record, it's on the first floor of Krieger, connected to the computing lab). Chances are good that most of you have never had a reason to go to it, especially if you have a PC.

That's about to change.

Possibly the greatest debate of our generation. From here

The Hopkins Technology Store does more than sell Macs and Apple products: it has free software available to every student on campus. This includes Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows 8 OS downloads, Office 2013, Office 2011 for Mac, and Office 2010 for absolutely no cost to students, and at a discounted rate for faculty and staff. The suites don't skimp either; PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Publisher, Outlook, and video conferencing software is included in the downloads, among other items.

All this for free! From here

Microsoft Office is probably the most useful tool to any college student, next to the computer on which the software is installed. Everyone will have to write at least one essay while here, and with the rising cost of tuition, books, and food, a penny saved is a penny earned. Save yourself $130 and download the free Office 2013 suite, and maybe a new OS on the side.

In addition to Microsoft products, the Tech Store also has Adobe Creative Cloud ($20), Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac ($40), SPSS packages (prices vary from $42 to $106, based on the edition) for Windows and Macs, and lots of other products that range from HD video converters to antivirus software. For the software that's not available for purchase and download, there's always myJLab, a VDI which allows you to have a temporary user profile on a Windows OS with access to MatLab, Mathematica, SPSS, and other  helpful tools. For more information, see this blog post from last year. This little advertised service offered by Hopkins has been around for a while, so take advantage of the discounts Hopkins provides and get some high tech equipment on your machine!

In addition to software and Windows OS editions, the Tech Store also boasts "the best pricing available for Apple recommended systems for students and parents!" If you're thinking about getting a new Mac computer, consider stopping here first to get their bundle packages, which include the warranty guaranteed by the Hopkins Tech Store. It's much easier to get your computer fixed when the repair desk is right on campus, and currently they're expanding the iOS repair system. More students helped means less time sitting in the library, cursing your bad luck and scrambling to finish that lab report.

See? They really do say it word for word.

For those of you who prefer PCs, the Tech Store also offers links to Dell laptops via the mobile computing program, and the HP Academy feature, which allows you to purchase the newest HP laptops and computers for about $100 less than the normal price. That's enough for a textbook or two, and I bet the parents would enjoy the lower prices.

Of course, for the hardware needs for all students, the Tech Store also has a great selection of Apple products, including the iPad 2, iMacs, and Apple Care Packages. For those of you who are looking to get a bit more out of Hopkins, the Tech Store is also hiring new students who are passionate about technology and resource assistance. Check them out at the Student Employment Job Fair on September 13.

In the near future, the Tech Blog will be looking closely at some of the esoteric software offered by the Tech Store, especially one called FrontDoor, which is supposed to protect your computer's information in the event of theft and increase the probability of its recovery. That's next time.

That's it for the TechBlog this week. Happy first week, and let's have a great semester!

The New Hopkins Portal

Last week, the TechBlog explained the new changes to the Hopkins email system. As promised, this week will handle the new Hopkins Portal layout, which is accessed using your JHED and password at my.jhu.edu. Let's get started!

First the layout of the login page has changed. What was once angular and monochromatic has become softer and more inviting, but the end goal remains the same: enter the information and access your resources. Seniors are veterans at this, and freshmen will soon realize how invaluable this interface can be when used efficiently.

The new Portal login page.

The old Portal homepage looked like this:

The old Portal Dashboard.

It was never the prettiest thing to look at, but it got the job done. On the left hand side were links to email, ISIS, W2 information, and general settings, as well as Blackboard and my JHU Profile. The Profile was a little used element of the Portal, but it allows any student to go in and add information about him or herself. For example, mine has an explanation of my chosen majors and what my independent research is focusing on. It's also the place to go to set up Emergency Alerts, which is the quickest way to be updated of a massive development on campus regarding the safety of the students. I'll talk more about this at the end.

On the top there were multiple headings that led to different tools. It doesn't make sense to describe them all here, since they all changed and the new system is significantly different from this one.

On September 3, every student's Portal Dashboard (home page) will look like the one shown below. If you choose to update your individual Portal before that, click the orange link in the yellow bar at the top of the old page. The screen will immediately change to one that looks like this one:

 

The new Portal Dashboard! Ta da!

On first impression, the design here is a major improvement over the last one. It looks more friendly, and the colors are not dreary (though blue and orange seem an odd combination for Hopkins to have selected).  The main section of the page is virtually identical, but the real differences are along the top and the left side options. The least appealing feature of the new page is the Hopkins sanctioned photograph in the top left corner. It shows the most recent photo of you to be put onto an official Hopkins page. For most students this will be the JCard photograph, but if you have worked at the Medical Campus, the Portal will automatically use that picture. Even if it's a bad picture, you cannot change it. This particularly rigid feature was found on the old page as well, but at least there you could choose to never look at it and hide it fairly well.

Despite this aesthetic inconvenience, the new home page is a step forward in modernity for the greater Hopkins community. In an effort to make the Portal homepage easier to navigate, Hopkins officials have combined like tools under headings accessible by the tabs at the sides, which serve now as umbrella headings. For example, instead of having a tab just for ISIS, it's now embedded in the Education tab, along with Blackboard and MyLearning. The HR tab contains information regarding W2 access and employee verification forms, and the Technology tab connects JConnect, MyJLab, and the Tech Store, among other things. It's worth it to take a few minutes and look around at all the tabs so you're not scrambling later to find something you need.

One of the most important things to note is that the myJHED tab that was formerly located on the top of the screen has now been moved to the side as an umbrella tab. It now allows easy access for students to register an alias, request a group ID, and enter the Spam Quarantine area.

The Library tab is a nice touch in that it takes the user to a page with all the links to the libraries included in the Hopkins Enterprise system, including the SAIS and the Welch Medical Libraries. The Students tab is a new feature that shows a compilation of all the links an undergraduate could ever need, including KSAS and WSE Academic Advising pages, Daily Announcements, and every student oriented office on the Homewood campus. Another nice touch is the column of links created to give students perspective on the city of Baltimore, and some visitor information on what to do and attractions to see.

As for the Dashboard page, this is different in the new version. Dashboard used to mean the central home page, but here it is pitched as "your private space within the myJH." Not much is known about it yet, aside from links to recent Hopkins press releases, but the myJH team assures its student body a plethora of exciting, new features to "make myJH even more valuable to you," the student. This blog will follow these updates in the future.

As for the Emergency Alerts, that option is the first one on the MyProfile umbrella tab on the left side. Click on it, type in your phone number, select your mobile carrier, agree to the terms and service, and forget about it. I strongly suggest that every student sign up for the service. While it's very helpful for dangerous situations, it also will inform you of a snow day, and you definitely don't want to be the only one showing up for a 9 am Orgo class after shoving through the snow.

How to reach the Emergency Alerts sign up page.

That's it for the TechBlog this week. Questions/rants/comments can go in the Comments section below. Until next week!

New Hopkins email system

Well, fellow students, we are approaching the end of August, which means that we’re about to start another exciting school year with some significant changes all around campus. Construction on Malone Hall is progressing well, North Charles Street is completing the final stages before the street is reopened, and the new biology labs have finally been opened and they are ready to go. Internally the campus has changed as well: Aramark has been replaced as the food provider by Bon Appetit, and the campus dining options and lounges have been completely renovated with new stations and services. The worst part is Einstein’s Bagel Bros. is gone, but judging from the food at Levering, we’re not going to miss it for long.

This is what CharMar looked like a month ago, but no pictures have been posted since. They're clearly hiding something amazing. From https://www.facebook.com/HopkinsDining

Another difference between this year and last year is the renovations to the Hopkins websites that are happening in every department and office associated with Johns Hopkins. They are everywhere, and the place where they are most noticeable is within the Hopkins portal. We’ll talk about the changes to the dashboard and home page next week, because today is going to focus solely on the Johns Hopkins email system. 

What it used to be.

On June 17 Johns Hopkins switched its email provider from Outlook 2010 to Office 365, and while the transition has been smooth for some, others have expressed displeasure at the change in the email. Personally, I always used the ending @jhu.edu. If you are like me, then you probably had no issues with forwarding Outlook email to your Gmail or Yahoo accounts. If you instead used the ending @live.johnshopkins.edu, however, you’ll need to know that this ending has changed. The implications of this are your Gmail won’t accept mail that isn’t from the address listed on the options page, and mail that used to reach your Hopkins mail account just bounces back. 

What it is now.

The new ending, for the record, is @jh.edu.It's pretty simple and short, unlike the cumbersome @live.johnshopkins.edu domain.

As you can imagine, the login page for Outlook also doesn’t work anymore. The old address, login.live.com, is still accessible, and you can still enter your Hopkins ID and password, but it will only take you to the storage space you were afforded with the original Live@edu account. This means the SkyDrive and cloud storage space is still available to you, but your email is not. To access your email without traveling through the portal, the new address is outlook.office365.com. The login page for this email looks identical to the ones for the portal, but it does open directly to the familiar Outlook email system. 

The login page for the email system and the new JH Portal.

You can also prevent yourself from ever looking at Outlook again, if you are so inclined, since you can easily forward your email to another interface, such as Gmail. To do this, just go to the top right corner of the Outlook mail screen and make the drop down menu appear. Click “See All Options,” then click the tab at the top of the middle section of the page called “Connected Accounts.” You can choose to connect your two email accounts, so you can access all the information from both and send from either email address by using only one interface, or you could choose to simply forward email from Outlook to the other.  Of course, if you want to use the portal to access your email, ISIS, Blackboard, and other Hopkins sites and keep the other mailbox separate, that’s fine too. It really depends on what you want, and it’s great that the system is flexible enough to give you choices. 

Where the See All Options tab is in the upper right corner.

One of the best advantages to this upgrade is the increase in email storage space in Office 365. While Outlook only permitted a maximum of 10 GB of email data, Office 365 is equipped to handle 25 GB per user of space. SharePoint Online is also the cloud storage system, reserving SkyDrive for the independent Microsoft account now associated with live.johnshopkins.edu. This upgrade has not been completed yet, and will happen independently at a later date.

Lastly, to set up the Office 365 email on your mobile phone requires a bit of cellular gymnastics. Some phones will accept the JHEDID@jhu.edu and password, and start working immediately. Androids and iPhones also require the name of the server, and there are three different servers that could satisfy this requirement. For more information on these servers, you can go here, but in general one of these should work for your mobile phone.

POP 3 Server Name: outlook.office365.com, Port 995 SSL

IMAP4 Server Name: outlook.office365, Port 993 SSL

SMTP Server Name: smtp.office365.com, Port 587 TLS

For more information on the email system in general, the link is here. Hopefully this has alleviated any concerns that you’ve had with the new email system, but if you have any comments, please leave them below. Until next time!

Hydrostatic Equilibrium

In honor of Earth Day 2013 on April 22, this week's article will be all about new developments related to the entire Earth. And what an exciting time this is for that kind of planetary science!

Researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) announced last week that they had discovered two planets orbiting the K sized star Kepler-62 that could be completely covered in water. Liquid water.

Why is this such a big deal? Normally the temperatures and lack of atmospheres in space prevent water, should it exist at all on that planet, from melting into its liquid form. For there to be any possibility of sustainable life and possible habitation by humans one day, liquid water must be present. And here are two planets who have nothing but oceans full of the liquid orbiting a sun a little bit smaller and cooler than our own sun. Granted, the size and distances of the planets indicate that there is a huge greenhouse effect in their atmospheres to keep the water from freezing, but it's still awesome.

There are some issues with immediate Earth to planet communications though. For one, the planets are larger than the Earth we love; Kepler-62f is 40% larger and Kepler-62e is 60% larger. Researchers are at this point are unable to determine the mass of the planets because their compositions aren't known. This means we don't know if this planet would have any raw materials needed for technology or even life to evolve, since all the rock and metal would be below the surface. It is possible that some life may exist under the ocean's surface, but there would be no fire or access to metals (the pressure would be too great).

Still, the idea that there are two planets in the habitable zone is very useful information for scientists. For one thing, it's the possibility of other life that drives us forward. Second, it could serve as a second home for us (once we get over the increase in gravity thing). Third, studying other planets is just cool. How often have we discovered a planet completely covered in liquid water? Including these two: twice.

Unfortunately, looking at the planets through the Kepler telescope is probably as close as we'll ever get. The planets orbit a start that is 2,700 light years away from us in the Cygnus constellation, so there's no way to get there quickly. If anything this means that we need to take care of the planet we have now because the closest rescue boat is almost 3000 parsecs away, and that's too far for us to be saved. What would Earth look like with only water?

On that note, we wish everyone a happy Earth week!

Hopkins Baja Team Scores Big

The STS team is no stranger to modeling, but usually we're not the ones building the objects we model. The Hopkins Baja off-road vehicle building team, however, made the leap from computer model to 2D sketch to actual kick-butt vehicle. It's hard to think they do this every year, and even harder to think they have the time to put into this, but it's the payoff at the end of the year and the thrill of racing the vehicle that drives them.

Spending weeks pulling all-nighters in Latrobe and Krieger basements, the Baja team slowly but surely built up their vehicle with no directions and only a chance at glory. The light at the end of the tunnel? A competition kicking off on Thursday, April 18 at Tennessee Tech University, which is the final competition of the semester. The final event of the year is a race at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Each competition features a four-hour race over a complete dirt course.

How did the team do it? During the January Intersession, the team bent and molded 20-foot chrome alloy steel bars obtained from an aircraft supply company into a 370 vehicle frame, then added the pedals, wheels, gearbox, gas tank, and a 10-horsepower Briggs and Stratton model engine. They didn't build the tires, seat, engine, or shock absorbers, but everything else is 100% Hopkins engineering made.

The 15 person team worked tirelessly on this design for months, testing, cutting, and measuring every piece of machinery before putting it into the final object. While some teams they'll compete against have Ph.D. students and engineering professors helping them with the design and construction, the Hopkins team received little, if no, input at all. They alone designed the smallest and lightest vehicle ever constructed here, and they have high hopes for the future competitions.

Hopkins typically does well at these competitions, using placing within the top 10 out of over 100 teams. This year, with the improved design and removable gas tank (designed with easy fill-up at pit stops in mind), the team is hoping for a top 5 finish at the race. If it breaks down afterwards, hey, that doesn't matter, the deed is done. The best part is the team can always just rebuild it.

Why are they doing this? It's certainly not for grades, since there are no professors involved here. Andrew Kelly, senior mechanical engineering student and this year's Captain, explains it elegantly: “I do it because I love cars. I love the small details and seeing the whole project come together. It just consumes you.”

We are wishing you luck at your competitions this year! Go Hopkins Baja!

Coursera and You

You may remember reading some Newsletter articles last year about a service called Coursera that had recently joined forces with Hopkins. The article went on to describe how Coursera would open learning up for thousands of people with the click of a mouse button. Johns Hopkins was now part of elite institutions who were making strides to share knowledge with everyone via the internet, and everyone seemed happy.

Yet no one talks about it anymore. Until now.

When arriving at the page of Coursera, thumbnails of available courses jump out at you, and suddenly a Duke course on neuroscience is sharing a space with a statistics class at the University of Nanjing. You can search for classes by topic or by school name. The complete list of participating universities and colleges is under the top tab "Universities" (where else?), and by clicking on any name, the website takes you to the complete list of courses offered by that school.

What isn't readily apparent is the information about what Coursera is. This is a system that partners with universities to offer short courses over a period of a few weeks intended to supplement courses taken for credit at a school. While most schools don't give credit for Coursera classes, a student will receive a certificate of accomplishment upon satisfactory completion of a class. Different standards apply to different classes, of course, but the one thing common to them all is that no class costs any money. That's right: completely free. Plus it looks good on resumes because it shows you pursue independent learning (or so I hope).

The sign up page on the Coursera website.

Signing up for any class is as easy as creating a Coursera account. By doing so you give the usual information about email and such, but you also sign the honor code and general website policy. One of the first policies is each person gets one account, so be careful! After you sign up for an account, you'll be able to register for any or all of the courses. Most require you to watch a short (less than 20 minutes) lecture on the skills you'll need for the next project or the next step in the curriculum, and then you'll be told an assignment for the week. Some of these assignments are graded by the instructor, but most are going to be peer-reviewed. This means that someone from Brazil could be grading a Kenyan's work, which is awesome for global teamwork. So long as you have internet, you can take a Coursera class. It's that easy.

After you create an account, you'll sign in here.

The author has already signed up for a few courses, one of which is on making small games using the Python computing language, but she hasn't yet completed one. When it happens I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. As for the actual technology behind the lectures, it is probably like the virtual classroom environment seen before with Elluminate Live. Nevertheless it is sure to be quite the learning experience for all involved.

The courses that I'm currently enrolled in. Sounds like fun!

What are you waiting for? There are Hopkins (and Princeton and UCSD and...) classes to take! Free, interactive, collaborative, and useful--it doesn't get better than that. 

Distance Learning at Hopkins

Despite the snow that graced Baltimore on Monday, summer is most definitely on its way. Hopkins has already sent our brochures advertising its plethora of Summer 2013 term courses, broken down into intense sessions either on campus or online.

Online? How can I take a Hopkins math course online? How does my homework get graded? What's going on?

All of these are good questions. Yes, it's really online. Yes, it is really a Hopkins math class, and you will get credit for it. If you are a Hopkins student, you have a Blackboard account that you can log into with your JHED. The course is structured through that interface, but also through a distance learning software that allows your instructor to write on a screen and have that information display on yours. Your homework is uploaded through Blackboard, just like lab reports and other homework assignments. In fact, it is very clean and very reliable (especially when you can go back and re-watch entire lectures before a test!).

http://www.elluminate.com/Services/Training/Elluminate_Live!/?id=418

The Elluminate Live icon. Cute, right?

The software used for distance learning courses is Elluminate Live, a service that "rents out" conference rooms and classrooms in virtual space (vSpace). It started out independent, but soon was acquired by Blackboard, Inc., which Hopkins uses. This is a very clean, easy system that allows for collaboration between large groups of people at the same time. To use Elluminate, you must be able to access the room, which is why the Blackboard site comes in handy. The instructor will post a link to the course calendar, and when a student clicks on it, it will go to the vSpace. If the instructor wants to record the lecture, the link will later become a link to the recording. Since this is all done within Blackboard, there is no confusing change from site to video, and it's easier for students to access.

What the basic screen of Elluminate Live looks like when first logging in. The instructor's notes will show up on the main screen on the right.

The mechanism of learning comes through the virtual classroom environment, which allows students to "raise" their hands, ask questions directly to the class, answer poll questions, etc. It's still a Hopkins class; the only difference is it's on your computer in your room or in the library. The instructor can speak into a microphone on his end, and so long as your audio is fixed correctly, you can hear him and respond with your own microphone. The notes for the class appear in the main screen, and it's basically like a chalkboard where the notes can be saved in a PDF format. Instructors can upload documents directly to the site, as can you (the student) when you need to submit homework. Simply scan your homework in and submit it as a PDF through the site.

The participant window shows the commands you are in control of, such as the ability to raise your hand, answer a poll, or use the microphone to ask a question. If you need to step away for a bit, just let the classroom know so they don't call on you.

As the students, you of course have to know how to participate in the class. That's why there are widgets for you to use in case you have a question, want to answer a poll, or need to step away for a minute. You can also use the chat feature privately to send messages to one or a selected few users.

This is not to be confused with the virtual classroom experience that some universities, Johns Hopkins included, are now using to offer their classes to more students. That is the next blog article. Until then, in case you were thinking of taking a math or science course online over the summer through Hopkins, this is what it would look like.

Cheers!