Safe and Secure

Tired of having your projectors, computers, or lab equipment stolen? We're trying out a new product, Sonic Shock, designed to deter theft. The Sonic Shock is a ten-foot electronically monitored tether that you will attach to your valuable item. A siren is triggered by cutting or unplugging the tether. If someone does try to steal the item, it will trip the siren, and that unpleasant sound will last for approximately two hours. It does not have a motion trigger, so it will not emit false alarms. You can order the Sonic Shock by placing a Helpdesk Work order through SamWeb. Each alarm costs $80.

If you do see someone walking quickly out of your building with their backpack screeching, please notify UPD at extension 41000!

Passphrases

We constantly encourage you to change your passwords. To emphasize that it should not be just a "word," we're now changing the terminology to "passphrase." Your passphrase should be between six and nine characters to ensure it is long enough to be difficult to hack, but short enough to remember and type easily, and still comply with all the length restrictions of SamMenu as well as Windows.

A passphrase should include letters, numbers, and special characters. If your favorite song is the 1977 hit "Lay Down Sally " by Eric Clapton, you might choose your passphrase to be "lds_EC77". This passphrase uses lowercase for the first letter of every word of that song title, an underscore, uppercase for the singer's initials, then ends with the year. It sounds confusing at first, but if the song makes you smile, then everytime you type your passphrase, you'll smile too. Try it. If you make this your system or something comparable, it will be easier the next time to create your new passphrase.

Macintosh New OS

Wondering when the newly released OS 10.4 will be rolled out? Please have patience; we're working on it now. Should be soon!

AKA

For several years, faculty, staff, and students have had the option of creating an e-mail address alias online. Therefore, some common last name aliases are already taken by students. If you have not yet created an alias, you may want to use your first initial with your last name, or your first name, a period, and your last name.

If you need an official departmental alias also, you may now create that yourself too. Each faculty/staff member may have up to three aliases: one for your personal name, and the other two if needed for general departmental e-mail. You may not use a slash as a character in your alias. You will use your username, social security number, and PIN to create your alias. We have added security on this procedure to ensure only you can request your alias since your alias is printed in the SHSU telephone directory.

(Staff: Your PIN is a six-digit number. We do recommend that you change your PIN to a number that people cannot guess. Use SamWeb to set your new PIN.)

Thanks for Reading

We have yellow, cyan, and magenta toner cartridges available for someone using an HP Color Laserjet. First-come, first-served. Just e-mail us and ask.

We also have a large Dell Color 3100CN printer. Please note that the Dell printer will not be network-capable. It can however be used as a departmental personal printer--- just not as a networked printer. If you have the space, ask for it.

Blackboard

Blackboard faculty, we are holding the Summer I 2004 Blackboard courses open for you until Friday at 5pm. So, if you need to, now is the time to copy your old course information into your new courses! Need help? Use this flash demo to get you started, or contact the Blackboard Team and we will help.

Did you know that Bb now has a Merlot search, course and individual journals, student driven content building for projects? You didn't? Then be sure to sign up for any of our "Bb What's New" courses this month!

Expanding Your Skills

Remember your option to use the online training system of MindLeaders. New computer classes include the web page editing program, Dreamweaver MX 2004 and the graphics program Photoshop CS.

MindLeaders is not solely technological training. You can also improve your management skills by taking courses such as Employee Motivation, Business Communication, or Time Management. (If you don't have the time to take one of these classes, you may definitely need to take the Time Management course.) The Computer Services department will pay your annual subscription fee so you can take those classes. Have your supervisor/chair send an e-mail to Christy Cross requesting your subscription. You can take courses all year long at your convenience 24/7.

What's Good, What's Not

The Helpdesk provides support for university equipment and software on the local area network. Each month's Update will now include the versions of software and minimum requirements for hardware with the new or changed information highlighted and bolded.

• Memory Sticks: Purchase (and encourage your students to buy) flash drives that are USB Mass Storage Compliant.
• Operating Systems: The supported version of Macintosh machines is OS X. The supported version of Microsoft's Operating System is Windows XP.
• Software Packages: The supported versions of Office suites are Microsoft's Office 2003 and WordPerfect Office 2000 for PC's and Microsoft Office 2004 for Macintoshes.
• Hardware Configurations: The minimum requirement for SHSU Local Area Network support for a PC is a 1Ghz processor, with 512mb RAM, and a 40GB disk. The minimum requirement for a Macintosh on the LAN is a 733 mhz processor, with 512mb RAM,and a 40GB disk.

Approved for campus-wide e-mail distribution by Associate Vice President Jim Stevens