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                                                        Archive of Tech Tips 

    Our goal is to have informative and educational advice and tips on technology located here in one spot for you.  Each week we send out a new tech tip.  Those tech tips are then consolidated here in our Tech Tip archive section. 

    We have conveniently divided the Tech Tips into different sections, by clicking on one of these links below, you will find informative articles related to that topic.

    We are always interested in your questions or your tech tips.  If you have a question, suggestion, or a tech tip to share, please contact us at training@unk.edu
    To be able to view the tutorials on our website, you will need to download the latest version of Adobe Reader and Quicktime.  Both applications are free for both the PC and MAC computer.   Download Adobe Acrobat   Download QuickTime 

    Breadcrumb:  Top > General Computer (44)

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    Articles: ( What's This?)
    • Apperson: Start here with Faculty Evaluation

       This tech tip will help you to answer some of your questions regarding the faculty evaluations. 

       

    • Apperson: Instructions to Export DataLink file to Excel

      Instructions for exporting the DataLink file to Excel.

    • Apperson: Combine Scanning Sessions for Test or Faculty Evaluations

      Combining scanning sessions allows you to group tests or faculty evaluations together so that you can review the overall results of a group of student tests or evaluations.
    • Easy YouTube Video downloader

      Easy YouTube Video Downloader is a Firefox plug-in that will allow you to save video files while on the YouTube web site. You could use these videos in Blackboard if they are less than 100 MB.

    • Update your EASI Password on All of Your Electronic Devices

      The authentication to access your UNK email account and UNKSecure wireless is through your EASI password. Your electronic devices such as your smart phone, iPod, iPad, and/ or laptop are constantly sending your EASI password to the server to access your UNK email account and the UNKSecure wireless.

    • QUALY BROWSERCHECK

      Qualys BrowserCheck is a cross-platform and cross-browser service that scans the user's browsers looking for vulnerabilities in the browser itself and its plug-ins. This tool will also help you fix the security issues discovered by the scan.

    • Windows_Personalize Your Desktop Using Background Pictures!

       Add a personal touch to your PC with themes and desktop backgrounds. Windows  makes it fast and easy to make your PC uniquely your own. 

       

    • “SNAP” LOOK AT TWO WINDOWS SIDE BY SIDE

       In the information age, most of us need to collect or compare information from multiple sources, and that often translates to multiple windows on your desktop. Keeping them arranged for maximum visibility and convenience will absolutely save you time, and may even help prevent errors. Snap makes it easy for you to tame all those windows. For instructions, watch this video.

       

    • Twenty Five Worst Passwords

       Everyone knows it’s important to create strong, secure passwords. Choosing “password” as your online password is not a good idea. In fact, unless you’re hoping to be an easy target for hackers, it’s the worst password you can possibly choose. 

       

    • All I need to know about Java software on my computer!

      If you ever had any of the following questions, you must read this tech tip.  
      What is Java technology? 
      Why do I need Java?  
      Is Java free to download? 
      Why should I upgrade to the latest version?
      Do I need Java to use Blackboard? 

    • Add keyboard languages to Mac

      The Mac operating system allows users to enter text in different languages. Users can switch from the default language enabled on the Mac computer to another language and then type in the new language. If users require any assistance with the new language keyboard configuration, they can launch the "Keyboard Viewer" tool to highlight the position of various selected language characters and the corresponding keys on the keyboard. 

    • Add keyboard languages to Vista, and Windows 7

       Do you regularly need to type in multiple languages in Windows?  Here is an easy way to add and change input languages to your keyboard in Vista, and Windows 7. 

       Windows Vista and 7 come preinstalled with support for viewing a wide variety of languages, so adding an input language is fairly simply.  Please note that this is only for adding an input language, which will allow you to type in the language you select.  This does not change your user interface language. 

    • Privacy Matters in Firefox Series/Clear Browsing History

      As you browse the web, Firefox helpfully remembers lots of information for you – sites you've visited, files you've downloaded and more. All of this information is called your history. However, if you are using a public computer or share a computer with someone, you may not want others to be able to see these kinds of information. Thus, you need to clear your browsing history.

       

    • Privacy Matters in Firefox Series Private Browsing -- PC
      This feature does exactly what it says. Turn it on to keep your browser history private from others who use the same computer.
    • Privacy Matters in Firefox Series/Private Browsing -- Mac
      This feature does exactly what it says. Turn it on to keep your browser history private from others who use the same computer. 
    • Privacy Matters in Firefox Series Update Your Browser _ Windows Users

       Firefox is constantly evolving to find ways to make Firefox better at adjusting to the latest security threats. Keeping your Firefox up-to-date is the best way to make sure that you are using the smartest, fastest and – most importantly – safest version of Firefox available. 
      A Firefox software update is a quick download of small amounts of new code to your existing Firefox browser. These small patches can contain security fixes or other little changes to the browser to ensure that you are using the best version of Firefox available. 

    • Privacy Matters in Firefox Series Update Your Browser _Mac Users

       Firefox is constantly evolving to find ways to make Firefox better at adjusting to the latest security threats. Keeping your Firefox up-to-date is the best way to make sure that you are using the smartest, fastest and – most importantly – safest version of Firefox available. 
      A Firefox software update is a quick download of small amounts of new code to your existing Firefox browser. These small patches can contain security fixes or other little changes to the browser to ensure that you are using the best version of Firefox available. 

    • Privacy Matters in Firefox / Do Not Track

      Privacy is a pretty big deal at Mozilla. It's a huge part of their mission to keep you safe online and fully in control of your Web.  The Web is pretty happy place.  However, unfortunately, there are also some individuals out there who don't play nice with people's private information.   This is why in the next few weeks, each Friday, in my tech tips, I will write guidelines to help you surf the net securely when you use Firefox. 

    • Beneath the Surface of Wikipedia

      Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia was launched in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and has become the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet.

      Have you ever wonder about Wikipedia? Or how does information get into Wikipedia? Who creates it? The following short video introduces viewers to what goes on behind-the-scenes of Wikipedia so they can make the best use of what's on the surface.   

    • Adobe Captivate 5

       Rapidly create, smoothly deliver, and easily maintain rich eLearning content by using Adobe Captivate 5 from eLearning suite.  

    • Malicious Software Features Osama bin Laden Links to Ensnare Unsuspecting Computer Users

      The FBI National Press Office released the following on May 3. 
      The FBI today warns computer users to exercise caution when they receive e-mails that purport to show photos or videos of Osama bin Laden’s recent death. This content could be a virus that could damage your computer. 

    • The Case of the Missing Recycle Bin on Your PC

      There are different reasons that you might miss your Recycle Bin on your Windows Desktop.  Some new Windows computers may come with the Recycle Bin disabled, it may get deleted accidentally, and/or sometimes a third party program or weird Windows glitch deletes the Recycle Bin.   

      If this happens to you, note that the Recycle Bin is just hidden; and the contents are not lost or permanently deleted.   You may not even notice the missing Recycle Bin until you want to recover a deleted file.

      Good News! 
      It is easy to recover a disappeared Recycle Bin.  To learn how to recover the disappeared Recycle Bin , click  the above link. 

    • Firefly, SAP, Firefox, and Internet Explorer

       If you are using Firefox to access Firefly and SAP, do not upgrade to Firefox 4.  Currently, Firefox 4 is not compatible with firefly and SAP. 

      The Internet Explorer 8 is the officially supported version for Firefly.    

         

    • Poll Everywhere

       Know what your students are thinking and learning right now. Bring interactive social assessment to every classroom by Poll Everywhere for free.  

    • The Mystery of the Missing Downloads

       Have you downloaded files yet been unable to find them afterward?
      Have you asked yourself, “Where did my downloaded files go? Why can't I find them?”
      If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions then, this tech tip is for you.

       

    • Wikis & Blackboard

      Wikis allow students to work together to build knowledge bases, synthesize research, write papers, and present projects. 

      The good news is that you can use Wiki in Blackboard as a collaborative tool that allows students to contribute and modify one or more pages of course related materials.  Blackboard allows your students to create and edit pages while it tracks all changes made by each student for effective collaboration between multiple editors.  

       
    • What is a Wiki

       Different people have different ideas about what a wiki really is, but whatever angle you look at it, Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to collaborate in forming the content of a Web site.

    • Pin a Program to Windows 7 Taskbar

      Keep the files and folders you need within easy reach in your taskbar.  Windows 7 can pin your frequently used programs directly to the taskbar for easy access.   

    • Do Not Become a Phishing Victim

      Phishing is pronounced like fishing. Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by impersonating as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

      What to do if you’re not sure if an email is official? 

      1. Never follow links in an email.

      2. Never send any personal information through email.

      3. Contact the company directly if you are concerned.

      4. Report the phishing scam.

    • RocketDock

      A clean clutter free desktop is essential to your productivity.  When your desktop is untidy it can be difficult to find the programs and files that you need to use.  

      RocketDock is an animated application launcher.  RocketDock allows you quick, convenient access to your favorite programs and most commonly used folders.  Setting it up is quick and easy and results in a really impressive navigation bar that you can position anywhere on your PC screen and customize it. 

    • The New Facebook Profile

      Over the weekend, Facebook unveiled their new profile page of its 500 million-plus users to make it more of a reflection of the users’ real lives and emphasized one of the site's most popular features, photos.

      Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes these changes are meant to make it easier for users to tell their story.    

    • Create astonishing presentations live and on the web with Prezi

      Prezi is a web-based presentation tool using a map layout and zooming to show contextual relationships which addresses some of the shortcomings of Microsoft PowerPoint.

       
    • Simplify links to your website

      Small URL’s are much easier for users to key into their browser when the URL is printed on a postcard or even when posting a URL to an email, blog, forum or wherever you might want to use your link.   Check out these free websites.....

    • Setup Default Programs

      In this tutorial, you will learn how easy it is to setup your default programs on your PC.  For example, you can set up your default email program, web browser, and video player.  You will need Adobe Reader 9 to view this video.  Go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/ to download the free Adobe Reader.

    • Firefly: Deleting a Leave Request

      UNK Staff: Have you ever posted a leave request (i.e. sick leave, vacation leave, funeral leave) and then a change occurred in your life and you needed to delete the leave request? This tech tip will show you how to delete a request in Firefly.

    • Convert PDF documents to Word - FREE

      Have you ever needed to edit a PDF document?  If so you’ve probably come to the realization that it isn’t all that easy.  It also isn’t free.  Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro retails for $449 on Adobe’s website.  This program allows you to make simple edits, or export to Microsoft Word format for more extensive work.  That gets the job done, but it certainly isn’t free.  That’s why I’m going to show you a website that coverts those PDF files for free.  Oh, and did I mention it’s literally as easy as 123?

    • Locate your cursor in Windows

      If you are like me, your desktop is so busy or filled with icons that sometimes it is hard to see the location of your cursor. Here is a solution if you are using Windows XP or Vista......

       

    • OpenWith.org

      Has someone ever given you a file with a strange file extension and you have no idea what program will open it?   Try OpenWith.org.  . . . . .

    • Computer Recommendations

      Hardware, software, security and other recommendations.

    • Zoom in and ZIP your files with OSX

      If you're needing a bigger view of something in OS X but don't want to change the font or screen resolution,  just use the built in zoom function. Just hold down the [CTRL] key and scroll up or down with the mouse scroll wheel. Scroll up to zoom in and scroll down to zoom out. To move the screen around while zoomed simply move the mouse cursor in the direction you wish to view.

    • Energy Conservation Tips

      Computers require electricity, and there's no way to get around that . However, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of energy and other resources your computer (and associated equipment) uses. First, lets look at some other common-sense energy conservation tips: Save Electricity The

    • Keyboard Shortcuts

      Almost everyone is familiar with Cut, Copy and Paste, but way too many use the slowest method for executing these valuable tools. The toolbar icons and the edit menu provide the best-known, most frequently used methods, but there are faster ways to do this: 1.  Select the text or object you wish to Cut or

    • DELL and MAC Battery Recall

      How do I check to see if my laptop is affected by the August 2006 battery recall? DELL laptops Dell has identified a potential issue associated with certain batteries sold with Dell Latitude™, Inspiron™, XPS™ and Dell Precision Mobile Workstation™ notebook computers.  In cooperation

    • Cleaning your LCD or laptop screen

      How do I clean my LCD or laptop screen? To clean your LCD or laptop screen, use a solution of: 60% water 40% rubbing alcohol Use a soft clean cloth to wipe your screen clean.  DO NOT use a paper towel or any product that might have wood fibers in it. 2006 Tech Tip Archive | ThinkTechnology