The new Mac OS X Leopard gets a try out and Lafayette's network upgrade continues during the 11/2 edition of the ITS Coffee Break podcast. In ITS News, hosts Ken Newquist and Courtney Bentley review what they like and don't like about Mac OS 10.5 and remind folks that there will be planned outages around campus through Nov. 14 as the network upgrade continues. In Tech News, they review the Twitter microblogging platform and check out some innovative ways its being used to spread emergency news and announcements, take a look at the Drupal-powered National Novel Writing Month, and look at a web application that correlates Wikipedia edits to a map of the world. Help News sees a review of text editors for Macs and Windows computers, as well as a rundown of upcoming workshops.

Getting the Podcast

There are several ways to get the podcast:

• Download the MP3 directly
• Subscribe to the Soapbox podcast rss feed using an aggregator (you only need to do this once; subsequent shows should download automatically)
• Subscribe to the Soapbox feed via iTunes

Show Notes

ITS News

• Mac OS X Leopard Demo Install in Skillman Library
  
  • Ken isn't the only one who hates the Leopard UI.
    • Ars Technica: Leopard's new look
    • TurboMilk: Physics still matter, even with special effects
    • MacJournal: Taming the Dock in Leopard
• Upcoming network outages in academic and administrative buildings
  
  • Network outages are ongoing through Wednesday, November 14 as ITS staff replace network equipment in all academic and administrative buildings.
  • View the schedule.

Tech News

• Twitter
  • SMS to Twitter during California Wild Fires.
    • Daily Galaxy: Twitter May Have Saved Lives During CA Wildfire Tragedy
  • The web site: http://www.twitter.com
  • Mac client: Twitterific
  • Windows client: Tweetr
• National Novel Writing Month
  • Write 50,000 words in 30 days. It's underway, and quite a few people in the Lehigh Valley are participating.
  • Powered by Drupal!
  • http://www.nanowrimo.org
• WikipediaVision
  
  • Mapping changes in Wikipedia to Google Maps in real-time.
  • http://www.lkozma.net/wpv/index.html

Help News

• Free Text Editors
  • Mac: TextWrangler (Barebones Software)
  • Windows: Notepad++ (open source)
• Upcoming Workshops
  
  • Web and Video Conferencing: Integrating Teaching with Technology, 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m., Mon., Nov 5
  • Photoshop II: Getting Creative, 10:00 a.m.-Noon, Tue., Nov 6
  • Moodle Quickstart, 3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Thu., Nov 8
  • Register online.

Contacting the Podcast

• Questions, comments and suggestions can be sent to itsblog@lafayette.edu.

On this edition of the ITS Coffee Break, Ken Newquist and guest host Jason Alley talk about the HighEdWebDev conference, discuss innovative ways that schools are using GIS on campus and announce a new brownbag about understanding the Interent. In Tech News they review updates to the popular Quicksilver fast application launcher for Mac OS X and contemplate a CSI-spawned murder in Second Life. In Help News they offer suggestions for getting more out of search in Firefox and streamlining your Del.icio.us bookmarking experience.

Getting the Podcast

There are several ways to get the podcast:

• Download the MP3 directly
• Subscribe to the Soapbox podcast rss feed using an aggregator (you only need to do this once; subsequent shows should download automatically)
• Subscribe to the Soapbox feed via iTunes

Show Notes

ITS News

• HighEdWebDev
  • http://www.highedweb.org/
• NITLE GIS Workshop
• Brown Bag: About the Internet
  • Wednesday, October 31, 2007, Noon-1 p.m., Skillman 003
  • Michael Costello, Lafayette's Network Engineer, will review the history of the Internet, tell how it is put together and functions, and how its Domain Name System helps to speed information around the globe. Come learn how DSL, cable modems, dialup, and ethernets access networks, how the Lafayette network is structured, and how you can use basic troubleshooting tools to improve your own Internet experience. Sponsored by Information Technology Services. Lunch will be provided!
• Upcoming network outages in academic and administrative buildings
  • From Friday, October 19, through Wednesday, November 14, ITS staff will be replacing network equipment in all academic and administrative buildings.
  • Details on the ITS Web site: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/node/423

Tech News

• Quicksilver Updates, Prepares for Leopard
  • Everyone's favor fast-app launcher and swiss-army knife for the Mac gets updated for the new version of OS X.
  • http://lifehacker.com/software/featured-mac-download/quicksilver-updates-prepares-for-leopard-314867.php
• CSI:NY in Second Life
  • Solve a crime in-world.
  • http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2007/10/csiny-in-second.html

Help News

• Firefox Search Engines
  • The big list of Firefox search engines
    • https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:4
  • The Lafayette Google Search Tool:
    • http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/firefoxtools
  • Mahalo, human-powered search engine:
    • http://www.mahalo.com/
• Using the Del.icio.us for Firefox.
• Upcoming Workshops
  • Monday, October 29, 2007: ArcExplorer I
  • Tuesday, October 30, 2007: Photoshop I: Introduction to Photoshop
  • Monday, November 5, 2007: Web and Video Conferencing: Integrating Teaching with Technology
  • Tuesday, November 6, 2007: Photoshop II: Getting Creative
  • Register for a workshop:

Contacting the Podcast

• Questions, comments and suggestions can be sent to itsblog@lafayette.edu.

Lafayette's network upgrade rolls through campus and host Ken Newquist and Courtney Bentley try out the second of three new microphones in this edition of the ITS Coffee Break. In Tech News, they discuss new apps for Apple's iPhone, how to collaborate with Google Docs and Sheets and speculate on Microsoft's plans to offer DRM-free downloads through its Zune Music Store. Finally, in Help News they review ITS' web site update project and take a look at the upcoming Web and Video Conferencing lecture being held in November.

Getting the Podcast

There are several ways to get the podcast:

• Download the MP3 directly
• Subscribe to the Soapbox podcast rss feed using an aggregator (you only need to do this once; subsequent shows should download automatically)
• Subscribe to the Soapbox feed via iTunes

Show Notes

ITS News

• Upcoming network outages in academic and administrative buildings
  • http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/node/423
  • From Friday, October 19, through Wednesday, November 14, ITS staff will be replacing network equipment in all academic and administrative buildings.
• The Microphone Experiment Continues
  • This week: R-09 by Roland

Tech News

• Mac OS X Leopard Release Date Announced: October 26, 2007
  • http://www.apple.com/macosx/
  • Virtual desktop Spaces, Time Machine, QuickLook, desktop stacks are among the additions to the OS.
• Web Apps for iPhone now, Third-party native apps soon
  • http://www.apple.com/webapps/
  • Now you can *really* waste time on your phone. Facebook, "Battlefleet", Digg. Fandango. Typepad. Tip calculators.
• Collaborating with Google Docs
  • http://www.google.com/docs
  • Two laptops, one presentation — so easy a non-geek could do it.
• Microsoft to sell music without DRM
  • http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/02/microsoft-beefs-up-zune-music-and-community-experience
  • Microsoft will sell 1 million songs without DRM; they'll be plain old MP3s. But you won't be able to share them.

Help News

• ITS Web Site Updating
  • We're in the process of reviewing and updating the entire ITS web site. If there's something you think we should add or change, let us know.
• Web and Video Conferencing: Integrating Teaching with Technology
  • 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m., November 5, 2007
  • Location: Gendebien Room, Skillman Library 206
  • Lafayette's video conferencing room and new Web-based video conferencing software provide new opportunities for collaboration. This session will provide an overview of Web and video conferencing and how it can be used to enhance instruction, integrate off-campus experts into class discussion, enhance student services, and provide professional development opportunities to faculty. Coffee and light refreshments provided. Facilitated by Kelvin Bentley, Director of Distance Learning at Northampton Community College

Contacting the Podcast

• Questions, comments and suggestions can be sent to itsblog@lafayette.edu.