December 10, 2006
Errors When Connecting over RDC
This is a follow-up post to "How to connect to Southbank using RDC". Some staff and students have on occasion been unable to remotely connect to our services and are shown "The remote computer disconnected the session because of an error in licensing protocol.". This link to Microsoft Support details how you can resolve the issue and connect to Southbank's Terminal Services again.
This method involves modifying the registry on your Windows computer, which is not something you should do without knowledge of how the Registry works, nor without the permission of the owner of the computer. Southbank accepts no responsibility for modifications that you make to your personal computer systems.
November 24, 2006
iPod 101
Apple has just published “iPod 101: Master Your Music & More”, a bevy of support documents for those of you who would like to know more about all the functionality behind the world's most popular portable media player, or those who are most likely to be called upon for iPod support by family members this holiday season.
November 22, 2006
Using Mac Speech Recognition
Adam Pash at Lifehacker has posted a great tutorial on scripting actions and tying it all in to Speakable Items in Mac OS X. Check out the embedded video after the jump to see how he uses voice commands to navigate Photoshop and Firefox.
September 27, 2005
How to connect to Southbank using RDC
Any student with a copy of Windows 2000 or XP (and a relatively speedy internet connection) can connect to the school network from outside using a program called 'Remote Desktop Connection' or 'RDC'.
This program is included with Windows XP - just go to Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection. Once you're there, the address is 'terminal.southbank.net'.
By default, RDC is set up with some pretty crummy options - low screen resolution, 16-bit colour, yuck. You can set some of the more advanced options from the RDC program at your leisure.
Once you're in to terminal.southbank.net, you can use your Terminal Services account to access your school files and work on the school network from anywhere else in the world!
Windows 2000 and lower will have to download the program seperately from here. Macintosh users can do the same thing too - download a Mac version of RDC from here.
September 9, 2005
BBC Creative Archive Online
"The BBC has opened its Creative Archive to the public, allowing users to be VJs and remix BBC content (Audio & Video). The BBC's "current music" radio station, Radio 1, is running a competition in conjunction with the release. Unfortunately, the license the content is released under requires that you are a UK resident to use it."
The Creative Archive website is here: http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk/
December 16, 2004
IT For the Holidays
New Computers
Any of you who might be getting new PCs, its worth noting a couple of things (most of this applies to others with PCs at home too):
- Run Windows Update! Chances are that Microsoft have released some sort of security patch for their operating system in-between the time it took for your machine to ship or bring home from the shop. Go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com to see what updates you need to install.
- Most new computers come with a trial version of some anti-virus software, the most popular being Norton (http://www.symantec.com), McAfee (http://www.mcafee.com/uk/) and AVG AntiVirus (http://www.grisoft.com).
The most important thing you can do is purchase the full version of this software (Norton runs around 40) and make sure that you update it. New viruses come out all the time, and these programs need to be updated on a regular basis to keep your system clear of any infections. This process is relatively painless and (most likely) well documented in your user manual. You should make sure that you at least run a full system scan after the program is updated, and check at least once a week for new virus updates.
For those of you at home with Windows PCs who dont have virus protection installed on your system theres still time to put it on your Christmas list.
- Other nasties that might get onto your computer include spyware and adware. These are programs that you may inadvertently download whilst surfing the internet that can monitor your surfing habits (amongst other things). However, there are programs to combat this. I recommend you download Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3 (http://spybot.safer-networking.de/en/index.html) and Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition (http://www.lavasoft.de) to check for spyware on your computer. Both programs have free versions and will also require that you update their definitions so that you can get rid of the latest threats. You should also run this program at least once a week.
Online Scams
Holiday time is a great opportunity for people out there who want to make your life difficult. Be vigilant you may get emails requesting you to confirm this password or that bank account detail most companies that deal with your personal information will never ask you for these sorts of details over the phone and are most certainly likely to not do it over email. When in doubt, call your bank manager, or look up the company to confirm it. For a list of some of the most popular scams out there, check out ScamBusters (http://scambusters.com/)
Free Phone Calls Over the Internet
Also of interest to those of you who have friends and family overseas is a free program called Skype. Skype is a program that lets you place phone calls over the internet to other people who are running Skype, although a broadband connection to the internet is ideal for this sort of thing. PC users will require a microphone to do this, but most laptop and Mac users will be able to use their built-in microphones to place calls.
Even if your Aunt Betsy in Newfoundland doesnt have a computer, you can still use Skype to Skype Out and place calls to normal phones at a very reasonable international calling charge. Those of you who have ever done Voice-over-IP before will notice that the technology has since come a long way and the quality is pretty fantastic. Check out http://www.skype.com for more details.
Dont Forget the Apple Store
The Apple Store is still running training seminars at Regent Street for those of you with some spare time whod like to get to know a bit more about iPhoto, iTunes and other programs. Check out http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/regentstreet/ for more details.
Disclaimer
The IT department accepts no responsibility for what you do on your machines at home. Always make sure you backup your important data regularly and before you do system maintenance. Operate your computer responsibly. Remember, good computing practices are for life, not just for Christmas. Offer void in Utah.
November 30, 2004
Buy this book. NOW.
If I could give everyone this book for Christmas I would: The Google Pocket Guide from O'Reilly has everything a student, teacher, or casual surfer needs to get the most out of the world's most powerful search engine. It's pretty cheap, and an ideal stocking stuffer (although if you're looking to fill tree space, or indeed a larger stocking, try its bigger brother).
November 29, 2004
Quick CSS Exercise
As we return to basic web design with the Middle School, we're turning the focus away from what most WYSIWYG editors do for us - ie: most of the work. We need to look at a seperation of presentation and content and the majority of this can be achieved through Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
Click here to download today's exercise.
November 26, 2004
Copyright Curriculum
Copyright Curriculum is an open wiki effort to develop accurate and useful materials for teachers that want to educate students about copyright, fair use, and technology law issues.
Technology!