by Joni Meadows

On EKU’s campus there are two options on how to connect to the internet with your own personal computer, depending where you’re located. In all the residence halls there are Ethernet ports supplied with fast speed internet, where all you have to do is plug in an Ethernet cord and are immediately connected. But if you live in one of the many residence halls on campus with wireless built in, then you could also get onto the wireless network instead. If you do not live in a residence hall you could still get onto the wireless network and even set it up where whenever your computer finds that signal, you’ll be connected to it automatically. But what if you’re thinking of living off campus next year and having an internet connection is on your list of needs for your new home? Will you get wired or wireless installed?

Having your internet installed for wireless is much easier than having it wired because there are fewer cords to drag across your rooms to reach the Ethernet port. Also for wireless you will more than likely need a laptop with a compatible wireless card built in. Desktops can be wireless compatible, but they would need to be specially built in. For a wired connection you will need an Ethernet cord. Wireless, depending on the battery life, has better mobility options, but there is a problem with walls and kitchen appliances like microwaves interfering with getting a good connection at times. Wired connections are cheaper and have a much faster connection, making it the best choice for those who play online games.

Both wired & wireless connections have their pros and cons. Making the decision on which one best suits your needs is up to you.

by Graham Ricks


Many college students view their computers as an essential part of their lives, and possibly the most important material part of their lives. With a large portion of the average college student’s week spent on a computer, it’s no wonder more and more computer related health issues are beginning to show up. Extended computer usage can cause multiple health problems, but for the most part these problems can be easily remedied by a few simple tricks. Below is a list of some of the most common health issues stemming from computer usage, and some tips on preventing problems and how to alleviate existing symptoms.

1. Eye Disease: One of the most common health concerns is Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS. Symptoms include dry or burning eyes, increase in the time it takes your eyes to focus on objects, blurry vision, and headaches. This can also make your eyes more susceptible to diseases like glaucoma and Macular Degeneration. Prevention is as simple as placing a sticker on your monitor that says “BLINK”; this gives you a reminder that will ensure your eyes do not dry out. Another good tip is every few minutes look at a distant object, allow your eyes to focus on it, and then close your eyes for a few seconds before looking back at the monitor.

2. Cumulative Trauma Injuries (CTD’s): CTD’s are simply injuries or issues that arise from repeated behaviors and actions; the most well known CTD is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Making sure that you use proper typing technique can help with CTD’s. Keeping your wrists straight and using gentle pressure while typing can also greatly reduce problems associated with CTD’s.

3. Structural Problems: Issues relating to your back, shoulders, and neck are often called structural problems. This can include strained muscles, tendinitis, back pain, and over time even muscle degeneration. Setting your monitor just below eye level, keeping your thighs parallel to the floor and maintaining good posture are a few easy ways to prevent structural problems.

Along with these tips remember that the best prevention for these kinds of problems is simply walking away. Every half hour get up and leave your computer for at least 5 minutes. Computers may be one of the most useful tools available to us, but the most important aspect of our lives is our health. If you have to use a computer for extended periods of time, make sure you practice smart computing and stay healthy.

by Graham Ricks

There are many things that begin to happen this time of year. Soon animals will begin to come out of their warm homes from the cold winter. Flowers will begin to sprout and bloom. While nature begins to prepare serenely for the year, humans are trying to keep from ripping our hair out! Why you might ask? Its tax season, that’s why!

With the stress of an improperly prepared tax return landing you a fine or at minimum the hassle of having to redo your taxes, what are college students to do? Since the average college student does not have the money to have their taxes prepared by an accountant or the time to wait in line at H&R Block, many are looking towards e-filing.

The government is trying to make it easier on tax payers by offering online tax filing. With the online filing option you still have to fill out all of the old tax forms, but you are just doing it online. If you need some help with your taxes, look to one of the online tax services for help. There are 3 major online tax services that work well for the average college student: H&R Block TaxCut, TaxAct Online, and TaxSlayer. All three offer State and Federal filing for around $15, and have easy-to-use interfaces. While any of the three work fine for simple tax returns, they each have their bonuses.

H&R Block TaxCut offers “Worry-free Audit Support” which basically means it actively searches out errors in your return and fixes them; they even offer the ability to have a real-life professional check over your return. http://www.hrblock.com/

TaxAct Online offers a much simpler interface and even offers support for your College Student Financial Aid Report (FAFSA). http://www.taxact.com/

TaxSlayer gives users the quickest way to file their tax returns. Their basic version is perfect for a simple return, while their premium version offers a deduction finder and audit support. http://www.taxslayer.com/

When April 15th arrives and you realize you should not have put off your taxes this long, you might just want to check out one of these three online tax services and make sure your taxes make it in on time.

by Graham Ricks

The step our nation has taken to move towards a wireless future has finally spun off a hit: Wi-Fi Theft. Stealing wireless Internet is quickly becoming one of the most committed crimes in the United States, and yes it is a crime… a felony, actually. Accessing a wireless network that is unsecured is called Unauthorized Access to a Computer Network, a 3rd degree felony in most states.

You might say big deal… I don’t steal wireless Internet. That doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods yet though. If you have an unsecured wireless network and someone uses it for malicious purposes you may be held accountable. The FBI Cybercrime Division has stated that a homeowner that does not secure their wireless network is guilty of negligence.

So what are your options?

You could pay someone to secure your home or office network, or try to do it yourself. But why do that when you can just run down to Home Depot and get a can of security that cannot be bypassed?

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a household paint that blocks Wi-Fi signals. The one thing that separates this paint from all others is the addition of aluminum iron oxide, which has been found to resonate at the same frequency as Wi-Fi. This allows the paint to absorb and dissipate any wireless signal, allowing you to set up a physical wall around your wireless instead of depending on wireless security alone.

Currently the paint is not available on the commercial market, but when they release
Wi-Fi paint in colors like Citrus Orange or Avid Avocado I am not sure I will be able to resist.

by Lindsey Brown

More often than not, when my cell phone is out in the open, I always receive comments about it. Things like “That’s a really nice phone” or “That phone is huge.” I am the owner of the Motorola Q, one of the many smartphones on the market. Many of you may own a smartphone, have a friend that owns one, or see them being played with variously throughout campus. Some see them as a cell phone that does too much and some cannot live without them. Various models exist on many networks; some are even exclusives. The most recent releases, and some of you may be owners, are the BlackBerry Bold for AT&T and BlackBerry Storm for Verizon Wireless.

There are several features that distinguish a smartphone from the ordinary cell phone. More often than not, they feature a full keyboard, known as a QWERTY keyboard, tiny processors and around 64MB of RAM, Windows Mobile, Symbian, or BlackBerry’s software, sync ability and software for your PC or Mac, a HTML internet browser, and the capability to receive corporate email, such as email through a Microsoft Exchange server. An extra that many of these phones have is a very simplified version of Microsoft Office, featuring Outlook, Word, Powerpoint and Excel, including the ability to view PDF files. Features like this make it highly productive in 3G areas, which another thing several are not clear on. 3G networks are faster than the now classic EDGE network, which operate as a 2.75G network. 3G networks offer faster browsing speeds, higher bandwidth for viewing videos through the wireless provider or YouTube, and downloading music directly from the wireless provider.

These phones were originally designed with the corporate worker in mind, but as years have passed and text messaging has become the way many of us communicate throughout our day, they leaked into the average consumer market. If you are in the market for a new phone, reviews on the latest BlackBerry, the Moto Q and Samsung’s Epix and BlackjackII are all available at www.cnet.com.

By. Morgan Abney

Just recently the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) started, which displayed to the public this year’s hottest new products and prototypes in consumer technology. If you’re someone who has trouble choosing which TV or cell phone to buy, then the gadgets presented during this expo will be very beneficial. The show included tons of electronics from MP3 players to home theaters to GPS’s. Two of my favorite gadgets displayed at the CES were the Samsung OLED HDTV and the Powermat.

The Samsung OLED HDTV is a 50 inch TV, compared to the Sony 11 inch OLED HDTV for sale right now. Plus, since it uses LED’s the television is extremely thin even compared to LCD’s. The bad news is it is only a prototype.

The Powermat is a charger that allows you place multiple items like a cell phone or MP3 player on a small mat that plugs into the wall, which will charge them without connecting any wires. However, you will have to buy a powermat battery to go along with the device you would like to charge.

CES is a great place to get up to date on new technology or learn about certain products so you can make an informed decision about them before you buy. You can look up many of the products presented at the CES on such sites as www.cnet.com, or www.cesweb.org before you make your next electronic purchase. Also, the CES is only shown once a year, so the next one is in 2010 on January 7-10.

Graham Ricks
Technical Trainer

The web these days has become a powerful tool, and to some a source of addiction. The introduction of the internet essentially provided people with access to nearly any information they could ever want. This “Web 1.0” was a powerful tool, allowing users to speak across oceans; the internet was basically a never-ending library. But with the new millennium came the beginning of a new internet; the new Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 is a term that you will be hearing more and more of. It basically describes the change in direction of the internet. Instead of now using the internet as a resource, the internet is becoming a place to live instead of just visiting. Web 2.0 basically describes the way the internet is now connecting people and ideas, and how people can interact with the internet. The new Web is now considered by many to be an actual computer platform, like Windows Vista/XP or Mac OSX. This is because the internet now plays host to its own online office suites, games and other software. Previously if you wanted to use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint you had to install it on your computer, now all you have to do is visit Zoho.com and you can use the same products entirely online.

Web 2.0 has also been applied to the new look of the internet. Web pages have moved to a more streamlined look with bolder colors, special animations and rounded corners. With the shift to Web 2.0 you will begin to see websites with more central layouts that have a much bolder look. This is also being followed by companies such as Microsoft that have incorporated the Web 2.0 look into their software, as you can see in Word 2007.
Moving from the passive internet of the past the more aggressive Web 2.0, users can expect to be drawn into the internet. You never know, when Web 3.0 comes along the internet may reach through the monitor and pull you in.

by Jen Fife

You may have visions of iPods dancing in your head as the holidays quickly approach. But what about those people on your list who just aren’t hip to all of the gadgets offered by the information age? Take a brief trip through some of America’s best and worst decades as you see gifts for people stuck in any era!

For fans of what the early 20th Century had to offer (don’t forget this was the time of the Roaring Twenties!), great options include:

* Betty Boop alarm clock
* Gone With the Wind Paraphernalia (watch, DVD, or even the book)
* Retro soda vending machine or old time cart popcorn maker
* Anniversary Editions or other favorite DVDs of John Wayne or other early 20th century favorites

For fans of the 40’s:
* Once again, you can’t go wrong with a classic DVD set
* A die cast model of a favorite car from the era

And the 50’s:
* An Elvis album
* Collector’s Edition DVD box set of The Diamond Collection (Marilyn Monroe)
* Retro Milkshake Maker
* Vintage candy dispenser
* Lucy & Ethel Musical Globe

For those on your list with fond memories of their hippie days or other events of the 1960’s:
* Star Trek DVD set (or even a Phaser if it’s their favorite show)
* A Greatest Hits collection of The Beatles
* Auto Lava Lamp (read: for the car)!

And for everyone stuck in the 70’s:
* Rocky Horror Tribute Show DVD
* Music of Sonny & Cher or DVD of The Sonny & Cher Show
* Bobble head of a favorite Star Wars character (not exactly technological, but very amusing)
* Table Top Disco Ball

Finally, the last era anyone is still allowed to be stuck in is the 80’s:
* Leg Lamp from the Movie A Christmas Story
* Darth Vader USB Hub
* Dancing Gizmo Plush Figure
* Name that Tune DVD Board Game

These items will surely convert anyone who is still convinced that technology isn’t a great thing. For more era-specific ideas, visit Betty’s Attic at www.bettysattic.com.

Happy Holidays!

by Ashley Johnson

Are you looking for inventive ways to jazz up your PC this year? Well now you can. Creating your own PC modifications (case mod) is a fun and relatively inexpensive way to dress up your tired PC. You don’t have to know a lot about computers to create a case mod. You can find easy “How To” guides everywhere.

Case mods are often conducted on the lights and fans of the system, however; you can go as far as renovating the majority of the computer’s components including its exterior.

Case mods are not limited to computers. Some extreme console users often enjoy creating mods for their systems. One mod I recently found online was a Clerks mod for a PS3.

Computer enthusiasts in the past have created some of the strangest PC modifications ever. The following is a list of awesome mods I recently located online.

10. The Microwave PC-as strange as it sounds in order to create this machine the internal components of a microwave oven were taken out and replaced with computing equipment.

9. The Wall Crawler-built into a wall cabinet, made for a user that wants to alternate between hard drives on a daily basis.

8. The WMD-weapon of mass destruction was built with the intention of looking like an atomic bomb.

7. R2D2 PC-the PC is for Stars Wars fans who want to do more than just watch the movie. They want to keep a portion of the film with them forever.

6. The Lego MAC-is a PC mod created out of thousands of Lego blocks. This one will really take you back to your childhood.

5. The Cyber Pumpkin-speaks for itself.

4. The Y2K Bug-Its outward appearance takes on the look of a random insect but this mod took several months to build.

3. The Gingerbread House-Just in time for the holiday season. This particular mode looks almost eatable.

2. The Toilet PC-This mod is my favorite. The Toilet PC comes complete with its own biohazard sign and painted on excrement as well as a flusher used as a power switch.

1. Miss Kanna PC-For all of you Manga fans out there this PC is for you. This design was actually created for a magazine in 2004. It’s structure is made out of piping and clay.

(Information taken from http://gadgets.fosfor.se/the-top-10-weirdest-case-mods/)

Other interesting case mods include: Leela Futurama case mode, DOOM 3, and Battlestar Galactica case mods.

Computer Moding equipment can be found at some of the following locations:

www.FrozenCPU.com

www.Xoxide.com

www.ArticMod.com

by Graham Ricks

Now that we have officially moved into the holiday season many people have begun the search for the perfect holiday gift. The only thing harder than finding a gift for the person who has everything is finding some technology for a demanding geek. Here is a list that will hopefully shorten your search for gifts and make your techie happy they know you.

1. Kingston DataTraveler 150 32GB Flash Drive – $46.99 on Newegg.com – This product can be found all over the internet for around $50 but newegg.com also offers free and very fast shipping.
Newegg.com
Search: DataTraveler 150 32GB

2. Canon Powershot A1000 IS 10MP Camera – $142.95 on B&H Photo –
A very popular point and shoot camera by one of the leaders in the digital photography market. This 10 Megapixel image stabilized digital camera comes in a variety of colors and is perfect for your holiday photos.
Bhphotovideo.com
Search: A1000 IS

3. Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS – $149.99 on tigerdirect.com – A 4.3 inch touch screen with turn by turn voice directions for $150? What more can you ask for?
Tigerdirect.com
Search: Nuvi 205W

4. Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Player – $249.99 at CirtcuitCity.com – A speedy Blu-ray player that supports BD-Live, the latest industry Blu-ray standard, and it even comes with free shipping for the holidays.
Circuitcity.com
Search: DMPBD35K

5. The Dark Knight on Blu-ray – Pre-order $23.99 on Amazon.com – The only choice for your first Blu-ray movie to go with your new Panasonic Blu-Ray Player, available with a digital copy for your computer and the latest format Blu-ray disc.
Amazon.com
Search: Dark Knight Blu-ray

With the internet and this list along side, you no longer have to fight long lines and search empty shelves for the perfect tech gift.