by Graham Ricks

With the creation of the World Wide Web and internet businesses, we have seen a dramatic move toward more portable business solutions. Nearly everything that can be accomplished in an office can now be done anywhere one pleases. Our society and business practices have moved toward being more globally accessible, and our technological demands prove it.

When cell phones first came out, they were barely portable, much less able to slide into a hip pocket. Computers used to consume entire buildings and now computers thousands of times more powerful than those sit in the dash of our cars. Technology consumers constantly want things smaller and still better. One of the latest crazes to respond to that wanting is the development of Micro-Laptops.

Two micro-laptops currently on the market have price tags of less than $500, The Everex Cloudbook ($399) and the Asus Eee PC ($350). These miniature versions of standard laptops are no larger than a DVD case. They have very compact keyboards, and sub-10 inch screens. While the small stature helps improve out of office productivity, the small size can also limit capabilities. Both of these laptops come with a variety of configurations, including wireless capability, different size hard drives, and multiple memory options, but one has to keep in mind that you cannot fit every feature of a power laptop or a desktop into these computers.

These micro-laptops are not intended to be a replacement for your standard laptop, so they shouldn’t be compared to it. If you are looking for a laptop to use for your main computer you should look elsewhere, but if you want a smaller laptop that will allow you mobility without being bulky then a micro-laptop might be a good choice.

Safe and Happy Computing!

by Jen Fife

Every 12 seconds a laptop is stolen. This may not seem urgent to the average college student, but 45% of reported cases of identity theft are in some way connected with or caused by stolen laptops. Even more disturbing is the fact that the 18-29 year old age group accounts for 29% of identity theft cases. College campuses are prime targets for such theft because many students make their information easily accessible. Students, if you don’t believe this, answer this question: Is your birthday listed on your Facebook page?

If identity theft seems so inevitable, how can students possibly protect themselves? The short answer is, by exercising common sense and caution. More specifically, by following these tips:

**This one should go without saying, but NEVER give out your social security number over the phone.

**ALWAYS lock the door to your room or apartment when you aren’t home. An unlocked door is an open invitation for a thief to come in and help themselves to anything, including laptops, bank statements, and other identifying information.

**Computers should be password protected, and passwords should be changed every few months. Passwords should not be easily guessed, and should be at least 8 characters long. For more tips on creating strong passwords, refer to: http://support.resnet.eku.edu/password.php/

**Digitally shred all personal information. There are sites with free shredding software on the internet, or you may choose to purchase such software.

**Exercise caution when using Facebook, Myspace, and other social networking sites. Profiles exist as a means for students to market themselves to potential friends, dates, and/or employers, but these people aren’t the only ones who can see a public profile. Many over-the-phone agencies require only a person’s full date of birth as confirmation of identity, so students should avoid listing this information on the internet.

**NEVER give out personal information in response to an email request. Any reputable organization will NEVER ask for this information. Providing passwords via email gives anyone who may intercept that email access to your private data.

**Finally, always log out of your email inbox, EKU Direct, facebook, etc. and close your browser to avoid providing sensitive information to others.

While anyone can be a victim of identity theft, college campuses are prime targets. Follow the tips above and be cautious of anything that seems suspicious. If any person or organization asks for information you don’t feel comfortable sharing, trust yourself and don’t share!

http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Pla ... Statistics

http://ezinearticles.com/?Identity-Thef ... ;id=559297

by Pattie Taylor

Incorporating technology is a term many teachers are quiet familiar with. In the education world this means to equip each lesson with technology to enhance the atmosphere of the learning environment in hopes of reviving or renewing the spirit of learning. But when our daily lives are so consumed with technology does this in fact have an impact on the way we perceive new information? Would we as student be able to learn less, or think less of a teacher if in fact they did not incorporate some form of technology?

But where does one draw the line of how to incorporate technology into learning new facts? Even politicians are trying to incorporate technology into their campaigns by sending text messages to announce the candidate’s choice for vice president! Should this be seen as unprofessional? Or a step forward into a new professional ways of communication?

By Jen Fife

Email has provided a 24/7 pipeline between professors and students, which is both good and bad, depending on whom one asks. Everyone is familiar with the concept of internet etiquette, or netiquette. But how aware are most students regarding the dos and don’ts of email correspondence with professors? It is important to remember that both parties are equally busy, and email access is a privilege, not a right, provided by most universities. Don’t worry, though! Below are some basic rules to keep you safe in the email arena.

*Do include an appropriate opening and closing. If an instructor’s formal title is “Dr.” then always address them as such unless they give you permission to do otherwise. If your instructor holds a degree above the Bachelor’s, such as M.A., M.S., M.F.A., etc., address them as “Professor.” Any other type of instructor can usually be addressed as either Professor or Mr./Ms., but check with that individual for their preference.

*Do include a relevant subject line. This should contain your course and section number, and a basic description of the email. This may look as follows: BIO 100 Homework inquiry. Including the course and section number makes it easier for the professor to identify you, therefore better able to help you.

*Do avoid spelling and grammar mistakes. An abundance of such mistakes makes your message harder to read and understand. Spell check is nice, but it won’t catch every mistake. Always proofread your emails before you hit ‘send.’ A good rule of thumb is to read it out loud: If it doesn’t make sense to you, it won’t make sense to someone else. If you have a particularly hard time with this, you may even have a friend proofread the email for you.

*Do be concise. Reading email involves staring at a computer screen, which is hard to do for extended periods of time. Tone is difficult to convey in writing because you don’t have access to facial expressions or body language, so be conversational and polite, but get to your point quickly.

*Don’t type in all capital letters. Not only is this grammatically incorrect, it can be viewed as shouting.

*Don’t forward chain letters to a professor (or anyone else). These are annoying and they are typically hackers trying to gain access to your personal information. No one, especially professors, has the time for this, so just don’t do it.

Follow these simple rules and you will be safe in any email environment. Remember, 24/7 access to email doesn’t mean professors sit by a computer and wait to hear from you all day. Don’t abuse your email privilege, but use it wisely and it will be a very effective academic tool.

by Graham Ricks
Technical Trainer, IT ResNet

Open Source software is a new term to many people, but nearly everyone has encountered a product of the Open Source Initiative (OSI).

If you have spent any time at all surfing the internet you have used open source software. Most websites are running on Linux servers, which is open source. Another example, Google’s new web browser, Google Chrome, is the latest main stream open source project. Do you remember the good old days of the Super NES? With an open source emulator called ZSNES you can play SNES games on your computer. Mozilla, the creator of the popular web browser Firefox, even has software that falls under the OSI.
This is all good and fine, but what exactly is the OSI?

The OSI (http://www.opensource.org/) is a corporation that maintains and authorizes software under the [Open Source License]. There is a set of guidelines that a software developer must follow in order to be granted an Open Source License. These guidelines include things like: The developer must not restrict the free distribution of the software, and the source code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code) must be available to users. This gives users the chance to modify a program for themselves, which could mean changing the design and layout, or even coding additional features into the program.

How does this benefit you? The biggest benefit to you is that all open source software is FREE! Open Source software also means that anyone, from a large corporation to an individual, can write a piece of software and through online Open Source Project websites, like Sourceforge.net, programmers can submit projects and get the help of other programmers around the world to complete them. This allows many people to collaborate on software, making it possible for a programmer with limited knowledge to get the help of experienced programmers to create a powerful program that would not have been possible to create alone. This allows many more programs to be written, which allows you to have access to more programs which can provide entertainment or improve productivity.

Now I know you’re saying, “I think that the OSI is a great thing. How can I help?”
The easiest way to make sure that the OSI keeps going strong is to contribute in whatever way you can. Get online and help out a project. You can write some code for the software, or even help test the software. The biggest help to programmers is people to help them find the bugs in the software. If you don’t want to do either of those, check out the website for the program. Many times they may have a link that, while the software doesn’t cost anything, allows you to donate a few dollars to help them continue their project; every dollar helps.

The next time you access a website hosted on a Linux server, or download a plug-in for Firefox, thank a programmer and thank the OSI.

Safe and Happy Computing!

By Jen Fife

You’ve no doubt heard the countless arguments that text speak, also known as leet speak, is ruining the English Language. It certainly abhors any educator to stumble across ‘LOL’ in an academic paper, but what, exactly, is leet speak, and why is there so much hype concerning its use?

Leet speak is a form of internet shorthand that substitutes letters with numbers or symbols. For example, “leet speak” would translate to “L337 Sp34k.” This new internet language is popular in instant messaging and text messaging conversations, along with abbreviations such as “lol,” “rofl,” and “omg.” Various translators are available online to convert text from its original version to leet speak, such as the one at http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/l/leetspea.htm .

The urgency surrounding the issue stems from the concerns of parents and teachers that frequent use of leet speak will impair students’ ability to use proper spelling and grammar. It is a hard enough task to teach students formal writing without the additional barrier of internet slang. Some teachers have begun to deduct points from students’ assignments for use of leet, but despite such reprimand students still use leet. This could be due to the fact that many students say they don’t realize what they are doing because they write just as much online as they do for school assignments.

While some teachers have taken the route of deducting points from assignments, others are more severe. Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has posted a list of banned words. The list includes words that are misused, overused, or ridiculous. The 2008 list can be found at http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php.

The effects of leet speak on students’ abilities remains to be seen. Although studies have been conducted, it will take many years to gauge the true impact of this technological phenomenon on the academic world.

By Scott Roberts

Case Moding has become very popular among the LAN Party faithful. Clear sides with an array of cord decorating options and lights galore are often favorites for any Moder. However, when you have your case as pimp as you can financially handle, do not forget the components!

One component in particular is the Optimus Maximus. The Optimus Maximus is a keyboard with screens in each of the keys. Already some of you are salivating with the possibilities that already flutter into your mind. According to the website this keyboard will fulfill all of your keyboarding fantasies.

Currently only supporting Win XP or higher and OS 10.4.8 or higher this keyboard comes with the software you need to program any key to display any image and do a whole host of functions. It stores your layouts on an SD Card (32 MB but you can replace it with whatever size your budget allows). What all languages does it support? It will support any language your software happens to support. It also has brightness control so it is brighter during the day than at night.

Downsides are few, but notable. The cost, its biggest downside, is $462.30; which is not cheap. The next potential downside, minor downside in my opinion, is it has a separate power supply; it just cannot be powered through USB 2.0. Finally the last downside I see is that it is not currently being developed for Linux and there are not any plans yet; it will work on Linux but to my knowledge as only a standard keyboard. What other downfalls does it have? I do not know, our office does not have the finances to provide me with this toy and I am not ready to invest yet.

For more information or to purchase go to:
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Review by John Wolsky

A few weeks back, Sony released a demo for their game called “Patapon” on the PSP. On a whim, I decided to try the strange sounding little game, and I’ll tell you that I sure was surprised by what I picked up. In concept, Patapon is a rhythm based game. You control a small horde of minions with a war drum. Yes, you are a drummer and all you do is drum to a beat and your army moves. Reading this, you may think about how incredibly boring this is. Like I said, in concept Patapon sounds like a terrible game. In actuality, it is probably the most incredibly addictive game I’ve played in years. After playing it consistently for a few weeks now, I can tell you that it is probably the best game in my PSP collection. The actual story mode of the game probably only take about 5-10 hours to beat, but the replayability of the missions and your desire to further enhance your army will keep you playing for much longer. Aside from the simple missions and challenges you face, the game also includes 5 distinct mini-games to unlock and master. If you’re looking for a great game to pick up and play, Patapon is a great addition to any PSP owner’s library, and at half the price of a normal PSP game it is well worth the purchase.

By Chris Adams

Ever wanted to create fantastic digital imagery with amazing effects and lighting? It’s a lot easier than you think. With a box of Photoshop, a few extra layers, some filters, new brushes, and a splash of creative vision you’ll have almost everything you need to start pumping out dazzling images that will fascinate everyone.

A great place to start is with a good, in-depth tutorial that will take you step-by-step through the process. While fore-knowledge of the program (Adobe Photoshop) will speed things up it isn’t a requirement. I recommend Psdtuts.com. It’s a great place for professionals and amateurs alike to explore new ideas about image effects and learn how to achieve them with their own work. These tutorials are extra helpful since pictures accompany the textual explanation. As a test and quick demonstration I chose to attempt Dynamic Lighting in the Photo Effects section. This tutorial goes through the process of adding dynamic lighting to a flat photograph.

I’ll skim the surface of the process since you can read it in full from the link above. Basically you have your stock photos with a little directional light added to emphasize the sun and cast light on the subject. Next add a few layers that are at different modes (i.e., overlay, screen, color burn). These additional layers provide the contrast and saturation for a believable environment. After some selecting of particular areas, a little Gaussian blur, for blending, and some sharpening you’re ready to combine the photos together. The last step is to Color Burn the shadowed areas and Color Dodge the light areas. This creates the high-dynamic range effect (Dark darks and bright brights.) we are trying to achieve.

That’s pretty much all the tools and skills you’ll need to start creating some cool images with amazing effects and lighting. Psdtuts.com also has many tips and tricks available that will help even the most experienced Photoshop guru.

by Anthony Pinson

You know, there is a very big difference between using a technology and actually understanding it. The idea of knowing exactly how it works is known as technological literacy, and actually, most people in the U.S. are rather illiterate when it comes to technology.

So you’ve got your cell phones, televisions, cars, laptops, and so on, and you know how to make each of them function precisely how you want them to. This is a good thing about technology: it doesn’t take studying or research to discover how to use it. But overall, it is a good thing to know how these things work. In studies performed to look into this issue, it was found that 60% of students and adults thought that science, technology, and engineering were the same thing, when in reality they are different, but interrelated. Also, 87% thought that the definition of technology was simply “computers and the internet,” while the other 33% thought it meant “changing the world for human need.”

The actual definition of technology states that it is: “the creation of physical tools or artifacts that are used to help satisfy human needs and wants.” So while most people don’t seem to know a world of information on how things work, it also seems that many would like to. When polled, 97% of students want technology to be taught to them in school. In many cases however, they don’t get the opportunity. At this point, it would appear that we are simply uninformed. But with the growing complexity of things, it is quite a daunting task to sit and learn exactly how something functions. After all, the average person just wants to use their cell phone, not know how it actually does its job.

With technological literacy, there is a paradox; while the U.S. is adopting new technology at a very quick pace, less and less people understand it. For some reason, technological literacy is promoted in other countries, but is still a small priority in the U.S. Maybe we should just research the technology ourselves?