Massac Tech Ed

Ever find yourself in need of a graphing calculator? Don't want to pay 100 dollars for a new calculator? Then Microsoft may have a solution for you. This product used to be $20 but now is free. Visit this site for more information: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/alfredth/archive/2011/01/20/microsoft-math-4-0-and-more.aspx Visit this site to download the software: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9caca722-5235-401c-8d3f-9e242b794c3a Enjoy!

For intermediate to advanced users (Windows based PCs). Almost monthly I come across a computer with a fake antivirus program on it. These programs claim that your PC will remain infected until you buy their product. If this ever happens, your computer has most likely been compromised by malware. Some of the common fake antivirus programs are: -Rogue Antivirus -Antimalware Doctor -Super Antispyware Other than making your computer nearly unusable, these programs often try to obtain your personal information, such as credit card numbers. Below I will offer a solution to rid your computer of this unwanted malware. (Please note that this method does not always work.) 1. If you are able to navigate using your web browser, download this file. Rkill and Malwarebytes (ZIP) Alternatively, you may download these files using another computer. I would recommend burning these files to a CD and then placing the CD in the infected computer. 2. Extract these files onto the in...

You can access all of these services by using your Massac E-Mail Account 1. Google Chat Just a reminder that there are a couple of ways to chat via your Massac Account. Check out the following link for more information http://www.google.com/talk/ 2. Picasa (Photo Editing/Storage) Check out the following link for more information http://picasa.google.com/ 3. Google Calendar Use the calendar to keep track of important dates, appointments, or meetings. Create more calendars to post on your webpage/website to keep your students and parents informed about upcoming assignments, class projects, or tests. Check out the following link to get started on your calendar http://calendar.massac.org If you have any questions on these services, please contact: Tom - twalker@massac.org Joel - jthoman@massac.org

I wanted to remind everyone that it is best practice to backup your files. While this is one of those things that we take sometimes take lightly, it is a good idea to have a copy for that worst case scenario. Below are a few ideas on how and where you can backup your important files. *Purchase a flash/external hard drive. -They seem to be getting cheaper by the day and are very simple to use. *Use your Massac Account. (1 GB Free Space) -Go to http://docs.massac.org -Login using your Massac Google Account credentials. -Click the Upload button in the upper left portion of the screen. -Here you will see a spot to add files to upload. -Once you have selected the files you wish to upload, click the Start Upload button. -Your files have now been uploaded to your Massac Account. *Use Dropbox. (2 GB Free Space) -Go to http://www.dropbox.com -Click Download Dropbox button. -Follow the Installation instructions. -It will also prompt you to set up a new account,...

From the Washington Post: Q&A with OpenDNS: We're being blocked, FCC should act on net neutrality By Cecilia Kang As the Federal Communications Commission grapples with the timing of a net neutrality vote and Republican lawmakers demand the agency drop it, companies like OpenDNS fear the issue is getting mired in politics. And that could crush startups like them, says OpenDNS founder David Ulevitch . He says the San Francisco domain name service is already being blocked by Verizon Wireless. He fears other Internet service providers trying to compete with it could do the same. update: A Verizon Wireless spokeswoman said Monday its network engineers "see no issue from our end" and that the service isn't being blocked. Since it launched with a couple million dollars in angel investment four years ago, OpenDNS has attracted 20 million customers – consumers and businesses such as Staples, Century 21 and Fuji Film – who prefer the service’s domain name look-up service...

We have now added a new page listing useful links that have caught our eye. If you have a link that you use, and one you think maybe of use to other teachers, you may email Tom or Joel and we can post your link to this list. You can find this page by going to the Technology Department Site http://tech.massac.org and go to useful links. or directly by clicking on the following link. http://sites.google.com/a/massac.org/massactech/useful-links

Joel and I have updated our Massac Technology Site ( http://tech.massac.org ) with a few neat features. On the home page you will now find a Systems Status feed that will show projects we are currently working on, updates on outages (InformationNOW, SubCaller, etc.), and other various items. You will also see a feed for this blog and one for general tech news. The updated tech site also has links for recommended (and free!) software , as well as documents (website reports, technology plan). Check it out!