myIT Tip of the Week

Classroom Support

Faculty and Staff, 

Are you having issues playing videos in your classroom? Is your audio always a hit or miss when it comes time to teach? Here are some troubleshooting steps that we recommend here at IT: 

1) Are you using the SMART login? Logging in with SMART will resolve audio issues on classroom computers/SMART boards almost all of the time. The SMART login is highly recommended, as this user profile contains the necessary settings for our classroom technology. IT has no other way of making sure each user has the corrected settings chosen on their account. If you forget the login, or are unsure, you can call the help desk at 620-341-5555.  

2) Have you tried restarting the machine? Restarting the computer is another common solution to audio issues in the classroom.  

3) Protect your data while using the SMART login. Since our classrooms are best equipped to use the SMART login for everyone, this means that we should not be signing into any apps directly on the SMART desktop, or any browsers on this account as well.  

4) When navigating to sites on browsers, try using an “Incognito Window”, so that none of your history or data is kept on the SMART login. You can see our blog post about private browsers if you are needing help with this. When you are trying to access your files from OneDrive on a SMART classroom, using a private window will be important, so that nobody else can access your OneDrive or SharePoint files. Please remember not to sync your OneDrive to the computer while logged in as SMART. Only use the web version of OneDrive on the SMART login while using a private browser.  

Be sure to check back next week and we will have some SMART podium tips from our classroom techs. 

myIT Tip of the Week

Keeping Your Computer Healthy!

With all the hustle and bustle of the semester, the last thing anyone wants is technology issues, so here are a few ideas to keep your computer running smoothly! 

        1) One tip for any laptop, computer, or cell phone is too avoid malware. This sounds super scary, but it’s fairly simple: don’t click on things you don’t recognize. One of the most common causes of malware is people clicking on emails that contain viruses, I promise the King of Nigeria doesn’t need your financial support. If and when you com across any of these emails, don’t open them, just delete them!

      2) Do not download super heavy, unnecessary programs. A lot of gaming software, or editing equipment puts a lot of stress on your machines, so if you come across programs that you no longer use, go  ahead and uninstall them. 

      3) Keep your machine physically clean! Eating around your machine, or letting drinks spill near your computer is dangerous and can cause a lot of internal problems including actual hard drive failure. Not to mention, sticky keys and smudgy screens are never fun when writing a paper. 

If you notice your computer having issues, don’t hesitate to bring it into the Help Desk in Cremer 149 or give us a call to have us run a check and make sure all is running well! 

New 2019 Apple Devices!

On September 10, the WDS team attended the Apple special event virtually. During which, Apple unveiled a new iPad, three new iPhones, and a new Series 5 Apple Watch. Here's all that you need to know, before deciding!

iPhone 11 

Starts at $699

Six Colors

Two Cameras (New Ultra Wide Camera)

A13 Bionic Processor (Faster and more Battery Efficient)

Faster Unlocking with FaceID

iPhone 11 Pro

Starts at $999

Four Colors

Three Cameras (New Ultra Wide Camera)

Super Retina XDR Screen (It means it's really really good!)

A13 Bionic Processor (Faster and more Battery Efficient)

4-5 hours longer battery life

Faster Unlocking with FaceID

You can even get a bigger screen size with the iPhone 11 Pro Max

Apple Watch Series 5

Starts at $399

Always On Display

New S5 Processor

ECG monitor

Built-in Compass

New Case Materials (Titanium, Ceramic, Expensive...)

On Cellular models you can now make emergency calls internationally

iPad

Starts at $329 (education discount bring it to $299)

10.2 Retina Screen

A10X Processor

iPad OS Support

Smart Keyboard Support

Apple Pencil 1 Support

If you decide to keep your current devices, check out how iOS 13 and Watch OS 6  can breathe new life into your devices!

For Emporia State University

Students, faculty and staff looking for personal/at-home devices can get discounts for the devices from Apple. For faculty/staff looking to purchase one of these devices, please contact the IT Help Desk for more information.  Our IT purchasing catalog, IT Advisor, will be updated with our recommended models in each category shortly.



Saandhyarag Sasidhar
Student Operations Manager
Web and Digital Strategies

myIT Tip of the Week

SkyPrint Credit: Information on Adding More

SkyPrint allows you to access and upload supported documents from any device, anywhere. If you send the document to your account or to a release station you can receive it. Now, for the credits ESU does load your account with up to $8 at the beginning of each semester. Then towards the end of the semester, right before dead week, the school reloads your account back to $8. Which is awesome! You can also upload credit yourself or come by the Help Desk and we can help you. To make sure you are accessing the correct link for SkyPrint go to Hornet365.com, and choose the Students tab. Then you should see a SkyPrint link. 

Do it yourself:  

          1) Go into your SkyPrint account. 

          2) Choose the option to the left on the menu that says, “Add 

Credit.” 

          3) Select the amount you would like added to you card and press the green button that says, “Add Value.” 

          4) This will bring a page up asking for your credit card information. (This page is secure).  

At the Help Desk:  

           1) Come visit us at the Help Desk, in Cremer Hall 149.  

           2) Ask for SkyPrint credit. We will then ask how much you would like to add. We sell SkyPrint credit in $2 increments.  

           3) We will give you your increment cards, which you will take and go onto your SkyPrint account and select, “Redeem Card.”  Here, it will ask for you to enter the card number. Once you enter the card number you will click the green button, “Redeem Card.” The credit will soon be added to your account.  

Web Presence Update!

As the Fall semester is in full-go, I am sure many of those here at Emporia State are wondering... What is going on with the websites? Luckily, we provide a web page, Web Presence Projects, that provides information on Hornet 365 and our public website. Examples of information provided are timelines, future enhancements, progress pages, and much more. We're very excited that Hornet 365 had a successful launch, and we are excited to launch the public website!

Don't forget to provide any feedback on our website by using this form. This helps us determine what you all want and helps us fix any bugs/issues. Good luck this semester, pay attention to the coming changes to Emporia State's web presence, and Stingers Up!

Sam Derksen
Web Developer
Web and Digital Strategies

Malicious Emails and Scams

With the start of another school semester, we always seem to see a rise in certain kinds of malicious email traffic.  While we have processes in place to stop as many of these as possible, we are limited in what we can stop without blocking legitimate emails.  

As we read through our inboxes, there are some things that we all need to keep in mind:

1. If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. It pays to be skeptical.

2. If you receive an email from someone you know with an uncharacteristic request or unusual attachment, it never hurts to call them up and ask if they really send the message.

3. ALWAYS be suspicious of requests for money ESPECIALLY untraceable cash cards. Verify through alternate means that it is a legitimate request.

4. ALWAYS be suspicious of requests for confidential information, login credentials, or cell phone numbers.  If an email gives you a link to log into a site, or provides an attachment that then asked for a login, these are almost always malicious. And cell phone numbers can be used to hijack your cell account.

Finally, if you have ANY questions as to the validity of an email, especially those that claim to come from IT, please call the Help Desk at 341-5555, and let us know.

myIT Tip of the Week

Self-Management of ESU Password Security Question Tips 

Self-Management of Passwords, or the SMOP page, is the page that our ESU Reset your password link takes you to. It is the page that is used to reset your password, create a new one, answer your security questions, etc.  

Choosing a security question: 

When choosing a security question, choose a question with the possibility of more than one answer, and a question with the answer you only know. Make sure your answer cannot be found on social media or other sources online. For example, if you choose “What is your mother’s maiden name?” make sure that information is not available on your or your mom’s Facebook. 

Answering security questions: 

Answers for security questions are case sensitive. This means if you capitalized your mother’s maiden name when answering the question, you will want to capitalize it when answering the question later. You will also want to pick something that is easy for you to remember but not necessarily information that is easily accessible to the public, try choosing a question similar to “Who is your favorite fictional character?” which could range anywhere from Santa Claus to Donald Duck and may not be posted anywhere online. 

Updating Enrollment: 

If you forget the answers to your security questions, it’s okay! On the password management page there is an option to update your enrollment. If you needed your security questions to change your password and forget the answer, unfortunately you have to change your password before you can update your enrollment. However, after changing your password you can log in using the Update Enrollment tab and either change your answers or see them to know what the answers are.