Welcome to TRIO Tech Talk

Welcome to the TRIO Tech Talk Blog, a source for news and views on Technology in the TRIO Community. Keep up with the latest Tech trends and learn how to to use technology more effectively in your TRIO program. Join us in creating a vibrant discussion in which we all benefit!

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Changing Hotmail and GMail to require HTTPS

With the growth of utilities like FireSheep, people can view login information on unencrypted network connections.  Stealing login information opens the door to identity theft and using compromised accounts for SPAM and Denial of Service (DOS) attacks

We have recommended that if you use Hotmail or GMail or any other mail service that you set it to use a secure HTTPS connection that will encrypt your communications with that site.  It has come to my attention that some people are having difficulty finding out where you go in Hotmail and GMail to set this setting.  This post will hopefully clarify what you need to do to get there.

Hotmail:

After logging into Hotmail, you will see a headline near the top of the page that says: “Hotmail highlights“.  In the small print under that is a link called “Options“.  This will take you to a page called “Windows Live Options” and you will find on the left of that page a selection under “Show options for” that says “Hotmail“.  Click on the “Hotmail” link.  This will take you to a page called “Hotmail Options“. Look for the section entitled “Managing your account” and click on the link called “Account details (password, aliases, time zone“. You will be redirected to a page called “Account overview“.  At the bottom of that page click on the link called “Connect with HTTPS” that will redirect you to a page of the same name.  On this last page, look for a radio button towards the bottom in front of a statement that says “Use HTTPS automatically“. Kind of a long journey but that’s it.

GMail:

If you want to do this for a GMail account, it’s a lot shorter journey to get to where you need to be.  Starting from your GMail account, click on the arrow next to your account name on the top right side of your web browse and select the “Account settings” option. This will take you to a general “Google accounts” page.  Find the link called “Settings” next to the GMail icon on the right hand side of the page. Clicking on that link will result in you being taken to a page called “GMail – Settings” with lots of options. One of the options is called “Browser connection“. Make sure the radio button in front of “Always use https” is the option that is selected.  Finally at the bottom of that page, make sure you click on the “Save Changes” button.

That’s it, hope this was helpful.

Using Encryption to Protect Your Data

As mentioned in an earlier post, encryption can play an important role in protecting sensitive data that may be on your computer workstation, laptop or backup drives.  Encryption makes data unreadable unless you have the key that unscrambles the information according to some algorithm.  Think of it like a combination lock that can only be opened if you have the right sequence of numbers.

Encryption plays a key role in both the transmission of data between systems as well as the storage of the data itself. You are probably familiar with Web browsers and SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connections that use the https:// instead of just http:// in their web addresses. If you are connected to a secure Web site, then all data being transmitted between your computer or smartphone and the server on the other end is encrypted. Always make sure any of your connections to financial institutions or email have https://at the beginning of their Web address.

To protect data itself, encryption can be used to protect a single file, a file folder or even an entire data drive such as on a laptop or USB drive. A popular open source solution that works on Macs and PCs is TrueCrypt. Most operating systems for the Mac and PC also come with the ability to encrypt specific files or folders.  FileVault on the Mac and BitLocker on Windows are ways to protect files on your workstation or laptop. Both Microsoft and Apple provide brief tutorials how to use their encryption tools. You can find them by searching their respective sites with the name of these tools or to see a sample click on the links above.

Stretching Your Tech Dollar: Part 3- Finding the Best Price from a Source You Can Trust

This is the third of a four part series on how to get the best tech for your needs at the best price. If you haven’t already, you might want to read Part 1- Figure Out What You Need or Part 2 -Find the Best Items for Your Needs .

Part 3 – Find the Best Price from a Source You Can Trust
Once you’ve decided what you need, the next step is to figure out where to buy it. But how do you find the best price? And how do you find a vendor you can trust? This post will give you some ideas on how to do both and some resources to get you started.

Finding the Best Price
There are many price comparison sites available, and you can now even search directly for products from most major search engines. Check our resources page for links.  Here are some suggestions to make sure you get the best price:

• Use more than one search tool: Different methods will search a different set of vendors. This is especially important if you’re searching for older or more obscure products.
• Sort by lowest total price for new items: Often the results aren’t sorted by price. Sometimes used  items are included in the results. Be careful of prices that seem too good to be true, though. They usually are! See below for more hints.
• Don’t forget shipping and tax: Many sites offer free shipping (often with a minimum purchase) and taxes, of course, will vary based on where you purchase.
• Search for specific models, not for product names: There are often many slightly different models of the same product, especially for things like laptops. You want to compare prices for exactly the same model.
• Make sure that the product is the same one you searched for: Often when you go from your search results to the vendor’s product page you will find it’s for  a different product. Verify before purchasing!
• Be sure that everything included: To undercut prices, some disreputable vendors will remove accessories that are supposed to come with an item and try to sell them to you at additional cost. Do you really want to buy a digital camera without a battery?
• Make sure that the item has a full warranty: Sometimes the cheapest prices are for “gray market” or imported items that don’t come with the full manufacturer’s warranty, but are warrantied only directly through the vendor. Look  for terms like “Authorized Dealer”, “US Warranty” or “Full Manufacturer’s Warranty” to make sure you’re covered. Read the rest of this entry »

Google Promotes New File Synchronization for Google Docs

As many of you know there are a lot of online file synchronization solutions out there that help you keep files and data updated and backed up.  Some of the ones that have been discussed in various presentations include:

• Dropbox – http://www.dropbox.com
• Microsoft Mesh – http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mesh
• Box.net – http://www.box.com/
• iCloud – https://www.apple.com/icloud/what-is.html

Google used to use Box.net for synchronization but has just now released their new relationship with Insync.

Like other cloud based file synchronization and file backup solutions, Insync has different plans depending on the number of users and how much space you might want or need.  This includes:

• Cheapskate -1GB syncing limit for unlimited computers – Cost: Free
• Pro -16TB syncing limit for single user and unlimited computers – Cost: $25/year  (introductory offer)
• Business -16TB syncing limit for unlimited computers with centralized billing and user administration for 5 users minimum – Cost: $3/user/month  (introductory offer)

So, if you have a Google account and files in Google Docs, you can now collaborate and share those files with others with greater ease using this new Google service.

Important Update (12/12/11): Just got word from Insync that they are reworking their pricing. Now if you have a Google account, Insync is now free with no limits on storage.

Office Suites in the Cloud

Working with TRIO programs and their students has illustrated the need for providing students with application software for word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software to meet their instructional and learning needs. A review of what’s currently available for free has shown wide use of a couple of different Office suites. Check out the following online applications that also allow for online collaboration and sharing.

GMail and Google Apps – Sign up for a free GMail account and get access to Google Apps for free. Google Apps includes online wordprocessing, spreadsheet, presentation and graphics manipulation applications that are easy to use.

Hotmail and SkyDrive – With a free Hotmail account you also get Microsoft Web Apps for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for free.  In addition you get 25GB of free online storage.  These Microsoft Web Apps look just like the regular Microsoft Office applications but with a slightly limited set of options.

If you don’t have a GMail account or a Hotmail account, sign up for one and take a tour of the free cloud applications that can help you to create and share information with your program staff and students.