I'm Mac, and so am I..

Connecting to the Network/Internet in the District

Having a problem getting your laptop to work at school?  Check your Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been awhile since your laptop has been to school, so it may have forgotten how to politely ask to get on the district network ; )

If you don't have a Location set for the district, set it to Automatic and you'll likely be fine.  After you make changes in those settings, if they don't seem to work, shut the computer down and start it back up.  Sometimes that's all it takes after a change.

Finally, if you just can't seem to get it, please put in a work order by calling 770 426 3330.  They'll have you back up on the internet in no time!

.Mac Syncing

As of this morning, 9:30 am, November 8th, 2007, .Mac syn has been in maintenance for 20 days. I have read the forums, looked at the suggestions, and am not satisfied by any solutions posted there. I have also put in a ticket with Apple support, and have received a reply, essentially saying if I still have a problem after the maintenance is over, to let them know.

I am willing to give Apple lots of leeway, but almost 3 weeks is enough!

If you are using the sync services, my recommendation for now is to not sync, even thought the Apple says Mac to Mac syncing is working. There are too many reports in the forums to the contrary, so I'm simply staying away.

Please check the status of .Mac on this page:
http://www.apple.com/support/dotmac/
I plan on waiting until all lights are green.

.Mac users sharing with PC's

There's a folder on your .Mac account called Public. You can put stuff there for others to retrieve without need of password or anything except your .Mac user name, if they have a Mac. It has been a bit tougher from a PC. Here's how: Enter the URL idisk.mac.com/membername-Public into the URL line of a web browser, and the .Mac server displays a page that automatically includes download links for whatever is in the Public folder. In fact, you can even do it on a Mac if you like!

Software approval

I was notified today that NetNews Wire Lite and Gee Three plugins for iMovie have both been approved for install on Macs in the district.

NetNews Wire Lite is a dedicated RSS reader that capably handles almost anything an RSS feed throws at it. It is a good alternative to Safari as a RSS reader.

More information is available here: http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NetNewsWire/Default.aspx

Gee Three makes plug-ins that add functionality to iMovie. These functionality include more transitions and special effects, such as blue screen.

More information is available here: http://www.geethree.com/

As always, put in a work order to have the software installed.

Quack, Quack

CyberDuck is our approved FTP client. Translation: It's what you're supposed to use to upload web pages you create IF you aren't using a dot Mac account. Atomic Learning won't help you, but CyberDuck will!

http://cyberduck.ch/help/en/

We have requested that Atomic Learning create a tutorial.

pipes

You might want to take a look at this month's Mac|Life and take a look at the how to on Yahoo Pipes.  Very cool stuff!

Spell Check in Safari

One of my colleagues has a quick how to video posted, Atomic Learning style, on how to turn on spell check in Safari. You may ask, why do I need my browser to check my spelling? Well, if you use a blog or GroupWise web access, you need it! Go check it out on her blog:

http://tiscobb.typepad.com/anita_foster/2007/05/spell_checking__1.html

This is a direct link, but feel free to explore her blog!

RSS

Some of you have looked at "All RSS Feeds" in Safari and wondered what it was. I created a presentation for the Georgia Educational Technology Conference on what it is and how it can used in the classroom. Please take a look at the presenation on my personal podcast: http://edtech.typepad.com/ed_tech_using_technology_/

Please note that the information in all my podcasts is suitable for listening at school, though the thoughts and opinions are all my own and do not in any represent my employer. This episode highlights technologies and applications used by us in the district, but also mentions several applications that have not been approved for hardware owned by the district. There is nothing discussed that cannot be done with the way our Macs are currently configured, so dig in!

Safari

Help with the Safari web browser is now available! Mike completed the materials just a few days ago & I uploaded the file today. It's in the Communication area, under the Safari tab. We'll have some information available soon on RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds in Safari soon, I hope!

Here's the direct link:
http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/instructionaltechnology/mac/resource%20files/Safari/Safari_Prefs.pdf

Also, now that we have a subscription to Atomic Learning, here's the link to help with Safari:

http://www.atomiclearning.com/safari

More spam....

At present, the only solution for releasing mail that is not spam, but is caught in the e-Safe spam filter, from the filter is to go into your email via your web browser. You can release mail from quarantine there. There is hope that the next version of GroupWise, version 7, will work, but this has not been determined yet. GroupWise 7 has been released by Novell, but has not been implemented by the district yet. There is no timeline set for testing and implementation.