IT Tips from CIO

August 2019

• MySanDiego portal: watch a short video with demos of the following new features: (1) "My Favorites Apps" - tag your commonly-used applications/tools by clicking the star next to them; (2) uniform search feature throughout the entire portal; (3) revised tool bar; and (4) status of your trouble tickets and change requests.

• G Suite: view your emails and calendar on the same screen.

• Google Drive & Microsoft Office: you can now store your MS Office files in Google Drive yet directly open them in their native application (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel). To do that you need to install Google Drive File Streaming - contact our Help Desk for assistance with this setup.

• PowerPoint: to properly display PowerPoint presentations regardless of which computer you use, we recommend embedding the fonts in the files themselves.

• MySDMobile app is continuously updated with new features. Frequently check and install the latest update: MySDMobile for iOS or MySDMobile for Android. Recent new features include: (1) interactive campus map; (2) GET Food; and (3) buy books.

• Internet connection: USD's bandwidth to the Internet was upgraded from 2gb/s to 10gb/s providing unprecedented network connectivity speeds, especially to the major cloud providers and to other universities.

• Printing: a new service is now available to our students - print from anywhere on- or off-campus and even from your smartphone or tablet. See a video on these Wēpa printer kiosks which are located in many locations on campus.

• Training: we offer many on-demand and in-person IT-related classes and workshops.

• View the Faculty Services flyer and a full list of all IT services.

March 2019

• Do you currently back up your computer files? We recommend storing all your files at no cost in the Google Drive cloud. It is an excellent backup solution and it also allows you to share your files and collaborate with others.

• Did you know that you can make free phone calls directly from your computer? Click on the phone icon at the bottom of your Gmail screen or use the Google Hangouts application.

• If you haven't done so yet, I recommend learning how to use the iPhone Emergency SOS feature or its equivalent on Android phones.

• There are several less known Directory features such as listing someone's executive assistant information. To update your profile, contact your department marketing person or website maintainer.

• The FBI recently briefed us on cyber threats from China, Russia, and Iran. They recommend that people who travel to those countries do not take their computers or mobile devices and, instead, rent or use throw-away devices during their stay.

• If you need to extend your home network across multiple rooms and do not want to or cannot use WiFi, we suggest the use of a technology called Ethernet Over Power which lets you expand the network through your existing electrical lines.

• If you have an iPad and attend many meetings, you might want to consider using the Notability app. I find it to be an excellent tool to organize my notes and it supports both handwritten and typed input. There are other similar apps but this is the one I use.

January 2019

• Do you experience weak cellular coverage on campus or at home? If so, turn on WiFi Calling on your mobile phone. This feature uses the wireless network to make phone calls when cellular signal is weak (details at AT&T or Verizon).

• A page printed in color costs 400% more than in black & white - even if only one word on the page is in color. Please use your judgment: do I really need to print this? If so, is black & white sufficient?

• You can download Microsoft Office 365 free of charge for your home computers & mobile devices.

• Your mobile device is an excellent scanner. Quickly convert a multi-page paper document to a PDF and share it with anyone. There are several apps that do that well (e.g., TurboScan, Adobe Scan).

• The best USD WiFi network for you is Eduroam, not USDguest. By connecting via Eduroam, you get faster, wider access, and more secure experience. You only need to enter your USD credentials once, while the guest network prompts you every 24 hours.

• If your email box has confidential information, please consider the Gmail 2-Step Verification feature. It is an extra layer of security which, in addition to your USD ID and password, requires verification of a code sent to your mobile phone.