Page 1 - News From the World of ICT http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

News From the World of ICT

Welcome to another issue of the ICT newsletter!

News From the World of ICT is our way of sharing with the

Maxwell community who we are, and what we do.

From events in the Global Collaboratory, to computing tips and tricks to make your

day a little easier, you’ll learn something new in every issue!

Issue 7 December 2010

Contents:A Word from the Director... .....2

Staff Focus ...............................3

Faculty Focus ...........................5

Emerging Technology ..............7

The Global Collaboratory ........8

Ektron Update ........................10

Tips and Tricks .......................11

Halloween Fun .......................13

Additional Information ..........15

Help Info ................................16

Page 2 - A Word from the Director... http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

A Word from the Director...

I am pleased to announce that the Maxwell School is getting a new state-of-the-art wireless network!

ITS will be installing over 200 wireless access points in Maxwell and Eggers Halls to achieve nearly 100% coverage in both buildings. Eggers Hall is scheduled to be complete before Christmas with Maxwell Hall’s completion due in late spring. The new wireless network will be downward compatible with all older wireless cards. We will provide more information as it

becomes available.

The campus has implemented a new digital signage system for units on campus that feature displays. The new system is extremely flexible and uses RSS technology to bring up to the minute campus events, weather and news items. Additionally, the new system will be tied directly into the Department of Public Safety emergency system. This will allow DPS to broadcast emergency events simultaneously on all the displays on campus.

Microsoft Office 2010 was released by ITS in November. The deployment of Office 2010 to the Maxwell School public computers began in mid-November (currently, over 400 computers have been upgraded). Staff began upgrading to the new Office Suite towards the end of November, with the rest of the Maxwell community given the option of installing Office 2010 on their computers shortly afterwards. For information regarding what’s new in Microsoft Office 2010, please visit this page of the ICT Training website: https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict_pages.aspx?id=36507229514.

On behalf of everyone in ICT, I would like to wish you all a safe and joyful holiday season!

Page 3 - Staff Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

What does the ICT Staff want from Santa this year?Holly: I really want a new camera for Christmas. One very busy, active toddler and one very slow, quirky camera equals very few decent pictures of said toddler. I haven’t had time to research models, but my requirements for a new one are:

• A camera that takes a picture quickly from the time I press the button (I’m sure there’s a technical term for this, I just have no idea what it is).

• A camera that is good in low light.• A camera that is ready to take the next picture within a few seconds.

Eddie: What do I want for Christmas? More Green days, of course!!!

Pete: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II for PS3 http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Force-Unleashed-Playstation-3/dp/B0030F1DOOStar Trek Enterprise Pizza Cutter http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/dea2/?pfm=Carousel_StarTrekCutter_3Magnetic Accelerator Cannon http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/a673/

David: Everyone needs Wi-Fi quadricopter http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/usa

Brian: If I could have anything I wanted for Christmas, It would be an Axis Longboard double bass drum pedal! http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Axis-XL2-Longboard-Double-Pedal?sku=446357

Staff Focus

Continued on page 4.

Page 4 - Staff Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Staff Focus

Stan: Peace on Earth.

Tom:What I want for Christmas is a tow rope system for sledding in my backyard. No more walking up the hill over and over, just grab the rope and be pulled up effortlessly. I just have to build it myself like these guys did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K32OyNa5ByA

Tammy: As much as I would love a new, really big kiln, I don’t have the space in my studio, so the Studio 8 Evenheat kiln would be a great companion to my other smaller kiln. And, a gift certificate to just about anywhere I can buy glass.

Matt: What I am hoping for during this Christmas season are “Green Days” that are more white than green! • Syracuse.com Winter Photos• Labrador Mountain Ski Area Photos• Gore Mountain Ski Area Photos

Here’s hoping that I will be able to spend a lot of time skiing locally and in the Adirondacks with my family!

What does the ICT Staff want from Santa this year? Continued from page 3.

Page 5 - Faculty Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Faculty FocusMark Rupert Professor and Chair, Political ScienceProfessor Rupert has been at Maxwell School since 1987.

Below Prof. Rupert shares information about his exploration of HDR photography. “High Dynamic Range” imaging records detail in both the darkest shadows and the brightest highlights in the scenes you’re capturing.

1. What got you interested in learning how to do HDR photography?I read about it on various photography web sites that I visit. There are a lot of online explanations and tutorials to help demystify this technique. There are also a growing number of software products that will generate and adjust HDR images.

2. What causes you to choose creating a HDR image over a standard digital photograph?I’m drawn to high contrast scenes where bright and dark tones mingle, but was always frustrated trying to capture those kinds of scenes in a single image. Cameras have a limited range of tones they can capture in a single image, so photographers shooting single images face difficult decisions about whether to emphasize brighter or darker ranges of tones. A good deal of the art of traditional photography involved managing those technical dilemmas in aesthetically appealing ways, but I was never that good at making careful exposure decisions about which tones I would capture in my image and which I would allow to lose detail (or exclude from the frame). Therefore, the scenes I got in my high-contrast images weren’t what I had hoped to capture, even after conventional adjustment to lighten shadows or lower highlights.HDR imaging promised to bring out detail in shadow areas while also preventing highlights from going blank, even (especially) in images with tones ranging from extremely bright to very dark. It does that by using special software to combine a series of exposures of the same scene - each one shot at a different exposure setting so that the darkest image retains highlight detail, the brightest image retains shadow detail, and intermediate exposures provide gradations between extreme tones.

3. How do you create a HDR image?The easiest way to do this is to lock the camera down on a tripod, take it off the

Continued on page 6.

Page 6 - Faculty Focus http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

automatic exposure mode and shoot a series of photos that range from too dark to too light. (Keeping the same focus settings during this is important!) Then, this sequence of images gets fed into the HDR software which combines them into a single, composite image capable of rendering the wider range of tones contained in the sequence. The HDR software will also help you “tone-map” the resulting image so that it looks more appealing. This step can be more-or-less automated, depending on the HDR software used, and can render images that look somewhat surreal or painterly, or more photo-realistic.

4. Where can I see more HDR images?Lots of the HDR images you see on photo sites like Flickr have a surreal look to them, suggesting illustrations more than traditional photographs. That can be fun, but I prefer a somewhat more subtle look, and I’m trying to learn how to do that more consistently in my HDRs. Some of my efforts from the last few years can be found here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/fourthstooge/sets/72157614340439995.

Faculty FocusMark Rupert, Professor and Chair, Political Science, continued from page 5.

Thank you, Professor Rupert, for contributing to our newsletter!

“new bridge”, Ronda, Andalusia, ES. Click here to see the image on Flickr

Gates of Cordoba in BArrio de la Juderia Cordoba, Andalusia, ES

Click here to see the image on Flickr

Learn more about HDR imaging at the following sites: http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/

http://www.vanilladays.com/hdr-guide/

http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/HDR_ps/hdr-ps.htm

http://www.naturescapes.net/072006/rh0706_1.htm

Page 7 - Emerging Technology http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Emerging Technology

1. Technology name: Boxee Box2. Manufacturer: Boxee and D-Link3. Product description: Boxee is a piece of software that can run on your

home computer/laptop. It facilitates the watching of streaming media from the Internet. TV shows, movies, sports, radio, and video blogs are just a small part of the content available.D-Link is a network hardware company that is branching out into other areas of home appliances. Together they are offering Boxee Box, which is a combination of the software that the Boxee project

develops, and a home theatre appliance that has been created by D-Link. Boxee Box became available on Nov. 10th, 2010.

4. Cool Features: So what can the Boxee Box do? • It can stream from the following free streaming sites:

CBS, NBC, ABC, Hulu, YouTube, Vimeo, CNET, MTV, TED Talks, Pandora, CNN, and many others.

• It can also stream from the following paid subscription streams: Netflix, MLB.TV, NHL, and a few others.

What do you need to run Boxee or Boxee Box?• A tv and an Internet connection.

5. Links for more information: http://www.boxee.tv/ http://www.dlink.com/boxee/more.html

This page will introduce you to emerging technology we’ve found interesting. For more information regarding technology presented, please click a link provided.

Page 8 - The Global Collaboratory http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

The Global Collaboratory

This fall semester we have experienced an increase in event activity. Inside the Global Collaboratory, as well as inside rooms

throughout the Maxwell/Eggers complex, we’ve been busy working with nearly every department, institute, and center. Most days there is more than one event that requires our support.

Audio RecordingOne particular form of production support that has increased in demand this semester is our audio recording options. Two particular series immediately come to mind: the Campbell Conversations on WRVO, and Moynihan’s guest speaker interview that will soon be on iTunes U.

The Campbell Conversations is a long-format interview “in the public interest” hosted by Grant Reeher. It airs weekly on WRVO radio during the “Weekly Edition” news magazine program. You can hear a new episode every Friday at noon and it is rebroadcast Saturdays at 4 pm. Guests recorded at the Maxwell School have included former NYS governor Eliot Spitzer, national NPR midday newscaster Lakshmi Singh, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Music Director Daniel Hege, and a collection of local politicians and hopeful candidates.

We have one chance to record the conversations at broadcast-quality. ICT converts the Global Collaboratory into a temporary radio recording studio. In one take, aside from the occasional reread of an introduction, Grant leads the conversation beyond the typical

Continued on page 9.

and Audio Recording

Page 9 - The Global Collaboratory http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

The Global Collaboratory

headlines and sound bites. All the while, we check our equipment and ensure the recorded file is quickly sent off to the WRVO studios for a final quality check before playback over the air.

The other series is a new one from the Moynihan Institute. These are interviews with some of the many guest speakers that visit the Maxwell School. At this point, we have a handful of episodes on the cusp of being released onto iTunes U. (In fact, they may be available by the time this article is published.)

Technical setup for this series is less complex compared the Campbell Conversations, and this translates into much shorter time needed to setup the equipment. In fact, it is very portable with 2 microphones plugged directly into the recorder. We still have to use a quiet room and then process the recorded file to enhance the vocals before distributing the file to iTunes U.

You can find the portal to Syracuse University on iTunes U at: http://itunes.syr.edu. Once you are there, either login to view private content, such as class lectures, or click the button to view public content available to the entire world. As usual, with podcasts you can subscribe to any particular series and have new episodes downloaded to your computer or mp3 player.

We have more details about iTunes U at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict_pages.aspx?id=77309411405.

Continued from page 8.

Page 10 - Ektron Update http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Ektron UpdateShow Off Your Photos!

Maxwell ICT is now offering to our web site users a new web-based system for organizing and presenting

your digital images. If you have used Yahoo’s popular Flickr photo-sharing site, you will find SlideShowPro to be very easy to learn. The slide shows you create using SlideShowPro can be used in the Ektron system.

Creating a new slideshow for your web site takes only a few steps:1. Login to SlideShowPro.2. Create a new photo album (or open an existing album).3. Upload your photos.4. Copy some HTML code and paste it into your web site.

Once this slide show is on your site you simply need to open your SlideShowPro album to update or manage your photos.

For users who want more control over your images, SlideShowPro has two optional components which will allow greater customization of the actual slideshow and photo thumbnails (SlideShowPro Player and Thumbgrid).

Click here for a sample slideshow album.https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict_media.aspx?id=77309412397

Please email webmaster@maxwell.syr.edu for more information about SlideShowPro.

Page 11 - Tips and Tricks http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

The installation of Microsoft Office 2010 is now available to the Maxwell community! While Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word are almost identical to the 2007 versions, Outlook 2010 will have a new feel to it, as the Ribbon has been added to the main interface. Below are a couple of features in Outlook that you may have to reset:

Add an account to your Outlook 2010 mailbox1. Click the File tab / select the Info category2. Click the Account Settings button / choose Account Settings… from the drop

down menu.3. In the Account Settings dialog box, under the E-mail

tab, select your account, and then click Change…4. In the Change Account dialog box, click More

Settings… in the lower right corner.5. In the Microsoft Exchange dialog box, click the

Advanced tab, then click Add…6. Type the name of the mailbox you would like to add,

and then click OK.7. Repeat step 5 and 6 until you have added all of the

required mailboxes / click OK.8. In the Change Account dialog box, click the Next

button / click Finish / Close.

Collapse or expand folders in the Outlook 2010 Navigation pane• To expand a folder, in the Navigation Pane,

next to the folder name, click the white-filled arrow.

• To collapse a folder, in the Navigation Pane, next to the folder name, click the black-filled arrow.

Tips and Tricks

Continued on page 12.

Page 12 - Tips and Tricks http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Tips and Tricks

Reattach your signature to outgoing messages in Outlook 20101. Click the File tab / select Options from the left navigation bar.2. In the Outlook Options dialog box, select the Mail category from the left

navigation bar.3. On the right, click the Signatures… button.4. In the Signatures and Stationery dialog box, click the E-mail Signature tab, if

necessary. (Your signatures will be displayed under “Select signature to edit”.)5. Under “Choose default signature” click the drop down arrow next to “New

Messages” and select the signature you want to display for every new message you create.

6. If you would also like to insert a signature for replies or forwarded messages, repeat step #5 for the Replies/forwards field.

7. Click OK / click OK to exit the Outlook Options dialog box.

In our August newsletter, we told you about two new features in Office 2010: the “Screenshot” tool (available in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word), and “Quick Steps” (available in Outlook). You can revisit those tips by clicking the following link, and then clicking “Tips and Tricks” from the Contents section: https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/ict/News/August2010Newsletter.pdf.

Continued from page 11.

Page 13 - Halloween Fun http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Holly’s daughter, Delilah She was a little leery of trick or treating

at first, but was moving down the street in no time!

Halloween Fun

Stan’s son and daughter Stanley, Jr. and Emily

Continued on page 14.

This year Halloween was very busy for Brian. His band played out at the Fusion Halloween show and had a great time! The first shot is the band

onstage wearing their costumes, and the second shot is the audience enjoying their set. They played for 45 minutes and performed

with 10 other metal bands from around New York State.

Page 14 - Halloween Fun http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Halloween FunContinued from page 13.

Stan’s son, Stanley, Jr.. This was Stanley, Jr.’s first time trick-or-treating.

These pumpkins were carved by Pete.

“Team Jacob Pumpkin” - this pumpkin was carved by Eddie and his daughter,

Brianna (14).

“Dragon Pumpkin” - this was mostly carved by Eddie for his son, Logan (6),

due to last year’s accident with the knife.

The chaotic weather put a damper on Tom’s Halloween, and he was unable to take any pictures of the setup. Here is his description of it:“The air was filled with spooky music and hanging lanterns with flickering lights, welcoming visitors toward the center walkway where on top of two pillars sat gargoyles, illuminated from below with lights that slowly changed color. The picket fence was drenched in Spanish moss as spider webs stretched from the fence up into the trees and across to the house. The six front windows were boarded up but you could see the glow of red flickering lights between the boards. Two windows had life-size images of skeletons hanging in them. Smaller props scattered around included piles of bones and creepy spiders, vultures, and more. Of course, the pumpkin chorus reappeared to the delight of the trick-or-treaters who braved the cold temperature.At the end of trick-or-treating, a van with a group of adults pulled up who had insisted their visiting relative just had to come to see my house. They were a bit surprised to see my next-door neighbor had a full Christmas theme for their Halloween decoration. A police officer saw me outside doing yard work the following weekend. He stopped his car and asked about some of the props and mentioned he raved to his wife about the boards over the windows. “It really looked abandoned and haunted,” he said. Great, now I know the cops are watching.”

Page 15 - Additional Information http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Additional Information

►Reserving the GCEvents hosted by groups with a Maxwell School affiliation may request use of the room up to 12 months ahead; others may make requests 2 months ahead. Room availability may be checked by calling 315-443-9003, or by emailing gc@maxwell.syr.edu – an online request form must be submitted before confirmation is made. The reservation process will involve a discussion of technology and staffing needs during the event.

►Interactive Media Lab (IML) - Access • Student access:

See Holly Johnson in 034E for form. Please bring your SUID!

• Faculty & Staff access: IML access for faculty and staff should be requested by the individuals’ department. Please have your department send an email to Holly Johnson at: hjohns02@maxwell.syr.edu. No form is necessary!

►IML Coverage for this semester• Please contact webmaster@maxwell.syr.eduThe IML is closed during ICT training sessions. Please check the ICT Training site for details on upcoming training sessions.

Page 16 - Help Info http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/

Help Info

Service service@maxwell.syr.edu

(315) 443-3847

Global Collaboratory gc@maxwell.syr.edu

(315) 443-4742

Web webmaster@maxwell.syr.edu

Training icttraining@maxwell.syr.edu

ICT Web site http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict.aspx

ICT Training http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/icttraining/

ICT Training Sessions: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict_pages.aspx?id=6442451614

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/news.aspx?id=6442451675

ICT Newsletter http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ictnewsletters/

ictnews@maxwell.syr.edu

Help Desk Hours (Room 034A)

Mon-Fri. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm