Student Mac Owners: How to Run Windows Applications

If you own a MacBook, IMac, or Mac Mini and you are taking a computer class that does not support Mac or requires you to run Windows applications like Microsoft Office 2013, Paradigm’s SNAP, or Raptor you have some options.

Although there are several alternatives the easiest and best is to run Apples Boot Camp on your Mac. This will dynamically partition your hard drive or solid state disk drive to offer a second boot up alternative for Windows without affecting any Mac files already on your drive. Here is the link to Apples guidelines for using Boot Camp: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1461

With Boot Camp you can press a key to alternatively start your computer in Windows to run the Windows applications when your start up or boot your computer.  However, you will need to buy the academic version of Windows 8 to do this. The present cost for this is around $80. You will also need Microsoft Office 365. This will give you the Office suite of applications for 4 years. The present cost for Microsoft Office 365 is also around $80.

Now, you might think, why not run MS Office 365 from my Safari browser running on my Mac OS X? This will work unless you are using one of the online learning systems such as Paradigms SNAP which requires Adobe Flash. You will need to access and use SNAP from Windows using a browser that supports Flash like Internet Explorer or Firefox.

If you are using applications like Raptor (http://raptor.martincarlisle.com/) you will need to download and install the application in Windows as it is not browser based like Office 365. To do this you will need to reboot your Mac and press the startup selection key so that the Mac boots up into Windows and not OS X. Then open a Windows browser and download Raptor from the site.

How to Create a GIF file

You can really jaz up your posts in online forums with the insertion of  a custom GIF file. There are free GIF files available on the Web but most of them are pretty old and used. Some of them can be used as emoticons in your writing to add emphasis. However, you can also make your own emoticon just by making the GIF small enough to fit in a line of your text and then inserting the GIF at your cursor location.

Okay, you know what to use them for let's see how to make them.

Using any graphics program like Paint or Photoshop you can create art and then an animation of that art by creating several frames that change slightly from frame to frame.  For example, look at the animation below.

The art was easy to create and didn't require any artistic skills. I just created one frame with some straight yellow lines, another with the text, and a third with the orange angled lines. So in this post the frames look like this:

The second frame looks like this:

And, finally, the third frame looks like this:

Each is played for about 1/2 seconds in sequence creating the animation. The tools for creating the animation can be found in several common software tools including Adobe Photoshop (TM) or Adobe Flash (TM). After creating your file in one of these tools (you can create the art there as well) be sure to save your file as a .GIF type file!

Then, insert your GIF file into your forum post using the image insert tool just as you would any other type of image. Make sure your image is set to public view or you may be the only one who can see it!

How to Use the Screen Capture Tool

One of the most important tools you will need to master as an online student is the screen capture tool. This is especially true if you are using software in the class you are taking. You can capture the actual screen in which you are having trouble along with any special pop ups that occur describing the problem. You then insert the screen capture as an image in your course messaging or course email tool. If you do not know how to insert the image you can attach it. However, inserting the image is more useful as you can add language around it describing the problem.

There are several ways to do a screen capture depending on which hardware or operating system you are using. For example, if you are using Windows XP or earlier you do a screen capture by holding down the function (on a laptop) or shift key and then pressing the “prt sc” (for print screen) key in the upper right corner of your keyboard. When you do this you capture the contents of the screen to the Windows clipboard and can then paste it where ever you wish.  The easiest thing to do is open up a Word document and paste it there. Save the Word document and then attach the document to your message. If you want to insert the image in your message you will need to paste the screen copy into Photoshop or Paint and then save the file as a jpg.

A second way to do a screen capture is using the Snip tool which is available in Windows Vista, 7, or 8 but not on earlier versions of Windows. Open the Snip tool by clicking on your start button in the lower left of your screen and then typing Snip in the search box. Snip will then let you capture the screen and save the file directly without using a second piece of software.

So You Think You Have a Great Mobile App and You’ll Make Millions!

As a mobile app developer I get many requests to work with someone who thinks they have the next great multimillion dollar app. Maybe they do and maybe they don’t.  However, there are some things they need to do even before getting to the coding stage.

Consider that today’s apps are developed by teams of experts with budgets exceeding $250,000. Apps continue to get more sophisticated and draw on the every improving resources of today’s smartphones including the increase in memory which now stands at 1GB. I remember when my desktop PC only had 256k of memory (but I am showing my age.) This is great in that the increased resources allow the creation of better, more colorful, sophisticated games but bad for us indies who do not have the resources to keep up with the big guys vis a vis Rovio.

So what do you do? As a small operator or designer you must come up with basic concepts or simple games that are killers from the start. Remember the original Fruit Ninja or Ant Smash? If you can do this you can keep your development costs lower and increase your chances for success.

Once you think you have the next great idea apply some structure to it long before considering coding. One of the simplest methods of structure you can apply is the Storyboard Technique. Used by film creators and story writers for many years it is simply drawing pictures of individual scenes in your app. The drawings do not have to be well done and could even be stick figures. However, sooner or later you will need good art.

The Storyboard Technique will need a few additions for an interactive application, however. For example you will need to add menu scenes showing what choices the user has. You’ll then need to show scenes of what happens when they select each menu item.

Once your Story boarding is complete and you are satisfied with your app the next step is creating some basic art and animations. This can be done in Photoshop and saved as a GIF file. No coding needed, some of this same art can then be coded into the game if it is good enough.

After, you have completed your Story boarding, some basic art, and animations you are ready to take it to a programmer but not before.

However, you are not done yet. Since you will be investing a large amount of time in this project it’s time to do some more evaluation. Be sure to Google your app by name and subject to see what is out there. Find a good name that is not taken in the app store. If you have to promote it under another name it will hurt your downloads. Make sure there are no major competitors out there with similar games. You cannot over search your potential app before you make any more investments of time and money.

Java Confusion

The recent CERT (US Computer Emergency Response Team) http://whttp://www.us-cert.gov/ww.us-cert.gov/ warning not to use Java has caused immense confusion and problems with Internet users.
For example, an unaware user might disable JavaScript in his browser thereby eliminating the functionality of many interactive web applications such as the Blackboard LMS (Learning Management System.) JavaScript however is not part of the CERT warning even though JavaScript and Java Plug-ins or Applets rely on the same run time or Java Virtual Machine (JVM.) The JVM is the problem, however, but only in how it runs Plug-ins or Applets. Java Plug-ins or Applets can be disabled separately in browsers even though they use the same JVM as JavaScript.

The Security problem stems from how the version of JVM in question (7u10) allows plug ins more access to the users machine and operating systems than is advisable causing the security risk. If Java Plug-ins are disabled than none of these malware plug-ins can exploit that particular vulnerability.  Meanwhile the JVM can continue to run JavaScript without the security risk.

A later version of the JVM (7u11) issued by Oracle to fix the initial plug in problem still has potential vulnerabilities for plug ins. Plug-ins should remain disabled until Oracle comes out with the appropriate fix, presumably in JVM (7u12.)

What's All the SOPA and PIPA Fuss About?

For those of you following the network neutrality issues on this blog it may be apparent that the issues with the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and "The PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 or PIPA), also known as Senate Bill 968 or S. 968, is a proposed law with the stated goal of giving the US government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to "rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods", especially those registered outside the U.S.[1] " (English Wikipedia) may have implications for network neutrality.

Either of these laws begins to give carrier lobbyists a new way to control the Internet by petitioning the courts under the guise of copyright violation when they may in fact have other alternatives. In most cases we need the government to help protect the freedom of the Internet. In this case special interest lobbies such as the rich and powerful Motion Picture Industry Association have pushed these bills to further enrich their members by attempted further enforcement of the copyright laws.
Although regulation in this direction may be necessary we must tread carefully lest we destroy the freedoms we have so carefully guarded on the Internet. For example, several sites such as Wikipedia and Etsy fear they will have to close as it will be too difficult to monitor the users contributions and the cost of doing so will be to large.

CamelCase

Microsoft Office products often include terminology with capital letters in the middle of words. For example PowerPoint. Power point would be an incorrect spelling of this product and confuse the reader as to what you are really saying.
“CamelCase (or camel case), also known as medial capitals,[1] is the practice of writing compound words or phrases in which the elements are joined without spaces, with each element's initial letter capitalized within the compound and the first letter either upper or lower case—as in "LaBelle", "BackColor", "McDonald's", "iPod", or "GaGa". The name comes from the uppercase "bumps" in the middle of the compound word, suggestive of the humps of a camel. The practice is known by many other names.

An early systematic use of medial capitals is the standard notation for chemical formulae, such as NaCl, that has been widely used since the 19th century. In the 1970s, medial capitals became an alternative (and often standard) identifier naming convention for several programming languages. Since the 1980s, following the popularization of computer technology, it has become fashionable in marketing for names of products and companies, and for 1990s online video games where players use pseudonyms (when spaces were not allowed). However, medial capitals are rarely used in formal written English and most style guides recommend against their use.” (Wikipedia.)

Apparently, due to the fact that the naming convention in popular programming languages includes media capitals, Microsoft and other companies have begun using common words as product trademarks by using two words together and media capitals in the words. This is normally done by combining two words together to make one new word while capitalizing the first letter of the second word. For example, word art would normally be two words while in the CamelCase it is WordArt and means something specific (a Microsoft product feature.)

Using Word as an Editor

Microsoft Office includes a magnificent editor with built in spell and grammar check called "Word." Many people use Word as an editor and save the file as a complete edited file when they are finished. However, word can be used for much more than that.

For example, when posting to a discussion or forum that does not have a built in spell check or grammar checker write your post in Word. Then, copy past the post to the discussion without saving the Word document. You can then go back and forth as you post additional comments. (This is where a double monitor or wide screen comes in handy.)

You can also use Word as an editor for a chat utility that does not support spell or grammar check.

At the bottom left corner of the Word task screen is a number that indicates Word count. For discussion assignments that require a minimum number of words you can use this word count if you use Word as the editor for your post.

Finally, it very handy to keep Word open and on your task bar if you need a handy spell checker or thesaurus. Just open the Word task screen and type in your word to check it.

This post was written in Word 2010 to check for errors and look how good it looks!

Digital Utopianism

Larry Downes recently wrote in Forbes magazine here: http://blogs.forbes.com/larrydownes/2011/03/10/is-digital-utopianism-dead/ an article on Network Neutrality (NN.) His article is titled "Is Digital Utopianism Dead?"

My answer is quite simply “Yes!” However, when was it ever alive?? Just as in any other daydream of utopia, they simply do not exist and never will. We dream about them but should never kid ourselves into believing that they ever will or are even possible.
Mr. Downes compares the open non proprietary protocol, TCP/IP, used on the Internet with the business model followed by cable TV companies. Come on Mr. Downes! Who do you think you are kidding? The former is an advertising based financial model while the latter is a charge for use model that is not based on advertising. The cable TV content companies do not talk about monetizing content as Internet content providers do simply because they do not have to.
Does Mr. Downes forget that without the extensive FCC oversight of advertising based broadcast TV that advertising based models of the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS et al.) would not exist at all? The same applies to the free advertising based Internet. It would become a charge based model the same as cable TV. Who wants that?
Making the availability of information charge based contributes to the schism created by the digital divide where only the wealthy will have access to information and will seek to perpetuate their wealth and class while the poor will have no access and get poorer.
Mr. Downes article is clearly elitist and transparent. In the past Forbes has been a bit more subtle about manipulation of the middle and lower classes by the wealthy in our country. Too bad Mr. Downes opted for blatant intellectualism in the hopes that only the wealthy would understand it.

Network Neutrality

Network Neutrality was in the news again today in a dispute between Comcast and Level 3 communications a competitive local exchange provider (CLEC) and Internet Service Provider (ISP.) See the full article here:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703945904575645251061168526.html?mod=rss_Technology

It appears that Comquest is afraid of losing its cable TV business to Netflix and as a result wants to charge Level 3 for transmitting Netflix video over its broadband access.

How to Protect Yourself From Technologies Darker Side

In today’s technological environment new dangers lurk. Precautions need to be taken to prevent undesired consequences. The following are examples of some of these dangers:

Identity Theft, Phishing, Viruses, Trojan Horses, Worms, Spyware, Spam, and Information Piracy.

Identity Theft, especially, is a major problem. In this instance a criminal captures information such as your name and social security number and then pretends to be you. They open bank accounts, take out loans, and try to get as much money out of your identity before giving up use of your identity. The worst part of this crime is that you will end up in a database used by other criminals so you may have this problem for life. As a result, it is imperative that you take precautions to avoid being victimized by this crime.

What precautions can you take to protect yourself?

1. Only give out information that you have to give out. If a field in an online form is not mandatory (usually marked with a red asterisk.) Do not fill it in.

2. Do not use a simple password. Use a complex password made up of at least 9 characters, both alpha and numeric characters and at least one non alpha numeric character such as the tilde (~).

3. Do not put telephone numbers or social security numbers on personal checks. In fact do not use personal checks if possible.

4. Use a telephone blocking device and program it to only allow your known friends to ring through. This will block all unwanted calls from people like telemarketers or scammers. They will automatically be forwarded to voice mail where you can screen them.

5. Always purchase goods with a credit card. If purchasing online, be sure the merchant uses an encrypted link such as SSL to process your credit card information. If they do not do this do not purchase from them. Look for a “lock icon” at the end of your URL or address bar for the website. Also, look for a security badge that describes what kind of protection they are using such as SSL.

6. Check your credit reports once per year.

7. Be sure you have a good state full firewall on your Internet link. This is usually incorporated into your wireless router.

8. Do not open emails from unknown sources and definitely do not open attachments unless you know who sent it and why they sent it.

9. When you receive an email from a bank or other financial transaction oriented company never click in the link in the email. Always close the email and then go to your online account thought your browser. Once there you will see an account alert if there is a problem. This is called Phishing. The email may look very official with the proper logos and other artwork. However, when you click on the link you are taken to a remote website that spoofs the original site prompting you for your user name and password.

10. Be careful when using your ATM to withdraw cash. A device called a skimmer can be installed on the outside of the ATM matching the case and trim of the ATM. When you use the ATM the device captures the information from your magnetic strip on your ATM card and camera captures your PIN while you enter it.

11. Never comment on your plans for leaving or going on vacation on social networking sites. Potential criminals can watch this and know when to break into your home.

Network Neutrality

Many of my students have difficulty with the concept of Network Neutrality when it is introduced in one of my classes or heard on the daily news. If you hear it on the news please be aware that it is a very important topic and should not be ignored. The tendency is to answer the question about what it is with a one or two sentence answer which is simply not possible and results in a poor or 0 grade or not understanding the concept. The next attempt is at copying the definition straight out of Wikipedia or another on line resource which is not only plagiarism but is only a copy of one or two sentences which still leaves the answer incorrect and the understanding at best incomplete.
Complicating matters further Network Neutrality (NN) continues to change and evolve. In today’s news, for example, National Public Radio (NPR) announced a story on NN with a slant on wireless broadband, titled “Wireless Firms Count on the Future of the Internet” which can be found at http://www.npr.org/2010/11/17/131378404/big-business-exerts-more-control-on-wireless-industry.
There has been a lot of interest, of late, on how the Internet is evolving from wired to wireless and the use of portable devices to effect this change. There is also the misconception, out there, that wireless access, vis a vis 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi is of limitless bandwidth when in fact it is not. It is certainly of less bandwidth than the state of the art wired technique, fiber optics, which is presently limited to about one terra bit per second (Tbps) or one trillion bits of data per second. Practical bandwidths for fiber optics, especially for residential access are much lower than that and are more around 45 Mbps equivalent to the optical transmission hierarchy rate of optical carrier 1 (OC-1.)
So it is likely, that for a long time the Internet will be a wired and wireless hybrid with wireless methods feeding into wired backbones. In order to ensure NN all of the players in this transmission will need to meet the rules of NN and an enforceable methodology will need to be put in place.
Add to this the current evolution of TV from cable or satellite to the Internet with such services as Netflix streaming, Roku, Hulu Plus, and others and you get an idea of how complex and difficult this topic can be.
In order to understand NN you need to know who the players are. The primary players today will not necessarily be the primary players of tomorrow. For example, wireless broadband will become an ever increasing part if not all of the last mile access methods which now include DSL, Cable TV, Ku band Satellite, and Wimax. In the Tampa area, Wimax will be offered primarily by Clearwire and resold by T-mobile and others.
Also, in today’s news at http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/11/net-neutrality-groups-push-fcc/comment-page-1/ an interview with the FCC chairman explains how he will have a more difficult time keeping the administrations campaign promise of a fair and open Internet due to the GOP taking the position that nothing needs to be done and that less government is better. This of course helps the large corporations that are Internet Service Providers (ISP.) It is up to each and every one of you to be aware of this issue and help keep the Internet open and fair for all players.
Consider this information about an incoming republican who seeks to curb the FCC’s powers “The FCC’s regulatory compass must be broken as they continue in their unrelenting pursuit to impose so-called network neutrality regulations, regardless of whether the agency has the legal authority for such a blind power grab, and whether such regulations will actually undermine the FCC’s ability to achieve the goals of the National Broadband plan,” Upton wrote. “The FCC must stand down from pursuing a course unauthorized and opposed by Congress.”
Since 1989, Upton has received $93,600 from AT&T — his second largest career campaign contributor — $51,500 from Comcast, and $47,550 from Verizon, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. From http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/11/net-neutrality-groups-push-fcc/comment-page-1/

Lightning Time of Year

Here in Florida as well as in other areas of the country summer time means the beginning of lightning season. Lightning is the bane of all electronic devices. Lightning can strike some distance away and still cause damage to your electronic equipment unless you have taken steps to protect it. This electronic equipment includes your computer and all devices attached to it including your DSL modem, router, switch, printer, scanner etc. as well as other microprocessor based electronic equipment. This equipment includes LCD or LED TV's, music players, DVD players, and DVR's (Digital Video Recorders.)

One of the best ways of protecting everthing from your computer to your flat screen TV is with a small UPS (Uniterruptible Power Supply) such as this one: APC Back-UPS ES 8 Outlet 550VA 120V. This small UPS will protect your equipment much more than a surge protector. For example the UPS works by taking AC from your wall outlet (where the lightning comes in) converting it to DC and then using the DC to charge a battery. The battery is then used to power an inverter which converts the DC back to AC for output to your electronic device. In the process of doing this on a continuous basis the electricity is filtered through the battery on a continuous basis. This eliminates any dangerous electronic spikes caused by lightning no matter how fast they are.

UPS units have traditionally been used to provide back up power so that a device such as a computer can be shut down in an orderly manner when the power goes out and before the UPS battery runs out of juice. However,the UPS should be considered as more protection for transient spikes of electricity and brown out protection
than for back up power. This is especially true when the UPS is small and inexpensive and does not provide much back up time.

In the case of a surge protector like this:Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord there is a small amount of time while the surge protector switches off or limits the power to protect your device. During this time your device could be damaged because lightning is.. well lightning fast and may get into your device while this switching is occuring. In addition, something may occur called a brown out during other times of the day when there is an unexpected large demand on the electrical grid causing a shortage in voltage. This results in your device trying to operate at a lower voltage and drawing too much current. This could also fry your device and is prevented by using a UPS.

So, it's worth it to spend $50 for a small UPS rather than $25 for a surge protector. And if that weren't enough you will also be able to continue using your device during short outages such as when power is being rerouted after a transformer has been struck. The power may only be out a few seconds but meanwhile you may have to reboot your computer, reacquire a satellite signal, or otherwise wait while your equipment powers up. With a small UPS you will keep running while everthing else in your house powers down and back up again.

A small $50 UPS may only be able to keep your equipment powered up for a few minutes in a power outage but that may be enough to prevent a lot of inconvenience. Add to that the additional power spike and brown out protection over a surge protector and you've got a case for spending the $50. Remember, you have to buy one of these for everthing that you want to protect inlcuding your large screen HD TV. These are computer processor based devices and can be fried by lighting just as your computer can. And do not forget to plug your DSL modem, router, and or switch into the same UPS your PC is plugged into to proved them protection as well.

Other considerations for lightning protection include fiber optics and wireless both which still rely on conventional power sources and outdoor equipment that are also sources of lightning damage. For example, you may use an outdoor satellite antenna for wireless reception of TV. This antenna is susceptable to being struck by lightning and subsequent transmittal into the home of the high voltage spike that could damage your new HD TV. Be sure the outdoor antenna is properly grounded. It must be tied to a moist earth ground. When mine was installed they attached it to the hose bib on the outside of the house which converted to PVC pipe the minute it went inside of the wall. This meant it was not grounded. I removed the ground wire and purchased a ground rod such as thisErico 613840UPC Copper Ground Rod 3/8"x4'. I then made sure I pounded the ground rod into the ground outside the edge of the over hang on the house to be sure it was a moist earth ground. This properly grounded the satellite antenna and helped shunt some ot the lightning to ground before it came into the house. The same would be needed for any outdoor antennas you have.