Did you know that SMU has its own wiki system that allows you to view and edit pages much like on Wikipedia? Find out more about how this system works and how to use it for your own needs in this installment of the OIT Quick Tip!
Category: Tech Tips
Making PDF Files Accessible Starter Kit
While you may already know how to make PDF files in a jiffy, have you ever wondered if your documents were easily readable by those who use assistive technologies with their devices? Be it a software screen reader, a braille interpreter, or some other system, it is important to keep these in mind when creating a PDF. In this video tutorial, you will learn how to get started with Adobe Acrobat’s built-in accessibility settings that can quickly make your new and existing documents readable to as many people as possible. Continue reading Making PDF Files Accessible Starter Kit
Quick Tip: The IT Help Desk Knowledgebase
In this installment of the OIT Quick Tip, learn about the new IT Knowledgebase that can help solve your technical issues using real-world IT Help Desk know how.
The end to 32-bit macOS software is coming
After updating your Mac to macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, you may have noticed a new alert when launching older apps. When you launch one of these 32-bit applications, your system will warn you that it is “not optimized” for macOS. If you click Okay, the application will continue to run as normal – for now – but there might be issues in the future. Continue reading The end to 32-bit macOS software is coming
Windows Tip: Set Your Favorite Folders to Sync to Box
Box is a great way to save, share, and collaborate on your files. There are all kinds of uses for this cloud storage platform, and our very own Chad Madding with our Client Systems team has a great method for syncing your commonly used folders (like My Documents, My Pictures, etc) to your Box account automatically. This trick uses Box’s “Box Sync” software, and can allow you to access your office computer’s files anywhere using Box. Continue reading Windows Tip: Set Your Favorite Folders to Sync to Box
Over 500 Art eBooks from The Met Available for Free
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or The Met, has released over 500 of their art books available for personal use. MetPublications is a gateway to The Met’s extensive publishing arm that includes over 1,500 titles of books, online publications, and Bulletins and Journals from the last five decades. A third of these titles in the ‘MetPublications’ collection are available to read, download, and browse for free. Students can download PDF versions of publications comprising of art history books, educator guides, collected papers, catalogs, and even many out-of-print books spanning five decades of the collection. Continue reading Over 500 Art eBooks from The Met Available for Free
Recent LANDesk Reboots: Why They Happened
In December, the clients for LANDesk, our inventory agent and software deployment tool, were updated on SMU-owned computers to enhance security by allowing for more consistent and automated reboots to handle software patches and system updates.
This new process has provided a significant increase in the number of SMU computers up to date on their security patches. However, many folks became irritated, and understandably so, when their computer kept asking them to restart multiple times. In this post, we will demystify why these restarts occur and how you can prevent them from interrupting your workflow in the future.
Important notice about the recent increase in phishing attempts
Over the past several weeks, there has been a significant increase in phishing attempts targeting SMU email addresses. In many of these cases, the messages masquerade as important documents requiring your attention either via Concur, DocuSign, or Adobe. Before you click on the link or open the attachment, here are some recommendations to help determine if the email is legitimate or a phishing attempt: Continue reading Important notice about the recent increase in phishing attempts
Quick Tip: Installing Software with LANDesk
Did you know that you can install software on your SMU computers using a quick and easy self-service portal? You can! In this first video in our new ongoing OIT Quick Tips series, I show you how to use LANDesk to install software quickly.
Computer reboot required following LANDesk client update
During the month of December, LANDesk clients for all SMU computers were updated to allow for more consistent and automated reboots with a focus on enhancing security. As people returned to work in January, they have found many updates awaiting them requiring sometimes multiple reboots. This is to be expected. Continue reading Computer reboot required following LANDesk client update