Looking for a place to store your files online for FREE? In today’s world, we can never have enough space for our files. Music, movies, pictures and even documents take up a lot of space after awhile! This push for more space has lead to companies offering space in the cloud to house your files. In a previous blog, I’ve talked about DropBox, which is a wonderful resource for people seeking cloud storage. Read about it here –> http://upperiowauniversityblogs.org/blog8/?p=88

Another great service has just launched, and it is called Google Drive! Google Drive offers you space to upload 5GB of information. One thing that is very convienient about Google Drive is that it integrates with your Google account. So, if you have Gmail, or use any of Google’s many services, you can use Drive! In fact, the GoogleDocs service is housed inside of GoogleDrive. But no worries, your files from Docs are automatically transfered into your GoogleDrive.

Have I lost you yet? If I have, just look at it this way… GoogleDrive and Dropbox act as your own personal jump drive – your own folder – that is accessable from anywhere in the world. You upload your files at www.drive.google.com and then you can navigate to that webpage from any computer, anywhere, and your files will be there. This is incredibly handy if you travel a lot, or want to share files with friends. There are also mobile apps for Google Drive, although at the moment only the Android app is functional. The iOS version for the iPad and iPhone will be out soon according to Google.

Give it a try today, and check out this video for more information!

Finally… a big congratulations to the Class of 2012! I am excited because next year I will be a part of the class of 2013 as I receive my Masters in Higher Education Administration. Best of luck!

Happy Spring! (sort of). We have fantastic weather this week in Fayette, with record highs into the upper 70s! It’s Iowa though, it will probably be snowing next week! (I hope I’m kidding)

So you’ve probably seen these around lately :

Is this some type of new-age art? No, it’s a QR code. We’re seeing them pop up on TV, billboards and even wedding invitations. What are QR codes?

QR codes are essentially an advanced barcode. A barcode like you see on your cereal box at a supermarket only holds data in a horizontal plane. QR codes on the other hand, encode data both horizontally and vertically in a grid of tiny squares. QR codes were originally used to track auto parts, but now have much broader commercial use. The QR codes are very versatile, as they can be read from any angle, while regular horizontal barcodes must be read at a specific angle. This makes QR codes very easy to use.

So, how can you read QR codes? Typically, they are read by smart phones. All of the major operating systems, iOS, Android and BlackBerry all have apps that utilize your phone’s camera to scan a code. All you do is launch the app, point it at a code, and you achieve your results.

Which brings us to my final question, what can you do with QR codes? They can be used to share information like business cards, send commands to visit websites or even RSVP you for a wedding. In fact, I recently received a wedding invitation that asked me to RSVP by sending them a postcard via snail-mail OR by scanning the QR code. Since my hand-writing is… not very pretty… (ha) I decided to take advantage of the QR code to RSVP. I scanned the code with my Android phone and it directed me to the website to RSVP. I simply filled out my information and was RSVP’d for the wedding! Very simple and instant.

It’s easy to create your own QR code too! If you’ve tried out the one above, it will take you to my about.me site. Visit this website to create your very own QR code. I use mine in my email signature! http://www.qrstuff.com/

Where have you seen QR codes? Leave me a comment. Enjoy the rest of your week, I’m off to watch some March Madness!

Early this month I had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana for work. Our goal was simple, set up computers and networking equipment at our new center at Jackson Barracks. I had never been to New Orleans before, so I was excited to go!

It had been over 7 years since I had flown on an airplane (I need to travel more), so I was looking forward to flying again.  We (Network Admin, Paul and I) took off on a Monday from the Cedar Rapids airport and arrived in Dallas – then finally to New Orleans.

Upon arrival, I was very happy with the weather. It was only 20 degrees in Iowa, but it was well over 60 degrees in New Orleans. It felt great. I considered wearing shorts, although the locals were all bundled up because it was cold for them! I even saw my first palm tree (again, I need to travel more)

Jackson Barracks of course is a military base, so we had to go through security in order to have access to the UIU campus there. After a chat and ID check, we were ready to go meet Miss Vicki (center director, Vicki Melton). Unfortunately, the furniture was not assembled, so my job of setting up computers had to be put on hold. Luckily, this gave us some time to explore New Orleans (or, so we thought). We saw the French Quarter, Bourbon Street and the New Orleans Superdome, where the Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship were going to be hosted while we were there. I should mention, an emphasis should be put on the word SAW. We received a call that the COX cable guy had arrived, so our exploration was cut short. It was time to work.

Our work went smoothly, but we had to wait for furniture and other items to come into place, so it was a long night of work on our last day, but it was still a good time and a successful trip.

 **My apologies, this picture came out very blurry on my phone**

I’m hoping to go back down again soon, to see the sights! Miss Vicki has offered a tour to Paul and me, so we will be back!  Although I didn’t see any gators, and we were short on time – I enjoyed my trip to the “Big Easy!”

As we head into the holidays, I receive quite a few questions regarding ‘what should I buy my techy friend?’ In this post, I will compile your holiday gift guide – for your technology needs. First, I’m sure there are some poor college students reading this blog (trust me, I was there once). You may be looking for something really cheap, yet thoughtful for your friends or family. How about FREE?

Google Docs – FREE

Google Docs is a no-cost solution to your office needs. Microsoft Office is a very common paid software, but how about your show your loved one this FREE alternative solution to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more! Collaboration is simple and you can import your existing documents with no problem. You may be asking, how is this a gift? Well, you can keep a running blog with your family on what you’re doing at school, they can read it and add comments. It’s a great way to keep in touch without actually starting a blog website for ALL to see. You can designate if the documents are private, or if you’d like your family to be able to edit. More on Google Docs later…

Amazon Kindle Fire – $199.99

This tablet is a great way to get the tablet you always wanted, without paying $499 or more for an iPad. It can’t do quite everything that an iPad can, however it is a great starting point. It’s great for web-browsing, reading books and magazines, and also playing games. It’s definitely worth looking into!

iPod nano – $129.00

This iPod is really cool. It’s literally perfect for any music lover in your life. It’s small enough to strap to your arm while you work out, but holds enough music for almost anyone’s music library. It comes in all different types of color too! They even make wrist straps for it, so you can wear it as a watch! Sure, it’s a nerdy watch, but still really cool. Carrying around your music library all day can come in handy!

Amazon Prime Membership – $79.00 membership

Amazon Prime is an amazing deal. I shop at Amazon.com all the time. With an Amazon Prime membership (if you’re a student you get a year FREE!), you get FREE two-day shipping on almost all products, FREE release date delivery on video games, DVDs, and books AND you get unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows! If you live in Iowa (or many other states), you do not get charged tax on any of the items. This means you can order pretty much anything from Ramen noodles to a new television with NO tax, and it is shipped to your door in 2 business days! That is quite the deal. On top of that, they recently added a Netflix-type service to stream movies and TV shows. All of that is included! This would be a great idea for any shopper in your live, and maybe you can help them save money with this too!

Of course, in this season of giving, there are so many items to list, but I’ve listed some of the hot items this year, along with an economical gift idea for those that are short on cash.

Right after break, on January 3^rd, I will be flying down to the new Jackson Barracks location in New Orleans. I’ll base my next blog post on my experience on the military base and I look forward to sharing pictures and thoughts from my trip.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

Wow, it has been a looong time since I’ve blogged! My apologies to my followers! Of course, the start of school is the busiest time of the year for pretty much everyone at UIU, including the I.T. department. We actually reached an all-time record in the amount of tickets that were created in August/September. It was overwhelming at times, but I’m happy to say that now in the middle of October, I think we’ve cleared out the tickets that were created a few months ago at least! Unfortunately, more tickets have some in since then, so we’re still buried deep now.

According to our newsletter that was sent out by the help desk, we still have over 800 service requests or open tickets to respond to or resolve. That is not a small number!

Other than that, I also took on several new responsibilities this fall – presenting at UIU Professional Development Day and adjunct faculty by teaching a Wellness Strategies course! Those two items, coupled with the Master’s program that I am studying made for a lot of late nights (and less blog posts, sorry).

In my next post, I’ll talk a little about Google Docs – which is what my presentation was about this week at UIU professional development day. It was a lot of fun to present, and I’m hoping the people that attended had a good time, and learned something as well!

As August hits, students start moving in here on the Fayette campus! We’re currently really busy in the I.T. department preparing for the first day of class. This means, updating everything to Office 2010, making sure everything is working in the labs and classrooms, and completing requests from faculty as they return to campus. We’re also getting close to hearing lots and lots of questions from the Fayette students, both new and returning. So, I have compiled a list of questions that are usually asked – and answered them of course! Hopefully this guide will help you as you return to UIU this fall!

I forgot my password! This one is simple to fix… contact our Help Center! Their friendly staff will help you reset it so you can log in to the computer, myUIU, or your @peacocks email! Their extension is 5876 or you can reach them by email helpdesk@uiu.edu or online chat at www.uiu.edu/helpcenter They also are on Skype at uiu_it_helpcenter

What ‘techy’ things should I bring along to UIU? A computer is not ‘required,’ but it will definitely help! We do not have any restrictions on what you can use, so feel free to bring a Mac, PC, or Linux machine. No problem!

Is the Internet free at UIU? Yes, wireless internet is available around campus for students via X-wires. Connect to UIUWireless for the student network. Ask the help center or OSD for the password to connect. Then, follow the on-screen instructions. It’s that easy! In the dorms/student housing, you can also connect with a wire via an Ethernet cable, which can be purchased from the UIU Logo Store in the Student Center.

How do I connect my iPad, Xbox, PS3, Wii, etc. to the wireless? Contact X-Wires at 866-989-9473 or support@xwires.net

What software should I buy? Definitely pick up Microsoft Office 2010. It is available at a discounted rate at www.theultimatesteal.com if you use your @peacocks email!

Where can I print? All of our computer labs feature printers that students can use.

Where are the computer labs located, and when are they open? Check out www.uiu.edu/it for the list of labs!

One of the computer lab computers is not working! Contact the help center at extension 5876 or other ways listed on www.uiu.edu/helpcenter

How do I set up my smartphone with UIU email? Contact the help center at extension 5876 or other ways listed on www.uiu.edu/helpcenter

What if my personal computer breaks or gets a virus? The university works closely with Heartlanding, and they are located in the UIU Professional Building to help with your computer problems.

If you have any other questions, feel free to comment below, or you can always contact our Help Center! Have a great school year!

It’s summertime! Along with summer, comes time to purchase a new computer for school, or perhaps a software upgrade. Today, I will provide some links to great deals for new software and equipment!

First, if you’ve been on an Upper Iowa campus, you know that we predominantly use Dell computers. If you are a student, faculty or staff member of UIU, you can check out www.dell.com/uiu for discounted prices on new computers!

As I’ve reported earlier, if you purchase a qualifying PC with Windows 7, you can get yourself a FREE Xbox 360! Can’t beat that! For more information, see your local retailer, or check out www.dell.com/xbox

For the Mac lovers, check out Apple’s education store at www.apple.com . For a limited time, you get a $100 gift card to use in the App Store with the order of an Apple computer. Again, this is for faculty, staff, and students. This is a great deal if you are looking for some software, or some fun apps for your iPad or iPhone. Although, I’m a little disappointed with this offer. They used to offer a FREE iPod with the purchase of a Mac for their back to school promotion! Not this year I guess…

How about some software for your new computer? Check out www.theultimatesteal.com if you are a student and purchase the new Office 2010 suite for only $80. There are other deals on that site for upgrades to Windows 7 as well. Keep in mind that this software is only for the Windows operating system. Faculty and staff should contact me directly if you would like to purchase Office for a discounted rate.

And finally, if you are looking for great prices on pretty much ANY electronic, check out my favorite places to shop online: www.newegg.com or www.amazon.com

Always keep an eye on www.uiu.edu/it for more deals! We are currently starting to upgrade the entire university to Office 2010 - so make sure you stay up to date with us! Students, check out www.theultimatesteal.com to purchase, and staff/faculty should follow the link on www.uiu.edu/it

Hope that points you in the right direction. If you have any questions or would like to know if discounts are available for anything else, please leave a comment!

Now… go spend some money! Have a great weekend!

This may be better served as a tweet, but still a great deal that I wanted to share. Check out this link for more information…

Click Here for Information on Getting a FREE Xbox 360 When You Buy a Windows 7 PC

Apple usually runs a promotion over the summer where you get a free iPod when you buy an Apple. I’ll keep an eye out for that as well.

Here is my first ever video blog – or vlog for short. In this video I show off the new Google Docs App for Android – and specifically show off a really neat picture to text feature. Check it out!

I’ll have a new post coming at you soon! I’ll be talking a little about the new Google Docs app for Android. It’s a video blog, and I should have it posted in the next few days!

In the meantime, it’s almost commencement time – and I encourage you to check out my blog and pictures from the commencement setup last year! We’re busy setting up for commencement this year, and I thought you may be a little bit curious about what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ with IT on commencement day!

Check it out HERE! Be sure to click on the pictures to make them bigger. The quality isn’t the greatest, but you can still see how it all works…

And lastly, congratulations to the class of 2011!