by Felicien | Sep 21, 2018 | Education
Microsoft Office, the software suite that gave us that blueprint for all other word processing software, Word, has gone to the Cloud. Office 365 (O365) offers a cloud-based alternative to the desktop Microsoft Office 2016. There are plans available for limited home or personal use, or professional business use. But the best part is the free educational version: Office 365 for Education.
What Is It?
A collection of the most used Office 365 applications completely free for education employees and students.
Includes:
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
OneNote
Yammer
SharePoint
Who’s Able To Use It?
Anyone with a current affiliation with an educational institution: faculty, staff, and students.
Eligibility
Must be enrolled in or working for a school. Anyone with a school-based email that can receive messages may subscribe for free. Former students or employees may still access a limited functionality version of the app that allows document viewing only.
Below are 28 Reasons To Start Using Office 365 For Education:
Access to a Trusted High-Quality Product
Most widely accepted word processor in use. Easier to teach to students and not much need to teach to educators. It doesn’t need to be “gotten used to.” Getting students familiar with this program prepares them better for college and the workforce later. They will encounter either Microsoft Suite or software that is extremely similar because offices use this software over all others.
Predictable save patterns. Users can set up a specific saving interval, save manually, or select auto-save just for emergencies. Contrast that with Google Docs, which defaults to automatically saving every time typing stops for more than a moment or two. A few errant keystrokes or a fight with a cat, and you’re out of luck.
Saves work in a reliable format even when saving as a PDF. Moving information across apps is easier when they’re all from the same platform too – everything is compatible.
Better spell check than most other paid programs (Microsoft 2016).
Has many options for formatting right in the program itself.
Online free or low-cost templates.
Tracks changes. You can see earlier versions of your document if you need to without using an add-on or extension.
Easy to migrate your files and preferences from your old versions of Office.
Portability
All of the applications on the free version are easily accessed and used from tablets, Chromebooks, and other limited use, low-storage devices commonly purchased by schools. With Office 365 and Office 365 for Education, there’s no clunky installation using up all of the memory on student devices.
Students can use it on their phones.
One TB of storage for each user, with options to purchase more.
Reliability
Microsoft has been in business for decades and has not only consistently improved the usability of its software, but also offers high quality training resources on its website.
User-friendly.
Familiar. Whether you’re aware or not, you have been using this software in many areas. The way that things work in Microsoft Office are the way things work nearly everywhere words appear on a screen. It’s familiar and appealing with intuitive actions.
Cloud Storage
Saves space…literally. Saving to the cloud means less hardware and fewer AC units.
Saves a salary. See above. Let Microsoft handle tech inquiries and storage issues while your edtech team focuses on training and troubleshooting.
Limited functionality setting for former students and employees allows for document viewing. Everything is stored on the cloud and therefore accessible wherever – even after a student graduates.
Automatic upgrades! But without imaging, inserting disks, or resetting your computer to accept changes, because with O365 you are never installing anything. When the time comes to upgrade, this is done automatically and there doesn’t need to be a whole technology roll-out from IT. It’s just done.
Ultimate portability – finally a trusted product that can be accessed for free from any internet-ready computer. Just add an internet connection. And a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or some device that’s not even on the market yet, like VR Slime 3D!
Sign up your school and add new users.
Free, helpful training and information program. Promotional kits get the word out and training videos online get everyone using the app to its fullest potential.
Option to upgrade for some or all by just using the paid version of Microsoft 365. Staff and maybe a computer lab available for students to use when the full Office Suite is required. For instance, maybe you have the free version for most of the school’s users, with special lab access for the paid versions. In the rare instance that a subject requires the full suite, it’s much easier to pay for a handful of licenses for one year or so to cover that class or office, rather than to install a paid program that is primarily used only for word processing anyway, on every computer in the school.
Scalability
It takes only minutes to sign someone up as a new user as opposed to installing the program every time someone needs it or automatically installing Office 2016 on a bunch of computers whether or not someone uses it (a clear waste of resources).
Cloud still saves documents and projects as view or read only after an employee or student leaves the school.
Training And Advertisement
Free Promotional Kits are available to educators who have signed up their schools for O365 so you can get the word out about the new software and its features!
Collaboration. Applications such as Yammer and Sharepoint give teams a way to share work and communicate more effectively than email.
Microsoft Office for Educators Page. Such a helpful, cool resource. Offers tons of video tutorials and other training materials, as well as opportunities to share with other educators what you’re doing in your classroom.
Interoperability Even With BYOD
Microsoft Office is now available on the Mac and other Apple products! So even the occasional square Macintosh peg in a round Microsoft hole can communicate with others. Great for BYOT schools who run into interoperability issues.
Just Try It Out – It’s Free!
Now that Office 365 for Educators is available for free, there is no longer a compelling reason to waste money or waste digital and literal space. Try it on a limited basis at first to see if the program will work for you. It’s not a trial, so there’s no pressure to make a decision right away. If you feel that you need more than the limited version offers, purchase a plan that suits your needs and use the free version for instances where the comprehensive suite isn’t needed. It’s probably one of the easiest EdTech decisions you’ll make this year.
Available Applications On O365 vs. O365 For Education
Office 365 (O365) Paid Version
Office 365 For Education
Cloud Based (non-desktop) version of the most recent Microsoft Office Suite
Free version of Office 365. Also in the cloud (not for the desktop). Has fewer features than O365 but is free to eligible members of the educational community.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
PowerPoint
OneNote
Outlook
SharePoint
Exchange Online
OneDrive
Publisher
Microsoft Access
Skype for Business
InfoPath
Microsoft Teams
Paid Subscription (Various Plans available; increased/unlimited storage begins after five paid subscriptions)
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
OneNote
Yammer
SharePoint
by Felicien | Sep 21, 2018 | Education
As more advanced technology continues to work its way into the daily activities in many law offices, it becomes increasingly important that lawyers keep up. Larger digital files, more complex platforms, along with a need to stay in communication mean that newer phones with improved functions are a must. Fortunately, Apple remains on the frontlines of digital innovation.
With frequent updates, many attorneys may wonder how important it is to upgrade to a newer model. As client demand for modern techniques rises, it is beneficial for contemporary offices to take note. The iPhone XS and XS Max offer many features that would be helpful to lawyers in large firms or small practices. From a larger display to larger storage, here are a few of the ways in which the most recent generation of iPhone can improve your legal practice.
Why Would a Larger Display Be Beneficial?
Larger displays provide an improved experience when reading important legal documents. More information is visible at the same time while the content is also enlarged for easier viewing.
The iPhone XS has the same screen dimensions as the iPhone X, which was the largest available at its inception. The difference is in the size of the phone’s body. The XS has a considerably smaller bezel than previous versions.
However, the XS Max is the same size as the iPhone X. With the same screen to body ratio as the XS, the iPhone XS Max has the largest screen to date. It is 6.5-inches and features the highest resolution at 2688 x 1242 pixels.
What Impact Will the Changes in Battery Life and Charging Have?
With such a busy schedule, most attorneys and legal support staff prefer not to be tied via phone cord to a power outlet. Fortunately, the iPhone XS and XS Max offer up to 20 hours of talk time and between 12 and 13.5 hours of Internet use. This is 30 minutes over that provided by the iPhone X for the XS and 90 for the XS Max. In fact, Apple is referring to the battery as the “biggest battery yet in an iPhone.”
Also convenient are the charging options. They can be wirelessly charged on a Qi charging pad. Additionally, they are compatible with accessories that are able to charge the devices up to 50-percent in about 30 minutes.
How Will the New Processor Be an Improvement Over Earlier Options?
Both the iPhone XS and XS Max feature what are likely the first 7-nanometer chips included in a smartphone. Called the A12 Bionic, it is Apple’s next generation of processor.
The 15-percent speed increase over A11 is provided by two high-performance central processing unit (CPU) cores. A 50-percent improvement in energy efficiency is obtained from the four low-power CPU cores. Additionally, the graphics performance is improved by 50-percent due to the four graphics processing unit (GPU) cores.
How Would the Increased Memory Help a Lawyer?
One of the primary perks that would benefit attorneys would be the enormous increase in internal storage space that iPhone XS and XS Max provide. The iPhone X had what was considered a respectful amount at 64 GB. iPhone XS and XS Max are both offered with internal storage amounts of 64 GB, 256 GB, and a whopping 512 GB.
As technology continues to increasingly be used in the legal field, associates require larger storage space in smartphones. This enables them to stay connected and work via digital platforms virtually anywhere. It allows them to get more work done while still spending less time in the office.
What Is the Benefit of an Improved Camera and Security?
The iPhone XS and XS Max boast revolutionary “High dynamic Range” (HDR) imaging. This technology uses multiple images to create a more detailed photograph than older models had the capacity for. They also feature the following:
Dual-rear camera system
12 mega-pixels
Telephoto capability
Wide-angle capability
Optical image stabilization
The video capabilities include an extended dynamic range, as well as stereo recording. These would be beneficial for recording interviews of clients and witnesses.
Additionally, Apple’s TrueDepth Camera System ensures that unlocking the phone will be faster and more consistent than previous versions. Its improved algorithm means that the XS and XS Max are also more secure. Using a faster and safer device keeps digital information at a lawyer’s fingertips without fear of a security breach.
In Conclusion
With a starting price of $999 and $1,099 respectively, the iPhone XS and XS Max have pre-order dates in September 2018. They are available in the colors of silver, gold, and space-grey. This generation of smartphones has a frame made from “surgical-grade” stainless steel and improved water-resistance. Therefore, one might consider that this is the last phone he or she will ever need, but that is just not how the technology works. For busy attorneys, these phones do provide better storage and faster access to apps.
by Felicien | Sep 20, 2018 | Education
Profile – Viewing – Searching
We get questions from our clients about using LinkedIn all the time. And we get so many that we’ve been keeping track of some of the most commonly asked ones. We’ve posted three of them here with detailed answers for you.
1. “Is There A Way To Change How My Profile Is Viewed?”
Sometimes you want to change the way your profile is viewed. Perhaps you’re looking for a new job, or you’ve just gotten one.
Or, maybe you’re working a second job and you don’t want your boss to see this. With changes in your business life, you want to keep track of what’s important to post on LinkedIn.
Here’s how to change or update how people see you on LinkedIn.
Click Me
Click Settings & Privacy
This is what you’ll see…
Click the Privacy Tab.
LinkedIn will give you half a dozen options to change your privacy settings for changing who can see what information about you.
Notes:
After you change or disable your profile public, it may take several weeks for it to be added to or removed from search engine results.
If you edit the settings of your profile photo from your profile page, then your public profile page will be updated with the new setting. For example: if you change your profile photo visibility setting from Public to Your Connections, that change will be applied to your public profile as well, and your photo will no longer appear as part of your public profile. Likewise, you can update your photo visibility settings while you’re editing your public profile page (or by disabling your public profile). Before these settings were unified, some members entered into inconsistent photo visibility states (e.g., their photo is visible in a public profile in search engine results, but is not visible to most members on LinkedIn), and those members are being prompted to reconcile their settings.
The default photo setting is Public.
Not all sections of your profile can be displayed publicly. On the Public profile settings page, you’ll be able to see and adjust the sections of your profile that can be displayed publicly. Viewers who aren’t signed in to LinkedIn will see all or some portions of the profile display selections you make on this page.
2. “How Do I View My Post Statistics In LinkedIn?”
If you’ve ever posted an article or video to LinkedIn, you can see specific demographics about your readers. To see this stats, just like you did above, click on Me and View Profile.
Now, scroll down until you see this Dashboard section. Click on Post views.
≈
Next, click on the Posts tab.
Now,, scroll down to one of your articles. On the lower left click the view counter next to the line graph icon.
LinkedIn will provide you details of who viewed your article. The stats are broken down by company, title and location.
Notes:
Your post analytics are available for 60 days from creation.
Your article analytics are available for 2 years from creation.
Your posts and articles will display a detailed breakdown of the analytics only when they have been viewed by 10 or more unique viewers. Once your post or article has reached the minimum number of unique viewers, your analytics button will appear.
The analytics breakdown displays non-unique views.
3. “How Do I Use Boolean Search Terms In LinkedIn?”
LinkedIn provides powerful search capabilities. It can take a while to efficiently use the power of people search. But it’s worth taking the time to learn.
LinkedIn gives you the option to use Boolean Search Terms to perform more specific searches. You can do this by adding or eliminating elements to the search parameters.
(Boolean logic is a system of showing relationships between sets by using the words AND, OR, and NOT. The term Boolean comes from the name of the man who invented this system, George Boole.)
Boolean Operators are used to connect and define the relationship between your search terms. When searching electronic databases, you can use Boolean operators to either narrow or broaden your record sets. The three Boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT.
Here are some examples of Boolean search strings:
infographics AND presentations
copyediting OR copy editor
Google NOT Salesforce
Let’s say you wanted to find someone who is an expert in presentation design. You should use this as a key term in your search.
When you do, your search results will come up with anyone who has the words presentation and design in their profile even if the two words are located separately in their LinkedIn profile.
But by adding quotes around “presentation design” LinkedIn will only list those people with the two words together in their profile.
If you wanted to find someone with expertise in both infographics and presentation design, you would do a Boolean Search like this:
“infographics” AND “presentation design”.
By adding the AND qualifier, you’ve combined the two terms for your search ensuring that you receive more relative results.
Other Boolean Search Parameters you can use for more effective results:
“OR” to broaden your search to include profiles that include one or more terms.
For example:
“Microsoft” OR “LinkedIn”. “Vice President” OR VP OR “V.P” OR SVP OR EVP
Parenthetical Searches
If you’d like to perform a complex search, you can combine terms and modifiers and use parentheses. For example:
design AND (graphic OR presentation)
(copyediting OR copy editor)
Notes:
When handling searches, the overall order to precedence is:
Quotes [“”]
Parentheses [()]
NOT
AND
OR
Important:
The + and – operators are not officially supported by LinkedIn. Using AND in place of + and NOT in place of – makes a query much easier to read and guarantees that we’ll handle the search correctly.
When using NOT, AND, or OR operators, you must type them in uppercase letters.
We don’t support wildcard “*” searches.
Boolean search will work in the keyword field in Recruiter and Linkedin.com, and will work in the Company, title, and keyword field in Sales Navigator.
“NOT” Parameters
If you’d like to do a search to exclude a particular term, use the term with an uppercase NOT with quotes around it. Your search results will include any profile containing that term. This term can’t be used alone. But in conjunction with other terms NOT will exclude people from your search who have that term in their profile
For example:
VP NOT director
(Google OR Salesforce) NOT LinkedIn
That’s it! Three tips you can use to improve your overall skills in LinkedIn.
by Felicien | Sep 20, 2018 | Education
First, let’s get something straight: CIPA compliance is a prerequisite for receiving E-Rate funding discounts to pay for communications services like internet connections and (for now) Voice Services. If you are not asking for E-Rate, then CIPA does not apply to you. Period.
The reason for this is that it is a violation of First Amendment rights to mandate filtering of online materials across the board wherever a minor under the age of 17 may be using the internet at a public institution. Proponents of CIPA had tried and failed to pass similar legislation due to the potential restrictions on free speech. Linking the Children’s Internet Protection Act to funding eligibility frees the Act to set requirements that are otherwise unconstitutional.
CIPA Doesn’t Apply To These Situations And Institutions Either
Telecommunications for Schools and Libraries do not have to be compliant. In this case, the definition of a “minor” is a person under the age of 17. Additionally, as of 2012, public libraries do not need to follow CIPA guidelines, as doing so poses a threat to the free exercise of First Amendment rights by majority age internet users.
E-Rate
E-Rate discounts can be between 20-90% off of services and products related to using and maintaining internet services. The Universal Services Agency Company (USAC) processes all E-Rate requests and submissions. Their website outlines how and when to apply, as well as providing a training schedule for applicants and service providers.
Every year the FCC’s Eligible Services List is updated and available before the Form 471 filing window opens.
Keep checking the USAC.org website or sign up for updates in order to stay in the loop!
USAC
The Universal Service Administrative Company has been contracted by the FCC to manage all E-Rate Applications. School or library Administrative Authorities certify their institution’s enforcement of an internet safety policy that includes mechanisms that block or filter internet access to objectionable materials.
Administrative Authority Responsibilities:
1) Ensure compliance with the requirements of CIPA;
2) Certify actions undertaken in order to bring the school or library into compliance. For example, any necessary procurement procedures to comply with the requirements of CIPA; or
3) Waive CIPA requirements as the authority has determined that CIPA does not apply because the school is receiving discounts for telecommunications services only.
CIPA Requirements (excerpted from the application section of usac.org)
1. Internet Safety Policy
Schools and libraries are required to adopt and enforce an internet safety policy that includes a technology protection measure that protects against access by adults and minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or – with respect to use of computers with internet access by minors – harmful to minors. “Minor” is defined as any individual who is under the age of 17.
2. Technology Protection Measure
A technology protection measure is a specific technology that blocks or filters internet access.
The school or library must enforce the operation of the technology protection measure during the use of its computers with Internet access, although an administrator, supervisor, or other person authorized by the authority with responsibility for administration of the school or library may disable the technology protection measure during use by an adult to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. For example, a library that uses internet filtering software can set up a process for disabling that software upon request of an adult user through use of a sign-in page where an adult user can affirm that he or she intends to use the computer for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.
CIPA uses the federal criminal definitions for obscenity and child pornography.
Decisions about what matter is inappropriate for minors are made by the local community. E-rate Program rules specify that “[a] determination regarding matter inappropriate for minors shall be made by the school board, local educational agency, library, or other authority responsible for making the determination.”
3. Public Notice and Hearing or Meeting
The authority with responsibility for administration of the school or library must provide reasonable public notice and hold at least one public hearing or meeting to address a proposed technology protection measure and Internet safety policy. For private schools, public notice means notice to their appropriate constituent group.
Additional meetings are not necessary – even if the policy is amended – unless those meetings are required by state or local rules or the policy itself.
Definitions
Harmful to minors: Defined as “any picture, image, graphic image file, or other visual depiction that – (i) taken as a whole and with respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion; (ii) depicts, describes, or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition of the genitals; and (iii) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors.”
Administrative Authority: The entity that must make the relevant certification for the purposes of CIPA.
Potential School Administrative Authorities
school board
school district
local educational agency
other authority responsible for athe dministration of a school
Potential Library Administrative Authorities
library
library board
other authority with responsibility for administration of the library
New For 2019
As of FY2019, Voice Services will no longer be eligible. That means any voice service, including VoIP, voicemail, and hard lines.
While the CIPA requirements make intuitive sense, the E-Rate process requires attention to detail. Applicants and service providers must wade hip-deep in bureaucratic alphabet soup. The reading is dull while at times being confusing. Consider hiring a temporary worker or contractor, or temporarily re-assigning a staff-person to the task in that first funding year at least. While the potential to get 90% off of services is clearly worth it, the amount of time and effort requires planning.
by Felicien | Sep 20, 2018 | Education
A compromised endpoint gives hackers everything they need to get a foothold in your security network. Once there, they can steal data and potentially hold it for ransom. That’s why it’s so important for business owners to secure their critical endpoints (including desktops, servers, and laptops). Otherwise, you could be leaving the front door wide open to hackers.
Today’s attackers have learned how to bypass traditional antivirus software by using file-less attacks. These types of attacks can hide within sanctioned applications or even within the operating system. Even if you’re vigilant about installing antivirus updates and patching, your organization may still be at risk.
What Are Endpoints?
Endpoints in networks are computer hardware items within the TCP/IP connections, which may include desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablet devices, printers, meters, terminals, smartphones and mobile devices, clients, and other forms of hardware.
Endpoint protection (EPP) has evolved to encompass code-based hacking, but the approach is often not adopted as organizations chose to use a legacy solution due to convenience or a lack of sufficient familiarity. Online sources including MSSP report this is common, but improvements in EPP will lead to more mainstream adoption. Meanwhile, current users may find that their existing network and operational variables demand some kind of improvement.
What Should I Know About Current Endpoint Security Risks?
One sign of a demand for improvement is continuing to use an antivirus program operating on a signature base. This form of technology is considered to be too slow to keep up with so-called ‘zero day attacks,’ or malware programs that are integrated with other coding. Users should expect potential vulnerability with such programming, and devices that are not updated daily are considered vulnerable to ongoing malware threats. Additionally, signature sets (lists of operational protocol) can become so large that they run into the limit issue, leading legacy vendors to drop them, which creates a demand for new solutions that do not use signatures.
Another potential reason you may need to address your EPP is the increase in ‘ransomware’ attacks. Ransomware, hacks designed to block user access until funds are provided to the hacker, has become increasingly destructive in the past few years. All it takes is one careless user who clicks on a link in an email, and your entire database could be locked until the ransom is paid.
Demands for improved management of antivirus software and continuing to use on-site antivirus management servers may also be grounds for improving EPP. You should be able to manage your entire antivirus system from your cloud, and if you cannot, you should consider updating and improving your system. Meanwhile, however, you should take care to ensure that any increased internet connectivity involved with a system improvement does not involve increased vulnerability. If you are able to manage your antivirus system from your cloud, but it does not seem to be sufficiently organized or efficient, you may benefit from substantial restructuring.
Other practical reasons for investment in End Point Protection integrations or improvements include a developed distrust of your current system. Directly targeting EPP can be more efficient and effective.
If you are still doing regular background scans, or your new machines seem slower than you think they should be, you may want to consider improving your EPP. The newer generations of antiviral protection do not require background scanning. Traditional processes for security may be insufficient in addressing the range of possible endpoint attacks.
What is Current In Research And Development?
Many software and strategy developments have taken place to address relevant needs. Amid a range of scholarly and professional research efforts, several patents have been developed in an attempt to optimize a range of relevant security functions and features.
A patent for automated configuration has been developed to optimize efficiency, using a client security application for an EPP system capable of selecting configuration based on the state of the network. The application can then be used to run security processes managed through the configuration.
Another patent has been developed for scalable cloud-based EPP, which allows users to maintain security policies based on endpoint combinations. Configuration and command information is entered and transmitted with an API server. The endpoint then maintains communication with it in ongoing security processes.
Another recent patent has been designed for relevant structures, processes, and operational systems for End Point Protection. Examples of content in this patent include an execution system based on inputs passed to execution only following a separate validation process, and a security structure based on multiple processors and communication channels.
Such developments are expected to become increasingly available and integrated in improved software and technologies over time.
What’s The Bottom Line?
EPP improvements may be demanded for many essential reasons
Many additional indirectly relevant factors are also important to consider
Recent developments show potential for further improvements
