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 The CTSI Tech Times
Monthly Updates from Your Trusted Technology Partner November, 2010 - Vol 2, Issue 11
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| Upcoming Area Events |
11/2/10 - Cake Decorating, Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center
11/5/10 - Roger Creager, Wild West
11/5/10 - 2010 Fall All Media Exhibition Opening, Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center
11/5/10 - First Friday Art Trail, Texas Tech Museum
11/6/10 - CTSI Tailgate at the Texas Tech vs. Missouri Football Game
11/6/10 - 2nd Annual Christian Music Festival, Buffalo Springs Lake
11/7/10 - Day Light Savings Time, Fall Back 1 Hour
11/12/10 - Texas Tech vs. Louisiana-Monroe Men's Basketball
11/18/10 - Holiday Happening 2010, Lubbock Civic Center
11/19/10 - Texas Tech vs. Stephen F. Austin Men's Basketball
11/19/10 - Randy Rogers, Lonestar Events Center
11/20/10 - Texas Tech vs. Weber State Football Game
11/20/10 - Clean Comedy for a Cause, The Watson Building
11/21/10 - Texas Tech vs. Liberty Men's Basketball
11/23/10 - Texas Tech vs. Georgia Southern Men's Basketball
11/25/10 - Thanksgiving
11/25/10 - CTSI Offices CLOSED
11/26/10 - CTSI Offices CLOSED
11/27/10 - Texas Tech vs. Houston Football Game
11/30/10 - Texas Tech vs. Oral Roberts Men's Basketball
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| Milestones |
11/2/10 - Kyle Levy celebrates 1 year with CTSI.
11/10/10 - Donna Beavers marks 20 years with CTSI.
11/17/10 - Bobby Cude has been with CTSI for 2 years.
11/20/10 - Helen Burns has been part of the CTSI team for 10 years.
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| Symantec Best Practices |
To avoid malicious applications, Symantec recommends these Best Practices:
* Only click through to trusted sources when searching on popular news items
* Never update "media player", "codec", or "Flash" when promoted by site hosting videos or not affiliated with that application
* Do not use Peer to Peer (P2P) on business machines, and be cautious on home machines
* Do not click on links or attachments in email unless it's from a trusted source and you expect to receive it.
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| From David's Desk... |
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Open Source Software Explained
Open Source Software (OSS) is computer software that is available in source code form, at no cost. The source code (and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders) is provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, and improve the software. In other words, software is available for free, and can be modified to suit the purposes of anyone who downloads the software and attempts to change it.
The positives of OSS are numerous. First and foremost is the exchange of ideas. With OSS, users are allowed to see and add on to the work of others. This increases the likelihood that improvements are made to the software. And the idea sharing creates opportunities for more flexible and quicker innovation. Additionally, OSS saves consumers money. A report from April 2008 indicates that OSS results in an estimated savings of $60 billion per year to consumers. A few examples of successful open source creations in use today are Mozilla Firefox and Linux.
There are also a few negatives to OSS. Due to the complexity of software programming, users may face issues. For example, making changes to open source software gives way to the possibility that an inexperienced user could corrupt their entire system. Also, because of the accessibility of OSS, hackers can discover the weaknesses more easily than in closed source software. Furthermore, with OSS you do not get Service Level Agreements, warranties, or other assurances you receive with paid software.
With open source software, or any experimental technology, CTSI's recommendation is to exercise caution. Aside from the obvious pitfalls of crashing a workstation and OSS' attention from hackers; the down time from any interruption to the working status of a single user or an entire network can be quite a strain in today's business climate. The idea behind Open Source Software fosters innovation and learning in the technology sector. If you have any questions regarding Open Source Software, feel free to contact me or a member of our Application Development Department for their recommendations.
Until next time,
David D. Baucum
President & CEO, CTSI
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| Gadget Gifts for the Holidays |
|
Ultimate Ears 350
Created by Logitech, these noise-isolating headphones make a great gift for anyone who loves a good beat. With extra bass tuned in, these headphones offer the ultimate listening experience for a reasonable price.
Sony Bravia 3D TV
The 3D, 1080p LED television comes equipped with Wi-Fi and ranges in size from 60 inches to 46 inches, enough to make any movie enthusiast go gaga.
Logitech Revue (Google TV)
 This little black device connects the internet to your TV, allowing users to stream movies, television shows and more from their favorite Web sites such as YouTube and Hulu. Sports fans will love it because you can check your fantasy stats online, while still watching the game using the picture-in-picture function.
Microsoft Kinect
 Gaming evolution has come a long way since Atari's joystick. Kinect is a controller-less experience that tracks your actual skeletal movement allowing you to play video games without a handheld controller. Available only to Xbox 360 users, gamers will love to give this new experience a try.
Nikon Coolpix S1100pj
For the shutterbug, this newly-released camera comes equipped with a built-in projector, allowing for immediate and impromptu slideshows.
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Tips of the Month - Pop Ups
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Advertisers are constantly looking for any way to draw attention to their products. Although typical banner ads are still used heavily, they now seem to be almost invisible to the average web surfer. Pop ups and other intrusive types of advertising are now used to thrust an ad in your face that you have no choice but to at least acknowledge. Regardless of the nature of the ad, pop ups are a nuisance, and there are now many options available for keeping them off of your computer screen all together.
Internet Explorer on Windows XP with Service Pack 2
The pop up blocker is integrated into the browser and can be customized by browsing to the "Tools" tab at the top of the program. Like many pop up blocker applications, personal preferences can be set to allow/block pop ups from certain sites, as well as providing customization for how the user is alerted to the fact that a pop up has been blocked.
Alternative Web Browsers
There are other choices for web browsers available, and many include a pop up blocker. For example: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
Browser Tool Bars
A growing trend is for websites to offer a downloadable toolbar for use with Internet Explorer. Many of these toolbars offer unique features intended to enhance the user's web browsing experience in different ways, but they generally also include a pop up blocker. Although there are toolbars available from dozens of websites, Google, MSN, and Yahoo are some of the more reputable names with one available. The installation of these toolbars is quick and easy, and the most difficult part may be reading the fine print in the license agreements. Although these toolbars may do an excellent job blocking pop ups, they may also be retrieving data on your web surfing / search habits. If you feel a toolbar may be the right solution for you, stick with one from a trusted name, and just be sure to read the fine print.
Pop Up Blocker Software
Stand alone pop up blocking software is available from dozens, if not hundreds, of different sources. With various interfaces, and prices ranging from free to $30 (and higher), choosing one can be a difficult task. Many of the programs that are not available for free do come with a free trial download, so you can at least get a sense of whether the program is right for you before committing.Although they are generally not resource intensive, why run a program to do something that can be handled by one that is already running anyway? Additionally, with so many reliable solutions available to eliminate pop ups for free, spending money on one is hard to justify. Along with a dedicated pop up blocker, another recommended tact for eliminating pop-ups is eliminating spyware on your computer system. Some pop-up programs use accompanying spyware to target pop ups specifically to you and your web surfing habits.
Internet Access Software from Select ISPs
Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) now incorporate a pop up blocker with the software they provide to subscribers for accessing the internet. Bundling this functionality with the ISPs base software definitely makes things easy for the subscriber, as there may be no need to find one elsewhere. In general, these blockers are effective, but are not the most feature rich and may have limited options for customization by the end user. One draw back with ISP provided pop up blockers is that some only work with their service. So, if you ever switch to a new provider, you'll need to be prepared to switch to a new pop up blocker as well.
Pop ups are a fact of life on the internet, but that does not mean you need to put up with them. Among the five general solutions presented above, there are literally hundreds of options available for eliminating the clutter of pop up ads, allowing you to enjoy only the content you intended to see.
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Tech Trivia
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For both Texas Tech and Missouri, name the player taken the highest in the NFL Draft.
October Answer:
Both Texas Tech and Oklahoma State have running backs who have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
Can you name both of them? (Barry Sanders-Oklahoma State and Byron Hanspard- Texas Tech) |
| Staff Spotlight - Brian Alley |
 Brian Alley, Advanced Systems Specialist, joined CTSI in October of 2002 as an intern and then went full time in May 2003 after graduating from Texas Tech University with degrees in Accounting and Management Information Systems.
Brian grew up in Lubbock and around CTSI and can remember when CTSI was only his dad (Craig), David, and their then receptionist, Brooke. Brian never really planned on working at CTSI while he was growing up but everything came together when CTSI needed some part time help in the fall semester before he graduated from Tech. Brian was asked to come in and interview for the position and started working soon thereafter. Brian quickly realized how much he enjoyed getting to work for and build relationships with CTSI's clients and has been a part of the CTSI team ever since.
Brian recently married at the end of September the former Kristi Mhoon. They met at their church, Experience Life, and it only took Brian 6 months to realize that Kristi had her eye on him - thankfully she is a very patient person! They went on their honeymoon to Maui and now are trying to get all of their stuff organized in their home. It's Brian's goal that they be able to park one of their cars in the garage by their first anniversary!
Brian enjoys Tech football and basketball. He jumps at any opportunity to go camping, hiking, snow skiing, or pretty much any other outside activity. He also sits on the National Board of Directors for the fraternity he was a member of while he was in college, Kappa Upsilon Chi.
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| Helen's Recipe of the Month |
Helen Burns, CTSI's Purchasing Manager, has been with the company for the past ten years. In addition to her purchasing duties, Helen serves as our unofficial party coordinator. Helen (with help from our administrative assistant, Nancy Clark) makes sure we celebrate every staff member's birthday as well as various holidays by providing a wide range of delectable treats. Without further ado, from Helen's kitchen to you!
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup light Karo (corn syrup)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups pecan halves
4 tblsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 unbaked pie shell (can use packaged pie crust or homemade)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring sugar and syrup to a low boil, and allow to cool slightly. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing well, and pour into baked pie shell. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set.
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The CTSI Tech Times
Monthly Updates from Your Trusted Technology Partner November, 2010 - Vol 2, Issue 11
|
|
|
| Upcoming Area Events |
11/2/10 - Cake Decorating, Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center
11/5/10 - Roger Creager, Wild West
11/5/10 - 2010 Fall All Media Exhibition Opening, Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center
11/5/10 - First Friday Art Trail, Texas Tech Museum
11/6/10 - CTSI Tailgate at the Texas Tech vs. Missouri Football Game
11/6/10 - 2nd Annual Christian Music Festival, Buffalo Springs Lake
11/7/10 - Day Light Savings Time, Fall Back 1 Hour
11/12/10 - Texas Tech vs. Louisiana-Monroe Men's Basketball
11/18/10 - Holiday Happening 2010, Lubbock Civic Center
11/19/10 - Texas Tech vs. Stephen F. Austin Men's Basketball
11/19/10 - Randy Rogers, Lonestar Events Center
11/20/10 - Texas Tech vs. Weber State Football Game
11/20/10 - Clean Comedy for a Cause, The Watson Building
11/21/10 - Texas Tech vs. Liberty Men's Basketball
11/23/10 - Texas Tech vs. Georgia Southern Men's Basketball
11/25/10 - Thanksgiving
11/25/10 - CTSI Offices CLOSED
11/26/10 - CTSI Offices CLOSED
11/27/10 - Texas Tech vs. Houston Football Game
11/30/10 - Texas Tech vs. Oral Roberts Men's Basketball
|
| Milestones |
11/2/10 - Kyle Levy celebrates 1 year with CTSI.
11/10/10 - Donna Beavers marks 20 years with CTSI.
11/17/10 - Bobby Cude has been with CTSI for 2 years.
11/20/10 - Helen Burns has been part of the CTSI team for 10 years.
|
| Symantec Best Practices |
To avoid malicious applications, Symantec recommends these Best Practices:
* Only click through to trusted sources when searching on popular news items
* Never update "media player", "codec", or "Flash" when promoted by site hosting videos or not affiliated with that application
* Do not use Peer to Peer (P2P) on business machines, and be cautious on home machines
* Do not click on links or attachments in email unless it's from a trusted source and you expect to receive it.
|
|
|
| From David's Desk... |
|
Open Source Software Explained
Open Source Software (OSS) is computer software that is available in source code form, at no cost. The source code (and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders) is provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, and improve the software. In other words, software is available for free, and can be modified to suit the purposes of anyone who downloads the software and attempts to change it.
The positives of OSS are numerous. First and foremost is the exchange of ideas. With OSS, users are allowed to see and add on to the work of others. This increases the likelihood that improvements are made to the software. And the idea sharing creates opportunities for more flexible and quicker innovation. Additionally, OSS saves consumers money. A report from April 2008 indicates that OSS results in an estimated savings of $60 billion per year to consumers. A few examples of successful open source creations in use today are Mozilla Firefox and Linux.
There are also a few negatives to OSS. Due to the complexity of software programming, users may face issues. For example, making changes to open source software gives way to the possibility that an inexperienced user could corrupt their entire system. Also, because of the accessibility of OSS, hackers can discover the weaknesses more easily than in closed source software. Furthermore, with OSS you do not get Service Level Agreements, warranties, or other assurances you receive with paid software.
With open source software, or any experimental technology, CTSI's recommendation is to exercise caution. Aside from the obvious pitfalls of crashing a workstation and OSS' attention from hackers; the down time from any interruption to the working status of a single user or an entire network can be quite a strain in today's business climate. The idea behind Open Source Software fosters innovation and learning in the technology sector. If you have any questions regarding Open Source Software, feel free to contact me or a member of our Application Development Department for their recommendations.
Until next time,
David D. Baucum
President & CEO, CTSI
|
| Gadget Gifts for the Holidays |
|
Ultimate Ears 350
Created by Logitech, these noise-isolating headphones make a great gift for anyone who loves a good beat. With extra bass tuned in, these headphones offer the ultimate listening experience for a reasonable price.
Sony Bravia 3D TV
The 3D, 1080p LED television comes equipped with Wi-Fi and ranges in size from 60 inches to 46 inches, enough to make any movie enthusiast go gaga.
Logitech Revue (Google TV)
This little black device connects the internet to your TV, allowing users to stream movies, television shows and more from their favorite Web sites such as YouTube and Hulu. Sports fans will love it because you can check your fantasy stats online, while still watching the game using the picture-in-picture function.
Microsoft Kinect
Gaming evolution has come a long way since Atari's joystick. Kinect is a controller-less experience that tracks your actual skeletal movement allowing you to play video games without a handheld controller. Available only to Xbox 360 users, gamers will love to give this new experience a try.
Nikon Coolpix S1100pj
For the shutterbug, this newly-released camera comes equipped with a built-in projector, allowing for immediate and impromptu slideshows.
|
|
|
|
|
Tips of the Month - Pop Ups
|
Advertisers are constantly looking for any way to draw attention to their products. Although typical banner ads are still used heavily, they now seem to be almost invisible to the average web surfer. Pop ups and other intrusive types of advertising are now used to thrust an ad in your face that you have no choice but to at least acknowledge. Regardless of the nature of the ad, pop ups are a nuisance, and there are now many options available for keeping them off of your computer screen all together.
Internet Explorer on Windows XP with Service Pack 2
The pop up blocker is integrated into the browser and can be customized by browsing to the "Tools" tab at the top of the program. Like many pop up blocker applications, personal preferences can be set to allow/block pop ups from certain sites, as well as providing customization for how the user is alerted to the fact that a pop up has been blocked.
Alternative Web Browsers
There are other choices for web browsers available, and many include a pop up blocker. For example: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
Browser Tool Bars
A growing trend is for websites to offer a downloadable toolbar for use with Internet Explorer. Many of these toolbars offer unique features intended to enhance the user's web browsing experience in different ways, but they generally also include a pop up blocker. Although there are toolbars available from dozens of websites, Google, MSN, and Yahoo are some of the more reputable names with one available. The installation of these toolbars is quick and easy, and the most difficult part may be reading the fine print in the license agreements. Although these toolbars may do an excellent job blocking pop ups, they may also be retrieving data on your web surfing / search habits. If you feel a toolbar may be the right solution for you, stick with one from a trusted name, and just be sure to read the fine print.
Pop Up Blocker Software
Stand alone pop up blocking software is available from dozens, if not hundreds, of different sources. With various interfaces, and prices ranging from free to $30 (and higher), choosing one can be a difficult task. Many of the programs that are not available for free do come with a free trial download, so you can at least get a sense of whether the program is right for you before committing.Although they are generally not resource intensive, why run a program to do something that can be handled by one that is already running anyway? Additionally, with so many reliable solutions available to eliminate pop ups for free, spending money on one is hard to justify. Along with a dedicated pop up blocker, another recommended tact for eliminating pop-ups is eliminating spyware on your computer system. Some pop-up programs use accompanying spyware to target pop ups specifically to you and your web surfing habits.
Internet Access Software from Select ISPs
Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) now incorporate a pop up blocker with the software they provide to subscribers for accessing the internet. Bundling this functionality with the ISPs base software definitely makes things easy for the subscriber, as there may be no need to find one elsewhere. In general, these blockers are effective, but are not the most feature rich and may have limited options for customization by the end user. One draw back with ISP provided pop up blockers is that some only work with their service. So, if you ever switch to a new provider, you'll need to be prepared to switch to a new pop up blocker as well.
Pop ups are a fact of life on the internet, but that does not mean you need to put up with them. Among the five general solutions presented above, there are literally hundreds of options available for eliminating the clutter of pop up ads, allowing you to enjoy only the content you intended to see.
|
|
Tech Trivia
|
|
For both Texas Tech and Missouri, name the player taken the highest in the NFL Draft.
October Answer:
Both Texas Tech and Oklahoma State have running backs who have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
Can you name both of them? (Barry Sanders-Oklahoma State and Byron Hanspard- Texas Tech) |
| Staff Spotlight - Brian Alley |
Brian Alley, Advanced Systems Specialist, joined CTSI in October of 2002 as an intern and then went full time in May 2003 after graduating from Texas Tech University with degrees in Accounting and Management Information Systems.
Brian grew up in Lubbock and around CTSI and can remember when CTSI was only his dad (Craig), David, and their then receptionist, Brooke. Brian never really planned on working at CTSI while he was growing up but everything came together when CTSI needed some part time help in the fall semester before he graduated from Tech. Brian was asked to come in and interview for the position and started working soon thereafter. Brian quickly realized how much he enjoyed getting to work for and build relationships with CTSI's clients and has been a part of the CTSI team ever since.
Brian recently married at the end of September the former Kristi Mhoon. They met at their church, Experience Life, and it only took Brian 6 months to realize that Kristi had her eye on him - thankfully she is a very patient person! They went on their honeymoon to Maui and now are trying to get all of their stuff organized in their home. It's Brian's goal that they be able to park one of their cars in the garage by their first anniversary!
Brian enjoys Tech football and basketball. He jumps at any opportunity to go camping, hiking, snow skiing, or pretty much any other outside activity. He also sits on the National Board of Directors for the fraternity he was a member of while he was in college, Kappa Upsilon Chi.
|
| Helen's Recipe of the Month |
Helen Burns, CTSI's Purchasing Manager, has been with the company for the past ten years. In addition to her purchasing duties, Helen serves as our unofficial party coordinator. Helen (with help from our administrative assistant, Nancy Clark) makes sure we celebrate every staff member's birthday as well as various holidays by providing a wide range of delectable treats. Without further ado, from Helen's kitchen to you!
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup light Karo (corn syrup)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups pecan halves
4 tblsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 unbaked pie shell (can use packaged pie crust or homemade)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring sugar and syrup to a low boil, and allow to cool slightly. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing well, and pour into baked pie shell. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set.
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