Google has just released a new service called Google Drive that is integrated with Gmail and in a way replaces Google Docs. It is being rolled out gradually so you may not have access to it yet. Just visit https://drive.google.com and log in to see if you have access and learn about the features.

With the Google Drive release the storage capacity has increased from 1GB to 5GB allowing plenty of space to store anything from documents, spreadsheets, videos and pictures. If that is not enough you can purchase additional space for a very reasonable price. Along with the new service Google has released a synchronization program, similar to Dropbox, for Windows, Mac, Andriod, and iOS (coming soon).

Google Drive will make backing up all your important information so much easier than using the H drive since anything you put in your sync folder will be automatically backed up giving you a local copy and a copy stored on Google's servers.

As some may recall about two years ago I introduced a site called ScreenToaster that would allow you to record your screen and upload it all in a few clicks. Since that time ScreenToaster has gone offline and there hasn't really been anything comparable until now.

GoView is a Citrix product that is free and available now in beta. GoView does many of the same things as Screentoaster did but manages to go even further. One thing it does not do is record video from them webcam along with the screen.

The main similiarity between the two is simplicity. After signing up you do need to install a small application on your computer but once installed it sits quietly in your system tray and uses very little resources. All it takes is two clicks and you are ready to record.


Once finished recording it stores the video in the cloud where you can edit and share the video. You get a very generous 1 GB of storage space with which you can post as many or as few videos as you like. If you run out of space it is simple to export and download old videos to make room for more.

Once the video is made you can share the direct link via email or link in Moodle or you can embed the video directly into your Moodle course.

Check out the demo and sign up here.

Since this is produced by an established technology company I hope that it won't succumb to the fate of the start-up ScreenToaster.

*fingers crossed*

We hope everyone had a great summer.

This summer was a very busy one for the IT department. I'd like to take this article to explain some of these changes and what that means for you.

New SJA webpage: As you have no doubt noticed the entire webpage has been redesigned from the ground up bringing SJA up to date with the latest web frameworks and aesthetics. While it has many great new features, which will be detailed in a future article, we are most excited with the new opportunities it will open up to integrate more information and services in one centralized location. One feature I would like to make mention of is the search bar. If you are having trouble finding something the search bar is your friend and is the quickest way to find what you need. To help everyone find the content they are accustomed to locating attached here is a site map.

Shop SJA: Since we were having some problems with the shop website and the company that managed it we decided to take the site in-house. You will find the same interface but much better compatibility and functionality. Club moderators will now be able to choose when they would like to receive automated reports (daily, weekly, or monthly) via email. Payment options will now be processed through Paypal (paypal account not required) and of course all credit cards are accepted. We hope that this change will alleviate some of the problems that have been plaguing the service for some time. The site will be up and running hopefully by next week.

Upgraded phone system: Nothing too exciting here but one change to be certain to make note of is the number used to dial out. Before you had to dial 9 to get out but that was causing a lot of accidental 911 calls. To get an outside line now you will need to dial 8. Voicemails will still be delivered to your inbox and the number to access the voicemail system is extension 201 or from outside 388-2201 followed by a * to get the log in prompt.


Intercom: Since the equipment that ran the intercom system on campus dated back to the 1950's it seemed it was about time to give it a face lift. The most obvious benefit to this is that it is now one unified system. So what is heard in the Gym will be the same that is heard in St. Joseph Hall. Extra horn speakers were added to the outside of campus to hopefully cover all the dead areas where announcements could not be heard. Also, if you notice on the speakers themselves there is a small knob in the middle that can...wait for it...adjust the volume!!! The speakers are also zoned so we can make calls to specific areas.

Upgraded to Exchange 2010: This was sort of an unplanned upgrade but during the phone system upgrade we discovered that attached voicemails were not showing up on the web interface on the old system. The only way to correct this was to upgrade the entire exchange server. With this upgrade comes a lot of really nice features. One of my favorites is Outlook Anywhere which allows you to use your outlook client outside the network without using vpn. So if you really like outlook and don't like using the web interface you can just fire up your outlook client. Configuring your mobile phone is easier now thanks to autodiscovery. For iPhone configuration click here: Outlook Web Access (now called Outlook Web App) has many improved features including rich experience with other browsers such as Firefox and Safari, name cache, ability to set status for messages, filters, advanced search, Instant Messaging, SMS Text message sync, etc. There are also numerous self service capabilities in Exchange 2010 which include updating your information in the address book, managing distribution groups, subscribing or deleting yourself from a distribution group, managing your mobile phone, etc. Another nice feature is Personal Archive, which is an additional option of an archive mailbox can be provisioned for users. Both the primary and the archive mailboxes can be accessed using Outlook and Web Access. Archiving and retention policies can be applied to messages in your primary mailbox and messages can be automatically archived to the archive mailbox without user intervention. This also eliminates having to use PST files and inability to access those PST files when you are mobile and are using Web Access.

Username/Email convention: We decided to make a change to the username convention consisting of the first 7 characters of the last name followed by the first character of the first name. This was causing some confusion and often missed emails. So the decision was make to make the convention the full last name with the first character of the first name. This change only affected 28 people, a list of which can be found here. The old email addresses will continue to work for the time being but take some time to adjust your contacts and inform people you email.

Office 2010: We upgraded the ubiquitus productivity suite to the newest version over the summer and you will find it installed on the new image. you will find the familiar interface with a few cool new features. You can find a nice guide to the new features you can take advantage of here:

Gmail Postini Archive/Security: Students you may recall that I sent out an email detailing this. In a nutshell you are now able to manage your spam filter settings to make them more or less restrictive and to whitelist/blacklist email addresses. In addition you will also be able to view an archive of all your sent and recieved messages in case you accidentally delete or otherwise lose an email message you need.

New Printers: All student/public printers have been upgraded to the newest Kyocera models. The former student printers have gone to replace departmental printers that were in the most need.

New Image: Not a lot of major changes here mostly just updates and fixes. The biggest change is Microsoft Office mentioned above.

Moodle: No big changes with Moodle but we did implement a new test browser. The test browser is located under the web browsers folder on the new image. Teachers can force the use of the test browser when taking quizzes during the quiz set up. The new test browser totally locks down the entire computer and does not allow them to break out of the session until the test is complete. If you have questions please contact Mary Kay.

The last day to turn in your computer is Thursday May 12 following the last exam. Your computer should be backed up prior to this day.

Email: Your SJA mail will only be active until graduation day. Below is a link to help you migrate your mail to a new account should you choose to do so.


Files, Folders, and Pictures: If you choose to keep your school work you should back these up to a flash drive or external hard drive of your choice. Click here for a document that may be helpful to you in this process.

iTunes: This can be backed up to your flash or external hard drive as well. It is recommended that you deactivate your iTunes on your school computer after backing up as you could experience complications activating on other computers. Click here for instructions.