SJSU tearing down the tower as a symbol of SJSU

San Jose State University's tower has been an icon of our university as long as I can remember. I started at SJSU as a student in 1979 and it was our symbol.
To me the tower symbol said, "this is a great university." Employees were awarded Tower Pins for good service. The tower was not only a substantial imposing landmark, it had historical significance at the CSU's first campus. But, the tower has been slowly torn down as a symbol of SJSU. I guess they didn't want us to be confused with icons like Berkeley's Campanile or Hoover Tower?
First they changed the logo. But vestiges remained of the tower as a symbol of SJSU. Our campus ID cards, have, until now, been called Tower Cards. Yes folks, that is changing now too.
SJSU is in the process of re-branding its Tower Cards, they are going to be called SJSU ID Cards. Yes, I know it's technically an accurate description of their function. But, it is about as sexy and exciting as the DMV. To me, it is another step toward mediocrity. Once again we seem to be saying, "what do you expect, we are not Cal or Stanford after all."
The tower will still stand on our campus, but what will it stand for?

Nikon Introduces D800

Nikon introduced the D800, what it called, "A new Nikon FX-format digital SLR camera with the world's highest effective pixel count–36.3-million pixels–for noteworthy definition and image quality."
Not only does this camera have the ability to capture film quality stills, it will be able to shoot incredible high def video. I am very excited about this camera.

Resources for EPUB and eBook creation

Author Liz Castro has a number of great resources available for those interested in creating eBooks in the open EPUB format. This is of special interest to those who want to use Adobe InDesign for this task. I used her book EPUB Straight to the Point as a text for a graduate course at SJSU I co-taught on this subject. If this interests you in the slightest, I urge you to check out this link.

Using FileVault 2 on Lion

In this presentation by MacWorld we are shown how to use FileVault 2 on MacOS X 10.7, Lion. The presentation starts off, "Apple latest Mac operating system, OS X 10.7 Lion includes FileVault 2, the latest version of Apple’s method of file encryption. In this how-to, we'll go through the steps on activating FileVault 2 for your Mac's internal startup drive."

Thanks Ezequiel Cothran for sharing this with me. It is good to read through everything here to be thoroughly ready to secure your data. Especially read the comments! Use at your own risk.

Security in Mac OS X Lion

According to technical communicator, Phil Stokes, "Security in OS X Lion is a big problem that not many people are aware of." In a recent blog post Stokes wrote:

Security in OS X Lion is a big problem that not many people are aware of, and here’s why: your Lion computer contains the install/recovery disk on the internal drive. That means anyone with a basic knowledge of Mac and Lion can start up your mac and reset your passwords, thereby accessing your user accounts and all your personal data.

Stokes informative post suggests ways to secure a Lion system including removing the install/recovery disk, setting a firmware password and/or using FileVault 2 (FV2). Stokes said, "Apple, of course, thought about this problem. Their own solution is to encourage you to use FV2 to encrypt all your data. Indeed, this is the BEST solution."
If you support Mac OS X you need to read this!

SJSU Alerts: SJSU Dorms Intruder

Sent to the campus community:


Alert S J S U 12:58 p.m.
Update regarding Joe West Hall intruder. Suspect in custody. Reminder: Please immediately call University Police at 924-2222 to report suspicious persons and activities. Remember to always lock your dorm room door and be aware of your surroundings.

ALERT S J S U 8:19 a.m.
This is a follow up to our emergency communication regarding a male dressed in black trying doors, entering rooms and groping the victim in Joe West Hall. University Police have completed an extensive floor by floor search. The suspect is still at large. However, at this time, you may resume normal activities. Immediately call University Police at 924-2222 if you see suspicious persons or activities and remember to keep your dorm rooms locked.

Alert SJSU 5:04 a.m.
Male suspect in his twenties dressed in black tried doors in Joe West, entered room and groped victim. Suspect last seen on third floor. Please ensure that your doors are locked. University Police on scene.

Cool things I saw at Adobe yesterday

Here are some cool things to check out for folks interested in the worlds of animation and electronic publishing:

• Adobe Edge
  No, this animation was NOT done in Flash. This is Adobe Edge. Edge works on a timeline interface you may recognize from Flash Pro, After Effects and Premiere. It uses HTML5 + CSS + Javascript to produce animations without Flash, animations that will run on iOS devices like iPads and all other devices that use modern browsers. Adobe Edge is currently in development and can be downloaded for free.
• Liquid Layout
  Scroll down to the post Dynamic Liquid Layout in InDesign (MAX Sneak Peek) to see one of the most exciting developments for electronic magazines I have ever seen! Watch Kiyomasa Toma, giving you a sneek peak on Liquid Layouts in InDesign. Sorry, the permalink to the specific post did not show the same video.
• iBooks Author
  We also saw a presentation of Apple's iBooks Author. The presenter said, this will give you an idea of some of the functions we can expect to see in CS6.

This is turning out to be one of the most exciting and game changing periods in electronic publishing since electronic publishing rendered the world of hot wax and rubber cement obsolete. Maybe, even more so!

Sexually biased user interface for SJSU employee e-mail?

Click on the image above to see image larger.

Am I being over sensitive? I don't think so. The user interface for employee e-mail provide for employees by Google at SJSU includes this (un)Funny Quote of the Day - James Russell Lowell - "On one issue at least, men and women agree; they both distrust women."
Remember, this is for work e-mail at our university that teaches diversity and gender sensitivity.
Is this what we have to put up with when we contract out?
Is it really appropriate for us to have to ignore our core values to get a product and/or service for free?

Safety Alert: Robbery At SJSU Duncan Hall Shuttle Bus Stop

This was sent to the campus community by the university via AlertSJSU:

San Jose, CA - On Wednesday, January 18, 2012, at approximately 12:45 PM, a robbery occurred in front of the SJSU Duncan Hall shuttle bus stop located at the corner of S. 5th St. and San Salvador St. The victim reported that he was walking near the shuttle bus stop when one suspect hit him on the head and a second suspect took his cell phone. The victim was not injured during the incident and there were no weapons seen. The suspects were last seen running westbound on San Salvador St. away from the campus.

The first suspect was described as a black male, adult, in his early 20's, 6'02" -6'03" tall, wearing an orange or red jacket. The second suspect was described as a black, male adult, in his early 20', 5'11" - 6'00" tall, wearing dark clothing.  The victim did not report the incident until approximately 3:30 PM that afternoon.

Anyone who may witnessed this incident or has information regarding the incident is urged to call the San Jose State University Police Department.  Those wishing to remain anonymous can email/text their information to: sjsu@tipnow.org or text/call: (408) 337-2919.

The SJSUPD reminds campus community members to be aware of their surroundings, and to immediately report crimes to the police department. In an emergency, always Dial 9-1-1 or use a campus blue light phone.

UPD reminds campus community members to be aware of their surroundings, to avoid walking alone at night, and to immediately report crimes and suspicious activity to the police.  Evening Guide Escorts can be requested by calling the UPD directly at (408) 924-2222. 

In an emergency, life threatening situation, or crime in progress, always Dial 9-1-1, or use a campus blue light police phone. 

###

San Jose State University Police Department
One Washington Square, San Jose, California 95192-0012
Phone: (408) 924-2222 -- FAX: (408) 924-2229
E-mail: police@sjsu.edu -- Website: http://www.sjsu.edu/police

TipNow Anonymous Reporting :
Text / Email: sjsu@tipnow.org or Text / Voicemail: (408) 337-2919

Why I'm not going to tomorrow's staff breakfast

If you are really interested, the reason is here on my union blog.