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My.SUN – new and fasterMy.SUN – nuut en vinniger

Thursday, January 30th, 2014

If you are new on campus, you are probably not focussing on how to get to “the portal” – but if you are returning for another year, you might have noticed something completely different in place of the old portal pages!

Let us introduce the My.SUN Menu: the new landing page that directs you to all your applications.  The My.SUN Menu offers one of the primary benefits of a portal: you only need to go to one place to find your link. We wanted to make your experience faster and at the same time easier.

The My.SUN Menu is the culmination of a yearlong collaborative effort between the IT Division and various partners including Learning & Teaching Enrichment, Communications & Liaison, the Postgraduate and International Office, amongst others.

The implementation of the Menu is taking the first step towards a new application infrastructure. Gone are the days of trying to funnel everything through one page on the web – we are now used to multiple tabs in our browsers and various services in different places.  The aim of My.SUN Menu is to facilitate this transition and at the same time provide a fast and easy-to-use interface. We will be systematically integrating the My.SUN Menu with more of your frequently used applications – the Menu will appear at the top of these applications for easy access. 

The first thing you will notice is that you do not need to log in before you can see the links – now that’s better!  If the link you are going to is secured, you will be prompted of course, but this change in process results in a much faster experience. 

Look out for the “Filter” input box  – this is truly the quickest way to find that link that you always used:  Start typing in the name of the application you are looking for, and immediately the list will start to show.  Also notice the arrows at the bottom left and right corners that will allow you to move between link pages for the selected category.  If you want to switch between Afrikaans and English, use the small “wrench” icon in the top right corner when the Menu is open.

For more information and assistance, please visit the help page – the easiest way to get there is to click on the “question mark” icon at the top right of the Menu.  Please give us feedback via our service desk (help@sun.ac.za) or tweet about it while you mention us (@ITStellenUni).

[ARTICLE BY MARC-ALLEN JOHNSON]

As jy nuut op kampus is, is jou fokus op die stadium nog nie op “hoe om by die portaal uit te kom” nie – maar as jy terug is vir nog `n jaar, mag jy dalk iets heeltemal anders opgemerk het in die plek van die ou portaal webbladsye!

Laat ons jou bekendstel aan die nuwe  My.SUN spyskaart: die nuwe invalsblad wat die beginpunt is vir al jou toepassings. Die My.SUN spyskaart bied jou dieselfde hoofvoordele van `n portaal: jy hoef slegs na een plek te gaan om jou skakel op te spoor. Ons doelwit was om jou ondervinding vinniger en terselfdertyd makliker die maak.

Die My.SUN spyskaart is die resultaat van `n jaarlange samewerking tussen die IT-afdeling en verskeie vennote, insluitende Onderig en Leer Verryking en Kommunikasie en Skakeling. 

Die verwesenliking van die koppelvlak is die eerste treë in die rigting van `n nuwe toepassingsinfrastruktuur. Die dae van alles probeer bykom deur middel van een bladsy op die web, is verby – ons is deesdae gewoond aan veelvuldige oortjies in ons webblaaiers en `n verskeidenheid dienste op verskillende plekke.

Die doel van My.SUN is om hierdie oorskakeling te fasiliteer en terselfdertyd `n vinnige en maklik bruikbare koppelvlak te verskaf. Ons sal geleidelik die My.SUN spyskaart integreer met meer van die toepassings wat jy gereeld gebruik – die spyskaart sal bo-aan hierdie toepassings verskyn vir maklike toegang.

Die eerste ding wat jy sal opmerk, is dat jy nie hoef aan te teken om enige skakels te sien nie – is dit nie soveel beter nie? Indien die skakel sekuur moet wees, sal jy natuurlik gevra word vir `n wagwoord, maar hierdie verandering veroorsaak dat toegang aansienlik vinniger is.

Kyk uit vir die “Filter” opsie  – dis werklik die vinnigste manier om `n skakel op te spoor wat jy gereeld gebruik het. Begin die naam van die toepassing intik en dadelik sal `n lys met opsies verskyn. Let ook op die pyltjies in die linker en regterkantse hoeke wat jou toelaat om te beweeg tussen bladsye vir die gekose kategorie. As jy wil spring tussen Afrikaans en Engels, gebruik die klein moersleutel-ikoon in die boonste hoek regs wanneer die spyskaart oop is.

Vir meer inligting en bystand, besoek asseblief die help-bladsy – die vinnigste manier om daar uit te kom, is om te kliek op die vraagteken bo regs op die spyskaart.

Gee gerus terugvoer via ons dienstoonbank (help@sun.ac.za) of tweet daaroor (@ITStellenUni).

[ARTICLE BY MARC-ALLEN JOHNSON]

Would you like lessons from Google?Wil jy klasloop by Google?

Friday, November 15th, 2013

Given the fast growing MOOC phenomenon (read our article on MOOCs), Google launched an online video university recently.

Google Helpouts is an online service providing a platform for users to collaborate, share expertise and assist other users by means of live, real-time video streaming.

To use this service, you have to be a member of Google+. You will be able to access Helpouts either through your computer or tablet or by downloading the Android app for your cellphone.

Within seconds you can have a personal instructor at your disposal or when it suits you. No limits on time or location exist – you can have access to expert advice any time of day or night.

Helpout schedules a session when it suits you best and outomatically adds it to your Google calendar. An option to be reminded via sms or e-mail also exists to ensure you don’t forget your session.

Thousands of providers have already joined Helpouts and teach in a wide range of specialist fields. Experts or, as Google refers to them, “providers” can be small, medium or large companies, but also individuals.

Even you can host your popular origami class on Helpouts. Just remember, experts have to be approved by Google and need to list their qualifications, prices and schedules.

Unlike MOOCs, Google’s new service comes at a cost.

Clients pay per minute or session for a live video conversation with an expert who gives Google 20% of his fee as payment. Free sessions are also available for some companies as part of their marketing strategy

Payment is made via Google Wallet, which holds your credit card details, and you can pay per session or per minute. If you’re not satisfied with the service, Helpout  will provide you with a full refund – if you request one within 72 hours.

Do you suddenly feel the urge to learn to play guitar? Matt Gibson is waiting for you at Google Helpouts

[SOURCE: www.iol.co.za en www.wikpedia.org]

 

 

 

In lyn met die vinnige groei van MOOCs (lees ons artikel oor MOOCS), het Google ook die week `n aanlyn “video-universiteit” op die been gebring. 

Google Helpouts is `n aanlyndiens wat gebruikers die geleentheid bied om te kollaboreer, kundigheid te deel en te help met behulp van lewendige, intydse videostrome.

Om die diens te gebruik, gebruik moet jy `n Google+ lid wees, waarmee jy toegang tot Helpouts kry met jou rekenaar of tablet, of deur die Android-toepassing op jou selfoon te laai.

Binne sekondes kan jy ‘n persoonlike instrukteur tot jou beskikking hê of wanneer dit jou pas. Jy kan enige tyd van die dag of nag toegang kry tot `n deskundige se kennis – geen beperking op tyd of geografiese grense nie. 

Helpout skeduleer jou sessie wanneer dit jou pas en plaas dit outomaties op jou Google kalender. Jy kan ook kies om deur middel van sms of e-pos herinner te word.

Helpouts het reeds meer as 1000 verskaffers wat enige beroep insluit en lesse gee in `n verskeidenheid spesialisareas. Kundiges of “verskaffers”, soos Google hulle noem, kan klein, medium of groot maatskappye wees, maar ook individue.

Selfs jy kan jou origami-klas op Helpouts aanbied. Onthou net dat kundiges deur Google goedgekeur moet word en `n volledige beskrywing van hul dienste, pryse en skedules verskaf moet word.

Ongelukkig, anders as MOOCs, is daar `n koste verbonde aan Google se nuwe diens.

Kliënte betaal per minuut of sessie vir lewendige, intydse videogesprekke met die deskundige, wat op sy beurt aan Google 20% van sy fooi betaal. Sommige maatskappye sal wel gratis sessies aanbied om bemarking `n hupstoot te gee. 

Betaling geskied deur middel van Google Wallet, wat jou kredietkaartdetails bevat, en jy betaal per sessie of per minuut. As jy ontevrede is met die diens, waarborg Helpout `n volledige terugbetaling –  mits jy dit binne 72 uur versoek.

Skielik lus om te leer kitaar speel? Matt Gibson wag vir jou by Google Helpouts …

[BRON: www.iol.co.za en www.wikpedia.org]

 

Confused about visitors’ activation?Verward oor besoekersaktivering?

Friday, October 4th, 2013

Two weeks ago we introduced a new decentralised process for activating access for vistors to the SU campus (read the article here) However, it seems that some confusion remains regarding the steps to follow and how the new process works. 

To explain this in a very simple way, we created a diagram explaining  the basics. All this information, as well as FAQs, is also available on our wiki.

 

kliek op die grafika vir die groter weergawe

 

Twee weke gelede het ons `n nuwe gedesentraliseerde proses vir die aktivering van toegang van besoekers aan die US-kampus aangekondig. (lees die artikel hier) Daar bestaan egter nog `n mate van verwarring oor die prosedures en hoe dit werk.

Om die proses eenvoudiger uit een te sit, het ons `n diagram saamgestel wat presies verduidelik hoe die stappe werk. Al dié inligting is ook in teks formaat op ons wiki beskikbaar. 

 

kliek op die grafika vir die groter weergawe

 

WiGig – new generation WiFi?WiGig – nuwe generasie WiFi?

Friday, September 20th, 2013

Just when we got used to all the pros and cons of WiFi, a new contender we don’t know much about yet, appears on the horizon. Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of  WiGig.

WiGig is another wireless standard just like WiFi, but in spite of this there are some significant differences.

WiGig’s  range is considerably closer than WiFi, won’t easily reach past 10 metres and doesn’t particularly like to go through walls. So why would you want to use it?  

Image credit: WiGig Alliance

WiGig is fast, faster than the Wifi we’re used to. It operates on a much higher frequency (60GHz ) than traditional bandwidths and mobile signals and can deliver speeds of up to 7Gbps. lewer. However, as soon as your devices are further away, speed performance decreases rapidly.

Experts therefore recommend that WiGig be used for home entertainment systems, tablets and home pcs and in addition to your existing WiFi connection.  

If energy saving is important to you, you can consider WiGig with a clear conscience as it’s been designed as a low energy alternative. It also claims to use five times less energy than WiFi and radio signals are set up to avoid congestion and send signals directly to it’s goal. 

WiGig was established by the Wireless Gigabit Alliance, which included members like Broadcom, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Nokia, Toshiba, Qualcomm, NEC, Panasonic and other large corporations. At the moment the WiGig standard is currently going through various certification programmes, but according to estimations these will be completed by the end of 2013.

[BRONNE: www.techradar.com & www.computerweekly.com]

Net toe ons gewoond geraak het aan WiFi en vrede gemaak het met sy nukke en grille, verskyn daar `n nuwe speler op die veld. Een waarvan ons tot nou toe nie veel van geweet het nie. Kom ons kyk wat is WiGig en vergelyk sy sterk- en swakpunte. 

WiGig is bloot nog `n draadlose (wireless) standaard soos WiFi, daar is tog `n paar duidelike verskille. 

WiGig se reikwydte is aansienlik korter as WiFi, strek nie maklik verder as 10 meter nie en sukkel om deur mure `n sein te stuur. So, hoekom sal `n mens dit wil gebruik? 

Image credit: WiGig Alliance

WiGig is vinnig, vinniger as die Wifi waaraan ons gewoond is. Dit werk op ‘n veel hoër frekwensie (60GHz ) as die tradisionele bandwydtes en mobiele seine soos 3G kan blykbaar tot 7 Gbps lewer. Sodra jou toestelle egter verder weg is, verminder die spoed bitter vining.

Kenners beveel dus aan dat WiGig gebruik moet word vir tuisvermaak-toestelle, tablette en tuisrekenaars en dat jy dit gebruik as aanvulling tot jou reeds bestaande WiFi-konneksie. 

As die besparing van energie vir jou belangrik is, kan jy WiGig met `n skoon gewete oorweeg aangesien dit ontwerp is as `n lae energie alternatief en aanspraak daarop maak dat dit vyf keer minder energie verbruik as WiFi. Radioseine word geoptimiseer om die beste resultate te gee, oorlading te verminder en die sein direk te stuur waarheen dit moet gaan.

WiGig het ontstaan by die Wireless Gigabit Alliance wat lede soos Broadcom, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Nokia, Toshiba, Qualcomm, NEC, Panasonic en ander groot maatskappye insluit. Op die oomblik gaan dié standaard eers deur verskeie sertifiseringsprogramme, maar volgens beraming sal dit teen einde 2013 afgehandel wees. 

[BRONNE: www.techradar.com & www.computerweekly.com]

Meet TEDOntmoet vir TED

Friday, September 20th, 2013

TED has been inspiring millions around the world and most of the time he only has 18 minutes to do it! Quite the motivational speaker, isn’t he?

Good thing TED isn’t just one person otherwise he would’ve been exhausted after almost 30 years of talking.

TED talks began as a simple attempt to share what happens at various TED conferences around the world. It started off way back in 1984 when people from three different worlds – Technology, Entertainment and Design – came together at a conference to share ideas. They realized that some of these ideas might actually be cool and worth sharing with other people. And so TED talks was born.

In spite of it’s popularity TED remains a nonprofit organization and has grown exponentially over the years.  Along with two annual conferences, the TED Conference and TEDGlobal, TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

But the most popular of all these seem to be TED talks. As talks were given at conferences around the world, they were released online and quickly attracted a global audience who liked what they heard. Since June 2006, they have been offered for free viewing online, under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons license, through TED.com.

In January 2009 the then amount of videos had been viewed 50 million times. In June 2011 the amount of views totaled 500 million, and on 13 November 2012, TED reached its billionth video view.

Initially speakers came from the three fields of Technology, Entertainment and Design, but over the years they have included scientists, philosophers, musicians, religious leaders, philanthropists and many others. Previous presenters include Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Malcolm Gladwell, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Richard Dawkins, Bill Gates, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and many Nobel Prize winners. Since speakers are given only 18 minutes, their ideas have to be conveyed in the most innovative and interesting way to capture their audience and often also though storytelling.

As of May 2013, over 1,500 talks are available free online. Every week 5-7 new talks are being published. Topics range from a talk on why bees are disappearing to how to make stress your friend and everything in between. Whether you’re looking for something informative, inspiring, ingenious or just plain jaw-dropping, you’ll find it here.

So what are you waiting for? Get some inspiration at http://www.ted.com/talks

 [SOURCE: www.wikipedia.org & http://www.ted.com/]

TED inspireer al vir jare lank miljoene mense regoor die wêreld en hy het elke keer net 18 minute om dit te kan doen! `n Indrukwekkende motiveringspreker, dink jy nie so nie? 

Die ook maar goed TED is nie net een mens nie, anders sou hy al doodmoeg gewees het na 30 jaar se gepraat.

TED talks het begin as `n eenvoudige poging om dit wat gebeur by die verskeie TED-konferensies reg oor die wêreld, te deel met ander. In 1984 het `n groep mense uit drie verskillende wêrelde – Tegnologie, Vermaak en Ontwerp – bymekaargekom by `n konferensie om idees uit te ruil. Terselfdertyd het hulle tot die ontdekking gekom dat van hierdie idees eintlik nogal innoverend is en met ander mense gedeel moet word. En so het TED talks ‘n lewe van sy eie gekry.

Ten spyte van TED se wêreldwye gewildheid, bly dit steeds `n nie-winsgewende organisasie wat oor die jare geleidelik gegroei het. Buite twee jaarlikse konferensies – die TED Konferensie en TEDGloba, sluit die TED-handelsmerk ook die bekroonde TED Talks video webwerf, die Open Translation Project en TED Conversations, die inspirerende TED Fellows, die TEDx-programme en die jaarlikse TED-prys.

Maar die mees populêre van al hierdie blyk die TED talks te wees. Omdat die praatjies by konferensies regoor die wêreld gelewer word, is dit aanlyn vrygestel en het dit kort voor lank `n globale gehoor gelok. Sedert Junie 2006 kan die praatjies gratis aanlyn gekyk en afgelaai word op TED.com onder die vaandel van die  Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons license. 

In Januarie 2009 is die toe-beskikbare videos 50 miljoen keer gekyk. In Junie 2011 het dit gestyg na 500 miljoen en op 13 November 2012, het TED sy biljoen perk bereik.

Aanvanklik het sprekers vanuit slegs drie velde – Tegnologie, Vermaak en Ontwerp – deelgeneem, maar oor die jare het dit uitgebrei na wetenskaplikes, filosowe, musikante, geestelike leiers, filantrope en vele meer. Vorige aanbieders sluit Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Malcolm Gladwell, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Richard Dawkins, Bill Gates, Google-stigters Larry Page en Sergey Brin, en ander Nobelpryswenners, in.

Aangesien sprekers normaalweg net 18 minute toegeken word, moet dit wat hulle oordra, op die mees innoverende en interessante maniere vertel word om die gehoor se aandag te hou en dikwels word dit ook dan deur middel van storievertelling gedoen.  

Vanaf Mei 2013 is meer as 1500 praatjies gratis aanlyn beskikbaar. Elke week word 5-7 nuwe praatjies gelaai. Onderwerpe strek van die verdwyning van bye tot hoe om stres te hanteer en alles tussen-in. Of jy iets informatief, inspirerend, geniaal of net eenvoudig verstommend soek, jy sal dit daar kry.

So waarvoor wag jy? Gaan soek `n bietjie inspirasie by http://www.ted.com/talks

 [SOURCE: www.wikipedia.org & http://www.ted.com/]