Definitely Friday the 13th

Started the day by working on iPad 1st generation units.  The original plan was to hook up all of them (about 10 units) to a Mac and reset them all then update them all - in one fell swoop.  Turns out the 18-port USB hub (yes, powered) does *NOT* charge iPads. I was pretty sure I checked that specifically when I ordered the thing. I will need to revisit that.

So... I get to do one at a time.  Why not 3 or 4? Well, the computer would not let me restore more than one at a time. Maybe this is normal, and multi-syncing is just that - syncing, not restoration. I dunno, and it doesn't matter now.

After the 1st Gen iPads were done, I visited with our Early Childhood Coordinator about volume purchasing a particular app.  So far, that app is not in the volume buy program. I have contacted the authors to see if they will put it in there.  Not sure how that would work, since all purchases are in-app only. Guess we'll see.

The same person also had an issue with her ZAGG Logitech Keyboard for her iPad 2 - it would randomly start repeating characters infinitely - or until you pressed a different key long enough for things to stop repeating.

Turns out, that is a know/common issue with these, as seen on the various forums I visited trying to find a solution.  I called ZAGG and since we bought them from CDWG, we had to use an alternate registration method.  Here's the kicker: the Logitech Keyboard is *NOT* in their list!  I chose what I *thought* was the keyboard - instead, that turned out to be a protective shield. PROBLEM!

Well, we powered off the keyboard, forgot the connection, powered off the iPad 2, and waited for a minute or so.  Then, we powered up the iPad 2 and made sure it would work sans any bluetooth keyboard. Yes.  Then, powered up the keyboard and established a connection.  Worked.  Tried to replicate the problem.  No go.  That's a good thing!  The keyboard was no longer acting all wonky and possessed.  We'll keep an eye on it for a week, then see where we need to go, if anywhere.

And all of this happened before lunch!

What does the afternoon hold?  Who knows - guess we'll find out soon!

Monthly Area Tech Meeting

We held our monthly area tech meeting today, covering the following topics:

• ArkansasIDEAS, specifically the new commoncore site: http://www.arkansasideas.org/commoncore/


• Arkansas iTunesU


• NetQos offering from the state dept


• Various iPad/iPod apps (listed below)


• Apple TV demonstration (wifi features and AirPlay demo while showing apps listed below)


• Tech plans, erate


• Dirty Santa gift exchange (4 participants, made for a quick game)

Apps demonstrated (and some I remembered after the meeting)

• Presidents vs Aliens - Learn about Presidents, knock out aliens. What's not to love?


• Moxie 2 - Use randomly offered letters to build on/change existing words.


• StoryCubes - Shake your iPad/iPod, roll the dice, and build a story!


• Word Ball - Touch letters to build words. Forget to use certain letters long enough and they disappear!


• 7 Little Words - Use clues to build words with letter tiles


• Chicktionary - Make words using, well, chickens and eggs


• SparkleFish - Use the microphone to record verbs, nouns, etc and create funny adventures


• ToonTastic - Create cartoons, while learning the keys to good storytelling!


• Find My Friends - Pretty much what it says.


• ABC News - Again, pretty much what it says


• FluentNews - A news aggregation app


• Google - Yes, there is an app for Google. Give it a whirl!


• iCard Sort - Create word decks, sort into categories and more. Take snapshot of a worksheet then make it interactive as an iCard sort!


• ACE Multiply - Learn about matricies and find ways to solve them


• Calc Made easy - Very handy and advanced calculator with note-taking capability!


• http://www.techchef4u.com/ - Recourse for all kinds of apps, reviews, etc


• http://www.iear.org - Reviews education apps

Enjoy!!

10/07/11 - 10/18/11

10/7 - Had an aerohive demo for possible wireless solution at the co-op main building. Took care of general troubleshooting and other daily tasks.

10/10/11 - Installed new CIV systems at Blevins as part of RUS Grant.

10/11/11 - Installed new CIV systems at Prescott as part of RUS Grant. Also worked with Doug on a couple Sharepoint issues that seem to center on a webpart for slideshows. The java script used evidently clashes in some systems with the code for rich-text editing. Working to find another slideshow solution.

10/12/11 - Met with the Business, Technology, and Education Advisory Council for UACCH. Had a very open, frank conversation regarding skills needed, classes and topics to be taught. Met with Curtis Stout Company to evaluate a possible Crestron solution for the co-ops main conference center.

10/13/11 - Met with various staff and performed daily tech activities, troubleshooting etc.

10/14/11 - Went to Bradley to help with various issues: SmartBoard, graphics issues, wireless, and other areas of needed assistance.

10/17/11 - Performed daily tech activites, upgraded iPad to iOS5, worked on two laptops and replaced a desktop. Checked one of the smartphones for problems. Temporary solution was to disable shortcut keys. Phone is eligible for upgrade/replacement.

10/18/11 - Replaced a bulb in Hope ECH classroom, present to the board the "App of the Month" - AudioNote, examined an older laptop for possible replacement.

8-26-2011

Started the morning by meeting with our workforce ed coordinator at prescott schools. We will meet with the tech next week regarding wireless access in the business lab so the teacher/students can use the ipads provided through workforce ed.

drove to office. met with fire extinguisher tech, who checked our equipment and verified operation.

talked on the phone with harry dickens regarding a grant and app development. also discussed his book - 40 ipod/ipad apps for high school.

spent a couple hours helping a new contractor with our air filters.

worked on target testing documents for the testing web site hosted here at swsc.

took care of regular daily duties and activities.

July 18, 2011

I spent the day teaching iPad Apps for Education to a group of 25 participants.  I will edit this post later and put in some of the apps we covered.

Catching up on the week

Monday - Frankly, I don't remember.  I know I installed a new printer in the Mini Lab and worked on cleaning the tech closet.  I talked several times on the phone with Sharon at Blevins.

Tuesday - Helped get a workshop under way, then spent the afternoon in Prescott working on their distance learning equipment.  The issue (noise) seemed to be isolated to one of their microphones.  Once I unplugged it, things cleared up.  Will explained to me that it was most likely a problem with the phantom power that drives that mic (especially since the problem started after a power surge/outage).  At least it seems to be working now!

Wednesday - The day started off with a call from a woman whose daughter was having trouble with the ArkansasIDEAS site.  After a bit of conversation and troubleshooting, I had told her that I thought the daughter could find the info in her profile, but I could not remember how to get there. I told her to call AETN.  I also sent an email to colleagues and they offered up some suggestions.  I asked the woman to call me back later in the day, but if she did, I missed the call.

The rest of the morning was spent with the area techs as we participated in a videoconference for E-Rate.  There are some welcomed changes to the 470 Form, making it streamlined for entry.  There are also changes to the 471 Form. There are other changes as well, all presented in a handout provided during the conference.

The afternoon had us checking out various apps for iPads:

• DisplayOut app after jailbreaking for display help
• VPN - General, Network, Connection, put in info.
• Jump - Remote desktop $20
• Good Reader - open documents, file manager, Web Downloads, Connect to Servers (DropBox, Google Docs, Box.Net, etc), can turn on wifi and share ipad via web address
• Reeder - feed reader
• iNet - network scanner
• VTrace - visual tracert
• HeyTell - touch-to-talk - wifi or cell
• PhotoWall - collages, upload to FB, etc (print 11x17) text
• Flipboard - look at FB, twitter etc as a magazine
• iFlux - Flux Capicator
• Cydia - Jailbreaker - Wifi Analyzer
• Backgrounder - run in background
• Wi-fi Sync - sync iPad to Mac via wifi
• To jailbreak - 3.2.0 or 3.2.1 - www.jailbreakme.com
• i-prompt - teleprompter -
• Facetime - now out for mac
• phoster - create posters
• app shopper

We also talked about FireSheep - a proof-of-concept add-in for Firefox that is making waves in the wireless community.  It allows people to steal info via unsecured wireless locations.  

I also shared various topics with the area techs:

• DIS will launch a new bandwidth aggregation tool to help schools get more bandwidth. It is a combination of hardware devices allowing schools to band their T1s, DSL, Cable, etc into one box to share bandwidth.  Cost for schools sits between $4000-$8000.
• DIS will launch a program that allows Co-op techs to view status etc on school routers to help in the troubleshooting process.
• DIS is working on a statewide AD structure (secondary) to allow global addressing, etc
• I asked area techs to help with getting all of our certified teachers registered in the ArkansasIDEAS portal.