Office of Information Technology Blog

Got a new smartphone? Don’t abandon your old one! Just because it is old doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of uses for it now. Rick Broida & Daniel Ionescu at PCWorld released two articles detailing various uses for your old smartphone once it’s been replaced.

Turn your smartphone into a…

• Stand-Alone GPS Navigator: With a GPS app and a windsheild mount you can easily turn your old phone into a new GPS
• Remote Control: There are so many apps available on the market that can transform your smartphone into a remote. By downloading one you can turn that old phone thats been sitting in your dresser into a fully functional remote control.
• Desk Clock: You can always display your old smartphone as a deskclock with an alarm clock app. Just purchase a dock to keep it standing stylishly and let your old smartphone display the time for you.
• MP3 Player: Give your old iPod a break. Chances are you haven’t purchased a new one in years anyway. Turn your old smartphone into a full time MP3 Player for at home or in the car.

PoP Video is a unique device that attaches to your iPhone or iPod Touch and transforms it into a pico projector. PoP Video is useful for those last minute presentations, videos, slideshows, and more. In three easy steps of expanding the connector, connecting to the device, and dimming the lights the PoP Video is ready to play and lasts up to two hours on a full charge. The PoP Video even includes apps from Facebook, Youtube, Safari, and more. For $99, you can pre-order the PoP Video now.

To learn more visit here.

Ever catch yourself searching someone on Google that you just met? Don’t feel alone! In today’s world, we’re using Google more now than ever before and most of the time we’re looking up each other.

Often times after dates, interviews, sales pitches… etc we go home and immediately search someone we met. Using a search engine, like Google on someone is a great way to find out information about them that you may have never known.

Searching someone else on Google isn’t exclusive, this is mutual because someone may be looking you up as well. Today, internet reputations are just as important as your real life reputation. Internet reputations are so important that in the past we’ve even shared a post about Managing Your E-Reputation.

If you’re one of many who is worried about your online reputation or even want to improve it but don’t know how, fear not. BrandYourself is online reputation manager tool that helps manage what appears in the search results when Googling yourself. This tool pulls up the top 10 search results for your name and from there it allows you to choose between positive links, negative links, and links that aren’t you.

If there is a link that you like, check off the option for a positive link so it remains in the top 10 search results. If you notice a link that misrepresents you, simply check off the negative link box and this link will not appear as a top result, while links that are not you will be removed from the results.

With BrandYourself, you can even add relevant links to the search that boost your reputation in a positive light. Connect articles written about you, social networks, websites, or any other relevant content that enhances your online reputation. This tool is especially beneficial for those who are thinking about applying to schools, jobs, or awards. With BrandYourself you have the opportunity to control what appears on Google when others search you.

This past year proved to be a rough one for those at Research in Motion (RIM). In hopes to turn around its low sales and bad publicity, the company announced the release of Blackberry 10 to its developers. Their newest smartphones resemble the popular styles of both the  iPhone and Android models.

The smartphone that RIM has been sporting the most when showing off Blackberry 10 is the Blackberry 10 Dev Alpha, which has the shape of an iPhone and a home screen like the Android. The Blackberry 10 Dev Alpha was released to all attendee’s of the Blackberry World Conference in Orlando. RIM’S Vice President of Application Platforms and tools, Chris Smith says, “We’re giving developers full access to the native platform.”

Making a dramatic shit away from the QWERTY keyboard that originally went with previous Blackberry models, Blackberry 10′s newest feature is its touch-based keyboard. Of all the changes the keyboard might be the companies biggest improvement mainly because it is adapting to the “standard smartphone look.” Some other changes that go with Blackberry 10 are improvements to it’s camera, new apps… etc. As of right now there is not an official release date for the Blackberry 10 and it’s models but actually seeing the upgrade most definitely shows RIM heading into a more positive direction.

Google just recently announced its newest service, Google Drive. Google Drive basically is Google’s very own cloud service, which allows users to access and share whatever they want, all of which can be accessed for up to thirty days (unless chosen to be saved forever.)

With Google Drive, you can upload presentations, photos, documents…etc to whomever. Attachments can be shared individually or among a group where users can edit, share, send, and receive feedback.

“In Google Drive, you can create new documents, spreadsheets and presentations instantly. Work together at the same time, on the same doc, and see changes as they appear.”

Google Drive is now live and is available for download. Users can get started with 5 GB for free. While an upgrade to 25 GB is available for less than $2.50 a month. This is the perfect solution for document sharing among professionals and in classrooms.

To learn more about Google Drive and its service visit here or watch a video here.

Lately, there have been many attacks on technology, especially with smart phones. The latest attack comes from the popular photo sharing app Instagram for Android.

The fake photo sharing app originating in Russia steals money from its users once downloaded. How they collect the money remains a mystery but what is known is that the person behind it all sends out fake SMS text messages, which is where they could possibly be collecting the money. Luckily, this fake Instagram app is not available through Google Play and must be downloaded through their fake Instagram website.

Make sure to inspect each app carefully before downloading. Just last week we discovered that there was a fake version of Angry Birds Space available for download that contains an infectious malware. Learn more about malware on Android smart phones from Digital Trends to better understand how to protect yourself.

Safari Books Online is a digital library that contains tens of thousands of titles. With WVU having an account, you can gain access to technology, digital media, creative, and business books and videos from some of the leading publishers such as; McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, and Pearson just to name a few.

If you’re on campus, using the link provided will allow you access to their services. While using your MyID credentials will grant you access if you are off campus.

Just recently sources confirmed that over 600,000 Mac’s were infected with the malware, Flashback. It only took a couple of days for third party sources to come up with a removal tool while Apple also released a Java security update.

As a result from the removal tools, the infections decreased from 600,000 to 270,000 within a few short days. This dramatic decrease has offered a sense of security for Mac users. However, there are still a few hundred thousand that are still infected.

To check and see if your Mac has the malware visit here and if you believe that your computer is infected you can download a removal tool from any of the following sources: Apple, Symantec, F-Secure.

If you’re an Android user, caution yourself when purchasing games, in this case, Angry Birds Space. In Google Play, Android’s marketplace for apps there is a fake version of the game, Angry Birds Space that is available for download. If downloaded by the copycat an infectious malware is also downloaded onto the smartphone.

Be aware and be sure to only download the official game by the makers Rovio. The official game by the makers is not affected by the malware.

For those of you out on the hunt for an e-reader, Barnes & Noble just recently released its newest edition to the pack. The NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is the first and only reader of its kind that is designed for bedtime reading. Not only is this e-reader perfect for bedtime but it also works really well at the beach just like its predecessors.

The NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight allows you to enjoy the benefits of a soft glow perfect for low light reading while also being able to enjoy the anti-glare screen which is perfect for reading in the sun. For just $139, the NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight can be pre-ordered, being available for free shipment on May 1, 2012.