News and Views
The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily those of Creighton University.
Click here to send email to the instructor
This page last updated on Monday, May 07, 2007 15:52:39
It won't be long before wintry weather threatens the Omaha area. If poor weather conditions force the University to close for all or part of a day, your most reliable source for accurate information is the Creighton University weather hotline at 280-5800.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Final grades have been entered. Here is a PDF file if you remember your secret number. I curved the Final Exam by 28 points, and the overall class grade by 35 points.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Today is the Final Exam! We will meet in BA 107.
I had forgotten to update the quizzes page with the last couple of quizzes. Here they are for your reviewing pleasure.
Just a reminder: When we reviewed the final exam in class on Thursday of last week, that is not everything that is on the final!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
FYI: I have a doctor's appointment today (Thursday) at 2:00pm. That means I will not be in the office from 2:00pm until much before class, and there is a small (10%) chance that class could be cancelled. Take that under advisement if you need help with your website. Stay tuned!
30% of businesses say that they will never switch to Vista
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Apple issues another round of security updates
RIAA targets another round of UNL students - but UNL is refusing to comply without a subpoena. Good for them!
TIP: Make sure you do a chmod 0755 on your picture so that it is viewable to the outside world! The full command would be
chmod 0755 picturename.jpg
WS_FTP is available for download from this location on Eden What you need to do is save the file (to your desktop) and then double-click it to install. When you do the installation, be sure to check the boxes saying you are a student, using it for educational purposes. This is the same version that we have installed in COBA.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
PC makers walk a fine line with "crapware"
With so many consumers still asking for Windows XP to be loaded on Dell's consumer level PCs, the PC maker has finally decided to offer that as an option. 'Like most computer makers, Dell switched nearly entirely to Vista-based systems following Microsoft's mainstream launch of the operating system in January. However, the company said its customers have been asking for XP as part of its IdeaStorm project, which asks customers to help the company come up with product ideas. Starting immediately, Dell said, it is adding XP Home and Professional as options on four Inspiron laptop models and two Dimension desktops.' The Dell models with the Windows XP option are: Dell Inspiron 1405, 1705, 1505, and 1501; and Dell Dimension E520 and E521."
New HP printer that you can only rent, not buy
Assignment Seven is released
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Check out these Postini spam statistics
XP is being phased out by OEMs, even though users want it! No more XP at the end of this year. Another article here
What do users do on the Internet?
Apple is delaying Leopard until October
A new, unpatched, flaw in Microsoft's DNS servers
Take the Google survey on student email
Be sure to start reading chapter ten and beyond, the systems design chapters, for the remaining classes.
FYI: Tonight is the AIM banquet with Kevin Mitnick. I will need to end class by 5:15 in order for me to get there on time.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Today is FTP day! Please be on time. No one will be admitted once we start the hands-on component. So, if you are late and find the door locked, don't knock as you won't be let in. We need to cover this material together, and if you are late you cannot catch up.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Nearly 80% of all business machines cannot run Vista So, Microsoft is being sued for deceptive practices in marketing Vista
Apple introduces 8-core Mac Pro desktops today - check out the specs.
What do iPod users want in a new model? An FM radio built-in Of course, this is from a company that is a radio consulting firm, and they surveyed radio listeners. But interesting, nonetheless.
How the RIAA killed the record industry
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Remember, no class today due to Holy Thursday.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Apple to release the iPhone on June 11? That is the first day of their Worldwide developers conference...
Dell finds evidence of financial misconduct
New virus comes disguised as IE 7 download
New Microsoft Animated Cursor Handling vulnerability is out in the wild - and is being exploited. It is rated as "extremely critical" due to the nature of the problem. It affects Windows 2000, XP and Vista. No fix from Microsoft yet. This is an example of a "zero day vulnerability".
As predicted, ICANN rejects the creation of a .xxx domain
Microsoft to rush out new patch on Tuesday to fix vulnerability (now in the wild, they knew about it last December). By the way, this is a week early for patches.
Apple and EMI to announce DRM-free music today
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Yahoo mail gives infinite storage capacity
Assignment Six has been posted
Reminder: No class on Holy Thursday, April 5.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Postini report - Yearly info on spam, malware, etc.
Are you an integrator or segmenter at work?
Unusual alliances fights .xxx domain creation as a vote on the .xxx domain nears
Novell spoofs the "Get a Mac" adds with Linux character
UPS to offer new 'package intercept' service
Leopard is still on for a spring delivery
Does user annoyance matter (in web design)?
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Remember to bring in your completed Assignment Five so we can compare the computers in BA 110 and their network configuration, against your home computers' network configuration.
John Backus, the developer of FORTRAN, dies
Acer is looking for acquisitions, and Gateway is on it's radar
Whoops! Computer technician erases information on $38 billion dollar fund
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Assignment Five has been posted. It's due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, March 20.
Today we are starting the networking and Internet chapters. Check out the networking PowerPoint presentation.
Exams are not finished grading, and two students (!) did not take the midterm yet. I should have something for you on Tuesday of next week.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Midterm exam is today, due to classes being cancelled on March 1st. EXAM HAS BEEN MOVED TO BA 309. SEE YOU IN BA 309 AT 4:30 FOR THE EXAM.
Welcome back from break! How did your DST changeover go? DST does not save energy
Tuesday, March 6 and Thursday, March 7, 2007
Spring Break! No class.
Midterm grades - This is a PDF file with the class grades. Your ID number is on the left, and the columns are self explanatory. Several of you are in danger of failing due to a lack of class attendance.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Due to the severe weather conditions, the
University is closed all day today, Thursday March 1st. So, we won't have
our midterm exam. Here's the plan: Your midterm grade will consist of your
quiz scores, class attendance, and assignments. The web assignment is still
due at 4:30 on Friday, as you have had a week to do it and you can work on
it remotely. Your midterm exam will be held on Tuesday, March 13th
(the first class after Spring Break).
The Wade and Seagate Labs are also closed. They will open tomorrow, Friday
March 2nd, at 8:00am.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Severe weather is moving into the Omaha area today. If the more dire forecasts come true, classes might be delayed or cancelled on Thursday. On the other hand, the storm might miss us. So, here are the options:
1. Since you can complete the web page assignment from anywhere, and have had a week already to get it done, the due date will remain Friday at 4:30, even if the University is closed on Thursday.
2. If the University starts late on Thursday, the midterm exam will still be held at the regular time.
3. If the University closes on Thursday, then we will not have the midterm exam. Your midterm grade will consist of the quizzes and assignments so far. Your midterm exam would then be held on the first class day after we get back from Spring Break, which is Tuesday, March 13th.
Stay tuned to the University website and the Weather Hotline at 280-5800 for official information. Also, check out this great weatherblog at KMTV.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Apple product refresh on the way in the second quarter?
Google and their analysis of failed hard drives
Wal-Mart shifts their RFID plans
Thursday, February 22, 2007
COLOR BLINDNESS
5% to 8% (depending on the study) of the men and 0.5% of the women of the
world are born colorblind. That's as high as one out of twelve men and
one out of two hundred women.
The commonest forms of congenital defective color vision, the red-green
deficiencies, are due to "sex-linked X chromosomes" and "simple recessive
hereditary traits". Men are mainly affected because women have two X
chromosomes and men have only one X and a Y chromosome. If a man's one X
chromosome is color defective, he will be color deficient, where as , a
woman must inherit two color defective X chromosomes to be color deficient.
For a woman to be color deficient, her father must be colorblind and her
mother colorblind or be a carrier.
Online color blindness test - let's take this one in class today. The Ishihara Test for Color Blindness - take this one as well. Here is an interesting site by Vischeck that will take a URL and show you what a colorblind person will see.
I don't have your next assignment completed, but get started on updating
your webpage. It will be due on Friday, 3/2/07 at 4:30pm. You
will need to add at least five links, three paragraphs of text, a "top ten"
list (see ordered lists) and different fonts and colors. I will be
posting the complete assignment tomorrow on the
assignments page.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Apple to re-enter the sub-notebook market?
DST and Apple and a new round of Apple security patches and a great DST overview article
Is a workspace smoking ban "a gift" for hackers?
Man sues his employer over being fired, says he is addicted to the Internet
For class:
HTML for Beginners
and a list of all
HTML tags and an
HTML
Primer
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Microsoft fixes 20 security flaws
Update on the DST fix (it's a mess)
The midterm exam is coming up on Thursday, March 1st! I will be posting a review set over the weekend.
For Tuesday 2/20/07: Please be on time for class, and we will be spending the class working on a basic website, in anticipation of your web assignment. Because if you show up late and there is no way to catch up, anyone coming late to class will not be admitted.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
This video sure makes me want to run Windows! Note that Windows 386 was the version prior to the Windows 3.x family, which then led to Windows 95.
A zero-day exploit of Solaris - using telnet! Another reason not to use telnet across the Internet
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Study notes link between IT sabotage and work behavior
New York may ban talking on your cell phone or using your iPod when crossing the street
Woman has bad plastic surgery, then complains about it on a website, physician sues to stop, she wins lawsuit. But, is she telling the truth? How far can you go to criticize someone on the web?
TIP: Read the directions on the quiz! Several of you did not and got points taken off.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
The RIAA says CDs should be priced much higher (like around $33)
Another zero-day exploit for Microsoft (this time it is Excel)
Apple and the Beatles have settled regarding the name "Apple"
More kids accidentally view online porn
Why Windows is harder to secure than Unix
Friday, February 6, 2007
FYI - I am leaving today around 10:30am to speak to the Judiciary Committee in Lincoln. I won't have my cell phone on when I am in the capital building, and won't be able to check email until later in the afternoon.
You have had two extra days and two class periods to ask questions, so I am assuming that everyone has no more problems getting the assignment done. Remember to have it done by 4:30pm!
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Great news! Tweetie is now on the list of known mailers. Because of this, I want to change the due date of the assignment to Friday, February 2nd at 4:30pm. I want you to be able to test the output of your mailed commands, so to test try sending them to your Creighton email account, and when you are sure they are correct, send them to yours.
Michael Dell is back as CEO at the old "PC's Limited"
Teenager sues record companies, saying they are guilty of collusion
Symantec wins the "Worst Vendor of 2006" award
Look who is coming to Omaha!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Faculty ban use of Wikipedia as source
59% of Americans think parking in a fire lane is worse than downloading a movie
New Intel chips will run faster and use less power
New "zero day" vulnerability in Word 2000
Vista upgrade requires an actual Windows OS to be installed to upgrade, instead of the previous method of just having an old OS license code. Vista was also officially released yesterday.
Adobe wants to make the PDF format an international standard - hmmm, does this have anything to do with Microsoft wanting their new format to be the new document standard?
Norway declares iTunes illegal due to DRM
What faculty are concerned with in wireless classrooms
Thursday, January 25, 2007
I am asking that everyone make an effort to attend class on time. It is very distracting to the other students, and to me, when you walk in after class has begun. If you feel that you cannot make class on time, please drop this section and move to another.
Rumor Central: Apple event on February 20th? Supposed release of OS X 10.5, iWork 2007, new Mac Pro models, etc. We'll have to see!
Dell is selling machines without an OS - Great for those that want to install an open source operating system, or have volume license agreements
Is it true that 22% of all Windows installations are not genuine? Or does Windows validation have flaws?
Here is an example of the latest Apple security update - similar to a hotfix by Microsoft.
802.11n working group approves draft 2.0 of the standard
Do you spend more time with your computer than with your significant other?
OEM pricing for Windows Vista - are you going to upgrade? How about a boxed set of Vista, signed by Bill Gates himself?
TV viewers on the 'net are more affluent
I have added today's Powerpoints on Computer History to the Supplements page. I will also be handing out copies, to save you from having to print them out. They will be printed three to a page, with note lines, format.
Assignment Three is handed out today, due no later than 4:30pm on Wednesday, January 31.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Spam is back, and worse than ever. Tell me about it!
A new security threat: your networked printers
Users to IT: None of your business!
The twilight years of Cap'n Crunch
Windows time differential problems and the new Daylight Saving Time change
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Apple reports record profits for the first quarter Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 first quarter ended December 30, 2006. The Company posted record revenue of $7.1 billion and record net quarterly profit of $1.0 billion, or $1.14 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $5.7 billion and net quarterly profit of $565 million, or $.65 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 31.2 percent, up from 27.2 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 42 percent of the quarter's revenue. Apple shipped 1,606,000 Macintosh computers and 21,066,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 28 percent growth in Macs and 50 percent growth in iPods over the year-ago quarter.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
A few comments about email etiquette: (#1 and #2) I would add that you should always use a subject line (and for email with your faculty, put in the course number) and NEVER, never, never use text-messaging slang like "ur" for "you are." Using text slang is inappropriate unless you are texting to that person.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Welcome to the first day of class!
Update: Author of the textbook, student site
Your assignment for Tuesday 1/16/07, and also read Chapter One in the text.
