http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu "It can only be attributable to human error...." Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:55:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Really, who needs Windows?  If you want a second OS on your Mac, add Ubuntu.  If you haven't looked at it in a while, you'll be surprised at how nice it is. Here's how: On your Intel Mac, go to the utilities folder and open "Boot Camp Assistant." Partition your drive, as if ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/11/17/dual-booting-your-mac-easy-fast-free/ New York has canceled the electronics recycling programs they were holding and has decided to allow people to include toxic electronics in trash destined for land fills.  This is a bad decision for many reasons.  Remember when the city cancelled all recycling for a while?  Well, it's taken years for ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/28/how-to-recycle-your-computer-ipod-or-mobile-phone/ Gregory Donovan has posted a great critique of Rupert Murdoch's World Media Summit speech.  Here's Murdoch, as quoted in Donovan's post, on "stealing" content: "The Philistine phase of the digital age is almost over. The aggregators and the plagiarists will soon have to pay a price for the co-opting of our content. But ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/27/users-and-producers-how-much-does-social-media-profit-from-your-content/ Yes, Apple, it's pretty.  But - by making the wireless keyboard and mouse the standard with your iMacs - aren't you just adding piles of garbage to landfills?  Why doesn't the iMac have a built-in battery charger for the "Magic Mouse" - that would really be magical. I'm going to keep ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/20/magic-mouse-not-so-magical/ There is a lingering mythology about Macs being expensive and Windows PCs being more affordable - which is easily debunked if you look at the specs of a new Mac vs. a Dell & compare all the software included with OS X.  This extends into the realm of servers as ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/15/are-windows-servers-less-expensive/ What's the difference between the operating system and the retail store environment?  OS X, iTunes, Disney Stores?  It all makes sense in light of this strange news from Mac Rumors: The New York Times reports that The Walt Disney Company is planning a ground-up revival of its retail stores using a ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/14/apple-consulting-on-retail-store-design/ Usually when we hear about BitTorrent or peer-to-peer file sharing, it's in the context of 'pirated' software or 'illegal' music sharing.  They're not the same, they shouldn't be confused and I'll explain why. (A series of men's restrooms?  Nope, Peer-to-Peer.) What is BitTorrent used for? BitTorrent is used to share large files. ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/09/bittorrent-and-peer-to-peer-file-sharing-are-not-illegal/ This is a survey of images that result from a G**gle search of the term "computer security."  I find it fascinating how quickly some in the academic environment subscribe to someone else's 'security' discourse. (Does anyone have a door that actually takes a key like this? Is this what the internet's ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/08/visual-survey-computer-security/ Snow Leopard We've begun upgrading the Macs at the Graduate Center to OS X 10.6. Along with this upgrade, we're implementing some other changes.  We are no longer asking users to authenticate with Active Directory credentials in order to use the Macs in public areas.  Users will not have to log in ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/08/upgrading-to-10-6-liberating-users-from-passwords/ I'm pleased to announce that after months of work our first Mac classroom has opened at the Graduate Center.  We had previously set up dual boot MacBooks for our Audio Visual department and have dual boot MacBooks available for loan from the Help Desk in the library.  Although this classroom ... http://gcmac.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2009/10/08/dual-boot-mac-classroom-opens-at-gc/