Scanography

"Sunglasses Twirl" by Cassy Galon. 2012.

     With the wide variety of technology and software programs at the Student Multimedia Design Center, there are plenty of opportunities to create stunning pieces of work whether it's a video, photograph or digital art. However, have you ever thought of what artwork you could create with just a scanner?
     Scanography, commonly known as scanner photography, has been around ever since 1968! It is seen by artists as a new way to see and represent the world around us. It takes no prior knowledge or training, only the motivation to press a button and exercise your imagination. Yes, the image to the right was created using the Color Scanner in the Student Multimedia Center. So what are you waiting for? Go create your own Scanography artwork!

If you're interested in learning, or viewing, more Scanography check out the links below:

1. Scanography.org
2. Scanography - Tumblr
3. Stewart Nelson - Fine Art Photographer
4. The Almighty Google - Search for "Scanography"

Buying a camera?

Interested in purchasing a new camera.  Here is a guide that may help in that decision making.

Better Than Your USB Flash Drive

Having to remember your USB flash drive all the time is a pain. What if you didn't have to, though? Imagine an online flash drive, or something that serves as one.

"Really?" you ask. Yes, really! Bitcasa, a type of external hard drive that uses cloud storage, offers this service...and it gives you more space for free than your typical $10 flash drive!

In additional to 10gb of free storage, if you want unlimited storage, they currently have a special offer of $69 for a full year! Sounds too good to be true, right? Nope!

Here are some key features of this awesome service:

     1.  Accessible anywhere: from your phone, tablet, or laptop!

     2.  Keeps all your data safe. Bitcasa encrypts everything before you upload it and keeps three copies of everything you store.

     3.  Share your data with anyone! With this service, you can send any size file easily!

     4.  User-friendly. Bitcasa can be used just like any other external hard drive.

     5.  Infinite storage (if you pay)! If not, 10 FREE gb!

     6.  Syncs to your computer! Users of this service can have their files automatically and continuously backed up to their computers. Backed-up data is also available offline.


Check it out here!

Hop to it! Jumpshare's unique file sharing and viewing service

While many of us are big fans of the UD Dropbox service for sending large files, every now and then we may find ourselves in a situation where we--or a friend in need--don't have a UD email address to use the service.

So, what can you do if you have a file that's too big for an email attachment? Tyler provided a great walkthrough of Google Drive earlier this week. Drive would have no problem hosting your larger files, but what if you or your proverbial friend don't have a Google account either? (0 for 2!)

Jumpshare's Unique Service

Credit: Jumpshare Blog

I've found Jumpshare to be useful in situations like these. Jumpshare not only accommodates file sizes up to 250 MB (not too shabby) but can also preview upwards of 200 different formats within the browser. Here are some other ways Jumpshare stands out:

• No user account is necessary to get started. Instead, you are given a unique link to your files after you have finished uploading them.
   
• Without an account, the only way for you or others to find your files is by using the unique link...so bookmark it, email it to yourself, share it on social media, but just don't lose the thing!
   
• Your files will be deleted after 7 days, so make sure you download your files to a more permanent storage location sooner rather than later.
   
• With a free account, you can share files up to 2 GB, and they won't be deleted within the 7 day period. That's rad.

The Bottom Line

If you don't want to bother with making an account, Jumpshare is a quick, easy way to send your files floating out onto the web in a lifeboat so you can pick them up on the opposite shore (a home desktop, laptop, tablet, etc). To extend the metaphor, they will be eaten by sharks within a half-fortnight. So by all means, get to them before it's too late!

The Big Plus

You and anyone you share the link with can preview Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator formats within the browser--no extra software required.

View the full list of supported formats here. 

Social Media Expansion

In this day age social media is everything when trying to retain positive public relations with the general population. How could the SMDC benefit by having a facebook page or twitter account? Students could post technical questions and feedback on the page without having to come to the desk. A staff member could periodically monitor it to answer questions and concerns. There could be posts about featured equipment for the semester, promotions for workshops, and all the latest tips and tricks to using the SMDC to it's full potential! It would surely increase traffic at the SMDC and promote awareness of it's existence in the student body. Just something to consider...

Optional Zoom Lens Kit Review

Earlier this week I got the opportunity to use the Canon EF telephoto lens now available at the Student Multimedia Design Center as an optional kit. Telephoto lenses have a focal length over 50mm, which is considered equivalent to human eyesight. This type of lens allows the photographer to shoot images from further away with greater detail, or create close-ups of minute creatures and objects. The 75-300mm can take also pictures with a focus as close as 5 feet away. That doesn't sound close, but that is not the purpose of the lens. Users may also want to have a tripod for certain shooting situations. The build of the zoom lens makes the camera more front-heavy, and the lens lacks the Image Stabilization feature available on the kit lenses of the Canon Rebel DSLR cameras we offer. Overall, this lens creates new photographic opportunities, so be sure to tell users about it when they ask to check out a DSLR.

Photoshop going Mobile?

Everyone (at who I have worked with) knows about Adobe's Photoshop and that it can be used on our Mac's and PC's. What amazes me though is that the program can be bought and used on a smartphone or tablet! I understand that technology is moving towards a completely mobile world, but it just seems impossible to me that a smartphone could hold the program that has allowed for the creation of some of the most amazing photos. Granted, the app can't perform all of the functions as the desktop version, but you can play with filters, layers, and other popular tools. Now I'm not one that's big on Photoshop, but this app seems like it would be pretty convenient for classes (or jobs...) that require a lot of work to be done in Photoshop. The time spent on the bus or waiting for class to start really adds up, utilize it! Apparently the app has been available on phones and tablets for a while now, but a new update has corrected many bugs and glitches from the original version. With Instagram and Twitter popularizing mobile photo-editing tools, I suppose Photoshop decided to enter the market -- a move that seems to have paid off. Click to go to original article
 

Have any of you downloaded the app on a mobile device? If so, how would you compare it to the desktop version?

Google Drive: A Guide to Never Needing Microsoft Word or a Flash Drive Again!

Google Drive is something I've found, to my surprise, that a lot of the students don't actually know about, or know how to use it.

I'm here to remedy that.


Google Drive is an amazing cloud storage system that is built right into your browser, and specifically your University of Delaware email account.

 From this point forwards, I will assume that you are using the "Google Apps" version of Udel's email service. Found here: https://googleapps.udel.edu

 Starting off, your doorway into the magic that is Google Drive starts at the homepage for Udel's Google Apps email.  The Drive tab is conveniently located immediately next to the Mail tab.  If you don't see it here, try the "More" tab for a drop-down menu!

The Drive tab takes you to this starting page, which lists all the documents, presentations, images or files you've created or uploaded.

You can click the "Create" tab to choose which type of file you'd like to create.  Documents, Presentations, even Spreadsheets and Drawings are available options.  This is super helpful if you ever find yourself out of access to the Microsoft Office suite.

I threw together a quick document, with LoremIpsum so you could see how easy (and familiar) the interface is.

Its basically "Mircosoft Word" on the internet, all stored in a convenient to access space next to your email.
The document set-up area has basically all the same tools that Word does, in almost the same locations.  It should be extremely familiar to use.

The last neat thing you can do, which ties in with my "never need a flash drive again" statement comes from the fact that, if you click on the little hard-drive icon next to the "create" button, you can actually upload a wide selection of file types.  From what I can tell, there is about a 10GB upload limit total.  And I can't seem to find anything stating specific single upload limits.  As long as your storage space is less than 10Gb you can keep uploading!

I've pretty much converted to solely using Google Drive for my documents, printing and file-sharing needs, and it hasn't failed me yet!

Let us know what you think of Google Drive and how its affected your workflow!

How About 4-D printing?

Now that 3-D printing is on the way to becoming a more accessible form of printing (Check out this article), technological innovators are already researching the prospects of "4-D printing".  With 4-D printing you have the ability to make objects that transform into other structures.   At first, the 4-D structures are similar to a job the 3-D printer creates however, the static figures will transform when they are "activated".  The prints are activated by an external force.  In early experiments discussed in the article I read, water is the activating substance which provides the energy that the object needs in order to change. Activation can also occur with light, heat, current or sound.  This device has the potential to be extremely useful when building structures underwater or in space. Places that are difficult or impossible to access will benefit greatly from this technology.

 4-D printing sounds like an amazingly useful technological feat that will transform the concept of building on a large scale.  When researching 3-D printers I had no idea that 4-D printers were even in the works.  From the information in this article it seems the technology is on the path to becoming the next big thing.    

Check out the article here

Lesson Learned: Back Up Early, Back Up Often

Working in a job that deals with technology, you quickly learn the importance of backing up data in the event of a hard drive disaster.  Whether it's the girl that lost all of her pictures of her puppy on iPhone because she dropped it in water, or the masters student that's brought to tears after the dissertation he's worked on for months is lost in one fell swoop of  the dreaded blue screen of death, we've all seen it, and we all warn others about the perils of not backing their data up.
But we never think it's going to happen to us.....

....aaaaaand then it does.

This past Sunday, I noticed my computer was acting kind of slow. After restarting it, and hoping it was just some weird program not-responding kind of issue, I noticed that my computer wouldn't boot up. I started to get a bad feeling about this, so off I went to the Apple Store to see if the Genius Bar could save the day. They plugged my computer into their firewire diagnostic system, and powered the machine on to run some tests on the hard drive.


Low and behold, it failed.

My 8 month old, 15" Macbook Pro's hard drive FAILED.
What?! New computers aren't supposed to have issues! It's a Mac! IT'S SUPPOSED TO JUST WORK!!!!!!!!!

The best was yet to come.  After taking a closer look at the machine, we then found that all my data was corrupted.

I lost everything. Every bit of homework I had done, every picture, every movie I've edited, every expensive music composing/editing program I owned, every score I had ever written.

And then the Genius asked, "Do you have a back up?"

My mind immediately turned to the 2 TB Lacie Hard Drive that I had in my backpack. I felt a shining glimmer of hope! "Yes I do", I responded, only to then remember....the last time I backed my computer up was in July.

Oops.

The good new is, all isn't lost. The back up in July means that I will get some (very expensive) software back, and I might be able to recover some files.  The bad news is that everything I've done since July 2012 has forever been sacrificed to the Computer Gods that I have so clearly angered.

Only you can prevent forest fires complete data loss. 

Like many college students, we all get busy with life and forget to do seemingly routine things that can save us pain and agony later, such as backing up a computer.  There are now several durable and reliable external hard drives on the market that offer a substantial amount of storage for a low price, such as Lacie and Western Digital.   Some snooping around on Newegg, Amazon, or Micro Center can get you an external for a significant discount. Those of you that are into hardware can save even more money by building your own external if you have an old hard drive laying around. CNet has a great How-To article for those that are interested.

While you really should make a habit of backing up at least once a month, there are several online services for those of you, who, like me, forget to plug their external in. 

If you're an Apple user, syncing all your devices together to iCloud not only allows you to share your data between devices, but also allows you to save documents to the cloud while you're working on them.  This also stores all your contact info and up to 300 photos in the photo stream. iCloud is free, but you can purchase additional storage for a price. (**I highly recommend this if you like to keep your phone around water...)

Dropbox is also a cloud based storage system that offers a substantial amount of storage for free. While it doesn't automatically save your files for you, you can manually choose important files to be stored on there servers. 

For those of you that don't mind keeping your computer connected to the internet at all times, Back Blaze offers automatic continuous and secure data storage for documents, music, and more for a fee. However, it's pricy, and doesn't back up your operating system or your applications. Carbonite and CrashPlan offer similar services, again, at a price. 

Heed my tale...

While I am trying to get back most of what I lost, I learned the importance of having a back up plan when it comes to storage.  Loosing all your data isn't a good feeling, especially when you have a massive project due the next day and you have to then spend 8 hours in the library redoing it all (True Story).  From now on, I know I'll be making sure to plug that hard drive in to make sure that something this never, ever, happens again.

Is Iphone Photography really Photography?

So it's been a debate between my friends and I for about a week now, Is iPhone photography really photography? With so many new phones out there, it is no longer necessary to carry around huge cameras such as my D5000. People are now utilizing there small little iPhone in ways that have put professional photographers ill-at-ease. Why is this little phone such a scary thing? Simply because with everyone wandering around with a high-quality camera at there side, someone is bound to run into a great scene and inevitably take a great shot. This creates competition for the professionals, leading them to pose the question, is what the iPhone doing really high-quality photography??? I will leave out my opinion but if anyone would like to offer their own argument that would be awesome!

To get your thinking juices flowing, check out this site which i found that embodies the idea of the iPhone photographer!

http://www.iphoneography.com/


Regards,
Taylor Patterson

Vudu: Disc to Digital Service

If you're like me, you have piles of DVD boxes sitting around doing nothing more than taking up space. I'm very reluctant to sell or throw away DVDs because not only do I love these movies but also newly released DVDs were and still are very expensive! Working at the SMDC, I have dealt with many people transferring tapes to digital files to DVD through the video import cart, but now it seems a lot of people don't want DVDs either and find it most convenient to have a digital collection without physical mass, also know as a "cloud." Vudu is an upcoming service that takes DVDs and, for a fee, will create a digital copy into the cloud. This do-it-yourself service allows you to easily transform your clunky disc collection to as all-digital arrangement of your favorite films. Vudu also transfers Blu-Ray. DVD's run at a rate of $5 for HD and $2 for SD. The Blu-Ray rate is $2 for HD.

While some are excited for this service, there are a few complaints. For one, this program is not compatible with Macs. Also, as lighter laptops are now coming without disk drives, these users will not be able to use this service. Other complaints with incompatibility of certain films as well as the fact that Vudu sets a base price for DVDs that are worth different values also arise.

More about the upcoming program and the praise and complaints can be found on this C|NET article.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57570867-93/vudus-in-home-disc-to-digital-service-promising-yet-lacking/

RAW vs. JPG in one image

Most of our DSLR's have RAW capabilities as well as JPG.  This is one example of why using the RAW settings may be a great idea.  You may have already seen this post if you frequent Reddit.com. Here is a comparison shot of what happens in RAW vs. JPG. RAW keeps the information of every pixel on the sensor of the camera.  In JPG however, whatever is too light or too dark (highlights / low lights) will be approximated as pure white or pure black.  This means much detail is left out of the picture.  This can become hard when it comes to editing.

UD student records album...in Studio 6!

Over these past couple semesters, many of us have seen reservations in Studio 6 for a one Matt Sparacino. Well, it looks like he has put all of this time to good use. He recently released a full album called "The Middle" under the moniker Closer to Closure. It's a quality recording that bears witness to Matt's gifting as a songwriter as well as the resources we offer our students to effectively and productively work on their projects.

You can listen to (and purchase) the full album on Closer to Closure's Bandcamp and iTunes page. Great job, Matt!

Here's hoping we see more students producing great music out of Studio 6. If you're a student with a song in you, why not make a reservation at our desk?

A different take on 3D Printing

The "3Doodler" is a large handheld 'pen' that works like a 3D printer head, feeding strips of plastic through a heated nozzle. The plastic cools very quickly allowing the user to make some very cool 3D sculptures as easy as drawing on paper.

The unit has not been released yet, but has received Over 33x their goal on Kickstarter, so chances are we will see these available for purchase online in the future.

Batch Renaming the Easy Way

Multimedia projects assembled by teams or individuals from a variety of files may have duplicate or meaningless file names unless they are organized.  The article, Batch Renaming the Easy Way, offers several methods for batch renaming files.  It's worth reading and people who take this advice may find it easier to keep track of their files so they can be used in future projects as well as current ones.

CloudOn!

Although Microsoft is no longer denying Microsoft Office to be available on Apple's iPad, the software has not been developed yet. In the meantime, I suggest you get your CloudOn! This free  application is currently available for both iPhones and iPads. The application provides iPhone and iPad users with the ability to save and edit Microsoft Office documents. One reviewer of CloudOn said, "Awesome! A must have app!" I see this application being very useful to many iPad users in particular.

Copyright explained-- musically!

PandoHouse Rock: Copyright Explained, a video collaboration between PandoDaily and Explainer Music’s David Holmes, has recently released a very short music video that explains copyright in musical form. I normally find these kinds of things cheesy, but the video actually does a decent job of explaining a complicated topic. After watching the video, feel free to do what you like with it-- they've put the video in the public domain.

Like Designing? Why Not Make A T-shirt?

Do you enjoy designing in programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator? Have you ever thought of turning those designs into shirts? About 2 years ago I discovered a site that sells one tshirt a day for 24 hours. All of these shirts are user submitted, and the best part is they get paid for every shirt that sells.

Worried about them taking your design and selling it down the road without telling you? 
No worries! After the 24 hours is up, all rights of the shirt go back to you and you can do with it what you please. I've submitted one design already to multiple sites, unfortunately have not gotten any offers yet. Maybe with a little practice and some more quality and popular designs, one day I'll have a selling shirt, and you can too!

How you ask?
Well there are many of these sites out there. Some of my favorites are Qwertee, ShirtPunch, and TeeFury. There are many more out there though! Teemagnet.com actually has multiple of these websites all on one page so you do not have to check each of them individually. Just go onto any of those websites (or find your own, there are a lot of them) and look for a submit tab. There you will usually find the rules and conditions for submitting a design (color limit, file size, file type etc.).

I probably only get 5 cents per shirt I sell right? The man trying to hold us workin' folk back.
WRONG! On most sites that I have seen, for every shirt that sells you will receive $1. I know that may not sound like a lot in and of itself, but think about it. The average winning design on these sites usually have at least 500 votes on them, at LEAST. That correlates to at least 500 people who want to buy your shirt. Lets say you only sell 500 shirts. That's $500 in your pocket, not to mention your design comes right back to you.

I don't know how to use photoshop or any other programs like it. Can't I just buy a shirt?
I encourage everyone to at least check out these sites to just admire the other designs that these people have worked hard on and submitted. Check back every day and just appreciate a new design! Did I mention these shirts are cheaper than an average graphic tee you would find in the store? On most sites they are only about $10.

So go check these sites out, buy a shirt, make a design or just vote for new winning designs! 

Fascinating Talks on Web Design + Multimedia

Interested in web design, user experience (UX), and digital multimedia? Though these fascinating lectures were given at FRONTEND 2011, they shouldn't be dismissed as being outdated. These talks showcase experts in the field surveying the rapidly shifting landscape of the modern web. Even if you are simply interested in how much intentionality and thought goes into connecting audiences with media, these are worth a watch. Check out the videos--along with slides and some wonderful caricatures--at the FRONTEND 2011 site.

Are Pocket Pianos or Kaleidoloops in your future?

A couple guys making creating electronic instruments and making music were features in Newsworks recently.  Their affordable devices may appeal to talented who don't want to invest in large, expensive synthesizers.  For less than $200, their pocket piano offers musicians affordable fun that the makers say will fit in any backpack.  Invented in Philadelphia, it wouldn't be hard to take a road trip to see where they're made.  Their "Kaleidoloops" (which records and plays back sounds that can be altered) also makes interesting layered sound effects possible.  More fun than a regular midi keyboard?

Staples announces in-store 3-D printing

3-D printing is one of the most exciting technological developments of recent times. Futurists and tech buffs have predicted that it will become an increasingly utilized tool as the technology improves and becomes more accessible.

Well, accessibility for the general public has taken a huge step forward as Staples recently announced they will be offering in-store 3-D printing! Staples will be the first chain retailer to do so and plans to begin offering the service in a couple European countries early this year. And it's expected we won't have to wait long before we can go into our local Staples here in the United States and print a 3-D model of virtually anything we can think of!

To read more of the announcement and the new technology, click here.

Sony RX1 compact camera with DSLR features

Sony's new RX1 has many features of a DSLR in a compact camera. The big advantage is not having to lug around bulky camera. Here's a first-person account of one photographer's experience, one quote -- "After seven days of using the camera in and around Yokohama, I can unequivocally state that I don’t miss the bulky, heavy load of a DSLR. In terms of design, compactness, and capability, Sony has a winner on its hands." Here's another review of it. The disadvantage now is the $2,800 purchase price...well a dsiadvantage for most of us...! I'd suggest getting one now to add to our equipment but...somehow don't think it's in our budget. I must say while I love my little handheld Canon camera, I do miss DSLR features like being able to rapidly shoot photos. Rich

Adobe TV - Great Tutorials for Dreamweaver!

Dreamweaver can be very intimidating for first time users. Adobe TV has plenty of free online tutorials to get you web designing in no time! The tutorials range from very simple getting started videos to more complex topics. These are a great place to start if you are thinking of using Dreamweaver. Visit the site and take a look around.

There are also tutorials for other Adobe programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro. To get some face to face tutorials on some of the Adobe programs check out the Student Multimedia Design Center Spring Workshops to find out if we're hosting any sessions on a program you're interested in working with!

Design, Scan, Create

With rumors of a 3D printer making it's way to the SMDC in the future, I found it only appropriate to do a little research on what we would be getting ourselves into.

The different levels of printers range from a few hundred dollars to the cost of tuition! Fortunately
many different companies are making 3D printers and because of the dramatic growth in sales the price has dropped substantially. The most way to explain the contraption is that you scan a digital image of the product you want to create and the machine builds the product layer by layer using which ever material you have chosen. Some cant print in over one hundred materials such as rubber and hard plastic.

This new multimedia tool is thought to be on it's way to revolutionizing the market place. Since it's finally at a price that is within our grasp i think it's time to start designing your next pair of sneakers!

Drexel library

Drexel Universtiy Libraries launches Laptop Access 24/7 through a self-ser Kiosk.  The Kiosk provides students a dozen Apple MacBook laptops to loan.  Read about it further on Drexel's News and Events.

A Chrome-Cooked Multimedia Feast...

We're well aware how Google Chrome has risen in the ranks as a major player in the browser battles. Ever go to Google's main search page in a non-Chrome browser and notice the ad championing their homegrown "faster way to browse the web"? That's some strategic ad placement, for sure.

Well, it seems that everyone from everyday web users to coding commodores have been drawn in by Chrome's shiny luster--and for reasons beyond its speed. The browser has grown into a coding playground for ambitious developers. Chrome Experiments is a stunning showcase of these Chrome-cooked multimedia experiences for the browser. Using languages such as Javascript, HTML5, CSS3, and WebGL, contributors have submitted nearly 600 experiments that push the web to its creative and technical limit. Some are truly beautiful, some are greatly informative, and many of them are simply ingeniously fun. Feast your eyes!

Will Vimeo surpass YouTube?

Over the last few years more and more students have been utilizing YouTube for their classes, whether it is to upload a video, capture a video or in order to submit an assignment. If your like the billion other people out there, you know YouTube like the back of your hand, but my question is, "How does YouTube compared to other websites such as Vimeo?"

Not heard of Vimeo? Don't worry neither had I until I watched a post from my professor on Sakai welcoming us to his course. Yes, I said that right, its Sakai friendly! So one point for Vimeo!

So what else does Vimeo do and how can it help you? According to Vimeo.com it has many features that make its services better than it competitors.

Features such as:

• Easy User-friendly Tools that require no technical knowledge! Perfect for those last minute, coffee induced, crazed submissions!
• No ads on, before or after your video! Perfect for your teachers to actually see your work...could be a downside too!
• User-friendly Community! So, its like YouTube and Facebook combined?!

Want to know more? Directly from their site: 

• Upload videos with ease.
            Putting your videos on Vimeo is ridiculously simple, even if
            you hate technology.
• Share how you want.
            Let the world watch your videos, or share them privately.
            It’s totally your call.
• Discover amazing videos.
           Your senses will be dazzled, your heartstrings plucked at,
           and your life changed forever.
• Connect everywhere.
           Vimeo works brilliantly on smartphones, TVs, and other 
           futuristic devices.
• Become a creative genius.
           Learn how to make better videos from fun lessons in Vimeo
           Video School.
• Lots of other cool stuff.
           Get music for your videos, create your own Channels and 
           Groups, and more.

 With all these features...which do you prefer, YouTube or Vimeo?

Microsoft 365 is it worth it?

Microsoft's new scheme to sell its office software as a subscription plan that is around 100 bucks a year for up to 5 computers. It also allows users to save their work to the cloud in order to do work on another computer or mobile device. This service also updates over time while the CD version called Microsoft 2013 does not offer any updates.



For me I guess it would depend on the updates. If an update would consist of a newer version like from Office 13 to Office 17 so a four year span worth 400 dollars would be cheaper than to just buy another 300 dollar program which would be a total of 600 if you originally paid 300 for 2013 model. Otherwise it would not be a good deal since in 10 years you could pay 1000 dollars when in say 9 years (2007-2010-2013 all new Office programs) you pay around 300 each equaling 900.


Would you pay 100 dollars a year to use the new Microsoft Office 365?







http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/29/technology/enterprise/microsoft-office-2013-review/index.html

Phishing Scam

New semester, new phishing scam. 

This scam has caught UD faculty and students. If you did click on the "Unflag", here are directions to correct the issue university web page/.

They're Always Watching

No one likes to be spied upon. Everywhere you go, you feel as if you are being watched. With all of the controversy over privacy as of late, people would like nothing more than to be able to protect their personal information, and the details of their lives that they deem secret. Sometimes I even feel as if my phone is bugged, and that the government can and will listen in on every word that I’m saying. Now, maybe that’s just me being a paranoid anti-government nervous wreck, but I for one would love to be able to shut the door that leads into my house of personal knowledge right in the Feds’ faces.

This is quite possible. An app called “Silent Circle,” commandeered by ex-Navy SEAL commando Mike Janke, provides one of the most secure encryption programs in the world. Silent Circle was released for iPhones and iPads last October with a revolutionary “burn” function that allows the user to set a time limit on anything you send through Silent Circle to another person, which deletes the file after a certain amount of time. The complex encryptions used in this process are so intricate that the government is having quite a hard time hacking into them. The government has even demanded backdoor access, but Janke has vehemently refused as it defeats the entire purpose of his creation. Many telecom firms gladly hand over data on users to the authorities with barely any supervision and the utmost of secretive methods, and Silent Circle looks to combat this.

Silent Circle will publish, biannually, reports that show which countries are requesting backdoor access, and the amount of people they have requested information about. All of the payment process is handled through a third party, meaning that even if the Feds gained access to those payment records, they still have no right to any data on customers. The only way for the Feds to do so would be to infect the smartphones before the encryptions have been set in place.

However, very soon, Silent Circle will release a new aspect of the app: users can send files at the touch of a button, with the same “burn” function described earlier. Files as large as 60MB can be sent instantaneously to another Silent Circle device, and are deleted at a pre-designated time set by the sender. Photos, videos, documents, and music can be sent with little to no effort and the best part is: it’s safe! This allows for easy encryption right at the tip of your fingers, and I personally am quite excited to use this new app! (Once it comes out for Android, of course.)

Video about us by Delaware Admissions

The Admissions office has posted a video about us (the first half of the video), Starring Hannah Lee and Brandon Blue, with cameos by Lucky, Eve and Rich (look closely!).