Computer Chronicles
Version 8.4, Heartfelt Tech
Roses are red, nothing is goldenrod. Click here to get a free iPod.
Please continue to be vigilant when checking your email. Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated each day. Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) just released some disconcerting news. A new data breach of humongous proportions has just been made public, we are talking astronomical numbers. He has called this data set "Collection#1" and it consists of:
- email addresses and passwords totaling 2,692,818,238 rows
- 1,160,253,228 unique combinations of email addresses and passwords
- unique email addresses totaled 772,904,991
- there are 21,222,975 unique passwords (that's too many reused passwords!)
While it doesn't appear to include more sensitive information, like credit card or Social Security numbers, Collection #1 is historic for scale alone. A few elements also make it especially unnerving:
- Around 140 million email accounts and over 10 million unique passwords in Collection #1 are new to HIBP database, meaning they’re not just duplicates from prior megabreaches.
- Then there’s the way in which those passwords are saved in Collection #1, these are all plain text passwords.
- And lastly all of these records were sitting not in some dark web backwater, but on one of the most popular cloud storage sites—until it got taken down—and then on a public hacking site. They weren’t even for sale; they were just available for anyone to take.
Wondering if you're on the list? Visit https://haveibeenpwned.com/ to see.
Material Design for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites on Web
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites will be getting a new look and feel on the web. While there are no functionality changes, you will notice some visual improvements, including:
- Interface typography that uses Google’s custom-designed and highly-legible typefaces
- Controls (like buttons, dialogs, and sidebars) that are updated and consistent
- Iconography that is legible and crisp, with a fresh feel
The four products in this update join other G Suite products like Gmail and Calendar in sharing a common design language.
Randomly select a student with Google Classroom on Android
Got an Android phone? If so, you can use this handy new feature to randomly select a student to call on.
- On your Android device, tap Classroom your class People.
- In the top-right corner, tap Student selector .
- Choose one:
- Call on the student shown.
- To call on the student later, under the student name, tap Call Later.
- To mark the student as absent, under the student name, tap Absent.
- To call on another student, tap Next.
Basic computer tips everyone should know
Many tech issues can be avoided if users understand computer fundamentals and a few tricks of the trade. Over the next few issues I'll be giving you some tips from myself and other IT professionals that can help you avoid computer calamities.
Lock your computer when you walk away.
When you leave your computer behind without locking it, anyone can use it without a password. From there, they might copy (or delete) important files without your permission, install malware, or even send emails pretending to be you. Every time you leave your desk, you should lock your computer (on Windows, press the Window key+L or press Ctrl+Alt+Del and lock).
Magni Momenti Notitia
- Want to paste text to and from Chrome without all the pesky formatting? Copy using Ctrl-C as usual, but when you go to paste, use Ctrl-Shift-V. This will strip the formatting and just give you the plain text.
- Visit the updated Information Technology page on the district site. I'd love your feedback.
- "Think before you click."
- If you have a technical issue, please submit a help desk ticket here: https://sapublicschools.freshdesk.com/helpdesk (Be sure to use the Google button to login.)
- Did you hear about the bed bugs who fell in love? They're getting married in the spring!
Stuff I have been reading:
- How to Share Links to Your Google Doc as a PDF
- Microsoft's killer Windows 7 patch: Breaks networking, flags legit PCs as 'Not genuine'
- Public Domain Day Is Finally Here!: Copyrighted Works Have Entered the Public Domain Today for the First Time in 21 Years
- Verizon Surcharge Will Affect Other Education Companies—Not Just Remind
21st Century Education won't be defined by any new technology. It won't be just defined by 1:1 technology programs or tech-intensive projects. 21st Century Education will, however, be defined by a fundamental shift in what we are teaching - a shift towards learner-centered education and creating creative thinkers.
Michael Elson
Book some time: https://melson.youcanbook.me/
Email: melson@sapublicschools.com
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/sapublicschools.com/tech-t-days/home
Phone: 732.387.3559
Twitter: @mjelson