Information Technology News Archive

1996 - 2017

In Brief June 2012

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latest news

  • The two instructional computing labs operated by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) in the Engineering Gateway building will permanently close at 5 PM on June 15th to accommodate data center expansion.
  • UCCSC, the UC system-wide computing support conference will be held August 5-7 at UC Berkeley.  Berkeley is currently soliciting presentations for the conference and registration is now open.
  • OIT is now providing computing support to the UCI research station at Anza Borrego.
  • OIT conducted a test of the ZotAlert system on Thursday, May 17.  ZotAlert is part of the campus emergency communications program.  More information and instructions to enroll can be found online.

UCI Google Now Offers Google Drive

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Google Drive

Google Drive

OIT has enabled the Google Drive service as part of UCI Google Apps.

Google Drive is an optional extension to Google Docs.  Google Docs allows on-line (“cloud”) creation, storage, sharing, and collaborative editing of documents through your web browser. Google Drive adds the ability for files and folders on your computer to be backed up “in the cloud,” shared with others, and synchronized/copied on other computers and devices you own.

Here are some of the changes you will experience if you choose to enable Google Drive:

New View

Google Drive now presents your collections as folders, and offers a new “grid” view where your documents appear as thumbprints.  You can use your account settings to return to the classic Google Docs view when needed.

More Document Types

Google Drive allows direct display of a wider range of file types, including video, Adobe Photoshop, and many others.

Better Search

Google Drive allows more flexible searches of the content of your documents, including finding text in PDF files.

File History

Google Drive saves all versions of an edited document for up to 30 days, and allows you to designate any version to be kept permanently

Google Drive App

If you wish, you can download and install a Google Drive app onto any supported computer or smart phone.  This will allow you to conveniently access the files in your Google Drive account, with a synchronized view from any computer or device.  The PC app, for example, creates a virtual folder allowing Windows Explorer functionality, including drag-and-drop, for your Google Drive files.

Google Drive offers 5Gb of free file storage.  Native Google Docs documents (created and stored in the cloud) do not count as part of this limit, which applies only to files from your computer which you backup and share via Google Drive.

At present, Google Drive supports PC, Mac, and Android devices, with support for iPhone and iPad coming soon.

If you want to try Google Drive, you can follow the prompts from your UCI Google Docs page, or call the OIT Help Desk for assistance.

More Features for ReadyTalk

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ReadyTalk

ReadyTalk is a telephone/web conference service used throughout the UC system.  All UCI campus departments are eligible to sign up for service. ReadyTalk adds new features as they become available.  In the last few months, the following capabilities have been added.

ReadyTalk for the iPad
Conference participants can access a web conference via their iPad.

iReach integration
Users can easily create and distribute a press release about an upcoming webinar.

Surveys
ReadyTalk enables users to email a custom survey to participants after a webinar.

Video Clip Playback
With video clip playback you can easily upload and stream short video clips to your entire audience providing a rich web conferencing experience.

Guides on how to use these new features can be found on the ReadyTalk web site.

iTunes U Courses

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iTunes U has a new feature allowing instructors to create and distribute complete courses featuring audio, video, books, and other content. Students and lifelong learners can experience these courses for free using the iTunes U app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

The iTunes U app gives students access to all the course material in one place. They can play audio, video, read books and view presentations. They can also see a list of all the assignments for the course and check them off once complete.

Instructors use iTunes U Course Manager, a web based tool, to gather all the materials to create the course.

UCI’s OpenCourseWare is an early adopter. Current UCI courses include:

  • Foundations of Public Health, Professor Oladele Ogunseitan
  • Introduction to Cosmology, Professor James Bullock
  • Organic Chemistry,  Professor James Nowick
  • Organic Spectroscopy, Professor James Nowick

iTunes U Course Manager

To learn more and create your own courses on iTunes U, please see our iTunes U for Content Providers page.