Self-Service

You may have noticed that the IT department has installed a new application on your computer called Self Service. This application is much like the iTunes music store you’re probably familiar with, although, instead of music, you can use it to download software. The best thing about it is that it’s easier than downloading software from the internet and it installs our packages we’ve customized for our environment. Let’s take a quick look at what it looks like.



This is the main window of Self Service where you can see a list of available and featured applications. Clicking on any of the Categories on the left will reveal more. Click on an application you’d like to install and you’ll be greeted by some more information on the package and an Install button.



Click install and the application will be automatically downloaded and installed. That’s it! Self Service is also a great way to do some initial troubleshooting if you’re having an issue. For example, if when you launch Microsoft Excel and it crashes, you can reinstall Office via Self Service and it will reinstall the application with the latest version. Self Service will be updated regularly with new and updated applications. A great way to stay updated on what’s new is to follow @npmiselfservice on Twitter!

A sneak peak..

Here's an image of an icon that will be coming to your dock in about a month. I can't tell you what it is yet, but I can say that it will be awesome and that it will be something that will change the way you think about software on your computer!

Update on Leopard

Things have been rather quiet in the software world here at NPMi over the summer, but with good reason. We're working very hard to bring Apple's new version of OS-X to your computer! Leopard will bring a shiny new interface and a lot of new features to your work-flow. I'm really excited about this upgrade as well as some other new things we are planning on introducing this fall! So here's what you need to know:

• The IT staff, TSG and Beta testing team are all now using Leopard and have been testing it so we can address minor issues before you receive it.
• Effective immediately, all new hires will receive Leopard on their machines as well as anyone up for a computer refresh.
• We're working on a plan to upgrade all other staff members and details on this should be available soon. Our goal is to have all computers running Leopard by the end of the year.
• I'll be highlighting several of the coolest and most useful new features here on the blog so you can learn how to make the most of the upgrade.
• Now is a great time to start preparing your computer for the upgrade. It's a great idea to spend some time organizing your files, deleting things you no longer need and making sure you're backed up!

Lastly, if you're interested in a great blog of general tech related tips, Griffin's got a great one at http://ittechandtips.blogspot.com/

Available Now: Plainview!

This has got to be one of the coolest new applications I've seen in a while! Plainview is a new browser (trust me, you DO need another browser) that is designed with giving presentations in mind. If you've ever needed to show a website within a keynote presentation you know how it can really interrupt the clean, professional aesthetic you worked so hard for. You have to exit full-screen mode and proceed in Safari or Firefox. Plainview is a minimal, full-screen browser that keeps your presentation streamlined. When you first launch Plainview, you'll see this screen:

Hit the hot key ⌘L and a Location bar will pop up where you can enter your URL:

Here's where it gets really cool! You can program a list of links into a presentation file and use a hot key to flip through them without having to click links on the site. With this, you can display and navigate websites without ever showing the cursor on the screen.

Presentations can be saved as the Plainview format .pvp:

Plainview will be installed on your computer the next time you're on a NPMi campus and you can find it in your Applications folder! If you can't find it, please visit art.northpoint.org for assistance!

Available Now: Twitteriffic!

It's the latest craze around the NPMi offices, the one and only Twitter. Here's a cool little application that let's you view and post tweetz right from your desktop instead of having to log onto the site. It updates automatically and even plays a bird sound when someone updates!

art.northpoint.org!

Available Now: Google Notifier!

If you've already been moved to the new Google email/calendar system, here's a great little tool that can notify you when you get new mail, or have upcoming calendar appointments without having to keep the Google sites open in a browser. Once installed you'll find this icon in the Applications folder of your computer:

Launch this application and you'll be prompted by this screen to enter your Google username and password. This is the same name and password you use to log onto all the Google apps.

You should then see a couple of new icons in your menu bar, one for Google Mail and one for Google Cal. Clicking on these icons will present you will several options to interact with your mail and calendar right from the menu bar. You'll also see a window pop up for a couple seconds to notify you when you get a new email.

To get Google Notifier installed on your machine, head over to art.northpoint.org!

Available Now: Skype!

Have a loved one overseas and hate spending money on long distance calls? Going on a missions trip and want to talk to family/supporters back home? You can talk online for free using skype straight from your computer! All our computers have speakers and a microphone so it's sure to work.

To get Skype installed for you just ask a technician at art.northpoint.org!