KJB136's blog | Information Technology | University of Pittsburgh
!

You are here

KJB136's blog

Last-Minute Tech Gadget Gifts

We here in Pitt IT have a special place in our hearts for tech gadget gifts. Everyone thinks laptops, gaming systems, and headphones when they think about tech items. But we tracked down six tech gadgets at a variety of prices that are a lot more fun for everyone on your list, regardless of tech skill.

Affordable Gems

iFox Portable Bluetooth Shower Speaker

Conquering Finals Week with Tech

Ah, the thrill of finals week—a rollercoaster of cramming, late-night study sessions, and an alarming spike in caffeine consumption. But fear not! Students can prepare for the final stretch using an array of cutting-edge technological resources that can greatly enhance efficiency and effectiveness. So stop worrying and start preparing!

Stay off the Naughty List While Holiday Shopping

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday … the next week is gonna be crazy! While you’re finding great deals online, Pitt IT wants to help you protect your hard-earned cash from the scammers that pop up every year. About 36% of Americans have fallen prey to an online shopping scam according to a recent Norton survey — bah humbug! Here is what’s on our holiday wish list for you when shopping online.

Take the Leap into Microsoft 365

Hundreds of writing assignments, presentations, data sheets, and images to keep track of. Countless classmates and colleagues to communicate with. Not enough storage on your computer and your Google account is rapidly filling up. Now that we’re settled into the fall semester, these worries may sound all too familiar. Yet have no fear — the solution to all these problems and more is easily accessible to you at Pitt at no additional cost.

Get to Know the New IT Services Portal

You may have heard that Pitt Information Technology just rolled out a brand-new IT Services Portal powered by TeamDynamix, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to get you started.

So, what exactly is this IT Services Portal, and why should you be excited about it? Well, it’s your one-stop shop for all services offered to students, faculty, and staff through Pitt IT. The portal is designed to make your life easier in three key areas: understanding tech services, accessing help articles, and submitting help tickets.

Sharing with OneNote in Three Acts

Ensuring everyone in a group can share information, stay up to date, and coordinate their work is a challenge. Shared folders and documents can be a whole production, but many collaboration tools (like Teams and Project) can be overkill for a short-term project or regular team meetings. There’s no need to get overly dramatic — Microsoft OneNote has the perfect solution for making sure your cast is all reading from the same script. (Note: a shared notebook is a personal notebook that can be accessed and edited by multiple people.

Hey Phishing – You’re Canceled!

A bunch of us have gotten it. An email saying that your email account is going to be suspended unless you verify your username and password. An Amazon purchase confirmation for something hella expensive that you never ordered. A vague notification that someone has shared a file with you. Or the classic work from home job offer that only requires 4 hours and pays $400 a week. Enough hackers! We’re tired of you trying to steal our money and personal data. You are canceled!

Passwords: A Cybersecurity Superhero

Picture this: After hours of procrastination, you finally make your way to your desk and flip open your laptop, pepperoni pizza in hand. Then you hit a wall — the login screen. With your English paper due in the morning, your brain chooses this moment to have the memory of a goldfish. Your first attempt to log in is unsuccessful. No worries, you say with slight panic in your eyes. You try again. “Oops! Enter the correct email address and password to sign in.” Suddenly, pizza is not your priority. You are in a fight for your academic life!

Multifactor Authentication, Multi-Layer Protection

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could protect your password with another password? Multifactor authentication does just that. Think of it like placing your housekeys in a safety deposit box that can only be opened by a facial scan.

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a cybersecurity measure that requires anyone logging in to prove their identity in additional ways. After you enter your username and password (something only you know), you then have to prove your identity with something only you have, like a fingerprint, facial scan, or your cellphone.