Google Chrome Profile Update

If you have logged into a Google Chrome Profile you may have seen a message that looks like the image below. 

Google has recently released an update in which they are taking more steps to separate personal information data from enterprise-managed data. 

What does this mean? 

This means that when you are using Chrome you will need to be logged into a Chrome profile with sync, or use guest mode. We recommend that you select the box next to “Keep local browsing data (bookmarks, passwords, history, etc.)” if you will not be using a Guest profile. To learn more about using Chrome Profiles please refer to this article. This will ensure that you keep all of your saved data like bookmarks and passwords. Please refer to this article for guidance on turning sync on and off. 

Please feel free to reach out to its@manhattan.edu with any questions or concerns. 

GridView Issue Update

ITS has been monitoring the Google Meet GridView extension problem. At this point we have identified the main problem being that some users have more than one GridView extension installed. Please reference these instructions for how to remove the second extension.


This double extension can be caused if you are using different gmail accounts. ITS recommends that you use Chrome profiles to prevent this from happening. Chrome profiles help to keep all of your different gmail accounts and apps separate. For more information about managing profiles please refer to the below links.

Managing People on Chrome Accounts in Mac OS X

Managing People on Chrome Accounts in Windows


Users have also reported having issues viewing all the participants of a meeting during the meet. This could be because the GridView has many different viewing settings and needs to be tailored to the users viewing needs. For more information about the viewing features of the GridView check out this article.

Friendly Reminder: 4 Brand New Google Meet Features

This is a friendly reminder that Google is rolling out 4 new top requested features. These new features will help ensure that your future Google Meets run seamlessly and effortlessly.  You will be able to focus more on your meeting now! 

1. Tiled layouts for larger calls. You can now see 10+ people in a tiled view during your meetings.

2. Present higher-quality video content with audio. This means that you will now be able to more successfully show a video with audio while you are presenting to a meeting. This can be done by now selecting "present a Chrome tab" when sharing your screen. 

3. Low light mode. Google Meet can now auto adjust your video to make you more visible when you are in sub-optimal lighting conditions. This is currently being rolled out for smart phone users but will become available to web users in the future. 

4. Noise cancellation. Meet can now filter out some background noises such as the dog barking or the sound of someone typing while you are in the meeting. 

These features will be rolled out within the next couple of weeks, with some users possibly already having access to them. For more information on these features and their timelines,  please visit this link. 

Easily Access Your Drive Files in Google Chrome!

Starting December 16th, a new feature called Drive File Suggestions in Google Chrome will allow you to search for your Google Drive files directly from the Chrome URL bar, instead of through Google Drive. Currently, this functionality is limited to files that users have previously opened in Chrome.

This feature will be enabled by default so once it is December 16th, you can simply restart your browsers and you will be able to search for any Drive files that you have access to, including ones that haven’t previously opened in Chrome.

If you leave Drive file suggestions in Chrome enabled, users who are signed in and opted in Chrome sync will see Drive suggestions in the Chrome URL bar for their synced account. For more information about what sync settings users can manage and how they’re managed, as well as how to enable or disable Chrome Sync, see this article on Turning sync on or off in Chrome.

Partially reposted from Drive file suggestions in Google Chrome will be generally available beginning in December

Login Issues with Moodle and Self-Service

Some users are reporting issues logging into Moodle and Self-Service.  In most cases, the issue has been resolved by clearing the browser cache.  If you need assistance in clearing your cache, please contact Client Services at its@manhattan.edu or 718-862-7973

Banner Chrome NPAPI Issue

Effective immediately, Banner and other Ellucian products will no longer work with the Chrome Browser.  Chrome no longer supports the NPAPI plugin and because of this, will not allow it to work with Banner forms and other Ellucian products.

Ellucian is recommending to customers to use alternative browsers.

Good choices are:

Internet Explorer (Not Edge - Windows 10, it has not yet been certified).

For Mac user,  the latest versions of either Safari or Firefox.

Welcome Back

Welcome Back
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We want to take a minute to welcome everyone back for a new semester. Please take a minute to read through the following Reminders and Announcements:

Kick off the New School Year Right!
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Keep everything.  Share anything.  Get Drive today.  Click here to find out more.

Security is important. Passwords should never be hand-written/visible to the public. In an effort to maximize security and minimize the number of post-it notes with passwords on them, we recently added SSO (Single Sign-On) to Banner Forms.

Add to your professional network. Below are some sites that you might find relevant and interesting:

• Google Educator Groups
• Google Apps for Education Community
• Chronicle Forums
• The Chronicle of Higher Education - Blogs
• NACUBO (scroll to the bottom of the page for many more listservs)

ITS Summer Updates
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The Rodriguez Room now has a new Pixie Plus A/V Control Unit.  No Remote needed!

Airplay device installations have expanded to more classrooms.  We expect to have Airplay devices in all classrooms by the beginning of the Spring semester.  Check out our Airplay Knowledge Base Articles to find out more.

WiFi improvements in the dorms have been occurring throughout the summer.  If you are experiencing any WiFi issues, we want to know about them.  Please email its@manhattan.edu or call 718-862-7973 to let us know. 

Aging Web Kiosks in the O'Malley Library Internet Cafe and by the elevator on each floor have been replaced with new Dell Chromebox computers.

Audio Visual Technology enhancements have been made in the Chancellors Room and the O'Malley Library Teleconference room.  Both rooms have been outfitted with new Crestron control units and Airplay devices.  The Teleconference has also been outfitted with a Chromebox for meetings.

The following rooms have been outfitted with a Mini Displayport cable.  This precludes the need for a Mac VGA adapter.  To access the Mini Displayport input, click "INP2".  List of rooms:

• DLS 307
• DLS 312
• MGL 307
• MGL 312
• HAY 201
• HAY 202
• MGL 305

The Proactive Projector Replacement Initiative has made much progress through the summer and will continue throughout the year.  We have added new mounting brackets to this initiative.  These new mounts fit into the existing ceiling tile grid, making them much more seamless.  Also, they have a quick swap secure mount, making projector replacements quicker and offering a high level of security.

An effort to secure all projectors on campus was initiated this summer.  This effort is a combination of a secure mounts and network monitoring.

Summer 2015 Classroom Renovations
The following rooms have have been renovated this summer.  Renovations include installation of a new Crestron control unit.

• Miguel 304
• Miguel 306
• Miguel 308
• Miguel 314
• Leo 242
• Leo 330
• Leo 333
• Leo 318
• Hayden 306
• Hayden 404
• Hayden 406

Leo 102 is now a brand new engineering computer lab.

The Teacher's Station in DLS 314 has been replaced with a wooden podium.

Summer 2015 Computer Lab Upgrades
The following Computer Labs received new computers this summer.

• RLC 102 (Expanded to 33 stations)
• RLC 208
• RLC 102A
• RLC 104
• MGL 305
• DLS 309

Please keep informed by checking our Known Issues page.

Reminders
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Have a question?  Check out our Knowledge Base first.

The best way to get in touch with a Client Services representative is an email to its@manhattan.edu or a phone call to x7973 (718-862-7973). Note that email and voicemail for this line go to our ticketing system so we encourage you to leave a message.

Remember that we will never ask you for your password. We encourage you all to please reset your computer and provide the temporary password to ITS prior to dropping it off at Client Services. If you do not do this prior, please allocate an extra 5 minutes to work with a Client Services representative so that they can assist you in changing your password when working with us. Upon completion of work on your computer, please allocate another 5 minutes so that a Client Services representative can assist you in changing your password back to its original state. This is necessary in order to safeguard your password. Remember that you should never give your password out to anyone under any circumstances. Note that the same procedure holds true when you are requesting assistance with one of your Manhattan College accounts.

Client Services can NOT lend out equipment to students. If a student needs equipment for a project, they must have a Manhattan College employee sign out equipment on their behalf. Note that the Manhattan College employee is responsible for that equipment.

Client Services can provide short-term loaner equipment such as laptops and projectors by reservation. Note that if equipment is needed long term, it should be purchased via your department.

In lieu of loaning certain cables and remotes, Client Services has installed commonly used VGA and Audio cables as well as projector remotes in all yet-to-be-renovated classrooms. Network cables will be provided to faculty upon request. Faculty requiring other specialty cables or adapters (such as Apple VGA adapters) should contact Client Services for assistance purchasing this equipment as they are not stocked or provided by Client Services.

The Client Services office does not work on personal computers. We will train employees and students and instruct them on how to fix their computers, but personal computers cannot be dropped off for service. No personal items should ever be left in any of the Client Services offices.

Please remember to plan event setups in advance. We work with limited resources so we cannot always complete last minute requests.  You can reserve rooms here.

Client Services currently has 3 convenient locations: Jasper Basement, LIB 502/504, & RLC 103. Please stop by the location closest to you. We encourage you to call first to be sure that someone is available as we are constantly assisting the Manhattan College community.

Client Services Hours of Operations can be found here.

Computer Lab Hours can be found here.

Campus-owned computers are purchased with hardware support provided by the manufacturer. ITS will diagnose and determine whether manufacturer hardware support is needed. For the fastest service, users are also able to contact the manufacturer directly to access hardware support and replacement.

Your feedback helps us improve our service and should be sent to http://manhattan.edu/tellits

Don't forget to add us to your Google+ circles +ITS and follow us on Twitter @MC_ITS

Check out our Blog: http://itsblog.manhattan.edu/

Check out our known issues page: http://itsblog.manhattan.edu/p/known-issues.html

Thank you for your attention.

Security Updates: The Delicate Balance....

As users of technology, we rarely see the tug-of-war that goes on behind the scenes attempting to balance security vs accessibility.  It's usually not until a feature "stops working" until we notice this struggle.

Earlier this week, a long-planned security update to the Google Chrome browser was introduced in the latest "stable" version of Google Chrome (version 42).  Chrome BETA users got this update earlier this winter.  The security update adjusted the default security settings to disable an antiquated way for your web browser to launch additional plugins (like JAVA - required for Banner users).  As per the Google Chrome development team, "NPAPI’s 90s-era architecture has become a leading cause of hangs, crashes, security incidents, and code complexity".

ITS has been monitoring developments related to this major change.  An interim solution has been developed and communicated to the campus community.  We are continuing to explore a permanent solution to this issue as other web browsers have introduced plans to follow the same path as Google Chrome.

SOLUTION:
The following link explains how to re-enable the NPAPI plugin required for JAVA after a Google Chrome update.  Banner users will need to complete these steps (or work with ITS) if they are affected by this issue:
https://manhattan.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=5096

Users still experiencing issues accessing Banner from Google Chrome should contact ITS Client Services.



2013 Announcement of NPAPI end of support:
https://blog.chromium.org/2013/09/saying-goodbye-to-our-old-friend-npapi.html

Important Settings Adjustment in Chrome for Banner

Chrome released a new version recently (Version 42) that disables the NPAPI protocol by default. This new default setting is affecting Banner users that prefer using Chrome. The fix is simple and only needs to be performed in Chrome (there is no need to make any changes in Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari).

This Knowledge Base Article will walk you through the process. If you do not see the Enable NPAPI section in the Chrome settings, you may still be using an older version of Chrome. Try updating Chrome and then making the adjustment.

How to Backup/Restore Bookmarks

All modern web browsers, such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, offer options for backing up your bookmarks and even browsing history. This allows for easy transfer of bookmarks between different computers and restoring bookmarks to your web browser in the event of a software malfunction. Please click here for a step-by-step guide on backing up your bookmarks.

Web Browser Sync

Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are two widely used web browsers that offer the option of a full synchronization of bookmarks, tabs, history, and other web browser preferences. This information can then be imported to Firefox or Chrome on another computer or mobile device by simply signing in. Click here to see instructions for setting up Chrome and Firefox Sync.