Archived News and Updates

EQUIPMENT UPDATES:

• Summer 2006-
  • 7 new iBooks are available for checkout. Specifications here. Nope, they're not Intel Machines, but they are pretty sweet.
  • 10 new electronically enhanced classrooms: BH 225, 252, 256, 408 | HSS 213, 246, 248 | HUM 111, 207, 277. They are identical to classrooms in Hensill Hall. More info here.
  • McKenna's console got a face lift.
• May 2006-Apple has introduced the 13" MacBook, a replacement for the 12" PowerBook and iBook laptops. Please note that the MacBook does NOT come with the necessary mini-DVI to VGA adapter needed to connect to our classroom consoles. You must purchase this adapter as an optional accessory. They are available at the SFSU Bookstore. Ask for a mini-DVI to VGA adapter. (The 15" & 17" MacBook Pro come with this adapter.)
• Spring Break 2006-While everyone was sippin' big pink drinks on a beach somewhere, we've been busy.
  • BUS 104, 130, 218 got new LCD projectors. Brighter, easier to maintain. You'll love them.
  • BUS 222 got a new pixie control. The projector remote has been removed.
  • Quicktime Tutorials have been completed (finally!)
• January 2006-Seven new consoles in Hensill Hall: 108, 113, 201, 206, 439, 544 & 667. New console cabinet, bundled VGA & computer audio cable, VCR provides cablecast channels. Photo & specs available here. Manual and tutorials are online.
• January 2006-All Pixie control boxes now have a dedicated NO SHOW button. Press the UP ARROW button and the projected image will go black. Press the same button again and the image will return. (Note: HUM 113 press the button TWICE to activate, once to deactivate).
• December 2005- Six new consoles: HSS 259, 287, 349 & HUM 211, 217, 281. Instruction manuals are attached to the consoles or available online: Classroom Services>Electronically Enhanced Classrooms New features: bundled VGA & audio cable and the VCR now provides TV/Cablecast channels. Use the VCR remote to change channels.
• July 2005- So, how's your summer going? We've been swamped: visiting relatives, taking the kids to the beach, retiling the kitchen... Wait, no...
  • Updated all the iBooks to OS X 10.3.9. and Office 2004 (Word, PowerPoint & Excel Only).
  • We've installed new Pixie projector controls in our electronic classrooms. No more pointing remotes at projectors. Please check the instruction manuals attached to the console or online: Classroom Services>Electronically Enhanced Classrooms. Quicktime tutorials are available there as well.
  • BH 28 has been updated. It's identical to BH 1.
  • BH 1 has been updated. It's identical to HSS 130.
  • HSS 130 has been updated. It's identical to HSS 135 & 154.
  • HUM 408 has been completely overhauled. Please check the new manual and tutorial: Classroom Services>Electronically Enhanced Classrooms especially the page concerning cablecast. You now select the channel using the VCR.
  • New Digital Still Cameras. Specs available: Classroom Services>Current AV Equipment>Digital Still Cameras
• March 2005-
  • TH 327: Console updated with pixie control for the projector.
  • TH 329: Console installed.
• January 2005- Updated consoles in HSS 135, 154 and SCI 101, 201 & 210. We will be standardizing the consoles and adding Extron controllers for projector control, input source selection and volume control. Wireless microphones will also be updated. Instruction manuals and tutorials are updated.

• 9/03-Several users of Dell Latitude laptops have informed us of a problem using those computers with our consoles. When the laptop screen and the projector image are used at the same time, the image through the projector dims. This is caused by the laptop which does not have the hardware to amplify the signal to the projector. Users will have to disable the laptop screen by using the Function-F8 key combination.
• 6/03-12 new DVD/VCR units are available for checkout. Specs are available here.
• 1/03-All new instruction manuals for all electronic classrooms are available on the Electronically Enhanced Classrooms page. They include color step by step photographs with clearer and larger text, simplified instructions and a troubleshooting page. Each classroom will have a laminated copy attached to the console and faculty may print out a copy for their own use from the pdf online versions. In an effort to minimize our copying costs, we will no longer be providing copies at the distribution desk.
• 1/03-Four new electronic classrooms: BH 251, 352, HSS 278 & TH 327. Specs, manuals & tutorials available here.
• We have removed our Mac computer carts from our inventory. They were old 7200 models and were too slow for most applications. As an alternative, you may check out a Mac laptop and a data projector or attach a laptop to a multimedia cart.

• Summer 2002-New video/data projectors have been installed in GYM 115 and HUM 115, 202, 286, 471. We removed the old 800x600 projectors and installed brighter units that can project 1024x768 resolution. Note: The projector remote control has changed in these rooms. Check the console tutorial pages for more details.
• 4/02-Installed wall consoles in HSS 310 and 317 to allow easier access to the equipment that was installed in the projection booth. These rooms are very heavily utilized so please allow for time to schedule trainings.
• 4/02-We have three new multimedia carts ready for use. They are a redesign of a previous model. Check them out here.
• 3/02-Purchased 3 new HP Omnibook laptops with Windows XP. specs
• 3/02-Wall Consoles installed in BH 226, 236, 237, TH 429, 432. On-line tutorials will not be available until summer.
• 3/02-6 new, light weight (8.6 pounds) XGA Eiki video/data projectors are available for checkout.
• 1/02-Bought a slew of (okay 7) iBooks for classroom use. Also added some USB Zip drives (for Mac or Windows machines) that are bus powered. No nasty ac adapters required.

• 11/01-All Large Consoles in BH, SCI, HSS and HUM have new keypad access to replace the bar keys previously used. Call AV at 81494 for access without the use of bar keys.
• 9/01-Renovation completed in FA 193. The console has been changed and a podium system has been added. Please check our Electronically Enhanced Classrooms page for details.
• 9/01-6 portable dvd players are ready for checkout.
• 9/01-7 new HP Windows laptops are ready for checkout.
• 8/01-Several classrooms in the GYM have been closed due to construction noise from the Psych Building. The electronic classroom in GYM 115 will not be available. The AV Center has installed a console in HSS 219. There is no video overhead in the new console.
• 5/01-Installation completed on the 10 new consoles in the Business Building.
• 4/01-The NEC console and projector in HSS 285 has been pulled and replaced with the standardized AV wall console. There is no longer a computer in this room. Please check out a laptop from AV.
• 3/01-Installation begins on 10 new electronic classrooms in the Business Building.
• 3/01-We now have 2 650Mhz Pentium III HP computer carts available for checkout. They have a DVD player and a CD-R/W.
• 3/01-6 upgraded (300Mhz Pentium II) PC Computer carts are now available for checkout.
• 2/01- Two new 650Mhz Dell laptops are available for checkout.
• 1/01-New wall mounted consoles in BUS 104, 106, 110, 111, 116, 120, 128, 138, 210, 217 completed.
• 12/01-Installed new VCRs in all HUM Classroom consoles.
• 12/01-Added VCRs to HSS 310-317 projection booth.
• 12/01-2 new Mac G3 laptops for checkout.

• 10/00-The first of 10 new wall mounted consoles has been installed in Business 106.
• 10/00-The Audiovisual Center now provides the Bloomberg Financial Channel 24/7 on campus cable channel 54. This was made possible through the Bloomberg organization donating a DBS satellite dish/receiver/decoder to our satellite network.
• Summer 2000-We added four new classroom consoles in BUS 108, BUS 122, CA 106, FA 193.
• Summer 2000-We have a new computerized in-house reservation system for media that will allow us to speed up your check-out process.
• Summer 2000-We have upgraded all G3 laptops to System 8.5 or above Netscape Navigator 4.5 with Quicktime 4 and Stuffit Expander 5.1.3.
• Winter 1999-Our Technical Services Department has established a regular maintenance schedule for the Electronic Classrooms.
• Winter 1999-Installed 2 new Electronically Enhanced Classrooms: TH 325 and HUM 131.

WEB UPDATES:

• 6/04-Archived old news to this page. Updated current news page for summer.
• 2/04-In honor of Black History Month, a new home page. Click the words "Abusua Ye Dom" to find the meaning...

• 10/03-Added a miscellaneous tips page to the tutorials. Info on hardware, operating systems, PowerPoint tips, browser tips.
• 9/03-Welcome back! New home page for Fall 2003. I'm calling it "tech."My first attempt at using Photoshop effects and layers. (Photoshop still makes me nuts.)
• 7/03-In honor of the Supreme Court Decision in the case of Lawrence v. Texas, a new home page.
• 6/03-Mirroring instructions for 15" Macintosh Powerbook users running OS X added to the tutorials page.
• 5/03- A page with laptop mirroring commands has been added. It is available from our Classroom Services Page.
• 4/03-So I'll bet you're wondering what took me so long to update the home page. Okay, maybe not. Anyway, this design is my homage to that Scottish Arts and Crafts master, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It's based on his Willow Chair and Hill House Chair. The header font is Esmount.
• 1/03-All new instruction manuals for all electronic classrooms are available on the Electronically Enhanced Classrooms page. They include color step by step photographs with clearer and larger text, simplified instructions and a troubleshooting page. Each classroom will have a laminated copy attached to the console and faculty may print out a copy for their own use from the pdf online versions. In an effort to minimize our copying costs, we will no longer be providing copies at the distribution desk.
• 1/03-Four new electronic classrooms: BH 251, 352, HSS 278 & TH 327. Specs, manuals & tutorials available here.
• 1/03-Faculty tips for guest speakers.

• 6/02-Summer is here and the fog has rolled in. In an effort to brighten things up a little, you guessed it, new home page design! I've broken up the links into smaller sections based on their popularity by our users.
• 4/02-Redesigned the navbar on the classroom services subpages. Those rollovers never quite worked for me.
• 4/02-Art nouveau design for spring. New home page and departmental pages. Dont'cha just love Alphonse Mucha? Me too.
• 3/02-Added a new mirroring tutorial for Macintosh laptop users. If your laptop screen doesn't match the projected image, this page is for you. Two versions: html or PDF. Both are printable.
• 2/02-Okay, bored now. New home page. I am quite the Frank Lloyd Wright fan. Sorry this is no where near as nice as the real thing, but Mr. Rothko was getting a bit gloomy. Spiffy new page headers too. Wait until you see what I'm working on for spring...
• 1/02-Woo-hoo! New year, new home page (until I get bored with it). Rothko is sooooo soothing-Okay, it's Rothko-inspired and I'm not very artistically inclined, but hey, it looks pretty nifty.

• 11/01-Reorganized and added to the geneaology page.
• 10/2001-Redesigned the home page. Dig that crazy Mondrian-inspired design.
• 9/2001-Added new equipment to Current Equipment pages. Look for the NEW or UPDATED links.
• 8/2001-Added Quicktime and photo based tutorials to the Electronically Enhanced Classrooms page.
• 7/2001-Redesigned the Electronically Enhanced Classrooms page.
• 7/2001-Redesigned the Online Classroom Database page.
• 6/2001-Redesigned the navbar on the classroom services subpages.
• 5/2001-Updated the Business Building Classroom Database to reflect new Electronic Classrooms.
• 4/2001-More Department Viewing lists on our Media Information page.
• 4/2001-Updated Classroom Database to reflect new Electronic Classrooms.
• 3/2001-New pictures and updated specs for our computer carts.
• 3/2001-Created a redirect page instead of the standard "File Not Found" page. (Thanks to D.G.)
• 3/2001-Redesigned the home page. Yeah, I was pretty bored with the old one too.
• 2/2001-Added "New Media purchased in Calendar Year 2000 by Subject" listing on Media Information Page.
• 2/2001-Added new laptops to our Current Equipment Page.

• 12/2000-Reformatted grids for Online Classroom Database.
• 8/2000-Electronic Classroom Manuals are now available in .pdf format.
• 7/2000 Added AV Equipment Tutorials.
• 7/2000 Forms, Forms, Forms! We've got lots of on-line forms
• 7/2000 Added pictures and descriptions and Javascript popup information to the Electronically Enhanced Classroom Pages.
• Added a Console Primer to the Electronically Enhanced Classroom Page.
• 6/2000 Reformatted the text only Home Page and Classroom Services Page.
• 6/2000 Updated Current AV Equipment Pages.
• Added an information page for faculty using their own laptops with our projectors.
• 6/2000 Updated Frequently Asked Questions Page.
• Add a new photo gallery each month to the Photo Page.
• Updated the "What Have We Done for You Lately?" page.
  

MEDIA UPDATES:

• 4/2001-More Department Viewing lists on our Media Information page.

Many faculty have asked us for a list of new media purchased since the year 2001 for their department. We have created a link from the Media Information page to a list by subject.

Our media collection has swelled to more than 14,000 titles, making it one of the largest collections in the CSU system. Check out our catalog especially the "NEWEST!" link for the latest additions.