Technology Bulletin March 2024

Welcome to the Technology Bulletin, a periodic email from Engineering Technical Services (ETS) that highlights important technology news, helpful reminders, and resources impacting the FSE community.

Windows Users at FSE Prepare for Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. It was released on October 5, 2021. Some of you may have already switched to Windows 11. But for others, this change is still coming. Please be aware that Windows 10 will stop receiving support from Microsoft on October 14, 2025. After that, devices running Windows 10 will no longer meet ASU’s security standards and will be removed from the network. This means that we must start preparing now. Your IT manager will send you detailed reports with all the information you need. Please check our FAQ for more information. If you have any questions, please contact your IT manager.

Changes to Windows Computer Settings

In early March 2024, several changes to computer settings (known as Group Policies) were pushed out to Windows computers at FSE. The school-wide changes are included as a regular maintenance package align our Windows systems with Microsoft’s recommendations. Highlights from the latest batch of updates include setting the computer screen lockout (number of minutes depends on the school), and changes to the older Remote Desktop Connection software. Read more about the FSE Windows Computer Updates for further details about the important settings being rolled out.

AI Innovation at ASU

The ASU AI Innovation Challenge is underway. The first round of proposals closed on Feb 26, 2024. Faculty and staff who are interested in harnessing the Power of ChatGPT-4 Enterprise are encouraged to submit a proposal for the next round, which opens in March 2024. The purpose of the challenge program is to award and distribute free ChatGPT accounts to individuals or groups at ASU who plan to apply it to research or innovation.

ASU Instructors and Students Can Benefit from a Free Airtable License

Airtable is a collaboration tool made free for instructors and students at ASU. Faculty and Students can use it for research, organize class schedules, monitor academic progress, collaborate on projects, form study groups, and track individual tasks. However, for staff or student workers, please be aware that there is an annual cost to use AirTable. Signing in to Airtable with your ASU email address will automatically create a paid account, which your department will be charged for at the end of each year. If you are a staff member in FSE and would like to use Airtable for work, reach out to your business manager or department leader prior to signing in.

FSE Cloud Classroom: Your Computer Lab in the Cloud

FSE continues to roll out the Apporto virtual lab environment to support more courses and software titles as an alternative to physical computer labs. The overarching goal for the adoption of Apporto is to create a virtual computer lab that is on par or better than the FSE computer labs, with all the convenience of cloud access. Remote compute capacity, GPU power, and pristine operating system environments abound. If you have questions about software licensing, hardware capabilities, or need help verifying your configuration please reach out to Jon Langerman. You can also read about FSE Cloud Classroom on our website to learn about the benefits of using Apporto as a lab.

Zoom AI Companion Update

Enterprise Technology recently announced that Zoom AI Companion has arrived at ASU. These helpful features are now available to all ASU Zoom users. For an overview, visit Zoom AI Companion Support. New AI features include Smart Recording and Meeting Summary, allowing you to get caught up on a meeting in progress, generate meeting notes, or get assistance writing chat replies. Note that Zoom does not use your meeting audio, video or notes to train its AI model.

Don’t Let the Deadline for the Annual Information Security Training Slip By

The Annual Information Security Training is a mandatory course that you need to take as an ASU faculty, staff, or student worker. It shows you how to protect ASU’s data and resources from cyber risks. The deadline for completing the training is October 31, 2024. If you miss the deadline, you may be temporarily blocked from accessing ASU’s administrative systems. So, start the training now and avoid the hassle.