General News
General IT news announcements that don't fall under other iNews topics.
Open house March 2-6 for new campus technology store
IST invites all Berkeley campus faculty and staff to attend a week-long open house event to kick off the opening of The Scholar's Workstation's Technology Store for Departments. Located in the MLK Jr. Student Union, the new walk-in store will supplement the online services offered by TSW. March 2-6, 2009, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. February 28, 2009.
UCCSC 2009 presentation proposal deadline extended to February 27
The theme of the 2009 UC Computing Services Conference (UCCSC) is "Focus on Security". Information about submitting proposals for presentations, demos, tutorials, or hands-on labs can be found on the UCCSC 2009 Proposal information and submission page. February 20, 2009.
Request for interest: Apple iMac coordinated campus buy
IST's Technology Acquisition & Sales unit (TAS) seeks your interest in a coordinated campus buy of select Apple iMac computers, offered at significantly reduced prices. If your administrative or academic divisions are considering upgrading with an Apple all-in-one desktop system, this might be a good opportunity. The offer involves the coordination of a single campus order of a minimum of 50 units, choosing from two models: the iMac, 20-inch, 2.4GHz, and the iMac 20-inch, 2.66GHz. February 17, 2009.
New location for The Scholar's Workstation -- Grand opening Thursday at noon
Staff and faculty interested in individual purchases of computers, software, and peripheral equipment at academic discount prices are invited to the new TSW@The Cal Student Store in the ASUC's Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Union. Information regarding departmental purchases is available on The Scholar's Workstation website. January 13, 2009.
Information Services and Technology (IST) holiday schedule 2008-2009
Many IST facilities will be closed or operating on modified schedules in late December and early January due to the semester break, University holidays, and the campuswide energy curtailment. December 5, 2008.
Apple will repair MacBooks that have faulty NVIDIA GPUs
If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro fails within two years of the original date of purchase, Apple will repair it free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty. October 17, 2008.
Update: Limited offer to replace current CRT monitors
The special offer on LCD monitors announced in the article Limited offer to replace current CRT monitors was even more popular than we had imagined. All 150 monitors have been requested. We will be offering a similar program after the first of the year. September 23, 2008.
Safety notice: iPhone 3G ultracompact USB power adapter exchange program
Apple has determined that under certain conditions, the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. Replacement adapters will be available starting Friday, October 10, 2008. Customers who own an affected adapter should immediately stop using it until they exchange it for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter. September 20, 2008.
Career Compass IT job family mapping update
HR has received more than 500 job descriptions for IT positions across campus to be mapped to the new Career Compass job matrix. Review committees comprising campus experts who will advise HR regarding proper mapping are being set up for job fields like IT that are used campuswide. Likewise, similar review committees will be formed for senior-level IT positions. Confirmation of new job families and levels for non-represented employees is expected to occur in the first half of 2009. September 16, 2008.
Green computing at Berkeley
The Office of the Chief Information Officer, Information Services and Technology, the Office of Sustainability, and Facilities Services are collaborating on two projects to address the issue of campus computers and the greenhouse gases emitted by their use. The first, Desktop Power Management, will introduce state-of-the-art software that will allow campus IT administrators to configure customizable computer energy settings appropriate for each user; the second will replace CRT monitors with LCD monitors. September 2, 2008.
