talkingDigital

One of the courses I teach at Colorado Mesa University is Media Software Application. It is literally a crash course in which students learn the very basics of the interface and techniques of Mac, Garageband, iMovie, Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

Of course, these are not the only applications used by students in the Mass Communication, but they are the fundamental tools that are necessary for almost any multimedia assignment.

In my continuing quest to increase efficiency in my classroom, I have begun using custom YouTube tutorials that I created with Camtasia.

My classroom technique is to use the project work days as an opportunity to do some one-on-one teaching with students who are struggling with the project. This semester, students completed the assignment in a single work day, as opposed to 2-3 work days without the video tutorials.

Here is the playlist. I expect to spend some time this summer working on similar tutorials for the other applications I teach.

Cybercriminals have been making waves through internet scams in recent years. The risk of having your identity stolen due to online information loss has increased exponentially and a remarkable one in four people will experience identity theft. Your information could be stolen and then sold online for large amounts of money, allowing cybercriminals to open credit cards and more in your name.

69% of Americans are more afraid of having their credit card information hacked than nearly any other type of information theft. In 2014, roughly half of Americans, 47%, experienced a credit card hack. So how can you avoid becoming one of these numbers? The key is in digital security.

Verify Links

One of the easiest ways to gain access to your computer and information is through downloads or links in your email. Even if a link comes to you from a friend, it could mean their account was hacked and the link is a trojan horse or worse. Opening links without verifying with the friend that their account is stable can lead to a potential computer infection and information loss. Always verify links and downloads before making your computer vulnerable.

Limit Information Release

Every piece of information you release about yourself becomes a part of the puzzle online hackers are putting together. By finding your full name, date of birth, physical address and credit card numbers, a hacker is fully equipped to begin opening accounts in your name, in effect ruining your credit score and finances.

To avoid becoming a part of this growing statistic, be aware of how you are releasing your personal information. Avoid posting physical addresses, personal information or even your pet’s names on social media. All of these pieces of information can be used to crack your passwords and access your personal information.

Monitor Your Credit Report

Every year you are entitled to a free credit report from one of the three following companies, Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. These are the only three credit reporting companies, so be careful not to release your information to anyone else. If you have any reason to believe your information has been released or you were a part of a data breach, notifying these companies is critical.

A sign that your identity has been compromised could come in a number of ways. It could be health insurance benefits maxed out, strange charges on bank statements or a poor credit score. Contact one of the above companies to have them put a fraud alert on your account if you believe your information was compromised. This can help you save money and sanity during the identity reclamation process if you catch it early.

Related articles

• Children’s Identity Theft
• Guide to IRS Form 14039: Identity Theft Affidavit

Some people hear the word digital and they automatically translate it to mean hard data, or cold, clinical dots and binary format. But, through this or that power of transformation, you can always use digital technology to promote the arts, and indeed, some of the most beautiful arts have been coming from digital formats lately, thanks to new, complex but intuitive interfaces.

So what are some of the ways that you can do this, either as a person or as a brand for instance? The five follow techniques illustrate a few options, including setting up a YouTube channel, organizing your entire social media process, using cloud servers when possible, utilizing software suites, and using digital tools as a medium for practice.

Set Up a YouTube Channel

One of the easiest and most accessible ways to start promoting the arts as associated with your brand or company is by starting a YouTube channel – for example, look at the one Park West Gallery put together. You can do things like show interviews of curators, or show examples of your art, or tutorials about how you’ve made certain artistic advancements. With the right editing techniques, the videos themselves can even be considered art!

Organize Your Entire Social Media Process

As far as promotions in general go, establishing a social media presence is vital these days. That way all of your promotions come from the same point with the same voice, and all links are taken care of logically and professionally. The cleaner your digital social presence, the better looking you are as an artist, and the better the artists look that you’re collectively promotion. It’s almost difficult to separate the two these days!

Use Cloud Servers When Possible

Maintaining cloud servers is another interesting way to promote the arts. You can store pictures, videos, information, and whatever else you want on a cloud backup, and then give access to whomever needs it as required. This is a great way to both promote projects that are stored via the web, and also even to do collaborations across time and space.

Software Suites Are Great Learning Tools

And think of the power that something like Adobe’s Creative Suite gives people to express themselves. For a reasonable amount of money, amazing resources are available to promote both personal and professional artistic use – more than any time in history, now is when you can use computers to make what’s in your head into a real thing!

Using Digital Tools Saves Resources and Enhances Creativity

And finally, there are an amazing number of digital tools like styli and tablets that allow people to learn the arts with computers and electronics rather than resources like paper and pen. Though the medium is different, many of the techniques can be taught either way.