Earlier this month, another school year officially began at MIT with the start of the fall semester. In the weeks leading up to the 2019-2020 academic year, Information Systems and Technology (IS&T), along with the rest of the Institute, worked hard to welcome students back to campus and make their arrival (or return) as smooth as possible. Since MIT is a place that’s all about numbers, here are a handful…
Deepfake Detection Challenge aims to spur creation of technology to combat AI used for creating altered videos that intentionally mislead viewers.
The first thing that used to come to mind when I considered the term “intern” was the stereotypical novice from the movies. You know, the ones that start their day by bringing coffees to everyone in the office, making photocopies, and getting asked to do trivial tasks. Turns out, life as an intern is actually quite the opposite. Here at IS&T, ten interns (myself included) spend our days working with…
Back in the day (starting in the mid-1970s), wired networks were the only option at MIT. At the Lab for Computer Science and the AI Lab, there were experimental Ethernets as well as Chaosnet and LCS Net. Next, cables connected desktop computers and printers in local area networks (LANs). MITnet, the campus network, wasn’t launched until the mid-1990s and it too was originally a wired network. The first wireless (WiFi)…
Are you a member of the Lynda.com fan club? With its library of thousands of online courses covering business, technology and creative skills, Lynda.com has been popular at MIT since 2011. Acquired by LinkedIn, Lynda.com has been relaunched as LinkedIn Learning. At MIT, the transition to the new online learning platform will take place at the end of this month. During the transition, from Wednesday, July 31 through Thursday, August 1, 2019,…
Fernando José Corbató, Turing Award winner, computer scientist extraordinaire, MIT computer lab pioneer, RIP.
Apple announces battery recall for an older generation of MacBook Pro Laptops July 11, 2019 Robyn Fizz Apple has determined that, in a limited number of older 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. Affected units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017; product eligibility is determined by the product serial number. Apple will replace affected batteries free of charge. To…
MIT has transitioned from Lynda.com to LinkedIn Learning. This online platform lets you learn business, technology and creative skills anytime and anywhere. Taught by industry experts, LinkedIn Learning courses range from beginner basics to advanced techniques, with more than 50 new courses added each week. Activating your account It’s easy to activate your LinkedIn Learning account. During this process, you’ll be asked if you want to connect your LinkedIn Learning…
If you’re an MIT community member with a Kerberos ID, Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) strongly recommends that you use the MIT SECURE network for wireless connections. But what if you’re on MIT SECURE and the connection is poor? Why might this happen and what are your options? A poor connection on MITnet can be caused by A sticky client An access point (AP) with problematic signal strength Antenna issues…
Computer labs have been a fixture on the MIT campus since the launch of Project Athena in 1983. Recently, along with the standard Linux-based Debathena terminals, you may have spotted Mac desktop computers in some of the labs. Here’s why Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) is installing these macOS-based machines and where you can find them. More software, more options The Mac terminals in MIT’s computer labs include several macOS-supported…