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)…

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…

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…

A clicker of the sort used in many MIT classrooms. USAF photo by Gina Randall. This image is in the public domain. Technology is the T in MIT, so it’s not surprising that MIT faculty are quick to implement technology in and out of the classroom. Want to find out how MIT instructors use technology to improve the teaching and learning process? The Instructor Insights at many of the course…

If you’re a member of the MIT community, you recently received an email from Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) about changes to MIT’s email service. That email was not spam, but did describe changes to spam filtering that improve email delivery at MIT. Here’s a quick overview of the new spam filtering options. Checking suspected spam Microsoft’s Exchange Online Protection still blocks known phishing emails and malware. Suspected spam is…

IS&T is making changes to MIT’s email infrastructure to improve community members’ experience with two features of MIT’s email services: automatic forwarding and spam filtering. Image:  Source: http://ist.mit.edu

If a trip is on your calendar or you’ll be studying or doing research at another institution, you may want to get acquainted with eduroam. Image:  Source: http://ist.mit.edu