Student Software

Featured College of the Week: University of Texas at Austin

2008-02-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

The University of Texas, with its flagship campus in Austin, is one of the original eight "Public Ivys," according to Richard Moll. Moll coined the phrase in his 1985 book, Public Ivys: A Guide to America’s Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities. The phrase has since come to include many more universities who offer an Ivy League education at a public university price.

UT earned such a distinction by providing a quality education for undergraduates since it opened its doors in 1883. As far back as 1839, the government of Texas set aside 40 acres of real estate in Austin for the purpose of starting a public university. They named the area College Hill. Construction did not begin until 1881, when Austin was officially made the main campus for the new university. By this time, Texas A&M had already beaten it to being the first university in Texas. Unfortunately, one of the most memorable points in the history of the University of Texas was when Charles Whitman barricaded himself and a rifle at the top of the Main Building Tower in 1966. He shot and killed 14 people.

Today, UT is one of the largest universities in the U.S. Enrollment reaches nearly 50,000 each year and the sprawling campus covers 350 acres near downtown Austin. Students and the public have access to seven museums and 17 libraries with over eight million volumes. Among its collections, the university owns one of only 21 copies of the Gutenberg Bible and the first photograph ever taken, created by Nicephore Niepce.

In terms of academics, UT consistently ranks very high. U.S. News and World Report ranks UT the 44th best university in the country and the 12th best public university. Many of its individual programs rank highly as well. For instance, the engineering school ranks in the top ten and the business school, fifth.

In athletics, UT also excels. Football is king in Texas and the UT Longhorns are consistently one of the best teams in the country. In 2005, UT won the NCAA national championship in Football. UT has also traditionally been successful in baseball, basketball, and swimming and diving. All large universities have their rivalries and for the Longhorns, its Texas A&M. The Longhorns and the Aggies have the third-longest running rivalry in the U.S.

In its long and distinguished history, UT has produced many successful graduates. Farrah Fawcett, Janis Joplin, Renee Zellweger, Roger Clemens, David Geffen, and many other famous people graduated from UT Austin.

The University of Texas along with the state capitol offers a steady economic base to the city of Austin that is able to stabilize Austin as other industries in Austin ebb and flow. For instance during the tech downturn in 2000/2001 which affected many cities in the United States part of the brunt of the economic downtown was mitigated by the employment base of University of Texas and the state capitol that

UT is an integral part of the city of Austin. Residents enjoy the atmosphere of prestigious athletics and academics that the school adds to their city.

~Dane Smith

Help the Environment and Save on Electronics

2008-02-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Cut costs on energy bills and help the environment by purchasing EnergyStar rated electronics - officially rated and certified electronics that maximize energy efficiency. Even better than cutting costs on your utilities bill every month are the rebates you can get for buying an EnergyStar rated product.

Check out these EnergyStar rated printers at CampusTech and pay less on your energy bill:

Canon PIXMA iP4500 Photo Inkjet Printer
This 5-color ink system has 4,608 precision nozzles to create exceptional resolution and detailed images. Get up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi quality for class handouts, presentations, invitations, and more. This printer also offers the option to print 2-sided, print wirelessly (even from your camera phone!), and print fast. You can print a borderless 4" x 6" photo in approximately 21 seconds.

Epson Stylus Photo RX580 All-In-1 Printer/Copier/Scanner
The Epson RX580 all-in-one combines superior photo printing with full-featured scanning and copying plus high definition printing. This all-in-one machine also features a 2.5 inch display to view, select, rotate, crop and print photos from memory cards, USB flash drives, digital cameras, and mobile phones. Print, copy or scan photos, documents and even CD labels with or without a computer.

Find What You Need - Fast!

2008-01-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

CampusTech has just launched a great new way to find the discounted academic software, hardware, and school supplies you need. Search CampusTech's catalogue of over 10,000 discounted products using the new Search.

The new CampusTech Search offers thumbnail images, pricing, platform, and other information at the click of a button. You can sort the products you are searching by name, price, and popularity to get exactly what you are looking for.

Too many choices? Whittle down your search results by brand, title, operating system, or other specifications. And remember - CampusTech offers a low price guarantee on all the products you find.

Unleash Your Art

2008-01-08T22:30:00.000-08:00

If you're the type of person with a fridge door full of napkin doodles and every free space on every corkboard in your room is covered by even more artistic renderings, then maybe it's time for you to unleash your absentminded art and take it to a whole new level with a little computer savvy.

Before you can do anything cool with your doodles, you need to get them into your computer, and that's easily done with a scanner. There are all kinds of scanners available -- document scanners, photo scanners, all-in-one scanners -- so pick one that fits your price range and artistic needs. For most doodles, just about any scanner should do, so don't sweat this aspect of it too much.

An even cooler method would be to sketch your doodle onto your harddrive using a Digital Pen Tablet, such as the Bamboo Fun Medium Pen Tablet or the Intuos3 4x6 USB Tablet. Using a pressure-sensitive electronic pen, you can "draw" your images onto a digital pad and have them appear right on your screen.

Once your doodle is on your computer, the real fun begins! There is some truly amazing software available that makes turning doodles into art a cinch. Snap Art allows you to apply painterly effects to you artwork, rendering extraordinarily lifelike brush strokes, pastel lines, or even thick impasto layers of digital paint. Other programs like Painter X have a variety of composition tools to assist you, plus are compatible with a wide range of digital pen tablets so you draw right into the program and even export the resulting art into other programs like Photoshop CS3 or Illustrator CS3 for further manipulation. You can even add lovely lighting effects with programs like Mystical Lighting.

Once you have completed your masterpiece, you'll be happy to know there are all sorts of venues for the exhibition of your art thanks to the Internet. Websites such as Deviant Art and Amateur Illustrator allow you to post your art and have it showcased with other works by other artists all over cyberspace. You can also free your artwork from the confines of your computer by printing out copies using Flickr or even make t-shirts at Threadless, and stickers at Sticker Guy.

-Guest columnist E. Ott

Digital Photography 101

2007-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Of all the industries forever changed by the rise of the internet and digital technology, the photo industry has probably been one of the most radically changed forever. Can you remember the last time you took a roll of film to the drug store for developing? Yeah, we can't either.

If you are still taking shots on that old film camera your dad gave you when you were 12, the same one he got as a graduation gift back in the day, then it's high time you moved into the 21st Century. There are so many cool things you can do with your images now, that it would be a shame to limit yourself.

The first thing you'll have to do is get a digital camera, and it's easy to get bogged down by so many choices. Thankfully, the makers of digital cameras have gotten most of the kinks out of their products, so you can buy pretty much any brand of camera and get excellent shots. Whether you choose a simple point and shoot or a more advanced SLR with changeable lenses depends on how much you want to use your camera and what you want to do with your images after you take them.

If all you'll ever want to print is the standard 4"x6" print with the occasional enlargement to 5"x7", then pretty much any camera with at least 3 megapixels will do. For 8"x10" or larger print, you will probably want to go with at least 8 megapixels or more. Beyond that, it just depends on the features you want. Checking out a digital camera review site should help you narrow down your choices.

Once you have the images on your camera, you'll want to get a simple photo editing program to really make the shots pop. Relatively inexpensive software programs like Image Doctor 2, ACDSee Photo Editor 4.0, or Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 make covering up mistakes like blurring and red-eye a cinch to fix, plus they'll allow you to tweak colors and contrasts to turn a simple snapshot into a work of art.

When you are ready to flaunt your snaps, you can upload them to any one of numerous photo hosting sites such as Flickr, PhotoBucket, or ShutterFly. These sites will help you set up collections of your best work to share with others, plus they also offer printing of your shots that's even more effortless than visiting the local drugstore.

Of course, if you want to exercise the maximum amount of control over the printing of you photos -- or simply want to save some cash in the long run -- you can select an ink jet printer that will allow you to print your photos without ever leaving your desk.

With Christmas coming up, you'll be happy to know that there's more you can do with your photos then simply make prints of them. A simple Google search will yield a plethora of potential gifts: professionally-bound photo books to showcase your portfolio or even document that trip to Hawaii you took over spring break; photo mugs with your mug printed right on them; personalized calendars with a different photo for every month; or cool little business cards that show off 100 of your very best shots. You can even make a digital slide show that can be embedded into your blog or Facebook profile.

Oh, and check this out... you can even get one of those snazzy digital photo frames that can be loaded with all your best photos and displayed on your desk or bedside table. Sweet!

Whatever you end up doing with your snapshots, be sure to back up the originals just in case your hard drive crashes someday. There are all kinds of storage devices that can hold all your photos in a small space, so safeguard them for future generations!

-Guest columnist E. Ott

Game Review: Assassin's Creed

2007-12-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Assassin's Creed
XBOX 360, PS3

Nutshell Review:
Worth Buying A Must-Play Game

Pros: Beautiful graphics, innovative fighting system, unique storyline, extremely fun "free-running" maneuverability, good voice acting, decent game length, lush game environment.

Cons: Repetitive game-play, main character dies if he falls into water, limited options for executing each assassination.

Full Review:

In this much-anticipated release from Ubisoft, you play as medieval assassin Altair, the deadliest member of a mysterious assassin's guild known as The Brotherhood. Set during the third crusade in the war-torn cities of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus, Altair is tasked with tracking down and executing nine highly influential targets. With beautifully rendered, heavily populated medieval cities to traverse, tons of stylized sword-fighting and acrobatic chase scenes, nine high-profile assassinations to perform, a seriously mysterious storyline that subtly mingles past with present, and enough free-running to feel like a 12th century Peter Parker, Assassin's Creed is a game that will be remembered.

The first thing to mention about Assassin's Creed is the graphics. You'll be struck by the sheer amount of diversity that the game achieves. Any game that boasts of crowds of civilians and large collections of buildings seems bound to make use of repetitive character and architectural design. With a game like Assassin's Creed, you would expect to see the same nine or ten civilian-clones reappearing everywhere, or the same handful of buildings distributed cookie-cutter-style to constitute each city. However, of the hundreds of small and large buildings that make-up each city in Assassin's Creed, and the 30+ groups of citizens crowding the streets, you'll be hard-pressed to find any two identical buildings or civilians. Despite the fact that most players will be more focused on evading guards and running around than observing each individually crafted stone wall and cluttered vendor's table, the amount of detail put into the game definitely enhances the sensation that you are interacting with a living, breathing universe. This actually allows the player to focus more on the action-oriented parts of the game, as there will rarely be a moment when the player is distracted by an irritating design flaw, such as an encounter with a group of six or seven identical civilians.

Next to the graphics, the free-running mechanic in Assassin's Creed is the game's strongest selling-point. For those of you who don't know, the general idea behind free-running is that there are faster ways to travel through a city on foot than using sidewalks, staircases, and ladders. Though there is some limited horse-back riding, free-running is by far the quickest and most enjoyable method of transportation for getting from point A to point B in Assassin's Creed. As an expert free-runner, Altair can perform some pretty impressive acrobatics, clambering up the side of building by, say, hopping from a windowsill to a flagstaff to a window-grating to the top of a doorway. Once the player is comfortable with the highly-intuitive free-running control system, Altair virtually glides through the city. The experience is similar to webbing around a metropolis as Spiderman, only without the web.

It's a good thing that the game-play in Assassin's Creed is a lot of fun, because it is fairly repetitive. Upon arriving to the city where an assassination is to take place, you'll need to climb one of several tall buildings in the area to scope out portions of the city and spot opportunities to learn more about your target. You'll generally be gathering information about your target through chance moments of eavesdropping, pummeling town know-it-alls into telling you what they know, and pick-pocketing important documents off of various townspeople. You'll also be able to spot fellow members of The Brotherhood who have information to give you in exchange for the completion of some task, which inevitably involves collecting flags or killing people. The player can also choose to save random citizens being tyrannized by town guards, which will increase Altair's reputation in the city and cause certain citizens to help him if he gets into trouble. Once a requisite amount of information has been gathered, the assassination can be performed. Though each target has a unique personality and background story, Altair kills them all in more or less identical ways (stabbing them, basically). It is a bit anti-climatic to spend an hour getting ready to kill a book-burning zealot, only to finish him off with the same move you'd use to take out a town guard. Repetitive game-play is the only real flaw in Assassin's Creed, but most players will feel it's an easily forgiven hitch in light of all the fun they'll be having.

Though this game is about performing assassinations, make no mistake: Assassin's Creed is not merely a stealth game. There is a "suspicion meter" on the HUD that monitors whether or not town guards are oblivious to Altair's presence, suspicious of his behavior, or are actively chasing him down and trying to kill him, and certain tasks are automatically failed if Altair brings too much attention to himself. Though the game is certainly designed to encourage discretion, it has its full of high-intensity sword fighting. Combat in Assassin's Creed typically involves Altair surrounded by a group of angry guards, dodging under sword blows, flicking out the occasional throwing knife, parrying attacks and delivering vicious counter-moves. Altair is somewhat of an exceptional swordsman, and it is entirely possible to take on large groups of town-guards without being killed.

The storyline in Assassin's Creed will take most players by surprise, as will the sudden shifts between past and present. Without divulging too many details about what happens, the first ten minutes of the game introduce an ever-mysterious plot which only gets stranger as the game progresses. By the end of Assassin's Creed, you'll know a good deal more about what is going on than when you started, but the developer's seem content to leave all of the big questions unanswered - a move that strongly suggests a sequel.

If you can afford it, Assassin's Creed is definitely worth purchasing; if you don't have a lot of spare cash, it would probably be better to select a game with more replay value. With stunning graphics, an immediately easy-to-use control system, a carefully written storyline, a solid 15-20 hours of game-play, and a healthy balance of action and stealth, Assassin's Creed is an excellent development in the world of video games.

-C. Whichard, Guest Reviewer

Get Assassin's Creed and other video games now available at CampusTech.

CampusTech on YouTube

2007-11-20T13:04:00.001-08:00

Check out training videos and software tips for top Adobe software on our CampusTech YouTube Channel.

Lectures To Go

2007-11-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Having a major allows you to focus your passion, and strengthen your expertise in a particular knowledge field. However, focusing all that attention in one place can lead you to neglect your lesser passions in other subjects. For example, has your talent in art taken a back seat to your science degree?

With a busy student schedule there's not always enough time to indulge your off-beat interests... until now. More and more universities across America are publishing audio lectures in podcast form - so you can listen in on a lecture about Picasso at the bus stop, at the gym, or on your way to chem lab. Why limit your learning to your class schedule, when podcasts are free - and recorded by top intellectuals in a diverse range of topics? All you need is an mp3 player and headphones to become a true renaissance student.

Colleges currently offering lectures by free audio download/ podcast include:

Stanford University

John Hopkins University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of California, Los Angeles

Yale University

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

2007-11-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

As college students, one welcomes Thanksgiving break as a much needed rest from tests, projects, presentations, and other stress. But does family time on Thanksgiving become a whole new stress on its own? Check out what college students in Texas are doing this Thanksgiving:

"I actually lied to my boyfriend's mom and said we were going to a wedding in Alabama in order to avoid another family Thanksgiving. I'm sick of turkey and family time.

Instead, I might go to Sonora, TX for my geomorphology project! Nothing like a small town where there's nothing to do on normal days, much less national holidays." - Julie, University of North Texas

"I have to go do the obligatory time-with-parents thing. If you're in college and live in the same city as your parents, Thanksgiving is one of those holidays when you're really expected to see your family." - Corey, University of Houston

"Any excuse is a great excuse for food and love, and in any social circle, about half the kids spend thanksgiving with their families, and the other half ..well, either dont have families, or have families that don't celebrate, or have families too far to celebrate with... which calls for a Thanksgiving poor-college-man's pot luck dinner... complete with lots of liquor and turkey sandwiches with hash browns!

And dont forget the post Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner. There's always Thanksgiving dinners happening even after the holiday. Oh - and don't forget Thanksgiving left over dinner." - Mariam, University of Houston

Microsoft Vista Fun

2007-11-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Check out this fun evolution of Windows sounds and logos over the years:

For font fanatics, you might want to check out the new fonts that come with Microsoft Vista and Office 2007.

For tech savvy types, check out these 10 cool tips for customizing Vista to your liking.

Comparing Cats: Mac OS X Leopard vs. Tiger

2007-11-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last week Apple launched the new Mac OS X Leopard, calling it "the biggest system update in Mac history." What's so hot about the new Mac operating system? Here are a few things that are reportedly better about Leopard than the last Mac OS X release, Tiger... see if you agree:

Leopard has better Help than Tiger. The new Help menu has a search box in the menu bar. When you search for something you need help with, the search results menu lists the names of all matching menu commands. It even opens the menu for you with a large blue arrow pointing to the command you wanted, so it's easy to see.

Leopard has its own Time Machine. Leopard's Time Machine will automatically launch whenever you connect an external hard drive to your computer. If you choose to make that hard drive a backup drive, Time Machine will incrementally and automatically back up your hard drive and any changes to it - every hour of every day.

Leopard has cleaner organization - look, stacks and spaces! The new OS reduces clutter on your desktop with three stacks: applications, downloads, and documents. The stacks fan out or display in a neat grid, depending on your preference. You can also use "spaces" to organize everything on your desktop into groups. Simply toggle between different spaces to work on different groups of applications without getting confused.
Updated Finder with Cover Flow The new finder's sidebar groups items into categories: places, devices, shared computers, and searches. Type in a keyword into the Spotlight feature to bring back results from your hard drive. Flip through your files like flipping through music albums with cover flow.

Overall, Leopard has over 300 new features built into it - making it one of the hottest new software releases on the market. In the first four days of its release last week, the program sold over 2 million copies. It took Mac OS X Tiger 39 days to sell the same amount.

Build Your Own Online Portfolio

2007-10-23T09:11:00.001-07:00

Taking up hobbies, joining clubs, gaining experience through internships, and completing tough projects can boost your resume when it comes time to graduate and seek employment. But can you prove what you're good at?

Think outside the resume and convince prospective employers of your many talents by showing - not telling. And what better place to show off your skills - in photography, video production, art and design, writing, etc - than on the internet?

Creating an online portfolio is a useful way to gain a leg-up on your peers when it comes time to get hired - and you don't have to be a web design or HTML expert to get it up and running. Like any resume, a portfolio should be well thought out and attractive to those who look at it, so dedicate yourself and it will pay off.

Here's what you do to wow HR:

Gather photos, essays, artwork, and more that you want to display. Categorizing them into groups will make designing your online portfolio easier.

Create and save electronic formats (digital image, movie, sound, and document files) of your work by scanning, digitally photographing, electronically recording, or typing into your computer.

Design a website to display all your work in its electronic form with easy-to-use and powerful design software like Adobe Fireworks or Adobe Photoshop. Hint: You can also buy pre-made website designs at web template stores like TemplateMonster.com, or use a blog site like Blogger.com and customize the template instead.

Code your design in HTML. Don't Panic! Web development software with graphical interfaces like Adobe Dreamweaver and Softpress Freeway can make this part easy, even if you don't know HTML.

Get your own web domain. (You can buy cheap domains from sites like GoDaddy.com.)

Publish your own portfolio site to the web using simple FTP software like Ipswitch WS_FTP.

Trade In Your Old Stuff For $$!

2007-10-12T09:51:00.001-07:00

Have an old mp3 player, xbox, laptop, or digital camera lying around? Trade it in and get money back, plus an extra 10% off CampusTech coupon to spend on new software or hardware of your choice!

CampusTech will even pay for you to ship your trade-in. Just follow 3 easy steps:

1. Determine the trade-in value of your item using the Trade-In Estimator.
2. Print the free shipping label and use it to ship your item to us.
3. Receive a CampusTech gift card for the value of your item once it is received and its condition is verified. **Receive an additional 10% OFF coupon, if you trade-in your old equipment by October 31, 2007.

Trade now, or read our Trade-In FAQs for more information.

What was your favorite class in college and why?

2007-09-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

"My favorite class was my stage production class. It wasn't really a class, it was credit for being an assistant stage manager for Cabaret. I probably spent more time working on that class (the show) than most of my other classes, but it was so great having a break from my chemical engineering classes." - Sarah B., Chemical Engineer

"Gender and Sexuality in Latin American societies. Why: Learning gender is a social construct" - Tom G., Poet

"American History from 1870 to 1960. The professor gave really excellent lectures; every lecture was basically a theatrical monologue, complete with an introduction, anecdotes, extremely well-executed jokes, dramatic emphasis, and an ending that provided closure. Professor Cook didn't read off of notecards, or use Power Point, or read out of the textbook; he knew his stuff backwards and forwards. His presentation of history was basically a series of very interesting stories that led into one another, and naturally developed into present-day times. He poked fun at academia a lot, even though he was obviously an academic himself; he was a really neat guy, and all of his students love him. My favorite professor and my favorite class, by far. Totally brilliant guy." - Corey W., Sociology Student

What's The Deal With OneNote?

2007-09-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Office OneNote is popping up on student laptop screens in lecture halls across the nation - but what the heck does it do?

Think of it as transforming your computer or laptop into your own electronic notebook for storing, sharing, and compiling data in all its forms: audio, text, video, pictures, and even ink. Like a traditional paper notebook on steroids, you can scribble in notes and doodles using a tablet with OneNote, but you can also do a variety of other things that are next to impossible with the old spiral-bound.

Capture sound, video, and electronic images

Search through your notes for words and phrases automatically

Divide your notes and clips into self-defined sections (never be more than 2 clicks away from the info you need)

Drag and drop content directly from your internet browser or desktop into your notes, with automatic referential hyperlinks to the web page you copied

Automatic save feature - Never tear your hair out over accidentally unsaved information again!

Share your notes with your friends and allow them to make edits in real time - handy for group collaboration

Outline your notes better with OneNote's outlining tools

New features that come with the 2007 edition of OneNote include multi-notebook creation, new ink capabilities (including lasso selection), diagram and flowchart drawing tools, text recognition in scanned documents, built-in calculator, enhanced search, and more.

Test out OneNote for free now by taking a free trial.

Pimp My iPod

2007-08-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

School is starting up again, are you prepared? More importantly, is your iPod prepared? Gone are the days of lounging around in front of the TV, and here are the days of trekking back and forth across campus with singing headphones in your ears. Here are some things you can do to maximize the mobile rock box to its full potential:

1. Blow out your MP3 collection: Spring clean those 90's boy bands from your music library and stack up on songs from artists you discovered this summer. Forgot an awesome band's name? Try searching for them and other bands you might like with Hype Machine or Pandora. Burn songs from your own new albums onto your computer, or download them straight from MP3 stores like eMusic or iTunes.

2. Protect you iPod in style: iPods and other MP3 players can take a brutal beating if not protected. Since they are about to come back into heavy use, make sure you have a sturdy enough case to protect its longevity. You can get protective cases designed specifically for your iPod model, whether it's a Nano, Video iPod, or other. Different cases are also practical for different uses. For example, if you are going to work out with your iPod in tow, you might want a sports sleeve to keep it strapped to your arm as you flex and sprint.

3. Accessorize for grades: Believe it or not, but accessorizing your iPod can aid you while in class and help you study better. Record your professor's lectures for review and easy note-taking with this iPod voice recorder. Add music or sound to class presentations and group projects with an attached iPod speaker system or boombox to amplify music to more than your own ears.

3. Accessorize for fun: Maximize your down time between classes on campus with video. Record your favorite TV shows, documentaries, or music videos and transfer them directly to your video iPod with a DVD video capture device.

And finally, drag your butt out of bed after all those all-nighters with a hip new iPod alarm clock. Your roommate will thank you.

Low Price Guarantee

2007-08-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

What does this mean?

At CampusTech, we guarantee you're getting the best price for your software or hardware. If you do happen to find a better price on an identical item, let us know and we'll match it!

For your records, remember to print, copy or take a screen shot of the page that shows the lower price. We'll check it out, and you'll hear back from us within one business day.

For more information on how to take advantage of our Low Price Guarantee, read more...

Social Bookmarking: Saving Sites of Interest

2007-08-13T14:50:00.001-07:00

You've seen this button on CampusTech:

But what the heck does it mean? If you click it, you'll be asked to select a social bookmarking service with which to save, or bookmark, the website you are currently visiting. The concept of website bookmarking (also called "favorites" on some browsers) has been around for a long time, but social bookmarking is a whole new spin on storing and sharing your favorite web destinations.

Social bookmarking is a way of saving interesting online articles, videos, and other web pages in a personal account online. This means that you can access them from any computer connected to the internet at any time. On top of that, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Technorati allow you to register a personal or shared account, save bookmarks, organize and tag them however you want, and share them with others on the web.

Here are some other cool things you can do with social bookmarking:

Find and rate new online favorites by visiting sites that other people have bookmarked.

Suggest sites to your friends by tagging a link with your friend's username.

Doing a research paper or group project on monkeys? Bookmark resources online and tag them with "monkeys" or "research" and share the links with your whole team.

If you are particularly interested in a certain subject, there are social bookmarking sites geared around specific topics of interest too! For example, if you're a tech junkie, you can get your fix of popular technology articles, blogs, and sites on Technorati.

For most social bookmarking services, you can download a bookmarking button for your web browser, allowing you to bookmark sites with just one click.

Podcast Your Personality

2007-08-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Whether you're an aspiring radio personality, talk show host, spoken word poet, music student, or just enjoy talking a whole lot, creating a podcast to broadcast your own radio show to hundreds of iPod users a day is as simple as 1-2-3.

But wait - what is a podcast?
A podcast is an electronic audio file (like an mp3) or collection of audio files in a series that can be downloaded to a portable media player (like an iPod) or personal computer by a third party. Today, hundreds of podcasts are available on a wide range of topics including business, news, story telling, music, art and movie reviews, and "expert" commentary on just about any topic from self improvement to natural science to salad. For example, radio stations like National Public Radio often offer podcast versions of their radio shows for internet download.

The number of people using podcasts was up to 27 million in January 2006 and that number is growing every day - which makes podcasting a great way to reach wide audiences and make a name for yourself. (Stats provided by Arbitron/ Edison Media.)

Here's what you need to get started:
1. A Microphone: To broadcast your voice or music clearly, you'll want a microphone sensitive enough to pick up soft sounds while eliminating static or feedback. For interviews and debates, you might want to pick up a multi-user mic set so everyone talking has their own personal microphone. You can also choose between home-studio mics with stands, to wireless clip-on microphones, depending on how much flexibility you require.

If you own an iPod, you might want to get an iPod voice recorder that essentially makes your iPod a recorder for meetings, lectures, thoughts, ideas, conversations, or whatever you want. You can also connect any standard microphone to your Apple computer using an iMic audio interface adapter. For a really basic, hassle-free microphone, you might want to start out with a USB desktop microphone for your Apple or PC.

2. Audio Software: Once you have your recorded audio, you'll need software like Adobe Soundbooth CS3 to edit, mix, and polish it. Free software for audio editing is also available but can be limiting. You might also want to create your own music on your computer to put on your podcast instead of using pre-recorded music. For that, you might want to invest in a good package for digital music production like SONAR 6 Producer by Cakewalk.

3. A Place To Publish Your Podcast: Once you've got your podcast ready to whip out to your adoring fans, you'll need a place to submit it. The best place to submit your podcast is the iTunes podcast directory, which is a pretty comprehensive directory of podcasts available that iTunes users can easily subscribe to and download automatically. Apple iTunes provides a detailed write-up on how to submit your podcast to the directory here. Other places to upload your podcast includes the new Yahoo! Podcast Directory and many other independent podcast directory sites.

So what will you podcast about?

All Eyes On Me

2007-08-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Participating in social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are great ways to network with fellow students, teachers, and family, and maintain bonds with people you've met in college and beyond. They make it easier to keep track of what music, movies, and books your friends are into, what schools they are attending, and much more. In getting to know each other's interests and news, you must also always keep in mind how your own information is displayed - not just among friends - but, to the world.

Internet pages are stored and archived, and may be accessed long after the site itself has been taken down. (Want proof? Check out the handy Internet Archive WayBack Machine and look at sites as they were displayed years ago!) Additionally, publishing an image online allows others to download and republish the same image anywhere they choose. For this reason, you can never be too sure who has access to your photos online and who can use them to incriminate you - including professors and potential employers. (Check out this video of an Oxford University student who was busted for posting photos of herself engaging in reckless behavior on a private social networking site.)

That said, there's no denying that social networking sites allow us to embrace the modern internet age like never before. They allow for spontaneous classmate reunions, new conversations, and study buddy match-ups. They provide an open field for displaying your musical prowess, artistic skills, writing abilities, and other talents with your friends and the world.

According to Wikipedia, here are the top 10 most user-populated social networking sites on the web right now:

1) MySpace
2) Windows Live Spaces
3) Google's orkut
4) hi5
5) Friendster
6) Xanga
7) Classmates.com
8) Bebo
9) Facebook
10) Reunion.com

How many are you on?

Turning Your TI Calculator Into A Hand-Held Game Console

2007-07-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of TI-BASIC? It's the unofficial name of the programming language built into your TI calculator, allowing you to program formulae, repetitive tasks, and games into your personal number-crunching machine. Granted, it won't turn your TI-89 into a PSP, but you can get it to generate rolling dice, convert currencies or temperatures, or set up a game of tic tac toe and twenty-one for you and a friend - and yes, you can even set it up to play Tetris.

And really, Tetris is all you need to kill time riding the bus to class, back to the dorm, or during a particularly drawn out lecture on number theory, right? Here are a few handy links to help you start programming your TI Calculator with the games and applications you want:

TI-82 Games

TI-83/84 PLUS Games

Open-Source Applications for TI-83

Programs for TI-89

Wikipedia's TI-BASIC Page

You're Never Too Old or Too Young...

2007-07-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest college student to graduate with her degree is Nola Ochs, a 95-year-old graduate of Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Ochs made history when she received her history degree in May of 2007, walking with her granddaughter at her graduation ceremony.

The world's youngest college grad, Michael Kearney, enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College at the age of 6 years. After receiving an associate of science in geology at the age of 8, Kearney went on to earn a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of South Alabama two years later.

Just goes to show - you're never too old (or too young) to earn a college degree and enjoy it!

Nola Ochs | MSNBC.com

Be a YouTube Superstar

2007-07-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love (or love to hate) popular YouTube videos like OK Go dancing on treadmills, or 1,500 Filipino inmates performing their own rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller? Oftentimes hilarious, crude, slapstick, and even possibly educational, amateur digital media directors are making names for themselves everyday on YouTube.com. Inspired to become part of the revolution of home-made video entertainment? Here's what you might need:

1. A Camera: Don't worry, you don't need to break the bank for a sweet recording device. Depending on what type of video you want to create, you can use a simple hand-held camcorder or webcam.

Hand-held camcorders come in three main types: Mini-DV (possibly the cheapest and best quality video output, but must be firewired to your computer to edit and post video), Mini-DVD (with removable mini-DVD disks, these are really handy but because of the compression of video onto mini-DVD format, the quality can be lower than that of a Mini-DV), camcorders with built-in hard drives (like the iPod camera, these cameras can get more expensive, and the quality of video produced by them is not as technologically advanced as other types of video cameras on the market today).

Digital webcams are cheaper, smaller cameras you can plug directly into your computer and use to shoot videos directly from your desktop. They usually come with built-in microphones, and can oftentimes double as a photo camera. Webcams are ideal for frequent video blogging, video chatting on Skype or other video chat software, or snapping quick shots for your MySpace profile.

2. Video Editing Software: YouTube has its own simple editing software with some basic features, but if you want to get experimental, you may want to try out a video editing software package of your own. Put in sound effects, credits, and special visual effects into the shorts you make with software by Adobe, Corel, Maxon, and more.

Additional tips on publicizing your YouTube vids:

Make friends with other YouTubers and post videos as comments to their popular submissions

Tag your YouTube vids with keywords that you want your video to be associated with!

Publicize your YouTube profile and videos on your personal blog, in forums, or blast an email out to your friends to check it out

Post your video on sites other than YouTube, like Digg, EyeSpot, OurMedia, and Grouper.

CampusTech 20 Year Anniversary Sale!

2007-07-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

July 2007 marks 20 years of student discounts at CampusTech, now the United States' fastest growing online retailer of high-tech hardware and academically licensed software for students, faculty, and institutions. Offering educational products by top manufacturers including Adobe, Microsoft, Dell, and Apple, CampusTech marks its two decade milestone with a month of Anniversary discount blowouts on software, hardware, and accessories.

This week take 10% off iPod accessories, backpacks, messenger bags, and laptop cases until July 9th! See CampusTech.com for more details.

Advice To College Students From College Grads

2007-06-28T14:31:00.001-07:00

Last week we noted some words of wisdom from famous and influential leaders to graduating students. Here are some words to those just entering, or still pulling through those precious college years. When asked, recent grads offered their own advice for maximizing the college experience. Here's what they had to say:

"Travel, travel, travel. Study abroad if you can. Your friends will still be there when you get home." - Erika M.

"Join a club, live in the dorms, get out, forget yourself and meet new people. The best part of college is the easy access to the community.

I also strongly suggest taking on an internship. 99% of jobs require experience. The few that don't require it pay poorly." - Tim S.

"Take vitamins and don't let yourself stay in your room." - Aimy S.

"1. Study abroad.
2. Get an internship!
3. Live in the dorms. It's a great place to meet long-lasting friends.
4. Fear no new experience. You learn a lot by throwing yourself into new environments.
5. Save your best school work so you can create a portfolio before graduation.
6. Don't forget exercise.. we all have gained so many pounds since freshman year!" - Mariam J.

75 Percent Off and More...

2007-06-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Check out CampusTech right now for 75% off and more on select academic software titles for graphic design, animation, engineering, programming, and math. Top educational software discounted manufacturers include Quark, Microsoft, and Autodesk. Check out our current featured list of discounted student software and get hundreds to thousands of dollars off current MSRP.

Words of Wisdom To College Grads

2007-06-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to life after college? Here are some words of advice taken from notable recent graduation commencement speeches:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
- Steve Jobs at Stanford University, 2005

"Remember your responsibilities to find your passion, to use your reason, to cultivate humility, to remain optimistic and always to serve others. Remember this moment right now and remember all of those who contributed so that it could come - your parents and your families and your friends who supported you through all of these times. But remember this, too. You've had a wonderful opportunity to become educated people, but what really matters is not what you have learned and not what is said to you on this day, but what you do with all the days ahead of you."
- Secretary Condoleezza Rice at Boston College, 2006

"I ask every member of the Class of 2007 to learn from Sergeant Zapata's example -- step forward to serve a cause larger than yourself. Volunteer in a local soup kitchen or shelter. Take time to check in on an elderly neighbor. Be a mentor to a child in need. Use the skills you have learned here to help build a better nation. Our armies of compassion need men and women like you. The great test of this generation will be how you answer the call to extend the promise of America, and make our nation a more hopeful place for all. The character of the Class of 2007 gives me great faith in your success, and confidence in the future of a nation that makes one people from out of many."
- President Bush at Miami Dade College, 2007

"In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue - a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don't have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the Internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them. Don't let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives."
- Bill Gates at Harvard University, 2007

Get $10 Off Student Software Through 6/25/07

2007-06-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

Shop for student discount software and hardware at CampusTech.com today and instantly save $10 off orders of $149 or more. Simply use the coupon code "SAVINGS" at checkout. But hurry, this special ends on June 25th!

Additionally you can save over 75% off MSRP on educational software from Quark, Corel, Microsoft, Autodesk and more.

Now is a great time to cash in on summer specials for the semesters ahead!

Extra Credit: The Smart Way Students Save

2007-06-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

We've all seen student discounts offered at movie theaters scored by flashing student IDs at the ticket booth, but did you know that your student ID also counts as a VIP pass to discounted deals on popular hardware and software? That includes mp3 players, computers, and software for design, word processing, and more. Cashing in on academic discounts can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year on personal expenses - money you can save simply by being a student.

What is an Academic Discount?

For the purpose of providing affordable learning tools to students, teachers, and institutions, many manufacturers offer "academic version" software. This academic or educational version software can be discounted in price while offering the same features and functionality of the regular version of the same product. In most cases, academic software is exactly the same as the full retail version, though some programs may have a unique splash screen identifying the software as an educational version, or differ slightly in commercial features. Basically, it's the same bang for fewer bucks. The major distinction between academic and regular retail versions of software is in their license requirements.

To summarize these requirements: academic software versions are only for sale to authorized students and teachers of an educational facility and not to the general public. They are strictly for educational and study use by current students or teachers and are not for resale. This is where your student ID comes in. Purchasers of academic software are often required to supply proof of their current status as student or faculty – usually in the form of a student ID card.

Academic Retailers

Where can you go to get the student discount advantage on software, technology, and more? CampusTech.com offers discounted hardware and academic version software from well known manufacturers including Microsoft, Adobe, and Quark for students and faculty at huge discounts. Want that new release of Adobe Photoshop for design class? CampusTech.com offers the Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended Academic version of Photoshop for 71% cheaper than the regular retail price, saving you a whopping 709 dollars. Even if you aren't an A+ student, you can't deny smart savings like that. The only catch: You have to be a student. So remember to cash in while you're still enrolled.

If you are still enrolled, verifying your student status for academic discounts at CampusTech.com is easy. You can be verified instantly using eVerification online, or you can submit a picture of your ID card as a JPG or GIF image file during or after checkout.

You don't have to major in math to know that saving up to 80% on student software is a good thing. You just have to be in the know to save money in a major way. So pass on the lesson to your friends.

High-Tech Gifts for Father's Day!

2007-06-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is June 17th- are you prepared? You don't have to break the bank or spend hours at the mall to get dad hip, cutting-edge gifts this year. Find cool, high-tech gifts for dads at any budget with CampusTech's Father's Day Gift Ideas.

From wireless media players, digital cameras, and iPod docks, to LCD computer monitors, speaker systems, and laptop attaches - CampusTech has what techie dads dream of! Get your dad something he'll really appreciate, at prices as low as $25, $50, or $100. Go beyond the tie.

Finding a Summer Internship

2007-06-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

A break from classes this summer leaves ample time to dedicate yourself to an internship. Internships give you real world experience in the career field of your choice, allowing you a better idea of what to expect when you graduate and join the ranks of the employed. Internships are also a great way to network with people in the career field you are interested in. Additionally, having previous work experience in the field you are interested in looks impressive on resumes, and will give you a leg-up in getting hired in the future.

So how do you go about finding an internship? Most colleges offer career exploration counseling for help locating and interviewing for jobs - so ask around your campus. Ask your professors for leads, or visit Yahoo's Yellow Pages and directly call companies you are interested in working for.

Online job finding resources for college students like MonsterTrak.com and Internweb.com allow you to submit resumes online and provide databases of available internships across the United States. It is also a good idea to get your friends, parents, and parents co-workers involved in your internship hunt to generate more job leads.

Finally, to ensure your internship experience is a positive one, make sure you know what you are getting into when you commit yourself to the job. Figure out beforehand if you will receive compensation, academic credit, or neither. If you want to receive academic credit, you may need to apply through your college to do so.

Pick Up a New Skill with Educational Software

2007-06-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself swamped with free time this summer, why not put it to productive use by honing your skills? Pick up a new language, brush up on your graphic design skills, or learn how to design your own website. If you're graduating soon, you might even want to start your career exploration early by taking aptitude tests. Whatever your goals, academic discounted software can help you achieve them this summer at a much lower price than you'd spend taking summer courses. Check out the CampusTech Learning Center for fun training software on a bevy of subjects, or check out some examples below:

Must-Have Summer Vacation Gear

2007-06-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Summer is fast approaching and vacation and road trip plans abound. Wherever you're headed this sunny season, treat yourself with some high-tech, must-have vacationer gear. Check out some of our top picks this season:

Skullcandy MacGyver 1GB MP3 Watch

Going hiking or sight-seeing? Rock it anytime, anywhere with this combination MP3 player and watch. Put dozens of songs riding on your wrist in a package so tight you won't even know it's there. If that isn't space age enough, the MacGyver sports a selectable 5-mode audio equalizer, 3-D stereo sound, music shuffle play feature, built in voice recorder, and integrated USB cable. You can listen to your music in MP3 and WMA formats, plus use the watch as a thumb drive to store and transfer data from your home computer!

Casio Exilim EX-Z1050 10.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera

Capture vacation memories on the go with this 10.1 megapixel Exilim Z1050 high performance camera. This camera comes in a compact, easily transportable size, and features an Anti-Shake DSP that minimizes blurriness. It is also equipped with a super-life battery, allowing it to take up to 370 photos in a row without petering out. The Casio Elixim captures both photos and movies, and reproduces crystal-clear images, even when printing very large sizes. Optional handy leather Exilim camera pouches are available to protect your camera on the move.

STM Wave Bag for 15.5" Notebooks

Want a bag that's good for the beach, school, and for toting your laptop around? The STM Wave Bag has a laptop sleeve that can be completely removed - transforming it from an ideal laptop bag to the perfect beach bag. For added versatility, underneath the front flap is an organiser pocket with space for cables, keys, pens, and other items you'll want nearby. Internally there's a zippered pocket for all your valuables. The structure of the bag is encased in high density sleeping bag padding for laptop (or beach ball) protection and features a comfortable, adjustable shoulder strap.

Zune 30GB Music Player by Microsoft

For music and entertainment on the road or in a plane, check out this 30GB digital media player with a twist. Wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, road trip playlists, vacation pictures, or your own home-grown audio tracks directly from Zune to Zune. The Zune also features photo and video capabilities, has a built-in FM radio tuner, and can act as a hard drive for file storage.

Microsoft P790 Portable Cell Phone Charger

This cell phone charger by Motorola adds an energy boost to your cell phone or Bluetooth without using an electrical outlet! A must-have for globetrotters and roadtrippers, it lets you enjoy more time on your phone to talk, text, and use multimedia capabilities before you have to slow down and plug it into a wall. A fully charged P790 Portable Charger provides 1 to 2 full charges for a mobile phone (300 to 400 more minutes of phone talk time), or up to 10 full charges for a Bluetooth headset that uses a mini-USB recharging connection.

Top 7 Tips for Tackling Group Projects

2007-05-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Group projects at school are a way to build people and organizational skills, pool resources and ideas, and learn a thing or two about cooperating with your colleagues. No wonder professors are so keen to assign them! Unfortunately, group projects can end up disasterous if egos or unmotivated attitudes are involved. Here are a few tips on tackling group projects and combining energies with your classmates so you can wow your teacher - without all the drama.

1. Exchange Contact Information: Make sure you exchange telephone numbers, email addresses, and full names right off the bat. This saves time looking up each other's information when questions arise later on. It is also helpful to figure out what times everyone is available to work, so you can plan ahead when scheduling meetings and deadlines.

2. Assign Responsibility: At the end of every meeting, come up with a couple tasks for each person in the group to accomplish. This keeps everyone on task and focused on what they, personally, need to contribute to the group. Set reasonable deadlines for each task to ensure they are accomplished in a timely manner.

3. Keep Minutes: Assign a member of the group to write down a brief summary of what was discussed in each group meeting, who was assigned what task, and by what deadline each task should be accomplished. Share the minutes of each meeting with the entire group, so everyone stays on top of their responsibilities and goals.

4. Stay Friendly: In a group of 2 or more people, personalities may clash. Keep things civil and encourage everyone to speak or voice their ideas. Instead of simply disagreeing with members of your group, offer alternative suggestions. Encourage quiet members to speak up by gently inviting their thoughts. Groups can fall apart if apathy, aggression, or negative criticism takes over - so watch out!

5. Get Interactive: Cut down time spent driving to and from group meetings by scheduling them online through instant messengers or chat rooms. Arrange meeting times by email, and compile and share your notes quickly and efficiently using efficient note-taking software like Microsoft's OneNote. This also makes recording and sharing meeting minutes a lot less time-consuming.

6. Establish Ground Rules: If a disagreement arises, it helps to have ground rules established for how to get through the disagreement. Decide with your group whether action should be taken after majority vote, unanimous vote, or another method, so your efforts to rectify a problem don't end up stalemated.

7. Don't Forget to Celebrate: Once the group project is over, there's a chance you won't all work together again in quite the same way. There is the chance, however, that you will all stay in the same program and work with each other in different ways in the future, so it's good to form bonds with each other beyond the singular group project experience. Once the project is completed, go out for a bite to eat or go bowling to celebrate. Take the opportunity to discuss your team's working experience and what you might change or improve upon next time a group project is assigned.

Graduates: Last chance to cash in on academic discounts

2007-05-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Graduation time for college students is fast approaching... Don't forget to grab your academic discounts while you're still enrolled! Remember: only current students, faculty, and administrators are eligible for educational discounts.

As an enrolled student, you can save time and money with CampusTech's instant eVerification tool. No need to sit and wait to be approved for academic discounts. If your school is on our list, you can be verified instantly. Read more about CampusTech's quick eVerification...

If your institution isn't listed as an eVerification participant, don't fret. You can upload a JPG or GIF image of your student ID at checkout, or email it directly to us afterwards.

Right now students can benefit from savings of at least 60% on new releases by Adobe, Microsoft, and more. What software and hardware will you need to start your new career off right?

Adobe CS3 Now Shipping

2007-05-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

The newer, snazzier Creative Suite 3 software line from Adobe is now shipping! CS3 titles include updated versions of Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, and many more - packaged together in convenient bundles for designers, web developers, and other creative professionals and students. Read about Adobe CS3 on the manufacturer's website.

Scott Kelby, Editor of Photoshop User gives a sneak peek at the updated Adobe Photoshop CS3 interface. Check it out here! New features offered in Photoshop CS3 include easy black-and-white conversion, smart filters, 3D capability, and animation.

CampusTech is currently offering all academic versions of the Adobe CS3 software and bundles, including Creative Suite 3 Design Premium and Standard, Web Premium and Standard, Product Premium, and the Master Collection at huge discounts. Bundles including Creative Suite 3 design software and computer tablets are also available at discounted package rates. Click to view all Adobe CS3 products available at CampusTech.

Product Review Sweepstakes

2007-05-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Right now there is a new way to save even more on academic software, hardware, and more on our site through an ongoing sweepstakes. Share your opinion and snag a shot at some extra spending money! All you have to do is write a product review, and you could win $200 at CampusTech. For more info on the CampusTech $200 giveaway sweepstakes, click here.

New CampusTech Student Software Blog

2007-05-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hi and welcome to the brand new CampusTech.com weblog. Check back here for updates on our online store promotions, new software and hardware, and random interesting tid-bits we find cool.

About CampusTech...