Spartans,

As an SJSU Student, faculty member, or staff member, you have access to Google Workspace with Google Slides. With real-time collaboration and automatic saves to the cloud, Google empowers teams and groups to create impactful presentations together. Today, I’d like to share three helpful tricks that can elevate your slides and captivate your audience:

1. Apply Image Effects: Google Slides allows you to add a touch of creativity to your images. You can apply shadow and reflection effects to your pictures or photos. To do this, select your image, click on “Format Options” in the toolbar, and enable either the Drop Shadow or Reflection options. Adjust transparency, distance, angle, or size to enhance your visuals.
2. Crop Images to Shapes: Sometimes, you want an image to fit a specific shape. Google Slides lets you crop an image to various shapes using a feature called masking. After selecting your image, click the Mask Image arrow next to the Crop Image button in the toolbar. Explore shapes like arrows, callouts, or equations to create eye-catching visuals. You can further adjust size, rotation, brightness, and contrast using the “Format Options” menu.
3. Create Even Spacing: Ensuring elements are evenly spaced and properly aligned keeps your slides looking sharp. Click and drag your mouse to select all the objects you want to distribute horizontally. (You can also hold the Shift key and click each object individually to select them.) Once the objects are selected, go to the “Arrange” menu in the toolbar at the top. Hover over the “Distribute” option in the menu. You’ll see two choices: “Horizontally” and “Vertically.” Choose the one best suited for the slide. Google Slides will automatically distribute the selected objects evenly along the horizontal axis.

Thank you Andrew Weiglein, from the SJSU IT Program Management Office, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

If you frequently copy and paste text, images, or other content on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, you’ll find the Clipboard History feature incredibly useful. It allows you to keep track of your clipboard activity and access previously copied items. Here’s how to enable and use it:

Enable Clipboard History:

• Press the Windows key (the one with the Windows logo) and V simultaneously. This keyboard shortcut opens the clipboard history prompt.
• Click on Turn on to enable clipboard history.

View Clipboard History:

• Once clipboard history is enabled, press Windows key + V again.
• A small window will pop up, displaying a list of the most recent items you’ve copied.
• The most recent items appear at the top of the list.
• To paste an item from the history, simply click on it.

Additional Notes:

• Clipboard history supports storing text, HTML, and images (up to 4 MB in size).
• It stores a maximum of 25 entries, with older items disappearing as new ones are added.
• Unless an item is pinned to the clipboard, the history list resets after restarting your computer.

Thank you Andrew Weiglein, from the SJSU IT Program Management Office, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

When an online account is compromised, it can be both frustrating and scary, but identifying it early can help minimize the impact. Here are a few examples of suspicious account activity you should watch out for along with actions to take. 

• Changes to password and/or account settings: If you detect changes to your account password or account settings which you did not make, it may indicate that your account has been compromised. If needed, initiate account recovery. Change your password, then update your account settings.
• Posts you didn’t write appear on social media: If you notice posts on your social media wall which you did not create, it is an indication that someone may have gained access to your account. Delete the posts and change your password. Enable Two-Factor Authentication, which most social media sites support. 
• Unusual email activity: If you see messages in your “Sent” folder that you didn’t send, you have new contacts that you don’t know, or if it seems like you are missing emails, your email account may be hacked. Change your password immediately, ensure two-factor authentication is enabled, and check your account settings to ensure  email forwarding has not been enabled (which would automatically send your email to a bad actor). Consider reporting unknown email addresses found, if email forwarding is enabled 
• Charges/purchases you do not recognize: If your online purchase history or credit card statement displays charges or purchases you do not recognize, contact your financial institution, and change your password if necessary.  Ensure Two-Factor authentication is enabled. 
• Logins from unknown devices/locations: Most accounts, including streaming accounts, allow you to view which devices are logged into your account and where they are located. If you see a login from an unknown device or location, log that device out and change your password.  Enable Two-Factor Authentication where possible. 

If you think your @sjsu.edu account may have been compromised, email the Information Security team at security@sjsu.edu right away. Remember, SJSU will never send unsolicited messages asking for your password or other personal information.

Thank you Noel McCormick and Cole Gunter from Information Security for providing these tips. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Many of us enjoy sharing videos and pictures with friends and family on social media to spread our joy and good vibes to those we are close with. I want to provide a few tips to ensure that the sharing and viewing of media does not detract from your spring adventures and studies.

• Focus more on the experience than on capturing the perfect video. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology reports that media usage may change or reduce memories of life events. Be sure to take time and enjoy the moment so that the memories last. (Source: MIT MindHandHeart News)
• Limit the time you spend scrolling. The Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology asserts that people who limit their time spent on social media to under 30 minutes a day report increased levels of happiness. So take a little time to see what friends and family are doing, then disconnect and be in the present. (Source: Technology, Mind, and Behavior)
• Connect with friends and family in real time. Social media is great for keeping up with long-distance friends and family, but social media likes and comments don’t always provide the same interpersonal connection as talking with someone in real time. Make some time to call friends and family, or if possible, get together in person to catch up and do something fun. (Source: Cone Health)

Thank you to Jeff Japp, Leon Nguyen, and Andrew Weiglein from the SJSU IT Program Management Office, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Here are a few quick tips to help you stay safe while you connect with friends and family through social media.

• Make your account private: While each social media platform has a different process to control privacy settings, most provide the option to make your profile and posts visible to friends only. Making your social media accounts private helps prevent unwanted persons from seeing what you are doing and posting.
• Be careful posting photos: Photos can inadvertently provide personal information to individuals, such as your location, child’s school, place of employment, and so forth. Use discretion when posting images.
• Review your tag settings: Sometimes well-meaning friends and family may tag you in posts that you would rather not be tagged in. Some social media platforms allow you to review posts that are tagged with your name. Consider checking your account settings to see how and where tags may be used by others.
• Assume that what you post will not be private: Even if you have enabled strong privacy settings, you should not expect that what you share on social media will remain private. What you post can be saved and shared again. If you have any concern that what you share might  get out in the general public, it’s best not to share it.
• Be critical of “friend” invites: While a friend request from a complete stranger will usually send up a warning flag, sometimes friend requests can come from fake accounts using the names of people you know. Always be cautious when accepting a friend request, even if it is from someone you know. When in doubt, reach out to the person and confirm the request is from them.

Thank you Jeff Japp from our Project Management Office for providing these tips. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University