The Tech Center

	News


	2011/2010/2009/2008/2007/2006/2005/2004 2012 Loaner iPads Available iPads are now available for use in the TECH Center. Temple students can borrow them to browse the web, check e-mail, or use Blackboard while working in the lab. They can be signed out at the Consultant Desk on the 2nd Floor of the TECH Center. Your Temple ID is required. (12/17/12) 2011 Print on the Go Officially Launched Print on the Go is a new printing service introduced for students using laptops. It used to be that when students needed to print from their laptops, they had to save the file on a flash drive or in Google Docs and then open it on a lab computer in order to print in the labs. Now with Print on the Go, students can connect to TUsecure wireless and send their documents to a queue where it is available for printing from a number of lab printers across campus for up to four hours. For more information, including Print on the Go lab printer locations, go to the www.temple.edu/wireless/printing. (4/15/11) 2010 New Multimedia Studio Opens The multimedia studio is available to students for video shoots, audio recording, still photography sessions, and videoconference interviews. The studio is located in room 215-J, near the Macintosh Blue Lab. Note that a brief orientation session is required before using the equipment. For reservations and more information, visit the Consultant Station on the 2nd floor. (10/1/10) TECH Center Hours for 2010/2011 Announced During the fall and spring semesters of the 2010-2011 academic year, the TECH Center will be open 24 hours from 11 a.m. Sunday through 7:30 p.m. Friday and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Hours vary during final exam periods, holidays, and intersessions. Check the main page of the TECH Center web site for announcements or download a schedule. (8/23/10) New Collaboration Areas Added and PCs Upgraded During the summer, the TECH Center added two MediaScape collaboration tables and upgraded the PCs. The collaboration tables offer additional areas where students can work together on group projects. Up to six students at a time can plug their laptops into the table and take turns displaying laptop images onto a large flatscreen LCD display attached to the unit. The tables are located in the 2nd floor lounge areas and are intended for casual, drop-in use—no reservations required. The new PCs in the TECH Center are Dell Optiplex 980, running 64 bit Windows 7, with 24" displays, 4GB of RAM, 250GB hard drives, and media readers. The most noticeable features of the new units are larger screens (24" vs. 17") and the upgrade to Windows 7 operating system. The previous PCs were about five years old and had reached the end of their lifecycle. They were taken to the Computer Recycling Center (CRC) where they will be redeployed to other areas of the university, sold to students at reduced prices, or donated to non-profit groups/schools in the North Philadelphia area. (8/23/10) Access TECH Center Status From Your Computer or Mobile Phone Is the TECH Center busy? Want to know if there's video or music workstation seats available? Find out from your computer or mobile phone by going to the TECH Center Status page. (4/1/10) Project ERGO Featured in Journal "Project ERGO" was featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal in an article titled "Project tests ergonomically made gear." (2/19/10) Macintosh Computers Upgraded During the winter break, about 120 new Macintosh computers were installed in the TECH Center to replace the previous Mac systems which were over four years old. The new computers include about 100 iMacs with 27" displays and 20 high-end multimedia tower systems with 24" displays. (2/1/10) 2009 Project ERGO Promotes Healthy Computing Ergonomic equipment is available as part of "Project ERGO" in the TECH Center to help you maintain a healthy position while working on the computer. Visit the TECH Center and try out a variety of ergonomic devices to put you in your comfort zone while you work. Project ERGO is run by the Office of Disability Resources & Services.(11/24/09) TECH Center Hours for 2009/2010 Announced During the Fall and Spring Semesters of the 2009-2010 academic year, the TECH Center will be open 24 hours from 11 a.m. Sunday through 7:30 p.m. Friday. The TECH Center will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Hours vary during Final Exam periods, holidays, and Intersessions. Check the main page of the TECH Center web site for announcements, or download a schedule. (9/1/09) TECH Center Spruced Up Over the Summer Students returning for Fall Semester will notice a slightly new look to the TECH Center. A new color scheme has been painted on the TECH Center walls, and new carpeting is being added. (8/17/09) TECH Center in the News ABC6 News visited the TECH Center to report on local reaction to the swearing-in of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on August 8. Temple students and Philadelphia attorneys gathers in the TECH Center lobby to watch the historic event and shared their thoughts and comments with the news crew on video. (8/8/09) Students View Ceremony at the TECH Center On January 20, 2009, the TECH Center became one of the main gathering places on campus to witness President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony. Students watched the ceremony live on plasma screens all throughout the building, as shown in this panoramic view. (1/21/09) Daily Attendance Hits New Record The TECH Center had a record high for daily attendance last month. A total of 9,301 students used the TECH Center on 12-08-08. The previous record was set on 12-03-07, when 9,028 students used the Center. 2008 TECH Center Visits Reach 3 Million Mark The TECH Center recently welcomed its 3 millionth visitor. Since opening in January, 2006, we have had a total of 3,088,048 student visits. The Center also hit a new record for the number of visits in a 24-hour period. On Monday, December 8, 2008 a total of 9,301 students used the TECH Center. (12/22/08) TECH Center Resources Enhanced Computer Services will be adding 28 computers to the TECH Center this Fall to accommodate student technology needs. The southeast corner of the TECH Center has been under construction over the summer to provide space for the additional computers. In addition to the 28 additional computers, the computers in the Room 213 "Advanced Technology Lab" will reconfigured to allow for video editing and multimedia software. (8/25) The Temple News features TECH Center recording booths The Temple News recently featured an article on the TECH Center's new recording booths. The TECH Center has three booths for recording vocal narrations, podcasts, and other sound recordings. (4/30) 2007 Over Two Million Served The number of lab visits passed the two million milestone on December 11, 2007. (12/11) TECH Center in the News The September issue of "Pro AV Magazine" features an article focusing on Temple University's TECH Center and its use of TECH TV. Using technology called EthernetTV from VBrick, Inc., the TECH Center streams 12 cable channels to computer desktops so students can watch TV while using the lab's computers. (9/17) You asked for it...We got it! Over the past several months, Computer Services has responded to a number of student requests regarding the TECH Center: -- two recording booths -- suitable for vocal narrations and podcasts -- are currently under construction and will open soon. -- the printing room has been modified to provide more room for printer and people. -- additional video decks have been added to the Macintosh lab ("Blue Lab") to serve as "overflow space" when the video lab is busy. All Macintoshes in the Blue Lab now have Final Cut video editing software installed. -- the Software Development Lab (SDL) has been renamed the "Advanced Technology Lab," and now features general-use workstations with graphics software in addition to SDL workstations. The lab also features Vista and Macintosh demo units. -- The TECH Center is now open later on Saturdays until 7:30pm, and opens earlier at 11am on Sundays during the Fall and Spring Semesters. -- The TECH Center's PA system has been expanded so special announcements can be heard in the specialty labs and breakout rooms. -- Due to the popularity of the student breakout rooms in the TECH Center, three additional breakout rooms have been added to the computer lab in the Tuttleman Learning Center (across the street from the TECH Center). Also, 16 additional workstations have been added to the Tuttleman lab. (9/12) TECH Center Featured at LabMan Conference The 2007 Academic Lab Management (LabMan) Conference held at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio last month featured a session about the TECH Center. Temple University Computer Services staff member, Joseph Williams, gave two presentations on the TECH Center. The presentations featured information about the Tech Center, including how it was developed and what technologies are being used. (7/3) TECH Center Hours for 2007/2008 Announced Weekend hours in the TECH Center will change slightly effective July 1, 2007. The TECH Center will stay open later on Saturday evenings, and open earlier on Sundays, to better serve Temple students. During the Fall and Spring Semesters of the 2007-2008 academic year, the TECH Center will be open on Saturdays from 10am to 7:30pm. On Sundays, the Center will open at 11am, followed by weekly 24 hour operations. Weekday hours remain the same (open 24 hours through 7:30pm Friday). Intersession hours throughout the year will remain the same -- 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and closed on weekends. During Summer session (effective Summer Session 2 which begins on July 9, 2007), the TECH Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. Summer session weekday hours will remain the same (8:30am to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday). (5/9) Educause Presentation Available as a Podcast The annual Educause Conference held in Dallas, Texas in October featured a session about the TECH Center: "From Labs to Collaborative Spaces: Development of Temple University's TECH Center." Computer Services staff members Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President, Sheri Stahler, Associate Vice President, and Gerald Hinkle, Director gave the presentation which is now available as a podcast. (3/28) TECH Center One-Year Anniversary in the News The Temple News featured an article about the one-year anniversary of the TECH Center. The story focuses on the success of the Center and its impact on the design and planning of other student computer centers. (2/20) Over One Million Served January 2007 marked the one year anniversary of the TECH Center. In addition, the number of lab visits passed the one million milestone on January 22. (1/31) Vista Preview Available in the TECH Center Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 demos are available on workstations in the Software Development Lab, Room 212, in the TECH Center. All students and faculty are invited to come and do a "test drive." (1/31) TECH Center Presentation at Educause Regional Conference Sheri Stahler, Associate Vice President, and Gerald Hinkle, Director, gave a presentation on the TECH Center at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of Educause on January 17th in Baltimore, Maryland. (1/24) 2006 TECH Center Fall Semester Update During Fall Semester 2006, the TECH Center had over 478,314 visits from 21,241 individuals. This is 55,000 more visits that the Spring 2006 semester. The busiest day was on December 4, when an all-time high of 8,867 people entered the lab. In the Fall, students made 4,351 breakout room reservations and borrowed 860 laptops. The largest users of the TECH Center were the Fox School of Business (102,716 visits), the College of Liberal Arts (83,816), and the School of Communications and Theater (80,234). Since opening in January 2006, the TECH Center has received over 975,000 visits. We expect to pass the one million mark sometime in January. (12/19) TECH Center in the News The cover story on the November issue of University Business magazine features the TECH Center. (11/14) TECH Center Usage Update Since opening in January 2006, the TECH Center has received over 788,160 visits. During the month of October alone, there were over 140,000 visits. We expect to exceed one million total visits sometime in December or early January. (11/1) Presentations at Educause Highlight the TECH Center Technology at Temple was in the spotlight at the annual Educause Conference held in Dallas, Texas from October 9-12. The following Computer Services staff members gave presentations on the TECH Center, "From Labs to Collaborative Spaces: Development of Temple University's TECH Center" Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President, Sheri Stahler, Associate Vice President, and Gerald Hinkle, Director. (10/27) Michael Dell Visits the TECH Center Michael Dell, Chairman of the Board of Dell, Incorporated, visited the Temple Campus on Tuesday, August 29, to take a tour of the TECH Center. (8/31) You asked for it...We got it! Over the past several months, Computer Services has responded to a number of student requests regarding the TECH Center: -- a coin-operated photocopier was installed over the Spring -- a video "dub rack" was installed in the video editing room to enable students to transfer video from one format to another -- additional licenses of Final Cut Pro video editing software were added to the Macintosh lab to serve as "overflow space" when the video lab is busy -- the Quiet Lab space was doubled by adding a second quiet room -- Foreign Language software, previously limited to a specialty lab, is now available throughout the TECH Center -- the Software Development Lab was redesigned to provide access to additional networked departmental resources for students in the Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) and Management Information Systems (MIS) programs. (8/23) EDTECH Magazine Reviews the TECH Center The TECH Center is featured in the August issue of EDTECH magazine in an article called "Viewpoint: The City of Brotherly Technology." You can see the magazine version online. (8/23) TECH Center Semester Stat Update The TECH Center's first semester was a busy one. During Spring 2006, the TECH Center had over 432,000 visits from 20,070 individuals. The busiest day was on April 26, when 8,062 people entered the lab. Students made 4,266 breakout room reservations and borrowed 729 laptops. The largest users of the TECH Center were the Fox School of Business (87,230 visits), the College of Liberal Arts (77,845), and the School of Communications and Theater (72,802). The busiest times for the TECH Center were weekdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but even during the hours between midnight and 7 a.m. the Center had 24,000 visitors. (6/7) KYW Reports on the TECH Center KYW Newsradio featured the TECH Center in it's Positively Philadelphia program, hosted by Lauren Lipton. The spot was broadcast on April 30 and May 1, and featured interviews with Temple students and staff. (5/1) TECH Center Stat Update Since opening in January, the TECH Center has been home to over 388,000 visitors! The peak day occurred April 26 when 8,062 people visited. (5/1) Visitors Galore at the TECH Center Update Since opening in January, the TECH Center has been home to over 322,000 visitors! The peak day occurred April 18 when 7,361 people visited. (4/19) *The Chronicle* Features "A Bigger and Better Computer Complex"** The April 14, 2006 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education covers the TECH Center in the Information Technology section. The online version of the issue also features a multimedia slide show of 25 TECH Center photos with narration. Access to the article and the slide show is available through the April 14th news item on Temple's News and Media Web site. An Acrobat (pdf) version that includes the photos in the original printed copy is also available. (4/10) TECH Center Covered By Business Community The April 7, 2006 issue of the Philadelphia Business Journal features an article on the TECH Center. The story was also picked up by MSNBC and various national business journals. (4/10) TECH Center Goes Live on Fox 29 On Thursday, April 6, 2006, Sue Serio, from the Fox 29 Good Day program, broadcast the weather every ten minutes live from the TECH Center starting at 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (4/7) Visitors Galore at the TECH Center Update Since opening in January, the TECH Center has been home to over 260,000 visitors! The peak day occurred March 27 when 6,608 people visited. (4/7) TECH Center Featured In News Highlights Campus Technology magazine spotlights the resources of the TECH Center in their Campus Briefs News section. (3/6) Visitors Galore at the TECH Center Since opening in January, the TECH Center has been home to over 142,700 visitors! The peak day occurred February 20 when 6,007 people visited. (3/1) Software Development Lab Opens The Software Development specialty lab has now opened on the second floor of the TECH Center (The lab is listed 2C-3 on the floor plan). The lab offers programming resources in fields such as Computer Sciences and the School of Business' MIS programs. (3/1) Grand Opening Photos Take a look at pictures from the TECH Center's grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony. (2/17) TECH Center is Front Page News Check out the Metro newspaper's front page story on the TECH Center. (2/17) A New Hub on Campus The Temple Times reports on the heavy traffic at the TECH Center. (2/16) Spotlight on the TECH Center Mobile Enterprise reports on the opening of the TECH Center. (2/01) Big Numbers at the TECH Center The opening month of operations at the TECH Center saw over 40,000 visitors. (2/1) Temple News Profiles Opening of the TECH Center The Temple News reports on students embracing the TECH Center. (1/24) TECH Center Featured in the Temple Times The Temple Times reports on all that can be found at the TECH Center. (1/19) TECH Center Opens Temple's new TECH Center, with state-of-the-art technology resources opens today Thursday, Jan. 5. Stop by the newly relocated Computer Services Help Desk on the first floor and preview the general-use workstations on the second floor. The Center, featuring 600 computer workstations, 100 laptop loaners, 13 breakout rooms for group study, specialized software and labs as well as faculty resources, will be fully operational for the start of the Spring semester on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Another feature of the TECH Center, a new Undergraduate Admissions Welcome Center, will also open with the start of classes. Preview TECH Center photos. (1/5) 2005 Temple University has been recognized for its technology efforts in CIO Magazine's "Bold 100." The magazine selected organizations based on their willingness to embrace significant risk for the sake of great reward. Temple’s Computer Services, under the leadership of Vice President Timothy O’Rourke, accepted the award at the conclusion of the CIO 100 Conference and Symposium held August 21-23 in Coronado, California. In naming Temple to its distinguished list, the magazine noted the development of the Technology, Education, Collaboration, and Help (TECH) Center. (8/1) TECH Center Construction Continues Construction of the TECH Center continues. Photographs of the construction are available under the "Gallery" page of this Web site. Many of the walls for the Center are in place, and a lobby staircase will be brought into position soon. The Center is tentatively scheduled to open on January 17th, 2006. The center will replace the existing labs in the ground floor of Wachman Hall and the main floor of Paley Library. These two labs will close at the end of the Fall 2005 semester. (8/1) TECH Center Featured in the Temple Times The Temple Times reports on the construction of the TECH Center. (3/31) TECH Center Construction Begins Construction on the TECH Center began in March, 2005. The Center is scheduled to open in Spring 2006. (3/1) 2004 TECH Center Construction Approved In November 2004, the Board of Trustees approved the construction of a comprehensive student technology center to be located in the Bell Building at 12th Street and Montgomery Avenue. To be known as the Technology, Education, Collaboration, and Help (TECH) Center, the facility will be the largest of its kind in the nation. The Center will emphasize collaborative learning among students and feature a 700-workstation student computer lab with specialized hardware and software, 13 student breakout rooms for group study, a CyberCafe, Temple's Computer Help Desk, and wireless loaner laptops that can be used throughout the building. For faculty, the building will include an Instructional Support Center and the Temple University Teaching and Learning Center. "The way students learn today is changing. Students are spending more time working together in groups and collaborating on projects that require technical tools," said Tim O'Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services. "There's currently no central place on campus where students can work together in this manner. This Center will provide students with the resources they need to work on team projects around the clock. It will also keep Temple on the cutting edge of technology." The TECH Center's Help Desk and computer lab facilities will be open on a 24-hour-a-day basis. In addition, the TECH Center will be home to Temple's new Welcome Center, a dedicated space where prospective students, parents, alumni, and members of the business community can visit and learn about Temple. Construction of the TECH Center is scheduled to begin early next year. (12/1)