OpenStack: cloud solution for schools

Schools rely more on data and information nowadays. Teachers and students are on the move, they need to access some data not only when at school, but as well after school hours or during holidays. Where can one store all that information? What about security?

Today we are presenting a cloud solution: OpenStack. OpenStack is a cloud operating system that controls large pools of compute, storage, and networking resources throughout a datacenter, all managed through a dashboard that gives administrators control while empowering their users to provision resources through a web interface.  One can use OpenStack for networking and content delivery; management tools; deployment tools; application services and monitoring and metering.

Learn more about OpenStack's compute, storage, networking, take a tour of the dashboard, or dive in and learn how to get started with OpenStack today.

 

GNU Health

How secure are our computer systems in our hospitals? What if they are hacked? What about our personal data? Well open source is open source. If some one tries to install a code to extract information, because it is open source one can deduct it immediately because nothing is hidden. When one is using propriety programs one has to rely on a small number of people to solve problems. It might take ages and it’s rather costly. In the open source world, anyone can build or adapt (change) the program!

An official GNU project, this award-winning application combines EMR functionality with a hospital information system and a health information system. It was designed to comply with industry standards, and it's been adopted by the United Nations University. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X!

To download it: http://health.gnu.org/

For documentation: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/GNU_Health

For Video help: http://tinyurl.com/yc4sm526

Alchemy

Some of our art students have asked for open source programs. Today we are presenting Alchemy. It could be installed on Windows, Mac and Linux computers!

Alchemy consists of a growing number of ‘modules’ that can be added or removed at will. Using a given module you can do things like:

• Shout at the computer. Use your voice to control the width of a line or the form of a shape.
• Draw ‘blind’. Turn off the canvas display and explore what shapes emerge from the ‘darkness’.
• Create random shapes. Generate shapes that can be used as a starting point for characters, spaceships, or whatever shape you see in the ‘clouds’.
• Mirror draw. Draw mirrored symmetrical forms in realtime.
• Randomise. Mess up and distort shapes.

Global Features

Other global features place focus on the ‘process’ of drawing, letting you do things like:

• Record a drawing ’session’. Automatically save the contents of the canvas to a page in a PDF file at set intervals.
• Auto-clear the canvas. Start drawing on a clean slate at set intervals. Force yourself to start over fresh.
• Switch the canvas. Automatically open your sketch in a more ‘conventional’ drawing application, either as a bitmap or vector file.
• Avoid distraction. Alchemy has a very minimal interface, just a simple toolbar that dissapears magically, and a fullscreen mode to block everything else out.

Whatever you need to know before installing (or any help after installing), could be found on this webpage.