Public Libraries: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. John Oliver explains why public libraries are under attack, where those challenges are coming from.

 

Beaufort, SC, bans 5 books from school shelves after push to ban 97 (60 Minutes).

 

Rediker retires TeachersPlus App for Ipad on October 10, 2023...what to use now?

 Dear Valued Customer,

 As previously communicated, our new TeacherPlus Gradebook works on any tablet using a browser.  Accessing your TeacherPlus Gradebook via the browser ensures you have access to all the upgrades and additional features of the Gradebook. The TeacherPlus App for iPad is a legacy App and has not been maintained with current features and updates.  Effective, October 10, 2023, the TeacherPlus App for iPad is being retired.

 

Going forward, when using a tablet, you will need to access the TeacherPlus Gradebook from a browser like Safari or Chrome.  There are 2 primary ways to access the TeacherPlus Gradebook from a tablet.  You can either 1) simply login to your PlusPortals and navigate to the Gradebook or 2) go directly to the URL for your TeacherPlus Gradebook and login.  If you have never accessed your TeacherPlus Gradebook from a browser while using a tablet, please contact us.  We will help you make a seamless transition. 

 

Also, available today, there is a TeacherPlus Phone App for mobile devices.  This can be downloaded from the Apple or iOS store.  We appreciate your continued support and trust in our solutions. Thank you for being a valued part of the Rediker community.

"What the Numbers Say About the Drop in School Librarians" by Gina Tomko & Eesha Pendharkar of Education Week.

"Over the course of the pandemic, thousands of districts across the country reported losing dozens of school librarians, amounting to an overall loss of more than 1,800 full-time school librarians, which was a 5 percent drop compared to before the pandemic..." 

Click here for the article.

How to access Massachusetts' Commonwealth eBook Collection via your GMHS Google Account.

 Click here for the directions.

Cannot open a MS Word Doc on a Mac because "user does not have access privileges".

Spanish teacher came down and said she could not open any of her MS Word files (our MS Office program installed on her MacBook).  The error she kept getting was: “Word cannot open the document user does not have access privileges.”

The first thing I did was to see if her permissions for a folder were correct, I check the Desktop folder.  

In Finder→ Go Home (should see a house icon with the user’s name)

Right click on the Folder/Desktop  “Get Info”  In get info click on the drop down menu for “sharing and permissions” Make sure the user has “Read & Write” Access.

All this checked out OK.

Next I checked out the web and found that some fonts in Office cause the error because Mac’s OS thinks it’s a virus.  See below. 

Cause

A lot of MacOS users are receiving the Grant File Access error when trying to open various file types in Office 2016. The issue typically appears when trying to open Word files, but some users have also reported the issue with Excel and Powerpoint files. 

The Grant Access error is caused by the updated Apple sandboxing rules. Apple now uses sandboxing to limit various actions by tying them to a specific location. Application sandboxing is very effective in preventing viruses or other malware from affecting OS files. Following the new guidelines, every application that uses custom fonts must ensure that the fonts stay exclusive to that particular application. Apple no longer allows an application to install fonts for system-wide use.

In the event that a system-wide font gets altered along the way, it will be regarded as a security violation and will be replaced at the next update. Starting with Office 2016, Microsoft had to comply with Apple’s rules in order to be able to sell the Office suite in the App store. Microsoft provides a set of fonts specifically for their software, which will get installed in a different location.

However, most 3rd party font utilities have not been fully updated to work with the new sandbox rules and will cause conflicts seen as security violations by MacOS. It has been confirmed that 3rd party font management apps like Suitcase, Linotype Font Explorer, Extense, or FontExplorer X are the main culprits causing the Grant Access error with the Office 2016 suite. As of now, FontBook is the only font management utility that is specifically designed to work with Apple’s new security system.

Resolution

Clearing the Mac OS Font Caches via Terminal 

Some affected users that have been encountering this issue with macOS 10.13 High Sierra or above have reported that the issue has been resolved after they cleaned the font caches by using the Terminal. After doing this and restarting their Mac, most affected users have reported that the Grant access error has stopped occurring.

If this scenario is applicable to your particular scenario, here’s what you need to do:

1. Close all applications that are currently opened. To do this, press Command + Option + Escape to open the Force Quit Application window. Then, select each opened app and click on the Force Quit button.

Force Quit all opened apps

Note: This step is very important. Failing to do so will result in an error if an application that is using the font caches is currently opened.

2.  Once every application is closed, press Command + Shift + U to open the Utility folder and click on Terminal to start it.

3. Type the following command and press Return to run it:

sudo atsutil databases -remove

4.  You will be asked to provide your account password at the prompt. Do so and press Return once again to grant the necessary permissions.

5.  When the process is complete, type exit to end your command line session, then go to File > Quit to exit the Terminal app.

6.  Restart your Macintosh and the issue should be resolved at the next system startup.

Issues with Mac OSVentura and printing pdfs

Don't you just love it when Apple does something with an update and ends up leaving the world scrambling for a fix with no suggestions from them??

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of stuff (awesome tech support, tools, etc.) that make my life way easier but this one got my head scratching along with others on the planet.

In October of 2022 Mac came out with OS13 Ventura and the app Preview no longer printed .ps (post script) or .eps (encapsulated post script) files.  I had one machine I had to update to Ventura so I could install Apple Classroom on it (Classroom needs OS 11.3 or higher).  Once I updated to Ventura the Mac lost its ability to print .pdf files in Preview.

Preview in Ventura Drops Support for PostScript and Encapsulated PostScript Files

Konica suggested removing the printers from System Preferences (System Setting in Ventura) and then removing any traces of the software by going to: Finder→Go→Computer–>Macintosh HD→Library→Printers and removing all the folders of the brand of the printer/copier that's not working. Next download and install the most current driver for that printer/copier.

Next add the printers in System Preferences/System Settings.

Open a .pdf in Preview and see if it works, at first mine did not, after which I downloaded Foxit Reader from the App Store…made that the default program for all .pdfs and lo and behold I was able to print .pdfs again.  The funny thing is that I opened up a .pdf in Preview and was able to print from that as well! Who knew?!?

Here are a list of the latest OS.

Ventura / OS 13 / Fall 2022

Monterey / OS 12 / Fall 2021

Big Sur / OS 11 / Fall 2020

Catalina / OS 10.15 / Fall 2019

Trevor Noah on recent rise in Book Banning.

 

How to order your free 4 COVID rapid test from the Federal Government.

Use the link below provided by the United States Postal Service, FYI some shared addresses (like apartment buildings) have had issues where one person say (1 Smith Way Apt 1) ordered the test first and therefore everyone after living on 1 Smith Way request for test would be rejected.  The feds say they are working to fix the problem.

https://special.usps.com/testkits 

Macs and OS compatibility.

Monterey compatibility October 2021.

• MacBook models from early 2016 or later

• MacBook Air models from early 2015 or later

• MacBook Pro models from early 2015 or later

• Mac mini models from 2014 or later

• iMac from 2015 or later

• iMac Pro (2017 and later)

• Mac Pro models from late 2013 and later

Big Sur compatibility

Big Sur was the version of macOS that arrived on some Macs in November 2020. Here's a list of the Macs that can run macOS Big Sur:

• MacBook models from early 2015 or later

• MacBook Air models from 2013 or later

• MacBook Pro models from 2013 or later

• Mac mini models from 2014 or later

• iMac from 2014 or later

• iMac Pro (all models)

• Mac Pro models from 2013 and 2019

Catalina compatibility

Catalina arrived in October 2019 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (2015 to 2017)

• MacBook Air (Mid-2012 to 2019)

• MacBook Pro (Mid-2012 to 2019)

• Mac mini (Late 2012 to late-2018)

• iMac (Late 2012 to 2019)

• iMac Pro (all models)

• Mac Pro models from 2013

Mojave compatibility

Mojave arrived in September 2018 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (Early 2015 to 2017)

• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 to 2017, because it's the same as 2015 model)

• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 to 2018)

• Mac mini (Late 2012 to late-2018)

• iMac (Late 2012 to mid-2017)

• iMac Pro (all models)

• Mac Pro (Late 2013, plus mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with recommended Metal-capable GPU)

High Sierra compatibility

High Sierra arrived in September 2017 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (Late 2009 to 2017)

• MacBook Air (Late 2010 to 2017, which is same as 2015 model)

• MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 to 2017)

• Mac mini (Mid 2010 to 2014)

• iMac (Late 2009 to mid-2017)

• Mac Pro (Mid 2010 and 2013)

Sierra compatibility

Sierra arrived in September 2016 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (Late 2009 to 2017)

• MacBook Air (Late 2010 to 2017, which is same as 2015 model)

• MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 to 2015)

• Mac mini (Mid 2010 to 2014)

• iMac (Late 2009 to 2015)

• Mac Pro (Mid 2010 and 2013)

El Capitan compatibility

El Capitan arrived in September 2015 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (Early 2015 to 2017)

• MacBook (Late 2008 to 2010)

• MacBook Air (Late 2008 to early 2015)

• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 to early 2015)

• Mac mini (Early 2009 to 2014)

• iMac (Mid 2007 to mid-2015)

• Mac Pro (2008, 2010, 2013)

Yosemite compatibility

Yosemite arrived in October 2014 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (Late 2008 to 2010)

• MacBook Air (Late 2008 to mid 2013)

• MacBook Pro (13" Mid-2009 to mid 2014)

• MacBook Pro (15" Mid/Late 2007 to mid 2014)

• MacBook Pro (17" Late 2007 to 2011)

• Mac mini (Early 2009 to 2012)

• iMac (Mid-2007 to mid-2014)

• Mac Pro (2008 and 2010)

Mavericks compatibility

Mavericks arrived in October 2013 and can run on the following Macs:

• MacBook (Late 2008 to 2010)

• MacBook Air (Late 2008 to mid 2013)

• MacBook Pro (Mid 2007 to early 2013)

• Xserve (Early 2009)

• Mac mini (Early 2009 to 2012)

• iMac (Mid 2007 to early 2013)

• Mac Pro (Early 2008 and 2010)

Mountain Lion compatibility

Mountain Lion, the last of the 'cat' versions of macOS launched in July 2012 and can run on the following Macs:

MacBook (Late 2008 to 2010)

• MacBook Air (Late 2008 to mid 2012)

• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 to mid-2012)

• Mac mini (Early 2009 to 2011)

• iMac (Mid-2007 to 2011)

• Mac Pro (Early 2008 and 2010)