Summer tech tools

Working at Florida State University gives you access to some especially useful tools. FSU offers so many free services, it is sometimes hard to look through them all. Here are a few tools available through ITS that we would like to highlight. 

Photoshop 

As an FSU employee, the entire Adobe Creative Suite is free to download and use. You can install Adobe on your work computer or personal computer and use it for various projects. 

A useful tool in the Adobe Creative Cloud and a great place to start is Photoshop. Photoshop is for working with pixel-based images designed for print, web and mobile apps. Getting to know Photoshop might seem overwhelming at first but there are many resources from Adobe to learn the basics. Some ideas for a first project might include a banner for a current project or a simple logo. A useful tip is to look at work someone else has done and attempt to make a curated version. 

“Photoshop is an incredible application within the Adobe Creative Cloud. Photoshop’s toolset is straightforward and overlaps with other Adobe applications, making it the perfect app for beginners. There are a ton of tutorials and forums to help users learn the basics of Photoshop.” 

Samantha Klupchak – Graphic Designer, Information Technology Services 

LinkedIn Learning 

One of the most valuable tools FSU offers employees and students is LinkedIn Learning. LinkedIn Learning offers you many self-paced courses that utilize videos and quizzes. LinkedIn Learning offers training on a variety of subjects, and it helps you keep up to date with professional and technical skills. Accessing LinkedIn Learning through FSU is very simple, and once you are logged in through your FSU email you will have access to all the premium learning material. 

If you would like some ideas about which courses to take on LinkedIn Learning, the ITS Professional Development Committee has prepared a list of general professional development paths. This is a great place to start if you are unsure which courses would benefit you. 

VPN Tool 

Having healthy security practices is important. FSU offers a free virtual private network (VPN) tool that allows you to keep their data protected from unwanted eavesdropping no matter where you are. It is especially important to use a VPN while you are working remotely, so that your data will be encrypted and protected even if you are using a public network. Setting up FSU VPN is very simple. Some FSU computers already have this service installed and using the service is as simple as signing in. To see a list of all available ITS services, visit the ITS Service Catalog.