What is a VPN and why should I care?

During our first year at USC, we are introduced to many resources and services that are quite useful; thankfully, we can use them no matter where we are located in the world during our program. Among them is a well hidden service - a free VPN.

So… what is it?
VPN is short for Virtual Private Network. It secures your internet connection and encrypts the data that you’re sending and receiving across a network, making it a safe way to transfer private information. USC’s VPN also provides you with a USC IP Address, and you know what that means. All those applications that deny you access because you are out of the US? No more. The USC IP address serves as a gateway for you to access all those services freely, regardless your location. That’s right: Netflix, HBOgo, Hulu+, Pandora, will all work once you set up that VPN - until you graduate. WatchESPN let’s anyone who’s on a college network to watch live feed for free. Trojan football games anyone?

How do you get this VPN?!

Go to USC’s VPN overview website, there you’ll find all the information you need.

HOWEVER, the tutorial for using USC’s VPN on iOS devices is outdated, so I’m going to show you how to do it right here.

Go get your iPhone or iPad right now and follow these steps (don’t worry, it will take you only a minute):

1. Open your device, and go to Settings
2. Scroll down to General
3. Scroll down to VPN
4. At the bottom, press on “Add VPN Configuration…”
5. Now a window will pull up. At the top make sure you highlight IPSec, which is the integrated cisco client on the device
6. Now time to input information:
1. Description: (Put whatever you want to identify this VPN)
2. Server: sslvpn.usc.edu
3. Account: your USC username (i.e. ttrojan)
4. Password: your associated password
5. Group Name: Wireless
6. Secret: GoTrojan
7. Save your configuration!

If you put in the information correctly, the VPN should turn on after a few seconds. You may be prompted for your password every time you turn the VPN on.

That’s it! Now just open your location-restricted app, and have fun.

If you have any problems, feel free to post a comment below and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Every International Business Student Should Have These Apps...

As a student in the WBB, there are a few apps I came across that I found to be very useful on my phone and tablet; I highly recommend you get them as well.

Here's the breakdown:

1. News Apps - Business Insider, Flipboard, Circa, AP Mobile etc.: As a student in an international business program, it's necessary to know what's going on in the news, both in the US and around the world. You should be familiar with prominent events - from the civil war in Syria, to the protests in Ukraine against Russia - the knowledge you gain will (and should) come up in your daily conversations, inside and outside the classroom (it may even help you start a conversation with an international individual you happen to meet during one of the many networking events).
2. Google Related Apps - Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs: If you don't have a Gmail account, it's time to get one. Your USC mail account can be used through Gmail as well, and having all your mail accounts under the same roof will make things much easier. Google Drive, in my opinion, is a must - making all your documents accessible on the go can possibly save your life (well, figuratively). And Google Docs? Using it on your tiny cellphone screen may be somewhat impractical, though using this app on a tablet coupled with a wireless bluetooth keyboard can make trips to the library to work on your group project lighter on your back.
3. Blackboard: I was hesitant about putting this app here, since it gave me quite a few log-in problems during the school year. You should have it nonetheless in case you need to access grades, or any document uploaded by your professor that you don't have on your Google Drive.
4. TED: Once you get tired of watching viral videos on social media, you will want to refresh your brain with some insightful and inspiring speeches such as this one by Ken Robinson. TED is one of the best places to gather some wisdom from knowledgeable people. Make sure to get this app, and bookmark the website on your browser for easy access. (Bonus Tip! Although there is no app for this, TED Ed is a great YouTube channel to subscribe to for excellent animated videos - such as this one)
5. Scanner App: I use TurboScan: Any scanner app that has close to full stars in their review section on the App Store should work. I dealt with countless forms I had to fill out - from travel waivers to scholarship applications - and having a portable scanner in your pocket can make scanning documents and emailing them as easy as uploading an image to Instagram. (Bonus tip (for Mac users)! Speaking about scanned documents, did you know you can add your own electronic signature WITHOUT a stylus-based tablet? Check out this tutorial to learn how)
6. MyScript Calculator: My friend Douglas showed me this app, and let me tell you, it's ingenious. It won't solve your complicated math equations from Math 118, but it will work for some basic calculations. Besides that, there's just something satisfying with your unintelligible scribbles being converted into crisp solid numbers to be solved into equations. Download the app to see what I mean.
7. Duolingo: If I had to choose my favorite application on my phone, it would be this one. As a WBB student, you better know at least two languages fluently upon matriculating as a freshman. If not, time to learn. Spanish should be the easiest to get down, though maybe it would be better to get a head start on your Italian? Navigating the streets of Milan during the third year will be a bit frustrating if you won't be familiar with the native jargon. Unfortunately, both Mandarin and Cantonese are not one of the learnable languages on Duolingo. There are other apps that attempt to teach them, but for the time being they are quite weak (I would look toward Rosetta Stone). (Sidenote: You can access your Duolingo account on the desktop browser, where you can continue with your progress with some added features).

Have any other apps you think should be on this list? Post your thoughts, questions, and remarks in the comment box below!