Microsoft's desktop publisher ideal for home businesses.

The final word: Microsoft Publisher 07 is an affordable "all-in-one" publishing application ideal for home-run businesses. While it fails to match the professional sheen of its market leading rivals, there are more than enough features here to fulfil a variety of purposes.

Microsoft Publisher 07 is an affordable "all-in-one" publishing application ideal for home-run businesses. This latest version offers some significant improvements including automatic conversion of documents, an increased number of professional templates, a new Content Library and Design Checker tool, a revamped user-friendly interface and, for the first time ever, PDF output options.

For as long as anyone can remember, Microsoft has been churning out bi-yearly updates of its Publisher application, alongside the more famous programs in its Office suite. While some of these "upgrades" have been a tad trite and incremental, this latest version truly does offer some significa! nt improvements. These include automatic conversion of documents (from newsletter to webpage, for example), an increased number of professional templates, a new Content Library and Design Checker tool, a revamped user-friendly interface and, for the first time ever, PDF output options. While it won't win over fans of its top-end competitors, it remains an affordable 'branching off' point for beginners and small businesses.

As its name implies, Microsoft Publisher 07 is a desktop publishing application which allows you to professionally design and layout pages, whether they be for the Web, print publications, or both. It caters to all aspects of publishing, allowing you to create everything from business cards to brochures and posters. Traditionally aimed at entry-level users, it attempts to simplify much of the process at the expense of high-end functionality. (In other words, while beginners will be able to tackle the application with considerable success, advanced! users may be hamstrung by the limited tools on offer.) Thankf! ully, Pu blisher 07 attempts to loosen some of these restrictions, though it is still significantly underpowered when compared to the likes of Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress.

If you're new to Microsoft Publisher, this latest addition does an admirable job of holding your hand, presenting you with an intuitive and clutter-free front end. It is surprisingly easy to create unique looking documents by simply playing around with the assorted templates on offer, which naturally can be tweaked and customised to your heart's content. Images can be inserted directly from a scanner or digital camera, with recolouring and cropping options built into the application. The inclusion of a new Tasks icon to the toolbar is also helpful for beginners, offering detailed assistance for a variety of tasks. Simply put, if your business is in need of a recognisable identity - but lacks the budget to hire a professional designer - Publisher 07 supplies enough tools to let you take a stab yourself.

One handy new addition to Publisher 07 is the Content Library, which allows you to store and reuse your items across multiple publications. This is a great time-saver, giving you instant access to frequently used text and graphics with all your customisations in place. Naturally, it also allows you to keep a professional consistency between different types of media; with your Web pages, letterheads and marketing materials all sharing identical templates.

Another neat feature in Publisher 2007 is the improved Design Checker; a wizard application that scans your finished publication for overlooked flaws or anomalies. Unlike previous versions of this application, it can automatically fix any mistakes it discovers for you (as opposed to just alerting you to their existence). Again, this helps you to invest your time more efficiently, though perfectionists can still elect to remove the errors themselves.

A major criticism levelled at previous Publisher rele! ases has been the lack of PDF output; instead sticking to a li! ttle-use d and under-supported file format of its own. Publisher 2007 is the first version to support the PDF format... and yet, it doesn't. For some reason, users are forced to download this PDF feature from the Microsoft Web site; as it does not appear in the boxed product (we're assuming this has something to do with Adobe legal wrangling). While this is a slight hassle, on the plus side, the download is free of charge. In any event, this significantly expands the usability of the product; allowing you to share your print publications online with a minimum of fuss.

By: nathfiset

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Source: http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23335657-5014118,00.html
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N.C. campus mourning loss of slain leader

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) You couldn't escape Eve Carson's presence at the University of North Carolina.

The student body president welcomed all incoming freshman - each and every one - to stop by her office for a chat. She was a member of the school's Board of Trustees and a tournament-winning intramural flag football team.

She had friends in the chancellor's office, friends on the school's top-ranked basketball team and more among the school's 28,000 students.

"She was a bright spot in anybody's day," said Seth Dearmin, a former student body president who met Carson during her freshman year. "She took time to talk to people, to listen to them. She cared about what they were interested in. That's what drove her. She was a completely selfless person."

And for it, North Carolina loved her back.

Twice in the hours after learning the 22-year-old Carson had been shot to death early Wednesday on a city street not far from campus, thousands of students, staff and fault! y gathered to mourn her death. The tears continued to flow Friday, and it's likely the school will hold another memorial service after students return from next week's spring break.

University Chancellor James Moeser plans to attend services this weekend for Carson at her home in Athens, Ga. The Board of Trustees, meanwhile, has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her death.

"She touched so many lives over the period of four years that she was here," Moeser said. "Kids who didn't even know her felt they were touched by her."

The many memories make the mystery of her death that much harder to accept on the campus of the nation's first public university. Detectives know Carson was killed by a shot from a handgun to her right temple but said Friday they still have no suspects in what they still consider a random act.

"It's just a huge blow. It's a blow against everything we assume about ourselves, about being a peaceful, safe place wher! e kids come," Moeser said. "She was a joyful person. She loved! this pl ace. She loved being here."

For now, police are looking for clues in her car: Officers believe the killer had access to her vehicle, but aren't sure of the circumstances. They are canvassing the neighborhood where Carson's body was found but don't know what she was doing there. Two callers to 911 reported hearing several gun shots, and one heard Carson scream.

"We've been getting a number of leads that we're trying to follow up on," said Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran.

Carson was last seen a few hours before, when she stayed behind at home to study as her roommates went out for the night. There were no signs of forced entry to the home, but Curran said authorities have yet to find her keys and wallet. There are no indications she had been sexually assaulted.

Curran said Friday police had been in contact with authorities in Alabama investigating the killing of a female student at Auburn University, but added that the cases do not appear to be connected.

! As a high school student, teachers at Clarke Central High in Athens said, Carson seemed destined for greatness. She was courted by prestigious universities who admired her both her leadership and interest in everything: science, politics and government, music and art and sports.

"I've been teaching for 26 years and honestly, she's truly one of a kind," said Clarke Central biology teacher Buddy Sims. "I've taught a lot of smart kids - Eve was a lot more than a smart kid. She was just incredibly inquisitive. She always wanted to know more and more and more. She was never satisfied with just a cursory look at anything."

Those qualities made Carson a perfect for the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship, an award that packages a full ride to North Carolina with a legion of opportunities on campus and off. While in college, Carson studied abroad in Cuba and spent time working and voluneteering in Ecuador, Egypt and Ghana.

She was involved in campus programs for hunger r! elief, among many other activities, and was featured on the Mo! rehead-C ain Web site that described her experiences working in Ecuador. "One of the most important lessons I learned ... is that poverty is not a pitiable thing," she said. "In Chillanes, I saw a respect for poverty and a respect for a non-material way of life."

Friends said Carson was weighing her next step. A pre-med student who majored in political science and biology, she was thinking lately about whether to instead accept an offer to work in New York for a business consulting firm. Another possiblity: taking a year off after four non-stop years of unquestioned achievement to travel the world.

"I could see Eve balancing a career as a professional, probably in the not for profit sector, but also being a wife and a mother because she was such a loving person," Moeser said. "The whole package. I get choked up thinking about it."

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Source: http://www.losbanosenterprise.com/24hour/nation/story/3832004p-13425072c.html
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Elcho eyes plans for spring referendum

A largely cordial crowd of about two dozen people discussed the details of a planned spring referendum with members of the Elcho board of education Tuesday.

The focus of the public informational meeting was the April 1 vote asking voters to allow the district to spend $500,000 above state-imposed revenue caps annually for the next five years.

The session was chaired by Board President Brian Flannery with input from Administrator Chris Thomalla.

"We've fought off the wolves as long as we can," Flannery said, stressing that "the board has been very accountable to the taxpayers."

Thomalla said the need for the cash infusion is through no fault on the part of the district.

"There is a structural, inherent deficit in the way we fund education," he said, and calls for deep cuts in student programs and extra-curricular activities would only make a bad situation worse.

"Those cuts would be really detrimental to our students educationally and! would lead to more students leaving the district through the open enrollment process," he said, adding that as enrollment drops "then you are asking, do we keep a school in Elcho."

The goal of the referendum isn't to fund new facilities or programs, but to maintain the status quo and eliminate a projected budget deficit. Affected programs include family and consumer education, technical education, art, business and elementary music. Also included is the elementary Reading First program now funded largely by grant dollars.

The spending would increase the mill rate from the current $5.46 per $1,000 of equalized valuation to $6.10, a 64 cent increase. The owner of a $100,000 piece of property would see an increase of $64 annually to cover the cost.

Thomalla stressed that the increase represents a "worse case scenario," not figuring on any increases in property values.

"It is based on property values as they are today," he said.

Elcho current! ly has the 17th lowest tax rate out of 375 K-12 school distric! ts in Wi sconsin. The state's average mill rate is $8.45.

Flannery said that over the last several years, the board has been pushing a variety of programs that has required additional spending. The new 3x5 class schedule, implemented this year, required additional staff, the board hired a Spanish instructor instead of relying on distance learning classes and split one large elementary class into two sections, again requiring more staff.

"They were decisions made, we felt, in the best interest of our kids," he said. "It was to help our children. And that is what we are here for."

Flannery noted the poor condition of the national, state and local economy. But those same reasons are making the vote necessary.

"It is not a good time to ask for this," he admitted. 'But we have had a good record of savings....We don't want to go backwards."

Questions at the session focused largely on individual programs, including child care and home economics, and whethe! r the board has considered sports cutbacks.

Thomalla said that while trimming sports could save dollars, it would also hasten students leaving the district through open enrollment, adding to the detrimental effect.

Prior to the informational session the board met in special session to act on personnel matters.

Members accepted the resignations of special education teacher Betsy Shauger and junior high social studies and science teacher Stephanie Bures. They also accepted the retirement of kindergarten teacher Cindy Rife pending an agreement with the Elcho Teachers Association.

By: SandyN

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Source: http://www.antigodailyjournal.com/full.php?id=5588
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Telstra seeks indemnity on network

The former government-owned monopoly advised the Australian stock exchange yesterday that it had received a request from Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to provide "various items of existing network information" that would be shared with potential bidders for the Government's $4.7 billion fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) contract.

"Telstra has responded to the minister's request by proposing to provide a set of existing network information subject to security safeguards and the full indemnification of Telstra by the commonwealth," Telstra acting company secretary Claire Elliott wrote.

Telstra, which has raised security and commercial concerns about releasing the information, which links in to many of Australia's security agencies, also said it would suspend some of its current infrastructure investment plans after the bid process.

"In view of the FTTN process now commencing, we will review current investment plans and it is ! likely that some investments will be put on hold until we know the outcome of the bid process," Ms Elliott wrote.

The move to suspend some investments - understood to include infrastructure that would probably be duplicated by the FTTN - signals Telstra's strong intention to compete against its rivals to win the national broadband contract.

Senator Conroy said through a spokesman: "We are aware of the concerns that have been raised and we remain in constructive discussions with the whole industry."

The Australian revealed on Friday that Senator Conroy had delivered an ultimatum to Telstra and its rivals demanding they voluntarily release details of physical network information or face a new legislative regime to force the disclosure and distribution of the data.

Telstra's rivals, including Singapore government-owned Optus, have the most to gain from the ultimatum and have argued over the past nine months that bidding for the na! tional broadband network would not be genuinely competitive un! less all players had access to Telstra's physical network information.

Opposition communications spokesman Bruce Billson questioned the impact of Senator Conroy's move on Telstra's investment plans.

"What's most disturbing is confirmation that the Government is using taxpayer money to displace private sector investment, as evidenced by Telstra's advice to the stock exchange that it will hold off on future investments until Labor's FTTN muddle is sorted out," Mr Billson said.

Telstra's share price closed down 2c to $4.64 yesterday.

By: Roshan De Alwis

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Source: http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23322648-15306,00.html
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