News items from Hot Topics from TechSoup.org

One way to secure an empty table in a crowded bar unless you are with your techie pals is to start a discussion about the relative merits of different Linux distros but I have to sing the praises of Knoppix 6.0.

I am currently in Nairobi  on a VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) placement as Adaptive Technology Trainer with the Kenyan Society for the Blind and collaborating with the RIK (Rural Internet Kiosk) project (http://www.ruralinternetkiosks.com/). I have been looking into developing a Linux based kiosk setup suitable for people with visual impairments. Knoppix 6.0 (www.knoppix.net/) is a very nice clean light weight distro with  ADRIANE a text based, voice enabled front end and the Orca screen reader if you choose to start a graphical X Windows session. It is very impressive.

Pete

Hey All, running into an ordering problem.  Trying to pick up Adobe CS4 web premium, getting the cart error "organization not eligible for this product".

We are a 501C3 horse rescue.  I've read through Adobe's restrictions for donations, can't see why we are not eligible.  We directly benefit children, the handicap through therapeutic riding, provide education to the community, ...

any ideas are welcome.  I put in a contact email question to support a couple days ago that has gone unanswered.

My organization has just started using the Google Checkout application for workshop registrations.  I am trying to find a way to download the detail information for the ITEM field as shown on the Order form.  I would like this data to come down with the Payout – Transaction download.  This information is available in the Google Shipping API but I don’t know how to translate that to the Payout reports. Any ideas/thoughts would be helpful!

check out http://newfoundland.en.craigslist.ca/web/1304175852.html

Hey everybody!

I'm Xand, and I recently discovered techsoup while researching nonprofit IT support. As it happens, I'm getting into the game of offering IT support to nonprofits as a part-time gig and so this website looks like the right place to be! (Plus, you all seem pretty hip). I look forward to posting here and getting to know some of you!

Hello out there i'm have been issues consistently setting up VPN connections on Vista based machines. I have no problem doing it on XP but when i do the PPT connection. the initial connection doesnt connect. any suggestions?

I am trying to put together a Powerpoint Presentation (.pps) file that will play automatically on a display in our lobby.  I set up a presentation to start when the computer running it logs in and advance through the slides automatically, but I hit a snag when I decided I wanted the computer to run two separate slideshows.

The idea is to have an Adult Services slideshow and a Youth Services slideshow, so the presentation files can sit on the network and both departments can make changes to their presentations, update them with new events and notices, etc without having to worry about overwriting changes made by the other department.  (Perhaps there is an easier way to do this part that would solve this whole issue)

I found this guide for running a powerpoint presentation from within another powerpoint presentation.  Which worked fine except for the problem of having to click on the slide to activate the next presentation

This whole thing is supposed to run by itself so the question is: is there a way to automate a mouse click or trigger the hyperlink to the other presentation through some other means?

I tried messing with Macros briefly, but I believe that those have the same problem of needing to be activated by some kind of trigger like a mouse click or mouseover.

Any help or suggestions you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi,

My name is Judy and I work for Wyoming PBS Foundation. I use Raiser's Edge and enter all the information into the system. My actual title is Administrative Assistant/Data & Accounting Clerk. So I have quite a few duties, but I love it!

I have a question...I am currently using Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and was contacted by Blackbaud that they will no longer offer support for this version starting in March 2010.

What I am wondering is, will I need 2 of the SQL Server 2008 versions since we have 2 seperate computers running the database? Also, since I am so 'naive' about this sort of stuff, my operating system is using Windows 2000 Server. Do I need to upgrade this as well? Thanks for any help you can provide!

Judy Finch

jfinch@wyoptv.org

(307) 857-2955

Windows 7 is being touted as the simplest version of Windows yet.

TechSoup is starting to prepare all the information that nonprofits will need to know about Windows 7 when it launches on our site, on October 22nd (available through TechSoup Stock on November 1st).  We want to gather any and all questions that the nonprofit community has on the product. We are wondering what your concerns may be about the product, for example, Why you would want to upgrade, if upgrading would interact with your existing data, what the hardware specs are that would be needed for this upgrade, what the different and enhanced features are with Windows &, etc.

 Let us know what you are thinking about Windows 7.  Reply to this thread, and let us know what you are wondering about Win 7.

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone heard of a product called ABBY Fine Reader?  I don't think Tech Soup has this particular product, does anyone have any other alternative suggestions?

Adrienne

Just started to import data from our database into Microsoft MapPoint, and over 400 records need to be manual classifed before they will be mapped. Does anyone know of an inexpensive software that will clean-up the address data.

Today it was announced that Microsoft and Yahoo will be joining forces in the area of search.  Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will power Yahoo's search engine.  What this means is that the search results from Yahoo search will now be powered by Microsoft's new Bing search engine.  This is pretty big news, as Microsoft and Yahoo have always been two of the the "Big Three" competitors in the search arena.  Google of course is the third player in this space and the dominant market leader.

More specifically, what does this "Microhoo" search partnership mean for users like you and me?

From PC Magazine.com:

Microsoft will get a 10-year exclusive license to Yahoo's core-search technologies and Microsoft will be able to use Yahoo's search technologies for its own Web search platforms. Microsoft Bing, meanwhile, will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo sites.

That does not mean, however, that Yahoo's search will redirect to Bing – Yahoo will still "own" its user experience on Yahoo properties, including search, but users will see a "powered by Bing" note at the bottom of search results.

Yahoo, meanwhile, will handle all sales-related matters for both companies' premium search advertisers. Self-serve advertising will be handled by Microsoft's AdCenter platform, and prices for all search ads will continue to be set by AdCenter's automated auction process.

By joining forces in this 10-year pact, it's clear the two companies are hoping to take on Google.  But will they be able to catch up to the current King of Search?  Somehow I doubt it, but only time will tell.

One thing's for sure... the future of search promises to be very interesting!

Yann

Hello everyone, may I please introduce myself. My name is Sian Liu, IT Support at Parents Helping Parents here in San Jose, CA. We help familities with children with special needs. http://www.php.com

If I may, we have a question about using Google apps instead of having an in-house Exchange server.

We’d be very interested in hearing about what other non-profits are saying and if you can share your success stories that’d be fantastic! 

How many gmail users are in your non-profit?

Have you had any problems with restrictions and spam filtering which often results in mail that should be coming through and not doing so?

  Did you have any problems migrating your existing Exchange email to Google’s servers?

    Thank you very much! We look forward to hearing from you.

T

I need to reformat a disk and want to know what I need to do prior to reformatting, and also how to reinstall existing licenses for:  Office Pro Plus 2007, Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard and Visio Standard 2007.

Hello, does anyone know how or have documentation on how to upgrade from SQL Server 2005 Management Studio Express to SQL Server 2005 Management Studio Standard Edition?

In the past couple of days, I have received quite a few different IT magazines in the mail.  I have seen a few advertisements for Vipre Enterprise.  It brags to be an "all-in-one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-rootkit solution without hogging resources."  If this solution works as advertised, it could change the landscape of AV.  Has anyone tried this?   

Can someone recommend a site where nonprofits can share files at a low/no cost? Some files are too large to send by email and I am looking for alternatives. Google Docs has limits on file sizes that are too small. Others I have seen include  keepandshare.com, box.net, globalfolders.com, megaupload.com.

Any recommendations? Thank you!

I have 5 PCs at one location, 2 at another, 3 at another and 1 at a very remote location. It's about half a day's drive to either one of them, so I'm looking for some inexpensive program I can install on each so I can help them with a problem a/o transfer large files (10-20mb). Is there anything like "logmein" available through techsoup which would allow me to use it on several computers? "Teamviewer" looks like a good program, but it costs $699. I need discounted s/w if possible.

Hello,

    My organization the Foundation of Family Values is a 501(c)3 public charity.  We are in need of the Adobe Master Suite for our organization.  We have recently been creating public service announcements from a studio called CreaTV which is located within walking distance of Adobe head quarters.  Our shows that we have produces do not receive funding and we would like to use the software to edit and create our shows on a regular basis. 

    Can the Adobe Master Suite be carried or made available for purchase through Tech Soup?

Jim Rossi
ed@fofv.org
 

Hi

 I am the fund raising and technology activism blogger on the Skoll Foundation's independent online community, SocialEdge.org.  Love being part of TechSoup and looking forward to contributing