Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/305810387?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
SoftMaker FreeOffice
Unless you live in Germany, where SoftMaker has a long-established and respected presence, you may never have heard of SoftMaker FreeOffice or its commercial big brother SoftMaker Office 2012. But SoftMaker's compact, powerful, and sleek application suite feels right at home in the English-speaking world, and the price of FreeOffice?free, as in FreeOffice?makes it especially attractive. Compared to its main freeware rival, LibreOffice, Softmaker FreeOffice can't compete on advanced features, but I prefer the FreeOffice interface, and FreeOffice is the only free office suite that displays documents as I want them displayed. More about that in a moment, but first I'll cover some basics about the suite as a whole.
FreeOffice Basics
SoftMaker gives away FreeOffice partly as an advertisement for its commercial suite. FreeOffice consists of the three basic office apps: TextMaker, a word-processor; PlanMaker, a spreadsheet app; and SoftMaker Presentations. The $79.95 commercial suite adds a programming language similar to Microsoft's Visual Basic for Applications; a $99.95 Professional version adds an Outlook 2013 work-alike. All three apps in the free version do an impressive job of importing Microsoft Office document.
Unlike LibreOffice, FreeOffice can open password-protected Microsoft Office documents if you know the password, and this feature alone is a good reason for installing FreeOffice on a USB stick so you can open your password-protected documents on someone else's computer. (The standard installation includes a Start Menu item that installs a "portable" version on a thumb drive.) Like LibreOffice, FreeOffice opens legacy WordPerfect documents?a major plus for law and government offices that typically have thousands of files in WordPerfect format.
I was pleasantly surprised by FreeOffice's speed. Complicated Microsoft Office documents that opened with painful slowness in LibreOffice opened instantly in FreeOffice ?including multipage worksheets and a 400-page Word document. All basic formatting features imported perfectly, but you can't expect perfection with advanced features. For example, when I used PlanMaker to open an Excel worksheet that uses Excel's fancy conditional formatting to color-code data, PlanMaker warned me that some conditional formatting would be lost?and indeed it was. Any formatting lost on import into FreeOffice will be lost forever if you save the file after editing, so make sure you know what you're doing when saving an imported Office file. (LibreOffice does a better job with Excel's conditional formatting and other graphic features.)
LibreOffice comes in versions for Windows, Linux, and OS X, with tablet versions coming later this year. FreeOffice runs on Windows only, but the commercial SoftMaker Office runs on Windows, Linux, and Android, and an older 2010 version runs on Windows Mobile and even the ancient Windows CE mobile platform?the only full-featured office suites for mobile Windows platforms.
FreeOffice's interface looks a lot like Microsoft Office 2003, with the traditional top-line menu and toolbars, and with bright and clear icons that make it easy to find what you're looking for. One icon I was glad to see was a PDF icon that saves the current document in PDF format without long detours to the menu, as in other major suites. The only major annoyance is the lack of a "live" word count, forcing you to click a button on a "Statistics" toolbar to see how many words are in your document.
Making Text With TextMaker
TextMaker impressed me most with its document-viewing options. In addition to the usual page view, which shows headers, page numbers, footers, and top and bottom margins, TextMaker has a "continuous" view, which displays only the main content of the page, without headers and footers, and with page breaks indicated only by a faint line across the page. This is the view I prefer to work in, because it shows me how my text will look on the page, but doesn't break up the text at the top and bottom of every page?and TextMaker is one of very few word-processors that offer it. (The others are Microsoft Word for Windows?not the version for OS X?and Corel WordPerfect.) LibreOffice doesn't have a "continuous" view, only a web view, which doesn't show the actual margins and font that your document will have when it prints, and that's too little formatting for me to feel comfortable with.
TextMaker offers most of the advanced features you'll find in Word, but with some significant exceptions. You can insert footnotes or endnotes, but not both, as you can in Word. If you want to create cross-references, or use mail-merge to create form letters, you'll need to buy the commercial SoftMaker Office, not the free version. The free version has limited graphic capabilities compared to the commercial version?for example, you can't apply shadows, and graphic shapes are limited to printing with 300 dpi resolution. None of these restrictions will affect anyone who creates basic documents, but advanced students and scientists may want to look elsewhere.
Spreadsheets and Presentations
PlanMaker opened my sample Excel worksheets smoothly, but this is an app best suited for basic data manipulations. You won't find anything like Excel's zero-effort pivot tables that reorganize your views of your data with a few clicks, but you do get filtering options for tables, which accomplishes the same thing with a bit more effort. Conditional formatting has to be built by hand, without the gallery of elegant color-coding and other graphic features that Excel and LibreOffice. Charting is adequate but not dazzling.
SoftMaker Presentations gives you enough features to get basic presentations built, and does a good job of importing uncomplex PowerPoint files, but look elsewhere if you want to put together a presentation that's visually memorable instead of something that looks as if was left over from the last millennium.
Fast and Free
Don't be misled by my focus on the limits of FreeOffice. This suite is fast, effective, and, overall, extremely well-designed. For the vast majority of users, FreeOffice does everything you need in an office suite, and does it more quickly and intuitively than LibreOffice, though LibreOffice is, overall, more powerful and up-to-date. If you want the state-of-the-art, you'll choose Microsoft Office, but SoftMaker FreeOffice has plenty to offer for anyone who wants solidly functional apps and doesn't want to pay for them.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/uIjO-xCI3Vw/0,2817,2419014,00.asp
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PFT: Titus Young's dad on actions: 'That's not my son'
APWhatever circumstances have led to former Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young to be arrested three times in a week, his father, Richard Young, doesn?t recognize the person he raised as a child.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Titus had spent Friday morning with his father prior to being arrested for the third time in a week. The pair had made a morning run to get doughnuts and coffee and returned back to Richard?s house in Los Angeles. Titus told his father he?d left his phone and asked for the key to retrieve it. Titus then took off and wound up back in jail.
?I hope they just forgive Titus because this ain?t none of Titus, it wasn?t none of his fault,? Richard Young said. ?I look at my son right now, I don?t see my son. That?s not my son. I know my son. Titus is not the boy I really raised, I?m saying the way he act, the way he intermix in society right now. He shut down, he look through you, it?s like he?s depressed.?
Titus was arrested on DUI charges last Monday and released from jail. He then was arrested again doing his best ?Gone in 60 Seconds? impression and trying to steal his car back out of the police impound lot. Then Friday he was arrested for a third time and charged with burglary, assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest.
Richard recalled a conversation with his son after his troubles with the Lions where Titus was struggling to figure out what was happening to him.
?He said, ?I just don?t feel good. I?m not myself, I don?t feel good, Dad. I don?t know what?s happening to me,? ? Richard said.
Titus was supposed to re-enter a program Monday for medical treatment when he was arrested and wound up in the medical facilities of the Central Men?s Jail in Santa Ana, Calif. instead.
?We want y?all to pray for the Young family,? Richard said. ?Ain?t nothing we can do, man, but pray. We just want Titus to get well, that?s all we?re doing right now. We ain?t thinking about football, we?re thinking about our son now because I don?t know what?s going on with him.?
Whether it?s through the legal system or through the efforts of his family, let?s hope Titus Young can get the help he desperately needs.
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
New principle may help explain why nature is quantum
May 14, 2013 ? Like small children, scientists are always asking the question ?why??. One question they?ve yet to answer is why nature picked quantum physics, in all its weird glory, as a sensible way to behave.
Researchers Corsin Pfister and Stephanie Wehner at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore tackle this perennial question in a paper published 14 May in Nature Communications.
We know that things that follow quantum rules, such as atoms, electrons or the photons that make up light, are full of surprises. They can exist in more than one place at once, for instance, or exist in a shared state where the properties of two particles show what Einstein called ?spooky action at a distance?, no matter what their physical separation. Because such things have been confirmed in experiments, researchers are confident the theory is right. But it would still be easier to swallow if it could be shown that quantum physics itself sprang from intuitive underlying principles.
One way to approach this problem is to imagine all the theories one could possibly come up with to describe nature, and then work out what principles help to single out quantum physics. A good start is to assume that information follows Einstein?s special relativity and cannot travel faster than light.
However, this alone isn?t enough to define quantum physics as the only way nature might behave. Pfister and Wehner think they have come across a new useful principle. ?We have found a principle that is very good at ruling out other theories,? says Pfister. In short, the principle to be assumed is that if a measurement yields no information, then the system being measured has not been disturbed. Quantum physicists accept that gaining information from quantum systems causes disturbance. Pfister and Wehner suggest that in a sensible world the reverse should be true, too. If you learn nothing from measuring a system, then you can?t have disturbed it.
Consider the famous Schrodinger?s cat paradox, a thought experiment in which a cat in a box simultaneously exists in two states (this is known as a ?quantum superposition?). According to quantum theory it is possible that the cat is both dead and alive ? until, that is, the cat?s state of health is ?measured? by opening the box. When the box is opened, allowing the health of the cat to be measured, the superposition collapses and the cat ends up definitively dead or alive. The measurement has disturbed the cat.
This is a property of quantum systems in general. Perform a measurement for which you can?t know the outcome in advance, and the system changes to match the outcome you get. What happens if you look a second time? The researchers assume the system is not evolving in time or affected by any outside influence, which means the quantum state stays collapsed. You would then expect the second measurement to yield the same result as the first. After all, ?If you look into the box and find a dead cat, you don?t expect to look again later and find the cat has been resurrected,? says Wehner. ?You could say we?ve formalised the principle of accepting the facts?, says Wehner.
Pfister and Wehner show that this principle rules out various theories of nature. They note particularly that a class of theories they call ?discrete? are incompatible with the principle. These theories hold that quantum particles can take up only a finite number of states, rather than choose from an infinite, continuous range of possibilities. The possibility of such a discrete ?state space? has been linked to quantum gravitational theories proposing similar discreteness in spacetime, where the fabric of the universe is made up of tiny brick-like elements rather than being a smooth, continuous sheet. As is often the case in research, Pfister and Wehner reached this point having set out to solve an entirely different problem altogether.
Pfister was trying to find a general way to describe the effects of measurements on states, a problem that he found impossible to solve. In an attempt to make progress, he wrote down features that a ?sensible? answer should have. This property of information gain versus disturbance was on the list. He then noticed that if he imposed the property as a principle, some theories would fail. Pfister and Wehner are keen to point out it?s still not the whole answer to the big ?why? question: theories other than quantum physics, including classical physics, are compatible with the principle. But as researchers compile lists of principles that each rule out some theories to reach a set that singles out quantum physics, the principle of information gain versus disturbance seems like a good one to include.
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Nokia announces the Lumia 925: a thinner, lighter aluminum body coming June for 469 euros
Nokia's second announcement for May is arguably a more notable progression from the Lumia 920 than the US-only Lumia 928. This is the Lumia 925. It's another flagship, but this one's setting its sights on the rest of the world. The first thing to note is the change in build materials and profile. While the rest of the Lumia range have stuck to plastics -- typically glossy polycarbonate -- the Lumia 925 is Nokia's first Windows Phone to be packed into an aluminum frame. One of the benefits of this change in design? The handset's weight has plummeted. While the phone has the same dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1GB RAM and 8.7-megapixel OIS camera of the 920, the Lumia 925 is almost 50 grams (1.8 ounces) lighter than last year's Lumia 920.
Despite a thinner 8.8mm profile, there's an identical 2,000mAh battery. Alas, instead of built-in wireless charging, you'll have to purchase an accessory cover to enable the function on the 925. Said covers will come in red, yellow, black and white, offering a splash of color to the three understated monochrome shades (white, grey and black) of the hardware. The 925 model also sports an 4.5-inch AMOLED screen, so while it matches the resolution of the existing 920 (1,280 x 768), those on-screen blacks -- a regular occurrence with the Windows Phone OS -- should be notably deeper than the LCD competition. It's also coated in Gorilla Glass 2, with ClearBlack tech and a high-brightness mode to improve outdoor visibility and the same super-sensitive touchscreen that means you'll be able to steer the phone with your gloves on. There's more to say about camera improvements -- jump past some Nokia-approved sample shots below to hear more.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/3xMOOOC3aL4/
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Monday, May 13, 2013
Detroit is broke; could bankruptcy lie ahead?
FILE - In this March 14, 2013 file photo, Kevyn Orr, left, speaks at a news conference in Detroit as Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder listens. Orr started work Monday, March 25, 2013, as Detroit?s emergency manager and the turnaround expert says his first tasks will be reviewing the city?s financial data and listening. The Snyder administration's request for an additional $5 million for emergency manager salaries and other related costs has been rejected by the House. The law requires that the state fund the salaries, but some lawmakers are resisting the state spending more when $20 million has already been committed in the past couple years. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
FILE - In this March 14, 2013 file photo, Kevyn Orr, left, speaks at a news conference in Detroit as Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder listens. Orr started work Monday, March 25, 2013, as Detroit?s emergency manager and the turnaround expert says his first tasks will be reviewing the city?s financial data and listening. The Snyder administration's request for an additional $5 million for emergency manager salaries and other related costs has been rejected by the House. The law requires that the state fund the salaries, but some lawmakers are resisting the state spending more when $20 million has already been committed in the past couple years. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
FILE - In this July 2, 2011, file photo firefighters carry a ladder at a fire in Detroit. A 41-page report filed Monday, May 13, 2013, by Detroit?s emergency manager doesn?t use the word ?bankruptcy,? but it?s clear about one thing: The city is broke and needs a massive infusion of cash or severe penny-pinching to avoid a filing and further reduction in already-crumbling city services, according to experts monitoring the ongoing fiscal dilemma. (AP Photo/The Detroit News, Elizabeth Conley, File)
FILE - In this April 16, 2013, file photo a Detroit Police officer escorts a man in handcuffs in Detroit. A 41-page report filed Monday, May 13, 2013, by Detroit?s emergency manager doesn?t use the word ?bankruptcy,? but it?s clear about one thing: The city is broke and needs a massive infusion of cash or severe penny-pinching to avoid a filing and further reduction in already-crumbling city services, according to experts monitoring the ongoing fiscal dilemma. (AP Photo/The Detroit News, Daniel Mears, File)
DETROIT (AP) ? The first report by Detroit's emergency manager declares that the city is broke and at risk of running completely out of money ? a financial meltdown that could mean employees don't get paid, retirees lose their pensions and residents endure even deeper cuts in municipal services.
If Detroit cannot avert disaster by reducing its debt payments, the only remaining option appears to be bankruptcy, a threat that looms large over Kevyn Orr's urgent efforts to make deals with creditors and debt holders. Orr says he will have to seek concessions from those groups to keep the Motor City afloat.
"On a cash-flow basis, we don't have it. We're broke," Orr said Monday at a news conference. He said the city can make payroll through the rest of the year, but that some other bills and obligations are not being paid or are being deferred.
"We can't continue to do what we've been doing," he said. "It's probably a little worse than I expected. It's severe. I mean it's dire."
In March 2012, Detroit borrowed $80 million from Bank of America to avoid running out of money. But the outlook has not improved in the last year.
Orr's "first attention has got to be turned to making sure he has enough money to pay the bills he has coming in," said James McTevia, president of McTevia and Associates, a Detroit-area turnaround firm. "If I'm a creditor getting paid for my current goods and services, I'm going to be more apt to work out on something I'm owed."
Orr, a Washington-based turnaround expert and bankruptcy attorney, was selected by Gov. Rick Snyder to oversee Detroit's finances. In his report, Orr described the city's operations as "dysfunctional and wasteful after years of budgetary restrictions, mismanagement, crippling operational practices and, in some cases, indifference or corruption."
"Outdated policies, work practices, procedures and systems must be improved consistent with best practices of 21st century government," Orr wrote. "A well-run city will promote cost savings and better customer service and will encourage private investment and a return of residents."
Detroit's net cash position ? the amount of money in the bank after bills are paid ? was a negative $162 million as of April 26. The budget deficit that a few months ago was believed to be about $327 million could reach $386 million before July 1.
The city also owes more than $400 million, including $124 million for public improvement projects. Its long-term debt tops $14 billion.
Orr avoids using the word "bankruptcy" in the 41-page report to the state treasurer and said Monday that he believes it won't be necessary. He expects to have a clearer picture about the path ahead in six to eight weeks.
"I think we can avoid bankruptcy if people move forward in good faith," Orr said. "It's going to be hard. I don't expect anybody to say OK. I expect there to be some give and take. If we can't, we have to look at everything."
Snyder agreed that bankruptcy wasn't inevitable.
"There's a whole process you go through, and the process includes trying to work with people to not have that happen," the governor said.
City officials in Stockton, Calif., sought Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection after tentative agreements with some of the city's unions failed to provide enough financial relief. The community was still unable to pay its bills or make payroll, and City Manager Bob Deis said further cuts required court intervention.
"Bankruptcy is not a desirable option unless it's the absolute last option you have," Deis said. "Bankruptcy is not the disease. Bankruptcy is the chemotherapy for the disease."
Bankruptcy protection allowed Stockton to wipe out $8 million to $9 million in annual retiree health care costs and freeze $13 million in yearly debt payments for later renegotiation.
Orr may choose to go before a bankruptcy judge "when he gets his back against the wall and he can't meet payroll," McTevia said.
"He can default on payments to pension funds. He will try to sit down and negotiate with the pension funds: 'We can do this out of court or we can do this in court.' The same thing with bond holders. It will take years for Detroit to ever pay its bonds, and they need to be negotiated," McTevia said.
The bulk of the city's revenue comes from property and business taxes. But Detroit's population dropped by 250,000 between 2000 and 2010. And outside of downtown and a few other areas, business growth virtually is nil.
"My gut feeling is that taxes are going to have to be raised at some time," possibly a temporary surcharge on businesses to keep the city afloat, McTevia added.
A Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing would also mean even more spending cuts, according to Wayne State Law School professor Peter Henning.
Bing says his administration has cut about $350 million in wages and benefits. Dozens of jobs have been cut or left unfilled.
"Services never improve after a bankruptcy," Henning said. "I read through Orr's report. The emphasis is really on the cost-cutting and the restructuring. Rarely does that improve services in the short run. In the short run, city services are going to suffer."
___
Associated Press Writer Tom Krisher in Warren, Mich., contributed to this report.
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