The Channel currently features more than 60 videos including various lectures and events as well as several student study abroad experiences. Among the most viewed clips are videos of AU’s beloved mascot Aubie and a promotional video featuring AU alumni reading the Auburn Creed.

“Through our relationship with YouTube, we are able to take our video content directly to where the audience is,” said Mike Clardy of AU’s Office of Communications and Marketing. “The huge benefit for us is that YouTube is an established entity and provides us another method for sharing information about Auburn.”

AU’s Office of Communications and Marketing manages the content on the university’s YouTube Channel and anyone can subscribe to the site, which will notify subscribers when new videos are posted. Viewers also have the opportunity to post comments about each video. Such features allow AU’s YouTube viewers to become engaged in the content while providing the university with valuable feedback.

Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through Web sites, blogs and e-mail.

AU’s partnership with YouTube marks the university’s latest new media initiative. Last semester AU announced the launch of AU iTunes, a partnership with Apple to provide a dedicated space on iTunes where faculty and campus groups can post information including presentations and lectures available for download. Last fall the university also launched an RSS feed and Wire Eagle, a subscription-based weekly e-newsletter.

Source: Auburn University Wire Eagle

As part of Microsoft Corp.’s commitment to education, the company is introducing a promotion inviting students who are actively enrolled at educational institutions and have a valid e-mail address from the institution to purchase Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007 at a student price of $59.95 (U.S.). “The Ultimate Steal” promotion will run in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States starting today and in France, Italy and Spain starting Sept. 20, 2007. The promotion will end April 30, 2008.

Office Ultimate 2007 is the premium Office suite and provides students with a comprehensive set of tools that can help them create high-quality documents, gather and consolidate lecture notes and other information, stay organized, find what they are looking for quickly, and easily collaborate with colleagues and professors across geographical boundaries.

“We’re listening to students who have told us they need Microsoft Office for their studies and want more flexible ways to get the latest version,” said Alan Yates, general manager of Worldwide Education at Microsoft. “We’re committed to providing accessible and affordable technology to students so they can meet their academic goals. The Ultimate Steal is the latest in a long history of providing compelling academic offers for students.”

Earlier this year, the promotion was offered to students in Australia as a pilot program, resulting in great experiences and overwhelmingly positive feedback from students. “Our students had been asking for more flexible methods to acquire Microsoft software, so we were very happy to see this Web-based promotion,” said Catherine Overton, manager, IT Contracts, Monash University. “Microsoft Office is also a key set of applications used by our students in their academic studies, so they were pleased to be able to acquire the newest version at such a low price.”

Office Ultimate 2007 includes the entire Microsoft Office toolset that students are accustomed to working with and more, including Microsoft Office Word 2007, Microsoft Office Excel® 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 with Business Contact Manager, Microsoft Office Access 2007, Microsoft Office Publisher 2007, Office OneNote 2007, Office Groove 2007 and Microsoft Office InfoPath® 2007.

Students can find program details and see if they’re eligible at TheUltimateSteal.com

Source: Microsoft.com Press Release

Auburn University’s orange and blue Tiger Transit buses are now green.

The transit fleet of more than 40 vehicles has made the switch from using regular diesel fuel to biodiesel, a cleaner burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources. AU is the first university in the state to make the switch.

Auburn’s leadership on alternative sources of energy starts on campus,” said AU President Jay Gogue. “Tiger Transit’s switch to biodiesel illustrates our commitment to improving energy security for the United States and promoting economic growth through development and use of renewable bioenergy.”

The switch comes at a time when ridership is at an all-time high - with a one-day record the first week of classes of more than 17,000 riders - and when more than 5,000 users a day are using new visualization technology to check the internet or their cell phones to see exactly when their bus will arrive.

Read more @ AU’s Wire Eagle

Source: AU Nation Forums

The Tiger Transit system spent spring break installing gps systems for a new feature they launched recently. You can now track all of the Tiger Transit buses via the internet and cell phones. Now there is no waiting in the rain or for 20 minutes after the bus just picked up!

Go check it out at the Tiger Transit Visualization System

Source: Auburn.edu