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Dropbox snaps up CloudOn to help you work online
Dropbox has already done quite a bit to help you get work done in the cloud, but it's increasingly clear that the company isn't done expanding beyond its storage-focused roots. The firm just acquired CloudOn, giving it a team that got its chops building a hefty, internet-based document editing suite. The companies aren't saying what they plan to do together, but it's reasonable to expect beefier internet productivity tools from Dropbox before long. If you're a CloudOn user, though, you'll have to switch to another editing suite sooner than that. CloudOn has already stopped taking new customers, and it'll shut down its service on March 15th.
CloudOn launches web editor, CloudOn Pro paid service
Many cloud-based productivity apps start on the web and eventually make their way to mobile devices. Not CloudOn: it just launched a web version of its previously mobile-only document editor. Mac and Windows users can now run a virtual Office session using a small plugin for either Chrome or Safari. They may have to pay for some functionality, however, as CloudOn is launching a paid CloudOn Pro service at the same time. Subscribers to the new tier get access to Office's more advanced features, including PowerPoint's presentation mode and Word's change tracking. The web app is available for free; those who want to go Pro can pay $30 per year ($3 per month) if they sign up before 2014, or $80 per year ($8 per month) afterwards.
CloudOn releases version 4.0, brings its productivity features to a number of Android handsets
A mere couple of months have passed since CloudOn outed its third major revision on Android and iOS, and today the productivity-focused application is making yet another numerical jump. With today's announcement of version 4.0, the app's set to expand on the previous iteration by bringing its Office functionality outside of Apple's famed smartphone and onto some that are powered by Google's mobile OS. This means Android users with a compatible smartphone can now view, edit, create, and share documents with CloudOn, which should be a rather familiar experience for those who've been utilizing the tablet app since its humble beginnings on Google Play. CloudOn 4.0 is now available worldwide, although you'll have to check out the presser past the jump in order to find out if your beloved handset is included in the list of fitting devices.
CloudOn outs v3.0: iPhone compatibility, optimization for 7-inch tablets and SkyDrive integration
Suffice it to say, CloudOn never quite stops polishing its iOS / Android productivity app, with the service often adding feature after feature and reaching more and more folks around the world -- with that in mind, today's update will be no exception. With the introduction of version 3.0, CloudOn's now bringing its handy Microsoft Office tools to the iPhone, marking this the first time the application will be available on any smartphone. In addition to making its debut on the smaller screen, CloudOn has also included optimization for 7-inch tablets like the ASUS-made Nexus 7 and the slightly larger iPad mini, while integration with Redmond's SkyDrive cloud and support for Mountain View's Jelly Bean OS can be found inside v3.0 as well. All in all, CloudOn's third major installment could very well be considered its most substantial yet -- and, according to CEO Millind Gadekar, there are no plans to slow down anytime soon, telling us that this is just another step toward the outfit's "mission of reinventing mobile productivity." Very well, then.
Engadget Giveaway: win an unlocked iPhone 5, courtesy of CloudOn!
We've given away a few iPhone 5s in the past, but this is the first opportunity we've had to hand out a GSM-unlocked version. Also known as the A1428 model, this particular iPhone will get you HSPA+ on any GSM network around the globe as well as dual-band LTE (for use on AT&T in the US and Rogers, Telus and Bell in Canada), and it's thanks to our friends at CloudOn for offering the chance. CloudOn is a free iOS and Android tablet app that lets you create, view and edit Microsoft Office files and link them to Dropbox, Box and Google Drive, so head on over to the App Store or Play Store to check it out. Before you do, however, leave a comment below to enter! If you're looking for ideas on what to say, CloudOn wants to know what would help you become more productive on your iPhone -- perhaps you can toss them a few of your ideas. Good luck! Update: CloudOn just announced version 3.0 of its service, which will offer iPhone compatibility and optimization with Android smartphones and 7-inch tablets. Winner: Congratulations to Tera A. of Ludowici, GA for winning the unlocked iPhone 5!
CloudOn announces new features, worldwide availability on iOS and Android
Having already conquered over 70 countries in its relatively short history, CloudOn decided it was now time to make its handy cloud-based tools available to all Android and iOS users around the globe. Aside from announcing its worldwide invasion, CloudOn's also outed version 2.5 of its application on Google and Apple's mobile platforms, bringing with it a slew of new traits into the mix -- among these are a FileSpace for "real-time context around any document," the ability to add single-tap annotations to Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, an all-new ribbon that's enhanced for tablet use and, naturally, universal language support. It's worth noting that while all of these novel features will be available on Android / iOS at some point, the former two are currently only compatible with Cupertino's devices -- however, CloudOn has told us the missing goods will be making their way to the other side very soon. We're not exactly sure when that's going to be, but if you're still interested in grabbing the app, you'll find the necessary download links below.%Gallery-168524%
CloudOn's productivity app heads to 60 additional countries, new features announced
You know how they say that when it rains, it pours? Well, right now it's really, really pouring at CloudOn's HQ. Keeping up with last month's global expansion, the outfit has announced it's launching its bestseller Android and iPad application in 60 more countries, including big-name markets like Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras in Latin America, as well as Australia, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey across the various ponds. What's more, the editing (and creating) cloud-based app is adding a fresh voice dictation feature, along with new drag-and-drop tidbits for moving files around with more ease -- in addition to these, though, CloudOn told us exclusively you'll soon be able to add annotations / comments to all your docs, and that notes will soon be custom tailored for mobile devices. Feel free to dig into the PR down below, where you'll find the full list of over 70 nations in which the application's now live.
CloudOn launching its iOS, Android tablet apps in 16 more countries, Office hounds rejoice
Surprise, surprise, CloudOn has just opened a fresh can of tablet-friendly Office and is getting ready to deliver it outside of the US, UK and Canada for the first time in its relatively short history. The cloud-based service announced it's now launching its iOS and Android applications in 16 more countries, making it a total of 19 with the addition of the aforementioned trio. Some of the lucky nations include: Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Israel as well as the Netherlands -- and, in case you had any concerns, the app is keeping its free-of-charge status, so no need to worry. In addition to the beefy global expansion, CloudOn also released a few productivity-focused tidbits, giving users the ability to open links straight from the browser, copy and paste between the different built-in apps, plus a drag-and-drop feature to move around files and folders within the application -- unfortunately, this last one's only available to those with a Cupertino device (at least for the time being). All that's left to do now is grab yourself a copy from one of the links below, and be sure to check the presser after the break to see if your country made the cut.
CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google Drive (video)
Indirectly or not, the other guys seem to enjoy their time spent with CloudOn's unorthodox delivery of Microsoft Office. Fortunately for you, the service just announced it's now available to the Android folk -- at least to those with a Google certified slate. The CloudOn application comes as a freebie and it's compatible with tablets running Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich. Keep in mind that, aside from creating / editing docs on Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you'll also be able to open almost any file thanks to Adobe Reader. Furthermore, the company revealed it now offers support for Google Drive, joining the likes of Dropbox and Box as part of the cloud lineup. Ready to give it a go? It's up for grabs now via Google Play, but before you do that, there's a vid waiting for you past the break.
Three iPad giveaways in three days: day two, courtesy of CloudOn!
The amazing three day iPad giveaway campaign continues, and we're only halfway through. Day two is already here, and it's time to enter to win another new iPad. This time it's CloudOn (iTunes link) that's hooking you up with the opportunity to nab a 16GB WiFi-only version, as a way of celebrating Tuesday's release of its latest update in the App Store. The free app gives you the ability to create, edit and share Office docs with Dropbox, Adobe Reader and Box synchronization as well as a few other goodies.This time around, you'll need to answer a specific question in the comments as part of the entry process: what are two things you'd like to see on your iPad to help you stay productive while on the go? Good luck!
CloudOn bolsters its Office-friendly iPad app with support for Box and Adobe Reader
CloudOn managed to attract a fair bit of attention earlier this year with its cloud-based app that indirectly brought Microsoft Office to the iPad, and it's now back with version 2.0 of said app. That doesn't change a whole lot on the surface (though there are some UI tweaks), but it does add support for Box in addition to Dropbox for storage, as well as support for PDFs, PSDs and other formats handled by Adobe Reader. As before, the app is free, and CloudOn assures folks that it has officially licensed the technology from Microsoft and Adobe.
iPad workspace app CloudOn goes 2.0, adds Adobe Reader, Box storage support
There are several perspectives on the iPad as a productivity tool. Some knowledge workers thrive on a suite of native apps; others can't really get comfortable within a text or code-based workflow without a legitimate keyboard and mouse. The "third way" of iPad productivity provides a hybrid environment: familiar Office apps or remote access to existing computers, with varying degrees of customization to incorporate the touch UI atop the traditional desktop. We've previously talked about Onlive Desktop, one of the major players in the remote gaming and desktop SaaS space (which seems to have struck a conciliatory tone on Windows licensing by moving from Win7 to Windows Server for the underlying tech). Today, the first major version update of CloudOn, one of the primary alternatives to Onlive and other "full Windows" tools, is hitting the App Store. The original free iPad app from CloudOn provided users in the US, UK and Canada with a straightforward way to create and edit Microsoft Office documents without Office, and without their own PC. The back end CloudOn servers plug into your Dropbox account to give you near-immediate access to your files for touchups or extended editing sessions. What you see on the screen is a remote session, optimized for quick transmission across the Internet to you. It works great on WiFi, acceptably on 3G and shows snappy response on a new 4G iPad as well. In the new 2.0 version of the app, the cloud storage options have been extended to include Box.com for personal or enterprise users. CloudOn 2.0 also adds Adobe Reader to the app suite, permitting iPad users to view 3D content or fill-in PDF forms on the fly. A universal image viewer and full outbound email support round out the new feature list. Instead of making the iPad into a virtual Windows desktop, CloudOn masks the filesystem and other apps to deliver an Office-only experience. You want Word, you get Word -- and nothing else. This no-distractions, one app at a time model can track closer to the native iPad experience of "app immersion." While the lack of native copy/paste and autocorrect does slow things down a bit, I found that I could be pretty effective while typing into CloudOn's apps, especially with a Bluetooth external keyboard. Since you're using "real" Office, albeit remotely, some of the key features normally absent from iPad productivity apps are there for you. Ryan Faas keyed in on one of those features: Track Changes and comment support in Word, which has made CloudOn very popular with members of the legal profession. Last week I met with Milind Gadekar, the CEO and founder of CloudOn, and got to hear a bit of his company's vision for the future of distributed work. He told me that his team forsees a continuing fragmentation of the computing landscape, with multiple OS platforms and devices talking to multiple storage providers. The way to enable productivity, he suggested, is to provide a functional nexus of three key components: your files, your apps and your collaborators. While some successful companies are building the infrastructure for files and collaborators and then laying the applications over that with third party integrations (like Box.com), Gadekar and his team decided to go at the problem from the applications vertex first. Given that there are a lot of very capable and popular storage solutions in the market, this seems like a good play. In developing CloudOn, Gadekar and his programmers are keenly aware that the iPad is being positioned as a productivity tool even though it doesn't have the major productivity app suite that most people use everyday: Microsoft Office. While native app vendors have the freedom to create novel interfaces that leverage iOS's touchscreen UI directly, CloudOn's emphasis is on making the subtle adjustments and accommodations that let Office apps (and eventually more mouse-based apps) work smoothly without a mouse and keyboard. Hiding the Windows desktop from the user was the first step in drastically simplifying that legacy UI. As CloudOn expands its suite of available applications (and perhaps makes a move to other access approaches from its current iPad-only incarnation), we can expect to see some revenue models evolve. For now, though, it's a free service and a great way to get your feet wet with remote productivity apps on the iPad.
CloudOn offers Microsoft Office functionality for iPad, your parents will love it
If you got your parents an iPad for Christmas, you were probably thanked with this: "Can it run Office?" CloudOn may be the answer, the cloud-based service letting you log in to create and edit Office documents on the aforesaid slate. Similar to a lot of remote services, CloudOn runs Office on its own end and allows you to pull in documents from Dropbox for editing and post them back when you're done. Strangely, CloudOn launched on the App Store as a freebie but was pulled due to heavy demand. The company has asked users to sign up to be notified when the app goes back in the App Store. In other news, Las Vegas oddsmakers are now taking bets as to which will occur first; the release of an iOS-native version of Microsoft Office or the Robot Apocalypse.
