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Office Web Apps integrate touch support on iPad and Windows 8, brace us for an Office 2013 world
Touch-friendliness is a centerpiece for the upcoming Office 2013, but don't fret if you prefer to live in the world of Office Web Apps ahead of time. As of new preview versions of both OWA and Office 365, those using at least an iPad or Windows 8 will see larger, more finger-ready controls by default. The switch also tweaks the text selection, contextual menus and numerous other elements to work properly with the fleshier input, even going so far as to support multi-touch gestures like pinching to zoom. Windows users get a Touch Mode toggle if they'd rather flip back to traditional control methods. While the web support is still experimental and doesn't have a completion date on the horizon, those willing to live ever so slightly on the edge can stay hooked on Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Word without having to use anything so archaic as a mouse and keyboard. [Thanks, Suraj]
Google gently tweaks offline experience for Docs, rolling out to Drive users now
You asked for it (probably), and Google delivered (definitely). Once you've enabled Docs offline within Google Drive -- you have, right? -- you'll be able to both create and edit Google documents and view Google spreadsheets sans a live internet connection. But now, Google's massaging the interface in order to automatically filter only offline docs while you're disconnected. Furthermore, those who'd like to preview which files are available offline while still online, you can tap More -> Offline Docs in the left navigation pane. Google's saying that it'll roll out to "all Drive users over the next few days," so hopefully your data plan will last you till then.
Leaked video promises Office 15 on a crane, on a train, in a boat, potentially with a goat
What's this, then? It's purportedly a leaked promotional video for Office 15, the upcoming version of Microsoft's perennial favorite software suite. Not surprisingly, the animated short, which was "pulled from beta software," talks up the software's cloud functionality. "It's your Office," says the chipper voice. "It goes wherever you go." That includes a number of motor vehicles and electronic devices, all the while being stored safely online. Hop in after the break for one of the happiest office suite promotional videos ever made.
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.
Microsoft brings Word, PowerPoint, Excel to Symbian Belle handsets
As promised, Nokia and Microsoft have made the mobile versions of Word, PowerPoint and Excel available to select Symbian Belle handsets. Earlier this year, the duo heralded the release of OneNote, Document Connection, Lync and PowerPoint Broadcast. With this latest software add, the Office suite for Symbian is (seemingly) complete. Those of you rocking an E7, C7, C6-01, X7, Oro, 700, 701 or 603 can acquire the fresh bits by launching the Nokia Software Update utility. Not bad for a dead mobile operating system.
OS X malware used to spy on pro-Tibetan charities, reminds us all to keep updated
Pro-Tibetan organizations that use Macs have discovered that their data has been accessed thanks to malware-based siphoning more commonly associated with Windows machines. Security expert Jamie Blasco revealed that two separate backdoor trojans can breach OS X if infected Word documents (yes, we know) or emails are opened. However, those who regularly keep up with security updates shouldn't be too concerned: both holes were patched before the end of last year, although that's scant relief for those whose privacy has already been infringed.[Thanks, Charles]
Daily iPad App: Word Jigsaw challenges you to spell while you complete a puzzle
Word Jigsaw mixes two of my favorite games. It's a word game that challenges you to spell words and it's a puzzle game that requires you to build a jigsaw puzzle. The game starts with a puzzle that has a variety of pieces. You can choose the puzzle size -- the tiny one has five pieces while the giant one has twenty. Each piece has letters that are used to spell a word. The game tracks your time while you build the puzzle and spell the words. If you get stuck, there's a hint button that'll place a puzzle piece for you. You can't just put the pieces together and hope the words turn out right. On more than one occasion, I was able to complete the puzzle, but the words were wrong. In those cases, I had to start over and build the words first and then fit the puzzle pieces together. There's no game center integration, but the app keeps track of your time and shows your average completion time and your record time in the stats section. If you enjoy word games, then Word Jigsaw deserves a spot on your iPad or iPhone because it's both challenging and fun. It's not a mindless game, but one that requires you to think and plan as you build your words. Word Jigsaw supports the retina iPad and is a universal app that's available for both the iPad and the iPhone. The free version includes ads and three levels, but you can remove the ads and unlock all the levels by purchasing the full game for US$1.99. You can also buy a bucket of hints for 99-cents which will remove the ads.
Microsoft Office 15 revealed, simpler UI with touch-friendly features
Microsoft started seeding its Office 15 technical preview to a select few partners earlier this year to get it ready for public consumption, and The Verge managed to get a sneak peek at some of the software's new features. As you would expect, the newest Office version got a dose of Metro style, and now has a cleaner interface and touch mode to make browsing documents and presentations as easy on a tablet as it is on a desktop PC. Word also received improvements, like double-click to zoom, smoother scrolling, video embeds and the ability to share documents online through a browser. Excel received some formatting controls and chart animations, among other improvements, while PowerPoint has made it easier to drop Excel charts into presentations without futzing with formatting. Outlook now has weather forecasts built in, in-line replies, and greater multiple email account support, and OneNote received improved tables support. So, it looks like the gang in Redmond is trying to stay a step ahead of its open-source competition, but we won't know for sure until Office 15 gets in the hands of the people this summer.
Onlive Desktop comes to Android tablets, brings Microsoft Office along for the ride
Good news today for Android tablet owners with OnLive Desktop envy: the cloud-based service, which recently hit the iPad, is coming to select tablets running Gingerbread and higher. The app uses the company's remote gaming technology to bring a number of desktop apps to the tablet, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Reader. It comes in a number flavor, including free, Desktop Plus ($4.99), Dekstop Pro (starting at $9.99) and an enterprise version. OnLive Desktop'll work with Acer Iconia Tab A500, ASUS Eee TF101, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 and HTC Jetstream. More info after the jump.
Nokia Belle earns corporate street-cred with Microsoft Office apps
Looks like the corporate bromance between Microsoft and Nokia is stronger than ever. The Finnish handset maker has announced a suite of MS applications that is making its way to select Symbian handsets right this very moment. Users rocking a Belle device are being given access to a handful of apps from Redmond, which will include: OneNote, Document Connection, Lync and PowerPoint Broadcast. A second wave of Office-centric wares, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel, will be made available at an undisclosed date in the not-to-distant future. Nokia E7, C7, C6-01, X7, Oro, 700, 701 and 603 owners should see the goodies appear in Symbian's software update application; the phone maker has promised to add support for the N8, E6 and 500 "soon." For more information on the Microsoft software infiltration, check the press release after the break.
Reduce visual clutter in Microsoft Word
I know a lot of people who hate Microsoft Word. The two complaints that I hear most often are that it's slow to launch and extremely cluttered. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make it better. I'll walk you through the steps that I take whenever I'm setting up Word on a new computer. Take a look at the image above, and you'll see how Word looks when you first launch it. Yikes. Ok, let's start pruning. Step One: Cut the ribbon The "ribbon" is Microsoft's attempt to make it easier to find the settings that you need, rather than having them buried in menus. It takes up a lot of space. Under Preferences » Ribbon you will find two options: Turn on the ribbon Expand ribbon when document opens I suggest turning both of them off, but at the very least, don't have the ribbon expand when you start a new document. That's a good start. Step Two: Toolbars Off Next, go to View » Toolbars » Standard and make sure that it is unchecked. Step Three: Ruler Off While you are there, go to View » Ruler and uncheck that too: Now that we have made all of those changes, here's what we're left with: I think we'd all agree that looks a lot nicer. Note: thanks to Byron807 for mentioning in the comments that you can turn off the status bar by going into Preferences » View: I was looking for it in the Toolbars menu, where you can toggle other toolbars on/off. Startup Speedup By default, Microsoft Word will show you the "Document Gallery" when it starts. This shows you all of the different kind of files that you can make with Word. But most of the time, you probably just want to make a regular Word document, and the gallery can be quite slow to load, so why not turn off the automatic gallery? Once I have that turned off, MSWord launches as fast as a basic text editor. (Note: after the initial installation, the very first launch will take a bit longer as the font cache is built, but after that, it's downright speedy.) If you ever do need the Document Gallery, use File » New From Template... to have it shown. Since we're tweaking anyway... While you're fixing things in Word, you might as well make a few more changes too. Change default folder for new files: Do you use Dropbox? If so, you might want to tell Word to save your documents in Dropbox instead of ~/Documents/. You can do that by going to Preferences » Personal Settings » File Locations: Decrease Auto-Recovery Time: Did you know Microsoft Word can automatically save your changes? Go to Preferences » Save While you are there, you might want to change the default file format from '.docx' to '.doc' since more programs can read/edit '.doc' files than '.docx. Fullscreen Mode A lot of writing apps now have "distraction free" modes, but I bet most people don't know that Word has one too. Go to View » Full Screen and you'll get a white field for writing and a black background. There is a toolbar which will appear at first, but it will go away when you start typing. If you want a wider area to use for your words, click the Zoom drop down menu and choose "Page Width." And if you want a real throw-back look, go to Preferences » General and choose "Blue background, white text" and you can get this: which will probably remind many of you of WordPerfect for DOS from "back in the day" as the kids say. Perfect? No. Better? Yes. Of course these changes are just cosmetic. There are still plenty of things about Microsoft Word I don't like, but there are times when I am required to use it, so I want to make it as enjoyable as possible. Hopefully this will give you some ideas of how to customize Word more to your liking.
Daily iPad App: Puzzlejuice
Puzzlejuice is an inventive new game from the creators of Solipskier. Mike and Greg's Greg Wohlwend and partner Asher Vollmer have created a hardcore puzzle game that spans the genre and lets you sort it all out. The basic mechanic of Puzzlejuice is more or less that of Tetris. Blocks fall from the top of the screen which you must arrange into complete lines. Once you do, however, they don't disappear. Instead, the blocks become a row of letters, which you must arrange to complete words (similar to the great Spelltower) for points. Tapping on colored blocks in matched rows of three or more turns them into letters too, and depending on which mode you're in, matched words will also explode other blocks, and powerups may even drop in the blocks you're matching. Acheivements like spelling a word of a certain length also keep you on your toes, as does powerup management. If that sounds confusing, you're right, especially since it all happens at once. I imagine the creators wanted to create a mild panic in their players. Puzzlejuice is not for the faint of puzzle heart. Even the game's Zen mode is called "Zen mode Extreme," because you can only play it for the highest score in just 90 seconds. The game's tone even pushes that line a little bit, prompting you to increase the difficulty and then rating your performance as "average." If that appeals to you (and as a puzzle game aficionado, I sure like it), go and find it. Puzzlejuice is available on the App Store in a universal version for just 99 cents. It's a solid game, but bring your brain, because you'll need it.
Daily iPhone App: WordsWorth
If you like word games like Scrabble or SpellTower, then you'll want to take a look at WordsWorth. According to the developer, WordsWorth landed in the App Store in 2009 and was one of the first word games available for the iPhone. It's very similar to PopCap's Bookworm game, but WordsWorth has a variety of features which makes it that much more enjoyable to play. The game presents you with a grid of letters that you use to spell words. You get points for spelling words using adjacent letters, and you get more points for longer words. In single-player mode, you have control over word size, grid size and shuffle count. You can also select from the Classic game, a timed mode, and tumble mode which starts off with a few letters and gradually drops them into empty spots. Tumble mode is especially challenging as you have to spell words faster than they're falling, because the game ends when the grid is full. WordsWorth also has a multiplayer mode, an added benefit not often found in word games. You can choose from local multiplayer, which lets you play against your friend in the next room, a Play With Friends mode that connects you with people you know and a random mode that connects you to a stranger for a quick pickup game. To take full advantage of the multiplayer aspect of the game, you need to sign up for an account with the game's developer, 99Games. WordsWorth also supports Game Center, so you can save achievements and climb the ranks of the Leaderboard. If you setup your Facebook account with the app, you can share your game highlights with your friends. If you dislike sharing, that's fine, as it's optional. The button to share on Facebook only appears when you reach a milestone or the game ends. WordsWorth is an excellent game for those who like variety. With all the different single and multiplayer modes, you'll never get tired of spelling words. The app is available for free, but it has ads which I found to be slightly intrusive. I kept getting one for "Sexy Single," which makes the free app definitely not safe for kids. I would recommend spending US$1.99 and purchasing the full version which doesn't have ads.
Kodak's Document Print app means never visiting the girl from the Xerox place
Printing on the road usually leaves you at the mercy of your local Kinkos FedEx Office, but as long as you've got one of Kodak's cloud-print enabled Hero printers, you can avoid getting gouged. The company's just released an Android app that lets you print nearly everything, even webpages as long as they're accessed from the baked-in browser -- provided that you've left your home printer switched on. You can pull it down for free from the Android market from today and if you're interested, head on past the break for an unusually terse press release from the company.
New computer system can read your emotions, will probably be annoying about it (video)
It's bad enough listening to your therapist drone on about the hatred you harbor toward your father. Pretty soon, you may have to put up with a hyper-insightful computer, as well. That's what researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid have begun developing, with a new system capable of reading human emotions. As explained in their study, published in the Journal on Advances in Signal Processing, the computer has been designed to intelligently engage with people, and to adjust its dialogue according to a user's emotional state. To gauge this, researchers looked at a total of 60 acoustic parameters, including the tenor of a user's voice, the speed at which one speaks, and the length of any pauses. They also implemented controls to account for any endogenous reactions (e.g., if a user gets frustrated with the computer's speech), and enabled the adaptable device to modify its speech accordingly, based on predictions of where the conversation may lead. In the end, they found that users responded more positively whenever the computer spoke in "objective terms" (i.e., with more succinct dialogue). The same could probably be said for most bloggers, as well. Teleport past the break for the full PR, along with a demo video (in Spanish).
Nisus updates Writer Pro for Lion
Nisus has updated its Nisus Writer Pro and Nisus Writer Express software with full OS X 10.7 Lion-compatibility and full-screen features. Besides the Lion features, Nisus Writer Pro 2.0.1 adds a number of requested features like drawing tools, track changes, and watermarks. Nisus Writer Express 3.4 also adds a file importer that is compatible with both Intel and PowerPC Macs. Nisus Writer has been around for the Mac since 1989 and was the first word processor to handle multiple type systems in its file format. Since then the program has begun to show its age. The UI is a little clunky, retaining a OS X Jaguar-style look that many who are used to Word or Pages might not appreciate. However, for you old timers, the Nisus Writer updates are a nice touch to ensure continued compatibility with the latest OS X. Nisus Writer Express and Nisus Writer Pro are universal apps and require Mac OS X 10.4.11 (Tiger) or later. Nisus Writer Pro 2.0.1 is available online for US$79.00 or a $49.00 upgrade price for owners of 1.x. A three license Family Pack is also available for $99.00. Nisus Writer Express 3.4 is $45 or $30 for the upgrade version. A three license Family Pack is available for $79. These updates are free to current license holders of Express 3.x and Pro.
Adobe releases a PDF creator for iOS
Given the history between Adobe and Apple, this might be kind of surprising, but it happened anyway. Adobe has released an app for iPhone and iPad called CreatePDF that allows you to make and edit your own PDF files, right on iOS. The app can be used to open up any number of document formats, and then uses Adobe's own conversion services to assemble them however you want into a full PDF document. The app can open everything from Word documents and Excel spreadsheets to images and OpenOffice documents, and converted PDFs can be sent off as email attachments, or even sent to other apps on the iOS device. The app is available as a $9.99 universal download. It's good to see this kind of thing available -- it just means there's even more functionality for iOS in terms of not just viewing documents, but also building and creating them while mobile.
'Retweet,' 'sexting' added to Oxford English Dictionary, alongside words that are actually words
Every so often, Chuzzlewitt, Figglesworth and the rest of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary's Council of Elders gather around a stone in Puddingshire, where they come up with ways to modernize the English language. New words are added, archaic ones are cut, goats are sacrificed. It's all very messy -- especially when internet lingo gets involved, as is so often the case. It's no different this year, with the latest class of inductees including words like "retweet," "sexting," and "cyberbullying." Also making the cut is "woot" (which is apparently spelled without zeroes) and "surveil," which was added primarily as a reflection of today's privacy-conscious society. In fact, the dictionary's purveyors say they make their decisions based not on intuition or cage match results, but on cultural ubiquity, which they gauge using a database of more than two billion words culled from contemporary sites. So if you're wondering why words like "jeggings" and "mankini" are now part of the English tome, you have only the internet to blame.
Microsoft loses $290 million patent battle, begins searching couch cushions
We've diligently followed the Microsoft v. i4i Limited Partnership patent dispute as it wound its way through the courts, and now comes the day of reckoning: by a unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court has upheld the patent-infringement finding against Redmond. For those of you just catching up, MS had been taken to court by Toronto-based i4i over a portfolio of XML-related patents -- patents it had already offered to license to the software behemoth. In court, Microsoft claimed it had not infringed and that the patents were invalid; a 2009 Texas court disagreed and awarded $200 million in damages. A subsequent appeal failed. Oh, and the government sided with i4i. Today's Supreme Court verdict upholds the lower courts' decisions: Microsoft Word is an infringing product, and the company now owes $290 million. The finding likely won't affect consumers, as the offending versions of Word are now obsolete. Still, $290 million isn't chump change, even for the world's largest software company. There's probably a joke in here about i4i justice, but we'll be dadblasted if we can find it.
Adobe CreatePDF for Android does exactly what its name implies
Google's mobile OS is growing and maturing into a business-savvy adult before our very eyes. With the release of Adobe's CreatePDF in the Android Market, we're delighted to finally see a PDF-creation app on the mobile front. Not only does it let you build a PDF from the ground up, it can convert most popular filetypes -- Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OpenOffice, Photoshop, RTF, and Illustrator, just to name a few -- into PDF format. You can import any of these kinds of docs from your phone to app via the built-in file manager, or transfer an email attachment to it using Android's share function. Available for a one-time payment of $9.99, CreatePDF won't be for the light-walleted or the casual app enthusiast; don't be put off by the price, though, because the online version charges that much per month to do the exact same tasks on your computer. Anyone rocking Eclair or better can partake of the PDF love, so head to the source link to get straight to installing.
