Microsoft to Take Office to the Web
October 31, 2008
Microsoft has announced a web version of Microsoft Office. It will offer Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Onenote. Now users are able to edit their documents, a feature that was missing in the previous web versions.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Trapster Maps alerts you of Speed Traps
October 2, 2008
A Webapp called Trapster Maps will alert you when you are coming into a zone where cops usually monitor for speeders. These spots are given by other users. When your driving down a road and see a cop just press a button and it will be updated. Then when another person drives in that area you can confirm that it is a trap. Trapster is currently available for the Windows Mobile, the BlackBerry, the Nokia N95 and other S60 smart phones. It will soon be released for the iPhone 3G.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Google starts Suggest search feature
August 26, 2008
Google Suggest auto completes a phrase when you are typing a search. This is feature allows you to finish that search that you are unsure of.
It was launched back in 2004 as one the "20 percent projects". This feature is meant to help you search more productivily and fill in the blanks or fix misspelled items while your typing insted of fixing it after the query. You may of seen google suggest on other Google products before such as Youtube, firefox extentions, Google toolbar, some of Google`s iPhone and blackberry apps and in other addons or plug-ins.
It seemsthat Google Suggest didn`t change in the four years that it has been announced. the three main things thatGoogle wants to accomplish with this is to help formulate queries, reduce spelling errors, and save keystrokes.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Google Office Suite is Now Available Offline
April 1, 2008
Google Docs which is a free word processor that was only accessible online.Now Google Docs has taken a step further by being able to operate offline.This is possible by using a browser plugin called Google Gears. This is similar to what Zoho is using.
Google has announced that they will be using Gears in the next weeks to make their online applications offline.Even though Gears and Docs are still in Beta they are very powerful tools and are trying to compete with Microsoft Office.
"Web applications such as
Remember the Milk and our own Google Reader already use Gears. Google
Docs is just the latest to join the party. We’re inviting developers to
Google I/O on May 28-29 to see how we did it and learn how they can do the same" said Google representative Jason Freidenfelds.
It currently will any offer creating documents but wishes to add Presentations and Spreadsheets.
"We’re working to make more web
applications and functions work where connections are unavailable
(including editing spreadsheets and viewing/editing presentations, and
bring offline functionality to other apps). But this gives a taste of
the future, when you’ll always be able to access the cloud" -Jason Freidenfelds
Popularity: 3% [?]
Youtube better API and TiVo addition
March 15, 2008
YouTube has announced is expanding its API to have more access to the service.The updates to the APIs allow more deeper access to developers for uploading videos.They are also allowing chromeless players,which means the player will not have the original Youtube style.
This means that Youtube is not a place just to watch videos but a design that will allow videos into other applications.
This is the announcement made by Youtube:
As part of YouTube’s goal to extend its reach beyond the Internet
browser by enabling users to discover and share compelling video
content wherever they are, YouTube is excited to introduce the latest
enhancements to the YouTube APIs and Tools. With this release, YouTube
is now providing wholesale access to our extensive video library,
worldwide audience, and the underlying video hosting and streaming
infrastructure that powers YouTube.
YouTube’s latest API offerings allow anyone building a website or
software application that is connected to the Internet to upload videos
straight to YouTube; let users comment, rate and favorite the videos;
and customize and control the Flash player in which the videos are
played. This can be used in conjunction with the existing APIs which
launched last year and which provide the ability to view videos on
other sites and to search for videos on YouTube.
The enhancements to the YouTube APIs and Tools offering are
free and easy to use, giving YouTube users yet another way to engage
the world of video and actively participate in the YouTube community
wherever they are, whenever they want.
Developers can also improve the user experience on their
site, gain visibility and traffic, and easily add UGC (User Generated
Content) capabilities. With more YouTube functionality and features,
developers can enable users to develop more innovative original content
directly from their mobile devices and encourage new users to share and
engage the community.
On Wednesday TiVo stated an agreement that will make YouTube videos accessible from a TV through its DVRs
Popularity: 4% [?]
