Visibility

The Online Office Apps from Microsoft has launched!  And what is more, these apps are for free. The launch has come after Microsoft allowed selected users to beta test it for nine months.

Browsers that are supported by these latest Apps include Internet Explorer 7 and above, Chrome on Windows and Mac, Firefox 3.5+ on Windows, Mac, and Linux, or Safari 4+ on Mac. Some mobile browsers too are supported. This list includes Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile, Safari 4 on the iPhone, BlackBerry, Nokia S60 browser, NetFront, Opera Mobile 8.65 and later, and Openwave.

Many say that these new Microsoft apps can be considered a feasible alternative to other services such as Google docs and spread sheets. Now users can use their browsers to create, edit and share documents. And even though the service is yet to be integrated with Hotmail, it is already integrated with Windows Live SkyDrive and the services supports Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and all other major Office Apps.

Though these Apps have officially been launched in U.S, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland, the rest of the world has no cause for worry because it is accessible online globally. The only set back is that you might have to deal with some language and feature issues in non-supported areas.

Google Maps on Fords “Send to Sync” Feature

Ford’s “Send to Sync” feature has some new change to boost of. Soon owners of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln can choose a destination on Google Maps and send it to SYNC on their vehicle.

With the “Send to Sync” feature on the Ford Service Delivery Network, the company’s “cloud based architecture”, voice activated menu options are accessible through a mobile phone. This feature is not going to be extended to the existing 2010-11 Ford vehicles that has SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI).

This is how it works: once on Google Maps, the user can select a destination to their SYNC by clicking “send” on the page. In the vehicle, a request to download the selected Google Map is sent that will then be saved under the “services” voice command. The latest traffic information is also downloaded and applied to these directions.

Other cloud-based services of SYNC TDI include news, stocks, movie listings, horoscopes and other latest “send to SYNC” services.

Print by Email from HP

Now it is possible to start printing documents remotely. Hewlett-Packard announced its e-printing format where users just have to send a website or document to an email address that is associated with the printer for a hard copy.

It will also be possible to store documents in the cloud and print them as and when you need them.

"We know that our customers want an easy way to print their content, anywhere, anytime. We're making that a reality today by giving people the power to print from any Web-connected device -- smartphones, iPads, netbooks, and more – to any printer in our portfolio above $99," said Vyomesh Joshi, executive VP of HP's imaging and printing group.

The device has a 2.4-inch HP TouchSmart screen and it has its own unique e-mail address. There are three additional e-All-in-One printers with the HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One machine, which allows fax, scan, and copy materials using a touch screen interface.

There is a lot more to look forward to from HP. The company claims that there are going to be some exciting developments in its e-printing publishing platform from scheduling delivery of news and other matters to managing group activities.

Apple Won’t Share Advertising Pie on iPhone

Apple has banned all advertisers who could be competing with its own iAd services from appearing in applications on the iPhone.  These new rules mean that other applications cannot collect statistical or other advertising related information without first getting written permission from Apple.

There is more! Even if written permission is granted, this still doesn’t allow other services to obtain demographical information for purposes that are not directly related to the application. So now it looks like only those companies that are independent and whose primary business is serving mobile ads would be allowed to gather any information. This, of course, means that most companies involved in gathering such information would not be eligible after these latest developments.

Essentially, advertisers can still advertise on iPhone applications but they will not be allowed to collect data related to it – the very thing that makes advertising so valuable!

This would be especially true for Google, Microsoft and Opera, who would be Apple’s biggest competitors in this field. AdMob, which is owned by Google, is currently the largest provider for mobile advertising. Microsoft still has not entered into the mobile advertising bandwagon as of now but when it does – and you can be sure that it will very soon – it will also be banned from the iPhone.