Yahoo News:
When Microsoft says that the next version of Office is the most important revision in over a decade, it's not kidding. Both new XML-based default file formats and a major interface revamp are intended to make the market-dominating productivity suite more flexible and accessible than ever. Veteran users may find the changes in the new version, code-named Office 12, unsettling, but they seemed well worth the adjustment in my tests of the first beta release. The final edition is slated to ship sometime in 2006.
A New Look
Even before the technical beta's limited release, Microsoft had previewed Office's startling new interface, which all but does away with drop-down menus and toolbars in most of the suite's applications. Instead, users get a set of tabs atop what the company calls the "ribbon"--an inch-high toolbar that displays various functions relevant to the selected tab. Click on the Write tab in Word, for example, and the ribbon presents you with font and formatting options as well as the familiar cut, paste, and find/replace functions that used to live in the Edit menu.
New File Formats
But lurking behind the scenes is a change that may ultimately prove even more significant than the interface makeover: Microsoft's replacement of its current proprietary default file formats with new compressed XML-based file formats, denoted by the addition of the letter x to traditional file name extensions (.docx instead of.doc,.xlsx instead of.xls, and so on).
These new Office Open XML formats improve on their predecessors in several ways. For starters, they are more compact: When I saved an unchanged Word 2003 file as a.docx file, it was less than half its previous size. And since Office XML formats are based on both XML and Zip formats, they should be more universally accessible to other applications--even those in other operating systems--as developers begin incorporating Microsoft's XML schemas (which provide the programming details for interpreting XML documents) into their software. The company has already published draft versions of these schemas, and it has also proposed Office XML to the Ecma International standards organization as a royalty-free, open standard.
Office 12 still lets you read and write to Office 2000-2003 default formats--and, for the first time, it permits you to save files as read-only PDFs. Conversely, Microsoft says it will offer free downloadable extensions allowing users of Office 2000-2003 to create, open, edit, and save Office XML files. When users of the legacy versions try to open an Office XML file, they will be directed to the download site.
Zipped Components
Because each Office XML file is actually a zipped collection of component files (text lives in one component, style attributes exist in another, reviewer comments are in a third, and so on), you can easily alter these attributes by changing the Office XML extension to.zip, opening the file using any unzipping utility, and removing or substituting component files. For example, you could quickly swap in a new style subfile (created by programmers, or simply copied over from another Office XML document) without making changes to the text.
Initial Confusion
Chief among the additions is the live preview capability. As you hover the mouse over a format--for example, a new font or paragraph style--in the ribbon, the change shows in your document before you commit to it. This time-saving feature is available across the suite for a variety of options.
One downside: The ribbon does cut into your screen real estate, and the ribbon's size is not adjustable--the larger your monitor screen, the better.
Another significant interface change in Word: The Status toolbar at the bottom of the window, which shows the number of pages and the current page of a document, now also displays a running word count and a sliding zoom bar for adjusting your view from the default 100 percent.
An equally welcome addition to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is the Document Inspector (under File, Finish), which searches for hidden text that you might not want others to see--comments, the document owner's name, and the like--and offers to remove any or all such material.
The improvements in Excel 12 include enhanced help for beginning users, beefed-up capacity (worksheets can now handle up to 1 million rows and 16,000 columns), and easy-to-apply cell designs.
An Excellent Excel
Excel's conditional formatting function lets you liven up your spreadsheet with colors and effects based on the contents of the cells.Excel's conditional formatting function lets you jazz up your spreadsheet with colors and effects based on the cells' contents. For example, you can create thermometer-like color gradients depending on the numerical values contained in a group of cells.
I particularly liked Excel 12's formula-writing help: In past versions, you had to type in the exact name of a formula. Now, as you start typing, a pop-up menu shows all formulas that begin with the letters you've typed, and each formula has its own tool-tip definition. As you continue typing, Excel narrows your options accordingly.
Petite PowerPoint
Quick-change artist: Applying new styles to presentations takes only a couple of clicks using PowerPoint 12's Design ribbon.Office XML's file-shrinking magic is particularly striking in PowerPoint 12. A single slide containing a photo and graphics that took up a hefty 5MB in PowerPoint 2003's default file format shrank to a modest 610KB (about 0.6MB) in the new.pptx format.
PowerPoint 12's use of the ribbon provides a sense of control lacking in earlier versions. For example, by clicking on Effects in the Design ribbon, you can turn a rudimentary bulleted list into a logical diagram--and then quickly spruce up that diagram with a 3D or glow effect using other options on the same ribbon. In previous versions of PowerPoint, these options were buried in a labyrinth of multiple menus.
Outlook Update
Looking ahead: The new To-Do Bar on the right of the Outlook 12 window shows all pending tasks and upcoming appointments.Office 12's interface consistency breaks down in Outlook, however. No ribbons here--just the same old drop-down menus. What is different is the new and potentially useful To-Do Bar. Similar to the task pane found in Word or Excel 2003, it appears on screen right and is supposed to display all pending tasks and upcoming meetings.
Microsoft says that when used on a corporate network, the To-Do Bar will display meetings assigned through other networked Office system applications, such as Access and OneNote. You can adjust the size of the pane, but I didn't find that it made the screen feel cluttered.
Until you mark a task done, Outlook will keep it in the To-Do Bar. To reserve time to complete a To-Do Bar task, you can simply drag it over into your calendar (by default the program will schedule a 30-minute appointment).
Easier Access
For many who use Office, one component--Microsoft's powerful database program, Access--has always seemed impenetrable, especially compared with the more user-friendly FileMaker Pro. Access 12 adds features that make the software more, well, accessible.
Getting-started templates, presented visually in the ribbon, guide new users through the creation of databases for specific uses--for example, tracking a collection or organizing an address book. The new version also makes it easy to reformat database reports on the fly: You can now edit each database field from the report view, a major improvement. And simplified query tools will help you extract the data you need without having to learn any special jargon.
Final Thoughts
Like its predecessors, Office 12 is a mammoth program suite, and most folks will never use all its features. I would have liked having the option to revert to the old interface--but the new design has its advantages, and the move to XML is clearly a good one.
Along with a host of less dramatic but potentially useful new features, these major innovations--at least as introduced in the beta--make for a more powerful and helpful productivity package.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Top 50 Websites for Year 2005
Time:
Time Magazine has published a list of top 50 Websites for the year 20005. The list is grouped under various categories including : Arts & Entertainment, Blogs, News & Information, Shopping etc.
A must visit link.
Time Magazine has published a list of top 50 Websites for the year 20005. The list is grouped under various categories including : Arts & Entertainment, Blogs, News & Information, Shopping etc.
A must visit link.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Gaim Beta 2.0 released
AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo continue to push out new versions of their respective instant messaging clients with added features like voice and video. But the open source community has been making progress with a client of their own: Gaim. Gaim 2.0 hit beta over the weekend after 15 months of development.
Gaim 2.0 Beta 1 features a rewritten status system, smooth scrolling, support for advanced MSN Messenger features like nudges and Yahoo Doodle, improvements to file transfer under AIM and ICQ, support for Apple's Bonjour, and even voice over IP capabilities. Downloads of Gaim 2.0 are available for Windows and UNIX systems.
Gaim 2.0 Beta 1 features a rewritten status system, smooth scrolling, support for advanced MSN Messenger features like nudges and Yahoo Doodle, improvements to file transfer under AIM and ICQ, support for Apple's Bonjour, and even voice over IP capabilities. Downloads of Gaim 2.0 are available for Windows and UNIX systems.
Seagate Buys Maxtor for $1.9B
Rivals stand to gain $300M in savings in first year of the merged entity’s operation.
Hard drive manufacturer Seagate Technology said on Wednesday it will acquire rival Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock.
Maxtor shareholders will receive 0.37 shares of Seagate stock for each Maxtor share they own. Seagate shares opened at $19.60 on Wednesday, while Maxtor shares opened at $4.52. That means Maxtor shareholders will get $7.25 per share, a 60 percent premium on their Maxtor shares.
The boards of directors of both companies have approved the proposed deal, which will give 16 percent of the combined company to Maxtor shareholders. Seagate shareholders will own 84 percent of the company.
Maxtor of Milpitas, California, manufactures hard disk drives used in PCs made by manufacturers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard. The company also has a very strong retail presence. Its drives can be found in a number of consumer electronics products.
Savings on Expenses
The combined company expects to gain approximately $300 million of annual operating expense savings in connection with the transaction after the first full year of integration.
“We believe that there is significant cost savings available here,” said Seagate CEO Bill Watkins. “It’s about scale on both the operating and engineering sides. The intent is to maintain all of the revenue as it is and take advantage of future growth.”
The merged company will take the Seagate name, and the current Seagate management will run the company. Dr. C. S. Park, Maxtor’s chairman and chief executive, will become a director of the new Seagate, which will continue to head operations from Scotts Valley.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of calendar 2006, subject to obtaining shareholder approvals and regulatory approvals. There is a termination fee of $300 million payable to Maxtor under certain conditions. The transaction is intended to be tax-free to Maxtor shareholders.
Hard drive manufacturer Seagate Technology said on Wednesday it will acquire rival Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock.
Maxtor shareholders will receive 0.37 shares of Seagate stock for each Maxtor share they own. Seagate shares opened at $19.60 on Wednesday, while Maxtor shares opened at $4.52. That means Maxtor shareholders will get $7.25 per share, a 60 percent premium on their Maxtor shares.
The boards of directors of both companies have approved the proposed deal, which will give 16 percent of the combined company to Maxtor shareholders. Seagate shareholders will own 84 percent of the company.
Maxtor of Milpitas, California, manufactures hard disk drives used in PCs made by manufacturers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard. The company also has a very strong retail presence. Its drives can be found in a number of consumer electronics products.
Savings on Expenses
The combined company expects to gain approximately $300 million of annual operating expense savings in connection with the transaction after the first full year of integration.
“We believe that there is significant cost savings available here,” said Seagate CEO Bill Watkins. “It’s about scale on both the operating and engineering sides. The intent is to maintain all of the revenue as it is and take advantage of future growth.”
The merged company will take the Seagate name, and the current Seagate management will run the company. Dr. C. S. Park, Maxtor’s chairman and chief executive, will become a director of the new Seagate, which will continue to head operations from Scotts Valley.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of calendar 2006, subject to obtaining shareholder approvals and regulatory approvals. There is a termination fee of $300 million payable to Maxtor under certain conditions. The transaction is intended to be tax-free to Maxtor shareholders.
IBM to Buy Micromuse for $865M in Cash
International Business Machines Corp. said Wednesday it agreed to acquire Micromuse Inc., which makes software that manages video and voice traffic on computer networks, for about $865 million in cash.
Under the definitive agreement, Armonk-based IBM is paying shareholders $10 for each Micromuse share, almost a 40 percent premium to its closing price of $7.21 on Tuesday. Micromuse shares surged $2.71, or 37.6 percent, to close at $9.92 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock had previously traded in a 52-week range of $3.97 to $8.13.
San Francisco-based Micromuse's software is used to monitor and manage network traffic by about 1,800 clients such as Time Warner Inc.'s America Online, E-Trade Financial Corp., Verizon Communications Inc. and other corporate and government customers.
Consumers ultimately benefit when telecommunications carriers and other companies are able to use Micromuse's software to detect and diagnose problems, said Steve Mills, a senior vice president for IBM's software products.
Such tools are increasingly crucial, he said, as Internet technologies become the basis for phone calls, voice mail services and even video programs.
"There's a clear growth in network convergence," he said. "It's an important space for our customers, and it's an area where we've had gaps."
The acquisition boosts IBM's software portfolio as the company increasingly turns its focus to business services. Revenue from Micromuse's customers grew 10 percent to $160.8 million in fiscal 2005.
After the transaction is completed, Micromuse will operate within IBM's Tivoli software division, and its products will be incorporated into IBM's software and hardware offerings.
The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of next year, pending regulatory and shareholder approval, IBM said.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Google Buying Stake in AOL for $1 Billion
Google Inc. is buying a 5 percent stake in Dulles-based America Online for $1 billion as part of a far-reaching business and advertising partnership that will link the two companies in many ways and will greatly enhance AOL's financial prospects, according to people familiar with the agreement.
The deal between Google and AOL is a setback for Microsoft Corp., which had sought to replace Google as the search engine on the AOL service and had been in talks with AOL's parent, Time Warner Corp, since January. Google is the leader in search, followed by Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft's MSN Search, which is a distant third.
"This is our dream come true," one source familiar with AOL and Time Warner's strategy said. "Our fates are intertwined."
AOL is already the largest single source of ad revenue for Google, generating about 10 percent of its ad dollars, according to public filings. AOL's business strategy under its chief executive, Jonathan Miller, is to garner more of its revenue in the future from rapidly-growing online advertising.
As part of the new agreement, AOL gains the right to sell Google-generated, text-based ads that appear on the AOL service. This change will enable AOL to sell all forms of online advertising itself to any company.
In addition, AOL's video service will get special promotion as part of Google's video offering. And AOL will have graphic ads that attract attention and appear alongside the text-based ads Google traditionally has displayed to the right of its free search results.
AOL will also be given a substantial fixed-dollar budget from Google to purchase advertising to promote the Internet service. Google's free search results, based on math equations that rank them according to relevancy, will not be changed as a result of the new partnership, sources said.
The deal between Google and AOL is a setback for Microsoft Corp., which had sought to replace Google as the search engine on the AOL service and had been in talks with AOL's parent, Time Warner Corp, since January. Google is the leader in search, followed by Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft's MSN Search, which is a distant third.
"This is our dream come true," one source familiar with AOL and Time Warner's strategy said. "Our fates are intertwined."
AOL is already the largest single source of ad revenue for Google, generating about 10 percent of its ad dollars, according to public filings. AOL's business strategy under its chief executive, Jonathan Miller, is to garner more of its revenue in the future from rapidly-growing online advertising.
As part of the new agreement, AOL gains the right to sell Google-generated, text-based ads that appear on the AOL service. This change will enable AOL to sell all forms of online advertising itself to any company.
In addition, AOL's video service will get special promotion as part of Google's video offering. And AOL will have graphic ads that attract attention and appear alongside the text-based ads Google traditionally has displayed to the right of its free search results.
AOL will also be given a substantial fixed-dollar budget from Google to purchase advertising to promote the Internet service. Google's free search results, based on math equations that rank them according to relevancy, will not be changed as a result of the new partnership, sources said.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Honda Robot : Busy with Work
TOKYO - The walking, childlike robot from Honda Motor Co. can now serve tea, push a mail cart and gallop along at twice its previous pace — the latest in the Japanese automaker's quest to replicate human movement.
The 51-inch talk, bubble-headed robot named Asimo has already shown it can jog, walk up stairs, wave, avoid obstacles and carry on simple conversations. But in a demonstration Monday at Honda's Tokyo head office, a new version of the robot showed off new skills its maker hopes will make the robot more handy around the office.
Honda illustrated how Asimo might serve as a receptionist of the future. Equipped with a sensor that can read microchips in identification cards, the robot recognized a woman approaching from behind, and turned to greet her by name.
It then demonstrated further potential as a host by taking a tray of coffee cups from the woman with its own hands and carrying it to a nearby table where it set the tray down for imaginary guests. It also pushed a four-wheeled cart around on stage.
Later, Asimo — whose name is a play on the Japanese word for "leg" or "ashi" — sprinted back and forth for reporters at 4 miles per hour, double its previous gait of 2 mph. The new technique demonstrates improved balancing technology because both the robot's feet are airborne at the same time in mid-stride, Honda said.
Honda began dabbling with humanoid robots in 1987 and now has 40 Asimos worldwide.
The company plans to start using Asimo's new receptionist functions at Honda offices early next year. The new robot is also available for lease for 20 million yen ($170,000) a year.
- Associated Press
The 51-inch talk, bubble-headed robot named Asimo has already shown it can jog, walk up stairs, wave, avoid obstacles and carry on simple conversations. But in a demonstration Monday at Honda's Tokyo head office, a new version of the robot showed off new skills its maker hopes will make the robot more handy around the office.
Honda illustrated how Asimo might serve as a receptionist of the future. Equipped with a sensor that can read microchips in identification cards, the robot recognized a woman approaching from behind, and turned to greet her by name.
It then demonstrated further potential as a host by taking a tray of coffee cups from the woman with its own hands and carrying it to a nearby table where it set the tray down for imaginary guests. It also pushed a four-wheeled cart around on stage.
Later, Asimo — whose name is a play on the Japanese word for "leg" or "ashi" — sprinted back and forth for reporters at 4 miles per hour, double its previous gait of 2 mph. The new technique demonstrates improved balancing technology because both the robot's feet are airborne at the same time in mid-stride, Honda said.
Honda began dabbling with humanoid robots in 1987 and now has 40 Asimos worldwide.
The company plans to start using Asimo's new receptionist functions at Honda offices early next year. The new robot is also available for lease for 20 million yen ($170,000) a year.
- Associated Press
Monday, December 12, 2005
Man Apologizes After Fake Wikipedia Post
A man who posted false information on an online encyclopedia linking a prominent journalist to the Kennedy assassinations says he was playing a trick on a co-worker.
Brian Chase, 38, ended up resigning from his job and apologizing to John Seigenthaler Sr., the former publisher of the Tennessean newspaper and founding editorial director of USA Today.
"I knew from the news that Mr. Seigenthaler was looking for who did it, and I did it, so I needed to let him know in particular that it wasn't anyone out to get him, that it was done as a joke that went horribly, horribly wrong," Chase was quoted as saying in Sunday editions of The Tennessean.
Chase said he didn't know the free Internet encyclopedia called Wikipedia was used as a serious reference tool.
He also said he doesn't support more regulations of the Internet, but he said that he fears "Wikipedia is inviting it by its allowing irresponsible vandals to write anything they want about anybody."
Brian Chase, 38, ended up resigning from his job and apologizing to John Seigenthaler Sr., the former publisher of the Tennessean newspaper and founding editorial director of USA Today.
"I knew from the news that Mr. Seigenthaler was looking for who did it, and I did it, so I needed to let him know in particular that it wasn't anyone out to get him, that it was done as a joke that went horribly, horribly wrong," Chase was quoted as saying in Sunday editions of The Tennessean.
Chase said he didn't know the free Internet encyclopedia called Wikipedia was used as a serious reference tool.
He also said he doesn't support more regulations of the Internet, but he said that he fears "Wikipedia is inviting it by its allowing irresponsible vandals to write anything they want about anybody."
Chase said he created the fake online biography in May as a gag to shock a co-worker who was familiar with the Seigenthaler family. He resigned as an operations manager at a Nashville delivery company as a result of the debacle.
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