documents

TextFlow partners with Box.net to solve its big weakness

Here's a useful partnership: take a company that lets people compare and selectively combine multiple versions of a Microsoft Word document (TextFlow), and put it together with a company that hosts documents and has built-in communication tools (Box.net).

That's the news from these two, which on Tuesday are taking the wraps off an OpenBox integration that lets Box users use Nordic River's TextFlow technology right inside their storage folders.

The partnership solves one big problem, and that's wrangling multiple versions of a file. Instead of the onus being on one editor to herd them together by e-mail, they can just have each user edit a single copy stored on Box. Those users can then save the file back as a version of the file, which an editor is able to compare--at up to seven versions at a time, from a TextFlow page within Box.

Another benefit of having Box handle the storage is that TextFlow can now save charts and images from within documents. Previously, these were stripped out in the TextFlow conversion. Users can even move them around within the document, just as if they were in Word.

This has one big effect on work flow, specifically the bit at the end, which is where TextFlow's system fell apart. Sure, it was great to speed up the edit process, but at the end, you were stuck adding these document elements back in from a previous copy.

According to Nordic River CEO Tomer Shalit, who spoke with CNET last week, this same kind of functionality, which includes the images and charts within documents, will eventually trickle down into TextFlow proper.

The only other road bump--and one Shalit anticipates will be fixed later on--is that Box's system does not allow users to select multiple files and compare them--only multiple versions of the same file. This is the exact opposite of how people use TextFlow on its own, which is where some confusion may initially crop up with long-term TextFlow users.

The new feature requires that users be paid Box business subscribers to use it, since it takes advantage of Box's file-versioning system, which is available only with the higher-end plans. It also requires being a paid user of TextFlow, which runs $9.95 a month, or $99 a year. To that end, this will be the first tool for Box users to compare different versions of the same file from within the service. Previously, users would have had to get local copies of each of these, then run them through TextFlow or CompareMyDocs.

Correction 10:26 a.m. PST: This article initially misstated the price of using the TextFlow service within Box.net. It costs $9.95 a month, or $99 a year.… Read more

Scanner Pro turns an iPhone into a document scanner

Problem: You've just been handed a stack of papers that need to be signed and returned--and there's no fax machine in sight.

Problem: You've got a pocketful of receipts you're tired of carrying around--and no place to file them.

Problem: You need to convert a printed document into a PDF.

The solution for all these predicaments is Scanner Pro ($4.99), which turns your iPhone into a mobile scanner that connects to everything from Dropbox to Evernote to MobileMe.

Here's how it works: Find the most well-lit setting you possibly can, run the app, then … Read more

Buggy document tools

Danet Studio is a suite of tools for creating, editing, and viewing XPS and other types of documents. Although we were initially impressed by the number of features the program offers, in the end we were put off by its functional problems.

The program's interface is nice enough, with a main screen that contains buttons for launching all of the software's different utilities. These include a creator, viewer, reader, merger, player, and puzzle. Some of these were functional, if not particularly impressive; the viewer and reader, for example, did an adequate job of displaying flow and fixed documents. … Read more

Edit docs, attachments

Documents To Go quickly proves its competence by delivering crisp, clear reproductions of your Word, PowerPoint, PDF, Excel, and iWork documents, including Microsoft Office 2007 files. Most core tools to create, edit, save, and send Microsoft Word, Excel documents, and PowerPoint presentations are tucked into expanding tool menus. Although much of the app's navigation is intuitive, expect some trial and error. The newest tool, for editing and creating PowerPoint presentations, is the most limited in what it can do.

Opening e-mail attachments sent through Microsoft Exchange or through Gmail (but not both) is a boon for many users, who … Read more

iPhone's Docs To Go 3.0 edits PowerPoint, reads Gmail

DataViz and Quickoffice have long been racing for the glory of creating the most advanced office suite for iPhone. Their products, Documents To Go and Quickoffice Mobile Suite, have leapfrogged one another as they developed. This time, Documents To Go Premium pulls into the lead with version 3.0 of the $14.99 app that is now capable of creating and editing PowerPoint presentations, and opening Gmail attachments. (There's a simpler version of Documents To Go, without these features, for $9.99.)

As part of its update, Documents To Go Premium 3.0, previously known as Documents To Go … Read more

Slideshow viewer

Slideboxx provides a set of tools for making quick and easy searches for PowerPoint slides. With its simple layout and fast results, this is a great program for those who frequently work with slideshows.

While Slideboxx features a professional-looking design, its interface proved less than intuitive to navigate, and we required a visit to the Help file. One other gripe we had with the interface is that it opens within your Internet browser, so you can't use it as a standalone application but must open another program instead. Fortunately, Slideboxx is a breeze to operate. We were able to … Read more

Buggy translation program

Cute Translator lets users translate text between 13 different languages. Although the program does translate text quickly, we found the program's other features frustrating and, in some cases, unusable.

We were met right off the bat with two nonsensical error messages when the program opened. We ignored them, and the program opened without issues. The interface is simple enough, with a box for users to input text and another below it where the translation appears. Translations are completed quickly. The program's extra features, however, are annoying to set up. Users can have text read aloud to them by … Read more

'Compare My Docs' does just what you think it does

If you're a regular user of the revision comparison feature in Google Docs, you'll likely enjoy new service Compare My Docs. It comes from the same folks who created TextFlow, the Adobe AIR-based app that spot differences across multiple copies of a Word document or rich text file.

Compare My Docs does many of the same things as TextFlow, including being able to compare up to six versions of the same document to see what's been changed. The big difference though, is that it runs right in your browser and requires no sign-up whatsoever.

Just like TextFlow, … Read more

Premium Documents To Go updates on BlackBerry

Your BlackBerry may already have the free version of the Documents To Go viewer and editor loaded onto it. That's fine for casual users, but professionals who annex their smartphones into their virtual office will want the advanced creating and editing features of the premium version (compare features--PDF).

On BlackBerry phones, Documents To Go Premium Edition 2.0 adds four new features. There's a file browser to delete, rename, and copy and paste all the Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF files across the Documents To Go sub-apps. There's also an enriched PDF To Go … Read more

Office document generator

Blitz Document is a useful tool with built-in templates for creating office forms. The templates help you quickly design and generate common and specialized business documents for a variety of purposes, including invoices, sales agreements, letters, and memos. There are "Sales Related Documents" like Invoices, Bills of Sale, and Sales Agreements. Businesses can use the templates as-is, but they're easily edited and customized for different needs.

Under the Common Forms tab in the Template menu, you'll find templates for frequently used office type purposes: faxes, letters, meeting agendas, and more. We really liked Blitz Document's … Read more