app

Microsoft announced at the Professional Developers Conference Tuesday that it is finally putting Office apps Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online, but not killing the traditional versions. It's about time Microsoft got with the program here. Online apps offer several advantages over software apps, which Google has been leveraging in its Google Docs suite. Primarily, documents that are created in an online app can be opened up for sharing and collaboration very simply.

If Microsoft Office were not a nearly ubiquitous piece of software, chances are the company would have added an online version earlier, due to another bit benefit … Read more

Following in its Gmail Labs footsteps, Google has launched a project to let organizations using Google Apps try experimental features.

But where any Gmail user can try the Gmail Labs options, Labs for Google Apps is inherently a group activity. An organization's Google Apps account administrator can enable the collaborative applications so people in the group can use them.

Also unlike Gmail Labs, these are standalone applications, not gadgets that augment existing Google Apps services the way panels such as calendars or document lists next to the Gmail application do.

Google has supplied the first three applications on its … Read more

LOS ANGELES--After years of questioning the value of Net-based productivity applications, Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that it will offer new versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that can run from within a standard Web browser.

As first reported by CNET News last week, Microsoft will use its Professional Developer Conference here to show off browser-based versions of its Office programs.

In an interview, Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop said that the browser-based editing capabilities are being developed in conjunction with the next version of Office, known as Office 14. Microsoft won't say when that version will arrive, but Elop … Read more

One of the most striking things about this early batch of Android apps is how many excellent freebies there are. Ringdroid is yet another sophisticated, intuitive freeware app that will prove a boon to T-Mobile G1-toting ringtone-lovers.

Ringdroid lets you create ringtones from MP3, WAV, and ARM files you load onto your phone through the SD card or that you purchase through the Amazon MP3 store.

Unlike many Android apps that use the Menu keys to store some software functions, most of Ringdroid's controls are out on the interface and all respond to touch. You can set the start … Read more

ShopSavvy, Barcode Scanner (by the ZXing team), and CompareEverywhere (an Android Challenge winner) are three free shopping applications for Google Android poised to help you find the best deals in town and online.

At their core, they're nearly identical, using the phone's camera to auto-focus on a barcode. That barcode is then matched to a product using an open source decoding library, ZXing, that was developed by Google engineers last year. (You can also search by product name.)

While these shopping apps share a back end, the front ends are distinct. Unfortunately, they all produced varying results that … Read more

Mercedes-Benz AMG is the next automaker to join the battle for customers' attention in the Apple iTunes App Store. Except while the other automakers have built apps that actually do something aside from advertise cars (for example, Audi's game and Ford's photo editor), Mercedes-Benz's app does nothing more than showcase the C63 AMG.

The main menu of the application features four options: Video, Photos, Sounds, Specs, and Find a Dealer.

Disappointingly, the Videos section is essentially a list of four videos that stream from Mercedes' Web site. Sorry, iPod Touch owners, this means that you'll have … Read more

As you know, I check out the iPhone app lists every day on my iPhone and at the iTunes Store. As I look for cool new apps, I find it interesting to see what moves to the top of the most popular lists every week and for what type of programs people are willing to pay money. One thing I've noticed is that programs (free or paid) continue to get more complex. As developers get more comfortable with the platform, we're starting to see games and apps that offer much more polish than the ones that came out … Read more

I cannot stop playing Lux Touch for the iPhone. It's far and away the best game I've played yet on the device. While not quite perfect, it's an intensely addictive and fast-paced version of the board game classic Risk, but with a modern twist. And it's a free download.

You play the blue forces. Each turn, you get three armies, which you place in your territories. At certain times you can cash in "cards" (which you get as you conquer new regions), and those can be traded in for more armies. Get a full … Read more

OurStage, a service that allows you to discover new, alternative, and underground music, has launched a version of its service for the iPhone. OurStage Radio for the iPhone can be found now at the App Store for free.

We've covered OurStage before and so far, the iPhone app just seems like a mobile version of its site/service.

Users are able to select different music, categorized in a surprising number of genres, like hip-hop, alternative hip-hop, and rap. There's also a Guitar Solo genre that actually has a huge number of artists available. Once you've listened, you'… Read more