office

Scrybe, Calgoo, Tungle: How to connect and stay organized

Everyone is overcommitted, but we don't all have personal assistants. So getting organized quickly is a problem we'd all like to solve. Doing that without regard to your location is even better. Here at Under the Radar, several companies think they have a solution.

Scrybe's hook is making your calendar accessible everywhere. Scrybe is targeting an enterprise audience in need of organizing on the go. It makes your calendar accessible online and off, and users can see appointments in multiple time zones. It also acts as a destination for collected Web clippings. Be sure to check out … Read more

Office 2.0 mashup tools: Longjump, Proto Software, Teqlo

Under the Radar's start-up group kicked off this morning with presentations from Longjump, Proto Software and Teqlo. The general theme of this group was building business solutions with easy-to-use mash-up tools. For small businesses, it's a little bit like buying lumber verses chopping down a tree.

Longjump is a subscription-based marketplace of customizable Web-based apps. Each app can be built-up and edited with drag and drop creation, and custom tailored for small groups. Longjump also provides tools and utilities to upload and integrate the data you already have. Longjump breaks down applications by category, and users can comment … Read more

Levitating globe for aspiring archvillains (and corporate whores)

If you're the kind of person who doesn't mind looking like a huge dork, then maybe you'd be down for this little levitating globe for your office desk. It's perfect for the Dr. Evil wannabe, or maybe the Kenneth Lay wannabe. Keep in mind that unless you have a massive desk (maybe even one shaped like a Mini Cooper), a sexy secretary (of either gender) and a fabulous cityscape outside your 40th-floor window, this desk decoration will just make you look stupid. In other words, Dunder-Mifflin employees need not apply.

Anyhoo, this little desktop gizmo works … Read more

Fit 'The Office' in your pocket

You can soon view Pam and Jim's "will they, won't they" dance on your cell phone as NBC announced Wednesday it will offer full-length mobile versions of its prime-time TV shows on demand. Shows like The Office and Heroes will be streamed to your phone by MobiTV. Prices start at $1.99 each for a 24-hour viewing period.

You won't be able to store the shows on your phone, which is disappointing. Even worse, it's unclear what types of phones can pause shows and resume watching later. I'm guessing you'll need a … Read more

Friendster lands a third patent

In another attempt to bolster its profitability, pioneering social-networking site Friendster said Thursday it has received its third U.S. patent in the past nine months.

Officially awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on March 6, Patent No. 7,188,153 B2 covers "System and Method for Managing Connections in an Online Social Network."

The San Francisco-based outfit's first patent, granted in July 2006, covers "A System, Method and Apparatus for Connecting Users in an Online Computer System Based on Their Relationships within Social Networks." It landed a second patent in October … Read more

Hungry li'l shredder wants to eat your yummy junk mail

This is one of the few gadgets that I think would actually be enhanced by the presence of a cute, anthropomorphic face. The MailMate shredder, as featured on Outblush, is hungry and will only be satisfied if you feed it lots of junk mail! Wouldn't it be satisfying to feed all those credit card offers, sweepstakes promotions, and what-have-you into the mouth of an adorable, anime-inspired monster? If Domo-kun could eat my junk mail, it'd make my day.

What makes the MailMate special is that it won't just chomp up paper. It also likes to snack on … Read more

Corel's Lightning word processor strikes

Aiming to build a bridge between its desktop productivity software and the Web, Corel released a free beta version of its new WordPerfect Lightning today. At less than 20MB, Lightning includes Navigator, Notes, and Viewer tools, which manage basic word processing and note taking. This download also offers a free trial of the solid Corel WordPerfect Office X3 suite. Lightning synchronizes content on your hard drive with online folders at Joyent, which offers a generous 200MB of storage in addition to e-mail, a calendar, bookmarking, and collaboration capabilities.

I've played with Lightning several times. Unfortunately, I've found it … Read more

Google Premium: Don't get too excited

As reported on News.com last night and widely on the Web, Google has announced the business-class version of its application suite, Google Apps. It's widely seen as a serious threat to Microsoft's office suite, primarily since it costs $50 a year per user, which deeply undercuts the price of Office.

The free version is still available, but if you pay for the service you get 24/7 phone support, a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee for e-mail, more online storage space, and other business-friendly features. You also can make it appear that Google's services (like your … Read more

Dream of Vespa adventures from your cubicle

Okay, so maybe it's not as all-out of an office-roadster tribute as the Mini-Desk, but this Vespa desk clock, a favorite of ThisNext readers, is still pretty cool--and probably a lot more reasonable. The Vespa clock's vintage styling and streamlined design, modeled off the headlight of an original 1946 Vespa scooter, would make a lovely addition to the most chic of office spaces.

But therein lies the problem. It's certainly aesthetically pleasing, and quite classy, and that's kind of why I'd be hesitant to get one. It'd clash horribly with my current desk decor … Read more