Online Apps

Jul 20 2008   9:02AM GMT

Do We Really Need Microsoft Office? No in the Past and Future

Posted by: William Peterson
Business, Enterprise, Google Docs, Corporate, Online Apps, OpenOffice, Microsoft, Office, Learning, Presentation, professional, Review, Solutions, Technology

Yesterday I read the an article “Do I Need to Buy Microsoft Office?” at Ask a Geek of latest Popular Science. As the its result of “Our geek weighs the options and finds Office might not be the best bet”, I agree that Microsoft Office’s rivals are really powerful and nice, such as Google Docs, OpenOffice or Corel’s WordPerfect Office suite. On my personal side, I would rather choose Google Docs, whether Google would charge me some fees or not in the future. But most businesses nowadays must have the Microsoft Office suite installed, while IBM extremely loves his Lotus Notes software as exception.

In the future, desktop software will be completely replaced with Web applications without doubts. So Microsoft Office is certainly the product for current days. But we can not rush to the future without it because of its popularity in the past. Because a lot of people are working with it now, and will work with it in the future for a long time. In order to avoid any bad incompatibility, our business must have and manage it. Just think about, you partner sent you a document in DOCX format, but you cannot read the contents properly with your OpenOffice, and you will ask for another PDF copy? That’s also why a huge enterprise IBM can not abandon its ever popurlar used Lotus Notes easily.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

Jul 13 2008   4:56AM GMT

Flash, Silverlight Go Searchable - A Little Thinking of Search Engine Optimized Rich Media

Posted by: William Peterson
Business, Google, CIO, Development, Adobe, AJAX, Flash, Online Apps, Silverlight, Google Search, Learning, Presentation, professional, Review, RIA, Solutions, Technology, Web

No needs to mention that the proudly announcement of Adobe’s that “Rich Media Search on the Web” on July; as we guess, Microsoft also teams its Silverlight technology up with the rich media content searchable trend. It’s really long long waiting to make this available after years of Flash technology booming. Like Neil Armstrong’s first words on the moon, “that’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”.

Coming with Google’s “Flash indexing algorithm“, we know the SEOs (Search Engine Optimization) can not live standalone without the requirements from the market. The little thinking from me on search engine optimized rich media: business presentations over the Web now essentially catch up with the help of SEOed.

There’s much to admire about Adobe’s web technology initiatives over the past year or so, such as recent Adobe AIR, Acrobat.com. But this one, advanced RIA technology with SEO compliance inspires me indeed. As most developed Web apps take SEO as better user experience advantage over Rich Internet Apps, now for searchable Flash, I really recommend businesses to do in this way.

The last words to notify on this thinking, most traditional manufacturers of Flash authoring tools should rearrange the producing of Flash, to satisfy the SEOed Flash content better.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

Jul 7 2008   3:16AM GMT

Be with Acrobat.com: Do Business in the Online Office as Usual, Why Not

Posted by: William Peterson
AIR, Business, Enterprise, Google Docs, CIO, Adobe, AJAX, Flash, Online Apps, professional, Review, RIA, Solutions, Technology, Tips, Web

Like Photoshop Express’s photo sharing and photo editing, Adobe can’t help unveiling its complete online office solution to gear up file sharing and documents collaborating using Acrobat.com. From Adobe’s official description, it’s a set of online services - file sharing and storage, PDF converter, online word processor, and web conferencing.

Already one month after its rocket launch to enhance online documentation office upon the mastered Flash technology, Adobe pushed Acrobat all the ways to the de facto international standard. The final release of Acrobat 9 comes that, Adobe actually desires the online service as better component for its desktop apps. Even if the online solution not caught up as Acrobat Professional, but the support of source formats arranged from Word to PowerPoint is really inspired, and better than Google Docs.

That goes here, Google Docs versus Acrobat.com. By contrast, Google Docs has less enhanced editing, and less powerful conversion - not sophisticated in document contents/web conferencing as Adobe’s strength. But popped with Google’s account, the document collaborating, and file sharing is easy and flexible. More than these, Google’s AJAX structure is a little better than complete Flash core in browsers if we don’t get a faster connection.

Anyway, I encourage people to try more business in the online office, Google or Adobe, whatever you like. But it’s really great influences to improve efficiency, avoid complexity, and help environment. Finally, I recommend this AIR “Acrobat.com for My Desktop” to launch acrobat.com as AIR app from desktop.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

May 27 2008   2:56PM GMT

Silverlight Technology on the Future Business Presentation

Posted by: William Peterson
Business, Flash Video, Adobe, Flash, Online Apps, Silverlight, Microsoft, Presentation, professional, Review, Technology, Web

I caught some funny Silverlight applications from those passionate guys who work in Microsoft’s Silverlight Business Development Team, such as Silverlight Games, Silverlight Instant Messaging Client, Silverlight Clock.

I like those trial Web applications to improve our satisfaction of Internet lifestyle. Moreover, as its called “Flash Killer”, it’s really not a bad idea to advance the ease of future business presentation. Whatever, at least we get a nice alternative in current Flash-Flash world. I guess, Microsoft will embed Silverlight technology support in his next generation Internet Explorer in near future, and that is, no more compatibility hassles. We’ll do our businesses over Silverlight technology platform then, as we with Adobe Flash today. The focal point is, we may not know the advantages of Silverlight over Flash, so we stay here.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

May 17 2008   3:49PM GMT

Live Up Yourself as Flash Video with Flash Media Encoder

Posted by: William Peterson
Flash Video, YouTube, Flash, Online Apps, FLV, Live, Presentation, professional, Solutions, Technology, Web, Adobe, Webcast

Forget off the latest beta version of called Adobe Flash Player 10 with advanced 3D and GPU capabilities, you’ll like to build your own live streaming station site with latest Adobe Flash Media Encoder. Just visit:

http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver/flashmediaencoder/

Adobe Flash Media Encoder 2.5 software is designed to enable you to capture live audio and video while streaming it in real time to Flash Media Server software or Flash Video Streaming Service (FVSS). When high-quality streaming is your priority, Flash Media Encoder 2.5 can help you broadcast live events and around-the-clock broadcasting such as:

Sporting events
Concerts
Webcasts
Educational or promotional events

As I know, most IT news sites deployed Flash media server products as its webcast solution, and the solution is really recommended and awarded. However, for individuals, stored Flash video like YouTube way might be more acceptable, so Flash Video Encoder is preferred.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

May 1 2008   3:49PM GMT

Rich Internet Applications: The Open Future is On

Posted by: William Peterson
AIR, Business, AJAX, Flash, Online Apps, Silverlight, Review, RIA, Solutions

When I heard the news that, the research from Forrest said the popular AJAX is too old for rich Internet applications, and it will be replaced by Adobe AIR or Microsoft Silverlight in the future, I really don’t agree with that idea. Although the new technologies AIR or Silverlight are hot and appreciated by developers, we cannot deny the further improvement on AJAX, which is just built on the simplest platform over rich Internet.

However, Adobe’s Open Screen Project is really favorable. The project is is working to enable a consistent runtime environment – taking advantage of Adobe® Flash® Player and, in the future, Adobe AIR™ — that will remove barriers for developers and designers as they publish content and applications across desktops and consumer devices, including phones, mobile internet devices (MIDs), and set top boxes. Also, it is supported by technology leaders. I think, most IT guys will be interested in the details, just visit http://www.adobe.com/openscreenproject/

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

Apr 27 2008   5:56AM GMT

AOL’s Rich Internet Mail in Microsoft’s Silverlight Experience

Posted by: William Peterson
AJAX, RIA, AOL, Google, Flash, Online Apps, Silverlight, Web, Live, Microsoft, Review

Beyond the common sense of popular AJAX Web mail, AOL plans on new gadget for old Web mail service, which offers industry-leading performance, unique skinning options and rich media content capabilities. Generally, the spotlight upon those boring slogans is the Microsoft Silverlight 2.0 technology in called convenience of the Web and the performance of a desktop application together.

AOL demonstrated the new RIA Mail at Microsoft’s MIX08 conference. The demo highlighted a version of RIA created specifically for fans of the video game Halo, featuring a Halo mail “skin” as well as Halo-specific content and advertising to create a dynamic online experience.

According to my ever experiences on Flash-based or AJAX-based Web mail services, Google’s Gmail’s still my favorite as its really Internet-friendly technology. However, AOL’s RIA Mail seems shinning and nice. If the high-appreciated future mail service can be launched to beat up Yahoo or Earthlink’s Web mail, I think Microsoft’s Silverlight should be the best weapon to arm to tooth. Also, I guess the new AOL mail may promote Silverlight as its engaging case study.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

Apr 21 2008   8:48AM GMT

Criticize the Top Players of Web Presentation in Flash: authorSTREAM, SlideShare and Google

Posted by: William Peterson
Google, Business, YouTube, Flash, Google Apps, Online Apps, Web, Office, PowerPoint, Presentation, professional, Review

After authorSTREAM continuously sent the e-newsletter “PowerPoint on iPod and YouTube” to me and all others, I had a glimpse of its new campaign upon popular elements. It got me thinking about the current Web presentation services on Web 2.0. It might be easy to find that most palyers on the stage build their Web presentation system on Flash platform, and promote the idea as community like YouTube. Whatever how many sites follow the fad to provide Web presentation services, most of them don’t catch the real feeling of Web 2.0. Here I just express my initial thinking to the well-done Flash projects on the Web presentation stage. Anyway, feel free to think through some of your own in the comments.

. Google Docs by Google. Firstly, to be fair, Google always offers various Web freebies as most peoples preferred, so I cannot judge a Web search engine provider with any presentation related critics. But under its well-known brand and Web technologies, Google Docs could be really great alternative to Microsoft Office Suite, especially with its better documents compatibility recently. Meanwhile, the defects are obvious: animation effects, crashed scripts and limited features. For most exsiting Google users, the ability within one universal Google account is certainly easy to use.

. authorSTREAM by authorGEN. Before its athorSTREAM promoted to me, I have knew its producer authorGEN as its leading in multimedia presentation solution. The company of authorGEN has produced authorPOINT, which creates professional presentation for business and e-learning from PowerPoint. Upon the stable technology of PowerPoint presentations to online Flash shows, authorSTREAM made a rapid growth on the Web presentation stage. The promotion idea with popular elements blogs, iPod and YouTube included also sounds great. Actually its presentation technologies are really advanced, that is, the animated slids and embedded audio would be the fair point as so far.

. SlideShare by SlideShare. It launched the service early, and the community is generally popular upon the well-done construction and promotion these years. As the king of Web presentation service, its entire community system including slideshow sharing, rating and additional features does no wrose than how YouTube works. Moreover, its affiliation on Facebook as one integrated online application (http://apps.facebook.com/slideshare) leads better attractions. However, unfortunately it didn’t provide plentiful office features like Google Docs, or enhanced presentation abilities like authorSTREAM. But really like YouTube community, it cannot stop its popularity on the stage.

Well, that’s the quick review I came up with. Like most users, I’m not sure there’s a real toplist there, but it doesn’t mean I can’t make some nice opinions. By the way, you may have a look at Google’s presentation in Flash about Q1 2008 Quarterly Earnings Summary on SlideShare’s Slideshow of the Day.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

Apr 12 2008   6:56AM GMT

Recommend Some Silverlight Demos from Microsoft Development Community

Posted by: William Peterson
Enterprise, Development, Online Apps, Silverlight, Web, Microsoft Windows, Live, Microsoft, professional

As Silverlight is really hot other than just Microsoft, I’m digging on it recent days, and now recommend some demos for everyone to know the further technology better, and plan it in your own business. The resources are just from Microsoft develper Nigel Parker’s presentation in his blog. Thanks for the effort.

Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Surface Demonstration (Video Support)
http://weblogs.asp.net/mschwarz/archive/2007/06/04/silverlight-surface-demonstration-video-support.aspx

French Silverlight 1.0 Application (Script#)
http://galilee.microsoft.fr/TechDays2008/SL/techdays-2008-silverlight.aspx
Script#

Silverlight 1.0 Inking Search Sample
http://www.tabletpcpost.com/search/

Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Invaders
http://www.andybeaulieu.com/silverlight/DestroyAll/Default.html
Code

Glenn Conner Interview
http://gobeyond.net.nz/glennria.html
Amazon Demo Silverlight 1.1 Alpha

Building a Video Player in 8 mins with Silverlight 1.0
http://gobeyond.net.nz/wotp/ReflectJam.html

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran

Feb 28 2008   4:45PM GMT

Right, We Need A Powerful Engine for Corporate Presentations

Posted by: William Peterson
Presentation, Review, Online Apps, Enterprise, Corporate, PowerPoint

When I reviewed some tools in that article Forget PowerPoint: 13 Online Presentation Apps as many other gadget reviews, certainly most of these Internet applications are based on Flash or Ajax like what I said before, I found a description “Focused more on larger corporate customers with a monthly budget for little bit higher-end needs. Provides templates for speedy creation” and Presentation Engine. Enterprise high-end needs? Wasn’t this what we always thought of? So I viewed samples and made its free test drive. Its step-by-step creation with templates was really easy, and the output was exquisite. But I finally got its so-called “Presentation Engine” idea: just stunning multimedia presentation in Flash for rich-media advertising.

Despite rich presentations are used for kind of promotion, they aren’t just ads. More than general slideshows, corporate presentations have such function of e-learning, with efficient knowledge management. So we really need interactive and intuitive features in online presentation applications for better support of corporate learning and training. That’s the powerful engine for corporate presentations. The best solution I think could be integration of corporate LMS development and stable online presentation platform.

William Peterson
Presentation Veteran