The good, the bad and the ugly in online office applications

The Good

Virtually Free
Online office applications from Google and Zoho are virtually free for basic tasks in office productivity. Applications installed in local computers come with a licensing fee and would place a dent in terms of office budgeting especially for small companies.

Real Time Collaboration

Developing programs and writing/editing documents is now faster as collaboration in real time. Users can work on documents at the same time and see the updates in real time. Everyone who has permission to make some changes on the application can do it anytime, anywhere.

No Lost Files

You can virtually burn down your building and expect all your files to be protected. Since all your files are now online, you don’t need to worry about a broken (or burned) laptop.

The Bad

Lay-Out Problems

The online applications may not be compatible with the applications in the local computer. The downloaded file may not be same when read in the local computer.

Lesser Features

Developers of online applications have to sacrifice a little bit in efficiency to improve speed of their online application. Certain tools could be lacking and may not provide the needed output of the user.

The Ugly

Relying on Internet Connectivity

All work could be done only when there’s a strong internet connection. Anything below DSL speed would not work for online office applications. It would be worst if there’s no internet connection since no work could be done.

Security Problems

Since these are free applications, users can’t demand security and functionality. When one computer in your workgroup has been attacked by spyware or virus, everyone else could be infected in no time.

Internet Media Tablet of the day

For those who are always in search of entertainment the good news is that they have now Internet, TV and media in their palms. Internet Media Tablet will be their entertainment daily tablet and there are already 3 of them: ARCHOS 5, ARCHOS 7, ARCHOS 5g.

The sizes of these tablets may be reduced, but the producer does not compromise when it comes to quality. For example on ARCHOS 5 people can surf the web as if they are using their PCs – reading and sending emails and attachments or surfing various web pages due to its Adobe Flash 9 video support.

The tablet has a very high capacity internal hard drive from 60 to 250 GB. This enables you to download your favourite music and videos from a selection of partners in the Media Club. You can also play your favourite movies in HD or DVD format.

What ARCHOS 7 has different is a bigger hard drive - from 160 GB to 320 GB, in rest the web surfing is as smooth as with the previous tablet and the TV experience on the go is just as wonderful – in the office or everywhere.

Computers get greener and “Wyser”

In this polluted and eco-suffering world, obsessed by slimming and slenderness, there are also thin computers offered by Wyse which run from a single central server and consume less energy. Thin computers use servers running a choice of UNIX/Linux, HTML applications, Microsoft Windows Terminal Services, Citrix Applications Delivery, or VMware VDI .

They also replace PCV with a Thin or Zero Client, doing an easier job for the IT because they can manage user desktops by moving their complexity to the data center.

A thin computer works just like a PC (to the person who uses it). All the familiar softwares and user interface are there, but data, operating system, and applications all reside back on the server. And they cost less to own and operate.


What is appealing is that thin computers consume about 90 percent less energy than a PC. The producer guarantees that its computers will last for 7 (I would say – apocalyptic) years.


The facts about using thin computers are:
For 1,000 normal PCs there are 70.51 kilowatts consumed per hour and 146, 660 Kw consumed per year; costing $13.111 per year.For 1,000 thin computers there are 7.14 kw consumed per hour; 14,851 kw per year and $1,327 energy cost per year.

What is an IP phone exactly?

IP phones are very common nowadays in office environments. What are they really though?

An IP phone merely uses voice over IP technology identical to the very well-known Skype software. The technology enables the end user to forward calls over the internet rather than the usual public switched telephone network (PSTN). The phone devices implement protocoles like Session Initiation and Skinny Client for which further information are either completely useless for the end user or too complicated to understand, so I will move on.

So, lets just say very simply that IP phones are phone devices – and not telephones – with additional features facilitated by installed software. Those extra features may very well include from the standard caller id recognition, call history similar mobile phone's, corporate directories for quick access to numbers and numerous other application depending from the model and your companies agreement.

Although you might end up using all the additional gizmos on your phone very rarely, the conference and multiparty call options regularly prove handy while holding and transferring the odd sales call to your “beloved” colleague has been considerably simplified.

The principal motivation for every sizeable company to adopt an IP phone system is, of course, the usual suspect cost. It is simple really. As your voice is transmitted over IP, the charge associated with implementing the technology is directly related with the prearranged and fixed cost for internet bandwidth.

So, all you cold callers out there, don’t believe the billing your manager flashes every week next to your spins number. He is so full of rubbish!

Space saver, mind blower, Virtual Keyboard

Just imagine an empty desk with a screen, a wireless mouse and pretty lights projected onto your desk. That is what your desk will look like if you have the Zippo sized Virtual Laser Keyboard, a device that projects a keyboard onto any flat surface and uses optical movement recognition technology to pick out what letters you are typing.

If you are constantly using you iPhone or Blackberry on the go, if your desk space is limited, or if you just like as few things as is possible on your desk, then this little gadget will work ideally for you. I purchased one as a gift for a friend last year, mostly for the novelty value, but checked with him recently and found out that he still uses it regularly with his Tablet PC. Apparently, apart from impressing everyone in the office with the pretty lights it works without a hitch.

But what attracts me the most, as I write this on a keyboard used by other people, is the cleanliness factor. Who knows what people touch before they check their emails on your laptop really quickly, and who wants to imagine for that matter. For all you clean freaks out there, this is one way to clean your keyboard without risk of short circuiting everything.

Plug it in, start using it, change your settings and parameters to suit your typing style and you’re off!

A relaxed way to work out in the office

Your one hour lunch break, if you are lucky enough to take a full hour for your lunch break, is not always enough for you to snack and do a little working out. And if you are one of us, working in an office all day, mouse in hand, you will be needing some relief for your aching wrist or cramping hand.

This is where the Powerball comes in. Powerball suppliers call the device a “a dynamic hand powered gyroscope”, in plain English a ball inside a ball that spins really fast if you twist your wrist. You hold the ball and rotate your wrist to increase the speed at which the internal ball spins. Within a few seconds this simple movement starts to exert a surprising amount of force on your entire arm, giving you a full arm workout. No need to change into shorts and rush off to the gym. When your wrist starts tingling after sending off emails all day just lean back for a minute or two and give the Powerball a go.

Furthermore, it improves your grip, helping in a whole range of sports and outdoor activities, from rock climbing to badminton and has been recommended by chiropractors as a good tool for the rehabilitation of various arm injuries that can be suffered in the office, such as carpal tunnel.

Apparently, these little gadgets cause quite the competition around the office during breaks, as they record the highest rpms (up to 15000!) and display them as a kind of high score. Just a little pointer: You might want to let the boss win.

Features

• Generates 40 lbs of force
• Built in speedometer
• Six program functions
• Internal window displays and records your achieved RPM
• Auto power shut-off
• Batteries included*
• Achieves speeds of up to 15,000 RPM
• Glows neon blue when spinning
• Great for sports training
• Improve your grip for when you're next hanging from a cliff edge in cool shades with a smug smile on your face. Or of course for tennis, golf, squash, archery, fencing, etc
• Size: 7.5cm x 6.5cm

*Requires x 2 Watch style Batteries in the speedometer

Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro for Web Conferencing

Amongst the crowd of software companies forcing with obscure ways their users to purchase their software products, one exists which actually addresses kindly specific market needs with pioneering solutions.

Adobe attracted a lot of attention with the release of Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro targeting the declining market of business events, conferences, forums, summits and symposiums with a simple, user-friendly web solution promoting communication security and cost efficiency.

The Acrobat Connect Pro incorporates two already well-established software; the Adobe Acrobat and Macromedia Connect. The technology utilized in the Macromedia Connect was acquired by Adobe a couple of years ago, along with the whole company, in a strategic acquisition which brought Adobe a step higher on the global software ranking, currently holding solid ground on position 5.

Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is a supreme software solution setting an outstanding benchmark in web conferencing and eLearning.

Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse

The Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser mouse for notebooks is a superior companion for full on laptop users, combining the best desktop mice features while it is small and glossy, even if it fits in a tiny wireless receiver. Going beyond its impressive design, you sense the design's ergonomic qualities like the soft-touch rubber grips. It is a bit disappointing it is only available in a right-hand version.

VX Revolution introduces exciting new features with an actual purpose, in a very shy in terms of innovations market, thus it isn’t the cheaper option in the market. If you are a believer of paying a bit more for investing on a best-of-class product, the VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse will not disappoint. The whole concept follows a rather minimal but functional approach, making the “nearly frictionless” scroll wheels its star feature.

The Zoom button and a couple of other fancy functions didn’t affect VX Revolution in terms of size or weight. The 4.2 ounces (130 grams) mouse is marginally bigger than its laptop cousins but it is definitely prettier and still smaller than the desktop ones.

VX Revolution might come across as “racist” to left-hands users but it sticks with social trends like “going green” thus, its receiver switches off when not used to save power. Plus, it is so comfortable and technologically advanced that you get used to its features instantly and most probably it will be a challenge not to use it as your primary mouse; either using a desktop or a laptop.

Mobile Phones - The new health threat

Today’s post might not be a pleasant one, yet it is as serious as cancer is. Throughout history humanity seems to have been striving to survive various threats. Romans were dying from their lead-made cutlery, then it was plague’s turn to take its toll upon humanity, the yellow fever, the atomic bomb, smoking and even a deadly flu spread by birds!! The most recent one is a beloved friend and companion, a device equally adored as it is despised.

Studies conducted by neurosurgeons reveal growing evidence showing that excessive, long-term mobile use appears to be connected with specific types of brain tumours. Publications in medical and scientific literature, based on increased evidence supporting the theory, suggest an almost certain link. More specifically, the evidence indicate that there is an increased risk of developing a brain tumour on the preferred side for mobile use. I may not know what acoustic neuroma and astrocytoma exactly are but they don’t sound very jolly, and note that those two types of brain tumours do develop on the side of brain coming more in contact with mobile devices.

I am sure that many of you are already familiar with the theory, as it emerged few years ago. Back then studies and research proved no correlation between mobile technology and brain tumours. Unfortunately few individuals' raising voices that tumours develop over a period of 10 years were quickly silenced by mobile manufacturers. Unfortunately though, 10 years or more is actually the probable time length a tumour needs to develop, and mobile technology was introduced to the wide public around 10 years ago. The meaning is simple; effects on public health started to emerge recently and will reach maturity around year 2012.

I just hope the same voices which rise today screaming for caution when it comes to children using mobile phones, will not be silenced easily.

No keyboard or mouse, just brains

First came Nintendo Wii to amaze gamers with its pioneering technology, then it was Guitar Hero exploring new kinds of kinetic interface. In the meantime in our work environments we are stuck with technology like the QWERTY keyboard and the computer mouse dating back 134 years and 45 years respectively.

Few steps are taken in order to revolutionize office technology, and it is the usual suspect Microsoft who is already busy developing Surface, an alternative to keyboard and mouse. This move will probably signify the beginning of a new era in the consumer electronics world. Kristin Alexander, head of research and planning for Microsoft Surface, claims that interfaces will, in the longer term, move beyond table top screens to other spaces. "That's why we called it Surface and not table", she said while Microsoft still remaines committed to the mouse.

But if that’s Microsoft’s ambitious plan they may have a bit of catching up to do. Cynergy Systems is a company that already presented a showcase of a home made "Minority Report" style gesture-interface. The system utilizes Nintendo Wii controller, a gutted computer mouse, and a pair of baseball gloves dotted with infra-red LED's bringing the cost to around $150. According to early feedback, regardless of the device’s homebrew-feel, the results were impressive.



Currently Microsoft Surface costs thousand of dollars while Cynergy’s system could be much cheaper and quite similar but without the surface.

The latest development though called Emotiv actually remind of that old spy film on which Clint Eastwood was operating a Russian Aircraft’s weapons with his mind. Similarly Emotiv utilizes electrical activity in the brain to control computer systems and is regarded as the most promising next generation development.


Amazing sci-fi stuff, isn’t it?