Microsoft Office 2010 will have free web-based version

It is going to be a “Battle Royal” between two of the tech industry giants. Few days ago, Google announced to offer a free browser based OS named Chrome. Following Google’s announcement this week, Microsoft unveiled its next MS office version. The MS Office 2010 will come with a free version in “Office web.” However, the free version will not have all the features of MS Word, Excel or Power Point.

Like Google, users are required to sign up for an Office Web account and then they would enjoy the free MS office programs through MS Windows Live Portal.Channel Web reports:

Microsoft has said that the free version of Office 2010 via Office Web won't give users all of the same features and functions they would receive if they purchased the desktop-based software, which will run from about $70 to $350 depending on the version. For example, Microsoft said Office 2010 will feature video editing in PowerPoint and image manipulation in Word, two features that the free version will not offer.

Google has been offering free word processing documents for quite sometime and analysts are saying Google’s free offering forced Microsoft to change its strategy but the question that is hovering around in everyone’s mind is –How Microsoft is going to profit from this free offering? In the first three quarters of 2009, Microsoft earned a revenue of $9.3 billion from sales of its software products worth $14.3 billion. MS office made up majority of the sales. Interestingly, free web-based software could not erode the profit of Microsoft. A recent study revealed that people who used free web-based software also used MS office. The bottom line is web-based softwares are like cheap netbooks, they can only perform basic functions. When it comes to complex functions, regular software is the only solution.

Related articles:

Channel Web

LG is launching its app store: Initial focus would be on Asia-Pacific

On July 14, 2009, LG is going to launch its new app store that will focus on Asia. By the end of 2009, the app store will be in other countries. LG is currently, the third largest handset producer around the world after Nokia and Samsung. This year, the company is looking forward to roll out 80 mobile phones out of which 12 phones will be smart phones. Both LG and Samsung do not have strong position in the smart phone market but they were not ready launch app store earlier as they thought it might create problems with their carrier partners.

Initially, the LG app store would provide 1,400 applications and there will be 100 free programs, available in 15 languages. The app store will be first launched in Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore,Malaysia and Australia and by the end of 2009 it would become available in Europe, South America. By that time, the number of applications will be increased to 2000. However, LG has no plan to launch the app store in the U.S where Apple iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry are ruling the app store market.

Related articles:
Reuters
Washington Post

Sony HDR-CX520V and Sony HDR-CX500V : Two new GPS camcorder from Sony

On July 10, 2009 Sony announced two new GPS camcorders, Sony Handycam

HDR-CX520V and Sony HDR-CX500V. This two new handycams would replace the Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 . The former comes with 64GB storage capacity and the later 32 GB. Sony HDR-CX520V and Sony HDR-CX500V are flash drive based camcorders with integrated GPS services. Early this year, Sony also launched three HD camcorders with integrated GPS services. The Washington Post reports:

Sony says both cameras will record 1920-by-1080-resolution full HD video, and both models will be able to convert in-camera AVCHD footage to super-smooth 60p video for outputting to an HDTV via HDMI cable. The new camcorders will also be able to down-convert AVCHD video to MPEG-2 video, which means they'll work better for DVD burning than most AVCHD camcorders.

The cameras are fitted with Sony G Lens and an optical image stabilization system. In addition, they have the Exmor-R CMOS sensor that captures better image. Other features include 12X zoom, 3" diagonal touchscreen LCD and 5.1 surround-sound microphones.

Users can also geotag and embed videos on a map interface. Then there is the “Face Touch Mode” and “Smile Shutter mode.” The “Face Touch Mode” allows the user to select a single face on the camcorder’s LCD screen and “Smile Shutter mode” allows user to capture 12 mp image while the subject is smiling. In the “Smile Shutter mode” the camera can capture still photos.

The two cameras will be available in September. The HDR-CX520V would cost $1300 and the HDR-CX500V $1100.

Related articles:

The Washington Post

Sprint and Verizon are going to roll out Wi-Fi enabled smartphones

Sprint and Verizon, two of the largest CDMA carriers in the U.S are going to bring out more Wi-Fi enabled smartphones in future. Already AT&T and T-Mobile are offering Wi-Fi enabled smartphones in the market. Sprint is going to launch the new RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 on July 12, 2009. The latest high-end smartphone from RIM received positive reviews but users are complaining about the lack of Wi-Fi. Now, Sprint announced that its PDA equipment suppliers are required to include Wi-Fi capabilities. Like Sprint, Verizon Wireless is also going to offer BlackBerry Tour from July 12, 2009 for $199.99. However, Verizon did not say anything about Wi-Fi. It said that it is working with RIM to bring out more Wi-Fi enabled smart phones.

The BlackBerry smartphone has a faithful customer group from the corporate world. The new BlackBerry tour is also targeted to appeal both normal and corporate customers. The new Black Berry tour offers high speed data processing, 3G capability, mobile-email and many more.

Sprint is going to launch the Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry in 2010 but did not mention any specific date.

Related articles:

Information Week

Crave

Sony joins with Netflix: Now viewers can access Netflix from Sony Bravia TV sets

Consumer Electronics giant, Sony, signed an agreement with online movie rental company, Netflix. On July 9, 2009, Netflix unveiled the partnership deal with Sony under which subscribers of Netflix can stream movie on certain television sets of Sony’s Bravia. Netflix will start this new service in the fall. Now, buyers of Sony Bravia Internet video-capable HDTV can watch more than 12000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix under an unlimited subscription plan.PC MAG.com reports:

The sets will have to be connected to a broadband connection to connect to Netflix, as well as other content partners like Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Sports Illustrated, Sony Pictures, Crackle, Slacker, Epicurious.com, Concierge.com, Style.com, and Dailymotion.

Compatible Sony TVs are: the XBR9 series, the X5100 series, and the W5100 series. In addition, other TV sets can also access the Netflix feature by adding the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link which would cost about $200. Aside from Netflix, Sony Bravia Internet video-enabled TV sets can access content from Amazon Video-on Demand, YouTube, CBS and other online video providers.

Related articles:

Reuters

Crave

PC MAG.com

Mozilla released Jetpack 0.1 API for Firefox

(This entry was originally uploaded on May 22, 2009)

On May 21, 2009, Mozilla unveiled its new Application Programming Interface (API) named Jetpack that would enable users to creat add-ons for the poular Mozilla Firefox browser. Still in prototype stage, the product requires further polishing. Mozilla said that users can write necessary Jetpack features using less than twelve lines of code and it is now looking forward to receive feedback for users to revamp the product for the future. PC MAG.com

“Specifically, Jetpack will be an exploration in using Web technologies to enhance the browser, with the goal of allowing anyone who can build a Web site to participate in making the Web a better place to work, communicate and play,” Aza Raskin, Atul Varma, and Nick Nguyen from the Jetpack development team wrote in a blog post.

“Most importantly, from a user perspective, Jetpack will allow new features to be added to the browser without a restart or compatibility issues, resulting in little to no disruption to the online experience,” they wrote.

Mozilla Firefox which is the second most popular web-browser after IE has a strong developers’ community of 8000 developers. In the last four years, they created 12000 add-ons for the browser. Mozilla is now looking forward to receive feedbacks about API and “potential bugs.”

Related articles:

PC Mag

TG Daily

Amazon Kindle 2 costs $299 but does it make any difference?

Amazon launched its Kindle 2 e-book reader in February 2009. Initially, the price for the new Kindle 2 was $359 in the beginning but now Amazon has cut $60 and brought the price down to $299. News reports are saying that this shift in price is the result of low manufacturing cost and increase in volume. It is not just any cheap promotion trick. On the other hand, tech analysts are saying that this price cut reveals the major weakness of Kindle 2 that it is only an e-book reader and people are not ready to pay more than $300 in this tough economic times where they can get an iPhone which can also work as an e-book reader and do many other things. Five months after the launch of Amazon Kindle 2 comes this price cut. However, the Amazon Kindle DX, which was unveiled in May, still costs $489.

Currently, there are several other e-book readers in the market such as Sony Digital Reader PRS-700 which costs $350 and the Sony Digital Reader PRS-505 ($280). There also low priced e-book readers like the Interead Cool-er Books ($249) and the Astak EZ Reader ($270). This price cut would make the Kindle 2 e-book reader a competitive device but it would not give the Kindle 2 any major advantage. If Amazon really wants go to the top they have to offer a device that can do more than just reading at a reasonable price.

Related articles:

PC World

Channel Web