In an update earlier this week, AbiWord introduced several new features, one of which competitors have long had. In AbiWord 2.8.1, you can finally annotate a document. There's also integration with the new Web-based sharing tool called AbiCollab.net. This extends Google Docs-style sharing to AbiWord fans.
Annotation comes to AbiWord.
(Credit: AbiWord)Other features have been fixed or introduced, too. Smart Quotes, the curved quotation mark, had been implemented before, but they now work as they do in other word processors. A multipage view has been introduced for examining more than one page of your document simultaneously. For users who need robust graphics support in their word processor, AbiWord 2.8 also natively supports true vector images (SVG) as well as WMF images from Microsoft Word.
Further changes are documented here. If you have a favorite word processor, let us know in the comments below.
Despite increasingly better software, blogging on phones is still a real pain compared with doing it on a regular computer. However, credit is due to WordPress, which has gone to great lengths to make the latest version of its iPhone app much better for users to both create and manage their blogs on a small screen (and without a keyboard).
Besides a new look, one of the biggest changes is that the app remembers exactly what you were doing between sessions, so that if you quit it, or get a phone call, it will take you right back to the page or menu you were looking at. This also keeps you from losing anything you hadn't saved if you're interrupted--even if you were in the middle of a writing a sentence when your phone rang. This should change the beginning of such a conversation from "I am so mad at you right now" to a simple "hello."
In addition to remembering what you were doing, the app does a much better job at letting you manage user comments. The approval screen itself looks almost identical, but the app now lets you quickly switch between the ones that have been approved and the ones that still need to be looked at. It also displays each users' Gravatar (user icon) next to their username and URL, which ends up taking up a little more space than it did in the previous iteration of the app but adds a sense of familiarity with its desktop sibling.
Other small changes include the app remembering which order you uploaded the photos in so that they display in that same order in your post. Although the app still hasn't been updated to include videos, which means 3GS owners will have to add whatever video they shot through WordPress' Web interface instead. The app also now stores passwords in a user's keychain, which means those credentials could be accessed by other applications you may want to give access to later on down the line--like, say an app that lets you post videos to a WordPress blog.
Oddly enough, the new WordPress app is completely different from the original, which still exists but will no longer be updated. The company attributes this to having switched between having an outside contractor make the first version, whereas this new one was built in-house.
The new look makes it simply to hop between comments, posts and pages. User Gravatars are now visible too.
(Credit: WordPress)
(Credit:
CNET)
The latest Apple rumor is that the iPhone 3G will soon be replaced by a low-priced 8GB iPhone 3GS. Apparently, Rogers Wireless in Canada sent out a memo that implies the $99 iPhone 3G pricing announced at WWDC earlier this summer was to get rid of inventory to make way for the faster 3GS. Though nobody knows what the price might be on the new iPhone (or even if this rumor is true), it would be exciting to see a smaller 3GS for those who don't need all the space. While we wait to see what the next thing out of Apple might be, let's check out this week's apps.
This week's apps are both games including a recently discovered word game and a tower defense game in which you'll defend planets from invading aliens.
Added challenges like burning tiles and bonus books make this game highly addictive.
(Credit: CNET)Bookworm ($2.99), by Popcap Games, is a word game in which you tap the screen to select adjacent letter tiles to make words. A cartoon drawn bookworm sits on top of the gameplay area and the idea is that as you complete words you are feeding the hungry bookworm while also getting points. You can play the game in Classic mode (no timer) or a timed version to add to the challenge. I've reviewed a similar game before called WordsWorth, but Bookworm has some unique features that definitely make it worth checking out.
What makes Bookworm especially fun are the added challenges you need to contend with as you make words. Flaming tiles will appear that slowly burn downward through your stack of letters if you don't use them quickly. If a flaming tile reaches the bottom, your library burns and the game ends. My favorite feature is the special collections--when you select certain words like "Red," for example, the game pauses briefly to show you a list of color names that give added bonuses as you cross them off the list. There are several categories of special collections and the effect is that you start to search for words that will complete your categories. On the start-up screen you can view your bonus book list to see which categories your working on and view stats for your overall gameplay. Anyone who likes word games will like the basic play of Bookworm, but the added features and challenges make this game worth the money.
Make sure to upgrade your towers as you go or you won't stand a chance
(Credit: CNET)Star Defense ($1.99) from Ngmoco (makers of Rolando) is a tower defense type of game where you're job is to defend planets from an alien onslaught. The graphics are great for an iPhone game and the sounds and music add to the feeling of battling an endless alien invasion. Like other tower defense games, you have several gun towers to choose from, with some of them better at taking out certain types of enemies. You'll quickly realize that a good mix of towers is the best strategy, but as you try harder levels, you'll also have to manage the money you get from kills and upgrade your towers to make them more effective. Like other tower defense games, you'll need to beat a certain number of waves of enemies to complete a level.
What sets Star Defense apart from other tower defense games is the interface and level design. Your available towers are on the right side of the screen, making it easy to drag and drop them into position. The planets are in full 3D, so you'll need to swipe your finger to rotate the planet to get to where the action is. Not being able to see the entire path at one time adds an extra element to the gameplay because sometimes you'll find yourself rotating the planet frantically, trying to place towers that will kill escaped enemies. To make it more challenging, the paths travel around each planet in different ways, so you'll need to consider the best placement for each tower. Overall, Star Defense is an excellent addition to the tower defense genre, with enough of a variation on gameplay to make it worthy of your download.
What's your favorite iPhone app? Do you have a word game on your iPhone that's better than Bookworm? What's your secret for playing the harder difficulty levels in Star Defense? Let me know in the comments!
Once PDFs, the change to files could signify big changes afoot at Google Docs.
The sharp eyes over at the Google Operating System blog noticed that Google quietly changed some wording in Google Docs from "PDFs" to "files." While small, this could signal that Google Docs may soon support the viewing and editing of other file types, and possibly double as an online storage service--like the fabled GDrive.
Google has long-allowed users to upload PDFs to Docs. These could be viewed in Google's online viewer, but not edited. However, the service would not allow other items such as photos and videos to be imported, despite Google offering other products like Picasa and YouTube that would accept these files.
Google began an overhaul of its Docs service late last week, and noted that it was putting in some small changes ahead of a much larger release which was just around the corner. Some of these changes included the addition of special search modifiers that would let users more easily hone searches for their files. Many of these came from Google's search engine and Gmail.
If, in fact, Google Docs allows users to upload other file types for viewing and re-downloading from other locations, it's still a long way from the promise of an integrated, cloud-based storage system. All signs of a GDrive from Google have pointed toward a software component that will allow users to access their Google storage as if it were a local hard disk. Google is also expected to release the service in advance of its Chrome OS, which will make heavy use of files that are stored in the cloud.
Updated at 2:20 p.m. PDT with Adobe update released; at 12:25 p.m. PDT with Microsoft saying this is a record number of vulnerabilities addressed in Patch Tuesday; and at 11:45 a.m. PDT with comment.
Microsoft has released 10 security updates fixing a record number of Patch Tuesday holes, including one for a critical hole in Internet Explorer 8 that was exploited as part of a hacking contest at CanSecWest in March.
The bulletin addresses 31 vulnerabilities. "It's the most since Microsoft started releasing updates on a regular schedule of the second Tuesday of every month in October 2003," a Microsoft spokesman said.
The June security Patch Tuesday bulletin resolves eight vulnerabilities in IE, the more severe of which could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page. The IE8 vulnerability does not affect Windows 7 RC (build 7100), but does affect Windows 7 beta.
The updates also plug two critical holes in implementations of Active Directory on Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003, and Active Directory Application Mode installed on Windows XP Professional and Server 2003, the worse of which could allow an attacker to take control of a system remotely.
The security update fixes three critical vulnerabilities in Windows Print Spooler that could allow remote code execution if an affected server received a specially crafted RPC (remote procedure call) request.
Several vulnerabilities in Office Word and Excel are addressed in the update that could allow an attacker to remotely run code or take control of the machine using a specially crafted Word or Excel file. The update fixes the PowerPoint vulnerability Microsoft warned in April was being exploited in limited, targeted attacks that was fixed in the Windows version last month.
The update includes a patch for an important hole in its IIS Web server product that Microsoft reported in May.
"We didn't see any in-the-wild exploitations of the (IIS WebDav) vulnerability but typically when Microsoft releases those alerts they're doing it because a customer" has alerted them to an exploit, said Steve Manzuik, senior manager of security research at Juniper Networks.
Also fixed is a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Works Converters, important vulnerabilities in RPC and Windows Kernel. And Microsoft fixed a moderate vulnerability in Windows Search that could allow information disclosure if a user performs a search that returns a specially crafted file as the first result, or if the user previews a malicious file from the search results. By default, the Windows Search component is not preinstalled on Windows XP and Server 2003.
Products affected by the updates include Windows 2000, XP, XP Professional edition, Vista, Server 2003, Server 2008; Office 2000, 2003, 2007, and XP; and Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008 for the Mac.
Other affected software includes Office Excel Viewer; Office Word Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats; Works 8.5 and 9.0; and Office SharePoint Server.
The updates did not include a fix for a vulnerability in Microsoft's DirectX streaming media technology in Windows disclosed late last month that could allow someone to take complete control of a computer using a maliciously crafted QuickTime file.
"They probably didn't have time to QA (quality assurance test) it adequately," said Wolfgang Kandek, chief technology officer at Qualys. "It doesn't surprise me because look at how many vulnerabilities they had in this release. It must have been an enormous workload for these teams to fix all of these."
Adobe also issued security updates for Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions 7.x, 8.x, and 9.x for Windows and Macintosh on Tuesday in its first quarterly security update for its popular software for creating and reading PDF files.
The updates, available from Adobe's site, resolve critical vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader 9.1.1 and Acrobat 9.1.1 and earlier versions that could cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the system.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
Every week, I try to pick a game and some other useful utility for my iPhone apps post, but this week I can't help but write about two games. What can I say? They keep coming out with great games! The two games are from completely different genres so if you like games at all, I'm guessing at least one of them will find their way onto your iPhone.
This week's apps include a well-designed Jet Ski racing game and a unique word game that's challenging and makes you laugh while you play.
Choose words quickly to get as many as possible for high scores.
(Credit: CNET Networks)WordFu (99 cents, introductory price) is a fun and challenging word game with a unique Kung Fu twist. You start with nine letter dice and you're allowed to shake your iPhone to get new letters or swipe a die to switch single letters. When you're ready (there's also a time limit on this phase), your round begins and you must use your letters to create as many words as possible until time runs out. To make a word, touch each of the letters, then flick your wrist to enter it. As you spell more words, you'll be given bonus tiles you can touch to get double word scores, freeze the timer, and more.
What makes WordFu both challenging and funny are the Kung Fu "Hi ya!" and slapping sounds as you complete words. Once you feel you've mastered the art of WordFu, you can play against your friends over local Wi-Fi or compare your scores with the high score list. Caution: this game is addictive.
Tilt your iPhone to steer and get the best line around the buoys.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Aqua Moto Racing ($2.99) lets you jump on a personal watercraft (pwc) and race around beautifully rendered tracks. Start off on easy courses with soft turns to get a feel for your pwc. Go for the best time by following a tight line and using the boost to earn medals and open up new tracks. Later tracks include jumps and with a flick of your iPhone, you can pull off several tricks of varying difficulty to earn more boost time.
When I first started playing this game it immediately reminded me of an old favorite on the Nintendo 64 called Wave Race. With several tracks, difficulty levels, and complex tricks to practice, this game will have a lot of replay value. The graphics are excellent in Aqua Moto Racing and a well-thought-out gaming experience make this title a must-have for racing fans. If you want to try before you buy, check out Aqua Moto Racing Lite (link launches iTunes) at the iTunes Store.
What's your favorite new iPhone app? Got a game for me to try? Is Aqua Moto racing extremely hard once you get to the slalom courses (it is for me)? Let me know in the comments!
TextFlow, a new way to collaboratively edit documents, is opening up to everyone Monday morning. Instead of going the real-time route like Zoho and Google Docs, the service opts to let a master editor corral multiple versions of the same Microsoft Word document inside of one file.
Each editor sends in a copy of the file (presumably via e-mail), and the master editor drags and drops all of them into a single bucket. The application then divides the edits into sections, letting the master editor pick whichever revisions make the most sense. When finished, he or she can convert it back to a single Word document.
The tool, developed by Nordic River Software, is just the beginning of a much broader plan to change the way all sorts of documents are edited by multiple parties. Creator and CEO of Nordic River Tomer Shalit envisions a much more encompassing, end-to-end solution where users will be able to send their work to a centralized drop box for the master editor to manage.
In the meantime, the current iteration manages to do all of this within an Adobe AIR application just 400 KB in size. Shalit says this system could eventually be ported over to the Web since it's been built entirely in Flash. "It could be online," Shalit says, "but in this first iteration of the product we chose to do AIR for its drag-and-drop capability." AIR also allows local client-side encryption, which Shalit says makes it a more secure editing platform when working with sensitive documents.
The service is completely free, but not without its limitations. It can handle only documents up to 10 pages in length, and from up to seven different editors--something Shalit says is not a technical limit, rather an issue of color blindness and horizontal screen real estate getting in the way of usability. It also cannot currently handle any kind of embedded charts or images, which is something that the team might add in a later version.
Going forward Shalit hopes to expand to accommodate other Office documents and popular file types, including PowerPoint presentations. There are also plans to launch a premium service that adds higher page limits, extended workflow handling, and higher quality encryption for heavy business users.
You can pick up TextFlow here. Also be sure to check out this quick demo of how it works with three different edits:
Textflow Demo from Josh Lowensohn on Vimeo.
File delivery service YouSendIt announced Thursday that it has released a plug-in (download) for Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007 that will allow users to send any file from Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to recipients through the company's service.
Based on my testing, the plug-in, which requires registration to download, works quite well. After surfing over to the company's plug-in page, which is already populated with other plug-ins for iPhoto, Outlook, Photoshop, and others, I downloaded the file in seconds.
Once installed, the plug-in embeds itself in Microsoft Office. On my version of Office 2007, I found YouSendIt's plug-in added under the "Send to" menu, allowing me to send a file through the YouSendIt service without requiring me to surf to the company's page.
As soon as I was ready to send a file and clicked the "YouSendIt" button, the company's Express software (download) popped-up immediately, asking me to input my username and password. Once complete, the process mimics YouSendIt's online version: I input the e-mail address of the recipient, decided how long the document should be preserved for, and sent it. A progress bar displays how much time is left before the document is sent.
There's not much to the YouSendIt plug-in. In essence, it provides you with another alternative to send files. And although I usually send documents and spreadsheets through Office's "Send to email" feature, YouSendIt's plug-in came in handy when I needed to send a large PowerPoint presentation that the recipient's e-mail couldn't handle.
Just like the online service, the recipient receives an e-mail containing a link to download the file, which saves them some valuable in-box space.
Overall, the process to send files was quick and I didn't recognize any lag time between starting the process and completing the file transfer. That said, YouSendIt capped the file size limit at 2GB, which might upset those who need to send huge PowerPoint presentations. But for most us, 2GB is more than enough.
YouSendIt's Office plug-in isn't necessarily a "must have" tool, since I found that more often than not, sending e-mail through Word or Excel is sufficient. But because there are larger files that sometimes crop up, it doesn't hurt to have it installed just in case.
The Office plug-in is available now on YouSendIt's site as a free download after registration. You can also download it from CNET by following this link.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Sheets To Go, the Microsoft Excel equivalent.
(Credit: Data Viz)BlackBerry users have been waiting for Documents To Go, an excellent document viewer that's been besting native viewers on mobile phones, for years. On Tuesday, Data Viz ended the impatient toe-tapping with Documents To Go Premium Edition 1.005 and its new companion PDF-viewer, PDF To Go.
The Premium Edition of Documents To Go ($49.99 for a yearly subscription or $69.99 for a lifetime license), builds on the Standard Edition that comes preloaded on the BlackBerry Bold (review), which also officially released in the U.S. today.
This pro version lets you read, fully edit, and create new word processing documents, spreadsheets, and slide shows that are compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. In Word To Go, for instance, the spell-checking, track-changing, and copy/paste actions are all there. So is support for formatting with bullets, fonts, and form and table inserts, and support for password-protecting those sensitive documents.
PDF To Go is a separate download for viewing PDF documents.
(Credit: Data Viz)Data Viz is also throwing in the new PDF viewer, PDF To Go, with the Premium Edition. Like most PDF viewers on any platform, PDF To Go supports zooming in and preserves formatting on the BlackBerry by wrapping words.
The standard version of Documents To Go is a bona fide perk for Bold owners, who would be otherwise stuck with the BlackBerry's traditionally rather stunted documents viewers. This premium version is certainly better, creating a seamless, intuitive, and feature-packed document handler. You can see a feature-by-feature comparison of the standard and premium versions here.
Documents To Go Premium Edition is undoubtedly a worthy investment for business folks and road warriors, but it also finds competition in eOffice 4.5, which is available for all BlackBerry operating systems (not just 4.5 and above), and which has most of the same features at a slightly lower price ($39.95). eOffice's additional support Google Docs and Spreadsheets, remote access to PC files, and the ability to fax or print documents from the BlackBerry gives Documents To Go Premium a hard run for your money.
You can try Documents To Go Premium for yourself as a free, thirty day trial. It's compatible with BlackBerry's Bold, Pearl Flip, and Storm smartphones.
(Credit:
Daniel Dura)
If you're keen on moderating blog comments in near real time and would prefer to do so without a browser window open, you should check out Moderator. It's a hybrid tool that uses both a WordPress plug-in and an Adobe AIR desktop application to keep you up to speed with the latest user chatter on your blog.
Once installed, you simply leave it running and it will update itself throughout the day, letting you approve or deny comments to go live. Because it sits on your desktop you can keep your blog comments lean and clean without ever having to visit the moderation page on your WordPress install, although creator Daniel Dura says you might run into some slowdown if you've got more than a few hundred comments awaiting moderation.
The tool, which was released earlier this week, is just an early version. Planned features for future releases include the option to reply right from the application, manage comments on multiple blogs, and get near real-time notifications when new comments come in.
[via RefreshingApps]
