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Google Docs Spreadsheet Editing Comes to the iPhone

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When Google Docs mobile was launched last year, I was pretty much excited to try it out using my iPhone. Unfortunately, the service didn’t have too much to offer since it was a browse-only service. I stopped using it since then. Perhaps realizing the shortcomings of its mobile Google Docs service, Google has finally introduced some sort of “editing” features to Google Docs, but only for spreadsheets.

Actually the new feature was the addition of a List View which facilitates viewing, editing, sorting, and filtering of your spreadsheets on your iPhone and other supported mobile devices including the G1 Android Phone, iPod devices and Nokia S60 devices.

This is certainly a nice feature especially if you are sharing and collaborating on spreadsheet files. Now, you can easily edit a spreadsheet file anywhere you are, using your mobile phone. Even better is the fact that your friend or colleague who are sitting in front of their PCs at home or in the office will immediately see the edits you’ve made.

Hopefully, we get the same feature on Google document files as well.

2007: The Year of Social Networking

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An article at PC World does a great job of summarizing the major developments in social networking space in 2007 and ponders over the prospects and uncertainties for 2008.

One insightful point mentioned in the article is how innovation at start-ups startles tech giants. Google, the great Web firm that one-upped Yahoo in claiming the search crown and hailed as the poster child of innovation was beaten at the social networking front. All the major internet firms such as Yahoo, Google and MS were done in by FaceBook which sort of perfected the concept of applications around social networks.

Social Networking is moving from the domain of an ‘nice add-on’ feature to a must-have even at the enterprise level. Various organizations are now waking up to the possibility that to attract the next generation of talent, it is essential to incorporate the flavor of social networking and connectivity within the enterprise.

While there were major salvos fired at FaceBook’s walled garden approach to social networking apps (which it did counter by licensing the F8 platform), it will be LinkedIn’s progress in the API space that will be really interesting. Being a site for business networking, it is one network that will really see a boost with professional networking going beyond just the website to the Web as such.

But another shift that can also be expected is the increased availability of affordable feature-rich mobile phones and compelling mobile applications. Apart from the enterprise user, the benefits of mobile applications have not really trickled down to the casual user. 2008 will hopefully be the year when mobile applications especially for social networking will really take off. Since Google has made several bold moves in the mobile space, expect a lot of innovation in this front.

Overall, its been a great year for Social Networking and for 2008 there’s a lot to anticipate.

Google and Its Doodles

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Google’s got a way of keeping its users uptodate with latest on content. And that extends right from the most compelling links to the very doodles that appear on the home page. The Doodles (the Google logo) have a very interesting history in themselves – having been produced for the first time in 1999 by Sergey and Larry themselves after they attended the Burning Man Festival.

And the oodles have gone all the way from the commemoration of Louis Braille’s birthday to the once-every-122-years Transit of Venus. And the man behind the Google Doodle, Dennis Hwang does the doodles only as a small part of his job as Google’s International Webmaster.

You could also go ahead and send in details on any event that you feel needs to be reflected on the Google home page.

And if you’ve noticed recently, Google’s present doodles are ‘in-the-making’ holiday doodles. Click on the image and you are led to a page with a set of holiday images and quizzed on what to expect next.

Another first from Google I think, doodles for a doodle in the making. Its the face of the company to the world and it reflects the real-time dynamism that has made it the powerhouse of the Web.

Tips To Using Technology In Your Presentation

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Using technology in your presentation, whatever the topic may be, will help to retain interest in your delivery. It’s not rocket science (unless of course you’re speaking on rocket science), but there are certain tactics that work better than other when it comes to building an effective presentation with the use of technology. Videos, sound presentation and other tools will help bring life to your project.

The most interesting speakers you remember, were probably ones that used technology to their advantage when they spoke. They created a memory in your mind. This is also a very useful skill in a courtroom. Here are a few tips to make your own spectacular presentations using some of the most cutting edge technology.

Know the basics

Before you can perfect your presentation skills, you need to at least grasp a short summary of some of the basics of planning and delivering a presentation. You should start planning your presentation on paper. Even the famous Steve Jobs recommends that you plan in the physical world versus the technological world. Don’t just open the program you intend on using and start trying to create. You need to plan first. You will want to first introduce the antagonist of your presentation, and then move on to the solution to the issue.

The tools of the trade

Using the tools available for presentation, you will have the ability to create a powerful and memorable message for your audience. Here is a quick summary of some of the different tools you can use to enhance your presentation.

PowerPoint: This software program gives you the opportunity to create slides for your presentation. Within those slides, you have the ability to add graphics, text, sound, and animation. The program allows hyperlink entries and a dependable name and service. The only real drawback of using Microsoft PowerPoint is that it sort of forces you to arrange your information into bullet points, which can sometimes simply the information a bit too much.

Google Slides: Google slides is linked to Google Docs, which is a cloud based program that enables groups of people to share documents and collaborate as a group. The Google Slides program is a very simple program to use, but it doesn’t offer the flexibility and creativity that PowerPoint offers.

Video Capture: Video capture software provides a medium to transfer your videos from whatever source you choose, into a digital format that is easily manipulated. You can embed your videos seamlessly into your presentation, and now you have more platforms to capture these videos.

Screen Capture: This will allow you to sort of record movements on your (or someone else’s) computer screen to help visually explain the steps of a process. For example, if you were explaining to an audience how to use Paint on their computers. You could record yourself and your own movements and embed it into your presentation to amplify clarity.

How the World’s Famous Tech Companies Fared in 2014

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The year just passed was both interesting and surprising. The iPhone 6 took the world by storm and privacy issues continued to hound Facebook and Google. Samsung had its first diminishing profit after three years and Bill Gates is still the richest man in the world.

Read on to learn how these five popular tech companies fared in 2014. [Read more…] about How the World’s Famous Tech Companies Fared in 2014

Google’s Project Tango Seeks to Map a 3D World

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Google’s Project Tango Seeks to Map a 3D World (via slashdot)

Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group is working on a new initiative, Project Tango, which could allow developers to quickly map objects and interiors in 3D At the heart of Project Tango is a prototype smartphone with a 5-inch screen, packed…

[Read more…] about Google’s Project Tango Seeks to Map a 3D World