Webware

BusinessWeek is reporting that Google is ready to mount a paid-for monthly subscription for Google Apps for Your Domain. The service, which launched several months ago, was offered free to beta users. With the graduation from beta status, Google is clearly aiming to make money off potential business users and take some business away from rival Microsoft.

The service, which we wrote about in August, includes a set of customized Google apps that provides you with free domain-centric branding including a company start page, e-mail addresses, and inter-office calendars.

My question is, what kind of business will dump Microsoft Outlook … Read more

A little Web service called IMified caught my attention this morning. It is an ambitious service that lets you access several popular Web applications from your instant-messaging client. IMified is a messaging bot (like SmarterChild) that lets you manage your apps via text commands. In theory, it could also be used on any IM-equipped mobile phone to turn the phone into a remote control for your Web apps.

Signing up to the service requires no site registration or passwords. To begin, you just add the messaging bot to your buddy list and send it a message. Adding additional services (like … Read more

YouTube's Super Bowl ads page is looking mighty fancy this year. They've created a new voting platform called Supervote. If anything, it's looking a little bit like Reddit with hot or not voting that moves each ad up or down based on user votes.

The page was set up as completely separate from the actual viewing gallery.

What interests me about this is whether or not this might become a permanent fixture on YouTube. There's already a star system for voting on YouTube videos, but having user-chosen list on the front page of YouTube as a … Read more

Google is apparently working on a Powerpoint killer called Presently to go along with its word processor (formerly known as Writely) and its spreadsheet app. This is according to a post on the Googlesystem blog (via TechCrunch).

This is a surprise to no one. Google has been adding basic productivity applications to its suite of online services relentlessly, and there's no reason to expect the company to stop.

Web-based presentation applicationss are great in concept, for two big reasons: First, presentations are often created (or at least approved) by several people and having a presentation that is inherently collaboration-enabled … Read more

It's early February. Do you know where your favorite band is?

iConcertCal does. This free iTunes plug-in for both Mac OS X and Windows scans your iTunes library and lets you know when the bands you listen to are coming to town.

After installing iConcertCal, the iTunes visualizer becomes a calendar that lists local concert dates for bands in your library. Clicking on each listing in the calendar lets you buy tickets, and changing the city and state brings up personalized listings for other cities.

Since a co-worker sent out a link to this free plug-in last week, I'… Read more

Iqzone is a new service announced at Demo 07 that allows you to post classified ads to the Internet using the camera on your cell phone. Users can create text-only postings or add pictures. The entire process is done by sending your photo and item description in a mixed media text message.

Iqzone is free, and all listings end up on the Iqzone's classifieds Web site. I'd like to see Iqzone build in some sort of integration to post to Craigslist and eBay. The service is being promoted as a quick way to sell things, but I can'… Read more

Pitched as "MySpace for groups" at Demo 07 last week, Nexo is a new Web publishing service that makes it gratifyingly easy to create a site for a club, team, or group of any sort.

There are a lot of easy ways to get a free site on to the Web right now, from MySpace (not a bad solution if you want to advertise your group to 40 trillion teenagers) to Wiki services like Wetpaint, but Nexo's focus on group dynamics pays off. The site is a good option if what you need is to keep a … Read more

Hey, style freaks: here's another reason to spend more time on the Internet. ShopStyle is a search engine that will paw through the inventories of all kinds of online clothing sites to find exactly what you're searching for. I'm not much of an online shopper since I like to try things on before buying them, but I can see ShopStyle being a very valuable search tool for people who dig the bargains that can be found on clothing sites.

We're not talking a simple Froogle-style interface here. ShopStyle is very Ajax-y. Search results scroll sideways, … Read more

Okay, here are some things that tick me off: irritating cell phone ringtones, fast food, the Comic Sans font, Paris Hilton, bad grammar, and SpongeBob Squarepants. Generally, they don't get on my nerves nearly enough for me to want to tell everyone about it--but sometimes the annoyance reaches a level where I just want to...vent.

Enter VentBox, which is basically a forum for complaints. Type in something that irritates you, write whatever you want about it; not only will it post your vent on the site, it'll also connect you to other VentBox users who are ranting … Read more