presently

First peek at Google's PowerPoint killer?

Some Gmail users (including me, but not Josh, nyah nyah) have a new option in their in-box: PowerPoint files that are sent to them can now be viewed "as slide show." When you click on this link, you're given a full-window, Flash-based slide show of the file, with forward and back buttons at the top of the screen and a slide selector drop-down menu.

Right-clicking gives you options to play the slide show automatically, adjust the speed of the autoplay, and download the original file.

This is probably the presentation player that will be part of Google'… Read more

Google Spreadsheets finally gets charts

Last week, Google quietly upgraded its online spreadsheet application, Docs and Spreadsheets with a charting function. Like almost everything else about Google's online apps suite, the charting tool is barebones yet useful, and benefits from being part of a suite in which collaboration is easy.

Creating a chart is easy. Just select a range of data, click on the little chart icon, and choose your chart type and a few options. You can't change colors or typefaces, or modify most of things people take for granted in a typical spreadsheet like Excel.

The new charting function is useful … Read more

Google launching presentation app [VIDEO UPDATE]

Google CEO Eric Schmidt went on stage yesterday at the Web 2.0 Expo and announced that the slides running on the four giant projection screens were actually Docs and Spreadsheet's newest app: a presentation service.

In an interview with John Batelle, he was asked, "Is this a competitor to Microsoft Office [and PowerPoint]?"

Schmidt: "I don't work at Microsoft."

Batelle: "Come on!"

Schmidt: "Microsoft does have a collection of Web-based products. But for people who need presentation apps on the Web, they're going to use this. This is a testament to the strength of Web 2.0."

See Previous coverage of Google's presentation app.

Schmidt then went on to talk about the DoubleClick acquisition, previously reported about on News.com.

Update: We've got some hasty digital camera footage from the announcement which we've embedded after the break. To see it, click the 'read more' link below. See also the News.com story. … Read more

Green laser points the way

We're old enough (unfortunately) to remember when laser pointers were new and expensive, not the kind of bargain-bin item you can find at OfficeMax. But even though they've become surprisingly affordable, we've been disappointed at the preponderance of laser-pointing objects that make little or no sense.

That's why we appreciate the "Jasper Keynote." It's a laser pointer with a built-in radio transmitter that can let you point and run your PowerPoint presentation simultaneously if used with a USB receiver. And the best part of all: It's green (our favorite color).

Thanks to … Read more

Google prepping presentation product

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

Present for free with Spresent and a Web browser

Do you need PowerPoint (or Keynote) to create presentations? Perhaps not. There are several good Web-based solutions, including the newest (to us), Spresent. This online presentation service lets you quickly create decent presentations that you can deliver from any computer with a Web browser.

Spresent competes with other online apps such as Thumbstacks and Zoho Show [see comparison]. What sets Spresent apart is its slick Flash-based user interface and tight integration with other Web services. Need a picture of a mountain or an octopus to go along with your bullet points? Spresent has built-in Flickr browsing, which pulls up previews … Read more

Times Reader (beta)

Developed in concert with Microsoft, the New York Times Times Reader (still in Beta) is a hybrid RSS feed reader and XPS desktop publishing system that runs as a standalone applet on your desktop. Like RSS, the Times Reader updates itself with the latest content from the New York Times. But going beyond traditional RSS, the Times Reader offers the look and feel of the print version of the Times. That's in part because of the new graphics system within .Net Framework 3.0 architecture available within Windows Vista and downloadable for Windows XP SP2 users.

The Times Reader … Read more