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Microsoft's DelBene: Want Office on an iPad? Use SkyDrive

If Microsoft is cooking up an Office app for iPhones and iPads, Office division President Kurt DelBene isn't saying.

DelBene gave little insight into the possibility, bandied about for the last few years, at Morgan Stanley's Technology, Media & Telecom Conference this morning. During a question-and-answer session, DelBene noted the premium tablet experience for Office is on Microsoft's Surface RT and Surface Pro devices, which run Windows 8. As for iOS devices, DelBene said that users can view Office files, such as Excel spreadsheets, on Microsoft's SkyDrive storage service.

"We think we have a pretty … Read more

Office boss: Within 10 years, every customer will subscribe

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer insists the software giant is really a devices and services company.

Today, the company makes one of its biggest pushes yet, launching a subscription service of its Office franchise to consumers who are increasingly doing their computing on mobile gadgets and Web applications. The software giant debuts Office 365 Home Premium, the latest offering from its widely used productivity software group.

The new service, which costs $99.99 a year, offers consumers access to the most recent version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access. The license covers up to five devices and … Read more

World's tallest tower to overshadow monumental goof in Ecuador

MITAD DEL MUNDO, Ecuador--The effort to mark exactly where the equator traverses this tiny country roughly the size of Colorado -- if Colorado were filled with not just tall, jagged mountains, but also with jungle and rainforest and swamp and humid lowlands -- has been filled with centuries of folly and misplaced monuments. Now a provincial government in Ecuador wants to finally get it right, and make a big statement at the same time.

Despite being the longest way around the Earth, the equator is relatively hard to get to. Just take a look at your globe (OK, Google Earth will do) and you'll notice it passes through an awful lot of empty ocean, some remote islands, the Amazon, and some typically inaccessible parts of Africa. These raw geographic realities have made Ecuador particularly important for those on a quest for middle earth (not Middle Earth) for centuries. … Read more

Free phones and farewell

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

Apple and Google will testify before Congress next month regarding smartphone privacy

Hulu Plus is coming to Xbox Live

Best Buy is giving away free phones until tomorrow

Research In Motion acquires a calendaring company called Tungle

The Jurassic Park video game will come out this fall on Xbox and PlayStation

Pepsi announces social vending-machines that let you gift sodas to your friends

And that does it for me! Natali Morris for CNET, signing out. Thank you for giving me the privilege of bringing you the news every day for the last 3 … Read more

The 404 809: Where it's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday (podcast)

The 404 Podcast simply wouldn't exist in its current state without the help of Natali Morris, and today we're throwing a big send-off for our favorite guest host, replete with flowers, gifts, special chat room liasons, best-of moments, Natali's list things she will and won't miss, and plenty of Boyz II Men.

We also can't let her leave without doing a few choice impersonations, since she's just so good at them. If you didn't get a chance to say goodbye in the chat room this morning, you can wish her well on Twitter and follow her post-CNET career on her blog.

It's not a goodbye forever, though--just the end of Natali Thursdays on The 404. You'll definitely see her on future episodes, and we wish her the best in the meantime!

The 404 Digest for Episode 809

Our favorite Natali moments:

Natali plays an unnerving game of Marry/Boff/Kill. We try to guess Natali's weight, and it doesn't end well. Natali's first (of many) freak-outs on the show. Our favorite picture of Natali. Don't be mad at me!

Episode 809 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more