Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[OpenOfficeMouse boosts productivity with 18 buttons. Yes, 18. And a joystick.]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/08/openofficemouse-boosts-productivity-with-18-buttons-yes-18-an/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/08/openofficemouse-boosts-productivity-with-18-buttons-yes-18-an/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/08/openofficemouse-boosts-productivity-with-18-buttons-yes-18-an/#commentsFiled under: ,

I can see the conversation now:

Open Source Advocate 1: 'So, dude, we really should do something about this Godawful UI. I mean we tried our best to imitate Microsoft but it just... isn't working out.'

OS Advocate 2: 'There must be some other way... some way we can avoid paying any kind of skilled user-interface master to actually develop a sweet-ass interface.'

OS Advocate 1: 'I know! I KNOW! WE'LL MAKE A MOUSE! A homebrew mouse with enough buttons to map EVERY function to it! We'll simply do away with the usual interface! GENIUS!'

OS Advocate 2: 'Er... OK. Stop waving your Perl manual around like that. You're starting to scare me.'
...

Slashdot are reporting that OpenOffice.org has a new mouse -- the succinctly-named OpenOfficeMouse. Manufactured by WarMouse (the awesome naming never ceases), this behemoth has 18 buttons, a scroll wheel and, get this, an analogue joystick. You couldn't make this stuff up. It has macro support, storage for up to 63 profiles... 63!

I know what you're thinking: OpenOffice can't possibly fully-utilise this beautiful piece of (patented) technological mastery. This thing is for gamers.

OpenOfficeMouse boosts productivity with 18 buttons. Yes, 18. And a joystick. originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mouseopen officeopen sourceOpenOfficeopenoffice.orgOpenSourceSun, 08 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.Org demos ribbon-style UI prototype]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/06/openoffice-org-demos-ribbon-style-ui-prototype/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/06/openoffice-org-demos-ribbon-style-ui-prototype/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/06/openoffice-org-demos-ribbon-style-ui-prototype/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


A few days ago, OpenOffice.Org's Renaissance Project introduced a new prototype UI. Predictably, the similarity to Microsoft's Ribbon did not go unnoticed by commenters. "The Office ribbon sucks. Please don't copy it," reads one reply.

It's important to note that this is just a prototype. As OOO's Frank Loehmann notes in his post, "We just want to be able to test the interaction. Content of the toolbars and the group labeling are subject to change. They show just what can be done in this prototype. This allows us to create UX tests that can be run with current OOo and
the prototypes."

If you want to try out the new interface yourself, there's a Java Web Start version of Impress with the new UI applied that you can test.

Personally, I've become a fan of ribbon-style interfaces. It took a little while for them to grow on me, but that's to be expected with such a major change. The only thing I don't like is the amount of vertical real estate they take up on widescreen monitors. Even that isn't a big problem, since most apps allow you to minimize or hide the ribbon with a hotkey.

What do you think of the prototype? Is it a misstep or a step in the right direction?

OpenOffice.Org demos ribbon-style UI prototype originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>guiinterfacesopenofficeprototyperibbon-interfaceuiThu, 06 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org 3.1 RC1 released]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/07/openoffice-org-3-1-rc1-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/07/openoffice-org-3-1-rc1-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/07/openoffice-org-3-1-rc1-released/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3.1
OpenOffice.org 3.1 could be released by the end of the month. But if you can't wait that long for the next version of this open source office suite, you can download the release candidate which was launched yesterday. It's available for download from a number of mirror sites, or you can find the Windows installer at FileHippo.

OpenOffice.org includes a word processor, spreadsheet application, database utility, presentation application, and several other programs. Version 3.1 comes with a number of bug fixes, improvements, and new features. Here are just a few:
  • Anti-aliasing for improved graphics
  • Easier dragging of graphics
  • Improved file locking to prevent other users on the network from overwriting your changes to a document
  • Support for overlining as well as underlining
  • Ability for different editors to "reply" to comments in a Writer document
  • Rename Calc sheets with a double click
  • Zoom slider control in the Calc status bar similar to the one in Writer
You can find a complete list of changes in the release notes.

OpenOffice.org 3.1 RC1 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openoffice.orgopenoffice.org-3.1Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PenOffice 3.1 adds tablet PC handwriting support to OpenOffice.org 3.0]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/01/28/penoffice-3-1-adds-tablet-pc-handwriting-support-to-openoffice-o/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/01/28/penoffice-3-1-adds-tablet-pc-handwriting-support-to-openoffice-o/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/01/28/penoffice-3-1-adds-tablet-pc-handwriting-support-to-openoffice-o/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

PenOffice 3.1
PhatWare has released a new version of PenOffice, a handwriting recognition utility for touchscreen based computers running Windows. PenOffice 3.1 adds support for Windows Vista, as well as OpenOffice.org 3.0, Microosft Office XP or later, and multi-monitor systems.

There's also a new configuration manager, a new configuration manager, and a new scripting engine among other things.

PenOffice allows you to draw anywhere on the screen in order to enter text in a document or other text field. You can also draw on your screen as a virtual scratchpad and save notes or drawings as PNG, JPEG, or BMP files. The program supports handwiriting in 9 languages including English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. It has a dictionary of about 100,000 words, as well as a user customizable dictionary.

A license costs $59.95, but there's a 30 day free trial available.

[via GottaBeMobile]

PenOffice 3.1 adds tablet PC handwriting support to OpenOffice.org 3.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>handwritinghandwriting-recognitionopenoffice.org-3.0penofficepenoffice-3.1tabletWed, 28 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org 3.0 coming Monday, download it today!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/10/openoffice-org-3-0-coming-monday-download-it-today/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/10/openoffice-org-3-0-coming-monday-download-it-today/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/10/openoffice-org-3-0-coming-monday-download-it-today/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3.0
The developers behind open source office suite OpenOffice.org plan to officially push the next major release on Monday. But if you just can't wait to get your hands on the first stable, post-beta, post-release candidate copy of OpenOffice.org 3.0 you can download it today.

That's because the OpenOffice.org team has already sent out the files to a long list of mirror sites. Just pick one in your region, navigate to the folder marked "stable and grab the appropriate files for your operating system from the "3.0.0" folder.

If you're looking for the Windows version you can also download it today from FileHippo, SoftPedia, or MajorGeeks.

[via gHacks]

OpenOffice.org 3.0 coming Monday, download it today! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openofficeopenoffice.orgopenoffice.org-3.0Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4: OOo 3.0 inches closer to a final release]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/07/openoffice-org-3-0-rc4-ooo-3-0-inches-closer-to-a-final-release/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/07/openoffice-org-3-0-rc4-ooo-3-0-inches-closer-to-a-final-release/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/07/openoffice-org-3-0-rc4-ooo-3-0-inches-closer-to-a-final-release/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3.0
There's good news and no news from the OpenOffice.org camp. First the good news, OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4 is out, which no doubt features some new bug fixes and tweaks and not a whole lot of new features that were absent from RC3. I can't be more specific than that, because while the developers have done a bang up job of creating an open source office suite, they really need to do a better job of documenting the updates in each release.

The release notes page for OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4 looks an awful lot like the release notes page for RC3. And both are virtually unreadable, because there's no section that highlights the major differences. Rather, each includes roughly a zillion little feature updates and bug fixes that set OpenOffice.org 3.0 apart from OpenOffice.org 2.4.1, the most recent stable build.

With that in mind, there are a few important differences between OpenOffice.org 3.0 and OpenOffice.org 2.4.1, including:
  • OOo 3.0 includes native support for OS X
  • Support for Office 2007 documents
  • New multi-page view in Writer
  • Multiple users can edit spreadsheets simultaneously
  • Ability to add MS Access databases to Writer
OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4 is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4: OOo 3.0 inches closer to a final release originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>officeopenofficeopenoffice.orgopenoffice.org-3.0openoffice.org-3.0-rc4Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC1 released]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/08/openoffice-org-3-0-rc1-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/08/openoffice-org-3-0-rc1-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/08/openoffice-org-3-0-rc1-released/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC1
The first release candidate of OpenOffice.org 3.0 is out. The next generation of the open source office suite has been in beta for months and is slated for a full release later this month.

So what's new in OpenOffice.org 3.0? First you get a nifty little launcher as seen above that lets you choose the application you want to use. You can still launch Writer, Base, Sheet, or another application without pulling up the unified launcher if you want to. But you can also just launch OOo for a list of available tools.

The latest release also includes a ton of features and bug fixes not included in Ooo 2.4.1 including:
  • Sheet names can contain almost any character
  • You can now add MS Access databases to Writer
  • There's a multi-page view for Writer
  • Support for Office 2007 documents
  • Multiple users can edit spreadsheets simultaneously
You can find more updates in the release notes. OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC 1 is available for Linux, Solaris, Windows, and OS X. This is the first version of OpenOffice.org to include native support for OS X.

OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC1 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openoffice.orgopenoffice.org-3.0openofice.org-3.0-rc1Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Go-OO: Stick a fork in it]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/30/go-oo-stick-a-fork-in-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/30/go-oo-stick-a-fork-in-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/30/go-oo-stick-a-fork-in-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

screenie

Since before the dawn of time, open source projects have forked more often than Lindsay Lohan cheked into rehab. The Mozilla browser is a great example of a successful fork, it was once based on Netscape, but evolved on its own and eventually rendered classic Netscape obsolete. Many -- if not most -- forks disappear into obscurity. We aren't so sure this one will go so quietly.

Go-OO is a fork of OpenOffice that has quite a few impressive features which really ought to be in official OO, but for some reason or another aren't, such as support for OpenXML, better Microsoft Binary support, and Word Perfect Graphics support. It also boasts significantly better start times -- at least on our poorly equipped test machine.

Long story short, this is a fast, lean beast of an office suite with great compatibilty with Microsoft Office. The price is right at $0.00, but as with any community project you are both welcome and encouraged to donate to the developers for their efforts.

Go-OO: Stick a fork in it originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 May 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OfficeOpenXMLproductivityproductivity toolsproductivityappsproductivityproductsProductivityToolsFri, 30 May 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org keeps getting slower with each new release]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/29/openoffice-org-keeps-getting-slower-with-each-new-release/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/29/openoffice-org-keeps-getting-slower-with-each-new-release/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/29/openoffice-org-keeps-getting-slower-with-each-new-release/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

OpenOffice.org speed test
Open source software advocates like to point to OpenOffice.org as a viable alternative to Microsoft Office. It can open, create, edit, and save Office-compatible documents including text, spreadsheet, and database files. It might not have every last bell and whistle of Office, but it gets the job done. But OpenOffice.org also has a dirty little secret: It's kind of slow. And apparently, it's getting slower all the time.

OpenOffice.org Ninja ran a battery of tests and found that with each major release, OpenOffice.org has gotten a little slower when performing common tasks like opening, closing, and exporting documents. OpenOffice.org 1.1.5, for example, launches about 40% faster than OpenOffice.org 2.4. That figure holds true whether you're doing a cold start (loading the program for the first time since rebooting your computer) or a warm start (starting the program a second, third, or 15th time).

The developers have certainly been tweaking the open source office suite to improve performance. But they also keep adding new features, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, sometimes those new features slow down program performance. Of course, if you can't wait 20-25 seconds to load your office suite, you could always just buy more RAM, a faster CPU, and umm... Microsoft Office. Or try an online office suite like Google Docs or Zoho, which load faster than OpenOffice.org if you already have a browser window open.

[via Digg]

OpenOffice.org keeps getting slower with each new release originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openoffice.orgperformancespeedThu, 29 May 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 will add support for Open Document Format]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/21/microsoft-office-2007-sp2-will-add-support-for-open-document-for/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/21/microsoft-office-2007-sp2-will-add-support-for-open-document-for/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/21/microsoft-office-2007-sp2-will-add-support-for-open-document-for/#commentsFiled under: , ,

OpenOffice.org documents

Microsoft has announced plans to add support for a several new document formats to Office 2007. The company plans to release Office 2007 SP2 during the first half of 2009, and it will add support for XPS, PDF 1.5, and ODF 1.1 files, among others.

Users will be able to create, open, and edit ODF documents, and save documents as XPS, PDF, or ODF files. The Open Document Format, or ODF is an open source challenger to Microsoft's Office formats. A few years ago the company released an add-on for Microsoft Word that would allow users to open ODF documents. But with the launch of Office 2007 SP2, support for ODF and PDF files will be built right into the applications. No add-ons necessary.

Or you could just use OpenOffice.org today. No waiting until 2009 necessary.

[via OStatic and CNet]

Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 will add support for Open Document Format originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 21 May 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>formatsodfofficeoffice-2007office-2007-sp2pdfWed, 21 May 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta now available]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/07/openoffice-org-3-0-beta-now-available/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/07/openoffice-org-3-0-beta-now-available/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/07/openoffice-org-3-0-beta-now-available/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta

OpenOffice.org 3.0 is due out in September. But if you just can't wait that long, today the developers released a beta of the open source office suite. Back in March we took a look at a pre-beta version of OpenOffice.org, but the latest build is a bit more stable. And while we wouldn't recommend replacing the software you use to balance your companies books with a public beta, you can just check it out if you're an office suite geek looking for a rush. We won't judge.

So what's new under the hood? Here are some of the highlights:

  • OpenOffice.org 3.0 is the first version to run on Mac OS X (there are also Linux and Windows versions)
  • OpenOffice.org Start Center gives you a one stop shop for creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, databases, or templates
  • Support for collaborative spreadsheet editing
  • Improved Writer notes features
  • View multiple Writer pages while editing a document
  • Improved crop features in Draw and Impress
  • Support for ODF and MS Office 2007 formats

Keep in mind, this is beta software. So while it will probably work properly 99% of the time, don't blame us if it crashes your system or goes crazy and starts messing up the formatting of that manuscript you've been working on for the last 10 years. In other words, remember to backup your documents, and think twice about using OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta to create or edit really important files.

[via Slashdot]

OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 07 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>officeopenoffice.orgopenoffice.org-3.0-betaWed, 07 May 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org 2.4 released]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/26/openoffice-org-2-4-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/26/openoffice-org-2-4-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/26/openoffice-org-2-4-released/#commentsFiled under: ,

OpenOffice.org 2.4
OpenOffice.org 2.4 final is now available for download. Just not from the official OpenOffice.org web page, which is still offering a choice between version 2.3. 1 and release candidate 6 for OpenOffice.org 2.4. But you can find a download link for the latest version from Filehippo.

There are no release notes available for version 2.4 yet, but you can check out a list of features that are probably included by looking at the feature freeze testing page on the OpenOffice.org wiki. Honestly, most of the improvements seem pretty minor, unless you get really excited about things like:
  • Display both in the data point label: value and percentage
  • Reduce complexity: Remove unnecessary display options
  • Remove GUI option "Automatic file name extension" from File-Save dialog (Office Dlg)
If you want to see where OpenOffice.org is headed, check out our preview of Openoffice.org 3.0.
[via CyberNet]

OpenOffice.org 2.4 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openofficeopenoffice.orgopenoffice.org-2.4Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sneak peek at OpenOffice.org 3.0]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/20/sneak-peek-at-openoffice-org-3-0/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/20/sneak-peek-at-openoffice-org-3-0/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/20/sneak-peek-at-openoffice-org-3-0/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta
OpenOffice.org 2.4 may be just around the corner. But if you laugh at stable releases and always want to have your hands on the latest beta software, you can download an early beta version of OpenOffice.org 3.0 today. Just check out the list of OpenOffice.org mirrors, choose a download site, and then find the Developer folder and the DEV300 supfolder and you should be able to download a Windows, Linux, or Mac installer. That's right, there's even an OS X installer. OpenOffice.org 3.0 will be the first version of OpenOffice to feature a native Mac client.

So what else does OpenOffice.org 3.0 have that version 2.3.1 is missing? Well, a bunch of bugs. This is a developer preview, after all. But there's also a ton of new features, including the startup screen you see above. That's what you'll get if you launch OOo-dev without choosing a specific application like Writer or Calc first. Here are a few other changes:
  • Multi-page view in Writer
  • Office 2007 document support
  • New Calc theme
  • Maximum number of columns in Calc jumps from 256 to 1024
  • Multiple users can edit spreadsheets simultaneously
These are just a few of the changes already included in OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta. There are thousands of other tweaks and bug fixes in the works. What features would you most like to see in the next major release? OpenOffice.org 3.0 is scheduled for a September, 2008 launch.

[via OpenOffice.org Ninja]

Sneak peek at OpenOffice.org 3.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developer-previewopenoffice.orgopenoffice.org-3.0Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Office 2003 SP3 "blocks" old file formats]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/03/office-2003-sp3-blocks-old-file-formats/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/03/office-2003-sp3-blocks-old-file-formats/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/03/office-2003-sp3-blocks-old-file-formats/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you are an Office 2003 user who has recently installed Service Pack 3 who has found it necessary to open up file formats from the pre-Office '97 era, you may have noticed that Office now blocks access to these file formats. According to Microsoft, older Word, Excel, Lotus 1-2-3/Quattro and Corel Draw files are affected, because "...By default, these file formats are blocked because they are less secure. They may pose a risk to you." This isn't pure FUD, as Larry Seltzer points out, file parsing is an easy way for miscreants to attack computers using malformed data files. So rather than patch the holes for these, let's face it, ancient file formats, Microsoft has decided to just disable default access. Yeah, it's lazy - but we kind of don't blame them (even in the corporate or academic environment, when was the last time you access a document created in one of these formats?).

For users who really need to access that old data, Microsoft's Support Site has posted instructions on how to modify the registry so that your program(s) can access the old files. This can be done manually or by running a pre-configured registry script.

Conversely, OpenOffice can be used to open the old file types. In any event, we highly recommend converting your old files to a new format anyway -- it really is more secure (and will help guarantee compatibility with future Office suites by Microsoft or someone else).

Office 2003 SP3 "blocks" old file formats originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>compatibilityfile formatFileFormatlegacy supportLegacySupportoffice 2003Office2003Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Five Small Business Tech Resolutions for 2008]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/12/27/five-small-business-tech-resolutions-for-2008/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/12/27/five-small-business-tech-resolutions-for-2008/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/12/27/five-small-business-tech-resolutions-for-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Computer Conferencing for 2008Start out 2008 with a business bang! Get free online tools to help in everyday and long-term technology chores. Here are some suggestions for the best free small business tools available for a 2008 launch for your business.

Keep track of your software licenses
Every time you buy a Microsoft Office or Windows software product, or one from Adobe (like Acrobat) or those expensive graphic suites (like CS3), you get a serial number usually attached to the CD case. After installing the software, does the box (with that critical serial number inside) wind up on a shelf somewhere? Resolve to undertake a software licensing program in 2008 and keep track of your serial numbers with a copy of those numbers off-site, perhaps on a portable USB storage device that is password-protected. Use a spreadsheet and note the software title, date and place of purchase, serial number, on which computer it was installed and where the original or backup copy is. Reasonably-priced shareware is here and some free apps are here. Check out KeyFiler, an online solution.

Continue reading Five Small Business Tech Resolutions for 2008

Five Small Business Tech Resolutions for 2008 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>teleconferencing, videoconferencing, skype, software licensing,Teleconferencing,Videoconferencing,Skype,SoftwareLicensing,SmallThu, 27 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Save your OpenOffice.org docs to Google Docs (and vice versa)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/12/14/save-your-openoffice-org-docs-to-google-docs-and-vice-versa/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/12/14/save-your-openoffice-org-docs-to-google-docs-and-vice-versa/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/12/14/save-your-openoffice-org-docs-to-google-docs-and-vice-versa/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocsIf you find yourself typing some documents up on your desktop and others using the web-based office suite Google Docs & Spreadsheets, you might find it hard to keep organized. With your documents spread all over the place, it's easy for a few things to get lost in the shuffle.

While OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocs won't quite let you synchronize your OpenOffice.org documents with your Google Docs, this OpenOffice extension does make it easy to import/export your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Once you download and install the extension, a new toolbar will show up in OpenOffice.org with two options: Export to Google Docs and Import from Google Docs. The export button basically lets you save your documents online so you can edit them from any computer, share them with collaborators, or do whatever else it is you do with Google Docs. The import feature brings up a list of all your documents stored online and lets you open them up one by one. There's no batch import option available at the moment.

We'll repeat, this is not a synchronization option. If you have an older copy of a document on your desktop and a newer version with the same version on Google Docs, it's up to you to resolve the differences. But this is still a pretty handy extension if you prefer using OpenOffice.org on your desktop, but might need to access your documents on the go.

Save your OpenOffice.org docs to Google Docs (and vice versa) originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>google-docsopenoffice.org2googledocsFri, 14 Dec 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IBM releases updated beta of Lotus Symphony office suite]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/14/ibm-releases-updated-beta-of-lotus-symphony-office-suite/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/14/ibm-releases-updated-beta-of-lotus-symphony-office-suite/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/14/ibm-releases-updated-beta-of-lotus-symphony-office-suite/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Lotus Symphony beta 2
Remember Lotus Symphony? A few months ago IBM launched its open source MS Office competitor based on OpenOffice.org code. We downloaded it, installed it, weren't particularly impressed, unloaded it and forgot about it.

Now IBM is back with a second beta release of Lotus Symphony. The application still runs pretty slow on our Windows Vista test system. There are versions available for Windows XP, Vista, and Linux. A Mac release is scheduled for next year.

Computer World reports that IBM plans to release updates every 6 to 8 weeks. The next version will include support for 23 languages. Right now, Lotus Symphony is only available in English.

As for major changes in Lotus Symphony Beta 2, we didn't notice much in the way of new features. So we're guessing most of the tweaks are under the hood bug fixes.

[via Computer World]

IBM releases updated beta of Lotus Symphony office suite originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ibmlotuslotus-symphonyopenoffice.orgWed, 14 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenOffice.org + extras = OxygenOffice Pro]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/10/21/openoffice-org-extras-oxygenoffice-pro/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/10/21/openoffice-org-extras-oxygenoffice-pro/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/10/21/openoffice-org-extras-oxygenoffice-pro/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

OxygenOffice Pro
Ever wish OpenOffice.org had more... stuff? OxygenOffice Pro is a modified version of OpenOffice.org. OxygenOffice packs all the same basic features as OOo, including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications. But it also comes with a bunch of extras like clip art and templates.

OxygenOffice Pro 2.3.0 was released this weekend, and it comes with:
  • More than 3400 graphics including clip art and photos
  • 90 fonts
  • Several templates and sample documents.
  • OOoWikipedia integration
  • Enhanced help menu and user's manual
  • VBA support for Excel documents under Calc
  • Enhaned PDF management
  • Direct export to LaTex MediWiki
OxygenOffice Pro was formerly known as OpenOffice.org Premium. But despite the name, OxygenOffice Pro, like its cousin is free.

[via makeuseof]

OpenOffice.org + extras = OxygenOffice Pro originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openofficeoxygenofficeoxygenoffice-proSun, 21 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New OpenOffice bug affects Mac, Linux, as well as Windows]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/25/new-openoffice-bug-affects-mac-linux-as-well-as-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/25/new-openoffice-bug-affects-mac-linux-as-well-as-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/25/new-openoffice-bug-affects-mac-linux-as-well-as-windows/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The forthcoming Aqua-native version of OpenOffice.
ZDNet UK is reporting that a just-discovered bug in OpenOffice can victimize versions of the software running on Mac and Linux in addition to Windows. The bug allows an attacker to use malformed TIFF images to run malicious code on the user's computer, ostensibly for the purpose of spreading the malicious code like a trojan. The official explanation of a heap overflow exploit can be found here. (Sounds likes when there's too much garbage in our can.)

OpenOffice's developers have not yet released a fix for the bug (update: the bug does not exist in version 2.3 or newer), but the firm that discovered it is advising OpenOffice users to "be careful" with attachments received from unknown sources. Good advice--whether you run OpenOffice, Microsoft Office, or Wordstar.

New OpenOffice bug affects Mac, Linux, as well as Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>openofficesecurityviruswormTue, 25 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Native Mac OS X version of OpenOffice.org coming in 2008]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/20/native-mac-os-x-version-of-openoffice-org-coming-in-2008/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/20/native-mac-os-x-version-of-openoffice-org-coming-in-2008/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/20/native-mac-os-x-version-of-openoffice-org-coming-in-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

OpenOffice.org 3 for Mac
OpenOffice.org is finally getting native Mac OS X support. The open source office suit has been available for Windows and Linux for years. And since 2005, you've been able to run OpenOffice.org on OS X, but you needed to install the resource-intensive X11 environment to get it working.

This summer, the development team offered the first alpha of a native version of OpenOffice.org for OS X. In other words, there's a standalone installer and you the applications are themed to look like native Mac apps. But as with any alpha software, install at your own risk and expect many bugs. For example, you couldn't print documents at first. That might be a dealbreaker.

Now the team has announced that they plan to have a fully functional version working for OS X by the time OpenOffice.org 3.0 is released in September 2008. The new version will include support for Apple's Aqua interface.

Of course, if you can't wait that long, you might want to check out NeoOffice, an independently produced OS X port of OpenOffice.org.

[via ComputerWorld]

Native Mac OS X version of OpenOffice.org coming in 2008 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aquaneoofficeos-xThu, 20 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EST