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Results for posts tagged "web as desktop" on Lifehacker Australia.
Simple web-based text editor DarkCopy is an online clone of previously posted distraction-free word processor Writeroom. Dispense with all the toolbars, pull-downs, and context menus at DarkCopy, a full-screen editor out to help you focus on writing and nothing else. No registration is required to use DarkCopy, which can save your jottings as a text file to your desktop. Thanks, Jason!
If you're already using the Hardy Heron Beta, the next version of the Ubuntu Linux operating system, you've also got a dead-simple means of getting web apps like Google Docs, Google Calendar, Facebook, and others running in Mozilla's online/offline access program, Prism. The Ubuntu 8.04 repositories already have a lot of Google and a few other apps available for installing (sudo apt-get install prism-google-mail installs a Gmail interface, for instance), but you create more using the official Firefox add-on. Hit the link for Tombuntu's expanded explanation, and leave your impressions of the Ubuntu/Prism integration in the comments.
Google rolls out a few impressive new features to its online spreadsheets offering today, including cell autocomplete, iGoogle gadgets, and notifications about collaborative edits. Autocomplete works the way any desktop spreadsheet does: as you type, if the cell contents match a past entry, Spreadsheets will suggest the value. As for data collection and sharing, you already know you can ask others to fill in a spreadsheet with a user-friendly form. Now you can get notifications whenever a sheet gets updated, down to a specific range of cells or via a form. Finally, you can track the status of your spreadsheet on your iGoogle homepage by creating a data widget, which updates as your spreadsheet does. Pretty nifty.
When you're at a computer that's missing a vital file or application, like an office workstation that's locked down, a friend's system or coffee shop computer, you can still get to a desktop that contains your essentials—on the web. A "webtop" is a virtual desktop that you access using only a browser, and it can include much of the stuff you'd expect on a local computer desktop: like file storage and management, a calendar, RSS reader, email client, and photo viewer. While there are several web desktops available these days, the free and open source EyeOS application is the most accessible, useful, and promising one out there. Follow along to see what a web-based desktop looks like, and how it can help you get things done when you're locked down or out of pocket.
Zoho Writer, part of one of Lifehacker's favorite (and underhyped) webapps, has added a bunch of new features, and many of them add to the online office app's appeal to even grizzled Microsoft Office veterans. Most significantly, Zoho now exports to the Office 2007 .docx format, and its creators promise import is coming soon. Also, when exporting to Word formats, headnotes, footnotes, headers and footers will be retained with proper formatting. FInally, a 10-language thesaurus is available for right-click use, and users can create groups of users to share documents with, rather than entering individual email addresses each time. Pretty nifty stuff, and another good reason to check out Google Docs' main competitor.
Windows only: Listen to your home music library from anywhere through your browser with web site JukeFly. Similar to previously mentioned streaming application Orb, JukeFly runs a small server on your desktop that scans any music folders you add to it and makes all of that music available through their slick web interface. With its extensive social features, JukeFly is actually a little more reminiscent of Anywhere.fm, the main difference being that Anywhere.FM actually stores your music on their servers, whereas JukeFly streams the music from your computer. Either way, add JukeFly to the list of worthwhile methods for getting to your music library no matter where you are.
When it comes to reading feeds for a job or need-to-know informatoin, it's hard to beat the (unofficial) reigning champions of the web and desktop, Google Reader and NewsGator's (now free!) products. But sometimes you might just want to run through a lot of content quickly, with no read/unread stress to remind you of your email inbox. For that kind of browsing, Alertle, a new AJAX-based feed reader, might be just the right thing. It comes jam-packed with pre-sets in a range of categories, and it moves nearly as quick as Reader (even with seemingly wider support for embedded video and audio). Alertle doesn't bother marking posts as read, so it's more a tool for seeing what's new around the web than hitting a goal. The big drawbacks are non-support of Internet Explorer and a hard-to-grok sign-up interface (check the upper-right corner), but Alertle makes for an interesting addition to the growing stable of worthy feed readers.
