iWork - page 4

Today CloudOn released the first major update to its cloud-based Microsoft Office solution. Like OnLive Desktop, which recently made changes to comply with Microsoft’s Windows licensing model, CloudOn delivers virtual copies of Windows versions the three core Office tools. Unlike OnLive, however, CloudOn doesn’t provide a virtual Windows desktop and the company doesn’t provide its own cloud storage for user documents.

Instead, CloudOn integrates with Box and Dropbox to provide document storage and sharing. The interface of the company’s iPad app provides a simple launcher and file browser. When one of the Office apps (or the newly added Adobe Reader app and File Viewer) is launched a virtual instance of that app is provided from the CloudOn servers.

I’ve always thought of FileMaker as “databases for the rest of us” – the software is easy to understand for even novice users, it has an immense focus on visual design that allows users to create impressive looking solutions quickly and easily, and it packs quite a bit of power. All of those traits get a boost in FileMaker 12, which was released this morning.

My first impression on using FileMaker 12 is that the company took all the things I’ve always like about FileMaker Pro and Server and turned them up to 11 – particularly when it comes to making mobile solutions.

Earlier this Box launched its new OneCloud feature, the goal of which is to integrate a range of iOS business and productivity apps around Box’s cloud storage. The biggest advantage to OneCloud is that it neatly sidesteps the lack of file management in iOS, essentially functioning almost like cloud-centric iOS version of the Finder.

Box isn’t the only company looking to get around the iOS file limitations while also connecting users to the cloud. Quickoffice this week announced its new Connect solution, a dedicated app and cloud service combination that aims to make it easy for users to access, edit, share, and sync files and documents across all their devices as well as across a range of third-party cloud services.

Apple has announced that it is shutting down iWork.com on July 31st. The website was a beta product that Apple launched back in 2009 to store documents created with its iWork productivity suite. Since then, iCloud has been introduced to let you keep your documents wirelessly synced across devices, and there is no need for iWork.com anymore.

Here is the new Pages for iOS, as announced by Apple last night.

Not a huge amount has changed here, to be honest, but there are one or two nice additions, stuff that help Pages retain its top spot in the small world of word processing on iOS.

Apple just announced new apps and updates for its iLife and iWork apps on iOS, as part of today’s new iPad announcement.

Now both collections are available – in full – for the iPad. Here’s an overview of what’s new.

It looks like Microsoft will be brining Office to the iPad, something that’s been the subject of speculation for a while. Although a photo showing Office on the iPad has surfaced, there are a lot of big questions surrounding it. When will it ship? How much will it cost? Which features will Microsoft incorporate from the desktop version of Office? How will it compare to Office on Windows 8 or Windows on Arm (WOA) tablets?

Then there’s another big question – does it even matter that Microsoft is creating an iPad version of Office?

One of the big threads in the Mountain Lion features that Apple has posted is much deeper integration with iCloud that Lion offers. That isn’t a surprise given Lion began a trend of bringing iOS functionality to the Mac, but it may raise some concerns for Macs in the workplace.

In Mountain Lion, Apple is bringing the iOS document syncing feature to OS X along with Mac versions of the iOS Notes and Reminders apps. There’s also a Mac version of the iOS 5 Notification Center. These are all tremendously valuable features for business users, but the fact that they function by passing business content to Apple’s iCloud servers and onto the devices of employees and their family members is likely to be a big concern for CIOs.

There’s no doubt that iCloud offers some great value to Mac and iOS users. It even has some potential as a business tool. Unfortunately, like many other personal cloud services, iCloud presents some major securtiy concerns when it comes into the workplace – either on a user’s iOS device or on a business Mac or PC. Those concerns stem from the ability to sync business data to outside devices and computers as well as its capacity to archive some of that data on Apple’s iCloud servers.

Unlike most personal cloud products, which can be difficult to effectively disable in corporate or business settings, iCloud use can be restricted or blocked. That leaves IT departments with the question of whether or not iCloud access should be managed or disabled. It’s a tricky question, particularly in BYOD settings where the device belongs to a user and not the company. It’s made even trickier because the choices involved in managing iCloud are rather blunt in approach and don’t offer much in the way of fine tuning to specific needs.

As of this point, the current version of iWork for Mac has absolutely no iCloud functionality, while the iOS version fully supports it. This tends to be frustrating when moving files around, as it makes what should be a straightforward process into a disaster. In this video, I’ll show you how you can upload your documents directly to iCloud, to make file sharing much easier.

Apple’s education event in New York City this morning may see the launch of a new version of the company’s Pages word processor which will feature support for iBooks publishing, and an iBooks application that will allow us to read our favorite titles on our Macs. Furthermore, we could also see the launch of textbook rentals.

As Apple’s upcoming education event in New York City draws near, more information is leaking out about what to expect. The latest word on the street is that Apple exec Roger Rosner is in charge of the company’s digital textbooks tools.

The Wall Street Journal believes that Apple is set to unveil a new “digital textbook service” Thursday. As the head of iWork at Apple (Pages, Keynote, and Numbers), Rosner has been working on textbook creation tools for this week’s event.

Wow! 2011 has been one of the most interesting years in recent memory for Apple Inc. Of course the death of Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs, stands out as one of the most important events of the year for Apple, but there have been a load of other stories too that have made 2011 a very memorable year for the fruit company. From one controversy to the next, to record-breaking earnings, and new products, Apple has plowed through 2011 with a steady determination to be the best technology company on the planet. Only one device underwent a redesign (the iPad), while other form factors stayed the same. Instead of focusing on making pivotal leaps forward with hardware, Apple’s main focus of 2011 was to fortify their strong foundation in the software game.

Here’s Cult of Mac’s look back on the Apple in the year 2011.

Got a new Mac? You’ve probably realised that OS X provides an excellent out-of-the-box experience. Unlike with Windows, few add-ons are required. There’s a great browser, for example, and full PDF support. But there’s still some tools that most experienced Mac users download the minute they boot-up a new Mac. Here they are, listed for possibly the first time…

Apple has seeded iWork beta 4 to developers with added support for iCloud services in iOS 5. Developers can test the iCloud “Documents and Data” service to sync content wirelessly between iWork apps.

iOS 5 and iCloud should be unveiled to the public this Tuesday alongside the next iPhone. When iWork is officially updated with iCloud support, users will be able to create a document on one device and have it synced wirelessly across other devices and iCloud.com.

iBooks has also received a minor update to version 1.3.1 in the App Store. The update includes “important stability and performance improvements” that are most likely related to iOS 5.

Apple has just launched its iCloud.com online service which will later be the successor to MobileMe. Those signed up to the service can now use their web browser to access their Mail, Contacts, Calendar and more.

With more and more Mac apps gaining compatibility with OS X Lion, Microsoft’s widely popular Office suite for the Mac is the next in line. MacNN is reporting that Microsoft is hard at work implementing Lion features like Auto Save, Versions, and full-screen mode in Office 2011.

Apple’s own iWork productivity suite has already been updated with these Lion-specific features, and Microsoft aims at adding these features to Office in the coming months.

A new job application on Apple’s site has put out the call for a new Senior User Interface Designer to rework the iWork suite on both Mac and iOS devices.

Not only does the timing of the ad combined with recent updates seem to imply that Apple may not update iWork until next year, but we have to wonder if it also might suggest that Cupertino is planning a Final Cut Pro X style reboot of the popular office suite.

Just as expected, Apple has issued an update to its iWork productivity suite to introduce a number of new features included in OS X Lion, including full-screen capability, resume, auto save, and more.

Soon after OS X Lion hits the Mac App Store today, Apple will update its iWork ’09 productivity suit to introduce some of Lion’s awesome new features, including auto save, resume, full screen mode and versions.

In an unprecedented move, last Tuesday Apple outlined what they would be announcing at next week’s WWDC keynote. This, in combination with plenty of plausible rumors floating round the blogosphere, leaves little left to speculate about. But I’m going to have a go anyway. I think the main theme for iOS5 will be independence from iTunes and the Mac/PC, and the big surprise for iCloud will be Facebook-style apps.

Read on after the break.

From the creators of Echofon – the popular third-party Twitter client – comes Photofon; the easiest way to browse the photos posted in your Twitter timeline. This isn’t just another Twitter client, but rather a photo browser for those who enjoy viewing all of the photos posted by their friends.

Ranky is a great application for app developers, marketeers, and those who want to keep track of App Store games and applications. It provides you with an overview of how well your selected titles are performing and their position in the App Store’s charts.

Apple’s iWork office suite for iOS has just made its way to the iPhone and the iPod touch, and just like its iPad counterpart, you won’t find an office experience as good as this from anywhere else. For getting things done on the move, nothing compares to iWork.

Find out more about thus week’s must-haves below!

Apple updated its iWork applications for iOS yesterday to include support for the iPhone and iPod touch, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. As a regular user of Keynote, Numbers and Pages on the iPad, I have been patiently waiting for their iPhone counterparts for some time – and these are well worth the wait.

After months of rumors, Apple just gave us a nice little pre-WWDC present: if you don’t mind a little bit of cramping, you can now use Keynote, Pages and Numbers on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

In an internal memo to its employees, Apple has announced the end of its iWork and MobileMe rebate programs with effect from close of business on April 18th. The rebate programs allowed customers to save $30 on MobileMe when purchasing a new Mac or iPad, and $30 on iWork when purchasing a new Mac.

The termination of these programs follows reports that Apple is set to revamp its MobileMe service over the coming months. A new MobileMe service, said to feature a digital “music locker” for streaming content from the cloud to Apple devices – as well as the “Media Stream” and “Find my Friends” features – is rumored to launch either later this month or at WWDC in June.

Though it’s not clear why iWork was also cut from the rebate program, it’s believed this is simply due to the release of iWork 2011 later this year. I think the the Mac App Store could also play a part in this: if Apple has decided to offer future iWork releases exclusively through the App Store as separate purchases, there may be a new way for customers to claim rebates – such as promo codes – or no rebates at all.

[via 9to5 Mac]