web apps

Mozilla Labs has unleashed its first beta release of Prism -- an experimental program that enables users to break out Web applications from the browser and run them directly from the desktop, even if the browser crashes or stalls.

Through Prism, Mozilla Labs aims to harness the increasing power and ubiquity of Web applications and put them to work directly on the desktop in their own separate windows like normal applications. The organization said this will reduce browser loading, leading to improved browser performance and stability.

Google on Tuesday updated its Gmail and Calendar offerings for Apple's iPhone and Android-based mobile devices. When users access Gmail and Calendar through mobile browsers, Google promises an improved experience.

In Gmail, Google has improved the mobile user interface to make it easier to "message on the go." The search giant also unveiled what it is calling a Floaty Bar so common actions -- such as archive and delete -- are only a click away. Messages got a face-lift so labels look more like the Gmail labels users see on a desktop.

Microsoft announced Tuesday that it plans to finally allow the crown jewels of its applications -- the Microsoft Office suite -- to be delivered through Web browsers.

The announcement was made at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.
Chris Capossela, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Division, said Office Web will allow users to employ lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote to create, edit and collaborate with Office documents through a Web browser.

Microsoft announced Tuesday that it plans to finally allow the crown jewels of its applications -- the Microsoft Office suite -- to be delivered through Web browsers.

The announcement was made at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.
Chris Capossela, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Division, said Office Web will allow users to employ lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote to create, edit and collaborate with Office documents through a Web browser.

Google built its new Web browser, Chrome, specifically to be a robust front end for Web applications, especially Google's own Docs and Apps products. But should enterprises that deploy Web apps be quick to switch over? Definitely not, say a number of enterprise writers.

Indeed, some observers say, Google's designs on the enterprise are not about winning market share for browsers, but about creating a wedge in the enterprise that will drive users away from Microsoft Office and toward Google Docs.

When Apple launched its MobileMe Web cloud software last Friday, customers ran into severe glitches. The subscription service is designed to synchronize calendars, e-mail and other applications between iPhones and Mac or Windows desktops, but users of the new service were unable to log in or sync files correctly.

The company fielded a torrent of criticism from end-users. An e-mail from the MobileMe team on Tuesday read in part:

No, this has nothing to do with Second Life, the online phenomena and everything to do with re-purposing an old piece of hardware.

No, this has nothing to do with Second Life, the online phenomena and everything to do with re-purposing an old piece of hardware.

No, this has nothing to do with Second Life, the online phenomena and everything to do with re-purposing an old piece of hardware.

No, this has nothing to do with Second Life, the online phenomena and everything to do with re-purposing an old piece of hardware.