2008 spring preview

Software and Webware

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Software and Web applications

We're not expecting updates this spring to blockbuster gains in productivity or graphics packages from major players such as Microsoft, Adobe, or Apple. However, an online Photoshop is in the wings. Brands large and small continue to develop Web-based software that bridge the desktop with the "cloud." Firefox and Internet Explorer are each due for a refresh, while the upstart Flock browser should see a final release soon. Instant messaging and social networking tools are providing new ways to keep users on the same page in real time.

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Product

Type of software

Price and availability

The outlook

Firefox 3	Web browser	Free	The little browser that could continues to gain against Internet Explorer. Mozilla is to release Firefox 3 this spring. Anticipated changes include advanced graphics rendering capabilities. However, Firefox 3 won't support Windows versions 98 and earlier, or the Mac OS X 10.2 and earlier.
Internet Explorer 8	Web browser	Free	Microsoft's browser, now in beta testing, is due to be released this summer. New features include WebSlices, which let users get live updates of dynamic content. Also, activities let users highlight text on the page for instant mapping or dictionary lookups, similar to capabilities provided by various browser toolbar add-ons.
Flock 1.1	Web browser	Free	This novel browser, currently in beta testing, is known for gathering treats from social networks as well as video, photo and blogging Web sites. Flock also displays users' RSS feeds and e-mail messages within handy pull-down lists. However, will the final release, perhaps in April, warrant a switch from Firefox or IE?
Adobe Photoshop Express	Image-editing software	Free	Adobe's bringing Photoshop to your browser with Photoshop Express. While it won't be as powerful as its uberexpensive brethren, it's the big first step Adobe's made in broadening the audience for its photo-editing tools since launching its Elements software in 2001. Look for Photoshop Express to land as a standalone service, as well as combine with other photo hosting services throughout the year.
Yahoo Messenger for Vista	Instant messenger	Free	Yahoo Messenger for Vista inches closer to a beta release that takes advantage of Windows Vista's layering interface and foundation for 3D modeling. Translation? Yahoo adds innovative visualizations for VoIP calls and some neat artistic treatments of the chat windows in its IM client. As development chugs along, look forward to seeing favorite Yahoo Messenger functionality join the Vista application, such as receiving Yahoo Mail alerts and sending text messages to buddies' phones, but with an extra dollop of visual flair.
Trillian Astra	Instant messenger	Free	The good looks of this multi-IM client are turning heads, although Astra remains only in alpha testing. Users can choose from among embedded widgets, as well as plug-ins for Google Talk and MySpace chatting. In its final release, the next Trillian is due to be paired with a Web-based interface.
Orgoo	IM and e-mail aggregation service	Free	Orgoo is a service that pulls in your e-mail from a variety of services and adds text and video chat to the mix. It's been in private beta since last year, but is due to open up to everyone soon. It's one of the few solutions that will let you simultaneously check your e-mail in multiple Gmail. We think it's going to be a big hit.
Yahoo OnePlace	Social bookmarking	Free	Yahoo's latest is a social bookmarking tool for mobile phones that lets people share and store some of their favorite content from around the Web. It's coming in the second quarter of this year and will link with OneConnect, and OneSearch--two other Yahoo Web tools designed for mobile phones.
Yahoo Fire Eagle	Location-based services platform	Free	Currently in private beta, Yahoo Fire Eagle is a new platform for location-based services. Already on tap is integration with popular Web sites such as Facebook, tech toys such as the BUG from Bug Labs, and a bazillion applications due to hit later this year as developers learn how to code for it. Yahoo's hope is that geolocation won't be such a difficult proposition, and adding geolocation tools to any application will be simple and universal. Look for Fire Eagle to open up in the next few months.

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