Archive for category News
Microsoft Office 2010 is (almost) here
Posted by Alan G in News, Office Software, Word on December 21st, 2009
Microsoft recently opened official public beta testing of Office 2010. That means you can download it here if you’re feeling adventurous and you want to see what’s coming.
Microsoft Office 2010 gets a movie trailer
Posted by Alan G in Business Communications, News, Office Software, Word on July 24th, 2009
Ever since Sprint’s success with their “movie trailer” marketing campaign for the Instinct cell phone, it seems every tech marketer has to have movies. Now it’s Microsoft, with “Office 2010 — The Movie.” It’s been up on YouTube for a couple of weeks, so if you haven’t caught it yet, here’s the link.
Actually, it’s kind of fun. It won’t really tell you anything about what 2010 will do differently, but there are various screen shots about the net and a more typical Microsoft introduction (in other words, very corporate and bland, but informative if the boredom doesn’t get you first) to the upcoming version at their website. You do get to actually see what things will look like, though.
Another way this site is typical is that it shows how to glitz up your documents (in some fairly horrible ways, sadly) but nothing about how to make a good looking document, pick the right font or set your margins or line spacing. If you’re a Creative Tips reader, you know about my campaign to bring business documents to a new level of good looks by providing the design tips that office software companies leave out of their tutorials.
Microsoft Announces Office 2010 Free Web Services
Posted by Alan G in Business Communications, News, Office Software, Word on July 13th, 2009
At Microsoft’s annual Partner Conference in New Orleans, they announced the “Technology Preview” of Office 2010. This means the new programs will be available to members of Microsoft’s partner network and developers around the world to examine, test and provide feedback. Part of the plan for Office 2010 is an online service, some of which will be free, that will allow users to work with Word and Excel in a web browser. How they will compare (and compete with) Google Docs and Acrobat.com isn’t clear yet, but such things as simultaneous working on an Excel spreadsheet (sounds nightmarish, actually) or being able to “broadcast” a PowerPoint slide show on the fly could have some appeal.
It will be interesting to see how many people take to this. I’m not a believer yet, myself, although there are times when working with clients that I create online versions of documents so that different people can have access to comment and make changes or updates. I’m not convinced that the web is secure enough, nor that connections are generally speedy enough, for so-called “cloud computing” to become the norm. Documents are like young kids: I just feel more comfortable when I know where they are.
Flow has its own teaser trailer
Posted by Alan G in Graphic Design, News on July 6th, 2009
You have to love a software company that can put out a seriously cool movie-style trailer for their latest product.
I’ve written about Flow, the application that transforms the way we work with creative software. It was a blast testing, suggesting improvements, and watching the program evolve from its original concept to the mature product that it became when it went on sale last week. Even if you don’t work in the graphic arts, I am sure you’ll hear more mention of Flow. It will become as ubiquitous as Photoshop, no question.
For more information about Gridiron Flow, watch the Overview video and browse their website.
Corporate Image Boot Camp
Posted by Alan G in Creative Tips, Graphic Design, News on May 14th, 2009
The Creative Tips newsletters have proved amazingly popular, far more than I ever expected. There’s an interesting double-effect here: as I write more and get more feedback, I find the newsletters taking on a life of their own. Number 10 is the start of a series on company image that I suspect is going to shock some folks, because the definition of what constitutes “good” design isn’t nearly the constant that some would like to believe. And the more I got into the subject, the more I realized just how many ways there are – none of them rocket science, all quite simple – to sink your company’s image without trace.
So I found myself on a roll for hours, long past the point where one little newsletter could cover it, and the “Corporate Image Boot Camp” was born. If you’re not subscribed to the newsletter, but would like to be, shoot me an email and I’ll add you to the list.
Gridiron Flow is going to wow the design community
Posted by Alan G in Graphic Design, News, Techie Stuff on April 25th, 2009
For months, the good folks at Gridiron Software have been working hard on the beta testing and feature development of Flow, a new tracking program that is going to usher in a new era for designers, videographers, and creative professionals in any field who have to keep track of large projects.
Creative Tips Newsletter
Posted by Alan G in Graphic Design, News on March 3rd, 2009
The first Creative Tips newsletter has hit the cyberwaves.
The idea of this series is to help improve the world’s documents by giving basic tips on using Microsoft Word and similar programs that are as ubiquitous as the generally boring (or, let’s be brutally frank, downright awful) documents that are turned out by the millions every day.
If we can get rid of some of the uglies, I think the time will be well spent!
Web Portfolio Online
Posted by Alan G in Graphic Design, News on February 24th, 2009
In a burst of necessity, the G&G Creative website has finally gone live, albeit in a somewhat minimalist form. The torrent of client work has been pushing this project onto the back burner for quite a while, but there were so many requests that I cobbled together a Flash-based slide show that at least gives some idea of the variety of print and web design work we turn out on a regular basis.
Look for this to be updated regularly, and when the real site is ready I’ll let everyone know!