MS OFFICE ALTERNATIVES!

Don't like Microsoft Office or can't afford?
There are many alternatives present in market which are available free of cost or at minimal cost having almost all features MS OFFICE boast of...







Google Docs
Developed by Internet search giant Google, Web-based Google Docs offers word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application. Documents can be shared, opened, and edited by multiple users at the same time. Google Docs also allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating real-time with other users.

As for the size limits, each doc can have a maximum size of 500K, plus up to 2MB per embedded image. Each Spreadsheet can be up to 256 columns, 200,000 cells, or 100 sheets. Presentations Files in .ppt and .pps formats can have a maximum size of 10MB or 200 slides; files uploaded from the Web can be up to 2MB; emailed files can be up to 500K.

Google Docs can also be accessed offline with Gears, an open source browser extension that enables web applications to run offline. When a user is not connected to the Internet, Google Docs uses information stored on his computer's hard drive, rather than relying on information sent across the network.

COREL

WordPerfect is a word processing application developed by Corel. The office software helps create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, manages email, and share work seamlessly with Microsoft Office compatibility and built-in PDF tools.

It offers support for more than 60 formats, including Microsoft Office 2007 and open standards such as Open Document Format (ODF) and Office Open XML (OOXML).

It lets users create letters, reports, newsletters, budgets, invoices, receipts, slide shows, proposals and interactive reports. It can also turn complex spreadsheets into charts and graphs.

The software packs Pocket Oxford English Dictionary, drawing application, 175 digital photos, 8,000 clipart images, 900 TrueType fonts, WordPerfect XML Project Designer and conversion utility.

What differentiates Word Perfect from other word processors is its streaming code architecture, its Reveal Codes feature, and its user-friendly macro/scripting language, PerfectScript.

ZOHO

Zoho Office is an online office suite which includes tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking, wikis, CRM, project management and invoicing. Like Google Docs, Zoho applications are web-based and operating system independent. Its online word processor, Zoho Writer, quite closely apes Microsoft Word features and functionalities. It supports common formats, including Microsoft Word (DOC), Office Open XML (DOCX), OpenDocument text (ODT), OpenOffice text (SXW), HTML, RTF, JPG, GIF & PNG files. Zoho also lets users edit a document when page breaks are displayed. Writer works even when one is offline, thanks to open source technology. Offline document edits get synchronised when user goes online. Zoho Writer also provides a choice of footnotes or endnotes, with note numbers in superscript, placed in the text. Zoho is a division of AdventNet, which provides online software services to corporate IT departments and is based in California. thinkfree

Another Microsoft Office rival that closely resembles its functionality and features is ThinkFree Office by Haansoft ThinkFree Co Ltd. ThinkFree Office supports Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint file formats. It provides identical features for Windows, Mac, or Linux. ThinkFree Office includes a word processor (Write), spreadsheet (Calc), presentation programme (Show), and a WYSIWYG html and blog editor (Note). It also has a web-based edition that runs Write, Calc, Show and Note in a browser using a mix of Java applet and Ajax technologies. User gets 1GB of online storage space for saving their documents. Recently, the company updated its online version, ThinkFree Office Live, introducing a new unified online document viewer called Uni Paper and allows the use of its service without any registration. Key features of the web version include: No need to attach documents to emails if they need to be shared with business partners or colleagues, support for group document editing and reviewing, Document tagging and creation of Adobe PDF documents for free. OpenOffice.org

My personal favourite.
OpenOffice is a free open-source office application suite offering support for standard OpenDocument Format (ODF) for data interchange as well as Microsoft Office formats. As of March 2009, OpenOffice supports over 80 languages.

OpenOffice was originally derived from StarOffice, and later acquired by Sun Microsystems in August 1999. The suite offers word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics and databases.

Its word processor, called Writer, offers features like AutoCorrect, AutoComplete, AutoFormat, Styles and Formatting, Text Frames and Linking, Tables of Contents, Indexing, Bibliographical References, Illustrations, Tables and other objects.

Adobe Buzzword


Here's a free online word processor from Adobe called Buzzword. It lets users write reports, proposals and share it with others.

Buzzword has two views, Document Organiser and Editor. The Editor provides six sliding toolbars at the top of the window which lets users choose fonts, text styles and format paragraphs. It also lets users add lists, images, tables, and comments to a document.

The Document Organiser shows all Buzzword documents, the one's that are shared and created by the user. There is also a Sort feature to organise how documents are grouped: by author, by date modified, by size, or other options.

Other key features include: users can assign user roles; add comments that include text, tables, and images; maintain history of document versions; and a Collaborator bar showing who is invited to collaborate on a document.

IBM Lotus Symphony

IBM Lotus Symphony Document lets users create documents with predefined document templates, formatting with predefined styles for paragraphs, characters, and headings, contextual toolbars and editing menus. It also offers inline spell checking and correction feature, graphics for creating tables, charts, diagrams, automatic creation of a table of contents, footnotes, indexes and footers and headers.

It also extends support for a variety of file types, including Microsoft Office and Lotus SmartSuite Export documents and Adobe PDF for easy sharing.

Jarte

Jarte, a light-weight, portable word processor based on the WordPad engine. The standard version is available for free.

Features include the ability to edit Microsoft Word documents, OLE support (the ability to insert pictures and sounds), tabbed document access, spell checker, page breaks, print previewing, visual header and footer designer, clip history, a reference bar, multilevel undo and redo functionality, and single-click bookmarking.

Jarte uses the Windows built-in word processing engine at its core.

DEAD SEA is really dead!

Yes Dead Sea is really Dead.
The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres (42 mi) long and 18 kilometres (11 mi) wide at its widest point.Unlike it's name, its a salt lake stretching between Israel and West Bank in the west and Jordan in the east.It's 422m below the sea level which is the lowest point on the dry land.'s the saltiest water body of the world with 33.7% salinity.In other words it's water is 8.6 times more saltier then ocean water!
Due to its salinity no life is possible in the water and hence its called 'DEAD SEA'.
Its a major tourist destination with spas,beautiful beaches and pilgrimage spots around it.Millions of people visit this amazing place every year.
A city has come up at its shore called 'living dead sea'!!

Don't know swimming? Don't worry just jump in the water...u will float!!!!

Still looking for a destination for coming vacations? better stop thinking and get ur tickets!

For more information check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea

Beautiful Earth at Night

ASIA LOOKS COOL!
ANTARCTICANORTH AMERICA

EUROPE
AFRICAN SUBCONTINENT

Kansai Airport-Sinking Airport!

Kansai Airport is an extra-ordinary feast of an engineering marvel.This man made island is situated 50 km from the center of Osaka city,Japan.This man-made island is 4 km long and 2.5 km wide.This airport is sinking at the rate of 9cm per annum.It's construction is equally amazing!
For full details plz visit the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansai_International_Airport

Temple of the Rats- Karni Mata

Located in north-western India, the small city of Deshnoke,has a place of worship unlike any other, Rajastan’s famous Karni Mata Temple. The temple is home to over 20,000 worshipped rats, referred to as Kabbas. Many people travel great distances to pay their respects.

For many Westerners this would seem bizarre and strange to have a place of worship over run by an animal that is commonly associated with pestilence and disease. Since the temple was constructed there has never been an outbreak of disease associated with the vermin.

‘This ornate, isolated Hindu temple was constructed by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 1900s as a tribute to the rat goddess, Karni Mata. Intricate marble panels line the entrance and the floors, and silver and gold decorations are found throughout.

“The legend goes that Karni Mata, a mystic matriarch from the 14th century, was an incarnation of Durga, the goddess of power and victory. At some point during her life, the child of one of her clansmen died. She attempted to bring the child back to life, only to be told by Yama, the god of death, that he had already been reincarnated.

Karni Mata cut a deal with Yama: From that point forward, all of her tribespeople would be reborn as rats until they could be born back into the clan.

In Hinduism, death marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one on the path to a soul’s eventual oneness with the universe. This cycle of transmigration is known as samsara and is precisely why Karni Mata’s rats are treated like royalty.”

“Unlike the rest of the world, where rats are commonly killed for inhabiting the same space as humans, in this temple the rat residents are treated with sincere devotion. The veneration is so complete that if someone accidentally steps on a rat and kills it, they are expected to buy a gold or silver rat and place it in the temple as atonement.”

Underground World!

The Kish Qanat in Kariz, Iran is more than 2,500 years old and currently has been converted into an underground town at a depth of 16 meters below the surface, with an area of more than 10,000 sq m. The Qanat is an ancient system found in arid regions that brings groundwater from the mountains, following a water-bearing formation (aquifer), and emerge at an oasis, through a series of tunnels. The tunnels perhaps several kilometers long, are roughly horizontal, with a slope. This allows water to drain out to the surface by gravity to lower and flatter agricultural land. Considered to be the oldest feat of human engineering, this system can be found still working in Iran.

The ancient water provision technology can be described as the greatest contribution made by Iranians to hydraulics. This system must have been started at least 5000 years ago in Iran. The water from the qanat flowed in a natural underground stream between a layer of corals on the surface of the island. The drinking water flowed from northeast of the Island to the sea and after 10 centuries it continues to flow.
There is an entrance fee of Dh. 5 per head. A guide takes you around and explains the salient features of the qanat. The History of Kariz can be found in depth through the Kish Trade Promotion website. Situated in Horasan, Iran, its geographical coordinates are 31° 9′ 5″ North, 60° 23′ 30″ East.

Massive Man Made Holes

One of the world’s biggest holes is located in Russia.
The gaint hole is actually a diamond mine in Eastern Siberia near the town Mirna/?????? . It is 525 meters deep and 1.25 km in the diameter. Mirna’s open pit diamond mine closed operations in 2004 after nearly 50 years. According to bizarre reports air traffic has been suspended due to the “suction above the hole” reporting of extreme downdrafts over the pit.

Which some have claimed have resulted in several helicopter crashes.

Kennecott Mine. is actually the world’s largest man-made excavation. “Kennecott mine looks more like a huge canyon than it does a hole, as compared to the nearly-symmetrical pit in Siberia….Started over a hundred years ago, it pioneered open-pit mining operations. It is located 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. It’s 2.5 miles across and 3 quarters of a mile deep. The mine is so big that it can be easily seen from space shuttles in outer space with the naked eye. By comparison, the Mirna diamond mine is only about one-third of a mile deep and less than a mile across.” source

Kennecott Copper Mine, the world’s largest man-made excavation and first open-pit, is located 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. 2 ½-miles across, and ¾-mile deep, the mine is so big, it can be seen from space shuttles in outer space!!

Google is MIND BOGGLING!

We just heard that Google Earth has gone deeper. It now allows users to take a 3D dive into the sea where a user can view ocean topography, watch regions of the Earth change over time, and even check out the scenery on Mars. More than 500 million people have downloaded Google Earth since it was launched in 2005. While the software is available free on Google's website, researchers and organisations can purchase a more powerful version for about US$400. Google says the idea of adding oceans came three years ago when a scientist pointed out that the software lacked details of what is under the water, which covers almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface. Ad the icing on the cake, of course, is the fact that the new feature on Google Earth, will be able to raise more awareness about the environment, especially about marine conservation.

Mobile service providers may hate Google for this but the company Measurement Labs initiative is again a user's delight. Imagine being armed with tools to figure out whether internet service providers are interfering with your broadband connections by blocking or "throttling" certain applications. In a move that will undoubtedly ignite the issue of network neutrality, the company has partnered with the New America Foundation and Planet Labs to further develop Measurement Labs, an open-source platform that researchers can use to find out information about broadband connections. According to Vint Cerf, the "Father of the internet" and Google's Internet Evangelist, Google is also providing academic researchers with 36 servers in 12 locations in the U.S. and Europe to develop tools that will allow users to measure the speed of their connections and figure out if their ISPs are blocking certain applications.

This week, Google rolled out Latitude. Using a combination of Global Positioning System, WiFi, and cell tower location data, the service, an extension of Google Maps, Latitude can determine where you are in the world via your mobile device depending on which of those technologies the device can use. It will work on most color Blackberries, most Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, most Symbian S60 devices, and phones powered by Google's Android mobile software, such as the T-Mobile G1. No iPhone or iPod Touch yet, but Google says that's coming very soon. So if you have spent restless moments thinking where your friends or your spouse or your child is? Google may come to your rescue sooner than you thought. But will it throw up privacy issues. Google thought about it a lot. It offers a wide variety of ways to make sure you can't be tracked if you don't want to. The service is opt-in, and you can control precisely who among your friends and relatives can see your location. You can hide your location from everyone or particular people, opt to share only the city you're in generally, or just turn the service off. That does not sound too bad.

Google also recognized the vacuum where the mobile space needed a stable operating system to handle the myriad needs of the new look mobile user. So it came up with Android - a software platform and operating system for mobile devices, based on the Linux kernel. It allows developers to write managed code in the Java language, controlling the device via Google-developed Java libraries. The unveiling of the Android platform was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 48 hardware, software, and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.

Recently Google launched Chrome - an open source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Firefox. It promised to be fast and to cope with the next generation of web applications that rely on graphics and multimedia. The new browser has helped Google to take advantage of developments it is pushing online in rich web applications that are challenging traditional desktop programs. The company already had a suite of web apps, such as Documents, Picasa and Maps which offer functionality that is beginning to replace offline software. What they needed now was a browser that could also double up as a modern platform for web pages and applications.

It's is only human to err but Google, with its "Mail Goggles" has found ways to avoid embarrassment that could result from mails that are sent and later regretted. The Internet search company has introduced dozens of features, including one that, after a certain time, makes a user solve a math problem before sending an email, giving them time to rethink it. And sometimes goof intentions make good business sense too. Google makes money every time email users click on ads, it is enhancing its email service to increase advertising and take market share away from Yahoo. Last month, Google also introduced a feature to automatically download mail so users can read Gmail offline in a Web browser. That matches an existing feature in the client version of Microsoft's Outlook but when Outlook is accessed from the Internet it does not have that feature. The Google mail recently added another user-friendly way to organise users' mails. The new feature in mail allow users to archive and label emails in a single step. Google has revamped the buttons and menus along the top of the Gmail inbox.

Google recently added video capabilities where Gmail and Google App subscribers can now choose to speak with friends on a video screen and simultaneously instant message them in a Google chat box. The video screen can be popped out of the chat box and moved around a user's computer screen. Users can also change the size of the screen and expand it to full-screen size. The condition being that both the user and his contact have computers equipped with Web cameras and microphones. Businesses that have bought an enterprise version of Gmail, found within the Google Apps software package, will also receive the feature at no extra cost.

And when you are at work, to facilitate multi-tasking without changing applications and packages, Google has added support for PDF document viewing in Gmail. Users can see a View link in an email with a PDF attachment. Click View and the PDF document opens inside your browser with formatting options like those available with Google Docs. The PDF can be viewed in HTML as well as in a new viewer. The document can also be downloaded.

And finally Google Labs is the internet search company's final finger on the pulse of its users. Google labs showcases a few of the company's favorite ideas that aren't quite ready for prime time. The company seeks feedback to improve and build on the innovations showcased there. It urges users to play with the prototypes and send comments directly to the Googlers who developed them. An open world of innovation. And you can test your acumen on New! Picasa for Mac and Picasa for Linux, Google Suggest, Google Transit, GOOG-411, Google Reader, Google Notebook, Google Maps and the list goes on. The technologies showcased here are obviously in the beginning stages of development, and may disappear without warning or perform erratically. But it is a good beginning for better things to dot the technology landscape in the near future….and Google seems to have mastered this art.

What GIRLS expect from GUYS!

50 THINGS GIRLS WISH GUYS KNEW

1. Don't tell us when you think other girls are hot.
2. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
3. If you don't act like soap-opera guys, don't expect us to dress like Victoria Secret models.
4. Mark anniversaries on a calendar.
5. There is no such thing as too much spooning.
6. NB . . . Just because you L the C doesn't mean we have to S the D.
7. This is how we see it . . . Don't call = Don't Care.
8. Which also means that if we don't call, take the hint.
9. We like you to be a little jealous . . . but overly possessive is not necessary.
10. Putting things in our butt does not turn us on.
11. Return favors: we massage, you massage; we go down, you go down; we shave, you shave (and not just your face).
12. Foreplay is not an option . . . its a prerequisite.
13. We're allowed to be late . . . you are not.
14. Eye contact is key.
15. Don't take longer to get ready than we do.
16. Laugh at our jokes.
17. Three words . . . honesty, honesty, honesty.
18. Girls can be groupies. Guy groupies are stalkers.
19. We never have to wonder if your orgasm was real.
20. Do not start with us. You will not win... not kidding .. we ALWAYS win
21. Would you like it if a guy treated your sister that way? We didn't think so.
22. If you ask nicely, we usually answer the same way.
23. We will never have enough clothes or shoes!
24. We have an excuse to act bitchy at least once a month.
25. Open the door for us no matter where we are . . . even at our house and getting into the car.
26. We love surprises!
27. We liked to be kissed softly, not with an iron tongue.
28. Pay attention to the little things we do, because they mean the most.
29. Boxers and maybe boxer briefs sometiems . . . NEVER whitey-tighties, NEVER!
30. Clean your room before we come over.
31. Always brush your teeth before you see us . . . a fresh mouth and white teeth are a necessity.
32. When we use our teeth it means that you suck at going down on us, so we are just returning the favor.
33. Even though you are sometimes insensitive and hurt us, we still love you with everything we are.
34. Hit it and quit it, because later I'll be with you're best friend and he lasts for hours.
35. Don't act hard around your friends because I won't make you hard tonight.
36. Sometimes "NO!" really means "NO!"
37. "Wife Beaters" are not an adequate form of fashion.
38. If we wanted to be on video tape, we'd be a porn star not your girlfriend.
39. Sensitive guys are great . . . but crying more than we do in a movie just isn't right.
40. Don't let ex-girlfriends cause drama, relationships are stressful enough.
41. It takes a special kind of stupid to forget birthdays.
42. Guys who are good cuddlers = guys who know how to satisfy a woman.
43. "Fat Chicks" have feelings too.
44. Silent treatment, shoulder shrugs, tears, yelling and nasty looks all add up to . . . YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG!
45. If you are not a good dancer, please be self-aware.
46. Just because a girl doesn't pick up on the first ring doesn't mean she's not waiting by the phone.
47. You don't have to spend a lot, if it means a lot.
48. Don't say you love me if you don't mean it.
49. Don't lie to us . . . we will catch you.

50. When the girls get together, we talk about EVERYTHING. Meaning my best friends know everything about you.

Hope u enjoyed it!LOL

Important Rules for GIRLS!

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down Finally, the guys' side of the story.

We always hear "the rules"
From the female side.
Now here are the rules from the male side.
These are our rules!
Please note.. these are all numbered "1"
ON PURPOSE!
1. Men ARE not mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.
You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon
or the changing of the tides.
Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport.
And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want.
Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly Acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only If you want help solving it. That's what we do.
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.
In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are.
Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one ..

1. You can either ask us to do something
Or tell us how you want it done.
Not both.
If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings.
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not! A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will Be scratched.
We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear Is fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation,
or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
Hope u enjoyed the humour LOL.

FROM BLOOM TO GLOOM!

How it started...
On 30th November,2001 well known investment firm Goldman Sachs published a paper.
It coined a term BRIC (Brazil,India,Russia and China).They proposed that by 2050,BRIC will be four most dominating world economies leaving behind USA and European Union.It raised eyebrows around the world.India, always considered as coutry of snakes and charmers by westeners suddenly came in spotlight.

Now India is seen as country with 1.1 billion consumers whose income level is rising.
Still people had doubt abt that theory.
US strategy department came out with report which projected the end of unipolar world with rising powers India and China by 2025.Now there were no doubts.
Since then,
these countries’ equity markets have seen a remarkable increase in their value: Brazil has risen
by 369%, India by 499%, Russia by 630%, and China by 201%, using the A-share market, or
by a stunning 817% based on the HSCEI.

The equity market performance is just one manifestation of the staggering rise in BRICs.
FDI inflows into India reached a record US$19.5bn in fiscal year 2006/07 (April-March), according to the government's Secretariat for Industrial Assistance. This was more than double the total of US$7.8bn in the previous fiscal year. The FDI inflow for 2007-08 has been $24bn and for 2008-09, it is expected to be above $35 billion.

India's GDP is US$1.089 trillion, which makes it the twelfth-largest economy in the world or fourth largest by purchasing power adjusted exchange rates which stands at US$3 trillion. India's nominal per capita income US$977 is ranked 128th in the world.
India's GDP grew by staggering 9+% for past three years and for 2008 it's projected to grew be 7-8% in midst of global recession much above 'hindu growth rate' of 3-4%.
During this period our poverty decreased by whopping 10%.

By 2050 by most conservative estimates India would be first or second largest economy in the world with China if growth at this rate continues.
Then she would have per capita income of 3000$ still lowest in the world.
To sustain this growth India is spending US$500billion on infrastructure (roads,highways)in next 5 years alone.Billions of dollars is being spent on Socio-economic up liftment of poor.
In the year 2007, India received a whopping USD 27 billion in remittances ie money sent by NRI's to there family in India.

It's estimated if people of India and China attain the same standard of living as people of developed world,another two earths would be required to get required resources!

Global recession