5 Best Microsoft Office alternatives

Even though there are many types of productivity software available out there, office suites are arguably the most commonly used. There usage might vary, but they are used almost everywhere. And when it comes to office suites, Microsoft Office is pretty much the gold standard.

Whether we talk about MS Office as a whole, or take its constituent applications (e.g. Word, PowerPoint and Excel), the sheer number of advanced features offered is amazing. Not surprisingly, it costs quite a lot.

But as good as MS Office is, there might be some users whose needs are basic and who find its vast expanse of features a bit overkill. If that includes you, check out these really good Microsoft Office alternatives that you can use.

1. Apache Open Office

Probably the best thing about Apache Open Office is that it's free and open-source. It comes with a standard set of applications including a word processor, spreadsheet application and presentation software, along with a graphics editor and DBMS manager. It's fully compatible with MS Office's file formats and supports some extra ones (e.g. ODT) as well. What's more, its functionality can be enhanced by numerous extensions. It's available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

2. Libre Office

Interestingly, Libre Office is a fork (means it builds upon the existing code base) of Apache Open Office. But it still has some really great features. The UI is quite different and the three basic applications (for handling documents, spreadsheets and presentations) are included, in addition to some extras. Due to optimized code, it's a bit faster than Open Office. It can be used on Windows, Mac OS and Linux as well.

3. WPS Office

For those looking at a lightweight yet functional MS Office alternative, WPS Office is just perfect. It just includes the three essential programs (word processor, spreadsheet application and presentation software) and is fully compatible with Microsoft Office's file formats. WPS Office comes with a nice collection of templates and fonts too. However, a downside is that saving a document in Microsoft Office formats requires an upgrade to the paid version.

4. Softmaker Free Office

Softmaker Free Office's interface might look a little dated, but it's still a very good program for those whose productivity needs are not that intensive. It supports all Microsoft Office formats and also has better XML compatibility. The free version works just fine, but those wanting more features can upgrade to a paid version. Oh, and Softmaker Free Office is also available on Android.

5. Neo Office

Another fork of Apache Open Office, Neo Office is specifically available for the Mac OS. In addition to having all the standard features, it adds some Mac OS specific extras like text checking and drag and drop functions. But a major downer with Neo Office is that it's not compatible with MS Office file formats.

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Interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook reveals a company that stands tall despite criticism

If there is one company in the tech world right now that is taking some really big strides (for itself) it would have to be Apple. While many have claimed that Apple is doomed and that the sudden change or move to giant tablet and smartphones may be a sign of struggle, things did not seem to be that way when Fast Company interviewed CEO Tim Cook and SVPs Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi.

The long commentary aside, the interview does shed plenty of light on the Cupertino giant’s recent moves. For example, Apple’s move to open up a public beta program stemmed from the whole Maps debacle, one that can easily termed as the worst service offered on a device out of the box (don’t even get started with India).

Eddy Cue confessed that building a Maps app had been tougher than anyone in Apple had expected. It was Apple’s failure in not being able to accomplish the same, that led Apple to launch the public beta so that more bugs would be identified prior to a public release.

The article also shed light on how Jobs would have never wanted a beta version of the company’s software in the hands of the consumer.

Additionally Cue also commented on those who criticize Apple for the company’s lack of innovation ever since Steve Jobs passed away, “The world thinks we delivered [a breakthrough] every year while Steve was here,” says Cue. “Those products were developed over a long period of time.”

This is a fact, as many patent filings will tell you that most Apple ideas were though about and patented a really long time ago. For example, the patent filing for a wrap around display was filed back in 2011, which was around the time the 3GS was up for sale.

During his interview, Tim Cook seemed least bothered about what critics had to say. As for the ‘Apple is doomed’ stories that are floating around the internet, Cook simply commented, “The way that I look at that is, I really know the truth.”

He reiterated his stance on what the company believes about itself:

“We have never said that we’re perfect. We’ve said that we seek that. But we sometimes fall short.

The most important thing is, Do you have the courage to admit that you’re wrong? And do you change? The most important thing to me as a CEO is that we keep the courage.”

As for the reason why Apple is putting its hands and legs into other areas like health, home and even a car, well, there’s an answer for that as well.

“Our strategy is to help you in every part of your life that we can, whether you’re sitting in the living room, on your desktop, on your phone, or in your car.”

Indeed, as many of you may have already noticed, the interview does come at a time, almost a month before the release of the company’s next iPhone. So this could be something that Apple may have wanted its audience and fans to believe in before the launch. Still then, it does paint a picture of a company that stands tall despite tonnes of criticism and despite being the only one to make a hefty $50.6 billion in sales, which is also termed as ‘disappointing’ quarter.

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Google buys Orbitera, a platform for cloud marketplaces, for $100M+

Google today announced another acquisition that will help the company improve how it competes against Amazon’s AWS, Salesforce and Microsoft in the area of enterprise services, and specifically selling enterprise services in the cloud: it has acquired Orbitera, a startup that developed a platform for buying and selling cloud-based software.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed but our sources close to the deal tell us it’s just north of $100 million.

This is an acquisition of talent, technology, and existing business. The CEO Marcin Kurc (tellingly) is an alum of AWS. And Google notes that some 60,000 enterprise stacks have already been launched on Orbitera. These include the likes of Adobe, Oracle and Metalogix, who all resell cloud services from third-party vendors as part of their larger enterprise businesses.

“This acquisition will not only improve support of software vendors on Google Cloud Platform but also provides customers with more choice and flexibility in today’s multi-cloud world,” Google said in a statement provided to media.

Kurc notes in his announcement that Google will keep everything running as is, “at this time.”

The startup says its focus is on providing four (end-to-end) aspects of building cloud marketplaces: Packaging and Provisioning, Billing and Cost Optimization, Marketplace and Catalogs, Trials and Lead Management.

It looks like Google will continue to operate that business on behalf of existing users, and maybe to help out its own marketplace for cloud services on its own cloud platform.

“Looking to the future, we’re committed to maintaining Orbitera’s neutrality as a platform supporting multi-cloud commerce. We look forward to helping the modern enterprise thrive in a multi-cloud world,” writes Nan Boden, head of global technology partners at Google.

As Google has grown well beyond its earliest roots as a search company, its reached an interesting relationship with companies that are at turns friends and rivals to its own business interests.

Buying a platform company that works with so many of these in the area of cloud services is an interesting development for Google, and one that it’s keen to try to tread carefully in making.

In this case, Google is trying to reassure customers that even as it sells a platform to sell products, it recognises that the ultimate repository of those products might not be Google itself.

(Whether or not that is the case longer term is another question — in other areas like ads, Google has walked an impartial line and then changed course — but for now there is a viable enough business for Google in remaining a neutral party.)

“We recognize that both enterprise customers and ISVs want to be able to use more than one cloud provider and have a way to conduct product trials and proofs of concept before building a full production deployment, all using their trusted SIs (System Integrators), resellers and normal sales cycles,” Boden notes.

“Orbitera has built a strong ecosystem of enterprise software vendors delivering software to multiple clouds. This acquisition will not only improve the support of software vendors on Google Cloud Platform, but reinforces Google’s support for the multi-cloud world. We’re providing customers with more choice and flexibility when it comes to running their cloud environment.”

Orbitera was co-founded by Firas Bushnaq and Brian Singer, who came up with the idea for the company to fix some of the “transactional and operational challenges associated with selling software” that they encountered while founding and working at previous tech companies.

Based out of West Hollywood, CA, Orbitera had raised some $2 million in funding from angels like Hiten Shah and Arjun Sethi, Double M Partners and Resolute.

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5 Facebook secrets you should know

The number is simply astounding: In the second quarter of 2016, Facebook had more than 1.7 billion active monthly users. And it’s a safe bet that many of them don’t know these five secrets.

1. Erase your search history

Maybe you were just mildly curious, but the evidence is still there. If you’ve ever looked up an ex, this will show up in your Facebook search history. So will any groups, photos, posts and anything else you've tried to find.

Fortunately, you can erase your Facebook search history. To do this, log in your Facebook account, click on the upside-down triangle in the top-right corner, and click Activity Log. That’s where Facebook tracks your actions on the site.

Note: The Activity Log stores a lot of data about what you’ve done on Facebook. Use these tips to clean it up and prevent things from coming back to haunt you.

In the left column of the Activity Log, under "Photos, Likes and Comments," click More. Then scroll down and click the "Search" link.

You’ll see a list of your Facebook searches, organized by date. You can clear searches individually by clicking the crossed-circle icon on the right and selecting Delete. You'll be asked to verify that you'd like to take this action. Once you click Remove Post, the search will be deleted from your history.

To clear every search without sifting through years of individual entries, click the "Clear Searches" link located at the top-right of the list.

Unfortunately, Facebook doesn't let you completely turn off its search history feature. You'll have to remember to do this every now and then.

2. Play chess

You've seen those Facebook game requests for Candy Crush and Farmville, but did you know there's a way to challenge your friends to a game of chess? It's fun! You have to try it.

The game is played in Facebook Messenger. Start by choosing the friend you'd like to challenge. Open a new message, or insert the game into a conversation you already have going. Type “@fbchess play” to get started.

When you type “@fbchess play”, a chessboard will be inserted into your conversation feed. Typically, whoever initiates the game will be assigned the color white and will have the first move.

Although the gameplay isn't as simple as some online chess games, it’s still easy to move your pieces around the board. At the bottom and top of the board, you'll see the letters A through H assigned to the grid. On the right and left sides of the board, you'll see the numbers 1 through 8.

To move, just combine the letters and numbers with a piece command. Typing “@fbchess Pe4”, for example, will move your pawn to square E4. A list of more advanced commands, such as moving your bishops and knights, can be found by typing “@fbchess help”. And, if you ever happen to make a mistake, you can correct it by typing “@fbchess undo”.

3. Check other messages folder

Facebook is designed to help you keep in touch, but that doesn't mean all your messages get through. In fact, some messages are actually tucked into a special folder you probably didn’t know existed.

Messages are stashed in this folder when they're sent from someone who's not on your Friends list. Facebook flags these messages as spam, even though it's possible that you know the sender. Old friends, for example, could be reaching out to you. I recently mentioned this folder on my national radio show, and a few weeks later a listener told me that she checked the folder and found an email from her birth mother!

You'll find this folder in the Messenger app on your smartphone. Tap the Me icon in the bottom right-hand corner, then tap People. Once there, look for the option for Message Requests, and then a link that says, "See filtered requests."

You can also access these messages when you're logged into the Facebook site. Click here to see step-by-step instructions on my website.

4. See who's ignoring your friend requests

At one point or another, maybe you wonder who has ignored your Friend requests. To see which Friend requests are still pending, log in to your Facebook account and click the Friends icon at the top of the page. From there, select See All Friends, then Friend Requests, then View Sent Requests.

If you wish to cancel the friend request, hover over "Friend Request Sent" and select Cancel Request. Click here to see helpful screenshots.

5. Download your whole Facebook history

When you consider how much of your life is shared on Facebook, it makes you wonder what else you can do with all of that information. The good news is there's actually a way to archive everything you've ever shared on Facebook, including the things you've deleted.

To do this, open your Facebook Settings and click "Download a copy of your Facebook data." There, you'll see a button that says "Start My Archive."

Once you begin your archive, you'll be asked to confirm your password. Another email will be sent once your download is complete. It will contain a link that will allow you to download a Zip file that contains the data from your Facebook history.

With these tips, you'll be using Facebook like a pro in no time at all. But, there are still some annoying features you'll want to fix.

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