Google Docs Gets Shared Folders

Google Docs received an overhaul this week that makes it easier for users to share items, upload documents, and stay organized. Shared Folders One of Google Docs best features is its ability to let you share and collaborate on documents with other users. The new tweaks also brought a slight change to the Google Docs homepage with a more uniform and simpler look. In the past, if you had multiple documents you needed to share with one workgroup, Google Docs required you to send out multiple sharing notices for each document.

Just drag and drop the files you need to share into a folder, and then click "share this folder" and invite members of your workgroup. The new shared folders feature solves this problem, by allowing you to set up sharing permissions for one folder. The people in your workgroup will get an e-mail notifying them you've shared this folder. The new feature is handy, but there is one few quirk you should keep in mind. Once they've logged on to Google Docs, members of your workgroup can see the files you've added to the folder, and also drop files into your folder to share with the same group. Even though a document is in a shared folder, the access permissions for that document are attached to the folder-not the file.

Managing Your Workflow Back by popular demand is the "Items Not In Folders" filter that allows you to see any documents you have that are not organized into folders. So if you pull a document that you own (i.e. you created it) out of the shared folder, your workgroup will no longer be able to access the document. Google brought back the feature because some people were using this as a workflow tool. Then you can move a document into a folder once it's ready for prime time. One way to take advantage of this filter is to use it as a tool for tracking documents in draft stage. There is one detail you should be aware of when using this feature: Let's say John shares a report directly with Mary, but John doesn't have that report in a folder.

The "Items Not In Folders" filter can be accessed under the "More Searches" menu in the left hand navigation pane. If Mary puts it into one of her folders, John will see the report has a folder tag, but it will still show up when John filters his documents by "Items Not In Folders." That way, Mary's actions don't interrupt John's workflow. Google Docs will also let you upload multiple files at once. You'll also notice Google Docs has a slightly different look. Just select all the files you want using the "shift" or "ctrl" ("command" on a Mac) keys, and then start your upload.

The new layout is a little boxier, and the visual icons (like starred, share, upload and delete) have been removed in favor of a text-only look. Live Mesh, launched last year, allows you to create a network of devices and sync folders between them. Sharing Alternative If Google Docs isn't for you, Microsoft also has two document sharing options. Live Mesh also gives you your own online desktop, called Live Desktop, where you can share folders with people outside of your network or Mesh. Live Mesh works on both PC and Mac systems. To use Live Mesh you have to download a small program, but people you share items with only need to sign up for the Live Desktop.

Microsoft's other alternative is its online storage space called Skydrive. However, Skydrive's sharing permissions are a little too complicated, so I recommend going with Live Desktop and Live Mesh if you are a Windows Live user.

Ballmer takes on SharePoint, software licensing issues

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that the potential of SharePoint shows no signs of having any limitations for the foreseeable future and that Microsoft will have consistent licensing across online and on-premises software, and will protect data in the cloud so episodes such as the Sidekick data loss never happens again. 10 things you need to know about Windows 7Microsoft's two new operating systems: A win-win Ballmer made those and other remarks during an exclusive interview with Network World after he delivered the opening keynote address at the annual SharePoint conference. Ballmer told the crowd he was pumped up and that SharePoint is at the center of innovation at Microsoft as it develops its three-screen strategy - PC, Web and television. Ballmer noted that it was his first-ever keynote address at a SharePoint Conference, a duty that was typically reserved for Bill Gates.

He carried both those themes into his interview with Network World. Among many new features in SharePoint Server 2010, which goes into its first public beta next month and ships in the first half of 2010, he pointed out storage improvements that help cut costs "With SharePoint, I think we have a lot of runway left in terms of capability and the right kind of ease of cost profile management and deployment," he said. Ballmer said he thinks SharePoint, which can be used for such things as file storage, portals, intranet and Internet sites, and social computing, will not bump into any limitations for the near future. "The list of things we see customers wanting to add, and our ability to add those seamlessly on top of the platform, is pretty good," he said. In terms of licensing, Ballmer said Microsoft won't penalize users on client access licensing as they move between the cloud and on-premises deployments of software such as Exchange and SharePoint. "We have a big enough installed base of people that bought licenses that say, 'Hey, when we buy your service we don't want to be re-buying what we have already paid you for in terms of software." He also gave reaction for the first time on the recent Sidekick episode that led to the loss, and subsequent promise of recovery, of users's personal data. "It is not good," he said of the Sidekick incident. "People will want to know, is our approach different for SharePoint Online, is our approach different for the enterprise infrastructure. Ballmer said that Microsoft is working to open up SharePoint with cloud-based APIs, the 2010 version adds support for REST and ATOM, and that Microsoft eventually hopes to have fully trusted applications running in SharePoint.

I think we have good answers, but I know we are going to continue to upgrade our processes and have to upgrade how we talk about this stuff, because we are going to get more questions. Today, only partially trusted applications are supported "With 2010, we built a sandbox environment so we can host SharePoint online, SharePoint for Internet and intranet sites in the cloud. And as always, Ballmer showed his affinity for developers, Microsoft's quintessential leading punch in any emerging market opportunity. "We are excited to have some developers, developers, developers jump right in there," he said rubbing his hands together with glee and anticipation. The sandbox is extensible and is where people can write applications in the cloud and that will only continue to get richer and deeper as we move forward," he said. Ballmer will have served 10 year as CEO of Microsoft in January, and when asked about his successes, challenges and regrets over that time period, he chuckled and said, "I have had all three of those in spades." He said he is proud of many things, among them building Microsoft into a serious player in the enterprise in the face of many doubters. Most are 'hey, I wish we had done something earlier, or made a decision a bit differently." But mostly, he said he is proud. "I think we are well positioned for the future." Watch for more of the Ballmer interview in separate stories coming on Network World.

When ask about his challenges, he cited search and mobile, and in terms of regrets he said with a sly smile, "There are plenty of regrets. Follow John on Twitter: twitter.com/johnfontana

Feds: We need tools to meet transparency law

Federal IT officials doubt that agencies can enforce the Obama administration's accountability and transparency rules as they spend funds allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, according to a survey that will be released on Monday. The majority of respondents - 62% - said either that they don't know if agencies can enforce the ARRA transparency requirements (33%) or they don't believe agencies can meet these rules (29%). States scramble to track federal stimulus bucks The survey was commissioned by Serena Software, a provider of business process modeling software that sells tools designed to meet specific federal regulations. Only 38% of respondents said they believe federal agencies can enforce the transparency requirements of ARRA, according to an e-mail survey of 200 defense and civilian agency IT officials. It was conducted in September.

Three-quarters of respondents said their agency had put a medium-to-high level of importance on reaching transparency goals. Survey respondents agree that meeting ARRA's transparency goals is important. Meeting these requirements will take time, survey respondents said. Another 31% believe they could meet the requirements within a year, and 27% believe they can meet the requirements within two years. Less than half of survey respondents - 43% - said they believe their agencies could meet the transparency requirements today.

Agencies say they need new automated tools to meet the transparency rules. Half of the 64% said they have funds available in their budget to purchase these tools. More than half of respondents - 64% - said they could benefit from automated tools. A lack of automated tools to meet transparency rules may be one reason that federal agencies are taking their time to award ARRA funds. Only 11% of survey respondents said their agency had obligated or spent more than 80% of their ARRA money. "We've been working with federal agencies on process automation, transparency and accountability issues since before the new administration came into office," says Dave Dantus, federal director for Serena Software. "We had a strong suspicion that there was a gap between what [the Office of Management and Budget] and the administration were expecting and what agencies were able to deliver in terms of reporting and transparency." Dantus said that a significant number of agencies are using e-mail and spreadsheets to meet ARRA transparency rules, rather than automated tools such as those provided by Serena. "It's not easy to track or report on ARRA funds with e-mail and spreadsheets," Dantus says. "Certainly, this is an opportunity for our company." Serena Software is a privately held software company with $300 million in revenues.

More than half of the survey respondents - 51% - said their agency had obligated or spent less than 20% of their ARRA funds. The company's Business Mashups software allows users to quickly automate processes without having to write software code. Dantus says Serena Software has more than 200 federal customers that use its software to comply with regulations regarding information assurance, financial controls and requests for information.

The OpenBlockS 600 is a Linux server that fits in your palm

Forget the netbook or the net-top PC: How about a net-server? At 5.2-inches-by-3.1-inches in size - and 1.2 inches thick - the OpenBlockS 600 is about the size of two cigarette packs side-by-side. A Japanese vendor is touting a lilliputian Linux Web server that weighs 8 ounces and consumes just 8 watts. For non-smokers, that's two iPhones stacked on top of each other.

Detailed specs are available online . It comes installed with Plat'Home's own embedded SSD/Linux distribution by default, though customers can also request others such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Java SE for Embedded and NetBSD. The OpenBlockS 600 is actually the latest in Plat'Home's line of Linux 'micro-servers' first introduced in 2000. The 16-year-old company - headquartered in Tokyo's famed electronics district, Akihabara, and with a sales office in the Silicon Valley - has sold more than 50,000 OpenBlockS devices. Starting at $600, the OpenBlockS 600 from Plat'Home Co. Ltd. includes a 600 MHz PowerPC CPU, 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM and a CompactFlash slot and 3 USB 2.0 ports for internal and external storage. According to a spokeswoman, customers include banks telecom firms and universities. Its 8-watt draw is about a tenth of even the most-efficient rack servers, claims the company, and lets the device run without a fan. Plat'Home is targeting the latest, fastest OpenBlockS 600 at companies looking for a small-footprint Web server as a more-secure alternative to sending their data outside to a cloud or Web service.

To emphasize the OpenBlockS 600's green cred, Plat'Home is also donating money to a wind energy project in India to offset 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That means customers "can put them anywhere, or even hide them," the spokeswoman said. The server is encased in a tight aluminum-alloy shell to protect it against drops, cold temperatures and fluctuating humidity.

Intel CTO: Machines could ultimately match human intelligence

Will machines ever be as smart as humans? The notion of a technological "singularity," a time when machines match and surpass human intellect, has been popularized by thinkers such as inventor and author Raymond Kurzweil, who commonly cites Moore's Law in his arguments about the exponential growth of technology. Intel CTO Justin Rattner thinks that someday, they might.

Rattner's views on the singularity are sought after, given that he is CTO of the world's biggest chipmaker and the head of Intel Labs, the company's primary research arm. So yeah, at some point, assuming all kinds of advances and breakthroughs, it's not inconceivable we'll reach a point that machines do match human intelligence." Already, scientists are working on placing neural sensors and chips into the brain, allowing people to control prosthetic limbs with their own thoughts. In a recent interview with Network World, Rattner said he has "tried to sidestep the question of when [the singularity] might occur," but says machine intelligence is constantly increasing due to laws of accelerating returns, "of which Moore's Law is perhaps the best example." "There will be a surprising amount of machines that do exhibit human-like capabilities," Rattner said. "Not to the extent of what humans can do today, but in an increasing number of areas these machines will show more and more human-like intelligence, particularly in the perceptual tasks. This is likely to become a "relatively routine procedure" in a few years, Rattner said. Rattner's views are also held in high regard in the world of supercomputing, of course, and he will deliver the opening address at the SC supercomputing conference in Portland, Ore. in November. Rattner said that while many commentators are preoccupied with the far-off singularity, he concerns himself more on how laws of accelerating returns "are real" and could lead to amazing advances in technology, including augmentation of the human body. "Assuming that interface technology progresses in an accelerating way, the possibilities of augmenting human intelligence with machine intelligence become increasingly real and more diverse," Rattner said.

Nearly 80% of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers use Intel processors. But Rattner says the supercomputing industry is already looking forward to the era of the exaflop - 1,000 times faster than a petaflop. The world's first petaflop machines, capable of performing one thousand trillion calculations per second, came online just last year. Rattner says the fundamental technologies behind a future exaflop machine could be demonstrated by the middle of next decade, and - depending on government investment - the first exaflop machines could become operational in the second half of the decade. You'd need a 500-megawatt nuclear power station to run the thing." The industry will have to move that number down to something practical, perhaps tens of megawatts, Rattner said.

But this still depends on overcoming limitations in today's computing architectures. "Now that we've achieved petascale computing, there's all this interest in getting the next factor of 1,000," Rattner said. "But we can't get there with today's technology, largely because of power considerations. But the work is just getting started. "We've got a lot of really big engineering challenges," Rattner said. "Today, we just don't know how to get there."