I’m trying to figure out how I missed this for 3 weeks
I’ll blame it on my obsession with this. In any case this is a killer feature for me:

As long as I have an Internet connection, every change I make is saved to the cloud. When I lose my connection, I sacrifice some features, but I can still access my documents (for this initial release, you can view and edit word processing documents; right now we don’t support offline access to presentations or spreadsheets – see our help center for details). Everything I need is saved locally. And I do everything through my web browser, even when I’m offline (the goodness that Google Gears provides). When my connection comes back, my documents sync up again with the server.

It’s all pretty seamless: I don’t have to remember to save my documents locally before packing my laptop for a trip. I don’t have to remember to save my changes as soon as I get back online. And I don’t have to switch applications based on network connectivity. With the extra peace of mind, I can more fully rely on this tool for my important documents.

Or at least I think it is. Google, being Google, have a nice little video to back the launch up too:

All fired up about The Apprentce but gutted that Claire is still in it
Eoin

If you are into books, than read Personanondata
But if you don’t read it now, start with these two guest post from Mike “Beware the end of Trade Publishing” Shatskin*. Read them, Here and Here.

But why read stuff like this you ask?
Basically because our industry is more global than we often realize day to day. For instance, Penguin, Hachette and Random House all now have offices in Ireland. That means a French, a British and a German conglomerate operate units in our territory not to mention the other German influence through Gill & Macmillan.

It’s vital to know exactly what their other units and worldwide operations are doing and thinking in order to do my job properly**. I imagine it would help author’s too to stay abreast, but certainly for publishers, these trend and opinion pieces are important.

Watching too much number crunching,
Eoin

* Links a bit funny but should work sometime.
** Alternatively I’m just a nerd, but I prefer the alternative explanation.