MS Office 2010 Technical Preview contains Access 2010, Excel 2010, InfoPath 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010, PowerPoint 2010, Project 2010, Publisher 2010, SharePoint Designer 2010, SharePoint Workspace 2010, Visio 2010, and Word 2010.

Microsoft have announced that the new Office 2010 Technical Preview ( also known as Office 14)  will be provided to selected “testers” this summer. But the chances of you being one those select few are limited. Do not be too disheartened as, just like the release of Windows 7 RC, Office 14 is now available on torrent trackers as a result of specific testers “leaking” them onto the internet. Thus, enabling anyone to download the suite and use the new product!

The “leaked” build is most likely to be “invitation-only” as in the summer Office 14 will be given to “invited” testers. Nevertheless, many of the features that Office 14 contains will still be usable in this preview. Also, the leaked editions are both compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit but do not get so complacent as it will not be the same as what the testers will receive this summer, you may as well register your name and hope to god you are chosen

Does it not seem a bit suspicious that many Microsoft products are leaked onto the web?

One thought running through my mind, speaking as an average computer user, is that are these so called “leaks” intended? I mean, Microsoft by now must know that somehow their products will be available on P2P sites, one way or another. Perhaps they could have planned ahead and let the public know that this may be a pre-beta?

On the other hand, Microsoft will have no benefit, from their products being released on the web as they will not receive direct feedback from the public. Their feedback will almost definitely come from private testers in the summer, as well as professional writers (whom they have given beta versions to.) Professional Writers are given beta’s in order to “spread the word” by publishing a review of some kind and supplying detailed feedback back to Microsoft.

Analysts have already suggested that Office 14 will work best in conjuction with Windows 7 and also will become even better in the future as this is the Office 2010 Technical Preview 1 Build v14.0.4006.1010, a unfinished product in the making. Reports have said that we will see the official first Office 14 beta at the end of July and Beta 2 at the end of 2009, or maybe earlier

Do you think this “leaking” action is intended? Please feel free to express your feelings on the topic below.

Microsoft Vine, designed exclusively to spread important information quickly in an emergency

Microsoft have officially unveiled a beta version of its new social network Vine

The social network enables you to transfer valuable news to small organizations such as your local book club. It is a lot like twitter, as you are able to send a similar number of characters as the micro blogging service and maintain contact with your friends. It is available via a downloadable app.

However, as with most beta introductions, it is only applicable to those in the US at this moment in time. Microsoft have tried to make the social network come across as a personal organizer to people who are involved in community activities or communicating with family and friends in the case of an emergency. But we all know this won’t apply to most of the users, a lot will try to use it as a way to attract traffic to their sites as is Twitter.

Microsoft Vine is supported by Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Vista 32- and 64-bit versions. As Vine is in beta, it is only available to 10,000 people who live in the Seattle.

To show you a demo of what Vine will look like , Microsoft have released a demo which you can view here.

Microsoft aim to make the service comfortable for users, similar to what facebook users are like who feel completely natural when talking to family, friends or the community. To do this they will try to integrate Vine with other services such as Twitter and landline phones.

How did Vine happen?

Strangely, Microsoft Vine came along in response to the Hurricane Katrina as it almost destroyed the whole of the Gulf Coast.  Microsoft have delivered this service after four years of researching and developing the network which will come in useful when people are suffering a country attack.

One of the videos Microsoft have posted to advertise the new service is quite farfetched and amusing. The video conveys one person stranded in snow and the other person, who is a woman, has an ill grandmother. As you would expect, they both use Microsoft Vine and help comes straight away and all is well, what else would you expect in an introductary video?

Microsoft Vine is not here in the UK just yet, which is quite annoying as I would be able to share more information about the new service. which incidentally is no-profit at the moment but surely has plans to monetize itself. I am positive there a number of people in the States using it right now, if anyone is, we would be glad to hear your comments!