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orkut offers an automatic transliteration option in the scrapbook that converts Roman characters to the Devanagiri characters used in Hindi. This lets you type your own language including Hindi words phonetically in English script and still have them appear in their correct alphabet. Note: this is not the same as translation — it’s the sound of the words that are converted from one alphabet to the other, not their meaning. (more…)

Microsoft just released Silverlight in September, a cross-browser, cross-platform plugin for delivering media experiences and interactive applications for the Web. A direct competitor to Adobe’s market dominant Flash application, Silverlight offers a flexible programming model that supports JavaScript, Visual C#, Visual Basic, and other languages. Developers are lining up to get started with Silverlight and take advantage of the powerful WPF graphics platform. Wrox Press is releasing SILVERLIGHT 1.0 (Wrox Press, an imprint of Wiley; $39.99; October 2007), a one-of-a-kind reference with full-color illustrations shows developers how to create rich interactive applications with Silverlight. (more…)

Adobe has released Flex and Flex Builder 3 Beta 2 .

Flex 3 applications will run on any version of Flash Player 9, although size optimization through cross-domain RSLs is only supported on Flash Player 9,0,60,235 or later. Newer versions of Flash Player also include additional bug fixes.

“This public prerelease version continues our new, more transparent product development process, providing frequent, regular access to early builds and greater insight into the feature roadmap and planning process.”

Ted has some interesting news for  Flex developers.

New packaging and pricing will be available for Adobe Flex 3 when it ships early in 2008.
Adobe Flex™ Builder™ 3 Standard Edition         $249
Adobe Flex™ Builder™ 3 Professional Edition    $699

Ted writes, “If you are not already using Flex, I’d like to encourage you to download Adobe Flex Builder 2 and take another look. Use the serial number below to extend your expired Flex Builder 2 trial for another 30 days. At the end of your trial, starting November 1, 2007, you will be able to purchase Flex Builder 2 for only $249.

MAC extension serial #: 1307-0059-4523-4261-9974-9828
WIN extension serial #: 1307-1052-9498-6822-0041-4602

visit:labs.adobe.com

Here comes, A new player in online Word processing game. Sources say, Adobe Systems has officially entered the “Web office” game. it has acquired an 11-person start-up, called Virtual Ubiquity, that has built a free Web word processor called Buzzword. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The move expands Adobe’s collaborative software services and steps up its competition with Microsoft. Google and a host of other Web application providers.

Adobe also is scheduled to announce a service, code-named Share, that allows people to invite others to view and access documents stored by Adobe. Documents can be embedded inside a Web page as well. The service, which is still in testing mode, will offer users one gigabyte of storage for free.

Adobe is also set to release its own Media Player version 1.0 in the first half of next year.