MS, Facebook unveil Docs.com

Facebook and Microsoft have teamed up on an online document-sharing service that looks more than a little like Google Docs, reports CNET.

Docs.com went live at Facebook's F8 Conference. The site allows Facebook users to log in using Facebook Connect and create, edit, and share Microsoft Office documents with their Facebook friends. New documents will show up in a user's news feed, just like status updates or pictures.

It's in beta testing for now, and service was spotty in the minutes following its introduction at the conference. Microsoft is planning to unveil its own online document-sharing service later this year, but Docs.com gives it a good way to test its technology within Facebook's walls.

McAfee had some trouble when a buggy anti-virus software update caused computers running Windows XP to shut down and experience serial reboots, states CRN.

An initial McAfee investigation indicated that the reboot glitch is linked to an anti-virus update that detects a false positive, causing XP computers, specifically those running Service Pack 3, to somehow mistake a legitimate operating system for malware.

"McAfee is aware that a number of customers have incurred a false positive error due to this release. Corporations who kept a feature called 'Scan Processes on Enabled' in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise disabled, as it is by default, were not affected," the software security company said in a statement.

Hewlett-Packard, RIM, FedEx Office and Hilton Worldwide joined forces to introduce a cloud-based service for mobile printing, long a nagging problem for many travelling business people, writes eWeek.

As a result of this new initiative, BlackBerry users now can search for the closest connected printer, wherever it may be, use the HP cloud service on a secure network to access it, and then make the printout.

Using the cloud-based system from Hewlett-Packard, called MPS Smart Decision Suite, a person using a BlackBerry can enter a security code, go to the printer, and obtain the printout on demand in a matter of minutes.

Research from communications security firm Clearswift found that managers believe staff are "happier and more motivated" when they have access to Web 2.0 technologies such as Facebook, Skype and Twitter, says Computing.co.uk.

The company conducted 250 online interviews with workers and office managers in the UK, US, Australia and Germany, in January.

According to the research, managers are increasingly aware of the benefits of social media in the workplace, with around half of them (52%) saying Web collaboration is critical to the company's future success.