MadCap Flare 5 to be released soon

On the tools front, MadCap Software will soon release Flare 5. The most significant feature is the addition of DITA as a project type. You can import DITA content, modify it, and publish it to various output types from Flare.

Paul Pehrson, a certified Flare trainer, developer, and MVP, has written an excellent, informative, pre-release review of Flare 5. In addition to providing detail about the new DITA capabilities, Paul covers other new features.

If you’re a Flare user, I hope that you will share your impressions. Which of the new features will you use the most?

Google unveils Google Wave

Google recently announced Google Wave, a product that will have far-reaching ramifications for online communication and collaboration. For those who may not want to watch a nearly 90-minute video on Google Wave, Austin-based writer/blogger Shannon Greywalker has done a thorough, effective job of explaining the technology. He has also written an intriguing, provocative take on how the technology will play a part in technical communication.

As a user of Gmail for personal and business email, I have long appreciated the threading and tagging features of Google mail. I used Gmail tagging long before I ever heard of folksonomies. I am excited to see Google take those features to a new level.

Even if you only use the Google search engine, check out Shannon’s post. If you’re curious and want to explore further, watch the Google video.

What others are saying about Google Wave

• Official Google Blog
• Mashable.com: A Complete Guide to Google Wave
• TechCrunch: Google Wave Drips with Ambition

What do you think?

Will Google Wave have a significant impact on the future of technical communication? What do you envision?

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