Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Microsoft has officially started the worldwide rollout of its Office 2016 application suite - the first new version of Office for Windows in almost three years. For the 1.2 billion people who use Office, this latest iteration brings a slew of new features including a greater focus on collaboration and cloud services.
Office 2016 - which is available as a standalone package or as part of a subscription to Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud service - will bring new versions of familiar Windows apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.
"The way people work has changed dramatically, and that's why Microsoft is focused on reinventing productivity and business processes for the mobile-first, cloud-first world," said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. "These latest innovations take another big step forward in transforming Office from a familiar set of individual productivity apps to a connected set of apps and services designed for modern working, collaboration and teamwork."
Bringing a new focus on teamwork, Office 2016 introduces a real-time document co-authoring feature to Word. The application’s new ‘share’ button enables the creator of a document to invite others to collaborate on it.
With Office 2016, Outlook will see the biggest changes in its history; Microsoft claims it has improved the app's search function to make it faster and easier to trawl through huge numbers of emails, while the new ‘clutter’ folder will be used to sort low priority messages.
Outlook 2016 can also use the new Groups feature instead of distribution lists so users can communicate and collaborate with their team members.
Additionally, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Tell Me to several Office apps. This allows users to type in what they want to do in an app using their own words, and then Tell Me will explain what steps to take as well as offering additional resources.
"It's moving to a ‘tell me what you want to do' process rather than just describing how a function works in the Help system," explained Richard Ellis, Microsoft's Office Division Lead in the UK.
The new Office 2016 apps are available in 40 languages and require Windows 7 or later. A one-time purchase costs $149 for the Office Home & Student; $229 for the Office Home and Business; and $399 for Office Professional. Any customers who subscribe to Office 365 can get always-up-to-date, fully installed apps for use across their devices, combined with a continually evolving set of consumer and commercial services, such as OneDrive online storage, Skype for Business, Delve, Yammer and enterprise-grade security features, Microsoft stated.
What’s one of the first things on the Internet you come across when you’re trying to compare two different smartphones? That’s right, a spec sheet. Which phone has more RAM, which has a faster processor, how many megapixels are in the cameras? Of course you’ll see a corresponding number to answer each of these questions. But I have a myth to bust: smartphone specs don’t matter nearly as much as some manufacturers and even unbiased technology reviewers may have led you to believe.
With so many smartphones to choose from, a single spec sheet won’t supply every answer | Shutterstock
It’s true that smartphone specs do play a role in the quality and performance of every device, but if that’s the only paintbrush you have to work with, you won’t be able to paint the entire picture. It’s a combination of hardware and software factors that will ultimately determine when one phone is better than another.
Operating System Optimization
The biggest factor that can dispute the accuracy of spec sheets is the operating system your smartphone runs. It’s more than just iOS, Android or Windows Phone too. It’s iOS 9, iOS 8, iOS 7, iOS 6, Android Lollipop, Android KitKat, Android Jelly Bean, so on and so forth.
The the efficiency of the OS and its ecosystem has a significant effect on performance | Bloomua / Shutterstock.com
Operating systems have an enormous impact on the way your phone will work and can even affect those numbers on the spec sheet. A terrific and very recent example is with the iPhone. The iPhone 6s has a 1,715 mAh, which is actually smaller than the 1,810 mAh battery in its predecessor, the iPhone 6. On a spec sheet comparing the two, you might look at these figures and think the smaller battery in the newer phone means it actually has worse battery life. Sure enough, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s both have the exact same advertised battery life.
How is this possible with two batteries of different sizes? It almost certainly has to do with operating system optimization. Apple made tiny changes everywhere under the hood of iOS that will suck less life out of your phone’s battery, whether it’s negligible design changes or different ways to process high-performance tasks.
The same situation applies to many other specs, like processors. If an iPhone has a 1 GHz processor and an Android phone has a 1.5 GHz processor, you might think the Android phone is automatically faster. Now, factor in that the Android phone might have a more graphically intense UI and more apps with flashy advertisements. It’s possible that even the iPhone might be faster in this case even with a less powerful processor.
The ecosystem is arguably even more important. The operating system with apps highest in quality and quantity will dramatically affect the experience. Third-party accessory makers on board is key too, so you have a wider selection of cases and useful extensions.
Megapixels Aren’t Everything
Back in the days of buying compact cameras to carry around, we were all taught that megapixels are one of the most important factors in picture quality. A 12MP camera sensor will always produce better photos than an 8MP sensor. This is simply not true, and another reason to avoid spec sheets.
There are so many different components that go into a camera and affect the quality of the photos they can produce. Megapixels, meanwhile, are simply measurements for the sizes of the photos they capture. This means that in certain situations, more megapixels is indeed equivalent to a better photo. If you’re taking a photo to print out on a poster, a camera with more megapixels will typically look better because posters are large and therefore call for a larger photo.
However, if you’re like most people today and you just keep photos on your phone or to share on social media, megapixels don’t matter that much at all. An 8 MP camera takes photos at a resolution of 3264 x 2468, while a 12 MP camera takes photos at a resolution of 4200×2800. When you’re posting photos on social media where they typically aren’t any larger than 1,500px in width, whether a photo is double or triple that in size is meaningless.
What About Build Quality?
Another important test to carry out is build quality, and it’s a very hot debate in particular between iPhone and Android loyalists. iPhone fans argue that the iPhone has better build quality than most Android phones because it uses aluminum and glass components, while Android phones are usually made of plastic.
Build quality is everything if you want to avoid a shattered display | Shutterstock
First, the latter isn’t always true, especially in recent years. Second, the issue of build quality is again something you won’t find on a spec sheet, except maybe the occasional list of materials. Will your phone last over the years? What if the buttons on the side of the phone are prone to becoming loose? What’s your phone’s resale value after a year of daily usage? These are all very important questions.
What should be very important to a lot of people is the strength of the display glass. Can it hold up without shattering if you drop it? Don’t be afraid to ask these questions when shopping for a new phone, and always do research about the marketing behind it.
Important: All of this boils down to real-world usage. Since you can’t see how an OS or camera megapixels affects quality on a grid, it’s all about what feels better to you. Before making a purchase, walk into stores and get some hands-on time with phones on display or maybe even ask to use your friend’s phone. Observe performance, camera quality and build quality. Buy a phone based on how it feels to use it, not what a spec sheet tells you.
Decisions, Decisions!
We know buying a new phone is not the easiest decision to take these days. But, what was the tipping point for you in your last purchase? Let us know in our forum.
Microsoft is retiring the old, much loved-to-be-hated Internet Explorer in favor of the newMicrosoft Edge. It will be the default browser for Windows 10, from phones to desktop, and from first impressions, it doesn’t look half bad. It’s as if Microsoft actually tried to create a better product this time. Competition is wonderful, kids.
Edge will make it to the market with Windows 10, but you can try it right now if you’re signed up for Window’s Insider Program. Beware though, this is a Technical Preview. That’s a couple of steps before a public beta. Don’t install it as your main OS.
Installing Windows 10: Learn how to install Windows 10 on Mac using Parallels orVirtualBox. You can also create a custom ISO for Windows 10.
1. The Logo Looks Oddly Familiar
MS made a big deal of how Edge was totally new and awesome. Which is why most of us nearly spilled our drinks when we saw the logo… look familiar?
What is hiding in the negative space of Microsoft's new Edge browser logo?http://t.co/xlbSUE3Q05 pic.twitter.com/64rZtEwqd5— The Verge (@verge) May 3, 2015
But it makes sense. While the iconic Internet Explorer logo means crap to most of us tech geeks, it’s the symbol for internet for millions of tech inept Windows users around the world. And when they finally upgrade to Windows 10 (which, as it’s free, of course they will), they’ll see that vaguely familiar e icon and they’ll know what to do.
2. It Might Not Suck
Microsoft Edge is the fastest 64-bit browser on Octane 2.0 #build2015#msedge #JavaScript pic.twitter.com/HueVMcN2sT— Microsoft Edge Dev (@MSEdgeDev) April 30, 2015
It’s not 1997 and MS has to compete with Chrome now. Edge uses a proprietary layout engine called EdgeHTML. And it seems to be following the modern web protocols. More than IE ever did. We’ll know more about this when the final build comes out.
3. It Will Work from Phones to Desktops
Edge will scale up from 4 inch cheap Windows 10 phones to tablets to 27 inch desktops. We’re not sure how all the features would work, but we’re surely excited to find out.
4. Cortana Integration
This might be one of the best things about Edge. Cortana on the Windows Phone was the highlight of my Lumia 630 review unit. Having her integrated inside the browser is going to be extremely helpful. And from the demos, it looks like the integration is going to go far deeper than anything Google Now has attempted with Chrome.
Cortana will be always there when you search for something. She will tell you important things, like the temperature in Manhattan, without you having to launch any website.
5. Annotation and Reading Mode
There’s no shortage of annotation tools and read-later extensions on Chrome. But again, Edge’s advantage is going to be the integrated approach. You find a web page, you annotate it, take some notes and share it with your friends. They’ll also be using Edge and they can comment on the page right there.
A Chrome extension called Point is trying to do this but again, I think it will work much better with Edge.
Edge also has a reading mode where it strips the text from all formatting. You can also save pages to be read later.
6. The New Tab is Going to Be Like the Start Page
Edge’s new tab page is going to be rich with information and arranged in the same kind of tiles like the new Start menu and the old Start page.
Customizable widgets will bring you news, sports updates, weather, and more.
7. There Will Be Extensions
I can hear the productivity-oriented people asking this question already. MS knows that extensions are the cool new thing and MS is actually going out of their way to make it easier for developers to port existing Chrome and Firefox extensions to Edge. This means, hopefully, when Windows 10 launches, the big players like Evernote, Pocket, Wunderlist, and more will be there on day one.
What Do You Think of Edge?
From the looks of it, Edge might be a good browser for a lot of people who are not going to install 68 extensions to do special stuff. The built-in functionality will enhance the experience for millions across the world.
What do you think of it? Will you give it a try? Even if it’s to laugh about it at your next geek meetup? Share with us in the comments below.
At some point in life, everyone needs to use their PC remotely. You could be going out for the day with your PC back home downloading some files. Or you could have multiple computers in the house/office and need to access them without getting up.
While a Remote Desktop Connection option on Windows has existed since XP, a mobile solution for iOS and Android was lacking for all these years. But now it’s available, and while it’s certainly not as feature-rich as Splashtop or TeamViewer, it will get the job done for free.According to this Wikipedia article, you’ll need Windows 8 Pro and higher to use the remote desktop features. Apparently they’re not available on the basic version of Windows 8. What was it that you said Ballmer? One Microsoft? Right.
More on remote access and VPN: For a more feature-rich experience, learn how to use TeamViewer between two computers. There’s also an Android app that lets you provide support for Android phones from anywhere in the world. Talking about VPN, checkout our comparison between Hotpot Shield and VPN Express for iPhone. On Chrome, just use Hola Unblocker.
Why and How to Set Up a Static IP on Your Host Windows Machine
Windows assigns your computer an IP address automatically every time you boot up. This means that depending on the number of devices on your network, the IP address of your PC might be different each day. And MS Remote Desktop uses IP address to authenticate the connection. So unless you want to look it up every time you reboot your PC, we suggest you set up a static IP address using the steps below.
Step 1: First, go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing center. Here, as I’m using a desktop connected via ethernet, I’ll see Ethernet next to the Connectionsoption. If you’re using Wi-Fi, that’s what you’ll see.
Step 2: Click that option and select Details.
Step 3: This window will tell you the current IPv4 address, the subnet mask, default gateway, and the DNS servers. All those things are important. Write those down somewhere or just take a screenshot. They’ll be useful later on.
Step 4: Close the Network Details box and click on Properties. Scroll down till you see the IPv4 option in the checklist. Click on it and you’ll see a properties box for IPv4.
Step 5: Right now, all the options are blanked out because the IP address and DNS servers are fetched automatically. To create a static IP, we need to change that.
Step 6: Check the option that says Use the following IP address. Remember those details we saved in the step 3? It’s time to type those in the appropriate boxes. Once you’re done with that, click OK on all the boxes and exit from the settings.
Remember the IP address you type in here. This is the IP address we’ll use to connect with other devices. If you forget it, open the Command Prompt, type in ipconfig and press enter.
Setting Up a Remote Desktop on Windows 8
The quickest way to get to this particular settings menu is to go to the top/bottom right edge of the screen and bring up the Charms bar. Click the Search button and type in Allow remote access to your computer, or a variation of it. Click the first option and a properties menu will open up.
Here, check the option that says Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer.
Below, in the Remote Desktop section, select Allow remote connections to this computer. To make connections simpler, uncheck the option below it.
Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on Windows PC
To connect with another Windows PC that has Remote Desktop turned on, you don’t need any additional software.
Bring up the Search bar again and this time look for Remote Desktop Connection.
Type in the computer’s IP address in the Computer field and hit connect. You’ll be asked for the login credentials. You can also just hit Show Options to get an expanded view of advanced options.
Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on Mac
Download the Microsoft Remote Desktop app from the App Store to get started.
Open the app and click New. Here, give your PC a name in the Connection name field. Below, in the PC Name, type in the IP address of the Windows PC. You’ll remember it from the process we went through above.
You’ll also need to specify the PC’s username and password. But that’s all. Save the PC by clicking the close button and it will show up in the app’s home screen. Click on the PC to start the remote desktop. You can do the same process for multiple desktops as well.
Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on iPhone and iPad
On the iPhone or iPad, click the + button and select Add PC or Server to get stared.
From PC Name, type in the IP address. From User Name type in the PC’s username and password. Here you can either specify for the PC to prompt for your username or password every time or just save the credentials. If it’s only you who’s going to be using the iPhone/iPad, you can skip the authentication process and select your default account.
You can also specify the Settings but that’s not necessary.
Hit Save and your desktop will now be visible in the app’s home screen. Tap it to start the remote desktop.
Connecting Microsoft Remote Desktop on Android
The process with the Android app is similar to the iOS one. Tap the + icon to add a PC. Type in the IP address, a name if you want. Then scroll down and type in the username and password.
Save it and you’ll be back to the home screen. Tap the PC name to start a remote session.
How Do You Use Remote Desktop?
How do you use the remote desktop feature? To do some coding on the iPad or to view documents? Share with us in the comments below.
A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft announced its touch-friendly Office for Windows appswould be arriving on Windows 10. Now you can try them out for yourself.
In an update to the blog post announcing the apps themselves, Microsoft said that preview versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word were now available for those who had installed the Windows 10 technical preview, via the new beta of the Microsoft Store app.
At press time, however, there appeared to be a bit of confusion in how to find the new apps. Searching for the apps on the Windows Store proved fruitless, and the blog postwhere the apps were originally linked was rewritten to remove the links. However, Microsoft sent PCWorld the links to the apps (which are linked in the previous paragraph, above) and the downloads appear to work.
On Jan. 22, the day after Microsoft announced the Windows 10 technical preview for consumers, Hololens, and Windows 10 for phones, Microsoft detailed its plans for the future of Office. Microsoft said that the Office for Windows 10 apps, like their counterparts on iOS and Android, would be free to use (and preinstalled) on Windows 10 phones and small tablets—no Office 365 subscription required, apparently. But Microsoft's new apps also hint that some features won't be available unless you also have an Office 365 subscription.
A separate suite, Office 2016, will be designed for businesses and cost extra, but Microsoft isn’t saying how much. The desktop productivity suite will ship in the second half of this year—yes, 2015, though the suite carries the Office 2016 name.
The new "universal" apps that are available for download look very much like their counterparts on the Apple iPad and Android. Images can be moved around a page layout, for example, just by swiping them with a finger, and columns can be rearranged or added to in Excel via touch, as well.
“They are designed from the ground up to run on Windows 10, built for touch and offer the unmistakable Office experience you know and love,” Julia White, the general manager of Office, wrote earlier. “As ‘universal’ Office apps, they truly are the same app across device size, providing a consistent way for independent software vendors and developers to extend and integrate with Office apps.”
Why this matters: Microsoft's Office for iPad apps were well received, but there was always a sense that Windows users should have benefited first. That may still be the case, but Windows users now have a new OS and new touch apps to play around with. Which begs the question: will Microsoft offer free upgrades to current Office subscribers, as it has done with Windows 10? We'll have to wait and see.
Apple has stepped up its efforts to hit its two biggest rivals — Microsoft and Google — where it hurts.
Apple has opened up a public beta that allows anyone, PC or Mac, to use the cloud version of its office productivity suite, iWork, free via a browser.
You'll need an Apple ID, and Apple is now allowing anyone to create one — no Apple device needed. Just point your browser to beta.icloud.com.
IWork includes the standard set of office apps: word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation software. The cloud version lets multiple people work on a document at the same time, as they can with Google Apps or with Microsoft's cloud apps OneDrive (the freebie version) or Office365 (the paid version).
Apple describes its cloud version of iWorks like this:
Just log in from your browser on your Mac or PC and launch the app you want to use. All the documents you create will be saved in iCloud, and any changes you make will automatically appear in the iWork apps on your iOS devices and your Mac. Your work will always be available at iCloud.com, so you can access your documents anywhere.
The ability to use iWork from a PC on the web is the latest step in Apple's push to make its Office apps a real alternative to MS Office or Google Apps.
IWork was launched in 2005 as a reaction to Microsoft Office for the Mac. Microsoft often treated the Mac version as a second-class citizen, with users having to wait months or longer for updates that were first released in the Windows version.
Apple sold iWork for $79. Later, Apple sold the individual apps on its Apple store for $20 apiece for the Mac versions and $10 each for the iOS version.
In 2013, after all-but-ignoring iWork for years, Apple suddenly updated it and announced it was giving it away free to anyone who bought a new Apple device or updated to a new operating system. Apple launched a cloud version then, too, but you could create an Apple ID login only on an Apple device, like a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
Apple isn't giving away just the apps, either. The cloud apps let you open and edit Microsoft Office documents, too.
We recently reported on Google's plans to nab 80% of Microsoft Office customers away from Microsoft.
It looks as if Apple is following a similar game plan.
Microsoft may put its apps on what's likely to be the most popular Android phone of the year, the Galaxy S6, according to a new report from Sam Mobile.
The blog claims to have received information about Samsung's plans for the software that will be on the Galaxy S6.
The company will supposedly remove all of its own apps and offer them as downloadable options instead, but Microsoft's apps are said to come pre-loaded on the phone. This would include apps such as Microsoft Office Mobile, OneNote, OneDrive, and Skype.
In general, it sounds like Samsung is making major improvements to its software. The Galaxy S6 is expected to come with software that's very similar to the stock version of Android, just like Google's Nexus 6.
If true, this would be a big move on Microsoft's part too. Ever since CEO Satya Nadella took over about one year ago, he's emphasized the fact that Microsoft will be expanding outside it's own platforms.
The company has released several apps for iOS and Android over the past few months, including its Outlook Mail app for iPhone and Office for iPad, both of which has received generally positive reviews so far. Microsoft is also reportedly getting ready to invest $70 million in Cyanogen, a startup that builds its own version of Android and eventually wants to take Android away from Google.
Putting its own apps and services on a phone that's bound to be popular like the Galaxy S6 would obviously benefit Microsoft, but it's a puzzling move on Samsung's part. We expect to know more on March 1 when Samsung officially introduced it's new phone.
Formatting a document definitely increases its readability and visibility. I am sure you highlight pieces of text by applying different types of formatting. Now, let me ask you a question. How often do you need to apply bold, italics, and underline formatting (all at once) to text in your Word, PowerPoint, or Excel document?
If you answered, “a lot”, read on.
We are going to help you reduce that three-step process to one. Three steps, right? You either click on the buttons B, I, U or use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, Ctrl + U.
Not anymore. You will have a button by the end of this tutorial that does all three in a single click. And this is just an example, you can use this method to create several such buttons for repetitive formatting.
The idea is to record a macro and then assign it to a button. The button can be placed anywhere in the ribbon or the quick access toolbar. I prefer the latter, like the one shown in the diagram below.
Note: This tutorial is based on Excel 2013. The steps and processes remain similar on Word 2013 and PowerPoint 2013; and somewhat similar on lower versions of the suite.
Record a Macro
Step 1: Navigate to View -> Macros -> Record Macro.
Step 2: Give your macro a name, give it an optional description, and select the scope. Then click on OK.
If you want you can assign it a keyboard shortcut. Personally, I skip that so that I do not end up overriding default keyboard shortcuts.
Step 3: Whatever you do after clicking on OK will be recorded as a sequence of actions. So check the B, I, and U buttons as shown in the diagram.
It keeps recording until you press the stop button placed on the status bar. Click on the stop icon when finished.
Assign a Button
Step 1: Navigate to Customize Quick Access Toolbar -> More Commands.
Step 2: From the left drop down choose Macros.
Step 3: Select the macro that you created and then click the Add button. That should take your command to the right side.
Step 4: For making the identification easy you may want to assign it an icon of your choice. To do that, select the added macro (on the right side) and click on the Modify button. Then assign an icon and hit OK to exit.
Using the Macro Button
Next time you wish to apply bold, italics, and underline formatting to selected text at once, all you need to is click on the macro button that you created.
Great, three steps just got reduced to one!
Note: This button is a one way activity. It can apply the formatting but clicking on it again by selecting text that has the formatting applied will not undo the formatting.
Conclusion
If you think this is cool and quick you should create a few more macros for tasks you perform frequently. I am sure they will help you save some formatting time. I have many created for myself and I can assure you, they are really helpful.
Back in my schooling days, the thought of writing page numbers on a Word document used to ring alarms in my head. That is because I did not know about the Insert Page Number feature. Yes, it’s hard to believe that I used to do it manually.
Time started giving me tougher requirements; like showing page numbers on only even or only odd pages, starting numbering from the third page, no numbering on selected random pages, etc. I started learning, and today, I am able to play with page numbers in multiple ways. Thanks to MS Word Field codes.
Image via Shutterstock
Today we will take on one among those many situations and discover the magic behind getting the task done. We will see how to show page numbers on only even or odd pages.
A Bit on Field Codes
Field codes can be used to insert dynamic content in a Word document. They are like placeholders for values that change according to an algorithm with specific references. If you have no knowledge on this topic, I strongly recommend you read this article from Microsoft. And you must also learn how to insert field codes by reading this.
Note: Always create the braces by pressing Ctrl + F9 (that’s the simplest and quickest way). Typing braces will be treated as normal text and not field codes.
Method 1
Step 1: Insert a blank header or footer based on where you want the page numbers to appear. To do that, navigate to Insert -> Header/Footer.
Step 2: Under Header & Footer Tools, Design, check Different Odd & Even Pages.
Step 3: Scroll to one of either an even or odd page based on which page you want to show the numbers (I will take odd in this example). Press Ctrl + F9 together. That will show a pair of curly braces { }.
Step 4: Inside the brackets type the field code PAGE. Then press Alt + F9 or Shift + F9to calculate and display the value of the code.
Note: Shift + F9 calculates the value of the selected field codes. Alt + F9 calculates the values of all the field codes in the document.
Method 2
The first method is definitely simpler and easier than what we are going to discuss. But this one’s important as it will unfold the larger capabilities of field codes. It will help you do more than just even/odd with page numbers.
Step 1: Insert a blank header or footer based on where you want the page numbers to appear. To do that, navigate to Insert -> Header/Footer.
Step 2: Create this field { IF{ =MOD({PAGE}, 2) } = 0 “” “{ PAGE }”} for numbers on odd pages and { IF{ =MOD({PAGE}, 2) } = 0 “{ PAGE }” “”} for numbers on even pages. Do it step by step:
- Press Ctrl + F9 to create the outer set of curly braces
- Type IF inside
- Press Ctrl + F9 to open another set of curly braces
- In it type =MOD
- Open and close round brackets
- Inside round brackets, open one more set of curly braces
- Type PAGE in it
- Then , 2
- Outside braces you created in 3, evaluate the expression to 0
- Follow with space, inverted commas, space, inverted commas
- Create another field code for PAGE inside the desired inverted commas
Step 3: Press Alt + F9 to calculate. You have the result you wanted.
Conclusion
Don’t you think this is interesting. I used MOD to determine if a page was odd or even. On true it shows the value in the first inverted comma and on false the value from the second. Why don’t you try the other scenarios I mentioned in the beginning?
