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Microsoft adds real-time collaboration to Office 2016 for Mac
Microsoft's latest update for Office 2016 on Mac adds features that make it a much better tool for collaborative projects. (Or worse, depending on how you prefer attacking group work.) It gives you the ability to work with others in real time à la Google suite -- the apps will even show your who's currently editing via thumbnails in the upper right corner of the window.
Outlook 2016 for Mac now supports Google Calendar and Contacts
Users have been clamoring for Office 2016 for Mac to add Google Calendar and Contacts support, two features that have been available on both the iOS and Android versions for a while now. But the wait is nearly over. Microsoft announced on Thursday that it is beginning to roll out that support. Office Insider Fast community members will have first crack at the new functionality before it gradually extends to the entire user base by the end of the year.
PowerPoint spruces up your presentation using image recognition
If you've ever slapped together a PowerPoint presentation at the last minute, Microsoft has an Office 2016 feature called Designer that may save your bacon. It worked with graphics pros to build about 12,000 "blueprint" design templates in total. All you have to do is select an image, and it will use the cloud "to analyze and identify the most compelling portion of your images," and build an appropriate design. For instance, it can zoom in on the tomatoes or peas (above) to build a theme, or avoid busy overlay images altogether if you have lots of charts. Once you've picked an appropriate blueprint, you just need to fill it in with your content.
iOS and OS X updates arrive with a ton of new emoji
If you've ever wanted to text taco pics from your iPhone or give the middle finger from your Mac, today's your lucky day. Apple has released iOS 9.1 and OS X El Capitan 10.11.1, both of which add a slew of new Unicode emoji ranging from Mexican food through to rude gestures. There are some important under-the-hood fixes, too. Your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus is now smart enough to stop recording Live Photos when you lower the device, and OS X shouldn't run into trouble with Office 2016. Whichever platform you're using, you'll likely want to update pronto -- if just to see the cutesy characters you'd otherwise miss. [Image credit: Emojipedia]
Office 2016 arrives with features meant to take on Google (and everyone else)
Office 2016 is out of preview today, and in a sentence, it represents Microsoft's most obvious effort yet to catch up with Google Drive. Though the new release looks generally the same as the last version, it's designed for sharing and collaboration in a way that Office 2013 really wasn't. In particular, Office 2016 introduces real-time co-authoring (a feature already available in the web version of Office), along with the ability to attach OneDrive files to emails in Outlook. In addition to Google, though, the new software takes aim at various other tools businesses might be using, including Slack (for chatting) and Trello (for to-do lists and task management). You might even be able to avoid the browser sometimes, thanks to built-in Bing search results. Microsoft's goal with Office 2016, then, wasn't just to match what Google Docs can do, but to ensure business users in particular barely need to leave the app.
Office 2016 starts rolling out on September 22
Microsoft's next major Office update is now only a few weeks away: the software giant just announced that it will start rolling out Office 2016 starting on September 22. While it's not nearly as exciting as new hardware, it's still a significant release for Microsoft. It'll be the first version of Office built specifically for Windows 10, and it also brings in some long-awaited features like real-time co-authoring and the addition of OneDrive attachments in Outlook. It also comes a few months after we saw the release of Office 2016 for Macs. You can still get a taste for Office 2016 on PCs today with the Public Preview, and it looks like you'll be able to easily upgrade to the final versions of those apps once they're available.
Microsoft Office 2016 Public Preview is now available
Office 2016 may still be getting the finish touches in Redmond, but Microsoft is opening up its productivity suite for public preview. If you'll recall, some apps were included in previous releases of the Windows 10 Technical Preview and made available for both IT folks and devs. As of today, though, regular folks can get an early look and offer feedback on all the new stuff -- including those redesigned universal apps. This means that you'll gain access to OneDrive attachments in Outlook, real-time co-authoring and retooled applications that learn how you work to lend a hand. Specifically in Excel, there are updated charts and graphs alongside one-click forecasting and more data analyzing tools. Looking to take it for a spin before the official release this fall? Even if you're not an Office 365 subscriber, you can nab a trial version right here.
Microsoft offers pros a peek at the latest versions of Office and Skype
If you rely on Office or Skype to make a living, you may be in for a treat. Microsoft is following up its recent sneak peeks at universal Office apps and Office for Mac with pro-only previews of Office 2016 for the desktop and Skype for Business. The pre-release Office doesn't include everything you'll get (Microsoft says it's saving a lot of the interface tweaks for later), but it already includes better remote management and performance boosts. The Skype for Business preview, meanwhile, largely does what it says on the tin -- it expands the company's Lync communication tool with both a fresher interface and support for talking to regular Skype users. It's not certain when the desktop version of Office will be available to everyone, but Skype for Business will be ready for action in April.
The Office 2016 for Mac preview is now available
While Microsoft is hard at work on the final version of Office 2016 for Mac that'll arrive later this year, it's offering folks who are too eager to wait an early look. The preview version of Redmond's productivity suite is now available for download, serving up Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook to machines running Apple's desktop OS. There's sure to be a truckload of updates in the months to come, but if you're still using Office for Mac 2011, the changes that are already in place (read: the redesigned UI) will certainly give you something to look forward to.
Universal Office apps for Windows 10 are now available for preview
Remember those universal Office apps Microsoft spent some time demoing a couple weeks back? Well, as of today, a trio of them are available as part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview. The three workhorses -- Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- can be accessed on desktops, laptops and tablets running the preview version of Redmond's upcoming operating system, and in the weeks to come, phones will be able to join in. If you'll recall, the so-called universal apps are designed to wrangle touch gestures and properly equip mobile devices, insuring a consistent experience across your Windows-driven gadget arsenal. If you're itchin' to give 'em a go, you can request access right here.
Office 2016 will hit desktops later this year
At its Windows 10 event yesterday, Microsoft spent some time showing off how its universal apps would provide a similar experience across devices. Office was certainly part of that conversation, and today, the folks in Redmond revealed that this year's installment of the desktop apps would arrive before the end of 2015. The update for mobile, labeled Office for Windows 10, will come pre-installed on phones and tablets running Windows 10 free of charge, with touch-enabled Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook all included. While we'll certainly keep our eyes peeled for an exact date, Microsoft says we can expect Office 2016 to arrive during the second half of this year. Who knows, maybe it'll rollout in time to lend a hand when school starts back up in the fall.
