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Office 2011: Mountain Lion-ready, says Microsoft
Nothing but love for the lightly-updated iWork, but millions of Macs in SOHO, business and enterprise settings depend on Microsoft's Office 2011 suite for productivity mojo every day. The Office for Mac team noted on its official blog that Office 2011 is Mountain Lion-ready and fully supported, as is (somewhat surprisingly) Office 2008. The O4M team offers up two quick tips for making sure Office 2011 is current. First, check that the AutoUpdate feature is enabled & run any available updates; you can find AutoUpdate by going to the Help menu in any Office app and choosing Check for Updates. Second, it looks like the standalone Office updater packages you can download from the O4M site will not play nicely with Mountain Lion's Gatekeeper binary signing, at least not with the default security settings in place. The recommendation is to use AutoUpdate (which is signed) to run any necessary Office patches. Regarding Gatekeeper (which we'll talk about more later today), two quick reminders: Any application that is on your Mac at upgrade time is automatically marked as OK to run under Gatekeeper and does not need to be a signed binary. Also, you can bypass the Gatekeeper settings on an app by app basis -- without switching your whole system to the less-secure mode -- if you right-click/control-click an application icon and choose Open, that opens a dialog for "whitelisting" that particular app. Once you launch it once, it will be OK in perpetuity. [hat tip Macgasm & SlashGear]
Office for Mac 2011 and 2008 ready for OS X Mountain Lion, procrastinators groan
So you updated to OS X Mountain Lion and, gosh darn it, you're not sure that Office for Mac 2011 (or Office 2008 for Mac) will be in perfect harmony. Time to put off finishing that accounts receivable spreadsheet until IT sorts it all out, right? Unfortunately for anyone looking to catch a break, Microsoft just certified that the two most recent Mac versions of Office will purr with Apple's latest big cat. About the only hiccup remaining is the inability to manually download and install future updates as long as Gatekeeper is on full lockdown. If you've been spending all day making paper planes, it's time to knuckle down and get back to work.
Switched On: An Office outside the Metro
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The two worlds of Windows 8 -- one: a traditional desktop UI and the other: the touch-optimized Metro UI -- can, at first, seem so different that they contrast like the multiple personalities of Batman's enemy Two-Face. Yet, despite the different appearances, the forthcoming version of Microsoft's venerable operating system is not about absolutes, but optimizations.
CloudOn's productivity app heads to 60 additional countries, new features announced
You know how they say that when it rains, it pours? Well, right now it's really, really pouring at CloudOn's HQ. Keeping up with last month's global expansion, the outfit has announced it's launching its bestseller Android and iPad application in 60 more countries, including big-name markets like Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras in Latin America, as well as Australia, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey across the various ponds. What's more, the editing (and creating) cloud-based app is adding a fresh voice dictation feature, along with new drag-and-drop tidbits for moving files around with more ease -- in addition to these, though, CloudOn told us exclusively you'll soon be able to add annotations / comments to all your docs, and that notes will soon be custom tailored for mobile devices. Feel free to dig into the PR down below, where you'll find the full list of over 70 nations in which the application's now live.
Microsoft's reportedly working on Office 2011 for Mac SkyDrive update
Microsoft did quite a decent job of keeping us entertained with yesterday's unveiling of its most recent Office package and all of its proficient integration with SkyDrive. Still, Redmond left out any mention of how the cloud service would play out for OS X users working on Office 2011 for Mac. Well, according to The Verge, Microsoft's informed the site an update that'd bring some of the features introduced in Office 2013 to the Mac crowd is indeed in the works. The SkyDrive refresh is said to be coming at the same time as the official launch of the 2013 Office bundle, which means you'll have to stick with your current workflow at least for a few more months.
Microsoft responds to critics, defends touch UI in Office 2013
If you read our preview of Office 2013, you know we liked it. A lot. But if we had one reservation it's that Office still isn't that finger-friendly, even with the addition of a touch mode that widens the spacing between onscreen objects and flattens the menus so that you don't have to tap quite as much. As if in response to critics like us (and readers too!) Microsoft has published a lengthy blog post detailing the thinking that went into the design of Office's new touch-enabled features. Which is to say, it's a more detailed recap of how the company's engineers tweaked the desktop interface for touch, and designed some standalone apps that better match the Metro experience of Windows 8. At the very least, it's a handy primer for folks who missed Steve Ballmer's keynote and haven't yet read up on radial menus or the Metro-styled OneNote MX app. Even if you have, though, it's worth a read: Microsoft offers some interesting insight into the various scenarios where it imagined each touch-enabled app being used, and what kind of posture the user is likely to have, even. Whether that's enough to prompt a change of heart is up to you, but it's interesting nonetheless to get a little more color on how it all came together.
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 to be bundled on all Windows RT tablets
The playing field in the world of Windows tablets became a bit more level today, as Microsoft has announced that Office Home and Student 2013 will be bundled for free with all Windows RT computers. Perhaps the move shouldn't come as a complete surprise, as the company had previously revealed the inclusion of Office on its own ARM-based Surface tablet. For those who'd feared that Microsoft wouldn't play fairly with its hardware partners, however, it seems that at least some of those concerns can be put aside. Naturally, everything you've come to expect in the Home and Student edition will be there, which includes Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint. If you're unsure of what to expect, be sure to check out our recent preview of the productivity suite.
Microsoft Office 2013 preview: details, screenshots and impressions
More Info Microsoft begins Office 15 technical preview, fills up before you knew it existed Microsoft Office 15 leaks suggest Office 2013 name, show off Metro logo and Web Apps UI Office Next blog is here to answer all your burning questions about the future of spreadsheets It's been about three years since Microsoft unveiled a new version of Office, and particularly with Windows 8 just months away from dropping, the software has been well overdue for an upgrade. Today, Redmond unveiled the latest edition -- Office 2013 (aka Office 15) -- which the company will be showing in a preview stage until the final version goes on sale (hit up the source link if you want to download it for yourself). Perhaps the biggest news isn't any single feature Microsoft's added to Word (hello, easy YouTube embeds!), but how and where you'll access your files. With this version, the company is moving to a subscription-based model wherein your Office files are tied to your Microsoft ID. Once you sign up, you can download the various desktop apps to a certain number of devices and, as with Windows 8, your settings, SkyDrive files and even the place where you left off in a document will follow you from device to device. (It's telling, we think, that files now save to the cloud by default.) As you'd expect, too, this version is also more tablet-friendly than editions past, with a touch mode that widens the spacing between onscreen objects and flattens menus. In Word and PowerPoint, you'll also find a read-only mode that turns documents into full-screen editions, whose pages you can swipe through as you would an e-book or digital magazine. Of course, Microsoft included plenty of granular updates like PDF editing and a behind-the-scenes Presenter View in PowerPoint. Fortunately for you, curious power users, we've been spending the better part of a week testing the software on a Samsung Series 7 Slate loaded up with Windows 8. So join us past the break where we'll give you a detailed breakdown of what's new, along with screenshots and detailed first impressions.
Office Next blog is here to answer all your burning questions about the future of spreadsheets
Microsoft has this really great habit of publicly tracking the development of all its products. Windows 8 has been thoroughly documented over at the Building Windows 8 blog, and now Office will have its time to shine over at Office Next. The site will give the engineers and developers toiling away in Redmond an outlet to provide updates, discuss design decisions and offer peeks at the new features being baked in. It won't be just a place full of bullet lists either, PJ Hough, the VP of program management for the Office Division, promised in his inaugural post that the data and feedback that informs their choices will also be shared -- telling you not just what, but why. Is there anything new to share right now? Sadly no, but it probably won't be long before the pages of Engadget are filled with the minutia of Office 15's development.
Microsoft Office 15 leaks suggest Office 2013 name, show off Metro logo and Web Apps UI
Didn't make it into Microsoft's Office 15 Technical Preview? Neither did we, however that has not stopped details about the next iteration of the office software suite from leaking out. CNbeta.com is flashing shots of a new red Metroized logo (no surprise) that's similar to Windows 8's err... window and showing off the name "Office 2013 Preview", while LiveSide.net has a comparison shot of the Web Apps Preview, seen above featuring a flattened look and spaced out buttons similar to screenshots seen earlier. We're still expecting a public beta of Office 15 / 2013 later this summer so it shouldn't be too long before we're all sharing the excitement of filling up cells and parsing data as though it was for the first time. Update: Added clarification that the shot above is from the Office Web Apps preview.
Microsoft Office becomes first non-Metro application within Windows Store
You knew it was going to happen, but Microsoft Office 2010 has officially taken roost in the Windows Store, which is part of Microsoft's next-gen OS known as Windows 8. What makes its arrival noteworthy, however, is the fact that the productivity suite marks the first of the traditional desktop applications available in the digital storefront. Integration leaves much to be desired, however, as you can't actually make the purchase within the Windows Store. Instead, users are kicked over to Microsoft's website, where they're prompted to choose between different editions of Office, which range in price between $119 and $499. In other words, the latest "inclusion" is little more than a shortcut rather than a cohesive shopping experience. Still, if you like the idea of a full-fledged desktop productivity suite and LibreOffice simply won't cut the mustard, it's yet one more opportunity to plunk down some cash.
CloudOn launching its iOS, Android tablet apps in 16 more countries, Office hounds rejoice
Surprise, surprise, CloudOn has just opened a fresh can of tablet-friendly Office and is getting ready to deliver it outside of the US, UK and Canada for the first time in its relatively short history. The cloud-based service announced it's now launching its iOS and Android applications in 16 more countries, making it a total of 19 with the addition of the aforementioned trio. Some of the lucky nations include: Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Israel as well as the Netherlands -- and, in case you had any concerns, the app is keeping its free-of-charge status, so no need to worry. In addition to the beefy global expansion, CloudOn also released a few productivity-focused tidbits, giving users the ability to open links straight from the browser, copy and paste between the different built-in apps, plus a drag-and-drop feature to move around files and folders within the application -- unfortunately, this last one's only available to those with a Cupertino device (at least for the time being). All that's left to do now is grab yourself a copy from one of the links below, and be sure to check the presser after the break to see if your country made the cut.
NYT: Office for iPad is still on
Microsoft vehemently objected to Office for iPad rumors almost as soon as they first showed up, quashing hopes in the process -- or so we thought. The New York Times now contends that Redmond's PR might just have been exercising plausible deniability: sources for the newspaper assert that Office for iPad is still a reality and that the details, not the app itself, are in dispute. Most of the questions instead surround the launch day and price. A follow-up answer from Microsoft hasn't settled much other than to get the boilerplate no-comment remark, but we wouldn't be surprised if Google's acquisition of Quickoffice spurs a few discussions at Microsoft about tablet-native Office suites for more than just Windows 8.
Microsoft announces Office 365 for Government, touts its fluffy cloud-based goodness
Unlike certain folks who wear tinfoil hats Microsoft has no qualms working with the guv'ment. Having added Office 365 support to Windows Phone in its Mango update, the company is now turning its attention to a less tech-averse Uncle Sam with the introduction of the obviously named Office 365 for Government. According to Microsoft, this rendition of Office 365 places US government data in the soft embrace of the cloud via its own segregated community. Offerings featured with the service include Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and Office Professional Plus. Now, you don't need to be wearing shiny, crumpled headwear to voice concerns about some evildoer messing around with government data on the cloud. Microsoft assures that the service supports the "most rigorous global and regional standards," including ISO 27001, SAS70 Type II, EU Safe Harbor and FISMA. Given all the waist tightening Uncle Sam's being asked to go through recently, a cloud solution might actually sound appealing if it proves to be more cost-effective overall.
Microsoft lands an official software outlet in Iraq
Believe it or not, there hasn't been an official distributor for Microsoft software in Iraq in the near-decade since it's even been an option; if you wanted Windows or Office in the past several years, your choices were limited and seldom legal. Baghdad's Legend Lands is filling those big shoes through a deal with Microsoft that will see it provide both official copies, support, and other help for Iraqis that want to take the honest path. Stores across the country will take care of everything from large-scale government orders down to a Tikrit family's first home PC. The move won't completely quash piracy concerns, but it's a big step towards normalcy in technology for the desert nation. [Image credit: Shbab4ever]
Microsoft Office for iPad reportedly on track for November release
A recent report from BGR reiterates the earlier claim from The Daily that Microsoft is working on a version of Office for the iPad. According to BGR, Microsoft is bringing the complete Office suite to both the iPad and Android tablets by November of this year. BGR's source claims the version he saw was almost identical to the one leaked earlier this year by The Daily. The Daily got wind of the BGR report and responded with a post directed at Microsoft that was sharp and forthright. The authors called Microsoft "filthy, lying liars" for allegedly showing The Daily a version of the Office software for the iPad and then saying publicly it was "not a real picture of a real Microsoft software product." You can read The Daily's response on its website.
CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google Drive (video)
Indirectly or not, the other guys seem to enjoy their time spent with CloudOn's unorthodox delivery of Microsoft Office. Fortunately for you, the service just announced it's now available to the Android folk -- at least to those with a Google certified slate. The CloudOn application comes as a freebie and it's compatible with tablets running Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich. Keep in mind that, aside from creating / editing docs on Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you'll also be able to open almost any file thanks to Adobe Reader. Furthermore, the company revealed it now offers support for Google Drive, joining the likes of Dropbox and Box as part of the cloud lineup. Ready to give it a go? It's up for grabs now via Google Play, but before you do that, there's a vid waiting for you past the break.
Microsoft wants Mac SkyDrive users
The competition between Microsoft and Apple is moving gradually from the desktop to the cloud. As noted by The Next Web, a recent marketing push by Microsoft tries to woo Mac users away from iCloud and into Microsoft's cloud-based SkyDrive service. The webpage and video highlights the advantages of SkyDrive by pointing out that Microsoft's service gives you access to every file, everywhere, even across platforms and, unlike iCloud, it integrates well with Microsoft Office. These features of SkyDrive may not entice Mac users to abandon iCloud, but it could get those Office users to consider using the service along with iCloud. You potentially could use iCloud for your music and photos and push your productivity stuff into Office and SkyDrive. I personally wouldn't do it because iCloud and DropBox works just fine for my needs, but heavy Office users might want to take a closer look at Microsoft's service. SkyDrive includes 7 GB of free storage and has an app for the iPhone and iPad. [Via The Next Web]
Leaked video promises Office 15 on a crane, on a train, in a boat, potentially with a goat
What's this, then? It's purportedly a leaked promotional video for Office 15, the upcoming version of Microsoft's perennial favorite software suite. Not surprisingly, the animated short, which was "pulled from beta software," talks up the software's cloud functionality. "It's your Office," says the chipper voice. "It goes wherever you go." That includes a number of motor vehicles and electronic devices, all the while being stored safely online. Hop in after the break for one of the happiest office suite promotional videos ever made.
CloudOn bolsters its Office-friendly iPad app with support for Box and Adobe Reader
CloudOn managed to attract a fair bit of attention earlier this year with its cloud-based app that indirectly brought Microsoft Office to the iPad, and it's now back with version 2.0 of said app. That doesn't change a whole lot on the surface (though there are some UI tweaks), but it does add support for Box in addition to Dropbox for storage, as well as support for PDFs, PSDs and other formats handled by Adobe Reader. As before, the app is free, and CloudOn assures folks that it has officially licensed the technology from Microsoft and Adobe.
