microsoft office 365
Latest
Microsoft 365 is now available worldwide
Microsoft Office 365 is now called Microsoft 365, and the company wants not only workers, but also families, to use its software.
Excel quickly adds data from iPhone photos into spreadsheets
Microsoft Excel is making its "Insert Data from Picture" feature available on the iOS app. The AI-powered tool lets Excel users take pictures on their phone of data and convert it into a spreadsheet in seconds. The new function debuted at Microsoft's Ignite event last September and has already been released for Android. Combining a mix of image recognition and AI, it's a useful perk for both chronic and occasional Excel users that will eliminate hours wasted on manual input.
Office 365 subscribers are getting unlimited OneDrive storage
Last week's earnings report highlighted how Microsoft is doing quite well, and it has Office 365 to thank for some of its success during the last financial quarter. And now the company is about to make things better for people who subscribe to the productivity suite. Microsoft's going to start giving Office 365 Home, Personal and University customers free unlimited storage with OneDrive, its cloud-based digital locker service -- a very kind gesture, to say the least. First, the company says this will roll out to subscribers of the aforementioned plans starting today, but the plan is to bring it to all Office 365 customers over the coming months. If you're using Home, Personal or University now, however, there's now a site that can help you flip the switch on your new all-you-can-have OneDrive goodness.
Microsoft makes it easier for students to get Office 365 at no cost
Back when it launched the Student Advantage program, Microsoft made it possible for 35,000 educational institutions across the globe to receive free access to Office 365. As part of that, students and teachers alike could get a subscription to the productivity software at no cost to them, so long as their school had enrolled in the initiative. Problem is, since then, each student depended on the school to be the one to create an Office 365 account they could use -- until today. Microsoft's now simplified the process, opening up a self-serve service for students to get the license without the need to check with the school's IT department first. Those who qualify will need a valid .edu email address to receive the free subscription, from a school that's currently participating in the Student Advantage program, and that's about it. The only caveat is that this is limited to US students at the moment, but Microsoft says it plans to bring the sign-up feature worldwide later this year.
Weekends with Engadget: the future of Oculus Rift, new HTC One review and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more news, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Office for iPad will debut after next Windows version
It's been a hard road for Microsoft Office fans who are also iOS users. The company finally got around to releasing an iPhone version of Office Mobile this past June, providing Office 365 subscribers access to the full suite of apps. But iPad users are still waiting, and apparently it's because Windows users are also waiting. At a Gartner event today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that the release of Office for the iPad was being planned, but only after a touch-first user interface had been introduced to the Windows version of the program. Sources at Microsoft have told The Verge COO Kevin Turner says the company needs "to own the productivity experience across all devices." In the meantime, Office 365 users who need to access the suite's apps can do so via the iPad's web browser.
New Office Web Apps get finalized for SkyDrive, Outlook
As polished and functional as something might be in its preview days, a piece of work isn't done until it is done, and Microsoft's Office Web Apps have finally reached that point. Back in July, Redmond piped out preview versions of OWA and Office 365, focusing on adding tablet-friendly touch controls. Feedback from over 750,000 users and Windows 8's impending deadline helped shaped today's release, readying it for Microsoft's latest operating system, IE10 and iOS 6. A pair of posts on the Office Web Apps Blog detail the new face of Office, including an improved authoring experience, better support for multi-user collaboration, faster performance and more. Read it for yourself at the source link below, or just log into Skydrive and get to work.
Office Web Apps integrate touch support on iPad and Windows 8, brace us for an Office 2013 world
Touch-friendliness is a centerpiece for the upcoming Office 2013, but don't fret if you prefer to live in the world of Office Web Apps ahead of time. As of new preview versions of both OWA and Office 365, those using at least an iPad or Windows 8 will see larger, more finger-ready controls by default. The switch also tweaks the text selection, contextual menus and numerous other elements to work properly with the fleshier input, even going so far as to support multi-touch gestures like pinching to zoom. Windows users get a Touch Mode toggle if they'd rather flip back to traditional control methods. While the web support is still experimental and doesn't have a completion date on the horizon, those willing to live ever so slightly on the edge can stay hooked on Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Word without having to use anything so archaic as a mouse and keyboard. [Thanks, Suraj]
Microsoft intros new cloud app model for Office 365
Following all the Office news from Redmond in the last 24 hours, Microsoft's managed to take a quick breath before revealing some new dev tools and a cloud-based app model for its online iteration, Office 365. Apps made inside the model can be inserted directly into spreadsheets, as task panes, and even automatically activated when needed. Devs can also choose to wheel out their software to both the new Office Store or the existing extension system. So if you're looking to upgrade that PC work suite, it might be worth taking a closer look at what's going down at the source links below.
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.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 24, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of October 24, 2011: Fan of white phones? Here ya go: the BlackBerry Bold 9900, Curve 9360 and Torch 9810 can be pre-ordered on Phones4U. If white doesn't do it for you, the Curve 9300 will be available in pink. [Stuff] HTC has announced its partnership with Dropbox, which means you can get 5GB of available storage on any of the company's Android devices. [Twitter] A few customers on Verizon's family plans have noticed a peculiar addition to the company's #DATA service; when the text showing the data usage arrives, it now mentions "shared," which may be an indication that Big Red's on its way to offering shared data plans in the near future. [Droid-Life] Rumors have flown for some time about LG's attempt at reviving the Prada series by introducing the K2 (aka the P940), and now we're finally starting to see images of the Android device leak out. Apparently, it'll be less than 9mm thin, offer an 8MP camera, 1.3MP front-facing cam, 21Mbps HSPA+ and have a 4.3-inch display with 1,000 nits of brightness. [PhoneArena via UnwiredView] Research in Motion announced BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365, which extends Microsoft Exchange Online to the BlackBerry lineup. It's geared toward midsized businesses and enterprises. Head to the source for the details. [Microsoft-News]
Office 365 ditches the beta tag, ready to take on Google Apps
We know what you're thinking -- you like the idea of Google Apps, but the Mountain View crew kind of creeps you out. Well, don't worry, Microsoft has your back. After making its beta debut last year, Office 365 is officially ready to spread its wings and offer its productivity web app wares to the business-minded masses. For $6 per-user, per-month small businesses get access to Microsoft Office Web Apps, Exchange, SharePoint and Lync video conferencing and can take advantage of the suite's integration with WP7 once Mango lands. Larger, enterprise plans start at $10 per user while adding support for desktop Office products and Lync VoIP solutions as you climb the pricing ladder. Really there's not much more to say except, check out the full PR after the break.
