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UK government department swaps Microsoft for Google
For the longest time, the UK government built its systems around Microsoft software. That's still largely the case, but things have slowly changed as departments get to grips with the cloud, and companies like Google have planted their flag. The Register reports that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has decided it's time to make a clean break and has embraced the search giant's cloud services, becoming the first major UK government department to shift away from Microsoft.
Office Lens for Android is ready to scan your documents
Need to quickly capture that taxi receipt, or the notes from a meeting? You can now pull out your Android phone to do it. After several weeks of testing, Microsoft has released the finished version of Office Lens for Google-powered devices. As a recap, Office Lens' party trick is its ability to scan all kinds of documents (even at less-than-ideal angles) and translate them into usable files on OneDrive and OneNote -- it'll even make text searchable. The complete Lens app should work on a wide range of devices, so you'll definitely want to swing by Google Play if you're eager to give this scanner a spin.
Microsoft reveals Office preview for Android smartphones
Microsoft has been enthusiastically rolling out touch-friendly Android (and iOS) versions of Office, even before it launches on its own OS. It just outed a preview version for Android smartphones, although this time, Windows did get it first. As with the tablet version, Microsoft said the apps marry the "familiar look, feel and quality of Office" apps -- including Word, Excel and PowerPoint -- to a touch-friendly smartphone experience. You'll be able to open documents not only from Redmond's OneDrive, but also via Google Drive, Dropbox, and a few other cloud services.
Windows 10 phone preview tests out universal Office, Xbox apps
Microsoft's latest preview version of Windows 10 for phones is here and whether you prefer work or play -- or non-Lumia Windows phones -- it has something new to offer. This is the first one ready to test out the new Universal Office apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote) that are built to run across PCs, phones and tablets alike. Control them via touch, pen, keyboard -- whatever you have they're ready to do business. This access arrives because build 10080 is also the first with a beta version of the new Windows Store. It's a universal app too (notice a theme here?) with a new look, but there are some known issues and the old Store app is still there in case you need to fall back on it. Microsoft announced that it would bring carrier billing for all with the new app and while that's still on the way, it's not enabled yet.
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 expands Office integration with third-party apps
So far, Microsoft's Build 2015 keynote has mostly been focused on the tools available for developers. But the company just made an announcement that's beneficial to its core consumer base. Rob Lefferts, GM of the Office Extensibility, took the stage to reveal that the Office productivity suite will be further integrated with third-party applications and services. With Uber in Outlook, for example, you can click on a button and quickly catch a ride to your next appointment, all without having to manually enter a destination address -- it does this automatically by grabbing data from your email accounts.
Windows 10 phone preview will get Office universal apps by month's end
We've already seen Microsoft's Universal Office apps hit tablets, laptops and desktops as part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview, now the company has announced they'll be headed to phones by the end of the month. The Universal Office apps, which so far include Word, Excel and PowerPoint, are meant to show off a new touch friendly version of Microsoft's long-running productivity suite. But they're also an example of how developers can build one app that easily runs across a variety of Windows 10 devices. On phones, the Office Universal apps highlight the content of your documents, with typical commands and controls at the bottom of the screen. Microsoft says that should help with editing documents one-handed. On tablets, the Office apps look more like the full-fledged Office 2016 desktop apps, but with a interface tweaks to make them easier to navigate with your fingers.
Microsoft apps will be bundled on Cyanogen Android devices
Cyanogen has revealed that it will pre-install Microsoft apps on its modded Android OS later this year, including Bing, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook and Microsoft Office. The news doesn't come as a huge surprise, since it was rumored that Redmond had purchased a minority stake in Cyanogen with the express intention of bundling its software. As part of the deal, Microsoft will also create "native integrations" on Cyanogen OS, presumably to make all its apps play well together. Microsoft has avoided porting its productivity software over to Android and iOS for quite awhile, but finally made the jump earlier this year.
$150 laser pointer can stay steady even if your hands can't
Is there a market for a $150 laser pointer when you can get one anywhere for a few bucks? Maybe, in special cases or, as the creators of SteadyLaser believe, if the user shakes like a leaf when he has to speak in public. SteadyLaser promises to cancel out tremors through a mechanism that separates the laser itself from the device's body. Here's how the startup explains its technology on Kickstarter, where it's attempting to raise $150,000 to begin mass production:
Dropbox and Microsoft just made it easier to edit files in the cloud
Look, it's no secret that Microsoft and Dropbox have been getting cozy with each other. Why, just last November the two companies cooked up a way to launch the correct Office apps to edit documents lounging in your Dropbox locker. Now, thanks to a new update from that unlikely duo, you don't even need to have Office installed to edit your Word, Powerpoint and Excel files -- hitting that Open button while you're previewing a document within a web browser gives you the ability to tweak everything from inside Microsoft's Office Online. Naturally, the integration runs both ways too, so Office Online users can pull up files straight from their Dropbox accounts without so much as firing up a new tab.
Office Lens for Android and iOS turns your phone into a scanner
You no longer have to carry a Windows Phone if you want to quickly copy receipts and meeting agendas for the sake of your notes. Microsoft has just released Office Lens in both finished form for iOS and a preview for Android, letting you use your device of choice to turn photos into usable documents. The experience is familiar if you've tried the app before -- all you have to do is get a good snapshot, and the app will convert the output into OneNote-friendly text and image formats. Both Office Lens releases are free, so don't hesitate to give them a spin if you'd rather take pictures than jot down memos.
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.
Microsoft gives eligible students free Office 365 subscriptions
Turns out Microsoft had a surprise in store for students around the globe this February, and not just for those based in New York. The company's finally bringing free Office 365 subscriptions to students outside the US, so long as they live in one of the countries (it's quite a lengthy list) where the product's available. Schools will have to buy subscriptions for staff and faculty, but once they do, students (and even teachers) can self-install for no charge by using a school-issued email address at the Office in education website. After signing up, they'll get access to the newest Office, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access and Publisher, and be able to install them on up to five computers and five phones or tablets. An account also comes with Office Online and, even better, 1TB of OneDrive storage, so users can go wild uploading anything without quickly running out of space. [Image credit: Shutterstock / Andresr]
Office for iOS can store your files in iCloud
Until you, if you'd wanted to use Microsoft Office on iOS, you'd have been stuck using Dropbox, OneDrive or SharePoint to store your files online. For some reason, Apple's home-grown storage service was a notable absentee, but thankfully one that has been now remedied. In the most recent update, Microsoft has enabled users to save their documents, spreadsheets and presentations to iCloud, so long as they're running iOS 8. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as with the other platforms, since you have to dig into the "More" section before you can select the option. Still, better than nothing, eh?
Samsung Galaxy S6 reportedly drops bloatware in favor of Microsoft apps
Quite a few smartphone fans will tell you that a Samsung phone's Achilles' heel is its software -- you'll find a ton of (frequently unwanted) apps and features that do little besides chew up space and slow things down. You may get to wave goodbye to that cruft when the Galaxy S6 shows up, however. A SamMobile source claims that Samsung is yanking a lot of its usual pre-installed bloatware, making the GS6 "amazingly fast" compared to a weighed-down phone like the Galaxy Note 4. The titles wouldn't go away forever, but you'd have to download in-house apps if you did want them. Instead, the focus would be on a host of included Microsoft apps: Office, OneDrive, OneNote and Skype would give you some solid productivity out of the box. It's not clear if the Microsoft deal has any connection to a recent truce with Samsung over patent royalties, although it wouldn't be surprising.
New York City schools are getting free access to Office 365
Now's a pretty good time to be a New York City schoolkid. Microsoft has announced that all of the city's public school students (and their teachers) are getting free Office 365 ProPlus subscriptions -- if you qualify, you'll have five desktop and five mobile licenses as long as you're part of the local educational system. Ostensibly, the goal is to make sure that kids won't be "confined to the classroom" and can finish that big book report on any computer.
Parallels just made it easier to try Windows 10 on your Mac
If you're eager to try Microsoft's Windows 10 technical preview on a PC, you'll either need to mess with your existing machine, use a spare you don't mind borking or run it on a virtual machine like VMware. Mac users on OS X (including Yosemite) have a couple of options including Boot Camp, but they now have one more: Parallels 10. Using the latest build, you can download Windows 10 directly from the desktop, then run it in a virtual machine alongside your Mac stuff. That'll let you scope the incoming OS and its resurrected Start menu, Cortana support, new browser and Office Preview for Windows 10. You'll also get direct access to your iCloud and iPhone library and be able to share files, text and pictures from Windows. There is one serious gotcha: you'll have to pay a steep $80 for Parallels 10, or $40 to upgrade.
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.
Microsoft's Office for Android tablet apps arrive today
It's only been a few weeks since Microsoft released the preview versions of Office for Android, but the software giant is finally ready to bring the final version of those apps to Google Play. Starting some time Thursday morning -- we're hearing from around 10 a.m. ET onwards -- you'll be able to download the finished versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint to your Android tablet. As before, the requirements for downloading said apps include having a tablet that's 7-inches or larger that's also running Android 4.4 KitKat or newer. They also have to have an ARM-based processor and 1GB of RAM or above.
