Microsoft will hold its annual technology Build event from May 24 to May 26, 2022. Registration is free; more information is available at the event FAQ page.
Category Archives: Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office 2021 and Windows 11 available October 5th 2021
Microsoft is set to release the desktop version of Office 2021 as well as Windows 11 on October 5, 2021. The list of new features includes new Excel functions and support for OpenDocument format (ODF) 1.3 (file extensions .odt, .ods, and .odp).
A list of the differences between Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 may be found here.
Visio diagramming web app will be included in Microsoft 365
Visio documentation can be found at support.microsoft.com/en-us/visio.
Microsoft releases urgent Exchange Server security updates
Microsoft released several urgent security updates for Exchange Server based on cyber attacks believed to be from HAFNIUM and other groups starting March 2, 2021. This includes Microsoft Exchange Server 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010, but not Exchange Online. Microsoft recommends installation of security updates and running tests to see if Exchange servers have already been compromised.
The U.S. Justice Department has also executed a court-authorized operation to copy and remove malicious web shells from hundreds of vulnerable computers in the United States in relation to this security issue. The FBI will attempting to provide notice of the court-authorized operation to all owners or operators of these computers.
Microsoft Office app combines Excel, Word and PowerPoint in one app
The newly released Microsoft Office app combines Excel, Word and PowerPoint into a single app that requires less storage space to install. New features include converting images into editable Office documents, scanning and signing PDFs, scanning QR codes, and transferring files between devices.
The Office app is now available for Apple iOS and Android and is free to download.
Downdetector shows outage information for websites and services
Downdetector shows outage information and status for widely used websites and services such as mobile and internet service providers, social media sites, banking and financial services, etc. This includes:
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- Most recent outages
- List of all companies tracked
- Facebook, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp
- Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat
- Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint
- AT&T, Comcast / Xfinity, Spectrum, CenturyLink, Frontier and Cox
- Google, Gmail, Google Cloud, and Google Hangouts
- Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Box
- Apple Maps, iCloud, iMessage, and iWork
- Office 365, Outlook, Sharepoint, Skype and Skype for Business
- Visual Studio, Microsoft Teams, Azure, and Exchange
- Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cloudflare, and Zoom
PowerOutage.us is a different website that tracks electricity power outage data from utilities all over the United States.
Microsoft Office free apps for smartphones and tablets with 10.1 inch or smaller screen
Microsoft Office apps such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are available as free downloads for iOS , Android and Windows smartphones and tablets that have a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller. Users can view, edit and create new Office format files with these free apps once they login with a Microsoft user account, but they must subscribe to Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) to unlock all app functionality. Free web brower versions of Office apps are also available for users logged into OneDrive.
Students and teachers with a valid school email address are also eligible for the free Office 365 Education version.
Apple device users can run the iWork productivity apps, which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
Office Apps for Windows 10 Mobile will no longer be supported by Microsoft as of January 12, 2021.
Excel for Android beta feature allows you to insert data from photo
Microsoft is currently testing a new Excel for Android feature that will allow you to take a picture of data with your phone or tablet and paste the photo’s data into an Excel worksheet. Insert Data from Picture is currently being tested by select Office Insider users.
End of support for Windows 7 and other Microsoft products
Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 7 after January 14th 2020 and will no longer provide security updates. For volume license customers, Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) will be available for a fee through January 2023. A future option may be Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) for Windows 7, which was announced in 2018 but not yet available in Preview mode.
Office 2010 will no longer be supported as of October 13th 2020. Microsoft is also ending support for Windows 10 Mobile OS for smartphones on December 10th 2019 and recommends that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device.
Internet Explorer 11 will be the last release, and Microsoft has released more information at its Internet Explorer FAQ page.
Support life cycle dates for Microsoft products can be found at support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search.
Microsoft Office 2019 now available for Windows and Mac
The desktop version of Microsoft Office 2019 is now available for Windows and Mac. This non-cloud based product has different options from the cloud subscription versions of Microsoft Office 365 and generally has fewer features than Office 365.
A list of frequently asked questions about Office 2019 may be found here.