Apps and Utilities – Savepoint Data Solutions Inc.

Google Meet, Skype Meet Now and Facebook Messenger Rooms video meeting tools

Google, Microsoft and Facebook all announced changes or updates to their video meeting tools in April 2020. These are alternatives to the popular Zoom video chat software.

Video meeting tool Google Meet is now available free of charge for all users. This will be a gradual rollout within the next few weeks. Users must sign in with their Google account, but Meet works entirely in a web browser and does not require downloads first.

Skype Meet Now is a different video meeting tool which does not require a sign-up or installation. A unique Meet Now link can be requested from Skype or a web browser.

Facebook has also announced its new meeting tool – Facebook Messenger Rooms. Invited attendees do not need a Facebook account to attend the video meeting and downloads are not required. Rooms is not end-to-end encrypted. This is in addition to their Facebook Workplace and Facebook Work Groups services.

Google services outages tracked on G Suite Status Dashboard

Google experienced some outages on March 26th 2020 that were tracked on its G Suite Status Dashboard. This included Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs and other services.

QuickBooks company backup files do not include file attachments

QuickBooks desktop edition does not include file attachments when it makes a company backup data file. This will cause issues if the files need to be installed on a new computer or saved as part of normal data file backups.

The attached files are stored by QuickBooks in a folder named “Attach” with multiple subfolders.

The company file and Attach folder can be found by selecting Company > Documents > Repair Attached Documents Links.

Click the Open Company File Folder button to locate the Attach folder and company file. The Repair Links button will remove invalid attached document links.

The company file can also be found by searching for a file with name format *.QBW.

Google Drive and Gmail free storage limited to 15 GB

Google accounts start with 15 GB of total storage spread across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Once this limit is exceeded, users have the option of upgrading to a Google One plan.

You may check the total amount of storage currently used for your Google account at google.com/settings/storage. Google also provides instructions on how to free up additional storage.

iTunes replaced on Apple devices by Apple Music and TV apps

iTunes has been replaced by Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Books, and Apple Podcasts on iOS and MacOS devices. Prior iTunes media library content can now be found in these new apps. Instructions on how to manage Apple Music and other subscriptions are available.

Apple iTunes is still available for Microsoft Windows.

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 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.

Salesforce will buy data analytics company Tableau

Salesforce, an industry leader in Cloud Customer Relationship Management (CRM), announced plans to buy data analytics company Tableau. Tableau has released a public FAQ about the merger detailing support options for customers of both companies.

Windows Terminal is a new application for command-line tool users

Microsoft has announced the upcoming release of its new command line tool application Windows Terminal. This application for PowerShell and WSL users is currently available for download at GitHub and is also available the Microsoft Store.

More information about Windows Terminal can be found at devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-terminal-build-2019-faq.

Google Duo video phone call app

Google Duo is a high quality video phone call app that works with smartphones, tablets, and computers. It is available using web access with a Google account, and is also available at iTunes and Google Play.

Online help for Google Duo, including setup and making calls, is available here.

Google releases new accessibility apps Live Transcribe and Sound Amplifier

Google has announced the release of accessibility apps Live Transcribe and Sound Amplifier to help users with hearing issues.

Live Transcribe transcribes live audio in real time using Google’s speech recognition technology. This feature is installed on Pixel 3 smartphones under the Accessibility settings and will soon be available in a limited beta release to users worldwide via the Google Play Store.

Sound Amplifier amplifies microphone sounds while reducing unwanted or distracting background noises and is available now at Google Play.