Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft is talking about updates to SkyDrive. SkyDrive is a personal cloud file storage system that Microsoft says can scale up to 1 billion users. The website for the service has been updated with the new design suitable for desktop and tablet browsers. It features instant search, contextual toolbar, thumbnail multi-select, drag-and-drop organization, and HTML 5 sorting.

Microsoft says that SkyDrive for Windows and Mac users now has faster uploads with performance improvements and bug fixes. Users of the service can soon download an app for Android devices allowing users to access, upload, and share content from their Android tablet or smartphone. Developers can build apps using the SkyDrive API and allow users to store access any type of file in SkyDrive.

The Skydrive.com update brings a tile-based layout for folders and files. However, users can opt to use a details view showing folders instead of tiles. The new instant search feature allows users to search for files from anywhere in the SkyDrive, including searching of content in Office documents. Another of the new improvements to the service is with sorting. Sorting now defaults to newest to oldest for folders so you can find the newest content easily.

Microsoft says that the official app for Android users will be available in “just a few weeks.” The Android app will be similar to the apps for Windows Phone and iOS users allowing Android fans to upload files and share them via send a link. Another interesting tidbit Microsoft offered up along with the talk about the updates to SkyDrive has to do with the new Outlook.com. Microsoft says that as of yesterday, the service had 10 million users.

Microsoft talks updated Skydrive.com is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

SkyDrive got a makeover, just like Outlook. The new Metro SkyDrive is going live today, according to Microsoft’s Inside Skydrive blog. It looks great. More »

Maybe you heard, but Microsoft launched a new email service today. No, not Hotmail — a completely new, built-from-scratch service. This is Outlook.com, and for the time being, at least, it will exist separately from Hotmail. So why didn’t Redmond just give Hotmail a drastic overhaul? Well, friends, there are two explanations. First, the polite one: for technical reasons, the engineers found it easier to build a new service from scratch rather than retrofit the old one. The frank answer: Microsoft is keenly aware Hotmail has a bad rap, thanks to those banners and flashy video ads. In fact, the company has been very candid that it wants not just to compete with Gmail, but siphon away some of its growing user base. As such, Outlook offers a fresh, minimal interface — far cleaner than Hotmail ever looked. What’s more, the ads are more pared-down here: no video adverts, and no targeted ads on messages between people (newsletters are still fair game).

The service is open to the public as of today and you get virtually unlimited storage, along with 7GB of SkyDrive space if you create a new Microsoft account. (Microsoft uses the word “virtually” to hedge itself against spammers who might otherwise use limitless storage to game the system.) And you should take our word when we say it’s worth giving the service a shot: we’ve been testing it for almost two weeks. Go get yourself situated and then meet us after the break for details, impressions and lots more screenshots.

Note: many of our screenshots say “NewMail” instead of “Outlook.com” in the upper left corner. NewMail is a codename Microsoft used before announcing the service to the public.

Continue reading Outlook.com preview: Microsoft reinvents its online email offerings

Filed under: Internet, Software

Outlook.com preview: Microsoft reinvents its online email offerings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week Microsoft has unleashed what was expected to be Office 15 in a while new set of functionality and applicability to different work environments: Office 365. This software is set to be released in four editions, that being Office 365 Home Premium, Small Business Premium, ProPlus, and Enterprise. No pricing and final release dates have been dropped just yet, but a preview downloads have been made available immediately.

The first version of this software is set to work in the home – Office 365 Home Premium will be available for installation on up to 5PCs per license and includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage. This version includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access and Publisher for apps, and includes 60 minutes of Skype credit per month.

Next is Office 365 Small Business Premium – this version made for up to 10 employees, with 5 installations per user. This version includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, InfoPath and Lync. Office 365 ProPlus includes 25 user accounts, each account able to install on 5 computers. ProPlus also includes the same applications as the Small Business Premium package: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, InfoPath and Lync.

Office 365 Enterprise brings on everything that ProPlus includes, same software, same users, but includes the ability to archive and hold your company’s email in the cloud with Exchange Online. If you’re a user that does not use anything other than Office Web Apps at the moment, you’re also in luck – they’ll remain free through this release and beyond.

You can download the customer preview for everything from Office 365 from their download and preview site now. Check it out and let us know how you like it!

New Microsoft Office 365 announced with a bang is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The death knell for MobileMe has been ringing for some time, but if you’ve had your hands on your ears, hoping it’d go away, sadly this isn’t the case. Tomorrow sees the service hang up its storage-boots for the last time, before being brutally put down released to pasture. If the 20GB olive branch Apple offered wasn’t enough to turn you onto iCloud, then this is your last call to pack up your virtual things, and make sure the door doesn’t hit you on the way out. And while breaking up is never easy to do, there are plenty more fish in the sea.

PSA: The end of MobileMe is nigh, time to move on or move out originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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