Monday, December 31, 2012

Windows 8 will be available on…

.According to Russia on July 19, these reports, http://www.hats4mvp.com/"  >New Era Capsthe national news in Nevada punishment

local time, 18, said Ukraine former prime minister ms tymoshenko in the hospital for

treatment of 2 months 79 times of the communist party of China's meeting, which lasted more

than 170 hours, of which only foreign representatives met with 52, lasted for more than 30

hours.

Reports say, http://www.hats4mvp.com/"  >Snapback Hatslocal time May 10 to 16 July period, also is in the hospital for ms tymoshenko

rehabilitation center of this time. She and lawyers, relatives, national legislators and

foreign representative, totaling 79 meeting, which lasted more than 170 hours.http://www.hats4mvp.com/"  >New Era Hats Ms tymoshenko

meeting with foreign representative number as many as 52 people


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VSDX: the new Visio file format

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Drawing, Stencil and Template file formatsVisio 2003, 2007 and 2010 all had the same primary Visio Drawing (VSD) file format. For most users, this was great: files could be shared easily between these three versions of Visio.

There were, however, some drawbacks. Most notably, the primary format was binary, which limited both the information stored in the file and how easily IT professionals and developers could work with it. For example, it was difficult for third parties to access and extract data from the binary format for use outside of Visio.

For the new Visio, we introduced an XML-based file format to provide new capabilities in Visio and improve interoperability with other applications. 

The new file format allows us to provide a number of new features, such as co-authoring and the ability to view your diagrams natively in the browser using Visio Services in the new Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft SharePoint Online in Microsoft Office 365. 

It also gives us a chance to create a single unified file format that replaces the secondary file formats that Visio has created over the years. In Visio 2010, we introduced two formats: the Visio Web Drawing (VDW) and Visio Workflow Interchange (VWI) formats. In addition, we also supported a Visio XML Drawing format (VDX) so developers could modify the contents of a file outside Visio. The new format encompasses the benefits and capabilities provided by all three of these formats.

In addition, the new format gives us the ability to address many of the requests being made by our IT professional and developer community.

File size: The new format is compressed and can produce substantially smaller file sizes--up to 75 percent smaller than comparable binary documents. This reduces the disk space required to store files and the bandwidth required to transport files through e-mail, over networks, and across the Web.Security: XML-based formats are more secure and transparent, because they store data in a standard structure that makes it easier for applications to detect security issues. We also use a separate file extension for files with executable macro code, so you can be sure that macro-free files do not contain harmful code.Data recovery: The new format improves data recovery by segmenting and separately storing different components within the file. Although rare, network or storage failures can cause document corruption and the new file format makes it easier to recover your data in these cases.

Interoperability: It is now much easier to work with the default file format outside of Visio: you can now enable any application that supports XML to access, extract, and repurpose the data using familiar development tools.

Visio has three principal types of files: drawings, templates, and stencils. These file types are still available in the new format, with one difference: like the other Office applications, we now offer macro-free and macro-enabled formats. The new extensions for each file type are listed in the table below.

For people who have used previous versions of Visio, we know that you have existing diagrams that you’ll want to be able to use in the new Visio. You may also want to share your new Visio files with others who are still using previous versions of Visio. There are several options for ensuring file compatibility.

When you open one of your existing Visio 2003-2010 drawings in the new Visio, your file will be in Compatibility Mode (indicated by “[Compatibility Mode]” following the file name at the top of the application window). Compatibility Mode means that some new commands and capabilities, such as new themes, variants, and styles, as well as co-authoring, will be disabled.

Compatibility mode

When you are in Compatibility Mode, you can make changes to your VSD drawings freely without having to worry about adding features or functionality that will not be supported when the file is opened in a previous version of Visio. Features only supported in the new Visio are disabled until you convert to the new file format.

To convert your Visio 2003-2010 drawing to the new file format, simply go to the File menu and, on the Info tab, click the Convert button. Once your file is in the new format, you will be able to work with all the new Visio features, including new themes, variants, and styles and co-authoring.

You can also save new drawings back to the Visio 2003-2010 drawing format. When you save your file in the VSD file format, the new Visio presents a list of features that will be down-converted. This gives you the option to continue with the save or cancel (if you don’t want to lose those features). Once your file is saved to the earlier format, your view of the file in the new Visio will be the same as what users will see in previous versions of Visio.

Office 2007 introduced new XML-based file formats for Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Office Word 2007, and Office PowerPoint 2007. Their file formats were the combination of a ZIP archive package and mainly XML content. Given the success of these formats, we decided to move in the same direction.

Microsoft Office file formats

You can think of the new VSDX format as being composed of two concepts: a ZIP archive package and XML content. First, we used the same ZIP archive package as used in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Formally, this package is defined by the Open Packaging Conventions (ISO/IEC 29500-2:2008) standard. Second, we based the XML content on our existing Visio XML Drawing (VDX) format.

Visio file format

For those familiar with the VDX format, we did make some changes and these are explained here. Also, note that some components like images, macros, and specific embedded objects are still stored as binary.

Since the new file format package is a ZIP archive, you can change the file extension to ZIP and peek inside. You will find many smaller components, or parts, that define different pieces of the file. For example, each page has its own part, and each master shape has its own part. This makes it easier to modify separate components of the file outside of Visio and also reduces the risk that a corrupt component will corrupt the entire file.

The following diagram (built with the new Organization Chart shapes) shows how a very basic diagram with one page and one master is stored hierarchically in the ZIP archive.

Structure of a Visio file

More details about the file format structure can be found in our Introduction to the Visio 2013 file format (.vsdx) article for developers.

Visio has a number of MVPs who share their passion, technical expertise, and real-world knowledge of Visio with others. They are already talking and sharing their knowledge about the new file format:

We’re working hard to put together reference material for developers who want to work with the new Visio file format outside of Visio. Here are two references already posted:

The new file format is beneficial to both everyday users and developers. Not only does it support a range of new Visio features, but it decreases file sizes, reduces security concerns, makes data recovery easier and provides great interoperability with other applications. We've already heard from developers that they are excited about the new file format, since it enables a wide range of new Visio integration scenarios.

Whether you are transitioning well to the new file format or running into issues, we would love to hear your stories. Feel free to leave comments, discuss the new Visio on our forums (Visio Answers forum and Visio MSDN forum) or send us feedback using Send a Smile or Send a Frown.

Thanks for reading!


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Webinar: Presenting and sharing docs on the go

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AppId is over the quota

Emergencies happen. You can't get to your meeting in person, but if you can get online, you can still use Office to be an active part of it. At this webinar--broadcast from a coffee shop--we'll show you tools in Office for remotely presenting a PowerPoint deck, sharing documents, and connecting with others while you're on the go.

Can't see this video? It's also viewable at Microsoft Showcase. There is also a 30-second trailer.

What you will learn at Tuesday's webinar:

Broadcasting with PowerPoint 2010 Sharing docs with SkyDriveNew sharing features in Word 2013 and Excel 2013 Hardware to those on the go

References for this webinar:

Go to http://aka.ms/offweb for more information on how to join the series live every Tuesday.

--Doug Thomas


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Lights! Music! Animation! A holiday e-card from a pro

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AppId is over the quota

WARNING: This year's holiday e-card Microsoft MVP Sandra Johnson is mesmerizing. You will not be able to multitask, so take a break, and download this animated, musical card or watch it right here:

Here's another e-card from Sandra that you can customize before sharing it with your friends and family:

Check out her Presentation Wiz website! You can find other great examples of how she uses PowerPoint for businesses, including everything from conveying a company’s brand to recreating an automobile accident for a court case. She also offers free PowerPoint tutorials!


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Getting to Know Adobe’s University Talent Team: Kelly Orasin

As a marathon runner I know the meaning of commitment. Completing a race takes months of training and proper nutrition.  After 5 months of early morning runs and very sore legs, I completed my first marathon in March of this last year. I couldn’t believe it.  Not only did I finish, but I actually did so in a faster time then I predicted! Many asked if I would ever run another full-marathon again. If they had asked me at mile 20, I would have said no, not a chance. But looking back on the long journey and hard work it took to complete the race I actually miss the runs and the sore legs. So now after mile 26.2 the answer is yes, please sign me up.

Like my marathon training it takes time for a company to become successful. Stability and profitability are just some of the accomplishments a company can achieve if it is committed to achieving its goals. I have worked as a University Talent Recruiter for several high tech companies around the Bay Area, recruiting engineers for internships and entry level roles. I currently support the Digital Marketing business unit at Adobe.  My role is a hybrid of recruitment, event planning, and project management.  To recruit the best and brightest talent across the country I travel to college campuses to participate in career fairs, information sessions, and networking events.

One of the reasons I decided to join Adobe was because of the company’s dedication and commitment to its employees and customers. Over the years, Adobe has re-defined its position within the software industry and recently made it a goal to change the world through digital experiences.  I look forward to being part of that journey ahead. Challenges and obstacles aside, I know Adobe will finish the race and perhaps do better than they predicted!

I hope to meet some of you at our University events across the country. In the meantime, I encourage you to explore enriching career opportunities with us. Feel free to contact me if you have questions regarding career opportunities at Adobe.


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Webinar: Creating Forms in Word

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AppId is over the quota

In this week's webinar, you'll learn about using forms in Word, including working with templates, personalizing, and locking the form.  

What you will learn at Tuesday's webinar:

Using templatesPersonalizing formsLocking a formA cool trick for typing into a scanned doc

References for this webinar:

Go to http://aka.ms/offweb for more information on how to join the series.

--Doug Thomas


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Drilling around in your Excel PivotTables and PivotCharts

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AppId is over the quota

This week, I want to turn your attention to one of the truly fantastic Business Intelligence (BI) features that we added to the new Excel. It's called, Quick Explore, and, as long as you are working in the volume licensed desktop version or in the Office 365 "E3" and "E4," or "M" packages, you may have seen its entry point when hovering over any of the dimensions or measures in a PivotTable or PivotChart. It represents one of the many BI elements that we focused on in Excel in order to elevate Excel to one of the preeminent analytic tools in the market today. Once you have a PivotTable or PivotChart on your spreadsheet, you can easily access the Quick Explore option by either hovering over a series member, or a category, and clicking on the magnifying glass or bringing up the context menu and selecting the option from there.

Or you can get to it from the PivotTable by clicking on any row member, column member, or value cell (you cannot get to it via subtotal or grand total value cells):

 

And, yes, you read that correctly. You can drill on a value cell. In the case of the value cell, we simply grab the associated member context and drill on that. This allows users to drill on a dimension value without having to find the corresponding row.

When you click on the icon, you are presented with the option to cross-drill, or explore, or "pivot," against any of the other measures or dimensions for the series on which you clicked. For example, when I "Quick Explore" on the West region, I am presented with the ability to drill on the data associated with that member of the Region measure.

Clicking on the year member automatically adds it to my filter list and pivots my data accordingly.

And now that we've added the field list to the Office Web App experience, you can interact with the Quick Explore feature in nearly the same way as you would in the desktop version. If, for example, you don't want to drill within the context of Region (as in this case), you can simply drag it to another part of the field well and continue your analysis in other meaningful ways. But unlike with the client experience, in the browser you can disable interactivity (either in embedding or in the SharePoint web part properties). Disabling interactivity will prevent users from filtering, sorting, and  . . . exploring.

So there you have it -- Quick Explore is a stellar feature and really makes Excel a terrific ad-hoc analytic tool in your BI toolset.

Kevin Donovan

Program Manager, Office BI


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Filter Your Data with Access 2013

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AppId is over the quota

This post was written by Doug Taylor, a Program Manager on the Access team.

As you manage your business in an Access 2013 web app, the amount of information it holds will naturally grow over time.  The default views and navigation are great for getting started quickly, but eventually, wading through all of that information by scrolling through lists may not be the most efficient setup.  Is there an easier way to create a different view of the data?  In Access 2013 web apps you can create a customized filtered view in just a couple of minutes.

For example, let's say you work for a marketing company that deals with local Car Dealerships and you have created an Access app to track the projects you manage for your customers.  If so, you might end up with a set of Projects that looks something like the example below.  Here you have a list of all your projects from A-Z. 

Over time, you will have quite a few projects to manage, so you may start to break them into categories as we have above.  Each project in this list belongs to a category: Research, Marketing, or Design.  As you can see, the Templeton Triangle project shown above is a Research project.

Now, one of your research assistants - let's call him Dave - asks if you can create a view to help him see an overview of current and upcoming Research projects.  So, you take a minute to talk with Dave and the two of you decide that a view like the one shown below would be great for him.  This is a list of all Research projects, sorted by Priority and Start Date.

To create a view like this, start by creating a new query - open up the app in the app designer and click on Advanced->Query in the ribbon.

This will open the Query designer where you can setup some rules to filter and sort a set of data.

Choose the source table for your query.  If you want to see some of your Customers, then you would likely choose the Customers table here.  In our example, we're going to select Projects. 

Once selected you'll see the query design screen.  Here you can double click on fields from the Projects table to add them to your query. 

Selecting fields this way determines which of them you would like to see and use in the new view.  As we decided with Dave earlier, we're going to select the following fields:

IDPriorityStart DateProject NameStatusCustomerCategory

NOTE: If you would like to EDIT from the view, then you MUST INCLUDE an ID field in the query as we have done here.

Now that you have chosen the fields, there are two things left to do. 

First, Dave wants to see the Projects in PRIORITY order first, followed by START DATE.  To do this, fill in the "Sort" box in each of these fields as Ascending (i.e. A to Z).

Second, since Dave is a research assistant, he's only really interested in Research projects.  So, we'll want to filter out any other Project types as well.  To do this, find the Category field in the query and add the CRITERIA "Research" (including the quotes).  This tells Access to only show Project that have a category of Research. 

When you're finished, the query should look like the example below.  Now you can save it, and give it a name.  We've named our example "Projects_Research Only".

Great!  Now that we're done with that, we can go about building the view.  Go back to the App Designer home screen, navigate to where you would like to add the view, and click on the  button.  Give the view a name, select Datasheet for the View Type, and be sure to select the Query you just made as the Record Source.

Now, when you click "Add New View" you will have a nice summarized view of your Research projects, sorted by Priority and Start Date. 

And that's how to design a simple filtered view in Access 2013! Try it out for yourself using the Office 365 preview. In order to try out Access 2013 Web Apps, be sure to choose one of the plans for business: Small Business Premium or Enterprise.


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Exchange diagrams with Visio services

Visio Services on a phoneThe new Visio offers a number of new features - the modern look of the app, new topics and forms for professional-looking charts, new ways of cooperation with several authors and lecturers. We have also much easier, these diagrams with colleagues and friends - share made even if they don't have Visio. Visio services comes in. Visio services can share stunning you diagrams by using SharePoint or Office 365 with up to the minute data.

Visio services is a part of Microsoft SharePoint and O365, which offers you a quick and easy way to consume Visio diagrams. You must have - saved no Visio client required only a Visio document in SharePoint and a browser. We present the diagram with the same fidelity of the Visio client, including your themes, and cool effects. Visio 2010 users will remember that charts in a special Web format had to be published (.)(VDW) for display. No more! Visio services works with the new native Visio file format (.)(VSDX) is so that each document in SharePoint stored displayed - no release required. (Support your existing Visio services).VDW-Dateien.)

Visio Full Page web access

A big reason for your diagrams with others is to share, to get you feedback. With Visio services, your reviewers can add comments to the chart - as well as all other comments. In fact you need to commented on the chart with the Visio client and the people who comment on at the same time in the browser. Collaboration blog article for more details on the new comment and find collaboration features in Visio and Visio services.

Comments in Visio Services

The information in Visio diagrams is not always static. You can see a chart with a variety of data sources, dynamic information in a Visual context connect. Visio services can update the data and update the shapes in the diagram that are associated with data.

Embedded Visio Services web part

You can integrate even charts in rich dashboards or larger SharePoint solutions. Below is an example of a site for a residence hall of the University. Visio diagrams will give in this website details of upcoming residence hall events and up-to-date information on the residence facilities embedded. Diagrams are also in document libraries for easy access to view in the browser or edit in Visio.

SharePoint site with Visio Services web parts

Because Visio services through your browser, you can it with a variety of devices - desktops, notebooks, mobile phones or tablets. It works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, chrome and Safari, enter on the platform of your choice to access. We have added also improvements for touch and mobile devices with smaller screens.

Well, you know what Visio services everything turns, why you yourself not try it? Visio services is part of SharePoint and SharePoint online with Office 365. You can see 365 to get preview, fall a trial Office some Visio diagrams in a SharePoint document library, and then Visio services in action. For starters, we have added some Visio files to this article. Here is what you need to do:

Sign up for the Office 365 Enterprise previewin Office 365 preview Admin Center, you can navigate to the SharePoint sites by clicking on the button sites in the blue Header.Gehen the team Web site a Visio diagram on the Dokumentgruppe upload, by clicking "new document" > display a Visio diagram in the collection of documents in the Web browser click on "Existing file upload" (you can include the file in this zip download)

Check this Office preview getting started guidefor more information and resources about the Office 365 preview out.

Visio services is a way to share modern charts with the latest business information across the organization. It is a great addition to Visio and SharePoint.


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Reorder your folders, any way you like ‘em

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AppId is over the quota

Sometimes, it's the little things that really make the day easier. We understand this really well. The Outlook team gets lots of suggestions for a convenience here or a shortcut there, to make the edges of your day go more smoothly.

One thing we've noticed is that some people like their folders in a non-alphabetical order. This allows you to have important or frequent ones near the top of your list, or unimportant ones near the bottom. To achieve that in Outlook 2010's alphabetical world, we've seen folks like you play the special character game. You pick your favorite random character on the keyboard and put those characters in front to bring those folder to the top, like "___folder" or "***folder." Or the "ZZZfolder" game to get things near the bottom. But why can't you just drag a folder where you want it?

In Outlook 2013 you can arrange folders any way you like them; just drag your folders wherever you want. Go ahead, unlock the chains of alphabetical sorting…

If you want to get back to alphabetical order, just right-click any folder and choose Sort Subfolders A to Z. That section of folders will be resorted. Other sections will maintain their custom or alphabetical sort to respect your organizational thoughts from last week or last year.

And finally, if you try it out for a while and don't like it, there's a button to go back to Outlook 2010 behavior where all folders are always sorted A-Z. Just switch to the Folder tab and turn on the Show All Folders A to Z feature. It will force your folders to be displayed alphabetically, regardless of what order they were in before.

We hope you enjoy putting your folders where you want them.

-- Dan Costenaro, Outlook Program Manager


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Fit your public facing Web site with Office 365, and gadgets

Microsoft Office 365 offers small businesses with tools to create professional-looking Web sites. Powered by SharePoint online, can you choose your own domain and use the provided tools and templates to create, publish and maintain your site. Gadgets that are standalone applications that come with SharePoint online, can continue to improve your website with everything from videos to a PayPal button. The list below to see which devices are available check and how you can benefit small businesses:

For an address, add a map and directions from Bing maps. Tip: Use the map & directions gadget to provide directions to your office location to site visitors.

Adding custom HTML code, including links to images, a Web page, a document, or an e-Mail address. Tip: Use the HTML gadget to add links to partner websites add, using the corresponding images.

Embed a video from Bing video, YouTube or any other video hosting service provider in your Web page.

Create a slide show album in your Web page. You can add up to 50 images to each slideshow. Can the length of time that each picture is displayed in the slideshow, or let you to move through the images at their own pace. Tip: Use the slide show gadget for a Visual presentation of your products.

Add a PayPal button to your site. If you sell products or services on your website, PayPal buttons to establish an online payment processing solution can.

How to add a contact, that us to make to a Web page, site visitors can contact your company by E-mail contact. You can have the E-mail to one or more addresses at once.

Add a stock list gadget to show the latest trade information for a particular stock as service visitors.

Add a weather gadget to provide a short weather forecast for a given location.

Add a date modified gadget show date and time the Web page was last updated. Tip: If your site can updates to content as limited time promotions or discounts you need for your products or services, often useful for visitors to see the modified date gadget update how often you the page.

Add a Web site to display information to gadgets to the title of the site, site slogan, or footer text within the Web page. Note: If you update a site title, site slogan, or text in the footer on the website designer, the referenced text in the gadget is website automatically updated information.

For more information about gadgets, visit the following links:

This content was drawn from the SharePoint online for small businesses and professionals getting started series is available here.

How have you adapted your Office 365 Web site? Share your story below.

_________________________________________

-Buried-Stephen

As customers, 365 use Office, you will find here.

Test or to purchase? Evaluation plans or start a free trial now.

Just want to know more? Visit Office365.com.


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Windows Upgrade Offer Registration Now Available

Today, registration is officially open for the Windows Upgrade Offer we announced in May. If you purchase or have purchased an eligible Windows 7 PC anytime between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 you will be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99 (U.S.) which will be redeemable when Windows 8 is generally available on October 26th. If you’re still looking for a PC, check out some of our great Windows 7 PCs. Once you’ve purchased your PC you can come back and register for the offer.

Registration for the Windows Upgrade Offer is only for those who buy an eligible Windows 7 PC between June 2nd and January 31st, 2013.

Here is what you need to do to register for your $14.99 (U.S.) upgrade to Windows 8 Pro:

After buying your PC, go to the Windows Upgrade Offer website to register. It will ask you to select your country (details for the offer vary depending on country). You will then be asked to register with your personal details as well as information about your Windows 7 PC purchase – including date of purchase, retailer, and PC brand and model. You should also have your 25-digit Windows 7 product key that came with the PC handy as you may be required to enter this as part of the registration.

1

Then starting on October 26th, we will start sending out promo codes via email with purchase instructions. You will be directed to Windows.com where you will go through the online upgrade process with the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant (shown above) as I have highlighted here in this blog post. Once you get to the purchase screen in the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, it will show the $39.99 upgrade price. However, on the order confirmation page you’ll have a chance to enter your promo code – that price will change to $14.99. Once you make your purchase, your download and upgrade installation begins!

You will have until February 28, 2013 to register for the offer to get Windows 8 Pro for $14.99.

If you experience any issues or have questions - you can click the contact support link at the top of the Windows Upgrade Offer website.

Did you already buy an awesome Windows 7 PC prior to June 2nd (or have a Windows 7 PC not eligible for the offer)? Not to worry! Starting on October 26th, you will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99!

Both the Windows Upgrade Offer and $39.99 upgrade promotion is available in 140 countries worldwide, with 37 supported languages, and 23 supported currencies (we’ve added 9 additional countries over the original 131!).


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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Over 25 million active Outlook.com users, and today we’re making it even easier for Gmail users to switch

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AppId is over the quota

"The best reason yet to ditch Gmail" - Farhad Manjoo, Slate.com

Since the new Outlook.com launched in July, the positive feedback has been overwhelming.  Outlook.com was recently named one of Time Magazine's "50 Best Websites of 2012", won PC Magazine's Best Software and Internet Web App awards and has received a number of other accolades around the world.  To date, over 25 million of you are already actively using the new Outlook.com:

Outlook.com graph

We found that about a third of Outlook.com users are active Gmail users trying Outlook.com for the first time.  We wanted to learn more, so we hired a research firm to recruit hundreds of Gmail users - people that use Gmail as their primary email service - and asked them to try Outlook.com.  We asked the Gmail users to sign-up for Outlook.com addresses, forward email from Gmail to Outlook.com, and try Outlook.com's best features.  The Gmail users loved it.  Specifically, they shared the following opinions with us:

They prefer Outlook.com's clean user designOutlook.com does a better job of blocking spam and it outperforms Gmail when it comes to helping manage unwanted messages like newsletters and daily dealsOutlook.com makes it easier to share photos and Office documents

The best part was, after spending just five days with it, 4 out of 5 of these Gmail users said they would switch to Outlook.com.

As millions of people have made the switch to Outlook.com, they've told us about the features that made the transition easier:

Keyboard Shortcuts: customers can choose to set up keyboard shortcuts in Outlook.com to mirror the shortcuts in the Outlook desktop app, Gmail and others.Quick access to search operators: quickly find mail by clicking "/" and then using "To:", "Subj:", etc. Tab/Send: rapidly send messages by clicking the "tab" key from the compose window to automatically shifts focus to the "Send" button Conversation threading: you can also optionally turn on conversation threading (i.e. the ability to see all responses in a conversation via just one view).

But it's still early days.  We continue to listen to feedback on what enthusiasts want next - including making the switch from Gmail even easier - and build those features.  So over the next few weeks, Outlook.com users will start to see these new features in their inboxes:

One-click Archive: from the inbox, select messages and click the Archive button to move the selected messages to the Archive folder (or any other folder of your choice). It's a fast and simple way to move messages out of your inbox to find later.

Outlook.com one-click archive

More and more keyboard shortcuts: Outlook.com has dozens of keyboard shortcuts and we're adding even more. And better yet, we don't need to list them all in this post because you can now find all available keyboard shortcuts by simply typing a question mark when you're in your inbox.

Outlook.com keyboard shortcuts

More customization of your inbox: we added several new ways to make your inbox look and work the way you want.

   We added more color themes:

 Outlook.com customization

We added the ability to toggle between "Reply" and "Reply All" as the default option.  We also heard that, after deleting a message, some people want to return to their inbox and others want to see the next     message. Now you can set that default option, too.  Both options are available via the Options page

Outlook app for Android: Many of us use Outlook.com as much on our phones as we do on a PC. For devices like Windows Phone and iPhone that support Exchange ActiveSync, you have built-in support for Outlook.com - no download necessary. Android devices aren't consistent in their native support for Exchange ActiveSync, so starting today you can install an Outlook.com for Android on your mobile phone. The new app is free and works on all Android 2.x devices and higher.

Outlook.com Android display

If you're one of the tens of millions of people that have made the switch to Outlook.com, we thank you.  We're committed to making Outlook.com the best email service and we appreciate the feedback you continue to provide. 

If you are a Gmail user and are still on the fence, take a look at our new features and give Outlook.com a try with just a few simple steps. 

Thanks again for using Outlook and, as always, keep the feedback coming.

David Law--Director, Product Management, Outlook.com


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A Brief History of John Baldessari

The views expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Terms of Use


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Connecting to 3rd Party API’s with CORS

Connecting to 3rd Party API’s with CORS « The ADC Blog function clearSearch() {document.search_form.s.value = "";} .recentcomments a{display:inline !important;padding:0 !important;margin:0 !important;}adobe.com      The ADC Blog / Connecting to 3rd Party API’s with CORSby brinaldi  

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“Get your scanner to work with Photoshop CS6″

Over at Macworld, Jay J. Nelson has a useful summary of ways to get your scanner to work with Photoshop CS6. He describes various architectural changes that have complicated the process over the years, and he lists workarounds for problems like scanning not working on OS X 10.8. [Via Bryan O'Neil Hughes]

Posted by John Nack at 8:06 AM on October 12, 2012

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A Primer on Apps for Office in Excel

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

This post is brought to you by Keyur Patel, a Program Manager on the Excel team.

In Excel 2013, even your spreadsheet can have an app . . .

One of my areas of responsibility in the 2013 cycle was thinking about integration of the Apps for Office platform into Excel across the desktop and the web. I’m going to cover how you can make your spreadsheets do things you may not have considered before using an app.

I’m hoping that for a few of you who have some coding chops, you’ll be inspired to visit http://dev.office.com, learn the Office JavaScript API, and create some new apps.  I’m also, hoping to give folks a chance to look into some of the scenarios we started off with when designing Version 1 of the Apps for Office platform.

An app for Excel is really an embedded web page within the spreadsheet.  Of course, we’ve beefed up the web page so it can read and write data, as well as respond to certain events that could occur within the spreadsheet. There are two ‘shapes’ for Apps for Excel: content and task pane.  A content app is similar to a chart in that it floats in the grid. Switching to another sheet or scrolling may cause the app to be no longer visible.  A Task Pane app on the other hand is one that lives in a window we like to call a Task Pane. Task Panes are typically docked to one side of the screen. The Task Pane can be undocked and moved around.  For those familiar with the Office clipboard, that also lives in a Task Pane.

For the most part, that’s the primary difference between those apps. Otherwise, they can do similar things.

So let’s dive in. The spreadsheet here contains an embedded Excel web app that you can try yourself. It’s using some canned data about unemployment rates across the US. I’ll explain this in the Excel Web App section. But in the meantime, try clicking on one of the table slicers above and see the map update.

(Note: to see the app you’ll need IE9+ or another modern web browser that supports HTML5. You may also need to “start” the app by clicking on the blue shield in the app’s upper left corner.)

Apps for Excel can do a variety of things, but I’m going to focus on the top 3 scenarios we looked at when prioritizing the functionality.  We took a scenario-based approach in defining what functionality made it into the app framework. We had to start somewhere, so we started with the following:

1. Help me visualize my data…

The Bing Maps App

As we started to look into the first wave of solutions, we actually started with an old problem. We’ve always gotten requests to expand our chart types. We were never able to keep up with demand and changing landscape. So our first scenario was really around helping the user visualize their data and empowering developers so they can create their own custom visualizations! 
Check out: The Bing Maps app

2. Help me look up…
We also wanted to provide additional information – whether its data, images, video. You name it, the web will show it.

The Bing Dictionary App

 Check out: The Bing Dictionary app

3. Help me get…
The third scenario we had looked at was around getting data. Given that apps are essentially web pages, it was natural for us to use that platform to import data into Excel. With apps, you can import and refresh your data from almost anywhere.

The Bing Finance App

Check out: The Bing Finance app

Is that it? Definitely not. My colleague, Juan, has some more scenarios listed here that you can check out.

Apps can come from a variety of places (such as from an internal organization or from the office store) but to keep things simple, I’ll focus on the place where most consumers will be able to get them: THE OFFICE STORE.

Step 1: Acquire the App
From the browser:

To install apps from the office store you simple go to it by visiting http://office.com/store, and clicking the Office Store tab on the right.

From Excel client:

Go to the "Insert" tabClick the "Apps for Office" button (Follow the instructions to sign in with your Microsoft account if needed. This should be the same account you signed into the Office Store with. Don’t worry, you won’t have to sign in every time, thankfully.).Click the “Featured Tab” or click the “Find more at Office.com” link at the bottom of the window

Step 2: Add the App to your Spreadsheet

OK, you’ve just now acquired the rights to the app. In the case the app was for purchase, you may have paid for it too. Next we need to

Go to the "Insert" tabClick the "Apps for Office" buttonGo to "MY APPS"Select an appClick "Insert"

Sometimes you may receive a file or link to a spreadsheet. In that case, you’ll need to Start and trust any apps that you have not acquired.

In the top left corner of the app, you’ll see the following icon:

Click on it to expand the banner. There you can choose to view details of the app or start it.

As a reminder, to use apps from the Office store, you need to be signed in with your Microsoft account. If you are not, you will get a credentials dialog that will allow you to sign in and start the app.

See your apps on the web

One of the really cool things about content apps for Excel is that they can run in your browser as well as the Excel 2013 client. If you save a file to SkyDrive, your Office Store app will automatically run in your browser. That’s it!

As you saw in the Try it out section above, the other cool thing we can do is to embed a spreadsheet that has apps in it using the Excel Web App embedding.  Simply upload your spreadsheet as before, click share -> embed.  One of the new options you’ll notice in the Configurator view is the option to choose your own app.  Select it and copy/paste the embed code to your favorite blog, and you’re done.

What if my app is configured by my company or organization?  In that case you’ll likely need to talk to your administrator, but we’ll cover configuration of internal apps on the Office Apps & SharePoint blog.

The app platform is made secure by design. One guiding principle we had was around trust, and Excel will never start an app that you have not trusted before in your document. As I covered in the “Starting an app from a workbook someone sent you” section, it will always be up to you to trust an app.

If you want the full nitty-gritty details on how Apps for Office work and how we’ve made them secure, I’d recommend you check out this blog post from Rolando.  If you’re still concerned you can disable apps from being started within your document via File | Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings… | Manage App Catalogs | Check the “prevent all apps from running” setting.

I hope that this post proved insightful on getting started with using apps for Excel. For reference, attached is a workbook that you can use with some apps embedded in them.

Keyur Patel
Program Manager, Excel


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A Modern, People-First Inbox in Outlook 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

You've probably realized that the person at the desk next to you uses Outlook differently than you. Some folks view Outlook as a task system, others use it to collaborate on documents with public folders, and still others use it to manage other peoples' calendars. But almost every Outlook user reads their email in Outlook. And to do it, they use the message list.

Sure, we aren't getting any points for creativity on that name, but the message list, put simply, is the list of emails you read in Outlook. Like other parts of Outlook, it's highly customizable, and yours might look different than your manager's. In Outlook 2013, we overhauled the message list, focusing on the way most people use it.

You may have noticed that the new Outlook looks a little different. The new message list is no exception. The view has been cleaned up to focus on your emails, and keep your computer looking modern and fresh. Outlook and the Outlook Web App share the same design principles, and you'll notice the message lists look very similar between the two products.

In addition to making it look cleaner, the message list redesign focused on a functionally better message list. We've followed a Microsoft-wide principle of putting people first by making the names stand out in the message list. Our search data indicates that looking for a sender is one of the most important ways people find mail. So whether you choose the classic Date view, or the trendy Conversations view, you'll see names shown in a larger font on the top line of each message. This makes it easier to scan and find "that message from Jenny."

We also tweaked the spacing between messages to ensure optimal reading speed. You won't see quite as many messages on the screen at one time, but we tested the best combinations for reading and finding messages.

We've heard from customers that the unread status is extremely important when you're reading emails, so we made sure the unread mails in your inbox stand out by using Outlook's new blue color for both text, and a visual bar to the left of each message. The bar makes it easier than ever to focus on the unread messages.

Finally, you no longer have to open each message to find the one you're looking for. We added a one-line preview to each message in the message list

The few words that a preview can provide makes a huge difference in being able to locate the right message, and scan your new emails to make sure you feel up-to-date on what's going on. You can customize or remove the preview by going to View | Message Preview in the ribbon.

I'm excited for you to try out the new message list, and feel free to provide your honest feedback in the comments below.

--Josh Meisels, Outlook Program Manager


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Really want to do some winter cleaning? Switch to Outlook.com for the best email experience across all your devices

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

We were very surprised to see Gmail announce last week that they'll soon end support for Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), unless of course you're willing to pay Google for your email.  It means that many people currently using Gmail for free are facing a situation where they might have to degrade their mobile email experience by downgrading to an older protocol that doesn't sync your calendar or contacts, doesn't give you direct push of new email messages and doesn't have all the benefits of Exchange ActiveSync.

So if you want a better email, especially on your phone or tablet, it's time to join the millions who have already made the choice to upgrade to Outlook.com.

To learn more about how to get started with Outlook.com, check out the technical spec for Exchange ActiveSync in Exchange 2013 just follow these simple steps:

To learn more about setting up Outlook.com on your mobile device, see our simple instructions here.

  Outlook inbox with chat panel

For those still on the fence, a quick introduction to why EAS is so important for a seamless experience across devices could be helpful. There are many protocols for sending and receiving email.  POP and IMAP were designed decades ago, were considered state-of-the-art at the time, and are still used by millions of people.  Both were created before mobile phones really even existed.  To have a great email experience in 2012, a protocol needs to do more than just send and receive messages on a PC.  It needs to work really well on a variety of mobile devices, to sync not only email but also your calendar and contacts, to do this automatically, and in a way that preserves battery life.

Exchange logo

Exchange ActiveSync was first introduced in 2002 as a way to help you have a great mobile email experience. Since then, it has continued to improve, with a number of optimizations specifically for mobile devices, including tablets:

Designed around Direct Push of information so a device can be updated in near real-time when an email is received - so you can get notified when there's new email instead of having to constantly check manually. Unlike IMAP or POP, EAS also syncs calendars and contacts.Setup is much easier because EAS supports AutoDiscover so you don't have to remember and type server names; instead, you simply type in an email address and password to set up a new device over-the-air.Built with bandwidth and battery life as key design considerations; for example, sync requests are bundled for all folder syncs in order to optimize the amount of battery required

You can read more about these innovations and a whole host of other nitty-gritty details in the history of Exchange ActiveSync.  It's because of these advanced consumer benefits that many devices choose to natively support Exchange ActiveSync-whether that's a Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad, or even a number of Android devices.  You can see more detail in this chart of some of the other devices that support EAS

We hope you have a wonderful winter holiday. As you enter the New Year, we encourage you to seize the opportunity to upgrade your mail to a service that puts the consumer first and gives you a great mobile email experience. 

 --Dharmesh Mehta, Senior Director, Product Management


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Big hits from the Office Webinars

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AppId is over the quota

Summary_15MinWebinars_300x166

Your questions and creativity are inspiring. Over the past year of Office 15-minute webinars, we've shown you quick ways to get the most out of Office (like Excel Pivot Tables and Slicers or What's Office like on Surface RT devices?), and you always add your own fresh and interesting approaches. Thank you for a great year--your active participation has made the webinars a regular Tuesday destination.

We've listed some of the year's most popular webinars below, plus links to help and how-to articles, videos, and training.

Check out all of the Office 15-minute webinars from 2012 for your favorites or ones you missed. And please let us know what you'd like to see in 2013 in the comments below.

We are on a holiday break through the end of the year, but please join us again on January 8, 2013 to talk live with Office.com Help & How-To writers. Until then, happy holidays!

--Doug Thomas


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Webinar: Track changes and copyediting in Word

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
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Unfiltered HTMLUnfiltered HTML Webinar: Track changes and copyediting in Word by on December 03

Have you ever received a Word document with pesky editing lines? In this week's webinar, we'll show you how to use the Review tab. Learn how to edit, track changes, and work with comments in Word 2010 and Word 2013.

Can't see this video? It's also viewable at Microsoft Showcase. There is also a 30-second trailer.

What you will learn at Tuesday's webinar:

Turning changes on and off Changes versus commentsCollaborating on a documentChanges for Word 2013

References for this webinar:

Remove track changes in Word 2010 (video + blog post)Word 2013: Track changes, Turn off track changes, Accept tracked changes The scoop on Comments and Revisions in Word 2013 (in-depth blog post)Training course: Revise documents with Track Changes and Comments in Word 2007 Turn track changes on or off  (Word 2007)   Turn track changes on or off  (Word 2010) Review, accept, reject and hide tracked changes (Word 2010 article) Working the Document Inspector  (article)

Go to http://aka.ms/offweb for more information on how to join the series.

--Doug Thomas

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OEMs Introduce Innovative New PC Designs for Windows 8

Hi, I’m Nick Parker and I lead the OEM Division at Microsoft.

Many of our partners are making announcements this week at IFA so it’s a good time to showcase some of the amazing hardware innovation coming to market with Windows 8.

IFA is one of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade shows and attracts upward of 150,000 people in Berlin each year. It’s great to see the buzz and excitement for the new products being announced, especially in the PC space.

The industry is building momentum for Windows 8, and the level of hardware innovation from components and hinges to ultrathin designs and beautiful touch displays is impressive. Customers will benefit from very rich and immersive experiences made possible by the combination of the incredible new Windows PCs and tablets running Windows 8 or Windows RT along with cloud services. With devices that range from tablets and hybrids to more familiar notebooks and all-in-ones on display at the IFA conference, it is clear that consumers will have a broad range of PC choices when Windows 8 launches.

Here are some of the highlights from Berlin this week:

ASUS Vivo Tab RT  dell-xps-10

Versatility is a key theme we’re seeing with Windows PCs, allowing consumers to use the devices in a variety of ways. This is what we mean by no compromises. The new line of “transformer” PCs from ASUS, such as the ASUS Vivo Tab RT, is a good example of tablets that run the Windows RT operating system powered by ARM processors and provide an easy docking setup that makes it a snap to go from the office to the coffee shop. Also powered by Windows RT, the Dell XPS 10 brings productivity, a mobile keyboard dock with long battery life, and support for enterprise applications to business users.

smartPC

Samsung also announced a docking tablet with its new line of Samsung ATIV Smart PCs, due out this fall. True to Samsung’s heritage, the Smart PCs are sleek and powerful, but the real kicker is their support for a range of touch and gesture commands, which makes them amazingly adaptable for home, professional and commercial uses.

 Toshiba Satellite U925tvaio duo11 envy_tcm_245_1287920

Some of the new hardware designs include keyboards, blurring the line between pure “tablet” PCs and “hybrids.” Several of the PCs on display at IFA this week are being billed as desktop replacements that function just as well in either mode.

Acer’s new Iconia W510 is an incredibly small and light example, outfitted with a cradle that allows the display to be used on the desktop via keyboard and mouse input or tilted back for easier touch control. The keyboard also functions as an additional battery, giving the PC up to 18 hours of battery life. The HP Envy X2 is another detachable tablet PC with a slick aluminum chassis and an interesting physical feature for docking — magnets embedded in the PC help pull and guide the tablet into the dock, making it easy to dock the machine and get to work.

Sony’s VAIO Duo 11 is a unique hybrid design that features a surf-slider keyboard which stays with the PC wherever it goes. The Duo also comes with a stylus that is a breeze to use, allowing users to write, doodle and interact easily in tablet mode. Toshiba’s Satellite U925t is a tablet-convertible version of its more traditional U920 laptop offering and features a 12.5-inch screen that easily converts to a tablet.

spectre_tcm_245_1287936 ultrabook_tcm_245_1287938 vaio t and e

For more traditional notebooks, Acer, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba have all refreshed their notebook and Ultrabook PCs to take advantage of touch capabilities in Windows 8 — Acer’s premium Aspire S7 and S5, HP’s Envy TouchSmart and SpectreXT ultrabooks, Sony’s VAIO T and VAIO E, all feature classic notebook designs with powerful components and responsive touch screens. The S7 in particular is designed with extra tension in the hinges so it can open up to 180 degrees, enabling a new type of collaboration scenario.

Lenovo S400_Red_Hero_02

For those that want a more familiar laptop, consider the Lenovo IdeaPad S300 and S400 laptops, which include an updated touchpad that gives users a more controlled experience when scrolling and zooming.

Samsung Series 9 AiO_27_001_Front_56320 Acer Aspire 7600U swivel_vert_horiz_NEW Lenovo A520_Hero_12Toshiba LX835 AIO

All-in-ones are becoming increasingly popular, and designs from Samsung, Lenovo, Acer and Sony are bringing the world of touch to full-tilt desktop computing.

This is just a glimpse of some of the hardware innovation coming with Windows 8, and we look forward to bringing these PCs to market together with our partners later this year.

For more high-res images of these devices, check out the Microsoft OEM Newsroom Image Gallery.


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