Experience an entirely new way of working with AI-powered Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft today took the wraps off Microsoft 365 Copilot, a new tool that combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with business data and Microsoft 365 apps.
Currently in testing with select commercial customers, Microsoft says that Copilot isn’t just a better way of doing the same things, it’s "an entirely new way of working".
Microsoft is bringing integrated MFA to mobile Outlook and widening the availability of the new Outlook for Windows app
A couple of recent entries on the Microsoft 365 roadmap shed light on what is in store for Outlook. Over the coming weeks, Microsoft has big plans for both the mobile and desktop versions of its email client.
Starting this month, Outlook security is being boosted thanks to the arrival of built-in multi-factor authentication (MFA). And next month, a larger number of Windows users will have access to a preview version of a completely new Outlook app.
Microsoft is adding a new keyboard shortcut to paste unformatted text in Word
Having very recently introduced a new Paste As Plain Text module to PowerToys, Microsoft is now bringing the same option to Word.
Following the lead of many other applications, Microsoft's word processor is gaining a new keyboard shortcut that can be used to paste text and strip it of any formatting. Microsoft is calling the feature Paste Text Only, and it is available in both Word for Windows and Word for Mac.
Microsoft Outlook for Apple macOS now free
The stock Mail application that comes with macOS is pretty damn good. While there may be better email clients for Mac, you can't argue with the price of Apple's official offering -- FREE. And now, there is yet another gratis email client for Mac, and it is one you should already be familiar with -- Outlook!
Yes, folks, Microsoft's wildly popular email program is now totally free to use on macOS. As of today, the Apple Silicon-optimized app no longer requires a license or subscription to Microsoft 365. The now-free Mac app even supports a useful Hand-off feature, allowing you to easily move between Outlook on iOS and macOS. How cool is that?
You may soon have Microsoft Defender installed on your computer whether you want it or not
Microsoft has started to inform subscribers to Microsoft 365 that installing Windows 365 software will soon mean you end up with Microsoft Defender as well. Additionally, a planned automatic update for Microsoft 365 means that if you already have installed the apps you need, Defender will be added anyway.
An email sent out to people signed up for Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family says that for users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 "the Defender app will soon be automatically added" to their devices. A precise date for this has not been revealed, but Microsoft says it will start in "late February".
Get 'Microsoft 365 For Dummies' ($18 value) for FREE!
Amp up your collaboration skills and rock the modern workplace by harnessing the power of Microsoft 365 with this one-stop guide to the world's leading productivity platform.
The Microsoft 365 productivity solution for the workplace is a cloud-based service with many features for effective and secure collaboration virtually or in person. Whether you start your day with meetings in Teams, respond to Outlook emails, create documents with Office apps, or even automate your work with artificial intelligence, Microsoft 365 has you covered. But first, you must unlock the potential of this powerful solution to showcase your ability to keep up with the modern workplace and make an impact in your organization. To do that, you need Microsoft 365 For Dummies!
Microsoft investigates Outlook.com outage that leaves users unable to send and receive emails
Is Outlook down? For many people this is most definitely the case. Microsoft is currently investigating an outage with its email service which it says primarily affects users in North America, but acknowledges that there will be impact in other parts of the world.
The problems means that many people are not able to send or receive emails using Outlook.com, and even searching messages is not possible. The company is yet to give much in the way of details about the cause of the issues, blaming it on a "recent change".
Full-screen Microsoft 365 trial offer is blocking access to the Windows 10 desktop
Apparently not content with irritating Windows 10 users with a rather deceptive invitation to upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft is also causing annoyance by displaying an unskippable full-screen ad that essentially forces users to install Microsoft 365 Family.
Affected users report that the nag screen is blocking access to the desktop until they agree to start a free trial of Microsoft 365 Family (which most people are still referring to as Office 365). As part of agreeing to the trial, users are asked to provide payment details, and although no charges are made until the end of the trial period, the danger is that some people will forget to cancel and will end up paying.
Microsoft is investigating a massive global outage affecting Teams, Skype, Outlook and OneDrive
Multiple Microsoft 365 services have been hit by an outage that is affecting users around the world. The problems have disrupted access to a large number of services including Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and Outlook.
Microsoft says that it may have found the source of the issues, but they are yet to be resolved, and no specific details have been revealed. The company is also looking into Azure connectivity problems.
The Office Insider program is dead; long live the Microsoft 365 Insider program
Microsoft has killed off the Office Insider program, used to gain feedback from testers about new features and changes. The death is not one to be mourned, however -- it is followed by an immediate resurrection as the Microsoft 365 Insider program.
The rebranding is in line with Microsoft's announcement last year that Office 365 would become Microsoft 365. In addition to the change in name, the company says that it will be providing information and publishing blog posts about a wider range of products and services that fall under the Microsoft 365 banner.
5 best accessibility features in Microsoft 365
Software developers and tech companies are striving to expand their customer base by increasing accessibility to their products and services. The Microsoft 365 suite is leading the way in designing accessible interfaces and tools for diverse users in increasingly digital learning and work environments.
Learn more about how Microsoft 365 is innovating accessibility features in their assigned categories -- vision, hearing, neurodiversity, learning, mobility and mental health -- that revolutionize computer usage for a more accepting age.
New Microsoft 365 Basic tier includes 100GB of cloud storage, ad-free Outlook, Windows 11 help and more for just $2 per month
Microsoft has announced a new low-cost Microsoft 365 tier, giving access to a cloud storage boost and more. Priced at just $1.99 per month, Microsoft 365 Basic includes 100GB of cloud storage, removes advertising from the mobile and web versions of Outlook, and also includes access to the free web-based versions of various Office components.
Microsoft 365 Basic is replacing the current OneDrive Standalone 100GB plan, with existing users being automatically migrated later this month. Microsoft is quick to point out that while there is no change to plan costs, there are now more benefits for the same price -- including technical support for Windows 11.
Four out of 10 work emails are unwanted
Analysis of over 25 billion emails from Hornetsecurity reveals that 40.5 percent of work emails are unwanted.
We're tempted to say, "only four out of 10?" but it all depends how you define unwanted. The report looks specifically at the use of email to deliver malicious payloads -- so those emails from your boss that you'd rather not receive don't count!
Almost 19 percent of phishing emails bypass Microsoft Defender
For many organizations, Microsoft 365 has become their default service for email. But for attackers this makes it attractive as a point of compromise.
New research from cloud and email security specialist Avanan shows that the missed phishing rate for Microsoft Defender is 18.8 percent. A previous analysis in 2020 showed 10.8 percent of phishing emails reaching inboxes, so Defender's missed phishing rates have increased by 74 percent.
Windows 11 could save you millions*
As the latest update to Windows 11 rolls out with new features focusing on productivity and collaboration, IT management efficiency and security, Microsoft is understandably keen for businesses to adopt the OS.
To that end it's commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying Windows 11 and Microsoft 365.
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