O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: SkyDrive

  • Apple informs former MobileMe users that their extra 2 GB of iCloud storage space has expired

    Not only did the U.S. government enter a shutdown today, so did your complimentary iCloud storage.

    Per The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Apple has sent out emails informing iCloud users their complimentary iCloud storage has expired. The complimentary iCloud storage was a free extra 20 GB of storage for MobileMe members. Now all those members will be downgraded to the free 5 GB of iCloud storage all iCloud members get.

    While any free storage is generally a good deal, Apple’s complimentary 5 GB now has to weigh against the 7 GB Microsoft has been offering with its SkyDrive service, although it still readily trumps Dropbox’s free 2 GB of storage space.

    Still, it had to happen sometime…

  • Parallels Desktop 9 announced, adds cloud support, Windows 8 Start button, other new features

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    Parallels announced its Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac client today, the new version of the virtualization software offering the following set of fixes and features:
    – Cloud storage optimizations for iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive.

    – Support for OS X Launchpad in Windows applications

    – Enhanced support for Apple’s forthcoming OS X 10.9 Mavericks.

    – Incorporates the familiar Start menu and Windows Start button for Windows 8 users..

    – Extends the OS X PowerNap feature to Windows and Windows applications.

    – Allows Mountain Lion Dictionary gesture compatibility in Windows apps.

    – Allows users to connect Thunderbolt and FireWire devices to either their Mac or virtual machine, just like with USB.

    – Enhances the virtual machine wizard, making it easier to create new systems by automatically locating operating systems on a Mac. Users can also manually select a range of media types to install.

    – 40 percent better disk performance than the previous version.

    – Virtual machines shut down up to 25 percent faster than the previous version.

    – Virtual machines suspend up to 20 percent faster than the previous version.

    – 3D graphics and web browsing is 15 percent faster than the previous version.

    – A new Security Center in Parallels Desktop 9 is said to make it easier to ensure that files are secure, both on the Mac and in a Windows virtual machine.

    – In addition, Parallels Desktop 9 comes with a six-month subscription to Parallels Access for iPad, announced earlier this week. That new software allows customers to remotely access and experience Windows and Mac applications as if they were designed for Apple’s iPad.

    – Mac gestures inside Windows apps: Parallels Desktop now includes the addition of the Dictionary lookup gesture in Windows applications.

    – PDF printer for Windows: Lets people print from any Windows application to a PDF on the Mac desktop, even if the application doesn’t have that functionality.

    – Sticky multi-monitor setup: When using Windows in Full Screen mode and connecting to an external monitor, Parallels Desktop will remember settings and put the Windows virtual machine back in full screen mode on the remote monitor.

    – Custom keyboard: Editable keyboard shortcuts help customize the Windows experience.

    – Linux guest integration: Parallels Desktop customers who use Linux now have additional and enhanced integration with the Mac OS.

    Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac will become broadly available for purchase next Thursday, Sept. 5. It is now available as a US$50 upgrade for legacy Parallels users, and a free upgrade for those who recently bought Parallels Desktop 8.

    Thursday’s launch of Parallels Desktop 9 is available for existing customers for US$49.99, while those who recently purchased may be eligible for a free upgrade. Customers who buy Parallels Desktop 8 today will also be eligible to upgrade to the new version at no additional charge.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Microsoft releases long-awaited Office Mobile 365 for iOS

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    You’ve been hankering for a native version of Microsoft Office for iOS for some time now.

    And it’s arrived.

    Per AppleInsider, Microsoft on Friday released its Office Mobile 365 app for Apple’s iPhone, allowing users with subscriptions to the productivity suite to access Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on the go.

    With Microsoft’s Office Mobile, users can view documents stored in Microsoft’s SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro or SharePoint, as well as read and edit Office docs sent as email attachments. Additionally, owners of Windows machines can remotely access documents that were recently viewed on a desktop client.

    Another PC-only feature is “Resume Reading,” which allows Word documents opened from SkyDrive or SkyDrive Pro to automatically jump to where users left off on their Windows computer or tablet.

    Microsoft says documents are optimized before being viewed on the iPhone, while support for charts, animations, SmartArt Graphics and shapes comes built-in. Also available is an in-app Slide Navigator in PowerPoint and a function to help with presentation practice.

    The application offers the following features:
    – Edit – You can make quick edits to Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

    – Documents Remain Intact – Formatting and content remain intact when you edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents on your phone.

    – Edit While Offline – Your device doesn’t have to be continuously connected to the network to work on an Office document that is stored online. You can view and edit recently used documents even while you’re offline. Your changes will be saved online when your device reconnects to the network or to Wi-Fi.

    – Create – You can create new Word and Excel documents on your phone.

    – Comments – You can review comments that have been made in Word and Excel documents on your phone and add your own comments.

    – Share – When you’re done with your edits or comments, simply send the document in email or save it to SkyDrive or SharePoint.

    Office Mobile comes in at 58MB and is available from the App Store as a free companion app for existing Office 365 subscribers. The app requires an iOS device running iOS 6.1 or later to install and run. Microsoft Office 2013 for PC is required for recent document and resume reading.

    If you’ve tried Office Mobile 365 and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

  • Microsoft releases Office 2011 14.3.4, incorporates Office 365 functionality into newest version

    This one’s been something of a long time coming.

    Per AppleInsider, Microsoft on Tuesday released version 14.3.4 of its Microsoft Office 2011 suite for the Mac. The update, a 113 megabyte download, includes a variety of feature additions that brings the application suite somewhat up to spec with its Windows counterpart, and includes bug fixes for compatibility issues that hindered interoperability between PC and Mac versions of Word, Outlook and other titles.

    Perhaps most important is the ability for existing Office for Mac 2011 users to integrate with Office 365, a subscription service that offers users access to the latest Office software updates, as well as SkyDrive cloud storage and SharePoint access for Word.

    Fixes included in the new version:
    – Coauthoring session with Microsoft PowerPoint Web App and Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac.

    – After token expires, does not prompt for credentials in Microsoft Outlook for Mac.

    – Calibri Light font not included in Office for Mac.

    – SetupUI is shown to user on start after Office for Mac is already activated.

    – Saving files to SkyDrive and SharePoint in Microsoft Word for Mac.

    – Folder contains excess white space: Error 1025 in Outlook for Mac.

    – XLIST command that is used by Gmail is deprecated in Outlook for Mac.

    – Local group mail cannot be sent in Outlook for Mac.

    – Remote devices lose control while in Presentation Mode in Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac.

    – File format extension support in PowerPoint for Mac.

    – Searching continues after user cancels in Outlook for Mac.

    – Items go into Junk Mail in Outlook for Mac.

    – Blocked Senders List under Junk Email Protection in Outlook for Mac.

    In a recent change to its pricing policies, Microsoft placed Office 2011 for Mac in the same tier as its more current PC counterpart Office 2013 for Windows. At the time, it was thought that the Redmond, Wash., company was pushing Mac users toward an Office 365 subscription due to the deprecation of multi-license bundles.

    With Tuesday’s update, Office 2011 users can sign up for Microsoft Office 365 if they so choose. Subscription to the Home Premium edition costs US$99.99 per year, or US$9.99 per month, and grants the use of Office on up to five computers.

    In order to take advantage of the newest Office for Mac 2011 version, existing owners must have version 14.1.0 or higher installed on a machine running OS X 10.5.8 or later, while Office 365 requires an Intel Mac and OS X 10.6 or higher.

    If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback, please let us know in the comments.

  • Microsoft announces updated Mac accreditation program

    This may be handy.

    Per MacTech and The Apple Core, the new Microsoft Office for Mac Accredited Support Professional program will target Microsoft Office for Mac, and Microsoft Office 365 suites. The pilot training and accreditation program will be offered free to registered attendees to MacTech’s 2013 BootCamps II seminars, depending upon limited space.

    A press release said that the accreditation program will span topics such as Office Web Apps, best practices in configuration, licensing options, cross platform features, sharing documents with SkyDrive and SharePoint as well as other troubleshooting and common questions.

    The accreditation is specifically designed for Apple consultants and techs supporting others using Microsoft Office for Mac, and Office 365 suites. At the end of the course, attendees will be evaluated on the content presented, and those who demonstrate sufficient knowledge will become a “Microsoft Office for Mac Accredited Support Professional.” Once obtained, attendees will receive an accreditation certificate from Microsoft, and be able to display the new accreditation graphic on their web sites and other promotional materials, as well as in their credentials.

    The first course will be offered the week after next in Seattle with additional information available here.