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Microsoft buys Acompli, an email app for iOS

Zac Hall Dec 1 2014 - 11:08 am PT

4 Comments

Microsoft announced today that it acquired Acompli, an email client for Android and iOS, in an effort to own more productivity apps on each mobile platform:

This acquisition is part of our company-wide effort to help people accomplish more with their mobile devices. This year we brought Office to the iPad and the iPhone, and we recently announced that we’re bringing Office to Android devices. These are significant steps in our work to deliver the best productivity experiences across mobile platforms, and we’re continuing to push forward.

Acompli also wrote about the acquisition news while discussing support for various file services:

Soon after launch we started working with a number of enterprise IT departments who believed, like we do, that great products need to be “Loved by Users, and Trusted by IT.” Right around this time we began conversations with the folks at Microsoft about how we could go farther by integrating the capabilities of their Office 365 platform into our product while continuing to provide amazing support for email and file services from Apple, Dropbox, Google, and Box. Those conversations led to today, where we have decided the opportunity to join forces in pursuit of a better, faster, more powerful email experience is something we can do better as one company.

The acquisition follows Microsoft’s announcement last month that Office for iOS no longer requires an Office 365 subscription for editing files and the debut of dedicated Office for iPhone apps including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Microsoft also integrated Office support with Dropbox as part of a new partnership between the two companies.

According to Re/code, Microsoft spent more than $200 million to buy up the email app although neither company disclosed that amount.

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Skype 7.2 for Mac released w/ improved readability & fixes for crashing issues

9to5 Staff Nov 26 2014 - 12:23 pm PT

2 Comments

Microsoft has released the latest version of Skype for Mac with adjusted color contrast for improved readability and a long list of bug fixes. Skype 7.2 for Mac arrives less than two months after the voice calling and messaging app received a major overhaul in time for OS X Yosemite.
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Dropbox’s Microsoft Office integration arriving in updated mobile apps today

Jordan Kahn Nov 25 2014 - 9:47 am PT

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Following an announcement earlier this month that Microsoft was adding Dropbox integration for syncing and sharing to the Office for iOS apps, Dropbox announced today that the feature is now available in its latest app updates for iOS and Android.

The integration essentially allows users to tap into Dropbox storage directly from within the Office mobile apps, but it will also include the ability to send links to files from Office using Dropbox, open documents from Dropbox in Office, and more. Dropbox has instructions on how to use the new integration with Microsoft’s Office apps on its website.

To get started, make sure your Dropbox app is up to date on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, then open any Office doc, spreadsheet, or presentation in your Dropbox. Tap the new Edit icon (shown above) to start editing in the latest Office apps. When you’re done, your changes will be saved back to Dropbox automatically.

You can get the new features through the latest Dropbox app for iOS starting today and the latest versions of Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Office apps. The integration is also expected to arrive for web users early next year.

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Microsoft continues MacBook bashing in latest Surface Pro 3 ad for the holidays

Jordan Kahn Nov 17 2014 - 5:58 am PT

25 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5_CrXh227Q&feature=youtu.be]
Same old story, but with a Christmas theme this time around in the latest Apple-bashing Surface ad from Microsoft. Touchscreen, kickstand, USB, etc, Microsoft has given up on comparing its tablets with the iPad and instead wants you to believe Surface Pro 3 is an acceptable substitute for a MacBook Air.

It certainly isn’t the first time Microsoft has put the Surface Pro 3 head to head with MacBooks in its advertisements. The company has been aggressively running the comparison ads poking fun at the MacBook’s lack of tablet-like features since it first compared the devices side-by-side live on stage at the introduction of its 12-inch Surface Pro 3 back in May.

Perhaps Microsoft will get back to comparing apples to apples when we get a 12-inch iPad Pro next year?
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Microsoft Office’s Dropbox integration and move to free is paying off on the App Store

Zac Hall Nov 10 2014 - 10:35 am PT

10 Comments

Microsoft announced a number of changes to its Office for iOS apps last week: deep Dropbox integration, dedicated iPhone versions, and editing and saving features without the need for an Office 365 subscription. All of those changes seem to be paying off, at least in the short term, as TechCrunch points out the new and updated Microsoft Office apps are now on top of the App Store charts.

Currently on the iPhone App Store, Microsoft Word takes the #1 spot for Top Free iPhone Apps while Microsoft Excel ranks in at #8 and Microsoft PowerPoint follows at #10. It’s a similar scene on the iPad side with Microsoft Word at #1, Microsoft Excel at #3, and Microsoft PowerPoint at #7 on the Top Free iPad Apps list.
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• iPad
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• Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface product placement in CNN election coverage fails as iPads revealed behind them [Updated]

Ben Lovejoy Nov 5 2014 - 7:16 am PT

35 Comments

Microsoft must have thought it had pulled off a nice piece of product placement when it gave CNN election commentators a bunch of Surface Pro tablets to help with their coverage. CNN dutifully covered its desks with the devices, resulting in a series of proud tweets from Microsoft fans.

There was just one small problem, noted by GeekWire: a closer look revealed that hidden behind the Surface tablets were the iPads that commentators were actually using. In one case, the commentator was actually using her Surface tablet as a stand for her iPad.

Microsoft, which was last year forced to write down $900M on its ill-fated tablet, has frequently taken pot-shots at the iPad, running a series of misleading Surface tablet ads attacking the iPad (and iPad mini) before more recently turning its attention to the MacBook Air. Switching overt advertising for product placement doesn’t seem to be working out too well.

Update: iMore later drew our attention to CNN anchor Mathew Sheffield digging deeper into the hole, claiming he was using both devices:

So, er, using the Surface as a dumb monitor while actually doing stuff on the iPad, then. Didn’t Microsoft tout the famed multi-tasking abilities of the Surface while claiming the iPad was only a single-use device … ?

Left image screengrab tweeted by Microsoft employee  Stephen Legler. right grab by IT developer @adamUCF

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Microsoft hits MacBook Air with Yoga 3 dance ad (Video)

9to5 Staff Nov 3 2014 - 2:07 am PT

14 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R98sgmllCEg]

It’s an epic dance-off between the new Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro and the MacBook Air. But does the MacBook Air stand a chance against the sleekness and multi-mode flexibility of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro? Nope. And once you add the touchscreen, it’s game over. The Yoga 3 Pro proves there’s more than one way to do what you want. Learn more at http://www.microsoft.com/yoga.

To me, it is interesting to see Microsoft taking the underdog approach. Desktop PCs [read: Microsoft Windows computers] still have huge market share but have been declining while MacBooks continue to grow every quarter. The ultraportable market is where the MacBook Air is the incumbent.

The MacBook Air hasn’t been updated dramatically in quite some time so Microsoft sees perhaps a weakness?

In Apple’s defense, this is a $1300 starting price computer which goes up against the starting $899 price of a MacBook Air, the Yoga’s bezels are huge, battery life is shorter and there is always the OS X vs. Windows arguement.  But hey, it looks like a nice computer.

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Microsoft expected to announce Office for Mac timing “very soon,” release rumored for early 2015

Ben Lovejoy Oct 29 2014 - 3:51 am PT

6 Comments

Following yesterday’s leaked screenshots of a new version of Office for Mac, ZDNet is reporting that its contacts have told it that Microsoft will announce timings for the new edition of Office for Mac “very soon.”

The company also is expected to disclose timing and possibly a public preview of its next Office for Mac release very soon, as well […] The latest rumored release target for the next Office for Mac is early 2015.

Yesterday’s report suggested a flattened look,  support for Retina screens and integration with Notification Center.

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Microsoft OneDrive now provides unlimited cloud storage for Office 365 subscribers

9to5 Staff Oct 27 2014 - 12:48 pm PT

6 Comments

Microsoft on Monday announced that it will be eliminating its top-tier cloud storage plan and offering unlimited cloud storage to Office 365 subscribers at no additional cost. The change will begin rolling out today for Office 365 Home, Personal and University customers and will continue over the coming months.
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