I’ve been using an 11-inch MacBook Air as my primary computer for ten months now, but I’d never even opened up the Mail app until today. However, there are some interesting new features in Mac OS X “Mountain Lion” that I wanted to check out.
With Mountain Lion, Apple has integrated the Notes and Reminders tools from iOS into Mac OS X. More importantly, the Notes and Reminders are synced across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac through iCloud. So, a Reminder that I add on my iPhone shows up on my MacBook, and a Note that I type on my MacBook is immediately available from my iPhone and iPad.
I can drag and drop emails from Mail to create tasks for the Reminders app.I had already migrated from using Outlook for my Contacts and Calendar, because I wanted my contacts and calendar information to be available from all of my devices and kept in sync. However, I have avoided using Mail, and I rejected the idea of keeping my email synced through iCloud because Apple requires that I use my iCloud email address to make that work.
Microsoft revealed new mice and keyboard options aimed at Windows 8--specifically Windows 8 tablets. The touch gesture-enabled mice fill a void left with traditional mice, and resolve one of the biggest issues with Windows 8.
For mobile business professionals, a dockable Windows 8 tablet can fill the role of mobile device while on the go, and PC while back at the office. The available ports and specs will vary from one device to the next, and it remains to be seen what Windows 8 tablet hardware will bring to the table, but Windows 8 Pro tablets should be able to replace a desktop or laptop PC for most users.
The Wedge Mouse from Microsoft lets you use touch gestures.While connected at the desk, the tablet can be used in conjunction with a full-size monitor, physical keyboard, and mouse--delivering the same processing power and functionality as many notebook PCs. Of course, it’s also possible to run Windows 8 on traditional PC hardware.
Business is about relationships. Customers choose to do business with companies that seem knowledgeable of their unique industry, and invested in their success. LexisNexis Smart Meeting is a new service that gives companies an advantage when competing for business.
An IDC (IDC is the research arm of PCWorld’s parent company, IDG) survey from 2011 found that sales and business professionals are often unprepared for initial customer meetings. In order to demonstrate knowledge and provide value, it’s important to be prepared with information about the prospective customer, and to be aware of current events and breaking news that impact the company.
LexisNexis Smart Meeting can deliver relevant information directly to your iPad.The LexisNexis Smart Meeting service pulls relevant information from LexisNexis—a comprehensive source of company and industry news—and delivers a report to prepare sales and business professionals for client meetings. LexisNexis Smart Meeting integrates with the calendar in Microsoft Outlook to push breaking news and up to date company information immediately prior to scheduled meetings to give sales and business professionals an edge over the competition.
Box has a mission to enable customers to access and share data from anywhere. Today, it’s extending its reach on mobile devices with the launch of a new Windows Phone app.
Simon Tan, product manager of mobile for Box, explains in a blog post, “Mobile use has skyrocketed this year, with nearly 750 million workers using 4.1 billion devices to access and share content,” adding, “Our team has seen tons of growth at Box, too, with a staggering 40% of our users accessing Box from a mobile device.”
Box launched a new app for Windows Phone devices.I spent a great deal of time using the Windows Phone platform, and I think it is an awesome mobile operating system. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a blockbuster success, and its current market share compared to iOS and Android doesn’t really do it justice. I could almost forgive Box for not bothering to invest the time and effort to create an app for a mobile OS that represents such a small segment of the market.
PowerPoint is a staple of the Microsoft Office suite. While PowerPoint is just one of many presentation software options, it has ascended to the ranks of Coke, Kleenex, Band-Aids, and Google as the de facto leader in its field. The word “PowerPoint” is used in a generic sense to refer to presentations and presentation software in general.
Microsoft recently unveiled the new Microsoft Office suite--Office 2013--and with it PowerPoint 2013. Having played with the new PowerPoint for a couple weeks now, here are some of my first impressions.
PowerPoint 2013 starts by presenting a variety of themes and templates to choose from.There are still plenty of people using Office 2007, Office 2003, or even Office XP or Office 97 because it takes care of their basic needs. The challenge for Microsoft when it develops a new version of its software is to add value without simply bloating the software with frivolous features to justify calling it a new version. It hasn’t always succeeded.
Are you in the market for a new smartphone? Have patience. If you get a smartphone now, you may very well regret it in a few months.
Why? Well, the smartphone landscape will most likely be quite different by October or November as Apple and Microsoft are expected to launch their next generation smartphones.
The rumor mill is in high gear speculating about the next generation iPhone.There are--as always--a wide variety of iPhone rumors floating around. It will be bigger--longer, but not Samsung Galaxy Note or even Samsung Galaxy SIII bigger. It will be 4G / LTE. It will have NFC. It will use a smaller connector for charging and syncing. It will be called the “New iPhone” instead of the “iPhone 5”.
Office 2013 will soon be here, along with a new and improved version of the cloud-based Office 365. If you’re looking to upgrade, you have to decide whether the traditional desktop version of Office is the way to go, or if Office 365 is a better fit for your needs.
There are a few compelling arguments in favor of Office 365. Let’s take a look at three reasons Office 365 might be the right choice:
Office 2013 is impressive, but Office 365 is a better value in most cases.1. Cost
