Microsoft Support & Discussions

Screenshots that allegedly show what Microsoft's next major version of Outlook might look like with OS X have made their way onto the Internet, showing off some moderate user interface changes. The screenshots do show a flatter design for icons that have been seen in Microsoft's recent preview builds of Windows 10. If these images are accurate, we can expect similar changes for all of programs in the Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft is said to be close to launching a public preview of the next version of Office, code named "Office 16", with a plan to release the final version sometime in 2015. It's currently unknown if the Windows and Mac versions of the software…

Microsoft announced Monday a three-year, multimillion dollar partnership with the Special Olympics to modernize the nonprofit’s technology and elevate it to the cloud. The Azure-based games management system will enable instant access to real-time updates and athlete information. Microsoft will also provide 800 Surface tablets and 1,200 Lumia phones, which will be used to track all events at the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles, while connecting volunteers across multiple venues. “The Special Olympics’ goal of creating a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people is something we believe in here at Microsoft,” said Lisa Brummel, Microsoft’s e…

If you're running iOS 8.1 on your iPhone or iPad and have OS X Yosemite on your Mac, you can now use your cellular connection for a new feature called Instant Hotspot. The main appeal is that it can automatically detect all your devices so you don't have to fiddle with tethering settings. However, some people have been experiencing connection issues or can't get the feature working at all. Here are some steps you can try in order to get Instant Hotspot working correctly! Before beginning, remember that you must be running OS X Yosemite on your Mac and iOS 8.1 or newer on your iOS devices in order for Instant Hotspot to work. 1. Ensure your device is compatible wit…

Every week Apple adds tons of new media content on iTunes — music, books, movies and more. It's impossible to keep up with all of it, but it's not impossible to pick out the very best. Here they are! This week we've got new music from two 80s icons: Annie Lennox and Billy Idol. We have a new release of the latest Hobbit movie, a fantastic new Star Wars TV show, and more! Nostalgia - Annie Lennox First as one half of Eurythmics and later as a solo artist, Scottish singer Annie Lennox has had an enduring impact on pop music ever since the 1980s, when Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) hit radio waves in 1983. In her solo career, Lennox has become one of the greatest bl…

This lightweight hard shell case features impact resistance in an extremely slim profile design, showcasing your iPhone 5's form and style. The back features an easy-grip texture that looks and feels great. Available in several colors, you can get yours today and save 65% Continue reading...

T-Mobile CEO John Legere has taken to Twitter to explain how the recently announced Apple SIM works in the new iPad Mini 3 and iPad Air 2, highlighting how competitors continue to make it difficult for customers to switch operators. The Apple SIM replaces the traditional SIM consumers would normally receive from their mobile carrier, providing the ability to easily switch between networks without having to grab a new card and set everything up. It's designed to make your life easier, if carriers play along. Unfortunately, while US networks support the new SIM (except Verizon), not all is well. 4/ @verizonwireless chose not to play at all….Not even on the Ap…

Apple Pay launched last week. In store, it's a secure way to pay for items using existing NFC technology, authorized by Touch ID fingerprint technology. It in no way precludes the use of other NFC-enabled payment systems, including credit and debit cards, or other platforms or apps. It's easy to use, lightning fast, and extremely customer friendly. It's also private, not releasing transactional information beyond what the retailer needs to process the payment. So, CVS and Rite Aid are both going so far as to disable NFC support in general just to make sure no one tries to use Apple Pay in their stores. Yes, they'd rather hobble their transactional systems entirely than le…

Apple's introduction of the Retina iMac marks the first time that a desktop Macintosh has gotten the "Retina" treatment, and it's nothing short of stunning, capable of displaying 5K resolution. With that many pixels on the screen and with prodigious power under the hood, you may be wondering whether the Retina iMac or a new Mac Pro is a better choice. Let's have a look. Comparing Macs: Retina iMac vs. Mac Pro Apple's newest iMac model, the $2,499 Retina iMac comes in a familiar size: 27 inches. And when it's powered off, from all outward appearances it looks the same as other 27-inch iMacs. But inside it's different. First of all, there's the display: 5120 …

Yes, I opted for the new iPhone 6 Plus because I've always wanted a bigger screen. A much bigger screen. And now I have it. For gaming, for watching videos, for surfing the web, it's just so much better that I'm willing to sacrifice the ability to easily type one handed. And yes, my Home screen is still pretty much default — I'm lazy! — so I'm including some of my favorite apps from my second screen as well. And yes, I still don't update applications very often. I don't like change. I don't like learning new interfaces, and I don't like that I can't go back to a older version of an app if anything goes wrong. It's my iPhone after all, and I get to use and abuse it just th…

NSFW is a weekly op-ed column in which I talk about whatever's on my mind. Sometimes it'll have something to do with the technology we cover here on iMore; sometimes it'll be whatever pops into my head. Your questions, comments and observations are welcome. I've seen endless bitching in blogs and social media about the new Mac mini Apple unveiled last week. So much so that I've seen some people recommending that you forget about the new Mac mini all together and get the older model if you can find it. That's incredibly stupid, because it ignores the actual needs of a lot of people who buy these things. Let me explain. Some of the complainers are put off by the fac…

The gloss finish of this TPU cover abridges your iPhone 5S or iPhone 5's subtle contours, giving you the sleek look of a hard case and the shock absorption of a soft case. Available in black, blue, pink, clear and green, you can save an incredible 67% today! Continue reading...

Rite Aid pharmacy has mentioned that it is dropping support for Apple Pay across all 4,600 stores in the US. The drug store chain seemingly accepted the NFC-based payment solution when it debuted earlier this month, but subsequently pulled support earlier this week. While the exact reason for the withdrawal of support for Apple Pay isn't known, leaked internal memos obtained by SlashGear indicate that Rite Aid is working on a payment solution that is similar to Apple Pay: Please note that we do not accept Apple Pay at this time. However we are currently working with a group of large retailers to develop a mobile wallet that allows for mobile payments attached t…

Last week in San Francisco, I announced that Microsoft Azure would soon be available in 19 regions around the globe, offering customers the most local regions of any public cloud provider. Today at TechEd Sydney, we opened our 18th and 19th regions for business, in New South Wales and Victoria. Since we announced the Australia Azure Geo we’ve had incredible interest from customers and several Australian companies have been working with us through a private preview to experience benefits of Azure. Customers like Centium, rights management company TalentPay, audit, tax, and advisory experts BDO, and healthcare software provider iCareHeath are accelerating their growth, t…

Earlier this week, developer Remedy released Agents of Storm for the iPhone and iPad. The strategy game, set in a super-spy world, is the first exclusive mobile game from the developer, which is best known for their classic PC and console games like the original Max Payne, Alan Wake, and the upcoming Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break. We got a chance to ask Remedy some questions about the game and received our answers via email from Remedy's Project Lead Markus Mäki and the franchise's art director Saku Lehtinen. First, how did the idea for Agents of Storm come about? Markus Mäki: After the success of the iOS and Android versions of Death Rally, we have been exc…

Lenovo's foray into the world of wearable devices is set to commence with the Smartband SW-B100, which is now listed on the manufacturer's official website. The fitness tracker was seen making its way to the FCC earlier the month, which revealed a rectangular display. The product page for the Smartband SW-B100 shows that Lenovo is targeting a younger audience with its first fitness tracker, which will come with the following features: Exercise Tracking: Steps/Distance/Calories/Heart rate, and daily/weekly/monthly data graph in APP Sleeping Tracking, and daily/weekly/monthly data graph in APP Smart Device Interaction: call/SMS alert reminder with number or name …

Michael Simmons of Fantastical and HockeyApp joins Seth and Rene to talk about advising on other apps, taking Fantastical to the Today view, the future of HockeyApp, and more! Support Iterate: Use hired.com/iteratepodcast to get a double signing bonus. Save $50 on any Drobo at www.drobostore.com using code iterate50. Visit lynda.com/iterate to try lynda.com free for 7 days Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe in RSS Download directly Follow on Twitter Guests Michael Simmons of Flexibits and HockeyApp Hosts Seth Clifford of Nickelfish Rene Ritchie of Mobile Nations Feedback Yell at us on Twitter or leave a comment below. Conti…

So you've added all your accounts to Apple Pay and then the unthinkable happens, your iPhone gets lost or stolen. Even though Apple Pay has to be authenticated using your thumbprint in order for someone to charge your card, it's still a good idea to remove all your accounts as an extra measure. Luckily, Apple gives you a way to do it without actually having access to your iPhone. Here's how! How to remotely delete all your credit accounts from Apple Pay From any web browser on your computer, go to iCloud.com and sign in. Click on the Settings app. Under the My Devices section at the bottom, click on the device you'd like to wipe Apple Pay from — you should see an…

Sponsored by MetroPCS With kids back in school and budgets tight, prepaid carriers are often the way to go for anyone with a smartphone. Instead of paying your monthly bill after having used your wireless service, you pay beforehand for a set bucket of data. There are compromises to be made when signing up for a prepaid carrier, but for the most part, the added flexibility makes it all worth while. Conditions and service plans vary wildly across providers, but we're going to sort through the big ones and hopefully point you in the right direction. Continue reading...

While the introduction of what amounts to a universal SIM card in the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 brought on celebration of an impending future of easier carrier switching with just one SIM, we're only halfway there. Not only does the SIM not support Verizon, but if you try to activate it on AT&T, it will lock the SIM to that carrier. Per Apple's support documentiaton: Using Apple SIM, you can choose from different cellular carriers and their various programs. The data plans vary by carrier. For instance, in the United States, you can choose a domestic plan from either Sprint or T-Mobile and also pick an alternate plan from the other carrier as needed. W…

It looks like things are about to speed up for our friends in the North—on Rogers at least. The Canadian carrier announced today that it has flipped the switch on LTE-Advanced in several markets throughout the country. Perhaps even better, Rogers is doing all of this on the 700 MHz spectrum, which should allow for greater penetration inside of buildings. Rogers stated that LTE-Advanced has gone live in the following 12 cities: Vancouver Edmonton Calgary Windsor London Hamilton Toronto Kingston Moncton Fredericton Halifax Saint John Are you a Rogers customer in one of these markets? Let us know what you think of this rollout in the comments below. …

If you've got an iPad, you most likely enjoy consuming media on it. For most people, that includes their favorite television shows. With full HD support, not only is the iPad a convenient way to access your favorite content, it looks great too. So if you're looking for the best iPad apps to get your tv fix, we've got you covered. From never missing your favorite show to catching up on past seasons, these are the apps every tv watcher should have on their iPad! TeeVee 3 TeeVee 3 is a beautifully designed tv companion app that not only notifies you when one of your shows is going to start, but also gives you cast, series, and episode guides all in one place. Unl…

Rooms is the latest app from Facebook's Creative Labs group. Rooms is a new app that lets you create and find spaces for the things you love. You can create a room about a topic, style it how you want, and invite others to join. Rooms like a miniature forum. You can post text, pictures, and videos. To get started, you pick your topic and your style. You can pick different wallpapers, choose colors, and even customize the like button with emoji. You can also pin messages, customize member permissions, and even choose whether or not your content can be linked from the web. Rooms doesn't require you to use your real name, and lets you pick a nickname for yourself. Ni…

As digital music sales drop, Apple may be looking to rebuild its subscription-based Beats Music and integrate it completely into iTunes. Apple's digital music sales reportedly fell between 13 and 14 percent this year. The integration of Beats Music into iTunes would reportedly take place some time next year, according to the Wall Street Journal: The plummeting download numbers help illustrate why Apple bought the $10-a-month subscription streaming service Beats Music earlier this year, as part of its $3 billion acquisition that included headphone maker Beats Electronics. Apple is rebuilding Beats Music and plans to relaunch it next year as part of iTunes, according …

There's a lot to consider before you buy or upgrade to a new tablet, even a new iPad Air 2 or iPad mini-3. What's more important, portability or display size? Can you live with an older, cheaper model or do you really need something more future-proof? Which color and what capacity is best for you? There's never been more to choose from, which means it's never been harder to choose! Enter iMore's 2014 iPad buyers guide. We'll go over all the details, all the options, and help you decide on which iPad is perfect for you. And if you've already decided, just bookmark, email, Facebook, or Tweet this so we can help your friends and family and you can get on with enjoying you…

The iPad mini 3 is now the latest Apple device to get the tear-down treatment. iFixit opened the device up to get a look inside, and found what amounts to last year's iPad mini with the addition of a Touch ID sensor, as well as a gold option. The iPad mini 3 still utilizes the Apple A7 processor, as well as the M7 motion coprocessor. It also has the same 5MP iSight camera, and the 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera. The primary changes this year are the Touch ID sensor, which facilitates Apple Pay, the gold option, and the lower price for the 64GB and 128GB models. The iPad mini 3 also has an NFC controller, just as the iPad Air 2 does. However, the NFC controller is not co…