If you’re one of the million-plus users taking advantage of Office 365’s premium productivity apps, you’ll soon notice some changes. Last June, Microsoft revealed that Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word will be getting a design revamp in the coming months. Here’s a preview of what’s to come.

Simplified ribbon

The biggest update is with the ribbon, which is a command bar at the top of a window. The new design now has a simpler, cleaner look that gives users the chance to customize the tools they work with most, simply by pinning apps or files to your Windows taskbar. Even though this new ribbon is designed with simplicity in mind, if you don’t find it helpful you can still revert back to the regular three-line view.

Some users may already be using this new ribbon in the online version of Word, while Outlook for Windows will receive it sometime this month. However, Microsoft disclosed that they aren’t yet ready to roll it out to PowerPoint, Word, and Excel for Windows.

Improved search option

One of the major changes is with the search option in Microsoft Office apps. The developers improved the search experience by using Microsoft graph, so users can now see search recommendations when they move their cursor to the search box. Some have already seen this update take effect, but it won’t be available for Outlook on the web until August.

Better colors and icons

To make the overall design more aesthetically pleasing, the colors and icons of every app have been revamped, too. They wanted a more modern look crisp and clean no matter the size of the user’s screen, which is why they employed scalable graphics. It first debuted on Word before appearing on Excel, PowerPoint, and Works for Windows last month. As for Outlook for Windows and Mac, users can expect the update later this summer.

Office 365 is constantly evolving to benefit subscribers. And to make things even more interesting, users will be chosen at random over the next several months to receive the updates, and Microsoft will gather their reviews to make further improvements. Co-creating new features with customers is something Microsoft truly believes in, so this isn’t simply a social media tactic.

So as you hang tight for these coming changes, consider increasing office collaboration by migrating your files to the cloud. Call us today to get started!

The post Office 365’s apps get a revamp appeared first on TechSolutions, Inc..

The good news? Google will be rolling out more features for Android 7.0 Nougat and Marshmallow devices earlier than expected! The bad news? Google hasn’t yet confirmed which devices are eligible for the latest upgrades. In the meantime, here are four prominent features you should be keeping your eyes on:

Quick Switch
What this feature allows you to do is to quickly jump between the two most recently used apps with a double-tap on the Overview button. (That’s the square icon located to the right of the three virtual navigation buttons at the bottom of the display.)

Multi-Window
After ensuring the application’s compatibility, simply long-press the square Overview button to shrink the app to fill half the screen. This feature allows you to easily run two apps side-by-side on your smartphone or tablet.

Better battery
First introduced with Marshmallow, Doze is a power-saving tool that prevents your apps from sending or receiving data without disabling your mobile data. It gets a boost in Android 7.0 Nougat. Doze utilizes sensors to detect when the device is idle — even when it’s being moved around — and lowers power consumption.

Data Saver
After activating this function from the notification dropdown, Data Saver mode reduces cellular data used by applications. It does so by blocking background data usage, limiting bit rate for streaming, reducing image quality, just to name a few.

Enhanced encryption
In Android Nougat, each file and folder saved on the device is individually encrypted and protected as opposed to being encrypted as a whole, like previous versions of the mobile operating system were.

The latest tech innovations might succeed in enticing consumers, but it’s usually the operating system that seals the deal.This is merely a preview of Android 7.0 Nougat’s capabilities. By no means does this list detail all the awesome functions that await Android users. If you’re interested in getting the latest updates or would like to have your Android-related questions answered, just give us a call!

The post The best features of Android’s Nougat 7.0 appeared first on TechSolutions, Inc..