Microsoft has offically announced that the release date for the second generation surface tablets, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, will be October 22, 2013.  Pre-order for Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 is available.

Both new Surface tablets will have a dual-angle kickstand and multiple connectivity options such as Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11, USB 3.0, micro-SD expansion and HD video-out port.

The new Type and Touch Covers will be released with both tablets.  Both Covers include backlighting and additional sensors.  Also, Microsoft has designed a Power cover that is designed to add additional battery life to both Tablets.

The Surface 2 has a 10.6 Clear Type Full HD (1920×1080) Display and will run Windows RT 8.1 Operating System on an nVidia Tegra 4 Processor. The Surface Pro 2 has two storage options including, 32 GB and 64 GB.  Surface 2 is priced at $449.

Pre-order a Surface 2 Tablet.

The Surface Pro 2 has a 10.6 Clear Type Full HD (1920×1080) Display and will run Windows 8.1 Pro Operating System on an Intel Core i5 Processor. The Surface Pro 2 has multiple storage options including 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB.  Surface Pro 2 is priced at $899.  

Pre-order a Surface Pro 2 Tablet.

Windows XP was released on October 25, 2001 and has become one of the most popular versions of Windows for home and business environments.

The HIPAA Security Rule requires all systems to be updated regularly, as of April 8, 2014 Microsoft will end support for Windows XP, after which no new updates, hotfixes, patches or support will be issued.

This is a major problem within the healthcare industry since many computers are still running XP.  Migrating to a new operating system can be a challenging task because some XP machines have proprietary software that are not compatible with Windows 7+.  

Evaluate the technical infrastructure including servers, workstations and network equipment to create a migration plan.  Communicating with product vendors will help create the migration plan.  Vendors can provide support for updating and upgrading the software/hardware.  Implementing Virtualization within your network is a centralized option to replacing your current setup.  A virtual desktop infrastructure is having 50+ desktops reside on one physical server and sharing the resources, such as CPU, storage and memory.

During the migration, providing an efficient setup for the clinical staff may also include upgrading the manageability of the network and designing a much more scalable and secure IT infrastructure.

To protect and upgrade your home or business

 please contact us 856-745-9990 or click here.

Microsoft has always been key player in the Technology world.  In 2009, Microsoft released Windows 7, for many users it became the best operating system yet.  Not too long after the release of Windows 7, Microsoft predicted that “touch-screens” were the future of technology and focused all of their resources in one place.

On October 26, 2012, Microsoft released their Windows 8 OS and their first tablet, the Surface RT.  Shortly thereafter, on February 9, 2013, Microsoft released the second tablet, the Surface Pro.  For more information regarding the Surface RT or the Surface Pro, click here. 

“A Windows 8-based PC is really a new kind of device, one that scales from touch-only small screens through to large screens, with or without a keyboard and mouse,” said Julie Larson-Green from Microsoft.

Apple and Android touchscreen devices have been very successful because they are useful on-the-go.  Trying to compete with Apple and Android, Microsoft developed Windows 8, a touch-oriented OS.  Many desktop and laptop users have had problems adjusting to the new OS.   Also, the Surface Tablet users are having trouble adjusting to this device and OS because it is a touch-enabled laptop.  Using the touchscreen features on a laptop is not convenient and very uncomfortable.

How long will it take for Microsoft to regain its position in the technology world?

Microsoft released Office Mobile in the Apple Store for free to all Office 365 users on June 14, 2013.  Office Mobile has a lot of stipulations and only provides the basic document editing capabilities.  Integrating Office Mobile with SkyDrive and Office 365 is a smooth process.

The first stipulation is Office Mobile is designed for iPhone.  The app is not optimized for iPad use; older iPad(s) receive errors.  The second stipulation is Office Mobile requires an Office 365 subscription.  A large percent of businesses have not switched to Office 365 which excludes potiential Office Mobile users.

For Office 365 subscribers, Office Mobile is a free app that provides the ability to view, edit and save Office documents.  All users that are not Office 365 subscribers can continue to use Office-compatible mobile apps that provide the same functionality.

Office Mobile has a similar interface to Windows phone.  After installing Office Mobile, users can view, edit and save Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents.  Users may be surprised with the limited editing abilities.  SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro and SharePoint are ways to access documents.  ”Recent Documents” tracks the most recent documents that you viewed or changed and makes them easily accessible.

For more information on Hosted Services and Office 365

 please contact us 856-745-9990 or click here.

Microsoft TechNet Subscription service is a subscription program and resource center for IT Professionals.  On July 1, 2013 Microsoft announced that as of August 31, 2013, all sales for TechNet Subscription service will be discontinued.  Active accounts will have access for the remainder of their subscription.  Once the subscription period ends, subscribers will no longer have access to the TechNet Subscriptions benefits portal.Microsoft is focusing on developing free offerings for the IT community.

Improved Free Offerings for IT Professionals:

• TechNet Evaluation Center is a free evaluation software available for 30-180 days with no feature limits. 
• TechNet Virtual Labs allows you to evaluate software without the need to install bits locally.  For more information or to visit the Virtual Labs click here.
• TechNet Forums is a free online forums where IT professionals can ask technical questions and receive rapid responses from members of the community. 
• Microsoft Virtual Academy is a free online learning site, with over 200 expert-led technical training courses across more than 15 Microsoft technologies (additional courses added weekly).

Takeaway:  Creating numbered or bulleted lists would be simple with the ability to adjust or remove automatic indents.

Simple Solution

This simple solutions works with the current list only. If you add to this list, Word will remember the indent. When you start a new list later in the document, it won’t.

1. Create an numbered or bulleted list.
2. Double-click any number or bullet in the list to select all.
3. To change the indent position:

• Select the Decrease option in the Paragraph group (Aligning all items to the left margin)
• Select the Increase option in the Paragraph group. (Aligning all items to the right margin)

Entire Document Solution

The entire document solution will adjust the settings for all numbered/bulleted lists in the document.  Instructions below will default the list to be aligned at the left margin (0), you can adjust accordingly.

1. Create an numbered or bulleted list.
2. Double-click any number or bullet in the list to select all.
3. Right-click the selection; select Adjust List Indents.
4. The Adjust List Indents window opens.

• Number Position:  0 (Where the numbers / bullets will align.)
• Text Indent:  .25 (Space between numbers/bullets and text.) 

Takeaway:  Ten popular features that are missing from Outlook 2013.

Right-click Lookup

Outlook 2013 does not include ‘Lookup’ when right-clicking a word.  This feature is still available:

1. Open a new e-mail message.
2. Click inside the message body.
3. Select the Review tab.
4. Select ‘Research’ in the Proofing section.
5. Press [ALT] and select the word or phrase that you would like to look up.  Also, you can type the word or phrase in the ‘Search For:’ box.

Right-click AutoCorrect

Outlook 2013 does not include ‘AutoCorrect’ when right-clicking a word. This feature is still available but will have to be entered manually.  (Right-click Add to Dictionary is still available using a right-click.)

Import/Export Formats

Outlook 2013 only allows .pst (Outlook’s data file format) and comma-delimited data as import formats.  Previous versions allowed many file formats to be imported and exported.

Meeting Workspace

Outlook 2013 does not include Meeting Workplace.  Also, this feature cannot be added to the Quick Acces Toolbar.  Meeting Workplace was a website that supplied Attendees, Date, Time and Location for meetings.

Outlook Mobile Service

Outlook 2013 does not support Outlook Mobile Service (OMS).  OMS let you create and send text/multimedia messages to a mobile device from Outlook, similar to e-mail(s).

Windows Search

Windows 8 does not support using Windows Search to search Outlook e-mail. Previously, you could using Windows Search without opening Outlook to search for e-mail(s).

Calendar Publishing

Outlook 2013 does not support Calendar Publishing; the replacement is Office.com.  Microsoft cut service for previous versions on April 5, 2014.

Drag-and-Drop

Office 2013 does not support “dragging-and-dropping” e-mail(s) in the To-Do bar to create a calendar entry.  You can “drag-and-drop” an e-mail to a shortcut to create a calendar or task entry.

Notes and Journal

Office 2013 supports ‘Notes’ but ‘Journal’ is no longer available.

Suggested Contacts

Office 2013 does not support Suggested Contacts.  Suggested contacts gathers contacts that are not in your list and suggests them.

On June 14, 2013, Microsoft released Office Mobile in the Apple Store for all Office 365 users at no cost.  This app is available for iPhone 4 and up, iPad 3rd generation and up, iPad Mini and iPod Touch 5th generation.  All devices are required to run iOS 6 and up.

Office Mobile allows you to view and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.   SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro and SharePoint are ways to access documents.  “Recent Documents” tracks the most recent documents that you viewed or changed and makes them easily accessible.  Offline editing does not require a constant internet connection but allows you to save your changes once reconnected to a network.

On June 10, 2013 Apple announced that iWork Apps, such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote, can cross platforms to be used on Windows Systems.  Although, iWork Apps are proficient, they can not compare to the Office Suite. 

Microsoft has taken a huge step by crossing platforms with Office software and returning the upper hand to Microsoft.  Office 365 has become more valuable for businesses and home users.  

For more information on Hosted Services and Office 365

 please contact us 856-745-9990 or click here.

Takeaway:  Kantar Worldpanel is an international company that provides market and consumer solutions. 

Android is up 13% market share since February 2012, now holding more than half of Smartphone sales.  Within the Android market, Samsung continues to take control over other smartphone manufacturers.  “It’s apparent that Samsung is successful at capturing users from across the competitor set and not just gaining from their own loyalists.”  said Kantar Worldpanel analyst Mary-Ann Parlato.

Apple’s iOS is down 7% market share since February 2012.  Taking more than half of Verizon and AT&T sales, Apple is steadily residing in second place behind Android.

The first quarter of 2013 has been very impacting for Microsoft, jumping into third place for smartphones and fifth place for tablets.  Microsoft has finally made a leap from 2012, bringing their market share up 52%.  Microsoft is now continuously growing in smartphone sales.

Lastly, BlackBerry has taken a “nose-dive” since 2012, dropping from 3.6 to .7 (81%) market share.

Xbox One can be pre-ordered starting today for the release date in November 2013.  Microsoft has created an All-In-One entertainment system.  Xbox One is more than just a gaming console; it can be used for movies, music, gaming and the ability to connect set-top boxes using HDMI.

This All-In-One system is built with 8GB GDDR3 RAM, 8 Core Microsoft Custom CPU and 500GB Storage.  Connections include Gigabit Ethernet and IEEE 802.11 b/g/n WiFi.  Also built-in are USB ports, Optical Output and HDMI input and output.

Kinect 2 has a 1080p camera and can process 2GB of data per second.  Kinect 2 has “Unparalleled voice, vision, and motion technology lets you reach into games and entertainment like never before.”

Microsoft Smart Glass App is a secondary screen allows you to interact with your Xbox while watching movies, listening to music, surfing the Internet or gaming.  Smart Glass App is available for both Microsoft and Android users.

Above all, the wireless controller is new and improved.  Haptic technology is used to enhance the controller triggers.  Also improved are the thumb sticks and D-Pad.

TECHIES is a full Managed IT Services Company headquartered in Marlton, New Jersey for over 20 years with a new location opening soon in Wilson, North Carolina. TECHIES provides Managed IT Services, Cybersecurity Solutions, Website Design Services, Dedicated Server Solutions, IT Consulting, VoIP Phone Solutions, Cloud Solutions, Network Cabling and much more.