Thursday, July 2, 2015

Software : Microsoft adds PowerShell, Skype for Business to Office 365

Software : Microsoft adds PowerShell, Skype for Business to Office 365


Microsoft adds PowerShell, Skype for Business to Office 365

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Microsoft adds PowerShell, Skype for Business to Office 365

Windows 10 might be the product Microsoft will focus most of its internal resources on for the next few weeks (it launches on July 29) but that doesn't mean that others are neglected.

The company has added a slew of new features to Office 365, its business suite of SaaS (software-as-a-service) applications.

The first of them, PowerShell for Office 365, brings a CLE (command line environment) to system administrators that are eager to automate repetitive administrative tasks or want to access capabilities not present in Office 365 Admin Center.

More importantly perhaps, there's a library that contain scripts that allows administrators to rapidly do mundane things remotely. Microsoft has even put up a PowerShell website complete with a Yammer-based community.

Skype for Business

Office 365 for enterprise will also get access to the technical preview of Skype for Business. This version offers Skype Meeting Broadcast capabilities to eligible Office 365 customers worldwide, allowing up to 10,000 people to be part of a meeting. Other notable features include PSTN in the US, allowing people to join even without internet access.

Cloud PBX with PSTN calling is also integrated in that iteration allowing users in the US (for now) to make and receive traditional calls in their Skype for Business client application. That functionality will come to customers worldwide towards the end of the year.

The announcement comes as Microsoft confirmed the integration of Cortana, one of the key features of Windows 10, with Office 365.

Read our review of Office 365

Microsoft details differences between Windows 10 editions

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Microsoft details differences between Windows 10 editions

Microsoft has published an exhaustive printable guide that aims to help users find the Windows 10 edition that's right for them.

The document, which is available as a table, lists salient features from all four consumer and business Windows 10 editions but excludes Windows 10 Mobile (consumer and enterprise) as well as Windows 10 IoT.

Arguably, the best value for money package is the education SKU (stock keeping unit) which is essentially the same as Windows 10 Enterprise minus the Long Term Servicing Branch which only makes sense in an enterprise setup anyway.

Other than that, Windows 10 Home Edition provides you with most of the features that you'd expect from a standard consumer version. Consumer-grade encryption, mobile device management and even the ability to side-load line of business applications.

Interestingly, Microsoft is pitching the Education version of Windows 10 as the preferred upgrade path for Windows 10 Home, rather than Pro as it was usually the case.

Education was previously known as Pro Student and required verification of one's student status prior to purchase.

Millions have reserved Windows 10 but not all will get it on July 29

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Millions have reserved Windows 10 but not all will get it on July 29

Microsoft has confirmed that the five million or so participants in the Windows Insider Program will get the first stab at Windows 10 RTM, which is essentially the version that will be delivered on physical shelves.

Terry Myerson, the head of Microsoft's Windows and Devices group, confirmed that Windows Insiders will get the updates to Windows 10 first on July 29.

Those who have reserved, either from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, will get the upgrades in waves. Expect full ISO copies to be available on MSDN for developers to download.

It is highly likely that those who will register from today onwards will not receive their copies on the launch date.

What's more, Microsoft will also test how your computer will provide you with "a great experience" according to the company's parlance.

Otherwise, the Windows Upgrade tool will provide you with more details, probably in line with what the Windows Experience Index did on Windows 7, providing useful tips.

Alternative compatible solutions, Myerson says, will be available for most upgrade incompatibilities in the Windows Store after any upgrade. What it will not do though is prevent you from completing the upgrade.

How to improve the Mac OS X Dictionary

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How to improve the Mac OS X Dictionary

The dictionary in OS X provides typing and spelling-correction support (such as autocorrecting as you type, or the red lines under misspelled words). This dictionary service is important to helping users type error-free in OS X and applications, but did you know there's a way to train the dictionary so that it learns new words that it doesn't recognize? In this how-to, we'll show you exactly how it's done.

Learning words

If you have turned on spell check as you type, then you'll notice that in most OS X applications that support it, misspelled (or thought-to-be-misspelled words) will appear with a red underline beneath them. Sometimes, though, correctly spelled words are marked as misspelled — this can commonly occur with uncommon words, names, and places of business.

How to improve the OS X Dictionary

In these cases when the word is actually spelled correctly but OS X simply doesn't recognize it, you can easily add the word to the OS X dictionary so that it qualifies for autocorrection and spelling suggestions in the future when typing. To do so, right-click on the supposedly misspelled word and select the "Learn Spelling" option that appears in the contextual menu.

Removing Learned Words

If you no longer wish to have the word in the OS X dictionary, then you can easily remove it by typing in the word, then right-clicking on it, and selecting "Unlearn Spelling."

Removing Multiple Learned Words

Spelling

If you have a lot of learned words that you'd like to get rid of, then you can manually open the plain-text file that stores these learned words. To do this, open a Finder window, then press Command + Shift + G (or go to Go > Go to Folder...). Type in " /Library/Spelling/" and click "Go."

In the directory that opens, you'll see a file called "LocalDictionary." Simply open this file in TextEdit, remove the unwanted words, then save the document. You can also reset the entire dictionary by removing the "LocalDictionary" file to the Trash, then emptying the Trash.

Selfies could replace passwords for online shoppers

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Selfies could replace passwords for online shoppers

Move over, Kim Kardashian. The art of the selfie will soon be just as important for security as it is for social sharing on networks like Facebook and Instagram.

MasterCard's pilot program will have online shoppers taking photos of themselves for authentication to reduce fraud. The credit card issuer hopes that the selfie will be more convenient and less cumbersome for shoppers, while also provide more security benefits than a traditional password, which can be easily lost, stolen or intercepted.

"We want to identify people for who they are, not what they remember," said Ajay Bhalla, President of Enterprise Security Solutions at Mastercard. "We have too many passwords to remember and this creates extra problems for consumers and businesses."

The password

MasterCard initially created a SecureCode to help verify a customer's identity before an online transaction is completed to reduce fraud. When you're ready to checkout, a pop-up window appears asking you to enter a password, but SecureCode has been unpopular as complex passcodes can be difficult to remember.

Enter the selfie.

"The new generation, which is into selfies ... I think they'll find it cool. They'll embrace it," Bahalla said in a CNN Money interview.

MasterCard had previously been testing and developing applications that authenticate cardholders with facial identification, voice recognition and cardiac rhythm through a wearable wristband.

'Say cheese'

In order for MasterCard's new online verification to work, users will need a smartphone and the accompanying MasterCard app.

MasterCard is in talks with two major banks and the leading smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, BlackBerry and Samsung to deploy this new service.

Users will have two options to verify their identity. They can choose a fingerprint scan or a face scan. MasterCard researchers say that to keep face scans secure, users should blink.

Because many smartphones today come with a capable front-facing camera for selfies, face scan will work on equipment that lack a fingerprint scanner. Fingerprint scanners are found on a limited number of smartphones, including the latest phones from Apple and Samsung.

For users concerned with privacy, the scans stay on the phone. MasterCard's software will convert scans to 1s and 0s and transmit the digital data over the internet.

Privacy experts are still skeptical about the process as MasterCard is still transmitting the data to their network, rather than keep the authentication on the device. This could potentially open up MasterCard to a hack in the future.

The pilot will be limited to 500 customers, but if MasterCard's trial is successful, it could be a big step in replacing the trusty password.

Is it me you're looking for?

MasterCard isn't the only company looking into biometric security. Microsoft is also introducing new ways to log into PCs with Windows 10. Windows Hello will allow users to authenticate themselves using a facial scan or fingerprint.

Microsoft requires new 3D depth-sensing cameras for its Windows Hello face scan to keep things secure. This way, you can't trick a friend's PC into logging in by holding up a photo of your friend.


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