Software : Office 2016 will force you to install updates

Office 2016 will force you to install updates

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After announcing that Office 2016 will become available for consumers starting September 22 and for business users starting October 1, Microsoft reveals that it is adopting the same update strategy that it is taking for Windows 10.

When the Microsoft switched to offering Windows as a service, rather than as a software product, it revealed that updates will automatically download and install in the background, and consumer users cannot opt out of these updates, bringing security patches, fixes or new features to the OS.

With Office 2016, enterprise customers will be placed in similar Current Branch or Current Branch for Business, following a similar upgrade cadence as Windows 10. Unlike Windows, however, there will not be a third Long Term Service Branch, or LTSB.

Keeping current

Users on Current Branch will receive new updates and features faster. They trade off a little bit of stability as the new features may not have undergone large scale testing, but they also have access to new features sooner.

Current Branch customers will receive updates on a monthly cycle.

On the other hand, Current Branch for Business, or CBB customers, will get updates every four months. Microsoft will still deliver security fixes as needed in the months where there isn't a CBB update.

Penalties for not keeping current

Like Windows, customers must stay current to receive future product updates, security fixes and new features. In a similar strategy to Windows 10, Microsoft is forcing CB and CBB customers to install updates as they're ready, but CBB can delay updates if needed.

Unfortunately, this means that like Windows 10, CB customers cannot skip an update. CBB users can defer one cycle of updates, which gives them four months to decide. If CBB customers defer updates, they must deploy the subsequent round of updates or else they would not receive further updates from Microsoft.

Your placement in CB or CBB will vary depending on the Office 365 package your organization subscribes to. Office 365 Business and Office 365 Business Professional users fall under the CB track, while Office 365 ProPlus, Office 365 Enterprise E3 or Office 365 Enterprise E4 users can switch to CBB for greater flexibility on when to deploy updates. The CBB plans are pricier, costing about $12 to $22 (£7-14, AU$16-31) per seat monthly, while the CB plans cost $8.25 to $12.50 (£5-8, AU$11-17) per seat monthly.

Owning Office

The CB and CBB policies only apply to customers who sign up for the Office 365 subscriptions. Individuals and organizations who prefer to purchase a perpetual license won't be able to join the CB or CBB track, Microsoft said.

Once Office 2016 is released, users of Office 2013 will continue to receive updates and security fixes for 12 months, and Microsoft is urging those users to migrate to Office 2016.

Office 2016 will be available on September 22 for CB users, and the first CBB update will occur in February 2016. Business customers can start downloading Office 2016 in October through Software Assurance.

There is also a separate version of Office 2016 for Mac.

Via: ComputerWorld

Read our Office 2016 review

How to restore ringtones to iPhone

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Got an Apple, Mac, or iOS tech question? We have the answer. This time we have a reader whose custom-made iPhone ringtone library has seemingly disappeared. But that doesn't mean those tones are gone for good! Here are the steps you can take to track them down on your Mac, then restore them to your iPhone.

Question

I had a library of homemade iPhone ringtones on my Mac that disappeared during the last OS X software upgrade. All my friends and family members had a ringtone assigned to them. I knew exactly who was calling me without having to look at the phone. About 5 months ago I exported my iTunes library to my Desktop: File > Library > Export Library. Is there a way to isolate the ringtone files and restore them to iTunes? Or would it be better to just do a complete restore? Also, is it possible to backup the ringtones to a CD to prevent this from happening again?

Answer

Ack! That's never fun when files go missing after a software update. Furthermore, Export Library doesn't actually backup your iTunes media files — it contains metadata such as your playlists and ratings.

Fortunately, you might still have some options available. Your best bet would be to access an actual backup that you made through Time Machine or other means, but even if you don't have one of those, the ringtone files could still be on your computer even if iTunes isn't showing them. A Finder search can help you track down the missing files since all ringtones end in a ".m4r" extension. Hit Command + F to begin a search; type "m4r" in the search field, then, when the result completions appear, you'll see "Kind: Ringtone." Select this type.

Restore Ringtones

By performing this search, you should be able to find your missing files if they're backed up anywhere on your Mac. Once you have them, simply drag and drop those ringtone files onto the iTunes icon in the Dock, and they will be re-imported. Once re-imported, they can be synced over to your iPhone and re-assigned to the contacts.

In regards to backing up to a CD, yes, ringtones can be put on a CD (or other type of storage media) just like any other files. Simply insert a blank CD into your Mac, then burn the ringtone files to it for safekeeping. For further information on how to burn files to a disc on a Mac, here are Apple's instructions on the matter.

Got an Apple tech question? Email ask@maclife.com.

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Saturday, September 12, 2015