Newsletter Archives

• Skype to shut down

  Posted on March 2, 2025 at 03:00 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  On Friday, February 28, Microsoft posted The next chapter: Moving from Skype to Microsoft Teams to its Microsoft 365 blog (recommended reading). There are two important things you need to know.

  First, Skype will be gone sometime in May, including paid plans. Second, Microsoft Teams will be free to all, and those with existing Skype accounts can use those credentials to log in, preserving chats and contacts.

  This was inevitable. Despite owning Skype for 14 years, Microsoft clearly wanted its own collaboration tool to become even more widespread. Zoom is a formidable competitor. Also, Microsoft’s messaging around Teams has been confusing, partially because of the existence of Skype. “Free” may prove compelling.

  Microsoft Microsoft 365, Microsoft News, News, Skype, Teams

• The state of OneNote in 2024

  Posted on December 16, 2024 at 02:42 CST by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  ONENOTE

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  Next year the OneNote for Windows 10 app reaches end of life. It’s time to check in on how much progress the desktop OneNote version has made in the last 12 months.

  My oldest notes in OneNote are just over 21 years old, starting from a meeting with Microsoft in July 2003 about the shared source initiative that let OEMs look at the Windows codebase. I still use the software in very much the same way today. I take notes in meetings and interviews, I clip in interesting and useful information, and I search for something I remember saving.

  I have OneNote open all the time on my laptop. (It’s also installed on both my phones, one Android and one iPhone.) Although the interface has changed, the core features are much the same as they were five years ago. Like a swan, that slow glide disguises an enormous amount of effort under the surface. But apart from keeping up with Office and Windows 11, how did Microsoft do on delivering the new features it said OneNote was going to get this year?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.51.0, 2024-12-16).

  OneNote Microsoft Office, Newsletters, OneNote, OneNote for Windows 10, Teams

• How to get transcripts from Teams to OneNote

  Posted on June 19, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  ONENOTE

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  If you have meeting recordings from Teams, you can get the text of what everyone said — if you know where to look.

  The Windows version of OneNote has a transcription tool, but I’ve had a lot of problems getting it to work. I often use the Otter.AI service to turn my meetings and interviews into text by propping my phone up on the table or next to my laptop.

  But if you’re using Teams for your meetings, you can usually get a better-quality transcription by doing it inside Teams.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.25.0, 2023-06-19).

  OneNote Microsoft Steam, Newsletters, OneNote, Teams, Transcription

• Microsoft 365: Year in review

  Posted on December 26, 2022 at 02:44 CST by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Let’s take a minute to check the rearview mirror and review what’s happened this year with Microsoft Office. We’ll also peer over the horizon to speculate about 2023.

  There were obvious (and not-so-obvious) changes to Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365. I’ll look at just some of the changes. They might not be the most hyped changes coming from the never-ending road that is Microsoft marketing, and some of them might be overlooked but yet interesting.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.52.0, 2022-12-26).

  Microsoft 365 Clipchamp, Designer, Excel, Microsoft 365, Newsletters, Office 365, PowerPoint, Sketchup, Teams, Word

• Use free Teams to make calls like Zoom

  Posted on October 10, 2022 at 02:44 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Anyone can use Teams Free to set up a group call with video, screen sharing, and other goodies — bypassing all the other Teams stuff about channels, posts, and mentions — which can confuse less-confident computer users.

  Microsoft Teams has a lot going for it, perhaps too much at times. In this article, I’ll explain how to use it for one-to-one and small-group calls. I’ll also review which features are available and what’s not possible with Teams Free.

  Microsoft loves to confuse Teams customers by mixing up the free and paid options. Many of the promoted “Teams features” are really for paid plans only — but you’d know that only by looking in the very fine print.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.41.0, 2022-10-10).

  Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365, Newsletters, Teams, Zoom

• Microsoft’s calling confusion: Teams, Meet Now, or Skype?

  Posted on December 20, 2021 at 02:43 CST by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Microsoft has a split personality when it comes to video and audio calling. There’s Skype, Skype for Business, Teams calling/meetings, and “Meet Now” in Windows 11.

  All three can do the same basic thing — computer-to-computer video/audio calls and meetings. What’s the difference, which one to use, and what’s the future of all these overlapping Microsoft options?

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.49.0 (2021-12-20).

  Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365, Newsletters, Skype, Teams

• All the stuff to use or ignore in Teams

  Posted on October 4, 2021 at 02:43 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Get a grip on Teams by exploring its “nuts and bolts,” including what to ignore, what’s compulsory, what’s possible, and why some people move away from Teams to get things done.

  Teams is confusing because Microsoft has thrown everything except the proverbial kitchen sink into it. Even people who’ve used it for a while get a little lost. Microsoft doesn’t help by making some elements compulsory — with no way to remove, hide, or even rename them. There’s a wide range of Teams apps that can be useful but also add to the confusion.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.38.0 (2021-10-04).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Microsoft 365 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Collaboration, Microsoft 365, Office 365, Teams

• iPhone/iPad users of Teams and To Do need to keep up to date

  Posted on September 6, 2021 at 02:45 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  ISSUE 18.34 • 2021-09-06

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  There are critical changes coming to the Teams, To Do, and Outlook mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

  Recent announcements from Microsoft mean some updates are necessary for Teams and To Do apps, and some Outlook mobile users are in for a nasty surprise within the next few weeks.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.34.0 (2021-09-06).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.34.F (2021-09-06).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Microsoft 365 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, iOS, iPadOS, Microsoft 365, Teams, To Do
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