finally Archives - Page 12 of 14 - Shapiro Consultants

Microsoft Teams might finally be worth using in Windows 11

November 14, 2021
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Microsoft has released a new preview build of Windows 11 that makes it even easier to share content from other apps to Microsoft Teams with attendees while in a meeting.

With the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499 to the software giant's Dev Channel, Microsoft is rolling out a new feature that allows Teams users to quickly share content from open app windows directly from Windows 11's taskbar to their video calls.

This new update builds on another recently released feature that introduced the ability to quickly mute and unmute active meeting calls right from the taskbar.

By making it easier to share content during Teams calls, Microsoft will eliminate the need to switch back and forth between apps just to share or reshare a window. With less interruptions, meeting attendees will have a much easier time focusing on their meetings in Teams.

Windows 11 Insiders can now test out this feature after downloading the latest preview build of Microsoft's new operating system.

When in a meeting in Microsoft Teams, users can share content from their open windows by hovering over the apps in their taskbar. A new “Share this window” button will appear underneath an app's preview and by clicking on it, they can share their open windows with other attendees in a video call. By hovering over the window again and clicking “Stop Sharing”, users can stop Teams from showing content on their PC or they can also choose another window to share content from it instead.

This new feature also works while presenting full screen presentations in PowerPoint and by moving your mouse to the bottom, the taskbar will pop up so that users can share or stop sharing their presentations without interrupting attendees.

According to a new blog post from Microsoft, the company is rolling out this new feature to a subset of Windows Insiders with Teams for work or school installed though it will be rolled out to even more users at a later date. The software giant also plans to bring this functionality to Chat from Microsoft Teams (Microsoft Teams for Home) at a later date.

Looking to improve your video calls? Check out our roundups of the best video conferencing software, best business webcams and best headsets for conference calls

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November 9, 2021
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Mozilla has announced that Firefox is the first major browser to become available for download directly in the Windows Store on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Previously, Windows users that wanted to use Firefox instead of Microsoft Edge had to download the browser from the internet and go through a clunky process from Microsoft according to a new blog post from Mozilla. Now though, as Microsoft has changed its Windows Store policies, choosing Firefox as your default browser is a more seamless experience.

Downloading Mozilla's browser from the Windows Store is not only easier but it also gives you access to all of the latest Firefox features including Total Cookie Protection, Enhanced Tracking Protection, DNS over HTTPS, fast site loading using WebRender and Quantum CSS, Firefox Suggest, Multi Picture-in-Picture and personalization with seasonal Colorways.

Gecko engine

At the core of Firefox and all other browsers is a browser engine that is responsible for loading web pages from sites and displaying them on your screen. While Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome use Chromium as their browser engine, Firefox uses Mozilla's proprietary Gecko engine.

Until recently, Microsoft's store policies required that all browsers use the engine that Microsoft had built into its platform which prevented Mozilla from shipping Firefox to users through the Windows Store. In addition to giving users less choice, these policies also hurt the web as Windows users would only have access to the features Microsoft was willing to provide.

Thankfully though, now that Microsoft has changed its policies, Mozilla and other browser makers will be able to ship their products through the Windows Store regardless of which browser engine their software uses.

Firefox can now be downloaded through the Windows Store by clicking on this link though Mozilla's browser is also available for macOS and Linux.

Looking for a better browsing experience? Check out our roundups of the best browser and the best anonymous browser

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

November 7, 2021
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Working together with others outside your organization in Microsoft Teams will soon be possible thanks to a new update to Microsoft's online collaboration tool.

Workgroups often extend beyond one's organization with employees connecting with multiple external stakeholders including customers, vendors and partners. However, up until now, users had to rely on different software or even personal apps to collaborate with them.

Not only does this require employees to use multiple apps which takes longer and can reduce their productivity, it also creates security risks for both workers and their companies.

For this reason, Microsoft is currently working on two updates that leverage Microsoft Teams Connect and the secure access capabilities of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to make cross-organizational collaboration easier for businesses.

Cross-organizational collaboration

The first update involves shared channels which allow individuals and teams across multiple organizations to work together in Microsoft Teams. When this feature becomes available in preview early next year, shared channels will appear within each Member's Teams tenant alongside other teams and channels.

Users will also be able to schedule a shared channel meeting, use other Microsoft apps like Office and share each channel with up to 50 teams and as many organizations as they need. Meanwhile, admins can use cross-tenant access settings in Azure AD to configure granular and differentiated trust relationships for external collaboration with different organizations.

Microsoft is also working on another update scheduled to rollout by the end of this year that will enable Teams users to chat with others outside their network including those using Teams personal accounts. They'll be able to invite any Teams user to chat using an email address or phone number while remaining within the security and compliance policies of their organization.

Cross-organizational collaboration is the Teams update many users have been waiting for as it will allow Microsoft's collaboration tool and video conferencing software to become a one-stop-shop for all of their business dealings both internally and externally.

Looking to improve your Microsoft Teams experience? Check out our roundups of the best business webcams, best headsets for conference calls and best video conferencing software

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October 25, 2021
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In the latest update to its cloud storage service, Google has added full support for Apple M1 Macs to Google Drive for desktop.

With the release of version 52.0 of Google Drive for desktop, Mac users with a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini or iMac running Apple silicon can now take full advantage of the search giant's new unified client.

Google's new unified client also offers improved support for Apple's Photo Library including media that is synced with iCloud as part of Google Photos.

Google Drive for desktop

After years of maintaining two separate clients in the form of Backup and Sync for consumers and Drive File Stream for businesses, Google decided to merge them into one offering back in July.

While Backup and Sync gained “improved Apple M1 support” at the beginning of this year, Drive File Stream only added “open beta” support for Apple Silicon in February. An update in May brought improvements in regard to Apple M1 support though it was still a beta.

In addition to M1 Mac support, the latest Google Drive update also offers improved accessibility for folders and files created offline, support for some cameras to back up to Drive for desktop, the ability to manage and purchase additional cloud storage from within the client, improved sync performance when connecting to a network after working offline and other improvements.

Now that Google no longer has to maintain two separate clients, expect updates to Google Drive for desktop to begin rolling out at a faster pace.

Via 9to5Google

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