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Published 
5 min read

PowerPoint 2013: Presentation is Everything 

<p>You wouldn’t wear your workout clothes to a job interview, unless of course you were applying as a personal trainer or professional athlete. When you make PowerPoint slides, you are probably trying to sell a product, make a point, or pass a class. It’s not so different from a job interview - you want to look your best. Well guess what? We want to help you look your best. When you open the new PowerPoint, you’ll see a start page with your recently opened presentations next to a gallery of new themes. In the Customer Preview, we’ve included eight newly designed themes, and the release version will have many more. </p>
Published 
6 min read

Introduction to the Data Model and Relationships in Excel 2013 

<p>This post is brought to you by Diego Oppenheimer a Program Manager on the Excel team. I am very happy to be writing this blog post today. Not just because I will be showing you another way Excel can make your data analysis easier but also because I will be introducing the new Data Model and Relationships features that will hopefully change the way you use Excel for data analysis forever. </p>
Published 
4 min read

How to add reflection, glow, rotation and other effects to your Visio shapes 

<p>One of the many tools you’ll find in the new Visio to help you make your diagrams look modern and professionally designed is the addition of shape effects. If you’ve used effects like shadow or reflection in PowerPoint you’re already familiar with how effects can add visual impact to a shape. In the new Visio we have added those same shape effects to allow you to make engaging and professional diagrams simply. In this post, we'll describe how to work with the new effects in Visio.</p>
Published 
2 min read

Plug into your data: Connecting Excel to an Access database 

Northwind Trading Company is a growing online wholesale food business. Orders from retail merchants are coming in from across the country and are being stored in an Access database. Now the marketing team needs a better way to view the mounds of data. Luckily, the same features that Excel provides for viewing and organizing information in a spreadsheet, can be used to view and organize information in an Access database. But first you need to create the connection.
Published 
7 min read

A new modern SkyDrive.com, updated apps, and Outlook.com at 10 million users 

Since we launched the Outlook.com preview two weeks ago, we have been truly humbled by the reception. We’ve received hundreds of great comments, participated in thousands of threads on @reddit, @gizmodo, @neowin and are excited to share that, as of  today, more than 10 million people have signed up and started using Outlook.com. Today, we’re
Published 
5 min read

Data entry made easy 

In Access 2013, we've made a lot of changes so that you can quickly make a great user interface for your web databases. First, Access 2013 will automatically generate useful views based on your data. Second, you'll be able to use special controls for dealing with related data—the related items control and the autocomplete control. With this interface, the people who use your app will have easy time entering data. Erik Kennedy, a Program Manager on Access explains in a video.
Published 
3 min read

Managing tasks in SharePoint 

<p>Almost any project we work on is collaborative these days.  A restaurateur might be working with his staff and publicists to develop and advertise a new menu.  A wedding planner might be working with florists and venue coordinators to make someone’s dream wedding come true.  You need a way to coordinate to-dos, easily communicate status, and stay in sync with your team without leaving your favorite tools. In the next version of SharePoint, you can add task management capabilities to enhance any team site so you can get organized, plan and track tasks, and communicate deadlines, all in the same place you store documents and notes.</p>
Published 
3 min read

New file format options in the new Office 

<p>In the next release of Office, we have added two additional formats for use: Strict Open XML and Open Document Format (ODF) 1.2. We have also added support for opening PDF documents so they can be edited within Word and saved to any supported format. By adding support for these standardized document formats, Microsoft Office 2013 provides users with more choice for office document interoperability. Regardless of your preferred document file format, the new Microsoft Office gives you more options for sharing, collaborating, and archiving office documents. This post explores the details of the support for these standards in the new Office.</p>
Published 
6 min read

Modern shapes in the new Visio: org chart, network, timeline, and more 

<p>Visio users tend to do one of two things after creating their diagram--share it or present it to others. Both of these scenarios require your diagram to look visually appealing. So, unsurprisingly, one piece of feedback users continually told us was that they wanted to make professional and modern looking diagrams. This week, we'll give you an overview of the changes we've made to Visio templates and shapes--what we call "content". Ultimately, when you combine Visio's new features with new content, it's easier than ever to produce professional and modern diagrams.  </p>