Newsletter 2014.03

 
 
Posted: Posted in: Newsletter

Welcome to the METHOD IT Newsletter for March 2014

IT Support Packages

Whether your business in Asia is a small startup or a large enterprise, whether you need a quick IT fix to get you up-and-running or long term support for your systems, we have all your tech needs covered with our fully customizable IT Management, Admin and Support packages.

Windows XP Support Ends April

A reminder that Microsoft support for Windows XP ends April 8 (April 9 in Japan). Find out what this means for your business, what steps you can take to secure XP machines, and what to consider when migrating to newer versions of Windows.

Tips & Tricks

Word and Outlook Security Risk

In a newly discovered attack, hackers are able hijack PCs using Word 2010 with just an email attachment in Rich Text Format (.rtf).
Other versions of Word are also vulnerable – 2003, 2007, 2013, 2013 RT and Office for Mac 2011. Outlook 2007, 2010 and 2013 are at risk since Word is the default viewer for previewing RTF attachments. Microsoft has issued a Fix it solution.
Read more »

Excel Power-ups

Think you know your way around Excel? Check out these eleven tips for power users.
Read more »

The Work/Life/Mobile Balance

Ten thoughtful tips on maintaining a work/life balance with permanently connected mobile devices.
Read more »

News from the Web

Finally! Office for iPad Arrives

In his first public appearance since becoming Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella unveiled MS Office for iPad on March 27. Word, Excel and PowerPoint are now available for free in the App Stores of 135 countries excluding Japan. (Microsoft Japan later published a blog post stating the release of the apps in Japan is currently under consideration.) The free apps function as viewers, but in order to edit documents an Office 365 subscription is required.
TechCrunch has put together an in-depth review with screenshots and a video walkthrough.
In terms of deployment, Office for iPad comes with some interesting enterprise security pros and cons.

Is Microsoft Having an Attack of the Freebies?

Memo-taking app Microsoft OneNote is now completely free for personal and academic users, going head-to-head with Evernote and its ilk. The newly released Mac version shot straight to number one in App Stores around the world.
In other news, smartphone manufacturers in India are being tempted with the offer of Windows Phone OS for free.
Microsoft is also rumored to be experimenting with a free version of Windows 8.1 supported by Bing integration.