Microsoft 365 is bringing one of the best recent additions to OneNote over to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Those apps now include a fountain pen and a brush pen, giving you more options for taking notes.

Both pens rolled out to OneNote last year and can now be added to the Draw tab in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. They became popular for adding artistic flourishes to notes and annotations.

Unlike standard digital pens, the fountain pen and brush pen produce strokes with natural variation, mimicking the feel of writing on paper and avoiding the “too perfect” look of many digital tools.

"We know that many of you loved the Fountain pen and Brush pen introduced in OneNote on Windows a year ago, and we’re excited to bring them to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint," said Microsoft in a Tech Community post.

"Now, you can unleash your expressiveness and creativity with the Brush pen when adding ink and annotations in PowerPoint or Excel, or write your notes in Word with a bit more flourish using the Fountain pen."

The fountain pen replicates its real-world equivalent by allowing you to draw thin lines for detailed lettering. You can control how thick a line is with speed or pressure.

The brush pen is directional, meaning the thickness of your pen strokes depends on the angle of your stylus.

Mike Tholfsen, who is a product manager on the Microsoft Education team demonstrated the fountain pen in OneNote last year. That same pen is now available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

To use the new pens in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you need to be running Version 2508 (Build 19127.20000) or later of those apps. At least for now, the functionality is limited to Windows.

Considering macOS lacks pen support, the feature may not ever ship to that platform. But we could see the tools added to the Microsoft 365 apps on iPadOS or Android.

How to add pens to the Draw tab

Even if you don't use the fountain pen or brush pen, you may appreciate the additions. The new tools can make the drawing section of apps feel crowded, so Microsoft added the ability to add or remove different input methods.

You can also drag drawing tools around within that section to reorder them.

Here's how you can add the new pens to the Draw tab in supported Microsoft 365 apps:

• Open the Draw tab in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
• Select "Add" to add the fountain pen or brush pen.
• Click or press and hold any drawing tool and then drag it left or right to reorder your tools.
• To delete any drawing tool, press and hold or right-click, then select "Delete."
  • Alternatively, you can expand the options for a specific tool and select "Delete Tool."

While you're in that section, you can add multiple copies of specific tools. For example, you could add two highlighters set to different colors.

Microsoft Copilot can now create individual slides within PowerPoint based on either a prompt or a file. The new feature started rolling out this week and should shorten the amount of time and effort it takes to create a PowerPoint presentation.

"It takes time and brainpower to create presentation slides that are polished, engaging, and impactful," said Microsoft. "Microsoft Copilot can now assist you in this process by quickly turning an idea or existing file into a fully designed slide in Microsoft PowerPoint, with content ready to edit and refine."

To use the new feature, go to the Home tab in PowerPoint and select New Slide with Copilot or use the Copilot button within the app and select Add a slide. You will then be able to add a prompt or upload a file to reference.

At the moment, only Word documents are supported by the feature that lets you create a slide with Copilot.

The feature is currently limited. For example, it cannot respond to prompts that specify slide formatting such as font, colors, background, and images. Presumably, the feature will gain more capabilities over time.

Microsoft also shared a couple of tips and tricks in its post, such as the fact that you can point Copilot to a specific section or topic within a file to create a more accurate PowerPoint slide. You should also see better results when limiting requests to one or two key points or topics.

The new feature is available within PowerPoint for Windows. To create PowerPoint slides with Copilot, you need a Copilot license.

You also need to be on Version 2502 (Build 18526.20144) or later of the Microsoft 365 apps.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is adding a new way to interact with recently used Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents on iOS.
• You can access recently used files directly from the home screen through the new Recent Files widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iOS.
• The feature is rolling out to Microsoft Insiders but is expected to ship to broad availability soon.

Microsoft has announced a new and easier way to interact with recently used Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents on iOS. You access recently used files directly from the home screen via the Recent Files widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iOS.

Users can either view or open recently accessed files by adding the Recent Files widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to the home screen on their iPhone or iPad.  It's worth noting the Recent Files widget is available in different sizes (small, medium, and large) to accommodate your needs based on the device you're using. 

What's more, you can use the widget to launch the app's home page by tapping anywhere on the widget outside the file cards. It's worth noting that the feature is rolling out to Microsoft 365 Insiders running iOS Version 2.85 (Build 24042818) or later.

It's possible that you might not be able to access the new feature immediately, as it's rolling out in waves. Microsoft uses this precautionary measure to ensure everything runs smoothly before shipping a feature to broad availability. 

What you need to know

• Microsoft has improved animations within PowerPoint for the web.
• Feedback to the company explained that the previous workflow for animations was "daunting," so Microsoft revamped how to set and customize animations within PowerPoint.
• The Animation Pane now features cards for each item that can be customized and reordered with a familiar drag and drop movement.

Microsoft just rolled out an update to PowerPoint for the web that improves animations. The web version of PowerPoint now has an Animation Pane that's easy to use and that provides more controls over animations within a presentation. Each item within the Animation Pane has a card that can be reordered using drag and drop and that can be customized with a few clicks.

Microsoft explained in its blog post announcing the improvements that many find the current animation workflow to be "quite daunting." The update should fix that, as it has a more modern interface that is easier to use.

The updated animation features are available now, apart from a preview feature that Microsoft teased. At some point in the near future, you'll also be able to preview animations within PowerPoint for the web using a preview button.

Fixing PowerPoint animations

When it comes to ease of use, there's little to say about PowerPoint animations that would be considered a compliment. The best thing I can say is that animations work if you can figure them out. But the overall interface is clunky, and the web version of PowerPoint has even less animation controls than the desktop version.

The new animation pane within PowerPoint for the web is even easier to use than PowerPoint for the desktop's version. The same general options are there, but they're laid out in a way that's easier to understand and customize. Maybe I've gotten used to the drag and drop interface of smartphone apps, but the new animation pane within PowerPoint for the web just feels right.

Microsoft's blog post about the new animation features listed three priorities: being intuitive, being quick and efficient, and having a simple workflow. Based on my early testing, I'd say the new animation features check all of those boxes. The learning curve is smaller, the interface is more natural, and animations are easier to control and customize.

How to use animations in PowerPoint for the web

Microsoft outlines the steps on how to use animations in PowerPoint for the web. As a quick reminder, these features roll out gradually, so you may not see the updated animation options yet.

1. Open an existing presentation and select an object you want to animate. 
2. Select Animations > Animation Pane. 
3. In the Animation pane, click the Add Animation button. 
4. In the animation card for the selected object, edit the animation properties as needed.  
5. To add more than one animation to the selected object, click the Add button at the top of the task pane and notice that corresponding cards are added to the Animations pane.
6. To delete an applied animation, click the Delete icon in the top right corner of the corresponding card.
7. To reorder animations, select the six-dots (reordering dots) icon in the top-left of the card and drag the card to place the selected animation in a new position.

What you need to know

• PowerPoint for the web now supports inserting videos with closed captions and subtitles.
• It's possible to create closed captions and subtitles with a specialized tool or with a simple text editor like Notepad.
• Subtitles and closed captions make videos more accessible and are also useful for viewing videos in a crowded space or anywhere you need to have the volume turned down.
• PowerPoint for the web supports adding closed captions in multiple languages.

PowerPoint for the web now supports inserting videos with closed captions and subtitles. Microsoft announced the feature earlier this week in an Insider blog post, but the feature is available to all PowerPoint for the web users, no need to be an Insider.

Windows and Mac users can insert captions using PowerPoint for the web. Viewing captions works in PowerPoint for iOS but you cannot add captions using the app on that platform.

Closed captions first came out as an accessibility feature. While they still fit into that category, they're also used by a wider audience, such as those who need to watch a video with the volume down in a crowded space. Peter Wu, Microsoft Principal Software Engineer on the PowerPoint team, highlighted that closed captions are also useful for people who have difficulty understanding accents.

Microsoft outlined the steps to embed a video and insert captions in an Insider blog post:

1. Create a new presentation in PowerPoint for the web by going to https://ppt.new and signing in with your organization account or your personal Microsoft account.
2. Select Insert > Video > Insert Video From: This Device, and then select the video file you want to upload.
3. Select Video > Insert Captions, and then select the captions file in WebVTT format you would like to insert.

Closed captions files need to be in the WebVTT format, which can be made with a caption-creation tool or with text editor like Notepad. A separate support document from Microsoft outlines how to make closed captions files.

It's possible to add more than one captions file for a video, which allows you to support multiple languages.

• You can now spice up your PowerPoint presentation on iOS using the just released template collection.
• Microsoft has bumped the available templates in PowerPoint for iOS from 24 to 71.
• This new feature is already available for Insiders running version 2.74 (23051101) or later.  

A little over a week ago, Microsoft shipped several new features to PowerPoint for web users, including the capability to undo and redo ink strokes in presentations directly from the Draw tab, a laser pointer in slideshow mode designed to help presenters draw attention to certain sections in the slides, and more.

And now, Microsoft has shipped another new capability for PowerPoint for iOS users. This time, a new template collection.

Previously, users only had access to 24 templates, but the company has bumped them to 71. Microsoft added that the newly added templates are "socially friendly and ready," making them handy for creating "create posters, flyers, invitations, celebratory posts, and much more."

Launch the application on your device to access the new template collection and tap on the New > + sign. From this point, you'll have access to a wide array of templates. 

Moreover, you can further customize the template you've selected to meet your preference. The feature is currently rolling out to Insiders running on version 2.74 (23051101) or later. Features like these roll out gradually, so you may not see the new templates just yet.

At the beginning of this month, Microsoft debuted a special theme across Microsoft 365 apps for Mac and iOS to commemorate Pride Month. You can apply the theme across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and the Microsoft 365 app.

• Presenters will now be able to draw attention to their PowerPoint presentation with the laser pointer in slideshow mode.
• It's now easier for users to undo and redo ink strokes from the Draw tab in PowerPoint. 
• You'll be able to partially erase ink strokes using the Point Eraser tool on the Draw tab later this year.

Microsoft has announced the availability of several new PowerPoint features for the web designed to enhance the user experience. And as outlined in the new Microsoft 365 blog post, here's everything you need to know:

The company has refreshed the Draw tab in PowerPoint for the web by adding a couple of new capabilities. First is the ability to undo/redo ink strokes directly from the Draw tab. Previously, users were forced to navigate the Home tab to access the feature.

Additionally, Microsoft has also incorporated a new digital rule into the platform. It's designed to help users create and insert straight lines into their presentations.

Microsoft is also making it easier for presenters to draw attention to presentations. With the laser pointer in slideshow mode, users will now be able to highlight important points in their presentations as illustrated below:

You'll not need to erase the drawings on your presentation since the ink disappears after a short while.

Additionally, adding straight lines to your presentation using your digital pen and mouse is now easier. All you need to do is press the Shift key while inking.

All these features have already shipped to general availability for all PowerPoint for the web users. 

Microsoft also has indicated that it's working towards incorporating a new capability that lets users erase ink strokes using the Point Eraser tool on the Draw tab into the tool. The feature should roll out to users soon.

Microsoft held an event titled "The Future of Work with AI" today. During the presentation, the company introduced Copilot, a tool that uses AI to generate content across apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. Copilot is also available in Viva and a new experience called Business Chat.

You can watch Microsoft's AI event to catch up, but we've also broken down the highlights. Microsoft shared a blog post recapping today's announcements as well.

Copilot in Word

Copilot in Word can summarize documents and suggest edits as you write. The tool also has the ability to generate a draft of a document based on information from an organization. Copilot in Word supports picking between tones, such as professional or casual, and can help improve documents in other ways.

Copilot in Excel

Using Copilot in Excel should make it easier to make complex spreadsheets. The tool allows you to ask questions in natural language and will then suggest formulas to use. Copilot in Excel can find correlations in data, generate models based on questions, and find trends. It can also create visual aids, such as charts.                                    

Copilot in PowerPoint

PowerPoint's Copilot features focus on creating presentations. You can have the tool gather information from a Word document to create slides, including speaker notes and sources. You can also compress preexisting presentations to be much shorter with the tool.

Like Excel, PowerPoint will let you use natural language to enter commands, such as timing animations and reformatting text.

Copilot in Outlook

Copilot in Outlook will use AI to read through emails. It can then write replies for you, which should save some time. Like Word documents, text generated by Copilot in Outlook can be edited, so it's more helping you with a draft than creating something set in stone.

You'll also be able to create messages from notes that prompt the AI. The tone can be adjusted to fit specific emails as well.

Copilot in Teams

If you're late to a Teams meeting, Copilot will be able to help you out by creating a summary of what's been said so far. The tool can answer specific questions regarding a meeting as well.

Copilot will also be able to generate meeting agendas based on chat history, suggest who should follow up about specific items, and recommend a time to schedule check-ins.

Business Chat

Business Chat is a new experience that extends across different apps and data sources. It uses Microsoft Graph and AI to gather information from documents, presentations, emails, notes, calendars, and more.

Here are some commands shared by Microsoft as examples:

• Summarize the chats, emails, and documents about the [customer] escalation that happened last night.
• What is the next milestone on [project]. Were there any risks identified? Help me brainstorm a list of some potential mitigations.
• Write a new planning overview in the style of [filename A] that contains the planning timeline from [filename B] and incorporates the project list in the email from [person].

Copilot in Viva

Copilot will integrate with Microsoft Viva in several areas, including Viva Engage. The tool will highlight trending topics from workplaces to help leaders better interact with colleagues. It will share suggestions for posts and will have the ability to add images and adjust the tone of text as well.

Copilot within Viva Engage will also suggest responses to help conversations continue and provide prompts to spark communication.

What you need to know

• Microsoft 365 Copilot was just announced at The Future of Work with AI event presented by Microsoft.
• The tool uses artificial intelligence to generate content across a range of applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams.
• Microsoft's approach to AI connects apps, allowing users to generate content in one program by gaining insight from specific documents.

Microsoft just unveiled AI features for its Microsoft 365 suite of applications. Microsoft 365 Copilot brings artificial intelligence to a range of programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. They center around the same concept, using AI to generate content intelligently.

An Microsoft 365 blog post outlines everything Copilot can do. Copilot is in testing with 20 customers, eight of which are Fortune 500 companies. More customers will be able to test Copilot in preview over the coming months.

Microsoft showed off a variety of features during today's event, including asking Microsoft 365 Copilot to prepare for a meeting, AI generating meeting notes for a Teams call someone joined late, and PowerPoint creating a presentation based on a specific document.

Copilot can use insights and information from one Microsoft app to generate content in another. For example, Details from a Word document can help create a PowerPoint presentation.

It's also possible to use Copilot to prepare for and catch up on Teams meetings. If you join a meeting late, Copilot can make meeting notes for everything you've missed. It can also help create a meeting agenda based on chat history and suggest which people should follow up with specific tasks. 

Business Chat is a new experience from Microsoft that brings together information from your documents, files, emails, and other areas. The feature is accessible through Teams and Microsoft365.com.

Within Outlook, Copilot can read an email sent to you and generate a reply.

Microsoft has made several AI announcements this year, including launching the new Bing powered by ChatGPT and features for Microsoft Teams.

This is a developing news story, and we will update it as more information becomes available.

What you need to know

• MIcrosoft has revealed that new AI capabilities coming to PowerPoint.
• AI "Copilot" will help you design entire presentations just by asking.
• The AI can even use other documents for inspiration and topic focus.

Microsoft has announced that it's bringing AI to PowerPoint via a new "Copilot" feature that will let users use natural language to ask PowerPoint to create entire presentations based on a particular topic, and even the ability to refer to other documents for information and inspiration.

The Copilot also understands commands such as "add animations to this slide," and using descriptive language, can even apply different styles per slide or across the entire presentation. The ability to talk to PowerPoint like a person and ask it to create things based on ideas you have in your head is going to be game changing for users.

Here's how Microsoft details Copilot for PowerPoint:

"Copilot in PowerPoint helps you turn your ideas into stunning presentations. As your storytelling partner, Copilot can transform existing written documents into decks complete with speaker notes and sources or start a new presentation from a simple prompt or outline. Condense lengthy presentations at the click of a button and use natural language commands to adjust layouts, reformat text, and perfectly time animations."

Microsoft has been on an AI rampage over the last month, and it started with adding a new AI Copilot to the Bing search engine. Since then, Bing has surpassed 100 million users, with one third of those users using AI on a daily basis to conduct internet searches and creative tasks.

Microsoft isn't just stopping with Bing, as it's now announced new AI capabilites in Word, Excel, and Outlook in addition to PowerPoint. Copilot functions similarly in all Office apps, being capable of generate content specified by the user, with context from other sources where necessary. Be sure check out the Microsoft event from 8am PT to see the news announced.

Microsoft says AI in PowerPoint will roll out over the coming months, and is in very limited testing with some enterprise customers now. 

What you need to know

• Closed captions are now supported in PowerPoint Live presentations shared through Microsoft Teams.
• Users can add closed caption files to a presentation using PowerPoint for Windows or macOS.
• Individual Teams meeting attendees can toggle closed captions on or off.

PowerPoint Live just gained a new feature that makes presentations more accessible. It's now possible for Microsoft Teams meeting attendees to turn closed captions on or off for any video that includes captions. The functionality should help those that are deaf, hard of hearing, or that are in an environment that makes it difficult to hear.

People creating PowerPoint presentations can add a closed caption file to make the slides more accessible. The option is available for PowerPoint for Windows and macOS.

Microsoft outlines how to add closed captions to a PowerPoint presentation:

1. Select the video and select Insert Captions from the Playback Ribbon
2. In the Insert Captions dialog box, select the WebVTT file or files that should be included
3. Select Insert

When a person shares a PowerPoint presentation through Microsoft Teams that has a closed caption file, meeting attendees will see a button to switch captions on or off.

Microsoft also lists the steps to turn captions on when using PowerPoint Live in a Teams meeting:

1. In PowerPoint Live, click on the closed captions button on the video player
2. Select the preferred language from the dropdown menu
3. Closed captions are now turned on

"Closed captions make PowerPoint presentations more accessible and benefit everyone who watches videos, especially those watching videos in their non-native language, people learning to read, and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing," said Microsoft in its Tech Community post.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is testing support for portrait orientation in PowerPoint on iOS.
• The feature is currently available for Insiders on iPhones and iPads.
• It's possible to switch between portrait and landscape mode when creating new slides or when viewing preexisting slides.

Microsoft PowerPoint on iOS now supports portrait mode for Insiders. The option allows you to switch between portrait mode and landscape mode when viewing preexisting slides or creating new ones. Microsoft announced the feature in a recent Insider blog post and shared some screenshots of it in action.

"With a shift towards mobile-first content creation, we have heard from many of you that you prefer to do so in Portrait mode. Based on your feedback, we have added the capability to switch [in] and out of Portrait mode when both creating and editing slides!"

Microsoft outlined the steps to try out portrait mode on iPads and iPhones:

Use Portrait mode on iPad

1. Either open an existing presentation or create one.
2. On to the Design tab, tap on Orientation.
3. Tap Portrait and see the slide in focus change to Portrait orientation.

Use Portrait mode on iPhones

1. Either open an existing presentation or create one.
2. On the Home tab, tap Design, and then tap Orientation.
3. Tap Portrait and see the slide in focus change to Portrait orientation.

You may not see the option to switch between portrait mode and landscape mode, even if you're an Office Insider. While the new feature is rolling out with version 2.68 of the app (Build 22112003), Microsoft releases Insider features gradually. 

What you need to know

• Microsoft Create is now available in preview.
• The service brings together several pieces of Microsoft tech for content creation, including Word, PowerPoint, and Clipchamp.
• Create includes templates for several apps, all of which can be customized.

Microsoft Create is now available in early preview. Create brings together several services, including Word, PowerPoint, and Clipchamp. It was announced earlier this month and recently launched in preview. Microsoft announced availability earlier this week and highlighted some of Create's features in an Insider blog post.

Create gathers together Microsoft's apps for content production into a unified workspace. It connects to Designer, Clipchamp, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Forms. People can use it to make a variety of items, such as resumes, social media videos, and presentations.

Designer is another new app from Microsoft that uses AI to generate content. Create connects to Designer, but you need to have signed up for early access to the latter, which can be done through Designer's website.

It was possible to navigate to the Create website before the blog post came out, but as it's still a new service, it's worth highlighting. Microsoft's Katharine Grant shared some examples of how to use Microsoft Create:

• Make a fun TikTok video that gets all the views. From the top navigation bar, select Templates > TikTok and find a template you like. Use Clipchamp to add your own video clips, change the messaging, apply effects, and then share. 
• Celebrate an upcoming birthday with a custom party invitation. From the top navigation bar, select Templates > Birthday to browse the collection, customize it with the date, time, and place, and then share it with your family and friends. 
• Create a captivating story for your next business proposal, school report, or even a personal project like sharing family tree research.  Select Templates > Presentations, find a template that matches your style the best, and then customize it in PowerPoint to best tell your unique story.

In the latest chapter of features that should have shipped ages ago, Microsoft is working on a way to let users highlight text in PowerPoint on iOS devices. This has been a highly requested feature for quite some time. Microsoft's Ekta Dwivedy outlined the new option in a recent post. Users will be able to highlight any text within a PowerPoint presentation when using an iOS device.

"We received many requests for this capability in PowerPoint for iPhones and iPads, and it’s finally here! Now you can highlight any text in a text box, table, or shape on your PowerPoint slides," said Dwivedy. "You can also undo any highlighting that others have added (something not previously possible in iOS)."

The latter feature mentioned in the post likely should have come out a while ago as well, but it's always good to gain options.

In case you've never highlighted text before, Microsoft outlines the steps to do so:

• On your iPhone, simply select the text you want to highlight and tap on the Highlight button in the toolbar above the keyboard (next to the font color option). You can also select the highlight color of your choice!
• On your iPad, just tap the Highlight option on the ribbon under the Home tab; you can also select a highlight color in the pop-up menu.

The new highlighting options are available for Office Insiders running version 2.63 (Build 22062602) or later. Note that Insider features are released gradually, so you may not be able to use the new highlighting tools just yet, even if you're on the latest build of PowerPoint.

To test Insider builds of PowerPoint and the other Office apps on iOS, you have to sign up through TestFlight. Unfortunately, the beta for PowerPoint is full. You can check Microsoft's Office Insider app page to see which ones have openings.

What you need to know

• Office Insiders can now use cameo within PowerPoint's Recording Studio to create and customize recordings of presentations.
• Microsoft is also testing the option to customize line spacing within PowerPoint for iPad.
• Both new features are currently available to Office Insiders and should make their way to general users in the future.

Microsoft has a couple of new PowerPoint features in testing among Office Insiders. Testers on Windows can now use cameo within PowerPoint's Recording Studio. This allows presenters to customize how their video feed appears. Additionally, Office Insiders with iPads can now adjust line spacing within presentations.

Cameo allows presenters to record their camera feed and place it within a PowerPoint presentation. This can make a set of slides much more personal and add in-depth descriptions. Support for cameo within Recording Studio adds another layer of personalization, such as customizing a camera feed, using different styles and shapes, and choosing where a camera feed appears on a slide.

Insiders running Beta Channel Version 2207 (Build 15425.20000) or later can use cameo within Recording Studio.

In addition to the new feature for recording presentations, Microsoft is working on support for altering line spacing within the iPad version of PowerPoint. Microsoft's Ekta Dwivedy said in a blog post that this is one of the most-requested features for PowerPoint for iPad.

Now, Insiders running version 2.59 (Build 22030101) or later can specify their desired spacing before and after paragraphs. The feature also supports adjusting spacing within blocks of text and in other areas of presentations.

Microsoft notes in its Insider blog posts that features are released over time, so even if you're an Office Insider, you may not have these options just yet.

What you need to know

• Custom organization font integration is on its way to PowerPoint.
• The feature is currently set to arrive in March 2022, though that date is more an estimate than anything else.
• It can be found by searching for feature ID 90893 in the Microsoft 365 roadmap.

The Microsoft 365 roadmap is always updating itself with new, exciting features, and one more just got added to the docket, this time for PowerPoint. Soon, PowerPoint for Windows will allow organizations to inject their very own fonts into the mix.

You can find the feature in question over at the Microsoft 365 roadmap by searching for feature ID 90893. There, you'll find one tagged "PowerPoint: Organization Fonts in PowerPoint for Windows" with the following description: "This feature will allow organizations to add their custom fonts into PowerPoint."

It's slated for March 2022 general availability, though as is the case with dates on the roadmap, the feature's predicted release window is just an estimate, not a guarantee. So don't go placing any bets as to whether Microsoft will come through in accordance with its own anticipated timeline. For example, look at the Surface Duo. That thing still hasn't received a major Android OS update people have been expecting since the middle of 2021 and that Microsoft later said would happen by the end of 2021.

With that said, font feature updates in PowerPoint don't seem like the most unreasonable thing to expect timely delivery on, so if your organization has a custom font waiting in the wings, ready to hit the slides, stay frosty. March 2022 is right around the corner, so long as your definition of a corner is "a period of two or so months."

What you need to know

• Microsoft PowerPoint will soon support modern comments for business and enterprise users.
• Modern comments allow you to anchor comments to text and objects.
• The feature also brings improved @ mentions and the ability to mark comments as resolved.

Microsoft PowerPoint is gaining support for modern comments. The new feature makes it much easier to collaborate with people, and it supports anchoring comments to objects and text. It also brings improved @ mentions to the presentation app.

The ability to anchor comments to text or objects makes it much easier to follow along. Support for @ mentions also makes it much easier to notify people of a required change or comment. When a comment is responded to, you can mark it as resolved. This will hide the comment from the margins while keeping it available in the comment pane.

The feature, which was highlighted by OnMSFT, is marked as "In development" on the Microsoft 365 roadmap and is currently marked for a June release. Microsoft also has a support document about modern comments in PowerPoint that speaks about the feature in the present tense, so it may be available for some people already.

There are a few reasons that you may not see the new feature right now. It's only available for business and enterprise customers at the moment. It's also turned off by default for enterprise installations, admins have to turn it on. Support for consumer versions of PowerPoint is on the way, but Microsoft doesn't have a release date at this time.

Here's the complete description of the feature from the Microsoft 365 roadmap:

Microsoft also shows off the feature in a video from its support page.

Modern comments will be available on PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, Android, iOS, and the web.

What you need to know

• You can now turn Microsoft Word documents into PowerPoint presentations.
• The feature is available on Word and PowerPoint for the web for Microsoft 365 subscribers.
• At the moment, the feature only supports text content.

You can now easily convert Word documents into PowerPoint presentations using a new feature from Microsoft. The feature is available in Word and PowerPoint for the web for people with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

The feature uses AI to make slides based on the headers in your documents. It also looks at key words in your document to suggest images, icons, videos, themes, and fonts for your presentation. The feature only works with text content for now, but you can add your own media after it converts things over.

Here's Microsoft's description of the feature from a Tech Community post:

Since the feature converts documents into a PowerPoint presentation, you can easily enhance or tweak the presentation in case things don't port over as you'd like.

The first comment on the Tech Community post is a fun demonstration of the feature in action. Microsoft MVP John Moore pasted the article about the feature into Word and exported it to PowerPoint.

From what we can see, the feature seems to do a good job of creating a functional presentation from a Word document. I tried doing the same thing and saw similar results.

What you need to know

• PowerPoint Presenter Coach is now available on all major platforms.
• The tool initially launched on the web but is now on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
• Microsoft also expanded the areas that the tool can help you improve on.

Microsoft's PowerPoint Presenter Coach is now available on all major platforms. The tool initially launched in 2019 on the web but is now on Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac. In addition to rolling out the tool to all major platforms, Microsoft expanded the areas that it can help you in terms of feedback. These three new critique areas are limited to the web version of PowerPoint Presenter Coach at the moment.

Microsoft's PowerPoint Presenter Coach is a tool that helps you improve your presentations. It uses AI to help people improve their presentations with feedback and coaching. The tool gives you real-time feedback and also provides reports for reviewing your presenting skills.

The tool can tell you if you're speaking in a monotone pitch, use filler words, or use poor grammar. It can also keep a virtual eye out for unoriginal content and sensitive phrases that people should avoid.

The three new areas that the tool can critique you in our body language, repetitive language, and pronunciation. Microsoft outlines these areas in more detail in a recent post. They're all available in preview now on the web and should help presenters deliver more professional presentations.

What you need to know

• Office Insiders can now convert Word documents into PowerPoint presentations.
• The feature adds imagery, icons, videos, themes, and fonts using AI.
• First Release Insiders using Word for the web are the first people who can test it out.

Microsoft is testing out a nifty new feature for creating PowerPoint presentations. The company recently announced the ability to transform Word documents into PowerPoint presentations. The feature is rolling out gradually to Insiders. First Release Insiders using Word for the web are the first people who can try it.

According to Microsoft's Insider blog post, the Transform command will create a presentation based on the summarized sections of a document. It will also add images, icons, videos, themes, and fonts using AI.

If you're an Insider with this option available, you can try it using these steps outlined by Microsoft:

1. Open any document you want to convert into a presentation in Word for the web.
2. Click File > Transform > Transform to PowerPoint presentation.
3. When prompted, choose a design theme for your presentation.
4. Click Open presentation to review the results in PowerPoint for the web.
5. The presentation will be created in the OneDrive root folder of the user who used this option.

The feature hasn't appeared on my system yet. Even if you are an Insider, you may have to wait for a bit to test it out.

If you aren't an Office Insider but would like to be, you can follow our guide on how to enroll in the Office Insider program on Windows 10.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has new updates out for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iPad.
• The three apps now fully support trackpads.
• There are updated Start Screens and Ribbons as well.

Microsoft today announced a suite of updates for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iPad. The company says that this is part of its commitment "to making sure Microsoft 365 users have the best experience possible on any technology platform they use."

Even if it's iPad.

The standout change is the arrival of full trackpad and mouse support, allowing for easier document control and editing across all three apps.

Microsoft has also updated the Start Screens and Ribbons of the apps, making the experience cleaner and "more modern" than before.

Some people will already have seen these updates as part of a phased rollout but everyone else will see them arrive within the next few weeks, the company says.

What you need to know

• PowerPoint and OneDrive will soon support Immersive Reader.
• Immersive Reader makes content easier to read for people with Dyslexia.
• October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Microsoft's Immersive Reader is rolling out to more of the company's apps later this year. Over the next few months, PowerPoint and OneDrive will gain support for Immersive Reader. Additionally, students can enable Immersive Reader within OneNote Forms now. Microsoft outlines Immersive Reader support in a new post.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and October 2020 is also the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Immersive Reader was originally created to help people with Dyslexia, though the program has evolved to also help in other areas.

Immersive Reader allows you to customize the look of text. You can try out the tool on Microsoft Edge to see the options it provides. It can highlight and label parts of speech, change the size and theme of text, focus on specific lines, and has several other ways to make reading easier.

Adding Immersive Reader support to PowerPoint is one of the most requested features, according to Microsoft. When support rolls out, you'll be able to select text from any PowerPoint slide and open the text with Immersive Reader. The notes section of each slide will also support Immersive Reader.

Before the end of this year, you'll be able to view OneDrive documents with Immersive Reader as well.

Immersive Reader support for OneNote Forms is already available, allowing you to read through content within Forms more easily.

What you need to know

• Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries can now be opened directly within Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
• The integration makes it easy to add logos and images from the cloud.
• The integration also works with type styles.

Adobe announced a new integration with Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. Now, Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries can be opened directly within the popular Office programs. This makes it easy to add logos, images, and type styles to Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.

Creative Cloud Libraries is a tool used by many creators and organizations to organize brand elements and images. For example, an organization might store brand-approved logos that can now be easily used as a watermark or signature within a document. Additionally, a presenter might use it to add images to a presentation using Creative Cloud Libraries to illustrate their points.

Adobe states that this integration will streamline workflows. Now, people don't need to jump in and out of the File Explorer to grab assets. Additionally, assets can be shared on the cloud that works well with the Adobe Creative Suite and is used throughout an entire organization or group of creators.

What you need to know

• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are now testing dark mode on iOS 13.
• The move is part of an overall dark mode rollout across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
• Insiders beta testing each app through TestFlight can grab an early look at dark mode across all four apps on iOS 13 now.

More apps in the Office ecosystem across iOS 13 are picking up a fresh dark mode look today — at least for beta testers. Microsoft revealed today that the dark modes, which were announced earlier this summer, are now rolling out for Office Insiders testing Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote on iOS 13.

These dark modes mostly look as you'd expect, with black backgrounds highlighted by white text across each app. There's also plenty of each app's brand color throughout, which pops against the black background. Dark mode can be enabled in each app by toggling your iOS 13 system appearance settings from light to dark.

These rollouts are part of a larger push from Microsoft to roll out dark mode across its Microsoft 365 app lineup. We've seen dark mode roll out to Outlook and OneDrive so far, along with Microsoft To Do earlier today. In August, Microsoft released a video offering an early peek at what dark mode will look like across its lineup.

Assuming testing goes well, Microsoft is planning to release dark mode across these apps to everyone on iOS 13 next week.

All of Microsoft's iOS and Android beta programs, and how to sign up

What you need to know

• Office for the web has several new features that improve presenting content to others.
• Presenter Coach, Inking in PowerPoint for the web, and 3-D models will help users portray their ideas.
• Many new features are available in preview for some platforms but will roll out more broadly in the near future.

Office for the web has several new features that help users portray and present their ideas. The new features are outlined in a new Microsoft 365 post and include Presenter Coach in PowerPoint for the web, Inking in Office for the web, and templates for Microsoft Whiteboard. Several of the new features are available now in public preview but will be rolled out across more platforms in the near future.

Presenter Coach helps users improve their PowerPoint presentations on the web. It uses AI to help presenters improve their speaking by giving on-screen feedback in real-time. It gives presenters feedback on pacing, language, and filler words. At the end of a presentation, Presenter Coach provides a report that helps users know where they can improve. Presenter Coach is in public preview now for users of PowerPoint on the web.

Microsoft has also added several new inking features to Office for the web. Users can now ink on PowerPoint for the web and annotate presentations in real-time. PowerPoint on the web now also supports Ink Replay. This feature allows users to have ink appear step by step to illustrate a point. Ink Replay and annotating slide shows on PowerPoint on the web are available for Office Insiders on both Windows and Mac devices.

Microsoft also announced the ability to use templates on Microsoft Whiteboard. Additionally, users can use new 3-D models inside PowerPoint for the web to help illustrate presentations. The new 3-D models are available now for Office 365 subscribers on Windows.

What you need to know

• A new update rolled out to Office Insiders in the Monthly Channel (Targeted) ring.
• The update brings a couple of new features, including the option to save PowerPoint slides and objects as SVG files.
• All of the new features rolled out to Fast ring Insiders previously.

Office Insiders in the Monthly Channel (Targeted) ring have some new features to play with following a recent update. New features are available for Word and PowerPoint. The update brings the version number to 1908 (build 12026.20108). An Insider Office post fully breaks down the update. The same features rolled out to Insiders in the Fast ring in August.

PowerPoint gained several new features related to saving items as SVG files. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic) files can be scaled up and down without losing details. PowerPoint now has the ability to save objects as SVG files. This is handy if you need to scale up a chart or graph to make a poster or large graphic. Insiders can also save an entire slide or presentation as an SVG. As you would expect, raster images such as PNGs and JPEGs will still render as raster images. These file formats are not vector files and cannot scale the same way as SVGs.

Word gained a Rewrite feature that gives suggestions to help you rephrase sentences. You can select a phrase up to seven words and have Word suggest several ways to rephrase it.

What you need to know

• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint gained a sparkle animation for inking on iOS.
• Word also gained a new eraser size.
• Excel gained a new "Focus on What's Left to Do" feature.

Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iOS all have new updates. The updates bring a sparkle animation for ink strokes as well as a couple of smaller features for Word and Excel. The updates are available to all users through the App Store.

In addition to the sparkle animation, Word on iOS now has two erasers so users will have more precision when correcting mistakes. Additionally, Excel on iOS will "collapse comments and make open items stand out" when "Focus on What's Left to Do" is selected.

Microsoft shipped several updates to apps this week, including the option to draw with your finger in OneNote on iOS. Microsoft To Do got a design refresh as well as a slight name change that dropped the hyphen from the app name.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is bringing a dark mode to Outlook and the rest of its Office mobile apps.
• Outlook and Office.com will see the updates today, while the rest of the Office mobile suite will be updated alongside iOS 13's launch.
• This brings the mobile apps in line with the rest of Microsoft's Office suite on other platforms.

Microsoft announced today that it's finally bringing a dark mode to Outlook mobile, the rest of the Office mobile suite, and Office.com. Outlook mobile and Office.com are the first to get the treatment starting today, while the rest of the Office mobile apps will follow once iOS 13 launches later this year.

"A cross-company design collaboration propels us to seamlessly bring Dark Mode to the broader M365 product suite, and today marks the initial rollout of Dark Mode on Outlook for iOS and Android, as well as Office.com," Microsoft said in a blog post announcing the new design. "The upcoming launch of iOS 13 will then extend this rollout to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive, Planner, and To-Do on mobile."

Microsoft says that it conducted research into the contexts in which people might use dark mode, specifically looking to avoid experiences where dark mode "can be neon or overly bright." The design they settled on for Outlook was met with a positive response, with people describing it as "crisp, clear, and aesthetically pleasing."

One of the benefits of dark mode is that it can reduce eye strain, but Microsoft is also focused on reducing battery consumption as well. When you engage battery saver mode on Android today, it will automatically switch Outlook to dark mode. In the next updates to iOS and Android, Outlook will automatically switch over to dark mode according to your OS preferences.

Another goal, Microsoft says, was to align all of the Office apps in terms of design. The teams settled on a single palette, along with details like contrast and brand color saturation to produce a sense of consistency across apps.

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on mobile are set to pick up their dark mode treatments alongside the launch of iOS 13 later this year. Dark mode for Planner and OneDrive on the web are also in the works, but there's no hard timeline available for those updates just yet.

What you need to know

• Minecraft: Education Edition gets Immersive Reader support.
• Immersive Reader is now open to third-parties thru Azure Cognitive Services.
• PowerPoint now has a Presenter Coach.
• Teams for Education gets a simplified view.

Microsoft is getting a jump start on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2019 conference happening June 23 in Philadelphia by announcing some big news around Minecraft and PowerPoint.

The news follows the company's push for inclusive design and accessibility for all to help students learn in the classroom, all powered by Windows 10. Microsoft has been making a big push in the education market since CEO Satya Nadella began refocusing the company, and for this year, Microsoft is again setting the bar even higher.

Minecraft and Immersive Reader

Minecraft: Education Edition, a special version of the game that can teach history, chemistry, coding, and other skills, is getting Microsoft's Immersive Reader support. The new feature will let the game "read in-game text, character dialogue, chalkboards and more."

Originating from a 2015 hackathon, Immersive Reader is a vital tool to help students with dyslexia participate in modern learning. Starting in OneNote, Microsoft has expanded the service to more apps over the years.

Related: How Microsoft's Immersive Reader tackles Dyslexia — and wins

Beyond just Minecraft, however, Immersive Reader is becoming another tool in Microsoft's Azure Cognitive Service – prefabricated skills and tools that companies can leverage in their own apps without having to invest in coding, research, AI, and more.

Microsoft points to Skooler – a service for teachers, students, and parents that also connects to Office 365 – which successfully piloted Immersive Reader in its app. Now, more companies are getting on board with the tech including Buncee, CollabCo, DigiExam, Follett, JogNog, Kortext, Lifeliqe, Mindsets Learning, Nearpod, OhBot, Oxford Press, Pear Deck, PowerSchool, Skooler, Squigl, ThingLink, and Wakelet.

Immersive Reader and Microsoft's continued expansion of the service should prevent students with reading challenges from being left behind in those critical school years. By meeting kids where they are "at," such as gaming in Minecraft, it shows learning can be fun.

PowerPoint and Presenter Coach

Next up, PowerPoint, which is the go-to app for presenting reports and analysis for students and adults of all ages, is getting a new Presenter Coach. The app is built into PowerPoint and lets presenters practice their presentations while receiving instant feedback on how to improve and what to avoid. From Microsoft:

Presenter Coach should be available on PowerPoint for the web later this summer.

Microsoft is also announcing that Narrator can have a new voice, with voices "in 50 different languages without having to download language packs". The tool will be especially useful for English Language Learners (ELL) and English-speaking students who are trying to learn a new language.

Teams for Education gets simpler

Following the earlier announcement on June 10 regarding new features in Teams for Education, Microsoft is going into more details about what teachers should expect in the coming school year.

The main new feature is a simplified view of teams within the app itself. Initially, Microsoft Teams was meant for corporate and enterprise use, but with the turn two years ago towards schools, Microsoft is now tailoring the experience based on teacher feedback.

The new simplified look makes it easier to move teams around and manage workloads. Additional features include:

• Big, easy-to-find visual icons for each of your teams and classes.
• A more focused way to create and track all of your assignments.
• A new grade book so teachers can view and grade all of their assignments for a class directly from the channel's Grades tab and view a single student's progress across assignments.
• A new "Share To Teams" button that allows teachers to share resources with their classes directly from a learning source like Brittanica, Kahoot, Buncee, ThingLink, or Wakelet.
• The ability to import existing OneNote content into your Class or Staff Teams, allowing you to access all your information from a single location.

The "Share to Teams" button is a significant advancement as it means Teams is getting so popular that external websites are now adding dedicated buttons for the app and service. This feature lets students and teachers with a simple click import a news article, image, or other research right into the app.

These new features should help solidify Microsoft's presence in schools.

For more information, Microsoft encourages educators to try its site dedicated to student-centered learning and to try using the Immersive Reader. Additionally, educators can sign up to become a Microsoft Innovative Educator to dive deeper into Microsoft's education services.

Awesome Minecraft merch

Love Minecraft? We're fairly certain you'll love these accessories equally.

Minecraft Sprites Premium T-Shirt ($19 at Amazon)

Show off your Minecraft pride with this premium tee from Jinx, showcasing many of Minecraft's iconic mobs.

Minecraft Lego: The End Battle ($20 at Amazon)

Who doesn't want a Lego Ender Dragon?

Minecraft for Nintendo Switch ($30 at Amazon)

Minecraft for Nintendo Switch features full cross-play between Xbox, Windows 10, mobile phones, and even VR!

Minecraft shades ($8 at Amazon)

You might think you're cool, but are you cool enough to wear these?

What you need to know

• PowerPoint Designer has gained several features that focus on branding and themes.
• Designer can add contextual perspective to your slides.
• PowerPoint Designer has created 1 billion slides.

PowerPoint Designer is an AI effort that makes it easy to enhance presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint. It can read the information you have on your screen and suggest design ideas and ways to help illustrate your data. PowerPoint Designer has been around for a few years but recently helped create its one billionth slide. It also has recently gained a number of new features that are rolling out to Office Insiders and Office 365 subscribers.

The first new feature is the ability to work with branded templates. Designer can choose content that fits a branded layout, intelligently crop images, and recommend relevant icons and pictures automatically. Organizations can optimize their templates to work seamlessly with Designer to improve the experience.

If you don't have a branded template or want to build a slideshow from scratch, Designer can make contextual suggestions. In the blog post announcing the new features, Microsoft shares an example of typing "Q3 Data Analytics" and then several relevant photos appearing in the sidebar. All of these images can be used commercially.

Finally, Designer gained the ability to add perspective to data. The same blog post shared the example that if you type that an airplane flies at an altitude of 30,000 feet, Designer will recommend adding the fact that 30,000 feet is roughly the height of Mount Everest. Unlike the other features that are rolling out to Office Insiders, Perspectives is rolling out to Office 365 subscribers right now.

In addition to the improvements to PowerPoint Designer, Microsoft also announced the upcoming availability of Presenter Coach, a tool designed to help people share presentations. It has advice and information that can help you improve your presenting skills and also has a rehearsal mode that gives you guidance during your practice presentations. Presenter Coach is set to come out to the web later in the Summer of 2019.

Affordable accessories that'll pair perfectly with your PC

Every one of these awesome PC accessories will enhance your everyday experience — and none cost more than $30.

KLIM Aim RGB gaming mouse ($30 at Amazon)

Whether you're a gamer or not, this is an absurdly good mouse for the price. It's ambidextrous, has a responsive sensor, a braided cable, tank-like build quality, and, yes, it has RGB lighting, though you can turn it off if that's not your thing.

AmazonBasics USB speakers ($16 at Amazon)

These neat little speakers may only pack 2.4W of total power, but don't let that fool you. For something so small you get a well-rounded sound and a stylish design. And they only cost $16.

Razer mouse bungee ($20 at Amazon)

Use a wired mouse? You need a mouse bungee to keep your cable tidy and free of snags. You get no drag on the cable, and this one has subtle styling, a rust-resistant spring and a weighted base, all for $20.

Microsoft is taking a step forward in making Skype more accessible today with the launch of live call captions and subtitles. Coinciding with the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the new feature will give users a real-time transcription of what's being said in a call, making it easier to keep up for everyone, but particularly for those who may require assistance due to a hearing disability.

Captions and subtitles can be turned on with a simple toggle, either for a single call or for all calls. If you're in a call, you can switch the setting on by selecting the "+" icon and toggling "Turn subtitles on." If you want to use them in every call, you can head to the "Calling" section of your Skype settings and toggle "Show subtitles for all voice and video calls."

Once turned on, captions will automatically scroll across the screen in your call. In the future, Microsoft is planning to expand this feature to show all transcriptions on their own in a side window.

In the coming weeks, Microsoft says it is also planning to launch live translations, allowing you to view subtitles a language of your choosing. At launch, subtitle translations will support more than 20 languages.

Finally, Skype isn't the only place Microsoft is rolling out captions and subtitles. The company also announced it will begin rolling out the feature for presentations in PowerPoint in early 2019. Like in Skype, PowerPoint will use AI and speech recognition to make presentations more accessible, allowing people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or non-native speakers, to keep up with what's being said in real-time. At launch, PowerPoint captions will support 12 spoken languages and on-screen subtitles for more than 60 languages.

See at Microsoft

In May 2014, Microsoft launched the Office Mix preview, a novel add-in for PowerPoint that allowed users to add interactive elements to their presentations. More than three years after its initial release, Microsoft has announced (via Paul Thurrott) that it is retiring Office Mix and integrating its best features into PowerPoint itself.

"Thanks to the positive feedback from our users during the Preview we are excited to share that we are bringing the best of Office Mix directly into PowerPoint, Microsoft Stream, and Microsoft Forms for Office 365 subscribers on Windows PCs," Microsoft says. That includes baking Office Mix features into the recording tab within PowerPoint. You'll also be able to publish your recordings to Microsoft Stream "in the coming months" to easily share them across an organization, Microsoft says.

As a result of the move, Microsoft will be gradually shutting down the Office Mix website over the coming months, leading to its total retirement on May 1, 2018. Here's a rundown of the timeline, from Microsoft:

• October 20, 2017: If you have an existing Office Mix account, you'll still be able to view, edit, publish, download, and delete your existing content. If you have a qualifying* Office 365 work or school account, you can sign in to migrate your mixes as videos to Microsoft Stream. If you don't have access to an Office 365 work or school account, you can download your Mixes as PowerPoint files (.pptx), and you analytics data as Excel files (.xlsx) to save to a storage location of your choosing.
• January 1, 2018: You'll no longer be able to sign up as a new user or download the Office Mix add-in from the website. Existing users who already have the Mix add-in installed will still be able to use it to upload, edit, view, and download their existing content.
• May 1, 2018: The Office Mix site and all its content will be officially discontinued. The site will no longer be accessible after that date. Any links to your Office Mix content that you previously shared with others will stop working after this date.

If you're an Office Mix user, you can find full details on how to migrate your mixes ahead of the shutdown at Microsoft's support page.

When it comes to presentations in PowerPoint 2016, basic animation effects are one way to catch someone's attention. Advanced animations, however, can make a lasting impression. One of the best uses of animation effects is the whiteboard animation, the means to bring detailed depth to content on your slides. VideoScribe is a popular software many users go to in order to create whiteboard animations. Here's how you can create whiteboard animations in PowerPoint 2016.

• What is a Whiteboard Animation?
• How to add a Videoscribe file to Powerpoint 2016
• How to add a VideoScribe- type animation in PowerPoint 2016
• How to add a handwritten effect in PowerPoint 2016

What is a Whiteboard Animation?

VideoScribe is a service used to create whiteboard animations. You may have seen this in use, where a narrator is recording them drawing on a whiteboard or screen to convey the story or message. This type of animation has been used in a variety of situations, from internal training to commercial advertising. It's effective in its organic and natural flow that humanizes the content and creates a connection with the audience. While it is possible to upload a file created from VIdeoScribe into PowerPoint, you're not limited to using the software. In PowerPoint 2016, you can use free images, your own or external content, and add the whiteboard animation effect at no additional cost.

How to add a Videoscribe file to Powerpoint 2016

If you have used VideoScribe to create a scribe, you can use it in PowerPoint. You need to ensure that it is rendered as a video file. The rest is handled in PowerPoint 2016.

To add the video file:

1. Select a Slide to place your video on.
2. Select the Insert tab in the navigation ribbon.
3. Navigate to the Media group.
4. Select Video.
5. Click Video on my PC from the drop-down list.
6. Select the video file.
7. Select Insert.

For presentation purposes, you do have options to automatically play when transitioning to its home slide or to play at a specific time.

VideoScribe is a premium software, that offers a free trial period. If you are already an Office 365 user, you can achieve similar effects by using your PowerPoint know-how. For this to work, you need to be working with images in WMF format.

How to add a VideoScribe- type animation in PowerPoint 2016

How to add the WMT file to the slide

To add the WMT file:

1. To add an image to the slide
2. Click on the Insert tab in the navigation ribbon
3. Navigate to the Images group.
4. Select an image to add
5. Click Add.

How to create the animation

To create an animation:

1. Right-click on the image.
2. Select Group from the drop-down list.
3. Select Ungroup from the corresponding list.
4. Click Yes in the dialog box to proceed.
5. Repeat steps 5 – 8 until all ungroupings have been completed.
6. Select the edge of the image.
7. Select Cut to remove the boundary box, leaving the image.
8. Select all ungrouped portions of the image.
9. Select the Animations tab.
10. Select Wipe from the Animation group.
11. Navigate to the Timing group.
12. Select After Previous in the start section.
13. Set an animation speed under duration, the shorter the time, the better the effect.
14. Navigate to the Animation Pane.
15. Select the first image.
16. Change the timing to On Click.

How to add a handwritten effect in PowerPoint 2016

How to add a hand to the slide

To insert and edit a hand image:

1. Insert a picture of your hand holding a pen or marker into a slide.
2. Click on Picture Tools – Format in the navigation ribbon.
3. Click on Remove Background under the Adjust group. PowerPoint will mark background portions of the image in a fuschia color.
4. Click on Mark Areas to Keep in the Refine group of the Background Removal tab.
5. Click on points in the fuschia area to add them to the final image.
6. Click Keep Changes in the Close group to finish.

How to create the handwritten effect

To add a handwriting effect:

1. Enter text into a slide.
2. Click on the text.
3. Click the Animations tab.
4. Select Wipe from the Animation group.
5. Select the Effects option.
6. Select From Left to have the text appear from left to right.
7. Click on the hand image that you have added.
8. Click the Animations tab.
9. Select Custom Path from the Animation group.
10. Click and draw a path along the text that you have entered.
11. Click With Previous to have the two animations play at the same time.

You may have to adjust the timing of each animation in order to properly sync. This can be done by clicking on individual animations in the Animation Pane and then changing values under the Duration field of the Timing group. You'll end up with an animation that appears to create itself.

Wrapping Up

With time and patience, you can create a unique and creative way to share your message. From storyboard to a meeting with the board, whiteboard animations brings energy to your content. Have you used whiteboard animations or VideoScribe in your PowerPoint presentations? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

Let's face it, not everything you share will be tantalizing to keep the attention of your audience. Just as transition effects or images can complement the information, animations help to increase the "wow" factor.

Here's how you can add animation effects to text, shapes, and images.

• How to add and remove animation effects in PowerPoint
• How to edit and manage animation effects in PowerPoint
• How to use motion path animation effects in PowerPoint

Animation effects can be applied to text, shapes, and objects on any slide in PowerPoint 2016. When you explore the number of animation effects, you will notice that they are grouped into four types. Let's see what they are and how to use them.

• Entrance — This group of effects serves to introduce text or objects into a slide during a presentation.
• Exit — This group helps to mark the end of the text or object's time on the slide.
• Emphasis — This group provides you the option to draw attention to text or objects. It can be used to highlight important details.
• Motion Paths — This group allows you to move text and objects along a predetermined path. These can be used as transitions of sorts on a slide.

With the exception of Motion Paths, most of the animation types contain subgroups of effects. They include Basic, Subtle, Moderate and Exciting effects.

How to add and remove animation effects in PowerPoint

How to add an animation effect to text or objects

1. Select the text or object you need to animate
2. Click on the Animations tab in the navigation ribbon.
3. Click Add Animation.
4. Select an animation effect from the list.

You can apply more than one effect to the same object. This can only be done by clicking on Add Animation. If you try to add another animation by any other means, you will only replace the previous effect.

The default naming convention for animation effects could be somewhat confusing to look at. The ability to rename animations to clarify target objects is available in the Selection pane from the Home tab. Double-click on a name to be able to edit it.

How to remove an animation effect

1. Select Animation Pane from the Advanced Animation group.
2. Select the animation effect from the pane on the right side.
3. Click the Down Arrow to open a drop-down list.
4. Select Remove.

How to edit and manage animation effects in PowerPoint

How to change the order of the animation effects

1. Click the Animations tab in the navigation ribbon.
2. Select the Animation pane from the Advanced Animation group.
3. Select the Animation you wish to move in the Animation pane.
4. Select either the up and down arrow, next to the Play From button, to move the animation earlier or later in the sequence.

How to set the start time and duration of an effect

1. Navigate to the Animation pane.
2. Select an animation effect from the list.
3. Click the Down Arrow to the right of the effect listing.
4. Select Timing from the drop-down list.
5. Select Start from the Timing tab to select an option.
6. Choose a value under the Delay option.
7. Choose the length of the animation effect under the Duration section.

By adjusting the duration, you are altering the speed of the animation, which can potentially alter the impact the effect has on the audience.

How to activate an animation effect by clicking on it

1. Click on the object or text in question.
2. Click on the Animations tab.
3. Add the animation as described in How to animate text or objects in PowerPoint 2016.
4. Locate the Advanced Animation group.
5. Select Animation pane.
6. Select the object or text to be triggered with a click.
7. Select Trigger from the Advanced Animation group.
8. Select On Click from the drop-down.
9. Select the object to confirm.

How to begin an animation during audio and video content

1. Select the audio or video clip on a slide.
2. Click Play from the media controls.
3. Click Pause where you want to add a bookmark.
4. Locate the Playback tab in the Video Tools section.
5. Select Add Bookmark from the Bookmark group.
6. Select the Animation tab.
7. Select Advanced Animation.
8. Select Animation pane.
9. Select an animation effect.
10. Select Trigger under Advanced Animation.
11. Select On Bookmark from the drop-down list.
12. Choose the bookmark you have set.

How to Repeat and Rewind an animation effect

1. Select the Animations tab.
2. Select the Show Additional Effect Options icon.
3. Select the Timing tab.
4. Select an option from the Repeat drop-down.
5. Click the Rewind when done playing checkbox.

How to use motion path animation effects in PowerPoint

How to add a motion path to text or objects

1. Select the Animations tab.
2. Click Add Animation under the Advanced Animation group.
3. Navigate to the Motion Path group of effects.
4. Select a path.

If you were to select the Custom Path option, you will be required to draw out the path to be taken. Click and drag to create a visible, freehand path or just point and click to create lines with connection points. Double-click the left mouse button to mark the end of the path and see a preview of the movement.

How to modify a motion path

1. Select Effect Options in the Animation group.
2. Select from the presented motion alternatives to change the path.
3. Navigate to the Path group in the drop-down.
4. Click on Edit Points.
5. Click on any points on the path and drag to a new location.
6. Click Preview to see the revised animation in action.

Wrapping up

Now that you understand the basics, you can delve into the animation options for your own report. Just remember to make sure the effects are not disruptive. Your audience will remember the information and the importance you place on it. Do you have any favorite animation effects? Let us know in the comments!

Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

How often have you heard that a picture is worth a thousand words? That well-known quote could very well be true for a report or presentation. Visual aids may even have more of an impact than text alone. Here's how you can add supporting multimedia to PowerPoint presos and create images of your own.

• How to draw on presentations
• How to draw shapes
• How to add images in PowerPoint
• How to group pictures and shapes

PowerPoint and Office 365 provide a few ways to add images and graphics to your files. These include shapes, clip art, and images stored locally or in the cloud. You have the freedom to set the location, size, and dimensions of most content while also applying color and effects to make them stand out. Let's take a look at adding images, creating your own, and applying effects to them.

Drawing on PowerPoint presentations

How to draw on a slide during a presentation

To draw on a PowerPoint slide:

1. Click on the Slide Show tab in the navigation ribbon.
2. Click From Beginning in the Start Slide Show group to begin your presentation.
3. Choose which slide that you want to write or draw on.
4. Select Pointer Options from the list.
5. Select a color from the Ink Color option.
6. Choose between Pen or Highlighter.
7. Left-click and move your mouse to draw on the slide.

How to erase a drawing

To erase what you have drawn:

1. Select the Slide Show with your drawing.
2. Right-click on the slide.
3. Click on Pointer Options.
4. Select Eraser.
5. Click on each drawing or line to delete it.
6. Select Erase All Ink on Slide to remove all drawings.

How to deactivate a PowerPoint drawing tool

To deactivate the drawing tool:

1. Right-click on the slide.
2. Select Pointer Options in the list.
3. Select Arrow to return to slide navigation.

Drawing shapes

How to add a predetermined shape

To add a preset shape:

1. Select a slide to add a shape.
2. Click on the Insert Tab in the navigation ribbon.
3. Select Shapes from the Illustrations group.
4. Select a shape or option from one of the 10 categories
5. Click on any point on the slide to add the shape to your cursor location.
6. Click on any of the basic edit points to resize the shape or invert the shape.
7. Click on the rotate icon to change its direction.

How to add a freeform shape with straight and curved segments

To add a freeform shape:

1. Click the Insert tab in the ribbon.
2. Navigate to the Illustrations group.
3. Select Shapes.
4. Choose the Freeform option from the Lines category.
5. Click on the slide show to create a starting point.
6. Click on another section of the slide to create another point. (A line will appear between them.)
7. Click and hold while moving the mouse to create curved lines in a hand-drawn style.
8. Click near the first point to finish with a closed shape.
9. Double click at any moment to finish with an opened shape.

You can also choose to draw freehand, as though you were using a pen. If Scribble has been selected, left-click and hold on any point of the slide and move the mouse to draw freehand.

How to edit points of a shape

While the preset shapes provided can be used in most situations, you may find that they would better suit the slide if you tweak its shape.

To edit the points of the shape:

1. Select a shape on the slide.
2. Select the Format tab in the ribbon.
3. Select Edit Shape from the Insert Shapes group.
4. Select Edit Points.
5. Click and drag the highlighted connection points between lines to alter the path of the lines.
6. Click the shape outline while pressing CTRL to add another movable connection point.
7. Right-click on any connection point to delete it.

When you right-click on any connection point, you are given access to other options that help you modify your shape. You can transform the connection points to one of the following:

• Straight point — This connection point joins two line segments without a corner.
• Smooth point — This connection point joins also joins two line segments in a non-sharp corner.
• Corner point — This connection point joins two segments in a sharp corner shape.

With time, patience and effort, you could create unique, detailed art without having to use a preset shape.

How to add images in PowerPoint

Photos and images are often a nice touch in a presentation. They generate a sense of connection and familiarity that draw an audience in.

How to add a picture

To add pictures in PowerPoint:

1. Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon
2. Click Pictures from the Images group.
3. Locate the picture you want to add in the dialog box.
4. Select the picture.
5. Click Insert.
6. Click on endpoints to resize the image.
7. Click on Picture Styles under the generated Format tab to choose a frame option.

How to adjust the colors on Pictures

To adjust the color of a picture:

1. Add a color effect.
2. Click on a picture.
3. Click on the Picture Tools - Format tab.
4. Select Color from the Adjust group.
5. Browse through options from the dropdown list. Effects are grouped by Saturation, Tone or Recolor categories.
6. Click on an effect to apply to the image.

How to add an artistic effect

To add an artistic effect:

1. Ensure the picture has been selected.
2. Select the Picture Tools – Format tab in the ribbon.
3. Select Artistic Effects from the Adjust group.
4. Browse through the effects. (Live Preview will provide a sample of the results of an effect.)
5. Click on the chosen effect to apply to the picture.

How to add additional effects to shapes and images

How to fill a shape in PowerPoint

To fill a shape:

1. Select the shape or picture on the slide.
2. Click on the Drawing-Tools tab.
3. Navigate to the Shape Styles group.
4. Click Shape Fill to open the drop-down.
5. Select a fill color.
6. Select a gradient effect.
7. Select a texture.

Each style option also offers a greater selection of fill colors, gradients and textures, which opens up a Format Shape box on the right side of the window. Here you can access transparency settings and quick style selections.

How to add shape and picture effects

In the Shape Styles group of the Format tab, you will see the option to add a Shape Effect. These effects provide a measure of depth to both shapes and images. There are seven categories to choose from; Preset, Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Soft Edges, Bevel, and 3-D Rotation.

How to modify shape and picture effects

To modify effects:

1. Select the Format tab from the ribbon.
2. Select Shape Effects from the ribbon. (If using a picture, this will be called Picture Effects.)
3. Select a category from the drop-down list.
4. Click 3-D Options at the bottom of the secondary list.
5. Locate the Format Shape/Format Picture pane on the right side of the window.
6. Choose values for each section the list.

The formatting pane allows you to change a multitude of effects. You can change the distance, angle or transparency of shadows, change the lighting source or even blur reflections. The same effects are available for pictures you have also added.

How to group pictures and shapes

To apply a grouping:

1. Click on the slide that contains the images and shapes you wish to group.
2. Press and hold CTRL as you click on the images and shapes.
3. Click on the Drawing Tools - Format Tab in the ribbon.
4. Click Arrange under the Drawing group.
5. Select Group from the dropdown list.

You can ungroup your images by clicking on Arrange in the Drawing group and then selecting Ungroup. If you have changed your mind, or mistakenly ungrouped the images or shapes, the Arrange command also provides a regroup option.

Wrapping up

These are the basics to get you started on your new career as a PowerPoint artist. Do you already add shapes and images to your slides? What is the most creative graphic that you created in PowerPoint? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

Even the most confident communicator needs a little help sometimes. PowerPoint is the program to use in order to capture details in a presentation format. Taking advantage of the slide transition options in PowerPoint will develop a flow that helps to keep your audience engaged without distraction. Here's how to get started with transitions.

• Managing slide transitions
• Morph transitions

Managing PowerPoint slide transitions

Some may confuse transition and animation effects in PowerPoint. Animation effects in PowerPoint are only applied to objects within the slide whereas transitions are applied to the slide itself. This means that you can have one slide transition effect while the slide can contain multiple animation effects.

How to add a slide transition

To add a PowerPoint transition:

1. Click on the slide that is the endpoint of the transition process.
2. Click on the Transitions tab in the navigation ribbon.
3. In the Transition gallery, click on the More (...) button to view the entire gallery.
4. Click on a transition to preview the animation effect.

You will notice that a star icon has been placed next to the slide thumbnail on the left side of the window. This indicates that a transition has been applied. Next to the Transitions gallery, you will also see an Effects Icon command.

If you choose to display all transitions in the gallery, you will see that they are grouped into one of three categories:

• Subtle: This group contains the simplest transition effects. They typically make use of basic motion or animation.
• Exciting: The transitions in this group are more involved than in Subtle. The animations within are typically longer and more complex in nature.
• Dynamic Content: This group provides transitions of a different manner. The animation is applied to the content of the slide, not the background. By using the same background, you can visually link content. Dynamic transitions also work in reverse, if you need to switch back to the previous slide.

How to remove a PowerPoint transition

To delete a transition:

1. Click on the slide marked with a star.
2. Click on the Transitions tab in the ribbon.
3. Select None from the Transitions gallery.

If you want to remove transitions from all slide simultaneously, all slides must be selected before selecting None from the transitions gallery. The easiest way to do this is to use the CTRL + A keyboard shortcut to select all.

How to modify a PowerPoint transition

To edit transitions:

1. Select a transition from the gallery.
2. Locate the Timing group.
3. Select a sound clip from the Sound drop-down list.
4. Specify the duration of the transition animation. Choose between 0.01 and 59 seconds. (Values increase in 0.25-second increments.)
5. Choose to advance to the next slide manually (by mouse) or after a specific time has elapsed. This can be increased or decreased in one-second intervals.
6. Select Apply To All to create a uniform transition pattern for all slides in the presentation.

Depending on the transitions style that you have chosen, you can also modify the direction in which they move to and from.

Morph transitions

If you have an Office 365 account, your organization may have another transition option for you to try. While Morph may seem like an animation nestled within a presentation, it is, in fact, a transition that could increase fluidity between slides. Essentially, you want to make sure that the two slides involved in the transition have at least one comment element, be it an image, title or graph.

How to apply PowerPoint Morph transitions

To add a Morph transition:

1. Access the Transition gallery in the Transition tab.
2. Select Morph from the Transition Effects group.
3. Click the Effect Options next to the Transition Gallery.
4. Select the elements you want to work with. (Choose from Objects, Words or Characters.)
5. Click Preview to review the Morph transition.

Morph is a handy feature for providing clean animated transitions without having to dip into potentially complex animation components themselves. Here are some examples of what you can accomplish with the Morph command.

How to apply animation-style PowerPoint effects to words

To apply animated word transitions:

1. Enter text on a slide.
2. Duplicate the slide and text onto another slide.
3. Click and hold on the text box of the duplicate slide.
4. Use your mouse or trackpad to move the text to its end position.
5. Apply any additional alterations to the text such as font size, color or style.
6. Click the Transitions tab in the ribbon.
7. Select Morph from the Transition gallery.
8. Click Effect Options.
9. Select Words from the drop-down list.
10. Click Preview to review the results.

How to apply animated PowerPoint transitions to images

To add an animated image transition:

1. Insert an image onto a slide.
2. Duplicate the slide and its contents onto the next slide.
3. Apply changes to the image on the duplicate slide. You can drag the corners of the picture to resize, alter the shape or move to another position on the slide.
4. Click on the Transitions tab.
5. Select Morph from the transitions gallery.
6. Click Preview to review.

If you are sharing a presentation containing geographical data, you could use Morph to zoom in on specific locations on a map. Combine this with text transitions and you can create a powerful message without having to use the Animations tab.

How to view transitions in a PowerPoint slideshow

Once your transitions have been applied to the slideshow, you may want to run the presentation to get a sense of the audience experience. You can set up the Slide Show to play at the optimal pace. Your best bet would be to set up the Slide Show to progress automatically.

To change the Slide Show settings:

1. Click on Slide Show on the navigation ribbon
2. Click Set Up Slide Show in the Set Up group.
3. Locate the Advance Slide section.
4. Select the Using timings, if present option.
5. Click Ok.

If you set up specific times under Transitions > Timing, you can then sit back and analyze your slide show to see how effective your transitions are. It is important to point out that transitions should compliment the content you are presenting, not distract from it. For a more professional presentation, you should stick with Subtle or Dynamic transitions, as Exciting offers a more fun and casual approach to transitions.

Wrapping up

Content will always be the key component of a fantastic PowerPoint presentation. Transitions are an elegant way to help you and your audience move from slide to slide, without an abrupt visual interruption.

Do you use transitions with your slides? Do you ever use Exciting transitions? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

A new Office Insider build recently started rolling out to Fast ring Insiders, bringing along a handy new feature for PowerPoint users on Windows desktop. Now, PowerPoint users working with others on a presentation will be able to track changes that others have made.

When you open a presentation, PowerPoint will now alert you to changes via a clock icon on the upper-right portion of the window. Clicking that alert will then highlight where changes were made in the presentation, along with who made them. As far as collaboration features go, this is a pretty simple, but essential change.

As Microsoft notes, this change is only available to Office 365 subscribers who are using PowerPoint for Windows desktop. Both collaborators will also need to ensure they are running Office version 1708 (Build 8403.1000) to track changes properly. And while this is only available for Fast ring Office Insiders at the moment, Microsoft says it will make its way to the Slow ring in a week or two.

Microsoft's experimental Garage team has officially launched Presentation Translator, a PowerPoint add-in that can add subtitled translations to your presentations in real-time. Available for download now, the add-in officially supports translation in more than 60 supported text languages.

The add-in works sort of like automatic closed captioning for your presentation. After initially choosing the language you'll be speaking and the language you want subtitles in, you can start your presentation and the add-in will serve up subtitles at the bottom of each slide. And if you have people who speak other languages in your audience, they can follow along on their own mobile device with a different translation.

Here's a look at the add-in's main features:

• Live subtitling: Speak in any of the 10 supported speech languages – Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish – and subtitle into any one of the 60+ text translation languages.
• Customized speech recognition: Presenters have the option to customize the speech recognition engine using the vocabulary within the slides and slide notes to adapt to jargon, technical terms, product or place names, etc.
• Translate the slide deck: Translate the text of the PowerPoint slide deck while preserving the original formatting, including translation between left-to-right and right-to-left languages
• Audience Participation: Share the QR- or five letter conversation code and your audience can follow along with your presentation, on their own device, in their chosen language.
• Open the mic to multi-lingual Q&A: Unmute the audience to allow questions in any of the supported languages (10 for spoken questions, 60+ for written ones)
• Inclusivity through Accessibility: Help audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing follow the presentation, and participate in the discussion.

Presentation Translator is built on top of Microsoft Translator's live translation features that have been built out over the past year or so, and it's pretty impressive. If you want to try it for yourself, you can grab the add-in now from the Microsoft Garage site.

Download PowerPoint Presentation Translator

AI has been a big theme so far at Microsoft's Build 2017 conference, even making its way to PowerPoint. On stage during the keynote, Microsoft showed off a pretty impressive demonstration of a new PowerPoint Translator add-in that can do bi-directional translation of presentations in real time.

In the demonstration, Microsoft showed the add-in translating what was being said in Spanish to English on the screen in real time. Think of it as an automatic closed captioning for your presentation. To add even more to the mix, audience members can follow along with another language using the Translator mobile app. And since the plug-in is bi-directional, audience members can chime in with questions and it will translate them in real time.

Currently, PowerPoint Translator supports 9 spoken and more than 60 written languages. Microsoft says it will provide a preview of the add-in at its Garage site.

For some reason, Microsoft doesn't seem to like plain old traditional "straight" quotes, or quotes without any curves or contours. Instead, it apparently prefers the more stylized, curved "smart" quotes.

The problem? Smart quotes don't seem all that intelligent when they mess up the formatting in certain files or on web pages. So it can be a good idea to change the default smart-quote setting in Microsoft Office apps to the straight versions. Thankfully, Microsoft makes that fairly simple in Word, Outlook and PowerPoint — at least once you learn the proper processes.

See on Microsoft Store

Note: These steps are specific to the apps in Microsoft Office 2016 for Windows.

• How to change smart or curly quotes to straight quotes in Microsoft Word
• How to change smart or curly quotes to straight quotes in Microsoft Outlook
• How to change smart or curly quotes to straight quotes in Microsoft PowerPoint

How to change smart or curly quotes to straight quotes in Microsoft Word

1. Click the File tab in the top-left corner of the Word screen.

2. Click Options at the very bottom of the vertical list of choices along the left side of the display.

3. In the Word Options box that appears, click the Proofing tab.
4. Click the AutoCorrect Options box.

5. Click the AutoFormat tab.
6. Under the Replace section heading, uncheck the box next to "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes".

7. Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
8. Under the Replace as you type section, uncheck the box next to "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes".

9. Click OK.
10. Click OK again on the Word Options box to save all changes

How to change smart or curly quotes to straight quotes in Microsoft Outlook

1. Click the File tab in the top-left corner of the Outlook screen.

2. Click Options at the bottom of the vertical list of choices along the left side of the display.

3. In the Outlook Options box that appears, click the Mail tab.
4. Click Spelling and AutoCorrect.

5. In the Editor Options box, make sure the Proofing tab is selected (it is by default) and click AutoCorrect Options.

6. Click the AutoFormat tab.
7. Under the Replace heading, uncheck the box next to "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes."

8. Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
9. Under the Replace as you type section, uncheck the box next to "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes."

10. Click OK.

11. Finally, click OK one more time on the Editor Options box to confirm your changes.

How to change smart or curly quotes to straight quotes in Microsoft PowerPoint

1. Click the File tab in the top-left corner of the PowerPoint screen.

2. Click Options at the bottom of the vertical list of choices along the left side of the display.

3. In the PowerPoint Options box that appears, click the Proofing tab.
4. Click AutoCorrect Options….

5. Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
6. Under the Replace as you type section, uncheck the box next to "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes".

7. Click OK.
8. Finally, click OK one more time on the PowerPoint Options box to confirm the changes.

If you ever want to re-enable smart quotes in the future, in Word, Outlook or PowerPoint, just repeat these steps and then re-check the appropriate boxes for "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes".

For more Office 365 help, how-tos and tutorials, visit our Office 101 page:

Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

Members of Microsoft's Windows and Office Insider program can download new updates to the suite of Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 on PC and Mobile. They include a new text highlighter for OneNote, exporting Word files to PDF format and more.

The Microsoft support forum has the list of what's new for Insiders to check out in the Office Mobile apps:

• Open more file types in Excel Mobile - Open files that contain ActiveX controls or files containing text and web queries on your Windows 10 tablet or phone.
• Export to PDF with Word Mobile - Save your document in a widely sharable format that preserves layout, formatting, fonts and images.
• New text highlighter in OneNote for Windows tablet - Grab the new highlighter and select text that's important to draw attention to.
• New clear formatting option in OneNote - Now you can remove all that is bold, italicized, underlined, purple or in 18 points. Lucida Sans formatting is just one click away.
• Embed more content with OneNote - Paste a link to an Office 365 Video or Microsoft Form, now interact with it directly on the page.
• Share photos or files from other apps in OneNote - Use the Share button in any app to send photos or files to your OneNote.
• Add alternative text to pictures in OneNote - Make your pictures accessible to screen readers by adding alternative text.
• Try out new designs in OneNote on Windows tablet - We've made some changes to help you get around your notes. Check them out by turning on "Settings > Enable Experimental Features" and let us know what you think!

Download Word from Windows Store

Download Excel from Windows Store

Download PowerPoint from Windows Store

Download OneNote from Windows Store

Microsoft has announced a number of new features for its Windows Office 365 desktop users. They include adding new research and editing features for Word, Focused Inbox in Outlook and Zoom in PowerPoint.

For Word power users, the new Research feature offers a faster way to find and incorporate reliable sources for papers. Microsoft stated:

For those of use who need help finalizing papers and documents, the new Editor feature in Word will be a big help:

The Focused Inbox in Outlook, which was first made available for iOS and Android users, is now available for Windows, Mac and on Outlook.com:

Also, Outlook.com users, along with Windows and Mac Office Insiders, can now access @mentions on Outlook, with plans to make it available on iOS, Android and Windows 10 Mobile in the future. It is designed to quickly find emails that need attention:

Finally, PowerPoint Office Insider users can try out Zoom, which offers a way to make interactive presentations:

Microsoft has teamed up with Shutterstock to add integration within PowerPoint in order to offer access to the vast collection of images for use in presentations. If you're one to head to Shutterstock (or similar stock photography and image service) for content to spice up presentations, you'll be pleased with the new integration within the suite itself, which should make your life that little bit easier.

All that's required is a plug-in to be installed and support will then be unlocked for PowerPoint 2013, 2016 and Office 365.

You'll — of course — need a Shutterstock account. But once you're signed in and ready to go, PowerPoint will let you search for stock images from within the suite using keywords and more. It's a neat addition, which should enable creators to really spice up their presentations.

• Download Shutterstock for PowerPoint

Microsoft has rolled out an update for its Excel, PowerPoint and Word Mobile apps, as well as Sway. The mobile-friendly office suite is perfect for those on their smartphone or Windows-powered tablet, opening up a world of easy document editing and presentation creation tools.

Unfortunately, as is the case these days, we're not entirely sure what has been included in this latest release for the apps, which bumps Excel, Word and PowerPoint up to version 17.6326.10211.0. You can either install these apps or check for updates by hitting the links below:

Download Excel Mobile

Download PowerPoint Mobile

Download Word Mobile

Download Sway for Windows 10

Figured out what's new? Give us a shout in the comments below.

Thanks to everyone who tipped us!

Microsoft has introduced a couple of new tools to PowerPoint to help you spruce up your presentations. These tools help automate the creation of presentations, helping you create engaging, highly-polished slides.

Designer is all about creating professional-looking slides quickly. Drop in your image, and Designer will give you a number of options for how your slide should look. Designer analyzes your image and selects from the more than 12,000 available layout blueprints to give you options that fit the image style. From Microsoft:

Morph is a new transition that helps you create cinematic motion between your slides. With Morph, slides seamlessly flow into one another:

Both Designer and Morph are exclusive to Office 365 users, and will be rolling out to them over the coming weeks, starting with PowerPoint 2016 users on Windows desktop and Windows Mobile.

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft is pushing updates to a trio of its own apps across Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile today. In all, OneNote, Powerpoint Preview, and Excel Preview are on the docket for this round. Unfortunately, we're only seeing a changelog for OneNote at the moment, which includes the following:

• Full drawing capabilities when your Surface is locked, including color, highlighter, eraser types, and more
• Ability to change the font and font size
• Resolved sign-in issues that prevented some users from opening OneNote

Keep in mind that the ability to change font sizes in OneNote appeared in a previous update, so there's a chance other portions of the changelog could be old as well.

Again, these updates appear to be rolling out to both Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, so you've got double the updating to do. If you happen to notice anything new in Excel and PowerPoint, feel free to let us know in the comments below.

Thanks to Dan for the tip!

• Download OneNote from the Windows Store
• Download Excel Preview from the Windows Store
• Download PowerPoint Preview from the Windows Store

Microsoft says that slide notes work in a similar fashion to the notecards that people use in typical presentations. Office Mix users will be able to type out their most important points for each slide, after which they will appear in a translucent text box at the top of your screen while recording.

Also included in today's update is support for closed captioning. While the idea isn't new, Microsoft notes that closed captioning can be a great way not only to open your presentations up to the hearing-impaired, but it can also serve as a great learning aid or supplement for your audio for users viewing a presentation in a noisy environment. However, the implementation does require a bit of effort. From Microsoft:

Overall, the update looks to be a nice addition to an already interesting PowerPoint plugin. For more, you can check out Microsoft's blog post on the update below.

Source: Microsoft

If you had problems downloading the newly launched touch-based Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for the Windows 10 preview on Wednesday, you might want to try getting them now. Microsoft is reporting that those issues have now been fixed.

Microsoft didn't state exactly what went wrong when those app were released yesterday, but the company is now saying, "We're happy to report that we've fixed the issues. You are now able to search the Windows 10 Store for Word Preview, Excel Preview and PowerPoint Preview to download the apps." Just as a reminder, these apps are accessible via the beta version of the new Windows Store in Windows 10, and not in the regular version of the store, nor in Windows 8 or 8.1.

By the way, most of the features in all three apps are available for free during this preview time period, but that will change when they are officially released later this year. Microsoft states, "After preview, some functionality will require a qualifying Office 365 subscription."

• Download Word for Windows 10 from the Windows Store Beta
• Download Excel for Windows 10 from the Windows Store Beta
• Download PowerPoint for Windows 10 from the Windows Store Beta

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft has already unveiled the new name for SkyDrive – OneDrive. This rebranded cloud storage solution will continue to co-exist alongside the suite of Office Web Apps available for consumers to utilise without firing up local installations. The Office Web Apps as they're currently known is a selection of free tools for consumers to use within the web browser. Unfortunately, for the time being, it can prove to be confusing to get started with Office through SkyDrive.

According to oflivesino.net and The Verge, Microsoft may be looking to both rebrand and improve discoverability of its Office Web Apps.

How Microsoft currently has its Officie Web Apps set up requires you to go through SkyDrive to access the likes of Word, Access, OneNote and PowerPoint. To create new documents with each app, you need to hit "create" and then select which app you'd like to use. With this create menu, not only are you able to form new folders for your SkyDrive (OneDrive) to keep everything neat and organised, there are also some bonus options (you may have not been aware of):

• Word document
• Excel workbook
• PowerPoint presentation
• OneNote notebook
• Excel survey
• Plain text document

Yan Zhu from oflivesino.net has shared a few screenshots with ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, which show the possibility of Microsoft rebranding its Office Web Apps as Office Online, with individual apps renamed to Word Online, Excel Online, PowerPoint Online and OneNote Online. See the below image for an idea as to how the company may be looking to improve the discoverability of each available 'Office Online' app. Compared to what's currently listed in the main navigation bar, this would be quite the improvement.

How the new headers could look when using Microsoft's online services

Microsoft recently published a blog entry covering some navigational changes coming to Office Web Apps, including the revamped navigation bar. Since the post went live, the content team have removed any mentioning of changes coming to headers, but it's believed these improvements are still on their way, which would make navigating between the different Web Apps and other Microsoft cloud services far simpler and more convenient.

One of the screenshots shared by Yan Zhu

Should Microsoft carry out said changes to its online suite of Office apps, this would make it more inviting for consumers to use. The free tools would be better positioned for marketing – Office Web Apps versus Office Online – and would fit in with changes applied to not only Microsoft as a company, but Windows and other products / services. We'll keep our eyes open for any details to come to light, as well as reach out for more information.

How would you feel about such changes coming to the Office Web Apps, and do you have any issues with using the suite as it's currently set up?

via: ZDNet, The Verge