What you need to know
- The new Outlook on the web is rolling out to Office 365 customers starting this month.
- The new Outlook on the web has been available to users who opted in for eight months.
- The update includes a fresh interface and features aimed at improving communication and scheduling.
An updated Outlook on the web is rolling out to Office 365 customers starting this month. Microsoft has been testing the new Outlook on the web since last year. Users have been able to opt to use the new version for the past eight months. Now, Microsoft is taking the new Outlook on the web out of testing and rolling it out to Office 365 customers (via ONMSFT).
The new Outlook for the web will look familiar to those that use the new Outlook.com. But there are several features that are available on Outlook for the web to Office 365 customers. The majority of these features center on productivity such as jumping into meetings from peek view.
Outlook for the web gains new visual enhancements, including a dark mode and expressions to help you communicate on the web. It also features several features to streamline time management, including searching across multiple calendars, quickly creating events, and viewing upcoming events in month view.
The update also focuses on improving meetings with options to create online meetings, join online meetings from the event peek, and see attendees' responses to a meeting.
Another notable change is that the Tasks experience in the new Outlook on the web is Microsoft To-Do rather than a separate task platform.
The update is rolling out this month to targeted release customers. Users not in the targeted release category will have to wait until their organization upgrades.
Portable (and affordable) power accessories we love
Each and every one of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $30.
VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power bank ($13 at Dell)
This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge any and all your devices, thanks to a two-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its simple design includes an LED indicator, and it costs about as much as a single ticket to the movies.
Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)
Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and just a couple of them will keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when you need them. They're also eco. And the company's affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.
Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)
This unobtrusive Qi wireless charging pad looks good (and kind of like a UFO …) and easily charges all your Qi-compatible device up to 5W. Its LED indicator lights up when you're charging. And it costs just $30.
