outlook

Outlook, Hotmail are back up following lengthy outage

Outlook and Hotmail are up and running once again.

A problem had rendered both online e-mail services inaccessible to many users since yesterday. But Microsoft's status page now shows both of them are back in business.

The page gives no details as to what caused the outages or how they were resolved.

Hotmail, Outlook, and SkyDrive were all hit by downtime yesterday, starting at around 2:30 p.m. PT. Many users had taken to Twitter to report the outage and express their frustration over the inability to access their e-mail.

Microsoft's status page shows that the problem … Read more

Hotmail, Outlook, SkyDrive hit by service disruptions

A handful of Microsoft Web services have been inaccessible for hours this afternoon, including Hotmail and Outlook.

Frustrated users of the e-mail services and cloud storage service SkyDrive complain about the services' hours-long inaccessibility.

#hotmail its my own fault for not leaving you a long time ago, but man its miserable not being able to get your email

— Michael Fish (@MFishFinancial) March 13, 2013

Come on #hotmail I want to check my emails! You've been down for AGES!

— Catriona MacIntyre (@catmac6) March 13, 2013

Error, #Hotmail is down. Click the link "check latest status update" The update? &… Read more

Fast access to Outlook 2013's spell-checker and auto-correct options

When Microsoft released Office 2013 some Word and Outlook users were unpleasantly surprised to find the AutoCorrect options removed from the right-click (context) menu of Word 2013 and WordMail for Outlook 2013.

On its TechNet site, Microsoft explains that the change was made to streamline the right-click menus in those programs. (Scroll to the end of the long list of changes made to Office 2013 to find "Contents of spelling error context menu" in the Word section.)

In Outlook 2003/2007, you can access suggested spellings and AutoCorrect options for misspelled words by clicking the lightning-bolt icon that … Read more

Microsoft forges ahead with its anti-Google Scroogle campaign

Microsoft has confirmed that by no means is it winding down its anti-Google Scroogle campaign. In fact, the company was so pleased with the last two chapters of its crusade that it's gearing up for a third chapter.

"Scroogled will go on as long as Google keeps Scroogling people," a Microsoft spokesperson told CNET.

Microsoft began its Scroogle campaign with the goal of urging users to dump Gmail for its own Outlook.com over privacy concerns. Dubbed "Don't get Scroogled by Gmail," Microsoft addresses the issue that Google scans users' e-mails to determine relevant … Read more

Outlook.com suffers downtime, but status page says otherwise

Microsoft has confirmed that its consumer Web-based e-mail service, Outlook.com, is down for some people.

The Redmond, Wash.-based technology giant said on Twitter it is currently "aware of the issue," but did not detail what was causing the downtime. In another tweet, it was noted that it was not clear how long it would take to restore services but that "hacking is not suspected."

In many of the tweets sent by @MicrosoftHelps, the company posted a link to the site to Microsoft's service status page. However, at the time of writing, the site … Read more

Pointers on Microsoft's Hotmail phase-out

Microsoft announced earlier this week that it is closing Hotmail and moving the "hundreds of millions" still using it to Outlook.com by this summer.

The move isn't unexpected, but perhaps more sudden than some anticipated. Hotmail users, once they move (or are moved) will get Outlook.com's clean, Metro-Style interface for their mail -- and ultimately, calendars. (For a walk-through of the user-interface changes Hotmail users will see, check out this Microsoft FAQ.)

Given that many of the new features in Outlook.com -- Microsoft's new Web-mail service that is no longer in "preview," … Read more

How to use Outlook.com e-mail with keyboard shortcuts

Outlook.com is out of preview now and available for everyone to use. Learning how to get around the new interface can be a lot easier with the help of keyboard shortcuts. So whether you're new to Microsoft's browser-based e-mail service or an old Hotmail user trying to adjust to the new design, give the shortcuts a try and get to know Outlook.com.

Before we get started, go to Settings > Keyboard shortcuts and make sure that keyboard shortcuts are enabled and set to Outlook.com mode. If you're already familiar with the keyboard shortcuts for … Read more

HTC One puts ultrapixels over megapixels

There can only be one CNET Update:

Tuesday's tech news roundup looks into the HTC One, the company's new flagship smartphone. To help HTC stand out again, the One has an aluminum body, a redesigned Sense interface, and an animated photo mode called Zoe. Most notable is the rear camera with 4 megapixels -- but HTC uses the term "ultrapixels" because the photos can pick up more light. Most top smartphones boast 8-megapixel cameras, but HTC says megapixels are a misunderstood metric for consumers. The HTC One will be available in March at AT&T, … Read more

Microsoft moves Outlook.com out of preview

Microsoft announced Tuesday that its Outlook.com browser-based e-mail service has moved out of its preview stage and is now available globally.

First introduced last July, Outlook.com is Microsoft's boldest e-mail move since Google launched Gmail in 2004 and a clear answer to it. As I said in my First Take, the simple interface, Skydrive integration, and promise of mega storage will remind you of Google's product while the People Hub and vaguely Windows 8 look and feel give Outlook.com a distinct identity.

Microsoft designed Outlook.com to replace its Hotmail product, which it acquired in … Read more