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Hey everyone — it’s John from On The Pulse.
How are you all doing this week?
Exciting developments are happening in the world of Microsoft this week, and we’ve got all the latest updates for you:
Microsoft introduces GPT-4o for Azure AI.
Microsoft’s new Places app.
Time-saving workflow allows you to search for OneDrive files and share them from any Microsoft Teams chat.
Let’s Go!👇
Also — I’d love to hear what you think of On The Pulse. Whether you love it or hate it, or there’s something new you’d like to see included, hit “reply” and share your thoughts!
✉️ TOP STORIES (WITH OUR INSIGHTS)
🤖 Microsoft Unveils the Mind-Blowing GPT-4o for Azure AI!
Microsoft has announced GPT-4o, now available for preview on Azure AI. GPT-4o can accept text, audio, image, and video inputs and return text, audio, image, and video outputs.
Full Story and Our Insights:
A few days ago, Microsoft announced the launch of GPT-4o, now available to preview on Azure AI. This groundbreaking development marks a significant leap forward in generative and conversational AI experiences.
GPT-4o takes an impressive step towards natural human-computer interactions, accepting any input combinations of text, audio, image, and video to generate any output combination of text, audio, and image.
One of the standout features of GPT-4o is its remarkable efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Engineered for speed and optimized resource utilization, this model can handle complex queries with minimal computational resources.
The introduction of GPT-4o also opens new possibilities across various sectors. For example, businesses can:
Enhance customer service interactions.
Process and analyze different types of data, facilitating better decision-making and uncovering deeper insights.
Create engaging and diverse content tailored to a broad range of consumer preferences.
Why is this important? With access to GPT-4o via Azure AI, businesses working in the Microsoft ecosystem have the opportunity to harness revolutionary AI power that could transform the way businesses interact with their clients and customers.
Preview requirement: Azure OpenAI Service account.
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🔄 Microsoft Places: the new Flexible Work Scheduling App
Microsoft has released a new app called Places, which is now available to preview. The app streamlines the process for scheduling where and when you come into the office.
Full Story and Our Insights:
In response to the evolving needs of the modern workforce, Microsoft has introduced Microsoft Places. This innovative app, now available to preview, combines AI technology with familiar platforms like Outlook and Teams to streamline flexible work coordination and enhance workplace connectivity.
With Its end-to-end booking solutions, Places can optimize workspace utilization, while features like expanded presence can encourage spontaneous collaboration.
What can Microsoft Places do?:
Schedule and share your proposed office presence with coworkers.
Access scheduling and coordination features seamlessly within Outlook and Microsoft Teams.
Search for available rooms and desks using the Places finder, with details on amenities and location.
See nearby coworkers' locations to facilitate impromptu conversations and collaboration.
Integrate with Microsoft Copilot (available form the second half of 2024) for intelligent recommendations on office attendance and meeting scheduling.
The importance of Microsoft Places is the ability to streamline scheduling, book workspace, and facilitate collaboration seamlessly within familiar platforms like Outlook and Microsoft Teams.
Places will be licensed as part of Microsoft Teams Premium.
📊 New “Trim Video” feature for PowerPoint Online
A new update to PowerPoint for the web allows users to trim videos directly in the application.
Full Story and Our Insights:
Microsoft's latest update to PowerPoint for the web introduces the Trim Video command. With this feature, users can easily trim videos with frame or timestamp precision directly within PowerPoint.
Accessing the Trim Video command is simple, thanks to the new Video tab in the ribbon, consolidating all video-related tools in one place. Users can then drag and slide markers to define start and end points, previewing changes in real-time.
The importance of this update lies in its ability to streamline the video editing process within PowerPoint for the web, offering users greater control and efficiency in crafting engaging presentations.
🛠️ Microsoft Word Now Uses “Merge formatting” By Default
A new update for Microsoft Word means that the “merge formatting” option will be applied by default when pasting into your document.
Full Story and Our Insights:
Microsoft Word users are in for a significant improvement with the introduction of a new default text formatting option. The latest update replaces the previous "keep source formatting" default with a more sophisticated "merge formatting" option.
Unlike its predecessor, the "merge formatting" option preserves essential text attributes such as bold and underlined formatting, as well as list and table structures, while also aligning font style, size, and color with the existing document's formatting.
This change is expected to minimize the need for manual adjustments and ensure a more consistent and professional appearance across documents.
Users who prefer to retain the previous default setting can still do so by accessing the settings menu in File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste.
Additionally, Microsoft Word now supports the Control + Shift + V shortcut, allowing users to paste text without any formatting for added flexibility and efficiency in document editing tasks.
This update simplifies the process of pasting into a Word document by preserving essential formatting attributes and ensuring a consistent and professional appearance.
🕟 SEARCH FOR ONEDRIVE FILES IN TEAMS WITH THIS EPIC FLOW!
If you’re frequently sharing OneDrive files with colleagues, this time-saving flow could become a crucial tool for your workspace.
With this workflow, users can type “search: keyword” into any Teams chat, and PowerAutomate will deliver all files containing that keyword into the same chat window.
What’s more, each file will be converted to a shareable link with “Edit” permissions, allowing fast collaboration within group chats.
Interested? Here’s how to install it:
Requirements: Microsoft Teams, OneDrive for Business, PowerAutomate
Step 1: Download the zip file from our website.
Step 2: Open Microsoft Planner, click “+ New plan,” and add your organization as a group.
Step 3: Open PowerAutomate and head to “My Flows” in the left menu.
Step 4: Click “Import” at the top and choose “Import Package.”
Step 5: Click the “Upload” button and select “TeamsTasks.zip."
The zip file will be located in your default save location, typically the “Downloads” folder.
Step 6: Click “Select during import” next to “Microsoft Teams Connection.”
If you have a connection available, select it, then click “Save.”
Otherwise, click “+ Create new” then “+ New connection” at the top.
Use the search box in the top right to find “Microsoft Teams.”
Once you’ve located and clicked the Microsoft Teams connection, choose to “Create.”
Choose an account to sign into, then head back to PowerAutomate and click “Refresh list.”
Now select your Teams connection and hit “Save.”
Step 7: Repeat the process in step 6 for the Office 365 Outlook, Office 365 Users, and Planner connections.
Step 7: Click “Import” at the bottom.
Step 8: Edit the “Teams Tasks” workflow, then head down to the “Create a task” action, click it, and change the “Group Id” and “Plan Id” to your plan.
Step 9: Save the workflow.
Step 10: Click the three dots (…) next to the “Teams Tasks” flow in “My Flows” and choose “Turn on” in the popup list.
✅ WRAPPING UP!
That’s all for this edition of On The Pulse.
Thanks for reading and see you soon! 👋