Microsoft on Thursday announced plans to release a new version of Office for Mac sometime late in 2010. The update will feature a new application, Outlook for Mac, that will serve as a replacement for Entourage. The company is also set to include Visual Basic support once again, after the feature was removed from the Office 2008 release.
Using Macworld as a jumping point, Microsoft has announced two new pieces of Mac software. The first is the Document Collaboration Companion, a Cocoa-based tool which should simplify uploading and downloading to Office Live Workspaces as well as SharePoint-based collaboration utilities. Users will be able to check documents in and out, cache them offline, and access services such as a Document Library plus the SharePoint and Office Live Workspaces. A private beta is expected to become available in February, followed by a final release later this year.
Having only recently released major patches for both Office 2004 and 2008, Microsoft has posted a new, minor patch for the latter edition of its work suite. Though installed for the whole of Office, the v12.1.4 update specifically addresses a problem within the Entourage mail client. Under copies of v12.1.3, Exchange accounts operating from within Entourage were rendered unable to send meeting invitations or responses.
A new version of PocketMac, a tool for syncing unsupported phones with a Mac, has been released for the iPhone. In the iPhone's default state it is only able to sync with Address Book and iCal, but PocketMac for iPhone adds additional syncing support for Entourage, Meeting Maker and Lotus Notes. Users can sync contacts and calendars from these applications, and select only the categories of data they would like carried over.
Atempo today announced Mac releases of its Atempo Digital Archive (ADA) and Digital Archive for Messaging (ADAM) software, with support for Apple's Xserve and Final Cut Server. ADA allows automated transfer of data from a primary disk to archives. End-users have access to a client interface, which lets them drag and drop files from source directories to archives.
Softhing says it has released a new version of Entourage Email Archive X, bringing the app up to v4.1. The program is used to archive e-mails and their attachments, including both sent and received items. Messages are indexed for Spotlight search, and can be restored individually or in bulk to Entourage as necessary.
Owners of BlackBerry cellphones should now have more robust support on the Mac, according to an announcement. PocketMac, an app free from Research in Motion thanks to a licensing agreement, has been updated to v4.1.25 with a number of important features for Mac users, most notably the ability to sync iTunes and iPhoto libraries. iTunes playlists exclude any protected tracks, but iPhoto collections retain their album organizations, and can have images scaled down if necessary. Photos stored on a BlackBerry can imported directly to iPhoto.
C-Command has released a new version of SpamSieve, a spam-filtering tool for Macs that relies on Bayesian algorithms. The software integrates with multiple e-mail clients, and evolves to more accurately block unwanted messages. It can decode messages intended to bypass filters, and incorporates both black- and whitelists, the latter of which can be compiled from Address Book, Eudora or Entourage in order to ensure common contacts are never blocked.
Softhing this week unveiled the Entourage Exchange Accounts Optimizer 1.1, an update to its application designed to optimize Exchange servers by defining a maximum amount of time a user wishes for mail to remain on the server. The update is free for existing users, adding several internal improvements, Exchange account definitions, a 10 minute timeout, and compatibility with Entourage 12.0.1 and Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard. EEAO v1.1 is available for $15.
Nobody likes spam clogging their e-mail accounts. Although nearly every e-mail program comes with its own spam filters, a dedicated spam filter can often work more effectively while giving you greater control. If spam is overwhelming your current e-mail program, consider Intego's Personal Antispam X5. When you first install the software, you can configure it with Mail, Entourage, or both. If you use a different e-mail program, such as Thunderbird, you won’t be able to use X5.
PocketMac has launched two new versions of its GoBetween sync software, for Microsoft's Entourage 2004 and 2008. GoBetween is used to improve on the support of Apple's iSync software, which does not always properly support all software and devices. The newest versions of GoBetween ensure that contact, calendar and task information is properly transferred from Entourage to iCal and Address Book, and from there to iSync and whatever devices may be connected.
