[m365weekly] #163

M365 Newsletter title logo M365 Weekly Newsletter

Issue #163

☁️What’s on my mind

Artificial intelligence tools have seeped into every pore of our social fabric.

A few days ago, I was talking to an acquaintance who writes speeches for some of my country’s most high-profile politicians.

In the last month, he has written an average of 1 speech daily due to the EU elections.

How do you keep up that pace and still have some creativity? Clearly, without ChatGPT and similar tools, it is no longer possible.

Some things evoke very conflicting feelings in me. I have recently been testing some AI tools to create music. Great results and very listenable music. Is it even fair to listen to AI-generated music?

And an epiphany for the end: even AI only stands on the shoulders of the creative people.

Have a nice weekend,
Matic Z.


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☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

How to save Microsoft Forms Responses to a List in SharePoint. Microsoft Lists now offers a seamless integration with Microsoft Forms, allowing you to easily populate Forms entries into a List for various use cases. By creating a List first and then customizing the entry Form based on it, you can share the Form URL with others for submission without giving access to the entire List.

Stop Wasting Time! Link Excel Data To PowerPoint (In Just 3 Minutes). Don’t let static charts and outdated data hinder your PowerPoint presentations. By linking Excel to PowerPoint, you can ensure your audience gets the most current information.

How to Synchronize email signatures in Outlook. Struggling with inconsistent email signatures across devices and platforms in Outlook? Good news – you can now easily create and synchronize your email signatures between Outlook on the web (OWA) and the Outlook app. 


☁️Copilot & AI

Copilot is now available in classic Outlook for Windows. Microsoft has been working to improve the Copilot experience in classic Outlook by rolling out new features over the past few months. Some available features include Summarize by Copilot, which helps users catch up on active email threads quickly, and Coaching by Copilot, which provides suggestions for tone, clarity, and sentiment in emails. Read on what you can expect.

Turn Dull Spreadsheets into Engaging Visuals with ChatGPT-4o. ChatGPT 4o has arrived, revolutionizing data analysis with its ability to transform raw information into insightful reports and visualizations effortlessly. This powerful tool can handle various data sizes, perform advanced statistical functions, and even create dashboards from scratch in seconds.


☁️Sysadmin Stuff

Intune – No more hardware hash requirement for Autopilot (preview). Good news for Intune environment managers: Microsoft has updated Autopilot with a new version, Autopilot v2, which no longer requires hardware hash for registering new devices. 

How does Microsoft Loop Guest Access work? Microsoft Loop now offers guest access, allowing you to invite external collaborators to share Loop pages and workspaces. Derek Liddell from Microsoft discusses the initial release of guest access and introduces Workspace join links, a convenient way to bring collaborators into your workspaces. Watch the demo.

Configuring external authentication methods in Microsoft 365 with Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft Entra ID’s public preview now includes support for external multifactor authentication (MFA), enabling integration with third-party solutions like Cisco Duo. This update offers increased security, flexibility, and streamlined user experience, catering to various security protocols.


☁️Security & Data Governance

Conditional Access Insights and Reporting Workbook. The “Conditional Access insights and reporting workbook” in Microsoft 365’s Entra ID helps you evaluate the impact of your organization’s Conditional Access policies. These interactive dashboards provide comprehensive reports on sign-in and audit logs, allowing you to monitor policy enforcement, identify gaps, and maintain a secure environment.

How to secure access on personal devices across your customers. Get ready to secure access on unmanaged personal devices with this tutorial, which demonstrates real-life applications and experiences for users. You’ll be better equipped to protect customer data on personal devices like laptops, while exploring various security measures such as web-only access, blocking local downloads, and implementing endpoint DLP.

Understanding SharePoint Online Storage. Managing SharePoint Online storage involves understanding its three partitions: SharePoint sites, SharePoint Embedded apps, and OneDrive for Business.


☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

Microsoft Made An Alternative to CCleaner. Microsoft PC Manager, a free utility app for Windows 10 and 11, offers a range of features to optimize and manage PC performance. With one-click boost, storage cleanup, process management, and startup apps management, users can enhance system efficiency and security.


DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

By September 30, 2024 – Business Connectivity Services (BCS) retirement in Microsoft 365. (Timeline and alternative solution)

December 16, 2024Retiring of Delve application.

End of 2024 – Mail and Calendar Apps in Windows will be retired. The new Outlook will be installed on new Windows 11 devices.

October 2026Retirement of Microsoft Publisher app which has been a part of Office Suite for years.


☁️Classifieds

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☁️On a Less Serious Note


☁️ Last but not least …

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