Microsoft delivers second update to its Metro-Style Lync app
When Microsoft rolled out Windows 8 and Office 2013, the company made two versions of its Lync unified communications app available: A regular desktop one, and a touch-centric, "Metro-Style"/Windows Store one. (The Metro-Style one was codenamed "Lync MX," similar to the way the Metro-Style OneNote was codenamed "OneNote MX.")
On June 25, Microsoft made available its second update of the Lync Metro-Style/Windows Store app. The updated version takes advantage of some of the new features Microsoft has built into Windows 8.1 (a k a, "Blue"), such as a resizable snap view. Microsoft is slated to release the public preview builds of the Intel- and ARM-based Windows 8.1 releases tomorrow, June 26, during its Build 2013 conference kick-off.
In a blog post on the Lync Team Blog, the Softies listed the new features in update 2:
- New Meetings screen to view details about all meetings for the current and next day, along with the option to choose which meeting to join.
- Improved snap view
- Ability to join Lync meetings anonymously, without having to have a Lync account.
- Browse someone else’s shared slides without changing what everyone else is seeing.
- Take over as presenter for someone else’s shared slides
- Click a phone number to make a call from inside a link in a browser or other app
- Change the speed of voice mail playback (if voice mail is available for a particular account)
- Improved high-contrast support
- Sign in more reliably, with better error messages and troubleshooting help
To download the update, go to Windows Store, select Updates (in the top, right corner) > Lync > Install. "When you see the Meetings button on the Lync Home screen, you’ve got the update," the Softies noted.
Lync is Microsoft's unified communications app targeted at business users. Microsoft recently began federating/integrating Lync and Skype, its primarily consumer-focused unified-comms product.
Microsoft is working on a new version of its Metro-Style OneNote application. According to tipsters, the updated OneNote will be delivered as part of the "Gemini" refresh to Microsoft Office in the October 2013 timeframe. In addition to including a Metro-Style OneNote, the Gemini set of apps also will include a Metro-Style Word, Excel and PowerPoint, my sources have said.