An inbox clutter management tool, 13 new themes and support for third-party add-ins are among the major new features in Microsoft's overhaul of its Outlook.com service.
In a blog post, the Outlook team also boasted of an upgraded calendar and new ways to collaborate, as Microsoft moves Outook to its Office365 infrastructure.
The upgraded look and features are rolling out to a select group for now, however.
One of the major changes is the refined inbox, which features a clutter management tool dubbed Clutter.
"Clutter works on your behalf, sorting messages you’re likely to ignore into a separate folder, so you can focus on what matters. The more you use Outlook.com, the better Clutter gets. You can help train Clutter by dragging messages in or out of the Clutter folder and you can turn it on or off depending on your preferences," it said.
The inbox will also get 13 new themes with graphic designs to help users express their personalities.
It will likewise get a link preview where Outlook.com automatically generates a rich preview if a user pastes a link into a message.
Add-ins appear while a user is reading or composing a message. These include the built-in Bing Maps, My Templates and Suggested Meetings.
But third-party add-ins may include those from Uber, Boomerang and PayPal.
Shifting between email, Skype
The new Outlook.com also allows users to shift conversations between email and Skype.
"Chat with a group, or one-on-one, using all your favorite Skype emoticons. Start a voice or video call by pressing the call button," the Outlook team said.
OneDrive
Outlook.com also features simplified sharing from OneDrive, with a user just attaching a file to a draft message and turning it into a shared OneDrive link.
Changes made to a file are automatically saved and attached to a response - "no need to download, edit, save and re-attach the revised file."
Calendar
The upgraded calendar lets a user "manage shared calendars, quickly find events by searching for the name, invitees, location or description and stay on top of the dates that matter to you with over 100 country and religious calendars," the Outlook team said.
Mobile web experience
Outlook.com is now more mobile-friendly for those who access it from a phone browser.
It has a "cleaner experience with new features like swipe gestures and support for add-ins," and mobile-friendly views for calendar and contacts.
Feedback
Microsoft also added Outlook UserVoice, a feedback mechanism to give "our community a chance to see and hear what others are saying and at the same time, creating a direct line of communication with the team that builds Outlook.com."
It described UserVoice as an open forum for people to share feedback, recommend features, and vote for ideas they like best.
Changing settings
Microsoft said Outlook.com users need not change their email addresses or adjust settings on their phones or apps.
It also said Outlook.com users do not have to pay for an Office 365 subscription, saying Outlook.com "will remain a free, ad-supported service." — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
