Outlook Search Bar Moved to Top

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

If you are in the Office Insiders group (and so getting early peaks at new Outlook features), you may have noticed that in a recent Outlook update the Search bar has been moved to the top of the Windows Desktop Outlook window.

It’s not simply its position that has changed, though, it’s supposed to do faster searches and it does seem to do that. I know Microsoft has been working hard to overhaul the search engine used throughout Office and Windows, and this apparently is a next step.

Update: I’ve just created a free video about this new search box, see this post for more info.

Michael

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Option to Turn Off Flagged Mail Highlighting Added

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

In an Office 365 update I recently got, Microsoft has added in the Outlook Options, Mail tab, a way to turn off the Flagged Mail Highlighting feature that they added to Windows Outlook about 6 months ago. Just scroll to the very bottom of that tab.

When I originally announced that Flagged Mail Highlighting feature in my blog back then, I got more replies to that blog than almost any other I’ve ever written—all of them negative and wanting to know how to turn it off.

At that time there was no way to turn it off, but now there is.

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New Look for Microsoft To-Do Apps

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

Microsoft has just released new versions of many of its To-Do apps that have a very distinctive new look.

They have put a dark background around the entire list now (instead of just at the top). The task body remains white but now have rounded corners. Most notable is that the dark background shows between the tasks, making each task stand out a bit.

As far as I can tell, there is no functional difference. Though a few more controls are added at the right end of the new task line, as an alert reader pointed out in comments below.

I’ve seen this change appear in the Windows 10, iOS, and Android apps, but not in the web version yet.

Don’t forget I’ve got an 18-video course on how to use Microsoft To-Do with my simple 1MTD tasks system.

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Using Remember the Milk with MYN, Guest Post

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

The app called Remember the Milk (RTM) is one of the first-released and still best-known web-based to-do list apps out there. Years ago when I first looked at it, it lacked features needed to support MYN, so I dismissed it.

But an avid MYN user recently looked into it again and found that RTM has come a long way. He says it added a start date field and good sorting and filtering. So with some simple setting changes he says it can now be effectively used with MYN.

He said RTM also has a good email-forwarding method of converting emails to tasks. And he said that RTM’s smartphone apps also look good and can work with MYN.

At my request the reader wrote up some notes on how to configure RTM for MYN and sent them to me. When I have time I’ll try this out; but for now I am posting his raw notes below, unedited (and unconfirmed), in case you want to get going now. Hopefully, this is enough to get you started. If you try these out, let me know how it goes, okay?

Continue reading →
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Outlook Processed Mail folder vs. Archive folder

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

As you probably know, I strongly recommend that you use a single folder for most of your Outlook email filing.

In my Outlook book (Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook Ed 5), and in my MYN-Outlook Video Course, and in the Outlook Inbox Ninja Video Course, I suggested two alternate single folder approaches: Using the predefined Archive folder (available in all Desktop Outlook versions since late 2016). Or using the Processed Mail folder (good for all versions of desktop Outlook); the Processed Mail folder is simply a custom Outlook folder that you create yourself.

I normally say you can adopt one or the other (but not both by the way), and that they are roughly equivalent in advantages. I do get questions from readers asking which is better, however, and there are some key differences.

So, what follows is a write up detailing the pros and cons. I’ll do it from the perspective of the Archive folder. By the way, all of this is explained in my video classes, especially the Outlook Inbox Ninja course, for example in Video 1.4 (but also study all the Quick Step videos in section 1 there, and study the new lesson 8.5).

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Recent Microsoft Outlook Online Software Change: A Much Better To-Do Tasks Pane

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

If you use Outlook Online in a web browser, and your Exchange server is hosted at Microsoft, then you might see that an important change has been made in the last few weeks:  the optional To-Do Tasks Pane has been greatly improved.

First of all, not all Outlook Online users have access to that To-Do Tasks pane. But if you do, here are the changes made in the last few weeks:

  • That pane can now be swapped for a Calendar view.
  • You can now edit nearly all the task detail settings right in that pane. You no longer must launch a separate browser tab to edit most task details.
  • There is a new more generalized icon to open that pane.

All this is demonstrated in a new update I just made to Lesson 6 of my Microsoft To-Do video course at: to-do-videos.com. Paid users go take a look (advance to the 5:30 minute point).

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MYN for Apple Users, Guest Post by Charles Olsen

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

This is a guest post from an avid user of MYN, Charles Olsen, who found a creative way to use the software Things on the Mac to implement the MYN tasks system. What follows is his well-written article (with me only adding links and emphasis).

While I found the processes of GTD to be helpful in improving my productivity, it wasn’t quite enough for me — something was missing. I found the missing pieces in the Urgency Zones of 1MTD and MYN, as well as the Defer-to-Do and Defer-to-Review processes. MYN really helped get my task lists under control.

The hardest part for me has been finding a software solution. I know it can be done on paper, but if anything happens to that paper, the information is lost. I want a software solution where the data is backed up. I also like a database with dated items that will bring Defer-to-Do and Defer-to-Review tasks to my attention on the appropriate date.

I don’t use Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook for Windows — or Windows, or anything Microsoft, at all. My primary computer is a MacBook, and I do a lot of work on an iPad Pro. I also want to be able to refer to my lists on my iPhone. I tried using the Toodledo MYN system, but I ran into some issues with Toodledo.

After trying several different apps, I finally found a software solution for people like myself who work entirely with Apple devices. Things 3, from Cultured Code, is an excellent tool for 1MTD, MYN, and 1MPM.

Continue reading →
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New Video Courses Released Today

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

I announced in today’s newsletter that two new video course sets were released today: a new updated MYN Outlook Video Course, and a new Outlook Inbox “Super Ninja” Course.

Details of all this are in the newsletter at this link:
https://www.michaellinenberger.com/NewsletterAug22-19.html

Michael

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New Video Added to Outlook Inbox Ninja course

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

I just added a new Lesson 8.5 called Advanced Quick Filing to the Outlook Inbox Ninja course. This 16-minute video lesson shows more advanced ways to quickly move selected emails out of your inbox. It shows why, even if you use the Archive folder for single-folder filing, you may want to use a Quick Steps button rather than the Archive button to file mail, something that may be surprising to you.

It’s available to all paid Inbox Ninja users no matter which version you bought. Go log in now and watch.

Michael

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New MYN Video Course and Super Ninja Video Course Coming Soon

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Michael Linenberger

My flagship video courses: The MYN Outlook Complete Video Training and the Outlook Inbox Ninja course, are both being upgraded in a few weeks. Both of these new upgrades will be released in the last week in August. Here are some details.

First, I have a totally new MYN Outlook Complete video course. In it I have newly recorded and updated every single video in the original set. They are all now wide-screen, and they have all been updated for the latest Outlook versions and latest thinking on MYN. And there are four new videos in the set.

As to pricing, there is a Free upgrade if you bought the MYN set in the last 12 months; otherwise if your purchase date is older than that, a modest upgrade fee will apply. And first-time buyers will pay the same MYN price as before.

Second, I have extended the Outlook Inbox Ninja set to a new set that includes the tasks portions of the new MYN Outlook video set. This new Ninja set I am calling the Super Ninja set. It has 32 videos added to teach you the MYN Tasks system in the context of the Outlook Inbox Ninja system—a combined system. This is the most extensive (and expensive), and most up-to-date video set I have ever released.

As to pricing for this Super Ninja set, if you bought MYN videos in the last year and own any version of the Ninja set, this upgrade is free. There are modest upgrade fees if you bought MYN earlier. First time buyers will pay somewhat less than the sum of buying MYN and Ninja separately.

Watch my newsletters for the announcement of these video sets and the complete pricing and discount schedules.

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