mail

Outbox delivers your snail mail to your iPhone or iPad

Mail service as we know it just doesn't work anymore. Too much junk. Too much hassle sorting, scanning, and/or filing the stuff we need to keep. And, let's be honest, so much of what arrives in our mailboxes could -- some would say should -- arrive electronically.

Austin-based startup Outbox wants to make that happen by digitizing all of your physical mail and delivering it to you electronically on your iPhone or iPad, or your PC.

Interesting proposition, wouldn't you say? Think about it: no more daily trek to the mailbox followed by the daily armload … Read more

Send snail mail postcards easily using your iPhone

Postcardly Postcards is a neat service that allows you to create a postcard using your own photos, then have it sent via snail mail to a recipient for a reasonable price. The process is almost perfect and I really like the idea, but some small tweaks would make the app even better.

Creating a postcard is dead simple. You start by snapping a photo or choosing one from your iPhone's photo library. Then, you can move and scale the photo to make it fit on the postcard the way you want (more on this later). When you're satisfied … Read more

Pointers on Microsoft's Hotmail phase-out

Microsoft announced earlier this week that it is closing Hotmail and moving the "hundreds of millions" still using it to Outlook.com by this summer.

The move isn't unexpected, but perhaps more sudden than some anticipated. Hotmail users, once they move (or are moved) will get Outlook.com's clean, Metro-Style interface for their mail -- and ultimately, calendars. (For a walk-through of the user-interface changes Hotmail users will see, check out this Microsoft FAQ.)

Given that many of the new features in Outlook.com -- Microsoft's new Web-mail service that is no longer in "preview," … Read more

How to use Outlook.com e-mail with keyboard shortcuts

Outlook.com is out of preview now and available for everyone to use. Learning how to get around the new interface can be a lot easier with the help of keyboard shortcuts. So whether you're new to Microsoft's browser-based e-mail service or an old Hotmail user trying to adjust to the new design, give the shortcuts a try and get to know Outlook.com.

Before we get started, go to Settings > Keyboard shortcuts and make sure that keyboard shortcuts are enabled and set to Outlook.com mode. If you're already familiar with the keyboard shortcuts for … Read more

Microsoft moves Outlook.com out of preview

Microsoft announced Tuesday that its Outlook.com browser-based e-mail service has moved out of its preview stage and is now available globally.

First introduced last July, Outlook.com is Microsoft's boldest e-mail move since Google launched Gmail in 2004 and a clear answer to it. As I said in my First Take, the simple interface, Skydrive integration, and promise of mega storage will remind you of Google's product while the People Hub and vaguely Windows 8 look and feel give Outlook.com a distinct identity.

Microsoft designed Outlook.com to replace its Hotmail product, which it acquired in … Read more

Get started with Mailbox for iOS

Mailbox, a new e-mail client for the iPhone, has launched and it takes a new approach to managing your Inbox. Mailbox wants you to ditch the traditional labels method implemented by Gmail users everywhere. Instead, according to Mailbox, you should be able to snooze and postpone e-mails in your Inbox to take action on them at a later time. The new approach takes some reprogramming of your brain, but it's one some users will find better suited for them.

Get in line!

To accommodate the huge demand and make sure the system will stay running smoothly for all … Read more

The latest trend: The 'you're not invited' wedding e-mail

I have always found the marriage thing fascinating.

Though I've never managed it myself, I have been best man five times. This has brought me up close to the deep-seated neuroses surrounding the happy day.

What should the happy couple wear? What color should the flowers be? Should there be a vegetarian option? And, of course, most vital, who should be invited?

I had always imagined that those not invited would accept the slight with good grace or permanent spite.

I had also imagined that those who didn't quite make the cut would at least be offered a … Read more

Microsoft goes after Google with attack on Gmail privacy

Microsoft is ratcheting up its attacks on Google with a campaign urging users of the Web giant's e-mail service to dump Gmail for its own Outlook.com over privacy concerns.

In its national campaign titled "Don't get scroogled by Gmail," Microsoft dredges up an old issue with Google's free e-mail service: Google scans users' e-mails to determine relevant advertisements to place alongside the messages.

Microsoft says a study it commissioned found that 70 percent of consumers polled were unaware that major e-mail providers "routinely" scan e-mail to sell ads and that nearly 90 … Read more

The 404 1,203: Where we do not pass Go (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Hasbro let the Internet choose the new Monopoly token and this is what they picked.

- Pebble watch gets growing pains.

- USPS to stop Saturday mail delivery.

- "Walkie Talkies" are shoes you can use as phones.

- Beyonce's publicist desperately wants these removed from the Internet.… Read more

Microsoft pushes Office subscriptions

Tuesday's CNET Update doesn't need another yearly fee:

Microsoft Office 2013 comes in several flavors, so today's show breaks down what you need to know about upgrading. A single copy of Office 2013 with the basic programs costs $140. But Microsoft is pushing a new yearly subscription version called Office 365. The $100 yearly fee brings regular updates, as well as bonus cloud storage space and free calling time on Skype. The fee also gives customers the option to download Office on five computers.

Also in the news:

- Apple announced it will offer a 128GB iPad on February 5, … Read more