Microsoft is going in the right direction with smart email filtering and collaboration enhancements, and in closing the multi-year gap to catch up to Google functionality down to just a few. 
However, naming the program as something that it is trying to eliminate reeks of a PR failure, and it's not even launched yet.  

The program's goal is remove as much unimportant mail from a user’s inbox as possible.  This is an admirable goal, and one that is already in place in Google's Gmail (and now Inbox), and Yahoo mail. 

The problem?  Naming it....CLUTTER.  That's right, calling it exactly what it aims to eliminate from your e-life.  Here's hoping for a rebranding effort on a good idea that could be sunk by its own name!

November 11, 2014 Update:
Too late!  It has been rolled out as Clutter, an Inbox Tool for business Office 365 users. So much for early adopter feedback! If you are an individual and would like more power to manage your email, check out Google's new Inbox. 

Wyoming Business Reports that this week, the Wyoming Legislature will be asked to fund a one-time ask of about $15.8 million to build out the state's proposed 100-gigabit unified network adding to the potential for redundant 100-gigabit rings through the state.  

Wyoming has already become home to quite a few data centers – including a massive one created by Microsoft in Cheyenne – that now handle a lot of traffic across the nation. Troy Babbit, Wyoming's Broadband Enterprise Architect for the State of Wyoming, said that the Unified Network would increase the attractiveness of Wyoming for that type of use, among other prospects.  

The Unified Network was one of the main topics at last year's Second Annual Broadband Summit for the State of Wyoming.  

It is wonderful to live in a state that, despite having the lowest population in the United States (and I believe the best scenery), places a priority on high-speed data and sees it as the opportunity and knowledge pipeline that it is.  

In a previous blog article on Productivity I wrote about listening to TED Talks during long Wyoming commuting times.  TED Talks are short video or podcast recordings on a wonderful variety of topics. TED began in 1984 as a conference on Technology, Entertainment and Design (although I swear I remember hearing it called Technology, Education and Design).  At any rate, it had been an annual conference in or around Silicon Valley, but as the popularity of these Talks spread - so did the talks themselves.  

Independent TED Talks are called TEDx.  I wrote about attending the one in Jackson Hole a few months ago.  I'd like to share this one with you - it's from a TEDx Talk in Bloomington, Indiana, and was filmed in 2011.  It's presented by Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think Inc., where he researches and teaches about positive psychology.

This broadcast is just over 12 minutes (or read the transcript) and is a great reminder of how a positive attitude can further productivity by boosting intelligence, energy, and creativity. If you don't find it in your work, find it elsewhere and apply it to your work - life balance!