It was just a few days ago that I said Google's messaging strategy was a mess. In a statement published by Google overnight, the company has put Allo, the messaging platform they launched just a couple of years ago, on the chopping block declaring it will stop working next March. It's yet another software thought balloon floated by Google and then pricked into oblivion.

During the annual Microsoft Ignite shindig, being held in Orlando, the new Surface Hub was unveiled. And while it won't be available until around the middle of next year, it promises to deliver some innovative new features.

So, you need some help. It's okay, we all need a hand sometimes. Problem is, a lot of us don't know how to go about asking - so we don't. Well, according to a social psychologist, here's the simplest, most effective way to ask for a favour.

Most of us have been caught in the loop of receiving an email or message asking for something but not having an easy way to move that task from your messaging platform to your to-do list. For a while now, Slack has supported the ability to do that but it was via "slash commands". But the company has added new integration to their messaging platform that allows you to connect messages to tasks in other workflow management tools.

Microsoft has made a bunch of announcements at their SharePoint Virtual Summit. The big change on the SharePoint side of things is Spaces - which give a virtual reality spin to how people interact with information stored in SharePoint. Artificial intelligence has been further integrated in to Office 365 with the ability to better understand what you were working on as well offer more information about images you use and an improved way of working with files in Microsoft Teams.

One of the most convenient ways to share information is via email. But the problem is that you can end up with multiple copies and versions of files and the platform was never designed to be secure. Collaboration systems like Slack and HipChat spread the attachments even further. Are there better ways? I chatted with Scott Leader, Regional Vice President ANZ at Box.net about these challenges

Dropbox has added a new presentation tool, Dropbox Showcase, to its portfolio as the company best known for file syncing and sharing continues to expand its collaboration toolkit. Showcase is available to all Dropbox Business Advanced and Enterprise teams along with updates to admin controls for managing the deployment of Showcase within businesses and workgroups.

No virtual whiteboard is perfect for everyone - and every virtual whiteboard service seems to shut down after a few years. While we've recommended several over the years, the only one still around is Twiddla, which is so feature-rich that it might feel too complicated (and ugly) for some projects. If so, try the simpler app RealtimeBoard.

Dropbox was the early mover when it came to a file sync and share service that was able to make it easy for people to save files on one device and have them available, almost instantly, on another device. But since they started, many competitors ahem come along and the core service they offered has become commoditised. That's driven the company to look for new ways to differentiate themselves and to solve different problems. And that's where Dropbox Paper comes in. Paper is about helping teams of people work together.

Dropbox has announced a partnership with Google Cloud that will deliver a bunch of new cross-platform integrations that will bring Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Hangouts into closer collaboration with their file sync and share platform. And it's not just a corporate feature - the integrations will be made accessible for all Dropbox users.

While Microsoft Teams is free, or rather bundled, for Office 365 Business Premium and Enterprise customers, there's no way for smaller businesses or individuals collaborating with larger businesses to access the company's collaboration tools for free. But that might be changing. Some observant folks have spotted pointers to a new freemium option.

Microsoft continues to add new features to Teams, their collaboration tool, and upping the ante on established platforms such as Slack. Their recent acquisition of ChalkUp and new chat history feature further refine this product.

Microsoft is continuing to play their game of catchup/leapfrog with Slack, Hipchat and other collaboration tools. The company has announced a slew of integrations with applications that will allow users to include information from apps in conversations, a new store for accessing apps that work in Teams as well as the ability to launch queries and other actions straight from the command box.

Remote collaboration is both a blessing and a curse. One one hand, it allows for unmatched convenience as team members can work together from anywhere in the world. On the other hand, communication can get a bit muddled when a team isn't all together in one location — specifically when it comes to sharing files. That's why Droplr was created as a reliable way to share critical project information to the people who need it. And, you can take an additional 40% off its sale price when you plug the CYBER40 code in at checkout.

Amazon's WorkDocs file sync and share service is available for Live Preview to users with an AWS account number. Although it's Windows-only at the moment, it's another option in the increasingly competitive file storage business that is a key battlefront in the growing collaboration market. WorkDocs, which was once known as Zocalo, integrates wth File Explorer, and offers some other interesting features.

LogMeIn has launched GoToStage, a video platform designed to help marketers generate awareness and interest through hosting, promoting, and viewing webinars on demand. It enables marketers to curate and customise a branded channel that integrates with GoToWebinar.

Nowadays, many companies allow their employees and teams to operate remotely. While that's great for cutting costs and improving efficiency, this style of work can make it difficult for members to stay on the same page throughout the day. Therein lies the value of the Droplr Screenshot and Screencasting Tool.

If you're a browser-based user of Office 365 you'll see some changes. Microsoft has given the online version of their productivity suite a spruce up, refreshing the application launcher and improving the search tool. There's a also a task-based tool that suggests which tool to use to best complete a particular job

This morning, Dropbox announced the release of DBX Platform. This is a suite of APIs and developer tools for building new capabilities on top of Dropbox that includes new integrations with Atlassian’s JIRA Software, Autodesk tools and Microsoft Outlook. I spoke with Dropbox's Head of Solutions Architecture Dan Iversen about the new features.