Microsoft Excel update will take spreadsheets to the next level
Intelligent new Microsoft Excel data types could revolutionize the humble spreadsheet.
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Microsoft Excel is making it way easier to annotate your spreadsheets online
Microsoft is working on a couple of updates that should make it a lot easier for Excel users to annotate their spreadsheets. The new additions were quietly added to the Microsoft 365 roadmap and, although currently only classed as being “in development” are expected to be made available later this month.
The first of the updates will enable users of the web version of Excel to use the ink and highlighter functions to naturally annotate over their worksheets. The addition should make it much quicker for individuals to make quick additions to their spreadsheets or emphasize certain aspects for the benefit of their collaborators.
The second update, which also concerns the web version of Excel, enables users to create notes to share and track important information in their online notebooks. Again, this is likely to prove particularly useful for Excel users that share spreadsheets with business colleagues, allowing them to ask questions or leave comments natively in the web app.
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New features
The new Excel features are likely to be welcomed by those using the software to collaborate remotely – something that has become more commonplace in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Not that long ago, colleagues would have organized a face-to-face meeting to discuss queries or comments regarding a file that they had shared access to. In the era of social distancing, however, these discussions are more likely to occur remotely.
Although digital tools have stood up to the disruption caused by the pandemic admirably, it is noticeable how many software providers have been issuing updates over the last few months.
It is likely that the influx of new users have suggested changes that simply wouldn’t have been thought of without the adoption of mass remote working.
- We've also highlighted the best accounting software
Date
15 Dec 2020Sources
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Windows 11 update brings back Movie Maker as ClipChamp, for a price
Read MoreMicrosoft released a new preview build of Windows 11 on March 9, where it announced a surprise new app called ClipChamp.
This allows you to create videos, edit video clips, and gives you access to plenty of stock photos and videos that you can use for your projects, but you need to pay a monthly subscription in order to use these features.
ClipChamp is rolling out to users who are on Windows Insider build 22572 and above. If you've not signed up to be a Windows Insider to help test early versions of Windows 11, this app should appear later this year in the upcoming 'Sun Valley 2' update.
It looks as though Microsoft is looking through its back catalog of apps, such as Paint and Windows Media Player, and seeing what could work in 2022. In some ways, ClipChamp is the return of the iconic Movie Maker, and looks to appease casual users who just want to edit clips on the fly, or make their home movies look a little more professional, as long as you pay a monthly fee that is.
Analysis: What's old is new again, almost
(Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft has been both reviving its apps for Windows 11, and refreshing others that have not been updated in years, such as Paint and Snipping Tool.
Movie Maker was a useful tool back in the days of Windows XP in 2001, where you could place random transitions and effects over your photos and videos, then share it through MSN Messenger.
It launched with Windows Me in 2000, a short-lived upgrade to Windows 98, and was supported until 2014, but Movie Maker hadn't seen any major new features since 2007. With the increase of other apps and websites that could edit video, alongside being able to do the same features on social media apps on your smartphones, Movie Maker faded into irrelevance.
However, nostalgia is powerful thing, and many of us fondly remember the apps that we used to have as part of our childhoods, and for some, Movie Maker is a big part of this. There are most likely users out there who have videography careers in 2022 thanks to Movie Maker introducing them to video editing when they were younger.
ClipChamp looks to do the same for users in Windows 11, with a modern design that is reminiscent of Movie Maker, all while bringing modern features.
But for a $9 / £8 / AU$ 10 monthly price to allow for unlimited cloud storage, access to the stock content, and 1080p exports, it may be an example of Microsoft taking one step forward, two steps back in what users have been asking for.
Via Windows Blog
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The world's fastest SSD just launched but it's absurdly expensive
Read MoreThe hardware company Other World Computing, more commonly known as OWC, has announced the launch of the world's fastest and highest capacity PCIe SSD yet.
The OWC Accelsior 8M2 is compatible with Windows and Linux computers as well as with Apple's Mac Pro and the new drive utilizes the total bandwidth of the latest PCI technology to deliver ultra-fast speeds of up to 26GB/s. Each of the eight NVMe M.2 SSD slots in the OWC Accelsior 8M2 can run at their full x4 lanes of data throughput and the drive can be outfitted with up to 64TB of storage.
As a high-performance NVMe-based storage solution, OWC's latest drive delivers the consistent low latency data throughput required in edge computing applications used in industrial automation, smart city ecosystems and smart retail solutions. The company has also taken steps to ensure the OWC Accelsior 8M2 runs at peak speed over long periods which is why there's a cooling fan in the drive's aircraft-grade aluminum heat shield.
CEO and founder of OWC, Larry O'Connor explained how the company's latest drive pushes technology to the limits in a press release, saying:
"We are always trying to push technology to the limits, and with the OWC Accelsior 8M2, can be summed up in one definitive sentence. It's the fastest, highest-capacity PCIe SSD in the galaxy."
OWC Accelsior 8M2
OWC has also included SoftRAID XT with its new drive and users will be able to choose from multiple RAID options to select the RAID level that best fits their or their project's needs best.
While the OWC Accelsior 8M2 can store heaps of data, keeping this data backed up and protected is also critically important. For this reason, OWC has partnered with Acronis to give is customers one full year of cloud backup and antivirus software protection. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office safeguards users from today's data threats with intuitive backup and AI-enhanced anti-malware technology.
The OWC Accelsior 8M2 is available now in several configurations including a 0TB option for $799 (£588) where customers add their own drives. The device can also be purchased with 2TB, 4TB, 8TB, 16TB, 32TB and 64TB of storage included starting at $1,299 (£958).
While the OWC Accelsior 8M2 is certainly an expensive proposition for the average consumer, this device is aimed at creative professionals and large organizations that need large amounts of storage in the smallest possible form factor.
Need more storage? Check out our roundups of the best SSD, best M.2 SSD and best hard drives
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