Author: Marry

Microsoft is rolling out iPad trackpad support to Office apps

MarryComputer

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft on Monday announced a couple of important updates to some of its Office apps for Apple iPad users. The updates are slowly rolling out to users right now, with the expectation that everyone will have access in the next couple of weeks. 

So what are the updates? First, Microsoft has added trackpad and mouse support to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Apple added trackpad and mouse support earlier this year with the release of
iPadOS 13.4

, taking a different approach to how users look at and use a pointer. Microsoft is embracing that same approach, by automatically changing the cursor based on the tool or task at hand the moment you start moving the mouse in one of the compatible Office apps. 

be600229-9118-4bd2-9506-b8d774fa189d.gif

Image: Microsoft

I don’t have access to the new feature, but in the animated image above, you can see the mouse cursor change as it’s

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Zoom rolls out encryption for all desktop and mobile users

MarryNews

Zoom, the big winner from remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic, is rolling out end-to-end encryption for all video meetings on mobile and desktop devices after criticism that it used “substandard” encryption.

On Tuesday, Zoom announced that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is immediately available for users on Windows, macOS, and Android. The iOS version of the Zoom app is still awaiting approval from Apple’s App Store review. It’s being rolled out as a “technical preview” for 30 days, during which time Zoom aims to gather customer feedback about their experience with E2EE.

The company flagged its plans to roll out its E2EE capabilities last week. The desktop version with E2EE support is 5.4.0.

SEE: COVID-19: A guide and checklist for restarting your business (TechRepublic Premium)

Zoom generates individual encryption keys that are used to encrypt voice and video calls between conference participants. The keys are stored on users’ devices and

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Covid crisis proves tech can replace office space and support cost-cutting at Barclays

MarryMobile Tech

Barclays Bank is to look at ways of cutting costs by reducing the office space it uses, after working-from-home policies and technology have proved successful during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although the bank said it is yet to make decisions, it seems likely that more staff will do their jobs, at least in part, from their homes.

Remote working has been a subject discussed in annual employee appraisals for years in businesses, but managers often gritted their teeth when staff raised the subject – but the restrictions brought by the coronavirus have opened the floodgates.

The national lockdowns imposed during the pandemic meant many workers could not go to the office and even if they could, they were encouraged to limit this as much as possible.

Barclays has about 55,000 of its 85,000 staff working from home and they have done so since early in the pandemic. Barclays, like other businesses

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The rise of "no-code platforms" is helping usher in a new generation fluent in using computers and mobile devices for self-expression, research, and analysis (Danny Crichton/TechCrunch)

MarryTechnology review


Danny Crichton / TechCrunch:

The rise of “no-code platforms” is helping usher in a new generation fluent in using computers and mobile devices for self-expression, research, and analysis  —  In the distant past, there was a proverbial “digital divide” that bifurcated workers into those who knew how to use computers … … Read More

Microsoft Edge: This new feature will give your browser a turbo boost

MarryComputer

Microsoft is testing a new feature in Windows 10 that’s designed to boost the start-up time of its Chromium-based Edge browser.

Called ‘start-up boost’, the feature works by launching core Microsoft Edge processes in the background when Windows 10 is booted up. This allows Edge to start quicker when launched from the taskbar, desktop, or from hyperlinks within other apps — Word documents, for example.

These browser processes are kept running in the background at low priority when Edge is closed, keeping it in a ready state while having minimal impact on the device’s memory resources.

SEE: Office 365: A guide for tech and business leaders (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Start-up boost will be an optional setting within the latest Microsoft Edge build — Edge 88. Users will be able to enable or disable the feature themselves; administrators can also toggle start-up boost on or off on a group-policy basis.

According

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Is the iPhone 12’s ‘Ceramic Shield’ display more durable?

MarryNews

One of the new features of the iPhone 12 is what Apple calls Ceramic Shield. It’s supposed to give the iPhone 12’s screen four times better drop performance.

But does it work?

There’s only one way to find out?

Anyone want to volunteer their new iPhone 12? No. Well, lucky for us, the folks at Allstate Protection Plans has carried out some drop tests for us.

Must read: Parallels brings Windows to Chromebooks

Ceramic Shield is a technology developed by glassmaker Corning that uses a high-temperature crystallization process to allow nano-ceramic crystals to form in the glass, boosting toughness.

Apple claims that Ceramic Shield is tougher than any other smartphone glass, and that this is the biggest jump in glass reliability the iPhone has seen.

So, what happens when you drop it?

Spoilers: It still breaks.

iPhone 12 and 12 Pro following drop-tests

The durability testing consisted of dropping

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