Microsoft Updates Office 2016 for Mac Preview with Updated Look and New Features [Mac Blog]

Microsoft today updated its Office 2016 for Mac Preview, just over a month after it first launched, with an updated look and new features. Word received the most new features while OneNote received no new features. Visual updates include a colored top bar and a more refined bottom bar for Word, Excel and PowerPoint; Outlook and OneNote did not receive visual updates.

The new look of Microsoft Word in Office 2016
The new version of Word received scrolling performance improvements, new user information settings in preferences, support for the most popular Word keyboard shortcuts, improved support for VoiceOver and other performance enhancements and bug fixes. New features include “custom dictionary” and “exclude dictionary” support, a new search feature for online document templates and a new Macro recording feature.

Outlook’s improvements include networking enhancements for Exchange accounts, bug fixes and a new feature called Propose New Time. Meeting attendees can propose a new time for a meeting and the meeting organizers can view the proposed time and modify meeting proposals and then send updates to all of the attendees.

The older look of Microsoft Word in Office 2016
The additions to Excel include a new Analysis Toolpack, a new feature called “Solver” and improved support for VoiceOver and bug fixes. Finally, PowerPoint received improved VoiceOver support and known bug fixes.

Microsoft’s Office 2016 for Mac Preview is available at no cost for all Mac users running OS X Yosemite. Microsoft has plans to officially launch the software in the second half of 2015, following this beta testing period.

A Look at LinX Camera Technology That Could Appear in Future iOS Devices

Apple’s recent acquisition of LinX Imaging is one of the company’s more exciting acquisitions in the last several months, as the technology being developed by LinX could lead to some significant improvements in camera quality in future iOS devices. Given the significance of the purchase, we wanted to take a deeper look at LinX’s technology and what it could do for future iPhone photography.

No More Protruding Camera

LinX specializes in multi-aperture cameras for mobile devices, which offer several benefits over single aperture cameras, including the ability to pack impressive image quality in a smaller size. With a multi-aperture camera, LinX is able to take advantage of several smaller sensors rather than one large sensor, preventing the camera from needing a longer lens.

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were equipped with protruding lenses so Apple didn’t have to sacrifice image quality for thinness, but it’s possible Apple could shrink the length of the camera in future iOS devices with LinX technology, resulting in a flush rear exterior. According to LinX, the use of multiple sensors over a single large sensor let it shrink the height of its camera device by a factor of 1.4 to 2. Comparatively, one of LinX’s dual-aperture cameras was described by the company as “significantly” thinner than the iPhone 5s camera and able to “fit in a device thinner than the iPhone.”

SLR Image Quality

LinX announced the launch of its most recent mobile-ready multi-aperture camera in June of last year, and in documentation [PDF], the company highlighted the many ways in which its technology improved upon other multi-aperture camera designs, citing image quality as its first priority.

When designing our algorithms and modules our first priority has always been IMAGE QUALITY. We even leveraged the multiple channels to boost the sensitivity of the camera which allows us to capture stunning images at very low light levels and keep exposure times short at normal indoor light levels.

LinX’s mobile cameras were described as offering SLR-like images in normal lighting conditions with low noise levels, due to their ability to capture more details than standard single aperture cameras. To offer proof, LinX captured several photos with its LinX 8 mpix, a dual aperture camera with two 4-megapixel sensors with 2.0 micron BSI (backside illumination) pixels, and compared those to images taken with the iPhone 5s (equipped with an 8-megapixel single aperture camera with 1.5 micron pixels) and an iPhone 5.

Noise Reduction and Detail
The images captured by the LinX camera were brighter and clearer, with a significant reduction in noise. Available detail when zoomed into a photo was also much greater, as can be seen in the comparison below.

Indoor Lighting
In the photo below, the image was taken in mid-levels of light, at approximately 40 to 50 lux, similar to a decently well-lit room in a house or restaurant. The LinX sensor let in more light than the iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S4, for a photo that is clearer and sharper with less noise.

Very Low Lighting
LinX technology is able to significantly improve low light performance by using multiple channels to increase the sensitivity of the camera for better detail. It also keeps exposure times short to cut down on the motion blurring that can impact photo quality in conditions where lighting is not optimal. For a mobile camera in one lux of lighting, the detail that the dual-aperture LinX 8 mpix was able to capture is impressive.

Low light photos with less noise are also achieved through the use of clear pixels (adding clear pixels to standard red-green-blue filters) to let more light pass through in situations where lighting is low. The use of clear pixels lets in light without the need for larger pixels, keeping resolution high. Larger pixels typically result in more light for the sensor, but using large pixels cuts down on resolution. LinX technology doesn’t have to compromise between pixel size and resolution, as it can use small pixels but still let in adequate amounts of light.

Pixel Technology

Smaller pixels also often introduce pixel crosstalk that can impact color clarity to result in muddier colors, but the LinX camera’s clear pixels are less sensitive to this issue because they can collect more photons per pixel, also cutting down on noise levels.

In its documentation, LinX describes a 1×2 (aperture) camera module with two 5-megapixel sensors with 1.12 micron BSI (backside illumination) pixels, intended for a “super-slim handset with very limited space for the camera module.” The camera is cheaper than the one found in the iPhone 5s, but delivers the same resolution due to its smaller pixels, so image quality is largely the same. Presumably Apple would use something a bit more cutting edge in its newer devices, but the product gives an idea of the type of technology LinX was working on.

Depth Mapping for 3D Models

With multiple apertures, LinX camera modules are able to calculate “ultra accurate sub pixel disparities” between images, letting them create detailed depth maps of a scene. With depth information on a per-pixel basis along with RGB information, LinX cameras can create 3D point clouds of objects from a single frame or a complete 3D model by combining several frames captured from different angles.

Point mapping with data taken from a single photo
Outdoors, depth can be calculated even in direct sunlight or in complete darkness with flash lighting (either visible or infrared).

This is interesting technology because it can be used in several fascinating ways. Depth mapping like this can let people create 3D scans of objects from simple photographs taken at multiple angles, and it can also determine the size of an object that’s been photographed and its distance from another object (potentially useful for indoor mapping). It’s also possible to use the depth information to refocus an image, introducing a synthetic blur that can emulate different depths of field (a method described in one of LinX’s patents). In editing, the information could be used to remove and add objects to a photograph.

LinX Depth Mapping

LinX’s Arrays

LinX offers several different camera options, each of which have unique applications. A 1×2 aperture array with a color and mono sensor, for example, can create low quality depth maps, improve low light performance, and produce better images.

A 2×2 array can create high quality depth maps with higher dynamic range, improved low light performance, and general image quality.

A 1+1×2 array uses two small apertures to create a depth map that provides focusing input for the main aperture, leading to ultra fast focusing even in conditions with very low lighting.

Apple and LinX’s Technology

It’s not clear how and when Apple will incorporate LinX’s technology into its devices, but it’s possible we could see these types of camera improvements as soon as this year. Rumors have suggested Apple is looking into a major camera boost for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, with new technology that could produce SLR quality images, and LinX’s multi-aperture lens systems could potentially accomplish that feat.

Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular camera options in the world according to data from Flickr, which has led Apple to focus heavily on camera improvements over the years. Apple’s commitment to photo quality has continually led to iOS cameras that offer superior images compared competing smartphones, and the acquisition of LinX could put it even further ahead of the competition.

More detailed descriptions of LinX’s technology as well as additional comparison photos can be seen in a June PDF released alongside its latest products.

Apple Watch to Appear at Milan’s Upcoming Salone Del Mobile Design Fair [iOS Blog]

The Apple Watch will be displayed at the upcoming Salone Del Mobile design fair in Milan, for a one-day viewing and try-on event, according to Wallpaper Magazine. It’ll be the Apple Watch’s first public appearance outside of a retail store or a pop up shop following its debut at Parisian boutique Colette in September.

On Friday, April 17, the Apple Watch will be on display at the Carlo e Camilla restaurant in Segheria, despite the fact that it’s not available for purchase in Italy yet. Though France, Germany, and the United Kingdom were first wave launch countries in Europe, Italy was not, and no second wave launch date has been announced.

The Carlo e Camilla restaurant features an industrial design with concrete walls accented by minimalist tables and ornate chandeliers. It offers a cocktail bar and contemporary Italian food.

Image of there restaurant courtesy of Les Hommes Modernes

Says Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of design: ‘Salone del Mobile has such a deep-rooted history of embracing excellence in design so I’m particularly excited to celebrate our newest and most personal product, alongside our friends and fellow designers, at this special event.’ […]

‘Creating beautiful objects, respecting craftsmanship and focusing on a design process that’s driven by the deepest care, utility and end use, has been our goal since the beginning,’ says Ive. ‘With the launch of Apple Watch, that’s been more important than ever, to create a product where technology and craft, beauty and utility go hand in hand.’

The Salone del Mobile design fair is actually designed for furniture, calling itself the “global benchmark for the Home Furnishing Sector,” but other products do make an appearance at the event. Apple is not listed as an exhibitor, explaining why the Apple Watch event is behind held at a restaurant rather than an exhibition hall.

Though not available in Italy, the Apple Watch can be pre-ordered online in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Supplies of the Apple Watch are constrained, which means new orders offer shipping estimates that range into June and beyond.

Rare Working Apple-1 Computer With Cassette Interface Board Hits eBay [Mac Blog]

A rare functional Apple-1 Personal Computer has popped up on eBay this week after its owner decided to downsize his Apple collection. The Apple-1 computer, called the Copson Apple-1 by its current owner, is one of less than 50 known machines in existence. Apple-1 computers are popular with collectors as they were the first computers produced by Apple and were sold by Steve Jobs out of his parents’ garage in 1976.

Originally retailing for $666.66, the Apple-1 in the auction was purchased by Joey Copson and held in the same family for more than 36 years. Bob Luther, who was writing a book on a separate Apple-1 computer, came across the Copson Apple-1 during his research and purchased it from Copson’s family.

According to the auction, the Apple-1 was recently serviced and turned on by computer historian Corey Cohen, and it includes an Apple-1 Cassette board accessory. It comes with a date-stamped keyboard and a clam shell case supplied by the original owner. The Copson Apple-1 was originally placed up for auction in 2012 in a non-working condition where it didn’t meet the minimum bid, but was later refurbished and repaired.

“The Copson board is an 8 out of 10…” and, “Late in 2014, I was asked to bring the Copson Apple-1 setup back to working state. In the process of my evaluation, the Copson Apple-1 board was chemically stabilized and cleaned. I took extreme care to keep all the discrete components on the board original by performing some minor repairs instead of replacing components unnecessarily, maintaining its originality. The Copson Apple-1 has no cuts, repairs or modifications to the PCB board.

The Datanetics keyboard was completely refurbished, the original Apple Cassette Interface was refurbished and the original power supply made safe and operational.

The Copson Apple-1 is unique due to the futuristic custom plastic case that Joe Copson placed it in. The case appears oddly similar in design to what would be used later by the early Apple II. The distinctive jumper wiring also performed by Joe Copson when he later purchased the Apple Cassette Interface, can also be used to uniquely identify and confirm this is the Copson Apple-1 board from other early Byte Shop Apple-1s that also predate the Apple Cassette Interface’s availability.”

The Copson Apple-1 is labeled as 01-0022, suggesting that it’s potentially an earlier build than other Apple-1 machines that have sold for more money, including a working Apple-1 that sold for $905,000 to the Henry Ford Museum back in October. That machine was numbered “01-0070.”

There’s no reserve price on the Apple-1 auction, but bidders must be pre-approved. The current bid is at $20,600 and the auction ends in eight days.

Luther is also auctioning off a few other rare Apple items, including an early production Apple II computer. 10 percent of the proceeds from the auctions will go to the ALS Association.