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A free version of Microsoft Office for Windows might be on its way. Microsoft has been silently testing an ad-supported version of Office reported Beebom. Free versions are currently only available on the web. The update would allow users to access PowerPoint, Word, Excel and more for free. There appears to be a few conditions for the fee-free option. It appears to include an ever-present banner on the righthand side and 15-second videos that play every few hours. Any documents must also be stored in One Drive rather than in local files. Each system also comes with limitations. For example, Word wouldn't have drawing and design tools or dictation. Excel foregoes conditional formatting, recommended charts and more. PowerPoint loses all draw, animation and record tools, among other features. "Microsoft has been conducting some limited testing," a representative for the company told Engadget in an email. "Currently, there are no plans to launch a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office desktop apps." The statement was first seen in PC Mag. Update, February 25 2024, 9:25AM ET: This story has been updated to include a direct quote from Microsoft to Engadget. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-testing-a-free-with-ads-version-of-office-140030345.html?src=rss
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Panasonics mirrorless cameras are best known for their video powers, but with its latest model, the company is finally getting serious about photography as well. The $3,300 full-frame Lumix S1R II is not only the companys first camera capable of 8K video but can fire off 40 fps bursts of high-resolution (45 megapixel) RAW photos. It also offers a more advanced autofocus system, putting it squarely into the conversation with Sony, Canon and Nikon. Ive had a pre-production unit for several days now and so far, Im impressed. The original S1R was a chunky 2.24 pound monster, but the S1R II is much lighter at 1.75 pounds and considerably smaller in size. That makes it less burdensome than before though still a bit bigger than the Nikon Z8 and Canon R5 II. It also has one of the fattest grips Ive ever seen that gave me a firm, secure hold on the camera. Panasonic made other substantial changes to the body, removing the top display and shifting the mode dial from top left to top right. In the latters place a dedicated burst mode dial and photo/video/S&Q switch was introduced, while a new autofocus dial was placed at the back. Handling is now near the top among high-end full-frame cameras in my book, matching or even beating my favorite, the Sony A1 II. Panasonic The rear 1.8-million-dot display was also overhauled and not only flips out for content creators but also tilts up and down for photographers putting it on par with the excellent screen on Sonys A1 II. The electronic viewfinder has the same 5.76-million-dot resolution and 120Hz refresh rate as before, but now offers a more natural 100 percent magnification. The S1R II supports both SD UHS II and fast CFexpress Type B cards (rather than XQD as before) with a slot for each, while also allowing SSD recording via the USB-C port like the S5 IIX and GH7. Other inputs include mic, headphone and a full-size HDMI slot, along with a 10Gbps USB-C port. The battery is the same as the one on the GH7 and G9 III but delivers just 350 shots max on a charge, unless you buy the optional DMW-BLK22 battery grip. The S1R II will also offer full-float 32-bit audio recording, but only with the optional DMW-XLR2 audio accessory. Steve Dent for Engadget Shooting performance is dramatically better with up to 40 fps (RAW 12-bit) burst speeds with continuous autofocus enabled, compared to a rather pitiful 6 fps on the previous model. It can also hit 10 fps speeds in mechanical mode or 9 fps with 14-bit RAW output. That matches the lower-resolution Canon R1 (though that model does it in 14-bit RAW mode) and is only below Sonys A9 III that can hit a mind-boggling 120 fps burst speeds in RAW mode. Panasonic also overhauled the phase-detect autofocus system to add more speed and AI smarts. It can now lock onto a subjects face and eyes quicker and follow their movements more smoothly, but also detect and automatically switch between humans, animals, cars, motorcycles, bikes, trains and airplanes. From my observations so far, its not quite up to the speed and fluidity of Sony and Canons latest models, but Panasonic is nearly there. Panasonic When it comes to image quality, JPEG photos look natural with realistic colors, though I wasn't able to open RAW files on this pre-production camera. One big improvement is at high ISOs in low light thanks to the dual ISO sensor that keeps noise under control all the way up to about ISO 12800. On the video side, the S1R II now supports internal ProRes RAW and 8K video capture, but not both at the same time. ProRes RAW captured to CFexpress or USB-C is limited to 5.8K but uses the full width of the sensor, so its a good solution for 4K productions. As with other Panasonic cameras, the S1R II can also shoot 6.4K open gate using the entire sensor. 8K, meanwhile, can only be captured in 4:2:0 10-bit LongGOP MP4 formats at 30 fps (4K tops out at 120 fps in Slow & Quick mode). That compares to 60 fps max on the Canon EOS R5 II and Nikon Z8, and both of those cameras can do that format in RAW. Sonys A1 II, by contrast, can also do 8K 30 fps video but doesnt support RAW recording at all. And of course, the S1R II supports 10-bit V-Log recording and promises up to 14 stops of dynamic range, slightly less than the S1R. It'll also allow for external ProRes RAW recording at up to 8K to Atomos recorders via a firmware update coming after the initial launch. Panasonic Panasonics updated stabilization system promises up to 8 stops of shake reduction, but there are a few significant updates. It reduces edge distortion for video without cropping, though theres a small amount of vignetting if you do that. As before, it supports e-stabilization at regular and high strengths, and now offers the high-strength mode for anamorphic lenses. That raises the issue of rolling shutter, since the S1R II doesnt use a stacked sensor like its main competitors, the Nikon Z8 and Canon R5 II. Distortion is definitely more prominent than on those models, but readout speeds are relatively quick so its not offensive except when doing whip pans or filming very fast moving subjects. At $3,300, the S1R II is priced well below the $4,300 Canon R5 II but nearly on par with the Nikon Z8, which can currently be found at $3,400. Its now on pre-order at B&H Photo and elsewhere, with shipping set to start at the end of March 2025. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/panasonic-takes-on-canon-with-the-full-frame-45-megapixel-s1r-ii-mirrorless-camera-140048286.html?src=rss
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Adobe has launched a brand new Photoshop app for iPhones, which it's also releasing for Android later this year. While there's already a Photoshop Express for mobile, the company says the new app was "designed from the ground up" with more features and has an easy-to-use mobile interface. The app, which is free to download and use, comes with Photoshop's core imaging and design tools. Users can make selections, layers and masks in the app to combine or blend images. They can also replace parts of an image with the Tap Select tool, remove elements from a photo with the Spot Healing Brush and add new elements by using its generative AI tools, such as Generative Fill and Generative Expand. Users will have access to free Adobe Stock assets and can link their apps with other Adobe applications, including Express, Lightroom and Fresco. Adobe is, as expected, offering premium upgrades to the app's capabilities for those willing to pay for the new Photoshop Mobile and Web plan. The $8-a-month service will add features to the app on mobile and iPad and will also include access to Photoshop on the web. Users who already have an existing Photoshop subscription, however, will also be able to enjoy the new Photoshop app's premium features. The premium features included with the new plan include the ability to transition editing from Photoshop mobile to the web if a user needs a bigger screen or more precise controls. Users are also getting extra generative AI features, including Adobe Firefly's Generate Similar, which allows users to create new variations of an existing image. Subscribers will get access to 20,000 fonts, be able to make precise selections of people and objects with the Object Select too, isolate objects with the Magic Wand, erase elements with the Remove Tool, copy and clone certain elements with the Clone Stamp and fill portions of an image with Content-Aware Fill. They will also be able to control an image's transparency and lighten or darken certain areas of an image. The new app for iPhones is already available from the App Store worldwide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/a-new-adobe-photoshop-app-is-coming-to-iphones-140003461.html?src=rss
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