Microsoft has updated Office for Mac in Current Channel (Preview) branch with a new Build 16.52.21080101. The new update brings many new features and improvements to Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
Excel gets new LAMBDA function, import data from local files option using Power Query and new name manager improvements. PowerPoint gets capability to add Flipgrid videos to presentations. Outlook gets two important features. Using specific voice commands, you can add people to an email, mention (@name) someone in a message, and send the mail. Managing rules, in Outlook mail also comes to consumers now. This feature was only available for Enterprise 365 accounts earlier.
Check the full changelog below.
Excel
Powerful new LAMBDA function released
Do you make repeated use of custom formulas or calculations in Excel, and wish you could define and reuse them? Now you can, with LAMBDA, a new feature that offers users the power of custom functions without writing code. Once you have written your function using the LAMBDA syntax, you can store it by clicking the Formulas tab, selecting Name Manger, clicking New, and entering the required information.
Import data from local files with Power Query
Power Query is a popular set of tools in Excel that help you quickly and easily gather and analyze data. We’ve made this feature even more powerful by adding the capability to import data from local files, including Excel workbooks and text and CSV files. To do so, on the Data tab click the Get Data (Power Query) button. In the Choose data source dialog box, select Excel workbook or Text/CSV. Then select Browse, find the local file, click Next, select the data you want to import, and click the Load button.
Name Manager improvements
The Name Manager feature gives you the ability to create and edit defined names. Now we’ve made the feature more powerful and flexible. These improvements allow you to more easily add, edit, and delete names, as well as gain a much better view of all the details. You can also set the scope and add a comment describing the defined name, giving you more control over the functionality. (These upgrades also come in handy when using the new LAMBDA function, described above.)
PowerPoint
Add Flipgrid videos to presentations
Flipgrid is a popular video discussion tool for educators, learners, and families that makes it easy to create and engage with your community. Now you can add Flipgrid videos to PowerPoint to help enhance your presentations. To do so, just copy the Share URL of a Flipgrid standard video or short, select the Insert tab in PowerPoint, select Online Videos, paste the URL into the dialog box, and click Insert.
Outlook
Use voice commands to speed up email dictation
In our increasingly busy world, dictating your emails in Outlook has become a very popular way to improve your efficiency. We’ve now made this feature even more powerful by adding specific voice commands, enabling you to add people to an email, mention (@name) someone in a message, and send the mail – all using only your voice. To use this feature, click the Dictate button on the Message tab for an email. Then dictate your message and try out a voice command, such as “add [name] to email” or “at mention [name],” and observe the results.
Manage rules in consumer accounts
In the new Outlook for Mac, users can now also manage rules for Outlook.com, Hotmail, and Live.com accounts. (Previously this feature was limited to enterprise 365 accounts.) To access this feature, right-click on any email in your Outlook account and select Rules from the context menu to create a new rule.
