Excel Gets OCR Support, Lets You Snap Tables and Convert Into Editable Spreadsheet

Microsoft just rolled out an update to their spreadsheet editing app Excel that allows you to point your phone's camera into printed tables and turn them into editable spreadsheets.

The update is made possible by artificial intelligence (AI) trained to recognize characters and detect datasets inside printed tables before finally importing them as spreadsheets. If you're familiar with how Google Translate app works that translates words in realtime when you point your camera to a foreign text, you can expect the same capability with this update but for printed tables.

The update is first available on Android, but iOS should expect the roll out in the coming days.

How Apple Watch's Fall Detection Saves One's Life and How It Can Save Yours

Excel is not the first app that gets AI treatment from Microsoft. A few weeks ago, Microsoft-owned Skype also gets AI-assisted background-blur support that smartly obscures your often messy, distracting background.

Satya Nadella's helm at Microsoft continues to deliver the much-needed disruptions and innovations. And with its billions of cash being pumped into their Machine Learning (ML) department, we can expect few more nifty advancements in AI in the next few years.

5 High-Capacity Laptop Power Banks for Your On-The-Go Lifestyle

If you're a traveler who wants to stay productive while on-the-go or you're a digital nomad who loves to mix leisure and work, chances are you'll need a decent power bank for your laptop more than you'd imagine.

An extra power bank that can charge your Mac or laptop ensures you have extra battery juices you can turn to when you needed to do last minute work while your laptop's battery is dead empty. A portable power bank that fully supports your Mac or Windows laptop is especially useful if you're in the most remote part of the country where rotational brownouts are expected.

In this article, we will show you top-of-the-line power banks for your Mac or Windows computer that guarantee to give you those extra hours without hurting your wallet. We specially hand-picked below's list with charging speed/time, safety, and capacity as criteria.

The Best Laptop Power Banks You Can Carry Anywhere

1. Crave PowerPack Power Bank (50000mAh)

   

   Topping from this list is this 50,000mAh backup power bank from Crave PowerPack. Crave PowerPack CRVPP101 is your compact, high-density travel companion guaranteed to fully charge your devices anywhere you go. This power bank has two laptop power supply ports and universal compatibility with virtually any mobile devices.

   Capacity: 50,000mAh Laptop Compatibility: Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lenovo, NEC, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba (Apple Laptops draw > 5 Amps, not supported) Port Compatibility: 1 20V/3 Amp Port for Laptops

2. Mophie Powerstation (22,000mAh)

   

   Powerstation AC is another strong contender under this category. This quick-charging emergency power bank offers you a legit AC port that gives your notebook or Mac a safe 100W power (110V) and a USB-C charging port that provides 30W power.

   5 Surprisingly Cheap IoT Devices to Easily Upgrade Your Home for Less

   Although not as big as Crave PowerPack's 50,000mAh, Mophie Powerstation AC should be enough to give your laptop additional 15+ hours emergency battery.

3. Omnicharge AC/DC (20,400mAh)

   

   Omnicharge's 20,400mAh power bank is another easy favorite amongst travelers and digital nomads, and it's easy to see why. This emergency power bank is well-equipped with fast-charging USB ports and a 100W AC outlet that can power your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4, Lenovo, Dell, HP Laptops, DSLR cameras, and even DJI drone's battery.

4. MAXOAK Laptop Power Bank (50,000mAh)

   

   MAXOAK's 50,000mAh power bank is your compact and lightweight external battery pack ideally recommended for Windows-based laptop. This power bank has a total of 6 charging ports: one 20V/5A for laptops, one 12V/2.5A for digital cameras, two 5V/2.1A, and two USB 5V/1A for iPhones, tablets. MAXOAK has a wide laptop compatibility support which includes Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface Pro, Sony, Samsung, Acer, and Toshiba.

5. AC Jackery PowerBar (23,200mAh)

   

   Jackery PowerBar 23200mAh external battery pack delivers 85W of power via AC outlet and a few powerful outputs including Quick Charge 3.0, USB C, and 5V/2.4A, making it an indispensable travel companion. This power bank can charge your 15.4" MacBook Pro and other 15'' laptops, GoPros and other hand-held devices.

There you have it! So next time you embark on another beach pilgrimage or go in an adventure, be sure to bring one of these power banks for your laptop!

Skype Launches Experimental Feature that Blurs Your Background, Thanks to AI

Gone are the days when one has to frantically tidy up his room or home office and make it less embarrassing before the scheduled video Skype call.

Video conferencing giant Skype is rolling out an update to their desktop apps that subtly blur your background in real-time while video chat is underway. It's an experimental feature made possible by Microsoft's proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) trained to detect human forms like hairs, hands, and arms.

Skype's background blur ensures the communication from both parties are as frictionless as possible, free from distractions (read: laundry all over the place) and little surprises (kids), ultimately saving you from the embarrassment in the process.

Here's How To Enable Background Blur On Skype

1. Ensure you have the most recent copy of your Skype app. Go check your app and see for updates.

2. Every time you receive or initiate a video call, hover around the Skype video button and toggle "Blur my background".

   You can optionally set this in the app settings if you want to globally apply it in future video calls.

   

While Skype's background blur experimental feature is as promising as it can get, the video conferencing giant emphasized that it is still in its infancy and that its AI may not always work as expected.

"We do our best to make sure that your background is always blurred, but we cannot guarantee that your background will always be blurred."

See Skype's official announcement here.