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Our favorite free video editing software gets unexpected performance boost from new macOS Sonoma

June 6, 2023
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One of the big announcements at Apple’s WWDC 2023 was macOS Sonoma (we looked it up; it means “Valley of the Moon”).

Apple claims the new operating system has a sharp focus on productivity and creativity. It says “the Mac experience is better than ever.” To prove it, the company revealed screensavers, iPhone widgets running on Macs, a gaming mode, and fresh video conferencing features.

But the new macOS has another surprising feature for users of our pick for best free video editing software.

The final cut

Beyond WWDC’s bombshell reveal – yes, Snoopy is an Apple fan now – the event served up more than enough meat to keep users happy. There’s a new Macbook Air 15-inch on the way, said to be the “world’s thinnest.” The watchOS 10 beta countdown has started. And the Vision Pro is dividing opinion. Is the VR headset the future or will it lose you friends?

The reveal of the new Mac operating system, meanwhile, feels quieter somehow. Muted. Perhaps new PDF editor functionalities and a host of “significant” updates to the Safari browser aren’t as eye-catching as a pair of futuristic AR/VR ski goggles.

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However, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, said, “macOS is the heart of the Mac, and with Sonoma, we’re making it even more delightful and productive to use.”

What he didn’t say, but the company later revealed, is that Sonoma adds an extra bonus for video editors.

Designed for remote and hybrid in-studio workflows, the operating system brings a high-performance mode to the Screen Sharing app. Taking advantage of the media engine in Apple silicon, users are promised responsive remote access with low-latency audio, high frame rates, and support for up to two virtual displays.

According to Apple, “This mode empowers pros to securely access their content creation workflows from anywhere – whether editing in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve, or animating complex 3D assets in Maya.” It also enables remote colour workflows that previously demanded the best video editing Macs and video editing PCs.

It seems Final Cut Pro is getting a lot of attention lately. May saw the launch of Final Cut Pro for iPad – how did it take so long? – and now better support in the operating system. What next? Perhaps that open-letter from film & TV professionals pleading for improved support really did focus minds at Apple Park.

Best video editing software: Which video editors make the final cut?

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March 4, 2023
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Free 3D modeling software Blender now supports AI art generator Stable Diffusion, courtesy of an equally free Stability AI add-on.

Dubbed Stability for Blender, the text-to-image generator lets users “add AI post-processing effects to renders,” Stability AI has revealed. Working inside the 3D software, they can experiment on scenes without endless remodeling, generating textures, animations, and images through text prompts and the tool’s style presets.

By integrating Stable Diffusion within Blender, the firm hopes to streamline the design process, and make the tools more accessible without investing in dedicated hardware like high-end GPUs and graphic design laptops.

AI and copyright

But the AI tool may also offer an unexpected bonus for creatives. Artists, animators, and modelers who download the addon will be able to use the platform’s image editor to create textures and images.

According to the company, users can go further, keyframing all properties and creating animations that “use Blender's built-in animation system to automate properties in Stable Diffusion.” By entering a text prompt, the tool creates an image using the artist’s existing render.

3D model made in Blender — (Image credit: Stability AI / Blender)

In doing so, Stability for Blender could potentially swerve one of the biggest challenges facing content creators, content distributors, and AI developers: copyright infringement.

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With everyone from artists to Getty Images suing AI platforms for illegal use of copyrighted materials, employing rendered frames as a starting point for the diffusion process may yet prove a (somewhat) definitive answer to the question “Who owns AI art?”

The launch comes just months after rival AI platform OpenAI revealed its own 3D model builder. Its POINT-E solution “produces 3D models in only 1-2 minutes on a single GPU”, the developer said, while admitting it currently “falls short of the state-of-the-art in terms of sample quality”.

Users with a Stability AI API key can get the Blender add-on by clicking here.

Best laptops and tablets for drawing and digital art: Top tech for creatives on the go

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April 6, 2022
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Microsoft is preparing an update for collaboration platform Teams that will extend access to of the most useful features to a wider range of users.

As explained in a new entry in the company’s product roadmap, Microsoft is bringing the meeting transcription service to customers running Teams on virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

The update is currently scheduled to take effect in June, after which employees using virtual machines will have full access to the feature.

Microsoft Teams update

The transcription feature was first made available to Teams users roughly a year ago, giving meeting attendees an easy way to review the conversation after the fact. It also gives anyone either late to join or unable to participate the ability to catch up after a meeting has concluded.

“Live transcripts provide a way to follow along with what has been said and who said it. After a meeting, the transcript file is automatically saved in the chat tab for that meeting,” the roadmap entry explains.

Until now, the feature has been available exclusively to employees running the standard Microsoft Teams clients for desktop and mobile, excluding the fairly sizable section of users running Teams out of a virtual machine.

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With the upcoming update, however, Microsoft will ensure that all users are able to benefit from the functionality.

The broad objective is to ensure the meeting experience is consistent for all Microsoft Teams users, no matter which client or hardware they are using to dial in. Beyond the transcription feature, the company has made a number of recent additions with this goal in mind.

For example, Microsoft recently extended access to background blur to VDI users, announced an update that will improve the meeting experience on Mozilla Firefox, and enabled the live captions feature for guest users.

Complete your remote working setup with the best business webcams on the market

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December 8, 2021
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Microsoft is giving its iconic text editor a visual redesign for Windows 11 along with new features to help programmers and others who rely on Notepad in their day-to-day workflows be more productive.

According to a new blog post, the redesigned Notepad for Windows 11 is now rolling out to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel and the software giant is encouraging users to submit any suggestions on what can be improved further to its recently launched feedback portal.

Right off the bat, Notepad users will notice that the application now has a completely updated UI that aligns with Windows 11's new visual design including rounded corners, Mica and more. However, one of the most requested new features in Notepad is dark mode.

By default, Notepad will adapt to your system theme preferences in Windows 11 but you can change this option in the software's brand-new settings page which is also the new home for font options.

Find and replace and multi-level undo

The current version of Notepad which ships with Windows 11 houses the text search tool and the find and replace tool in two separate pop-up windows that can be accessed using two different keyboard shortcuts. Thankfully though with its new Notepad redesign, Microsoft is combining these two tools into one floating bar that is much more streamlined and should help improve users' productivity.

Another big change in the next version of Notepad will replace the software's old undo system that only allows users to go back once with multi-step undo. Just like with other modern applications, users will now be able to undo multiple actions which will give them a bit more flexibility when writing.

Despite all of these new features, Word Wrap is still turned off by default in Notepad but it can now be accessed more easily right from the View menu.

As Microsoft's redesigned Notepad app is currently being tested by Windows Insiders, it will likely roll out to other Windows 11 users in an update sometime next year.

We've also highlighted the best free office software, best online collaboration tools and best Microsoft Office alternatives

Via The Verge

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