Microsoft to launch major Office updates for iOS 9, iPad Pro and Watch
Microsoft's giving its Office apps for Apple's devices a huge boost, enabling it to take better advantage of iOS 9's, WatchOS 2's and the iPad Pro's new features and capabilities. To start with, the company's making it easier to multitask on the iPad -- especially on the upcoming supersized Pro tablet -- once the latest iOS version drops. You can slide over to a second screen to access another app, use two Office apps at the same time side-by-side and even edit a Word, an Excel or a PowerPoint file attached to an email while it's open on Outlook via split screen.
If you frequently give presentations at work or school, you can also use PowerPoint's Presenter View. It enables you to show only slides on a big screen even if you have a OneNote file with your talking points open on the side. As we mentioned on our iPad Pro preview, one of the suite's sweetest updates is its "inking" feature, which adds new writing tools to the apps. You'll be able to use those tools to write on your digital Office files as if they've been printed out and even highlight text on documents using the new Apple stylus called "Pencil."
Apple Watch users aren't getting left out, either: Outlook will start showing details about your next appointment and new email on the wearable when Watch OS 2 becomes available. Plus, you can Time Travel to future calendar entries using the digital crown. Finally, the Microsoft Translator app for the device introduced in August will be able to replay a pinned translation through the Watch's speakers. Hopefully, that means you don't have to keep looking up how to ask where the toilet is while traveling overseas.
