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Submission + - Microsoft Releases and Patents 'Python in Excel'

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: "Python in Excel is now generally available for Windows users of Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise," Microsoft announced in a Monday blog post. "Last August, in partnership with Anaconda, we introduced an exciting new addition to Excel by integrating Python, making it possible to seamlessly combine Python and Excel analytics within the same workbook, no setup required. Since then, we’ve brought the power of popular Python analytics libraries such as pandas, Matplotlib, and NLTK to countless Excel users." Microsoft also announced the public preview of Copilot in Excel with Python, which will take users' natural language requests for analysis and automatically generate, explain, and insert Python code into Excel spreadsheets.

While drawing criticism for limiting Python execution to locked-down Azure cloud containers, Python in Excel has also earned accolades from the likes of Python creator Guido van Rossum, now a Microsoft Distinguished Engineer, as well as Pandas creator Wes McKinney.

Left unmentioned in Monday's announcement is that Microsoft managed to convince the USPTO to issue it a patent in July 2024 on the Enhanced Integration of Spreadsheets With External Environments (alt. source), which Microsoft explains covers the "implementation of enhanced integrations of native spreadsheet environments with external resources such as-but not limited to-Python." All of which may come as a surprise to software vendors and individuals that were integrating Excel and external programming environments years before Microsoft filed its patent application in September 2022.

Submission + - Voyager 1 engineers adjust thrusters again.

Submitted by plaidlad
plaidlad writes: After noticing thruster performance problems in 2002, Engineers made adjustments to fuel system pathing with more following in 2018.

Now, with 47+ years on her engine, Voyager 1 Engineers just made another long-distance tweak. This time they adjusted hydrazine flow through tiny (.25mm or 0.01inch) fuel tubes which had become blocked by the buildup of crud from seals and valves. As the article notes, " ...the tube opening was originally only 0.01 inches (0.25 millimeters) in diameter, the clogging has reduced it to 0.0015 inches (0.035 mm), or about half the width of a human hair."

Here I thought the carb on my old Citation was tough to work on.

Get more info on the Voyager 1 probe and her mission here https://blogs.nasa.gov/voyager

Submission + - The electron is really, really spherical (nature.com) 2

Submitted by OneHundredAndTen
OneHundredAndTen writes: A new article in Nature reports a new, extremely precise measurement of the electric dipole moment of the electron. The conclusion is that, within the margin of error of the measurement, the electron remains a perfect sphere. Which implies that supersymmetric theories keep running out of corners to hide, that another nail is driven into their coffin, and that string theory looks less and less compelling.

Submission + - An Anonymous, Verifiable E-Voting Tech (ted.com) 1

Submitted by Kilrah_il
Kilrah_il writes: After the recent news items about the obstacles facing E-voting systems, many of us feel it is not yet time for this technology. A recent TED talk by David Bismark unveiled a proposal for a new E-voting technology that is both anonymous and verifiable. I am not a cryptography expert, but it does seem interesting and possibly doable.
Australia

Submission + - Aussie research company brings Wi-Fi to TV antenna (zdnet.com.au)

Submitted by joshgnosis
joshgnosis writes: The CSIRO has unveiled new technology that could bring internet to people in rural or remote parts of Australia using their existing TV antennas. Analog TV signal is set to be switched off in 2013 but this technology could see the spectrum used to deliver internet straight into people's homes through their TV antenna. Gartner expert Robin Simpson told ZDNet Australia that this would make it much easier for companies to get new customers. "What appeals to me about it is that it re-uses existing infrastructure, all of the competing wireless technologies tend to use high frequencies and therefore require new base stations, new spectrum and new receiving antenna infrastructure as well," he said. "The fact that they're re-using the analog TV stuff gives them a much easier market entry strategy."

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