Meanwhile, Classroom is getting a time-saving feature
Google’s collection of Workspace productivity apps — which includes Docs, Sheets, Slides, and many more — are routinely getting new features geared towards enhancing productivity. Sheets, for instance, recently saw the addition of 11 new functions for those who use cloud-based mathematical software. Now, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings are getting another handy, albeit minor feature, offering more control over color selection.
The company announced in a post on its Workspace Updates Blog over the weekend that the aforementioned four apps are getting a new color palette box to replace the existing one. Looking at them side by side gives us a better understanding of what’s really changing.
The current color palette box (left) is more basic, whereas the revamped iteration is larger and includes a conventional eye dropper tool plus dedicated boxes to enter individual RGBA values. This feature is currently rolling out to Rapid Release domains with Scheduled Release domains beginning to get it starting February 15.
Google is also announcing an update to Classroom wherein teachers and students can respond to comment threads sent through an email notification directly within the email itself. This just saves the trouble of having to hop into the Classroom app to respond. (via 9to5Google).
While the rollout of this feature has already begun, Google says it could take until February 20 to reach all Classroom users. When available, this new in-line reply function should be available for personal Google account holders as well as customers of Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade edition.
Rounding out Google’s trio of Workspace announcements for the week is the expansion of existing Sheet functions with four new ones — COUNTBLANK, ROWS, VLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP. While this may not appeal to the casual Sheets user, these inclusions will help people who routinely access Sheets to analyze and compare BigQuery data. The new features are available to all Workspace users and personal account holders, while customers of the G Suite Basic and Business plans are excluded.
