I have two issues with this:
I would like to conditionally format the FIRST cell containing a new date. I currently can shade the LAST incidence of the previous date using "=$A2<>$A1" I have tried flipping A2 and A1 and get same result.

Secondly I would like to, if possible, ignore the time with the date. Currently the first 10 to 15 entries for a "new day" are achieved using a macro that uses "=now()" then copies and pastes as values to keep the dates static. Problem comes up when addtional entries are added throughout the day with either a different time or no time then it highlights the change.

Help with either issue will be greatly appreciated!