Author: Clinton

The Weather Channel app for Android has been updated with a new and important feature as we go into winter and what is typically the cold & flu season here in the US.  The app has a new Health Module that provides you details about the pollen, breathing comfort and flu conditions in your area.  It’s a great addition, especially for those who suffer from allergies or have breathing difficulties under certain weather conditions.  The update is version 5.10.0 for those keeping score at home and is available now in the Google Play Store.

Weather Channel for Android – Free – Download Now

There was an undertone at the Google event yesterday that didn’t necessarily go unnoticed but certainly wasn’t put to the fore.  Google is serious about Project Fi.  For those who don’t know, Project Fi is the mobile service that Google launched in April of this year and it uses a unique combination of existing carriers (T-Mobile and Sprint) as well as always on Wi-Fi to make calls and consume data on your device.  It is a pay-as-much-as-you-use plan meaning that if you have a 3GB data plan and only use 1GB, you only pay for that 1GB, not the entire 3GB like traditional carriers.  With the base package of $20 giving you unlimited calls and text then just $10 per gigabyte of data, the plan is cost effective when you compare it to other carriers.

To this point Project Fi has been invitation only and only available on the Nexus 6.  Google, wisely, has wanted to control the number of people on the service so they can better manage expectations and experiences.  After yesterday however, it is clear that Google is committed to Project Fi with the addition of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P but also the payment plan you can sign up for on these devices when you sign up for Project Fi.  While it certainly isn’t the flood gates opening, it is more than the trickle of invites that have been committed to so far.

If you are the owner of an HTC One M8 or One M9, today is a good day for you too.  HTC’s Jason Mackenzie has tweeted that both of these devices will be the first to receive the Android Marshmallow update and that will happen before the end of 2015.

Serving up Marshmallow sweetness real soon. Android 6.0 to start hitting HTC before the end of the year: pic.twitter.com/axITsYSyn9

— Jason Mackenzie (@JasonMacHTC) September 29, 2015

This is great news and while it will lag behind the Google Nexus devices which will get Android Marshmallow next week, it is good to know that HTC is committed and putting a timeline for when users can expect the update.

As I put in my what to expect from the Google event post yesterday, the company announced today that Android Marshmallow will start being delivered to existing Nexus devices starting next Monday, October 5th.  This date was somewhat confirmed prior to the event thanks to leaked documents but with it being official from Google, we are set.

The devices that will be receiving the update OTA starting Monday will be the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9 and the Nexus Player.  The Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 (2012) will not be receiving the update as I posted yesterday which has caused some anger, particularly for the Nexus 4.

As expected, the Google Store has now been updated and you can pre-order your new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P today.  The new phones were announced today at the Google event (which you can watch here) and both will be shipping with Android Marshmallow.  Both phones are expected to ship later on this month.

Today was a big day for Google and users of their platforms & solutions.  As expected, Google announced the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, Android Marshmallow and two new Chromecast devices at the event held in San Francisco.  In addition, they also announced the Android Marshmallow based Pixel C which will be available later this year.