Author: Clinton

Over the past several weeks I have been migrating my office productivity apps from Microsoft Office to Google Docs. This is part four of the four part series and will cover Google Slides, the presentation application of the Google Docs suite.

If you have not read the first three parts of the series, that may be a good place to start if you are interested in making a similar migration yourself. If you are only wanting to learn my thoughts & opinions on Google Sheets, this article will do it for you.

My Migration to Google Docs Part 1 – The Setup

My Migration to Google Docs Part 2 – Google Docs on All The Toys

My Migration to Google Docs Part 3 – Between the Google Sheets

With this final part of the series, I will be keeping the same format as I have on the other three parts:  Focusing on how Google Slides performs in Chrome, on a Chromebook and on Android devices.

As a reminder to everyone who is thinking of making this migration, a word of advice-meets-warning I posted as part of the first article.

Take your time.  You will find that the majority of features in Microsoft Office are in the Google apps but they will be in different places.  It may take you a few menu clicks to sort it out.  Be patient.  Give it a chance.  Sure it may turn out that it isn’t right for you and your needs but I would suggest trying the experiment over a week or two before you make a final verdict.  It isn’t as big a migration from say a PC to a Mac but it is similar to moving from Internet Explorer to Chrome in many ways.  Same thing, but bits in different places and this process or that process may be a little different.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and your migration to Google Docs won’t happen that fast either.  Patience is the word of the day.

Yesterday Qualcomm made several important announcements around their Snapdragon chip lineup and with the introduction of Quick Charge 3.0.  The latest update to the rapid charging solution, which will be available in the new lineup of Snapdragon processors, is said to give users up to 70% of their battery life back in under 30 minutes of charging time.  It is an impressive 38% efficiency increase over the Quick Charge 2.0 standard and with ever power hungry devices in our hands and pockets, is certainly to be a welcome addition.

The problem however is that Quick Charge in general masks a bigger problem within mobile tech which is the desperate need for newer, more advanced battery technology.  Fundamentally, while battery life has improved and batteries have become more efficient, they remain the single largest problem facing mobile technology use which in my mind makes it just as important as being able to quickly charge devices.

This morning the Rovio team dropped a small update to Angry Birds 2, the sequel to the popular game that came out in July.  This is the 2nd update to the game and it brings 20 new levels to your Android phone or tablet and follows up the 1st update just a couple of weeks ago.  If you have Angry Birds 2 installed on your devices then you should receive the update OTA.  If you haven’t installed it, you can via the link below.  It is free although there are plenty of in-app purchases available.

Angry Birds 2 for Android – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now

There are plenty of Android tablets on the market of all sizes but one of the best remains the Google Nexus 7. The Asus built 7″ tablet hit the market in 2013 and two years later, it is still one of the best tablets you can buy. It offers fantastic specs that rivals many tablets today plus has a display that is nothing short of amazing.  Couple that with a pure Android experience and you have the complete package.

I’ve been using the Nexus 7 for the last couple of weeks as my main tablet over my Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 and I don’t see myself going back.  I’m personally a big fan of the 7″ to 8″ tablets as they travel well (and I travel a lot) and while the Nexus 9 certainly offers many of the same benefits, the size of the Nexus 7 is a big advantage if you are looking for this size device but don’t want to compromise on features or functionality.  Equally, the tablet is still readily available with the 32GB Wi-Fi unit priced at only $199 making it a great value for what you are getting in the Nexus 7.

Google Nexus 7 – 32GB Wi-Fi – $199

Earlier today I wrote that Android Pay has been released by Google and is starting to roll out into the Google Play Store.  I’ve downloaded the app and wanted to give you a first look at it.  For those of you who have used Google Wallet in the past, you will find a lot of similarities.  The new Android Pay app allows you to make purchases at retailers using your NFC enabled Android phone or tablet.  If you are not seeing Android Pay in the Play Store yet, give it time.  It will be there and when it is, you will also have to update Google Play Services on your device for it to work.

After months of waiting and a few days of activity around the Google Wallet app, Google has formally launched Android Pay.  The new service, which was announced this summer at Google I/O, brings terminal payment, credit card management and gift card management to Android phones and tablets with NFC capabilities to dozens of retailers in the United States.

Today, we’re beginning to roll out Android Pay — the simple and secure way to pay with your Android phone at over one million locations across the US. Android Pay also stores your gift cards, loyalty cards and special offers right on your phone.

Android Pay is aimed directly at Apple’s Apple Pay solution and allows users to safely and securely pay for purchases from their phones without ever having to pull out a credit or debit card from their wallet.