Author: Clinton

The last 24 hours have seen a flurry of updates from Google on their Android apps.  Google Photos, Google Play Music, Google Chrome and Google+ have all been updated in the last 24 hours and the latest to be added to that list is Google Translate.  For those who are not familiar with the app, Google Translate allows you to convert spoken or written text from one language to another.  It supports over 90 languages and is the closest thing to the Star Trek Universal Translator available today.  Simply speak to your phone in your native tongue and it is translated to your audience’s tongue and scarily accurate.  Or if you see a sign in one language but need it in your native language, point your camera at it and it will magically appear in your native language on your phone’s screen.

Now Google has smoothed out 40 of those conversations in this update to Google Translate while also improving the accessibility features of the app.  The update is version 4.0.0.RC08.99220384 for those keeping score at home and it is available for free now in the Google Play Store.

Google Translate for Android – Free – Download Now

In the first 24 hours, Windows 10 has landed on over 14 million devices according to Microsoft.  That would easily make Windows 10 one of the quickest adopted versions of Windows with reviews of the new flagship OS from Redmond being generally positive.  I personally have installed it on both my primary PC and tablet (Toshiba Encore 2) and both have performed flawlessly.  Indeed I would suggest the Tablet mode is a massively improved experience over Windows 8.1 for my Toshiba tablet.

Microsoft hosted launch events globally, mostly in their retail outlets here in the United States, and all indications are those were well attended.

Despite being publicly available for about a day and a half, rumors are already floating that Windows 10 will see its first major service pack next week.  The news was first broken on The Verge that Service Release 1 is expected in August and likely as soon as next week.  This is a far cry from the Service Pack mentality of Windows of old and is likely the path that Microsoft will continue to take as Windows 10 evolves.  Like it or not.

Google has released an important bug fix update for the Google Play Music app for Android.  The update also brings some improvements around finding streaming radio stations for those in the United States.  This latest update is build 6.0.1951S.2109908 for those keeping score at home and for those taking bets on who can come up with the longest release version number 🙂  The update comes just a couple of weeks after the last update which was more-or-less a bug fix release after the initial launch of the streaming music service back in June.  While Google Play Music is free to use, for a $9.99 monthly subscription you get ad-free unlimited streaming and downloading of music from the Google Play Store.

Google Play Music for Android – Free – Download Now

Oh glorious bird day!  It has taken several years and many sub-genre of games later, but today we finally have the sequel to Angry Birds.  Angry Birds 2 is available now in the Google Play store and the team at Rovio state it is the biggest mobile game prizes ever.  The opening cut scene of the game is brilliant and all the birds you are familiar with in the original game are back with each having their own special purpose or power.  There is however an updated theme song in Angry Birds 2 and the overall game imagery is far superior to the original game.  If you are expecting to see the same game, think again.  This new Angry Birds is not the same as the original.

Windows 10, the next generation of Windows, has officially launched today in over 190 countries globally.  Windows 10 is a free upgrade for those who are running Windows 7 or 8.1 and it brings back the Start Menu which many loathed about Windows 8.1.  It also brings an all new browser experience in Microsoft Edge and has Cortana, the voice recognition personal assistant built into it.

Having used Windows 10 for several months, I can tell you that this feels like Windows yet feels completely new.  I personally think it is the best Windows release yet and after you upgrade I think you will agree.