Author: Clinton

Google Fit, the activity tracking app that uses the GPS and accelerators in your Android Phone, has been updated with a raft of new features and functionality.  Chief amongst those updates is a new Home Screen Widget where you can quickly see your progress towards your daily fitness goals. The latest update is build 1.52.44-000 for those keeping score at home and it is certainly worth the update for those who use or are considering using the app.  If you aren’t familiar with it, Google Fit allows you to easily and accurately (especially with this update) track your steps, miles you have walked or run along with other activities which you can select to keep track of your activity levels.  While it isn’t going to give you the granular detail of say a Fitbit or Up!, it is certainly a great and free way to track your activity levels for a healthier lifestyle.

Google Fit for Android – Free – Download Now

I’ve have stated many times publicaly that single biggest limitation to mobile technology is battery power. It seems every time that we make an advancement in battery technology, we shove more stuff onto the phone to consume that advantage. It is, as they say, what it is.

That means carrying extra batteries or an ability to charge the built-in battery on your device is a must. Portable, battery powered chargers have been around a long time but the team at Hisgadget recently sent me their Introcircuit Power Castle to review. It is nothing short of awesome. It packs a 15,000mAh battery with dual USB charging ports, each able to put out 5 volts and 2.4A of power to charge your smartphone or tablet.  It also uses a SmartID technology to identify the type of device you are charging to give maximum charging efficiency.  Even better, the Power Castle has built-in LCD display to tell you exactly how much power is left in it.  While the Introcircuit Power Castle is not the smallest external battery you can buy, it is certainly one of the most powerful and priced at only $39.99, its a great value.

Last weeks announcements that over 7,000 people were being laid off from Microsoft, mostly in the Nokia acquired mobile division, was the final nail in the Windows Phone coffin.  Couple that with the multi-billion dollar write down of the Nokia business and, well, that nail is properly sunk deep in said coffin.

Make no mistake:  I love Windows Phone.  I have been using a Windows powered mobile device since the Pocket PC days and even before that in the H/PC days.  In fact you can still visit one of the last H/PC sites out there, HPC:Factor, a site I helped found.  But I left the platform in 2012 because of a lack of apps and direction.  I came back in 2014 because it looked like things were turning around.

I was wrong.  I’m terribly sad that I was wrong but I was wrong.

Over the course of the last two months you have seen a shift on my site.  That shift has been more around Android than Windows Phone.  The writing has been on the wall.  Windows Phone is dying and Microsoft all but confirmed it was on its death bed last week.  Sure there will be a new device or two for enthusiasts and developers but the cutbacks on devices should not be under estimated.

Microsoft flew the white flag last week.  The war is over.  Apple and Google won.

Google’s SMS app, Google Messenger, has been updated today and brings with it the ability to send your location or stickers to those with whom you are texting. Now instead of having to type out your location, you can simply send it to someone so they can more quickly find you.  This latest update is build is version 1.4.046 (2073855-38) for those keeping score at home and is available now in the Google Play Store.

If you have not checked out Google Messenger and are looking for a more powerful option to the built-in SMS app on your Android phone, I would encourage you to give it a go.  I reviewed it earlier this year and it remains my default texting app on my OnePlus One.

Google Messenger – Free – Download Now

Google has issued an update to the Google Maps app for Android, bringing with it the ability to send Google Maps search results on your PC to your mobile.  It gives you the best of both worlds: Search on your larger display PC then have that result show up on your mobile device.  The best part is you don’t really have to do anything to make all this work.  This new version, build 9.11.0 for those keeping score at home, is for both Android Phone and Android Tablet powered devices.

Google Maps – Free – Download Now

Microsoft has released a new update to the OneNote for Android app that brings several new and advanced editing features to the note taking app.  The update, version 15.0.3931.1008 for those keeping score at home, follows up on the general release of the entire Office for Android Phone yesterday.  While a part of the Office suite as a whole, OneNote for Android has been out for Android phone and tablets for some time now and is on a different development cycle.  This app is also free and it uses your OneDrive account to store and sync your notes.

OneNote for Android – Free – Download Now