Author: Clinton

The official Major League Baseball app for Android, MLB At Bat, has received a small update today that all users of the app should download.  The updated version, 4.2.0 for those keeping score at home, focuses on some updates of the Material Design of the app along with some performance improvements.  While these types of updates generally fall into the “no big deal” file, I have to say that the performance improvements are significant.

For those who aren’t familiar with MLB at Bat, it allows you to keep up with scores and information across Major League Baseball, select your favorite teams and with a monthly subscription of $2.99, allows you to see virtual play-by-play in a feature called GamePlay.  If you love the Great Game then you really need this app and I would contend (as many others have) that it remains the standard by which all other sports league apps are measured.

MLB at Bat – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now

I have been writing reviews of mobile devices and technology since 1999. In that time, I’ve reviewed well over 100 mobile devices of all shapes and forms, starting with the H/PCs of days gone by to the current crop of Windows Phone and Android devices. To say I don’t get excited about phones much any more is an understatement.

Then came along the OnePlus One. It’s a phone that has been out there for nearly a year now and while it had a fitful start in life (a somewhat botched invitation system to buy them), they are now readily available. Frankly, I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed a phone as much as I have enjoyed this… One.  Spec wise it is top-notch with a powerful processor, huge amounts of RAM and on-board storage, an all day power user battery, a stunningly good camera (front and back) and a display that is easy on the eyes. It has everything that you would expect in a flagship device from any manufacture but at a budget friendly mid-market price of $299 for the 16GB model.  Beyond the specifications however, the OnePlus One is a joy to use.  It has a solid Android Lollipop build with powerful features and functionality built in that allows you as a user to customize it the way that works best for you.

The OnePlus One is without a doubt one of the best phones I’ve ever reviewed.  It is not perfect but it is close.  Real close.

Each June, for the last 92 years, a 24 hour endurance race is held in Le Mans, France.  While the cars and circuit has changed over the years, it remains one of the most loved and hardest fought endurance races each year.  Like in years past, you can race the Circuit de la Sarthe virtually thanks the team over at Electronic Arts and FireMonkey in Real Racing 3.  The popular racing game has been updated once again (version 3.4.0 for those keeping score at home) to bring some of the World Endurance cars that will be racing in the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans along with challenges to compete in and complete during the next few days.

Real Racing 3 – Free (In App Purchases) – Download Now

I’m a big fan of Chipotle and their app is one of the better food/restaurant apps out there. It makes ordering your favorite burrito from your local store where you can pick it up to enjoy at work or at home. Now it just got a little bit better. With the update that is now in the Play Store, version 2.2.0 for those keeping score at home, the Chipotle app will now let you pay for your food with your Google Wallet.

A couple of weeks ago I did a quick overview of Microsoft’s preview of Word for Android Phone. Since that overview, Microsoft has already released another update to the preview, giving it more stability and improving some of the functionality.  Now it is time to look at PowerPoint for Android Phone. Like Word (and Excel), it is also in Preview (or as it use to be called, beta) so if you decide to download these apps you may run into the odd behavior or bug.

PowerPoint for Android Phone is impressive.  In my “day job” I use PowerPoint on a daily basis and regardless of platform – Windows Phone, Android or iOS – I have found Office for Mobile (the old Microsoft Office app for phones) to be very limiting and in some cases, useless. That is not the case with the new breed of Office apps and PowerPoint for Android phone is a prime example. It is feature rich and easy to navigate, a far cry from it’s predecessor.  In fact, if you were stuck with only your Android Phone and had to create a presentation, this app is more than powerful enough to allow you to do it including things like slide transitions and photo inserts.  It is as close to desktop PowerPoint as you can get on a phone and unless you have some very specific need, PowerPoint for Android Phone will do 99% of what the average user needs.

Leveraging the personal assistant Cortana, Microsoft has announced on the Windows Blog that Windows 10 will be coming to a Windows PC or tablet near you on July 29th.  The announcement comes days after another significant build was released to Windows Insiders, a build that feels far more stable and complete than previous builds.  It is clear that Microsoft is making major steps forward in the Windows 10 development and they in large part thank the Windows Insiders (all 4 million of them) for the rapid development cycle.  Still, with the release now 59 days away, there is a lot for the company to do to get things ready.