Google has announced on their Product Forums blog that the Lollipop 5.1.1 update has begun rolling out to Android Wear devices today. The update is obtained via an over-the-air (OTA) update and brings a wide range of improvements and features to these devices. The four devices that will be receiving the update are the LG Watch Urbane, Moto 360, Sony Smartwatch 3 and the Samsung Gear Live.
On the same day that Major League Baseball has released MLB At Bat for Windows Phone, the league has also issued an update to the MLB Ballpark for Android app as well. While there are no new features to the baseball park companion app, there are some general performance improvements that make it worth updating to for anyone who uses the app. For those keeping score at home (an old term used during the heyday of baseball on radio) the new version is 4.1.0
If you aren’t familiar with it, MLB Ballpark is a companion app that you have on your phone when you visit any of the 30 major league stadiums. There you can check in, get promotional information and discounts (depends on the ballpark and if they are running any) and even get discounts on merchandise. You can also get information on the stadium itself and check in from your seats. If you check in you can also upload photos from your seats so others can share in your vantage point.
Earlier today I posted that Microsoft had released a preview of their Office apps for Android Phone today. The new Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps are stand alone individual apps that are far superior to the old Office Mobile and are in line with the path that the company is making for Office across all device platforms. I’ve spent a fair amount of time today with each of them and wanted to provide some quick feedback on them to everyone who is on the fence about downloading them. First I’m going to take a look at Word for Android Phone and I’ll post similar quick looks for Excel and PowerPoint later on in the week.
Word for Android Phone is really impressive and if you have used it on your Android tablet you are going to find the experience very similar – exactly what Microsoft is trying to achieve. Within the app you can create and edit documents on devices with screens 10.1″ or smaller but to get all the benefits of it, you really need an Office 365 account. An Office 365 Personal account is $69.99 and available from the Microsoft Store or you can go with Office 365 Home where you can install the Office apps on up to 5 PCs or Macs along with mobile devices.
This is one that I personally take a lot of satisfaction in seeing. After indicating they were not going to update MLB At Bat for Windows Phone for the 2015 season, Major League Baseball has reversed course and has just released an updated version for the season. We are 2 months into the season but I’m not going to complain. It is here and it is great.
Back in April before the start of the baseball season, MLB said they would not be updating the app for Windows Phone. I was plenty critical of it as a baseball fan and Windows Phone fan.
@MLB shame you have left out us #WindowsPhone users. We too want to be able to follow our favorite teams on the go @Rockies
— Clinton Fitch (@ClintonFitch) April 5, 2015
At the time, it was the latest in a long string of apps that support for Windows Phone had been dropped (Bank of America, I’m STILL looking at you) and while I appreciated that Universal apps would be coming in Windows 10, it was frustrating as a baseball fan. Now, it seems, all is right with the world.
MLB At Bat for Windows Phone – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now
Earlier today, Microsoft released the preview for Office for Android phone apps. The separate Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps are now individual apps and brings in line while the company is doing around the Office apps across all platforms – Windows Phone, Android and iOS. The goal of course is to have a consistent user experience regardless of the device that you are using. Today, if you use Office for Android tablet, it is a far different (and superior) experience to the Office Mobile app on Android Phone. That now has changed with this preview.
To get the Office for Android phone apps, you will have to join the preview program. After the break I’ve outlined what you need to do in order to get into the program and to download the apps. Once they are installed, you will be able to update them via the normal update process in the Google Play Store.
AT&T has begun selling the mid-range LG Escape 2 both online and in their retail locations this weekend. The 4.7″ curved display Android phone is available from .99 Cents on a two year contract up to a reasonably priced $179.99 without any contract commitments. Given the specs of the LG Escape 2, the $180 price is about what you should expect. It’s not too shabby and certainly fits the need for those looking for a great phone under $200.
One of the biggest and best pieces of news for Windows 10 Mobile came out at the end of last week and the implications are huge. Microsoft stated in an article on ZDNet that they will be controlling all update to Windows 10 including those of Windows 10 Mobile. This not only includes businesses running Windows 10 Mobile but consumers like you and me. This is fantastic news as it takes the carriers out of the equation which, in theory, means that we should see updates to Windows 10 Mobile far faster than we ever have under Windows Phone 7, 8, or 8.1.
I wrote about this very subject back in February where I outlined how Microsoft could bypass the carriers on updates to Windows 10 Mobile via a Windows Insider style mechanism. While in the article from Mr. Bott clearly states that carriers will still be in the mix, it will be at a far lower level and Microsoft ultimately is the one that determines when the upgrade button is pushed on devices.
YouTube for Android has been updated today bringing with it a much improved music search functionality and a tab on the app’s home screen for you to find music videos. The update is version 10.18.55 for those keeping score at home and solidifies YouTube as becoming an ever growing source of music videos with many top artists posting their videos through VEVO. Now you can quickly and easily find videos in a wide range of categories just by swiping to the Music tab in the YouTube app and play them straight away without having to search for them.
YouTube – Free – Download Now