Category: Android Tablet

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.

If the title of this post wasn’t clear, let me solidify it for you.  I love Google+.  I appreciate that it is a somewhat dying (at least in the eyes of Google), stepchildish social network that is the butt of many jokes (“the only people who use Google+ are people who work for Google”) but it continues to be a key part of my day.  There are a lot of reasons why, which I will share, none of which may be applicable to you.  I’m not here to try to convince you to use the service.  I look at all of the technology and services we use and I say the same thing to anyone who asks the question of which is better:  You have to find the one that works for you.  It could be an iPhone or a Nexus 6.  It could be Facebook versus Instagram.  It could be Google+ versus Facebook.  There is no right answer here and I’m not going to try to tell you otherwise.

What I am going to do is tell you why Google+ continues to grow as a part of my everyday life.  It comes down to content and community.

It is pretty much a given that Android Pay is just days away and Google continues to prepare apps and devices for that eventuality.  The latest is a completely new Google Wallet app for Android phones and tablets.  Now to be clear, this is a completely new and separate build of Google Wallet that is available today – and is still available.  That’s right, if you use the link below to download Google Wallet you will have this new build and the old Google Wallet app.  Why would Google do this?  Think Android Pay.

Confused?  Don’t be.  Let me explain.

Google Wallet (NEW) for Android – Free – Download Now