Category: Android

Fitbit has released an updated version of the app for Android phone that, while mostly focused on fixes and improvements, also brings a new look to the exercise tracking of the app.  The updated build is version 2.15 for those keeping score at home and it is out in the Google Play Store now.  If you have the app installed you can expect the OTA update at any point over the next couple of days.

The Fitbit app has always had a exercise log where from the main page you could enter in exercise (or sync it from another app if you log elsewhere (I log in MyFitnessPal personally and have it sync)) and see in a calendar form how you did for a particular week.  That information along with minutes exercised and calories burned is still there, but now you have a weekly challenge that you configure to help you stay on task of getting and staying healthy through exercise and a sensible diet.

Fitbit for Android – Free – Download Now

Today the Google team has rolled out a great improvement to the search results on your Android phone or tablet.  Now when you do a search of a band, actor or actress, TV show or Movie, you get a significant amount of more information about them than just the search results themselves.  The update was announced on the Inside Search blog and it is a behind-the-scenes update from the company.  That means it is working now for everyone on Android devices and soon will work for iOS Google Search.

If you search for a band, you will see an overview of that band, albums and photos of the band, see songs information, links to videos of the band of particular songs, their discography and you are a tap away from playing their music from sources like YouTube, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio and TuneIn.  It is a great way to help you identify more music from a song you have heard or if you have a favorite band (Rush fans unite!) you can get all kinds of great information on them.

If you own a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X or Nexus 9, the latest update to Google Camera is for you.  Google has released an update to the app, bringing it to version 4.0 for those keeping score at home, and it is squarely aimed at Nexus owners as the updates all have to do with the user experience and features for those devices.  That is not to say non-Nexus owners won’t get this update but the benefits of the new features are only going to be seen on Nexus devices.

Depending on the device you have will depend on the features you get or see.  For Nexus 5, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9 owners, you will now have the new user interface that was part of the release for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.  That user interface is cleaner and features a fast switching ability to go from photo to video with just a swipe across your device’s screen.  All owners of these devices will benefit from improved startup times of the app as well as easier access to photo modes through a top-left menu (Lens Blur, Panorama, Photo Sphere, etc).  It is a far easier and intuitive interface compared to the old one in the app and after updating last night and playing with it, I like it a lot more than the old user interface.

Google Camera – Free – Download Now

In our battery driven consumer world, making sure you have enough battery on your mobile device is key to getting through the day. Sometimes however that is a bit tricky depending on how busy the day has been for you. To meet that need, many companies have developed battery packs that you can plug your phone into so you can recharge without having to dive for that one electrical plug in the airport terminal. Some of these battery packs are nice and aesthetically pleasing while others are… well less so.

When I was contacted by EasyAcc about their PowerBank and they sent me a review unit, I knew that power wise it was going to be fine. What surprised me was the sleek design. This device does not look like a lump of battery sitting next to you at the airport. It’s rounded corners, plastic shell and color band around it make it look really sharp while still maintaining functionality. After all, the point of the PowerBank is to charge my Nexus 6 and Nexus 7 while I’m on-the-go. To that end, it performed flawlessly.

Over on the Chrome Releases Blog, the announcement has come that an updated version of the browser is coming to Android.  The update should be hitting the Google Play Store over the course of the next few hours which means it will start coming to devices via an OTA update soon thereafter. The updated version is 47.0.2526.27 for those keeping score at home and it falls in line with the announcement on Monday of version 47 for the desktop version of Chrome and Tuesday of ChromeOS.

As for what has been updated or changed in this update, it is as Google describes “a barge load of performance and stability fixes”.  If you really want to dig into the GIT information you can see all the fixes in the release but it is a long, long list.

Chrome for Android – Free – Download Now

For those of us in the United States, we have had Google Play Music ad-supported streaming music for months.  Unfortunately for our friends north of the border in Canada, that has not been the case.  While the app has been available, it has not allowed you to stream audio content other than what you have uploaded to the service unless you subscribed to the unlimited service.  That changes today.  Now Canadians can stream music in Google Play Music on their Android phones and tablets free without having to subscribe.