Category: Android

For those of you who are customers, AT&T has released another update to their MyAT&T for Android app, bringing a host of new self service options around your account.  The carrier has continued to evolve their app over the course of this year as they have continued to add services that you can access within the app without having to visit a retail store or even their website.  These latest updates in version 4.6 of the app for those keeping score at home, include the ability for you to shop and add international plans, improved device management and a new, more personalized support tool.

MyAT&T for Android – Free (AT&T customer account required for full access) – Download Now

It has been nearly a month since the release of Angry Birds 2 and the popular game which saw 20 million downloads in its first week, has just received its first update.  The update, version 2.1.0 for those who keep score at home, brings 20 new levels of play in an all new chapter, Pigsyland.  What is Pigsyland you ask? Why, that would be Pig City’s first amusement park.

If you haven’t tried Angry Birds 2 then do yourself a favor and download it.  It’s huge amounts of fun and very different from the original game.  Strategy on how you are going to pop the pestilent pigs is far more important in this game. Personally, level 119 is killing me right now!

Angry Birds 2 for Android – Free – Download Now

Google has released an important update to Gmail for Android that users of Microsoft and Yahoo email accounts will benefit from greatly.  The latest update brings much improved support for email accounts from the companies including support for 2-factor authentication.  The update is version, wait for it…. 5.5.101116392 for those keeping score at home and who like Google version Bingo and it is for both Android phone and tablet devices (the build number for tablets is slightly different).

Gmail for Android – Free – Download Now

Fitbit for Android has a new update out in the Google Play Store that brings several enhancements and improvements to the health & fitness tracking app.  The update is version 2.10 for those keeping score at home and among the new features is the ability to share a photo from your exercise routine with friends.  Why would you want to share a photo of yourself in the gym?  Well, you could inspire your friends on Fitbit to push themselves a bit further or you can show proof of how important “leg day” is in your routine.

Fitbit for Android – Free – Download Now

On the official Android blog, Google has announced that they have begun rolling out a new update to Android Wear.  This new 1.3 version for those keeping score is going to be huge with a lot of new interactions and with Google Translate embedded into the release.  What Google has done with it is great and should make it much easier to get help in up to 44 different languages right on your wrist.

How it will work is simple.  You tap on the Google Translate app on you Wear device and speak into it.  When you are done, flick your wrist over and the person you are interacting with can read your question or statement in their own language.  You can do it all on your wrist and there is no need to get your phone from your pocket unless you want spoken translations.

Last week I posted Part 1 of my migration from Microsoft Office to Google Docs.  In that post, I outlined the foundations of why I moved and the process of migrating your files from your PC or other cloud storage to Google Drive, how to setup offline access and the importance and power of Chrome Extensions as part of that offline work.

Read Part 1:  My Migration to Google Docs Part 1 – The Setup

In Part 2 I’m going to cover the ins-and-outs of Google Docs, the document processing app.  I’m going to cover using the app from the perspective of a PC running Chrome, a Chromebook and the Google Docs app on my Android phone (OnePlus One) and tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab 4).  I’ll cover the pros and cons of Google Docs versus Microsoft Word and some of the things that you will need to keep in mind if you are thinking of switching.  This same methodology will repeat over the course of the next few weeks when I cover Google Sheets and Google Slides.

As a reminder to everyone who is thinking of making this transition, I will repeat what I said in Part 1 of this series:

Take your time.  You will find that the majority of features in Microsoft Office are in the Google apps but they will be in different places.  It may take you a few menu clicks to sort it out.  Be patient.  Give it a chance.  Sure it may turn out that it isn’t right for you and your needs but I would suggest trying the experiment over a week or two before you make a final verdict.  It isn’t as big a migration from say a PC to a Mac but it is similar to moving from Internet Explorer to Chrome in many ways.  Same thing, but bits in different places and this process or that process may be a little different.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and moving from one way of editing your documents to another won’t be done in a day either.  Give it an honest try and take your time.