Category: Google

Google Drive has an update rolling out for the web version of the cloud storage platform that will come in handy for power users.  Over the course of the next few days, Google will be adding a drag and drop feature for folders to the service.  What this will mean is that a user could drag a file from their desktop to Google Drive while it is open in the Chrome browser and drop it into the storage service. This will all but end the time consuming and awkward opening up of a file dialog box to perform the feature.  Now if this sounds familiar, it should.  You can drag and drop files to the root of your Google Drive now.  This update allows you to drop directly to folders.

The news of the update came from the Google Apps Blog and in order to take advantage of the feature, you will have to be using the latest version of Chrome or Firefox and will have to have that browser tab open to Drive.

If you have been waiting to get your hands on a Nexus 6P but have run into the particular color/storage combination being out of stock, today would be a good day to head back to the Google Store. All color options and all storage size options are in stock with factory out-the-door times on new orders currently pegged at 1-2 days. This is a substantial improvement over there not being any stock for some flavors or 3-4 week delivery times at the beginning of November.

For those that don’t remember, you can get the flagship Nexus 6P in three color options (Aluminium, Graphite and Frost) and three different storage size options (32GB, 64GB and 128GB).  Do note that the Frost option is only available in 64GB and 128GB.  Prices start at $499 for the 32GB units while the 128GB version will set you back $649.

Nexus 6P at the Google Play Store

In a post today on the Google apps blog, the company has announced that users who need to access a Google Hangouts video call no longer need to have a Google account to join.  The update follows on an update from last year where an external link could be provided to a Hangouts video call even if they were not explicitly invited.  This new update really pushes Hangouts as a video, voice and conferencing platform given how widely used it is and the fact it is on both Android and iOS devices as well as the web.

The way that this new feature will work is pretty slick.  Users with the external link will click on that link, put in their name in the dialog box that pops up and click the Request to Join button.  Organizers of the Hangouts call will get a pop-up with that users information and can either Accept or Decline to let them in to the call or not.  It’s simple and for anyone who has used a video conferencing solution in the past, will feel very familiar.

Editors Note:  As of January 24, 2017, the old Google+ site has been deprecated and is no longer available.

Yesterday we saw all the hype around the new Google+ website and upcoming Android apps.  For some, this change has been welcomed while others have found it not so great.  The verdict is still out but as a die hard Google+ user, I like what I see so far.  That said, I’m a realist and this new version of the social site is very much a work in progress (Google’s words, not mine).  There are things that don’t quite work the way that you would expect and some of the overall user experiences need to be smoothed out.

For now, you have a way to get back to the Google+ of old with a simple click within the site.  I’ll show you how to do this if you haven’t found it already and give you some thoughts on why you may want to go back – and why you may want to stick with it.

Today Google has announced a new feature in Google Search that could well be one of the biggest advancements in web searching since, well, forever.  I appreciate this sounds hyperbolic but think about what they announced in a larger context.  The announcement today essentially is made up of two parts.  First, you will be able to slipstream content from apps directly from within Google Search on your Android devices without actually having to leave the search itself.  Second, if you don’t have the app installed, you can stream content that is found only in the app to the search results to allow you to complete a task or see that app-only content.

Think about it:  You can get content from say a services app without actually having to have that app installed when you search for that content on your phone.

Mind. Blown.

If you are a new Project Fi users, chances are you are a bit confused.  That confusion surrounds SMS and which app you can use for getting your text messages on your Nexus phone using Fi.  On the surface, it looks like you are required to use Google Hangouts, the voice, video and yes, text messaging integrated app.  But that not necessarily true and in fact, even Google suggests that you use Google Messenger, the default SMS app on Nexus devices, for texting.

So what gives?  What’s the truth and what is the plus or minus of using Google Hangouts or Google Messenger?  Essentially it comes down to where you want messages to appear and on which devices and how you plan to communicate to friends and family.