Android Marshmallow Coming Soon To T-Mobile Nexus 6

For those of you who have a T-Mobile Nexus 6, good news has come your way from Des, the company’s Product Evangelist, on Twitter. According to a post last night, the Android Marshmallow update for the device has been tested, approved and should be rolling out very soon.  The updated build is MRA58X and while no exact date was given, user could start seeing the update as soon as today if previous history is any indication.

 

With this update starting to roll out, it means that T-Mobile is the first to get Android Marshmallow out to the Nexus 6 on their network. Verizon and AT&T both sold the Nexus 6 but neither have released or committed to the update for their devices.

Microsoft Windows is 30 Years Old Today

Today is a significant day in the history of personal computing.  30 years ago Microsoft Windows 1.0 was launched, bringing with it the first widely available GUI (Graphical User Interface) instead of command line functions.  While we can all debate the Microsoft of today and their business practices of the past, there is no denying the significance of Windows 1.0.  It, in every way, revolutionized how we interacted with computers and opened the door for billions to learn and easily use PCs in their homes.

Essentially Windows 1.0 was a 16-bit multi-tasking shell that ran on top of MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) that was a mouse driven GUI.  To put it into perspective of how far we have come in 30 years, your Android phone sitting next to you is very likely running a 64-bit architecture – never mind your PC!  By today’s comparisons, it was not exactly a beautiful user interface but it was revolutionary for the time.

Now what would early days Microsoft be without Steve Ballmer?  And everyone enjoys a good launch video for an app right?  Feast your eyes on this gem!

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Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy doesn’t it?

Dell Chromebook 11 with i3 Processor & 4GB RAM On Sale for $269

If you are in the market for a Chromebook, head over to the Dell website to check out the deal on the Dell Chromebook 11.  Right now they have it on sale for $269 which is $272 in savings off of the regular price. This isn’t a stripped down version of it either.  It comes with an Intel i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage with all the easy-of-use and security that comes with Chrome OS.

As the name suggests, this Chromebook has an 11.6″ display with a 1366 x 768 resolution so while it is not an HD, the crisp LCD display should still make it easy for hours of viewing.  You can of course connect an external monitor via the built-in HDMI port for more comfortable viewing. You can also expect to get about 7 hours of battery life on a full charge.

Dell Chromebook 11 – SALE at $269 – Dell

Better Fitness and Nutrition Tracking Comes to Google Fit

When I posted my review of Google Fit several months ago, I pointed out that while it was a good app that had a nice, clean interface, it lacked some of the features that would make it a true must-have fitness app.  The latest update to the app, which is rolling out to the Google Play Store now, closes a lot of those gaps by bringing a much tighter integration with other fitness and nutrition apps.  The result is that Google Fit becomes a portal for all your nutrition and exercise information.

The update is version 1.55.44-000 for those keeping score at home and while it has been released to the Play Store, it could be a day or two before you see the OTA update if you have it installed.  The first thing that is new in this build is the real-time tracking of exercises.  If you go on walks, runs or bike rides, you can now have Google Fit track that exercise for you and it will integrate with Google Maps so you can see where you went on your activity.  To do this, there is a new Start Activity option in the app’s menu.

Google Fit for Android – Free – Download Now

Google Account No Longer Required For Hangouts Video Calls

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.

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