Tag: App Update

Microsoft has released an update to their digital notebook app, OneNote, that adds a lot of new features.  The update is build is version 16.0.7369.1775 for those keeping score at home and like version number Bingo.  While it has the usual smattering of bug fixes and performance improvements, there are also some big feature changes to this update.  First, the app now supports multi-window use in Android Nougat.  To this point, if you tried to use OneNote in multi-window, it simply would not open.  That’s a thing of the past now and you can have the app and another app open at the same time on the screen on your phone or tablet.

Another big improvement in this update is the ability to open password-protected sections.  On the desktop version of OneNote, you can password protect those sections with sensitive information.  Previously the Android app (and iOS app for that matter) wouldn’t open up those sections.  That’s fixed and now you can open them although you still cannot create a password protected section within the app.  Support for inserting and viewing embedded files in your notes has also been added in this update.

Microsoft has rolled out yet another update to their Android launcher, Arrow Launcher.  The update, version 2.4.0 for those keeping score at home, brings a handful of changes and improvements including a much improved search function.  Now within the launcher you can search not just the web but also apps and contacts on your phone.  This brings Arrow on par with other launchers that have similar functionality built into them.

This update also brings some needed performance improvements.  This has been an area that Microsoft has been working on the launcher for some time and every update it gets a little bit better.  This 2.4 update really made big strides.  Performance is noticeably faster, particularly when swiping from one page to another.  It also opens apps much faster than the previous build.

Microsoft is rolling out a big update to OneDrive for Android that brings some much need user requested features to the cloud storage app.  The first big feature is the ability to create Office documents within the app.  If you need to create an Excel, PowerPoint or Word document, you can now do that within OneDrive itself and not necessarily have to open up the particular Office app on your phone or tablet.  This is a great time saving feature but also allows the app to be the center touch point for all of your Microsoft file activities.  This feature has been requested for a long period of time and mirrors the functionality that Google Drive has had for a long time.

Google has given another fresh coat of paint to their two-factor authentication app, Google Authenticator.  The update is rolling out to the Google Play store now and if you have it installed, you likely will see the OTA for it in the next day or two if not already.  The updated build is version 4.74 for those keeping score at home.  If you aren’t familiar with Authenticator, it is the code generating app when you enable two-factor authentication on your various accounts.  Many services offer two-factor including Google, Microsoft, Evernote, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  I strongly urge all readers to enable two-factor on all of their accounts for security purposes.  Yes it is a pain but apps like Google Authenticator allow you to have multiple accounts in the app.

Most of the changes in this update are cosmetic but they are good to see.  First, the app is completely Material Design now which has a nice clean look to it.  The six digit codes generated are now split into two, 3 digit sections so it makes it much easier to read.

The Weather Channel app for Android has been updated today with some very impressive new radar images.  The updated build is version 7.0.1 for those keeping score at home and the update is rolling out in the Google Play Store now for those who have the app installed.  Now when you go to the radar section of the app, you will see a much more interesting maps than in the previous release.  The first thing you’ll notice is that the maps look more topographical which is great for those of us who live in mountainous areas.  But the update isn’t just skin deep.  The app now allows you to zoom down all the way to street level so you can see exactly when a storm is going to impact you & your neighborhood.  Before you could zoom in but it wouldn’t go down to street level.

Google has rolled out a small but important update to Google Photos that makes it much easier to share your photos with others.  The update gives you the ability to share a photo or set of photos with an individual contact, not just another app.  The ability to share with another app has been there for a while but to share photos with a contact, you had to dive into another app (Messages, Hangouts, etc.) to make that happen.  Now you will see your contacts in the Share menu and can share directly from within Photos, saving taps and steps.