Category: Android Phone

Dropbox has released an update to their Android phone and tablet app that brings some much improved file management capabilities.  The update is build 3.0.3 for those keeping score at home and gives you the ability to select multiple files as well as move and copy files directly from within the app.  Dropbox has also made some improvements to how offline files are managed.  For users of the app and service these improvements will certainly be welcome and to a large extent brings the app on par with the likes of the Google Drive app.

Dropbox for Android – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now

Earlier today I wrote that Android Pay has been released by Google and is starting to roll out into the Google Play Store.  I’ve downloaded the app and wanted to give you a first look at it.  For those of you who have used Google Wallet in the past, you will find a lot of similarities.  The new Android Pay app allows you to make purchases at retailers using your NFC enabled Android phone or tablet.  If you are not seeing Android Pay in the Play Store yet, give it time.  It will be there and when it is, you will also have to update Google Play Services on your device for it to work.

With personal assistants like OK Google, Cortana and Siri becoming omnipresent on our devices, inevitably the question arises as to what commands you can use with these services.  In the case of Google, they have made it quite simple.  If you are using the Google Now Launcher on your device or simply use the Google search function, you are one voice command away from getting a good list of all the things you can do with OK Google.

Google Now Launcher – Free – Download Now

If the title of this post wasn’t clear, let me solidify it for you.  I love Google+.  I appreciate that it is a somewhat dying (at least in the eyes of Google), stepchildish social network that is the butt of many jokes (“the only people who use Google+ are people who work for Google”) but it continues to be a key part of my day.  There are a lot of reasons why, which I will share, none of which may be applicable to you.  I’m not here to try to convince you to use the service.  I look at all of the technology and services we use and I say the same thing to anyone who asks the question of which is better:  You have to find the one that works for you.  It could be an iPhone or a Nexus 6.  It could be Facebook versus Instagram.  It could be Google+ versus Facebook.  There is no right answer here and I’m not going to try to tell you otherwise.

What I am going to do is tell you why Google+ continues to grow as a part of my everyday life.  It comes down to content and community.

Google has dropped an update to the Google Play Newsstand app into the Google Play Store today that brings a new ability to keep track of news and scores from your favorite teams right from within the app.  The update is version 3.4.4 for those keeping score at home (get it?  Score?  Sports? Work with me people) and is available for Android phones and tablets.  If you aren’t familiar with Google Play Newsstand, it is the app that serves quite a few purposes for users. It is news collector from a wide range of sources from major news sources but also is a place where you can search specific topics and of course subscribe to magazines through the Play Store.  The idea is that it is a one-stop shop for all your needs and periodicals and this update will help it achieve that goal.

Google Play Newsstand – Free – Download Now

A day after T-Mobile announced they were releasing security updates for the Nexus devices on their network, Google has now published the Factory Images for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013) Wi-Fi and Nexus 9 on the Android developer site.  The images are available for anyone to download and install assuming they have root access to their device and are familiar with the procedure.  Those who had rather not go through the process can simply wait and the update will be coming to the devices in the coming days via OTA.   The build number, for those keeping score at home, is LMY48M and is an update to Android Lollipop as you would expect.