Category: Android

Yesterday Google released an update to the Google Search app for Android.  While that itself isn’t really news worthy, it is what is in it that makes it so.  Google Now on Tap is included in this build, something that was mentioned at Google I/O at the launch of Android Marshmallow but to date hasn’t made an appearance.  With this new version, 5.3.19.19 for those keeping score at home, Now on Tap is enabled but you have to be running the Android Marshmallow developer bits to get the benefits.

Google Search for Android – Free – Download Now

So there have been a lot – and I mean a lot – of new devices the past few weeks.  Some have been great, some not so great but most have had some pretty spiffy wallpapers to go with them.  One of those is the Moto X Play and I’ve managed to get the stock wallpapers for this device and put them up on the Wallpaper page.

Mobile Wallpaper Page

Over the past several weeks I have been migrating my office productivity apps from Microsoft Office to Google Docs. This is part four of the four part series and will cover Google Slides, the presentation application of the Google Docs suite.

If you have not read the first three parts of the series, that may be a good place to start if you are interested in making a similar migration yourself. If you are only wanting to learn my thoughts & opinions on Google Sheets, this article will do it for you.

My Migration to Google Docs Part 1 – The Setup

My Migration to Google Docs Part 2 – Google Docs on All The Toys

My Migration to Google Docs Part 3 – Between the Google Sheets

With this final part of the series, I will be keeping the same format as I have on the other three parts:  Focusing on how Google Slides performs in Chrome, on a Chromebook and on Android devices.

As a reminder to everyone who is thinking of making this migration, a word of advice-meets-warning I posted as part of the first article.

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 your migration to Google Docs won’t happen that fast either.  Patience is the word of the day.

This morning the Rovio team dropped a small update to Angry Birds 2, the sequel to the popular game that came out in July.  This is the 2nd update to the game and it brings 20 new levels to your Android phone or tablet and follows up the 1st update just a couple of weeks ago.  If you have Angry Birds 2 installed on your devices then you should receive the update OTA.  If you haven’t installed it, you can via the link below.  It is free although there are plenty of in-app purchases available.

Angry Birds 2 for Android – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now

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.