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Google Calendar for Android has been updated and with it comes a new event conflict notification feature.  This feature shows you in the app as you try to schedule another event where you have conflicts in your schedule.  The idea is to prevent yourself from double-booking events only to realize it later.  This feature actually rolled out to those who use the app as part of Google apps for Work or Education last month as they were tied to domains associated with those services.  Google has now rolled it out to everyone although it does have some limitations.

The Google Photos app and service got a small tweak yesterday behind-the-scenes that will make heavy users of the app rejoice.  Now when you are viewing your albums in either the app or on the web, there is a new Slideshow feature on the overflow menu.  That feature allows you to start a slide show on your devices or, if you have a Chromecast, cast them to your TV.  It is a small addition but an important one as it is an often requested feature.

Full disclosure:  I’m a Google Top Contributor for Google Photos in the Product Forums.

The nice thing about this update is there is not app update required.  The most current version of the app on your phone or tablet will simply have the feature pushed to it.

There is a new update to the Starbucks app rolling out for Android that brings a much easier way of tracking your progress towards a free coffee.  The update, versions 4.2.1 for those keeping score at home, now has a Rewards bar at the top of the main page that tells you how many stars you need to collect to get that free cup of Joe.  In the previous version, you had to tap on your star count at the top to see how many you needed for your reward.  This update eliminates the need to do that tap, putting your needed number of stars front-and-center for you.

Like many of you, I spent much of late yesterday afternoon downloading the latest Android N Developer Preview.  Preview 4 is very close to the finished product and with it having the final API set that will be released with the public release, it feels far more polished than Preview 3 ever felt on my Nexus 6 or Nexus 9.  It is ready for prime time?  No, but it is close.  Really close in fact.  I’ve put together my thoughts on the overall performance and stability of the release as it relates to my two devices.  Obviously your mileage will vary but for now, I’m happy to share my thoughts to help you decide if you want to jump in on the beta.