Tag: Android

Microsoft Cortana, the digital assistant named after the Halo character, has been updated for Android with a handy new Lock Screen feature.  The update is rolling out to users now and once it is to your phone, you can go into settings in the app to give it Lock Screen access.  Once done, you will be able to swipe to access Cortana and all of your information like weather, schedule and other information.

For those keeping score, the updated build is version 2.5.  If you haven’t installed Cortana on your phone yet, when you go through the initial setup process, you can give it access to your Lock Screen.  One thing to keep in mind that, unlike Google Assistant, you can’t speak to Cortana from the Lock Screen.

Google continues to show the love to Microsoft Exchange users with the latest update to Gmail.  The update is rolling out now and when you get it, you will be able to manage your tasks setup in your Exchange account through the app.  No longer do you have to depend on another app (like Outlook for Android) or your desktop client to manage them.

Google has supported Exchange accounts in Gmail on Nexus devices going back to the Nexus 5 but it wasn’t until mid-year last year that they opened this feature up to non-Nexus devices.  Since then, Google has been tweaking improvements into the app for Exchange but no major feature changes have happened until today.

[Update:  Version 3.1 has officially been released!]

The Microsoft Garage team behind Arrow Launcher for Android have had a busy few weeks.  Last week they released a major update, version 3.0, to the public channel which brought a significant number of changes to it.  While performance and stability improvements were the hallmark of the release, the new Utility page which shows your frequent contacts, apps and recent documents on one page was the big new feature.  Right on the heels of that 3.0 release, the 3.1 build has hit those in the beta program with further refinements.  The big news though is support for tablets.

Arrow Launcher on tablets works the same way as it does on phones with the ability to customize the launcher as far as icon size, rows and columns and some included widgets.  It also supports app notifications (for apps that support it) and works in both landscape and portrait viewing.  It is also incredibly stable.  Those who visit often know that I generally shy readers away from betas because of bugs and stability issues.  This beta of Arrow Launcher however is pretty rock solid in the couple of days I’ve been running it on my Nexus 9.  Obviously proceed at your own risk but I’m happy with it so far.

The growth of Android Pay continues at an impressive clip with the tap-to-pay service adding an additional 31 banks and financial institutions.  Those additions brings the total number of banks supported to over 600.  For Google, it is pretty straightforward:  More banks mean more potential users of the service.  The good news is that a lot of the new additions are regional banks or Credit Unions.  That opens it up to more people who don’t necessarily live in large metro areas where the larger national banks have branches.

I’ve made the point in previous posts about new banks being supported that if you see an sticker at a retailer that they support Apple Pay, they support Android Pay too.  The technology between Apple Pay and Android Pay are identical so you can use either one (even if the clerk argues with you that they don’t accept it – which happened to me, which I proved them wrong with a tap of my Nexus 6P…. but I digress).  The exception to this is Samsung Pay which is a different technology and can be used at non-touch terminals.

This week’s update of LineageOS has a lot of fixes and improvements that will be coming to users in the latest builds.  There is a pretty solid list of improvements that you can ready about on the developer’s site but for those who just want the highlights, here you go.  First, there is support for more than two cameras in Snap (think devices with dual rear cameras), a fix for when accounts where not showing up in settings, Dual SIM UI improvements and the AOSP file manager has replaced the CyanogenMod file manager.  The blog post has links to the repositories for those who want to read the gory details on all the changes.

LineageOS already has a massive number of devices that are supported but the list has also grown this week.

Added 14.1 devices

• LG G3 (AT&T) – d850
• LG G3 (Korea) – f400
• Samsung Galaxy S III (GSM LTE) – i9305

Added 13.0 devices

• LeEco LeMax2 – x2

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (GSM) – n5100

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (Wi-Fi) – n5110

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (LTE) – n5120

That brings the total count of supported devices to over 100.

Part of the announcement also put out the Help Wanted sign.  If you can help the team with language translations, they could use you.  Hit the link to the post to get the details and to volunteer to help.

Let’s all take a moment and give Microsoft applause.  One of the most requested features from users of OneDrive has finally, finally made it into the app for Android.  You can now select multiple files with a single swipe on your phone or tablet.  The new feature is in the latest build of the app for Android, version 4.10 for those keeping score at home.  Once you have the update installed, if you are viewing your files or photos in tile view, you can use the new multiple file selection.  Just tap and hold the first file or photo you want to select. When you see the blue checkmark on that file, swipe across your phone’s screen to select multiple files.  Don’t lift your finger!  You have to tap-hold-swipe all in one motion.

Microsoft has been working hard on a lot of their Android apps lately, working to implement features that users have requested in them.  This is the latest example of it and users of OneDrive will be happy campers today.