Category: App Update

While overall a minor update, the latest build of Google Calendar for Android brings a long desired feature by users:  Drag & Drop moving of events.  The new feature is in version 5.7.29 and that update is now rolling out into the Play Store.  Expect the update to hit your phones and tablets over the course of the next few days.

With this new feature, when you are in any view except monthly, you can now tap & hold then move an event on your calendar to a new time or day.  No more having to go into the event and manually edit the times or day.  Once you have moved it, anyone who is associated with that event will automatically get an update emailed to them of the day and/or time change.

The shopping app Google Express has been updated for Android today, bringing the ability to edit and access your shopping lists while you are offline.  For those who may not know, Google Express is a shopping app that allows you to shop over 30 stores like Costco, Whole Foods and Target and have those purchased items delivered to your home.  The service has next day delivery in most areas and is free shipping for those who have a membership.  That membership is $10 per month but is not required to use the app – you’ll just pay shipping.

The updated version of the app is 18.0 and once you have it, you will be able to access your shopping lists and edit them while you are offline.  Think of that thing you need to buy while on a flight?  No problem.  Open the app update, add it, and it will sync up with the service once you are back online.

The Google Phone app has a nice update rolling out this morning that brings some new features.  The update is build 10.1.161735957 for those keeping score at home and who like to play Google version bingo and it is rolling out to the Play Store now.

The big new feature in this update to the Phone app is emergency location information.  If you call 911 here in the US, you will be shown in the app (via Google maps) where you are calling from so that emergency services can find you faster.  It helps you see where you are faster which means help can get to you faster.

Microsoft has a new update rolling out to Arrow Launcher in the Play Store that is bring some nice improvements to the launcher.  The update is version 3.7 for those keeping score at home and this build has been in beta for a few weeks with testers.  The update has some good improvements around contact management (or as Microsoft calls it, People) as well as some other fixes.

The People card on the Utility page in this update will now allow you to choose between multiple actions for contacts and Arrow can now deal with merging and de-duping of contacts within the contacts on your phone.  The multi-action feature is a long requested one of the launcher.

OpenTable, the restaurant reservation and payment app, has a new update rolling out that brings a long awaited feature:  Waitlists.  The update is version 8.0 and for those who already have the app installed, you can expect the OTA update to come to you over the course of the next few days.  Once you have it, at a select number of restaurants, you will be able to apply to be put on the waitlist if there are no reservations available.  Then, if an opening happens, you will be notified of availability.

The new feature is not supported by all restaurants on OpenTable and right now it is pretty limited in scope.  That will change to more cities and restaurants as they add the waitlist feature to their options.

Microsoft has begun rolling out a significantly revamped Bing for Android app to the Play Store.  The update brings a new look with a simplified search experience, a color refresh, and quicker access to specific content in search results.  The update also expands the search results you can get from the app such as searching for GIFs and being able to save them to your favorites.

While most Android users tend to think about Google Search on their devices, Bing remains the number 2 search engine in the United States and for those who are deep into the Microsoft ecosystem, especially Windows 10 users, this update to the Bing app will be a welcome update.