Category: App Update

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.

Microsoft has rolled out a nice update to OneNote for Android today that greatly improves the handling of hyperlinks within your Notes.  The new update is in the 16.0.7 train (actual build numbers will vary by device) and once you have it, you will be able to open, edit or remove a link within a note.  If you tap to open the link, you will be taking to your default browser.  Previously, in the mobile apps, links could be copied and then pasted into your browser but opening them directly from OneNote wasn’t an option.

The improvement should increase productivity for users of the app, especially for those who share notes with others.

Big changes are coming in the latest update to Google Sheets for Android, web and iOS.  There are some nice formatting options that are coming to the app but probably the bigger news is that the Android app will have mouse support for the new breed of Chromebooks that run Android apps.

From a formatting perspective, Sheets will now have the ability to rotate text (this is found under Format>Text rotation) to make your spreadsheet cleaner and more visually appealing.  For example, you could rotate column headers 90-degrees so that they are vertical instead of wide across the column top.  This means you can make those columns more narrow.  Add to that, finally, the ability to format numbers in Accounting style.  This is one of those “why wasn’t it there before?” features but hey, it’s here now.  Under Format>Number>Accounting, you can change your numbers into this format for easier and more consistent reports on budgets and other financial spreadsheets.

Rounding out the formatting updates are new border styles.  There are several new border styles in the app that have various thicknesses and double borders.  These are all found under Toolbar>Borders>Border styles.

The big changes though and probably the more exciting ones for most are the changes to the Android (and iOS app) app for Sheets.

A small dot release of Google Play Music is hitting the Play Store that brings back a menu option and other small improvements.  The updated build is version 7.4 for those keeping score and with it you will find that the Recents option has returned to the main menu or navigation drawer of the app.  This feature disappeared late last year when Google started injecting machine learning into the app so it could better learn your listening preferences.  Since then, your Recents appeared as a button on the main display of the app (but it only shows your downloaded music if you are in offline mode)

The return of Recent to the menu should clean things up a bit whether you are online or offline and make it easier to find the music you have recently listened to in chronological order.

If you are a Google Pixel or Nexus 5X/6P user, there is a minor update to the Google Camera app rolling out for you.  The update, version 4.3 for those keeping score at home, fundamentally brings one feature to the table:  The ability to silence the shutter sound.  This may not seem like a big deal but it is something many other camera apps have offered for a long time and when you are in a museum or other quiet place, having the shutter sound fire off each time you take a photo can be a bit annoying.

This new setting is found in Settings>General in the app under “camera sounds”.  Toggle this off and there will be no more sounds from the app.  Keep in mind, this also means that the self timer feature will also go silent too.  It completely shuts the sounds off in the app.

The 2017 Major League Baseball season starts in just 40 days and all thirty teams have already reported for Spring Training.  To get you ready for the season and Spring Training, the MLB at Bat app has been updated to keep you in-the-know.  The update is rolling out now so if you already have the app installed, expect the OTA update over the course of the next day or so.  Once you have it, At Bat will give you news, information and the Spring Training schedule for your favorite MLB team.

As is the case every Spring Training, the highlights for your team may be limited as not every game is televised.  But you will be able to keep up with stats and the rosters which always change this time of the year.