Category: App Update

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.

The Google Apps team have announced some new editing features for both Google Docs and Google Sheets.  These new features are coming to the apps on both Android and iOS and should be rolling out to devices over the course of the next few days via an OTA update.  Both features are aimed at bringing more desktop-like editing features to the mobile device so you don’t necessarily have to be at a Chromebook, PC or Mac.

For Google Docs, you can now edit documents while you are in Print Layout view within the app.  To edit the doc, just tap on the edit pencil icon and you can make your edits without having to leave Print Layout view.

Microsoft has once again updated their Android launcher app, Arrow Launcher, with some nice improvements.  The update, version 1.4 for those keeping score at home, brings several improvements in user controls.  For example, you can now hide page headers, a feature that many users of the launcher had requested.  Users can also hid SMS preview on the People and Recent page.  This change is done in the Settings of the launcher.  Both of these changes represent the fact that Microsoft is indeed listening to users of their apps as both were heavily requested changes.

If you have downloaded the official app for the site, there is a new update in the Google Play Store that brings some much needed improvements around navigation.  The ClintonFitch.com app was updated to version 5.0.8(15) yesterday and with it comes a new side swipe menu to navigate to other parts of the site right from within the app.  For example, if you want to just look at reviews you can select Reviews by swiping from the left side of your display and choosing it.  The idea is to make the app a bit easier to navigate and find the content you are most interested in reading.  You can, of course, use the search function too for something specific.

The MLB at Bat app for Android has been updated today with a lot of improvements around video playback and some new features for those of you who are Lite users of the app.  The biggest change is the support of 60 FPS video on phones that support it.  Video playback in the app was my only real complaint about it as it was a bit pixelated and not very smooth.  In checking it out this morning after this update, it is not even comparable to the old build.  Video is very clear and smooth in playback.

The Google Clock app for Android has been updated with a few new improvements that most users will likely appreciate.  The updated build is version 4.4 for those keeping score at home and it is rolling out in the Google Play Store now.  There are two big features in the update:  Inline volume controls for alarms within the app and the ability to have timers vibrate, not just give an audible tone.  On volume controls, previously when you wanted to adjust the alarm volume, you had to use the volume rocker on your phone to turn it up or down.  With this update, that is no longer the case.  You can now change the volume of your alarms within the app using a slider within the Clock app, making setting the alarm a bit more precise and easier than tapping a physical button.