Category: App Update

Google Translate is a great little app that allows you to translate text on your Android phone from one language to another.  The one hitch however is that you would have to copy that text from your original app, where the foreign text is found, and paste that into the Translator app.  It worked, but it was a bit clunky.  Google agreed and in the latest update to the app, you can now do the translation right within the original app via a Translate floating button.  The update is rolling out into the Google Play Store now and for those of you who heavily depend on the app, this will be a big time saver.

Google has moved another baked in OS service to the Google Play Store today as they continue to uncouple some apps and services from the base Android image.  Google Exchange Services has, to now, been a part of Android and was only ever updated when there was a new update to the platform.  This move to make it stand alone will improve the chances of it getting updated more quickly than it has in the past.  It also means that anyone can use Gmail to get their Exchange mail, something that previously was only available to Nexus device users.

Google has pushed out an exciting new feature for Google Photos:  Commenting on shared albums.  This has been a much requested feature of the photo service and the good news is it is coming to Android, iOS and Web all at the same time.  Now when you share an album, you can allow those you share with to add comments to those photos in the album.  It is a great way for friends and family to share their thoughts about the latest photos from your holiday or the kids.

If you are a user of the TripIt app to manage your travel itenararies, the latest update to the app brings a host of improvements as well as Android Wear support.  The updated build is version 4.6 for those keeping score at home and the big update is Wear support.  Now you can access your trip details from your watch without having to take your phone out of your pocket.  Even better, there is also a new flight countdown timer, exclusive to Android Wear, so you can keep track up to the second when your flight is to depart.

For those who have not downloaded the Google Opinion Rewards app for Android, should give it a look.  Every day or so you get a notification asking for your opinion on a wide range of subjects.  Most of these 1-4 question surveys take a few minutes and give you a bit of money for taking the time to complete it.  That money goes into your Google Play account to help you fund those gaming habits.  A new update to the app is now in the Play Store that has a few cosmetic changes but also brings the survey app to three new countries:  Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

If you use the shopping & auction app eBay on your phone, the latest update to the app is one you will want to get when it hits your updates.  The new version 5.0 build sports a whole host of changes including a complete makeover with Material Design.  This version of the app, visually, is much cleaner than the previous versions and is more fitting to the contemporary design of Android apps.  Along with this new design, navigation has also been improved and is more consistent with other apps.