Category: Google

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.

The Google Play Movies & TV app has been updated with several small but important improvements.  The update build, version 3.15 for those keeping score at home, brings improved movie watching controls that are more intuitive and similar to other apps.  Gone is the banner style controls that were on the bottom of the display and it is replaced with a progress style bar that indicates how far along you are in a movie.  To fast forward, simply slide your finger across that progress bar and a single frame will pop up above your finger to show you that scene.  To start playing again, simply lift off the screen.

Google appears to be set to not only match the new developer revenue sharing model that Apple has announced, but to one-up it.  The hubbub started yesterday when Apple announced that developers would move from a 70/30 split to an 85/15 split on revenue share.  This is a very good thing for developers and came as a bit of a surprise from Apple.  Almost immediately the question became if Google would match it for those developers on Android.  The answer appears to be yes and to be even better.

Big news today from the Project Fi team at Google.  The company’s MVNO service has signed on US Cellular to the service, bringing another carrier on board to provide LTE coverage in both urban and rural areas.  US Cellular joins T-Mobile and Sprint as the providers for the Fi service and will be rolling out over the course of the next several weeks.

U.S. Cellular, one of the top mobile networks in the U.S., offers service in 23 states with 4G LTE coverage for more than 99% of their subscribers, both urban and rural. With the addition of a third network, Project Fi now gives you more coverage and speed, helping you stay connected wherever you are.

The good thing is, your current Nexus device that is supported on Fi will work after this additional carrier is added.

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.

Google Hangouts has been updated for Android that brings a much desired feature for those who use Hangouts a lot:  Direct Share.  For those who aren’t familiar with what I’m referring to, Direct Share allows you to share content from another app directly to someone on Hangouts.  To this point, if you wanted to share something, it was difficult and involved a fair bit of cutting and pasting in some cases.  That isn’t a big deal for those who don’t use the app much but for power users, it was a time consuming step.  That, for the most part, is gone now.