If getting lost in Vine videos is one of your favorite pastimes and you follow a lengthy list of content producers, then you’ll definitely appreciate the platform’s latest update for its mobile apps. Starting today, you’ll be able to favorite a Vine user’s profile simply by tapping a Twitter-esque star.
Following an announcement earlier this month that Microsoft was adding Dropbox integration for syncing and sharing to the Office mobile apps, Dropbox announced today that the feature is now available in its latest app updates for Android and iOS.
The integration essentially allows users to tap into Dropbox storage directly from within the Office mobile apps, but it will also include the ability to send links to files from Office using Dropbox, open documents from Dropbox in Office, and more. Dropbox has instructions on how to use the new integration with Microsoft’s Office apps on its website.
To get started, make sure your Dropbox app is up to date on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, then open any Office doc, spreadsheet, or presentation in your Dropbox. Tap the new Edit icon (shown above) to start editing in the latest Office apps. When you’re done, your changes will be saved back to Dropbox automatically.
Earlier this month the Microsoft Office Mobile for Android app was updated with its part of the integration allowing users to “open, edit, and save documents from Dropbox.”
You can get the new features through the latest Dropbox app for Android starting today and the latest version of Microsoft’s Office Mobile for Android app. The integration is also expected to arrive for web users early next year.
T-Mobile announced today the addition of 14 music streaming services to its Music Freedom program including Google Play Music. First announced at its Uncarrier 5.0/6.0 event in June, T-Mobile’s Music Freedom program allows customers on the network to stream content from supported music services without it counting against a monthly data cap. T-Mobile promised the addition of Google Play Music by the end of the year in August when Google’s subscription streaming music service was voted most wanted by T-Mobile’s customers.
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United Airlines announced today it’s bringing its latest in flight entertainment service, previously available in beta mode for laptops and iOS devices, to Android users with an update to its United app for Android smartphones and tablets. The app will allow users to view hundreds of TV shows and movies on Wi-Fi enabled flights:
Content, stored on on-board servers, is available on nearly 200 United aircraft, including the carrier’s entire Airbus A319, Airbus A320 and Boeing 747 fleets and its Boeing 777 aircraft that operate primarily between the continental United States and Hawaii… In the coming year, United will further expand personal device entertainment availability to hundreds of additional aircraft, including two-cabin regional jets and domestic and international aircraft that do not currently offer customers an on-demand entertainment option. By late 2015, most United and United Express aircraft will offer customers personal device entertainment, personal on-demand entertainment via seatback monitors, or live television.
Android users can access the service through the updated United Airlines app available on Google Play. They’ll also be able to check whether or not a flight offers Wi-Fi (and the entertainment service server) through united.com.
What’s New
Entertainment, personalized
o United’s personal device entertainment service, now available on select aircraft on your Android device.
o United app version 2.0.18 adds software to browse and watch select movies and TV shows on your mobile device when connected to the “United_Wi-Fi” network.
o To see if your flight offers personal device entertainment check the Amenities in the United app within 24 hours of your flight departure. (Amenities subject to change until departure.)
Just weeks after receiving a Material Design makeover for Android Lollipop, the popular custom keyboard SwiftKey for Android has been updated with performance improvements and support for twelve new languages. The latest version of SwiftKey for Android is available now through the Play Store as a free update.
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Pebble is today releasing a firmware update (version 2.8) bringing multi-language notifications and other features alongside a completely rebuilt Android app.
Firmware 2.8 adds full character support for the broadest set of languages to date. For Pebblers who receive notifications in the newly supported languages, special characters like “ß” and “Ż” will appear correctly, as opposed to showing up as “unknown character” boxes. Over 98% of Pebblers in the world can now fully receive messages and alerts in their native language. Today’s update paves the way for more languages to come in the future, as Pebble steadily lands in more countries around the world.
As for the updated Android app (version 2.1.0), the standout new feature is full notification support for devices running Android 4.3 and up: “now send notifications to Pebble from any app, via the new Notifications » All Apps menu. From there, you can Select All, Select None, or toggle apps individually. Pebble says a future update will bring the feature to devices running Android 4.0+.
Pebble’s blog post notes that you’ll have to grant the app permission for the notifications and that notifications for some popular apps like Facebook and Hangouts are on by default (pictured below).
The update also includes a number of new features not to mention the fact it has been completely rewritten to, according to Pebble, provide “improvements to reliability, performance, and user experience.” Full release notes for the new Pebble firmware and Android app below.
Pebble said its slowly rolling out the updated Android app to Google Play with around 10% of users getting access today and the rest over the coming weeks.
To update to the latest firmware: Pebble Android App 2.1.0 Release NotesPebble Firmware 2.8 Release Notes
Last week, Twitter announced a list of improvements coming to the service including enhancements to Direct Messages and video capabilities slated for next year, and today the social network started rolling out its new features as promised. With the latest version of Twitter for Android, you can now share public Tweets privately over Direct Messages with native embedding. You can see the new feature in action below…
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Android TV’s voice search capabilities aren’t too shabby, but there’s definitely some room for improvement. Aware of this, Google has added its standalone app to the Play Store making it accessible to people who purchase third-party media boxes outside of its Nexus Player.
The Wall Street Journal reports that WhatsApp has been updated with end-to-end encryption for messages sent and received between Android smartphones and tablets. The cross-platform messaging service claims it will be unable to help decrypt messages for law enforcement, a noteworthy move given increasing concerns about government surveillance and tracking over the past few years.
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As promised in September, Google has launched the 64-bit of the Chrome browser for Mac to the public after a few months in beta. According to Google’s original announcement, the update drops support for 32-bit extensions, requiring all developers to update with 64-bit support.
The update also fixes over 40 security flaws and adds many new APIs for extension developers. Chrome uses a silent update mechanism that will automatically download and install the latest update, but if you find that you’re still on version 38 in the “About Chrome” window, you can manually download and install the update from Google.
Amazon has today updated its Android app to support Lollipop, but with the update comes a very nice surprise. With the newest version of the app, you can use your Android Wear device to make search for products, make purchases, and save things to your Wish List.
The app will work for anyone who’s on Android 4.3 or later and also has an Android Wear device—all you have to do is say “Start Amazon.” To get the Android Wear counterpart, all you have to do is update the Amazon app. As mentioned, today’s update also packs Android 5.0 Lollipop support and the usual bug fixes.
Here’s the full changelog:
* Includes the Amazon app for Android Wear. Customers with Android 4.3 and above in the US with an Android Wear watch can use their voice to search, buy and save shopping ideas to their Wish List. Just say “Start Amazon” from your Wear watch.* Android Lollipop support.* Bug fixes and improvements.
Google has updated Play Services for Android with several new developer features for its Maps, Fit, and other APIs. Developers incorporating Google Maps into their apps will find a new toolbar available to users that allows them to instantly get directions or open a map in the Google Maps application from within a third-party app.
An additional “lite mode” has been added that allows developers to include a static map image in locations that would normally make it impractical or impossible to manipulate the map. These “lite mode” maps can be tapped to open in the Maps app.
Today Microsoft announced that Skype is starting to roll out as a service on the Web. Skype for Web will allow users to chat, video call, and manage contacts from a web browser without having to download the Skype app. Microsoft is currently offering Skype for Web as a beta to select users.
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With the release of Android Lollipop for a wider lineup of Nexus devices expected to occur any day now, the official Google Search app has been updated with a brand new design and several new features that make searching for everything from the best sushi in Chicago to Van Gogh research for a school project that much better of an experience.
First and foremost, the Google Search app has been revamped with a Material Design user interface and that includes bold colors, fluid animations and simplified layouts. Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 users also benefit from being able to activate “Ok, Google” searches even when the smartphone is unplugged and the display is off.
The latest version Google’s official app is more effective at organizing your day-to-day life by automatically pulling events that it feels you might want to follow up on, like catching up with Chris over dinner or getting drinks with Susan. Normally, these small events would be buried in your inbox and you might forget to follow up on them later.
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Google is slowly updating its apps with Material Design guidelines ahead of the widespread release of Android Lollipop, with the official Android Wear companion app the latest set to receive a makeover. This morning, leaked screenshots surfaced of both the new Android Wear app alongside the latest version of Google Play Services.
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Instagram is out with a feature update today with some welcome features. Users will likely appreciate the ability to edit photo captions and locations attached to photos in post now. That means if you make a typo on your caption, you no longer have to choose between correcting yourself in the comments, deleting and re-posting the photo with the correction caption, or just ignoring it altogether.
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Facebook announced this morning that over 500 million people are now using its Messenger app per month. The impressive milestone comes just days after Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg explained why Facebook Messenger was turned into a standalone app for Android and iOS, a move it made in July after disabling messaging in the main Facebook app.
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In addition to updating its Maps app with an overhauled design, Google has released a new version of its Drive app for iPhone and iPad users adding support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well as some new iOS 8 features.
The Google Drive file storage app can now be secured using Touch ID so users with supported devices (iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone Plus, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3) can unlock the app using the fingerprint scanner. The new version of Drive also includes an extension to “open form and save to Drive in other apps” for iOS 8 users, and videos can now be saved from Drive to the Photos app (instructions below). Google says the new version of Drive for iPhone and iPad also includes full iOS 8 compatibility, bug fixes, and performance improvements.
Google Drive 3.3 for iPhone and iPad is available for free on the App Store. Full change log below.
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Microsoft announced today that it’s rolling out a preview of its Office apps for Android tablets after releasing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps exclusively for iPad earlier this year. Microsoft has an “Office Mobile” app that integrates some features of all three Office apps for Android smartphones, but today’s release of standalone Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for Android tablets is the first time the platform gets access to the full-fledged, standalone Office mobile apps.
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Although this isn’t an actual update to the app, WhatsApp is now sporting a nifty new feature that—although small—might make a big difference in how users of the messaging app stay in touch with their friends. The Facebook-owned app, which would previously show double check marks if a sent message had been received, now goes one step further and turns those check marks blue if the message has been read.
Microsoft and Dropbox announced a new partnership between the two companies today and a commitment to bring integration between Dropbox and Office apps on Android and iOS. Currently Office users rely on local storage for saving files or Microsoft’s own OneDrive service for saving and syncing files, but the newly announced partnership will allow Office users to use the popular Dropbox service as an additional storage and syncing option and introduce new features between the productivity apps and syncing service.
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Back in February, Apple and Disney teamed up on a new app called Movies Anywhere that allowed iOS users to access their library of purchased movies—whether bought on the iTunes Store, DVD, or other media (with the appropriate redemption code in the box).
Today, Disney has launched the same service for Android users. Movies Anywhere owners will now be able to access their movie library featuring titles from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel from any of their devices. Because this is a cross-platform solution, movies previously purchased on the iTunes Store will now be available to users on Android devices, and iOS users will be able to watch Disney movies they’ve purchased from the Google Play Store.
Much like the five apps that Sony released last week for its SmartBand Talk, ASUS has today launched three apps for its upcoming ZenWatch Android Wear device (via Android Police). It’s kind of unfortunate, really, because Google made an app called “Wear” to do the kinds of things that these apps were made for. But along with Motorola (and the Moto 360), it appears the company has decided that it would rather have complete control over pairing and syncing its smartwatch.
Ahead of the much anticipated release of Call of Duty: Advance Warfare on consoles tomorrow, Activision has now released the official Android companion app for the game on Google Play. In case you’re unfamiliar with the upcoming title, the latest in the first person shooter Call of Duty franchise makes a move to futuristic weaponry:
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare envisions a powerful future, where both technology and tactics have evolved to create a ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow story. Kevin Spacey stars as Jonathan Irons – one of the most powerful men in the world – shaping this chilling vision of the future of war. Based on plausible technology and extensive research, the all-new story, conceived by the storytellers at Sledgehammer Games, introduces a world where private military corporations (PMCs) wield more might than national governments, and soldiers fight not for country but for profit; militaries for the highest bidder. These PMCs are outfitted with the latest in combat technology – the exoskeleton – empowering soldiers to overcome enemies with incredible and varied abilities, giving them a whole new way to traverse the battlefield. This is war like never before… Advanced Warfare also introduces the exoskeleton – the biggest core movement change in franchise history. With the power of the exo, players can boost jump, dodge, slam and more through a visceral and compelling new story; built from the ground up multiplayer experience; and a brand new cooperative mode for the complete entertainment package that only Call of Duty can deliver.
The app allows users to manage clans with the ability to make game player and clan emblems, participate in clan chats, get access to in-game items, view profiles and more. The free app of course pairs with the Sledgehammer-developed console title of the same name, which is officially landing tomorrow on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
While the official release of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set for tomorrow, a “Day Zero Edition” of the game is available worldwide starting today with exclusive content.
The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Companion app is available for free on Google Play now for both Android smartphones and tablets.