Microsoft Updates Office for Android with Dropbox Support

microsoft office android app update somegadgetguyWe wrote about this partnership last month, but it looks like Microsoft and Dropbox are finally moving forward as cloud storage BFF’s.

In an update pushing out to the Office app for Android, one of the new features allows users to connect their Dropbox account to edit any Office compatible files stored there. Microsoft has also improved support for high resolution displays, hopefully making this app a bit more accessible to a variety of phone owners.

Now we’re just waiting on Dropbox’s side of this bargain, which was to release a native app for Windows Phone…

Microsoft Office Mobile for Android (Google Play)

Google Play Store App Brings Back Purchase History

It’s been a frustrating omission in the Google Play Store app for some time now.

You’ve always been able to see every app you’ve ever had on any phone you’ve used, but for some reason Google removed the ability to track your purchases. An update coming soon to the Play Store will bring back the ability to track purchase history.

Screenshot_2014-12-04-21-24-40Once you get the update head over to “My Apps” then into “My Account”. From there you can see your payment methods, if you have any store credit, and below that HUZZAH! Order History!

Kind of a fun game to scroll back through everything to see my first app purchases. Apparently I started using Android during some kind of freak holiday app sale…

The updated store should be rolling out to phones over the next couple weeks!

Google Publishes List of Top Android Apps for 2014

Google best apps of 2014Score a new Android over Black Friday? Looking to pick up a tablet this holiday season? Wondering what apps you should install first?

Google published their top Android app list for 2014, and it’s jammed pack with some winners. I’m happy to say that I’ve already snagged about half of these. Probably because I have excellent taste.

Did your favorite apps make the cut? Check out the list by hitting the link below!

Best (Android) Apps of 2014

Nokia Licenses Brand Name to FoxConn for N1 Android Tablet

After teasing fans for a couple days, the mystery has been unveiled. The Nokia name will return to hardware much sooner than many of us might have expected, however maybe not in the way we might have wanted.

nokia n1 tablet front z launcherThe N1 is a 7.9″ tablet running Android, and featuring Nokia’s Z Launcher skin. The 4:3 aspect ratio display will have a resolution of 2048 x 1536 for the IPS LCD, which will be protected by Gorilla Glass. The slate is powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom Quad-Core, 2GB of RAM, and will have 32GB of storage. The rear camera is an 8MP shooter, and the FFC will have 5 million pixels to play with for selfies. The one piece Aluminum frame will feature bottom firing stereo speakers, and maybe one of the more interesting specs is the reversible USB 2 Type C connector.

If the design of this tablet, and some of those specs like the 4:3 screen and the reversible cable port sound familiar, they should. Continue reading “Nokia Licenses Brand Name to FoxConn for N1 Android Tablet”

Facebook Reverses Course on Separate Messenger App

facebook messenger returns to facebook appI WIN!!!

Ok. So I was never really concerned with privacy issues or permissions on the standalone messenger app Facebook forced users to install. The app’s notification settings and geo-location controls bothered me. Also the design, including the messenger icon in the Facebook app, which showed notifications, but then forcing a second app, was another nitpicky reason for me to fight it.

Since the switch, I’ve been replying to instant messages through my browser. Clumsy, but I could stick to my “first world problem” principles.

Well it seems that Facebook might be reversing course on the two app solution. On the newest update (version 21.0.0.23.12) if you clear out your data or reinstall the app, the messenger “Nag Screen” has changed back. You can now bypass that screen, and IM through the main FB app again. It’s unclear why Facebook might have made this 180, or if this is a permanent change.

VICTORY! How sweet it is…

Smartphone Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – The New Android King

Samsung created the phablet market as we understand it today with the original Note. The Note has become their Bleeding Edge platform, superseding even the Galaxy S line in cramming high tech guts into a phone. The Note 4 also brings the new design language we saw first on the Galaxy Alpha. Does the whole package live up to the extremely high expectations the Note line has created? Let’s take a look!

Shop the Galaxy Note 4 on Amazon.

Android Increases Lead in Smartphone Market Share – Facebook Most Popular App

Android Lollipop ForestcomScore released their quarterly smartphone rankings for the period ending in September.

Android showed a modest increase to 52.1% of the overall market. Apple lost ground, and now represents 41.7% of the pie. Microsoft gained another .2%, and now sits at 3.6%, while Blackberry shrank a little more to hit 2.3%.

While Apple might have lost market share, overall the smartphone market is a growing market, and looking at individual manufacturers, Cupertino still reigns. Remember the iPhone owns 41.7% of the market, with the next closest competitor being Samsung who also saw growth to 29%. LG continued their growth trend hitting 6.9% of the market while Motorola was down to 5.4% and HTC dropped to 4.4%.

comScore also examined what apps were most popular, and while Google dominated the list, Facebook ran away with the top spot as the most used app on any phone. You can check out the full app list below.

comscore app index september 2014

Real Person Review: Mrs. GadgetGuy Spends Three Months with the Galaxy S5 on AT&T

For all the tech that travels through our house, my wife tries to steer clear of experimenting too much with her personal kit. Occasionally I can convince her to take a gadget for a test drive. For the last three months she’s been using the Samsung Galaxy S5, and now it’s time for her to share her thoughts.

What was the last phone you used before picking up the Galaxy S5?

I’m a Samsung person. I own the Galaxy S4 Active and before that the S2.

What are some of your favorite things to do with your phone?

I love the RunDouble App.  It’s the Couch to 5K training app.  It auto plays my music (any playlist I want) and will use GPS to track me.  I use my phone as a stop watch. I love using it to control our Chromecast (No more wrestling the remote away from you). I read way too much Reddit on it.

I tend to live out of my phone these days.  I just need it to work. I never want to wonder if an app will work, that it will open quickly and work easily. I don’t have to worry about it being laggy or slow. I use an iPhone for work (full disclosure – it’s an iPhone 4S GASP!), and I’ve always preferred my personal phone to it. Continue reading “Real Person Review: Mrs. GadgetGuy Spends Three Months with the Galaxy S5 on AT&T”