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Revamped Google Drive for Android makes it easier to tinker with your files
Google unveiled a lot of things at the start of its I/O conference, but there was also a pair of stealthy updates that could make a big difference for cloud storage lovers. To begin with, there's a brand new version of Google Drive for Android that makes it much easier to manipulate your files. Instead of sifting through a top menu bar, you just have to tap a button to rename, share or star a document; it's also a little quicker to print a file or scrap it entirely.
You can now crop and add borders to images in Google Docs
You'll have to download the standalone apps to get to work on mobile devices, but you can now crop, rotate and add borders to images inside Google Docs. The same handy modification tools that have been available in Slides now make their debut in Mountain View's word processor. Gone are the days of firing up a separate app to crop those snapshots down size before properly illustrating your thesis. If you're in need of a step-by-step breakdown, Google provided one right here.
Google Drive for Android to lose document editing, prompt downloads of Docs and Sheets apps
Looks like the new Docs and Sheets apps were harbingers of changes for Google Drive's Android app. The good folks at Android Police parsed Drive's new, currently unreleased version and discovered that it no longer has document or sheet editing capabilities. Should you try to make changes, the app prompts you to download the appropriate app to do so. Choose not to download and attempt to open a file, and you'll be greeted by a view-only mode. While users may be a bit miffed at being force-fed a pair of new apps, it may prove beneficial. Separating the doc editing and cloud storage components will (presumably) let Google streamline the experience for each and give you option to download only the apps you need.
Google releasing standalone mobile apps for editing docs, spreadsheets and presentations
Google's long had a Drive app for both Android and iOS, but who knows, maybe you just can't handle that many features in one program. If for some reason you're the kind of person who only wants to edit documents and never see another spreadsheet again (not that we blame you), Google just released standalone Drive apps for Android and iOS, each with offline support built in. These include Docs and Sheets to start; a Slides app for presentations is coming too, but hasn't been released yet. If all you want is a text editor or spreadsheet repository, though, you'll find the appropriate download links below.
You can now use Chromecast to share your Google Drive Presentation
Google's inexpensive dongle can do a lot of things. Whether it be streaming music or a variety of video programming, the Chromecast is capable of handling it all -- and don't forget live TV is coming soon, too. But while having these entertainment options is nice, sometimes you have to be, you know, productive. Thankfully, it looks like you can start using the $35 dongle to send some of your work to a separate screen near you.
Google Hangouts outage brings chatting to a halt (update: service restored)
If you've been having trouble with Google Hangouts today, you're not alone. The chat service has been experiencing issues, and the folks in Mountain View have confirmed the "service disruption." According to the Apps Status Dashboard, Google Talk and Sheets (spreadsheets) are having down time of their own, but there's no confirmation on the latter two applications. We're keeping an eye on things, and we'll be sure to update when more details become available.
Plextor targets gamers with '50 percent faster' SSD starting at €199 ($275)
It's been more than a year since we last covered Plextor's wares, but the company's been busy with the next generation of its M-branded SSDs. For the first time, the range includes a premium PCIe option explicitly aimed at gamers, which promises much better speeds by side-stepping the SATA "bottleneck." This card, the M6e, starts at €199 ($275) for 128GB and tops out at €540 ($750) for 512GB, with claimed sequential reads/writes of up to 770/625 MB/s, and random reads/writes of up to 105k/100k IOPS. Plextor says that's a gain of around 50 percent compared to the sequential speeds you'd get from the regular SATA option, the M6S, but of course you're paying for that extra performance: The biggest 512GB M6S will set you back just €332 ($460), for example. We've been told to expect availability "very soon," but in the meantime you can check out some early reviews of the PCIe drive at the links below.
Toshiba's new drive could take the headaches out of networked storage
There aren't many network-attached hard drives for the home, and those that exist aren't always easy to use... not unless you enjoy drive mapping, anyway. Toshiba may just make the experience simpler with its just-shipped Canvio Home, though. This sequel to the Canvio Personal Cloud takes some of the guesswork out of setting up and finding your storage on your home network; if you just need to drag-and-drop files, you could be up and running within minutes. The Canvio Home also introduces official Mac support. As before, you can access the Canvio Home from anywhere (including Android and iOS apps), and it will stream media to local DLNA-capable gadgets. Toshiba is selling a 2TB version of the new disk for $200, while its 3TB sibling costs $260.
Google Drive's new activity stream tracks changes to shared files
Tracking changes in those shared docs on Google Drive just got a lot easier. The folks in Mountain View have added an activity stream to the cloud-based file repository for keeping tabs on collaborative efforts. Once you're inside Drive, clicking the 'i' button at the top right will make the new list appear. Inside, you'll find the flurry of recent activity like moving/removing files, renaming, uploading, sharing/unsharing, editing and commenting. You can also select individual files or folders to view updates for only those items. Google says that the activity stream in Drive will be rolling out to users during the next week.
Google Drive Sheets gets offline document creation and editing, speedier calculations, smoother scrolling
Google Sheets isn't quite as capable as its counterpart from Microsoft, but Mountain View's preferred spreadsheet platform just got a bit more powerful with an update today. Should you choose to opt-in to the new Sheets, you'll be able to take advantage of several new features and the new version's faster performance. Among the highlight feature additions are the ability to create and edit spreadsheets offline (assuming you've set up offline GDrive access), and a Filter Views feature that lets users customize their view of a collaborative workbook without changing the way that same spreadsheet is seen by other users. Plus, there's now inline access to improved help articles and other tweaks like the ability to assign different colors to sheet tabs. We got to spend a bit of time using the new Sheets before today, and we can say, unequivocally, that the performance improvements are as advertised. Where the old Sheets would get bogged down scrolling through massive data sets, the new version does it as smoothly and easily as when using Microsoft Excel. Furthermore, the addition of sheet tab colors turned out to be more useful than we first thought -- the differing hues made it much easier to find specific sheets within larger workbooks. Don't believe us? Opt in, friend, and see for yourself.
Google Drive for iOS finally lets you sort files
The little handy dongle that is the Chromecast isn't the only product Google is improving today. And while this newly added functionality to Drive on iOS may not be as notable as 10 shiny apps, we're sure avid users of the storage service will happily welcome the recent changes. Folks with an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad will now be able to sort items within the Google Drive application, a small, but useful feature that can make it easier to keep track of recently modified folders and files. This version also brings a number of speed and other backend enhancements, which, in theory, should help the Drive app become more stable and a whole lot smoother to use.
Google Drive for Android now lets you find and replace text
Mobile writers just got a little more control over their masterpieces. An upgrade to Google Drive for Android now lets users find and replace text; they can also insert tables and named styles. A few file management tweaks are in store as well, such as a new two-column view on tablets and an option to rename scanned documents before they reach the cloud. Those eager to edit with the new Drive tools should receive the app update within the next few days.
Latest Gmail update lets you preview and browse full attachments within emails, save files direct to Drive
Google wants to make sure you never have to leave its tidy suite of services and today's Gmail update goes a long way towards assuring that. Now, previews of file attachments will show up at the bottom of emails and can be expanded to full-size view just by hovering over them with the cursor. That preview state not only lets users browse multi-page documents and search for text, but also presents an option to upload directly to Google Drive, so you can access those files from the cloud on whatever device, wherever you go. The update's set to roll out "over the next week," and is desktop-only for now. But this being Google, you can expect Gmail's new preview convenience to seep into mobile sooner than later.
Google Drive for iOS now supports multiple accounts, AirPrint and CloudPrint capability
Not super thrilled with the prospect of using iCloud for your web storage needs? Google Drive presents an ever-improving alternative to Apple's in-house solution, and today's iOS app update brings a couple of new features into the fold. The app now supports multiple accounts, so you can access your personal, work, or alter ego GDrive files with ease. And, for those luddites who prefer holding an actual piece of paper instead of an iPad to do their document review, iOS users can now print as they please using either Apple's AirPrint or Google's CloudPrint protocol. Got it? Go get it.
Google Drive updates Slides with custom themes, widescreen presentations
Users of Google Drive will be happy to know that today brings a handful of improvements to Slides, though the update is relatively minor. As you can see in the image above, slides will now be set to widescreen by default, giving you ample room to add text or images to your heart's content. Admittedly, not all displays are widescreen-friendly, so the settings can still be toggled to suit your needs on the page setup screen. Additionally, theme presets can now be tweaked to customize the look of your presentation by simply editing the master slide. And if you're a free spirit who wants to create slide layouts for themes from scratch, you can do that too. For more information, check out the Google Drive team's blog post at the source link below.
'Drive' composer Cliff Martinez mentions work on Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 has apparently been outed by Cliff Martinez, composer for the film Drive and former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer. Martinez said he is "working on a video game called Far Cry 4" in an interview with Lost in the Multiplex. The quote has since been deleted, but can still be viewed through a cached version of the page, which we've included in a screenshot above. While Ubisoft hasn't announced Far Cry 4 yet, it said in July that the game is "clearly going to happen." It must have been waiting for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee to make the announcement. We've reached out to Ubisoft and will update as we learn more.
Google Docs gets a subtle facelift, shifts the focus to content
You can't say that the Google Drive crew isn't looking out for you. Following the transition of QuickOffice for Android and iOS into a freebie, the team is now blessing Google Docs with a slightly more attractive interface. First and foremost, you'll now find a familiar, colorful product icon in the upper left part of the web app, which links back to Drive. This refinement applies to Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Apps Script, and it could very well help users of another office suite feel more at home. Additionally, the headers within each of the editors are now more compressed, which Google hopes will allow users to focus more easily on their content. Naturally, these aren't the most dramatic visual changes, but then again, do you really want a card-based UI for your document editor?
Google makes its Quickoffice app free for both Android and iOS users
Less than two weeks after Apple decided to make iWork free for new iOS devices, Google went and did us one better: it's offering its Quickoffice suite for free, to both Android and iOS users. If you recall, the apps have actually already been free to Google Apps subscribers, specifically, but now the offer applies to anyone, regardless of when they activated their device or what OS version they're using. As an added incentive, if you sign in to your Google Account from the Quickoffice app by September 26, 2013, you get 10 gigs of extra storage space for two years. And that's all there is to it. Hit up the source link for more details, if you need them, or else find the app on Google Play or the App Store.
Google Keep code hints at future Drive and video integration
Google Keep stores its content in Drive, but it doesn't pull content from Drive. That may change, however, as Google Operating System has spotted some unused Drive integration code within the Android app. They suggest that users could attach Drive files to their notes and either view them directly or open them in third-party software. Media hounds wouldn't have to upload video, though -- there's mention of embedding YouTube clips. The code doesn't guarantee that Keep will be file-savvy in the near future, but it does show that Google is at least considering such an upgrade.
Google Drive for Android update simplifies uploading, creating and scanning files
Google's been making the Drive app on Android better and better with every update since its debut on the platform -- and lest we forget its iOS counterpart, too. Today's new features might not be as flashy as the ones we saw with the introduction of the card UI, with Google placing emphasis on core functionality and making it easier to create, scan and upload files. Drive users will now see buttons for said functions near the bottom of the application, which then allows them to be quickly triggered with a simple tap. Google also points out that the app's theme now sports a lighter color, with the idea being to make "content easier on the eyes." If anything, the cupcakes shown on the sample screenshot are definitely making our mouths watery.
