Over on the Google blog they’ve announced that you can now enjoy a full featured version of their popular Google documents with your holiday Gingerbread…or Froyo…or iPad. This improvement will be fully shipped out and available to all by today.
So what did Google get you for Christmas?
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You can work on that important memo…while on the bus or train to work.
If you’re behind on a group proposal, but really want to make it to the ball game tonight, your whole team can work on it from the bleacher seats.
You can take minute-by-minute notes at a concert so you’ll always remember the setlist. And your friends can jealously follow in real-time at home.
…and the list goes on!
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To try this out, head on over to docs.google.com and select a document to edit. Then, when you’re viewing it, press the Edit button to switch to the mobile editor- it’s just that simple. Previously, the live editing feature wasn’t widely available on mobile devices, and so this improvement should be good news to anyone who needs collaboration while away from their main computer.
Google will also support multiple languages as well as editing features for it’s spreadsheets. These features will be available on Adroid Froyo and Gingerbread, and iOS versions 3.0+. Happy Holidays!
The problem with allowing users to download apps from anywhere is there is no centralized way to bill customers for their purchases. So if you ever did run across a paid Android app (is there such a thing) that you needed, you had to whip out your wallet and enter your CC information using the tiny phone keyboard – Swipe or not, that can get tired real quick.
The Android Market and AT&T has stepped their game up and announced the availability of AT&T Direct Carrier Billing for Android users on the AT&T network. AT&T Android users can now easily charge their Android Market purchases to their monthly accounts with only a few clicks.
We strongly believe carrier billing is a great way to make it easy for users to purchase and pay for applications. In addition to the availability of AT&T and T-Mobile US carrier billing, we’ll continue to partner with more carriers to offer carrier billing options for their subscribers.
This is especially advantageous for Google because it could solidify The Android Market as the sole location for apps in the minds of users, if they can purchase and download apps easier than from any other location. That in turn could give Google more resources to, I dunno, create an actual online Android Market where users can view, learn more about, and send apps to their phones from their big computer/laptop monitors?
Word on the street is that our very own Mario Armstrong will be reporting live from Vegas at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show
(Jealous much?)
If I could add one request to the many devices, gadgets, and products that Mario has on his “I must demo this” list for CES, It would be the new Motorola Tablet that will be unveiled during the event. Right now, all I’ve have been able to dig up about the Tablet is that it will have the new Android Honeycomb OS that is tailored specifically for tablets, and will have a 10″ screen – That should put it in DIRECT competition with the Apple iPad that even with some of the latest tablet releases (Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab) STILL sits alone at the top of “Tablet Mountain”
Motorola hopes to change that, and has released a down-right sexy teaser ad that goes right at the iPad…and pretty much every single type of tablet in recorded history in order to create some buzz.
HelloTxt, by Buongiorno, is one of the popular kids in the current class of of mobile applications that update social networks from a single interface. Considering how many social platforms require constant updating to stay relevant, this type of tool is a life saver for those serious about social media. Choosing an aggregate social media updater can be a grab bag, but I’ve enjoyed using HelloTxt for about a year now.
The app maker has announced a whole bunch of great improvements for their popular app on mobile platforms iOS and Android. These improvements will be applied to their more general browser-based application as well.
One of the new features is in-line media viewing, which lets users see photos, videos and whatnot on supported networks without having to leave the feed view (this is commonly called a ‘river of information’ view) which I find to be one of the most useful strategies for consuming data. Social interactions such as retweeting, “liking” and commenting have also been made easier to access and faster to use.
Definitely the most fun improvement in the updated version is the Doodle feature, which lets you draw and sketch status updates- or, maybe just poke a little fun at your closer Facebook friends. The social aggregator has even implemented a suggestion feature for those of us who sometimes forget what we’re doing in the middle of an action.
I have always recommended HelloTxt for those seeking a social media aggregator and upgrades like this make me feel good about the direction that this product is headed. Happy networking!
The social network for professionals, LinkedIn, is now offering an Android application to compliment its popular iOS (Apple’s mobile platform) and Blackberry implementations. This app was the logical next step, as LinkedIn has seen a huge increase in members accessing the site from the Android platform. This app has also been anticipated since the buzz broke that LinkedIn had hired Cedric Beust from Google. Check out the LinkedIn blog for the full press release.
Since the app is still in its beta version, you’ll need to join the “LinkedIn for Android” group first if you’d like to get it now. The beta version of the app allows the user to view updates from their professional network, updates from newly established connections, changes to contact profiles, and the popular articles and information from among your contacts.
The app nicely leverages Android’s search function, offering the ability to search for contacts and people from inside the app. LinkedIn says that this app gives the user the fastest search experience of all mobile platforms (not a big surprise from a Google operating system).
Android users can also use the app to send and respond to invitations and message their contacts within invitations. In the future, look for full inbox access, sharing and commenting on updates, and integration of the “People You May Know” feature.
LinkedIn would still be incredibly popular without this app (it adds a member every second) but with Android becoming the most popular mobile platform, a powerful app like this is only going to increase their traffic.
Any brave bloggers out there grab the first iteration of the Windows Phone? If so, WordPress has released an official app for WP7 devices that from the images, looks pretty sweet.
Looks aside, WordPress for WP7 doesn’t bring anything extraordinary to the table outside of now being available to WP7 users. So heavy mobile bloggers should be able to add their blog and navigate the new app with no troubles. But just in case there are some newbies to mobile blogging with WordPress, here is just a short list of the options available for mobile users:
– Create/edit posts and pages
– Manage multiple blogs
– Add Media to library
– Moderate comments
– View stats
Whether you’re blogging as a personal hobby, to get more exposure for your business, or blog as a business, you want access to your WordPress site while your on the go just in case you’re inspired to post a pic, video, or quick story to your site as soon as the moment presents itself. With the WordPress app now available for WP7 devices, the Microsoft faithful can join the “Big Three” (Apple, Android & BlackBerry) users who can share and exchange valuable information with WordPress blog subscribers…whenever and wherever.
With the Majoobi application platform and HTML5, “developers” can create visually appealing, functionality rich applications that run on different devices – No coding or middle man App Stores required. Since Majoobi is HTML5 based, iPhone & and Android users can visit your app’s url and bookmark your app on their device.
The Majoobi App Builder is an online tool that enables publishers to easily build and customize their applications without any coding. You can use RSS, Photos, Twitter & Facebook feeds, YouTube videos and other sources to stock your website with content in a matter of minutes (make sure the content is yours or you’re approved to use it). With the App Builder template, you can customize your app with colors, fonts, etc. to make it an original app that exemplifies your business in mobile fashion.
With Majoobi, you can create multiple apps and anyone can create an app. You can even submit to an App Store for more exposure, but it is definitely not a requirement. With Majoobi, you can develop and distribute your app on your own terms. Since there is no real download and the app uses HTML5, your visitors will need a data connection to use your app, versus a traditional app can make use of offline content to function. But hey, who uses a smartphone without coverage?
Majoobi also offers detailed analytics and statistical reports that allow you to track and analyze how people use your app. Geo-locations, visitor reports and many others are available to better measure effectiveness and optimize performance.
Majoobi is free to use, but there is a pricing schedule if you want to take your app to the next level with your own domain name for example. This an other features are available if you decide to upgrade, but with the free version, you can be up and running in no time with only minimal “sweat equity” invested.
For those who want to reach out to the “always connected” user that lives on their smartphone but are intimidated by the ideal of app development; Majoobi can get on your business on the radar of mobile users regardless of the device the are using with no coding needed.
Seesmic, “the only social media tool that you will ever need”, has announced an update to its popular Android app. The update includes a UI makeover, Salesforce Chatter integration, and more.
Salesforce Chatter, if you’re unfamiliar, is Salesforce’s enterprise social networking application. Salesforce Chatter allows users to read their Chatter feeds, comment, view groups, contacts, profiles and post updates from the app. Salesforce integration is a great feature for business-savvy social networking users, allowing you to keep your tweets and check-ins focused on the bottom line. Seesmic also connects your Salesforce and Twitter accounts, cutting down on redundant messaging.
The most powerful thing about aggregators is the ability to get streams from a lot of other social services, like Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare, LinkedIn and others all in one place. The folks over at Seesmic knew that Chatter integration was powerful for business users and is now bringing this great feature to Droid users as well.
The most commonly used functions, like compose and refresh, have been moved to a more accessible section dubbed ‘common actions’ located in the top right corner of the screen. Seesmic has also added auto-complete and advanced attachment management features, as well as fully threaded twitter conversations and lots of new languages for non-English speakers (Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Korean, and Polish).
Internet giant Google has announced the release a new phone, the Nexus S. The handset will be manufactured by Samsung and will feature the new Android 2.3 operating system, dubbed “Gingerbread”. Unlike many Android devices, this phone was designed with Android in mind (with help from Google’s engineers). This will be the gold standard of the new generation of Android phones. Nexus S should be available after the 16th of this month in the US.
Simply put, this Droid is boss. According to the guys over at techcrunch, who have had their hands on one for a few days now, Nexus S is significantly faster than any other Droid. It has screen resolution that’s second only to iPhone 4 and is NFC-enabled to easily interact with nearby devices wirelessly. Techcrunch also calls it “the best phone on the market today”, although I would need a lot of convincing to let go of my iPhone 4. I still like the substantial feel of the iPhone as opposed to the plastic of the Samsung devices, and as I have pointed out before, style matters.
The Nexus S has a super-fast processor (great for multitasking) and a screen capable of showing deep black. The screen is slightly larger than iPhone, although it lacks some pixels. It also boasts 6+ hours of battery life, front and rear cameras, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, and tons of other bells and whistles. The standard size is 16 gigs of internal storage which is not expandable.
Although the NFC capabilities mentioned above may not seem important now, it is likely that lots of cool features will be built on this in the near future- for instance, using your phone to pay at retail locations.
Gingerbread Android is of course an improvement over Froyo. There’s plenty of updates to the old system, not the least of which are keyboard improvements. The bottom line is- if you’re an iPhone user, this isn’t going to make you switch. If you’re an Android user, you will want this phone more than any other. If you’re currently neither, the guys over at techcrunch recommend that you go with the Nexus S. I recommend that you choose something that matches your style, and if Android is your style, definitely get this phone.
The Lowdown:Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology has been making the rounds this past year as companies are starting to develop and enhance ways to utilize it in everyday settings. To refresh your memory, or to hip you to the game altogether, NFC is comprised of small chips encoded with information that can be decoded when a compatible device is in proximity of the chip. Any type of information can be stored on the chip, and devices that can decode the information can be as small as (you guessed it) a cell phone.
Specifically, by adding the technology to cell/smart phones to enable people to pay for items by linking a credit card or bank account to a microSD card with NFC tech built in and simply waving the phone over a POS device at the time of sale. Major companies like Visa and Bank of America are testing this out as we speak.
Google has decided to enter into the fray with their newest Android mobile device, the Nexus S, that will have NFC built into the phone – no need for an additional micoSD Card). Nexus S owners will be able to wave (or hover) their phones over NFC chips that can embedded into stickers, t-shirts, posters, business cards, etc. and decode/display the information.
Concurrently, Google has launched its “Hotpot” service that works with Google Places that offers businesses NFC-enabled window decals to display at their locations. The idea is that passers-by with NFC readers (like smartphones) can hover their device over the window decal to automatically learn more about the business, get special deals/offers, read and write reviews. The end result, more people using Google Places, and more foot traffic to businesses.
Does all this sound familiar? Well, I am a fan of QR code technology that enables people to create funny-looking barcodes encoded with information that can be decoded with QR code reader apps on smartphones. QR codes can be encoded with any type of information and can be made into the same stuff that NFC can be made into. The difference is that QR Code has to be scanned manually by decoder apps in conjunction with smartphone camera, versus NFC, which readers only have to be in proximity of a chip to decode the information.
Where am I going with all of this? It seems as if we are still waiting for QR Code to be accepted by the masses, and now in comes NFC technology already stealing some of it’s thunder. While NFC (chips) sounds WAY cooler than QR Code (barcodes), and is easier to use, QR Codes are easier/cheaper to produce and can be used over the web as well…
Scan the QR Code
My Verdict: I think as smartphones become more and more of a de facto NECESSITY for everyone, and you start to see the entire contents of wallets and pocketbooks being replaced by smartphones, I think both QR Codes and NFC tech will have their respective place in our “can’t live without” device.
But I must ask – How could you use NFC or QR Codes for your business?
Over on the Google blog they’ve announced that you can now enjoy a full featured version of their popular Google documents with your holiday Gingerbread…or Froyo…or iPad. This improvement will be fully shipped out and available to all by today.
