Google Releases Standalone Apps for Docs and Sheets

Since it was first released in 2010, Google Docs has been one of the most popular Document editing applications, alongside Sheets for spreadsheets and Slides for presentations. In 2012, Google furthered the functionality of these applications by introducing Google Drive. While it had been possible to use Docs as a file storage system, Drive made it official with increased storage space and a desktop client. Now, Google is taking another step forward by releasing standalone applications for Docs and Sheets on iOS and Android (with a Slides app coming soon).

Google's current Drive app offerings on Chrome

With the release of these apps, Google has removed the editing functionality from the main Drive app on iOS and Android. Instead, with the new update, Drive now opens documents and spreadsheets in their own standalone apps, and prompts you to download them if you haven't already.

Docs and Sheets on an iPhone

The Good:

• Simplified apps are easy to use
• Accessing specific document type (document, spreadsheet, etc.) is faster
• Capable replacement for Microsoft's and Apple's office suites
• Separate applications allow Google to quickly fix bugs on any individual app
• Easy to collaborate with others on files

The Bad:

• No image insertion support
• Can be more annoying to manage multiple apps
• Lack certain features that make editing smoother
• No Slides app as of 5-5-2014

Overall, I like the direction that Google is taking with their new standalones. Touting separate apps for each of the main document types, Google is now capable of going toe-to-toe with Apple's offerings on the iPad - Docs for Pages, Sheets for Numbers, and Slides for Keynote. Though some functionality is left to be desired, I am sure that Google will continuously update in the future and listen to user concerns.

The Best Add-ons for Google Drive

Recently, the Big G released a new feature for Google Drive: Add-ons. Anyone familiar with Google's Chrome Browser already knows a thing or two about add-ons. The simple "what's what" of add-ons is that they let you add apps or extensions to your program so that they can do even more. Google even has a web store for the little buggers, allowing you to install them with a single click. Now, they've come to Drive's Docs and Sheets apps (Google's cloud-based answer to Microsoft's Word and Excel). But what does this mean for you? What add-ons might actually be useful to you?

Calculator

Quick! What's 2+2? You probably got that one pretty fast. But what's 26533+5847? 5594x2495992? 69689/543? You might not have gotten those ones as fast. Anything more than simple math probably requires you to break out the old calculator. The Calculator add-on for Docs lets you do just that. It does everything it needs to do.

Template Gallery

A well-typed resume looks nice. A well-typed resume on a template looks much nicer. Offering templates for such things as Course Schedules, Exercise Logs, and Budget Planners, the Template Gallery add-on for Docs has a pre-made template available for just about any thing you need to type. Struggling with making a table to make a calendar? There's a template for that. Sign-up sheet? Template. Meal Planner? You know what I'm about to say.

Thesaurus

Mayhap you wish to augment your repertoire of words, whether elegant or colloquial  Or maybe you just want to stop using the word "neat" over and over again so you don't sound so repetitive (dandy is a neat word for "neat"). The Thesaurus add-on does everything it needs to do: Synonyms and Antonyms. Nothing superfluous or verbose.

Google Announces Android Wear

A few weeks ago, I published a blog post about Wearable Technology and its Application in the Classroom. As of yesterday (March 18th), Wearable Technology is about to take a massive leap forward. Why? Google is pushing. Get ready to welcome Android Wear to the world, coming soon to a wrist near you.

As I mentioned in my last blog post on Wearable Tech, a multitude of companies have already released or have announced plans to release wearable technology. Samsung, HTC, Sony and Pebble are just a few of the many. Yesterday, Google announced a new standard for smartwatches called Android Wear. As of right now, current smartwatch software varies greatly in terms of quality, as every individual manufacturer has to develop their own OS for the watch to run. Google has done away with that problem with their new, intuitively-designed Android Wear. Now, smartwatch manufacturers will have a standardized OS, allowing them to spend more time on the hardware itself. It will be interesting to see how Wearable Technology will evolve over the next year. One day, Wearable Technology may become as big a part of our lives as our smartphones.

Chromebook vs. iPad

1:1 programs and technology integration is a recent trend sweeping the nation. Schools seek to use technology to augment the learning process. Indeed, many resources exist online that help students of all ages and grades with learning new concepts. I myself take notes over PDFs, as I find it a much more efficient process that the classic pen-and-paper. A question that every school district needs to ask is "What device to use?". Though my school uses iPads, I recently have had the opportunity to use a Samsung Chromebook to test its capabilities vs. the iPad's. Here are the pros and cons of the Chromebook that I have found so far:

Pros:

• Deep integration with Google Services
• Full keyboard
• 2 USB Ports (1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0)
• 1 HDMI Port
• 1 Standard SD Card Slot
• Ability to expand to an external hard drive or flash drive
• Chromecast Support
• Chrome App Store
• Ability to use extensions
• 11.6 inch screen
• Ability to plug in a full keyboard and a mouse

Cons:

• Little to no ability to annotate .PDF files
• Bulky
• Trackpad is difficult to use for larger hands
• Somewhat flimsy plastic frame

Overall, I find that the iPad is currently the better option for schoolwork. The touchscreen allows for very user-friendly interaction, and it has a much wider selection of applications available. Still, some features such as USB ports and the full keyboard are sorely missed features on the iPad.