Microsoft updates Outlook app for Android

Microsoft announced an update to their Outlook app for both Android and iOS to add in some major improvements to the People and Calendar portions of the app.

The People section of the Outlook app is no longer limited to just “top contacts. Notably, on the Android platform Microsoft can tap into the contacts that a user has on their smartphone or tablet to present a unified view of all contacts. Users accessing a corporate Exchange server will be glad to know the updated app also supports searching the Global Address List which is an organization’s directory. If you know a person’s name in your company, but not their email address, you can just do a search on their name to find their contact info.

When a contact is viewed in the new Outlook app now, Microsoft will present users with a full view of contact information. Besides the basics of phone, email, or address, users can interact with this data to start a new email, place a call, or get directions to an office. Similar to their desktop platform, users will also find they can quickly access emails, meetings, and files shared with a contact.

Over in the Calendar portion of the app, Outlook now has a three-day view available when a user sets their device in a landscape orientation. Outlook’s Calendar also supports zero-length meetings, a “remove from calendar” option to get rid of cancelled meetings, and an improved day picker when creating and editing meetings.

In one of those areas where a small change can have a big impact, Microsoft added search term highlighting to search results. This can help users spot a search term in context a little more quickly or possibly help them determine whether they need to refine their search.

A few other improvements were added to the mobile app to help improve usability. Users will find they can now do a “select all” for bulk operations, though this improvement is still forthcoming for Android, and they can undo bulk actions. Users can also empty their trash and deleted items folders. Microsoft made some improvements to the 30 languages available for localized use, and made some accessibility improvements to the message list and compose screen.

Looking ahead, Microsoft says they are working on support for mobile device management and support for IRM protected emails.

If you want to give Outlook a try, hit one of the download links below.

Google Play Download Link

source: Microsoft Office Blogs

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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly

Android Audio Weekly: Why TIDAL’s Relaunch is Exciting for the Streaming World

Earlier this week, TIDAL, now owned by Jay-Z, enjoyed something of a relaunch. It had all sorts of big name artists on stage to talk about and relaunch the unique streaming service, and while it wasn’t exactly the big deal that Jay-Z probably expected it to be, it did the job. TIDAL has been relaunched with a new message; that it’s all about the artists. If you’re unfamiliar with TIDAL, we took a closer look at it in a previous edition of Android Audio, and it’s mostly known for being the only service out there to stream CD-quality lossless music. As in, music files that haven’t been compressed to save data. Putting aside the debate about whether or not lossless is better than something like Spotify’s 256kbps lossy AAC, the focus on the artists could not only bring more attention to the brand, but also revive two other key features that sets TIDAL apart.

Tidal launched towards the end of last year with the intention of offering not only lossless quality music, but also the option of reading content about key artists and releases as well as music videos and playlists put together by artists. These features sound great on paper, especially if you’re someone that cares more about music than something just in the background however, the problem was that the content just wasn’t that interesting until now. Or at least, it wasn’t for me. I’ve been using TIDAL since the beginning of this year and the most interesting playlists I had come across were one prepared by British rock band Royal Blood and a playlist of Bob Marley classics. This week TIDAL got a huge shot in the arm with new and exclusive videos from the likes of Daft Punk and Alicia Keys, while there were fresh playlists from the likes of Coldplay and yes, Jay-Z himself. Curation might not be important to many other services, but when it comes to music we still like to hear what others think. It’s the reason why the radio is far from dead and the Billboard charts are still a thing. So, to listen to music picked out by hit artists like Jay-Z is definitely something.

TIDAL is now in a position to offer much more than any other service out there. Sure, the list of artists that Hov himself has lined up isn’t going to please everyone, but over time this will grow and while Spotify has become a part of trendy pop culture all on its own, TIDAL is getting some help from some big artists. Why is this relaunch exciting for the streaming world? Because now that Jay-Z and his pals have gotten behind the service, over time people will start expecting more from their streaming services. I have no doubt that streaming is the future of music, but Spotify and co need to offer more to keep us entertained. We’ve seen this trend with Google Play Music, offering music videos alongside all-you-can-eat music streaming, but those come from YouTube and feels more like an afterthought than a part of their initial offering. Over time, I can see TIDAL becoming a service that offers high-quality music alongside exclusive videos that fans will find interesting and even live performances. As it stands, this is just the beginning for TIDAL, and while they might need Jay-Z’s money to bring a little more brand cachet to the service, the product is good enough to rival Google Play and Spotify on its own. Competition is good, and even if Spotify and co aren’t taking notice now, in six months or so they might have to.

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AMIDuOS brings Android platform to Windows devices

The other day we introduced you to the ARC Beta, which is a Chrome project that enables users to run Android apps within Chrome. If that is too limiting for you though and you would like to run Android on some Windows 7 or Windows 8 hardware you have sitting around, a new option is available for you. American Megatrends Incorporated has released AMIDuOS, which will create an Android environment on your Windows PC that you can quickly switch to without dual-booting to run your favorite Android apps.

AMIDuOS creates a 100% native Android environment on a Windows PC and according to the developers, can run just about all Android applications. To help users get started, AMIDuOS includes the Amazon Appstore, but users can install additional markets with the AMIDuOS package installer.

AMIDuOS takes advantage of Windows OpenGL drivers, even when a user is running Android, to enable fast frame rates and support for graphics-intensive applications like games. Most of the time AMIDuOS runs in a native x86-mode, but it will switch over to ARM emulation as needed.

One thing users will discover is that AMIDuOS is able to recognize a full array of sensors and peripheral hardware, including ambient light sensors, gyrometer, compass and orientation. Depending on what kind of hardware one is using, this could effectively create a full Android tablet experience.

AMIDuOS supports both tablet and desktop modes for users so they can take advantage of hardware like keyboards. AMIDuOS also supports file sharing between Windows and Android, making it easy to switch between the operating systems to access pictures, video and music.

If you are interested in giving AMIDuOS a try, hit the source link below to grab the installer and get going. If you decide you like it after the trial period, AMIDuOS costs $9.99. Currently it is running Android 4.2.2 but an upgrade to Android Lollipop is planned.

source: AMIDuOS

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Major League Baseball Returns Next Week, MLB.com At Bat Updated In Preparation

The smell of fresh cut grass is carried by a cool spring breeze. The sounds of birds chirping is punctuated by the crack of a bat and the ground trembles as a crowd comes to its feet with a roar. I smell it. I hear it. I feel it. Baseball is coming.

In two days time, the first pitch of the 2015 Major League Baseball season will be thrown in Chicago and the season will begin.

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Major League Baseball Returns Next Week, MLB.com At Bat Updated In Preparation was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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LG Announces A New 5.5-Inch 1440p LCD Destined For The G4

LG continued the resolution war last spring when it announced the LG G3 with a 2560x1440 LCD. The display had good sharpness, but the brightness and colors were not great. LG says it has a new and improved 5.5-inch LCD ready to go, and it's going to be used in its "forthcoming flagship smartphone," meaning the G4.

The new panel has the same 1440p resolution for a whopping 538 pixel per inch.

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LG Announces A New 5.5-Inch 1440p LCD Destined For The G4 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Android Auto: The 2016 Kia Optima is Coming with Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay

This week, the Auto Show is taking over New York, known as the NYIAS. Kia announced their 2016 Optima at the show this week, and of note they are putting in Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay into the car. With Kia’s infotainment system, you get both Android Auto and CarPlay. As we’ve seen with other systems, all you have to do is plug in your smartphone and it starts right up. Both Apple and Google’s vision of their infotainment systems consist of it basically acting as a second monitor for your smartphone. Which is a great way to do it, as your smartphone does all the heavy lifting basically. You’ll need Android 5.0 or higher to use Android Auto though.

The 2016 Kia Optima is one of many cars that are coming out soon with Android Auto installed. Hyundai has a few models that are already on sale that will be getting an update to feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay soon. GM and Ford has also jumped on the bandwagon. Chevy has it in their new Volt, and Ford has integrated it into their Sync system. The Kia Optima actually supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, so you’re able to charge your phone rather quickly. Which is always a good thing to have.

The 2016 Kia Optima should be available this fall at your local Kia Retailer. The Kia Optima is a slightly larger car than the 2015 model, but only by about half an inch. It’s actually a really nice looking car. It borrows the grill from the 2015 Kia K900. Those that are looking to buy the 2016 Optima have three engine choices. The holdover 2.4-liter GDI turbo engine on the SXL and SX Turbo models of the Optima. Kia says that both “engines have been returned for fuel economy and better performance and drivability with maximum torque now available at a lower RPM.” The newest engine option is the 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo engine. Which is offer at the LX trim. This uses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is a first for the Kia brand.

A pretty interesting and slightly powerful car here from Kia. Of course, we are more interested in the Android Auto aspect of the car. We’re working with Kia to get hands on with the Android Auto unit – to see how they’ve integrated it into their system and such – so make sure you stay tuned.

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