Google Drive update pushes users to download standalone apps to edit files

Google is taking the fight to the mobile version of Microsoft Office with its new update for Drive. The former cloud storage and document editing app now just serves as cloud storage for your documents and files. If you want to edit your files, you will be prompted to download the standalone Docs or Sheets (depending on the file type). A standalone Slides app for presentations will be coming soon as well.

This might inconvenience you at first but the separate editing apps bring the possibility of offline editing and Drive now supports password-protect access to your cloud storage. The update has rolled out on the iOS version of the app and will be coming out for Android soon.

Source: The Verge

Edit images in Google Drive’s Slides

If you need to edit images on your presentations, Google Drives will let you edit those in Slides itself. You can now crop, add borders, and apply shape masks to the images in your Slides and Drawings presentations. The feature has been rolled out already.

“Google Slides and Drawings make it easy for you to tell a story and share your ideas,” says Brian Levee, product manager of Google Drive. “And a big part of storytelling is the images you use to bring a concept to life. Now it’s even easier to get those images just right.”

Source: Ubergizmo

Google Drive now helps you track activity on shared documents

Google seeks to help you track changes to your documents on Drive with a newly integrated activity stream. You can view what edits or comments have been made, who the file has been shared with, or if the document has been renamed. You just need to click on the info button located at the top navigation bar to see the activity stream. Google says the feature will be released in the next week.

Beat for Android supports music playback from Google Drive and Dropbox

If you’ve been looking for a music player for your Android device that lets you play music from your Google Drive and Dropbox, then Beat is worth looking into. The app lets you play back music from both services and provides in-app shortcuts that let you indicate where you store your music internally or on the cloud. It also has a software equalizer if you like tinkering around with the songs you listen to.

Beat also features floating controls over other apps so you can skip songs, go back, play, or pause music without leaving the app you’re using at the moment.

Source: Lifehacker