The Google Apps blog has news that administrators can now allow employees to work on individual Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides-based files offline. Once enabled, workers can activate offline editing within Google Drive, which then syncs a subset of their files to a desktop or laptop. Ultimately, these users can specify which file they want for offline editing rather than having to download everything all at once, filling up their local drive.
To enable offline access in Google Drive, users load up the service in Chrome and jump into the “Settings” section. There they can turn the feature on by checking the box in the “Offline” section, which could take a few minutes to actually activate. After that, in order to select a specific file to edit offline, users can now open the Chrome browser, head into the Docs, Sheets, or Slides home screen, and switch on the “Available offline” toggle in the file’s overflow menu.
Additionally, for Android and iOS devices, users simply open up the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app, tap “More” on the selected file or folder, and check the “Available offline” setting.
This new feature for Chrome users should be highly useful when working on a laptop out in the field, or on a desktop when the network goes down. It will permit users to continue to edit a document when an Internet connection is not available, and the file will re-sync to Google Drive once the Web or network is back up and running. When the user is done editing the file, he/she merely needs to switch off the “Available offline” toggle.
The news arrives after Google introduced a new sync feature to Google Drive last week. Consumers can now choose what folders and subfolders can be synced to their computer or device. This feature should help those who store terabytes of data in the cloud but don’t have that kind of space on their local storage solution (whether hard drive, SSD, or other).
According to Google, users can now safely deselect a folder locally without having to worry about deleting those files in the cloud. Drive even shows how much space each folder and subfolder takes up locally, allowing users to better manage their device’s capacity. The service also warns users if they are deleting folders and files that are shared with other individuals.
Back in March, Google updated its collection of templates for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides with new entries for the Web, Android, and iOS platforms. These include templates from “experts” such as Reading Rainbow, the Google Science Fair, Intuit (QuickBooks), GV, and Made to Stick authors Chip and Dan Heath. Google originally launched its cool collection of templates in September 2015.
Prior to that, Google introduced new voice commands for Google Docs: edit and format. Users can select “Voice typing” in the “Tools” menu found in the Chrome version of Docs to get started, and the service will allow users to not only type using their voice, but edit and format using commands like “highlight” and “insert table.”
That said, Google has been rather busy with its cloud storage and online document tools as of late. But as for when Google plans to enable select document editing offline for personal Google Drive accounts via Chrome, the company doesn’t say. However, given that Google Apps users have the ability now, this feature should roll out to consumers in the near future.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.