New mobile apps for Docs, Sheets and Slides�work offline and on the go

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog 

Every year, phones and tablets get better, and more of you are starting to use your mobile devices not just to view, but also to create and edit content. And while the Drive app is a convenient place to store your stuff, we want to make it easier for you to quickly find, edit and create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on the go. Starting today, you can download new, standalone mobile apps for Docs and Sheets�with Slides coming soon. Need to find a spreadsheet? Go to the Sheets app. Need to create a document? Go to the Docs app. They�re all right there at your fingertips.

When you open the new apps, you�ll see your most recently edited files, which means less time searching and scrolling.

The apps also come with offline support built in, so you can easily view, edit and create files without an Internet connection. Now, if you have a brilliant idea for a best-selling novel while traipsing through the Amazonian rainforest (or you know, something more probable, like during flight takeoff)...no problem. You can jot down your idea in the Docs app on your phone, even when you�re offline.

You can get the apps on Google Play [Docs] [Sheets] and in the App Store [Docs] [Sheets]. If you don�t have time now, over the next few days you�ll be prompted to download the apps when you go to edit or create a document or spreadsheet in your Drive app. And of course, you�ll still be able to use the Drive app to view and organize all of your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, photos and more.

So enjoy the Amazon�we�re looking forward to buying that novel someday. And in the meantime, just remember: even if a crocodile eats your phone, your files are safe in the cloud!

Posted by Brian Levee, Product Manager

Expanding Google�s security services for Android

Think about the ways your home is kept secure. You rely on structural security features�secure locks, a rock-hard foundation, strong windows and doors. You might also have an alarm or video camera to give you an extra layer of security, with a support team behind those tools making them more powerful, all but invisible until the moment you need them.

We have a similar approach to how we deliver security improvements in Android. As part of Android�s foundation, we built safeguards like application sandboxing, which confines apps, minimizing their ability to damage other parts of your phone. But just like your home, Google offers a built-in �service layer� (kind of like the phone equivalent of that alarm service for your home) to most every Android phone and tablet that�s constantly being strengthened, and it�s included for free. We�re adding to that service layer, further fortifying your Android phone or tablet.

Verify apps: now protecting you continually
Building on Verify apps, which already protects people when they�re installing apps outside of Google Play at the time of installation, we�re rolling out a new enhancement which will now continually check devices to make sure that all apps are behaving in a safe manner, even after installation. In the last year, the foundation of this service�Verify apps�has been used more than 4 billion times to check apps at the time of install. This enhancement will take that protection even further, using Android�s powerful app scanning system developed by the Android security and Safe Browsing teams.

Because potentially harmful applications are very rare, most people will never see a warning or any other indication that they have this additional layer of protection. But we do expect a small number of people to see warnings (which look similar to the existing Verify apps warnings) as a result of this new capability. The good news is that very few people have ever encountered this; in fact, we�ve found that fewer than 0.18% of installs in the last year occurred after someone received a warning that the app was potentially harmful.

Even though the risk is miniscule, we�re committed to making sure that the best available security protections are available to all Android users. This includes service-based protections such as Verify apps, as well as security features within the platform itself.

Posted by Rich Cannings, Android Security Engineer

Sharing what�s up our sleeve: Android coming to wearables

Most of us are rarely without our smartphones in hand. These powerful supercomputers keep us connected to the world and the people we love. But we're only at the beginning; we�ve barely scratched the surface of what�s possible with mobile technology. That�s why we�re so excited about wearables�they understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken word.

Android Wear: Information that moves with you 
Today we�re announcing Android Wear, a project that extends Android to wearables. And we�re starting with the most familiar wearable�watches. Going well beyond the mere act of just telling you the time, a range of new devices along with an expansive catalogue of apps will give you:

• Useful information when you need it most. Android Wear shows you info and suggestions you need, right when you need them. The wide variety of Android applications means you�ll receive the latest posts and updates from your favorite social apps, chats from your preferred messaging apps, notifications from shopping, news and photography apps, and more. 
• Straight answers to spoken questions. Just say �Ok Google� to ask questions, like how many calories are in an avocado, what time your flight leaves, and the score of the game. Or say �Ok Google� to get stuff done, like calling a taxi, sending a text, making a restaurant reservation or setting an alarm. 
• The ability to better monitor your health and fitness. Hit your exercise goals with reminders and fitness summaries from Android Wear. Your favorite fitness apps can give you real-time speed, distance and time information on your wrist for your run, cycle or walk. 
• Your key to a multiscreen world. Android Wear lets you access and control other devices from your wrist. Just say �Ok Google� to fire up a music playlist on your phone, or cast your favorite movie to your TV. There�s a lot of possibilities here so we�re eager to see what developers build. 

Developer Preview 
If you�re a developer, there�s a new section on developer.android.com/wear focused on wearables. Starting today, you can download a Developer Preview so you can tailor your existing app notifications for watches powered by Android Wear. Because Android for wearables works with Android's rich notification system, many apps will already work well. Look out for more developer resources and APIs coming soon. We�re also already working with several consumer electronics manufacturers, including Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung; chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm; and fashion brands like the Fossil Group to bring you watches powered by Android Wear later this year.

We're always seeking new ways for technology to help people live their lives and this is just another step in that journey. Here�s to getting the most out of the many screens you use every day�whether in your car, in your pocket or, very soon, on your wrist.

Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps

The BIg 2

Fiat has taken full ownership of Chrysler, and the combined entity will be called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and will be headquartered (for tax purposes) in the UK, not Italy. With that, the "Big 3" are now the "Big 2", as GM and Ford are the only remaining American owned major auto makers. (Sorry Tesla, you don't count yet, come back when you make over 100,000 cars/year)

I see some bruised feelings all around. Auburn Hills is once again second fiddle. Italy loses Fiat's corporate registration. And the "A" in FCA lost its cross bar for some reason.

Tesla's First Fire Related Recall

They don't want to call it a recall, but, NHTSA does. And that's the law.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults?refurl=email&searchType=ID&targetCategory=R&searchCriteria.nhtsa_ids=14V006

Of course, this is for faulty charger pigtails, and not battery road damage induced fires.

"Military Grade" Aluminum F150?

I'm trying to absorb Ford's marketing for the just revealed 2015 F150. The most significant new feature, of course, is the aluminum body (fenders, hood, cab, doors, and cargo box). Ford keeps calling the aluminum ally "military grade", but I'm not sure what that means. It may just mean that the alloy they chose for the truck (something in the 6000 series) has an official U.S. military specification.

Ford's job, of course, is to convince the guys in Texas that the new truck will be as tough and durable as the steel truck. I think the up-coming webisodes about durability testing will go a long way towards that.

(Image courtesy of Ford.com)

New partnership to bring Android to the open road

In this multi-screen world, switching between our different devices should be easy and seamless. Common platforms allow for one connected experience across our phone, tablet and PC, so we get the right information at the right time, no matter what device we�re using. But there�s still an important device that isn�t yet connected as seamlessly to the other screens in our lives � the car.

To help address that gap, today we�re announcing a new partnership that will bring Android, the world�s largest open platform, to the open road. Google has teamed up with automotive and technology leaders Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Nvidia to form the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA), a global alliance aimed at accelerating auto innovation with an approach that offers openness, customization and scale.

Today, millions of people already bring Android phones and tablets into their cars, but it�s not yet a driving-optimized experience. Wouldn't it be great if you could bring your favorite apps and music with you, and use them safely with your car's built-in controls and in-dash display? Together with our OAA partners, we're working to enable new forms of integration with Android devices, and adapting Android for the car to make driving safer, easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Putting Android in the car will bring drivers apps and services they already know and love, while enabling automakers to more easily deliver cutting-edge technology to their customers. And it will create new opportunities for developers to extend the variety and depth of the Android app ecosystem in new, exciting and safe ways.

But this is just the beginning; we welcome other automotive and technology companies to join the OAA, to work together to build a common platform to drive innovation in the car and bring Android to the open road. Learn more about the OAA at openautoalliance.net, and stay tuned in 2014 for more updates coming soon to a car near you.

Posted by Patrick Brady, Director, Android Engineering