Microsoft finally releases SkyDrive's Android version and enhances the look of the cloud storage service
THE Microsoft updated SkyDrive's interface on Tuesday (14). The company's cloud storage service gained a look based on the style of Windows 8 and Outlook, with solid colors and minimalist design. The Redmond company also announced the availability of the application for Android, which allow file management straight from the phone.
SkyDrive's new look is slowly being distributed and will be available to all users within the next few hours. It looks a lot like Outlook, a recently launched webmail service that has already reached 10 million users. The new interface has links and large text that can be used without juggling on tablets or PCs with a touchscreen.
SkyDrive's search got smarter, displaying results instantly and searching within Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. At the top, a bar allows the user to perform various operations, such as moving files or downloading an entire folder. Photo management has improved: You can now select multiple images simultaneously in thumbnail mode and drag folders and files in HTML5 browsers.
The sync app for Windows and OS X will be updated later this week and make SkyDrive faster. Automatic photo upload time dropped by half: from 2,700 seconds to 1,300 seconds in one of the tests. The application also got lighter, slowing CPU time from 220 seconds to just 55 seconds to look for changes between 40,000 files.
Microsoft SkyDrive, now on Android
Finally, Microsoft is also releasing an app for Android users, similar to Windows Phone and iOS. You will be able to browse SkyDrive folders, upload and share files via a link. Unfortunately, SkyDrive is not yet available on the Play Store; The SkyDrive team says he shows up in a few weeks.
SkyDrive is gaining more and more space within Microsoft. A day before the release of Google Drive, the company announced its applications for Windows and OS X. Microsoft recently released the Office 2013 preview download, which integrates with the service and saves cloud files by default. With the release of Windows 8, SkyDrive should gain even more attention. We can expect more news soon.
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