Software : Outlook.com hits 25 million users, welcomes own Android app

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• Outlook.com hits 25 million users, welcomes own Android app
• Gmail update brings Drive integration and 10GB file sharing
• Apple Maps manager reportedly told to hit the road

Outlook.com hits 25 million users, welcomes own Android app Posted: Launched back at the end of July, Microsoft's rebranded Outlook.com has seen some impressive growth over the past four months. The email service has attracted an average of more than 6 million users per month since its inception, and earned 25 million users as of November. Competitors like Yahoo! Mail and Gmail are still quite a bit ahead of Outlook when it comes to the userbase. As of June, Gmail was host to 425 million users globally, but Yahoo! Mail retains the number one spot in the U.S. with 92 million unique users. Four out of five Gmail users agree To be fair, Yahoo! Mail launched in the mid-90s, while Gmail first opened shop in 2004. Understanding Outlook.com is still in the early stages, Microsoft has committed to introducing even more features in the coming weeks, including a brand new Android app. During the early days of Outlook, Microsoft discovered nearly one-third of all Outlook users were actually Gmail users trying out the new email service for the first time. As a result, Microsoft recruited hundreds active Gmail users for a study to learn what these new customers enjoyed about the new Outlook.com. After just five days with Outlook, Microsoft claimed Gmail users preferred Outlook's improved spam filtering, Outlook's design, and how easy Outlook made it to share documents. Microsoft polled these subjects, and found four out of five Gmail users said they would switch to Outlook.com. When and if those users do make the switch, they'll find a host of new and improved features awaiting them. Android app and more The biggest addition to Outlook's arsenal is the new Android app, which launched Tuesday on the Google Play store. The Outlook app will work with Android version 2.1 and higher, and will allow users to set up multiple Outlook accounts, as well as syncing calendars, contacts, and custom folders. Outlook.com itself will also gain some new attributes over the next few weeks based on feedback from the millions of current users. More keyboard shortcuts are on the way, as are additional customization options for individual mailboxes. Users will also be able to archive messages with the click of one button soon, but like the other coming changes, Microsoft didn't detail exact dates for when these updates would take place. Competition drives innovation, and as Outlook continues to grow, it will be interesting to see what improvements Google and Yahoo! bring to their respective services in response.

Gmail update brings Drive integration and 10GB file sharing Posted: Gmail users will soon be able to add links to files stored on Google Drive, allowing easy sharing of files up to 10GB by email. The new update, which is rolling out to all Gmail users, brings much tighter integration between Google's popular webmail platform and its rapidly improving cloud storage solution. When composing a new email, Gmail users will have the option of inserting a file from Drive, alongside the traditional 'attach files' button which uploads a locally stored a picture, document, video or what-have-you. Because Drive files have already been uploaded to the cloud, and don't need to be directly attached to the email, much larger files can be inserted, with the recipients just following a link. 400 times larger files In a post on the official Gmail blog, Product Manager Phil Sharp explained: "Have you ever tried to attach a file to an email only to find out it's too large to send? "Now with Drive, you can insert files up to 10GB - 400 times larger than what you can send as a traditional attachment." Drive integration means recipients will always have access to the latest, most up-to-date version of the file, while Gmail will also check whether all recipients have been granted access to the document. Sharp added: "Like a smart assistant, Gmail will also double-check that your recipients all have access to any files you're sending. "This works like Gmail's forgotten attachment detector: whenever you send a file from Drive that isn't shared with everyone, you'll be prompted with the option to change the file's sharing settings without leaving your email. It'll even work with Drive links pasted directly into emails." Anyone wishing to test the new functionality, needs to opt in for the 'new compose experience' within Gmail. You'll see an invite on your inbox page to the right of the 'More' button.

Apple Maps manager reportedly told to hit the road Posted: More fallout from the iOS 6 Maps fiasco is reportedly going down: Apple is said to have fired the manager in charge of its native navigation software. The report comes from Bloomberg, which got its information from unnamed sources familiar with the situation. Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue reportedly fired Richard Williamson, head of the mapping team, in an effort to regain user trust after the shoddy Maps system was launched in September. Cue took over both Siri and Maps after an Oct. 29 announcement that iOS chief Scott Forstall would leave the company next year. Serious According to Bloomberg, Cue is looking for help from mapping-technology experts outside of Apple while pressing TomTom to rectify issues in the landmark and navigation data it shares with the company to get Maps going in the right direction. Williamson's firing is a sign that Apple is serious about fixing the issues that have left users lost (literally) and missing Google Maps while humiliating what many consider the top tech company in the world. Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology Sept. 28 admitting that Maps was inadequate and urging people to turn to competing apps until Apple Maps improves. One of Bloomberg's sources reported that Cue is looking to establish new leaders for the Maps group, though a replacement for Williamson wasn't immediately known. Another source said that a team at Apple has been working to fix errors in Maps, particularly its most egregious gaffs. TechRadar asked Apple for comment and will update this story if and when the company responds.

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