New Interfaces Coming to LakerApps

As mentioned in the “New Features Available in LakerApps” article, Google continuously strives to improve features in each of their applications.  We don’t always know what Google is working on next, but we do know of one change coming soon - new interfaces for the Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Sites apps. Google specifies three primary reasons for making this change. Focus for streamlining a new look across all the apps and reducing clutter, elasticity for consistent user experience no matter what device you are using - computer, tablet or mobile, and effortlessness for incorporating the latest technologies in their products to quickly bring new features to users.At first the new interface will be an opt-in setting for some of the apps.  This will allow you to preview the new interface before it becomes permanent. Google has provided us with some preview snapshots and tentative timelines on when we will start seeing the new interfaces in our own LakerApps.

For Gmail, a user opt-in preview will not be available for our SUNY Oswego domain, however we have a snapshot of the new interface below.  Google will permanently release it to our domain in October.

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Users can currently opt-in to the new interface for Calendar. Just click on the “Try the new look” link in the upper right of the page.  If you want to switch back to the original one, click on the “Use the classic look” link in the same spot, but you will only be able to use the classic look for another month or so.  Google will permanently release it to our domain in October.

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For Docs, user opt-in is scheduled for sometime in August.  We have no permanent release schedule as of this writing.

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The Sites app is scheduled for user opt-in sometime in August.  We have no permanent release schedule as of this writing nor does Google currently have an interface preview snapshot.To keep up on Google’s updates to the interface changes, visit their New Look for Google and Google Apps page.