Box rolls out big feature upgrade to Android app

Cloud storage and collaboration service Box has rolled out the 1.5 update to its Android application on Thursday, adding three big new features to the mobile app which take advantage of Android's unique capabilities.

First, the application now includes a homescreen widget that shows whenever a file is updated by a collaborator, and it launches files direcly without having to take the additional step of launching the Box app.

Secondly, Box is now tied into the Android "share" menu, and any file you open on your Android device can be instantly shared to your Box, uploading it to the site without having to send links or attach files in emails.

Finally, you can now create Office documents, spreadheets, and presentations through the "Create" menu in the Box app if you have a mobile app capable of creating these documents. It sounds kind of goofy when stated in that way, but it's actually a useful feature. Box has always been deeply tied into the Android application QuickOffice Pro, for example, allowing you to access documents in your shared boxes from within the QuickOffice app. Now, it's a more reciprocal relationship, and you can choose to create an Office file in Box's "create" menu, and it opens the editor with the document all ready to save in your Box account.

Box 1.5 is now available for download in the Android Market.