Google Drive just got a nice big update out of nowhere, which, first and foremost, brings it up to speed with the card UI – a feature that works really well on an app like Drive. Past that, there's a new "scan" option, which uses your device's camera to grab snapshots of things like receipts, and coverts them to searchable PDFs using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. The future is a fantastic place.

Spreadsheet editing also got a little less crappy and a little more feature-rich, as you can now adjust font types and sizes, as well as cell text colors and alignment. We're now one step closer to full, useful spreadsheet creation and manipulation directly from a mobile device. Killer.

Otherwise, expect a few other small-but-welcome changes, like local saving of files, quick photo previews, and the expected "bug fixes and visual improvements.

What's in this version: - New grid view makes it easier to find your files

- New quick preview lets you view photos and other files from within the app

- Scan documents, receipts and letters for safe keeping in Drive; then search by contents once uploaded

- Download a copy of files to your local device (Honeycomb+)

- Spreadsheet editor now supports changing fonts, colors and cell alignment

- View properties of files from within the editors

- Bug fixes and visual improvements

The update is live in the Play Store now, so hit the widget to grab it.

[Google Drive Blog]