There are quite a few Android phones that come with a dedicated settings menu just for gaming. Samsung, OnePlus, and ASUS provide gaming layers that I’ve used over the years and each one has its perks. One of my absolute favorite features in a game mode came with OnePlus phones during the OnePlus 5 through […]
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ChromeOS to receive Android 13 style Themed Icons as a part of the Material You redesign
Google is on a roll with its Material You design language. The beautiful, new visual elements are invading every aspect of the company’s ecosystem, and I’ve written ad nauseam about where it appears, so I’ll spare you the details this time around. Essentially, you’ll be hard-pressed to visit any Google app or service without finding […]
Continue ReadingChromeOS will add a new integration for Microsoft 365 for easier use on Chromebooks
Cue the grumpy, old tech writer: “Back in my day, you did get to use Microsoft products on a Chromebook. As a matter of fact, we went out of our way to NOT use MS anything!” Yeah, that really was the mindset in the early days of ChromeOS because frankly, there was a distinct line […]
Continue ReadingGIFs are coming to the ChromeOS emoji picker
Do I need to say more? As a communication medium, the GIF is an absolute staple when it comes to messaging platforms across the board. Need a witty, lighthearted-yet-thoughtful reply to an email? The perfect GIF carries the message intent along with a level of comedy and/or meaning that mere words simply cannot replicate. Whether […]
Continue ReadingChromeOS adds Material You volume sliders, quick setting tiles, and separates notifications [Canary]
Google has been absolutely crushing it with its Material You redesign efforts across all of its apps, services, and products lately. On top of the growing list of updates it’s pushed out over the past year in this space, it also just revamped its web-based account switcher to utilize Material designs as well. You may […]
Continue ReadingThe first ARM Chromebooks with the newer Android 11 ARCVM container are finally on the way
To say the transition to the newer Android container on Chromebooks (ARCVM) has been a long, painful journey would be a massive understatement. Started well over 2 years ago, ARCVM is a new way of delivering Android apps on Chromebooks versus the older ARC++ container. It handles display scaling much better and gives developers a […]
Continue ReadingGoogle’s Material You custom theme colors are on the way for Chromebooks
The advent of Google’s Material You design language on Chromebooks has been a slow process. Our own Michael Perrigo mocked up what Material You on Chromebooks would likely look like over a year and a half ago, so the idea of it isn’t new at all. Slowly over time, Google has added small bits and […]
Continue ReadingNew addition coming to the ChromeOS OOBE is something we’ve needed for a long time
As the years have gone on, the OOBE (out of box experience) for Chromebooks has grown into something that is really helpful for new users migrating from other systems. From setting up Wi-Fi to enabling Google Assistant to setting your device’s theme, the OOBE has matured to really get users oriented and ready for that […]
Continue ReadingUpcoming ChromeOS screen capture feature will make remote instruction even easier
Thanks to a bit of investigation by C2 Productions over on Twitter, we’ve become aware of an upgrade to the excellent, included Screen Capture tool in ChromeOS that will truly enhance the ability for remote instruction. The new feature – which highlights mouse clicks and displays keyboard shortcuts – is currently in the Canary Channel […]
Continue ReadingOpinion: A great trackpad and keyboard makes a Chromebook touchscreen nearly unnecessary
Before I begin, let’s get the most obvious caveat out of the way: a touchscreen is going to be necessary for certain Android apps for certain users. I’m in no way trying to say that touchscreens are completely unnecessary, but my time spent with devices like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE has changed my mindset […]
Continue ReadingWindows 11 is beta testing Android 13 while many Chromebooks are still stuck with Android 9
Yeah, this one is pretty frustrating. I’ll be clear right off the bat, here; I’ve not used Android apps on a Windows laptop yet. The Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) only went live this fall, so it’s one of those things that has been on the radar for a while but hasn’t felt essential to […]
Continue Reading10 things you need to know about your new Chromebook to get started
Compared with just a few years ago, the number of Chromebooks being used on a daily basis is exponentially higher. That means a few things. First, there are more people out there that are learning how to use Chrome OS to its full potential as they’ve had their Chromebook for a little while. But it […]
Continue ReadingOnline poll shows more people regularly use Chromebooks than you may think
We’re Chromebook advocates around here. There are probably few statements that exist that are so obviously true. But even our fandom of ChromeOS doesn’t detach us from the reality that there are still wide swaths of laptop users that either choose not to use a Chromebook on a daily basis or simply don’t even know […]
Continue ReadingGoogle wants to outsmart Amazon Audible and steal its business with Auto-narrated Play Books
It has to have been about two years since I sent Google feedback through the Play Books app regarding the “Read aloud” feature that’s built-in. Even with the “Use a more natural voice” setting enabled, I felt that there was plenty of room for it to improve. With the likes of Amazon Audible out in […]
Continue ReadingChromeOS could soon let you look back in time with Android 12’s Notification History feature
I’m not saying I’m Nostradamus (He was actually wrong about plenty), but my vision for Material You on Chromebooks is coming to life more and more each day. From the Quick Settings to the Notifications revamp, and other small tweaks as well – I know it’s not for everyone, but I’m getting excited! It’s more […]
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