Hiding in ChromeOS 119 (just behind a feature flag or two) are the new Global Media Controls that don't just have a new look and feel, but actually change the way you go about casting your video or audio to nearby devices. It's a pretty big change that I noticed out of the box in the Developer … [Read more...] about The new Chromebook Global Media Controls look great and change how you Cast
ChromeOS
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Google is taking its time splitting Chrome from ChromeOS, and I’m glad
It's pretty hard to believe, but we've been talking about Lacros - the new Chrome browser that will be split away from the ChromeOS operating system - since September of 2020. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me, but I just took a look and our first post about Lacros was on September 11th, … [Read more...] about Google is taking its time splitting Chrome from ChromeOS, and I’m glad
How to adjust your Chromebook’s color scheme
Over the last year, you've probably heard us talk about Material You and how it brings a new level of personalization to ChromeOS. Since the introduction of ChromeOS 117, we've seen Material You take over most facets of the general user interface, changing your Chromebook's color scheme to match … [Read more...] about How to adjust your Chromebook’s color scheme
How to install and use Microsoft Office 365 on your Chromebook
Chromebooks are becoming more and more common, especially in educational and enterprise settings; yet there are still misconceptions and confusion about their capabilities. I know that many of you who are Chromebook enthusiasts are well aware of all the things you can do on these devices, but there … [Read more...] about How to install and use Microsoft Office 365 on your Chromebook
Google needs to show the ChromeOS tablet UI some serious love, and soon
Have you used a Chromebook tablet recently? I'd wager if you don't own a Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 or 5, there's a solid chance the answer to that question is a clear no. Those who have convertible Chromebooks should be using the tablet UI from time to time, but I'd say the number that actually do … [Read more...] about Google needs to show the ChromeOS tablet UI some serious love, and soon
How to try out the new window-snapping overview feature on your Chromebook
Two of my favorite productivity tools built right into ChromeOS and into the Chromebook you may own are the wildly-useful overview mode and window-snapping feature. On their own, these abilities give Chromebook users a way to see all their open windows in a quick glance and help them arrange those … [Read more...] about How to try out the new window-snapping overview feature on your Chromebook
These new icons are a hidden ChromeOS feature I absolutely love
For the past couple updates of ChromeOS, a new feature showed up that is quiet, out of the way, and has now become indispensable to my daily workflow. That feature is what I'll simply call Multi-Paste Icons, and it has made the simple task of copying and pasting content from one place to the next … [Read more...] about These new icons are a hidden ChromeOS feature I absolutely love
Chromebooks, PWAs and the Play Store: why we need a way to force Android app downloads
Back in 2020, Google began introducing the ability for app developers to push their PWA to Chromebooks from the Play Store instead of the Android app. And I 100% love this decision. In many cases, PWAs (progressive web apps) are a far better experience on the desktop and work much smoother with … [Read more...] about Chromebooks, PWAs and the Play Store: why we need a way to force Android app downloads
10 ways AI is being used on Chromebooks right now
Back in October at the Chromebook Plus Event, the ChromeOS team did something they don't normally do: they gave us a look at some new features that would be "coming soon" to Chromebook Plus models. These new features were all centered around bringing Google's AI capabilities directly to ChromeOS and … [Read more...] about 10 ways AI is being used on Chromebooks right now
The WhatsApp Android app has become fantastic on Chromebook
I've been using WhatsApp across the board since the demise of Allo (remember Google's Allo?) in 2018. In that time, I've largely relied on the web version for messaging from my Chromebook and things have been relatively good from that standpoint. Sure, the web version is less capable than the … [Read more...] about The WhatsApp Android app has become fantastic on Chromebook
Account-based Fast Pair quietly arrives for Chromebooks [VIDEO]
With all the drama and instability surrounding the roll-out of ChromeOS 119, it was bound to happen that we'd miss a few details here and there. I said as much when we covered some of the new stuff in the 119 update, and it turns out I was right. In the midst of new features and fixes, Google … [Read more...] about Account-based Fast Pair quietly arrives for Chromebooks [VIDEO]
Finally, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 gets ChromeOS 119
As an ongoing update fiasco, there have been few in the Chromebook world that have been this difficult to solve for the ChromeOS team. I noticed some abnormalities back at the end of October, and things just continued to get worse for the Duet 5 until the team figured out what was actually going … [Read more...] about Finally, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 gets ChromeOS 119
