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Well, the end of 2022 is nearly upon us and ChromeOS has just received its final major update of the year. Like the Chrome browser update, ChromeOS 108 isn’t too heavy on features but there are some notable updates in this version and they are definitely worth talking about. Let’s dig right in, shall we?
Trash Can
We’ve been tracking this little feature for more than two years, but that’s only a fraction of the time ChromeOS users have clamored for this seemingly insignificant feature. If you’re a macOS or Windows user, you know that when you delete a file, it goes straight to the trash can. From there you can always restore them before they’re deleted permanently. Very handy if you change your mind or accidentally delete the wrong file.
Until ChromeOS 108, this feature was missing from Chromebooks. You do get a notification/warning when you’re about to delete a file to give you that second layer of protection from inadvertently deleting something you don’t want to but once you clicked delete for the second time, it was gone forever. Personally, I never had an issue with this as I’m fairly diligent about keeping important files in Google Drive but I do understand the other perspective that wants a refuse folder. In ChromeOS 108, you now have a Trash Can in the Files App. Once you delete a file, it would move to the trash can and remain there for 30 days. After that, it will be automatically deleted.
Native American History Wallpapers
November was Native American History Month here in the U.S. and Google shined the spotlight on the talented Native American artist, Marlena Myles. ChromeOS continues to honor Native Americans with 20 new wallpapers designed by Native American artists from around the country. You can find the new wallpapers in ChromeOS 108 by right-clicking your desktop and clicking “Set wallpaper and style.”
Multi-page document scans in the Camera App
The camera app on ChromeOS is probably one of the most underrated features in the ecosystem. With more and more features being added all the time, the built-in camera is capable of snapping pics, recording video, creating gifs, and even scanning documents. Building on that final tool, ChromeOS 108 adds the ability to create multi-page PDFs with the Camera App. Simply open the app, select the “scan” option, and after you scan the first page of your document, click the “+” icon to add additional pages. These will be merged into a single, multi-page document.
Captive Portal Improvements
Captive portals can be a pain when you’re out and about. Sometimes, you’re prompted to click the Wi-Fi settings to open a page in order to log into the internet portal. Other times, the page opens automatically. Occasionally, you get nothing other than an exclamation point on the Wi-Fi connection and little else. ChromeOS 108 looks to help you with that with better notifications, clearer messaging, and more stable connections on captive portals. Perfect for those of us that find ourselves working remotely on a regular basis.
Updated Virtual Keyboard
I rarely use the virtual keyboard on ChromeOS but for those that do, ChromeOS 108 offers some enhancements that should make navigating a little easier. These include better access to emojis, settings, handwriting tools, and the ChromeOS dictation menu.
That’s about it for ChromeOS 108. Of course, the update also includes the features found in the update to the Chrome browser and also brings twenty-five bug fixes to the party which you can read about here. While the last ChromeOS update of the year may seem a bit bland, the groundwork has been laid for an exciting year ahead for Chromebook users. In 2023, we should see the release of the stable version of Steam gaming on ChromeOS, built-in video conferencing tools, Eche, glanceable widgets, and so much more. Who knows? Maybe we’ll finally see a ChromeOS device with a free-standing GPU or something else crazy like DaVinci Resolve built for Chromebooks. Stay tuned for more and happy holidays.
