It’s funny, just the other day I found myself remarking just how good Nearby Share has become. Since its humble beginnings on Android devices, this service has expanded to Chromebooks and Windows PCs to give users a simple, easy way to get files from one device to another. As a late but competent answer to […]
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Chrome 120 arrives with Saved Tab Groups, enhanced Safety Check, and more
Chrome 120 for desktop is set to arrive shortly and with it comes a few nice feature upgrades that further enhance the performance and safety of Chrome for users across all desktop platforms. Obviously, other bug fixes and security patches are along for the ride, too, but let’s look at a few of the key […]
Continue ReadingThe 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 actual app, but it really […]
Continue ReadingAccount-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 […]
Continue ReadingChromebooks getting a new ‘Focus Mode’ that is mostly working in Canary
Thanks to a bit of digging and testing by our friend @cr_c2cv over on X, we’ve been made aware of a new feature currently in testing for Chromebooks in the latest Canary Channel build of ChromeOS 122 simply called Focus Mode. As the name implies, it seems the feature is here to help ChromeOS users […]
Continue ReadingI just got the Pixel Video Boost feature today, and it is a true test in patience
Early this morning, I opened my camera on the Pixel 8 Pro to scan a QR code and the notification I’ve been waiting on since the October hardware event showed up, signifying that it was finally my turn to try out the new Video Boost feature Google showed off with the launch of the Pixel […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Messages account login is great, but it still requires a connected phone
Not long ago, Google began testing the waters with account-based logins for Google Messages. I even wrote an entire post about how important this change is and why it is a necessary step for Google to take with their primary messaging platform. And while I still absolutely stand by those thoughts, I’m a little bummed […]
Continue ReadingHow to reduce broadcast delay on YouTube TV to stop live spoilers
There are times when you are watching something take place that is important and truly live, and the last thing you want is to get a text or be on a phone call and have a big moment completely spoiled. This is likely only an issue with live sports, but I suppose any live event […]
Continue ReadingPossible gaming improvement for Pixel 8 Pro has me considering going back to it
As many of you know, I’ve been back and forth with Pixel phones since the Pixel 6 Pro. For general users, I think Pixels are 100% the Android phone they should buy and for myself, 80% of me is always happy to return to the comfy, colorful, animated world of Pixel. I love these phones […]
Continue ReadingGoogle highlights tools that make the web more powerful and capable than ever
On a new site Google has built to showcase the ever-growing power of the web – playfully titled “The Web Can Do What!?” – Google has assembled a wide variety of explainers and examples of the prowess of the modern web. Not only does the site do a great job explaining why the web has […]
Continue ReadingSome of these new Google Messages features make me want to use it more
For years, Google has been on the front lines, working with mobile carriers and smartphone manufacturers to enhance and adopt RCS (Rich Communication Services) – the new standard for texting. RCS replaces the outdated SMS and MMS protocols, offering users a richer, more secure messaging experience with features like typing indicators, read receipts, threaded replies, […]
Continue ReadingI’m really enjoying the new Virtual Desks button in ChromeOS 119
When we first heard that a new button was coming to ChromeOS that would allow users to move through their open Virtual Desks a bit more quickly, I was pretty dismissive. We already have a dedicated key on the keyboard for that, a trackpad gesture, and keyboard shortcuts. Why would I want yet another way […]
Continue ReadingI love how ChromeOS 119 expands Material You colors for the Chrome browser
With ChromeOS 119 just rolling out in the past few days, I knew there would be small differences here and there that I’d pick up on, and one that is making a big color splash is the way Material You color themes are handled in the Chrome browser. Sure, we already talked about the Material […]
Continue ReadingYou can now add your favorite podcasts to YouTube Music via RSS feeds
Just as I predicted, Google decided to shutter its podcasting service in favor of its new favorite child, YouTube Music. At the time this was announced, many who relied solely on the RSS import feature of Podcasts for the listening experiences that weren’t on Google’s platform were pretty perturbed that this wasn’t possible on YTM. […]
Continue ReadingYouTube is testing a new AI chatbot that lets you ask questions about a video while watching it
YouTube is introducing a new Premium experiment that lets you ask questions about a video that’s playing via a chat bot. Even writing that out sounds crazy, but it looks pretty interesting so far. This feature is designed to allow viewers to ask away without hitting the pause button and going to Google something. Currently […]
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