Chrome developers continue to create ways for the browser (and OS) to sync between users devices in an effort to allow the desktop to take advantage of connected mobile devices. Integrated Android Messages, Instant Tethering and now, Send to Device are all features that are or will be baked into browsers and Chromebooks in the near future.
The latest experiment between desktop and mobile was discovered by Chrome Story and appears to give Chrome users the ability to push a phone number to their phones as well as the capability to share clipboard text to and from synced devices. and clipboard text to Android phones.
Dubbed “OneChrome”, the project could deepen the integration between user’s devices in multiple ways. Here’s a look at one of the commits.
- Call a number supported
- Share text from Android to any device clipboard supported
- End-to-end encryption supported
- List target device in Android supported
- Filter by device capabilities
- Use deviceGuid as preference key
- Add text shre to browser
- Use webpush protocol with generated VAPID key
- Use proto instead of JSON
It is worth noting that the “OneChrome” project is attached to a bug report that states it is part of a “hackathon.” These are generally some sort of software competition or internal trials which means “OneChrome” could simply be a side project or experiment.
On the flip side, these new features fit perfectly into Google’s “connected devices” category and I suspect that we could see some of them make their way into Stable Chrome.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you were browsing a site for a phone number and a simple click of the mouse would push the number to your phone? I know it seems insignificant but it’s a useful idea. On top of that, having the ability to instantly copy text to a clipboard and paste it on a separate, synced device would be a massive workflow enhancement for many a user.
Again, OneChrome is clearly a work in progress but we’ll be watching it closely in the hopes of seeing it in action.
Source: Chrome Story
