For years, we’ve enjoyed a period of cheap RAM and storage. It’s what allowed the Chromebook Plus initiative to flourish, giving us 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as a baseline that began at $599 or less. But if you’ve looked at component prices lately, you know that the party might be coming to a … [Read more...] about Is the AI boom could make Chromebooks more expensive in 2026 if the RAM and SSD prices keep rising
Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Forget PowerPoint: You can now create slide decks in seconds with NotebookLM
I have been saying for a while now that NotebookLM is the sleeper hit of the AI era. While everyone else was focused on chatbots, Google built a tool that actually helps you understand information. It started with the "Audio Overviews" feature, which can turn dense documents into listenable … [Read more...] about Forget PowerPoint: You can now create slide decks in seconds with NotebookLM
Google Assistant gets a tiny lifeline as the full switch to Gemini gets pushed to 2026
If you’ve been dreading the end-of-year deadline to give up Google Assistant and move fully over to Gemini, you can breathe a sigh of relief. While Google originally planned to have most of us transitioned away from Assistant by the end of 2025, they’ve officially tapped the brakes. In a … [Read more...] about Google Assistant gets a tiny lifeline as the full switch to Gemini gets pushed to 2026
NotebookLM can now turn your messy research into structured Data Tables
If you use NotebookLM, you know the magic: you dump in a dozen PDFs, transcripts, and notes, and it instantly becomes an expert on your data. But until now, getting that data out of NotebookLM in a structured way was a bit of a manual chore. That changes today. Google is introducing Data Tables, … [Read more...] about NotebookLM can now turn your messy research into structured Data Tables
Google Vids just got a major upgrade: AI avatars are now powered by Veo 3.1
If you haven’t jumped into Google Vids yet, it is Google’s AI-powered video creation app for work. One of its most futuristic features is the ability to use AI avatars to narrate your videos so you don't have to get in front of a camera yourself. Today, those avatars are getting a serious upgrade … [Read more...] about Google Vids just got a major upgrade: AI avatars are now powered by Veo 3.1
I absolutely love the precision of this new image editing feature baked right into Gemini
We’ve all been stuck trying to get an AI to edit an image, with the process of getting it to comprehend the exact spot you want to change becoming a nightmare. You end up typing things like, "Change the color of the small vase on the third shelf from the left," and hoping the AI knows which one you … [Read more...] about I absolutely love the precision of this new image editing feature baked right into Gemini
The Pixel 10 GPU fix we’ve been waiting for is finally coming soon
If you bought a Pixel 10 back in October, you probably have a complicated relationship with it. The phone is fantastic—the cameras are unmatched, and the AI features are helpful—but if you try to play a graphics-heavy game, things get weird. Since launch, the Tensor G5 chip has faced criticism … [Read more...] about The Pixel 10 GPU fix we’ve been waiting for is finally coming soon
Android Desktop just got a casting upgrade, but here is why I don’t think it’s Aluminium OS
Google is continuing its steady march to make Android more capable on big screens. In the latest Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1, spotted by Android Authority, a cool new feature has appeared: the ability to cast content directly from an external display. Previously, if you plugged your Pixel into a … [Read more...] about Android Desktop just got a casting upgrade, but here is why I don’t think it’s Aluminium OS
Google Meet finally adds full system audio sharing and high-quality stereo sound
For years, one of the biggest headaches in Google Meet was the weirdly restrictive audio sharing. If you wanted your audience to hear a video or a sound clip, you had to present a specific Chrome tab. If your content lived in a media player, a specialized app, or even a different browser, you were … [Read more...] about Google Meet finally adds full system audio sharing and high-quality stereo sound
Google brings ‘Vibe Coding’ tool Opal to Gemini and keeps removing barriers to building your next app
If you’ve been following the rise of "vibe-coding"—using natural language to build functional apps without writing a single line of code—then you’ve probably heard of Opal. It’s been a standalone experiment from Google Labs for a while, but now Google is bringing that power directly into the Gemini … [Read more...] about Google brings ‘Vibe Coding’ tool Opal to Gemini and keeps removing barriers to building your next app
Google Search with Gemini 3 Flash makes AI Mode feel more and more like the Gemini app
If you’ve been using AI Mode in Google Search recently, things are about to get a lot faster and a whole lot smarter. Google has officially announced that its latest model, Gemini 3 Flash, is now rolling out globally as the default engine for AI Mode. The goal here is simple: bring the … [Read more...] about Google Search with Gemini 3 Flash makes AI Mode feel more and more like the Gemini app
Gemini 3 Flash is here, delivering Pro-level intelligence at breakneck speeds
Just last month, Google launched the Gemini 3 family with the powerful "Pro" and "Deep Think" models. Today, they are expanding the lineup with a model that might actually be the most important one for everyday users: Gemini 3 Flash. The promise of the "Flash" series has always been speed and low … [Read more...] about Gemini 3 Flash is here, delivering Pro-level intelligence at breakneck speeds











