Chrome OS is rapidly becoming a serious player in the Linux field. Now, Google seems to be further integrating the Linux app support with the existing Android app support by allowing the Chrome OS Linux apps to access files from the separated ‘Play files’.
Chrome OS has always been based on Linux, but with its new beta support for Linux apps, the system has been opened to a wealth of powerful new applications otherwise inaccessible. The problem is, unless you’re already a Linux guru, you likely have no idea what those Linux apps are. Google is looking to fix this by making Linux apps you can install discoverable from the Chrome OS app launcher.
Brydge, a company most-known for its very popular detachable iPad keyboards, has recently expanded its business to give some serious attention to a popular Google platform as well. That’s Chrome OS, of course, and the G-Type keyboard for the Pixel Slate was the first out the door last fall. Now, Brydge is showing some more cool stuff at CES.
Midway through last year, Google launched one of my favorite features of Chrome OS, Linux app support. As it stands, this support works through a virtualized Linux, based on Debian. However, there’s many, many flavors of Linux out there, each with their own pros and cons. Google seems to be accounting for that with the ability for companies to choose their own Linux distro for Chrome OS’s Linux apps support.
While CES is becoming less and less of a show for Android, Google’s presence at the show has been growing more and more thanks to the Assistant. This year, the company had a bigger booth than ever before, and there were tons of products around the show floor that caught our interest. Following up on the past two years, here are our Best of CES 2019 awards.
Intel and ARM have been your only two options for a processor on a Chromebook since Chrome OS first launched. Now, it seems AMD is getting into the game with the latest HP Chromebook 14, being demoed at CES 2019.
Chrome OS gained a whole host of new applications to use last year when Google officially released Linux apps support, internally known as Crostini. Unfortunately, many of these Linux apps looked very small on Chrome OS devices like the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate, which have high resolution displays. The latest Chrome OS Developer build includes a new, simple display density fix to get your Linux apps looking correct.
Chrome OS is a great option for a secure computer, and it seems Google is working on a new security feature. A recent commit has revealed “USBGuard,” a new security option in Chrome OS which protects users by locking down the USB ports when the machine isn’t in use.
Chrome OS was originally a laptop platform, but slowly it’s being reworked for tablet form factors. However, as that goes on, there have been some hiccups. Most recently, many have noted the poor performance of tablet mode especially on Chrome OS products like the Pixel Slate, but it seems a fix for that lag is incoming.
The marriage of Chrome OS and Android apps is still very much in its early days. As Google continually works out bugs and improves things, new features are bound to make their way over from Android. Currently, it’s looking like Google is considering bringing adoptable storage over from Android to Chrome OS.
Many aspects of Google Chrome and Chrome OS are available open source directly from Google under the Chromium projects. However, Google still keeps some things private. One piece of Chrome OS that’s been kept private all this time is the Camera app, but that is changing now with it being added to the open source Chromium repository. Google also seems to be planning some improvements like portrait mode.
With the latest stable release rolled out to Chrome OS, Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android, Chrome 72 is now in the beta channel. This version is a notable update for Chrome OS that begins upgrading Chromebooks to Android 9 Pie and features a native Google Assistant.
Following a Google Material Theme update in September and a complete launcher redesign aimed at tablets and other touchscreen devices, Chrome OS 71 is rolling out today. A big focus of this update is improving the experience of owning a Chromebook and an Android device.
In many ways, PDF files are supposed to replace physical paper documents. One thing that’s been missing, compared to the traditional paper experience, is the ability to quickly make notes over an existing document with a pen. Chrome OS is working on its own take on this with a new PDF annotation feature that should also take advantage of the Pixelbook Pen or any other stylus.
Qualcomm has been more than happy in recent weeks to demonstrate various new use cases for their Snapdragon processors, including being used for a Windows computer. This may soon extend into the realm of Chrome OS, with the company’s first ever Chromebook, powered by the Snapdragon 845. Now, Geekbench benchmarks have appeared for the device, though with surprisingly low scores.
One of the key features of Chrome OS is its built-in search capabilities (Google is a search engine company, after all), which can show you web results in addition to matching apps. Now this Chrome OS search box is getting two improvements to make Android apps more dynamic thanks to Firebase App Indexing and make finding your installed Linux apps easier.
For years, Intel has provided the power behind the best Chromebooks money can buy. This includes all of Google’s own Chromebooks, ranging from the original CR-48 prototype device to their latest release, the Pixel Slate. Now, evidence has come to light suggesting Chrome OS is skipping Intel’s next generation of processors, Cannon Lake, altogether.
Recently, Google updated their Family Link program with Chromebook support, to help families supervise Chromebook usage. However, this initial Chrome OS version of Family Link did not allow child accounts to use the (initially Pixelbook exclusive) Google Assistant features. This will soon be changing according to a newly discovered code change.
Chrome OS has been the replacement for Android when it comes to tablets from Google. However, the company is still refining how Chrome OS treats the tablet form factor. This week, with the launch of the Pixel Slate, Google has confirmed that Chrome will be able to pull a “tablet view” of a website in a future release.
Earlier this month, Google released a Fast Pair Validator app on the Play Store to help Bluetooth manufacturers support Android’s seamless Bluetooth pairing solution. Announced last year, Google is now adding device syncing for accessories and Chromebook support in 2019.
For a long time, the only decent cloud storage provider for Chrome OS was Google Drive. Now, it seems Google is willing to open the door to other services on the ever-improving OS. To do this, they’re taking advantage of technology some providers have already implemented in their Android apps.
Google is working hard to turn Chrome OS into more than just a browser, but a real, functional operating system for consumers of all kinds. Most recently, they’ve invited developers to the platform with Linux app support that enables all of their tools, including Android Studio, to work as expected. Soon, your Chrome OS and Google Drive files will be even more accessible to your Linux apps.
The Pixel Slate is the only Made by Google 2018 product that has yet to be released, with the company only noting availability for later this year. Meanwhile, since the 10/9 event, a Best Buy listing has featured a November 22nd launch date, with the retailer today putting up the Chrome OS tablet for pre-order.
Linux app support has slowly been bringing new levels of desktop productivity to Chromebooks both new and old. Earlier this month, we reported that a vast swath of Chromebooks would sadly never receive this feature. One we weren’t sure of, Google’s 2015 Chromebook Pixel, may be getting this breath of new life judging from new code changes.