Google Chrome

Toshiba upped its already solid Chromebook game today with the aptly-named Chromebook 2 laptop. With an optional 1920×1080 pixel display, Haswell processor, 4GB of RAM, HDMI AV out and AC/Bluetooth 4 wireless, it ticks most of the boxes on what you’d want on a high end laptop. It even claims 11.5 hour battery life and new forward facing speakers designed with help from Skullcandy.

It comes in starting at $249 for the 720P 16 Model and is set for release on Oct. 5

Spec sheet follows:
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New Intel Broadwell-powered Chrome OS board spotted in Chromium code repository

Mark Hearn Aug 29 2014 - 1:01 pm PT

A new Chrome OS board named “Auron” based on Intel’s Broadwell chip line recently showed up in the Chromium code repository. Spotted by Googler François Beaufort, this appears to be one of the first devices to use Chipzilla’s 14 nanometer system-on-a-chip. Not a lot is known about this mystery board, but it manages to follow the trend of being named after a popular video game character. Beaufort recently outed a Chrome OS board referred to as “Ryu” from Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise and Auron is a character from the world famous Final Fantasy series.

New Chrome beta out with 64-bit default on OS X, refreshed profiles interface

Chance Miller Aug 28 2014 - 4:26 pm PT

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Earlier this week, Google released the stable version of Chrome 37 and now, just two days later, the company has announced the Chrome 38 beta for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The update adds a variety of new features, although, as always, it’s a mystery as to which will make it to the stable version when it’s released.

Chrome 37 goes stable, brings better font rendering to Windows, 50 bug fixes, more

Stephen Hall Aug 26 2014 - 9:33 am PT

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Google has pushed Chrome 37 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, with the biggest change being support for DirectWrite on Windows. From this version on, this added technology should make font rendering much better for many Chrome users on Microsoft’s operating system. But this update also packs other additions, including a variety of new app/extension APIs for developers to take advantage of. Rounding off the new features, Google says that version 37 packs the usual under the hood changes to help improve performance.

Google also says that this release fixes a total of 50 security issues, many of which have been credited by Google to external researchers in the release notes. Interestingly, many users are reporting that while the 32 bit version is out right now, the 64 bit version of this update has yet to be pushed. Both versions should be rolling out automatically to users of Chrome stable over the next few hours.

The Chrome team is delighted to announce the promotion of Chrome 37 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. Chrome 37.0.2062.94 contains a number of fixes and improvements, including:

– DirectWrite support on Windows for improved font rendering
– A number of new apps/extension APIs
– Lots of under the hood changes for stability and performance

Chromecast becomes even more of a no-brainer in the UK as price slashed to just £18

Ben Lovejoy Aug 22 2014 - 6:03 am PT

There was very little reason for any self-respecting gadgeteer not to pick up a Chromecast stick at the full price of £30, but there’s even less excuse now that three online retailers – Amazon, Tesco and Currys – have discounted it to just £18.

Amazon is offering it with free delivery too. There’s no indication that this is a permanent price-cut (it’s still sitting at £30 on the Google Play site), so if you’ve been considering one, now would be the time to buy – especially with three free months of Google Play Music All Access thrown in.

Chromecast recently celebrated its first birthday, Google reporting that it had been used to cast content 400 million times in its first year. The capabilities of the devices have grown steadily, with Google last month adding mirroring from almost any Android device.

Via thenextweb. Image credit: softpedia.com

Citrix announces Receiver app for Chrome OS, allows remote access to other devices from within the browser

Chance Miller Aug 21 2014 - 4:03 pm PT

Google and Citrix today announced a new partnership that will bring a variety of new enterprise features to Chrome OS powered devices. Citrix’s Receiver app is now available for Chromebooks everywhere and allows direct access to the device’s system resources, including settings for things such as printing, audio, and video.

Acer announces $179 Chromebox appendage, launching late Sep in U.S. and Canada

Ben Lovejoy Aug 21 2014 - 4:52 am PT

Some of us are old enough to remember when desktop computers were large towers that you stored under your desk; these days, you can hide the desktop PC behind your monitor.

Acer has today announced a new Chromebox based on its C7 series Chromebook, the Chromebox CXI. The compact format makes it suitable for mounting on a monitor stand …
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Google Chrome is now available to download in Cuba

Jordan Kahn Aug 20 2014 - 1:24 pm PT

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Google announced today that its Chrome browser is now available for users to download across platforms in Cuba. Up until today, Chrome had not been available to users to in Cuba due to trade restrictions that also block the use of some other Google services in the country.

U.S. export controls and sanctions can sometimes limit the products available in certain countries… We’re happy to say that Internet users in Cuba can now use Chrome too, and browse the web faster and more safely than they could before.

Google said today that it’s “been working to figure out how to make more tools available in sanctioned countries” as U.S. export controls and sanctions change. It also made Chrome available in other sanctioned countries in recent years including Syria and Iran. Google didn’t provide any additional information on what exactly it did to navigate sanctions and make Chrome available in the country.

Users in Cuba can download Chrome for desktop and mobile devices now.

Google developing recording option for Chrome’s Remote Desktop app

Mark Hearn Aug 20 2014 - 12:45 pm PT

If you frequently use Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop application to play tech support for your friends and you’re in need of some reference material, Mountain View’s got you covered. The search giant’s Chromium team is currently in the process of developing a record button for Chrome’s remote access app.

Chromecast extension causing auto-playing YouTube videos in Chrome, fix coming today

Jordan Kahn Aug 19 2014 - 9:58 am PT

Wondering why all the YouTube videos in Chrome seem to be auto-playing on their own all of a sudden? It turns out the problem seems to be a bug with YouTube and the Chromecast extension for Chrome installed by users of Google’s $35 HDMI stick.

AndroidPolice point us to the issue being reported to Google and a note from the YouTube team confirming a fix is rolling out today:

The YouTube team confirmed that there was a bad push yesterday which caused this issue to be triggered. There is a fix being qualified and that is scheduled to be pushed today that will correct this issue… Closing this issue for now, since there’s not a Chrome issue here in any event. Thanks to everyone for reporting this issue.

In the meantime, you can remove the Chromecast extension (Window>Extensions) to temporarily disable the auto playing videos until the issue is fixed.

AllCast to gain Android to Chrome home screen mirroring (video)

Mark Hearn Aug 18 2014 - 2:09 pm PT

AllCast users will soon be able to easily mirror their Android device’s screen on a desktop thanks to an update from the app’s lead developer Koushik “Koush” Dutta. The media streaming software already features Chrome integration, letting users broadcast media to desktops and this appears to be the next step of its evolution.

Microsoft is ready to challenge Chromebooks with a $200 Windows 8.1-powered alternative

Mark Hearn Aug 18 2014 - 8:51 am PT

Microsoft appears to be gearing up to challenge Google’s Chrome OS by partnering with companies to release affordable Windows-based alternative notebooks. Pictured above is the HP Stream 14, a $200 laptop that feels a lot like Redmond’s answer to the Chromebook. From its 14-inch 1,366 x 768 display, to its modest AMD processor, all the way down to its 2GB of RAM, 32GB of flash memory (optional 32GB) and two years of cloud storage from Microsoft’s OneDrive — sound familiar?

Google expanding its Safe Browsing service to warn against more deceptive software in browsers

Jordan Kahn Aug 14 2014 - 9:36 am PT

Google announced today on its Online Security Blog that it’s expanding the Safe Browsing service that helps fight against malicious websites and warns users of potentially dangerous software when downloading files through browsers like Chrome. Rolling out next week, Safe Browsing is being updated to warn users against additional types of deceptive software:

programs disguised as a helpful download that actually make unexpected changes to your computer—for instance, switching your homepage or other browser settings to ones you don’t want… We’ll show a warning in Chrome whenever an attempt is made to trick you into downloading and installing such software. (If you still wish to proceed despite the warning, you can access it from your Downloads list.)

Google noted today that it’s “currently showing more than three million download warnings per week—and because we make this technology available for other browsers to use, we can help keep 1.1 billion people safe.” Some of those users are also receiving warnings from Safe Browsing through Firefox and Apple’s Safari browser.

Screenshots show Google working on a redesigned Hangouts for Chrome codenamed ‘UltraViolet’

Jordan Kahn Aug 13 2014 - 1:18 pm PT

According to new screenshots posted by Caschys Blog (above and below), Google appears to be working on a new Hangouts experience for Chrome currently dubbed “Ultra Violet.”
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Latest builds of Google Chrome let you load cached web pages with the press of a button

Stephen Hall Aug 12 2014 - 8:38 am PT

In the latest builds of Google’s Canary release channel of Chrome, there’s an interesting new feature popping up: the ability to press a single button to load a saved copy of a webpage you’ve previously visited. The feature surfaced less than a week after Google silently launched 64-bit versions of the Canary and Dev channels for Mac OS X.

This handy new feature can come in handy if you just need to quickly view a webpage and you’re finding yourself without a connection. But of course, you’ll only be able to view cached versions of webpages that are actually cached—you’ll need to have visited the page at some point prior. To try out the feature, you’ll need the Canary build of Chrome which can be downloaded here.

Google Chrome

Report says Chromebook sales are up 79% to 5.2M units this year

Jordan Kahn Aug 11 2014 - 10:51 am PT

Gartner released a report today with its latest numbers on Chromebooks noting that sales are up 79% since last year and on track to triple by 2017. That 79% increase means Gartner is estimating sales will hit 5.2 million units this year while predictions for 2017 sit at 14.4 million units.

The report also estimates around 85% of sales were into the education market:

Demand for Chromebooks is mainly driven by the education sector in the U.S. Gartner estimates that the education sector accounted for nearly 85 percent of Chromebook sales in 2013. In addition, of the 2.9 million Chromebooks sold during 2013, 82 percent were sold in North America, making it the major market for Chromebooks globally.

In addition, we also get a look at market share for Chromebooks by vendor as of last year (above) with Samsung grabbing 64% of the market and Acer next in line at 21.4%.

By selling 1.7 million units in 2013, Samsung led the Chromebook market globally. It was especially dominant in the education market, having the most popular devices in primary and secondary schools. Acer, which had a 21.4 percent market share in 2013, designs Chromebooks with a consistent focus on delivering the best value for money. It uses Intel, rather than ARM-based, CPUs because its target consumers are price-sensitive.

Acer takes on Samsung’s Chromebook 2 with better battery-life & faster graphics for $100 less

Ben Lovejoy Aug 11 2014 - 5:36 am PT

Acer is providing tough competition for Samsung’s Chromebook 2 with its new Chromebook 13, offering 11-hour battery life with full HD display for $100 less. The NVIDIA Tegra K1 2.1GHz quad-core processor should give the 1920×1080 display even better graphics performance than Samsung’s Exynos-powered model, as well as beating its 9-hour battery-life, for $299 against Samsung’s $400.

The downside, as noted by Engadget, is the cheaper-looking casing, being plain white plastic rather than the faux-leather stitching of the Chromebook 2 …
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Amazon’s back to school sale takes $20 or more off select Chromebooks and Chromeboxes

Mark Hearn Aug 7 2014 - 1:10 pm PT

Chromebooks are already making waves with educators and school districts and of course retailers are no exception. Amazon is currently running a back to school promotion that knocks $20 or more off the regular asking price of select Chromebooks. This brings some device’s like the Acer C720P Chromebook to an all time low. Other machines like the HP Chromebook 11, which features an Exynos 5 processor, 2GB of RAM and an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display are available for $200.

Google silently launches Chrome 64-bit Canary and Dev channel for Mac OS X users

Mark Hearn Aug 5 2014 - 9:16 am PT

Google recently released a 64-bit version beta version of Chrome for Windows 7 and 8 users and for an encore the company has turned its efforts towards Apple’s OS X. The search giant has silently added 64-bit support to its Chrome Canary and Dev channels for Mac users. If you’re running the latest version of Canary on your Mac, the software should read as 64-bit capable in its About tab.

Google launches Chrome 64-bit Beta channel for Windows 7 and 8 users

Jordan Kahn Jul 30 2014 - 10:27 am PT

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After adding 64-bit support for Chrome to its Canary and Developer channels for Windows users early last month, today Google gets one step closer to making the feature live for all as it adds support for Beta channel users. Features that hit Google beta release of Chrome are usually next promoted to the public, stable release of the browser.

The support comes for both Windows 7 and 8 users and will require the 64-bit installer on the Beta download page to install:

The Chrome Team is excited to announce the addition of the Chrome 64-bit Beta Channel for Windows 7 and 8 users. To try it out, download the 64-bit installer from our Beta download pages. The new version replaces the existing version while preserving all your settings and bookmarks, so there’s no need to uninstall a current installation of Chrome.

Google improves Hangouts for Apps customers w/ 24/7 support, new features, expanded Chromebox for meetings availability, more

Jordan Kahn Jul 30 2014 - 9:36 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULfD5mBQ-xw]

Google just announced that it’s improving the video call and meeting feature it offers to its Google Apps customers making the process of hosting video Hangouts much smoother. To kick things off, Google Apps for Business customers will now enjoy 24/7 phone support and a 99% uptime guarantee as Google movies Hangouts under the same Terms of Service as Apps. It’s also planning Google Apps Vault integration by the end of the year:
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Chrome 37 beta launches on Android with material design

9to5 Staff Jul 24 2014 - 11:23 am PT

Google this morning announced the beta release of Chrome 37 on Android.

According to Google’s blog post about the new version, Chrome 37 will feature the new material design language shown off at Google I/O and most recently found on the updated Play Store that rolled out this week.

Chromecast boasts 400 million casts as it celebrates its 1 year mark w/ 3 months of free Google Play Music All Access

Zac Hall Jul 24 2014 - 8:47 am PT

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Happy birthday, Chromecast! That’s what Google is saying today as it announced the HDMI media streaming stick has been used to cast content 400 million times in the 12 months since it launched. The Chromecast, of course, allows you to stream content from services like Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora to your HDTV from your Android or iOS as well as your computer via the Chrome browser.

We’ve added hundreds of your favorite apps, including WatchESPN, Pandora, Hulu Plus, HBO GO and PBS Kids; announced new features like mirroring your Android device to the TV and expanded to 30,000 stores across 20 countries.

That’s certainly a lot of casting from the $35 accessory, and Google is giving all Chromecast users 90 days of its Google Play Music All Access service for free to celebrate. The offer to redeem 3 months of free access to the $9.99/month music subscription service will run from today, July 24th, through September 30th, for all existing Chromecast customers not already subscribed to All Access.
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Google switching Chrome to its homemade BoringSSL to make its browser safer

Mark Hearn Jul 24 2014 - 8:03 am PT

Google has exhausted a lot of resources patching up OpenSSL, so much in fact, the company has elected to create its own fork aptly named BoringSSL. Preparing to move the platform to Chrome, Mountain View recently worked this new implementation into its latest Chromium build. As indicated by its name, OpenSSL is an open source software used for secure connections. Several security holes in OpenSSL recently led to the now infamous Heartbleed scare that worked a large portion of the world into a frenzy.