Google has released an “OK Google” spoken search extension for Chrome, enabling hands-free queries similar to the functionality offered in Android 4.4 KitKat. The free Google Voice Search Hotword extension builds on the existing support Google search has for spoken terms by adding an always-listening trigger, rather than requiring users to actually click the microphone […]
If you’d rather get hands-on with your Chromebook work sessions, Acer is looking to lend a hand. The company has outed the C720P: its first touchscreen Chromebook, and the first we’ve seen outside of Google’s own Chromebook Pixel — something that we’ve been expecting ever since more touch-enabled features showed up in stable Chrome OS builds. The Google-fied laptop sports an 11.6-inch HD LED display with 1,366 x 768 resolution alongside an Intel Celeron 2955U processor, 32GB SSD and 2GB DDR3 RAM. Weighing in at only 2.98 pounds and measuring 0.78 inch thick, the C720P claims up to 7.5 hours of battery life — an hour less than its Haswell-powered sibling, the C720. There’s both USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, an HDMI jack, SD card slot and two years worth of 100GB Google Drive space for extra storage. Sound too good to pass up? Well, you’ll be able to snag one in early December for $299 — far less than the $1,299 Pixel — from Amazon, Best Buy and the Acer store. %Gallery-slideshow123362%
Google has just released a stable version of Chrome OS, and while it’s (sadly) not as huge as Chrome OS 32, it still comes with feature boosts for your device. Perhaps most notable is its newly added initial support for USB-connected Braille displays. Other than that, this stopgap follow-up to OS 31 tweaks the platform’s looks, starting by letting you drag the Shelf (or the app dock) from the bottom to either side of the screen. The company has also moved the launcher icon to the bottom left and made it, along with the app icons and status tray, more touch friendly for Pixel users. What’s more, if you use an avatar for either Chrome OS or Google+, you’ll find your profile picture preferences synced between the two. Almost everyone can now download these changes, which come bundled with the usual security and performance fixes. If you own an Acer C7, an HP Chromebook 11 or an HP Pavilion Chromebook, however, you’re going to have to sit this update out — better luck next time.
Source: Google Chrome Releases
Middle Earth is an amazing fictional world, but if you want to really get to know it, you’ve got to read a lot of words. So if you’re in the mood for a little Tolkien fantasy without hunkering down for a serious reading session, Google’s brand new tour of Middle Earth is a beautiful (and effortless) way to get your fix.
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We’re go out on a limb here and say that the Venn diagram of Engadget fans and Tolkien fans looks something like this. So, we figure you’ll probably want to hear about a brand new Chrome experiment that brings various parts of Middle Earth to life, including the Trollshaw and Dol Guldur. It starts with a pretty simple interactive map, but from there you’re able to dive into several locations and learn about Hobbit lore through text, animations and audio. At the end of each lesson on Tolkien’s fantasy world, you’re challenged to complete a simple mini game that has you causing flowers to bloom or avoiding troll attacks. While the WebGL-powered games are pretty impressive, its the HTML5 audio and animations that are the real eye-candy here — doubly so since they work just as well on a phone or tablet as they do your desktop. As you swipe through slides in the story, camera angles change in coordination with your finger and characters dart across bridges. Honestly, even if you’re part of that tiny sliver in the diagram that can’t stand Tolkien, it’s worth checking out the latest Chrome Experiment, if only to remind yourself of the growing power of the web browser.
Source: Chromium Blog
Those who’ve gotten used to saying “OK Google” to their Moto X and KitKat-endowed handsets might wish that every device they have could be so obedient. Well, it appears that soon your Chromebook will be able to respond to that same voice command as well, if a new experimental App Launcher in Chrome’s Dev Channel is any indication. According to Google insider François Beaufort, all you’ll have to say is “Ok Google” followed by a search command. There’s even the possibility of adding instructions such as “open Gmail” or “chat with” followed by a friend’s name. It’ll likely be awhile before the feature trickles out to standard-issued Chromebooks, but if you’ve got the necessary chops, you can check out an early preview by hitting the Chromium source link below.
Filed under: Google
Source: Google+ (Francois Beaufort), Chromium
There’s a call for Chrome OS in schools – so says Lenovo with their newest device, the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook. This device works with a rugged exterior with a rubber bumper around the top cover as well as “stronger covers” to protect the machine in case of drops during a normal school day. This machine […]
There are two types of people in this world: those who like the convenience of autofill, and those who don’t think a browser should double as a PA. For the former group, Google’s updating its mobile Chrome apps today, and autophilics will be pleased to hear the feature is being added to iOS, with form data from other devices synced up for immediate use. Chrome for Android received autofill abilities earlier this year, but today’s update should “further streamline online forms” to save you a little bit more time. Retailers need to adopt this “faster checkout flow” on their end (Betabrand is in from the get-go), but with the holidays coming up, we’re sure several sites will want to make those last-minute purchases as painless as possible. Now, we’re off to order some Catan socks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Chrome Blog, Play store, App store
We’ve seen recent updates to Google Chrome that allow its users to know which YouTube-related tab is making sounds in the background through a small “Play” icon positioned in between the website’s icon and the words of the YouTube video. It seems as though Google isn’t stopping there as a new Chrome beta was released on Monday and it now allows you to pinpoint which tab is playing audio, regardless if it’s a YouTube video or not. (more…)
Chrome Beta Update Helps You Find Tabs That Are Playing Audio original content from Ubergizmo. 
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The newest Chrome Beta browser build has a new feature that indicates which tab or tabs are playing music or other audio. That way, when you’re browsing with multiple tabs open and suddenly hear some guy blabbing about a fabulous new way to make money on the Internet, you can see at a glance which […]
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