Hasta La Gadget!

We don’t know when Google plans to release another device like its Chromebook Pixel, but Chrome OS support for touchscreens is continuing to improve. A new update in the beta channel brings support for both touch enabled text selection and touch enabled drag and drop on touch based devices. Right now the Pixel is the only Chrome OS laptop that supports it, but who knows what could be around the corner. Google “Happiness Evangelist” François Beaufort noted the new feature in Chrome OS’ dev channel a couple of weeks ago and recorded a demonstration video, which you can check out after the break. Otherwise, Chrome OS users living on the not-quite-bleeding-edge can also expect tweaks like an audio source selector in the tray menu, ability to share folders and files from the Files app and an improved UI for the release channel switcher.

Filed under: Laptops, Google

Comments

Source: Chrome OS Releases

Sure, the Chromebook Pixel is expertly constructed, but you won’t find more than a sentence about that here. Nope, we’d rather talk about its blazing fast LTE speeds. As for our copy editor Philip, he doesn’t write for Engadget often, but when he does, it’s about camera gear.

Filed under: Misc, Google

Comments

For those that can swing a Chromebook Pixel in the first place, the LTE model may be the wisest choice when it promises always-on data for a constantly connected machine. Anyone who can justify the $1,449 outlay will be happy to know that Google has quietly narrowed down the launch window: early orders should now ship by April 8th. Shoppers will still have to be Americans willing to latch on to Verizon’s network for LTE, but the date leaves a mere two weeks before the release of what’s unquestionably the highest-end (and priciest) Chrome OS system yet. Any takers?

Filed under: Laptops, Google

Comments

Via: Jeff Jarvis (Twitter)

Source: Google Play

WiFi-only flavors of the Chromebook Pixel have only just started shipping, but if you’re already itching to install Linux on one of them, you’re in luck. Not only have kernel patches been submitted for the hardware, but Google’s Bill Richardson has now laid out exactly how to load up the devices with Linux Mint. Richardson says that part of the Chrome OS BIOS is read-only, so changes to it are generally exclusive to new hardware. Pixel, for example, has been tuned to support user-provided custom bootloaders thanks to an unverified BIOS slot. Unfortunately, Mint doesn’t support the laptop’s touchscreen and trackpad because it leverages the stock kernel. Adventurous types looking to boot a Tux-powered OS on a Pixel can hit the neighboring source link for step-by-step instructions.

Filed under: Laptops, Google

Comments

Via: Android Central

Source: Bill Richardson (Google+)

Google’s flagship Chromebook might be a solid piece of hardware, but its prohibitive $1,299-1,449 sticker price left us aching for the ability to dual-boot a more robust operating system. Lucky for us that Google’s Benson Leung has a knack for Linux — he’s already patching the Linux kernel to support Pixel’s hardware. Just hours after the notebook’s reveal, Leung updated the Linux kernel mailing list with patches supporting the Pixel’s touchpad, touchscreen and ambient light sensor. A small step, to be sure, but one that could eventually help the community build a Linux distro that can make the most out of Google’s premium hardware.

Filed under: Laptops, Software

Comments

Via: Phoronix

Source: Benson Leung (Google+)