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A new comment and code commit found in the Chrome OS Gerrit suggests that a merger of Google Assistant and the native notification are of the platform are to be merged.  The merging is aimed to make the notification the one area where you interact with all your notifications and Assistant and could be paving the way for a broader Google Assistant rollout in the platform.

Today, Google Assistant is only available on the Google Pixelbook and has both a dedicated button to access (although it can be configured to respond to “Hey Google”) and a dedicate area where it pops up when accessed.   There is a screenshot after the break for those that don’t have a Pixelbook.

The third Chrome 68-based build in as many weeks has landed in the Chrome OS Beta Channel.  Build 68.0.3440.40 (Platform version: 10718.34.0) is the updated version for those keeping score at home and should be available to the majority of devices that are in the channel.

As always, for those who have a device registered in the Beta Channel, you can just type chrome://help in the browser ominbar which will bring you to the build information on your Chromebook.  There you will see a Check for Update button which will download the latest build to your device.

Google My Business (GMB) is a service that allows businesses to highlight their business, specials or attributes of their company within Google Search results.  Launched in 2014, it is one of the best tools available for small to medium businesses to improve their search results and allow people to find them.

One of the key elements of GMB are attributes that tell people who find your business qualities.  Now Google has added two key attributes that owners can add to their business, “LGBTQ-friendly” and as a “Transgender Safe Space”.  These new attributes will allow businesses to clearly indicate they are an open part of their local community.

A fourth Chrome 68-based build of the Chrome for Android Beta app has arrived in the Google Play Store.  The new build, 68.0.3440.40, brings a number of bug fixes and stability improvements as the Chromium team continues to work on the build for public release late next month.

As you may recall from the first beta release from a couple of weeks back, there are a slew of changes coming to Chrome for Android with Chrome 68.  A new horizontal task switcher is available, a new Home screen mini bar instead of a banner has been added as well as new identifications for non-HTTPS sites that you visit.