Category: Chrome OS

Yesterday afternoon I posted about the release of the latest build of Chrome OS.  This new build started rolling out to all devices yesterday and has a lot of great features and improvements in it.  The reality for me however is that I have been using the 48-build series for a couple of weeks now as part of the Chrome OS beta program.  Like any other beta program, this one allows me to download a beta version of the OS to my Chromebook and see new features as well as help the Chromium team with bugs.  It’s a bit of a win-win.

The good news is, as far as Google and the Chromium team are concerned, anyone can join the beta program.  With a simple change on your Chromebook or Chromebase, you can move from the normal Stable channel to the Beta channel so you too can get these beta builds before they hit the Stable channel.

In this How To I’ll show you how to set your Chrome OS device to the Beta channel and the process for reverting back to the Stable channel.  Before I do however, a word of warning.  They call the channel Beta for a reason folks.  You are very likely to run into bugs or other weirdness if you move to this channel.  The goal of the channel is not to give you access to new features first but for you to provide feedback to the Chromium team on bugs or issues that you run into while using the release.  Beta programs only work when those using the software actually report bugs.  So if you are willing to do so and willing to live with a bug or two, sign up.  If however you can’t make the time commitment to report bugs or your Chromebook is mission critical, don’t get in on the Beta channel.

Okay, onward to the How To.

Through the Google Chrome Release blog, the company has announced a new build of Chrome OS is now available for devices.  The updated build is version 48.0.2564.92 (Platform version: 7647.73.0) for those keeping score at home and it is available for all Chrome OS devices.  While most updates to the platform focus on performance and security improvements, this update also includes a number of user experience changes and app changes.

• Improved Download Notifications
• Material Redesign for Video Player
• Adding Google Photos as a Default App
• Update Recovery Screens
• Cultural Institute Wallpapers for Chrome OS

The update is available now and will be pushed to your device in the coming days.  I have already upgraded my Acer Chromebook and this update is big.  It took several minutes to download unlike most updates which take just a few seconds.

To start your Monday morning & work week, how about a great offer from Amazon on the Samsung Chromebook 2.  This 11.6″ Chromebook was introduced in October of last year and up to this point has retailed for $249.99.  Today you can get it for $185.99, a savings of $64.00, while supplies last.  The Samsung Chromebooks have been some of the most highly rated units available for Chrome OS with this updated version of their original product receiving similar praise.  Sporting a 11.6″ HD LED 1366 x 768 display, the Chromebook 2 has 2GB of DDR3L SDRAM and 16GB of onboard storage.  It is powered by a 2.16 GHz dual-core Intel Celeron processor, has 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi support and has 9 hours of battery life.

Samsung Chromebook 2 – SALE $185.88 – Amazon

The Chrome OS teams has released a bug fix and security update to the platform that all devices should see in the coming days.  The new stable build is version 47.0.2526.110 (Platform version: 7520.67.0) and while no details were given on what specifically was addressed, we can safely assume that it is a build all users should upgrade too as soon as possible.  The update comes about a month after the last update to the platform on December 15, 2015 which is about the normal cadence for releases.

In the announcement, Google states that all devices will be seeing the update in the next few days.  That means if you have a Chromebook, Chromebit or Chromebase, you should see the update regardless of manufacture or model.

Acer has kicked off CES 2016 by announcing a refresh of their 11″ Chromebook.  The new 11.6″ Chromebook will be available in February and will start at just $179.99 for the 2GB RAM/16GB Storage model.  Sporting 9 hours of battery life and a Nano-imprinted pattern for a premium look, this new Chromebook is designed for portability with a weight of just under 2.5lbs.

“Acer’s position in the Chromebook market is unparalleled because we offer the range of Chromebook products that our customers want – including larger 15-inch displays and convertible models,” said Jerry Kao, president of Acer Notebook Business Group. “We know what our customers want most in a Chromebook are the attributes that complement the mobile lifestyle – great performance and a portable design at an excellent value – all this can be found in the Chromebook 11.”

I for one am looking forward to seeing this new unit as a potential replacement for my current Acer C670 Chromebook.  Based on the the information in the Press Release, I think this could be a great budget friendly Chromebook for a lot of users.

Gmail, like many aspects of your Chromebook, PC or Mac, can be customized to suit your liking and personality.  While some find the simple white background that comes standard in the web-based email service, I for one am not a big fan of leaving things generic.  I like having a little color and more specifically, I like having things that match across all my devices.  Themes and wallpapers are part of that but so is Gmail for me.  My current favorite wallpaper is the default wallpaper that comes with Android Marshmallow.  It is the wallpaper on both my Nexus 6 and Nexus 7 as well as the wallpaper on my Chromebook and my Windows PC.  Now it is also the wallpaper for my Gmail account.

My Gmail Android Marshmallow Background

To be clear, in this How To I am talking about Gmail on the web, not the Android app.  Whether you are using Chrome, Internet Explorer or Safari, you can have a theme for your Gmail account in just a few simple steps.  First, make sure you have the photo that you want to use as your wallpaper saved somewhere on your PC or on Google Drive so you can access it.  Once you have that done, continue on after the break to see how to set it up, configure & customize it and finally share it with anyone.