Weekly Digest From Chrome Unboxed

View this email in your browser Android 13 and higher to give you an 'Upgrade Invite' prominently showcasing its new features One persistent challenge Android users have faced over the years is the inability to understand precisely what updates Google is incorporating into its operating system. Often, they’d have had to rely on news outlets (like us!) to provide the specifics of each update, rather than receiving this vital information directly from the source. The lack […] Read More Google One VPN to improve location service accuracy by switching to local IP addresses Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs for short, are primarily designed to enhance user anonymity. They achieve this by giving you the freedom to choose the country from which your IP address is being broadcast from. The aim is to maximize privacy by limiting the extent to which you can be tracked online. However many apps […] Read More The Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Slim 3 is a marvel of affordability [VIDEO] Here in the office, we have the new Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Slim 3 – or what we tend to just call the Slim 3. This Chromebook showed up quietly, following the same design ethos that Lenovo employed for the Flex 3i we recently reviewed and really enjoyed a lot. The Slim 3 is a classic […] Read More Google adds more features and language to Bard AI, taking aim at ChatGPT When it comes to creativity, curiosity and imagination are really what bring everything to life. From a child’s imaginative game to an entrepreneur’s brand-new business idea, these qualities are intrinsically human and have found a new assistant here in 2023 with the rise of large language model AI. Unlike traditional informational tools, AI like ChatGPT […] Read More How to disable Google Drive email spam and centralize file changes and requests in one place If you use Google Drive as much as I do, then you’ll know all too painfully well how many emails you get whenever someone makes a change to a file, invites you, or requests access, among many other things. Today, I’m going to show you how to use the Google Drive bot inside of Google […] Read More The Roku Channel indirectly joins Google TV and Android TV's lineup of free movies and TV shows One of the oldest arguments of the tech world is whether or not you’ll buy a Roku or a Chromecast for your grandmother, and there are very clearly parties that fall on either side. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks, but one thing is clear – Roku has always offered great content for its […] Read More Some of Best Buy's best Black Friday in July Chromebook deals are still going The first few days of this week saw Best Buy launching a huge sales event clearly aimed at Amazon’s massive Prime Day sales blitz. Matching Amazon’s discounts on many items, Best Buy’s Black Friday in July sale was great for general tech, but it was pretty astounding for those interested in purchasing a Chromebook. And […] Read More I accidentally dropped my Pixel Fold from 5 feet onto asphalt off of a moving golf cart Yeah, you read that right. This past Sunday I was out for a casual round of golf and as I have done a few times already with my Pixel Fold review unit, I had the phone secured in my magnetic clamp that I keep on attached to the golf cart. Sure, the clamp is built […] Read More NotebookLM is Google's new AI-driven notes app that is official as of today At Google I/O 2023, Google unveiled a variety of AI-first developments. Among these was Project Tailwind, a cutting-edge note-taking tool crafted to leverage large language models to expedite learning. And today, Google is announcing that Project Tailwind is now being released under its new name: NotebookLM. Google Labs’ NotebookLM represents Google’s vision to rethink note-taking […] Read More Google Docs for Android is making editing less annoying by cutting out the extra tap If you’re familiar with the Google Docs editing experience on Android either on your phone or tablet, you’ll know that it’s kind of annoying. Instead of tapping a document to open it and begin editing, you’re forced to open it and then to tap a pencil icon at the bottom right in order to start […] Read More New Gmail feature lets you schedule meetings easier with "offer times you're free" Google is once again adding useful features to Gmail that make the things we do inside email just a bit easier and more streamlined. This time around, they are integrating a new feature that streamlines the process of scheduling meetings. It’s a slick-looking approach for all Gmail users, simplifying the process of finding mutually-convenient meeting […] Read More How to save images from Google Docs and Google Slides and use them elsewhere I love Google Docs – I mean, I seriously love it. Ever since Google added Smart Canvas and Pageless view mode completely reinventing its web-based word processor, I’ve started using it for journaling among other things that I probably would have kept in Google Keep in the past. Anyway, despite singing its praises, there’s one […] Read More Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro reach their lowest-ever prices for Prime Day OK, so I have to address the elephant in the room for this one. Yesterday, I pointed to the fact that – for Chromebooks, at least – Best Buy’s Black Friday in July sales are better than what we’re seeing over at Amazon. For Chromebooks, this means the difference in taking advantage of great deals […] Read More How to use the Google Drive 'Approvals' feature to streamline collaboration with your team Google Drive has become a popular platform for efficient digital collaboration, offering a range of features that enhance productivity and teamwork. One such powerful tool is Approvals, designed to gather valuable feedback on your files before sharing or finalizing them. Today, we’ll explore the practical aspects of Approvals feature, helping you streamline collaboration and achieve […] Read More Pixel Fold early adopters: your July Pixel update is here and rolling out Google is having quite the summer in terms of new hardware. With the Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, and the Pixel Fold all hitting within just a couple months, the Google Hardware team has been busy to say the least. Still, with all the new devices out there finally hitting users’ hands, Google has continued to […] Read More Google patent automatically switches your phone to Airplane mode with pressure, altitude change, more Per a new listing on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Parkifly (Kudos, Phone Arena!), Google has filed a patent for something called “Activating a Connected Flight Mode”. This new innovation is just that – innovative! It seeks to automagically swap your cell data off and enable Airplane Mode when you’re… well, in an […] Read More Prime Day Chromebook deals stink, so try Best Buy's Black Friday in July instead Just yesterday we gathered up all the best Chromebook deals that are a part of Best Buy’s Black Friday in July event. And there are a bunch of them. From convertibles to tablets to gaming Chromebooks, there is basically something for everyone looking to find a great deal on a Chromebook over on Best Buy’s […] Read More 3 new ways to leverage Chrome on Apple iOS devices Google is constantly making changes to deliver an exceptional browsing experience to all users, regardless of their OS of choice. Between Android and iOS, we tend to see different abilities leveraged for the different user bases, and with these latest additions for iOS, Google is bringing some of the best Chrome features to both iPhones […] Read More Google can now claim #2 smartphone brand status in Japan The smartphone market – largely dominated by big players like Apple and Samsung – has been traditionally challenging for newer players to find their place. Yet, Google’s Pixel series is making remarkable strides in this highly-competitive space, particularly in Japan: a market known for its fierce loyalty to homegrown brands like Sony and Sharp. By […] Read More Google to move to a fully-custom SoC with Tensor G5 in 2025 A new report from The Information (via:9to5 Google) highlights that Google is actively transitioning its Tensor G5 chip development from Samsung to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). In an ambitious step towards hardware independence, Google originally planned to roll out its first fully customized chip for Pixel phones in 2024. However, the plans hit […] Read More How to remove duplicate or empty rows in Google Sheets Duplicate rows or empty rows can often be found in Google Sheets, and they can create clutter and hinder data analysis. This may occur when data is accidentally copied or imported multiple times, while empty rows may result from removing things and forgetting you did so, for example! The good news is that removing these […] Read More Best Buy 'Black Friday in July' offers huge Chromebook deals ahead of Prime Day This morning, Best Buy’s website went black to take on Amazon’s upcoming Prime Day deals. The savings are all over the place, and deals will be persistent through Wednesday, July 12th. There’s a lot to sift through, here, but we wanted to go ahead and share the best Chromebooks that we’ve already spotted on sale. […] Read More Google Photos gets crazy new video filters like torn paper, light leak, and more Google Photos is starting to roll out an interesting update to its suggested edits, which includes a collection of video filters which can be applied to your existing videos with a single click. While the intensity of the filters cannot be adjusted at launch, just having them may be enough for some users. The effects, […] Read More Google may soon launch a Wear OS Beta Program for your Pixel Watch During this year’s I/O conference, Google announced the upcoming release of Wear OS 4 for the Pixel Watch and other smartwatches. As the launch date draws nearer, Google may soon introduce a ‘Wear OS Beta Program’ to provide you with the opportunity to maximize your device’s potential before updates are rolled out to the general […] Read More Google Calendar will now let you set different working locations throughout the day In the past, Google Calendar added a feature that let you set a location for your work day so that you could plan ahead. For instance, I like to write from home, from a coffee shop or Panera Bread every now and again to get some fresh air. This has helped me schedule my out […] Read More How to play Minecraft on a Chromebook in 2023 If you’re a Minecraft addict who also just so happens to have a Chromebook but aren’t sure how to get started on your block-building adventures with your larger device, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of installing the most popular game in the world on your […] Read More Google Calendar's redesign for tablets and Chromebooks finally rolling out widely Google Calendar, along with nearly 50 other apps, were set to receive a complete redesign aimed at tablets and larger displays like Chromebooks. These Android apps have long since been confined to phone-sized user interfaces for wider and taller screens, which is a lose lose situation for everyone – well, except for developers, who haven’t […] Read More YouTube Music goes social: Comments for individual songs begin appearing for some users YouTube Music recently got a significant UI change with the introduction of the left sidebar for playlists on its homescreen. It also added a sleep timer, episodes for later and more when podcasts came to the app to expand its horizons. Now, per Reddit users in the r/YouTubeMusic community (Kudos: 9to5Google), a brand new commenting […] Read More "Watch" your Inbox! Google is sending out $100 discounts on the Pixel Watch Earlier this week, we shared a deal on the Pixel Watch that can save our friends in the UK a serious chunk of change on Google’s first WearOS device. That sale is still happening and buyers on the other side of the pond stand to score as much as 29% off the Pixel Watch when […] Read More Chromebook names are terrible: maybe 'Chromebook X' can fix that There’s no denying it: Chromebook naming conventions are utterly terrible. Over the course of a decade, the ChromeOS devices that have come and gone have largely become more and more poorly-named in that time, leaving us with new launches of great hardware that have to be referred to like this: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook. 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