Weekly Digest From Chrome Unboxed

View this email in your browser The Chrome Cast 244: a new Samsung Chromebook Plus may be on the way This week on The Chrome Cast, we discuss the potential for a new Chromebook Plus model that could be on the way from Samsung. From the heights of the Samsung Chromebook Plus/Pro and Galaxy Chromebook to the oddly-named and poorly-executed devices like the Galaxy Chromebook Go and Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, Samsung has been on […] Read More How to clear the cache on your Chromebook and Google Play apps Contents Believe it or not, it’s the little things that count. When you have a lot of apps and web apps on your Chromebook, you’d be tempted to think that deleting these would speed up your laptop, but you may not need to resort to such drastic measures to squeeze out a bit more optimization. […] Read More This handy addition to Google Messages is quietly brilliant Google Messages is constantly being worked on now that Google has decided to go all-in and made it their messenger of choice. There’s still a long road ahead to get people to use it for more than just a glorified text message client, but as Google continues to add more and more cool, thoughtful features, […] Read More Google Play will now scan apps at the code level before you install them to make sure they're safe Contents “Google Play Protect” is a malware scanning service provided by Google that works so seamlessly in the background of your phone and Chromebook that you likely have never heard of it. Essentially, it’s like a guard that constantly checks your home for invaders. I know that sounds like a stupid analogy, but it’s true. […] Read More Last chance $250 deal on this non-branded convertible HP Chromebook Plus The newest entry in the HP Chromebook x360 family was released far earlier this year, but it is also one of the models that is being re-branded as an official Chromebook Plus model at launch. And as we’ve discussed before, that means stores are ready to get rid of the non-branded versions in favor of […] Read More Samsung's upcoming Chromebook Plus could have a USI pen built in Contents As I’m spending more time with Chromebook Plus models (reviews coming soon), I’m more and more excited by the segment as a whole. Sure, it’s great to see Chromebook Plus features arriving on non-branded Chromebook Plus devices, but I’m more keenly interested in the current and future branded Chromebook Plus devices set to arrive […] Read More Why it's awesome that Pixel Watch 2 has adjustable haptics Of all the things a smartwatch does, the gentle nudge on your wrist signaling a notification or alarm is probably one of the most important. While it is clear that the haptics on the Pixel Watch 2 are better this time around, it turns out that there are not only improvements in the actual hardware […] Read More Give your browser a new coat of paint: How to add and remove themes from Chrome Contents Personalizing your Chrome browser is a great way to make it feel uniquely yours. Chrome themes add a touch of flair and character to your browsing, and I may be biased, but dark theme is the only theme. Because I’m not in charge of making that a law though, here’s everything you need to […] Read More Don't miss the Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook for under $200 Anytime a Chromebook dips below the $200 mark, we have to take a look. Many times, that sort of discount is relegated to devices I simply wouldn’t recommend anyone actually go buy. But in this case, much like it was earlier this month, the Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook is well worth your consideration and is […] Read More The fan-favorite Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 returns to lowest-ever price at $170 off It seems that the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 can’t help but return to the affordable depths it was at just back in the beginning of October. At that point, this excellent Chromebook tablet hit an all-time-low of $329, and today, it’s back at it again. While I cannot wait to see what the next generation […] Read More Pixel Watch gets Wear OS 4 update: Why it matters If you own the original Pixel Watch, you have an important update coming your way. Google announced this Tuesday that its first Pixel Watch will soon receive the Wear OS 4 update (build: TWD4.2301005.002). The phased rollout has already begun and will extend “over the coming weeks,” according to Google. This update is packed with […] Read More Google Chrome gets five new address bar tweaks to make your life a bit easier Contents Address Bar updates Chrome announced in a Keyword blog post yesterday that it’s rolling out five significant improvements to its address bar. These changes aim to make your web browsing experience smoother and more efficient, without the need for intricate URL knowledge, saving you time and frustration. Seriously, some of these are pretty cool! […] Read More The fantastic Lenovo Chromebook Flex 3i drops to all-time-low price of $179 For the better part of 2023, Chromebook deals have been pretty wild. But with the advent of Chromebook plus in the last month, it feels like discounts are even more aggressive as we find ourselves in the Q4 season. And this one we’re talking about today is one of the most aggressive deals we’ve seen […] Read More How to check for and remove malicious Chrome extensions from your Chromebook You’ve heard me cover plenty of Chrome extensions that take advantage of you by mining your data. Over the past few years, Google has done its best to reign this in with a ‘Seal of approval’ on the Chrome Web Store (now completely redesigned, by the way), and more. I don’t have to tell you […] Read More Where to buy each of the new Chromebook Plus models Google’s new Chromebook Plus devices are all available right now, but if you didn’t know better, you may think a few of them haven’t hit the market just yet. After all, most new Chromebooks come to Best Buy as it has become the go-to spot for Chromebook hardware without question. However, with the roll out […] Read More Google's Camera app now 'Pixel Camera', features new options for low-vision users This week, Google Play Store users witnessed a subtle yet significant change as the beloved “Google Camera” was renamed to read “Pixel Camera.” While this rebranding may have gone unnoticed by some, it coincides with a paradigm shift for the tech giant, particularly regarding the launch of its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro as […] Read More Don't miss this deal on the awesome Acer Chromebook 516 GE for $449 [UPDATE] For the past 10 days I’ve been out of town with the family. After a 12 hour drive down to Florida, a 7 day cruise, and a 12 hour drive back, I’ve been out of the office for quite a bit of time. And for this lengthy trip, I had to really think through which […] Read More Samsung may be making a Chromebook Plus device, too It’s been quite a while since we’ve talked about Samsung in the Chromebook space. Ironically, one of the biggest and most noteworthy devices released early in the life cycle of Chrome Unboxed was the Samsung Chromebook Plus. It was early in our formation that Samsung showed up to CES 2017 and put the Chromebook Plus […] Read More Google Wallet Photo Pass feature now rolling out, lets you add passes by snapping a picture Google Wallet has long been a champion of reducing the bulk of physical wallets, making it possible to store essential cards securely on your smartphone, thus reducing keyring clutter and scoliosis. Now, it’s introducing a feature that simplifies this process even further. First noticed back in June, the “Photo Pass” option that lets you snap […] Read More Today is officially Chromebook Plus day for existing models Today is the day, folks! At some point, we fully expect the roll-out of ChromeOS 118 and – more importantly – the official Stable Channel update for qualifying Chromebooks to officially become Chromebook Plus devices. Not only did Google announce today as the day for the arrival of Chromebook Plus for the broader ecosystem back […] Read More The first Chromebook Plus sale is here: save $100 on the ASUS CM34 Flip Of the new Chromebook Plus models, the only one we’ve fully reviewed up to this point is the budget-conscious ASUS Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip. Granted, our review came out before we knew Chromebook Plus was a certainty and before we knew that the CM34 Flip would officially be one of the new devices that is […] Read More Google says wallpaper and emoji help us 'be ourselves', but my Pixel's impact is greater than that In a recent article on ‘The Keyword‘ by Google, Sebastian Bauer celebrates Android’s customization features such as wallpapers, widgets, and emoji as tools that ‘help us be ourselves’ on our phones. However, to me, what truly empowers us to be ourselves on our phones is our data, and the phone serves as a gateway to […] Read More How to install the Google Play Store on your Chromebook to unlock millions of apps and games Back when Chromebooks first entered the scene, they were considered a “web browser in a box” – an insult meant to sting, and though times have certainly changed and the web is capable of well, practically everything now including running apps and AAA gaming, there’s no shame in wanting something a little more on the […] Read More Discover is coming to desktop web, currently being tested on Google.com Google has long since decided it would keep the main Google.com search page simple and clean. In fact, back when the search engine first launched, testers sat in front of their display for an entire minute or more waiting for “the rest to load”, but there was nothing left to load. In a day and […] Read More You can now create AI images with text in Search thanks to Google Search Generative Experience If you’re not yet familiar with artificial intelligence-created images using nothing but text, it’s a real thing. In fact, it’s taking the world by storm right now, and while I know how important the ethics concerns tied to these tools are, I have to admit they’re getting really impressive. While Bing was one of the […] Read More The best small Chromebook tablet is only $269 right now While I surprisingly enjoyed the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 a bit more than I expected when Lenovo’s two current ChromeOS tablets launched, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Duet 3. At 11-inches, this little tablet gets so much right in this space and is an absolute pleasure to use. Versus the original Chromebook […] Read More Google may be working on ChromeOS Flex for older Chromebooks after all Right up front, I need to warn you that this is all in the very early stages and there’s no way to be even close to certain that Google will even make any of this a reality. For now, very basic tests are being run to get what looks to be a version of ChromeOS […] Read More Samsung joins Google in pushing Apple to adopt RCS for iMessage Contents In a blend of a bit of tech activism, Samsung – the world’s #1 Android manufacturer – recently unveiled an interesting video that aligns the tech giant with Google’s #GetTheMessage campaign. If you’re new around here and don’t already know, #GetTheMessage is a call for Apple to embrace RCS (Rich Communication Services) in iMessage […] Read More Massive deals on 3 non-branded Chromebook Plus models: save up to $250 As I said in a prior post, the devices included in the group of 8 new Chromebook Plus models that were already technically on the market (the HP Chromebook x360 14c, HP Chromebook 15.6″, Lenovo Flex 5i, Lenovo Slim 3i, and ASUS CM34 Flip) are all going to be pushed off the shelves to make […] Read More Good news: Google Assistant with Bard is likely coming Pixel 6 and 7 series phones as well According to 9to5Google, who did a deep dive of the latest Google app beta version 14.41, code strings for Assistant with Bard point to support for more than just the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. In fact, this revolutionary new revamp for the ridiculously useless Assistant may be coming to both the 6th and 7th […] Read More Join our Patreon community and get access to things like behind-the-scenes footage, early access to videos, private Discord server access, an ad-free experience on the mobile and desktop versions of the website, your name listed on all our YouTube videos, and monthly live stream Q&A. CLICK HERE to be a part of our community.  Copyright © 2023 Unboxed Media, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Unboxed Media 111 W Dixie Ave Ste 200 Elizabethtown, KY 42701-1410 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.